A tribute to those primary teachers...

Its very hard to teach someone learn Alphabets. Yes A,B,C,D,E......................X,Y,Z. Teaching something is not as easy as it seems to be. I was struggling to teach an illiterate guy learn the basic building blocks of English language. I found that its a very hard job to teach someone understand the english alphabets.
How my teachers would have taught me to read, to write?? They would have answered to my stupid endless questions..Their patience would have been tested. Hats off to their quality of being able to remain patient when a child fails to recognize the alphabet "A" after being taught numerous times. I still remember a Nursery rhyme..
"Hush-a-bye, baby,
in the tree top.
When the wind blows,
the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks,
the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby,
cradle and all. "
I remember I struggled like anything to learn by-heart this particular Rhyme. So my teacher didn't allow me to go home until I learned the rhyme.Even today, I haven't forgotten the Rhyme. Thanks a lot for those efforts and guidance. Primary teachers do have a major role in making our careers...

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DLF IPL Twenty20 - An image of present India

The summer season is on with the mercury rising above 40 degree Celsius but the energy levels are also high. One could only visualize it with the way the DLF IPL Twenty20 tournament is on its course. Cricket is more than a sport in India. Everyone in India seems to be involved with this sport in one way or another. This avatar of cricket is enormous in the sense the amount of money that has been put into it. People who are associated with each team are no ordinary individuals. They include successful film stars and industrialists who have excelled in their respective fields. The way the tournament has been conducted has to be appreciated. The auction of the players was one of its kind in India.
But one question pops up "Will this format of the game going to dilute the original essence of Cricket?". Well, the gurus of cricket always felt that Test Cricket would retain its place what so ever happens.Only time will tell us the answer to this question. It would be hard for someone to watch a One day match or even worse a Test match after this IPL revolution. One cannot simply forget the amount of enjoyment in a Twenty20 match. In almost 4 hrs of the match, you could experience everything from good cricket being displayed to the dancing tunes being played. The Cheerleaders add glamour and encouragement to the viewers. There is hardly any dull moment in the whole match.
Truly speaking, there has also been a good amount of Cricket being played. The players have taken it seriously which has made the tournament successful.The DLF IPL Twenty20 is truly an image of present India. A country with immense resources of youth and energy.The World is taking keen interests in the developments happening in India... IPL Twenty20 is just the beginning...................

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For a greener tomorrow

Let us contribute in a simple way that we all can do in controlling the Global Warming. An individual can be a part of this war against global warming in their own possible ways. These are a few things we can do:-
1. Change your light bulb with a CFL (compact Fluorescent lamp). CFLs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.
2. Drive less, drive smart.
One cannot avoid driving but you can always be a smart driver.When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. For example, keeping your tyres properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent. Every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community’s mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.
3.Dont forget to switch off your electronic equipment when not in use.
4.Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Buying products with minimal packaging will help to reduce waste.
5. Plant a tree.
A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
6.Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.
These are not the only things you can do. We can always play our part in saving this beautiful earth.

PS: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/what-you-can-do-about-global-warming.html
http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

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Through the eyes of a Tiger

"A Tiger for Malgudi " -RK Narayan is a very well written simple story about a Tiger named Raja. The strenght of this novel lies in the writer's ability to narate the story through the eyes of the Tiger in a very simple way and is filled with interesting and good clean humour.
It all started with Raja being captured by Captain(A guy who runs a circus). Raja is made to change his lifestyle. He recall his days when he was once the king of the Jungle. He is made to do aweful things for the Circus. He is asked to changed his food habits. He is asked to drink milk and moreover to share it with a goat. Finally Raja could not tolerate Captain and managed to escape from the circus.
Then, he met his Master (a hermit) whose influence changed Raja. He is taught to understand emotions and truth. The Master explained him about the existence of God, the creation of this world. Then, Raja is asked to portray his understanding of God. Raja responded saying "God would be a huge Tiger as huge as all the worlds put together. Even his tail would be big enough to encompass all the forests on earth." Well, its fair enough to buid an image of God in a form you are. When we say God, we have our own notion how it would be. the same way a tiger has the right to build his own God. The story ends with Raja's enlightenment and then he is moved to a zoo since he was getting old. His Master believed that Raja would be safe in a Zoo and they will soon meet ..

I loved the way the writer had expressed his thoughts and above all the message to the mankind. The novel shows how man can go to any extent to satisfy his greed for money and essentials. We must not forget that every creature has a right to live in this world. They can also achieve enlightenment which man has lost in his quest for greed and worldly things.

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Let us explore the Frodo in ourselves....

I will take the Ring," he said,"though I do not know the way."

Frodo Baggins became an unforgettable character in the masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien. A hobbit from Shire weighing hardly few tens of pound with a height little more than 3 feets, he stands against the mighty dark lord Sauron relying simply on the sheer quality of courage, determination and sacrifice. He took the quest to destroy the one ring to bring Sauron's downfall. He is a perfect example of how we can acheive great heights irrespective of physical appearences.
Another great quality he posses is his love for the Shire- his birth place. He leaves shire in order to protect it from the Dark lord. He knew that the place would turn to a killing field if he stays there. He faced many hardships in his quest to destroy the ring. He even lost one of is finger in the process. These qualities make us believe that it doesn't matter how humble your background is, everything can be achieved though hardship,determination and above all the courage to say "yes" when mattered.

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No Country for Old men

If you want to feel like a mouse when you are being followed by a Cat, then watch this movie. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, a truly crime thriller. Its about hunting and being hunted. Sometimes the hunter becomes the prey and sometimes the prey becomes the predator. When I say I loved the movie, it doesn't mean that others should also like it. The very first notion you would have about the title of the movie would make you believe that it would be about some old people finding a place to live in. The movie engulfs you within its characters and then you started feeling like it is never very easy to hide yourself from someone following you particularly when you are involved with a large sum of money.
If you want me to define the word "psycho"- then the synonym would be Anton Chigurgh(Javier Bardem). He would make you believe that death can come to you in any form. When it comes nothing can stop. He plays the character of a hit man who would kill anyone who comes in his pursuit for Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who had ran away with a large sum of money from a drug deal gone bad. Chigurgh, with his unique weapon, a cattle gun.The bolt is actuated by a trigger pull and is propelled forward by compressed air. He uses it to kill people and to open cylinder locks with perfection. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), tries to protect Moss but could not save him. Moss is killed in a shootout with the Mexicans.It is also shown that Chigurgh survives from an accident and he moves on.
The movie ends with Bell telling his dream to his wife. The first dream tells about losing some money his father had given him. In the second dream he tells that his father is carrying fire in a horn and is going ahead of him in a dark and cold snowy mountain pass. He feels that his father would be still waiting for him trying to make fire. The movie ends with Bell saying "And then I woke up".
This very end frustrates people who didn't get what Bell wanted to convey. The meaning can be inferred in many ways. The ending truly apt with the title of the movie which conveys that there would be no end to the crimes and people like Chigurgh would always get escaped. And that it would make no difference of any kind with a single person like Bell,an old man who gave up trying to stop crime from the society. He feels that there is no role for an old man like him in the pursuit of a killer like Chigurgh. He says he would be replaced by a young blood. Though his dream he conveys that, he would follow his father who would be waiting for him in a dark and snowy pass. It shows his inability to make any difference .............

PS :The above post is truly a product of my own words after watching the movie with reference from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Country_for_Old_Men_(film).

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When you started discriminating

Well, I always dream that one day Manipur would be a better place to live in. I would be proud to say that I am born in a place where there is equality irrespective of any caste, creed or cultural difference. A place where people are welcome with warmth and affection. But then when I heard the recent news of killing innocents, I felt like asking questions to myself if it is the beginning of the end to my dreams.When we say a civilised society, we are keen to know how the outsiders are being treated there. It reflects the ability to accept the diversity. It reflects your generosity.I have always felt that the Manipuri people are different, one or the other Manipuri has something which is unique. We are a bunch of talented people. If we see our culture and heritage, you ll find that we are unique and we have the ability to to do things differently. If we give a little thought and try to figure out where we stand in this growing world, we would realise that we are in a deep pit from where we can only hope for a downfall.
Sometimes I felt like we have a long way to go before we start bothering about the problems of human race, about this world. We are still at a very low level. We have many problems to address within ourselves before we actually start bothering on a global stage. How can a person living in the present situation of Manipur ever think of the Global warming. How can a person think for the safety of the human race when his own house is not safe. How can he appreciate the beauty of nature when the valley turns into a killing field. The very thought of our future frightens me. When the whole country is blooming in the IT revolution, where is our stand. When the country is boasting to become the next Super-power, where do our Manipur stands. Doesn't our brothers and sisters deserve to be among the mass. Don't they have the right to compete with the mainland?Dont they deserve to celebrate our growing economy? These questions provides the solution itself.
Its the right time for a revolution. I can feel the fear. We are all afraid of the change. I dont know the future. I m also not saying that the revolution would not cost anything. I m just suggesting that its the right time to reflect, its the way to begin. How long should we tolerate? There is no bigger sin than to tolerate injustice. .and there is nothing better than to fight for peace.

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