Diwali Getaway: Coorg

It was "pristine" just as the travel brochures promised it would be. We were surrounded by more beauty than we could absorb!

A To-Do list for Podmoza

My friend Padmaja (Podmoza in our circles) has recently left for the US of A to study more Economics. As is usually the case, a lot of us had been making lists of all that we simply had to tell Podmoza ( Za here on) before she boarded that plane. We have managed to convey most of what we wanted to but what remains are some hopelessly inane tips and pointers that we are still bursting with. Suchitra and I decided that this blog would probably be an appropriate place to spill it all out. That way, anyone else who would like to add to this list can easily do so.
Za, this is for you from Such and me ( so you already know what to expect :D):
1. Develop an exotic accent to create an 'exotic foreigner' image. We don't want you to be associated with any 'typical Indian student in American University' image. No Za, no stereotypes for you! Do weird things like making the accent sound different at different times of the day.
2. Read whacky journal articles like the one that links the Wizard of Oz with events related to the Gold Standard and quote them somewhere in your discussions.
3. Do invent your own Theory of Everything. Ensure that you can answer questions on anything. ( We have an example of one such theory on Pimples which shall be e-mailed to you)
4. Silly questions deserve sillier answers. We do not think you will face too many of those but it would be wise to be prepared. Trace your links to some Indian royal family just in case the topic arises. If the topic does come up, tell the authorities that by your line's constitution, you refuse to pay for education.
5. This one's important- Rave about Bangy and MCC and the coffee and the Adigas vada sambhar and the CTR food!! Do your bit to save our city from getting stuck with the plain old Silicon Valley/ Electronic City image. Deliver a "Power of CTR Masala Dosa" lecture series to anyone who you think deserves to hear it.
There are a lot more tips coming your way Za. But we prefer to give our tips in small doses. Anyone else who has similar/dissimilar tips regarding Economics/ campus life/ Life/ anything at all to offer to Podmoza is welcome!
P.S- Za. we miss you man! Keep us updated on all that you find exciting in the Economics you learn!

A paperback and a window seat

Lord Emsworth leaves Blandings for London
And the engine chokes to life
A loud vile cry declares departure
And the bus heads westwards
From the window, familiar city landscapes
Fibre-glass towers and screaming billboards
Turn into fields of paddy and sugarcane
In Paris, Elise finds love.
The engine's humming lulls me to a dream-enriched sleep
That angry honks and high-beams shatter easily.
Arezki is arrested, Elise ridiculed.
Outside, a child in an over-sized shirt
That has safety-pins filling in for buttons chases hens.
A country is partitioned, an exodus follows
Men of steel watch madness make butchers of others
And I dream of angry assasins.
The highway is clear and the bus gains momentum,
Beyond the lake, lights from the suburban porches announce the destination's approach.
A pig turns dictator and I step out to Terra Firma and reality
From that manic trance of confused reality, fiction and dreams
That a paper-back and a window seat evoke.

The Brat Gang

Recently, I was at a family gathering in the outskirts of Bangalore where I got to meet some of my relatives I hadn't met in ages. I was returning home with some of them who are based in the US and had come to India for the summer holidays. It was a long journey home and there was this one young gentleman who took up the task of keeping me company solely upon his tender shoulders - five year old Sharat who was visiting India for the first time!

When I got into the car, he was wondering why I was coming along with him and his parents and like any good five year old, asked his parents the reason for the anomaly. His parents patiently explained that there was no cause for concern and that 'the girl' (moi) coming along with them was in fact, his sister(to keep things simple). 'I have a sister?!' he startled. After some convincing on the part of his parents, he swallowed the fact and after some deep thinking, decided that he would like to get to know me, his newly discovered sister, better. 'So how old is my sister?' he asked his father. His father told him that it would be a good idea to direct the question to the sister herself. On being quizzed, I asked him how old he thought I was. Now for what follows, let me just tell the people who do not know too many five year olds. Sharat knows all the numbers and he knows more than what a kid his age would typically know. It is just that at that age, kids do not correlate the concept of age and the numbers they have learnt together.One more detail to understand what follows - I'm 22.

Sharat decided to give the puzzle a try and asked me 'You are thirteen?' . 'Sharat, your sister has finshed college and is working now.' , his father said to help him arrive at the answer. 'And people go to college at 21,right?' the kid asked his father. 'Yes, so what comes after twenty one?' his father prompted. 'She's older than 21...' Sharat thought aloud and he turned to me and asked' so you are......41?'. When a kid as cute as Sharat is says something like that in all earnestness, it hard not to pinch his cheeks and give him a big hug. But I had to fight all such instincts as he was yet to fully validate the ties that give me the right to do all of that. Later on during the journey, he warmed up to the fact that he had a sister and seemed pleased about it too. He spoke to me about what he thought about India (which he first thought was a place in Bangalore and was corrected by his mother), the autorickshaws and the autorickshaw drivers, rockets, cars, helicopters, gravity (that was an exceptionally gripping discussion), music and all that he thought I was entitled to know about him by virtue of being his sister. That is one entertaining journey I will remember fondly.

On a related note, last week we had a surprise visit by a distinguished young guest - seven year old Murali. He had allegedly thrown a tantrum at home about wanting to talk to his 'Ranjini akka' (I'm called Ranjini at home and akka means didi). So, his father had to chauffer him to our home one evening. On asking Murali what it was that he wanted to talk to me about, he told me all about his school, the Wright brothers, the Arctic tern and him wanting to join the army. Murali also happens to be an excellent dancer and loves all sports, especially cricket. So he actually enacted an entire scene typically seen while watching any cricket match on TV , which is when there has been a run-out and an appeal is made to the third umpire and there are umpteen replays shown on our screens. Murali enacted the replays and showed how the batsman is shown to move back and forth across the crease and how the fielder is shown to toss the ball towards the stumps. The best part was that he was showing how all of this looks in a replay! As a finale, he even showed the bowler's disappointed reaction when the decision is a not-out. It was a spellbinding performance that day!

It is wonderful to get to know these little brats who are otherwise amongst others of their own kind and are always upto mischief in some unseen corner of the house. It is amazing how they can turn out to be great friends!

For Mumbai and Srinagar after 7/11....

A prayer that all the causes, issues and discontentment that lead to such flagrant acts of cruelty may one day be completely eliminated......

\chapter{Bangalore Again}

What does the title mean, you ask? Well, It means that I have finished my course in IGIDR, Mumbai and have come home to Bangalore and will be working here. It also means that I had been writing my thesis in LaTeX and sitting long hours in front of the computer has done some damage to my already modest literary skills and that explains the unimaginative title.

But this post is more about leaving Mumbai than about coming to Bangalore. That is not to say that I am not excited about being back in Bangy! I am absolutely delighted to be here! However, it is only now that I have begun to realise how much I will miss IGIDR and Mumbai.

Two years ago, around this time, I was wrtiting the IGIDR entrance exam and was very anxious to clear it. After attending the interview a little more than a month later (7th of July, 2004), I fell in love with the institute and would have given anything to be given a chance to study in IGIDR. Looking back now, at all that I have learnt in the two years that I was in the institute, I feel extremely fortunate for the opportunity I was granted. In terms of academics, all the Economics that I know (which isn't very much) is what I have learnt here. I owe a lot to my professors but shall not attempt to express my gratitude towards them on this blog- I will not be able to convey all that I feel. There is more that I have gained from this experience apart from some knowledge of Economics, a degree and a job. To be honest, I did not feel this way about the place from the beginning. I was depressed, lonely and cynical for nearly three out of four semesters. The fourth semester has proved to be an eye-opener.

I realised how much I enjoy the company of my friends here and how important they are to me. There was the usual pressure of assignments and tests this time too but somehow, it did not seem half as taxing as it did in the earlier semesters. If I have to sum it all up, it began to seem like this was just the right thing to happen. It is as if I had to go though it all - the pressure, the loneliness, the frustration, the thrills, the highs, the laughter, the feeling of belonging...since I got to learn a hell of a lot from all these experiences. Two years in IGIDR has proved to be enriching in many ways and for that, I have to thank my friends! Thank you for being the wonderful people you are! I shall treasure the memories of the time we spent together!

P.S: A thousand apologies for the hackneyed cliché but I really do mean it!

Oikos Nomikos

In a 1997 article titled " How did Economics get that way and what way did it get? ", Robert M. Solow concludes by saying:

" Oscar Wilde described a fox hunt as the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible. Perhaps here we have the overeducated in pursuit of the unknowable. But it sure beats the alternatives. "

The article describes how the study of Economics has evolved over the past few decades into its current model-centric form. It suggests that the shifting of the centre of gravity of research in Economics from Britain to the United States could be one possible explanation. It also involves interesting comparisons of Economics with other sciences, mainly Physics and Biology.

The process of learning Economics has served in showing how wide-spread and fascinating its applications are. It is almost seems like there is nothing that falls outside the scope of Economics, that the scope of this science that started out as the science of household management, is infinite!

Transmutation

Morphed in a flash,
Simplified, trimmed down and concised;
As an abridged pocket-sized chef d'oeuvre,
Dimensions lost
Comprehension gained.

Thank you for the music!

That's what I would like to say to the Kannada film industry! Now, that would appal anyone who's even remotely familiar with the kind of music that's being generated in Sandalwood (that's what the Kannada film industry is called)! But something that happened today helped me see things differently.
This evening, after dinner, I picked up a tape at random and played it. It happened to be a collection of songs I had recorded from the radio in Bangalore that I hadn't listened to for a long time now. One particular song in the tape changed my mood entirely. The song is called " Car Car" and is all about these marvellous locomotives that have changed our lives. The video alternatively features highways of the USA and the humble roads of namma Bengalooru(and this was shot when the fly-overs were being constructed- not a pretty sight at all!) during rush hour traffic. The chorus goes "Car car car car yelnodi car (2)"! The absolute meaninglessness of this song is what makes it endearing. Added to that is the fact that it is sung by some talented play-back singers. I enjoyed it so much that I actually felt refreshed after listening to it!
Every now and then, Bollywood tries hard to come up with crass, meaningless numbers- but on this one count, Sandalwood outsmarts its big brother in Mumbai. It is only in Kannada movies that we have songs like "Colour colour" and this other song, the chorus of which goes something like:
"Danger, 16 to 20 danger
20 to 30 hunter
30 to 40 soldier........"
No prizes for guessing what this song is all about. And I swear these are all real songs in real movies!
I do not know if these songs are written by lyricists (if they actually hire lyricists to write them) who have little kids at that crucial stage of childhood when their rate of absorption of new words into their vocabulary is at its peak. Perhaps, these songs are innovative tools devised by the smart lyricist-parents for feeding some important words of every Kannadiga's favourite language (viz.,angrezi) into their kids' long-term memory.
Regardless of the actual reasons behind the songs, I thank the persons behind them for making them. If these songs did not exist there would have been an implacable void in the universe!

Non!

So it's that easy? A city of 6.5 million people can be renamed just because one litterateur felt like it would be the right thing to do and a myopic chief minister was only too happy to give his blessings? Firstly, the whole exercise seems pointless. Bengalooru is simply Kannada for Bangalore just as Dilli is Hindi for Delhi. In Chennai's case, Tamilians had always been referring to the city as Chennai even as the rest of the country called it Madras. But in Bangalore's case, it is just the same name pronounced differently. So if the state government's policies are to be consistent, they will have to rename Mangalore as Mangalooru, Mysore as Mysooru and Chickmaglur as Chickmaglooru. This will most certainly involve various costs in terms of both time and money.....costs that the indebted state government can do without! Moreover, there is an implicit message that is being sent out to all the talented people from all across India and the world moving into Bangalore when the local appelation becomes the city's official name. A message that says that the Garden City is not as welcoming as it once was.
If names of places can be changed simply according to certain politicians' whims sans any referendum, I shudder to think of all the possibilities open to Sonia, Laloo or Advani followers to impress their 'leaders'....all MPs and MLAs have to do to ensure themselves a lucrative portfolio the next time is to name their constituency after their party president or the latter's kin (eg. Rabrinagar, Rahulpura !!!!).
One attenuating factor is that, looking around us, we know that the change in name is not going to matter significantly; Bangalore will remain the liberal pluricultural city that it has always been. We only have to ensure that the wrong signals that are attempted to be conveyed from the name change do not really reach the intended targets.

Caught in a time warp!

I have finally finished reading 'Is Paris Burning?' by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. I had been reading it for the past two months and have thus been living through the events that occured in Paris from the 19th to the 26th of August 1944 every night before going to bed. Anyone who's read any work of the authors of this book would know of their capacity to effectively transport the reader in time and space.As is characteristic of the style of Lapierre and Collins, a lot of effort in research has been undertaken to provide the reader with the smallest of details ( such as the colour of a dress a particular Parisienne had worn on Liberation day) which is what makes it seem like the events in the book are unfolding before one's own eyes.
The book is about how Paris narrowly escapes from being reduced to ' a field of ruins' as Hitler had planned it, to avenge the desruction of German cities by the Allies.The title of the book comes from Hitler's angry words 'Brennt Paris?' addressed to the chief of his general staff when he learns of the surprise attack of the Allied forces on German strongpoints in the heart of Paris.Hitler had repeatedly given instructions to the commander of Gross Paris Dietrich von Choltitz to ensure the capital was completely destroyed if it were to fall into Allied hands.
Apart from the actual battle for liberation, the book also describes several other conflicts that could have delayed Paris' timely liberation.These include the political fued between the Communists of France and Charles de Gaulle and the skirmishes between de Gaulle and the authorities in Washington.Further, it describes the moral dilemma that von Choltitz went through when he was instructed to execute orders which, he knew, if carried out,history would hold him guilty.
The passion that went into the efforts to save Paris comes across throughout the book.Overall, the book makes interesting read for any history buff.

Here's something that has made the experience of reading the book very interesting for me: I had read Catch 22 by Joseph Heller just before I started reading 'Is Paris Burning?'.Now, Catch 22 is famous for Heller's caustic sarcasm and is aimed at pointing out the meaninglessness of war.It blatantly rubbishes the idea of 'a hero's death' and other such romanticisms associated with war.So, while reading about the nationalisitic fervour of the young French man who took to arms to save their beloved capital and the American GIs who executed the orders they were given unquestioningly, I was constantly reminded of how these sentiments , in a way, contradict what is depicted in Catch 22.Moreover, I happened to watch two WW2 based movies - ' Schindler's List' and 'The Pianist' while I was reading the book.It then seemed like the book deals with an insignificant part of the much larger horrific event that was World War 2.

It does seem like there can never be no such thing as 'too many books' or 'too many movies' about World War 2 if we are to try to understand its actual impact on the lives of people and nations!

Ajji

Music soothes no more
It is merely a reminder of your melodious voice and of all the songs you taught me.
A source of boundless love, comfort and warmth, an epitome of serenity, an undemanding giver,
By instinct, you chose to reminisce of reasons for cheer when your pain had rendered us all joyless;
You chose to be content , unaffected by all the troubles that came your way;
We see you Ajji, in all that could make us smile.
We were still learning from you the art of appreciating simple pleasures, of acceptance and of gratitude,
We are now left to learn these precious lessons without the teacher who taught by example.
Ajji, with each passing day, your absence has become harder to accept.

You are reading my journal

The Lake Superior State University has included the word 'blog' among several other 'misused, abused, over-used or useless' words of the English language that ought to be proscribed. It appears in the 2005 Banished Words List along with phrases like 'wardrobe malfunction' and 'pockets of resistance'. Somebody who nominated for 'blog' to be 'banished' would like to see words like 'diary' and 'journal' being used instead ( since blog comes from weblog = web+log i.e, an online journal).
Some of the other words in the list indeed deserve to be there ; anybody caught using 'safe and effective' , 'all new' and 'and more!' again should be put through rigorous courses in vocabulary amelioration that require them to learn words like 'absquatulate' , 'spifflicate' and 'sternutatory' all day long as punishment. 'Blog' seems to be the most innocent word in that list- it really doesn't deserve such harsh treatment- what say, fellow keepers of online journals?

In my defence..........

.......It happens the world over- southerners speak differently! In the one year that I have been in the Great Indian Melting Pot, Mumbai, I have endured excruciating analyses of my accent when I speak Hindi by well-meaning friends, casually curious strangers and certain chauvnistic compatriots. There have been several theories about the accent that mine resembles the most- the venerated Sonia accent, the distinct Rajni accent( this would be my personal favourite if I had to vote) or the angrezi accent of Lagaan fame.....and the list , to my exasperation, is growing! I have tried real hard to speak Hindi 'normally'- but the accent just keeps coming back ! That set me thinking- maybe this is all due to some really powerful linguistic influence that south Indian languages have on their speakers. But then I remembered the classes I had while learning French where we were taught how the Southern accent is different from the popular Parisian accent. It was then that I realised- this is a global phenomenon- it happens everywhere- the US where SAE( Southern American English) is studied as a seperate dialect by linguists, it happens in Britain, Spain, Japan....! I say we ought to accept the South Indian accent just as a distinct southern accent has been accepted in all these other countries and let it stay that way- it has its own charm! (it really does!... and to those who do not buy that-you need perspective, meri aankhon se dekho zara!)

Where rationality abounds

Ever wondered where the 'rational agents' in Economics text books actually lived? Anyone who has serious reservations about the assumption of rationailty in Economics must visit our quaint ,charming institute for research in Economics located on a little hill in Mumbai's periphery. You will then discover the world of convex and even lexicographic preferences, utility maximization, constrained optmization, Nash equilibria and most importantly, monopolistic competition on a scale that's inconceivable in the outside world!All decisions here from the choice of subjects and supervisors to the choice of a seat in a class-room are made after resolving carefully defined optimization problems.You can actually figure out what your roomie will be doing in the week-end with the help of a neat mathematical model !Studying Economics here is like one of those fantasy movies where the viewer becomes a part of the plot and there is simply no escape till the movie ends! An invigorating ambience for the study of Economics, this!
Need any help visualizing an Arrow-Debreu equilibrium? One visit to IGIDR , Mumbai could solve all your problems :-).

J'y suis arrivée!

Enfin, un blog à moi !
Merci beaucoup Mamta pour l'encouragement!