Our Conversations

Yesterday, we went to the swimming pool. There was no swimming class (as it was the 5th Sunday), so we practised our bend-kick-five-open mouth with circling arms movement. Just last week, your coach was irritated with your hand movement and had pinched you. Yesterday, I nearly pinched you because you were not getting it right several times. Then you negotiated: If I do this right, will you take me to the lazy pool and the baby pool? I suggested you practise the movement on the ledge 50 times. And you did, diligently, 28 times!!! Very softly, you complained of neckache. Following that, you almost got the sequence right, or so I think. We should wait for your coach comments next week.

We returned home in the bus - while there was a tinge of quarrel yesterday morning (over phone), you repeatedly requested not to argue. I hope I can do that, baby. I am sorry that I fail miserably, every single time. I am so ashamed of myself. I hope I will get better.

When I fed the lunch and asked if the ladys finger was good, you said the rice was also yummy! That simple appreciations that come so flawlessly, effortlessly, unexpectedly, are all that I would want to nourish my soul.We watched the brave wilderness in the eastern rainforests - of stick insect, scorpion, pit viper, Fer-de-lance, turtle and tarantula.

Come evening, we went to the library - to attend the event commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi. You were bored, yet, you listened. You insisted on taking a taxi back. I encouraged to go home on a train. On the way to the MRT, you found a taxi stand and requested to board the taxi - your please so very tempting, there can be no refusal to them. We did. On reaching home, the taxi fare was 28, and I mentioned we could have got a lego set for this. You went, "You should have told me there, I would have agreed". And so we agreed not to take taxi anymore, and spend on legos instead.

At home, while I was feeding the ragi semiya, you requested to be seated on my lap - will I ever refuse to this? You suddenly declared, "I don't want to be a driver, when I grow up. Guess what thought goes into  my brain at this instant?"- your expression as you said this was priceless!! After a very tiring, painful day - this expression brought me such happiness - these are the kind of moments that make my life worthwhile. And then, we went to bed reading the book on Gandhi by his grandson Arun Gandhi. You cannot comprehend why would someone use the pencil to the last bit. Then I reasoned via an example of trees. You kind of understood, but it will take time and effort to nail a discipline.

A day spent with you, is always a day well spent.

Daily Snippet 1

I am on my daily morning commute - taking the public MRT, transiting at Buona Vista, towards the circle line. The trains and the stations are usually swarmed by an army of well-dressed, fittingly clothed professionals with appealing countenance, perfectly physically spaced - marched into the train and stations with measured strides. There are also some oldies- either pacing to the nearest hospital, accompanied by their caretakers, or together with their coterie (friends, siblings) for a nibble, a bite or a mall visit. They are all usually armed with a mobile phone - a very powerful weapon that plays a strong role in building and breaking knowledge base, building (mortal) and breaking (inner) awareness - most important of all, building and breaking relationships. With an expressionless face, their otherwise upheld heads are buried in their weapons. 

As always, I was hijacked by my thoughts- the ever busy, ever conversing, ever imagining, ever engaging thoughts. In the transiting interchange, I was outpaced by a young woman - perhaps, in her 50s - with a beautiful blue drops, swinging from her ears. I wanted to complement on her choice of accessory, and increased my pace - but, stiffened myself up and walked past. Boarded the train along the Circle line, and disappeared myself into the crowd. I was startled to hear a giggle - a humanely, warm giggle. Ten feet away from me stood a woman, perhaps in her 50s too, with a headphone and conversing over phone. It was transitory, but a strong, energizing giggle in the undercurrents of the expressionless crowd. Wanted to complement and thank for the energy spread, but withheld myself and walked past.

Reaching my destination, I saw a gentleman rushing to the nearest outlet belonging to a restaurant chain, trying to grab something to feed his indomitable hunger. 500feet from the spot stands a foodcourt serving freshly cut fruits and healthy vegetables. 500ft further, stands a Mediterranean serving healthy meals. In a world with abundant chains of restaurants, it takes time, willingness and effort to seek and find these standalone outlets serving health. 

Just like the fact that it takes time, willingness and effort to seek, identify and find great ideas from the thoughtful, sensitive organic human, among the world of bold, loud army of organic robots. Or perhaps, it takes a willingness to note the beauty in a swinging drops or a giggle. And more power to complement and appreciate.

Guilt...

So, yesterday, you got a flavour of guilt - the oh so 'eating your insides' guilt!

We were playing with Google assistant, confusing it with crazy questions. Asking, what is the most beautifulest butterfly in the world, where is the nearest restaurant, where is the most beautfulest butterfly etc. And we awed at the accuracy with which G.A could convert our voices to text.

Very enthusiastically, you uttered the word stupid in the context of a question. Bad timing. I asked you if you did use the word. You admitted. And we talked about never using the word again (I know you will eventually use it, but I just think this is too early for curse words).

The evil me used this guilt episode to cajol you into doing the worksheets. Two lines into the worksheet, you put on the most meltable face and said, "Amma, romba bad -a feel panraen", with tears welling up, fighting back those tears. I almost vanished into thin air with that. 

Then we hugged. Then you went back to your writing table, took three deep breaths. On prodding, you said that's what they told on TV. And just like that the scene merged into normalcy.

Love you loads, dear, dear dearest boy!

Fall of Hegemony

Huts of kings:

In gold, silver and slivers of embellishments,

And Palaces of civil:

Swarmed by mosquito, exposing establishments;

Pawns of kids, Preened by frills:

Caged birds and ambushed People

Girded in redundant laws and Sky touching steeple,

A History of monuments

With pillars, structures, and Stupas;

And a monumental History

With skulls, and slaughters;

Both stand mutilated –

The statues and the bipeds,

Forcefully prostrated before crony bosses

Lurking in the architecture of the past,

And Unconcerned about architects of the future,

The land stands, testifying the fall of crest:

The fall of crest orchestrated by greed and stupor;

Oh, it stands testimony, it stands testimony,

Wailing about greed and stupor, pretence and hegemony

Professing love, inclusion and harmony!

Engineering Discoveries

While car owners park their cars in the HDB carpark apartments, we go cycling on the carpark roof- late in the night. Today, he chanced upon a painted lightning arrester, which was protruding from the wall and quipped, 'amma, look how badly this wall has been painted'. When it was clarified that it was a lightning arrester, he got curious: 'do they get electricity for the lights from lightning with this?'. We reasoned that it is difficult to extract energy out of lightning. With no second to spare, he immediately intervened: 'I have an idea. Let's place a knife in the path of lightning, so that it will cut electricity from light'. And with all earnestness: 'Isnt that a great idea?'. So, knives on lightning paths, please...

Of Medlies and Rhymes

The vacation in Aug 2019 to Thoothukudi was phenomenal. Bloom had splendid times with Ochu, Rudh, Aadhu, etc. Save the splendidness for another post.
His flight trip was also fun. On the onward flight, we read the Monkey tales by Ruskin Bond (for the nth time). As usual, he was thrilled with Tutus antics. Grandpa's encounter with the train ticket collector about Tutu was the pick of that day. And he began singing:

Tutu the monkey,

The monkey goes bouncing inside a bag,

The bag goes bouncing,

The train goes bouncing,

The track goes bouncing,

The earth goes bouncing,

The solar system goes bouncing,

Because of the little Tutu monkey!!

Having been fascinated by limericks myself since long, have started introducing rhyming words to him. He spots and tries to find new rhyming pairs/triples. And we built this limericks together on the flight:

Hustling comes a long train,

As the farmer splashes brine

Through the grape vine

Glistening in the sun shine

Amidst glowing paddy grain

Education: The pain and perils!

Singapore shows promises in several spheres - it tops the most developed countries list in Asia. Despite being a small nation with less than half of Chennai, and despite achieving independence 18yrs after India did, the country has grown leaps and bounds. Although initially disappointed with the failure of the merger with Malaysia, they emerged out more aggressive and grew - playing by their strength, and planning intensively being their most powerful strategies. And, the government ensures that these strategies permeate to the lowest rung of the society. Through permeation to the lowest rung of the society, they ensure an inclusive governance. Inclusive governance where the government forethinks for the society, and ensure contribution from every one of the population here - their biggest resource. Well, they go overboard in this, by investing and seeking returns from E.V.E.R.Y. little child in the country. Lets talk about schooling here.

To send kids to pre-school is the parents choice. But, kids HAVE to start primary at age 7. And the government ensures that its citizens get the best education at low cost (mind, low cost ONLY for citizens). Every kid goes through a pressure cooker from P1 (Primary  1) through university. First there is a grouping of kids according to their grades in P3 - where the section to which kids belong is identified based on their scores from P1 through P3. Next, there is PSLE exam - the most dreadful year is P6, where they rank kids according to their PSLE marks (cumulated),   and assign them to schools graded according to the  quality of schools. Stressful for kids-yes, stressful for parents-yes, kids losing out on childhood -yes. But ther government doesn't just stop with exams. They have government sponsored special classes and tuition for less performing kids - providing them an opportunity to compete with the advantaged. Kids of all genre grow together - hence, there is little societal difference in the exposure.

Also, there are merits to the exams - the grading system helps this government to pick the best performing creamy lot to offer scholarships. There are so many kinds of scholarships, so many institutions of scholarship. These handpicked lot are offered scholarships and send their kids to premier institutions around the world (MIT, Stanford, etc) - with a bond to serve the country on completion. In a way, they groom their leaders. How do these leaders influence international policy making is an altogether different question, but like I mentioned earlier, they play by strength - they ONLY have limited resources, and have to ensure that their resources are rightfully used for their own country's progress. Also, working in an organization that comes directly under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, I can vouch for the magnitude and quality of planning these guys undertake. They have a solid 10-yr plan - and they don't stop with planning - there is accountability at every level towards execution. For example, with education, there are KPIs for teachers - teachers have to continually upgrade themselves, they are well paid making the teaching job lucrative.

In this context, it would be  interesting to understand what plans our government has, while they announce a public exam for Class 5 and Class 8. For, there has to be a reason why our kids have to forego their treasured childhood - will it help these kids exposed to a better tomorrow?

Firstly, on what basis or research was the class 5 and 8 chosen? Why not class 4, 6, 7 etc? Why specifically 5 &8?

Secondly, is the Indian society anywhere nearer to the scenario described above. There is already a prevailing situation in the country - a prevailing discrimination that is being hard fought from eons. 

Let's, for a moment forget the less previleged, and assume that the government wants to groom their leaders: Does the government have better plans for education/scholarships? If so, what plans? And how would they actualize this? And how does the exam for P5 and P8 enable these plans? 

What is the agenda for the government for the next 10years? What do they want to focus on, for the next decade? With all the industries failing miserably, 

Finally, whats with the 3 years? What plans does the government have, for empowering in the next 3 years?

In a democracy, a government has to be accountable to the civilian, but here, the education minister proclaims: Kids should increase their potential for the exams et al. Dear education minister, thanks for your advise - if 'we' have to increase our potential, please educate us on what your roles and responsibilities are, as a minister. Also, can you please educate us on what you'd like to achieve through the imposition of the public exams for class 5 and 8?

Bird and Squirrel (On the run)

Author: James Burks

Characters: Bird, Squirrel, The hairball cat, the  mole family, The eagle, Snake, bees etc

Bird and squirrel decide to leave out of their usual abode towards the south, to escape the torturous encounters with the hairball cat. Their escapade is the crux of the book. Simple oneliner, but Wwwhhaaaaaat laavvvvvvvvvly illustrations, and funny episodes!!!!

What stood out to me, was the relationship between the bird and the squirrel - the merry, merry bird that lives and spread liveliness all around and the sober, survival seeking squirrel. The conversion, the merry making, the camaraderie and what not? Conveys a lot of strong message - on building relationship, on carefree open-mindedness, on thoughtfulness etc. At one point, squirrel prods bird as to how it feels to fly, to which the bird replies that at some point during flying, her worries melt away. To escape the cat, the two fly high, when the squirrel asks, 'at what point does my worry melt?' Classy!

In this world of naming and faming, its so nice to read from an author who doesn't name his characters. Squirrel is squirrel, bird is bird and cat is cat. So easy for kids to relate to.

There were some nailbiting moments for Bloom (He doesn't want to witness any kind of pain) - much to his subsequent relief and laughter.

Beautiful illustrations (could inspire kids into cartooning), and simple, lovely narration. We are in for more of his books. Library, here we come!