The Transformation from the “Angel in the House” to “New Women” Ideal

The Victorian Era (1837-1901) was a period when women were considered ‘inferior’ to their male counterparts. Women were expected to follow certain societal guidelines and norms of behavior. Queen Victoria was regarded as the ‘perfect woman’ and was set as a faultless example for other women to follow. During the Victorian Era, women were modeled as the “angel in the house” by being submissive to their husbands, pure through their words and actions, and not having an active role in society; this gradually transformed into the “new women” ideal that portrayed women as powerful, independent thinkers, strong decision makers and a valuable part of the society. Victorian Era literature demonstrates how the ‘angel’ and ‘new women’ ideals differ and how it affected women during this time period.

The “Angel in the House” ideal was derived from Coventry Patmore’s poem titled, “Angel in the House”, which stated that the ‘perfect’ woman of the Victorian Era should be submissive to their husbands, pure in their words and actions, and not want to be an active part of society. The ideal woman wore light-colored clothing and was usually very beautiful. However, Victorian women did not have much say in their household (Heiniger). They had to follow their husbands’ commands and be submissive to the men. One might state that Victorian men used their wives as “showpieces” rather than as equal partners.

One essential goal of a woman was to get married (Vyas). If a woman did not marry, then she would most likely become a governess. A governess was a servant in a house, who looked after the master’s children, but did not have many rights. The second goal of a Victorian wife was to have children (Abrams). Motherhood was something that gave great joy to women. Becoming a mother was the highest achievement a woman could receive during the Victorian Era. This alludes that women had no real purpose in society other than marrying and having children. One interesting point Vyas states is that “the ideal of femininity was paradoxical- a woman was expected to be gentle and required her man to protect her from the external world, at the same time in a situation of crisis the same ‘feeble’ woman was expected to be strong and become the backbone of the man or family.” This gives a clear idea of the double standard society had towards women during this period.

During the Victorian Era, women wore large skirts and corsets that constricted their movement, which eventually made them stay at home. However it was the women who maintained the house and that required a lot of physical labor and effort (Abrams). The clothing worn by women is one example of how females were limited in their actions. These limitations angered many conventional women who demanded change. They had new ideas on how women should be treated and how they should act. This was later known as the “new women” ideal.

The “new women” ideal countered the ‘angel in the house’ principles by demanding more power, becoming independent and having the right to make decisions in society and for themselves. Firstly, the ‘new women’ demanded more rights and freedom. Abrams states that “Working-class men began to demand the privileges of domesticity for their wives, while protecting their own jobs and rates of pay. At the same time, working-class women were beginning to demand these privileges for them, in order to protect their status within the home.” By wanting more rights and freedom, these ‘new women’ gradually began to get more say in society. The masculine dominant society was disrupted by the new feminine power wanting a say in society.

Education and employment opportunities for middle class women were the main objective of the first “new women”. For working-class women, these feminists strived for better working conditions and wages. Eventually, these “new women” attempted for even bigger reforms, such as women’s suffrage (Abrams). This finally let women escape the bondage they were in that was set by in society.

To counter the “new women”, men started stereotyping these females by saying they have masculine qualities. Women started wearing pants, because it gave them more freedom than the restricting long skirts and corsets. Propaganda started circulating about how these “new women” were bad for the society and how they were improper in their attire and attitude. Because of the “new women”, the men started to lose some of their dominance in society. The “new woman” was often questioned about her sexuality, if she was seen as “unfeminine” or did not follow the norm (Showalter). To men, “The idea of an evil woman, a negative other or opposite of the heroine, has existed in the human imagination for as long as the idea of a heroine, as an inevitable corollary. Victorian novels abound in ambitious and manipulative women” (Vyas).

Literature during this era reflects some of the same struggles the Victorian women went through. One example of a woman not following the norm of an ‘angel in the house’ would be Charlotte Bronte’s famous book: Jane Eyre. In this book, Jane’s character does not want to be the normal ‘angel’ in the house. She states in the book, “I am not an angel . . . and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me . . .” (Bronte 228). In Bronte’s book, Jane is attributed with many distinct qualities that were very masculine, to show that she was not the typical Victorian lady.  In another Victorian Era novel, The Yellow Wallpaper, the main character was very frustrated and angry that her husband was trying to control, confine and trivialize her (Showalter). Other very famous Victorian Era literature that deal with “angel in the house” and “new women” ideals include Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the Pride and Prejudice, the protagonist has differing ideas of how an upper class woman should act compared to the norm (Lily). The Scarlet Letter is another novel that shows the main character defying power and fighting against the rules society follows (Wang). These four novels show many similar qualities of a “new woman”. In some Victorian Era literature the common masculine qualities of characters that include hierarchy, aggression, anger and passion; while making the females look “weak” (Showalter).

In conclusion, the “Angel in the House” ideal was propagated by men to show their dominance and making women less important in society. While the “New Women” ideal greatly changed the attitude of many females and made them more conventional, it received a lot of criticism from their male counterparts. This “New Women” ideal impacted the authority of men and eventually made them less superior.

Works Cited

Abrams, Lynn. Ideals of Womanhood in Victorian Britain. 9 August 2001. Web. 10 December 2012.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Signet, 1847. Print.

Heiniger, Abigail. "The Faery and the Beast." Bronte Studies (2006): 23-29. Print.

Lily, Grim. The Ideal Woman In Pride and Prejudice. 8 May 2011. Web. 14 January 2013.

Showalter, Elaine. "Killing the Angel of the House: The Autonomy of Women Writers." Antioch Review (1992): 207. Web.

Vyas, Shvetal. Angel in The House v/s The Femme Fatale. 2010 27 January. Web. 12 December 2012.

Wang, Yamin. "A Representative of the New Female Image—Analyzing Hester Prynne’s Feminist Consciousness in The Scarlet Letter." Journal of Language Teaching and Research (2010): 893-897. Web.

The History and Evolution of Indian Classical Music

This essay was prepared for the Nadopasana 2012 event at the Triad Hindu Temple, Greensboro, NC.

Introduction and Thesis

As man evolved over the ages, so has his aesthetic sensibility. Indian Classical music is one of the world’s oldest, richest and sophisticated systems of music. Owing to its vast scope and depth, I will be discussing how Indian Classical music, mainly the Carnatic system of music, has evolved.

Origins

Indian classical music is believed to have originated from various sources. Nature and the sounds naturally occurring such as wind blowing through bamboo reeds and the sound of waves were some of man’s early expositions to music. The source of all knowledge, the Vedas, explains the significance of Omkara which is believed to be the origin of music. There are several references to music and musical instruments in the Ithihasas and Puranas such as Shiva’s Damaru, Saraswati’s Veena and Krishna’s Murali. Music is therefore said to have divine origins.

Let us now examine the chronological evolution of music. This can be broadly classified as the ancient, medieval and modern period.

Ancient (Vedic -4th Century AD)

The oldest Veda, namely the RIG Veda was originally recited in monotone. Later, tonal variations were introduced in the SAMA Veda which was chanted in 3-7 tones. This was perhaps the beginnings of the 7 note structure (saptaswaras) of Indian classical music.

Towards the end of the ancient period, Sage Bharata formulated a comprehensive treatise on music and dance called Natyashastra. He was the first musician to make references to swara (notes), tala (rhythm) and pada (lyrics).

Medieval (5th-16th Century AD)

Mathanga’s treatise, the Brigadesi has introduced ragas (scales) to music. The cave inscriptions dated to 7 AD found in Southern India are rich in musical compositions. Thevarams, songs in praise of Lord Shiva and Divya Prabandhams, compositions that praise Lord Vishnu have significantly contributed to the enrichment of classical music.

Sarangadeva (12 AD) musical treatise, the Sangeetha Ratnakara extensively covers swaras, talas, tala-vadyas (percussion instruments) and gamakas (tonal ornamentations). He inspired several other scholars to write about music, of which, Vidyaranya’s Sangeetha Sara stands out. Vidyaranya was the first to classify ragas as Melas (parent) and Janya (derivative) ragas. We now see that the body of music is making sophisticated transformations.

With the Sultanate invasion in Northern India (14 AD), music was subjected to Persian and Arabic influences. This led to a marked distinction of Indian classical music into the Hindustani system (popularized in Northern India) and the Carnatic system prevalent in Southern India.

During the 15th century, Carnatic music evolved greatly in both theoretical and practical aspects. Sage Annamacharya and Sage Purandaradasa made rich compositions during this time that are popular to date. Venkatamakhi formulated the Melakarta Scheme which classified 72 major scales with possibilities of infinite derived scales. This period also saw the evolution of various genres of compositions such as swarajathi, varnam, padam, javali , kritis and thillanas.

Modern Period (18th Century-Present)

The 18th century was undoubtedly the golden age of Indian Classical Music. The musical trinity, Syama Shastri, Saint Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar enriched classical music with thousands of compositions. They were Vaggeyakaras (wrote and composed) who demonstrated superior lyrical, intellectual, devotional and musical capabilities. Some of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s music shows Western influences and popularized the introduction of the violin as accompaniment.

Maharaja Swati Thirunal was a 19th century composer/king/painter who composed in several languages such as Hindi, Sanskrit, Malayalam and Telugu. Sri Papanasam Sivan was a prolific Tamil composer during this era. Music and other art forms flourished owing to the generous patronage of kings, temples and rich landlords.

Contemporary Carnatic music still stays grounded to the rich tradition laid out by the Trinity. Innovations made by musical geniuses such as Sri. Balamurali Krishna has enriched our music. He firmly believes that one must not limit our musical heritage to pradesik (regional) classifications such as Hindustani and Carnatic but celebrate it as Bharateeya Sangeeth (music of India).

The advent of telecommunication and Internet technologies has bridged the geographical divide. Music rasikas can now enjoy, learn and perform all around the globe via satellite, radio, television and the Internet. The Nadopasana event celebrated in our temple today is one such example of reverence of this rich art form.

Conclusion

Preparation for this essay has been a rewarding and enlightening experience for me. I am awed about the origins, evolution, tradition, contributions and the dynamic nature of this art form. The greatest lesson I learned is a 2 line excerpt from a composition of Saint Tyagaraja:

Sangeetha gnanamu Bhakthi vinaa, San margamu galadhe Oh Manasa

Oh mind , the knowledge of music, without devotion is futile.

Sources

http://carnatica.net/origin.htm

http://www.newkerala.com/india/Indian-Music/Carnatic-Music.html

http://www.carnatica.net/special/essay-shrikaanth.htm

Amphetamines and Barbiturates-A comparative study

During the last two weeks, we have been learning about the side effects of substance abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, each year almost 40 million serious illnesses have occurred by drug abuse in the United States (National Library of Medicine). Some effects of drug abuse are driving while impaired (DWI) and violence. Drug addiction might cause a person to become homeless or commit crimes. Some of the abused drugs are amphetamines and barbiturates. In this paper, I will compare and contrast amphetamines and barbiturates.

Amphetamines are stimulants. Like coffee, (another example for a stimulant) amphetamines help you stay awake. Physicians use amphetamines to treat asthma, hyperactivity and sleeping disorders. But if you abuse the amphetamines, you will get very sick. Overuse of amphetamine can cause physical effects such as increased breathing, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure. When amphetamines are abused, it will result in weight loss, paranoia, panic attacks and difficulty swallowing. Sometimes the person abusing the drug might get impulsive, risk-taking actions. Some street names of this include “Bennies, Black Beauties, Uppers, Speed and Ice.” (What to Teach Kids About Amphetamines).

Another type of drugs is barbiturates. These drugs are depressants. Depressants have hypnotic and tranquilizing effects. Barbiturates are used to treat epilepsy. Barbiturates are often used as anesthesia for surgical procedures. It can relieve a person from tension or anxiety. When barbiturates are abused, a person will have vision problems, a feeling of intoxication, emotional instability, slurred speech and chronic tiredness. Often times the abuser of the drug is sleepy. Some of the street names are, “Redbirds, Tooties and Barbs.” (Smith and Smith)

As amphetamines are stimulants and barbiturates are depressants, they have very different side effects as mentioned above. But, amphetamines and barbiturates have many similarities. Both can be taken orally or can be injected and are very addictive. Amphetamines and barbiturates can cause a person to lack coordination, have memory loss and many disorders. Addiction of both can lead to death. But, if used under a physician’s guidance, both can be used to treat sleeping disorders like narcolepsy.

It was a great educational experience to research about amphetamines and barbiturates. I learned a lot about the physical, behavioral and psychological side effects of drug abuse. If more youngsters are educated about these topics I am positive that we can decrease the numbers of drug users in our society.


Works Cited
National Library of Medicine. 7 March 2011. 7 March 2011 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html.
Smith, Sandra Fucci. and Christopher Smith. Personal Health Choices. Boston Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc., 1990.
What to Teach Kids About Amphetamines. Minneapolis, MN Hazelden Publishing, 1998.

Western Classical Music and Indian Classical Music (some comparisons and contrasts)

The following essay was prepared for our Hindu temple's annual Nadopasana (2011) event.

Music is an artistic expression that brings great fulfillment to all human beings across the globe. Traditional European music, referred to as Western Classical Music (WCM) and the music originated from the Vedic Hindu tradition, know as Indian Classical Music (ICM) are two important classical music traditions. In ICM, there are two primary styles, Hindustani classical music, popular in north India and Carnatic music, popular in south India. In this essay, I shall use the aspects of music such as tone, pitch, tempo, rhythm, tradition and scale to compare and contrast WCM and ICM.

Tone: ICM is predominantly monophonic. This means that a single note or a set of notes are expanded or improvised upon. In raga Mayamalavagowla for example, a musician will elaborate on a set of specific notes such as S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S and S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S. However, WCM is usually polyphonic. This means several notes are played and sung together as chords. This gives way to harmony. ICM does not use the major/minor tonal system and therefore may sound very different to a Westerner.

Pitch: All music is set to relative loudness or softness referred to as pitch. In ICM, the musicians use a drone (or Shruti) on a stringed instrument called tanpura. In WCM, a given set of notes is set to a particular pitch

The next aspect I shall discuss is tempo or speed. There are 3 major tempos in ICM such as vilambit (very slow), madhyamam (medium speed) and dhruti (fast speed). Most Indian Classical musicians present in the madhyamam (medium) speed. In WCM, the tempo is normally set by the composer of the music. But the conductor can change the given tempo to their liking. Therefore there is a similarity between the two traditions with respect to tempo.

Rhythm: The rhythm for a given music piece is preset in both ICM and WCM. In ICM, musicians use a cyclic beat known as tala. Some examples are 8 beat tala (Aadi) and 6 beat tala (Rupakam). In WCM, the preset rhythm can be maintained by using a metronome.

Tradition: The roots and tradition of ICM and WCM are similar and different in some aspects. WCM has roots from church or devotional music. Similarly, ICM has its origins in the study of Vedas and Hindu religion. ICM is primarily based on the mood of devotion (bhakti). The Nadopasana (prayer through music) event that we are celebrating today is a great example for this. ICM is passed through a teacher-student (guru-sishya) tradition. This allows for a lot of individual variations. WCM, however, is typically taught the way it was originally composed and does not encourage major variations. In this aspect they are different.

Lastly, the most significant difference I would like to discuss is with respect to scales. WCM uses an equal tempered scale and is chromatic. WCM has major and minor scales. ICM does not use the major and minor classification. An ICM piece is set to a specific raga (combination of individual notes). ICM has 72 primary ragas and infinite derived or janya ragas. An interesting find in the research was that both traditions use a circular
schema to represent the scales. The WCM uses the Circle of Fifths and the ICM uses the Mela Chakra as represented below:




However, despite all differences, both traditions derive their limitless music from 7 basic notes Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si (WCM) and SRGMPDN (ICM). This is an amazing fact that is a proof that though there are certain technical differences, both music traditions have some universal similarities. The research and reading done for this essay has helped me understand and appreciate the WCM and ICM in more detail. Music transcends geographical boundaries. A listener with an open mind can greatly enjoy both traditions.

Several Internet sources, lessons from my violin teacher and input from my parents were used for this essay.

Together We Can...

Bloomberg woke up startled. Did he hear something? Or was he just imagining things? The noise was getting louder by the second. Then, it became quiet. After a short period of silence, the strange noise started again! What could it be? Bloomberg thought this was going to be something bad. Bloomberg was determined to find out. Bloomberg sprang up from his bed and searched around the house to see if he could hear the beeping. The noise was coming from the backyard. He gingerly walked down the stairs. When he got to the backyard he was in shock. There was a dazzling spaceship in his backyard! The spaceship was huge!The spaceship was an odd shade of white and green and emitted strange smoke.

Nothing untoward had ever happened in his planet Utopia. No thieving, no homicide, not even car wrecks! The planet was perfect. The only way Bloomberg knew about unfortunate events was from reading about them in fictional novels. Bloomberg was a voracious reader. The misfortunes he read in books was set in a made up world called planet Earth. Everyone in planet Utopia knew that there was no such place called Earth. Bloomberg often felt bad for the characters in the books. Bloomberg heard the beeping noise again and pondered, “What was a spaceship doing in his backyard? Am I the only one who is seeing this giant spaceship? Am I hallucinating?”

Then he opened his patio door. As soon as he did that, he realized it was a bad move. A strange looking alien came and swooped Bloomberg up from the ground and put him in the spaceship. The alien looked somewhat like Bloomberg but he had round ears unlike his pointed ears. Also, the alien had a tan skin color unlike his green skin. Bloomberg tried to scream but no sound came from his throat. He suddenly felt cold all over and extremely thirsty.

The alien placed Bloomberg on a chair, put a seat belt on him and then the spaceship started to hover off the ground. After the spaceship was in the air for about ten minutes, the alien took off Bloomberg's seat belt. In the spaceship, Bloomberg saw several other aliens. They started doing odd tests on him.
First, the aliens took this unusual instrument and wrapped it on Bloomberg's arm. Next, they pushed a pump that inflated an airbag in his cuff. They stopped pushing that pump and listened to Bloomberg's heartbeat with a cold metal object. Another alien wrote down two numbers on a notepad. In another test, they pricked his index finger and took some blood. They seemed surprised that Bloomberg's blood was red.

Bloomberg could finally talk again. He shouted, “Why are you doing this?” This time all the aliens seemed like they were petrified. “Did you just speak English?” asked one of the aliens who was still dumbfounded. “Yes I did. Now, can you please tell me why you aliens are doing this to me? Who are you anyway? And why are you here? Where are you coming from?” demanded Bloomberg. The alien who pricked Bloomberg's finger replied, “We are from the planet Earth. My colleagues and I were just doing some tests to see if your species were anything like ours. Turns out, your species and our species are very similar!” It was Bloomberg's turn to be surprised now. “Did you aliens say you were from planet Earth?” asked Bloomberg. Just a few minutes ago he was thinking there was no planet called Earth. Is this really happening? “Yes, we are from planet Earth. How do you know about it?” asked another alien. Bloomberg replied, “I read about it in a book a long time ago. But when I asked about it, everyone said there was no such planet. To our knowledge, there are no planets within 16 trillion kilometers from Planet Utopia.”

Bloomberg asked again, “So, why are you here in Planet Utopia?” The aliens hesitated to answer the question this time. Finally one of them said, “Well, on Earth we have a lot of people, about 1 trillion people now, and the Earth doesn't have much room and natural resources to help everyone survive. Apart from the 1 trillion people, we have different types of animals too. We need more space. So my colleagues here and many others still on Earth discovered this planet. The tests we conducted back on Earth led us to hope that this planet could be just right for humans to live.” Bloomberg thought about this dilemma. He said “ In the past, we also had similar troubles. Utopians used almost all our resources and we were in a bad state. But now we are using our natural resources more wisely. You aliens should go to the Blue House. That is where Leader Taylor lives. Ask her if the planet Earth people can come and see how Utopians save resources.” “That's a great idea!” said one of the earthlings.

With that, the spaceship hovered back above Bloomberg's house. They dropped him off at his house. It was daylight by then and Bloomberg was too excited to go back to sleep. He quickly got ready for school. The previous night's encounter with the earthlings seemed like a dream. He hopped onto his battery operated scooter and sped to school.

A few hours later, while Bloomberg was in Language Arts, there was breaking news. The headline read, “Aliens have come to Utopia!”
Everyone in Bloomberg's class were shell-shocked. The news reporter said, “Aliens from planet Earth have come to our home. We do not know a lot about this right now, other than the fact that they have gone to the Blue House and they are discussing something important with Leader Taylor. What is this important thing the aliens want to know? Only time can tell. We have also heard that the aliens have taken blood samples and tested one Utopian. We will keep you posted on this shocking event.”

Bloomberg could feel his cheeks getting red. No one in his class spoke for the next five minutes. Bloomberg's teacher continued class but he could tell she was very surprised like everyone else. Everyone wanted to know what this important thing was. So far only Bloomberg knew.

The next day, Leader Taylor delivered an important speech in a televised press conference. She said “...The aliens needed more space and resources. Their initial intent was to invade us and occupy our land. Having come here, and getting a good sense of our strong military and defense forces, they have changed their strategy. They are awe-struck by our way of life and the energy efficient technologies we are using. Their leader, President Boroma had a hearty conversation with me over trans-planetic conference call. He is seeking our help and expertise to became more energy efficient. So starting Monday, each family will be assigned an earthling in training. Your job is to teach them how to save resources just like we do. I think this is a good deed we are doing for our new friends. After the aliens return to their land, a few of them will come every year to have a conference with us and discuss new technologies about saving even more! If you follow what we are going to do, this will be very beneficiary to the earthlings. I hope you all will cooperate in this collaboration and make planet Utopia proud.”

Bloomberg was happy to hear that the two planet leaders opted for peaceful collaboration than war. Bloomberg was also excited to meet an alien for the second time and was eager to show him how to save their resources. He wanted to show the aliens how to harvest rain water, recycle more, how to conserve water and other forms of energy.

Ding Dong. Bloomberg ran to open the door. The alien standing outside was the same person who ran the strange tests on him! “It's so nice to see you again! My name is Bob.” the alien said. “Hey Bob, my name is Bloomberg. I'm really excited that you are are here. I want to teach you about saving resources. First, let me introduce you to my parents. Here is my mom, dad and my sister” replied Bloomberg. Bloomberg's family greeted Bob and offered him some gloffee.

Bloomberg told Bob about how important water harvesting was. “In every house we have a terrace. When it rains, all the rain will go down the gutters. Then the water gets purified by going through many different types of materials. You have to make sure you clean it often and it is covered at all times so nothing unwanted could contaminate the water. You can use this to water your plants, or use it for washing machines and dishwashers. Rainwater harvesting is a really good way to save water and save money on the water bill too! Also when you are using the water, make sure you use it wisely. If you are waiting to get hot water from a tap, save the cold water that you get and use it for something else.”

Next Bloomberg's sister explained the need to recycle. “I am pretty sure in planet Earth there are a lot of landfills right?” Bob nodded and replied, “In planet Earth we do have a recycling system. But not a lot of people are recycling.” Bloomberg's sister said, “The first thing all the governments should do is to mandate recycling. Recycling mini labs can be set up in each neighborhood to facilitate easy and quick recycling.”

Then Bloomberg's father discussed about using solar and wind energy. “Your planet revolves around a sun right?” Bob said yes. “And of course there is wind produced by the seas. So, use that to your advantage. Make solar panels and wind turbines and use that to power a generator or virtually anything that needs power. Also like Bloomberg said before, it will save the people money too!”

Finally, Bloomberg's mother said, “Planet Earth needs to find an alternate fuel other than diesel and gasoline. Also make battery-operated cars instead of the cars running on diesel or gasoline. Here in planet Utopia, we take the trash from our landfills, compress it and add a solvent to it. That makes the trash into a liquid fuel that produces very minimal pollution.” Bob seemed amazed. He didn't know one could do so much to preserve resources on Earth. “Thank you so much for telling be all these ways to preserve the resources that we have! I will see you next year!”

This was only the beginning of a huge exchange between planet Earth and Utopia. Leader Taylor and President Boroma have planned several projects to promote science, art, language, and cultural exchanges between the two planets. In a few years Utopia will be connected to planet Earth's world wide web (WWW) and Utopians can keep in touch with their earth friends through Spazebuk.

Planet Earth has already made great strides in energy conservations and have reduced their global warming by 10°C. By working together, Utopians and earthlings have done the noble deed of preserving resources for posterity. Bloomberg is proud of doing his share in making this cosmic change. He is eagerly awaiting his study abroad scholarship to a Guilford County School next year.

A Trip to Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns is one of the several sets of caverns in the Shenandoah Valley region. The Luray Caverns are inside the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. It is very beautiful and a must-see for anyone who is going to Virginia. My family and I decided to visit the Luray Caverns on our way to Pennsylvania.

It was a five hour drive to Luray Caverns from our home. As I got out of the nice air conditioned car, I felt my arms burning. It felt like it was 106 degrees! I looked at the time, it was 9:53am. My Mom, Dad and I rushed up the entrance stairs. Once we got the tickets, we were given an audio set. I walked down some stairs and we reached the caverns.

All I could say was WOW! Everything looked big and majestic! The cave formations were in every shape and size. As I walked in, I felt like Harry Potter discovering the Chamber of Secrets. I was told that The Luray Caverns were discovered by two school boys. No picture could capture all of its beauty!

As I was taking it all in, the tour guide told everyone how to use the devices that we were given in the lobby. The devices we were given tells us information about certain parts of the cavern. It told me about stalactites, stalagmites and columns.

Stalactites are formations that hang from the top of the caverns. Stalagmites, on the other hand, are on the ground and rise up. Stalactites and stalagmites are drip stone formations. Columns are formations that touch the top and the bottom of the caverns. The coloration of the formations are dependent on the minerals that make them up.

The whole tour was about a mile long. I walked very slowly and admired each angle of the formations. One of the most spectacular sights I saw was the Dream Lake. When I looked up, I saw some regular formations similar to those in the whole cavern. But when I looked down, I saw the identical formation pointing upwards. I was thinking to myself, “How is this possible? ”
Turns out, there is a very still lake in the surface! I was looking at the reflection of the top. It was just an optical illusion, a majestic one. The lake was very serene and motionless. I am still wowed by it even today.

Next, there was a place called “Pluto’s Chasm”. I learned that it is 500 feet long and 70 to 90 feet in depth. It has a very haunting look and is very cool to see. Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld. You could also “feel” his ghost coming to haunt you! While on the tour, I saw two views of Pluto’s Chasm. I enjoyed this chamber a lot.

One of the most memorable spots in the caverns was a section where there were no lights. It was absolutely pitch dark and we had to hold onto a railing to go by. My heart was racing and I had the feeling we were in the wrong place. I felt like those two kids who discovered the caverns for the first time. I would have been so scared if I were the one discovering all this during a time before electric lighting.

Another place I liked was the Giants Hall that looks like a cathedral. It is the largest chamber in the Luray caverns. There are two very interesting things about this place. First, it is a very popular wedding site. Also there is an organ that uses the stalactites and stalagmites to make music. Isn’t that amazing? While we were there, we got to hear some music from the formations.

But one of my most favorite spots in Luray caverns is the Fried Eggs. Not fried eggs that you eat but there are formations that look like fried eggs! Isn’t that so cool? I actually wanted to pick it up and eat it. It looked so real. Just a little bit clearer. You have to see it to believe it!



Overall, I think the Luray Caverns are spectacular! There is so much to see. If you are going to Virginia, I suggest you going to Luray Caverns. I am sure you will love it as much as I did. If you want to know more about the Luray Caverns please click here: Lurray Caverns

Beauty Is Forever..

“Please fasten your seatbelts. We are preparing for touchdown in three minutes”, announced the flight attendant. Could it be true? I am minutes away from being with my family! The airplane descends rapidly. My heart races and I feel the adrenalin rush to my flushed cheeks. The tires come to a screeching halt and everyone aboard applauds. It was a long eighteen hour flight from JFK, New York to Cochin, India. After the immigration and baggage claim formalities, I rush outside the airport terminal.

I scan the crowd to see if I could find anyone I knew. A few seconds pass and then I spot grey hair on a familiar looking head. It was my grandma! I had missed her so much! “Mom, grandma is here!” I screamed. I flung my bags to the ground and ran to give grandma a tight hug. My parents joined in the family embrace and soon we were all talking, laughing and settling in our car at the same time.
It was nightfall by the time we reached home. A quick shower and sumptuous meal later, I started yawning. Much to my protests, I was quickly tucked in bed. The night sky from the bedroom window was dazzling with star lights. They made me feel special and secure in my grandma’s home. It is true, indeed. I am home! I slept like a log.

“Caw, caw, caw” I wake up, startled at the cacophonic cawing. “Caw, caw” I hear it again. What could it be? I look out the window.


The morning rain soaked the green meadows and trees. “Caw, caw” followed by peals of laughter. I went to the dining room to see my family at the breakfast table sharing stories. “What was that loud cawing noise?” I asked my grandma. “Oh, that! Those are the peacocks and peahens that are roosting in our barn”, said my grandma. “Peacocks!” I exclaimed! “Where? Can I see them?”
“Sure you can!” replied my grandma. “You have to be really quiet. Once the rain stops, the birds will come out looking for food”, she said.

I step out and head for a walk. The air smelled of damp earth and moist woods. The mighty trees swayed in the gentle breeze and their leaves glittered with rain drops. The sun crept out of the clouds and sent a blanket of warmth to the hillside. There were coconut palms, jackfruit trees and mango trees with succulent fruit hanging from the branches. The meadows on the hillside were adorned with wild flowers of different hues. Cows and goats grazed happily in the meadows.



I kept walking slowly in awe of nature’s majesty in this countryside. I reached a hillock and climbed to its top. The view from there was breathtaking! I listened carefully, and could hear something strange. I patiently waited and kept listening. Yes, it was the most serene sound of all-the sound of silence. I sat there taking it all in. I felt soothed and calmed and I kept telling myself again and again, “I am home!”

As if to startle me from my stupor, I hear it again. “Caw, caw”. I turn around. A flock of peacocks and peahens perch themselves on a low branch. Slowly, they reach the ground and start pecking on grass. The peacocks were a lot bigger than I had imagined. Their rich, dark feathers were a visual treat. In a unique combination of green, blue, and tan the peacocks were one of the most beautiful sights I have witnessed. I silently try to get closer to the flock. They initially did not seem to mind, but as I got closer, they ran away and disappeared in the woods. “Caw, caw”, I coo in an attempt to bring them back. No response. “Caw, caw” I try again in vain.

A minute later, I hear the response. “Caw, caw”. I eagerly turn around, but there were no peacocks at sight. “Caw, caw” came the sound again sounding more like my Mom now. “So, here you are”, she said. “Everyone is looking for you”. “Mom, I saw a huge flock of peacocks, and they were so beautiful!” I exclaimed. I excitedly told her about all the sights I had seen. As we reached our home, my grandma gestured us to stay quiet. She took us to the yard, where a spectacular treat awaited us. A peacock was dancing! He was proudly strutting his beautiful plumage to all the peahens. “Show off”, I said to myself.



Each day of the next month that followed, new adventures, sights and sounds awaited me. Spending time with my grandma in the heart of nature was the best time of my life. The vacation quickly ended and we had to pack our bags and head back to the States.

Even though I am now thousands of miles away, I can go home in a second. All I have to do is to close my eyes and relax. The familiar fragrance of damp earth, lush meadows, home-baked goodies, cattle grazing and peacocks dancing flood my mind. It is my album of beauty that I will cherish forever.

WOW!

Wow is the breathtaking Niagara Falls,
Wow is the majestic Taj Mahal,
Wow is how spectacular Akshardam in India is,
Wow is how beautiful the Biltmore Estate is,

Wow is how wonderful the human body is built,
Wow is how fast animals are getting extinct,
Wow is how the plants and animals adapt to the climate of the desert,
Wow is how a seed turns into a lush plant,

Wow is how the sun never stops glowing,
Wow is how the planets stay on their orbit,
Wow is how many stars there are in the galaxy,
Wow is the Big Bang,

Wow is how water is purified,
Wow is how we can talk to people anywhere in the world in seconds,
Wow is how technology has grown,
Wow is how much knowledge we learn from the past,

Wow is how many instruments there are in the world,
Wow is how different cultures are,
Wow is how elegant Bharathanatyam is,
Wow is how many different languages there are,

Wow is how Pompeii got buried by Mount Vesuvius,
Wow is how Socrates drank the hemlock,
Wow is how Perseus cut off Medusa’s head without getting turned to stone,
Wow is how the excavators dug the lost city of Pompeii,

Wow is how medicine cures us,
Wow is how penicillin was discovered,
Wow is how many different types of bacteria there are,
Wow is how genes are passed from parent to child,

Wow is how much money we spend on the war in Iraq,
Wow is how much money television advertising costs,
Wow is how much money is printed each year,
Wow is the number of foreclosures this year,

And of course,
Wow is how much my family loves me!!

PS: I won 1st in School and Honorable Mention in Guilford County for this :)

My Dream #1

I have been having vivid dreams the last few days. I am writing them down as they were quite interesting!

Professor Dumbledore was searching for Harry Potter everywhere in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When he found him in the Gryffindor Common Room he had said that Voldemort had once again regained his powers and this time Harry must fight alone. Hermione, Ginny and Ron were arguing that they wanted to come too, but Dumbledore said No.
So Harry took his Firebolt 3000 and sped off to the Department of Mysteries. The glass balls were once again there on the shelves and there was only one on the floor. Dumbledore picked it up and said to “keep” but never finished. Right then a humongous giant bigger than Hagrid’s brother Grappy came and swooped up and Dumbledore put him on the ground when the dementors came and right when it was about to kill him Harry took his wand and produced the Potronus Charm.
Then the other dementors came and put Harry in a box with a dementor and it was like the box was going downwards at 16000mph. The dementor was ready to give the legendary kiss of death when Harry found his wand and once again produced the Potronus Charm and the dementor went flying off. There was a loud thud when he stopped falling. The box opened at once and Voldemort was waiting for him and they started a battle…

J.K. Rowling will finish the rest.

Leaving Florence Elementary (2002-2008)

Bye-Bye Florence Elementary. I don’t think my middle school will be as special as Florence. I will miss all of my friends there. I have been a Cowgirl ever since Kindergarten and I feel very sad to give up that place in Florence. Florence ROCKED!!
I especially liked doing the Peacemakers, Reflections, Science Fair Projects, Onstage, GOFAR, Being a 4th grade student rep, field trip to Grandfather Mountain, Camp Hanes, Fun Day and The Rowdy Ropers. I also loved watching “Flaco and Ze Clownetts”. I had an awesome time doing all of them.

I also have to thank all my teachers for all there support and helping me be the best I can!! Without them, I could have never got into the 99th percentile on my math EOG!! Thank you teachers!!
To everybody at Florence that helped me be a better person and a better student…THANK YOU
I plan to start a series for each of my elementary school years… Please stay tuned…

Henna

Henna is a leaf found in India. Henna is an Indian body art.
You can either have a Henna cone or you can take a bunch of the Henna leaves, grind it until it becomes a paste and aply it with a thin stick. Once you are finished with design, you leave it on for about 3-4 hours. After that time, take a little bit off and see if it is bright orange. If it is, scrape the whole thing off. After you scrape it off, put some oil on it.

My Archie chitey and Chella akka had put Henna for me and they both did a fantastic job!! I like Henna because it looks so marvelous and it is very artistic.

I can make a difference by..

Imagine that you were opening the tap for a drink of water after an hour of tennis and nothing came out. You go to the bathroom and turn the shower knob and still no water…That is what is going to happen in about six months if we do not get good rains. We are constantly wasting water and it is scary to think what we will do if we have none left! Water is a natural resource and we have to do our part in restoring it.

I think you know that ¾ of our planet earth is water. Of that, only 3% is fresh water and the remaining is salt water found in oceans and seas. On reading some articles on the Internet I learned that most of the fresh water is in glaciers and snowcaps. We have very little freshwater for actual usage. Here are some ways I have decided to make a difference to preserve water.

1. Not playing with garden hoses: Although it is a lot of fun to get wet when your parents are watering the garden, quitting this activity will help save several gallons of water.

2. Manual car wash: I was always fascinated by the automatic car wash stations and used to enjoy taking our cars there. Now, I realize that the car wash stations use a lot of water. I will help my Dad wash our cars by hand so we can save water (and money). We can arrange for play dates with other friends and wash all our cars together by hand. This will be a fun way to save water.

3. Taking shorter showers: I normally like to take long showers. I have now decided to shorten them so I can save water.

4. Prevent running taps: When I wake up in the morning and brush my teeth, I am still very sleepy. I used to keep the water running while I brushed my teeth or washed my face. I will now open the tap only when I need the water and not keep the water running for the entire 5 minutes of my brushing. I am also planning to snoop of my family to make sure they do the same!

5. Recycling water in our homes: Dirty water from tubs, showers, washing machines and dish washers can be filtered and cleaned up. This recycled water can be used to flush toilets.

6. Scraping dishes before washing: I help my Mom with the dishes. I plan to scrape the dirty dishes with a paper towel before washing them. This will help reduce the amount of water needed to clean them. Also, while using the dish washer, I will see that the machine is full so we can reduce the number of trips.

7. Laundry: The same logic applies to washing clothes. I will remind my Mom to load the washing machine to full capacity.

8. Cooking: I love to cook and try new recipes. I will make a point to reuse the water used for cooking vegetables. This can be used in soups.

9. Cleaning: Instead of washing my hands before each meal, I could use a hand sanitizer.

10. Gardening and lawns: I will help my Dad spread more mulch around trees and plants. This will help trap the water and reduce the amount of evaporation. Also, flower beds can be planted under shady trees to reduce water loss. When the grass is cut short, it needs less water.

These are some ways to conserve water. I am sure that I can make a significant difference by following these guidelines. I hope you will also do your part in conserving as much water as you can. Together we can all make a difference. I guess that is why they say, “Many drops make the mighty ocean”.

PS: Update (1/22/08) I got 1st place in the County!!!

Movenpick

Movenpick was the hotel that we stayed for our 12 hour transit in Doha. After we checked in we went to our room. Our room was 105. I was so tired, I fell right in bed. The bed was so comfy and cozy. Our flight, Qatar Air had booked the hotel and we have breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The breakfast was awesome!! I had a sprinkled doughnut, 2 raisin breads and rice kipsies with dates and almonds. It was so good and full. I was very tired from the flight. When it was lunch time I quickly got ready. The lunch was not that bad, it was mostly meat. There was a dusty treasure chest full of Swiss chocolates. Yum… There was also cut strawberries, plum, and pineapples and sticks. Stick it in the stick and you get to put it in the Chocolate Fountain!! It was so yummy.

My parents wanted to sleep but I was too hyper so I read Famous Five. After a while I took a hot bath. I woke parents afterwards and asked if we can go somewhere nearby. When I got out of the revolving doors, the temperature felt like fire on my skin!! It was that hot and humid. It was so humid that the video camera said it was dew. We walked to a nearby bay. The temperature felt like it was 52º Celsius when it was 30º Celsius. We took a little nap. When we woke up, we almost missed the flight. We ran through the check in place. Luckily the flight was delayed.

If we ever we go to Doha again, I want to go back to Movenpick!!

What does India mean to me?

India is a beautiful country in south-east Asia. India is decorated with snow-capped mountains in the north and sandy beaches in the west, east and south. India also has deserts, forests, valleys and plateaus. India became an independent country in 1947. However, India has a rich history that dates back to more than 5000 years ago! When I think about India and what it means to me, several things come to mind.

India is the world’s largest democracy with a population of more than 1 billion. Much like India’s varied landscape, the people of India are very diverse. There are 28 states in India where people speak more than 17 different languages. People eat different kinds of foods such as rice, dosa, idli in the south and puri, chapati and dal in the north. Indians follow different religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. This is why we celebrate several festivals such as Diwali, Onam, Navaratri, Christmas, Ramdan, Id and Holi.

Last Diwali, I got to share the significance of Indian festivals and traditions with my classmates in Florence Elementary. My friends loved to taste Indian desserts, wear bindis and were thrilled to see my class teacher wear an Indian salwar kamiz. I like to wear traditional Indian clothes because they are so colorful. Bindis, anklets and glass bangles are my favorites. I was proud to talk about India to my classmates.


India has a rich culture with several dance and music forms. I love Indian music and dance, especially bharatanatyam. The costumes and jewelry used for the dance forms are very attractive. I would like to study Sanskrit and Hindi to better understand Indian traditions and culture.

My family is from the state of Kerala in South India. It is a wonderful place. All my cousins, aunts and uncles live there. We had a great trip to the beautiful waterfalls called Athirapalli in Kerala. We got drenched in the water and had a lot of fun, teasing the monkeys that watched on. It was the best vacation ever! I enjoyed traveling by train. Next time, I want to visit the Taj Mahal which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Indians are known for their strong family values and respect for elders. Sri Rama, the prince of Ayodhya went to spend 14 years in the jungle because he cared to obey and respect his father’s wishes. I really miss my family back in India. I care about them a lot. We keep in touch by email and telephone.

So, as you can see, India is a very interesting, complex and diverse country. Despite the various differences in language, culture, traditions, religions, and landscape, we as Indians are all one. India has what our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, “Unity in Diversity”. This means a sense of oneness in differences. That is what India means to me.

Jai Hind!

Grandfather Mountain & Linville Caverns

Our IV grade class went on a field trip to Grandfather Mountain & Linville Caverns on Wed, May 30. We left from school at 7:45 am in a charter bus. My Mom was one of the chaperons. There were 4 other kids in our group. We named our group Mountain Tigers. The Tigers were Miguel, Jacob O., Alexis, Carmen and myself, Shruti. We saw the movie Soccer Dog on the way to the mountain. It was a heart warming movie about a child (who learns to believe in himself )and his adopted dog (who becomes a soccer star!)

When we reached the Grandfather Mountain we took another shuttle to the mile high swinging bridge. We crossed the bridge and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We saw some tourists from India who happened to be from my hometown, Chennai! It is a small world after all. We took a lot of pictures and had fun shopping at the gift shop. I bought some post-cards and a few gemstone rocks.

Although we had to walk a lot, I did not feel very tired. I have to thank my Dad for packing my Mom and me a very healthy lunch and snack. After lunch we went to explore the animals in their habitats. Each group took different routes. We saw otters, cougars, deer, a bald eagle and a lot of hungry grisly bears! We got to feed the bears. It was very exciting.

We then headed to the museum and saw the display of a huge amethyst which was 53 carats! We read about the earliest botanists, Andrea Michanx (1785) and Asa Gray (1840) who had studied the flora of the region. We read and saw pictures of flowers, birds and mushrooms native to North Carolina. We saw displays of gold nuggets and read about Daniel Boone, a wild life guide.

We then drove to the Linville Caverns. We toured through the dim lit cool caverns. We learned that the caves were more than 20,000,000 years old! On our way back we ate at Wendy's and watched the movie Borrowers.

We reached our school at 8:00 pm and I was thrilled to see my Dad. I had missed him a lot. Thank you Dad for packing me a very healthy snack and lunch!

Jacob Olsen adds: I liked going to see the animals to feed the bears. I thought it was scary going across the bridge. I thought I was going to fall and die, but I was alright!

Carmen adds: I remember when we fed the bears. I also remember when we saw the golden eagle, the white tailed deer and the otters. I remember when we walked over the swinging bridge. I learned that ravens, cougars and white tailed deer lived here. I had fun exploring the wild life and looking at the views from the swinging bridge.

To learn more about Grandfather Mountain, you can visit http://www.grandfather.com/