ALTER IDEM

Check out this half-a-minute video, folks... There's this neatly turned out 6-7 year old boy. His teacher, asks him to tell the two times multiplication table (in Kannada). He gets it right till '2 x 3 = 6'. After that, he recites pure gibberish..... in the right tone!! Does he think he is telling the table correctly? Or, does he think he is hoodwinking his teacher? From the most innocent expression on his face, I think it is the former.... A couple of months ago, this video was widely shared on local Whatsapp groups. Recorded by this boy's teacher and her colleagues, I'm sure the intention was to spread some laughter..... but, somewhere along, for me, this video stops being funny! Could be because around the same time as I saw this video, I had read an article in the newspaper. Apparently, the education minister of Karnataka, during his tours of state-run schools throughout the state, discovered that the knowledge levels of high school students were disapp...

Five years ago, as a new blogger, I had told my readers not to miss the chai (tea) here if they happened to be passing by.... Two weeks ago, we were there - after a very long time. For old times' sake, we had had our usual chai & chaTTamboDe ( daal pakoDas ). While writing my earlier post, I was worried about an upcoming temple blocking the view from the tea-cart. My worries had not materialised. Things were more or less the same. This time though, there were lots of fearless monkeys.... While exchanging pleasantries with the affable owner of the tea stall, I asked him about his children. In the past he would always tell us about the daughter who did him proud by topping Tirthahalli taluk  in the Class 10 exams - not a mean achievement for a student studying in a place like Agumbe. Happy as ever to talk about his children's academic achievements, he told us - amidst chasing monkeys- that both his daughters were engineers working for MNCs in Bangalore, while the son ...

 One thing I like about Indian mythology is that we have very beautiful stories about how rivers, plants, flowers, etc. came to be. The stories are so reassuring that sometimes, I wish science and its complicated theories didn't exist! According to Indian mythology, all plants have been created from the hair of Lord Brahma. I had read this in a book called Brahma's Hair by Maneka Gandhi. The book is a collection of myths and stories from all over the country - of about thirty sacred plants and trees, along with some historic and botanical details.  The book has very few stories from the South. Some flowers and trees that have mythological and religious importance here are missing. Of course, writing an exhaustive book on this subject would be quite a task! Recently, I have been curious about the mythology behind some flowers common to my surroundings. The plant is a parasite and is always found attached to the branches of huge trees.... The flowers bloom once a y...

Some days ago, the National film awards were announced. Quite unexpectedly, Sandalwood- the Kannada film industry- had fared well.... especially, a largely unknown actor called Sanchari Vijay. Vijay won the National award for best actor - for the role of a transgender in a movie called Naanu avanu alla ... avalu (Not a man.... a woman). The best Kannada movie, Harivu (Flow) - about a rural man who brings his ailing son to big city for treatment - has the same Vijay playing the role of the helpless father. Well.... I had never heard of this man! As a Kannadiga, I was doubly interested (a little guilty too!)..... Google, of course, knew something.  And, the newspapers told us what google knew!! Last week, I chanced upon the latter half of an interview with Vijay on a Kannada TV channel - with some clips from both movies. From what I saw, the actor has been outstanding in both the movies....... Of course, the Kannada media has given him due credits.  But, you know, none...

Necessity is  the mother of invention. And, getting the desired result from available resources is jugaaD .  I had come across the word jugaaD for the first time when I heard this song by Kailash Kher. Quite a catchy number - especially, the ' karle jugaaD karle, karle koi jugaaD ' bit........ And, it was the first word that came to my mind when I saw this all-weather volleyball/ badminton net at a rubber plantation quite  recently. When I expressed my admiration, the lady with me explained that it was her husband's idea and workmanship.  Well.... a real net is a luxury that a farmer of limited means cannot afford. This net is the result of a cash-strapped grandfather's desire to add a dash of professionalism to the games played by his grand children..... Only a true sports enthusiast can have the determination and patience to carry out such ideas! The entire net is made up of stiff, sturdy nylon cord - the kind that's used to fasten heavy...

Alter Idem turns five today! It means, 'Story-time' .... You know, many a time, when you read a short story, you are not aware of the impact it would have made to the author's career.  I had read the story Sooryana Kudure by Sri.U.R.Anantamurthy about 5-6 years ago. But, it was only when the author passed away three months ago that I came to know - it is rated as one of the best stories in Indian fiction. Sooryana Kudure literally means 'The Sun's Mount'. In some dialects of Kannada, it means 'Grasshopper' (the insect). The story is so true- to-life that you can relate to the characters and the narrative if you have lived in the Malnad  for a considerable period! Here goes.... Anantu is on a visit to his hometown. At the market place, he runs into his school-mate and childhood friend, Venkata - the dunce of their class. Venkata is now an expert masseur - cum- astrologer and he convinces Anantu to be his client, and, thus, guest for the day. Thoug...

I have never been any teacher's pet. Nor, have I had a favourite teacher. But, I think of Mr.PSC on every 'Teachers' Day'. I'll tell you why...... It was a wintry morning in the Bangalore of the early nineties...... For an average Bangalorean like me, it was a Herculean task to get up from the cosy confines of my bed, get ready and travel 8-10 kms. for the Soil Mechanics class at 7.30 a.m.! On that day, to my horror, none of my classmates had made it! The teacher was missing too. Because I had met students from other classes, I knew I hadn't turned up for class on a holiday!! Just as I was thinking of ways to spend a lonely hour, old Mr.PSC walked in. Mr.PSC : What?! Only one student?! Me : (Foolish smiles)   Mr.PSC : How can I take a class for just one student? You can go to the library. And, he turned away.... The next minute, he turned back! Mr.PSC : Wait! You have come for the class. I'll be doing you an injustice if I don't       ...