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Showing posts from 2008

Before I move into 2009

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Standing on the threshold of 2009, taking one long look at the year that was, I can see it has been a very eventful year, not only personally but also globally. So many ups and downs and so much has happened. I realize now that I have only been looking at the downs all this while when there were in fact so many ups. It has indeed been an eventful year. In January college started off with the arrival of the NAAC team. There was so much to do in college and I had to help almost every section. But it paid off and no prizes for guessing who got noticed by the members of the NAAC team. In the same month too did the 3rd years and I share a little secret: the movie outing that I had with some of them along with Reens and Reshmi. Watching Taare Zameen Par with them (actually I was behind them) was an experience in itself. And they certainly enjoyed the movie. I still remember them making fun off Priyanka for getting emotional during the movie. They were aghast when I told them I had an assignm...

Meeting 14 Angels…

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When I saw the reader’s digest insert asking readers to talk about the teacher who had made a difference in their life, I immediately knew I had to talk about not one but a bunch of them, or more precisely the English Department at B.C.M. College, Kottayam (Kerala) where I studied for my under graduation. At its zenith the department consisted of 14 teachers and just walking into that tiny but overflowing department was an experience in itself. Almost all of them have retired now but I seem to have managed to keep in touch with them precisely because of what they did to me. But I need to do flashback here if I need to make myself understood. My childhood, unlike those of most children my age, was a very quiet one. Living in a flat is the bane of the Gulf emigrant. And not being from a hi-fi family ensured I didn’t have too many activities to worry about. Added to that my shyness ensured I was a very quiet and withdrawn child. So when I was forced to return to ‘God’s own country’ thanks...

I know a saint

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Today’s blog entry is about a woman I never got a chance to meet. I wish I had been able to meet her more than anything coz’ whenever I go through a difficult period (like right now) I realize that if she had been by my side, things would have been so much easier. Don’t think too far – I’m just thinking about my grandma, my mom’s mom, the woman who died before I had a chance to be born. My grandma was a very special person. In our times we would have called her a genius, but in her times women were never allowed to study nor do anything progressive. Mom tells me how my grandma received an award from no less than the king of Travancore for excelling in academics. This would be like receiving an award from the president of India, and how often does that happen? But she was forced into marriage with grandpa in her 12th year I believe. Life with my grandpa was tough coz’ he had had a terrible childhood. And no he wasn’t educated. But grandma was a saint and pulled through. She even got my ...

Full Throttle

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Intense. A word that has figured so prominently in my life. I know I’ve talked about this before, but I wanna do it again. It all began with my discovery of the extent of god’s presence in my life, or more precisely with Swapna Chechy’s album Intense. I discovered how intense a presence god can be in your life. Then I heard about living life with all it’s intensity. So that’s what I tried to do, to see if ‘maza aayega.’ Later down the line I realized I had myself in turn become an intense person. And I’m not talking about my habit of philosophizing. I realized after several heartbreaks, that I was one of these people who loved and lived most intensely, so much that some people couldn’t handle it. At least a lot of men couldn’t. I then began to ask myself – am I wrong in doing this? Then I began teaching. And you guessed it – I taught with intensity (am on my Onam break now if you’re wondering about the past tense). And that’s ...

Why Warrior Princess...

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Some of you may wonder why I chose the orkut id warrior princess. What connection has this obscure teacher got to do with such a fabulous title? You have heard of warriors, of princesses and even warrior princesses. What have I to do with this? Very simple and yet very complicated. I chose to name myself so coz’ I identify with the concept of a warrior princess. A warrior is someone who is destined to fight, maybe even the whole world. A warrior is a person who has to show courage in the face of fear. A warrior must be able to stand strong and face all challenges whatever the physical or mental condition. Warriors fight for what they believe in. Warriors must continue with their task undaunted, despite the odds. A true warrior will fight to the very end. It is for all these reasons I consider myself warrior. And now how do fight? With life itself, for I have found I very often have to fight tooth and nail, in my own quiet way of course, to get through something, and at the end, people ...

Tina speaks again

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the Leo speaks about herself again…. Yes I’m probably being egoistic again… as I sit listening to Stephen Devassy I realize how complex I can really be – any individual for that matter. And also how intense. While I continue to be single, I realize that one of the reasons is coz’ people cannot handle my intensity in living life. Not even other Leos. That’s the problem with being a cusp of Cancer and Leo. You end up having so much from both sides that it gets too hot to handle. People often know me as the cheerful and bright person that I present to be. The one who always tries to see life from the fun side. But that’s not all there is to me. The real Tina sees life from a very different perspective. In solitude, very distant from this world, I have often found myself. It isn’t easy being alone, as all of us know. It is even worse when you know that hardly anyone will ever understand you no matter how transparent you may be to yourself. Next time you envy a Cancer-Leo cusp, stop for a m...

India Incorporated

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Indians all over the world are celebrating Independence Day with parties, bashes, meetings and what not. India celebrates her 61st year. And there is so much to celebrate. We are still a thriving economy despite all our setbacks. Our labour power is one of the most sought after in the world because we come skilled and cheap. We are making huge strides in terms of progress and development. The world has taken notice of this once poor country that is now making waves everywhere. We have won our first individual gold at the Olympics. We are to soon become a major nuclear power. Yes we must celebrate and I have begun to celebrate the Indian. And yet, as I sat watching the Independence Day celebrations in college yesterday, a tiny bell rang in my mind that made me sit down and think today, the 15th of August, if we had really achieved what the forefathers of independent India dreamed about. Is this the country that countless gave their lives for? Is this the India they envisioned? Is this t...
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Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on July 26th IF YOU WORSHIP YOUR BOLLYWOOD STAR OR YOUR CRICKETING IDOL….. THINK AGAIN… THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT MUCH MORE THAN THEM……. READ THIS MAIL FULLY…. ESPECIALLY THE LETTER WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE JAWAANS TO HIS FAMILY …. SALUTE THEM FOR ALL THEIR SACRIFICE …. READ THE LETTER BELOW…………….. WE RECAPTURED OUR LAST HILL FROM PAKISTAN BUT WE LOST OUR MOST VALUABLE, GREAT WARRIORS, BRAVE BROTHERS .TODAY IT'S TIME TO REMEMBER THEM Capt.Vijayant Thapar (Robin): He Laid down for OUR BETTER TOMORROW At the age of only 22 His Last Letter to his parents - AND AFTER THAT HE CAME BACK HOME WITH TRI COLOR DRAPED Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, remember their 23 comrades who fell in the decisive battle for the Tololing Top. The battalion earned four Maha Vir Chakras, one of India 's highest medals for gallantry, three of them being awarded posthumously. JAIHIND!!!! [Courtesy: email forward from Manjesh Kumar ]
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A STUMP FOR A TAIL You can't buy loyalty, they say I bought it though, the other day; You can't buy friendship, tried and true, Well just the same, I bought that too .I made my bid, and on the spot Bought love and faith and a whole job lot Of happiness, so all in all The purchase price was pretty small .I bought a single trusting heart, That gave devotion from the start. If you think these things are not for sale, Buy a brown-eyed puppy with a stump for a tail. -author unknown [courtesy: http://mrmom.amaonline.com/Inspirational.htm ]

Prayer Power

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U just mite ask y I’m talkin abt d pwr f prayer. Its after all a much xplored topic. N evry1’s already talkd abt it. But I’m doin it cz I can c its effects evry passin day. Take 4 e.g. d case f my fren hu needed 2 switch jobs n wasn’t sure wt 2 do. He likd d job he had but it wasn’t payin enuf. D new 1 ws a diffren kind al2gether n highly risky considerin d fact dat he was facin a lotta problems even b4 he began d job. He askd me 2 pray 4 him, n every1 else as well. No prizes 4 guessin wt happnd – he’s happily settled in his new job. Consider my case. As a lot f ppl know, I’m yet 2b done wid my m.phil degree cz f a lot f complications. No I haven’t completed it yet, doh I’m on my way der. But here’s wt happnd. I cudn’t submit my dissertation in June cz I hadn’t paid my fees, smthin I had absolutely no knowledge abt. So @ d end f June I need 2 pay up, wid no possibility f travellin all d way 2 chennai 2 accomplish d job. D only person hu cud help me in d college wr I hv 2 get d job done...

I love teaching

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Wonder if you ever wondered why good teachers are always so happy and young? I used to wonder and I discovered its secret a long time ago… when I was doing under graduation, to be precise. The big secret to their vitality is the fact that they are always around young people. Yes, it’s the youth that they deal with that keeps them so uppity. I didn’t really believe that till I became a teacher myself. My students can really perk me up. Why sometimes just thinking about them makes me happy. Met one of my favourite teachers soon after I began my new career and when I shared my thoughts with her she was telling me, that teaching was the most rewarding career. I couldn’t help nodding in agreement coz I was seeing it in front of my eyes everyday. If you still can’t figure it out, just walk into a class as a teacher one day when your at your gloomy worst – the morning greetings that are smiled out to you, the concern they show if you tell them something’s wrong (like when I told my girls that...

A diagnosis of my past life

I do not know how you feel about it, but you were male in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere around territory of modern Tibet approximately on 850.Your profession was seaman, cook, carpenter. Your brief psychological profile in that past life:Bohemian personality, mysterious, highly gifted, capable to understand ancient books. Magician abilities, could be a servant of dark forces. Lesson, that your last past life brought to present:The timid, lonely and self-confident people are everywhere, and your problem -- to overcome these tendencies in yourself and then to help other people.

English? It's wierd

English can be funny, PLEASE ENJOY THE FOLLOWING Spotted in a toilet of a London office: TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW In a London Laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT In a London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS In an London office: AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD Outside a London secondhand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN? Notice in London health food shop window: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS Spotted in a safari park: ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR Seen during a London conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR Notice in a field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES Message on a leaflet: IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS On a repair ...

Shaw &I (Publd. - bcm college mag. 2008)

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What has a lecturer in English in an obscure corner of the world, have to do with Shaw you would wonder – besides the fact that she just might be lecturing on him (and as my students know I don’t do that either). How did this obscure teacher find herself connected to one of the greatest playwrights of all time? Patience, my friends, is the greatest virtue and I ask you, reader, to practice it, as we go about this arduous task of determining this historical link between Shaw and I – a link I hope and pray will ensure my greatness among the coming generations. First and foremost I would like to congratulate my parents for ensuring I was born on Shaw’s birthday with much proximity in terms of the year as well, thus entitling me to my fame to claim and vice versa. It is my proud honour to explain to u friends, that the great Shaw was born on the day I made history (at least in my personal world) – 26 of July. What difference do a few decades make? It is irrelevant that he was born in 1886 ...

College welcomes my return

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I'm back @ college from dis day forth. Back to work, drudgery, lesson planning, figuring out how to teach ... But also back to youth, fun n yes flirting (despite d fact dat i'm in a women's college n i ain't a lesbian). Me feedback session in the first class of the year wasn't what i expected. But o well dats wt feedback's for. My only problem is ppl want me to teach in Malayalam n dat as my friends know is an almost impossible task for me since I live in English. But o well! Life is this way. Meanwhile I hope all the activitiea I have planned out work. Wish me luck ppl!

it's over

They finally left. We r left with an empty base (the kennel went along with them- the base of it was left behind) n hearts. I'm trying to finish with my NET exam so I can get back to work on July 1.
Corbu n Kannan are taking their time to leave - their owner ain't ready for them yet
Corbu the labrador and Kannan the daschund are leaving us to return to their original owner - dad' s brother-in-law.

If I Were A Man! (My most famous poem)

To be a man, first of all, I would not desire For it’s the woman after all, who sets the world on fire. But if I were to be a man, what would I do? Obviously much more than make a hullabaloo. I’d stop complaining about the men in power, And start aiming at the bottom of the political tower. Instead of forever harping about my wife, I’d find solutions to end the long strife. Other couch potatoes would have lazed in front of the telly, But I, I would have helped with the supper and jelly. The garbage bin would be cleared without a frown, My perfectly arranged shelves - surely nagging it would drown. The children would find their father briskly ironing his pants, With an eye on the cricket stadium packed with fans. At night I’d take turns to tell stories galore, Of knights and princesses and wizards of yore. At work you’d find me sympathising with a worker, Whose life story is a sure tear jerker. You’d find me at the desk from nine to five, Not constantly at the coffee machine, like bees ...

An Old Friend

How do you usually react when an old friend comes visiting unexpectedly? Do you feel out of this world? Ecstatic? Overjoyed? Out of words or breathe? And what do you do next? Welcome your friend with open arms? Maybe a hug? Sometimes with blasphemous words for having disappeared for so long, but definitely joyously? And then what next? Do you sit and have verbal exchanges over what you’ve done with your lives? Talk about old times and mutual friends, and enjoy the nostalgia? Swap pictures of families and that drooling baby or b.f. whichever it may be? Maybe a cup of coffee or dinner? And finally? You part ways again? Promising to keep in touch, whether it happens or not? You might agree with at least some of these responses. But let me tell you, none of this is what I did when an old friend came visiting me. We had parted ways for sometime, especially after I left for Chennai and been so out of sync that neither knew what happened to the other. And then all of a sudden he turns up at m...

About Me

I thought this first posting should tell you a little about me. Orkut users will find a lot about me in my profile. I often go by the name Tina- the acronym for There Is No Alternative: basically because a) it’s my real name and b) it implies what it means- there’s no alternative to me. There’s only one me. TINA works as a guest lecturer in her obscure town of Kottayam at the college of her under graduation- B.C.M. College for Women. In the English department where I work (and manage to create quite a ruckus) with a shoestring budget we attempt to create vistas into the world of literature to undergraduate students. The astounding number of unsuccessful attempts only proves that were it not for the likes of Shakespeare, the likes of me would be jobless. For me it’s the English student’s nightmare – literary criticism – that provides unemployment. As a non-entity on this earth – very little can be said about my other aspects. Physically I cut an imposing figure- a round one. Academicall...