tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20298643056149625102024-02-19T12:54:20.615-08:00Among the Birds and Flowers of Providence Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-58807057119817870242015-09-13T23:01:00.001-07:002015-09-14T05:57:35.951-07:00Fifty and Running<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan Matthew </td></tr>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">It always seemed
that crossing The Great 50th Birthday Reef would be fraught with anxiety about
hopes not realized, about muscles and grey matter, slackening in tone and a
yearning to live long enough and in reasonable good health, so one could
complete one’s bucket list.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Surprisingly, I
found myself relieved that, at last, here was a time when I didn’t have to
dance to any music but my own! So here I am being thankful that I’m past 50:-</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because I don’t have to follow
fashion trends. In fact I can throw on whatever I pull out from the innards of
my cupboard (mismatched, sizes too big, not trendy or cool) and be out the door
in 5 minutes flat. Sure I won’t turn any heads, but I’d be the one you want to
call in an emergency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because when my hair stands up from
my scalp just minutes after a comb has created order in the curly locks or what
remains of the once luscious tresses, I’m happy that at least a part of my body
is defying gravitational forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because mood swings and a variety of
other minor irritants to marital harmony can be attributed to menopause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because people don’t expect you to
remember their birthdays and anniversaries as you once did. (I was always
dismal at history and dates)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because a Pinterest inspired home is
only a recent phenomena. Don’t get me wrong, I love it that one doesn’t have to
be an interior designer to have an aesthetically pleasing home or train as a
chef to be able to turn out delicacies with foreign sounding names with such
ease. I’m just thrilled I didn’t have to try!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because I don’t have to lead an
exciting life with a dizzying round of parties and travel and meeting people
and making new friends. Instead I hang out with people who can enjoy my company
even when I’m having a shlumpadinka day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because having ‘<u>only’</u> 241
friends on Facebook (“That’s all the friends you have??” Question from my
teenage nephew) doesn’t embarrass me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course you always run the risk of
being labeled, but after 50 you’ll find none of the labels stick for very long.
And then you’re left with your slightly out of shape, imperfect body - but
ohhhhh! So comfortable in your skin! Wouldn’t you, like me, choose
comfortable any day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Susan Matthew (nee Chandy) Math '80<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-55220996683917154972015-09-04T19:55:00.001-07:002015-09-04T19:55:22.590-07:00The Defining Moments of My Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The College Council from the left Aneeta George, Aileen Pais, Sr Margaret Mary, Gayatri Devaraj, Preetha Thomas and your truly</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I joined college in the summer of ’73, not overjoyed
at the prospect that I would have to study in these backwoods, while almost all
of my cousins went away to glamourous city colleges. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite my apprehensions, college turned out to be fun.
Since I am not a person for half measures, I threw myself into college life;
made more friends, discovered new skills and generally had a whale of a time. But all along was this niggling fear that I
would be left far behind in the race of life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I got clarity on this, the fear, I mean, when one
bright morning, we sat on the green grass under the `stately evergreen’ half
listening to Ms Lux’s lecture on Queen Anne’s England- of Addison, Pope and
Swift. It was an ideal Nilgiri day; days like that is the stuff of dreams now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The sky was a brilliant blue dotted with tiny lamb
clouds, a bumble bee hummed among the ox-eye daisies and the nasturtiums. The
lotus in the tiny pond bloomed and in a distance the Nilgiri thrush called. If
life was to stand still that was a good moment to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Suddenly the idyllic scene before me paled. Wasn’t
there more to life? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Would I be content to pass my days watching the
seasons? Yes, I would. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Would that be enough? No. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That was indeed the first defining moment in my
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BL days</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The second defining moment, as it were, happened
many years later; after marriage and two children. I was in the reception on
the first floor of Kasturi & Sons, waiting to be called in for an interview
with the editor of a newspaper which was to be launched shortly. It was very
quiet; smart young men in blue (MIB) buzzed officiously about. Life size
portraits of Editors Past adorned the walls staring down at the lowlife that
dared to sit. As if that relentless stare was not enough to unnerve, I made the
mistake of picking up a copy of Frontline.
To my great alarm I found that I could not understand a word that was
written there. (It is only later I came to know, that nobody understands
Frontline, including the people who write for it. Later I also realized that
the MIB generally buzz around when the female of the species is sighted.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I panicked and was on the point of scooting down the
stairs, when the MIB went into a flurry of activity. Then the lift door opened
and a lady emerged from it. She glared at me, sitting on the sofa with a copy
of Frontline in hand and then stalked off. That stare really shook me; I
thought I would just run away. But a little voice at the back of my head said,
“Stay, see this through. At the most what is the worst thing that will happen…?
You won’t get the job!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I stayed and got the job. Many years later, Viji,
one of the two men who interviewed me said, “You were one of my best recruits.”
Sadly, Viji is no more. As a reporter and desk man he had much to impart. Everyone
who has worked with him has his or her favourite Viji story. But that is for another day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The other man who interviewed me was Mr. K Venugopal
the Executive Editor of the newspaper, which was to be called The Hindu
Business Line (BL). All he asked me was
if I could type, what arrangements I had made for my kids when they come back
from school and whether I could work late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I worked in BL during the crucial years when the
economy opened up. Suddenly there were a lot of financial reporters on the
scene, the general reporters, especially the ones from The Hindu treated us
with disdain and were very unpleasant at times. But we didn’t care, we were
different and we were going to change the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BL reporters were handpicked from backgrounds as
varied as insurance, advertising, teaching, public relations, banking and a few
housewives like me. We even had a former Catholic priest among us. We were a
breed apart and we looked it. The fashionably attired women created quite a
stir in the canteen and caused many a heart attack for the security. The men
were also well turned out. For the first time, male journalists strolled into
the office looking like they had walked off the set of a fashion shoot for
Allen Solly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the work front, we attended innumerable press
conferences as company after company went into initial public offerings (IPOs).At
every press conference; financial journalists were offered cash and other gifts
to write well about the companies. Some took and some didn’t. Those of us who didn’t
earned the derision of the others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the February of 2007, I resigned my job in BL and
moved to Mysore. A quixotic decision at best! A few months into the quiet life,
I decided I needed a job. So I posted my resume on one of the job sites; then
one fine morning I got a call from Dubai asking me if I was interested to work
on a newspaper. I said ‘yes’ thinking that it was a prank played by my friends.
The calls continued and I kept up the joke. Until finally the man at the other
end, said that the visa and appointment letter would reach me after
Ramadan. I was shell shocked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After I gathered my wits about me, I realized that I
was ill equipped to work in a foreign country. Everybody reassured me and said,
“Dubai is like Kerala”. But I was scared
shitless. Imagine me, well past my prime embarking on this mad cap chakkar. However,
my husband put some perspective into this and said, “Look at this as an
adventure and what is the worst thing that can happen?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the September of 2008, I landed in Dubai. Dubai, the boom town, was hiring. Every day,
plane loads of people looking for a new life landed in this Arab Emirate.
Construction workers, engineers, software techies, chefs, waiters, drivers,
maids, you name it, they were all there.
Little did we know that the great banking crisis of 2008 was about to
turn the world upside down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">My Indian Airlines flight was three hours late.
After I had retrieved my baggage I followed the signs to the counters where I
could pick up the original visa. The holding space in front of these counters
was jammed. Two other airlines had just landed bringing more labour into this
city of dreams. The one from Indonesia was a maid special. As I waited in queue
I watched the agent walk down the line handing back the passports to these
young aspiring maids. Every now and then
there would be an outburst as a girl was denied entry. The other aircraft was
from Pakistan carrying tall, ruggedly handsome muleteers; at least, they
smelled like that. But observing them, I was convinced that many of them were actually Army officers; such was their bearing. They were quiet and tense, if any of them were denied entry, we </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px; line-height: 21.4667px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> know about it. I was dead beat but had to wait for quite a
bit for the iris scan and that all important paper- the original visa. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So it was well past mid night, when I emerged from
the Terminal; there was no sign of the taxi which was supposed to meet me. There
was nobody at the Dubai Tourism booth also. I walked up and down, wondering
what to do. I thought to myself, should I just go back inside and take a flight home. It was very tempting. ‘One last try!’ I told myself, at that precise
moment, a defining one at that, I noticed that someone was at the tourism
counter. I told the Arab gentleman my problem. He called the hotel and asked
them to send a cab immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cab arrived half an hour later. I then went on a
midnight tour of the city. I realized that the cabbie was going around in
circles as I spotted the Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s iconic building, at least three
times, during the ride. It was only much
later I was told that this was one of the illegal cabs and the cabbie, a Pakistani
at that, was avoiding paying salik at the toll plazas en route.<i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-53728952128672122492015-08-18T23:13:00.000-07:002015-08-18T23:21:28.291-07:00My Oasis of Memories - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The stream below Shakuntala,Usha and Jayashree. 1973. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #141823; font-size: large;">The next time I was in Providence College was when I
enrolled for B.A. Literature. Noeline (Tina) Fernandez and I skipped Pre
University since we had done the Indian School Certificate in school. By then
the college hostel and refectory were built.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #141823; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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We had great nuns and lecturers; like Sr. Margaret Mary the Principal who was
firm and friendly, with an endearing smile. Then there was Sr. Francisca and
Sr. Christopher whose stamp collection, we replenished. Sr. Magdalene was the garden sister who allowed
Geeta Gangadhar nee Borlingiah and me to sit on the branches of a tree in the
nun’s garden to study, since we were her pets!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">The three lecturers who made our English classes bubbly
and lively were Miss Becky, Miss Lakshmi Nambiar and Miss Jessie Verghese. Mrs.
Bagavathi tutored me in Tamil and I still admire her patience. I would also
like to mention Mrs. Shakunthala, and Miss Sarma.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Miss Sarma, also an artist, once showed me her painting of a leopard reclining
on a tree limb. Awesome! It was for her forth coming art exhibition. She looked
at some of my paintings and encouraged me to pursue my hobby. We often discussed
Andrew Wyeth’s art and work, from books on loan from the American Library which
used to come periodically to our college library. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sr. Margaret Mary picked some of us artistically inclined
ones to participate in the Mardi Gras, hosted by IIT Madras, where we won
prizes.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>My first stint in acting
was in Provy. I thought I could do wonders on stage, but it ended as a total
fiasco. It was an Inter- Class competition and I started off well enough but
midway I went totally blank. All the prompting from Geetha and Mini Isaac (also
acting in the play) was of no use. The curtain had to come dolefully down upon
an unfinished play. Geetha gave me a good dose since it cost us the trophy.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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We loved the literature classes beneath the enormous pine trees on the grassy
slopes which slid into the small, swampy reedy pond, off the driveway. We have
even had classes in the Cyclops, the old college bus. In 2009 when I visited
Sr. Louisa Marie in Providence there were no traces of the pond or the grassy
slope. A substantial part of the place has given way to new buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those were the wonderful days when the only disaster in
life was an English or Tamil test. We would plan strategies to bunk and
disappear into the tea bushes and play in the stream at the base of the hill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ten rupees, in the 70s went a long way: which was all we
needed on most weekends when we would visit Ooty. It would cover lunch at Shinkows;
stick-jaws and chocolates from King Star for my sister Rajeshree and other
friends. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">We often walked to Bandishola where we treated ourselves
to freshly baked buns. We bought bread there and ate it in our rooms with jam
or honey or with pickle and jam. The
bread was also eaten with the chunky pieces of mango pickle, which were dynamite.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>When we were starved for home food, Usha
Ramani invited a few of us; Padmini from Sri Lanka and Sarojini for lunch in
her estate house in Kotagiri. Usha, Sarojini and I were roomies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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On the fashion scene, those were the bell bottom, waist coats, maxis and hot
pants days. Tina Fernadez would sport hot pants from time to time and nobody
could disagree she had the gorgeous figure and the legs for it! Some of the
Malaysian and Singapore girls even wore very colourful batik lungies with fancy
tops which was in fashion then. I met one of the Malaysian girls, Annarani
Kanagarajah a few years back.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Geetha and I had our first fag in room number 8 or 9, where we puffed, and
coughed so much making it our first and last experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Log Cabin, our canteen, was known for its aromatic
coffee. Jayashree Padmanaban nee Rao and I had a regular cuppa in the evenings
before she took the bus home to Kotagiri. The canteen also served yummy masala
dosas. If orders were placed in advance,
parathas and chicken curry were available.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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When we went for short walks outside the college, we would meet up with Field
Marshal Sam Manekshaw’s Gurkha orderlies with two Labradors on the leash. His house was quite close to Providence,
situated in a strategic spot from where, towards evening, the lights of
Wellington shone like a bowl of jewels. Once, we even had a tour of his lovely
house with the Field Marshall himself, as the tour guide.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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The year I joined, there was a contest for the Freshie Queen. It’s an event for
the freshers where after the mild ragging by seniors, everyone got to know each
other. The girls were all decked in elegant saris as they walked the ramp to
Ananda Shankar’s melodious instrumentals. Sheila Joseph was the Freshie Queen
that year and Jayashree Rao the runner up.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Those were the times when actors like Amol Palekar,Rajesh
Khanna, Shashi Kapoor, Amithab Bachchan, Jaya Bhadhuri, Vidhya Sinha, Reena Roy
and Zeenat Aman were in their prime. Our room walls were filled with posters of
them and other popular bands like the Bee Gees, David Cassidy, the Carpenters,
the Osmond Brothers and the Jackson 5.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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I spent just two years in Providence as my marriage was arranged. I did visit
Providence when my boys, Hemanth and Jaswanth were in the boarding in the
Convent. Things were still much the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few years back when I visited
Provy, I found the landscape completely changed. So many buildings had sprouted
and I felt happy to see the progress but saddened by the disappearance of all
the familiar sights I knew.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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I walked up to ‘my’ room in the hostel where three girls sat chatting. I
introduced myself and said I was here many years ago....could even be years
before they were born! I felt like a relic from the past. They were rather shy
and didn’t talk much.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Dramatic transformations have occurred in the kitchen, dining, lab and class
room areas. The old garden today has changed completely; there are many new
buildings. The ‘tin shed’ has been replaced by a beautiful auditorium named
Mother Marie Theresa Auditorium – one of the pioneering French sisters of St
Joseph of Tarbes.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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I realize that the visions of the early Sisters have come to fruition when I
hear of the students from tribal, rural and the backward communities getting a
chance to graduate and find good jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Providence College, today, offers courses in not only
graduate and post graduate courses, but also M.Phil, PhD programmes in various subjects. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kudos to Providence College for its overall progress -
especially the academic strides, it has made. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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I do believe each one of us passing out from Providence excelled in our own
spheres of life, whether doctors, lecturers, teachers, or home makers. Thank
you, Sisters and lecturers, for what we are today!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; text-align: left; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">The English Literature class picnic to Ooty. Boat House. Noeline Fernandez, Usha Pillai, Rebecca Matthews, Lakshmi Sadanand , Liz Jacob,, Annie Oommen. Freeda ipe, Usha Gopinath 1973</span></span></td></tr>
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Jayashree Jayapaul (Enlgish Literatrue)<br />
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Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-19356145637651998262015-08-17T22:35:00.004-07:002015-08-18T01:00:13.172-07:00My Oasis of Memories <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Usha and Jayashree- on their favourite rock outside the college gates.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823;">Each time I watch a flight of migrating birds in the vastness of the skies I breathe a prayer of praise to God. It is His goodness, which guides, programmes, preserves, protects, provides and rules over us and the various kingdoms of the insects, birds, animals and the creatures of the seas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #141823;">Last fortnight, my husband and I joined a Thomas Cook tour to South Africa and Kenya. I watched flocks of Egyptian geese cawing and squawking as </span>they sailed beautifully across the azure skies of Africa.<span style="color: #141823;"> It reminded me of our days flitting away into the horizons of the past. (Perhaps it was the fact that I turned 60 this July which resulted in such thought.) Anyway, we can always recall the bygone moments of our lives by reminiscing over events residing in our memories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />My memories of Providence College go far back to the 60s, when Springfield Palace was yet to be bought by the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes. The palace was the summer retreat of the Kochi royalty. Negotiations were on between the Kochi royal family and the Sisters. I was probably in my 7th or 8th class, studying in St. Joseph’s Convent, Coonoor. I remember we joined Mother Miriam in the special prayers each night when negotiations were afoot. When Springfield Palace was eventually bought we were quite excited when we boarders were taken to see the place with a picnic tea.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Scurrying down from the school bus our first view of Springfield Palace was of an ornate but thoroughly rusty gate, which creaked open into a really over grown garden, very unkempt with undergrowths and thick shrubs, wild vines, weeds and plants everywhere. At the time, the hostels, auditorium (tin shed made of aluminum sheets) and the refectory (as we knew it in1972) did not exist.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />The beautiful French windowed class room which was said to be the room where the Maharaja received visitors was the most fascinating structure there. The other buildings such as the community building, the principal’s office, the library and the staff quarters were slightly dilapidated buildings, roofed in red brown tiles, standing desolately amidst the thick, savage foliage which surrounded it. Some of the buildings had furniture lying around in disarray. There was some talk that Mr. Lopez, the father of Hyacinth and Lynette Lopez had bought all the palace furniture and donated it back to the nuns.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />It was an adventure exploring the surroundings. I remember we took a stroll down the driveway and came upon a lone, squat building. We peeped through the dusty glass window panes. There was a beautiful, white, ceramic bath tub sunk into the floor of the room and a few pieces of antique furniture scattered about. We were told it was the queen’s bathing room where she probably had her therapeutic, aromatic, luxury baths. This room was later to become our Tamil class room, and an inner room was where sports equipments were stored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Right below the room with the French windows, which later became one of the class rooms – and so convenient for us to bunk, slipping out the French windows, the ground was in two levels. One had a lovely stone fountain. When we were in College in the 70s the fountain was still there and the wild growth had given way to shuttle and tennikoit courts. The grounds around the college gave way to extensive areas of lush, green tea gardens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />In the initial years, the hostellers of Providence were housed in our school’s staff quarters. They would travel to college by the school van dressed in their beautiful saris and pants. Looking at them, we Convent girls thought our uniforms drab.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">I remember our girls even took part in an Inter- collegiate play competition at Anna Stadium Ooty, representing the Providence College. It was Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado with Susan Thomas playing lead as the Mikado. Christine Jamal (Kitty Fernandez) and the rest of the cast turned out a splendid performance, which won a prize.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #141823;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />My next visit to Providence College was in 1970. Springfield Palace was now was Providence College, having started humbly with a handful of local and foreign students, many of them from the Convent. Providence was celebrating the centenary of Charles Dickens. We Convent girls were invited. Dress code: Victorian era and we had to come as couples.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />We in the 10th and 11th class raided the costume room behind the stage. The costume room was a treasury of every conceivable type of clothing from some bygone era. Those of us dressing as women were fitted in bright lengthy gowns with hoops, done with saris. Sleeves were flouncy and puffed with plenty of lace and silk flower trimmings. We had no crinolines so we used extra chemises and petticoats to give our dresses the bounce. Some of us had the tight bodices which was wound around and tied behind. Some of the more daring seniors wore ‘off the shoulders’ dresses, and tossed a light modest shawl or scarf over them!<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Hats ranged in lovely shades and sizes. There were flowery bonnets and broad brimmed hats with coloured feathers and flowers to choose from. We wore our slip-ons or heels. Some girls decorated their umbrellas with trimmings and twirled it around which looked very fancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Those who dressed as men wore tail coats or calf length frock coats of wool or velvet, over dark long pants or breeches. They wore white shirts with wide cravats, neck ties or bows. The hats were bowlers or top hats. I’m not sure if anyone wore wigs. The shoes were our everyday naughty boy shoes, brushed to a shine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />So thus attired we strolled around in Providence where everyone was decked up in Victorian era clothing. I think it was a sort of fete. There were stalls themed on Dickens, with displays, write ups and cut outs of information about Dickensian times. I think there were short talks on Dickens and his works. There might have been a play but we didn’t stay long enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;">My next visit to Providence College was in 1970. Springfield Palace was now was Providence College, having started humbly with a handful of local and foreign students, many of them from the Convent. Providence was celebrating the centenary of Charles Dickens. We Convent girls were invited. Dress code: Victorian era and we had to come as couples.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #141823;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />We in the 10th and 11th class raided the costume room behind the stage. The costume room was a treasury of every conceivable type of clothing from some bygone era. Those of us dressing as women were fitted in bright lengthy gowns with hoops, done with saris. Sleeves were flouncy and puffed with plenty of lace and silk flower trimmings. We had no crinolines so we used extra chemises and petticoats to give our dresses the bounce. Some of us had the tight bodices which was wound around and tied behind. Some of the more daring seniors wore ‘off the shoulders’ dresses, and tossed a light modest shawl or scarf over them!<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Hats ranged in lovely shades and sizes. There were flowery bonnets and broad brimmed hats with coloured feathers and flowers to choose from. We wore our slip-ons or heels. Some girls decorated their umbrellas with trimmings and twirled it around which looked very fancy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />Those who dressed as men wore tail coats or calf length frock coats of wool or velvet, over dark long pants or breeches. They wore white shirts with wide cravats, neck ties or bows. The hats were bowlers or top hats. I’m not sure if anyone wore wigs. The shoes were our everyday naughty boy shoes, brushed to a shine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><br />So thus attired we strolled around in Providence where everyone was decked up in Victorian era clothing. I think it was a sort of fete. There were stalls themed on Dickens, with displays, write ups and cut outs of information about Dickensian times. I think there were short talks on Dickens and his works. There might have been a play but we didn’t stay long enough.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1cmX4iBNfiWpbTAW3JRyc50VuujgpCZ8ccX2I_1pdhDeVS4YOF-pmt4txCfwShv2bZb7aL3Wz2ciodX5tJHcEIp2pkHQFmOCq7D21Nb2Q4Pv_GI1p4uqR5hCfq5pN3hMNFL-JJopuew/s1600/j2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN1cmX4iBNfiWpbTAW3JRyc50VuujgpCZ8ccX2I_1pdhDeVS4YOF-pmt4txCfwShv2bZb7aL3Wz2ciodX5tJHcEIp2pkHQFmOCq7D21Nb2Q4Pv_GI1p4uqR5hCfq5pN3hMNFL-JJopuew/s320/j2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Padmini, Jayashree, Usha and Sarojini on the fountain rim (below room 1.) Providence College - 1973.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #141823;"><i>to be continued</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823;"><i>Jayashree Jayapaul (nee Johnson)</i></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823;"> </span><span style="color: #141823;"> </span></div>
Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-25928233109952410052015-08-05T22:25:00.005-07:002015-08-18T00:59:17.457-07:00HALCYON DAYS AT PROVY <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I entered
the portals of college,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">gauche,
gangly, giggly, unsure, tense…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What lies
within the hallowed walls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">of this
college called Providence?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Pleasant
lawns, tall trees, quaint old buildings</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">nestled
softly in the arms of Nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The songs of
birds filled my ears,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">painting a
calm and quiet picture. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fairytale
pathways and cobblestone steps,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Under
branches filled with fragrant flowers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And wherever
I looked, dotting the scene,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">colourful
clusters in little bowers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Gracious
sisters, attired in white or black</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">moved across
my bemused vision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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voices as they direct and guide,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">as they went
about their God-given mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soon the
place rang with joyous young voices<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Solemn lessons,
dramas, contests and friends!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of Laughter
and fun there was no lack,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">no want of
style and high fashion trends!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Four years -
too short, too fast they fled!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Four halcyon
years in that paradise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">gave me
wings, polished my rough edges,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">gladdened my
heart; made me wise!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I left that
pristine and lovely place,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">with the high
principles, courage, enlightened mind<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">gleaned from
the guiding lights that moulded me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I left a
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Minnie Isaac T </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">English </span><span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">Literature Class of 1975</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-23037332828557586602015-08-04T22:35:00.000-07:002015-08-06T21:27:14.790-07:00 Chase your dream with passion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This is an excerpt from the keynote address of Dr Susan Punnen Grandy at
the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Providence College. She spoke about her journey from small town Coonoor to the higher </span><span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">echelons of the global Pharma industry</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Susan Grandy in the centre with Sr Principal on her left and Sr Assumpta on the right</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">"Start with a dream and pursue it
relentlessly…with passion. The path that you take to reach your dream may not
be easy. But the road will be scenic and interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The speed of your journey will vary along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">You may have to slow down due to traffic </span><span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px;">congestion</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> and accidents. At
other times you can cruise along or race at 100 miles an hour as if you were on
an autobahn <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On the road to success you stop at different places and have different
experience, some good and some bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On the road to success you meet people who can impact the direction you
take in your journey. Some people are with you for a short time while some
others are there throughout the journey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A sense of achievement will be the signal that you have attained your
goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Don’t stop dreaming then.
Continue to strive for new heights and newer dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Susan’s story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This is the story of the journey I made; today, I stand
on this stage in disbelief. The last time I was on a stage at Providence College;
I was playing the lead role in William Shakespeare’s Othello. The auditorium
was a tin shed. Never in my wildest
dreams did I envision this moment, that I would be back on the Providence College
stage as a chief guest, after 40 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I have stood on many stages and at podiums around the
world giving my research lectures at international scientific meetings. But
being invited to this stage, to speak to you and participate in the Golden
Jubilee celebration of Providence College, my old alma mater, is truly an
honor…It seems I have made a full circle to come back to where it all started <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A door closed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I left Coonoor and India as a teenager. After
completing my Pre-University Degree from Providence College, my dream was to
attend medical school and become a doctor. However, I was met with hurdles. While
applying for a medical seat in Kerala, I was told the Pre-University course I had
undergone was not recognized. I would have to get a two year Pre-Degree course or
apply after my Bachelors degree. This, of course, was very disappointing and
needless to say frustrating for a young 17 year old. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I did not let this deter me from my dream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I decided to pursue my Bachelors Degree and kept my
options open to other possibilities. I
applied to Universities in Kerala, and at the same time I also applied to
Universities in the US for the Pre-Med Program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My determination paid off as I not only got admission
to Upsala University in New Jersey, US, <b>but
I also received a full 4-year scholarship. </b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">How did I get the scholarship? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The University
Admissions office was so impressed with my Pre-University grades from my
education at Providence, and my TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign
Language) scores. They said that they had never seen such a high English test
score from a foreign student. Little did the University in US know that English
was the language that I was most familiar with; and I owed that to my education
at St. Josephs’ and Providence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When one door closed God opened another <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I started chasing my dream with the
university admission letter in hand and $8 in my purse, (that was all a student
was allowed to carry at that time). I boarded an aircraft for the first time in
my life. The flight was from Cochin via Bombay and Saudi Arabia; it made a detour
to Paris for an emergency landing (because of a fire on the plane) and finally to
New York. I landed in New York about 18 hours late. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There was a person waiting at the airport holding a
placard with my name on it. He was sent by Upsala University to welcome me. He
helped me with my luggage and to make a call to the folks who were supposed to
pick me up, who were not at the airport because all roads were temporarily
closed in New York due to torrential rain which lashed the city. The roads
would open again only at 7 am. It was four in the morning; everyone had left
the airport even the janitors who clean the airport. I sat there alone waiting
for daylight. You can imagine how scared I was, a 17-year old alone at the John
F Kennedy International Airport. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But things got better; and I started my student life
and education in America. I had joined Upsala University a month late due to
visa delays, so I had some catching up to do.
A student counselor had enrolled me into courses that I had never even
heard of or could even spell like Calculus. But I was in good hands. All the
professors were very helpful, especially my Math Professor who took me under
his wing and coached me so that I caught with the rest of the class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Pre Med Program<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I soon realized that the “Pre-Med Program” was
actually four years of college to earn a Bachelors in Science . This was not
the 6 month pre-med Program that I had envisioned where I would move
automatically into a full- fledged medical education. In the US, the minimum
degree you need to apply for medical school was a Bachelor’s degree. So now, I
realized that becoming a doctor would take a little longer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I worked hard for the next few years. I was on the
Dean’s list every semester, and graduated with distinction in three and half
years instead of the mandatory four. Once again I was excited that I could now apply
to medical school in the US. I took my MCATs (Medical Aptitude Test) and
proceeded to apply to medical schools and was told that since I was not a US
citizen admission would be very difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Another door closed<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I had come this far and I must not give up my dream
now. So I applied for a Masters Program and received admission in the
prestigious Seton Hall University in New Jersey. While studying at the
University one of my professors introduced me to one of his old students’ who
had graduated with a Master’s and then enrolled into a PhD Program in
Pharmacology at the Rutgers University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ. I had
never thought about going for a doctorate degree. As I learned more about the
PhD Program it occurred to me that Pharmacology was all about Medicine. You had
to study everything a medical doctor studied and then you had to do original
research and discover new science. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This intrigued me. So I decided to apply for the PhD
Program in Pharmacology at Rutgers University of Medicine and Dentistry. Only
three students are selected each year into the program. Well, I was selected
and I started my PhD Program. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Another setback <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Two months after I joined the PhD program I was in a
very bad car accident. My car was destroyed and I almost lost my life. With the
help of highly trained doctors in the Emergency room I was patched up and then
spent the next few weeks in the hospital intensive care unit. My face was
completely smashed. I had temporary paralysis and could not walk. I thought my
life and my academic pursuits were over. With medical care from doctors,
nurses, and rehabilitation with physical therapy and friends I slowly recovered
my ability to walk. I spent the next few months gaining my strength and
recovering back to health. I was now afraid to drive…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But I picked myself up and went back to the
University…I had missed a few months of my first semester classes. The
University Professors and my classmates worked with me and I caught up on all
the courses and exams I had missed and I was back in full force pursuing my
PhD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The first two years was all course work for the PhD
Program. When that was complete I had to go through an oral exam with a panel
of professors who would decide if I can proceed to become a candidate for the
PhD. I passed. So the next phase was to pick a professor and select an area of
research that you want to pursue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I picked Dr. Hreday Sapru, a Neuro-pharmacologist in
the Neuroscience Department. He was a terrific mentor and guided my research in
his laboratory the next two and half years. My research was mapping out the
neural pathway and neurotransmitters that controlled blood pressure. My
Professor was very disciplined and strict. He wanted me to present my research
findings at International Scientific Meetings and publish in scientific
journals. By the time I stood in front of my Defense Committee to defend my PhD
thesis, all work was published and there were no questions left un-answered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Donald Rice, Professor and leading neuroscientist at
Cornell University in New York was on my defense committee. He was very
impressed. Right after, he shook my hand and congratulated me on my research;
he offered me a post-doctoral fellowship in his laboratory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Two weeks after I got my PhD, I got married. I had met
my husband John Paul Grandy, MD when we were both at the medical school. I then
did my post-doctoral fellowship with a National Institutes of Health Federal
Grant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I took a year off after my postdoctoral fellowship to
have my daughter Samantha and stayed home a few months be a mom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-26300376754487216672015-08-04T20:05:00.003-07:002015-08-04T20:06:47.881-07:00A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF AN ARMY BRAT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I guess I was destined to be an Army brat – I was
born in Kashmir in a pretty little mission hospital surrounded by cherry trees,
in a beautiful little town nestled in the Himalayas, called Anantnag. My first
home was a houseboat on the Dal Lake, and my second was a tent on the banks of
the beautiful Basanta River. My dad was in the Army, and posted in Kashmir at
the time of my birth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSonf4oXi0PhEg2wBBSisHf2TASvEGFIIydw_HL61m4qCgh_RsITfR-TXBzD3jaJRgjnkeLtX9abaYN1QQNtOLkhDAmbPwkvWXfPGFTYOkqZxU-Qix7Iz-Of9ZTher1WvIuTS1zS1IXak/s1600/Val.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSonf4oXi0PhEg2wBBSisHf2TASvEGFIIydw_HL61m4qCgh_RsITfR-TXBzD3jaJRgjnkeLtX9abaYN1QQNtOLkhDAmbPwkvWXfPGFTYOkqZxU-Qix7Iz-Of9ZTher1WvIuTS1zS1IXak/s320/Val.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The camp where we lived was surrounded by cherry
orchards, and according to my mum, was as pretty as a picture. My mother told
me stories about how clear the water was, teeming with trout which they used to
enjoy just cooked in butter with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt and
pepper. There was always a basket of plump, sweet, red cherries on our
makeshift dining table.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Growing up the daughter
of an Army Officer is something only another army brat will understand – an
Army Cantonment is a world unto itself – complete with schools, hospitals,
canteens, temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras. We learnt from a very
early age to respect all religions, celebrate all festivals, and speak many
languages. We shared a deep bond with all the other families, meeting often in
the Officer’s Mess to celebrate Holi, Diwali and Christmas. Thinking back on
those days fills me with nostalgia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, the uncertainty and constant state of
flux is something that an army brat has to contend with. I knew what it was like to constantly move
schools, to have to make new friends, to pack and move like nomads every few
years, not to have your dad with you at crucial junctures of your life, and all
the other stuff which is part and parcel of life in the Armed Forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Having known no other
life, it seemed only natural then that I ended up marrying an Army Officer! My
father was thrilled when I announced that I wanted to marry an Army pilot – in
his eyes a helicopter pilot was the crème de la crème of the Army! All within
the space of three months, I was engaged, married and on my way to Devlali to
face life as the wife of an Air OP (now Army Aviation) pilot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Initially, it was like being thrown into the deep
end of the pool without knowing how to swim – life as the Commandant’s daughter
was as different from life as a Captain’s wife, as chalk is different from
cheese! I had to learn very quickly how to swim – the alternative was to sink
like a stone! However, my resilience and adaptability kicked in, and soon
enough I learnt how to cope with both the joys and rigours of being a soldier’s
wife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the next thirty years my life was a continuous
circle of joy, adventure, fear, loneliness, and the ever pervading feeling of
never being able to put down roots. Our homes consisted of tents,
bashas,(thatched huts) old dhobi’s lines with ‘FOR DEMOLITION’ painted on the
walls, and of course the good old MES Inspection Bungalows and Army Messes,
where we spent many a night waiting for our temporary accommodation. I always
found that amusing – by the time we were eventually allotted permanent
accommodation, within a matter of months came the transfer orders! So we had to
pack up and move again……………to a new city/town, the mess, temporary
accommodation, permanent accommodation and another transfer – in that order!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Looking back on my life however, I realize I
wouldn’t have had it any other way – my life was filled with adventure and
excitement few others would have experienced.
I have the blood of a warrior flowing in my veins, and I am proud to
call myself an Army brat!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Valerie Lamoury (<i>nee
Suares</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">English Literature Class of 1978 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2029864305614962510.post-31975761195809975662015-08-03T23:31:00.002-07:002015-08-03T23:34:11.894-07:00Our Joys Our Sorrows<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fifty years ago, the Sisters of the Order of St
Joseph of Tarbes, set up a women’s college in Coonoor. This college, Providence College for Women, has
since been in the forefront of women’s higher education in the Nilgiris. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHzljbbcrO_BO5qFzYPCfz3wofTucJNNHep_4SyH5HqFPMymofIe0XoChk9t2uGVAb9iTriyWVP6ivXWaJgRo3T-JBJmcIDM-k8lIEIXvHPwpcXe9H_dOiM1XWqsIz0ovll35qAcBFb0/s1600/Provy+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHzljbbcrO_BO5qFzYPCfz3wofTucJNNHep_4SyH5HqFPMymofIe0XoChk9t2uGVAb9iTriyWVP6ivXWaJgRo3T-JBJmcIDM-k8lIEIXvHPwpcXe9H_dOiM1XWqsIz0ovll35qAcBFb0/s320/Provy+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo: Samantha Iyanna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many girls, especially from backward and tribal
communities were able to get themselves a college education and thereby spread
the light of learning into their houses, villages and their communities at
large. A great majority of the students who have passed through this college come
from economically weaker sections of society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the years, the college has grown from strength
to strength and today offers many more disciplines than it did when I was a
student there in the mid 1970s. The college also offers PhD programmes in many
disciplines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, the college has not just grown it has changed
in so many ways. The students have uniforms on certain days, they wear blazers
and of course there are many more buildings. The ethereal charm of Provy of the
old days is no longer there. Today it is bustling and very alive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was fortunate to attend the final day of the four-day
celebrations which marked the beginning of the Golden Jubilee year. As soon as
Samantha Iyanna informed me about the Golden Jubilee celebrations I thought of
Dr Susan Punnen Grandy as a chief guest; after all she was our very own success
story. Though Susan did just one year of Pre University in Provy before she
left for higher studies in the US, we would like to think that Susan is, at
heart, a Coonoor girl. Imagine my
surprise when Susan told me that she would definitely come to Coonoor and
participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Susan, incidentally, is a corporate honcho and a
high flying one at that. She is a Director with one of the world’s pharma giants.
She travels the world on business and is very much a world citizen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Most of the girls who passed out of Provy did not
become hot shot corporate honchos or influential bureaucrats, though we have
our share of those too. The majority of old students became teachers, bankers
and lawyers, balancing their lives as wives, mothers and daughters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This blog is to celebrate their lives as they relive
old memories and talk about their lives, their joys and sorrows. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Nina Varghesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07276328909778637267noreply@blogger.com1