R.I.P. KM Samuel

Annie's father passed away last week, September 10 to be precise. For someone I had known to an extent, I felt sad that he had to go so soon, so unexpectedly. When I spoke to her some days back,she said it was out of complications from diabetes. He was hospitalised for a couple of days - he had a stroke, hemorrhage and a cardiac arrest, if I remember right.
He was a familiar figure in college, teaching as he was in the Lab Technology dept of the MCC's Continuing Education stream. He had a smile and a mirthful way about him especially when he greeted us, Annie's classmates.
One of my everlasting memories of him is sitting with him on the steps of Loyola college and chatting as we waited for my brother who was taking a BBA entrance examination there. It was Robin's first trip to Chennai, and Annie's parents had heeded my request to accommodate him with them for 2 days. Uncle offered to accompany us to the college as we were not familiar with the city areas of Madras. He regaled me with a lot of stories from his life as we waited outside the exam hall for 2 hours, I think.
I also travelled with him and Annie in my only trip in an unreserved train compartment to Kerala. It was during the MCC unrest/strike days when college was closed and he came to my hostel to find out if I wanted to join them on that train journey to Chengannur. It was an uncomfortable journey, but Uncle's presence made it easier for us.
I was an occasional visitor to their house in Tambaram where I loved to play with his dogs Ruby and Sophie. The dogs had a free run of the house, and the fat labrador Ruby would go to Uncle's room as he took his afternoon siesta. Sophie the black mongrel would sit like a human on the cane chair and yawn loudly.
I remember him telling me that he had met his wife for the first time on his wedding day at church! Aunty was a quiet and loving person, who seemed like the rock behind him. Marriages of our parents' generation were like that - silent and solid where the wife quietly saw to it that her husband's needs and likings were humoured. May God give her strength to cope with his absence. May Annie and her brother also be comforted in the thought that her dad is in heaven with the angels.

Onam greetings

Dark is beautiful - The Hindu

Dark is beautiful - The Hindu
An article on our classmate Kavita Israel, now Kavita Immanuel.
A tribute to all of us with darker skins ;)

Why study English

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/08/why-teach-english.html
This vindicates our decision to do English major. For me, it was studying something that I enjoyed rather than something that I would have to cram up or would be a drudgery like any of the science subjects. Of course, it earned me some derision from hostel mates who did the "real" and "intelligent" courses of study.

Alumni celebrations

The day after the melee.

Road in front of Heber

Tree stump at Heber captured by an amateur (me)

The nostalgia of being in front of Selaiyur Hall

Our first MA classroom

Classroom was in a state of disorder

Tree opposite our usual gutter. Gutters lack depth now.

Prem and his friends.

Programmes going on inside Anderson Hall.

Oru college kumari.

Skinny Francis (behind Miller) has put on a lot of weight. So have we all 

My son Ashwin sings a song for Prem, just as we were leaving.

My kids making acquaintance with Arul.

One last photo before I depart.

Most of these pictures have appeared on Facebook, and most of you would have seen them. Anyway, since our blog needs some activity, let me put them here too.
I was there only on Sunday for about 2 hrs, so I am not qualified to comment on the 2-day event. I hope Prem will jot down his experiences.
I am told the first day was fabulous, and all had fun sitting in the gutters ;) I got to meet Griz & Miller, Prem & Venky, Meena & Janardhan and their kid, and a few other faces I could recognise. Prem did the service of taking me around a part of the campus, including Heber Hall and chapel which I had never seen when I was studying there. I also had the privilege of travelling (upto the pavilion from Thomas's) in Venky's limousine ;) And thank you, Prem, for gifting me a copy of The History of MCC, though you made me carry yours and Venky's copies in penance!
--
Roshin.

Birthday girls

Dear Usha & Roshin,

When is the party & Where is the party?

Wishes in advance 

Prem

Venky in action

Watch Venky in action.

Puthiyathalaimurai T.V.

Program - Routhiram Palaghu

Saturday Nights at 09.30 p.m.

    He has done programs on 8th, 15th & 22nd of December and the next one is on 29th of December.  

http://puthiyathalaimurai.tv/weekly-videos?vid=routhirampalaghu

Merry Christmas to you and yours....

Have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.

From Maha, Arul and James (a.k.a Magizh)

My good news of the year

My year has been very busy with many things in my professional and personal life. My best news (and what a good way to end the year) is a review of my book published by the Australian Library Journal that was just published.  I am sharing it here and woul like to cite that is from ALJ, volume 61, no.4. It was a lot of work and I am glad it is being reviewed well. Happy holidays everyone.

Leadership in Libraries: A Focus on Ethnic-Minority Librarians. By Maha Kumaran.

Chandos Information Professional Series. Witney: Chandos Publishing, 2012. 187 pp.
£47.50 soft cover ISBN 9781843346586

This is a timely, thought-provoking and informative work that addresses minority librarians and
leadership in Anglo-Saxon cultures and fills a gap in leadership literature, which is focused more
commonly on intercultural leadership advice for those from Anglo-Saxon majority cultures. While it has clear value to ethnic minority librarians, it deserves a much wider audience from all interested in leadership, library education and ethnic diversity in the workplace.

Kumaran covers available literature on the topic; the influence of culture, profession and
gender on leaders, management and leadership; leadership styles and skills; and the status quo
of ethnic minority leadership and developmental opportunities in the US, the UK, Canada and
Australia. The last-mentioned topic is supported by research, and chapters are all well referenced
throughout. Abstracts are provided for each chapter, research survey questions are given in
appendices and there is an index.

Kumaran points out that leadership programmes are tailored to the majority culture in many cases. She supports this assertion with her own research, which located no leadership programme specific to minority librarians in Canada, Australia or the UK. She recommends that all library schools introduce a leadership course with modules on intercultural leadership. Library leadership demographics should mirror society’s demographics, and Kumaran asserts that cross-cultural training is important both for minority and majority groups. Much of the content of the book indicates what such training could cover. Speaking primarily to non-Caucasian first generation immigrants in Anglo-Saxon cultures, the author explains the major cultural differences affecting leadership in Asian and African cultures and in Anglo-Saxon workplaces. Throughout her discussion of management and leadership she offers a wealth of cultural insight. She also covers significant ground in terms of explaining management and leadership theory. The final section covers leadership in school, public and academic libraries in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. This gives context-specific information and examples of opportunities for leadership, such as joint-use public and school libraries and excellence in research skills training in academic libraries. It also shows the imperative of good leadership in situations of financial constraint.

It is difficult to fully capture the depth and contribution of this book – certainly it achieves much more than its primary purpose in addressing immigrant librarians and is highly recommended for its contribution to our understanding of an important aspect of the information profession.


Julia Leong
RMIT University

12-12-12

Wishing All of you and your families with the best of Christmas and a happy Prosperous New year with Good health, Joy, Love, understanding. Hope the new year brings all the best to everyone. Hope to see more activity here too. God bless all with a great X"mas season.