If you keep a blog for a written record about your special adoption journey, to your child, and it has come to an end, you may be wishing you could have this all saved for them to view in the future without saving the blog.
I know of a few whose blogs are getting too big and they just want to put it into a book as there are too many pages to back track, but they want to continue to blog and print off. This would be a wonderful way to save your blog for a keepsake as well, but how to do it? There is a wonderful new site that I found that can help you do just that. www.bloggertobook.com is a place where you can get your blog posts put into files to keep and print later, just have on your computer, or printed into a book now. For those special people in your life, perhaps your blog book would make a great Christmas gift! Happy blog booking!
Showing posts with label Red Letters Campaign - Adoption Journal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Letters Campaign - Adoption Journal. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Excelling in education is in our culture
Both my girls completed their academic year in March and we got their report cards in April. Both have been promoted to the next class and their marks amazed me. Lydia’s overall score is in the lower 90’s and of course Lily didn’t have a score but a descriptive grade such “Excellent” and “Good” as she is still in the kindergarten only.
Every morning as I complete my workout and return home at about 6:00 AM, I see kids coming for private tutoring and I still see kids with a huge load of school bags as late as 7:00 in the nights. Now and then we read and watch news about school kids committing suicide because they didn’t perform to their expectations in the exams.
This brings us to a question “Why is education such a big deal for Indians”? If I may state it simplistically, it used to be the only source of our survival for the future. If one has to work and earn a living, it was believed that one has to study hard and excel. Other avenues such as music, art and sports were less encouraged, as they are not seen as legitimate sources of making a living.
This is one of the reasons I feel that many expat Indians who got their basic education in India do so very well in the west. Indians learn the hard way because we do not have access to many things. For example, poor kids learn to do mental math because they cannot afford to buy a calculator and over a period of time that math foundation becomes very strong. When they are in the west, they have access to technology and flexibility, which makes the Indian students attractive in the American universities. It is no wonder they constitute the larger share of all the foreign students studying in American universities.
Lately after our markets began opening up in the early 90’s, many avenues started opening up for the Indians. There’s also increased awareness among Indians that allowing a child to pursue an interest of their choice is a good thing. IPL (Indian Premier League) is a prime example where many of our cricketers having only basic education became reasonably wealthy.
I am very proud of the emphasis that our families lay on their children’s education but I would also like to see more and more families recognize other avenues that the child may be interested in to help them excel in the field of their choice.
Every morning as I complete my workout and return home at about 6:00 AM, I see kids coming for private tutoring and I still see kids with a huge load of school bags as late as 7:00 in the nights. Now and then we read and watch news about school kids committing suicide because they didn’t perform to their expectations in the exams.
This brings us to a question “Why is education such a big deal for Indians”? If I may state it simplistically, it used to be the only source of our survival for the future. If one has to work and earn a living, it was believed that one has to study hard and excel. Other avenues such as music, art and sports were less encouraged, as they are not seen as legitimate sources of making a living.
This is one of the reasons I feel that many expat Indians who got their basic education in India do so very well in the west. Indians learn the hard way because we do not have access to many things. For example, poor kids learn to do mental math because they cannot afford to buy a calculator and over a period of time that math foundation becomes very strong. When they are in the west, they have access to technology and flexibility, which makes the Indian students attractive in the American universities. It is no wonder they constitute the larger share of all the foreign students studying in American universities.
Lately after our markets began opening up in the early 90’s, many avenues started opening up for the Indians. There’s also increased awareness among Indians that allowing a child to pursue an interest of their choice is a good thing. IPL (Indian Premier League) is a prime example where many of our cricketers having only basic education became reasonably wealthy.
I am very proud of the emphasis that our families lay on their children’s education but I would also like to see more and more families recognize other avenues that the child may be interested in to help them excel in the field of their choice.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Kids say the cutest things…
Kids are so innocent sometimes they say things that only bring out laughter and appreciation for their innocence. Here are a few from my kids.
When we were watching the ‘Prince of Egypt’ DVD, we were watching the scene where Israelites were released from the captivity and they were lead by Moses through the parted Red Sea. When we told the kids about the parted Red Sea, one my friend’s son said, “That’s not a Red Sea, it is blue”
My older daughter needed a little reprimand so I raised my voice to tell her why I don’t appreciate what she did and after a few minutes I pulled over my little one to tell her how she could also tell her older sister to be obedient. She replied, “Daddy you shouldn’t shout at the little people. You compare your height to us, you’re a monster and we are little”. I couldn’t help but agree to her order.
What cute things your little one is saying?
When we were watching the ‘Prince of Egypt’ DVD, we were watching the scene where Israelites were released from the captivity and they were lead by Moses through the parted Red Sea. When we told the kids about the parted Red Sea, one my friend’s son said, “That’s not a Red Sea, it is blue”
My older daughter needed a little reprimand so I raised my voice to tell her why I don’t appreciate what she did and after a few minutes I pulled over my little one to tell her how she could also tell her older sister to be obedient. She replied, “Daddy you shouldn’t shout at the little people. You compare your height to us, you’re a monster and we are little”. I couldn’t help but agree to her order.
What cute things your little one is saying?
Illogical ideas to fix inter-country adoption abuses of India
Recently in an article, child rights activists called for a ban on inter-country adoption because inter-country adoption being one of the causes of child trafficking. I agree with their assessment of the problem but not the suggested solution.
To me, a suggestion like this (closing inter-country adoptions from India) sounds like saying demolishing a house for it is being broken in. Common sense should suggest that we evaluate the problem thoroughly and come up with effective solutions.
Looking at the entire cycle of adoption, it is a foregone conclusion that the problem lies in the procurement of children and not the adoptive families (whether in-country or inter-country). If anyone calls one self to be a child rights activist and asks for a ban on inter-country adoption has anything but child’s best interests in mind.
Here are my suggestions:
Strengthen CWC’s: A decentralized statutory body has been created by the act of parliament with first class magistrate powers under Juvenile and Justice Act (JJ Act) called “Child Welfare Committee (CWC)”. It is supposed to deal with every kind of child procurement in to the adoption stream.
As genuine as CWC may sound, it is riddled with problems. Beginning with not many districts having functioning CWC’s to sitting CWC members themselves are adoption agency functionaries. Rights activists must work with the government to strengthen the CWC’s. Members of CWC are government appointed and they must be held accountable for their actions.
Strengthen Shishu Greh Scheme: Shishu Greh (in Sanskrit it means ‘Children’s Home’) is a scheme promoted by the government of India to exclusively promote domestic adoptions by giving grant in aid to deserving adoption agencies. They are not to charge any monies from the adoptive families.
This is an excellent scheme but unfortunately not many Shishu Greh’s are there in India to meet the demand. There are states that are known to be active in the field of adoption (for example the state of Tamilnadu) have several inter-country adoption agencies but not a single Shishu Greh home. This suggests the priorities.
Promote health insurance scheme: Well-intended inter-country adoptive families are not reluctant to adopt special needs children. Apart from their generous heart, they are open to such an offer because they know they can care for the child with their health insurance.
India has a dynamic and vibrant health insurance industry. We must provide portable health insurance worth of five lakh rupees to every child in the adoption stream for the first six years of its life. This will encourage the adoptive families in India at least to consider correctable special needs such as clubfeet and harelip if not major medical conditions.
Strive for payment parity: Government set reimbursement for In-country and Inter-country adoption is skewed in favor of inter-country adoptions. In-country adoption’s set maximum reimbursement is Rs. 25,200/- while for inter-country adoption it is US $3500/- (Rs. 1,57, 500/-). This is an unfair environment against adoptive families in India.
Activists must strive to work with the government to adjust this disparity where the playing field is leveled.
Unless and until effective measures are incorporated in the best interests of children, adoption scandals are likely to continue to take place but asking for inter-country adoption ban indicates devoid of logic.
To me, a suggestion like this (closing inter-country adoptions from India) sounds like saying demolishing a house for it is being broken in. Common sense should suggest that we evaluate the problem thoroughly and come up with effective solutions.
Looking at the entire cycle of adoption, it is a foregone conclusion that the problem lies in the procurement of children and not the adoptive families (whether in-country or inter-country). If anyone calls one self to be a child rights activist and asks for a ban on inter-country adoption has anything but child’s best interests in mind.
Here are my suggestions:
Strengthen CWC’s: A decentralized statutory body has been created by the act of parliament with first class magistrate powers under Juvenile and Justice Act (JJ Act) called “Child Welfare Committee (CWC)”. It is supposed to deal with every kind of child procurement in to the adoption stream.
As genuine as CWC may sound, it is riddled with problems. Beginning with not many districts having functioning CWC’s to sitting CWC members themselves are adoption agency functionaries. Rights activists must work with the government to strengthen the CWC’s. Members of CWC are government appointed and they must be held accountable for their actions.
Strengthen Shishu Greh Scheme: Shishu Greh (in Sanskrit it means ‘Children’s Home’) is a scheme promoted by the government of India to exclusively promote domestic adoptions by giving grant in aid to deserving adoption agencies. They are not to charge any monies from the adoptive families.
This is an excellent scheme but unfortunately not many Shishu Greh’s are there in India to meet the demand. There are states that are known to be active in the field of adoption (for example the state of Tamilnadu) have several inter-country adoption agencies but not a single Shishu Greh home. This suggests the priorities.
Promote health insurance scheme: Well-intended inter-country adoptive families are not reluctant to adopt special needs children. Apart from their generous heart, they are open to such an offer because they know they can care for the child with their health insurance.
India has a dynamic and vibrant health insurance industry. We must provide portable health insurance worth of five lakh rupees to every child in the adoption stream for the first six years of its life. This will encourage the adoptive families in India at least to consider correctable special needs such as clubfeet and harelip if not major medical conditions.
Strive for payment parity: Government set reimbursement for In-country and Inter-country adoption is skewed in favor of inter-country adoptions. In-country adoption’s set maximum reimbursement is Rs. 25,200/- while for inter-country adoption it is US $3500/- (Rs. 1,57, 500/-). This is an unfair environment against adoptive families in India.
Activists must strive to work with the government to adjust this disparity where the playing field is leveled.
Unless and until effective measures are incorporated in the best interests of children, adoption scandals are likely to continue to take place but asking for inter-country adoption ban indicates devoid of logic.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Indian elections and my thoughts
As the world’s largest democracy, conducting elections to 700 million electorate is not easy but it is underway now and the process is to last for more than a month. I am a believer that it is the leaders that make or break the nation. It is encouraging to see lot of well-established new faces contesting in these elections as independents.
There are lots of entrepreneurs contesting. Problem with the entrepreneurs is that they think running a political office is like running a business enterprise but it is not. Succeeding in a business world is very different than succeeding in political life. Success in politics requires track record in the political office.
If only these new people’s idea is to bring the change, then they must embrace to bring the needed change in their own surroundings to begin with by contesting the local elections like Panchayat, Zilla Parishad, and Corporation etc to establish track record and to win over the hearts of people. When this approach is followed, success does the rounds in the higher established political parties and when the times comes, it is they who will come calling on you than the other way.
More you serve your community and market yourself effectively; more good in you is noticed and it is just a matter of time before people themselves push you to the higher offices and that’s the right approach. It is sickening to see how most of the contestants have so little experience in public policy making but have strong desire to run for an office and I cannot help thinking WHY? It is like saying someone wants to fly a rocket without knowing how it works. Does that work? You decide.
Second issue I want to talk about is the influence of money in politics. It is alleged that lot of contestants are distributing money to the voters to get their vote. I like to suggest using some common sense. Think how many times you would come across someone that just meets you on the street and gives you money for no reason? Probably never. If they do (like in this elections), they have a motive. Prospective politician wants to give you money so that he can make more money in political office by several times. That’s your money. Basically, if you accept his money for your vote, you’re signing off for him/ her to rob you naked. You decide if you want to accept or deny the money with rebuke.
There are lots of entrepreneurs contesting. Problem with the entrepreneurs is that they think running a political office is like running a business enterprise but it is not. Succeeding in a business world is very different than succeeding in political life. Success in politics requires track record in the political office.
If only these new people’s idea is to bring the change, then they must embrace to bring the needed change in their own surroundings to begin with by contesting the local elections like Panchayat, Zilla Parishad, and Corporation etc to establish track record and to win over the hearts of people. When this approach is followed, success does the rounds in the higher established political parties and when the times comes, it is they who will come calling on you than the other way.
More you serve your community and market yourself effectively; more good in you is noticed and it is just a matter of time before people themselves push you to the higher offices and that’s the right approach. It is sickening to see how most of the contestants have so little experience in public policy making but have strong desire to run for an office and I cannot help thinking WHY? It is like saying someone wants to fly a rocket without knowing how it works. Does that work? You decide.
Second issue I want to talk about is the influence of money in politics. It is alleged that lot of contestants are distributing money to the voters to get their vote. I like to suggest using some common sense. Think how many times you would come across someone that just meets you on the street and gives you money for no reason? Probably never. If they do (like in this elections), they have a motive. Prospective politician wants to give you money so that he can make more money in political office by several times. That’s your money. Basically, if you accept his money for your vote, you’re signing off for him/ her to rob you naked. You decide if you want to accept or deny the money with rebuke.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Worship service on the 28th of March.
We returned from Hamburg by 6:00 PM and my friend had to leave back to California that night and I am to stay there for three more days. Next day is Sunday and KNH had a very meaningful church service in the same church that the three founders started their work.
It was just around the corner from my hotel so I took a walk. Church service was supposed to be telecasted live throughout Germany so they had huge TV trucks outside the church. It was very cold that morning. Before the service began they had rehearsal and all kinds of preparatory work underway. Service supposed to last for 42 minutes and it was on the dot. Picture below is the inside of the church sanctuary.
Unfortunately the entire service was in German language and they didn’t have translators so I couldn’t follow the service except for making sense of what is happening by watching the movements of people. I was also trying to figure out how the TV crew works. There had four rolling cameras and they were so careful not to disrupt any of the church proceedings.
I sat with a lady I gotten to know during the Jubilee (Ellen) celebration and she spoke fairly good English. After the church service, we had snacks for all the invitees. There I met lot of Indians who are connected to KNH. Also met some Indians there who were like me (came up in life with KNH help).
All in all, it was a nice and quiet morning. By now, it got warmed up so joggers and bikers were out on the street. As I started walking back to my hotel this crazy thoughts crossed my mind. 47 years from now (50 years by then), how will the organization that two of my friends and I have started in India now? Before my mind could get cluttered with these thoughts anymore I was glad I reached my hotel room. It was a pretty boring afternoon.
It was just around the corner from my hotel so I took a walk. Church service was supposed to be telecasted live throughout Germany so they had huge TV trucks outside the church. It was very cold that morning. Before the service began they had rehearsal and all kinds of preparatory work underway. Service supposed to last for 42 minutes and it was on the dot. Picture below is the inside of the church sanctuary.
Unfortunately the entire service was in German language and they didn’t have translators so I couldn’t follow the service except for making sense of what is happening by watching the movements of people. I was also trying to figure out how the TV crew works. There had four rolling cameras and they were so careful not to disrupt any of the church proceedings.
I sat with a lady I gotten to know during the Jubilee (Ellen) celebration and she spoke fairly good English. After the church service, we had snacks for all the invitees. There I met lot of Indians who are connected to KNH. Also met some Indians there who were like me (came up in life with KNH help).
All in all, it was a nice and quiet morning. By now, it got warmed up so joggers and bikers were out on the street. As I started walking back to my hotel this crazy thoughts crossed my mind. 47 years from now (50 years by then), how will the organization that two of my friends and I have started in India now? Before my mind could get cluttered with these thoughts anymore I was glad I reached my hotel room. It was a pretty boring afternoon.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Reason I went to Hamburg
In 1975, when I joined the boarding school for the disadvantaged boys, funded by KNH in Germany, a gentleman (Mr. Siegfried Mielkie) chose to support me (through KNH) then and continued till I finish my professional education in Physiotherapy (15 years totally).
Mr. Siegfried had never seen me (except for seeing me in the pictures) and I talked to him once over the phone when I was living in the US. Since I was going to Germany, I wanted to meet Mr. Siegfried and tell him personally what and how much he meant to me. He lives in city called Hamburg with his wife.
On the 28th, my friend and I boarded the ICE high speed train at Duisburg for Hamburg at about 8:00 AM and reached Hamburg-Harburg rail station around 11:00. When I got off the train, I noticed an elderly caucasian man was looking at me and I knew from his earlier pictures that it was him. I waved at him and with a big grin came and he came close gave me a hug.
He took us to his children’s homes and we had lunch together. As usual I did most of the talking and he just listened. He asked me lots of questions about what I am doing now and when he heard about the work of the HOPE House he looked very happy. Altogether we were there for about 3 hours and then it was time to get back to the rail station to return. Mr. Siegfried and his son drove us to the station.
I didn’t know when I’ll see him again but I was so satisfied that I had gotten to meet a man who paid for my entire education unconditionally. When I found out through his children that they came to know about what their dad did to me, only that day, I was really moved and appreciated his humility.
If you ever want to help someone, help a child to get educated.
Mr. Siegfried had never seen me (except for seeing me in the pictures) and I talked to him once over the phone when I was living in the US. Since I was going to Germany, I wanted to meet Mr. Siegfried and tell him personally what and how much he meant to me. He lives in city called Hamburg with his wife.
On the 28th, my friend and I boarded the ICE high speed train at Duisburg for Hamburg at about 8:00 AM and reached Hamburg-Harburg rail station around 11:00. When I got off the train, I noticed an elderly caucasian man was looking at me and I knew from his earlier pictures that it was him. I waved at him and with a big grin came and he came close gave me a hug.
He took us to his children’s homes and we had lunch together. As usual I did most of the talking and he just listened. He asked me lots of questions about what I am doing now and when he heard about the work of the HOPE House he looked very happy. Altogether we were there for about 3 hours and then it was time to get back to the rail station to return. Mr. Siegfried and his son drove us to the station.
I didn’t know when I’ll see him again but I was so satisfied that I had gotten to meet a man who paid for my entire education unconditionally. When I found out through his children that they came to know about what their dad did to me, only that day, I was really moved and appreciated his humility.
If you ever want to help someone, help a child to get educated.
Monday, April 20, 2009
I bet you wonder why I went to Germany??
I have been writing about my trip to Germany but I never mentioned the reason for my visit to Germany. I wouldn’t say that it is deliberate but just when a thought crosses my mind, I write and it never did until now.
In 1975 my grand mother who was raising me, retired with a pension of 20-rupees/ month (less than half a dollar today) and couldn’t take care of me nor she could afford to send me back to my parents as they had three more girls to care for. So she made the best decision that she knew – put me in a boarding school for the disadvantaged kids supported by an organization in Germany called Kinder Not Hilfe (KNH).
KNH was started at a kitchen table by three German men and started their work in India with five children 50 years ago. Today they support approximately 300,000 children in 27 different countries. Picture below is their corporate office in Duisburg.
Function was meticulously planned. German chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel was the guest of honor. My friend and I dressed formally (photo below is taken in front of the hotel before we left for the function) and reached the city hall well ahead of schedule and met lots and lots of people before the function began. It was a blessing we had translators (ear piece) to use as the entire function was held in German language.
In 1975 my grand mother who was raising me, retired with a pension of 20-rupees/ month (less than half a dollar today) and couldn’t take care of me nor she could afford to send me back to my parents as they had three more girls to care for. So she made the best decision that she knew – put me in a boarding school for the disadvantaged kids supported by an organization in Germany called Kinder Not Hilfe (KNH).
KNH was started at a kitchen table by three German men and started their work in India with five children 50 years ago. Today they support approximately 300,000 children in 27 different countries. Picture below is their corporate office in Duisburg.
I was in that home for 12 years in Andhra Pradesh plus three years of professional education (in Physiotherapy at CMC, Vellore) that they had totally funded. I graduated with Bachelors degree in Physiotherapy with zero debt. As it is their 50th anniversary, I was invited to attend the function. I felt that it would be an opportunity to experience the sense of completion by expressing my gratitude personally to the organization that gave me so much so I went.
Function was meticulously planned. German chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel was the guest of honor. My friend and I dressed formally (photo below is taken in front of the hotel before we left for the function) and reached the city hall well ahead of schedule and met lots and lots of people before the function began. It was a blessing we had translators (ear piece) to use as the entire function was held in German language.
Taking pictures inside the meeting hall was prohibited so we couldn’t take any but we just didn’t realize that we sat through the function for three hours. After that we had a formal banquet serving different tastes – Asian, African and Latin American etc.
After seven hours, we made it back to our hotel at about 12:00 AM. We went to bed quickly as we had to catch a train to Hamburg the next day at 8:00 AM and I’ll tell the reason (for going to Hamburg) tomorrow. I was one satisfied individual that night.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Duisburg railway station
The main rail station (called Hauptbahnhof in German language) of Duisburg was our final destination. My first impression - It is very different than what I am used to the rail stations in India - Less crowded and very well planned.
Most of the rail stations in India have over bridges but in Duisburg they have underground access to different platforms. Perhaps it is because it gets so cold out there, this is the best way of protection. Our first task was to have something to eat. Well…we found Burger King at the rail station and we couldn’t resist ourselves from going there, as I love burgers and fries. I was sitting with the luggage while my friend went to get the food. When he came back he told me not to waste the Tomato ketchup because he had to pay for it. I say it is well planned because it has a bank, restaurants (including Starbucks), and shops etc,
Most of the rail stations in India have over bridges but in Duisburg they have underground access to different platforms. Perhaps it is because it gets so cold out there, this is the best way of protection. Our first task was to have something to eat. Well…we found Burger King at the rail station and we couldn’t resist ourselves from going there, as I love burgers and fries. I was sitting with the luggage while my friend went to get the food. When he came back he told me not to waste the Tomato ketchup because he had to pay for it. I say it is well planned because it has a bank, restaurants (including Starbucks), and shops etc,
Front view of the Duisburg main rail station
During the course of our stay at Duisburg, we found out that the rail station is in the down town area. For any major shopping, one has to come to this part of the town, which is accessed, by local trains. On the 31st of March (last day of my stay in Germany) I did a little shopping for my wife and the girls and gotten to see the hustle and bustle of Germany. Below is the picture of downtown taken from the railway station. Enlarge and find out my favorite restaurant.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Happy day yesterday
Couple of months ago a couple called me for adoption counseling and as usual I went over with them what I normally do with every couple. They agreed to follow and they have been keeping me updated since about the status of their adoption.
Yesterday they both came to our office to tell me that their date is fixed and they are going to bring the baby next month. Nice thing about this couple is that they only live three blocks from my house. Again, I went over with them about what needs to be taken care of at this stage of adoption and one thing that I told them that my wife and I did in December of 2001.
I told the couple to go out on a date on the day before they go get their child to enjoy each other’s company. I still remember the day before we were to fly to Los Angeles to receive our baby girl. We decided to dress very formally and went to Harrigans at 50th and Memphis. It is so interesting that we wanted to treat each other on that day but what we ended up doing the whole time was talking about the child.
When I was talking to this couple it was a sort of flash back of memories for me…. Loved it. I also encouraged the couple not to miss out on taking million photographs because once the moment is passed it isn’t coming back. Can’t wait to see and hold the baby. My girls will have company now.
Yesterday they both came to our office to tell me that their date is fixed and they are going to bring the baby next month. Nice thing about this couple is that they only live three blocks from my house. Again, I went over with them about what needs to be taken care of at this stage of adoption and one thing that I told them that my wife and I did in December of 2001.
I told the couple to go out on a date on the day before they go get their child to enjoy each other’s company. I still remember the day before we were to fly to Los Angeles to receive our baby girl. We decided to dress very formally and went to Harrigans at 50th and Memphis. It is so interesting that we wanted to treat each other on that day but what we ended up doing the whole time was talking about the child.
When I was talking to this couple it was a sort of flash back of memories for me…. Loved it. I also encouraged the couple not to miss out on taking million photographs because once the moment is passed it isn’t coming back. Can’t wait to see and hold the baby. My girls will have company now.
Meeting an old friend
When I was visiting Germany, I got to know a lovely elderly couple that invited me to their house. In their house (backyard) they introduced me to one of their oldest buddies and he is 26 years old. Well….If you think 26 is not old, wait till you see the video clip.
Counting days to holidays….literally
One day I told Lydia that when I was a little boy I used to count days to my summer holidays because I used to like summer holidays a lot. When she asked for details I told her that I used to draw a calendar on the wall and strike out the days that pass by and count the days that are remaining.
I came back from Germany to find this on the wall. You got to enlarge the picture below to see the details. Read ‘Big Grils’ (typo) as “Big Girls” and that is Lydia. I just loved the way she made herself a calendar on a sticky note pad with a pencil holder. She made herself a treat for the March 31st. Look carefully.
I came back from Germany to find this on the wall. You got to enlarge the picture below to see the details. Read ‘Big Grils’ (typo) as “Big Girls” and that is Lydia. I just loved the way she made herself a calendar on a sticky note pad with a pencil holder. She made herself a treat for the March 31st. Look carefully.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Lydia helping her mom
Lydia has a teddy from the age of 5 months. She cannot fall asleep without teddy being next to her. He has become all dirty now and is not as firm as he used to be. She also drools on him in the night so mom decided to do something to make him look clean.
Mommy wanted to dry him out in the sun along with her stuffed elephant but she kept forgetting. Lydia checked with her mom every day after school only to find out that she was forgetting.
Lydia could have very well taken it out by herself and dried them but she did something very interesting. She left a note for her mommy before she left to school on a sticky pad. She stuck it right at the entrance of our bedroom so that mom won’t miss it. You got to enlarge the picture below to read what she has to say.
Mommy wanted to dry him out in the sun along with her stuffed elephant but she kept forgetting. Lydia checked with her mom every day after school only to find out that she was forgetting.
Lydia could have very well taken it out by herself and dried them but she did something very interesting. She left a note for her mommy before she left to school on a sticky pad. She stuck it right at the entrance of our bedroom so that mom won’t miss it. You got to enlarge the picture below to read what she has to say.
Monday, April 13, 2009
My journey from Duisburg to Hamburg, Germany
My friend and I had to travel from Duisburg to Hamburg so again we decided to travel by train for the same reasons as we did in our first leg of the journey. Only difference is that we didn’t have reservation this time. We got in and sat in some seats like we always do in India.
In no time, passengers with reservation tickets came by and we had to move. We moved for about two or three times and we felt very uncomfortable. We also couldn’t stand, as it is a three hours journey. We decided to go to the restaurant and see if they have a place to sit.
My understanding of a restaurant in a train is what I know of the pantry cars in Indian trains. They are very unhygienic so there I went with lot of apprehensions. First thing I noticed was the neat seating. Seats are elevated and are very few. My friend and I were four passengers out there so we found a place to sit.
We immediately purchased something to eat so that the guy wouldn’t ask us to leave. We also made sure that something is left on the table at all times (like some apple juice in a bottle) for the restaurant manager to believe that we are still working on our food. Train was so fast and soothing that we both of us fell asleep when the ticket conductor came by. It was rather embarrassing to see him wake both of us up to check our tickets.
By time we came close to Hamburg, restaurant was full so we realized there that we were not the only one’s without reservation on that train.
Ruby
In no time, passengers with reservation tickets came by and we had to move. We moved for about two or three times and we felt very uncomfortable. We also couldn’t stand, as it is a three hours journey. We decided to go to the restaurant and see if they have a place to sit.
My understanding of a restaurant in a train is what I know of the pantry cars in Indian trains. They are very unhygienic so there I went with lot of apprehensions. First thing I noticed was the neat seating. Seats are elevated and are very few. My friend and I were four passengers out there so we found a place to sit.
We immediately purchased something to eat so that the guy wouldn’t ask us to leave. We also made sure that something is left on the table at all times (like some apple juice in a bottle) for the restaurant manager to believe that we are still working on our food. Train was so fast and soothing that we both of us fell asleep when the ticket conductor came by. It was rather embarrassing to see him wake both of us up to check our tickets.
By time we came close to Hamburg, restaurant was full so we realized there that we were not the only one’s without reservation on that train.
Ruby
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Travelling by German train
During my recent visit to Germany, my friend and I decided to use the train as much as we possibly could as it would work out economical and also could see the country from a close vantage point.
Our first trip was by ICE (Inter City Express) from Frankfurt Airport to Duisburg. Well we had reservation and people helped us to locate the coach of the train on the platform. My first impression was the outward look of the train. Well….it is not like any train that I had seen before. It looked like one of those trains that I read about as ‘bullet trains’.
I was taken aback by German train punctuality. They are absolutely on the dot. After we got in, it is nothing but absolute amazement. It is clean, quiet, comfortable and fast. It didn’t take very long for it to catch speed. At one point it was running at about 280 KM/ hour. It was going so fast I couldn’t even take pictures from the train. It was only an hour and a half journey and we had to pass Cologne and Dusseldorf before disembarking at Duisburg.
As it was the first time for my friend and I to travel in Germany, we wanted to be careful not to make any mistakes. We were asking people before we did anything. It looked like there were few people on the train travelling without reservation and that reminded me of trains in India.
Our first trip was by ICE (Inter City Express) from Frankfurt Airport to Duisburg. Well we had reservation and people helped us to locate the coach of the train on the platform. My first impression was the outward look of the train. Well….it is not like any train that I had seen before. It looked like one of those trains that I read about as ‘bullet trains’.
I was taken aback by German train punctuality. They are absolutely on the dot. After we got in, it is nothing but absolute amazement. It is clean, quiet, comfortable and fast. It didn’t take very long for it to catch speed. At one point it was running at about 280 KM/ hour. It was going so fast I couldn’t even take pictures from the train. It was only an hour and a half journey and we had to pass Cologne and Dusseldorf before disembarking at Duisburg.
As it was the first time for my friend and I to travel in Germany, we wanted to be careful not to make any mistakes. We were asking people before we did anything. It looked like there were few people on the train travelling without reservation and that reminded me of trains in India.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Lily's achievement
Lily's school (Ida Scudder School) uses the technique of positive reinforcement to encourage good habits in them. Here is a picture and a comment that we received from her school after it was on the school notice board for few weeks. We're so proud of her.
Click on the image above to read the compliment but if for any reason you cannot enlarge the picture to read it, this is what it says: "5 year old Lily Nakka is a soft and caring child. As soon as she finishes her work, her teacher, often catches her helping her classmate understand and complete his/her work. She never gives away the answers but tries to ask questions to help the child arrive at the answer. A great teacher in the making".
Click on the image above to read the compliment but if for any reason you cannot enlarge the picture to read it, this is what it says: "5 year old Lily Nakka is a soft and caring child. As soon as she finishes her work, her teacher, often catches her helping her classmate understand and complete his/her work. She never gives away the answers but tries to ask questions to help the child arrive at the answer. A great teacher in the making".
Monday, March 09, 2009
Mother - A nerve center of a family
Yesterday the world observed "World Women's Day". I was asked to write an article for the Hindu and it was published. Here it is....
Ask a child about whom they approach to confide about a grievance, and the answer shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear as ‘mother’. It is believed that the fathers are to protect and provide, while the mothers are to care and nurture their children so naturally children feel more comfortable with mothers than fathers.
Mother has an uncanny ability to sense trouble in her child and will be the first one to confront it. So what makes a mother so much more connected to her flock than the others? Is it the biology? If so how do we account for all the love that adoptive mothers shower upon their children? It is not becoming a mother but the sense of motherhood is what connects.
So for all that the mother gives, does she get anything in return? She doesn’t expect anything to begin with but many times her own family forces distress on her inadvertently and also intentionally. It begins with the husband (father) and unfortunately ends with the children. Distress comes in many forms such as physical, mental, verbal, and emotional.
When mothers love is unconditional and boundless, it is the family’s responsibility to protect and preserve this nerve center to keep it like well oiled machine. It must begin with none other than the husband to set an example. As an anonymous quote says “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother” is very telling about the importance of love that must exist between the mother and the father for the children to grow up to be loving.
There are many studies that proved that children that are loved and cared for becomes loving, caring and giving in return. Loving and respecting the mother should become the most important activity of the family to keep the family together and strong.
Ask a child about whom they approach to confide about a grievance, and the answer shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear as ‘mother’. It is believed that the fathers are to protect and provide, while the mothers are to care and nurture their children so naturally children feel more comfortable with mothers than fathers.
Mother has an uncanny ability to sense trouble in her child and will be the first one to confront it. So what makes a mother so much more connected to her flock than the others? Is it the biology? If so how do we account for all the love that adoptive mothers shower upon their children? It is not becoming a mother but the sense of motherhood is what connects.
So for all that the mother gives, does she get anything in return? She doesn’t expect anything to begin with but many times her own family forces distress on her inadvertently and also intentionally. It begins with the husband (father) and unfortunately ends with the children. Distress comes in many forms such as physical, mental, verbal, and emotional.
When mothers love is unconditional and boundless, it is the family’s responsibility to protect and preserve this nerve center to keep it like well oiled machine. It must begin with none other than the husband to set an example. As an anonymous quote says “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother” is very telling about the importance of love that must exist between the mother and the father for the children to grow up to be loving.
There are many studies that proved that children that are loved and cared for becomes loving, caring and giving in return. Loving and respecting the mother should become the most important activity of the family to keep the family together and strong.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Memorable chapter comes to an end.
It was exactly 11 years and one month ago he came into our lives and then all that he gave us was mere joy and excitement. He never forced himself for us to consider him as part of a family but we did so because we loved him that much. Like every good thing comes to an end, life does so too.
My dog – Chase has been battling bladder tumor for the past one year and we couldn’t do much for him as the doctor told us that it is a malignant tumor. We knew that his end is just around the corner but I never realized about the pain of losing him.
He breathed for one last time in my hands and became lifeless in seconds. With broken hearts my wife and I couldn’t tell him enough in words how much we love him and how much he will be missed before he left us. We wrapped him up and gave a decent burial in our backyard. Girls came from school and went straight to his grave and laid flowers. Then the little one started to cry saying “I miss Chase”.
Why does the death of a dog hurt so much? Well…. he was more than a dog to us. He was a little friend that gave us joy and loved us unconditionally, never did anything harmful to my children even though they didn’t treat him with equal respect; he protected our house tooth and nail. Simply put, he gave us more than we could ask for.
It was a memorable chapter of our lives that came to an end and life goes on. He will always be a very special friend of our family and will be missed sorely. He certainly made us better individuals to learn from him what it means to give unconditionally.
I miss you Chase.
My dog – Chase has been battling bladder tumor for the past one year and we couldn’t do much for him as the doctor told us that it is a malignant tumor. We knew that his end is just around the corner but I never realized about the pain of losing him.
He breathed for one last time in my hands and became lifeless in seconds. With broken hearts my wife and I couldn’t tell him enough in words how much we love him and how much he will be missed before he left us. We wrapped him up and gave a decent burial in our backyard. Girls came from school and went straight to his grave and laid flowers. Then the little one started to cry saying “I miss Chase”.
Why does the death of a dog hurt so much? Well…. he was more than a dog to us. He was a little friend that gave us joy and loved us unconditionally, never did anything harmful to my children even though they didn’t treat him with equal respect; he protected our house tooth and nail. Simply put, he gave us more than we could ask for.
It was a memorable chapter of our lives that came to an end and life goes on. He will always be a very special friend of our family and will be missed sorely. He certainly made us better individuals to learn from him what it means to give unconditionally.
I miss you Chase.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Message close to the heart
Yesterday my girls celebrated their school annual day and both of them were actively involved in their respective class programs. They had been practicing for the past few weeks and last night it all went flawlessly.
I knew all along what program they are involved in – at least that’s what I thought. My little one – Lily, was in a skit where they dramatized about the life of Mr. George Muller. If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Muller, he was a Christian Missionary in England who ran an orphanage purely on God’s grace. Mr. Muller would simply pray for his providence.
Lily’s class had dramatized about the day when orphanage didn’t have any food and the children were seated for food. He simply prayed to God for His grace, and by the time they finished praying, they had two groups of people, one bringing loaves of bread and another bringing cans of milk since they had more than they needed for the day.
All along Lily had told me that she is a reporter in the skit but only last night I realized that she was not the reporter but she is one of the children in the orphanage who asks Mr. Muller a question. It really wouldn’t have mattered what role she played but I thought the play that she acted in was so meaningful to our family and to Lily especially that it touched my heart.
I knew all along what program they are involved in – at least that’s what I thought. My little one – Lily, was in a skit where they dramatized about the life of Mr. George Muller. If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Muller, he was a Christian Missionary in England who ran an orphanage purely on God’s grace. Mr. Muller would simply pray for his providence.
Lily’s class had dramatized about the day when orphanage didn’t have any food and the children were seated for food. He simply prayed to God for His grace, and by the time they finished praying, they had two groups of people, one bringing loaves of bread and another bringing cans of milk since they had more than they needed for the day.
All along Lily had told me that she is a reporter in the skit but only last night I realized that she was not the reporter but she is one of the children in the orphanage who asks Mr. Muller a question. It really wouldn’t have mattered what role she played but I thought the play that she acted in was so meaningful to our family and to Lily especially that it touched my heart.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Myth bursting story
From a common man to the high-ranking government officials, they believe that India’s special needs children’s best shot to have a home through adoption is through inter-country adoption. Personally to me it is a myth because I have witnessed Indians in India adopting children with special needs. Another misconception that many have is that family have to be affluent to adopt a special needs child.
Well…when you read this story, above stated two myths have been proven wrong. If I may ask, how did people (including people in the government) come to develop this misconception about Indians? How can it be corrected? Write your comments in the ‘comments’ section.
Well…when you read this story, above stated two myths have been proven wrong. If I may ask, how did people (including people in the government) come to develop this misconception about Indians? How can it be corrected? Write your comments in the ‘comments’ section.
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