learning methods (or the lack of)

i've noticed that when it comes to learning stuff, technical, softskill or lifeskills (is there such a thing?), most of us just rely on someone to give us everything. That's not how our brain is to work, does it.

In school, we (retro guys from the 80s) were taught under the shadow of the cane ("which size do you want ?", my discipline used ask me once or twice a week). The teachers will not accept any reasons for not finishing your homework. We were drilled in every class.

But those were the days of no Astro, cyber cafes, teen clubs and teen angst was kept to a minimum by the cane and lack of Western hooliganism.

Today, the teachers are more subdued, timid and well, plain scared too even think about picking up the cane. We have heard enough of students roughing up teachers, parents roughing up teachers, the school gardener roughing up teachers and the law roughing up teachers. A whole lot of roughing up, it seems.

I guess this is what happens when a country's population goes up, gets exposed to cultures which are not cultures at all and has a family dinner in front of Vanavil, Wah Lah Toi or Prima everyday.

I don't blame the times but I blame ourselves for forgetting who we are, where we're from and where we are going.

So what's the connection with all this and learning?

With the cane, came a fear and respect for knowledge. This respect gave birth to thirst. It came to a point where I won't be able to go to sleep without reading something. I used to doze off with anything that has a minimum of 400 words. Subconsciously, I trained my brain to absorb info and language skills while I slept. And I conversed, in 3 languages everyday. You see, my mother tongue was Tamil, but my family was more into English. I came from a kampung school and most (actually all) my friends were from kampungs in Kulim. I used to hang out with them most of the days after school (skipping tuitions and extra lesson in school).

My physics teacher was a gem of a guy. Strict, yet friendly to those who talked to him about quantum physics (no kidding, I actually like that). He gave me my first book by Stephen Hawkings, A Brief History Of Time. It fascinated me not just because of the Big Bang Theory also because the proses' he used throughout the book.

I started reading Lord Of The Rings when I was 12. It was given to me by my uncle, who bought it as a paper weight. My love for fantasy was born !

When I was 17, I read The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Douglas Adams seemed like the most brilliant visionary (even though the book was mostly nonsense, in a good way).

I did most of my knowledge harvest through my own effort but not without my mentors, my physics, En. Shuhaimi (hope you're doing well....), my dad, my mom and my uncle (who incidentally introduced me to Led Zeppellin and Black Sabbath).

What am I trying to say? Well, nobody needs a full time teacher to teach time. They only need a good friend who is a good mentor and guide and an undying thirst to know everything there is to know.

So, I'll be glad to be a mentor to anyone who shares this thirst.

ps. I disagree that comics are of little value. Xmen taught me a lot in swear words ... he he he ...

...

... maybe most of you wondered the title of my blog. well, to be honest, I haven't had the luxury of a proper net access for the past 1 week. As some of you might know, I am currently in Sentul, training the programming fast track guys. And well, I only managed to squeeze some of the wifi bandwidth my way today.

The past few days, I was basically in no net land, analog land that is. He he he. Kind of fun that is. No digital connection with the outside world. Kind of a bliss. But reality slapped me awake this morning when I logged in to check my email. 38 unanswered emails ! I suppose there is no escape. Anyway, we got to fix the access and bandwidth problem when we move to Sentul next month (are we?).

Anyway, the next few weeks are going to be quite lonesome over at my blog. I might not update anything on time. JBOSS .... looming over my head..... Happy blogging and my apologies to anyone from tech support in Sentul if I hurt their feelings (?)

-- better sleep with my lights on tonite, in case any tech support guys try to strangle me with a RJ45 --

clearing thaipusam confusions ...

"thai" is the 2nd last month in the Hindu lunar calendar. Traditionally, in India and Sri Lanka, this month is auspicious to farmers and businessmen. As the harvest is completed during this month, which usually signs the end of the monsoon, the farmers converge at the village temples (usually Goddess Durga or Lord Murugan) to bestow gratitude for a bountiful harvest.

The first festival is called "Ponggal" or "boiling over". The freshly harvested rice is prepared and on the first day of "thai", the farmers families rise early before the Sun and await for the sunrise. During the auspicious time, usually right at sunrise, milk is boiled in an earthen pot. Just as the milk boils over, rice and jaggery (pure sugar cane based brown sugar) is added. The resulted "ponggal" is then offered to "Suryan" of Sun God as an offer of thanks and hope.

"Thaipusam" or festival of the "thai" month, however, in most places is a different celebration. As legend goes, Lord Murugan, the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, is angered by what he sees as injustice and favoritism by his parents towards his elder brother, Lord Ganesha, and leaves to set up his own kingdom in Palani. Goddess Parvathi tries to supplicate him and succeeds.

Devotees of Lord Murugan, follow in the footsteps of Goddess Parvathi, and bring an offering of milk to him. In India, the trip to Palani is most accessible only by foot as the temple is situated on a hilltop. The journey a devotees takes, carrying the pot of milk to Lord Murugan, denotes the devotion and love for him. Many Hindus (mostly South Indians) fast during this period and offer milk, with hopes of redemption and hopes of a better year. Some even carry "kavadi" or peacock-feathered mini chariots, with tiny pots of milk as a sacrifice.

Throughout the years (couple of hundred actually), the original meanings of "thaipusam" has been turned into a commercial carnival rather than a personal religious journey. Many now use the festival as a platform to make money or political agendas.

Well, I still hold on to the path that my Guru, Sri Subramaniswamy of Sri Lanka, set, that God foresees each of our actions, and the path to God is personal and committal is a prerequisite. It doesn't matter how many days you fast or how heavy is your kavadi or how many lights you fix to it, but if there is no love or devotion, what is the use?

the trees

there is unrest in the forest
there is trouble with the trees
the maples want more sunlight
but the oaks ignore their pleas

there is trouble in the forest
and the creatures have all fled
for the maples scream "OPPRESSION!"
but the oaks just shake their heads

so the maples formed a union
to force light for themselves
"the oaks just too lofty"
"we will make them give us light"

so the trees are all kept equal
by hatchet, axe and saw ...

- rush -

does this remind us of anything?