Exploring to Learn

Gurus in my Universe

2011-07-21T21:10:00.001+05:30

Time has whooshed past like a giant whirlwind taking me with it on a roller-coaster ride, experiences of myriad colours, emotions, sizes swallowed up my little world, leaving me a tad dazed. Now months later I've somehow found a foothold for some moments,or so it seems, and I make a dash for the keyboard, the pen's rich cousin.

During the time of my last post I was teaching little ones...this year I'm back to teaching young adolescents, Middle School. The morning rush remains the same. The only change being that the little kid at home now gets tagged along with me to my school. The school bus is larger, the attendance list longer, and as you would expect,the minutes spent on admonishing and monitoring have increased.

The classroom dynamics have changed. Instead of the unself-conscious hugs and "Good Morning Ma'am' tugs at the dupatta,the morning greetings are now more like a friendly exchange of news and information to begin the day. These pre-teens love every bit of space I can spare them...coming back only for some advice, support or guidance. They take up responsibilities with ease and make each class enjoyable with their pointed questions and unique responses.

My little ones still come and meet me during break and bring a bit of their sunshine along.They say it is their "Meeting Ma'am period".

As year after year the faces of those I teach change,some things remain constant. The eternal unspoken bond between the teacher and the taught, the roles so very reversible; the satisfaction of seeing a student moving on without the teacher's help, quite independent,displaying all the skills you wondered he/she would ever learn...the list I'm afraid, is rather long.

As I plan my lessons to fit in a few more concepts, a couple of more skills and wrack my brains over what is the learning outcome of this lesson going to be...the morning prayer reverberates in my head. "Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo, Maheshwara..." and I begin to think of all the Gurus who have made a difference in my life ,the faces of those splendid individuals rise before my eyes....All at once young faces, candid remarks, words of wisdom spoken by ones mature before their years, jostle for space amongst the sage, old teachers I had.We are your Gurus too, they say. Haven't you learnt some lessons from us?

It hardly takes me more than a while to figure out an answer. All of you who have been part of my life's experiences are my Gurus , big and small. Each one of you who's journeyed with me a few steps along the way, I've picked up some bits of wisdom from you, too. Even the little one on the school bus in the morning, asking, " When will school come? I'm missing my Ma'am.." even you, my little one, turned into my Guru for a moment, today.

Is teaching an easy job?

2010-08-18T01:17:00.000+05:30

I work at a school. I teach primary school children. Now rate that on a scale of :- 1-5 where

1 - cakewalk
2 - easy
3 - challenging
4 - very challenging
5 - frustrating

Without judging your common-sense, least of all sniggering at the social consensus of teaching being an easy job, I would like to share a few experiences with you.

Day 1. The day begins with an early morning bath before the kid wakes up...get him ready and packing for school...a rushed breakfast/or none... wait at the bus-stop...attendance in the bus...keeping inquisitive hands out of trouble areas and an alert eye on each liitle child...Then to class...Good Morning Ma'am! A room full of bright, smiling youngsters greet you.
Class begins. Instructions ladled out...reach only some ears...call out to the errant few...blank stares...renewed explanations...a bitter fight between two....mediate...get the focus of the class back to work...early birds are done...the inattentive ones reminded yet again....confronted with irrelevant questions...a long list of complaints are waiting to be heard....the bell rings...time for the class to go out for some activity class in an orderly line...they rush out...books scattered..lights and fans on...are called back again and made to leave in a disciplined manner...a meeting with a parent...lunch time with the kids choosing and picking their vegetables and then wasting it....meeting with the Dean...class again...an unending cycle till its time to go home.

At home work awaits. Homework needs to be done, son needs to be probed and pestered for information.... prepare tea, attend a call of an anxious parent(or more), lay the dinner, work on the computer/on teacher's diary ...prepare for the next day before going to bed.It's 1:30 already. Set the alarm for 5:00 a.m.

That's just Day 1. Without mention of assembly, and so many other activities that go on throughout the day.

I would say that there are days when one wonders how everything got done...school is where your heart is and must be(cellphone on silent)...at home people feel, thank god she's back early from her nice fun day with some kids...enough of escaping housework.

Yet this is the choice I have made and this mixed-up life seems to be my destiny for years to be. My only solace, the heart of an innocent child in my loving care. No regrets. Just a wish, that people around me understand my need to work as a teacher and give it the importance that is due to it.

Transition

2010-07-30T01:33:00.000+05:30

For the last few posts I think I've written enough about what life was and how people were and how life is now and what a change the present is, etc. etc. Enough. (The few unlucky ones who get to chance upon my posts would probably be thinking "Thank God!")

Yet I find myself itching to speak about another transition. This is a transition on the home front. From the role of a daughter to a daughter-in-law. It's actually strange when you reflect upon how different the two roles are while being apparently similar.

What makes staying as a daughter so different from staying as a daughter-in-law? First, as a daughter you are accepted whichever way you are,loved unconditionally, no tags attached. You are not much bothered about what you say and how you say it, what you do and how you do it,life is simple.
Enter mom-in-law and you are shaken awake. Think before you speak, or else... watch how you do things,because you're being watched... you are being judged all the way. The load of judgement weighs down on you day and night unless you are one of those fortunate few who don't give a damn.
There's a long list of expectations when it comes to being a daughter-in-law. And if you think you're going to try and keep up to that list, you've had it. Because, that list keeps growing like the beanstalk. And your effort will be a never-ending one. Best policy, take it from a veteran, is to be yourself, come what may, remain polite yet firm ,and be dutiful, whether a daughter or a daughter-in-law.

Saved!

2010-06-22T01:26:00.003+05:30

What a change! In less than a year I see around me a complete different set of people.
Don't get me wrong, people. But as I've made myself quite clear, the corporate world is not the place for me. The crisp, well-rehearsed,formal behaviour , a shiny classy exterior that covers even the most rotten core....a crowd of self-centred, highly ambitious individuals who swear by the most popular principles and theories of positive thinking and yet lead a lifestyle that would be aeons away from anything Shiv Khera or Stephen Covey prescribed. No, my friends, I was definitely not going to live my life in a place like this.

It was as if God himself took it upon Himself to lead me gently into a place which has turned my world a whole 180 degrees around. The fake smiles and snide comments I had to put up with everyday were soon replaced with genuine concern and warm greetings. The wounds of the soul started healing instantly. I relaxed as I realised slowly,that not all people worked with selfish motives in mind.

Finally, I seem to have found a place where I can be me. More important, a place where I may discover new facets to my personality. Where my mistakes are just errors ro learn from, not brownie points for a jealous colleague. Where disagreements are sorted out openly, transparently,and not blown up into a fiery war of words or a clash of egos. A place, where I am glad to have found an opportunity to contribute.

Thank You ShriRam.

Beware of Corporate Smoothtalk!

2010-02-26T11:07:00.000+05:30

First, they dangle a juicy carrot before your eyes ... lofty ideals,brave,new plans,an enticing vision, a wonderfully satisfying job with an even more satisfying paypacket.You look up their credentials.Their website is overflowing with awards and certificates and what have you...how can you resist?

As it is you're stressed out with your current job and are looking for a change. It seems like God Himself just offered you a divine feast on a silver platter.

The efficient smoothtalking Corporate world just embraces you with open arms. Even if in a far corner of the brain, a little voice sings "Will you walk into my parlour, said the spider to the fly..." you ignore it completely.

Very soon you're in it. Stuck in the Corporate web. The journey that began in the clouds , crisp business attire,lectures on business etiquette, ...a lifestyle pulsating with a "work hard, party harder" attitude...in very little time dipped lower and lower sending warning signals of an imminent nosedive into the deep dead sea,and all you get around you is long winding diplomatic sentences which lead to nowhere.

There's an extremely overworked Human Resources Department who are more interested in the resources(read paperwork and numbers) than humans.Trying to balance the management's strict orders with the employee's expectations has them gasping for breath. Then you have the Finance Deptt. who understand deduction much better than addition. A re-imbursement request takes ages to be acted upon and not without reminders , while a contribution or tax-deduction mail is replied to with alacrity. Plus there are the various managers at different levels who skilfully master the Corporate art of Chicanery.

So, the job which began as a dream and swiftly turned into a sore ache without a cure...is now over. And so is my experience with the Corporate world. You want me to describe how it feels? How would you feel stepping out of a sleeper class train that has been running aimlessly for 17 months? How would you feel journeying up a hill that's full of brambles and bushes for months and then, just as the peak comes into view, getting to know that you needn't journey further anymore? How would you feel waking up from a frustratingly long delusion?

The Corporate smoothtalkers have answers to every query. They have numbers to show,graphs and statistics to prove their statements. You'll know just how big the lie is when you hear the evidence that comes with it. And more important, the bigger and juicier the carrot....stay away from it!

So my advice....be a wise fly.Watch out for the schemimg spider inviting you to his sparkling parlour.

Decency ... a Weakness....?

2010-01-29T11:02:00.000+05:30

A year and a half back, when I left school-teaching at the middle school level, I was told by my headmistress: "You have two drawbacks. You're both decent and delicate. And this combination is bound to trouble you in life."
In that perspective, the last one and half years in the 'Corporate' world has been a baptism of sorts.I have become less delicate and, I dare say, less decent !

I can now see through people's fake smiles and all-too-convincing assurances. Whenever I am audience to expressions full of praise and appreciation, I know for sure...something's coming up. The kind old man or woman at the other end of the praise surely has something up his sleeve.In fact, in all interactions with people, I try and pinpoint what the other person's motive is. For as I see the world now, no action is without an ulterior motive.And I cannot afford to be naive any more.

Call it growing up or the loss of innocence or perhaps, coming of age...or just pure cynicism. The way the world looks to me now is completely different than what it looked like just a couple of years ago. It's sad to think I've lost that one value I held so dear ...trust in people.

I find it increasingly difficult to trust people these days. Blow after blow, experience after experience, has changed the way I look at the world.At people.It has hardened my soul.Possibly to safeguard me against more such blows in future.

And as life's harsh realities turn me into a wiser, less-trusting woman, a few nagging thoughts trouble me timeand again. Will I ever be able to interact in a frank and trusting manner with people again? Am I losing out on good human beings who could have been good friends by reading too much into people's intentions?
Have the malicious hands of life touched my soul and dried it up to the core?
Is it better to be decent and delicate (naive, in other words),and be happy...or is it better to be diplomatic and shrewd and unhappy for the rest of your life? Is being decent and delicate a weakness after all?

Does any one have any answers?

People Change....

2010-01-18T23:34:00.000+05:30

Over years, over time, over months, and yes,even over just a matter of a few days, people change.People change so much so that you wouldn't believe it is the same person.

At moments, they utter a statement that compels you to reminisce with wonder,why this is the same person who said just the opposite, only the other day! I hope you are not thinking I'm talking of our much celebrated politicians? Not at all.
I'm talking of those over-friendly individuals who you rub shoulders with along life's path. Every Single Day.

I'd only heard of fairweather friends. Now life's given me a chance to see them in flesh and blood. I've seen how position and money, or the deprivation of it, can make them do a cartwheel in the other direction. Only money's real.

And once this realisation sinks in into my now toughened senses, everything seems fake. Each word as it is spoken, has little effect. Conversation flows on like the sea all around,while each is an island by himself, cocooned in his own musings.

In this past year, I've grown. More from inside than otherwise. Thanks to Recession, the convenient scapegoat, and the events that followed,I feel I know a whole lot about human behaviour already. Much more than what piles of books or scores of courses on behavioural coaching could have taught me.

No.1

2010-01-14T12:09:00.000+05:30

It's quite amazing, when you ponder on it, to think how priorities keep changing as you grow older.

When I was a student, topping the list of priorities was 'Studies'. Soon 'Career' and 'Work' climbed its way to the top. A short while later, when holy matrimony swept me off my feet, 'Family' settled on its perch at Priority No.1.That soon gave way to 'Son'and that has continued to top the list till now.

I wonder whether it is similar for most other women who marry and raise families. Do family and children become the all-important factors in your life at a certain age? Everytime I've found myself facing a tough decision, my priorities bailed me out.Whether it was leaving a permanent job more than four times in my nine-yearlong teaching career or not taking up positions that weren't in line with what was most important for me,life for me has always followed the path lain down by my priorities.

Now when I'm standing at the edge once again, forced to take difficult decisions, I'm thankful to have my set of priorities guide my way. Thankful to know that my son, my all-time No.1, is more important than the grandest of salaries in the world for me.

A Thousand Apologies

2010-01-10T01:20:00.000+05:30

A thousand apologies to those 'less than a handful' who've cared to sign up as followers to my shamefully stagnating blog.

What do I give as an excuse for not keeping up the blogging habit...for letting the one good thing I learnt last year almost die a silent death? Scratch my head as much I can,I can't think of an answer. Laziness or A Strange Freezing of any Intention to Write? Amateur blogger's block? Whatever.

Something stirred within. I shook myself awake. And here I am again, typing away as the words come popping out of my head.

Hope I keep it up this time.And use it for something useful. Wish me luck.

Teacher or Trainer?

2009-08-17T14:08:00.000+05:30

Waiting for my turn outside my son's classroom,at the parent-teacher meet,it felt ....how should I put it? Awkward? After years of teaching at the same school,and being on that side of the table, here I was, in a queue , with a dozen other impatient parents,exchanging pleasantries and comparing notes.

"She's taking so much time with every parent," remarked a young parent, "doesn't she realise it's a working day for us?" Well, that remark came as a surprise to me. Here was a teacher, giving all the time she could , to each parent,only trying to do her job well. Surely,a parent-teacher meeting isn't supposed to be just an obligation, a formality!I've always thought that it's a great opportunity to find out how your child's doing at school.And even voice your suggestions ,if any. Perhaps,I was still looking at it from a teacher's perspective.Perhaps,this parent had a real busy schedule and had great many important things to do after the meeting. Perhaps......but then,what can be more important than your child's progress at school?

My thoughts drifted to one such day in the same school,about six years ago, when a parent had rushed into the classroom where I was the teacher...this parent seemed to be in a tearing hurry...she announced that she was an advocate in the Supreme Court and needed to rush off to a very urgent case awaiting her at court, so would everyone please let her speak to the teacher first? Her attitude left most parents speechless with surprise till one plain-mouthed mother retorted,"Sorry to be rude, Ma'am, but the most urgent case is going on right now here in your daughter's classroom. I left aside every other task to be here today,because my son's progress is more important to me than any other appointment."

I was only beginning to wonder whether I was more of a teacher or a parent when I discovered that two of the parents standing in the queue with me already knew me as I had taught their daughters."We still talk about you," said one. I remembered Esha, her daughter,very well.A vivacious eight or nine year-old when I taught her. In class 9 now?,I asked.
And today,with my own son in the same class,the tables had turned and I was on the other side.

"Thank you so much," said the other mother, "Amreen is what she is today because of you.You brought her out of her shell and I can never forget that.Her sister is just like her,very shy, and I wish she had a teacher like you."

"Don't worry," I said,"Try telling your daughter's teacher more about her and how she's best handled.I'm sure she'll do her best to help out. After all, she's a teacher," I reasoned, even as a sense of fulfilment overcame me.It was indeed a satisfying thought to know that one has made a difference to a child's life.

Today, I'm no longer a 'teacher'. I'm supposed to be a 'trainer'........yet, all the differences pointed out make no sense to me.

Even today, I enter a classroom full of eager faces, waiting to be transported to another realm...even today when I attempt to train these youngsters in the skills that will help them cope with the challenges of life, they look up to me as they'd look up to a teacher. Even as a teacher,I have often 'trained'. Where then, lies the difference?

My Seven yr-old's Creation on the Web

2009-07-24T19:41:00.000+05:30

GoAnimate.com: Rocket Trouble by sentinel-5

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Parting Ways...

2009-07-13T14:54:00.000+05:30

When we set out on a journey, we meet several people on our way, interact with them for as long as the meeting lasts and then carry on ,on our respective paths. These days, one is too pre-occupied with one's own concerns to smile at a fellow passenger and strike up a conversation.One needs to be wary, in these times of terrorism and criminal behaviour breeding everywhere, of even sharing a cup of tea with a stranger sitting next to you on a train.No one's sure of another's intentions any more.

What surprise then, that even at work, people do not step out of a self-created border?

Coming to myself. I have grown up in the little North-eastern town of Shillong,where everyone is friendly with everyone else,where people smile and nod at virtual strangers they meet on their way,where doors can be left unlocked for the entire day with nothing amiss, where helpfulness is a way of life, where you can talk for hours with an absolute stranger without inhibition..... get the idea?

Imagine what this small-town girl felt when she found herself in a Metro. Interacting with people freely,honestly sharing ideas,with not an iota of idea about their intentions, I was like a naive fool groping my way through the crowded multitude of Kolkata and Delhi.Little did I realise then that the people I'd be so honest with, were never equally honest with me. They sometimes had vested interests in mind or had some of their own intentions while interacting with me.They'd cosy up to me,seem to be true buddies for life, only to extract something out of me, and then turn a deaf ear when I needed them.Many a time was I shocked awake into bitter reality.People seemed to believe only in use-and-throw relationships. Going from Kolkata to Delhi was like stepping from the cauldron into fire. Can't say I've come out of it ,unscathed, unhurt.I have grown in experience, though.

Life wasn't all that bleak, however.It surely never is. Even amidst all this growing up, I did meet some people who didn't let me drown in disillusionment. These were the rare people I met on this journey of life who were frank, open, uninhibited in their expressions,warm-hearted and generous. Rare, and enough to help me survive.

Even today, when I know I am surrounded by people who think honesty, commitment, gratitude and helpfulness are all obsolete concepts, fit to be buried and forgotten,I jump for joy when I meet people who still swear by these so-called obsolete virtues. I develop an instant bonding with people who speak their mind,take up responsibilities eagerly, are positive, generous and respect others for what they are. I learn from my interaction with them,how to deal with this big,bad, world. It is said that nothing in the world is completely black or white, it's all in shades of grey. These rare individuals I have met in the journey of my life,are the streaks of white that lighten the darkness in the world, for me.

I have been fortunate to find good people , such streaks of white, wherever I've gone, till date. I'm delighted to strike up enriching relationships with them and imbibe positive virtues from them before we part ways and move on. Parting ways with such people leaves me with a heavy heart even as a prayer escapes my lips,a prayer for them to remain the way they are...untouched by the guiles of the world.Thank God for such people !

Yours Randomly
"..."

My Top Five Ways to Get Injured

2009-07-08T11:57:00.000+05:30

Here's a list of my top five ways to get injured.These have climbed their way to the top on the basis of my experiences in the past few months.Needless to say, I've learnt it the hard way.

Number 5: Spilling a plastic cup of piping hot tea on yourself while trying to express yourself animatedly on some issue.

Number 4: Traveling in a rickety Maruti Omni at the speed of 100 kmph driven by an insane driver credited with having overturned a truck at break-neck speed.Surviving right-angled turns at top-speed.

Number 3:Rushing to class in another building 50 metres away with just seconds to spare , a heap of bricks and mortar lying strewn along the way and groups of students relaxing on the stairs.

Number 2: Absent-mindedly opening the aluminium door to an electrified cabin.

Number 1:Falling off a camel's back.Decidedly No.1 on my list.

This post is dedicated to all my colleagues who have been with me through the last six months and will surely vote for my top five ways to get injured. If you guys have any more to share,please do so, I'm eager to read about them.

Yours Randomly,
"..."

p.s. no.6 on my list was having to do an online course 14 times in a row, and in the process, almost becoming a patient to the carpal tunnel syndrome.

What's in a Name?

2009-07-03T15:00:00.000+05:30

Once again, a lot of unnecessary hue and cry over a name.No sooner was the Bandra-Worli sea link christened after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, than waves of criticism lashed out against the announcement.
Newspapers carried articles on the issue while news channels held debates on whether a certain political dynasty was going too far by naming every other construction in the country after its family members.The internet too,saw umpteen forums and blog posts dedicated to the issue.
I really do not want to dip my finger into this messy pie (long gone stale). What struck me as a refreshing view on this non-issue, however,was my little son's candid remark while he watched some pro-Savarkar political leaders airing their views. In the most matter-of fact manner, my wise seven-yr old asks, " Mom,if China can have a "Great Wall of China", why can't we have a "Great Sea Link of India"? Why do we have to name it after someone?"
I was at a loss for words. Well, have any answers, anyone?

For a read of the article you may visit:
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/2009/jun/30/sena-bjp-wants-savarkars-name-for-sea-link.htm#mb
and for a peep into a forum on the topic visit: http://qna.indiatimes.com/index.php?ref=permalinkquestion&question_id=91395

A New-found Challenge

2009-06-30T15:56:00.001+05:30

Ever since the web has entangled us in its sticky embrace, we have,most of us,been victims to the 'playing at work' syndrome.
Eyes glued to the flickering screen, working hard, for others, and hardly working otherwise,we explore endless domains. It all begins in the garb of the harmless pc game/checking for some news on Google.The obvious excuse is - taking a break from work. Slowly and surely work starts getting lesser while the break gets larger in size.In no time,we're working, but in fits and starts. All thanks to the immense possibilities offered by the web. Checking mails, interacting on social networking sites,googling,checking out online courses,blogging,buying,selling,sharing pictures,...so much to do and each option more enticing than the other.

With electricity playing rogue this summer, we realized our dependance on this non-renewable resource anew.Even in this sweltering heat,one could manage without the AC but not without the internet connection!

I do believe our productivity would increase by at least double, if we stayed away from the web's temptations during work.However,our tendency to escape from anything oppressive("work") and spend time doing something interesting ("on the net")is only human. I myself am one of those lesser mortals trying to come to terms with this challenge in my life. Controlling this uncontrollable urge to use the net every other moment,is topmost on my list of priorities right now. Even as I sign off on another post in my blog during working hours......guys, wish me luck!

Yours Randomly
"..."

You may like this: Guilty Pleasures -- Wasting time on the Web | Yakima Herald-Republic Online

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A Long Way Traveled

2009-06-24T01:24:00.000+05:30

Technology has invaded our lives completely. Over the last decade, our world seems to have shrunk drastically. It wouldn't amaze me to find one day,kids thinking that the world exists on the other side of the computer screen.

I think I was in Class Eight when we were first introduced to computers. We'd religiously take off our shoes before entering that hallowed room which beheld the wonder of wonders.....computers! Now, Gen Y,don't you snigger! It was a kind of a wonder to us then.The school had signed a contract with some private computer institute to issue us certificates. A rare thing in those days.

I know I should've felt lucky to be able to get such an opportunity.But the Basic program, honestly, was quite a bore....Run...Go To...Return...so many stupid commands! The internet had not even cast its shadow, at that time. However, it was a novel experience coupled with the fact that our computer teachers were young, pretty and very friendly.I still remember the thrill of achievement when we'd be able to create odd sounds (like a whistle) after writing down an exceptionally long program.

About twelve years later,I was handling a mouse, learning to right-click and left click, sending e-mails and looking for friends on the internet. Computers were still the awkward, bulky machine with many a part to switch on.

Zoom to the present.( That's exactly 21 years since I first set foot in my school Computer room.)

Today I find myself completely at ease with my laptop (a sleek device with multiple features)...It's difficult to go through the day without catching up with friends scattered world-wide, on the net. Checking my mails is like taking my daily cup of tea.

Making question-papers, searching for information,reading news-articles, networking with people, and most recently, blogging,tweeter-ing,...the choice is laid out like a feast before me.

Well,its not just fun and work....there's serious learning thrown in too. Six months into the learntrak online course, I'm enjoying every moment of it. Simulated courses, case-studies, it has it all. Every course I did ...Facilitating in difficult situations, writing effective e-mails , Emotional Quotient, Behavioural interviews,personal accountability, and so many more........had excellent content.

And now, I hear, there's this online store,(the world's largest) where you can actually choose courses and get certified by big names in the IT industry.

Hey you professionals working your way up the corporate ladder! Grab it while you can. It's not meant just for students trying to make their CV more impressive. You too can take advantage of a time when aquiring new skills needs just a click. A click,and whoosh, you're on your way to the virtual classroom!

I look back two decades and wonder... from desktops to blackberries,from blackboards to computer screens,aided by technology,learning has come a long way,indeed.

Yours Randomly,

"..."

Freedom from Class

2009-06-23T00:24:00.002+05:30

Year:1987.
Place: Shillong (the scenic capital of Meghalaya, NE India)

I was in Class Seven then. About 12 years old. School used to be fun. Friends, activities,games, studies... in that order.One bright summer day, life came to a sudden grinding halt. The friendly faces of my tribal friends changed overnight.
The city reeled under agitation by the local tribals who wanted the non-tribals like me, out of their city. Their city? I wondered....Even my grandpa had been born here....I didn't understand any of it.

School was closed indefinitely as curfew was announced amidst a long series of demonstrations,bandhs and attacks against non-tribals.

How did we manage to study that year? We had no on-line learning to help us through.
On every saturday, we'd go during the curfew relaxation hours, get our assignments for a week, and submit them next week. This went on for about four months. At the end of the year, we gave our annual exams as usual and sailed on to the next class.

Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. I still remember that year fondly. It was a year marked by freedom from regular classes.Even at a time when there were no cellphones or computers in every home, it meant fun. Yet we managed to learn all that was taught to us.

Today, when I run my eyes down the long list of online courses on my computer screen, I know there are millions who cannot go to regular classes and would have been deprived of further education had it not been for such a remarkable technology.

2009-06-23T00:24:00.001+05:30

Father's Day .....etc.

2009-06-22T01:00:00.000+05:30

Finally the day ear-marked for fathers all over the world, is over. The excitement so visible from weeks ago, screaming out from banners outside greeting card shops, billboards, hoardings at strategic locations, advertisements on television, FM channels, newspapers, magazines................daring you to miss it, has died down.
I wondered what my father's reaction would be, had he been alive today, and I'd wished him Happy Father's Day with all the outpourings of a daughter's heart in a delicately designed greetings card and a box of his favourite assorted biscuits.
His typical reaction would have been,
"Father's Day?Eshob abar ki biliti dhong?Kintu biscuit gulo ene khoob bhalo korechish, Ma."
To my Baba(that's what I'd call him), celebration of such days were no more than a westernized fad.The biscuits, rather than the occasion they were meant for, would make him glad.
To me, every day I thank my dad for what he has been to me, is Father's Day.And I think, that's what my father would have expected me to believe.
It's not as if I am against giving dads their due. Hardly so. In fact, I think it's wonderful to have a special day in a year for dads alone. For their role in their children's lives cannot be underestimated.
My son, a worthy member of generation y,had been wracking his brains trying to think of surprises to give his dad on this day. Finally,his idea of the best way to celebrate? Mail a couple of suitable e-cards to Papa, give him a B-I-G hug as soon as he wakes up, order in some delicious food ,play cricket with him and watch a good movie with him over popcorns and coke.
And what do you think is his Papa's reaction? Pleased as a pumpkin to be showered with so much love.No matter if the restaurants, coke companies and card companies end up raking moolah out of it.
Dad seems to smile down at me, from his photograph, eyes twinkling. I smile back, thanking him once again for the countless lessons of life he's taught me.

In my heart, I also pray for the thousands of fathers spending this day alone, in old-age homes, away from the children they've nurtured and provided for all their lives, now forced to live a life devoid of the love and care of their own children.
Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers of the world!

Yours Randomly,

"..."

A Webbed Existence

2009-06-19T12:15:00.001+05:30

I was glad to learn, the other day, that Delhi University had become one of the first central universities in the country, to conduct an online examination for its undergraduate science students.The Common Admission Test(CAT) too, you must have heard, will go online this year.

In other words, India is taking to e-learning in a big way.This isn't surprising, considering how comfortably and firmly the internet is ensconced in the lives of the urban Indian, today.

Look at how Google has become almost synonymous with the verb 'search'. I heard a child , the other day, referring to a gentleman as Googleji, because he would always be found looking for kids who were upto mischief.

What do we do these days when we can't understand the meaning of a word? Google it. And bingo! Before you can even blink, you have multiple meanings of the word.That's not all,an array of websites offering synonyms,idiomatic expressions,pronunciation,articles line up attractively before you and glimmer invitingly on your screen waiting for just a click of a finger to transport you to another world filled with information.

I sometimes think it is impossible to think of life without the internet for many of us.It wasn't so,even a few years ago.For the education community, specially, the internet is nothing short of a boon.Admission forms, sample question papers, results, examination dates , online counselling ,you name it,the web has it. By now, students have got used to banking on the internet for queries of any kind. All educational institutions too almost certainly have their own websites. Taking online examinations then, is the most logical step ahead for our educational system.

It's heartening to know that the Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched a project named National Mission on Education through ICT(Information and Communication Technology)to encourage integration of information technology in education.Under this project, D.U. is preparing e-learning content for as many as seven subjects.According to recent statistics, one of the top 10 positions among Global 1000 companies of the future will be that of an online learning designer.

I look indulgingly at my seven-year-old playing an on-line game and learning more about environment in the process, and wonder,...."Times,they are a-changing..."

Yours Randomly,
"..."

Darwin Redefined

2009-06-16T00:33:00.000+05:30

Darwin's famed term ,the Survival of the Fittest, coined to explain the evolution of man , is now more relevant on a socio-psychological plane. Gone are the days of hunting down one's prey,long gone indeed. We live in a day when head-hunters abound!

The term ,Survival of the Fittest, today, would mean survival of someone who has all it takes to survive in this big,bad world of the meanest of the mean, someone who does not succumb to the pressures of the man-eat-man world , someone who is unnerved by the most demeaning acts, can hold his own come what may, if need be, stooping to the lowest levels of morality.

Try looking around for those who qualify as the 'fittest' in this mean world.......do I see you equal the term to 'most successful'? Guess that's what it is, then.
And ,would you like to be successful? 'Who wouldn't?', you smirk, a silly question to ask. We all would, given the opportunity and fortune, love to be on that Time 100 list of most successful people in the world.

The early man's only resource to making himself the fittest was his will, his strength of mind, his eagerness to live.
Today, the utra-modern man, has, at the click of a mouse, a plethora of information ......and armed with knowledge sharpened to the tip by Google, he sets out to face the world.

The early man fought with unprecedented dangers in the darkness of jungles, in rough terrains.
Today, the ultra-modern man battles against recession, underworld crime, terrorism, bureaucracy,red-tapism, racism, favoritism, sycophancy, et al.

It is therefore, quite a difficult call for today's man to be successful. Yet there are scores of stories of people making it big and people look up to them in awe, wishing and dreaming in their heart of hearts to be one among them.
,
It is just a question of how much that dream drives you is what makes all the difference.

I have a dream, said Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have a dream , said a child in the slums of Mumbai.

I have a dream, said Mother Teresa.

You too have a dream nestled within.
Nudge it awake. Look it straight in the eye......does its conviction shine through?
Close your eyes , envision your dream and when you awaken, let the urge to make your dream come true help you soar to unimaginable heights .
Amaze yourself. Realize your dream.

Yours Randomly,
"..."

Fledgling Thoughts

2009-06-14T21:58:00.000+05:30

So many people, so many opinions....we live, we learn, we grow.
Here I am too, people, with my own share of random thoughts cosying up in this space that's mine.
I intend to pen down stray thoughts that come my way in an attempt to learn more about myself, the people I interact with and share my experiences with others.
Watch this space for more........and wish this effort of mine the best.

Yours Randomly,
"..."