It is amazing to see the smile, enthusiasm, and joy in the face of young people. After visiting friends and relatives that I have not seen since 1981, I came back to Chennai. Purchase of land is a serious issue. Many have been cheated with bogus documents. If one has a good attorney, the attorney is able to nail down bogus documents. My first cousin had a church building; the church paid for the property and built the church; after the church was built (someone waited for the building to be completed), the church was evicted saying that the sale was not legal. Now the church members are renting a school building. So, every where I go, people talk about such incidents and people are very cautious about purchase of land and other real estate. I have also learned that some have built houses and even multistory buildings on government land (encroachment).
Young people are very different. I was in a coffee shop similar to Starbucks; however I should admit that the cakes and pastries were very tempting and attractive for the eyes. My group was the only odd group due to age. All of us were close to 50 or more. Rest of the three groups in that coffee shop were teens and twenties. No one spoke in Tamil. Every one was talking very loudly in English; none of them was in any Indian costume (not even churidhar by girls). Every one's clothing was western (tshirt and a pant). They were very joyful. Talking about expense, I had to pay five times the cost of a coffee in that shop. Coffee is usually ten rupees in restaurants. In that shop, coffee was fifty rupees. Tea costs thirty five rupees. So, these young people may come from upper middle class, I guessed.
I met a few college students who are frustrated with busy schedules, travel time from home to college, exam schedules, and the heavy cost of admission to engineering and medical colleges. However, every one I met was in a college of nursing, medicine, or in electrical and electronic engineering or they are attending an IT institute to get additional diplomas and certifications in IT. Some of them said that they did not want to study for another eight years to become a doctor, and so they chose to go to IT engineering so that they can attend a campus tour (companies come to college campuses to recruit high skilled workers) to get a job as soon as they graduate. In fact, many in master's program do a final project (real world experience). The students put forth their best so they can be hired by the company where they do the project. I have learned about new issues faces by the youth in India.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Centum - passing percentage in Tamilnadu
Plus Two (Grade 12) exam results were announced on the day I arrived on May 10. I am very proud to state that the first two highest scores were secured by two girls; girls have outperformed boys in general. http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/10/stories/2008051051390300.htm
Teen agers I meet continue to talk about the results; they call "marks" instead of "grades". I will post sample questions next week when I will meet a few students who have passed plus two this week..
Teen agers I meet continue to talk about the results; they call "marks" instead of "grades". I will post sample questions next week when I will meet a few students who have passed plus two this week..
May 17, 2008
Went to fishmarket to purchase VirAAl meen (snakehead fish). Gandhimary's mom did the curry just like my mom used to cook. After several years, I enjoyed Viraal fish curry with Indian spinach.
I browsed a computer applications text book for grade 11. After concepts relating to productivity applications, the book introduces students to object oriented programming through Java.
The students in the neighborhood, mostly in teens were standing under the tree and I was listening to the conversation. These are students in grades 9 through 11 and their focus was on the number of students who secured more than 80% and those who secured centum. There was one mention about cricket and the two wheeler. Rest of the conversation for about 15 minutes was about academic improvement for the coming year.
I browsed a computer applications text book for grade 11. After concepts relating to productivity applications, the book introduces students to object oriented programming through Java.
The students in the neighborhood, mostly in teens were standing under the tree and I was listening to the conversation. These are students in grades 9 through 11 and their focus was on the number of students who secured more than 80% and those who secured centum. There was one mention about cricket and the two wheeler. Rest of the conversation for about 15 minutes was about academic improvement for the coming year.
Friday, May 16, 2008
America America here we come to Thee
America America:
It is funny when I hear someone talking about lack of values in families in America, war with Iraq, and decrease in American dollar value. In the next sentence, they talk about the prosperity of Indian economy and Indian companies (call centers to be specific). However the very same people have their own children in the US and receive dollars from them. They also state that their nieces and nephews are working hard to come to America and so they have secured a job in such and such company. This is puzzling to me. Many earn dollars in the US and invest in India in real estate now. I am stating this from conversations but not from any research data.
If one does not like the social living conditions in the US, why should they try to go to that country? If dollar value is going down in the US and if the economy here in India is better, why should one try to go out of India and come to America? Every other family I met has a family member living in the US!!!!
I see a great conflict in what people here say in words about America, but their actions seem to be that they want to live in America!!!! This is still a puzzle. I have openly debated this week but I am still puzzled and I have not yet found a straight answer!
It is funny when I hear someone talking about lack of values in families in America, war with Iraq, and decrease in American dollar value. In the next sentence, they talk about the prosperity of Indian economy and Indian companies (call centers to be specific). However the very same people have their own children in the US and receive dollars from them. They also state that their nieces and nephews are working hard to come to America and so they have secured a job in such and such company. This is puzzling to me. Many earn dollars in the US and invest in India in real estate now. I am stating this from conversations but not from any research data.
If one does not like the social living conditions in the US, why should they try to go to that country? If dollar value is going down in the US and if the economy here in India is better, why should one try to go out of India and come to America? Every other family I met has a family member living in the US!!!!
I see a great conflict in what people here say in words about America, but their actions seem to be that they want to live in America!!!! This is still a puzzle. I have openly debated this week but I am still puzzled and I have not yet found a straight answer!
Sivakasi - May 15 and 16
Sivakasi
I came to Sivakasi, my home town. I grew up in this town and completed my high school. Sivakasi is called “Kutti Japan”. Kutti means Little. Match industries, litho press and fireworks industries have been the factors of economic growth. Everyone is very busy and you can rarely see any idle hands. When I was in elementary school, I wrote an essay on Sivakasi as the beggar-less town. Many know that there are lots of beggars in the streets of Indian towns, but it is a rare sight in Sivakasi (unless of couse some are begging to fulfill a vow to a deity). There is always work for anyone to do in Sivakasi and there is no need to beg. Even little children after school work. Children arrange the match sticks without chemicals on a wooden frame and earn 50 paise every evening. Sivakasi is usually blamed for child labor because hundreds of children do not go to school but go to work in factories. I have not visited any factories lately and so I cannot address that issue now.
However, I should state that as a teen ager, I earned a lot of money to meet my needs during weekends and summer. During summer vacation, I used to make the cardboard boxes for sparklers and fix the label with glue. Every school child used to earn our funds needed for the next academic year.
I love the entrepreneurship, enthusiasm, hard work, and perseverance of the people in my town. Every other family has at least one family member who has built a business. When I was in high school, two elementary kids used to come to me for homework help and they were very very very poor. Today, both of them run a business and support the families of their siblings. Because I came alone to India, I took time to my visit with some of my friends and families after twenty and odd years. I rejoiced at the prosperity of the people in Sivakasi.
I came to Sivakasi, my home town. I grew up in this town and completed my high school. Sivakasi is called “Kutti Japan”. Kutti means Little. Match industries, litho press and fireworks industries have been the factors of economic growth. Everyone is very busy and you can rarely see any idle hands. When I was in elementary school, I wrote an essay on Sivakasi as the beggar-less town. Many know that there are lots of beggars in the streets of Indian towns, but it is a rare sight in Sivakasi (unless of couse some are begging to fulfill a vow to a deity). There is always work for anyone to do in Sivakasi and there is no need to beg. Even little children after school work. Children arrange the match sticks without chemicals on a wooden frame and earn 50 paise every evening. Sivakasi is usually blamed for child labor because hundreds of children do not go to school but go to work in factories. I have not visited any factories lately and so I cannot address that issue now.
However, I should state that as a teen ager, I earned a lot of money to meet my needs during weekends and summer. During summer vacation, I used to make the cardboard boxes for sparklers and fix the label with glue. Every school child used to earn our funds needed for the next academic year.
I love the entrepreneurship, enthusiasm, hard work, and perseverance of the people in my town. Every other family has at least one family member who has built a business. When I was in high school, two elementary kids used to come to me for homework help and they were very very very poor. Today, both of them run a business and support the families of their siblings. Because I came alone to India, I took time to my visit with some of my friends and families after twenty and odd years. I rejoiced at the prosperity of the people in Sivakasi.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Pandicherry to Madurai
From Pondicherry to Madurai
It has been a very interesting journey from Pondicherry to Veilankanni. Our tire went flat and so it slowed us down. In the name of providing roadways, most roads are still incomplete. We stopped in a restaurant in Chidambaram. Taste of their idly and sambar made me greedy for second set of iddlies, I will post the images of breakfast dishes on the flickr site tomorrow and provide a link my tomorrow’s blog.
The only problem that still exists is the toilet facilities here. If there are facilities in restaurants they are not clean and so I had a challenge after a long trip.
I wonder if I will be bold to drive in India. Some buses and trucks seem to occupy the middle of the road and it is very difficult to pass them, and so you keep hearing the sounding of horn. In fact I saw a sign at the back of the truck “sound horn.:
After praying in Veilankanni with my friend for an hour, and observing the faith of the people through their offerings, my faith is recharged now to look for potentials and possibilities in the midst of problems. Some of these faithful people were struggling with illness or financial struggles. People from all walk of faith come here and I see them with joy. It is their faith that makes them happy because they believe that they have unloaded their burdens and all problems will be taken care of.
We arrived Tanjore and did not know how to get to our hotel. Any one is able to offer directions to any place with landmarks. When I went to visit a distant cousin’s house, one man gave us the number of posts we have to pass before we make a right to our destination.
Second event that amazed me yesterday was the little boy who shopped for his mom. We were parked in a small village because we had to fix the spare tire just in case. I saw a mom giving money (could not see how much) to this probably a seven year old boy. Then the boy went to a small shop. I could not hear what he was asking. The shop was about 1500 feet where the mom was. From my location the mother was on one side of the road to my right and the boy had to cross the road and come toward our car and went to the left. He finished his shopping and took this little bag to the mother. His face was joyful as he passed me. I just wondered if I can send a child to a little shop to do my shopping. I will worry about safety in the neighborhood, traffic, and so on. Probably it is the nature of south Indians who trust fate (VIDHI). If something does not work out, then they say “vidhi, what to do”.
In Tanjore, I visited my distant cousin. When I was a young assistant professor of mathematical economics in Lady Doak College, Dr. Chellappa was the principal of Thevar College after serving Voorhese College for a number of years. He was my academic and spiritual mentor until I went to UK for my studies. I surprised him with my visit. His granddaughter has completed Plus Two (grades 11 and 12) and is registering to join computer science and engineering degree program this week. I read in the newspaper about the names of students who were top five in plus two exam. The newspapers have interviewed the students about their motivation and interest. Students have secured 100 percent (they use the term “centum”) in biology, physics, chemistry, math, computer science, and so on. I just questioned about our media in the US. How many times have I seen them recognizing the students who secured the top five scores in say Virginia SOL? Of course, we talk about those who get centum in SAT. How many top students have been interviewed to share their passion, interests, and motivation? Despite poor economic circumstances, some of the interviewees talked about their goal and determination to get the top score; they did not say “I want to get just grade A or B”. These top scorers said that their aim was to be in the top. I learned from my cousin that in her school, more than thirty students worked hard to get maximum scores.
When you apply to go to college, Indian system still follows the quota system – similar to affirmative action, but certain percentages are allocated for each category – Forward caste (usually Brahmins and Christians). Backward castes, most backward castes, and scheduled castes and tribes (Gandhi called this category of people – Harijan – people of God). I can elaborate on percentages more accurately after I interact with a President (Principal) of a college late this evening. So, if you are born in backward caste families or in the category of forward castes, then you have to really work hard to get the maximum scores so that your application to admission to college is very competitive in comparison to your peers. So, the desire to excel is a survival need in India.
More in Madurai
It has been a very interesting journey from Pondicherry to Veilankanni. Our tire went flat and so it slowed us down. In the name of providing roadways, most roads are still incomplete. We stopped in a restaurant in Chidambaram. Taste of their idly and sambar made me greedy for second set of iddlies, I will post the images of breakfast dishes on the flickr site tomorrow and provide a link my tomorrow’s blog.
The only problem that still exists is the toilet facilities here. If there are facilities in restaurants they are not clean and so I had a challenge after a long trip.
I wonder if I will be bold to drive in India. Some buses and trucks seem to occupy the middle of the road and it is very difficult to pass them, and so you keep hearing the sounding of horn. In fact I saw a sign at the back of the truck “sound horn.:
After praying in Veilankanni with my friend for an hour, and observing the faith of the people through their offerings, my faith is recharged now to look for potentials and possibilities in the midst of problems. Some of these faithful people were struggling with illness or financial struggles. People from all walk of faith come here and I see them with joy. It is their faith that makes them happy because they believe that they have unloaded their burdens and all problems will be taken care of.
We arrived Tanjore and did not know how to get to our hotel. Any one is able to offer directions to any place with landmarks. When I went to visit a distant cousin’s house, one man gave us the number of posts we have to pass before we make a right to our destination.
Second event that amazed me yesterday was the little boy who shopped for his mom. We were parked in a small village because we had to fix the spare tire just in case. I saw a mom giving money (could not see how much) to this probably a seven year old boy. Then the boy went to a small shop. I could not hear what he was asking. The shop was about 1500 feet where the mom was. From my location the mother was on one side of the road to my right and the boy had to cross the road and come toward our car and went to the left. He finished his shopping and took this little bag to the mother. His face was joyful as he passed me. I just wondered if I can send a child to a little shop to do my shopping. I will worry about safety in the neighborhood, traffic, and so on. Probably it is the nature of south Indians who trust fate (VIDHI). If something does not work out, then they say “vidhi, what to do”.
In Tanjore, I visited my distant cousin. When I was a young assistant professor of mathematical economics in Lady Doak College, Dr. Chellappa was the principal of Thevar College after serving Voorhese College for a number of years. He was my academic and spiritual mentor until I went to UK for my studies. I surprised him with my visit. His granddaughter has completed Plus Two (grades 11 and 12) and is registering to join computer science and engineering degree program this week. I read in the newspaper about the names of students who were top five in plus two exam. The newspapers have interviewed the students about their motivation and interest. Students have secured 100 percent (they use the term “centum”) in biology, physics, chemistry, math, computer science, and so on. I just questioned about our media in the US. How many times have I seen them recognizing the students who secured the top five scores in say Virginia SOL? Of course, we talk about those who get centum in SAT. How many top students have been interviewed to share their passion, interests, and motivation? Despite poor economic circumstances, some of the interviewees talked about their goal and determination to get the top score; they did not say “I want to get just grade A or B”. These top scorers said that their aim was to be in the top. I learned from my cousin that in her school, more than thirty students worked hard to get maximum scores.
When you apply to go to college, Indian system still follows the quota system – similar to affirmative action, but certain percentages are allocated for each category – Forward caste (usually Brahmins and Christians). Backward castes, most backward castes, and scheduled castes and tribes (Gandhi called this category of people – Harijan – people of God). I can elaborate on percentages more accurately after I interact with a President (Principal) of a college late this evening. So, if you are born in backward caste families or in the category of forward castes, then you have to really work hard to get the maximum scores so that your application to admission to college is very competitive in comparison to your peers. So, the desire to excel is a survival need in India.
More in Madurai
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 13 - meeting friends after several years
Had a pleasant journey from Chennai to Pondicherri. Tasted the second variety of Mango - Chendhoor. Tasted a variation of fish curry and side dish made with banana flower. After siesta, we ventured out in visiting friends. Two were notified about my visit. Had great ceonversation about all kinds of topics - charismatics, faith, buddhism, Richard Gere, and so on. Some peopel in India state that families in America have lost values; they addressed the usage of words in television show etc.
Next I visited my friend and dance partner Jeanne. We used to do Bharatha Nayam together in the seventies. We had the same dance master. We also did a fund raising through our dance program on Buddha in 1979. I have not seen Jeanne since 1980. So it was great to visit her after 28 years and we had a lot to catch up.
In the night, thunder and lightning continued. I enjoyed the smell and the sounds of the summer rain. Rain stopped in the early hours of this morning. I hear the songs of the birds and they are telling me to get ready to go to visit the Church on the eastern coast of Tamilnadu - Mother Mary of Veilankanni. Every time I visit India, if I can, I come here and sit in the church in one corner and observe the people and their faith in bringing the thanksgiving offering. My observations of others' faith in the church increase my faith and strengthen my fainted heart. My frends call it : Get your faith recharged. I love the food in this place too - something called Appam with fish curry.
Next I visited my friend and dance partner Jeanne. We used to do Bharatha Nayam together in the seventies. We had the same dance master. We also did a fund raising through our dance program on Buddha in 1979. I have not seen Jeanne since 1980. So it was great to visit her after 28 years and we had a lot to catch up.
In the night, thunder and lightning continued. I enjoyed the smell and the sounds of the summer rain. Rain stopped in the early hours of this morning. I hear the songs of the birds and they are telling me to get ready to go to visit the Church on the eastern coast of Tamilnadu - Mother Mary of Veilankanni. Every time I visit India, if I can, I come here and sit in the church in one corner and observe the people and their faith in bringing the thanksgiving offering. My observations of others' faith in the church increase my faith and strengthen my fainted heart. My frends call it : Get your faith recharged. I love the food in this place too - something called Appam with fish curry.
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