BVM CONNECT

HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY

Free the Freedom
Ideally, that is. In reality, at the end of
Ms. A.V. Mahalakshmi BVM Adyar
this whole exercise it slowly dawned on me that
It was the month of August and everywhere
never in my life, no, never in our lives do we
around I could hear people talking about
experience that kind of a FREEDOM, completely
independence and freedom. The very utterance
unobstructed, unlimited, uncontrolled and/or
of the word freedom gave me a sense of
uninhibited.
power and happiness. I started browsing
This led me to the next question WHY? Why
through the internet for quotable quotes on
cannot I have my Freedom as whatever it
FREEDOM, and reading through those, I
meant to me, the way I wanted it to be? Then I
realized it meant different things to different
stumbled upon more words, significant too in
people. I also realized that, this is what makes it
their own rights. Out came Liberty and
so significant a word, that is what makes it so
Constraints in the same string. Then came
sought after, that is what makes it so special,
Capabilities and Limitations in the same note.
and that is what makes it so difficult to either
Dependence and, yes, Independence in the
get or give!
same breath. Coexistence and Incompatibility
Scan through this magazine and you would
came, in oneness, I am compelled to add.
come across many quotes on FREEDOM, most
Individuality and Society stared at me in unison.
of them quoted in varied contexts, almost all of
Then came Positivity and Negativity, Diversity
them by some great men and women. These
and Tolerance, Acceptance and Dissent, Vanity
quotes are great to read, thought-provoking,
andModesty,Manipulationand Accommodation,
giving us a whole new spectrum of peoples
Equanimity and Uncertainty, all happily hand-in-
view points, but what about my idea of
hand. If there was Threats, there was
Freedom? What about yours? What about your
Fearlessness too. If there was Creativity, well
students? What about your childs? What
then, Control. Whims balanced out by RealityI
about your neighbours? What about the view
was left thoroughly baffled.
point of any and every person in this world?
I began to wonder, stuck among so many
Arent we talking about n number of viewpoints
words, was the word Freedom itself free?
in a world populated by as many people? Then,
The next time I hear the word Freedom, would
shouldnt the word be spelt in its plural form as
I feel free to feel as powerful and happy as I did
F-R-E-E-D-O-M-S and not just F-r-e-e-d-o-m?
earlier?
Then, where does ones freedom end and
anothers begin? Tough questions to answer, Free the Freedom, someone,please!!
arent these?
I started thinking about what Freedom meant
to me. At the end of it, I came to this grand
conclusion that to me Freedom is when I am
unobstructed by space, unlimited by time,
uncontrolled by external forces and uninhibited
by my own self. Ideally, something I should be
getting as involuntarily as my dreams,
something I should be given as naturally as my
life itself.
"A good teacher must know how to arouse the interest of the pupil in the field of study for which he is
responsible. He must himself be a master in the field of study and be in touch with the latest developments
in the subject.." Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-1

 A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people Mahatma Gandhiji

Technology-A Good Servant, but a FAMILY Where life begins &love

Bad Master
Ms. K. Ramya BVM Global@BHS
Flash back to the 80s: Children went to
schools that relied more on books and
blackboards than on gadgets and gizmos; played
games on streets, terrace or backyards; taps
quenched thirsts without infections; Junk foods
werent heard about. Family dinners and
Grannys tales were a daily ritual. The best
known electronic gadget then was the
Calculator!
The children of today: Todays children
require Google to complete assignments;
internet being indispensible even to pass Class
V. Football and cricket are played more on smart
phones than in playgrounds. The idiot box is
robbing off family time apart from being a
health hazard.
never ends
Ms. Latha Manivannan
BVM Global@Salem
Be it summers, Be it Rain,
It is our parents who always strain
Their children they always train...
How we ourselves can constrain
From things we should always refrain.
It's their own blood they drain...
So that in Life's lane,
Seeing their children moving without pain
They happiness bounty gain
So, we should not their reputation stain,
Wholly in our heart and brain,
It's love for them we contain
Let the GRATITUDE FOR THEM
ALWAYS SUSTAIN.

Compared to those in the 80s, todays children

are more Tech Savvy, but less Humane. Are we
preparing children to hit the road or preparing
the road to suit our pampered children? Amidst
our talk about a Better Green World for
children, are we also leaving behind Better
Children to this world? Is Technology
Advancement a boon or bane to children? Care For Your Brains
The need of the hour: As important as it develops our mind.
1. Projects and assignments must stimulate Do meditation
thinking in children rather than merely Read newspaper/books
encourage copy/paste of online information. Travel
2. Parents being role models must be prudent Plant a garden
with usage of gadgets. Listen to the music
3. Families must ensure that they spend quality Try to play a musical instrument
time with children and try to develop listening Solve crossword puzzles and Sudoku
skills in children. Technology, if not used Play games
judiciously, would result in a world filled with Visit a library
tech savvy Animals that are less Humane. Have good conversation with friends
Follow current affairs
Watch wildlife

Ms. B. S. Rajalakshmi
BVM Global@Trichy

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-2

 Teacher encourages questions from students-Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
My Dream comes true!!
Ms. Sreekala Babu BVM Global@BHS
Yes! One of my dreams in life was To become a
Teacher.Now thats my profession and also The first few days after school reopened were
passion! In my school days, my friends would
ask me, What do you want to become? and I
would reply, Teacher!!! Like my teachers.I class 1 took to the school very well like fish to
used to admire them, respect them and I was
inspired by many of them..
Being a Teacher has so many joys and
challenges. In this world, we can see Doctors,
Lawyers, Politicians, and Engineers. How did
they all get to where they are today? No matter
the position someone may hold in society,
everyone has progressed to where they are in
life because they had a Teacher, someone who
had shown them the path they should go. I can
proudly say that I have chosen Teaching as my
profession because I truly have passion to make
a difference in others lives. Actually, we
Teachers are the tools that shape and mould
each child by teaching and instructing them.
For me, every day is different because my
children will have some new and exciting stories
to share with me. I know that becoming a
teacher is a huge responsibility with many
obstacles, involving lots of risks and challenges.
But, I am willing to face all these hurdles with a
positive attitude and take it as a part and parcel
of my profession. Also, I have to thank and
appreciate my school and my family - parents,
husband and my daughters for giving all their
support and helping me achieve my goal.
BV M CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014
My experiences with a six year
old Ms. Kavitha Lakshman
BVM Global@Perungudi
uneventful. I didnt realize that the eye of the
storm was yet to unveil itself. The children of
water. Manifestation of the problem started
with one child.
This child started hurting children physically and
he wasnt able to sit in his place. He just would
not listen to anything. He would start squealing
and running around the class and outside too.
Positive reinforcements like praising him and
giving more attention to him only made things
worse. Everyday I had to think of something
that would interest this child and to make him
do the work required for the class. First I
thought the problem was in his fine motor skills
because orally he was very good. One of the
teachers suggested I give him dots for pattern
writing, which I did, and this worked for a few
days. The class started becoming chaotic and
teachers started dreading to come to class.
The class teacher spoke to the parents about his
behavior and she was told that the child had
come from the U.S.A, and asked us to give him
some time to settle. It was three weeks by then
and the other parents started complaining
because he was hurting others physically and
kept bothering all the children.
Once he sat next to me in the bus and I picked
up a conversation with him on what he would
do at home, whether his little brother played
with him, who his friends were in the U.S., why
he doesnt go out to play, etc. From his replies I
inferred that this child was left to himself with
the T.V switched on, while the mother was busy
with his sibling. He was made to believe that
they were on a short visit and that they would
be going back to the U.S.
From the conversation I found that the child
was eager to go to the U.S. I asked him if he
liked to read books and if he enjoyed reading
about birds and animals. I also asked him if he
could look for kingfishers and other birds on his
way to school and back. There were a whole lot
PAGE-3
The best brains of the nation may be found on the last benches of the class room Dr.A.P.J
of them sitting on the cables running across, the
school being amidst an awesome landscape
with hills and ponds all around. I also promised
him that I would get books for him to read in
class if he completed his work.
I tried to work out some solution for him.
Talking it out with him on what was disturbing
him and figuring out a possible solution by the
child himself, I thought, would help him to
settle fast. The next year, he quit school, and I
heard that the family shifted to the US! Hope
the child is happy now and wish that he grows
up into a mature adult!
Sweet memories of my visit to
Singapore
Ms. S. Vimala BVM Global@KC
On the 9th of May, we boarded the IndiGo flight
from Chennai airport and we reached Changi
Airport, Singapore. The airport was a
spectacular sight. There were three terminals.
Completing the airport formalities, I moved,
along with the seven members who
accompanied me, to a place called
Clementiwest. We stayed there at my cousins
house. With the help of my cousin, we charted
our programme and planned to visit different
places in Singapore over the next five days.
Little India:
Little India is a colourful and beautiful spot
situated to the north of the city. It was a
welcoming place for tourists. Indian festivals are
celebrated here and this makes us Indians
proud. We visited the temple of Sri Srinivasa
Perumal in Serangoon Road.
Marina Bay:
There were beautiful buildings and monument
here. Some of them were the Merlion, the
Marina Bay Hotel Resort and the Esplanade. The
Theatre House situated here, Singapores
answer to the Sydney Opera House, is also a
very memorable place.
Sentosa visit:
Sentosa is an island. We went on a ride by the
Sentosa Express. We then took a break at the
resorts and later, we visited the temples.
The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book
BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014
Universal Studios:
Universal Studios in Singapore is a great
attraction for all. There were many rides and
entertainment here.
Buster theme park rides
The theme park has a collection of many world-
firsts. The worlds biggest collection of Dream
Works, the animation entertainment giants, is
located here. The worlds first Faraway Castle
from the world of Shrek, the worlds first
Madagascar theme park ride, the worlds tallest
roller coaster, a sci-fi-zone and much more are
located here.
Singapore Zoo
The Singapore Zoo was beautiful and awesome.
The wildlife and the birds were beautiful. The
cute white tigers were really attractive. We
enjoyed an elephant ride as well as a show with
the sea lion.
The laws in Singapore are really strict. The city is
clean, tidy and attractive. Singapore has many
more attractions that cannot be erased from
my memory. I felt lucky that I had an
opportunity to visit one of the worlds most
beautiful countries.
A small island with beautiful escalations,
excellent maintenance of the city, remarkable
advancement of technology, cleanliness,
hospitality of the people and an energizing
atmosphere, Singapore has created a sense of
motivation in me. The visit to Singapore was
very good and enjoyable on one hand and
educative and informative on the other. I wish
everyone gets an opportunity to visit Singapore.
PAGE-4
 There is no god higher than truth-Mahatma Gandhiji.
Celebrating the mistakes of my life
Ms. A. J. Sarika
BVM Global@Perungudi
I remember my Physics teacher in school trying
various means to teach me how to learn my
long answers in a very easy way. Considering
my disinterest in mathematics and physics,
nothing seemed to work for a considerable
amount of time. He seemingly gave up any
remote hope which was left. Finally, he told me
about his struggling phase of dealing with
physics during his childhood and more
importantly how he came out of it, and then
becoming a successful physics teacher. That
was the inflection point. This is what taught me
that I dont have to be a superhuman to study
and understand physics and math. Mathematics
and physics, since then, were no more a
nightmare for me.
Later, being a team leader I learnt that as a
team, our pursuit towards success unites us
relatively more than enjoying success itself. In
that pursuit of success, we make mistakes. As a
team leader in a call centre, it was my
responsibility to keep up the morale of my team
members and also their performance. How
different would the morale of the team be in
two different scenarios?
A team leader talks about her previous success
stories with a special focus on what she did
'right' and expects her associates to get
motivated from the same
A team leader talks about her previous success
stories with a special focus on what she did
'wrong' and expects her associates to get
motivated from the same
There were no proven research available to me,
but as a team member, before taking up the
role of a team leader, I felt that the latter
scenario resulted in better team morale. The
reason was clear with the example discussed
earlier about my Physics teacher.
It's natural for all teams to celebrate success,
but it takes a lot of humility, sensitivity and
daring for a team leader to celebrate her
mistakes. I remember reading a quote
Anyone who Teachers dontaimpact
has never made mistake for
has a year,school,
BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014
never tried anything new. Well, I gave it a go.
Not afraid of making another mistake, I worked
on and made my team feel as comfortable as I
possibly could. I discussed mistakes with my
team and that created a better bonding with
the team.
Thats when I understood that allowing me to
celebrate and candidly discuss my mistakes
would ensure each and every member in my
team to be an Idealistic Pragmatist. However,
its important that while sharing mistakes, you
adequately focus on the lessons you learnt from
the mistakes.
Learning from my mistakes, here I am at BVM
Global as a kindergarten teacher transferring all
my knowledge to 35 beautiful children, willing
to learn more and serve more
My life in Benbai (Bengaluru &
Mumbai)
Ms. Savithri BVM Global@Bengaluru
I was born in Tiruvarur, TamilNadu and then
moved to Chengalpattu in Chennai. After my
third standard, we shifted to Mumbai. The first
few days were unnerving. I wanted to go and
play, but all the children used to talk in Hindi
and I did not know how to talk in Hindi. Even if
they spoke to me, I felt as if they were scolding
me or shouting at me. At those times, I used to
take my mother down (she knew Hindi because
of the various exams that she had written)
whenever I went to play so that she could shield
me!
Slowly I got over my fear, started talking in
broken Hindi and then could finally converse
fluently in Hindi. I became the leader of the
children there! Many happy days were spent in
school and college. All the friends I made at
but for a lifetime
college and the workplace are in
PAGE-5
 Teachers should be role models-Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
Mumbai and I do miss them. But I have kept in
touch with them through our ever growing
technology.
I shifted to Bangalore after marriage. Initially, it
was very difficult. Many shops did not open till
10.00 or 11.00 in the morning. I wondered how
people could be so lethargic. But slowly I got
used to this city, and now when I go to Mumbai,
I feel a little out of place!
Both cities have their own advantages and
disadvantages. One of the biggest advantages in
Mumbai is we can commute by autos, trains
and buses. Autowallas do not charge anything
extra than the meter unlike here in Bangalore
where the autowallas charge whatever comes
to their mouth! But Bangalore stands for its
beauty, grace and greenery with places like
Lalbagh, Cubbon Park and a park at every nook
and corner.
Comparing the two cities is really not very fair
as both have their own advantages and
disadvantages. Just the way I got used to
Mumbai, I have also got used to Bangalore. I
love both the cities as both have played a great
part in my life.
I will end my story with a quote Enjoy the
little things in life because one day you will look
back and realise they were the real big things.
Vincent van Gogh
Ms. Sindya BVM Global@KC
Vincent van Gogh was a lover of nature. He
uses to link his drawings with nature. This
art of nature has inspired and attracted me.
I admire van Goghs drawings and paintings.
Where did Vincent van Gogh grow up?
Vincent van Gogh was born in the
Netherlands in 1853.
Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions
BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014
His family worked in the art world. Vincent
had two brothers and three sisters.
Although he enjoyed drawing from the time
he was a young boy, Vincent had a number
of other jobs before he decided to work as
an artist fulltime. He worked as a teacher in
London and then as a minister. He also
worked in a book store, an art gallery, and
as a missionary. Around the age of 27, van
Gogh decided to devote himself completely
to art.
Early Years
When Vincent first started drawing he
sketched pictures using pencils or charcoal
sticks. He used some watercolors as well.
He liked to draw pictures of poor
hardworking people. Eventually he began to
paint using oil paints. In this early part of his
career, van Gogh used a lot of dark colors
such as browns and dark greens. His
pictures were often somber or sad. His
most famous early painting was called The
Potato Eaters. It was a dark picture of a
peasant family eating potatoes for dinner.
Letters to His Brother
Theo, Vincents brother, worked in an art
gallery in Paris and supported Vincent's art
career. He sent Vincent money and
encouraged him. Theo tried to sell Vincent's
paintings, but no one wanted to buy them.
Years in Paris
Theo wrote to Vincent to tell him about a
new style of painting in Paris called
Impressionism. In 1886, Vincent moved to
Paris to learn from these new painters. He
painted subjects from the streets and cafes
of Paris as well as the countryside. Van
Gogh also became interested in painting
portraits of people. When he couldn't find
models, he would paint himself for practice.
He painted over twenty self-portraits during
this time.
Arles, France
PAGE-6
 Creative minds lead to evolution of great Sciences-Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

In 1888, van Gogh moved south to Arles,
France to start up an artist's commune. He
rented out a yellow house to live in and
invited artist Paul Gauguin to join him. He
loved the vibrant colours and the bright sun
of Arles. Van Gogh began painting with
intensity and emotion. The colours in his
paintings became more vibrant and bright.
He would sometimes apply the paint
directly onto the canvas from the tubes
leaving the paint thick with rough brush
strokes. Sometimes it would take weeks for
his paintings to dry because the paint was
so thick. In 1889, van Gogh committed
himself to a mental hospital. He could
barely take care of himself. He still
continued to paint and painted one of his
most famous paintings, Starry Night. Many
of his paintings during this time featured
cypress trees and lots of swirling colors.
Nayak rulers to the British East India Company.
Today, Fort St George marked the foundation
where the first city of modern India was built.
The East India Company when it first
established itself nearly 150 years ago, Madras
was the chief settlement of the British and of
the Company when it was a trading unit.
As Madras grew, it gave to India the very
institutions that modern cities are built on.
Chennai Corporation, the oldest municipal body
in India, was established in 1688. Educational
institutions like Presidency College and Guindy
Engineering College were pioneers in imparting
western and technical education in the country.
BVM CONNECT TEAM - ADYAR

PAINTING- VANGOGUE

GO
Chennai celebrating its 375thbirthday
The first modern city of India, Chennai, will
celebrate its 375th birth anniversary on 22nd
August 2014. The southern city has already
begun celebrating Madras Week from Sunday
by dedicating seven days to the history, culture
and traditions of the city. Madras Week
festivities will include heritage walks, photo
exhibitions, lectures and quizes to
commemorate 375 years of Madras.
Chennai, then Madras was born when a small
piece of land was handed over by the local

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-7

 My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation-Dr.A.P.J.

THE BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN

Ms. Keerthika .D

BVM Global@Salem
It was a pleasant evening and the climate was
also very calm. I desired to go with the climate
by reading a pleasing book. So I started to read
about Buddha. Possessing that calm mind, let
me share some information about Buddha.
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were the
monumental statues of Standing Buddha. They
were carved in the 6th century. The statues
represented the classic blended style of
Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn
directly from the stand cliffs, but it was
modeled in mud mixed with straw, coated with
stucco. The lower parts of the statues arms
were constructed from the same mud-straw
mix, supported on wooden armatures. The
upper parts of the face were made from great

wooden masks or casts. They were dynamited
and destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban.
The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas
became a symbol of oppression and a rallying
point for the freedom of religious expression

! ! !

Ms. Tamilselvi BVM Global@Trichy

We should not give up- We should not allow the problem to defeat us.-Dr. A. P. J. Kalam

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-8

Teachers need to impress upon students the importance of purity of life and knowledge-
Dr. A.P. J.
In 1930, India was not free. Many of our
leaders were imprisoned by the British. While
in Naini Prison, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote
this letter to his daughter, Indira on her 13th
birthday.
A Birthday Letter
Central Prison, Naini
October 26, 1930
My dear Indira,
On your birthday you have been in the habit of
receiving presents and good wishes. Good
wishes you will still have in full measure, but
what present can I send you from Naini Prison?
My presents cannot be very material or solid.
They can be of the mind and spirit, Things
that even the high walls of prison cannot stop.
You know sweetheart, how I dislike sermonising
and doling out good advice .. I have always
thought that the best way to find out what is
right and what is not right, what should be done
and what should not be done, is not by giving a
sermon, but by talking and discussing, and out
of discussion sometimes a little bit of truth
comes out. I have liked my talks with you and
we have discussed many things, but the world is
wide and beyond our world lie other wonderful
and mysterious worlds ..none of us need
ever be bored or imagine ..that we have
learned everything worth learning and become
very wise.
. But what am I to do then? A letter can
hardly take the place of a talk; at best it is a
one-sided affair Imagine that I have made a
suggestion to you for you to think over, as if we
really were having a talk.
In history we read of great periods in the life of
nations, of great men and women do you
remember how fascinated you were when you
first read the story of Jeanne dArc, and how
your ambition was to be something like her?
Ordinary men and women are not usually
heroic. They think of their bread and butter, of
their children, of their household worries and
the like. But a time comes when a whole people
become interested in a great cause. Then
BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014
history helps even simple, ordinary men and
women to become heroes. Great leaders have
something in them which inspires a whole
people and makes them do great deeds In
India a great leader, full of love for all who
suffer and eager to help them, has inspired our
people to great actions and noble sacrifice. He
has helped to make the starving, the poor and
the oppressed free and happy.
Bapuji is in prison, but the magic of his message
has stolen the hearts of Indias millions. Men
and women, and even little children, come out
of their little shells and become Indias soldiers
of freedom. In India today we are making
history, and you and I are fortunate to see this
happening before our eyes and to take some
part ourselves in this great drama.
What part shall we play in it?
If we are to be Indias soldiers we have to
respect Indias honour, and that honour is a
sacred trust.. It is no easy matter to decide
what is right and what is not. One little test I
shall ask you to apply whenever you are in
doubt Never do anything in secret or
anything that you would wish to hide. For the
desire to hide anything means that you are
afraid, and fear is a bad thing and unworthy of
you. Be brave, and all the rest follows .
You know that in our great Freedom
Movement, under Bapujis leadership, there is
no room for secrecy or hiding. We have nothing
to hide. We are not afraid of what we do or
what we say. We work in the sun and in the
light. Even so in our private lives let us make
friends with the sun and work in the light and
do nothing secretlyand if you do so, my dear
you will grow up a child of the light, unafraid
and serene and unruffled, whatever may
happen.
I have written a very long letter to you. And yet
there is so much I would like to tell you. How
can a letter contain it? Good-bye, little one, and
may you grow up into a brave soldier in Indias
service.
With all my love and good wishes.
Your loving father,
Jawaharlal Nehru
PAGE-9
 The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery-Mark Van Doren

My Uncle Joannes broken violin. I

sympathised with
Ms. Mahima BVM Global@Bengaluru him, knowing how
much his violin meant
When I was growing up, I was influenced by
to him. People had
many of my cousins and uncles, thanks to my
remarked that the fan
grandmother who had 10 children, eight boys
fortunately fell on the violin and not on him. He
and two girls. I used to be left in my
would have preferred if it had fallen on his
grandmothers house when I was small, and my
head.
uncles used to visit often. As I grew up, we used
One day as I was walking on the road, I
to have discussions on a variety of subjects,
noticed him riding his bicycle. He never once
some of them quite heated, as most of my
looked straight ahead, but was happily studying
uncles and cousins did not have an ounce of
the houses on either side of the road. I thought
patience.
he was alive only by the sheer mercy of God.
My grandmother died and we shifted our
A few days later, he told me to advise my
house. My Uncle Joannes lived about half-a-
father to concentrate on the traffic when he is
kilometre from our house. He was of average
driving and not think about anything else
height, very fair, slim and was completely grey-
because the traffic was very bad. I didnt ask
headed. He used to have a bicycle. Uncle
him if he ever concentrated on the traffic while
Joannes was very talkative and he liked to do
riding his bicycle.
most of the talking. My father was quite the
I remember once when he developed a fancy
opposite. My father and uncle could not stay in
for Bullets. For days, he would talk only of that.
the room for even ten minutes without having
We used to tell him that a Bullet would be too
an argument.
big for him and he would not be able to manage
My uncle used to ride a bicycle. He would
it. He would say, If I die, let me die with a
come home and ring the bell and I would go
Bullet, why should I die without one? In a few
out. We both would stand outside and talk for
weeks time, he bought a Mofa. Then he would
hours. Sometimes we used to walk on the road
visit us on a Mofa. He would bring his one-year
talking. Sometimes I used to wait earnestly for
old granddaughter tied to the back seat of the
him to wind up so that I could get back into the
Mofa.
house but he would move from one topic to
At home, in his room, he had lines of bottles
another. I learnt the
stacked up, everything right from garlic and
trick of not
ginger extract to some powder of a particular
interrupting him so
grass. These he would take everyday. On one
that he would exhaust
side of the room was a tall book shelf filled with
what he had to say and
Readers Digest from 1950 onwards and other
would let me go. Very
novels, short stories, etc. During my holidays, I
often, my sister would step out and she would
would spend hours in his room, looking for a
refute every single point he would say and the
book to read, and I practically grew up on his
discussion would prolong too long.
Readers Digest collection that I took home to
His greatest passion was ofcourse talking and
read. Sometimes our talk would veer towards
the next was playing his violin. He lost his wife.
some novel of Dickens or Hugo. He would know
So next to his daughter, his violin was closest to
and remember every character. Often the
his heart. He used to play the violin in church.
discussion would be never-ending.
Once when he was seated on the floor with the
Sometimes he used to come home when I
violin in front of him, a ceiling fan fell on it and
would be studying for my examinations, and I
it broke into three pieces. When I paid him a
would glance every now and then at the clock,
visit, he was heart-broken. He showed me his
hoping that he would go away. Mostly he

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-10

 Good teachers know how to bring the best in the students-Charles Kuralt

would keep his eyes closed when he talked, Every creation has its worth and purpose on our
only glancing at the person occasionally, maybe beautiful Planet. It should be the task that we
to ensure himself whether the person was there set out to do instead of trying to be like others.
or not. Sometimes my sister or mother would Instead it should be, others are too many. Who
come and then I would slip away. is going to be me?. Each one is unique and in
When we had a lot of time in our hands, we trying to be like others, we should not lose our
used to look forward to his visits. He would go self. But that should not stop us from
on rambling about any topic under the sky. developing our talents and reaching our goals. if
I got married and left Coimbatore. I used to we work towards our goal in our own way, then
go home every few months and always made it life becomes worthy and fun.
a point to visit him, but I couldnt spend as Ms. Nithya .R BVM Adyar
much time as he wanted me to spend with him.
When his daughter immigrated to Canada,
he stayed for some time alone and then in a
nursing home. Leaving India was a big step for
him. Like Hamlets dilemma, to be or not to
be, my uncles was, to go or not to go. But
when he was 89, he got his permanent visa and
left for Canada. Now he is living there. We do
miss him. I am not sure whether he would come
to India ever again. We remember his childlike
attitude, his joy, his innocence, his
overwhelming frankness, his love for music and
books, and his humility. He was extremely
comfortable with us and wasnt ever ashamed
of talking about his faults or fears and would
even ask for our opinions. ,
Now that I have children of my own, I am
grateful to whatever my uncle exposed me to.
Sometimes I feel sorry that in the hustle and
bustle of our daily life, I dont talk as much to
my children and they do not have someone like
my uncle to talk to them.
Im very grateful to God for the people He
gave me in my life and their influence on me.
Mitch Albom, in his book, Tuesdays With ,
Morrie, says that relationships are important in
life, and Im very grateful to Uncle Joannes for
spending so much time with me when I was
young.


LET ME BE ME
In our day to day life, very often we tend to
think, Why am I not like that person ? ,
especially when we are confronted with failures
or unpleasant situations. Though it is normal,
we should erase such thoughts and try to be
ourselves.

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE -11

A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.
(Analects 2.11)
S.no Teacher Name Branch Date TALE OF THE VANQUISHED-THE STORY
1 Sashikala Sriram BVM Corporate 30th July OF RAVANA AND HIS PEOPLE

2 KarthiayiniAchuthkumar BVM Corporate 30th July My son is a voracious reader of mythological

3 Mr.Anathanarayanan BVMG@KC st
1 Aug books. Last time he brought the book Asura-
the story of Ravana and his people written by
4 Geethlakshmi BVM Adyar 2ndAug
Anand Neelakantan.Tale of The Vanquished is
5 Ms.Vanitha (Office) BVMG@KC 7thAug a retelling of the famous Indian epic,
6 SrideviSusarla BVM Adyar 8thAug Ramayana, from the villains point of view.
7 Sumathi.C BVM Adyar 12thAug The Tale of the Vanquished is Neelakantans
8 Gitika Bhatia BVMG@Perungudi 10thAug debut novel -the popular mythology.
The story of Asura is narrated by two
9 Archana .N BVMG@Perungudi 12thAug people. One is Ravana himself and the other
10 Ms.Nirmala Sarayanan BVMG@KC 13thAug is his follower, a common man Bhadra.
11 Lekshmy Ramakrishna BVMG@Perungudi 15thAug Ravana is depicted as a more humane
character than we have always perceived him
12 Uma Narasimhan BVMG@Perungudi 18thAug to be. He has with his own strengths and
13 Krishnapriya SBM BVMG@BHS 20thAug weaknesses, dreams and fears. He is driven
14 Priyadarshini BVMG@Perungudi 21stAug by ambition and that is what makes him the
lord of the Demons. He leads his people
15 Jayashree.S BVM Adyar 24thAug through numerous victories and carves out a
16 Thalitha Burnes BVM Adyar 24thAug vast empire from the Devas. Bhadra is a
17 Mr.L.Umesh (Office) BVMG@KC 24thAug common man who follows Ravana
18 Deepika Jaimohan BVMG@Perungudi 24thAug throughout his journey to the throne and
after. He has his own reason for his enmity
19 Gomathi Priya BVMG@Perungudi 26thAug with the Devas. As readers, we get to know
20 KrishnaKumar BVMG@KC 29thAug about all the trial and tribulations in his life as
21 Umashankari BVM Adyar 29thAug well.You will find that there is an explanation
or a new perspective on everything. Overall, I
22 JayanthiPalani BVM Adyar 30thAug would say that it was great to read a new
perspective on Ramayana.
Ms. Kalyani .V BVM Adyar





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DR.A.P.J.ABDUL KALAM

T-Talent , E-Education, A-Attitude, C-Character, H-Harmony, E-Efficient, R-Relation

BVM CONNECT SEPTEMBER ISSUE 2014 PAGE-12