Rashrei's Blog

Teacher as Guru

Rangashree — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:42:31 +0000

Teacher, as the Guru.

Rangashree Srinivas

Along with our parents the Guru occupies a key position in our culture, in guiding us towards the absolute truth (Deivam). Even today, the teacher as a Guru, should be a para-parent interested in the overall development of the child. Parents too, should consider education as a means to self-development, rather than its attribute to help bag well-paying jobs.

Tribute to Grandparents

Rangashree — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:29:15 +0000

A tribute to Grandparents!

Rangashree Srinivas

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humour, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.

Rudolph Giuliani

The average Indian grows up surrounded by relatives. Every family has an elderly head who is propitiated when an important family event takes place.

Grandparents not very long ago, were also important decision makers. The dynamics have shifted significantly with the onset of nuclear families and geographical distances separating the grandparents from their children and grandchildren.

What is the role of an elder in the family today? When we look at some urban families, we find that grandparental roles vary from being primary care givers to-seldom-seen- long-distance relatives. And everything in between!

Read the Full story in Parent Circle magazine September 2011 issue

White sands, blue seas and green green forest… aahh Andaman!

Rangashree — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:50:55 +0000

Not to mention blazing sun and the incredible Jarawas! Andaman and Nicobar islands is really an archipelago of small isles separated by blue waters in all hues and geographical features. On our five day trip we experienced pristine beaches, glorious white sanded beaches, underwater life, an ancient stalactite & stalagmite cave, aboriginal men and an inspiring peek into the Nationalist movement.

We had made up our minds to heave our butts off the humdrum of Chennai life to see something unique and experiential. A possible trip to Mauritius got cancelled and our eyes fell on A&N islands as we had already imagined a ‘waterful’ holiday! My brother’s school friend Raghu runs a diving school there in the Havelock island, and helped us make our bookings for stay and touring the islands. We were particularly interested in snorkeling and going close to the mysteries under the seas. My friend Anita, a travel enthusiast ignited our, especially daughter Shaila’s interest towards snorkeling.

While Raghu was putting together an itenerary for us, I scoured the internet for best air fares. Fares hugely vary from day to day and the lowest I could find was about Rs 10000, per person round trip. Ship travel operated by the Government of India is also available if you have 2.5 days to spare for travel. http://www.and.nic.in The ships ply once a week and bookings must be done well in advance. I hear that ship travel is an experience in itself! But personally as a first time traveller I had my share of ferrying from island to island in those 5 days! And the ship fare is nearly the same as airfare!

So we landed at Veer Savarkar Airport at Port Blair in the wee hours of April 13, 2010. This capital of the A&N, at first sight looked like any other small town elsewhere in India – complete with its tea shops and Francis tuition centres! But driving away from the airport, we came to wide roads flanked by very Government looking buildings including a huge State Library till we came upon the breath taking vistas of the harbour which is like our local bus terminus for the inlanders! But much more beautiful and much less crowded.

We checked into the hotel which look much less glamorous than its website photos. But by that evening, the hotel had grown on us and we looked forward to getting back to our room every evening. Shaila was disappointed by the unkempt pool, but as one of the hotel staff pointed out and we later enjoyed, when she had the pick of the best beaches to swim in, why would she need a pokey little pool?

After a hearty breakfast of toast, omelettes, aloo parathas and fresh guava juice we set off for the morning’s lesson in history! First stop – the infamous Cellular Jail of Kaala Paani… actually a magnificient heritage centre today.

We entered into a museum which housed photographs and artifacts of some of the well known freedom fighters who had been housed there in the 19 & 20th centuries. Our guide Mustapha in mellifluous Hindi, explained the history and the pathos of the place and the people who had been there. We saw the brass vessels used for gruel and water as well as those used for collecting urine. We saw life like models of prisoners chained liked animals, and an Indian sepoy beating a chained prisoner. The sack garment used to garb repeat offenders (read- those who raised their voices against their British captors. Their hands would be tied up above their heads and they would be left to bear the heat and itchy garment and beaten for days together. All of the prisoners were nationalists and freedom fighters. There were no criminals housed in the jail. In the beginning, the British would leave the captured on the island, because there was no chance of escape. But when a few did brave the hostile environment and escaped they built this jail. Once imprisoned in Kala Paani, they had no hope of returning to their ‘mulk’ and seeing their families again.

Later we got to see the sound and light show which was really inspiring but in very flowery hindi. The narrator was an ancient peepul tree whose voice over I am sure was by the venerable late AK Hangal.

That evening we travelled to Havelock islands where we were treated to a glorious sunset at the Radha Nagar Beach, Snorkeling adventure spotting corals under sea at Elephant Beach and a dream like beach on our own resort – the Symphony Palms. As pictures speak more than words, I shall say no more and only show more…

Since we were not allowed to take pictures of the Jarawa tribes (an indigenous Andamanese tribe,) I will have to resort to words. We opted for a long day’s tour into the thick jungles of Middle Andaman where the Jarawa tribes reside.

June 5 2010 - Started writing this post more than a month back and still not completed! How awful can that be? So I am going to just post the rest in pictures and captions…

View from Veer Sarvarkar's cell

Ancient stalactites and stalagmites cave in Barren Island. A short trek from the the shores of a deep mangrove forest, this place should be called Paradise islands.

View of the 'Barren Island' Mangroves from the Sea

The Jarawas are an ancient hostile Negroid tribe of the Andamans. They are not allowed to be photographed. However we drove as a convoy through the forest to see them. They stand by the roadsides and make a sign asking for tobacco - an unfortunate habit they seemed to have picked up from 'civilisation' that passes them by.

They appear like this in person. This image was picked up from www.thierryfalise.com

Islanders use ferries and helicopters for their daily commute. Cars, Buses and Heavy vehicles are also ferried between islands.

Andaman's public transport!

Tried capturing an image of flying fish in the seas... in vain. Beauty that is so transient!

The demographic composition of the islanders is made up of Bengalis, Tamils and a few people from other states of India. They are largely employed by the Government. We struck up an acquaintance with this man - a forest department employee and his wife (Tamils)

Shyla and a pair of German backpacking girls befriend each other on the ferry.

Sighting Havelock from the ferry. Still about half hour away.

The sand here is fine, white and firm - your feet don't sink in

Glorious sunset at Radha Nagar Beach

Eco Friendly huts on the beach

A wonderful pattern by crab movement on the soft sand

The inevitable Eyesore!

Artistic shot by Srini!

Symphony Palms is the place we stayed at Havelock Island. A few minutes after we reached this place at night, a path down the property lead to a small private beach - which was truly dreamlike. Quiet, small waves, starry sky. A boat silhouetted against the moonlight...

A cosy wood cottage, built in island style

The dream beach in daylight

A lone tree... an endless horizon

on a dunghee to snorkel - Elephant beach

Elephant beach

Snorkellers at Elephant Beach

Sunrise in the forest - on the way to the Jarawa settlement

Our boat took us through nearly 3 kms of thick mangroves on either side, the shrubs forming a low canopy overhead.

This is a mud volcano that spews cold ash as opposed to lava volcanoes. The ash renders nearby landscape infertile -hence the name Barren Island

I did not see

Rangashree — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:45:14 +0000

She snapped at my shins.
She snarled.
She growled.

She bared her canines.
She barked.
She chased.

Off you go I kicked.
She whimpered.
Slunk away.
Defeated.

On I went.
Aglow with pride.
Along the sandy beaten path.

I did not see

The crashing mighty wave
That carried me away.

I did not see

Her warning.
She the limpid eyed
Broken legged bitch.

Old Shoe

Rangashree — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:27:50 +0000

OLD SHOE

Black Sneakers
Mock me not

Dare you
Frayed, uncouth

Has-been from
My child’s growing feet

It is you who scorned
Cursed my
Shiny new Reeboks
To bite
Then to go missing
I am sure…

Constant companion
Comfortable old shoe

Walking Notes…

Rangashree — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:51:04 +0000

Feet forward
Arms afling
Body propelled
I walk
Solitary…

Myopic eyes take in
A smile here
A glance there
Faces seen

Pumping heart
Sticky tee
Light headed

Faces blur
Mind empties

Then

You come.

More Walking notes

JaiJoy!

Rangashree — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:29:45 +0000

Victory and happiness! What a bright farewell this is! Those who have imbibed the Tyagabharathi spirit use this to say goodbye…

What is Tyagabharathi? An ideal of music exponent and genius Prof VV Sadagopan who believed that music was not to be taught but to be experienced. His songs for children are magical works that help young ones bring out their natural laya and tala, all through stories and simple rhymes set in classical ragas that beautifully echo the mood and sentiment of the song. Each song has a universal and subtle message of honesty, integrity, loyalty, faith and all the values that make a good human being.

More than anything it is the spirit of Tyagabharathi that has permeated my very being and reflected in whatever I do for the past 35 years. The spirit of joy and acceptance. Acceptance of myself and everything else around me.

I have been thinking for the longest time after working with children in various ways… workshops, translations, puppetry, storytelling, the adoption program… trying to reach out and somehow give a growing human an ‘up’. Sometimes in confidence, a good family, some exposure… And there have been instances where with my Tyagabharathi spirit I have been able to touch lives and see those children growing and glowing…

So a new venture is born from age old thoughts of the JaiJoy sessions that ooze with the ‘T’ spirit! Hope it is a success in the sense that it is absorbed by more children who can keep the joy in their lives forever!

The JaiJoy sessions will also help us communicate better by learning more languages… Tamil, Hindi & English to begin with in the SWACHID way. Only through fun! And Joy of course…

JaiJoy!

My Own Emoticons

Rangashree — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:29:29 +0000

Drew these emoticons recently. I feel it could lead to many storylines. Can you tell a story from these emoticons?

A Story by Ashok Rajagopalan

No. No mail for her. At least, no mail that counted. ‘You just won a million dollars in the UK something lottery’ didn’t count. What was wrong? Where was that confirmation they promised? Did they want her or not? Corporates! Entities without hearts. Or brains. Grrr!

Waiting is for the woman of yesterday. Waiting to eat, waiting for him to make the first move, waiting for offspring to return…She shot out a strong letter, which, though cloaked in formalities, revealed the real question: What the expletive do you mean by keeping this expletive woman waiting?
She felt good after that and went googling her name to massage her ego some more.
She felt better after she got a reply. Which, when denuded of corpspeak, meant, “We expletive like your expletive spirit, and would not like to let you go!”

The Fugitive

Rangashree — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:09:01 +0000

Let me be a little narcissist and call it the Rashrei’s Law – but it is my studied theory that you start a blog because you have so much to express and once you start it you stop being expressive. I am sure there are many bloggers out there who are at it diligently. And I am talking of random bloggers like me without any specific purpose other than to express, even rant. My BFF (stealing from teen daughter’s lingo) that is my very own husband had this sudden inspiration for writing free verse and did a pretty good job of it too. In a wifely fit of devotion and by demand from fans I set up a blog for him http://justverse.wordpress.com. He copied all the verse he had written in a few days quite prolifically into the blog and lo behold! his verse well dried up. I hope it springs afresh soon.

Meanwhile I will treat all my readers to some of my blah and doodles. Done one recently called it the ‘Fugitive’ an expression of my thus far blog activity.

Looking for the real in real

Rangashree — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:44:22 +0000

Everything that is well known in society today seems to be the result of high level marketing, self promotion, show biz. It is hard to see what is real. It is Maya or illusion brought to gross level.
Vedantic philosophy calls the life we are playing out itself as Maya. Within this illusionary life there is further illusion of power and importance, high and low, superior and inferior. Quality in mundane life is lost in shimmering hype.
The work you do is recognised not for its substance but for its projection. The sad thing is destinies are drawn out because of the utterly meaningless.
Small things in everyday life like a really good soap, a good restaurant, a good school to go to, a good author to read… all these opinions are wrapped in layers of untruth created by PR, media, hype and more hype.
Intellect and spirituality are the worst hit. These two self fulfilling needs are also dictated by hype and drama.
But what do I care? It is after all.. all MAYA