The wish as well as the hope of being a super human is the strongest in childhood before one realizes the futility of all of it. One fine day our son, RRJ, declared, “Amma, I will be spiderman today and everyday”, which essentially meant the T-shirt with spiderman printed on it will be worn every day then on. For the next week it was getting washed every morning, being worn by the afternoon, still damp, and removed only before going to school next day. What happened in the weekends is a dark secret people with exaggerated sense of hygiene needn’t know. A friend coming to know of our plight immediately dug out a couple more from her daughter’s wardrobe and one we found hidden in pile of some gifts. Four shirts and ropes hanging in the balcony were ample arrangements to keep the spidey spirit alive throughout the week.
Being in the friendly neighbourhood of spiderman of course had its undeniable advantages as he very soon started his rescue operation:
RRJ: Amma, I want to be strong like spiderman. Does spiderman have spinach?
Amma: Sure he does, but if you don’t like you don’t have to. (that was brave on amma’s part)
RRJ: Give me spinach and everything else. And hot-hot (pickle that is)?
Amma: Oh no, spiderman doesn’t have hot-hot because then he has to drink a lot of water to make it cool and he can’t enough food.
RRJ: hmmm… I will also not have. May be I can have only a little bit.
Amma: What happened RRJ, many days no fuss?
RRJ: Oh… I can’t fuss anymore. I am the spiderman. Spider man–spider man.
"Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies
Look Out!
Here comes the Spiderman.
To him, life is a great big bang up
Whenever there's a hang up
You'll find the Spider man."
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The appointed hour-II
“So, how are things?” has been my standard opening sentence with all students these days. Lets them choose what they want to talk about, at least till the time the micro-manager in me can be curbed, which is typically five minutes at the maximum. The historical meeting that I mentioned in my previous post started on a similar note and the first five minutes were very pleasant, neither of us not quite knowing what was to follow.
S: “ I have the presentation in the CD, can I show? I think the code is working”
Bannu: “Oh yeah! Of course, please.”
And I took my position hunched over my snazzy IMac, waiting for the presentation like our son waits for his “Tom and Jerry” show. This work had been full off hurdles one after the other, and if the code is working then it better work well, I was hoping against hope. Two slides down…
Bannu: “Very nice, very very nice.” The simulations were looking absolutely terrific. And that was not all! Slide three and four were even better. I wanted to exclaim in joy and what came out was a shrill cry. It felt like pincers clamping near my inner thigh. Caught off guard by a scream as if in pain, the student almost fell off his chair, quite proving my suspicion about the stability of these ergonomic chairs with roller at the bottom. I myself was so shaken by the pain and even more by my own response that I stood up. And stomped about as if trying to shake off the pain as well as the embarrassment. The pincer had released the clamp but the pain was….. unshakable. The wonderful contours of the mises stress evolving with time as the crack initiated and grew were history.
Bannu:” I am expecting an extremely important call , right now, can you please leave?”
S (looking at his watch): “Leave? May be I can leave when the call comes” and then he saw my contorting face “ Okay” and immediately ejected the CD out.
Bannu: “Ouch” pincers were back on. My walk was more of a hop now. “ and please, can you pack your CD in the bag outside the roo ooh ooom? I can almost hear the phone ringing.”
Convinced that his guide had finally gone balmy the student ran out of the room closing the door behind himself, with CD in one and the bag in the other hand. I leapt to the door to lock it as he peeped in “Mam, when shall I meet you next”. “Ouch” was my response as I banged the door on his face and locked it. Hurriedly undid the ‘nadas’ of my ‘salwar’ to discover two bumps on my right thigh and the mutilated remains of two tiny ants like cherries on the top of two muffins. Two ants, who were the least impressed by our scientific progress and made their displeasure known in no uncertain terms. Over the next couple of days the muffins became two cakes and finally they merged in to one warm pancake.
As far as the student is concerned, it will take some time for me to get the student to believe that the abrupt ending of the appointed hour had nothing to do with him and that I had always expected him to be able to make the code work and that I am not any more crazier than I always was.
S: “ I have the presentation in the CD, can I show? I think the code is working”
Bannu: “Oh yeah! Of course, please.”
And I took my position hunched over my snazzy IMac, waiting for the presentation like our son waits for his “Tom and Jerry” show. This work had been full off hurdles one after the other, and if the code is working then it better work well, I was hoping against hope. Two slides down…
Bannu: “Very nice, very very nice.” The simulations were looking absolutely terrific. And that was not all! Slide three and four were even better. I wanted to exclaim in joy and what came out was a shrill cry. It felt like pincers clamping near my inner thigh. Caught off guard by a scream as if in pain, the student almost fell off his chair, quite proving my suspicion about the stability of these ergonomic chairs with roller at the bottom. I myself was so shaken by the pain and even more by my own response that I stood up. And stomped about as if trying to shake off the pain as well as the embarrassment. The pincer had released the clamp but the pain was….. unshakable. The wonderful contours of the mises stress evolving with time as the crack initiated and grew were history.
Bannu:” I am expecting an extremely important call , right now, can you please leave?”
S (looking at his watch): “Leave? May be I can leave when the call comes” and then he saw my contorting face “ Okay” and immediately ejected the CD out.
Bannu: “Ouch” pincers were back on. My walk was more of a hop now. “ and please, can you pack your CD in the bag outside the roo ooh ooom? I can almost hear the phone ringing.”
Convinced that his guide had finally gone balmy the student ran out of the room closing the door behind himself, with CD in one and the bag in the other hand. I leapt to the door to lock it as he peeped in “Mam, when shall I meet you next”. “Ouch” was my response as I banged the door on his face and locked it. Hurriedly undid the ‘nadas’ of my ‘salwar’ to discover two bumps on my right thigh and the mutilated remains of two tiny ants like cherries on the top of two muffins. Two ants, who were the least impressed by our scientific progress and made their displeasure known in no uncertain terms. Over the next couple of days the muffins became two cakes and finally they merged in to one warm pancake.
As far as the student is concerned, it will take some time for me to get the student to believe that the abrupt ending of the appointed hour had nothing to do with him and that I had always expected him to be able to make the code work and that I am not any more crazier than I always was.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The appointed hour
"I exactly know what you tried, what you understood and where you got stuck, where things went as expected etc. etc." It was so frustrating not to get a chance to utter these words as often as I wanted to with my research students. Articulation of what they had to say, just like common sense had seemed to be so elusive. And then I chanced up on the solution, a solution as simple as: a weekly meeting, at an appointed time and very importantly for an hour.
Weekly meeting has been ensuring usage of some of their time during the week in pursuit of tangible outcomes, appointed hour is making sure that I am not excessively annoyed at being interrupted from important duties like updating my facebook entries among others. At the same time, the students are feeling confident that they don't have to have made the biggest discovery of the century to make an appearance. An hour gives both the parties the much needed time to assimilate the progress and decide the future course of action. And to discuss for an hour students automatically feel the need to prepare a presentation with the essential details. No need to tear ones hair, no need to shout, in turn no need to mumble, no need to flip through pages or hunt the latest file among millions of files in the same directory! The key to the conundrum was preparation, that's it. Life has been wonderful ever since.
But but but. Last meeting had to end very abruptly, had to literally push the student out of the room, face was red in agitation and the after effects lasted for 2-3 days. May be one can never be prepared enough..... to be continued.
Weekly meeting has been ensuring usage of some of their time during the week in pursuit of tangible outcomes, appointed hour is making sure that I am not excessively annoyed at being interrupted from important duties like updating my facebook entries among others. At the same time, the students are feeling confident that they don't have to have made the biggest discovery of the century to make an appearance. An hour gives both the parties the much needed time to assimilate the progress and decide the future course of action. And to discuss for an hour students automatically feel the need to prepare a presentation with the essential details. No need to tear ones hair, no need to shout, in turn no need to mumble, no need to flip through pages or hunt the latest file among millions of files in the same directory! The key to the conundrum was preparation, that's it. Life has been wonderful ever since.
But but but. Last meeting had to end very abruptly, had to literally push the student out of the room, face was red in agitation and the after effects lasted for 2-3 days. May be one can never be prepared enough..... to be continued.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
You are sixteen going on seventeen
Let me have a look at my crystal ball, wait I don’t even need to! It is all so clear, right in front of my eyes, absolutely crystal clear. I have never felt so sure about anyone’s future like I do about yours. What do I see? I see many things but they come like a flash and then they are gone. Seem to be like highlights of your life. Yes, yes don’t worry, I see a man, looks fairly handsome to me but do you have to sound that desperate? I will come to that but let me start so here we go:
While you enjoy sleeping and breaking your own records of getting up late, go a bit easy on how you are not a morning person and all that. I see you up and about by 6 in the morning, dunking idlis in chutney and gobbling down white noodly stuff called ‘Iddiappam’ for breakfast, and heading to work by 8! I know it is hard to imagine but it is definitely you.
However impossible it seems Ma and you will reach an equilibrium, you will appreciate her a lot more with time. Please don’t sweat over the fact that your family is not picture perfect like you see in hindi movies. One of the relations will give you a taste of how it might be in other families, a learning experience of a lifetime.
Remember starting basketball in class eighth? Why don’t you start practicing again? One of the biggest decisions in life may depend on your interest and skills in BB.
Try to be a bit regular with studies, will help you in the long run. The bad news is that you will be punished rather severely for not paying enough attention during the UG years as you will be made to repeat some of those courses semester after semester, year after year. The good news is that the courses are the interesting ones and you will not be taking exams but giving them.
Enjoy the female companionship, future will have largely male dominated environment at work place as well as at home.
You are about to see this man, short and stocky with a mop of curly hair. You will love the way he drives through covers but your favourite shot will remain his straight drive. Things don’t really work out for you as SRT had his eyes set on his childhood sweetheart.
But don’t despair there will be another sporting hero, a little less of a global phenomenon but definitely more accessible as you will at least meet him in real life. Your up turned stubby nose and bushy eyebrows notwithstanding he will make passes at you. Catch them and convert them. Try not to get too distracted and at least once in a while do some studying…….what the heck, enjoy your romance.
I see a little child, oh boy, what a boy! Looks a lot like you, yes he does, wait don’t get that happy, behaves like you too! Very loud, stubborn, control freak, doesn’t listen to parents, not at all and what a temper! You must be on drugs to look so happy with all that madness around you. No daughter in sight though, you look too determined not to have any more issues of any kind.
Sorry I need to wrap up now, I can see you nearing 35, rather happy with life, the biggest worry at the moment is whether to colour your greying hair or not, teethwise: one root canal and one tooth has gone missing. You are married to a prof (don’t ask what happened to the sporting hero), for old time sake you go to courts once in a while, the prof notices the wistful look in your eyes whenever you go there but is pretty okay about it.
No more, no more, I can’t divulge anymore. I shouldn’t be a spoilsport. My dear sixteen year old self, live life the way you want and if it is any assurance you turned out just fine.
While you enjoy sleeping and breaking your own records of getting up late, go a bit easy on how you are not a morning person and all that. I see you up and about by 6 in the morning, dunking idlis in chutney and gobbling down white noodly stuff called ‘Iddiappam’ for breakfast, and heading to work by 8! I know it is hard to imagine but it is definitely you.
However impossible it seems Ma and you will reach an equilibrium, you will appreciate her a lot more with time. Please don’t sweat over the fact that your family is not picture perfect like you see in hindi movies. One of the relations will give you a taste of how it might be in other families, a learning experience of a lifetime.
Remember starting basketball in class eighth? Why don’t you start practicing again? One of the biggest decisions in life may depend on your interest and skills in BB.
Try to be a bit regular with studies, will help you in the long run. The bad news is that you will be punished rather severely for not paying enough attention during the UG years as you will be made to repeat some of those courses semester after semester, year after year. The good news is that the courses are the interesting ones and you will not be taking exams but giving them.
Enjoy the female companionship, future will have largely male dominated environment at work place as well as at home.
You are about to see this man, short and stocky with a mop of curly hair. You will love the way he drives through covers but your favourite shot will remain his straight drive. Things don’t really work out for you as SRT had his eyes set on his childhood sweetheart.
But don’t despair there will be another sporting hero, a little less of a global phenomenon but definitely more accessible as you will at least meet him in real life. Your up turned stubby nose and bushy eyebrows notwithstanding he will make passes at you. Catch them and convert them. Try not to get too distracted and at least once in a while do some studying…….what the heck, enjoy your romance.
I see a little child, oh boy, what a boy! Looks a lot like you, yes he does, wait don’t get that happy, behaves like you too! Very loud, stubborn, control freak, doesn’t listen to parents, not at all and what a temper! You must be on drugs to look so happy with all that madness around you. No daughter in sight though, you look too determined not to have any more issues of any kind.
Sorry I need to wrap up now, I can see you nearing 35, rather happy with life, the biggest worry at the moment is whether to colour your greying hair or not, teethwise: one root canal and one tooth has gone missing. You are married to a prof (don’t ask what happened to the sporting hero), for old time sake you go to courts once in a while, the prof notices the wistful look in your eyes whenever you go there but is pretty okay about it.
No more, no more, I can’t divulge anymore. I shouldn’t be a spoilsport. My dear sixteen year old self, live life the way you want and if it is any assurance you turned out just fine.
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