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My Video Lecture on Introduction to Canadian Literature

 https://www.loom.com/share/e8a5127b25104b4699dac19bea9c12c0

Ezhuchi Nayagargalae!!!

Lot of things have been happening in Tamil Nadu in the recent past, pre-jallikattu rising. (I do not want to describe them using any label and neither do I want to name any one for making these happen) But they gave a lot of reasons for the common man to feel angry, frustrated, betrayed, cheated, and taken for granted. There have been voices raised here and there, questions asked, demands made. During most of these times, most of our youngsters (I am going to refer to them as “Ezhuchi Nayagargal” – ENs for short) were only creating memes and photo shopping images, writing poems and jokes (I am not going to use any adjectives to describe these either) in the social media.

Then suddenly something happened. Before even anyone could realize what is happening something happened. To quote Yeats: “A terrible beauty was born”. And all of you have witnessed it.

Was it for Jallikattu? Was it against Peta?

A scene like this could have happened at Marina :

Boys A & B : (Raising slogans) ….”We want Jallikattu”… “We want Jallikattu”

(Boy A as an aside to Boy B): Dei machi apdi enna thaanda seivanga jalli kattula….nee paathrukiya?

Boy B (Aside): Illeda naanum paathathilla…..

Boy A: oh apdiya….ok ok

Boys A and B: “We want Jallikattu” …“We want Jallikattu”

Now…don’t get me wrong…I am not trying to say that the whole thing was aimless and that the ENs did not know what they were fighting for.

What I am trying to say is Jalikattu was the last straw. All along a silent volcano was boiling, bubbling and frothing. It was looking for a vent. The Jallikattu offered a tiny fissure and it erupted…..surprisingly it wasn’t lava that overflowed. It was a silent river, with strong currents though.

Let’s keep the discussions on the “anti-social elements” aside…

Let’s not question was it the police who set the vehicles ablaze …

Let’s not be bothered about the attempts made to satisfy the vested interests of some…

Let’s not keep sniffing for ‘ulterior motives’…

(There are people who usually take care of these….they will come out with different narratives, add different colours, and what not)

I am not asking you to forget all these. Keep them aside for a while. Let’s first applaud the grit and determination of our ENs. Let’s celebrate the feeling of uniting for a cause. Let’s rejoice that at last our youth have taken things up in their hands and have started the lead.

Dear ENs….now you have raised your own benchmark and set it at a wonderfully high level….you protested in a non-violent way, displaying extraordinary solidarity. I had goose bumps every time I saw those mobile torches raised, as if proclaiming to the world that you are the torch-bearers for the future.

(I am excluding those very few who sought to vulgar and abusive language and uncalled for behaviour)

Having taken things to this level, you cannot afford to fall short of it….not even by a millimetre. So from now on you have to measure every word and act of yours by those yardsticks. This is just the beginning…the real test is hereafter. Do not get bogged down by those who describe your act as an ‘orgy’. Do not waste your time in condemning people who talked disgustingly about your gathering in Marina. Do not allow your spirits to be dampened by wet blankets.

Let the fire blaze on! You have other things to do…..deal with them one by one. No looking back. Jaihind!!!

 Acting has always been my passion. When I recall my first memories of a proper stage performance I am reminded of the Japanese student role I was given in our humble attempt of staging an episode from the BBC series of Mind Your Language for the College Day, at Fatima College, where I was doing BA English Literature. I think I did fit the role naturally (!), with my short stature, silky straight hair, and small eyes (now don't ask to look at my nose). But later, looking at the old photos of me bowing in a Kimono, brandishing a Japanese fan (thanks to Pudhu Mandapam...you got anything in that place) made me wonder which Japanese student went to an English class in London in a Kimono?

My aunt was shocked to see me posing near a man, our shoulders brushing. It took me half an hour and two glasses of an energy drink to make her believe that it was indeed a girl classmate of mine dressed as a male student. Phew!

And the straws!!! My hairstylist (okkkkk....I know what you are going to say....Of course I was not a film star but I did have a hairstylist...Thank you Usha ka) could not get the hair sticks to put on my hair. so we had to make do with a few straws.

What we wanted:

What we ended up with:

Then there was the fairy tale Cinderella. I played Cinderella. The Challenge of making the 'gorgeous Cinderella' disappear and to bring back 'Cinderella in rags' on stage after the clock striking twelve loomed large before the directors of the play. Then an idea flashed. We had two Cinderellas. I was the one in rags, swabbing and mopping and cleaning and dusting and sad (acting skills required, you see). Rosario, was the Cinderella at the Ball. We were of the same stature and looked alike a little. We had a smoky scene when Rosario would slowly disappear behind the side screens and I would step in. That was really Magical!!! We had brought in real horses and a real Carriage on to the stage. What a medical miracle!!! ahem....ahem (have been watching too many Tamil movies) What a dramatic miracle!!! The audience gave a standing ovation for that dramatic innovation in those days...two decades ago it was. Unfortunately I do not have any photographs. 

The most unforgettable was Shakespeare's King Lear, which we staged for the College Day of our final year in College (1990). Mahitha was Lear and I was Cordelia. We were the only two of our batch to have acted in the College Day English plays of all the three years of our study there. 

In the Cordelia death scene, King Lear had to carry Cordelia's dead and limp body. And Mags had a serious back injury. She never attempted carrying me at the rehearsals. Mrs. Chandra Thenimalai and Ms. Jacintha Thomas were mightily worried. Can Mahitha carry Saira on stage...with no practice at all? That was the million dollar question. Adding to their worry was the scene after that. Lear had to lament over Cordelia's body. Whenever Mags delivered this dialogue, mourning over my dead body,

"Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life,
And thou no breath at all?...Look on her. Look, her lips.
Look there, look there"

I would start giggling. And the contagious laughter would spread. Mags, Viji (Kent) Kala (Goneril), Pushpa (Regan) - all seen in the photo - would start giggling too. There were days when we would get into a side-splitting laughing spree, driving Ms. Jacintha Thomas mad, "Godddd, Saira....You are supposed to be lying dead!!!"

And Ms. Rosary Royar could have made a rock blush, but couldn't succeed with me. Duke of France (Nihila) proposes to me, and in her romantic best Nihila goes on her knees, takes my hand and kisses it. But all I could manage was a "Mehendi lagao ji" look on my face.

 "Blush Saira, blush" Ms. Royar would make us freeze in that pose. "Come on try once more." Nihila would throw up her hands in utter frustration and scream, "Now how many times should I kiss that stupid girl's hand? Before bringing some red colour on to her cheeks I might draw some real blood, I think". I was the giggler! And there I go once again making everyone roll on the floor laughing (ROFL wasn't there those days!) Oh my!!! I still do not remember whether I eventually managed to blush or not. 

The day came. Mags just lifted me up in her arms with ease. (I swear I was less than 45 kg those days.) It seemed to be done effortlessly, but I was sure she was in pain. But she did not show an iota of it on her face. I was holding my breath. I am supposed to be dead, you see. And I did NOT GIGGLE!!!! Many things came to my mind then: the face of Shakespeare's Lear agonized by the death of his daughter, Cordelia; the thought that Mags may be in pain after the weightlifting venture; the anxious faces of all the professors who have been training us. And I acted more than dead. 

We did get those tears of Joy when Mrs. Chandra literally ran towards us and gave us a happy hug at the end of the play. 

Those were our butterfly days....We fluttered all over, flaunting our colorful wings....happy and carefree. How I wish I could relive those days once again. There have been many more stages I have performed on. Writing about those can wait. Otherwise this would become too long to read!!! But never so to relive!!!

To do or not to do....that is the question ;)

Always at least two items in my to-do list stare at me with a wicked smile....I will have to carry those two items on my back like the Mariner's Albatross....unfinished tasks of the day...making me feel like a sinner. Is procrastination a sin?

Prof. Vasanthan, who taught me Shakespeare's plays the way they ought to be taught, has told me that 'procrastination' is a tragic flaw. But is it a sin? May be as long as it does not become a comic flaw? Yes I do postpone things and therefore there are always a few items in my to-do list that get carried over to the next day's list. But is that all?

What do I have to say about my memory? Which part of your brain is responsible for your memory? Who cares? As it is I am a little allergic to talks about the Grey matter after being closely associated with Arnold Chiari (Yes you have to Google it please) But the fact is I forget to do many things. So I make a to-do list....but most of the times I forget to put certain things in the to-do list.

The backlog increases. And when the bell for the last lap rings I do sprint, pushing my head forward with all my might (Remember P.T. Usha lost it by a few milliseconds?) and I do reach the finishing line. The pumped up Adrenalin works wonders.

So I ask myself again...to do or not to do ....things ahead of time? Do i manage my time well? Do I plan ahead? Looking back, I only have to say, "Things I do under pressure (pressure of time) have worked, sometimes more effectively than what I do in a well-paced manner. Yes. But the mental and physical pressure do take their toll on my health".

I made my my new to-do list:

• Improve your time management
• Remember not to postpone things
• Update blog
• Complete that pencil sketching
• Add a few more pages to that research paper
• Check emails 
• Meet Felcy ma'am

Do I have tick marks against the first two items ?

Parthi!!!.....Ashu!!!.....Renee!!!.........did anyone of you see my Planner?....I kept it right here...oh my God!!!