Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Present mam...

ATTENDANCE- THE REAL APPROACH

Recent events have been teaching me a lot of things. In particular ‘attendance’. There have been many incidences in the past one week relating to this thing, Attendance… What does this mean?? Attendance- it is all about giving your presence, where it is needed!!! For a college going guy or girl attendance means a lot. In our ‘Glorious GCT’ and till our batch, we have to get a 75% attendance to write exams. That’s it. And that is why we go to college here. Else who wants to go the hell here? This year we got a good HOD, who wanted every hour to be engaged. All of a sudden all hours started to be engaged. And obviously, our guys got a little angry, frustrated, annoyed, vexed, disappointed, irritated and dissatisfied. I was after everything, laughing for crazy things happening. Lecturers who had no idea if the classes were square or rectangle in GCT; if there were more than 50 students in class (They just want the benches to be filled); if students had any idea about the title of their subject. Some are even good that they don’t know if they have a class this hour. But, when they come, it’s tough time. And many time some silly ladies who do masters in their stream in this college do things as if they are principal of this institution. Let me explain this with two excellent examples!!!

First, let me start this with the permanent staff thing. It was last Thursday and I was getting ready to go to the laboratory half-heartedly. I actually had no plans of going. Then somehow, making my heart agree with the brain I went there. It started off well and all of a sudden, there was a call for all guys. Excluding those very few ‘Mr. Perfect’s all were standing on the other side. As I didn’t write the observation notebook that day, I was still standing outside the room where they all stood!!! I had still to decide, if I should go in or to the Hostel. Then, when I went through the other door, it was closed! Alas! Now my only hope was to go into the room. I went in. The problem there was that students were present without proper uniform… My case was ok! I had no belt, shoe, had not tucked in the shirt, etc. But, Venkatraman was out of count for wearing brown shoes. That was the top of all accusations. Our dear lecturer marked absent for all but four boys and one girl. Girls were also wearing cut-shoes, canvas… But, that’s a golden rule. Girls are exemplary creatures. They never sin. I didn’t tell this, it’s pre-told. So, finally all but few were marked absent and we were told to sit in the lab for three hours i.e. till the end of lab hours. This was one incident that wasted my half a day leave. In GCT casual leave supplies our living. And, my half-a-day’s leave was gone.

Another incident happened, one of the ladies who does masters in ’power electronics’ in this college, handles a subject that only god knows for what this 63 are studying. In fact only god knows why the previous set studied this; why it is still in syllabus from 2003. And she comes to class taking some papers and she makes us write everything she has written in her sheet. Her grammar is too good. You want some examples...? here are some

“From this, you can understood that…”

“It can be able to easily solve…”

“It has been occurred…”

“We will be going to scan the program…” [Mind voice: Where??? Ithaca??? Or Albania???]

“It will moves on…”

Now, after an hour of this sort of English, I don’t know if any English would be left within us. I’ve read my brother’s English paper and felt very sorry for those staffs… They had to study English to correct these papers that had no life and flesh. Coming back to story of our lady- her grammar is too good. So, it’d be as if all are listening. And writing down around 3 to 4 pages in a 45 minutes class. Isn’t that too much??? She tells every word in it. I don’t know the objective. Is it to teach us about the subject or to make us go for a ‘short-hand’ writing course? Amidst all this a complaint has landed in our class teacher’s ears. It came from her mouth. It’s that we are not allowing her to continue with this sort of a class. And coming back to the main story, I went to her class, late by 40 minutes (I’m sorry telling you that the class is for 50 minutes). I asked her attendance. I’d not have in normal cases. But, as I came to know that she was standing in front of the class, all that 40 minutes correcting unit test note-books, I wanted a present. She said, “How could I???” My mind-voice was telling, “Who gave you Bachelor degree??” and I just smiled, my lips starting to say, “F off” and came to hostel to sleep the entire noon.

These incidents made me think a lot on the definition for attendance. Oxford told it as, “Being present somewhere for a purpose” So, what is the equivalent for attendance if there is no purpose???

Monday, January 18, 2010

What do you believe in???

Where do I start when I say about this topic? What logic do I give first…? I have a set of things to be told. ‘Atheism’- This word rings these days a lot, in my ears. The point is “have these people read something in their life so far!?!” The ideologies of my friends have been influencing me a lot in the recent past. I’ve started thinking, based on many things said by them. For instance Chinna had been talking a lot on atheism in the past. His dialogues are always good, sensitive and appropriate. I feel happy while talking to him as, even after all this, he is a good listener. To be simply simple- “the perfect corporate guy” He was telling the previous night “there is hype for caste votes and these days there are more Atheist than theists. So, if you are an Atheist, you can even go on to win elections” What do you think about this reader???

On a bad day I went to a temple, my favorite in Coimbatore- Sree Dharmasastha Thirukoil in Mettupalayam road. Before I went there, I was depressed due to many reasons. I had headaches. I love that place the most. I don’t know if that is because I like the Cantonment Ayyappan temple in Trichy. I did a ‘Pushpanjali’ in my dad’s name. I came out. The 8 o’ clock wind with less pollution, no sound and the peace filled, traffic less ‘Bharathi Park Road’. The way I was riding back, I forgot every worry in me. Then, the day was unusually superb. Next day night at when dad called told me “hi my boy… Every thing is fine here… Any thing special there?” then on we went with formal discussion and I told…”give this to amma”… Amma told “dey, Appa’s Car DVD player has been stolen… It costs INR 5000. Aanandhi aunty lost INR 15000 worth Player” Then the phone was forced into Dad’s hand, and he went on to explain the modus operandi. He explained me how easy it is to rob a ‘TATA INDICA’… All that was in my mind was that ‘Pushpanjali’… But, when I told Chinna about this he told, “My mom tells me excellent stories of this Genre. If you had not done that Pushpanjali, something worse would have happened da!” An episode of great theological importance…

Another one was, some days before, I used to stand and pray in front of Gods that certain relationships must not break. And these days, I no more do it. I got a friend, not Chinna, but who believes very feebly in God. “Naan Idha senju mudikkanum kadavulae nu venda maaten. But, senju mudikkanum nu nenappen!!!” A drop of Self-confidence. That will do. When I hear this stuff, I really think if there is any need to worship. There is some eternal power that makes things to work. And can someone telling that eternal power something, change it anyway??? That’s a valid point, yet if everything is written, why we need to work on to live??? Again valid, but why not consider it as, Working so is what is written for you!!! Then, entire thinking in life was “atheism”

Then, it was Pongal holidays. I had a lot to think. But, certain things happen in life… It was Jan14. Evening around the time of sunset… Everyone was in front of the television, switching every possible Malayalam channel available in DTH- Kairali, Jai hind and Amrita. When dad looked into the calendar for time of sunset it reminded me of Forsyth’s ‘Day of the jackal’-The mistake that led to the arrest of the shooters. And finally the sunset was at 18:19. Now, it was 18:36 in the grandfather clock of the hall at home. And eagerness grew… It was almost the time, and the eagerness grew to its peak as they kept switching channels during commercials to watch it live… “Play Podhigai or some DD channel… they’ll show it live there” said me. And, to my surprise, my words were listened to. It was 18:38 and the light they were waiting for, shone on the ‘Ponnambala medu’… First time, a huss came out from the loudspeakers of the TV as it was a live relay and then one more after a few seconds, and one more time… That was it. Then there were devotional songs of Ayyappan in the channel and then the end credits. All were praying the television at home. That was from the atheist point of view. But, how did it- the light- shine out of nowhere on the top of a hill… How did a star started to climb into the centre of the sky from the horizon in ‘within’ an hour… How did an eagle come out of nowhere and how did everything happen on the same day… The minute I thought about all this, the Atheist in me started to diminish. But the People who prayed the television also kept me thinking… What is God???

I like this guy Kannadasan who tells, “An atheist has nothing to explain... He just has to say something idiotic. But the people who believe in this so-called God had to write all these stories to make an overview for the majority of the population”… But Shakespeare also holds cards, “All the world's a stage and all men and women merely players” So, what is the reality… Do we anymore need to trust in God??? Can’t anything that gives us peace of mind be called “GOD”!!!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

It impressed me...

En arunthozhanae... Idhayathu nanbanae...
Maanikka mazhayae, Maraindhuvittaaya???
Munnoru pozhudhil, meesai mulaikira vayadhil
Orilayil sorundom, Oru paayil kan valarndhom
Andha ninaivugalin kanneril, nenju kuzhi niraigiradhae...


Nam kangal vevveru, kanavugal ondru dhan
Nam nenjam vevveru, Ninaivugal ondru dhan
Nam kootaigal vevveru, kolgaigal ondru dhan
Edhilum mundhi vara thudikkum munaippullavanae...
Saavilum ennai mundhi sarithiram aayinayo???


En vetrikku maalai thandha karam enge?
En vizhi neerai sundivitta viral enge?
Kuzhalendra isayaaga konjugindra kural enge?
En muthamizh vasanathai muthamitta udhadengae?
Ennai oru naal sumandhu, endhi vandha thol enge?


aiyago, Ini paarkavae maataya nanbaa???
Ellin munayalavum ippodhu kasappillai...
Pullin nuniyalavum ippodhu pagai illai...
Maranathai pola manam velukka marundhillai...


Unnodu oru vaarthai pesa dhan ninaithaen- Mudiyavillai...
Nalindhuvitta unarvugalodu nalam ketka thudithaeen- mudiyavillai...
Indru un roja poo udhattil muthamida ninaikiraen- mudiyavillai...
Mutti varum kanneerai moodi vida ninaikkiraen- mudiyavillai...
Poi va nanba
Un pakkathil enakkum oru padukkai virithu vai
Endrenum oru naal un arugil naan varuven


Iniyoru ponneram enaithedi vandhaal
Kaalam oru sengolai en kayyil thandhaal
Un kanavum, en kanavum oru pozhudhil niraiverum
Un kallaryin kaadhugalil nalla seidhi arangerum

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A poetry that impressed me in recent times, the class in it is outstanding... The pause that Prakash raj gives, His exoressions, his breath everything is so excellent. I have not seen a better death scene in any film. Hats off to Mani anna, Vairamuthu and Prakash Raj... Watch it... You will like it for sure...

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Just another day!!! Isn't it???

Oh! People are shouting at the top of their voices and going around... Its the so called new year. I don't know if they do this at home, silly herd! Now what is new year, if you had read "The Da Vinci Code" or if you hear to Raveenan or me, they are just about numbers, to put it in a better way, its just another day! Its quarter to one on the third day... Its quite some time past mid-night... On the new year eve, at 10 past 12, no calls were getting connected, no calls were getting into my phone too... When I called at 12, one was shouting from the other end of the phone "celebraaaatiooon"... Oh! how many plans... All lost:-(



Leave phone, why were all shouting and celebrating??? Why should one get firecrackers??? Isn't this just another day??? didn't the sun rise and set that day??? Want a justification for my wrath? here goes it...



Don't you celebrate august the 15th??? "Yeah... Of course" would be an answer... If i ask "why???" you would say "India got independence some 3 scores before on that day! Now we mark its annual anniversary". Foolish isn't it?Celebrate the independence and not the day. Why should we celebrate it? Why should there be a national holiday on that day to all these idle idiots? Now, if it comes on a tuesday or thursday, one more day gets the holiday count!!! CL- they call it so! I don't know if you know dear reader, our motherland wants to be a developed country and has national holidays 4 times that of many countries...



Ok!Its a different feeling to be on a holiday! Tamil Nadu has the most number of hols in india!!! I don't know if that comedy "all were born on national holidays"-is quite serious as we say "Pizza is delivered faster than ambulance"... Painful truth!!!



If you think, I sound good, help me promote this! But, xx.xx% want holiday on each day, and y=100-xx.xx tends to zero!!! will someone follow what a tend to zero minority wants to hear???