An Indian Bride

 She sits with head bowed ,

A bashful bride,a princess fair,

Hennaed hands with bangles fair,

With Red and White and silver  shine!

Pearls of tears  down a face so fair

Adorn an angel oh so fair!

As parents shed tears so free,

The groom’s friends dance, with joy and glee,

So she sits with hennaed hands,

A bashful bride, a princess fair!

A winsome face that fills with joy,

The heart of one so full of pride!

A bashful glance she casts towards,

A groom so fair, so filled with pride,

With hennaed hands and bangles fair,

A treasure-trove for a groom so fair,

While parents shed their tears so free,

Of life to end and life to start!

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Mrs. Helen Smart's visit to the St.Thomas School, Jagadhri - A warm note by the Principal-Rodrick Rajive Lal

Mrs. Helen Smart, a guest from St.Mark’s Parish in Derbyshire, England on a mission with a commitment to strengthen the on going Partnership Link between the Diocese of Delhi, CNI and the diocese of Derbyshire visited us on the fifteenth and sixteenth. She was welcomed in the St. Thomas School on the fifteenth by the Principal, Mr. Rodrick Rajive Lal and some teachers. On the sixteenth she was welcomed formally during the school assembly. I handed over a Stole to her, and Mrs. E.Y. Masih gifted her a memento on behalf of the St. Thomas School Jagadhri.After attending assembly in the school, Mrs. Helen Smart was taken on a tour of the school and she had a lively interaction with students and teachers.

 

Mrs Smart is flanked by the Principal, Mr. Rodrick on her left

 

Mrs. Smart is flanked on her left by the Principal Mr. Rodrick Rajive Lal

                  

                    

 

The tour of the school was followed by a visit to the C.N.I. Mission Hospital, Jagadhri, where Mrs. Helen Smart was welcomed by Dr. Cecil Harrison and his wife, Dr. Naina Harrison.

 

 

After visiting the Mission Hospital, Mrs. Helen Smart visited the C.N.I. Christ Church, and then I along with Mrs. Masih, and Mrs. Vinod Sharma took her on an outing to the Assan Wetlands, and the Dakh Pathar picnic spot. We all had a nice time on the outing, and were able to see so many migratory birds in a natural setting with so much natural beauty! I am sure by the end of the outing, Mrs. Helen Smart would have been thoroughly exhausted but absolutely thrilled!

                                 

I am sure that when she returns to England, she will have a lot of wonderful things to tell the Parishioners of St. Marks Church! I would like wish her on behalf of the St. Thomas School all the best in her future endeavors and hope she carries warm greetings from this wonderful missionary school to her Parish!

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A walk on the Path of Life-A Poem

I take a walk on the  path of life,

The morning still with all asleep!

My silent foot falls all the way,

While dogs lie curled and leaves don’t turn!

The cold wind blows, a silent whisper,

Of things to be and things long past.

For none may be to share your walk,

But a cold cold Morn where leaves don’t turn!

I draw my collar close to me, a cold-cold

Wind draws a shiver,  my silent foot falls

All the way! Nor friend nor foe greet me by,

As I walk the  path of life!

The pregnant stillness of Morn clamps down,

A world asleep with dreams a-piece!

For comfort be where togetherness be,

While dogs lie curled and leaves don’t turn,

Sometimes they greet you with miles of smiles,

But sneer at you once they’re done,

Hungry wolves out for kill, wait with baited breath,

While silent foot falls pass them by!

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How much should we share on social networking sites?

A rather interesting article appeared in the The New York Times on 5th.February, 2012 on page Sr.7 of the New York Edition of the Newspaper. The Headline of the Article read,  "Should Personal Data Be Personal?"The article described how an Austrian law student requested his own Facebook File and was astounded to get a file which had, 1,222 Pages! It was a smorgasbord of information, but some of it was unsavoury including things he had not himself entered in his personal file! Personal data on most social networking sites continue to be retained even after we have deleted our accounts, and we have started coming across stories of breakups in marriages, people driven to commit suicide, cases of sexual abuse, and what not, caused by the sharing of personal information on the web. In some cases it is the result of exposing our vulnerabilities to unscrupulous organisations/ individuals out for a killing! In some cases, it is just a case of identifying the web users interests so that advertisements of the best offers in town may be sent to him or her. In any case, in the words of the law student, all that information stored in the social networking sites is, “like a camera hanging over your bed while…!”

People in Europe are worried about this indiscriminate sharing of information on social networking sites and are actively campaigning against indiscriminate use of  “personal” information by  them. Now there are regulations put in by the Governments in Europe which try to introduce an element of control on how this personal information is used, and whether the individual’s permission has been sought. In the United States, people have not yet woken up to the enormity of the situation. We, in India are still to reach the state of affairs in Europe and U.S., but I am sure we will soon overhaul both and reach the point where we too realise that  our private lives are no longer private! The recent scrutiny of some web giants by the Government of India for   allowing the posting of material which causes tension among communities material that derides communities is a sign that the Government is waking up to the problem in hand. For people in India, the Internet, and social networking sites have come like Manna from Heaven and they can’t have enough! It is  means for gaining popularity and fame, and nothing pleases us more than these!

Today, more and more school children in India are logging on to the net, and sharing personal information on social networking sites. Some are smart enough to use aliases while others are innocent enough to use their own personal names! Unfortunately we fall prey to the assurance by the website that our,”E-mail Id will not be shared by anyone,” or that, “personal information will not be shared with anyone!” To see what kind of personal information might be on the web you could also type your name on the search bar of one of the search engines and you would get a list of third party websites carrying information about you. People are however going to continue to use social websites as a means for expressing themselves, including their hopes, desires, disappointments and joys. Social Networking Sites have become an effective means for maintaining contact with acquaintances, friends, and family members. It is cheap, takes little time and doesn’t require long periods of time waiting for the post! You can blame it on our laziness to write letters, our dependence on technology, or perhaps a hectic life style offset by the need to progress. My only advice to the member of the Social Networking Site is to think carefully before submitting his or her personal information, knowing well that it could be used wrongly, if not by the social networking site, then by a third-party website!

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Photographing a Pair of Owls

The other day, while in school, during the day off, I was called by my Senior who pointed out to a pair of owls basking in the sun while perched on the branch of one of the tallest trees in the school. They seemed to be so cute sitting there enjoying their afternoon siesta! I didn’t want to intrude (disturbing this happy couple seemed rude), but then I had to take a few shots of them! They seemed so much like a human couple enjoying a moment of togetherness, a moment of bliss, an image of matrimonial bliss.While one dosed off, the other remained watchful and alert! The gestures of affection for each other was evident in some of the photographs! Without saying more, I would like the viewer to look at some of the photographs that I took of this rather venerable couple, the symbol of togetherness, harmony, and compatibility, a message for all human beings!

“Sleep well dear, while I watch over you!”

                                                   “Hey, who’s that?”

                     

 “Looks like he is taking a photograph with his camera!”

“Never mind!Sleep on Dear, for we have to hunt at night! Good Night, oops, good day, sweet dreams!”

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