My Thoughts, Observations and Readings

  Usually, I want to be well prepared for anything that I am doing and do not accept any mistakes, even a simple comma or alignment in my work. Sometimes, my friends used to make fun of it. My personal assistant at college also said once “Just leave it, madam, no one will even notice this”! Jokes apart, see below, the points to be discussed in a faculty meeting that I have prepared in two different ways. Tell me which one looks attractive, is easy to remember and you like. Or             The second one is the visual representation prepared for the concept of the meeting agenda. Do you accept that this is a better way of representing the agenda? Will it be easy for me to discuss the agenda and the faculty also will get a clear picture of what is going on in the meeting? Even if anyone missed a point discussed, they could get it from the picture, right? (There is always a chance for us to fly somewhere during the meeting/class and land after a few minut...

  We, Aruni, and I visited his cousin’s house in Coimbatore. His grandson was playing in the hall, where we all were sitting and sharing good old memories. His daughter-in-law joined us after preparing some coffee for all of us. She then called her son, who is just two, and asked him to tell her the names of the months, he told her in his sweet childish way! Then she asked him the names of the countries and capitals. His focus was on his toys and she became unhappy as he was not responding as she expected in front of us!  Almost all of you might have experienced this situation, am I right? Why are young parents anxious to showcase that their kids are brilliant (!) by making them embarrassed in front of the new faces? Why not let the child be a child as such? The childhood period is very much shortened now, have you noticed that? Before we sent the children to school only after they became at least 5 years old, then it became from 3 years to Kindergarten and now we can see par...

  Want to get Happiness or want to Be Happy? What is the difference - you might wonder, right? I get happiness when I eat a gulab jamun, what about you? Most of you feel happy when eating a gulab jamun(a few may be with a rasagulla!), am I right? I feel happy when I listen to my favourite music, when I watch nice scenery - the beautiful sunrise, the mountain full of snow, etc. Like this, you might feel happy, say when you watch a movie starring your favourite hero, watch the night sky with stars and moon, read a novel of your taste. The touch and smell of your favourite flower can make you feel happy, isn’t it? I love that Champa flower, I would become so happy if I got a few of them. Hmm, the yummy biryani from your choice of restaurant will make you happy for sure, right? If you notice all these instances when you are becoming happy, you can see that you are getting happiness from your sensations, the form we see, smell, taste, sound we hear and the touch we feel.  Yesterday...

  Devesh was preparing an application for a grant for his project on Folk songs of various states of India. At that time I was searching for some research articles and was surprised to see one ‘Folk music in the life of Tamilnad’ by Shyamala Balakrishnan in the year 1969.(Note the year!) Reading that, I could understand the worth of the life our ancestors lived . She explains the scene in a typical village: In the early hours before dawn, the temple bells are ringing. Various drums are throbbing. Pipes of different shapes and kinds are blown. The courtyards of the houses are swept clean by rustic, feminine hands that add beautiful and complicated patterns of kolam (rangoli). Palm and coconut leaf festoons crisscross the streets, Plantain trees with fruits, and areca nut trees with tender shoots decorate entrances of holy places. The women pray to the flawless flame of the lamp (jothi) which symbolizes divinity and prosperity and to the holy tulsi plant, their guardian angel. The g...

  Recently, my friend Jeyalakshmi registered for her Ph.D degree and has to start her research work now. Already she is running short of time(!): working as a teaching faculty in an engineering college, taking care of her family and her three-year-old naughty son. Keerthi always complains that she cannot find time for her daily workout. She is also a working person and leaves home around seven in the morning and returns at seven in the evening! She wants to go walking, do some yoga stretches, and also do meditation. Truly, she is not able to find time for all these and to simply ‘do nothing’! Another friend of mine, Subhashini, has registered for a PG certification course now. She is managing her house taking care of her two daughters(they are doing their schooling!) and her parents-in-law. She is also working in an Engineering college travelling nearly one hour up and down.  How, how am I going to manage my time is a very big question before them. Maybe, you are also one amon...