The little man with his paddle.

Sachin Tendulkar was the star at  the World Cup win and the celebrations that followed. A larger than life icon in Mumbai and world over, he is nothing less than god to millions of Mumbaikars and why not. Like the saying goes “All good things come in small package”, it is true of Mr. Tendulkar also. People have come up with millions of ways of showing their love for this man. One such tribute on his birthday this year was this beautiful rangoli (colourful designs on the floors) that I saw at my workplace. I do not know the artist but his love for the little man with a paddle is very evident here. Sabash kaka and thank you. I thought this is fantastic and want to share it with the world.

World Cup 2011, we won it.htm

Learning continues...Calligraphy

Being a teacher there is always a need to know as much as possible so that I can pass on information to my students. It doesn’t always have to be related to the course. Often many a students are not aware of simple things happening in their city leave alone country or the world. Also one never knows their skills might come handy. Like in my case it was mother’s day a few days after my mom’s birthday. I wanted to do something special. 

Music lessons done, sports done, cooking classes done what next then? I began calligraphy classes (Level 1), much to the displeasure of mom. But I had to do what I had to do. It was fun  and difficult. Beautiful handwriting as always fascinated me. I believe there is a connection between handwriting and clarity of mind and thoughts. And my handwriting has been appreciated and otherwise.What's the big deal, nothing. I just wanted a beautiful  handwriting that's all. Hence calligraphy.  

My skeptical mom expected me to use calligraphy in every greeting or congratulatory note  which  I refused to do to her displeasure. Finally it struck me that I could give a two in one card all handmade. Voila, a handwritten (calligraphy) Birthday & Mother's Day card was presented to her. Though not really god at it yet, nevertheless mom was happy.

Learning never stops.

My quest for knowledge, my urge to learn something new, is well known. probably I was the only one in my batch from school, or university still studying at 27 or 28 or 29 or 30 for that matter. Age is only a number. I  believe it is not possible to master everything for that matter anything. One can only learn and improve one's skills, innovate and experiment. This does not always result in  lucrative returns, but that is OK. Learning itself is an interesting process of evolution, realization, discovery and change.

I have had the opportunity to learn, besides formal education. Music, art and so on. Though I hated studying as a kid, With time hate changed into love and something more than love once I progressed in my chosen field, which surprisingly turned out to do with education. And the funniest part, today I am a teacher myself in the same traditional system of education. It is fun teaching.

Clean slate Tabula Rasa.blogspot.com/2011/05/Learning Continues...Calligraphy.html

You know marathi...?

Why does every Maharashtrian (those besides my friends) ask “the “question? “YOU KNOW MARATHI”.  Only because I have a name with a South Indian ring to it. Let me take this opportunity to educate the general public, my name traces it's origin to Indian classical music (Hindustani & Carnatic) and hence all music (especially classical Carnatic & Hindustani) lovers from around the world can stake a claim, Let alone Madrasis.  Also, it is another name for Kali. So what is it?

Is it their arrogance or ignorance? What irks me is that educated (PhD holders) ask this question with an obscenely confident look that the other person does not know Marathi. And if you tell them that you do and your (Maharashtrian) friends actually blurt out a long list of Marathi literature that you enjoy, results in a minute-long silence when you can hear a pin drop. And if you tell them no, YOU get the nastiest look. I know it, have experienced it.

Some of the best teachers I have had the golden opportunity to learn from are Maharashtrians. Human Beings par excellence. They were fantastic, never once was there any kind of discrimination or bias it was a pure exchange of ideas and absorption of knowledge. How did learn so much from these masters though I am not a Maharashtrian?

Most of my good friends are Maharashtrians, their mothers would invariably speak to me in Marathi and I'd be nodding and responding to them. Some of them went to the extent of stating that I was better than their daughters. Our chat sessions would go on in Hindi, and English, them speaking in Marathi and I drop some bombs in Marathi, we'd exchange notes on Marathi soaps, films, songs and especially books. How have I always understood their deepest thoughts though I am not a Maharashtrian? Why am I a part of their lives even though I am not a Maharashtrian?  

 

I began to notice the indifference in my attitude when I started to work. It is mostly the middle class and lower middle class to whom it matters the most (my observation). Not even matter, for them it is just another thing to talk about. One's inability to speak a language becomes a weapon in their hands. In my first year, at least 20 out of 30 people must have asked me that question. I’d have appreciated it if the questions were more on how would I help my organization grow, or attract more interest in what it does and so on.

I realize that this is a sensitive issue, but it hurts when people who call themselves "educated" ask the question "You know Marathi?" as if mocking me. Maybe their education is limited to just one language.