My Reading List | IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia

 IKIGAI: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life 

IKIGAI(Japanese Philosophy) - which translates roughly as "The happiness of always being busy". This book starts with information on the Japanese island Okinawa, famous for its extraordinary longevity, where there are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 100,000 inhabitants.

The book explains the secret behind Japanese's longevity especially, on the island of Okinawa, by conducting interviews with the eldest residents of the town. For a westerner, eastern philosophies are always treasures that do not run for materialistic life instead they strive for good health and peaceful life.

The secret for long life revealed by the authors are filling your stomach up to 80%, bonding with the local community, family members, following your passion, finding a purpose in living this life and striving towards your mission.

It covers psychological subjects like logotherapy while under stress, how to live the present, various anecdotes and book references to help us better understand life and keep it simple.

It includes a practical guide on traditional exercises from various eastern countries like India, Japan, China which keep those people active for a long time.

The writing style is lucid. But, the book might give us a feeling that it lacks flow and not comprehensive, although there is enough information about how to lead a healthy and long life. Don't expect any magic verses to attain longevity. It is simple.

• Be active
• Live the present
• Enjoy every moment
• Follow your traditional food habits
• Bonding with family, friends and community

Overall, a good read for those who strive for an active and healthy life.

Purushothaman Ramachandran

Is it Madras or Chennai?

In the year 1600, British established the East India company in India and in 1611, they setup their first industry in Machilipatnam and started their business. They first tried to setup an industry in Surat where captain Hawkins was in charge but he was expelled due to the strong presence of Portuguese. 

     Due to competition they decided to shift their industry from Machilipatnam. To identify the new place, East India company appointed two agents namely Andrew Cogan and Francis Day, they both made an voyage along Coromandel coast and finally met the local chief(nayak) of Vandavasi, Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and his brother Ayyappa Nayak. They asked for a sand dump area near the sea to set up their industry, housing and administration network. The acquisition agreement was signed on 22 August 1639, which we celebrate as Madras Day every year.

                      

But how do that place got the name Madras?

British decided to setup their industry in a banana grove owned by a Roman catholic guard from a fishermen community, called Madrasan. Damarla brothers wanted the industrial area to be named after their father Damarla Chennapa Nayak, but to get the land for the british, nayak's agent Thimappa assured Madrasan that the industrial area will be named after his name as Madrasapattanam. British then established a fort and the hamlet around the fort were also called as Madras.

Chennai: a pre-colonial era name

Researchers say there was a Chenna Kesava Perumal temple near the place where the St.George fort was built; British demolished the temple to build the fort and that place was called as Chennapattanam. It is also to be noted that area belonged to Chennapa Nayak, father of Damarla Venkatapathy Nayak and Ayyappa Nayakand hence it is called Chennapattanam.

     In 1996, the Government of Tamilnadu officially changed the name of the city from Madras to Chennai, citing Madras was a colonial era name. The name Chennai was derived form Chennapattnam, an area where the St.George fort was built.

     Whether it is Madras or Chennai both reflects the essence of this city which gives life and opportunity to many. It was Madras city yesterday and Cosmopolitan Greater Chennai today, but the love and affection from the people, the safety for women and children, communal harmony remains the same and it will remain the same.

Note: There is a delusion that government changed the name from Madras to Chennai because Madras is not a Tamil name, for your information both Madras and Chennai are not Tamil names.

Read: https://purushothamanramachandran.blogspot.com/2016/11/origin-of-names-for-some-of-important.html

Purushothaman Ramachandran

Healthy Fascial System

Healthy Fascial system is vital for healthy life

In our human body we have systems like respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, excretory system, nervous system, reproductive system... et cetera and all these systems are interconnected. In that sequence, there is one more system called Fascial system that connects everything of the body together covering and interpenetrating to every nook and corner of the body and provides a stable infrastructure.
     This unified structure is very sensitive but they are adjustable too. Our emotions, life style and physical activity impacts this structure and it plays an important role in the support and function of our body. Fascia system needs to be healthy to keep our other systems healthy.
     When we are full of confidence and happy we breathe deep and work with energy which expands the fascia structure in a way it expands every cell of the body, eventually it rejuvenates the entire system. When we are stressed, occupied with negative thoughts and sad we don't breath deeply we walk with our heads down which shrinks the fascia structure and it shrinks everything including other systems. Our modern sedentary life style, poor eating habits, lack of good sleep and most importantly stress can seriously affect your fascia health.

How do I make my fascia healthy?
Accept whatever life throws at you and face it with vigor, don't get stressed, do things which makes you happy, try to be positive even during negative times. Ancient tamil poet-savant Thiruvalluvar guides us how to face grief and overcome troublous times in his world famous tamil classic Thirukkural, a comprehensive manual of ethics, polity and love.

Couplet 621:
Smile, with patient, hopeful heart, in troublous hour;
Meet and so vanquish grief; nothing hath equal power.
Explanation: If troubles come, laugh; there is nothing like that, to press upon and drive away sorrow.

Couplet 623:
Who griefs confront with meek, ungrieving heart,
From them griefs, put to grief, depart.
Explanation: They give sorrow to sorrow, who in sorrow do not suffer sorrow.

For the people who ask for one stop solution for fascia health? the answer is MOVEMENT. Be active, move forward, move backward, jump, twist and turn, just move...
     When we stand, the ground reaction forces are 0.5 times more than our body; when we jog, it is 3 times more; when we run it is 5 times more; when we jump, it is 7 times more.. Increase your physical activity and make physical activity a part of your day-to-day life. Whichever part of your body feels hard to pick up it means that part of fascia is weak, try to use that part of your body often, but avoid focusing on one part alone, your work out should be inclusive. Choose any form of exercise go to gym lift some weight and get some pain, yoga, martial arts.
     All our tissues need hydration, to hydrate all our tissues we need circulation, circulation comes from active body and mind, circulation keeps our fascia system healthy and healthy fascia provides sound body and mind.

Remember the key word: "MOVEMENT", you stop moving only when your dead.
Keep Moving...


Purushothaman Ramachandran

My Opinion | Board exams for classes 5 and 8

Tamilnadu government introduces board exams for classes 5 and 8. Progressive or excessive?

It all started in 2017, when an amendment was introduced to Right to Education Act, with the annulment of "no-detention" policy. However, the state governments were given an option to follow their own policy. The amendment was referred to standing committee and passed in July 2018. Till then, the students from class 1 to 8 can move to the next grade without clearing the exams. Education is under concurrent list, with this amendment in RTE act Tamilnadu government can choose detention policy but they decided to continue the no-detention policy.
     The recently released draft education policy of central government proposed board exams for classes 5 and 8. Subsequently, Tamilnadu government issued a circular on 13 September 2019, saying that it is going to introduce board examinations for classes 5 and 8, changing from its previous stand. With an inundated dissent for this proposal the school department have postponed the board examinations for three years citing that this period will provide an opportunity to improve the skills of our students to face exams.

Is it Progressive?
Its progressive says some teachers and educationalist, with no detention-policy teachers are not so serious about teaching which results in disinterested students. They also questions the knowledge and skill of the students who pass to the next grade without passing the examination. In the competitive world full of competitive exams students need an experience of facing such exams which will help them in future, they reiterate.

My Opinion: 
It will cause harmful impact socially, psychologically and also at skill level. These exams will increase the school drop-outs and child marriage particularly from poor socioeconomic background.
Tamilnadu is a progressive state when it comes to education with reforms like cost free school education in government schools, mid day meal scheme which not only brought students to schools but also improved their nutrition level, particular from rural background. In spite, the latest social background survey says that 16% of girls are married before 18 and there are nearly 3 hundred thousand child workers in Tamilnadu. This proposal will make situation even worse.
     Major concern is about how children are going to react psychologically to these exams. At the age of 10 and 13 could they handle such pressure? That's the age to select their interest, the age to fly with aspirations, the age to get trained in sports and involve in extra curricular activities. In India, every year 2500 students commit suicide for failing in examinations. Now we will see that in 5th and 8th grade. Not only for students it will also add pressure to the parents to train the students for exams at a very young age. It's a contradiction, that government is promoting physical activities among students and also imposing such board exams which eventually will reduce their play time and their physical activities.
     For the people who think its progressive because by conducting board exams we can assess the knowledge and skill set of students are not ready for Eligibility Test in their profession. You cannot determine the competency through exams. Exams are filtering process and not testing process.
     Instead, quality of learning and teaching should be improved, and monthly assessment should be done to test the knowledge. Strengthening of the basics, gardening an entrepreneurial mindset should be the priority but these exams will push them back to memorizing without understanding.
     Government postponed the detention policy for three years citing that this period will provide an opportunity to improve the skills of our students to face exams(real reason is overwhelming opposition for this idea). We say to them, we don't need skills to face exams and exams don't produce skillful people. So, statements like board exams are essential to improve competencies, a training for competitive exams are ridiculous in contemporary world. This proposal to conduct board exams for classes 5 and 8 is not only excessive but also depressive.
It's an age to fly high in the sky don't clip their wings.



Purushothaman Ramachandran

My Reading List | என் வாசிப்புப் பட்டியல் - Metamorphosis

 Metamorphosis

                                                -Franz Kafka

Metamorphosis, an autobiographical piece of writing by Franz Kafka, we find that parts of story reflects Kafka's own life. It is an allegorical novella. 

One morning, a salesman called Gregor Samsa found himself transformed into an insect.
How is own family felt disgusted after that incident and how his personal, family life got affected is the rest.

It's a surreal vision but a great interpretation by the author. We can visualize the story while we are reading. 
Story is not a new one for an Indian family man that how the hardworking doesn't get noticed in the family and adapting any new lifestyle is often condemned. 

It might me mundane for some readers since it does not have strong message or concept. Either read as comic or think about the authors life(Details of author's life given in Introduction and Preface section). Overall an interesting read.

Purushothaman Ramachandran

My Reading List | இவனுக்கு அப்போது மனு என்று பேர் | Ivanuku Apothu Manu Endru Per

இவனுக்கு அப்போது மனு என்று பேர்

Ivanuku Apothu Manu Endru Per

பள்ளி ஆசிரியரான இரா. எட்வின் சமூகத்தில் நடந்த, நடக்கும் சம்பவங்களை தன் சொந்த வாழ்வில் அவர் பார்த்த மனிதர்களையும் அவர்கள் மூலம் ஏற்பட்ட அனுபவங்களை குறிப்பாக அவருடைய ஆசிரியர் மற்றும் குடும்ப வாழ்வில் ஏற்பட்ட அனுபவங்களை இந்த புத்தகத்தில் பகிர்ந்துள்ளார்.

ஒவ்வொரு கட்டுரையும் எளிமையாக உள்ளது. நாத்திகனாய் இருப்பினும் கிறிஸ்துமஸ் பண்டிகையன்று தன் முகநூல் பக்கத்தில் குவிந்த வாழ்த்துக்கள் பொங்கல் பண்டிகையன்று வெறிசோடிக் காணப்பட்டதைக் குறிப்பிடும் போது அதற்க்கு என் பெயரே காரணம் என்கின்றார். 

பாரதி பாரதிதாசன் முதல் சந்திப்பு, எந்த மனிதரையும் அவரை அவராகவே பார்க்கவும், ஒப்பிடுதல் கூடாது போன்றவைக்கு நல்ல விளக்கத்தை தந்துள்ளார். 104 பக்கங்களை கொண்டுள்ள சிறிய புத்தகம் எனினும் ஒரு நல்ல அறிவு பெட்டகம்.


புருஷோத்தமன் ராமச்சந்திரன்  
Purushothaman Ramachandran

My Reading List | என் வாசிப்புப் பட்டியல் - ஸ்ரீரங்கத்து தேவதைகள் | Srirangathu Devadhaigal

ஸ்ரீரங்கத்து தேவதைகள் | Srirangathu Devadhaigal

பிரபல எழுத்தளார் சுஜாதா அவர்கள் தன்னுடைய ஸ்ரீரங்க வாழ்கை நினைவுகளை(memoir) இந்த புத்தகத்தில் பகிர்ந்துள்ளார். அவர் சந்தித்த மனிதர்களையும் அவர்களுடன் கற்றுக்கொண்டதையும் தனக்கு ஏற்பட்ட அனுபவங்களையும் இதில் விவரித்து இருக்கிறார்.
ஒவ்வொரு நினைவுகளை படிக்கும் போதும் நமக்கு ஒரு சிறுகதை படிக்கும் எண்ணம் தோன்றுகிறது. இதற்கு காரணம் எழுத்தாளரின் எடுத்துரைத்தல்(narration) விதமும் அவர் குறிப்பிட்டுயுள்ளதைப் போல கற்பனையைச் சரியான விகிதாசாரத்தில் கதையுடன் சேர்த்ததுமே ஆகும். 
புத்தகத்தை வாசித்தப் பின்பு நம் பேச்சு, பிராமணச் சமூகத்தினரின் பேச்சு வழக்குப்போல் மாறினாலும் வியப்பில்லை. நிறைய தங்கிலிஷ்(Tanglish) வார்த்தைகள் உண்டு. சுஜாதா ஒரு சிறந்த கதைச்சொல்லி என்பதற்கு இந்த புத்தகம் மற்றொருச் சான்று.


புருஷோத்தமன் ராமச்சந்திரன்  
Purushothaman Ramachandran