A good experience!

I was reluctant to play at the badminton tournament for fear of not being fit! But at the closing function of the tournament, the students surprised the chief guest Dr. Sojan Ipe, the Medical Superintendent, by making a public announcement of inviting both of us to play a ten point match, which we completed enjoying every bit of  the game. Although Sojan claimed not to have played badminton before, he surprised me by his skills. 

It is not the activity of playing that seemed important, but the pleasure of joining in to make the celebration even more special for students. The students deserved every encouragement and appreciation and both of us were comfortable to expose our most elementary skills in Badminton before students whom we have begun to regard highly!

I wish the staff-faculty relationships would exceed and extend beyond the class room and clinics.

It is necessary for the students to be aware of the ordinariness of the faculty in many domains so that relationship emerge not from fear but out of mutual respect and regard.  

M.C.Mathew

Visitors and friends!

This pretty golden Oriel came searching for its food in our garden, but later I noticed it returning with coir fibres between its beak. Anna and I were glad that this word found our courtyard hospitable to nest for this season

It is the third nesting season Anna and I are spending in our cottage in Kerala. This brought an awareness of the three years that have gone by.   

A few days before the visit of the bird, some final year students of MOSC MCH whom Anna was nurturing for developing their research skills happened to visit us at our home for an evening of leisure and fun.

During the conversation we realised that it took a while for the students to feel at home with our ways and and having overcome some of the inhibitions, there is a wavelength of communication, which they and we find refreshing. 

What lasts beyond time is relationships. Anna and I are still learning to remain young at heart so that we can stay in touch with younger people and learn from their inspirational stories of adventure and resilience.

M.C.Mathew (text and photo) 

A good time to break the silence!

The batch of 2011 student of MOSC Medical College offered an unusual gesture of kindness to the Developmental Paediatrics and Child Neurology department recently. They took the lead to organise the second Badminton tournament in aid of the starting the Hall of Residence at the department to welcome children for short term stay. About thirty team of students and faculty participated and the matches were played in the indoor courts of the college on three evenings. 

The enthusiasm of those who took the responsibility to organise was infectious. It was one of those occasions when the students and the faculty joined in spontaneously, to come together for three evenings of good fun and conversations. Thank you Thomas and your friends for leading this initiative.  A big thank you, to the college union and the sports secretary which facilitated this event.

Susan from the department floated the idea of serving cake and juice at nominal charges, which was a good fund raising effort. 

I was more than surprised at the way the the event was organised well, with ease and delight.

You would know from this that this experience encouraged me well enough to re-begin posting on the blog after a break of two months. Anna and I had few travels within the country and overseas during the last two months and internet access was not easy. 

Sometimes, it is good to allow oneself to be lazy as long as it odes not cause inconvenience  to others....

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

A Friendship that upbuilds!

Anna and are back after a three week travels. One visit that brought encouragement was being with Katharine and Peter. It is now twenty five years since we met first them. Since then we have had several pleasant occasions to spend time together and share journey experiences. 

Katharine's efforts to capture the story of ASHIRVAD on three different occasions remain fresh in our memory. The first two impressions she had of ASHIRVAD appeared in the books she wrote-first one  on the history of INTERSERVE Widening horizons and the second one as an exclusive narration of ASHIRVAD, Beginnings. The third narrative of ASIRVAD of our time at CMC Vellore is yet to be published. 

Knowing Peter, an architect by profession has been rather special.  He is a champion for preserving the river Thames and its river front, eco-freindly and as a nature's gift for the Londoners. They live  on the bank of the river. Their garden overlooks into the river with a good view of a river flowing full during the high tide. Peter is a resource for others on the history of river Thames. 

We were touched by their hospitality, youthful spirit of adventure and creativity. Their garden is a testimony to it with abundance of vegetables and fruits. The trees were full with peaches and apples, grapes.

The evening times of conversations around supper and afterwards brought much cheer and refreshment to us. Thank you Katharine and Peter for welcoming us into your hearts and to our home. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Butterflies have a choice!

Every time I find a new species of butterfly in the garden, I try following its path of flight to get a feel of its natural habitat. I found this butterfly sticking to one variety of flowers all that time for a good one hour. Flowers with a different odour or colour it avoided.

Yesterday while talking to friend who is an ardent student of nature,  mentioned that butterflies have a preference for taste and it would search for that taste in the honey! 

Even a small butterfly has the freedom to make a choice.

One of the challenges I have while meeting with parents is to get their consent to give some allowances for their children. The higher level educational achievements of people of educational level in the state of Kerala has made them achievement oriented in their approach to children. Even co-curricular and extra curricular activities are not considered valuable for students. All achievements must converge towards academic excellence according to many parents!

Let children be children with some choices and decisions left to them! That is how they are created to be. Even the boy who provided five loaves and two fish to Jesus of Nazareth to feed five thousand people had in one sense disappointed his parents by doing something out of his choice!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Rhythm and change !

As Anna and I live close to nature and spend time each day in the garden, we are getting a feel of the rhythm of the fruit bearing trees. 

For about eight months in a year, we  see  trees occupying space and thriving. It is not a pleasant sight to look at those trees during such times. A tree might look dull and not significant during the non-fruit bearing season. 

But as soon as the flowers appear and fruits begin to be seen, the trees adorn with their mission.

This nutmeg tree has flowered twice during this year and produced fruits, which is evident from the different sizes of the fruits. It is now flowering third time!

The gardener working with us reminds me that it is because of the additional care we offered during the last year. 

What ever it is, we discovered that even the rhythm in nature may not be the same every year. It too can change. Change revises our view of the rhythm.

I recognise that change is difficult to conceive and adapt to. The college library at the place Anna and I work has about twenty or so visitors on an average day. Although the reading habits have increased with people using their personal computers and smartphones, the library does not attract readers. But other libraries which have gone digital are still popular! 

Make change a habit to create new rhythms!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

     

Another way!

All the fruits that we have in the garden normally hang form the stem. But this fruit stays erect. It is an exception. For this plant it is not an exception.

I have had a few experiences recently, while interacting with leaders of organisations when issues of human behaviour came up for discussion. Most leaders are comfortable when people conform to what is common. When one person has a different view or behaves or interacts differently it is sometime unsettling and disturbing for the leaders. To deal with an exception or recognise it as valid calls for patience and wisdom. 

We as humans are created to be distinct and unique. Yesterday, while listening to a 13 year old girl, she asked me a disturbing question in the presence of her parents,'why do my parents insist on me behaving like my brother?'. 

I have a colleague who is most cordial and thoughtful while responding on phone. She has on orem days over 50 telephone calls to attend. She is the same in courtesy even at the end of the day or end of the week.  

It cannot be normal for most of us as we can get bugged having to attend and listen to so many! But for her it is her second nature!

I wish all of us can value each other and recognise our individual gifts and abilities.

The girl referred to above is craving for her unique space in her family! May we offer place and recognition to all those who are different from us and others among us! They can be messengers of insight for others!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)