River of Smoke - Amitav Ghosh

 It's the second book in his trilogy - the first being 'Sea of Poppies'. This is also a signed copy I got from Amitav Ghosh when he visited the city in 2011. Somehow the size and the experience with 'Sea of Poppies' kept me off this one but I finally read it after 15 years. It's like most of his books - well researched, well written. However this one did not hold my attention too long until it got to the end.

There are three ships that get caught in a storm. Two convicts escape one ship (which was in the earlier book), one ship belongs to a rich Parsi opium trader and another to a biologist in search of rare plants. the rich Parsi, Bahram, has invested a lot of money to make a killing in the biggest haul of opium he has got in China where a lot of people like him are selling opium. The biologist finds the daughter of another famous biologist on an island and takes her in to search for that rare flower. She gets in touch with the song of a painter who updates her of the goings on in Canton (she cannot go for some reason) by a series of long letters. Turns out that one of the convicts on the ship is the illegitimate son of Bahram from his Chinese mistress who has died.

The Chinese have decided enough is enough and a new Commissioner steps in and says that all foreign - British mainly - traders selling opium must hand over the opium and leave. No further sale of opium is allowed. Its a loss of huge proportions and try as they do, they cannot change the ruling and give up their opium. The distraught Bahram dies. The girl is told that the flower is a mythical one and is not really true. The opium is melted in the river. The river of smoke is the river where opium comes from India and is traded by Britishers who have banned usage in Britain by the way, but encourage its sale in China. Obviously it is good business and the British are good businessman.

But then there are too many characters speaking strange languages, having different desires and motives, too many descriptions of mundane activities and events and details and nothing much happens until in the end things pick up some action. I found this same pattern with the first book also when after a long slow build up there is frenzied Bollywoodesque action at the end where the hero comes out from near death and leads a revolt on the slave ship. The one good thing is that each book seems to leave one enduring image from that book. Not my most favorite Ghosh book. I loved 'The Calcutta Chromosome' and 'The Hungry Tide' best. But it will be my most cherished one because I am hoping he will win the Nobel Prize one day and I will have a signed copy by a Nobel winner.        

Miranda Days - Orpheus Wins at IIT, Kanpur

 Orpheus won joint first at the IIT, Kanpur festival so the trip was well worth it. Well done Orpheus.

Wishing you many more.

What Great Teachers Do differently - Todd Whitaker

 This book gives 19 things that matter most. Todd  is a leading presenter in education and the author of over 50 books including a bestseller called 'What Great Principals Do'. He is a Professor of Education Leadership in the University of Missouri. 

The key ideas that he shares are -
- People matter more than programs (keep the student in mind)
- Set clear expectations and follow up - when you say something mean it
- Correct behaviors so they are not repeated
- set high expectations from students and teachers
- Its about results and work so do not get caught in building relationships -be clear about your purpose
- Stay in business mode (transactional analysis) - not child or parent
- Always look to improve
- Keep the student first
- Create a positive atmosphere in classrooms and schools
- Use the power of praise
- Filter out the negatives and share a positive attitude
- Keep good relations
- Ignore trivial disturbances and respond to inappropriate behaviors without escalating
- Plan and purpose - reflect on what they could have done differently - think of what the best people will think in  given situation
- Think of what is most comfortable and what is least comfortable with each decision
- Have empathy for students
- Keep standardised testing procedures in perspective and be clear that the real issue is of learning
- Care about your students, make it cool to care
- Understand that their behaviours and beliefs are tied to emotions, understand the power of emotions to jump start change
-  Clarify your core
- Focus on what is right for the students

 Todd makes it clear that the purpose of teaching is to impart learning to the students and that it is the teachers job to find ways to do that. Not all students are the same nor do they learn at the same pace or the same way so the teacher must understand how to deliver to each student, be patient. The only way to get the approach right is to genuinely care for each student and find the right key for each. To do that one must understand behaviors (how to encourage good behaviors and limit poor behaviors), emotions (using them to change), human psychology (what motivates students and what discourages them), process (of planning, preparing, delivering, testing, feedback, improving). If one follows what Todd says one will understand teaching from a deeper perspective of imparting learning and making better people or rather allowing students to find and fulfill their potential. In the process the teachers fulfill their own potential.

I felt that the book could have been structured better (purpose, approach, behaviors, stick and carrot etc) so a new teacher could follow the path of 'why' (purpose), 'how (values, processes), and 'what' (goals). I also felt the examples could have been presented better. There is so much good content but its a little all over the place for me and I have to put it together which the book should have done. That said, maybe I am looking at it from my way, and another reader might like the way it is presented. Despite it all the core ideas are very good and solid - that we must care for the student and be committed to their growth and any failure to do that is our own failure as teachers.  

Thought for the Day - Choose for Yourself - Don't Please, Don't Rebel

Deep down our choices are mostly shaped by the external. We are either choosing to please someone or to rebel against someone - both sub consciously.

Both ways we are making a choice for someone else instead of making the choices for ourselves which is the wrong reason to make a choice. Both ways it sets us back because it takes a while to undo the damage and find your own path. 

If one can be aware of the choices and why we are making them, it can help save time and energy. Next time you choose, it might help to ask who you are making the choice for - yourself or for someone else.

Own your choice. You'll be happier for it.

Hyderabad by Walk - Chowmahalla Palace

Mukthyar and Tareekh-e-Dakshin planned a heritage tour of the Chowmahalla Palace (1750-69) and I decided to join even though I'd been there a few times. Chowmahalla Palace was the centre of the Nizams power (1720-1948), the place from where they ruled, and the official residence during their reign. It was built on the spot where an earlier palace of the Qutb Shahi kings existed. 

 

The Khilwat from the entrance

I asked Ramaraju if he wanted to join and he was game so I picked him up and we managed to land up at Chowmahalla palace at 10 am. Since my last visit I realised there were a few changes - they had opened up another gate ahead to the left which opened up more parking space and a proper entry and exit system. Ticket cost 150 bucks and for a mobile camera 50 bucks. As usual the chap at the counter had no change and he looked at me to find an online solution for that which I found in Rammaraju.

Khilwat Mubarak building and the Khilwat clock tower in the background

Mukthyar was there and we were soon joined by Anirudh who always amazes me with his knowledge of Hyderabad cricket and cricketers - it's surreal sometimes and I feel he knows more than many cricketers themselves. During our discussions he told me he watched the TG20 finals, watched both Ranji games recently and spoke of the people he met etc. He's one of the few people in Hyderabad one can hold a sensible conversation with on cricket in Hyderabad. He could write a book on Hyderabad cricket.

 

An impressive window

We bought our tickets and were soon joined by Ashik, Pavan and his father, and later on by Nissar, a psychiatrist, his friend Arjun.

The Diwan-e-Khas where the Nizam conducted his durbar

Mukthyar gave a general idea of how the Asaf Jahi dynasty came to be. The coming to India of Mohamad Abid who later came to be known as Qilich Khan, a general who fought for the Mughals and died in the siege of Golconda under Aurangzeb in 1687. Qilich Khan's grandson it was, Qamaruddin Khan, who became the first Nizam ul Mulk and ruled mostly from Aurangabad.

View of the garden behind Khilwat 

The first Nizam established the Asaf Jaf dynasty in 1724, defeating the Mughal Governor Mubariz Khan, but did not secede from the Mughals, choosing instead to operate under them with full independence. The official firmans would come from Delhi though.

 

View of the Khilwat from behind

After he passed away three rulers ruled - Nasir Jung, Muzaffar Jung and Salabath Jung. None of the above got official sanction from Delhi and hence they do not show up in the legitimate list of Nizams. Why they are important to this tour is because Salabath Jung who ruled for 12 years (1751-62), started construction of the Chowmalla palace around 1750. The first phase was completed during the time of the 5th Nizam Afzal ud Daula during the 1757-69 period. Other buildings kept getting added on.

The gates to Chowmahalla palaces

Mukthyar said that the palace grounds extended from the Jillu Khana gate on Lad Bazaar to where it is now. Once inside we passed through servant quarters or offices, past the store which had some quaint stuff, and landed up at the Khilwat Mubarak. This building was built by the seventh Nizam circa 1912 onwards .

Afzal Mahal

Before this building is a beautiful water body, gardens. To the right of the Khilwat building is a clock tower and a majestic gate that leads into the road adjacent. 

Afzal Mahal

Inside the Khilwat building we step into the Diwan-e-Aam which is where the Nizams would meet the ordinary people, a huge marble hall with a marble throne, 19 massive Belgian chandeliers. To the right and left are huge rooms that have been converted into museums with brief bios of the Nizams seven Nizams - Nizam ul Mulk, Nizam Ali Khan, Sikandar Jah, Nadir ud Daula, Afzal ud Daula, Mahboob Ali Khan add Osman Ali Khan. Then we step into a photo gallery, walk behind the hall, step into another show area and into a beautiful garden behind. 

A lovely gate leads us into the area where the four Mahals are - Tahniat Mahal, Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal and Aftab Mahal. Couple of them are open and a couple are off bounds.

 

Behind these Mahals is an area where the many cars of the Nizam are on display. It's an interesting area. By this time a couple of calls came in which I had to take and there went the rest of my walk.

Walking through Chowmahalla Palace takes up half a day for sure. We headed out

A Nice Surprise - An Old Tinkle Story Shows Up

I have been flipping through some of Anjali's old Tinkle Digests these days and quite by chance saw a story that sounded familiar. I looked it up and found my name as the writer of the story - Grandpa Helps Out.

Almost a couple of decades ago I wrote a few children's stories and sent them off to various places. One of them was accepted by Tinkle and it got published. When Anjali was growing up that was the only thing that really impressed her about me - getting a story published in Tinkle.

Now after all these years finding that story in a double digest or whatever gave me the best thrill ever. 

Love the ways of the world. Surprises everywhere.

Thought for the Day - What Makes You Happy

Small things really. A cool breeze. Clean towels. A nice fragrance. A smile. A good book. An easy conversation. A lovely sunrise. Or sunset. A barefoot walk on the beach.

I also realised reading funny books makes me laugh (and happy). Funny movies. People who make me laugh. 

Things that would make me happy but I gave up are toys (mini cars), cricket (should start playing again), table tennis (same), reading comics (started), watching cartoons or animation films (started). 

When I was a child, five years old perhaps, I got the best birthday gift ever - a bunch of mini cars. I think it must have been my mom's idea though they said some uncle bought them. One of those was an open top Willys Jeep and to this day I mentally search for it. Can't get over that I lost it somewhere. Would it have felt abandoned by me my poor Jeep?

I bought a few mini cars on a whim recently and told a few people and lo behold in a couple of months my collection grew to some 18. I just love seeing them all over so I put them in places i can see and push them here and there. Makes me feel happy seeing them.

Yesterday I told Vinod that I want to buy a car. He thought I wanted to buy a new car. I told him I wanted to buy a mini car. He told me he read an article that older people were now buying toys. I am part of that brigade. I need to read that article.

I guess that's it then. Whatever rocks your boat - get them out, keep them in sight, touch, sound. Enjoy the feeling. Don't let the old man in like Mr Eastwood said I think. It may seem silly to some but its ok, this is about what makes you happy.