Life is a camera, Face it with a smile
A smile is like saying hello without any words.


Monday 28 January 2008

Curry time

Curry - Is it offensive?

Amma said it was.
Me and my bro reckon not.
And now after Amma has
got ahang of the word,
she says its alright.
But my friend jumps suddenly.
She says the word is offensive.

What to do?
mayb it is, and we've just got used to it.
I remember when a dodgy bully said
to me at school
hey do u make curry at home
i thought he was mocking me
i told him curry isnt the only thing we make
but im nt to o sure
is referring to us as curries
merely just becos we cook curry
as fob would be merely refered to peeps
who got of the boat...
no i dont think so
both cases have a more deeper
steriotypical image attached
eg. i wouldnt sy every person
who got of a boat as a fob,
its only the peeps with annoying qualiities.
hmm but curry is jsut like asians
it just refers to a group o people
o another big doubt
how come indians and srilinakans and the bangladeshies
and the rest
never get called asians
we are asian 2 u knoe
As far as i know wiki
only recognises curry as in the spicy dishes
that outsiders have to much troubel distinguishing
there just not too smart enough
to tell the difference
between the
jeera and corriander and the lot
actualli i cant either
but that's why we use labels
whichever smart less boy discovered the curry term
its stuck and struck
and im pretty sure it was boy
its just the intiution
some boys just have too little sense

Saturday 26 January 2008

Annoyed

In two days, three times, people reminded me that I was in Australia, not in India. Its so irritatingly annoying. It was their lucky time, or my bad luck, I could not come up with a nice enough comeback.

Why is it, that no-one is patient these days. Just because Indian's have developed a very interesting reputation for punctuality, doesnt mean you have to remind me that I'm in australia. Australia probably has its fair share of tardy people as well. Why cant you go tell them, that "hey your in Australia!"

Their entire comment sounds stupid and more ever arrogant. Because the same people, who said these pathetic comments, were ultra sweet, about how well the job was done, and how quickly and efficiently it was completed. But no, they wont care to mention the pluses of being Indian, i.e the hard work we do. It was because of that very hard work, we were delayed at arriving at your residence on time. But that's too much of an expectation. People, will think of themselves and only themselves. There time is precious, but no-one else is of importance.

My bro tried to see sense with me. He said, come on, we were an hour late, we were at fault too. But I told him, how many times have we arrived early? or for that matter on time? People never see the positives, its always the negatives.

And I think beneath all this, it wasn't because they said we were late that annoyed me, it was more the fact the way said it. Just because we are in Australia, doesn't mean we aren't Indian anymore. You don't have to make your self superior, by claiming, we should have got australians to do the job instead. If the Australian government had thought that, you, yourself wouldn't have been here in the first place.

Teachers

Teachers need to be valued! The amount that teacher's get paid is nonsence.

Like every other student, I went through primary school, secondary, and am still studying at uni. There were the teachers you hated, and teachers you loved, and those in between. But even the very worst, thatknew not even the a-b-c-d of teaching still made that change within you. They were there, in times when u needed a guidance, a support, a method to follow.

I passed through the compulsory education, with soo many whinges and not too many tributes. I understood teachers as companions in the post compulsory stage. But I never really appreciated them more until I became a teacher myself. I once heard a proverb, you never fully understand the value of your parents until you become one. It echos in the teaching profession as well.

I teach tamil to a small class of 5-6 grade two students, just 2hours a week. Its nothing incredible. But the effort you must put in is 100% wihtout which you don't get the 100% satisfaction. Teaching is one of the most giving profession, you get as much as u give. But, its amazing, the way I felt when a student learnt. I was nervous, when they were on stage performing. Proud, at the job well done. As a teacehr you begin to learn it once more with them. but it wasn't all recieving. I made my blunders, I planned too much, I though they'd understand it all. I dictated, I scolded, and I had my headaches. I spent hours planning, and making the lesson, only to find the students didn't engage in it. But at the end of the day, I knew i'd done something noble. For better or worse, I was making a change.

It made me think back to my school days. How easy it was for us to criticise. Failing to understand the effort, and not allowing the time for teacher's to improve, not giveing them a chance, and failing to even forget that afterall they are human too.

Teacher's may work fewer hours, get 3months holidays to jealousy of other professionals, but nothing can compare to the impact they create on students. We need smarter, braver, younger teachers to learn fromt the older, experienced, knowledgeable teachers. For this, the teaching proffession needs to be hyped up. It shoud not only be worthwile but should look worthwhile to the outsider. And how is that possible? Higher wages! Come on, Mr Brumby, its a generation at stake.

Saturday 19 January 2008

India has won, but lessons to learn

India has won! Finally quenched the thirst of millions of supporters!

It has indeed been an ironical win. India achieves vistory after the whims and dims of the sydney test. Yet to those who believe in cycles, this has indeed been a very big cycle. History has repeated itself to break, once more, the 17consequtive test wins of Australia. It was India in Adelaide, in 2003, achieving the incredible, and they've done it again.

Yet India has lessons to learn. The underlying message in Pontings after match comments say it all. Australia won't be a sore loser, they'll take it as a lesson. But did India do that after Sydney?

Moreover, India needs to learn the confidence of the australian players. Even the lower order batters play with confidence. At 9 wickets, India would be a sorry sight. But the Australian played with smiles. They had fun, masti, enjoying the game. This is what cricket is about! Even after the final wicket was taken, the Australian batter had the courage to stick around in the euphoria and make sure he displayed his sportsmanship.

Another lesson, is the amount of skill the Indian team lacks. A lower order player such as RP Singh should have had the training to back and bat enough to keep his wicket. Come on, he plays for a national team.
Comparing Australia's 8th order to India's, there's so much difference. India is hopeless at 8th wicket. Australia is buzzing at 8th.

Moreover we need to embrace our younger players. Without Harbhajan on the seen, look at the miracles that the young bowlers bring about. The same can be done with batters. Give the chance to those who have the potential. After yonks of critcism of including Sehwag, look at the miracles he produces. Not to mention man of the match, Pathan.

When India moves away from the politics, and plays for enjoyment, for the love of the game, appreciates those who have skill and places emphasis for all players to learn all aspects of the game; Australia won't only lose once in 17matches, and India won't only win a test once in a leap year.

Let us await the play in Adelaide with eagerness. Times awaits to see whether it will be a growth or deterioation of Test cricket.

Sunday 13 January 2008

பொங்கள் தின நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

உங்கள் இல்லத்தில் பொங்க பொங்க ஆணந்தம் பொங்கட்டும்!

pongal. Memories travel back to Vellore, India. It's festive season. The new clothes, bonuses for workers, kolam in mill, புது நெல், new movies, anbu. மொத்ததில் கல் கெட்டிடும். So for the festive spirit, and its significant meaning for celebration, let this pongal be a good one for all! Keep it smilng!

Wednesday 9 January 2008

Cricket in Kaos

Back and forth the accusations travel. But it does no more that justify that as much as India is a sore loser, Australia is a gallant less winner. What has become of the epic game that ruled our hearts? Is it merely just another political stunt? Obviously, the sport is missing now. But will it return or does this mark the extinction of the acclaimed game?

India explodes that Harbhajan has been called a racist without proper evidence. There national identity has been lost, it seems. I thought cricket was a sport. From where does national honour come into play? You play for a nation. But that doesn't mean the sport is the nation. Imagine if the puny little Bangladesh team who loses every other cricket match, made such a fuss. Would there anger be valued so much to place the news on the front page of our newspaper? Its all about politics, money and business. India has the notes, earning 70% of the revenue for cricket, and it can twiddle the right buttons and put pressure. It's disgusting to those who just want to watch a match!

The worst thing is two highly different issues are becoming one. Would this have been the same dilemma if India had won the match? Harbhajan's ban may be based on unsubstantial evidence, and hence appeal by all means. But stop making a big deal about it, as if the world has come to an end. Cooping up cricketers in a bus for 2 hours, burning effigies of Ponting, it all has to be stopped.

The second accusation, ignited by the Indian captain's comment, that only one team was playing in the spirit of the game, was even more eruptive. If you were to ask me no one was playing in the spirit of the team. You watch a match for thrilling sensation of not knowing who will win. And the action it brings. That was the success of the 20twenty finals. Up until the last minute, you could never tell. Let's see if that day ever dawns in test cricket.

We've all played our share of low-profile games, to know there are the good and the bad umpiring decisions. But whatever it is, his decision is final. Just because its escalated at an international level doesn't change a thing. And if the players can't even follow this basic rule, well they've definitely lost the plot and the sport.

At the end of the day, the victim is no one but the sport itself. The politic influence, the predictability of the winner, and the whinging have all endangered its applaudable aspects. It no longer seems to be a team game, rather it is either a game played for individual achievement or a game played as a nation against nation, creating the atmosphere of two nations at war. None of this is good sports. Everyone take a chill pill and play for the sport atleast some time soon.

Sunday 6 January 2008

Cries

Tiny boy cries. Big boy asks are you a girl?

What is it with the general assumption that men do not cry? This is the kind of third class, pathetic sexism that is still rooted to not any culture, but to the entire human kind. Crying is a way to express extremity of emotions, be it joy or sorrow. Why have we all been blessed with the gift, if only the feminine gender were meant to use it? We need to move away from such rubbish, and more importantly stop feeding it to our younger generation.

Crying is a way of releasing the bottled up emotions. I could point you a ton of research that has showed that crying is productive and character building. It is the moderator of the human body. But then some people are just too ignorant, adamant, or too rooted in the bias!

Are girls weaker by crying? What poison! Guys are the weak ones, not being brave enough to let the tear escape, cleaning you of your grief or immense joy. If one cannot even use the given bodily functions properly, what right does that person have to other worldly pleasures?


If this is one viewpoint. The other extreme should be that no one should cry. Crying is a sign of not being able to control one's weaknesses. If that were the case, there are still many women who are able to control their emotions, and not cry. The fact that girl's only cry, is a weak genrealisation, that has taken root over many centuries of male dominaiton.

Either way, what is wrong is the narrow belief of some, that crying is solely gender specific.