Celebrating life!

One uttered word a brief glance 1 momentary smile oru silent prayer ek patient ear un quick touch can make all the difference in balancing life and death.

Why do Malayalees end up with such crazy names? Sample some typical ones: Biju, Baiju, Jino, Chintu. Where on earth do they get these names from? While men end up with Siju, Binu, Mejo and Jithu; for the girls its Seena, Liji, Dainy and Litty. I can understand if you think you're little one’s a Prince and name him so (I have several such friends in eminent positions). But if so where are all the Princesses???? We’ve had sensible names before – George, Mary, Lakshmi, Krishna, Fatima, Sayed. There’s a long list to choose from. But no. We insist on naming them Laiju, Raijo, Bini, Chinju and Sinsy. It leaves you wondering whether you’re going to deal with a man or a woman though quite sure the person is from Kerala. But I suppose it is that undefeatable spirit after all, countering the unpronounceable Shlovskis and Teacharlmiskas of the world that created Sr. Lousy and the brothers Kissme and Loveme.

I have a neighbor Aptly nicknamed Nosey For he tells hubby “Drive your car to work not your scooter” and me – “had any more flash flood in the flat when you went out and left the washing machine on?” But I wonder, what would happen if he nosed too far and got his nose stuck in a big-deep-blue bucket full to the brim of untainted evil.

I am totally outraged!!! I know I'm writing after ages but the Commonwealth Games have got me thinking. I must say our sportsstars have outdone themselves ths time. I am quite proud of their extraordinary performance - be it the shooters trained under Kerala's own Sunny Sir or our wrestlers, we have been provling our mettle with Indian vigour. I know  am not the only person going "Chak De India" but the CWG's quibbles that they will not include wrestling in the next games has made me furious. And just when we have won about 10 golds in that category. We are no sprinters or gymnasts. We do not have ace swimmers or high jumpers. But when we prove ourselves with a sport that goes back centuries in our blood, we find people want it taken out. How can we keep silent? As a nation that has stood up to its battles, we have another one now in the sports arena. My one advice would be the words of musician Rahman - Come On India Dekha do!

It’s Maundy Thursday & I’m just back from church, contemplating after breakfast. I thought I should post here 2 thoughts that I consider very relevant today. They were the crux of today’s sermon. The priest began his sermon by asking the children in the front pew whether they liked him and respected him to which they nodded in the affirmative. Then he asked them to do exactly as they were told to which they agreed. At this he asked them to raise their index finger and place it on their cheek, which they promptly did. But what happened was while he was telling them to do this, he raised his thumb and did the same action. So the kids had also lifted their thumb and done the same. That was a practical lesson on Christ. You see Christ did not believe in just preaching and talking he believed in changing people through his actions. Just think about all the things he did that were considered sacrilegious in his time – healing the sick in God’s name and that too on the Sabbath, dining wi...

Yup, that’s what I want to write about today. But I’m not referring to my ideal guy. I’m talking about an actual male that I know quite well. And yes he is the perfect husband and I think his wife is the luckiest woman on earth. Let me tell you a little about this fella’. He is an absolute charm, so much that I think about him almost everyday since I usually meet him in the mornings. Now don’t get me wrong here – I’m not in love with him. But I still think he is too good to be true. Let me explain why I think he is so esteemed in mine and mom’s eyes. He is first and foremost a perfect gentleman. He lets his wife have her way, most often. Being a gentleman, he always allows her to have the first and best of everything, ladies first being his policy. The other perfect thing about this guy is the way he cares so much about his lady love. Sigh! He completely adores her and thinks the world of her. He doesn’t even want her a second out of his sight- that’s how much he adores her. If s...

Today I will be attending Dr. Elizabeth Kurien aka Ms. Prema’a farewell lunch (for those of you who don’t know her she’s my former teacher at B.C.M., former H.O.D. & much more). I just thought it would be appropriate to pen down (or rather type) some of my reflections on her. For the past six months or more, she’s been the only person persistently insisting I return to B.C.M. again as faculty. Nobody else even seems to think about such a prospect. Perhaps she realized how much some of the girls meant to me. Or maybe she realized that nobody else was bringing in the dramatic changes that I had somehow managed to bring in. Whatever it is, she has been doggedly persistent that I return no matter what, and firmly believes I will be back next year to take the college head on. That’s faith for you. My student recollections though of this persistent person are of a rather different sort. She was one of the quietest people in the department, so quiet that you may not have even noticed sh...

Such a tiny little word only 4 letters, well-balanced – 2 vowels, 2 consonants one syllable that can tear you apart and leave scars that never heal sounding like the wings of a moth at my window as dusk sets in yet with none of the lightness. Fire that scorches as it travels the veins. Scorching memories stab into the wounds a fine mess of feelings and nerves. Tears-> Bruffen to keep the pain down Will time heal? or will it spread like my aunt’s bone cancer? leaving behind a shell coloured pink with streaks of red. (Signalling the return of my poetry)

This is the hilarious speech from "3 Idiots." In the movie Aamir Khan replaces the word Chamatkart with Balaatkar in Chatur's speech for teacher's day leading to uproarous laughter and some red faces. Read on... Adarniya sabhapati mahodaya, atithi vishesh shikshan mantri shri R D tripati ji, maanyaniya shikshagan aur mere piyaaare sahpatiyo Aaj agar I.C.E aasmaan ki bulaaandiyo ko chhu raahaa hai to uska shreya sirrf ekinsaan ko jaataahai - Shri Veeru Sahastrabuddhe Give him a big hand. He is a great guy really. Peechle buttis saal se inhone nirantar is college mein balatkar pe balatkar kiye. Umeed hai aagey bee karte rahege. Hamein to aashcharya hota hai ki ek insaan apne jeevan kaal mein itni balatkar kaisi kar sakta hai. Inhone kadi tapaasya se apne aapko is kaabil bunaya hai. Waqt ka sahi upyog ghante ka purna istemaal koi inse seeke. Seeke inse seeke. Aaj hum sab chaatra yaha hai, kal desh videsh mein fail jayenge. Waadaa hai aapse jis desh mein honge waha bal...

(A satire based on Edward Lear's poem "Father William") "You are old, Aunty Mary," the young lady said, "And your hair has been dyed very black; Yet you watch every serial till it's time for bed- Do you think at your age it is right?" "In my youth," Aunty Mary replied to her niece, "I thought it might help the brain; But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again & again." "You are old," said the niece, "as I mentioned before, And have grown most uncommonly fat; Yet you lithely carried 10 bags of clothes from the shops- Pray, what is the reason for that?" "In my youth," she said with her perfect-white false teeth, "I kept all my limbs very supple By beating my husband daily with the broom. We certainly were an outstanding couple!" "You are old," said the niece, "and your jaws are too weak For anything tougher than soup, Yet you finished the chicken, ...

My sister-in-law tagged me the other day to write down 25 random thoughts. Going one step ahead I thought I should pen down 25 random blessings because I feel that I have in fact been given a life filled with blessings and it’s time I sat down and thought about it all. So here goes my 25 random list: My enchanting eyes Every new day that gives me a chance to improve on the past Family My gang from M.A., my lifelong friends who taught me the meaning of real friendship Teaching as a career My voice that will help me pass on my knowledge Access to an immense storehouse – the Internet My computer that has been with me through most things My sensitivity Brownie My mom who I turn to for everything Sms that helps me keep in touch with all of my friends Books – my knowledge bank, my comfort, my relaxation – my all My cosy room, my retreat My ‘huggy’ hippo Warm hugs from Jas Encouragement from the students’ responses Coffee at the canteen Jain’s immense talents that remind each day of what I ha...

I’m in a state of euphoria. You, my reader, will wonder why and come to the conclusion that I have finally found love. But that is not the case. It is thanks to an article I read in the morning paper that has put me in seventh heaven. Now what is this wonderful article you may ask. Is it about the arrival of my favourite movie hero? Or about some new movie that I have been dying to see? Unfortunately it is none of these but a very simple article on the front page that said MG University is to grant autonomy to its colleges. Now you will begin to think – what a thing to celebrate! But for me it is indeed a time for celebration. You see, teaching at BCM for the past two years, I have been living with the pain of the knowledge that here indeed would be chance for improvement and change if only autonomy would be granted at the university level. This would allow a college to set and structure its own syllabus and introduce any new course that it deems fit, provided it meets the standards. J...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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 ]