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