MISERY OF THESE KIDS ! MR. PRIME MINISTER ACT FAST.

The Nobel laureate of peace , Kailash Satyarthi tells us that the unemployed adults in India are the parents of the unfortunate kids who work by losing their childhood rights. A man does not have a job for some reason or other. But he does not hesitate to send his kids for employment to tide over his difficulties . What a pathetic situation ! Question of sheer survival. No doubt these parents are heartless. They have no shame in sending innocent kids to do hard labour so that the family can survive . When is this situation going to change ? These kids are the future citizens of the country. They are deprived of their childhood . No education ! No play ! No proper food! Whatever little energy they have , it is to do hard labour and the pittance that they get is for survival of their family. What a burden on such innocent shoulders ! Are these kids not deprived of love when they need it the most? What do you expect them to become in years to come ? Will you blame these children if they develop hatred towards the society which treats them so shabbily ? Such discontent in these impressionable minds is very very dangerous . This is a seed sown for the growth of forces which are going to destroy the smug society . Policy makers, politicians, leaders, all those at the helm , please note . When the proportion of discontented children increases in a society, you facilitate the strengthening of the forces which would endanger the stability of the society . History is replete with ample examples. Dear Prime Minister , please do something substantial for our children . Stop sowing the seeds of discontent and unhappiness. What do you want your kids to become ? Don't you want them to be educated in the true sense of the term with a harmonious development of head and heart ? Don't you want them a happy childhood ? Don't you want that the

circumstances conducive to their flowering into good , healthy and enlightened citizens should be created ? If you feel yes, then please act now . It is now or never.

If you neglect them , then you are responsible for facilitating dark forces out of which criminal gangs and terrorist outfits are made.

Please act now , Dear Prime Minister.

Sayee Jayaraman
24/02/2015

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT -DEATH-ILLUMINATION

What do you expect from a boy of 10?  He is growing up. Exploring everything around.Playful.Mischievous. Boys are Boys. After all,he is a boy. All pranks are excused. Even you enjoy them. A certain liberty is assumed.

But strange is the story of this boy.He was not sick. Very healthy indeed physically. He also played football. He was also going to school. Then what is so unusual about him?

Listen.All on a sudden , he got an idea. He did a thought experiment . We have heard of scientists devising ingenious thought experiments. You may be aware of Einstein's thought experiment of chasing the light and to understand what would be the consequences. The consequences are that he revolutionized our concept of time and space fathering the theory of relativity.

But this boy also revolutionized things in another sense.

He lies down on a bed. Closes his eyes. Assumes that he is dead. In other words , enacts death.

Ok. I am dead.

He keeps all limbs so tight to enact rigor mortis.

Thought process goes on.

Ok . What will happen ?

They will take this body to the cremation ground and cremate. The dead body is reduced to ashes.

Ok . In that process , is everything obliterated ?

Is it the end of everything ?

Is it a complete annihilation ?

Of course many scientists would answer these questions with YES.

But this boy did not get that answer.

Even  when this body is turned into ashes which form part of the physical world , the " I " is still there.It is eternal . That is immortal. That is never destroyed.

He got that Illumination in a flash .

The rest is history.

And that thought experiment gave to the world a remarkable personality who would be a beacon for generations to come. Don't think it is a mythological story. The boy lived in twentieth century. He was none other than RAMANA MAHARSI . We don't know what triggers transformation in individuals.

Sayee Jayaraman
22/02/2015

stray thoughts: "'I AM A DOG" - A LINGUISTIC MASSACRE

stray thoughts: "'I AM A DOG" - A LINGUISTIC MASSACRE: No two languages, especially , belonging to different groups , can have a one to one correspondence.What I mean is that you can not transla...

"'I AM A DOG" - A LINGUISTIC MASSACRE

No two languages, especially , belonging to different groups , can have a one to one correspondence.What I mean is that you can not translate word by word from one language under all circumstances and sometimes when you do it , you may say something absurd.

Now let us come to specifics. I take the example of English and French . In the course of a chat for practicing her English, she shocked me with the following pearls.

" I am a dog today"

Puzzled as I was , I was trying to understand this linguistic massacre on the part of my respected friend. It sounded very Kafkasque  when a person in his story wakes up to find himself metamorphosed into a giant insect.

This is what happened. She had already learnt how to say her age in English.

" I am 27 years old "

In English , we use the verb " to be " for telling one's age. Age is a state of being .

But French has a different way of telling one's age. When a French sentence telling one's age is translated word by word into English ,it reads as follows:

" I have 27 years."

Ok. For the French people, it appears that age is a possession. In other words , they use the verb, " to have" to tell one' s age.

So my friend thought that the verb " to be " in English means " to have " in French . Why? Because in French ,they use " to have " for telling one's age.The mistake occurred because she thought that the English " to be" can be used for the French verb, " to have".

  Therefore the French sentence ,

" I have a dog today" was translated as," I am a dog today". Hope you got the point.

In fact ,that day she got a new dog.

Hope you appreciate the difficulty of learning a new language .

One has to be extremely careful in expressing in another language different from his/her mother tongue.

Sayee Jayaraman
21/02/2015

stray thoughts: LIFE IS CHEAP HERE . THIS IS INDIA

stray thoughts: LIFE IS CHEAP HERE . THIS IS INDIA: Life is very cheap here. This is India . I am saddened to learn the tragic end of a man  who accidentally fell into an open drain. To be ex...

LIFE IS CHEAP HERE . THIS IS INDIA

Life is very cheap here. This is India . I am saddened to learn the tragic end of a man  who accidentally fell into an open drain. To be exact ,it is near a prominent Garuda Mall in Bangalore. Some infrastructure project is going on. The company undertaking the project is a subsidiary of the French infrastructure major Vinck . The point is that the drain was not covered and those responsible failed in their duty. The result is loss of life. This is one of the hundreds of mishaps taking place with unerring regularity in Indian cities. The civic authorities don't care. There is no accountability. No proper supervision .Our public authorities never learn from their mistakes. The law of torts is also not so well developed as in other western countries and USA. Generally our roads are very bad. The enthusiasm of Mr. Modi for a better India has not percolated to the lower level. Sometimes judicial activism helps. How much can judiciary encroach into the domain of executives ? Executive always needs prodding . A very depressing picture indeed for those who have high hopes on the country in the international arena.

NAPPING

A good news,at least for people like me.

Some may feel that it is a bad habit to nap for more than 20 minutes during daytime. Of course many extoll the virtues of a siesta of 20 minutes and not of a longer time. Once you exceed your time limit,they reel out the harmful effects of a longer slumber when you are supposed to be active.

I used to feel very guilty. For the  last several years,even while in active government service, I had been violating the 20 minutes rule with impunity. My siesta exceeds  the prescribed period many times. Even today,I violated the rule. My action added to the weight of guilt already accumulated for several years.

God is great!  Today,  I find that I had not sinned at all. I am totally relieved of my so-called sin, thanks to the findings of a study by NASA.

What does it say?

The study by NASA is endorsed by WEBMD which gives the benefits of napping for different periods.

20minutes

20 to 30 minutes

30 to 60 minutes

60 to 90 minutes

I come under the last category now. Not when I was in service.  During service,  I was in the second category.

Taking 60 to 90 minutes nap will ensure that you get REM ( Rapid Eye Movement ) sleep and as such, this type of nap is the most beneficial of them all. Once you reach REM sleep,it's almost as if the brain resets itself. One could say that it is like starting at the beginning itself. Studies have shown that a 60 to 90 minutes nap can have a dramatic effect on the brain in terms of problem solving. Here also NASA has conducted their own studies and land up with the same result.

I feel as if I have been exonerated from a very serious charge.I hope no other study in future will contradict NASA findings.

Now I can nap free of guilt  and even advocate it for all.

Sayee Jayaraman

18/ 02/2015

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER MR.MODI

It appears that the Honorable Prime Minister Modi , has condemned the religious intolerance prevailing in some sections of our society ,in the context of recent attacks on Christian Institutions.Well done Modiji.  Better late than never.

I am in total agreement with Jiddu Krishnamurti when he says that organized religions are the bane of every society. They divide man from man. Universal brotherhood and organized religions can not coexist . One negates the other. History is witness to atrocities in the name of religion.

Religion or faith should be left to the individual . It is a matter of your conscience. Believe in anything which appeals to you. But don't say that what you believe is the last word. And don't say that anyone who does not agree with you should be eliminated.Don't organize your belief. That is the greatest danger to everyone.

Find security in your intelligence. Not in any other isms. 

When you find security in religion, language, nationality, community , caste and so on, you have started warring with others who don't belong to your system.

It is very clear. 

Truth has many sides.


Sayee Jayaraman 
18/02/2015

MY OTHER BLOGS

Visitors to this blog may please visit and subscribe to my other there blogs whose links are given below.

amazingvocabulary.blogspot.com
letusmasterenglish.blogspot.com
frenchmadesimple.blogspot.com

Sayee Jayaraman 
14/02/2015

Shame on you America !

http://youtu.be/6ipw8eIrq00

My blood boils when I watch the above video . No human being can be treated like this, no matter what his nationality, skin, color , language and religion are . America, your policemen have to be taught the basics of your constitution . Apart from their brute strength, they appear to be veritable
ignoramuses. Are these policemen a law unto themselves?

Aurobindo  spoke about human evolution in the sense of man reaching a state of divinity to a higher realm where animality is fully conquered . No , Aurobindo , you are wrong . What is happening there in America, it is evolution in reverse. Going backwards. How to descend  to a state worse than that of a brute?Then see this Alabama video where the most powerful nation is attacking an unarmed 57 year old person. These policemen have no conscience . Is it the way they are trained in their Police Academy ?  America owes an answer to the civilized world.

Eye for eye.

Tooth for tooth.

These brutes of policemen deserve to be proceeded with such a law.

They deserve little sympathy.

For several reasons, we admire America , the land of liberty , of equal opportunity which inspires everyone to realize the American dream.

But, alas ! This hour , America has slipped down several fathoms deep in my esteem.

Honorable President of USA, are you aware of what is happening under your dispensation ?

Sayee Jayaraman

13/02/2015

A REQUEST

A REQUEST TO REGULAR VISITORS TO THIS BLOG


If you are a regular visitor to this blog, kindly subscribe. Leave your valuable comments and suggestions which will help me to improve.

Thank you all for your encouragement.

Sayee Jayaraman
13/02/2015

INTOLERANCE AT HOME

Intolerance?

What are you doing Shri. Modi?

As I write these lines, TV is reporting a news item of an attack by vandals on a school run by Christian minorities in Delhi, the capital of the country. This is a very disturbing news. Sometime back, a church was attacked.  Madness!   Is there a method in this madness?  Who are behind this attack?  Unless swift action is taken to bring the goons to book, the needle of suspicion will point to the ruling BJP.  It will further dent the image of the government, the ruling party and the prime minister. America is intolerant.  Are we better? 

It is time that the powers that be,

looked into their conscience,if they have one.

Sayee Jayaraman

13/02/2015

AN INDIAN OBSESSION

MAKING of gods / goddesses  - An Indian Obsession



Narendra Modi is the present prime minister of India. His is a remarkable story. A man who rose from humble beginnings to great heights. One can learn a lot from him. He is remarkable. An inspiration to all. Especially to those who are in dire circumstances and want to make it in life. He is extraordinary . Many more superlatives are available in English and other languages to describe him.


So far so good.

But he is not a GOD. But some of his admirers have built a temple for him with an idol and all that forming part of a Hindu temple.

The glad news is that Modi disapproved of this foolish action saying that this is very much against the Hindu tradition. Rightly so. Anybody who achieves something which you and I can  not is not a God. It is utter nonsense. Right sense prevailed on Modi !

It was Lord Chesterton who said

" PRAISE UNDESERVED IS SATIRE IN DISGUISE "

Deification of men/ women into gods/ goddesses is too much in India. There are instances of temples being built for film actors and actresses. Hero worship is stretched to ridiculous extremes in India. When a film actor and ex chief minister of a state in India died after prolonged illness , several people committed suicide by self immolation. When another former actress, ex chief minister of Tamilnadu was convicted for corruption, many of her admirers self immolated. Have you heard of this anywhere in this world ?

Such admirers mortgage their critical faculty in return for God only knows what!

Sayee Jayaraman

13/02/2015
Bangalore 

LOVE THE DIFFERENCE

STRAY THOUGHTS

LOVE THE DIFFERENCE !

Imagine a garden with the same plant everywhere , same flowers, same color !I would rather prefer a garden with a variety of plants , flowers of different hues and colors !
Variety is the spice of life ! We want to eat different types of food . We want to listen to different songs, not the same one ! Don't think the entire world should be filled only with Caucasian skin. Don't treat the non - Caucasian skins as inferior beings . Martin Luther King would not have liked what happened to an Indian in Alabama , a few days back. Americans should hang their heads in shame considering how their police brutally attacked an innocent Indian ! What a cowardly act !  Are you a nation where Abraham Lincoln was born , lived and achieved what he achieved?  Where is your Constitution ? Where are the lofty ideals which you preach ad nauseam to the rest of the world ?

LOVE THE DIFFERENCE !

America needs to learn this lesson !

Sayee Jayaraman

12/02/2015

INTOLERANT AMERICA

STRAY THOUGHTS

INTOLERANT AMERICA

Often they say , " One swallow does not a summer make " . But the frequency of appearance of swallows is increasing . Then you feel that summer is really there. Likewise certain incidents of American Police make me think that America is still intolerant and does not treat certain races in a just manner in spite of the lofty ideals of the Founding Fathers. The presence of President Obama has not made any difference in the attitude of American police towards people of certain ethnicity.

Today' s newspaper has a report with the following headlines.

" US cops leave Indian temporarily paralyzed "

A 57 year old man comes to Alabama to help his son and daughter-in - law with their 17 month-old child. Someone in the neighborhood complains to the police of a suspicious character prying into the garages of other people. Suffice it to say that the police reacted with excessive force leaving the man paralyzed. The man knew only Hindi and Gujarati. His knowledge of English was limited. The Attorney told the local press that there is nothing suspicious about that man other than that his skin is brown.

These types of incidents are reported with unfailing regularity. In recent times, umpteen incidents of killing by American police of blacks on the basis of mere suspicion have been reported. All that prompted me to give the title for this post as, " INTOLERANT AMERICA ".

Are lives of colored  people so cheap in the greatest democracy of the world which preaches from the roof top to the rest of the world ? Is the President of USA unable effect a change in the attitude of the administration towards the non-Caucasian skins ?

Is the goddess of justice looking the other way ?

Sayee Jayaraman
12/02/2015

DON'T WRITE OFF MODI

STRAY THOUGHTS

DON'T WRITE OFF MODI

Dazzling victory indeed for a nascent political party that is AAP. Equally  a very shameful defeat for Narendra Modi ! I believe a cartoonist put all the three elected members of the BJP in a scooter ! They are the only opposition in an assembly of 70. What a reversal of fortunes!In the general election held in 2014, AAP did not even get one seat. BJP was riding on the Modi wave ,capturing power at the centre. Modi's invincibility is indeed dented.

But please don't write him off. Just as Delhi people pardoned KEJRIWAL for his rash action of quitting in the middle, people may pardon the mistakes of Narendra Modi. To err is human. He committed a lot of blunders. He is not able to put a stop to the communal agenda of his brethren. One may even suspect his secret motives , given what happened in Gujarat during his regime. The personality cult is a bit more. Too much of image cultivation. Sartorial extravaganza of a person who rose from being a tea maker to Prime Minister of a great democracy donning a suit costing one million rupees !  Does it go well with the painful fact of common man struggling to have a tolerable life ? Much gap between thought and deed.

The Delhi verdict is a pointer . BJP and Modi , better learn from their mistakes and start firefighting before their dwelling is engulfed in flames to be reduced to ashes. It is not too late.
Start in earnest in fulfilling your election promises. Leave freedom of conscience to individuals. Curb the activities of people who kindle the flames of religious bigotry. Hinduism does not need a militant posture.

If you act in time, you shall regain your lost glory !

Sayee Jayaraman

12/02/2015

THE IMITATION GAME - TRAGIC LIFE OF A GENIUS

STRAY THOUGHTS

THE IMITATION GAME


Elsewhere in this blog, I wrote an appreciation of the film , " The Theory of Everything " which is a biopic on Stephen Hawkins, a great theoretical physicist. This film is on another genius ," Alan Turing " who laid the foundation of theoretical computer science. Really a tragic story of a brilliant mind. Kudos to Benedict Cumberbatch  who incarnates as Alan Turing wonderfully . What great acting !  It was Alan Turing who cracked the German secret code , " Enigma " during the Second World War and hastened the successful completion of the war by the Allied forces. The Allies owe their victory in no small measure due to the efforts of Turing in decoding the Enigma . He showed that more than muscles, brain is essential to win the war. Turing test is about whether a machine can imitate human intelligence. When a machine passes the Turing Test it is as good as Human. Artificial  intelligence were laid on strong theoretical foundations by Alan Turing. It is said that his efforts saved thousands of lives.


What  sad destiny awaits this remarkable mind ! Criminal proceedings were initiated against him for indecent behavior .His only fault was that nature gave him a sexual orientation different from the majority . He shared the same fate as that of Oscar Wilde, another genius of a writer. While Wilde languished in prison, Turing chose to undergo hormonal treatment , euphemism for castration ,in lieu of two years imprisonment . That treatment devastated him.
One can not contain his/ her tears when Turing asks his boss, " Am I a machine ? Am I a human being ? Am I a criminal ?  A sensitive mind, he ended his life within one year of the hormonal treatment . He was only 41. Were he spared a longer life, what all he could have achieved .

A genius who saved thousands of lives had to end his life prematurely , thanks to the barbaric legislation in vogue during those days in Great Britain .

What is the use of a posthumous pardon to him by the Queen in the twenty first century ?

Who is to pardon whom ?

It is the barbaric legal system which should beg for pardon.

A great film not to be missed !

Sayee Jayaraman
11/02/2015

THREE CHEERS FOR INDIAN DEMOCRACY/ DELHI ELECTIONS

Straythoughts

THREE CHEERS FOR INDIAN DEMOCRACY / DELHI ELECTIONS

Politics is not my cup of tea. But you can't help watching the political games being played in the country .  What a great democracy !  In the wake of the elections to the Delhi State Assembly , I pen these lines . An infant political party , established hardly less than two years back has achieved phenomenal victory. The party is known as AAM ADMI PARTY. Roughly translated , it means COMMON MAN' S PARTY.  The leader of the party is one ARVIND KEJRIWAL .  He is a former bureaucrat of the Indian Revenue Service. A man of great idealism,he was earlier part of a movement of ANNA HAZARE , a Gandhian  who spearheaded a countrywide campaign against corruption . Later KEJRIWAL   felt that only through participation in governance , one can change society. So he along with like minded people founded AAP. During December 2013, the party contested elections in Delhi for the first time and captured power , of course with the support of Indian National Congress. Within 49 days of taking over as Chief Minister of Delhi, he quit power on the ground that there is not much support from other parties for anti - corruption legislation. There was criticism of his rash action. It was believed that he wasted a wonderful opportunity given to him to change the state of things in Delhi. During the short period , he reduced the electricity tariff and brought relief to the common man. His sincerity was never doubted. After his resignation, many believed that he could never recapture power.

But today's results of Delhi election falsified the opinions of those who had written him off. The candidate for Chief Minister set up by the formidable BJP of Narendra Modi is
Kiran Bedi , another well known personality , who was a very high profile woman police officer of Indian Police Service.  We thought that it would be a neck to neck fight. BJP used all its resources to fight AAP.  The MODI camp made Herculean efforts to win the election.
Modi made many uncharitable comments against ARVIND KEJRIWAL. He called him an anarchist and Naxalite. The chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi was very arrogant and refused to have a TV debate with KEJRIWAL  and uttered  uncomplimentary remarks against him.

But the AAP worked quietly . There were restrained in their attack against their opponents.
The young members of the party worked at grass root levels and convinced the suffering population of their ability to change things. Delhi people are fed up with corruption at all levels. The common man's life is a hell. People wanted change. Modi's oratory , at best , is an entertainment . Entertainment comes only after bread and butter. People are wise. Out of 70 seats , AAP won 67 seats. BJP managed to get only 3. What a shameful performance for a party which seven months back took India by storm by MODI wave. Surely Modi' s victory was also phenomenal in 2014.  But today' s Delhi Assembly Election result is a sort of referendum on Modi' s performance . It is a warning signal for BJP and MODI. The Modi honeymoon is over. BJP should introspect . They should do more and speak less. Religion should be left to individuals. Communal tensions should not be created. Religious minorities should not be persecuted.  Delhi election is an indicator that tells thpeople are not impressed with Modi and BJP . Indian National Congress which was in power in Delhi for three consecutive terms is decimated in this election . They should also learn a lesson.

Mr .KEJRIWAL and AAP should strive in earnest to fulfill all their promises. If not they will also be taught a lesson by the people at the right time.

Indian Electorate can not be taken for granted.

No party or leader can be complacent resting on his or her laurels.

Power comes with great responsibility.

All leaders should realize this.


THREE CHEERS TO INDIAN DEMOCRACY !

Sayee Jayaraman

10/02/2015

UNIVERSAL PRAYER/ LA PRIÈRE UNIVERSELLE - WHAT IS IT ? C'EST QUOI ?

Dear Friends,

This is a very beautiful prayer to the universal Spirit by the Sage Thayumanavar who lived in Tamilnad in 18 the century . There is nothing sectarian in this prayer. It is couched in poetic Tamil . A great challenge in translating in French and English . Again it is not a literal translation . I tried my best to bring out the message of this poem in both the languages . My aim is that people other than Tamil knowing public should benefit from the thoughts contained therein. I call this a UNIVERSAL PRAYER.

Bonjour  à tous et à toutes,

Voici un poème tamoul à l'Esprit Universel  par le sage Thaayumanavar . Il habite Tamilnad au 18 ième  siècle . Rien de sectaire dans cette prière . La forme de cette prière est en tamoul poétique . Un défi en la traduisant en français et en anglais . J'ai fait mon mieux pour dégager le sens de ce poème . Je veux que tout le monde qui ne sait pas tamoul apprécie le sens de ce poème . Je le baptise, " LA PRIÈRE UNIVERSELLE "

அங்கிங் கெனாதபடி  எங்கும் ப்ரகாசமாய்
      ஆனந்த பூர்த்தியாகி
  அருளடு  நிறைந்ததெது தன்னருள் வெளிக்குளே
      அகிலாண்ட கோடியெல்லாந்
தங்கும் படிக்கிச்சை வைத்துயிர்க் குயிராய்த்
       தழைத்ததெது மனவாக்கினில்
  தட்டாமல் நின்றதெது சமயகோ டிகளெலாந்
       தந்தெய்வம் எந்தெய்வமென்
றெங்குந் தொடர்ந்தெதிர் வழக்கிடவும் நின்றதெது
       எங்கணும் பெருவழக்காய்
  யாதினும் வல்லவொரு சித்தாகி இன்பமாய்
       என்றைக்கு முள்ள தெதுஅது
கங்குல்பக லறநின்ற எல்லையுள தெதுஅது
       கருத்திற் கிசைந்ததுவே
  கண்டன வெலாமோன வுருவெளிய தாகவுங்
       கருதிஅஞ் சலிசெய்குவாம்.  


En français


Ne dis pas , " C'est  ici "
Ne dis pas , " C'est là "
Pas ici, pas là , ça brille partout
Comble de joie,
Plein de grâce , c'est quoi ?
Son espace de grâce , y
Demeure - t - il l'univers entier ,
sa volonté
Crée -t-elle l'âme des êtres .
C'est quoi ?
Au-delà de l'esprit et la parole ,



En restant hors de notre portée
Ça existe , c'est quoi ?
Des religions innombrables
En le réclamant comme son seul Dieu
Se querellent sans cesse partout
Devenant le plus fort esprit
Et encore la joie
Existant éternellement ,
C'est quoi ?
Ni jour ni nuit ne connaît - il
Sans aucune limite,
C'est quoi ?
Ça demeure indéfinissable
Mais en harmonie avec notre pensée
Partout où on le voie
C'est la forme du silence pur
C'est ça que nous adorons !

ENGLISH VERSION

Neither here nor there
It shines everywhere
Pinnacle of joy , full of grace
Tell me what is it ?
Its benign space , true to
Its will, contains the universe whole
Becoming the soul of all souls
Tell me what is it ?
Beyond mind, beyond word
Yonder beyond our reach
It exists
Tell me what is it ?
Faiths galore claim
It's my own God
Endless quarrel everywhere
But It exists still untouched
Everywhere !
Becoming the most powerful mind
And joyous
Existing eternally.
Tell me, what is IT ?
It abides in a region of
Neither day nor light
Tell me what is IT ?
That indescribable substance
Accords with our ideal.
Everywhere we see
It is the form of SILENCE PURE
IT is that we adore !

Sayee Jayaraman
08/02/2015

ALL MY TEACHERS

              

Nothing gives gives me greater joy than learning something new. As a child, I used to have an insatiable appetite for knowledge,a normal trait in any kid. It was my father who taught me the rudiments of planetary system /stars an exciting subject for anybody. Those days, we had a Children's Encyclopedia with marvelous illustrations and simple explanations on many subjects.  I used to browse through it and to a certain extent, it was one of my first teachers besides my father.

Our house was a veritable library. For the first time,I was admitted to the fourth standard in a school. Till such time, my education was at home in an informal way. An English conversation manual was my first English teacher.  The text was bilingual in English and Tamil. I picked up a lot from that book.

From sixth to the eleventh standard, I studied in a school at Coimbatore.Although there were many capable teachers,it was to Mr.S.Krishnamurthy, my class teacher, I owe a debt of deep gratitude.  He noticed that I was above average and encouraged me in every way to excel. When I was in eighth standard, I could solve mathematical problems of higher Don't think i am pretending to be a Ramanujan.  He used to give me standard textbooks on mathematics authored by British professors and encouraged me to acquire a remarkable proficiency in mathematics.That gave me immense satisfaction. I used to win prizes every year for proficiency in almost all subjects.

My elder brother Viswanath was a teacher.  He encouraged me to participate in all elocution competitions in Tamil and English. I won several prizes. The training in elocution stood me in good stead during my career as a civil servant in the government. I was invited to speak on very many occasions. I developed an ability to speak extempore on several subjects. I had given four radio talks in Visakhapatnam.

When I was in pre-university, we had a mathematics professor, Mr.Mahadevan.Except in a blue shirt and a dhoti, no one has seen him in any other dress. A simple man,he had a knack of solving complex problems in his inimitable elegant way. Even today, I remember his methods of solving certain problems in trigonometry. The professor never moved closely with the students. He would come on time, start getting busy with the chalk and blackboard filling it with mathematical symbols and leave the class at the right time. But he was indeed an outstanding teacher.

I developed a taste for reading books other than school text books thanks to my mother.A voracious reader,she used to collect several magazines and get the articles on various subjects bound in several volumes. It was she who gave me twenty rupees (a princely sum those days) as deposit to join the public library. Reading books becomes an addiction. Even today, I am addicted to books. Remember each book is my teacher, albeit a silent one.

During my studies in Engineering college,there used to be a junior lecturer Selvaraj who could explain concepts in electronics with astounding clarity. There was one K S Krishnamurthy who taught physics in a brilliant manner. These teachers have the knack of inspiring students.

In 1986,when I was a deputy collector, I started learning French by first joining an evening college and later the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, Hyderabad.I came across remarkable teachers during that period. Dr.K S. Sastry who taught us linguistics is an outstanding teacher. I preserved his notes for a long time.  Unfortunately, during my frequent transfers,they were lost. Still I remember his clear exposition of Noam Chomsky 's Generative Grammar. DR.Nirupama Rastogi taught us French Phonetics.Thanks to her teaching, my French is going strong though a late bloomer I was at thirty five.

The list would not be exhausted at all,as our teachers are endless. When you are attentive and observant, you can learn from anything and everything.  We owe a lot to our teachers in the school of life.Rightly, teachers are compared to the rungs of ladders which help us to climb up while they rest in their place.

Don't think that only human beings can be your teachers. The following immortal words of Wordsworth always echo in my mind.

One impulse from a vernal wood

May teach you more of man

And of moral good and of evil

Than all the sages can.

WHAT IS IN A NAME ?

   What is in a name ?

Those days I used to pursue my French course with all seriousness in The Central Institute of English and Foreign languages , Hyderabad. Every year, we were required to be in the institute for eight weeks for the contact programme.  In the course of the year, we would send our monthly assignements and get back the corrected answer sheets. We were quite friendly with the administrative staff of the institute. This piece is concerned with my unintended brush with one of the staff.

No doubt the gentleman has a name. All my problem has originated because of his name. I don't agree with Shakespeare when he says, "What is in a name? A rose is a rose is a rose by whatever name  it is called. It was late December 1986.I was busy sending New Year Greeting cards to all my friends.  This gentleman was also in my list.  He was actually the personal secretary to the Director. I promptly sent a card to him so that by first January he could receive it.

During the first week of January,  I started receiving letters of thanks from many people to whom I sent the greetings.

But the letter from the gentleman was different in its tone and tenor. Will you believe that he was greatly hurt by whatever I sent to him? This is what had happened.

On the envelope, I spelt his name as Muhammad Zaleel. The culprit in this episode is the single letter "Z".Instead of putting sugar in the tea, if you put cyanide, imagine what would happen. The man was furious. He shot off an angry missive which breathed  fire and brimstone. The word Zaleel has a very bad connotation, referring to worst characters. He was actually JALEEL and not Zaleel. Remember 
Jaleel has the opposite meaning . It means , " exalted " 

Ignorance of law is no excuse.

Similarly, ignorance of language is no excuse.

I am surely guilty of taking JALEEL to be Zaleel.

The unfortunate episode taught me  to be very careful in using languages.

Sayee Jayaraman 

07/02/2015.

Do you love your children ?

A very disturbing trend !  Do you really love your children ? It is very nice to know about children with remarkable abilities. Often newspapers carry articles about child prodigies . A child of five has phenomenal memory. Another performs extremely difficult calculations in a trice. There are kids with unusual musical talent. And so on. Fine! But at the same time, we learn several tragic stories also. A boy of eight has failed in his maths paper. His parents react in a bizarre manner. He was locked up and denied food. Sensitive as he is and hurt, the boy takes his own life. Extreme action / reaction on the part of each side. This is just one example. In a family , one child is very bright academically. Another child is not so much endowed. You start comparing one with the other. The psychological damage has already been done. Ambition of parents knows no bounds. They want to mould their children according to their own whims. They drive their kids to hell. My child should excel in everything . Academics, sports, music etc. They don't try to find out the inclination of the child. The child has to go for special coaching in maths, science and English. He has to attend music class. Tennis coaching and so on. Where is the time ? The child has no time for rest and relaxation . My child should get into the best engineering college or IIT. Apart from attending regular college, students attend coaching institutes both in the morning and the evening. Where does all this lead to ? A rat race !  Ambition ! Success at any cost ! Competition ! In this rat race, many are left out with severe psychological damage . We are very impatient . We don't have time to understand our child. We want to fulfill our desires / ambitions through our child. Therefore, it is our will imposed on them. Is it alright ? Why everyone should be an engineer or computer scientist ? At the bottom of it, the motive will be money. It is really unfortunate . 

A Child is not a robot. He has his likes / dislikes ,innate potential for something and not some other thing which you like. He is interested in art. He does not like to do maths. This is a big problem. Understand that each individual is unique. Do not try to mould him into a pattern of your whimsical desires. Try to discover the innate potential of your child. Then help him to develop it. Create an environment which is conducive to the overall development of the child. Your aim should be a harmonious development of head and heart. World needs not only great intellects but good hearts also. An agnostic like Bertrand Russell , a man of no small intellect, 
,finally extolled the greatness of human love . His passion for love was as great as his passion for philosophy. So if you love your child, you will have a different approach to bringing him up. A lopsided development is no good.

Sayee Jayaraman 
06/02/2015

FRENCH SONG 8 - JE DESCENDS DU SINGE/ I DESCEND FROM MONKEY

FRENCH SONG 8


"Je Descends Du Singe"
I descend from monkey


Il y a des jours de litanie où les uns jouent avec l'ennui
Des jours de silence où les ombres pensent.
Il y a des jours de solitude, le cœur bat plus que d'habitude.
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.



Et je descends dans la rue parmi les gens perdus.
Je vais, sur la jetée, parler au vent salé.
Je vis dans ma bouteille, je bois jusqu'au soleil.
Je vole jusqu'à la lie des mille et une nuits, ah !
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.

Il y a des jours où tout me manques, des heures où le bonheur se planque
Des jours de torture qui ont la dent dure.
Il y a des jours de manquer d'air, à deux doigts de se foutre en l'air.
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.




Et je descends dans la rue parmi les gens perdus.



Je vais, sur la jetée, parler au vent salé.
Je vis dans ma bouteille, je bois jusqu'au soleil.
Je vole jusqu'à la lie des mille et une nuits, ah !
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.

Il y a des jours mal dans leur peau, qui ne trouvent pas le repos
Des journées entières qui partent en arrière.

Et je descends dans la rue parmi les gens perdus.
Je vais, sur la jetée, parler au vent salé.
Je vis dans ma bouteille, je bois jusqu'au soleil.
Je vole jusqu'à la lie des mille et une nuits, ah !
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.

Il y a des jours à te chercher sur les ruines de mon passé.
J'suis blanc comme un linge, je descends du singe.
Je descends du singe, je descends du singe.


http://youtu.be/D1S6CO67FLoJe descends du singe.


ENGLISH TRANSLATION  BY SAYEE JAYARAMAN



1.Days when one is saddled with litany of worries
Days of silence when just shadows think.
Days of solitude when heart beats faster
Me white like a sheet,, I descend from monkey.

2. I go down the street amongst lost beings
I go on the jetty to talk to the salty wind.
I live with my bottle , drink till daybreak .
I fly till the end of thousand and one nights, ah!
Me white like a sheet,I descend from monkey.

3. Days when I miss everything , when happiness escapes
Days of torture with sharp fangs.
Days without air, in a trice flying into air
Me white like a sheet, I descend from monkey.

4. Refrain - 2



5. Days when I don't feel good, without getting rest
Whole days which move backwards.

6. Refrain - 2.

7. Days searching you amidst the ruins of my bygone days
Me white like a sheet,I descend from monkey
From monkey and from monkey,
From monkey I descend.
Send "Je Descends Du Singe" Ringtone to your Mobile

Sayee Jayaraman
05/02/2015

FRENCH SONG

From monkey I descend.
Send "Je Descends Du Singe" Ringtone to your Mobile

CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE

Today's Times of India newspaper is with me. Early morning ,I just glanced it through. After lunch, I thought of  reading each news item.It does not take much time. One report caught my attention . It is entitled , " Cancer brought out the best in me". It is about a scientist who headed the Indian Mars Mission and achieved tremendous success in spite of the fact that a few years back he was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Even at that time, he was part of the Chandyayana ( Moon) mission. Of course, he was devastated . Cruel fate challenged him. As though telling him, " What do you say now ? Your days are numbered. ". But the scientist did not lose heart . When cancer challenged him, he challenged it. He had many many things to accomplish . A diehard optimist, he did exactly what was to be done. He was completely cured . The medical condition did not deter him from rising to the occasion and manifesting his full potential . He accepted the challenge of heading the Mars Mission. He never told the government not to burden him with more responsibility . Any other person would have avoided such challenging task. But not Subbaiah Arunan. Made of sterner stuff, he faced the challenge . He accomplished his mission. Remember , India is the first country to successfully land a spacecraft in Mars in the very first attempt within an incredibly cheap budget which I call " peanuts". They say the budget is much less than the cost of some Hollywood science fiction movies. The government of India honoured him, rightly so, with a Padmasri Award.

Sometime back, while commenting on the film , " The theory of everything ", I wrote that Stephen Hawkins is an example and inspiration for all, and especially , for young people. There are several such heros in this world whom we do not know. I shall add Subbaiah Arunan to the list of people who challenged adverse circumstances to show their mettle. A meaningful, exciting, fulfilling life is not a placid one. It challenges you at every stage. Challenge the challenge . That is what we learn from such persons. Their lives are veritable tonic to many about to be defeated by temporary setbacks .

UNIVERSAL VALUES / LES VALEURS UNIVERSELLES

UNIVERSAL VALUES/ LES VALEURS UNIVERSELLES

I recall a poem from Classical Sangam Period in Tamil literature .  I have translated the poem into English and French . The poem teaches us certain universal values. I thought it should interest everyone , especially in this troubled era when men butcher each other in the name of false values.

Je me rappelle un poème tamoule écrit à l'époque Sangame de la littérature tamoule. Voici la traduction en anglais et en français . Ce poème nous enseigne des valeurs universelles.  Je crois que ça vous intéresse beaucoup , surtout  , maintenant où les hommes se tuent au nom des valeurs fausses.

யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே, வாழ்தல்
இனிதென மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே முனிவின்
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே, மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ யானாது
கல் பொருது மிரங்கு மல்லல் பேரியாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல் ஆருயிர்
முறை வழிப் படூஉம் என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியில் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே,
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே. (புறம்: 129)





English Rendering

The whole world is ours.
All are our kith and kin.
Good and bad ,others do not cause
Even suffering and relief.
Death is not new; nor are we
Overwhelmed by the pleasures of life.
Neither do we escape life in disgust.
Like a barge caught in a river
Inundated with the downpour caused
By lightning and clouds thundering
Our life's movement follows nature's law.
Thus spake our sages.
And we abide in that truth
We are neither dazzled by those
In standing ,above us, nor we
Deride those with lesser fortune.

En français

Au monde entier , on appartient.
Chacun est notre parent
Bien et mal , les autres ne les causent
Même la souffrance et le soulagement .
La mort n'est point inconnue; on n'est pas
Débordé par les plaisirs de la vie.
On ne renonce à la vie non plus.
Comme un bateau attrapé dans un fleuve
Inondé de l'eau versée par
La foudre et des nuages tonnerants
Le cours de la vie suit la loi de la nature
Ainsi parlent les sages.
À cette vérité on demeure
On n'est ni ébloui par ceux
Qui ont le rang supérieur
On ne se moque de ceux
Qui sont malheureux non plus.

Sayee Jayaraman
4/02/2015

AN ENGLISH POEM

This poem by American savant Ralph Emerson is my favourite one. Taught at an impressionable age, I grasped the full import of it . I translated it into French for the francophones. They may tell me about the quality of my French rendering .

UN POÈME ANGLAIS

Le poème ci- dessous est écrit par Ralph Waldo Emerson , un grand savant d' Amérique . Pendant ma jeunesse,  j'ai appris ce poème . Ça me plaît beaucoup pour la sagesse qu'on en dégage . J'ai traduit ce poème en français pour les apprenants. Je veux que les francophones d'entre vous laissent leurs commentaires sur la qualité de cette traduction en tenant compte que moi, je ne suis ni anglophone ni francophone . Est-ce que vous dites , " Quelle audace! Vous osez plonger vos pieds dans les eaux profondes. " En anglais , on dit , " Deep Waters " .  

THE MOUNTAIN and the squirrel  
Had a quarrel;  
And the former called the latter "Little Prig."  
Bun replied,  
"You are doubtless very big;         5
But all sorts of things and weather  
Must be taken in together,  
To make up a year  
And a sphere.  
And I think it no disgrace  10
To occupy my place.  
If I'm not as large as you,  
You are not so small as I,  
And not half so spry.  
I'll not deny you make  15
A very pretty squirrel track;  
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;  
If I cannot carry forests on my back,  
Neither can you crack a nut."

La montagne et l'écureuil se querellent
La  première en se moquant du dernier
Dit , " petit fat"
Répond le petit
" Certes, vous êtes très grand "
Voyez- vous , toutes sortes de choses et des temps
Doivent se lier 
Pour faire une année 
Et notre terre.
Rien de disgrâce 
De rester à ma place,
Vous n'êtes pas autant petit que moi
Et pas autant agile non plus
Je ne nie point que vous faites
Une piste très jolie
Des talents différent ; tout compte fait,
Si je ne peux pas porter les forêts sur mon dos,
Vous ne pouvez pas casser une noix non plus.

Sayee Jayaraman 
03/02/2015
Bangalore 


PS : Any inadvertent error may be pointed out.

CONVIVIALITY

CONVIVIALITY

Have you attended an Indian wedding ?

Even if you have,the way the wedding is celebrated is not the same for all weddings, as India is a land of innumerable communities. Each community has its own manner of celebration . A common thread which runs through all the weddings is the exuberance of all , the hosts and the guests. Though lots of religious ceremonies take place, wedding is never a solemn occasion .  It is more like a carnival . Weddings unite not only the families of the bride and bridegroom,but several families. The bond of kinship is very strong. When you are invited for a wedding , you should make it a point to attend . After all, wedding comes once in a lifetime of a person , and how can one ignore it ? The presence of friends and relatives is important . Marriage is not a secret affair. Though you may think , that it concerns only two individuals , in India , it concerns many more. Elaborate rituals are followed from time immemorial . Tradition has tremendous values. Time-honored customs are not to be trifled with. Wedding is an occasion   when large number of families and friends come together. One meets another after a lapse of , say , thirty years , another forty years and so on. Moment of great excitement ! Recently I was thrilled to meet an old lady who told me that my father is her maternal cousin ! It was a great joy , just to meet someone like that. She tells you all happenings of yesteryears. If you have a keen taste for history , you are hooked. When you meet a classmate of yours after twenty years , it is as though , you are going through another life . You revisit the past which comes before you fleetingly like the reels of a movie . Reminiscing over bygone days , you do time travel. A great sense of happiness and mirth pervades the entire atmosphere . You forget all petty quarrels and fights which you had with your classmate. You embrace very warmly even your relative who never repaid a loan taken from you . There is no room for pettiness and enmity. A smile on every lip. Sight of the kids playing together oblivious of difference in status of their parents is wonderful . For sometime, you completely ignore your doctor's advice and indulge in eating and drinking . You console yourself saying , nothing happens when I violate my diet regimen for a day or two. Everyone is talking with somebody or other. You find groups of people indulging in fun and frolic. Time for lighter moments ! Cutting jokes on others and oneself ! No malice at all . Time to forget all worries and tensions. Time to wish not only the couple to be married but all others also. You also update yourself with all the happenings in the lives of your kith and kin whom you meet once in a blue moon. Many other marriages are made here before they are approved in Heaven. Parents would be looking for prospective brides and bridegrooms for their children . Young people also get an opportunity to meet others . Why do  I say all this ?
Recently , during a wedding , a beautiful word , " CONVIVIALITY " , occurred in my thought. And the wedding atmosphere is a perfect example of conviviality . The etymology of the word is from Latin . Con means with . Vivere means living . Convivialis also means festival.  Therefore an Indian wedding is CONVIVIALITY .

Sayee Jayaraman
03/02/2015
Bangalore

FRENCH SONG 7 " MAINTENANT , JE SAIS " " NOW I KNOW" JEAN GABIN

"Maintenant , je sais"
Quand j'étais gosse, haut comme trois pommes,
J'parlais bien fort pour être un homme
J'disais, JE SAIS, JE SAIS, JE SAIS, JE SAIS


C'était l'début, c'était l'printemps
Mais quand j'ai eu mes 18 ans
J'ai dit, JE SAIS, ça y est, cette fois JE SAIS

Et aujourd'hui, les jours où je m'retourne
J'regarde la terre où j'ai quand même fait les 100 pas
Et je n'sais toujours pas comment elle tourne !

Vers 25 ans, j'savais tout : l'amour, les roses, la vie, les sous
Tiens oui l'amour ! J'en avais fait tout le tour !


Et heureusement, comme les copains, j'avais pas mangé tout mon pain :
Au milieu de ma vie, j'ai encore appris.
C'que j'ai appris, ça tient en trois, quatre mots :



"Le jour où quelqu'un vous aime, il fait très beau,
j'peux pas mieux dire, il fait très beau !

C'est encore ce qui m'étonne dans la vie,
Moi qui suis à l'automne de ma vie
On oublie tant de soirs de tristesse
Mais jamais un matin de tendresse !


Toute ma jeunesse, j'ai voulu dire JE SAIS
Seulement, plus je cherchais, et puis moins j' savais



Il y a 60 coups qui ont sonné à l'horloge
Je suis encore à ma fenêtre, je regarde, et j'm'interroge ?


Maintenant JE SAIS, JE SAIS QU'ON NE SAIT JAMAIS !
http://youtu.be/orDR4JA91F4


   " NOW I KNOW "

A brat as tall as three apples, I
Talking loud pretending to be a man
Repeated I KNOW,I KNOW,I KNOW,I KNOW

Springtime it was and
Me a lad of eighteen
Said I , I KNOW, that's it,this time KNOW

And now when the days around me revolve
The earth where I trod 100 steps ,I behold
I don't know how it turns


At 25 , I knew all; love, roses, life , money
In love real,  all in turn I had

Happily like my buddies,  I had it all
Learnt again in middle life
Which in three or four words

When someone loves you, that day is lovely
Can not say it better, very very lovely is the day

In the autumn of my life
It surprises me
We forget much of grief
But never the dawn of moments tender !

In my youth , wanted to say I KNOW
But more the seeking, less my knowledge

The clock struck an hour back
Still by window  I watch , ask myself?

Now I KNOW ,I KNOW WE NEVER KNOW


Life, love ,money, friends and roses
Never know the noise nor the colour of things
All I know ! Yes, I know it all.

TRANSLATION BY SAYEE JAYARAMAN
3/02/2015

Maintenant , je saisMaintenant, je sais

Maintenant , je sais - Jean Gabin