Then and Now

The next TIF challenge has been anounced.The theme is (as I understand it )is A view of the past -the things that have changed &your memories of them.I have A Real Lot to share,too.Reading In a minute ago brought back to me memories of my Holidays in our mothers native village of Mudikondan.This village is a fairly large one.The days were spent in removing the seeds from tamarind pods,rolling the blackgram & greengram on an inclined wooden plank(which doubles as a seat at other times)kept on my lap to remove the stones and other debris from the field,sitting amidst a group of farm labourers(women who also did house work in our houses)in the Open-to-sky quadrangle in the middle of our house(atleast a hundred years old).This was just one of the many that we did.I'll write about them in the subsequent blogs.
Now,of course the tamarind is still being deseeded in the same way there,but I am no more the carefree child who sat there talking to the women offering them some lighthearted occasions in which the tedium& the monotony of their tasks got relieved (I hope).My children refuse to do what we (my sister & I)willingly did.That is Change,Isuppose.
Ithought it would be easy to translate the memory these activities which are recorded in my head in my native Tamil idiom into English in which I have been trained to communicate.I find myself searching for the appropriate words that would describe the appliances/processes involved.
I find that this exercise has increased the value of my Language &Traditions in my eyes.

Its Feb already !

And I'm yet to finish my TIF challenge for Jan.

Many things to do

Its been along time since I sat down to write and a lot of things have happenned affecting me in mostly a positive way.
first, I've been invited to join a private school as the Principal.It is a new school,starting with the first and second classes.It starts in June'08.It would be an interesting and challenging assignment.
second ,I ve met new people ,whom I think would become close friends.
third I must start putting my head into my books and prepare for my exams in coming June.
fourth the Take it Farther challenge- I keep getting newer ideas before I could follow thru on the previous ideas.Right now it involves fabric painting with acrylic fabric paints.
finally I have to admit I find myself on the back foot as I realise i must learn certain skills to blog successfully, to be able to link with other sites ,and to be able to put pictures of my work on the site.I alsomust learn how I can draw kolams in my computer and also how to develop Kolams to enable children to overcome their Learning disabilities;i.e.how to guage and record progress made.,choosing the appropriate kolams for the many tasks invoved in thinking &writing and eye hand coordination.I also found that I didnot know the English language that well(atleast,not as well as a native)when I came across the fact that Tangled web had a different connotation from the one I had supposed it to have.I thought it meant confused!

The TIFC

The colours for the TIFC are purple,mauve,turquoise green,dark gray-green&cream.the theme is some one we look upto.Many ideas come to me.the pictures that I see are of the tall himalayan mountains.The way it can be treated-many viz.1)cut paper ;2)fabric /paper applique; 3)needlepoint-hungarian/florentine.So far,only that much.Many people come to my mind ,when I think of someone I look upto-1)my mother; 2)my sister; 3)my friends -Dr.Vasudha,Shobha,Sudha,Viji & many
others.I have to think on this more.
It took me a lot of time to put this together.At first I could think of only only my immediate circle of family & friends;thinking about the theme helped me find "Reference" figures in my society/country.So here they are.
Dr Kiran Bedi is the First Woman to join the IPS(Indian Police Service).She was ,also,a Junior level National Tennis Champ.As a Police officer she faced a lot of challenges and was frequently given what is euphemistically called "Punishment"Postings which she took up with as much zeal as if it had been a reward and brought about change for the better.The most famous of her contribvutions to the Indian Nation has been the change she brought about in the Tihar Central Jail,New Delhi(one of the most dreaded places in India).She caused the Prison to be a place for Reforming of characters &Personalities &attitudes and not just as a place of Punishment.She also improved the management of this Prison.She was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her tremondous work ,for which she used Yoga and Vipasana Meditation.

The new year New beginning.

I have a lot to say but no time for it all.So im going to keep addinng to this post as I find the time.First :i have joined Sharon's Take it further Challenge.I feel thrilled about it .It is aConcept and Colour Design Challenge presented by her every month on the First.This months challenge is about Someone we admire.I have to check her blog (Sharonb's In a minute ago)again To get the rest.

Little Things That Fill me with Joy.

I read a letter in AWAD by someone going through a very bad patch.I pray things will get better for his family. His letter reminded me of the things that lift my spirits &make me smile,giving me respite from my problems.So here is my list:
1. A deep red hibiscus flower that finally bloomed three days after we were hit by the Dec.26th Tsunami.I dont know why but I stll remember that picture of grime & chaos surrounding the flower which opened bravely inspite of the salt -water- drenched-pot,even if only for a day .
2.Any hand-crafted article .
3.Birds' call .
4.Sunshine steaming in through the wuindow.
5.A baby's sweet smile.(this always reminds me of my grand mother ,who used to say -a babys face will wipe away a thousand sorrows).
6. a pithy saying ,full of wisdom & humour-especially the ones that come in"Graffitti"(that comes in The Hindu Metro Plus& Awad).
7.A call from my friend especially when I am down.
I will add to this list later.