Remembering Selma Lagerlöf

She is one of the best-known authors in Sweden and she grew up at Mårbacka. She is famous for her novel, “Gösta Berling´s Saga” (1891), “Jerusalem” (1902) and “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” (1906). She is the first woman and the first Swedish author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. Most of her writings are based on Swedish folklore and local traditions. Today is her birthday. 

Image source: https://marbacka.com/en/

Her childhood home, Mårbacka, is now a museum dedicated to her life and works. One of the exhibits in the museum is the kitchen with the AGA stove in the centre. The cooker was a gift from the cook's inventor Gustaf Dalén, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1912. Selma Lagerlöf was very proud of her AGA cooker and often showed it to her visitors. This is a great example of the camaraderie that existed between two Nobel Prize Winners. 

Gustaf Dalén received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on lighthouse illumination, especially his Sun Valve. The Nobel Committee praised his contributions to energy conservation and maritime safety. 

Selma Lagerlöf’s portrait appeared on the Swedish 20-krona banknote from 1991 to 2015.

 

ams - Literary Commemoration, November 20,2024

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 18, 2024

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 18, 2024

 

ams -Literary Commemorations, November 17, 2024

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 16, 2024

 

Orbital by Samantha Hayes ( not a book review)

 

2019 saw two women authors winning the Booker Prize for Fiction – Margaret Atwood for "The Testaments" and Bernardine Evaristo for “Girls, Woman, Other.”  In 2009, Hilary Mantel won the Prize for “Wolf Hall”. Samantha Harvey’s first novel “The Wilderness” appeared in the Booker Prize Long-list in the year 2009. 

In 2024, she won the Prize for her novel “Orbital”. This year, out of the six short-listed authors, five are women. So far, 19 women have won the Booker Prize since its inception. Orbital is about six astronauts orbiting the Earth. Each chapter of the novel covers a single 90-minute orbit around Earth, with 16 orbits in the 24 hours.The novel explores profound themes such as mourning, desire, and the climate crisis.  

Can we trust our memories? - a research poster

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 15, 2024

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 14, 2024

 

Shōgun

2024 is indeed the year I fell in love with Japanese culture and literature.  It all started with “In a Grove”, which I taught in the second-year English language syllabus in the month of June. This short story authored by Akutagawa Ryunosuke was adapted by Akira Kurosawa as “Rashomon”. I was introduced Japanese crime fiction in the year 2023 with Keigo Higashino’s “The Devotion of Suspect X”, the first in his Detective Galileo series which was followed by “Malice.” This year, I read the other three books in Detective Kaga series namely, “Newcomer”, “A Death in Tokyo” and “The Final Curtain”. 

For my classroom discussions with my students, I delved deep into the Japanese concepts like Ikigai ( purpose and reason for living ), Kaizen ( continuous improvement ), and Wabi-Sabi (accept impermanence). My exposure to Japanese culture continued when I happen to watch an interview with Francesc Miralles, the co-author of the best-selling book “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”. “Perfect Days” by Wim Wenders was another window into the world of Japan and the life of Hirayama. One episode in the  Netflix documentary “WWII in Color Road to Victory” presented the historical background of the Pearl Harbour attacks. 

 

Last night, I completed the first season of the series “Shōgun” in Disney Hotstar. The first season of the series had ten episodes, and the second season is expected in 2026. For me “Shōgun” was a continuation of the movie “Silence” by Martin Scorsese. Since the movie came out in 2016, and the series in 2024, the audience had to watch history topsy turvy. It is mentioned that the movie and series are  30 years apart. Both are based on highly acclaimed novels. “Silence” is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō and “Shōgun” is adapted from the 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is interesting to note that James Clavell wrote, produced and directed “To Sir, with Love” featuring Sidney Poitier and based on E. R. Braithwaite's semiautobiographical 1959 book. He spent three years researching and writing Shōgun (1975), about an Englishman who becomes a samurai in feudal Japan.  

 

It was interesting to watch the deceitful ways Portuguese (Roman Catholics) and the Protestant Dutch fought for supremacy in a Japan which didn’t have a Central Ruler Shōgun. The series is slow paced because the Japanese life is also slow paced. Hiroyuki Sanada excels in the role of Lord Yoshii Toranaga. It was good to watch the performance of Hiroyuki Sanada after watching him in the series “Lost.” It was a treat to watch Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko. The last time I watched her perform was in Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”. I think she has mouthed some of the best lines in the series like “Life and death are the same. Both can have value and purpose.” She talks about the Eightfold Fence which is an impenetrable wall you build within yourself. She says, “Do you know “The Eightfold Fence”? From the time we are small, it is something we are taught to build within ourselves. An impenetrable wall, behind which we can retreat whenever we need. You must train yourself to listen without hearing. For instance, you can listen to the sound of a blossom falling or the rocks growing. If you really listen, your present circumstance vanishes.” Mariko sama is more like a tour guide (translator) for John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) , the marooned sea captain. It is through Mariko-sama's  eyes; we understand the culture of Japan in detail. 

 

 

 

Visual Lesson Summary - Second Year - Telephone Conversation - 2.1

 

Visual Lesson Summary - First Year - The Autobiography of Gandhi - 1.2

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 13, 2024

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 12, 2024

 

Remembering Kurt Vonnegut

Today is the birthday of Kurt Vonnegut, the American novelist. Salman Rushdie wrote about Kurt Vonnegut in the June 13^th issue of the New Yorker magazine. The article discusses Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five in the context of another war novel, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. He says that he read the two novels in the same year and both of them had an incredible effect on his young mind. Later in the article he also shares his experience of reading another war novel. Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” As a student in England, Rushdie remembers how he was part of the anti-war efforts. He says that both Slaughterhouse-Five and Catch 22 treats the theme of war seriously and comically. He sums up his observation in this line “If Heller was Charlie Chaplin, then Vonnegut was Buster Keaton”. Rushdie describes Kurt Vonnegut as a sad faced comedian. He further says that Kurt Vonnegut “was present for a great horror and lived to tell the tale.” Kurt Vonnegut is praised as the writer of American counterculture particularly influencing the students of the 60s and 70s who carried copies of his book in the back pockets of their jeans. 

 

Slaughterhouse-Five is based on the Second World War firebombing of Dresden in February 1945. The attack destroyed the city and its inhabitants. Rushdie uses a phrase from the novel which is used to describe death. The phrase “So it goes” is used in the novel every time someone dies. He describes the novel as “a great realist novel.” According to Rushdie “Slaughterhouse-Five” doesn’t tell the reader how to stop wars, it informs that wars are hellish which is something we all already know. Slaughterhouse-Five was published in 1969 when America was facing three challenges, the Vietnam war, racial unrest and cultural and social changes.

 

Reference: 

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/what-kurt-vonneguts-slaughterhouse-five-tells-us-now

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/11/books/11cnd-vonnegut.html

Visual Lesson Summary - Second Year - In a Grove - 1.1

 

Visual Lesson Summary - First Year - Nine Gold Medals

 

ams - Literary Commemoration, November 11, 2024

 

Visual Lesson Summary - First Year - I am Malala

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 10, 2024

 

Imre Kertész – A Tribute

Imre Kertész is a Hungarian author known for his semi-autobiographical novels. Most of his novels are based on his experience at the Auschwitz and Buchenwald death camps. He is the winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel Committee praised his work for describing the “fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history.” In his Nobel acceptance speech, he said “ I died once, so I could live”. 

When he won the prize, only two of his novels “Fateless” and “Kaddish for an Unborn Child” were translated into English. He was surprised that he won the award because he was not popular except for a small group of serious readers in Germany, France and Scandinavia. Even after his liberation from the Buchenwald camp in May 1945, he felt stifled by authoritarianism because he returned to a Budapest which was under the Soviet Communists. He lost his job as a journalist because he was not ready to glorify the Soviet leaders and the ‘ism’ that they espoused. He became a translator of German-language authors including Nietzsche, Freud and Wittgenstein. He began focussing on fiction and had a difficult time when he worked as a labourer in the day and wrote fiction at night. To publish his first novel “Fateless” he had to face many challenges because of the repressive Communist regime. It took 13 years for him to complete “Fateless”. 

His second novel “Kaddish for an Unborn Child” is addressed to a child narrator. Imre Kertész refused to father a child because he didn’t want the child to experience a childhood like his, a decision which led to a marital breakup. From 2003, his novels were sold like hot cakes in Hungary – 500,000 copies were sold. Many Hungarians wrote protest letters to the Nobel Committee deriding their decision to award the prize to a Jew. Towards the end of his life Imre Kertész developed Parkinson’s disease and had to move back to Budapest from Berlin for medical care. The interview for the Paris Review was recorded at Berlin. He discussed his initial tryst with writing and how a journal in his childhood helped him to capture everything about the life around him. He says that the reality of the totalitarian systems that he lived in was complex and difficult to convey in words. 

 

References: 

https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6235/the-art-of-fiction-no-220-imre-kertesz

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/31/imre-kertesz-obituary

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/01/world/europe/imre-kertesz-dies.html

 

 

 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 9, 2024

 

Teachers as Knowledge Workers

 

The term 'knowledge worker' is something unheard in the academia. The normal classification of teachers begins with an assistant professor, followed by an associate professor and then a professor. These labels are based on teaching and research experience and also on the numbers of papers published in national and international journals. The nomenclature  of 'knowledge worker' is something akin to that of construction workers, health workers etc. In fact,  knowledge workers will also include these professional domains also. 

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a knowledge worker as ‘a person whose job involves handling or using information.’ A teacher’s main capital is knowledge. The qualities of a knowledge worker as listed in an online journal are: continuous learning, autonomy, innovation, productivity and prioritising quality over quantity. Another article discussed how treating teachers as knowledge workers improves the esteem  of the teaching profession. 

 

Managing knowledge is one of the greatest challenges of a knowledge worker. This is based on the evolving methods of knowledge transfer. This is opposite to the rigid and stagnant approach of the traditional knowledge system. COVID-19 and the usefulness of online classes has led to a rethinking about the ways knowledge can be transferred. Technology and new techniques of student engagement plays a big role in the life of a teacher who is a knowledge worker.  

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 8, 2024

 

Incubation of Ideas

On a rainy, slushy afternoon, a group of professors met to discuss and plan for setting up an incubation centre in a college campus. A simple definition of an incubation centre is to provide support to entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses after their graduation. The centre will also serve as a vital source of motivation for budding entrepreneurs. They also promote innovation and creativity by facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration between students, teachers and professionals. The key areas of an incubation centre are skill enhancement, networking opportunities, encouraging innovations and inculcating an entrepreneurial mindset. 

 

The Government of India has initiated the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. One of the primary objectives of AIM is to promote and establish world-class incubation centres. These centres will be established across the country. 

 

UGC guidelines stipulates that the incubation centres should come under the Institute Development Plan. The various stages in incubation are: The Pre-incubation stage, the Idea stage, the Seed stage, the Early stage, the Growth stage, the Expansion stage and the Maturity stage. Some of the activities that can be conducted by the incubation centre of a college are, expert talks on topics related to entrepreneurship, seminars and workshops on topics like problem solving and ideation, Ideathons where ideas are discussed, screened and suggestions are given. 

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 7, 2024

 

The Wonderful and the Challenging World of Personal Challenges

‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear talks about how small habits daily can lead to wonderful results in our journey of self-transformation and growth. Personal challenges are an extension of these small habits which are also part of our daily routine. They are defined as ' powerful catalysts for profound life changes '. They will enable us to extend the boundaries of our comfort zone. They will unlock our hidden potential for creativity and innovation. Personal challenges will also lead to significant personal growth. Personal challenges also borders on Ikigai – the purpose of your life. 

 

Growth happens in a slow and steady manner. You cannot become a writer overnight. You may have to read a lot and write more to fine tune the finer aspects of writing. There is hard work and dedication involved in the process of growth. Above all these, there is also the element of enjoyment. The quote by Confucius can be added here to amplify the joy quotient - “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,”. If you want to be consistent, you should enjoy your daily routine. Personal challenges are like private endeavours which will help the doer grow privately. It will boost confidence and will instil the mantra           

“Everything is possible’.

 

Personal Challenges are also fraught with difficulties. 

 

1.  The initial excitement may soon fade away. 

2.  Expecting immediate results will lead to disenchantment. You cannot expect    

     instant gratification.  

3.  Personal Challenges should not be done based on external validation. You 

     cannot expect the whole world to appreciate what you are doing. 

4. It is important to make a judicious decision regarding the kind of challenge that you want to pursue. 

5. Personal challenges can also be kept as a secret. You may keep it hidden from others. The decision to make to share your challenge in the public domain is entirely up to you. 

 

I have always enjoyed taking up challenges in life. I challenged myself to read 12 books in the beginning of this year. After three months, I had to revise my reading challenge to 24 books. Now, as I write this blog in November, I have read 28 books this year and I am on my way to complete three more books this month and some more this year. 

This year I have completed another personal challenge by posting vocabulary posters from April 8^th  2024 to July 16, 2024. The words for this 100-day vocabulary challenge was curated from two books. ‘The Last Lecture’ by Randy Pausch and ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl.  

 

 

 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 6, 2024

 

Deep Work for a Deeper Life

One of the best books which I read this year as part of my personal reading challenge was Deep Work by Carl Newport. It discusses the potential of doing focussed and deep work. One of the major takeaways is the expression ‘deliberate practice’. The only way one can engage in deep work is based on ‘intentions’. This will help us to avoid distractions and avoid multitasking. Carl Newport is also the author of Digital Minimalism, Slow Productivity and How to Become a Straight A Student.  Last night I was able to engage myself in deep work for more than three hours. The work involved preparing the internal mark sheets for three classes. I started the work at 10.30 pm and by the time I took the final printouts it was 1.30 am. The idea for this blog popped up before I hit the sack.

One of the main intentions behind this three-hour deep work session was to complete the academic backlog. There is also an element of joy and excitement in the work. I like using Microsoft Excel for preparing the marksheets. Every time I use the software, I am in awe of its computational capabilities. One feature, I really enjoy is the drag and fill option which is a great way to complete the mark entry in one go. 

 

One essential thing  that enables deep work is the availability of the resources or the data that is required to complete the work. For preparing the marksheets, what I required were speaking marksheets, Kahoot! Scores, Google Form scores, students’ attendance data and mark statements of the three continuous assessments. All these were readily available, my task became effortless. This method is so conducive when writing research papers and articles. 

 

Technology is a double-edged sword. It makes us productive and at the same time it can also be highly disruptive. Carl Newport’s book Digital Minimalism talks about the significance of adopting technological sabbatical. The book encourages us to step back from the onslaught of digital distractions. The book is a clarion call for reclaiming self-autonomy and to lead a more satisfying and healthy lives. One of the recommendations by the author is to leave the mobile phones at home while going for walks.  

 

It is not easy to create a distraction free study environment. Either we have to create one through conscious efforts or we may have to find one inside a library, park or a coffee shop. The quality of research will be based on the quality of the workspace. The following books will help to design a distraction free, productive environment: Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretch Rubin, The New Corner Office by Laura Vanderkam, The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, Mind Over Clutter by Nicola Lewis, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying-Up by Marie Kondo. 

When I completed the mark sheet task, I felt that the whole world was non-existent. The intention was so strong that I took up the task as a top priority by giving up my daily routine which included reading three books and watching a web series. When you are engaged in deep work, your mind should focus the most important task and you may have to sacrifice some simple pleasures of life. 

ams - Literary Commemoration - November 5, 2024

 

The Parallels between Human Body and an Organization

Ageing is a natural process. The human body which was once flexible and agile starts experiencing sluggishness and tardiness. There are many ways the human body can maintain its healthiness. This blog is not entirely about the human body or human physiology. The blog attempts to explore the interconnectedness between human body and an organization. We can draw many parallels between the health  quotient of human body and organization. 

Early Warning Signs

When hearth deteriorates , the body exhibits warning signs. It will be wise to heed the early warning signs and take preventive measures. The same applies to an organization. When there are cracks appearing on the basic structure of the organization there is the need to address the problems. Ignoring these early warning signs will only lead to disorder and the ultimate death of the organization. 

 

Self-Corrective Measures

To set things in order, the affected body will have to adopt certain corrective steps. This is essential for reclaiming the health quotient. The organization should also undergo course corrections or resetting to bring back the robustness of the system. 

 

Information and the importance of data

One of the primary resources for implementing this self-correction or course correction is the available data or information. Data will help in making informed decisions. In the case of human body, it is the health records, and scan reports that will contribute as the data for improving the health. For an organization, the data will be mined from feedback, surveys, polls from the stakeholders which will help in reclaiming the organisational integrity. 

 

Open Discussion/ conversation

One of the ways Dr. Paul Kalanidhi (When Breath Becomes Air) combatted the malicious cells that had cropped up in his body was by engaging in deep conversation with his wife, his doctor and family members. It created tremendous amount of trust and confidence in Dr Paul Kalanidhi  and his care givers. This is true about organisations also where an open channel of communication with the various stake holders would lead to better decision making and instil institutional confidence. 

Swing into action:

One of the ways to achieve positive transformation in human body or organization is by stop theorising or talking and by doing. Planning without any follow up or a concrete action will result in zero results. If weight loss is your ultimate aim, then it is better to hit the gym or follow a dietary plan to achieve the outcomes. If the discipline issues in the campus is something that is bugging the college management, then appropriate steps must be taken (suspending students, creating a strict code of discipline, calling for a department level meeting) to tackle the issue and focus on institutional growth. This action phase also involves making necessary changes by seeking constructive feedback from the stakeholders and monitoring of the outcomes. 

 

This blog is an attempt to find a correlation between a human body and an organization. Like the human body, an organization suffers from bouts of illness, and it is up to the owners / managers to adopt different strategies to improve organisational health. 

ams - Literary Commemorations - November 4, 2024

 

Cityscapes and Landscapes

 

An eco-friendly environment will always create positive vibes. The news report which appeared in the Guardian Weekly (November 1)  underlines the importance of creating green spaces inside the crowded cityscapes. One of the findings in the review published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is that green spaces within the cityscapes will improve public health, lower the rates of heat-related illness and deaths and will also lead to better mental well-being. This news article be read along with the United Nations celebrating the World Cities Day on 31^st October every year. The theme for 2024 is  ‘Youth Leading Climate and Local Action for Cities’. The official website describes the importance of observing the Day, which is promote international community’s interest in global urbanisation, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities addressing challenges of urbanization and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world. 

 

It was a coincidence that we visited the Kalaignar Centenary Park on October 31, 2024. It is situated in the Gopalapuram neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in India. The park has been established on a 6.09-acre land. Kalaignar Centenary Park (KCP) is managed by the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops. It is one of the largest green spaces inside Chennai city. It houses a 10,000-sq.ft glass garden, a horticultural museum, a 500-m zip-line, a musical fountain show, and an aviary. 

It is a commendable effort by the Government of Tamil Nadu to create this green space in the heart of the city. We felt that maintaining the park will be a big challenge. We could see one of the glass windows of the Glass House was already damaged. Some of the plants have withered away and the birds in the aviary were sick and lifeless. We expected more greenery inside the aviary. The fact that we had to remove shoes to enter the aviary was another unpleasant experience. Inside the aviary we had to walk barefooted over the bird droppings and come back wear our shoes and slippers again. The staff didn't exhibit any professional traits. We paid for the entry ticket (100 INR), Aviary Ticket (150 INR), Glass House (50 INR) and 100 INR for the still camera. The total amount for two adults was 700 INR. 

The park has the potential to be one of the best in India provided there is an enthusiastic team to take care of the nook and corner of the 6 acres of land. 

ams - literary commemoration - November 3, 2024

 

The Goodness in my Students which I Couldn’t Recognise

 

A teacher must be blessed with copious amount of goodness.  The act of teaching must be measured by this statement. Yuval Noah Harari in his book ‘Nexus’ writes “Afterall, alongside greed, hubris, and cruelty humans are also capable of love, compassion, humility and joy”. The goodness mentioned earlier is defined through these four words. Teaching is all about making an emotional connect with the students. This will convert teaching and learning into an organic activity rather than a mechanical one. Education as a process of self-discovery which should lead to transformation and change in the learners. This involves minimizing or removing the negativities, badness and creating a space for nurturing the goodness in each learner. Every student is a slice of life. His attitude, cultural and financial background will be unique. The teacher should identify this uniqueness and nurture love, compassion, humility and joy. The Social Emotional Learning (SEL) concept can be used a reference for this transformation.  It is the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviours and values that help direct students. The five pillars of SEL are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. 

 

When I started brainstorming for this blog, the following questions crept into my mind: 

 

• What good can human beings / students do? 
• What are the ways to measure human capabilities? 
• How can we quantify the goodness in a human child? 
• What are the ways we can map out the social emotional system of a student?
• What are the available systems which will help us to create this template?
• What are the challenges in this journey? 

 

What I have learned in my 25 years of teaching experience is how I respond to an irritated/ bored/ sleepy/ uninterested student makes a big difference in the teaching and learning process. The challenge is to find the real personality inside each student. My mission statement will be to uncover the goodness in each student and nurture love, compassion, humility and joy in the student. Based on this semester’s teaching experience I have a few examples which underline the important of SEL. 

 

A first-year student was always irritated when I asked him questions or tried to interact with him casually. During a deep conversation with him, it was known that he along with another boy was elected as the class representative. He was feeling a bit inferior that he was not given importance in the class. 

 

A girl whose mother was no more was always hyperactive in the class. She led a life which was filled with Christian prayer meetings and visits to the hills stations in Tamil Nadu. She along with her friend used to create ruckus in the classroom. 

 

A boy who was a fitness freak and a body builder used to move around the campus along with a coterie of friends. He was not afraid to talk and always reposed his faith on the body muscles rather than the brain muscles. 

 

He was part of an organization that promoted social justice. He used to travel around a lot in Tamil Nadu visiting different districts and was an active volunteer for community development. He used to absent for many days. Whenever he came back to attend classes, he used to look dishevelled and totally removed from the lessons discussed in the class. 

 

There was this girl who used to talk while the lecture was in progress. She had many friends especially boys and I have seen her hanging out with boys in the suburban railway station. She was polite and was totally disconnected from her studies. 

ams - literary commemoration - November 2, 2024

 

Climate Literacy Posters

 

ams - literary commemoration - November 1, 2024