Posts Tagged ‘Culture’
Thangachi’s Corner: What is your background?By Editor - February 27th, 2015 |
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Where am I from? That’s the question I posed my grade four’s last week when one of the girls walked in at the beginning of the period, readily prepared to burst into tears. And it’s certainly a problematic question, isn’t it? After all, by “from”, I could be referring to the geographical location from which I arrived to Canada. Or perhaps I mean the country from which my parents immigrated here. It’s an altogether tricky question, especially when taking into consideration a rather diverse community made up of various cultures, languages and religious beliefs. |
‘Veera Mangai’ Velu Nachiyar – The Joan of Arc of IndiaBy Editor - February 26th, 2015 |
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Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first ever female warrior to challenge the British Empire in the Indian War of Independence. As such, she redefined the role of women within the Indian freedom fighting revolution. With the majority of men at the time behind bars, she mobilized a women’s artillery. This army was named Udayaal in honour of the Rani’s adopted daughter, who died after detonating a British arsenal. Veluni Nachiyar is also credited to have created the first human suicide attack: Kuyili, a female soldier, doused herself in oil, entered a British-owned ammunitions storage, and destroyed the facility by self-immolation. |
My Mother …By Admin - October 5th, 2013 |
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Written by: Gayathiri Sivakumar When I was a little girl, my mother told me that if I studied well, maintained my fair skin, and was a ‘good’ girl, did not talk to boys, I would land myself a Prince. She said, if I grew up with how she suggested, then everyone would want to marry me. I dutifully followed her command, after all, I wanted to ensure that I married a Prince. I maintained my A-student status, I stayed out of the sun, I was polite, obedient and meek, and I hardly talked to boys (unless it was school-related).Until I was in high school that is. It was then at some point, where I felt like I was not living my own life. It felt like I was living out my mother’s life. I felt entrapped, although I was a young teenager, here I was, pretending to be someone I was really not. This feeling was really brought on when my mother began to parade me around to the community, letting them know what a catch I was. But it was all superficial. I met boys like myself, successful, but unhappy. Puppets really. I felt like how Jeyam Ravi felt in Santhosh Subramanium. I felt I had to please her. I resented my mother. I blamed her continuously, I felt like she was the cause of my unhappiness. I felt that I lived a sheltered life, one where I was made into a socially awkward person, despite being born in Canada, was because of her repressive nature. I knew nothing of the popular bands, brands, or anything – I was totally forbidden from particiapting in normal activities as such. I felt like I was reprived of life and happiness because of the sheltered life she raised me in. |
