May - 2012 by Projects Abroad

ree

May 2012

Volume 2, Issue 30 Sponsored by:

Maverick Publisher:

Kannan Sundaram of Kalachuvadu World Book Day Special

Editor

Contents May 2012 | Issue No. 30

Dr. Nandini Murali

EDITOR’S CORNER Sub Editor & Journalism Manager Ingelise Jones Journalism Supervisors B. Pooja Archana Sundararajan Coordinator J. Venkatesh Designer & Technical Support T. Jesuraja

Reporters & Photographers Tyler Karahalios Marie McEvoy 2

Marco Duranti Edward Lipztin Anne Punt Ariane Lecuyer Katharina Irrgang Kim Clarys Nicolas Brangi Kourei Yoshibe David Wilkens James Chapman

01 Growing up with Books COVER STORY

02 Fearless Footsteps WORLD BOOK DAY

09 Celebrating the Written Word! A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

12 Talking Tomes TRENDS

16 Lighthouses of Knowledge and Wisdom 20 Pages of Technology FIRST IMPRESSIONS

23 The Indian Paradox ART

24 Commentary on Life AUTHOURS

26 Reflections of the Soul BOOK REVIEW

28 Hinduism: A Way of Life 30 A Love that Binds Us 32 Your Wish is my Command! VILLAGE VOICES

Cover Photograph Nicolas Brangi Sivakasi Projects Abroad Pvt. Ltd.,

34 The Seaside Spell of Muttom IDENTITY

38 Bold and Beautiful FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Contact: editor@maduraimessenger.org MADURAI MESSENGER No. 17, T.P.K Road Pasumalai Madurai – 625004 Tamil Nadu India Tel. 0452-2370269

43 Compassion for Youth CULTURE KITCHEN

44 Palette Pleasers: S’More Please!

EDITOR’S CORNER

Growing up with Books

t would not be an exaggeration to say that I cut my teeth on books. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always held a book. Even as a child, I recall holding a book between my hands and rustling through the pages. There was something so powerfully tactile about holding a book. One of my most enduring childhood memories is my mother reading to me in bed. Lying down snuggling beside her, my mind wandered into the world of fantasy conjured by the book and gradually I drifted into the oblivion of sleep… Even today as an adult, reading myself to sleep is part of my bed time ritual. As I grew up, my passion for reading was also nurtured by my maternal grandfather. Seated under the canopy of the mango tree, he would ask me to read aloud from the literature of the East and the West. Translations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari, English classics that spanned poetry, prose and drama, were part of my staple intellectual and imaginative diet. I first discovered libraries as an eight year-old. My maternal uncle enrolled me in a library nearby that was most aptly named Book Bank. Every Friday evening, armed with 50 paisa (the reading charge for a book was a ridiculously low 25 paisa!), I trudged to the library. I would borrow books by Enid Blyton, the writer who is a universal favorite among children across the world. Within a year, I had read every word Enid Blyton had written and soon graduated to Angela Brazil, Marie Corelli and Erle Stanley Gardner. Very soon, I had read every book in Book Bank, and it was time to graduate to other libraries. Like a wish fulfillment, Anugraha, another neighborhood library, sprang up. The person who established the library, Sundari Maitreyan, was a qualified librarian and a passionate reader. She had a discerning taste for books, so a trip to the library was also a delightful opportunity to interact with her about books and authors. A.J.Cronin, Taylor Caldwell, James Herriot, Lawrence Durrell, Lloyd C. Douglas, Frank L. Baum, and P.G. Wodehouse were not just names on the spines of book covers; they were family. Over the years, my mother and I continue to share a love for reading that has strengthened. We bond over books. When I was growing up, it was quite common for us to recommend and swap books. In the early 1970s, there was no Internet and TV, so books were the sole means of access to the world of information and imagination. The neighborhood libraries were complemented by well-equipped public libraries such as those run by the British Council and the United Sates Information Services. Clichéd as it may sound, books are my best friends. A book encloses within itself a fathomless ocean of wisdom and knowledge. And I, like a scuba diver, plunge into its depths and surface wiser, stronger and happier.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

47 Bowled Over by the Indian Experience FILM

48 Moved by Magic

Dr. nandini murali Editor

Madurai Messenger Cover Story May 2012

The Kalachuvadu logo is mounted on the wall in Kannan’s office

Fearless Footsteps Tamil publisher and writer Kannan Sundaram dares to tread where others don’t. Passionately proud of his Tamil culture and language, he explores controversial issues, challenges the government, and provides a platform for Tamil writers to have a voice. Tyler Karahalios meets the creative and daring publisher behind Kalachuvadu magazine and Kalachuvadu Publishing

“There have been many occasions in which Kannan has rejected the works of wellknown authors... He is committed to holding Kalachuvadu, both the magazine and the publishing house, true to his purpose“

By Tyler Karahalios, California, United States Photographs By Nicolas Brangi, France

H 2

e sits at a sturdy desk, looking out the window over his garden. His eyes are glazed over as if he is in a trance. I could see the wheels turning in his mind. However, when he speaks, his answers are precise and concise. Every word is measured. Each has its purpose and just enough is uttered to express his point.

printing office is located, he has jetted to London many times, fully experienced Frankfurt and visited the United States to attend U.S. State Departments International Visitor Program in 2002. In 2007, he was accepted into the Frankfurt Fellowship Programme - a programme that brings 16-18 International publishers, editors and agents to the Frankfurt Book Fair. This opportunity gave him an insider’s perspective into the world of publishing and he has returned every year since – an incredible and seemingly impossible feat for the publisher of a Tamil publishing house. But Kannan has a tendency to conquer the seemingly impossible.

Kannan Sundaram (46) editor of Kalachuvadu magazine and founder of Kalachuvadu Publishing, is a man of principles. Known for his devotion to exposing the truth while promoting Tamil culture, Kannan has made a name for himself in India and internationally. Recently returned from the Paris Book Fair, he proudly informs me that there’s a growing Tamil community there, with more than fifty restaurants and five or six hair stlylist shops owned and operated by Tamils in La Chapelle.

Even though he was interested in media studies, Kannan chose to study mechanical engineering at Bangalore University because no such media programmes were available in India at the time. “I just wanted to get away from home,” he told us. While he admittedly did not enjoy his courses in mechanical engineering, he chuckled as he announced that he, “Sure did enjoy the life.”

Kannan’s magazine, Kalachuvadu, which means “footprints in time,” is without a doubt making footprints in international publishing. Apart from being distributed in Tamil Nadu, the magazine is also sent to Paris, London, the United States, and Canada, arguably making Kannan one of the most successful Tamil editors and publishers.

A wandering mind Based in Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, Kannan travels frequently. Apart from his monthly trips to Chennai, where the

Kannan Sundaram, editor of Kalachuvadu magazine and founder of Kalachuvadu Publishing, based in Nagercoil

However, he never lost interest in the media. As there were no international news programmes available on Indian television at the time, every week, Kannan religiously attended the British

Council to view the half hour BBC International News television programme.

only publish what he deemed suitable for the magazine.

After receiving his degree in mechanical engineering, a subject that is a constant source of amusement in his household, Kannan returned home to pursue his true dream. In 1994, a few short years after his graduation from Bangalore University, Kannan re-launched Kalachuvadu periodical.

Kannan has set high standards for everything he publishes. Kalachuvadu’s purpose is not to simply be another avenue for established authors to release new works, but to give young authors an opportunity to showcase their talent and have a voice – provided that it meets his high expectations. There have been many occasions in which Kannan has rejected the works of well-known authors. While this is not always taken well, Kannan is willing to accept the consequences. He is committed to holding Kalachuvadu, both the magazine and the publishing house, true to his purpose.

First started as a literary magazine in 1988 by his father, the famous Tamil writer and poet Sundara Ramaswamy, Kalachuvadu was discontinued after just eight issues. Kannan revived it with renewed vigour. While still maintaining its literary roots and continuing to publish both aspiring and established Tamil authors, Kalachuvadu now also includes interviews and dares to publish more controversial and political content.

A new direction While many may have expected that Kannan would simply piggyback on his father’s success as a prominent literary figure, this was not the case. According to his wife, Mythili Sundaram, “Not at any point did he allow his father’s name to interfere. It was his total hard work. Whatever came, the magazine and then the publishing house, it is not related in any way to my father-in-law. It is solely his title.” In fact, his father would bring him material to edit and Kannan would

In addition to backlash from displeased authors, Kannan has also endured repercussions from the Tamil Nadu government for publishing controversial works. In 2007, Kalachuvadu published a frank article about corruption in the government. Kannan’s wife, Mythili Sundaram, was apprehensive and fearful. She said, “The person to whom he was referring was such a big mafia man in Tamil Nadu. Anything could have happened to him and nobody would have been able to say anything.” To make matters worse, after the article was published, the Tamil Nadu government cancelled their standing order for over 2000 copies

Madurai Messenger Cover Story May 2012 Kannan’s library, located on the roof of his home and office, houses 10,000 books

Kannan Sundaram’s home-cum-office in Nagercoil

for distribution to libraries throughout the state. This was a major setback for Kalachuvadu, a loss that amounted to 20 percent of their subscriptions. 4

Despite the risks and decline in subscriptions, Kannan did not waver. He stayed calm and took immediate defensive action. He began the administrative process to bring a court case against the Tamil Nadu government for their attempt to influence the media. Additionally, Kannan organised a signature campaign in which authors, journalists, and supporters signed a petition that was delivered to the High Court in Madurai. What surprised Kannan the most about the situation was that no other media source in Tamil Nadu, and only very few in all of India, had pending court proceedings against the government. This only served to further fuel his drive to ensure that the government cannot influence the media regardless of whether it is mass media or small magazines. While the proceedings were drawn out over three long years, Kannan persisted. He was determined not to let the government “take attrition at random.” And his perseverance paid off. In 2010, the court returned a verdict in

Kalachuvadu’s favour and the order for magazines was reinstated. Those three years were challenging for Kannan and Kalachuvadu. As such a large portion of their subscription vanished, they had to make up for it via the publishing house.

A publisher’s gaze Before explaining the story behind the publishing house, Kannan decided to show me around his home which doubles as his office and workplace for the typesetting, editing and accounting teams. This dedicated, ambitious man is never truly away from his work. We began to ascend the outside staircase to the roof. Moving outdoors seemed to have a calming effect on him in comparison to his clear compulsion to work constantly while inside. It is no wonder that Kannan so often gazes out over his garden when he sits at his desk. We reached the top of the stairs to be greeted by a copper green bust. Little did I know that the bust was of Puthumaipithan, renowned author and father of the Tamil short story. In fact, one of Kannan’s favourite books ever published by Kalachuvadu was a collection of unpublished letters and stories written by Puthumaipithan. It was actually one of the first ten books

they published, and the product of three years of grueling work by Kannan and the books editor, Professor A.R. Venkatachalapathy. Puthumaipithan’s bust marked the entrance to a striking library that houses over 10,000 books. First created in honour of his father to house all of his works, the library has continued to grow and is now open to all students who have a love of literature. While in the library, Kannan began to tell me the history of his publishing business. Established in 1995, the original intention for the publishing house was to publish his father’s novels. His father’s previous publisher had failed to keep all his books in print, so Kannan and his father took matters into their own hands. In that first year, Kalachuvadu Publishing House published two of Sundara Ramaswamy’s works. However, it quickly evolved from its initial intention. The fourth book they published was by another author, and from there they progressed rapidly. In the past year, Kalachuvadu has published 71 novels in Tamil, both original works and translations. Publishing translations in Tamil has become a major aspect of the publishing company. Nearly 25 percent

The Kalachuvadu magazine publishes articles about controversial issues and gives a voice to Tamil writers

”He feels that this magazine, and he as a publisher, has to publish the truth so that the common people will know. That is his drive, you see. That is his dream” of the novels they publish now are translations. It is Kannan’s intention to make literary classics such as The Sea by John Banville and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, among others, available to Tamil readers.

In pursuit of a dream While adamant about maintaining both the magazine and publishing house entirely in Tamil and despite his strong ties to his Tamil heritage, Kannan did not always excel in the subject. In a candid moment, his wife revealed that Kannan was not particularly interested in Tamil

in his younger years. In fact, he needed a Tamil tutor during his education. Ironically, one of the same Tamil professors who tutored him brought him an article to be edited, which Kannan then published in Kalachuvadu. Similar to their father in his younger years, neither of Kannan’s sons currently hold much interest in Tamil. However, both are following in their father’s footsteps in the fact that they are avid readers. Kannan proudly beamed that his 18-year-old elder son, S. Ram Sarangan is currently studying media, communication, English literature, and psychology at Bengaluru. When they were first married, Mythili was often disappointed that Kannan never remembered her birthday. Although she still wishes he would remember the little things, she soon discovered that Kannan does not even remember his own birthday, which eased her disappointment! Admittedly, there are a few things that can be frustrating about Kannan: he never

responds when you answer, he holds a conversation but his mind is engrossed in something else at the same time and he forgets the small details. However, her eyes lit up even as she described those things that can be aggravating. She exuded pride and respect for him and rightfully so. Reflecting on her husband’s actions and steadfast nature with admiration, Mythili humbly boasted that, “As a publisher, he sees it as his duty to publish the truth. The media always adds spices and we will never know what is happening. So he feels that this magazine, and he as a publisher, has to publish the truth so that the common people will know. That is his drive, you see. That is his dream.” And that was neither the first nor the last controversial topic Kannan published.

Rebel with a cause During the past decade, the Sri Lankan Civil War has been an issue of major

Madurai Messenger Cover Story May 2012

“Watching him as he spoke of this horrific truth, his expression became distant and his face grew somber I could see his dedication to exposing the truth and the way in which every issue makes an impact on him personally“

interest and importance to Kannan and Kalachuvadu. One story particularly close to Kannan’s heart was one of a Sri Lankan refugee who miraculously survived the last days of the war.

While I was previously not familiar with the Sri Lankan Civil War, Kannan made the violence and horrors of the war explicitly clear and, within just a few minutes of listening to Kannan passionately speak about it, I was shocked by the fact that it was not something that more people are familiar with. Over 40,000 people were ruthlessly murdered during the last few months of the war, yet it appeared as if Kalachuvadu was one of the few media sources that took a stand against this atrocity. True to his nature, Kannan meticulously chose his words to describe the situation during the last few months of the war in Sri Lanka, knowing that every word has a powerful effect: “If you try to escape your village, the rebels will kill you. At the same time, the government is bombing your village. If you stay in your home, you will die, and if you run away you will be killed.” Watching him as he spoke of this horrific truth, his expression became distant and his face grew somber I could see his dedication to exposing the truth and the way in which every issue makes an impact on him personally. This was just one of the many accounts of the war in Sri Lanka that Kalachuvadu has published. One of the first was in 1997 when Kannan heard about a young boy living in a refugee camp who had escaped from Sri Lanka. In a letter published by Kalachuvadu titled “The Shadow of Sun Rays Two,” this young boy wrote a heart-wrenching letter to his father who was living in the UK, describing the government in Sri Lanka, what had happened to him, and about life as a refugee. Since that article, Kalachuvadu has become a platform for Sri Lankan writers to openly and anonymously write about the tragedies in their country. Kalachuvadu is not just marked by its willingness to publish articles about political issues – it has also left its footprint in the world of women’s literature and the world of food. A recent trend in Tamil literature has been the

Mythili Sundaram manages the family bookstore in Nagercoil The woman behind the man: Kannan’s wife, Mythili, shares her thoughts about her husband Kannan with his youngest son, S. Mukundan (12), a bright student and avid reader

rise of women authors who desire an avenue in which they can boldly write about their bodies’ and their sexuality. Kalachuvadu has been one such outlet. Salma, the revolutionary Tamil poet and fiction writer, is just one example of avant-garde writers (who happen to be women) Kalachuvadu is publishing. Despite receiving negative feedback questioning how Kalachuvadu could publish such “vulgar” works, Kannan fully supports each one of Kalachuvadu’s writers, maintaining that Kalachuvadu is a space for authors to express themselves freely and fearlessly. One topic that shook the Tamil community in a positive way was Tamil food. An entire magazine issue was devoted to a collection of articles from writers regarding the food of their caste, food festivals, recipes, kitchen traditions and all other aspects of Tamil culinary art. The impact of this issue was so far reaching, that five star restaurants made changes to their menus to reflect the ideas and trends covered in the articles.

Kannan’s devotion to his causes extends beyond his work behind that sturdy desk. He is a man of thoughtful yet deliberate action. When, in 2002, there was a state sponsored massacre of Muslims in Gujarat, Kannan was not able to sit back and watch as innocent people were slaughtered. He organised a campaign in Chennai in which he collected works from various artists in response to the event. He then held an exhibition where people could come, learn about the issue, and purchase the paintings. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the paintings went to the artists, while the other half went to support the people of Godhra. As he does not expect others to do something he is not willing to do, Kannan himself bought two paintings – one of which hangs on the wall in his office as a constant reminder of what he stands for and what he is capable of achieving. Another example was in 2000, when Kannan and Cheran, a Canadian Professor and Tamil poet, organised a

World Tamil Conference in Chennai. Over 2000 people from all over the world, including 200 authors, attended the conference. Participants ranged from Americans to Europeans, even to Sri Lankans and Malaysians. It was the first of its kind and was met with resounding praise.

Framing the future Despite proving time after time the sort of incredible feats he can achieve , time is not on Kannan’s side. When asked about the future of Kalachuvadu, Kannan gave conflicting answers. On the one hand, Tamil is supposed to be the fastest growing publishing industry in India. On the other hand, Kannan predicts more and more Tamils in the next generation will no longer be reading in Tamil. Oddly enough, Kannan’s own son is a prime example of this. Regardless of the fact that his grandfather, Sundara Ramaswamy was a major figure in Tamil literature or that his father tirelessly promotes Tamil culture, 12-year-old S. Mukundan has no interest in reading

Madurai Messenger Cover Story May 2012

Celebrating

“A lot of educated people talk about what is happening. People talk among themselves, but they don’t put it in writing. They are afraid to do so. Only very few people can do that. Kannan is one of those people”

the Written Word! This month, Madurai Messenger celebrates World Book and Copyright Day, an annual initiative organised by UNESCO to promote reading, sharing and peace, and to protect copyright for authors and publishers around the world. Ariane Lecuyer embraces the written word and reports on the significance of this special day By Ariane Lecuyer Paris, France

Tamil of his own accord, despite learning Tamil at school. An exceptionally bright student, avid reader, and eReader owner, Mukundan says that taking over Kalachuvadu is not in his future.

Currently reading one of the Harry Potter novels, Mukundan argues that Tamil lessons in schools are no longer interesting. “This,” comments Kannan, “is the problem. They need to make the Tamil text books for school reading more captivating. It’s very outdated and it has nothing to do with the life that we live now. It has mostly to do with ancient Tamil.” According to Kannan, who published 71 novels in Tamil last year, there is no lack of compelling Tamil literature out there. It is the school system that needs to be revised to make the necessary changes to revive Tamil language and reading with Tamil youth. While unwilling to take hold of the reigns for Kalachuvadu, Mukundan expressed an interest in possibly taking over the family textile shop, which runs three generations deep. As his son confessed to this consideration a smile crept across Kannan’s face. He had earlier admitted that he feared he would be the third and last generation to operate the textile business. With a flicker in his eyes he asks Mukundan, “So, should I keep it alive for you?” All it takes is Mukundan’s slight nod of his head to convince Kannan.

Wheels in his mind Admittedly, work consumes this impassioned man’s life. Throughout my time with him, Kannan kept hinting that I shouldn’t ask his wife the questions I was asking him about his life because she would reveal “the dark side of the moon.” Little did he know that his wife, who has spent the last 19 years by his side, would articulate his character in a way that no one else could. Her parting words: “A lot of educated people talk about what is happening. People talk among themselves, but they don’t put it in writing. They are

Kannan Sundaram, a man of principles who will continue to challenge his readers, the government and the media

afraid to do so. Only very few people can do that. Kannan is one of those people.” As Kannan walked me out of his house-cum-office, he had that same look in his eyes as he did when I had first entered – pensive and contemplative. Even as he was bidding me farewell, I could already see the wheels turning in his mind. With purposeful strides he made his way back to his office where he once again took his seat behind that sturdy desk. Again, he looked out over his garden beyond his office walls. One can only begin to imagine the thoughts behind that gaze. Whether he is pondering the theme of the next Kalachuvadu issue, deciding which cause he can most effectively bring into the light, or contemplating the probability of either of his sons keeping the family businesses alive, it is undeniable that those wheels in his mind will continue to challenge to government, to challenge the societal norms, and to challenge readers to take a stand and leave their footprint on issues that matter to them – just as he has.

Books help promote peace and facilitate the sharing of knowledge, two primary goals for UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day

n April 23rd every year, the world celebrates World Book and Copyright Day. Organised by UNESCO, the day is dedicated to books and copyright with an aim to promote reading. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), was formed in 1945 with the aim to establish a culture of peace. With 196 member countries, the organization works for the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.”

Now in its 15th year, World Book and Copyright Day recognises the important role that books have played in the world to foster peace and sharing. Reading encourages knowledge and imagination. By celebrating this ancestral way of expression, UNESCO wants to promote reading and defend intellectual property.

Symbolic Celebration This special day is full of symbolism. True to UNESCO’s role in the promotion of peace, books traditionally symbolise

education, knowledge and the fight against poverty. In Latin, the words ‘book’ and ‘freedom’ come from the same root ‘Liber,’ linking these two concepts together. The date also has a symbolic meaning. The 23rd of April commemorates the birth or death of a number of notable writers. The two most famous are Cervantes and Shakespeare. Others include Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

Madurai Messenger World Book Day May 2012

“With the expression “a rose for love and a book forever,” the combination of literacy and love was accepted and the tradition is now to give a rose to women and a book to men”

World Book and Copyright Day follows a tradition with origins in Catalonia - to give women a rose and men a book

The 23rd of April marks the anniversary of the births and deaths of many notable authors, including William Shakespeare, who died in 1616 in England

the combination of literacy and love was accepted and the tradition is now to give a rose to women and a book to men. UNESCO decided to adopt this symbolic day to promote the love of reading all around the world.

Around the world “I can imagine a lot of conferences and meetings all around the world using the day as a chance to learn about authors and help children discover literacy,” said Marco Duranti, from Italy. Each year, UNESCO themes the day and encourages libraries, schools, shops, cafés and community groups to participate by arranging their own event.

The event has its origin in Catalonia where the 23rd April was dedicated to Saint George, a Christian martyr from the 1st century. The tradition on El dia de la Rosa, the day of roses, was to give roses to one’s sweetheart, turning it into a kind of Valentine’s Day. In 1923, a passionate local bookseller realised that this day was also the date on which Cervantes and Shakespeare died, so he decided to use the holy day to promote the two writers. With the expression “a rose for love and a book forever,”

In Spain, people traditionally do a ‘readathon’ by reading Don Quixote, from Cervantes, in only two days. In the UK and Ireland, this day focuses on youth, but because the 23rd of April would be in the middle of Easter holidays in 2012, they decided to celebrate it on the 1st of March. Each year in the UK, lectures and meetings are held in schools and children are given vouchers to receive eight free unpublished books. “I love World Book Day!!” said Amy Baker from the UK, who remembered the enthusiasm she felt on this day as a child. Her school organised a dress up day where kids had to come dressed as a book character, and everybody had to

guess from which book the character is from! Last year, the celebration blossomed around the world to follow the theme ‘evolution of book production’. Events included: a round table debate in Bulgaria; storytellers in France; book fairs in Bosnia Herzegovina; providing free books in Oman; book competitions in Italy; an authors meeting in Morocco; a share-a-book activity in Mauritius. The list of celebrations is long and shows the diversity ideas and events coming out of this occasion.

The World Book Day in Madurai

Promoting reading to children is one of the focuses of World Book Day. Here a young customer peruses some titles at New Century Book House in Madurai

A. Krishnamoorthy (51) is the zone manager of the New Century Book House. He celebrated World Book Day for the first time last year, and plans to celebrate every year in the future.

“UNESCO looks to libraries, book stores and schools to participate and help spread the word”

World Book Day isn’t widely celebrated in India yet, but we were most pleased to discover that this special event has made it to Madurai. The New Century Book House began promoting the day last year, giving attractive discounts to a lot of different books. Established on June 1st 1951, this store works to help make reading accessible to as many people as possible, especially those from low income families. They discount books, and visit villages in order to encourage reading.

way. Last year was a kind of test run for the store and as it was successful, he will promote the day again this year. “I just need two days to organise it,” he said. He assures us that it will be bigger this year. He told us he may invite authors or inaugurate new unpublished book. We later found out that his plans included launching a book on the day and offering a discount of 10-15 percent to customers.

Here in our Projects Abroad Journalism office, only two volunteers out of eight had heard about it, but all were enthusiastic by the idea. This enthusiasm shows that it definitely needs more promotion. In the UK, the day is well established and is repeatedly successful. Their fervour has even led them to create the World Book Night in order to continue this celebration into the evening.

A. Krishnamoorthy, the zone manager, realised that his aspiration was similar to the World Book Day’s aim. It seemed logical for him to contribute to this international celebration in his own

World Book Day is a huge project that needs a lot of organisation. UNESCO looks to libraries, book stores and schools to participate and help spread the word. Advertising the event across several countries and in different venues poses a challenge and can slow down its impact.

Perhaps it will also soon spread within India, so that everyone can share in the love of reading and join together to help protect copyright of books.

Madurai Messenger A Day in the Life of... May 2012

A Day in the Life of… A Bookseller

Talking Tomes

Avid reader Marie McEvoy spends a day at Turning Point in Madurai to get a feel for a day in the life of a bookseller. Absorbing the literary atmosphere, she discovers a family business brimming with good books, lovely staff and a loyal customer base. She also finds herself with a long list of books she wants to read! By Marie McEvoy England

Books, books and more books as far as the eye can see: wall to wall literature – and that’s just one section!

“All my dad’s friends and all [those] in the book trade used to call him ‘Bookram’ because he dedicated his whole life to books”

led him to establish Turning Point in the 1990s. As for the rose book? “It’s for my daughter,” he says before he eventually buys it, along with Cathy Kelly’s Christmas Magic, its cover is a lurid pink. Manager Surya Preethi (33) takes a brief break from another hectic day in the office to pose for us. She proudly continues a book selling tradition started by her father, A. Kuppuram, or ‘Bookram’ as he was affectionately known

he Turning Point bookshop in Madurai claims to be “a bookshop with a difference.” Quite what could be so different about this small store situated on the second floor of a rather nondescript building on the chaotic Town Hall Road? Not exactly a manic Monday, I arrive at 11:30am. As I enter, I spot an eclectic front display: Jeffrey Archer sandwiched between a guide to buying coloured gemstones and The Lovers

Park by Varalotti Rengasamy, a Tamil writer. Unusual, sure, but not exactly “different.” The shop is quiet, smelling of cardboard and paper, with plain décor: grey walls and flooring of almost the same colour and a ceiling fan whirring lazily overhead. The arrangement of books, however, is neat and enticing, and the back wall of children’s books scream with colour. Clearly this place likes to let the tomes do the talking.

Bookram, the founder of Turning Point, is an everlasting presence in the shop. He passed away aged 60 in 2010

At the time, the sole customer is a man in a loose blue shirt, browsing through The Ultimate Rose Book. His name is Pal, a Marma practitioner who has been coming to Turning Point for as long as he can remember. “This shop sells important books I cannot get anywhere else,” he tells me, “and I used to know the owner who passed away recently.” He gestures towards the counter, where, next to a large portrait of Dr Abdul-kalam, sits a picture of A. Kuppuram, the man whose passion for books and book retailing

The cashier, T.V. Janarthanan, 55, serves him manually, aided only by a calculator and a copy-book; an archaic method by British standards, but perhaps not so much here in Madurai. He has been in the job for six months, after working at Hindustan Unilever. Although he has no experience selling books, he tells me that he likes to show people around the shop when other staff members aren’t available. I then meet Surya Preethi, the owner of the store, who enquires pleasantly about my day as she leads me into her office that has a glass-fronted partition facing the cacophony below. She is

elegantly dressed in a beige and red salwar, accessorised simply with some gold jewellery. Her warm face belies her 33 years.

Soar like a literary seagull Behind her desk, is a picture of her father, Kuppuram, who sadly passed away in 2010, aged just 60 years. “All my dad’s friends and all [those] in the book trade used to call him ‘Bookram’ because he dedicated his whole life to books,” she says.

partnership. “Jonathan Livingstone Seagull,” Surya reveals, “Because a seagull can’t fly high.” She is shocked when I reveal that I have never heard of it, and beckons a tall, rangy staff member to bring a copy to us. I read the blurb on the back: “This is a fable about the importance of making the most of our lives, even if our goals run contrary to the norms of our flock, tribe or neighbourhood… if we follow our dreams, we too can soar.” However, with his newfound inspiration and ambition, came a large sacrifice: regular time spent with his family. “The whole day he’d be in the bookshop; at night also, to do the arrangements. He was very creative,” she says. This meant he was hardly ever at home.

Kuppuram’s first foray into the book world began at age 20, at the wellknown Indian book retail chain Higgin Bothams, where he was a sales assistant for almost 15 years.

“We didn’t get time to talk to him. It was very hard, because you wake up and your dad is not there, and your mum tells you that he has gone to the bookshop. We don’t know what time he came home,” Surya recalls.

One particular book inspired him to leave the chain and go into a bookstore

This imaginative and creative man did, however, put days aside to treat his

Madurai Messenger A Day in the Life of... May 2012

“This focus on people, along with its aim to foster a reading culture, is the very difference that Turning Point boasts”

The iconic Turning Point bookshop, situated on the Town Hall Road

children. “Once in a month he would take us to a restaurant and a good movie. We really enjoyed those days,” she shares. It is evident how proud she is of him and his legacy. 14

After the partnership ended, Kuppuram started his own bookstore – within the family home, undeterred by the lack of funding to rent an actual site. He later moved the business to a small location close to where Turning Point is now – so named because, as Surya says, “It was a turning point for him and whoever visited.” Born and brought up in Madurai as the second of three daughters, Surya joined Kuppuram when he set up Turning Point in 2000, but was working for him long before. She was studying tourism at college in 1995, before going on to complete an MBA in Human Resources. It was only during this time that she got to learn more about her father. She recounted how he would give her Rs.10 for the bus fare, and she would carry two bags full of books at 5:00am to her college to sell and generate orders before her classes started at 6:00am. They were long, tiring days, and the money would only stretch to transport. “I would get hungry, so when I went to the schools, I would ask for a cup of tea. In the evening, I would go to college again.”

When her father passed away, it was clear that with her ten years of business experience, she was the best choice to continue her father’s dream. Her husband, in Chennai with their fiveyear-old daughter, encouraged her to do so. Kuppuram would have loved to have turned the shop into a chain, but money is just one of the many challenges he and Surya came up against. “The book field is not a profitable one,” she informs me, hindered further by power cuts and the growing popularity of the online market. “People are becoming lazy; they want everything to come to their doorstep. Even when you go to big malls, the busiest places are the food court. People don’t want to leave their houses,” she explains.

Page turners Her only strategy to address these threats is customer service, and her demonstrable enthusiasm for reading. Neither father nor daughter wanted to be authors – they just loved books. “Reading is a very good habit,” Surya says. It was in fact reading that helped her to learn English. Thanks to her personal favourites, Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer, she continues to educate herself. “I’m very much interested in speaking to different people and developing myself,” she says with enthusiasm.

All those who enter the shop receive one-to-one attention, and are invited to leave heavy items they may have with them on a shelf to free their hands so that they are able to see the books without restraints. Turning Point also runs a successful VIP scheme in which customers pay Rs. 100 for a lifelong card that entitles them to discounts so they may “build their own library at home” – another one of Kupparam’s mottos. They currently have 8,000 members. This focus on people, along with its aim to foster a reading culture, is the very difference that Turning Point boasts. Surya heaves a worn blue and brown leather book as large as an encyclopedia, with aged yellow pages, onto the desk. “This book is full. We had to start a new one,” she says. Customers fill in their details and interests, and are informed when a book arrives that they may like. “We know what books move here,” she states with certainty. A slight lady in a green salwar works quietly and diligently behind me as I talk to Surya. Later, I discuss her role in the shop with her. Her name is T.L. Bhuvaneswari, 25, who joined only a month ago as an accountant. She finds the timings suitable, but she says, “The biggest challenge is completing today’s task fully, and not carrying anything over to the next day.”

the staff to enjoy their food. “We have a ten hour working day here, so I wanted to give some rest to my employees,” Surya explains, sharing with me the varied selection of rice dishes spread across her desk. “Some big shops in Chennai, they don’t shut for lunch.”

Vathika (22) visits Turning Point, one of her favourite book shops, to place an order for a friend (not Enid Blyton, unfortunately)

A typical day in her office involves checking emails, reading literary reviews, ordering stock, receiving and sorting deliveries, and, of course, much talking on the phone (I notice not one, but two mobiles on her desk). During lull periods, usually between 1:00pm and 4:00pm, the main detail is rearranging the books and general cleaning, partly due to dust. “I like my showroom to be clean,” she insists. I notice that this is not the first time she has referred to Turning Point as a ‘showroom.’ She is a true entrepreneur. As the staff busy themselves tidying, and Surya is inspecting shelves with her phone clamped to her ear, I enter the stockroom. Before me lies a heaving Aladdin’s cave of atlases, self-help books, tea and coffee supplies – and Enid Blyton! Just a mere glance at these books transports me back to my childhood. I continue this theme by testing myself with a book of I.Q questions for 5-year olds, and am relieved when I pass most of them. I spot noteworthy authors and titles on the way out: Hardy, D.H.Lawrence, Shelley, and Flaubert. Inspired, I mentally compile a list of the publications I want to read next. Weekends tend to be the busier days, Surya explains, because of the parking issues on weekdays. It is exam time at the moment, so it is immediately apparent who the students are as they make a beeline for the rows of geometry, computing, and banking exam books. They pay and leave, in a hurry to return home and absorb the contents.

Food for the body-mind-soul

Novel ideas

At 2:00pm, the shutters come down and the store closes for lunch, allowing

So far, all of the customers have been male, until, just after 3:00pm, a young

woman walks in searching for What to Expect When You are Expecting. Her name is Vathika, 22, and it is in fact her friend that is a mother-to-be. A staff member tries in vain to help her locate it, but the request goes in the order book. “I come here regularly – it’s one of the best book shops in Madurai,” she tells me. “It used to be the only store that had Enid Blyton when we were growing up.” A fellow fan! I feel a bond with her instantly. A student of chartered accounting, she shuns textbooks here in favour of fiction, although she tells me, “I have not been reading much recently as I have been studying. I miss it.” Trade actually picks up a little after this. A smartly dressed couple in their early 30s, Prakash and Ramya, stop and study a rack of books near the door. Ramya, a homemaker, is looking for cookery books, her husband says, as she riffles through. She has a love for all South Indian cuisine and is setting up a website from home where she trials recipes and documents the results. They stock up on books every time they come from Dubai, and this is their third visit this year. Forty minutes later, they pay and leave carrying a plastic bag bulging

with books, including Writing Skills – Success in 20 Minutes a Day. “How many did they buy?” I ask T.V. Janarthanan. He counts each transaction in his book carefully and tells me, “Eighteen.” Another lull, so time for a cup of sweet milky tea just before I have to leave. I ask Surya to recommend a book for me before I go. After a series of questions on my preferences – “heavy or light?” “Fiction?” “Indian fiction?” - I am passed The Glass Palace by Amitar Ghosh without hesitation. This one goes straight to the top of my list. It is difficult not to get excited about books when you are surrounded by those that live and breathe them. Here at Turning Point, it runs even deeper: reading is a bloodline, a heritage, and as much a part of the family as Bookram himself. What touched me the most was the dedication to preserving his memory and aspirations, not only by Surya and the staff, but also from the customers whose love for reading will last a lifetime.

Madurai Messenger Trends May 2012

A Lighthouse of

Knowledge and Wisdom Libraries provide a treasure trove for book lovers and an essential resource for students, researchers and anyone who wishes to keep informed about the world. Kim Clarys visits three libraries in Madurai and meets their librarians who all seem to wear their love for reading on their sleeves By Kim Clarys Belgium

S 16

ince I was a little kid, I have loved libraries. I love the silence that overwhelms you from the moment you enter the sacred space of the library. I love the smell of new books and the presence of visitors, all with the same goal: finding a good book. I remember my astonishment on the day when my mother told me that we could read all these books for free. I wondered why everyone didn’t come here all the time? In my youthful naiveté, I didn’t understand that there were people who don’t like reading.

Not liking reading is a trait that Usha Shenbagaraj (44), the owner of Dheepam library doesn’t appreciate. She doesn’t understand how parents are capable of prohibiting their children from reading. They complain about the cost, but at the same time they spend money on several other types of entertainment for their children that are just not that important. She feels these parents don’t want to encourage the artist hidden inside the child. “Books make you dream too much, a good reader dreams too much. But we all dream, don’t we?” Usha tells me.

Usha’s friend and regular client, A.Thenmoli, a postgraduate in Agriculture who is an assistant director of Horticulture at Madurai West, agrees. After a hard day’s work she loves to disappear into a good Tamil or English book. Her book interest diverges from the intellectual to the spiritual, but mostly she enjoys novels. She also has a good knowledge of English. Dheepam library is situated in the basement of a shopping complex. ‘Dheepam’ means ‘light’ in Tamil, a fitting name for the library that provides a light of knowledge for its members.

he can explore this small universe of books. He is very eager to learn and even picks out the books that he can’t read, just to look at the pictures and try to understand them. Amutha explains how her daughter, who doesn’t read that much, has trouble with her school courses. A problem that she believes her son is unlikely to experience because of his fondness of reading.

Mrs. Usha Shenbagaraj, librarian and owner of Dheepam Library says that books make you dream

Dr. Maheshwaran, agrees with her and tells me how his daughter has also just started reading. He acknowledges that his English has improved greatly because of reading, and he hopes that encouraging his daughter will have the same effect. Dr. Maheshwaran also appreciates Jonathan library enormously. He always finds the books he wants and sometimes he just wanders in to pick up a random book. He says that you won’t find another private library for the same cost and with such a good collection.

Readers are dreamers

At the same time, she says that the children still have a choice. If you really want something you can still go for it. There are so many things that kids do without the knowledge of their parents, why not invest that effort in a useful reading habit? Usha explains how reading is a must. She is a living example of it. She started reading at the age of eight years and now her English is flawless.

“Books make you dream too much, a good reader dreams too much. But we all dream, don’t we?”

Jonathan Library is aptly named after Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a personal favourite of Turning Point’s founder Kuppuram. A mural devoted to the book graces a wall in the library.

The exterior of Deepham Library, ‘dheepam’ meaning ‘light’ – an appropriate name for the library

Valued books

Books line the shelves of the Simikkal public library, with a collection focused on non fiction

With five shelves of fiction, fantasy, fairy tales and novels, they also claim to provide ‘A Treasure of Mills and Boon’ books.

Start them young Mrs. Amutha, librarian at the Jonathan library, which is an off shoot of Turning Point book shop, took up reading by herself at an early age, but already she understands the importance. Her son, Yoga Surendhran, has good reading habits. After school, he always accompanies his mother to the library so

To join Dheepam library, members pay a deposit of Rs.300 and then a monthly fee of Rs.100. Usha’s 500 members each have their own card that costs Rs.500. Every time they borrow a book, 10 per cent of the purchase cost gets charged. She clarifies how she needs this amount of money to keep the library updated and of course to make an income. Usha explains that otherwise people don’t understand the value of the books. She has had instances where people don’t return books, or they write phone numbers in them, or even

Mrs. Amutha, librarian at the Jonathan library, with her son, Yoga Surendhran, who is an eager reader

Madurai Messenger Trends May 2012

Mrs. Krishnaveni, librarian at the Simakkal Public Library says, ”Reading books and doing yoga are the same.”

A mural in Jonathan Library that depicts Jonathan Livingston Seagull the inspirational book behind Turning Point, of which this library is an offshoot (See A Day in the Life of a Book Seller ‘Talking Tomes’ p. 12)

feed them to their parrots! People sometimes don’t have any respect for the library and its books.

also regular visitors, coming here to broaden their knowledge. Interestingly, during the day, you will only find male readers.

This library is, just like the books, a small entity with a big story. Usha took over this private library from the previous owner, whom they called Dheepam thatha. The old man was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Concerned about the future of his precious books, he tried to give away them away, but when Usha visited him and learned what was happening, she was determined to keep this library open and bought it from him. Named after his daughter who passed away when she was only four years old, the library still retains the same name. Luckily, the man survived his illness and can be sure that the books and memory of his daughter, is in safe hands.

When you enter the library, you notice the big reading room, filled with newspapers and magazines, a space that has proven hugely popular. People come here and sit for a while to catch up on the events of the day or their favourite magazine. For example, people come here when they have to wait for their bus. The library is in the process of converting the entire collection to a bar coded system. This makes the place feel quite chaotic. Once the changes are made, all the books will be alphabetised and the entire library will run more efficiently. At the moment, the organisation is haphazard and quite amusing, especially when I find a Harry Potter book in the philosophy section!

Books for all In contrast to the private library, we also visited the Simakkal library: a public library where books are loaned for free. The collection is much bigger, but also more focused on non fiction. There are 14,480 members, but in reality, about 2000 regular users. Everyone can come in, take a book and sit and read for a while, but only members can borrow them for 14 days.

In vogue

P.Krishnaveni (53), who has 25 years of service as a librarian, tells us how the most loyal customers are home makers who want to relax in the evening after a hard day’s work. Students are

The government of Tamil Nadu also supports reading initiatives and invests in the festival. Ten percent of the fund for the library comes from tax payers, and the rest from the

Mrs.Krishnaveni explains how the number of readers keeps growing. It decreased for a while because of television and computer games, but now she feels the interest in reading is coming back. The library organises the annual book festival and it has become more successful each year.

Dr. Maheshwaran, a member of the Jonathan library, tells us that he encourages his daughter to read

government. Moreover they ensure that book collections remain updated, and they even have a statue of, Sarawathi, the goddess of arts and knowledge, in the library. Krishnaveni thinks this effort by the government is very important. She sees reading as a necessity. She tells us how she became a librarian and did a certificate course in Library science. She actually wanted to become a teacher in a government school, but at the time, only the librarian posts were available and so she became a librarian to support her family financially. Of course, her love for reading and books is obvious. Krishnaveni adds, “Everyone should read, it’s a must at every stage in your life. It’s like doing yoga, your mind relaxes. The same is with reading. You gain knowledge and you relax your body. “ Readers in Madurai don’t have to worry about finding good books to read. Madurai provides several libraries, both private and public, that are filled with high quality publications and people who actually care about them. With librarians like Usha and Krishnaveni, the joy of reading is likely to stay alive and be encouraged at every opportunity. Simakkal Public Library has a big room available for people to come and read. During the day, men use the space to read and catch up on the news

Madurai Messenger Trends May 2012

Pages of Technology What do you imagine when you dream of a library full of your favourite books? Is it a bookcase from floor to ceiling in your house? Or is it the convenience of a small portable lightweight computer? The world of publishing and reading is being revolutionised by the technology of the eReader. Tyler Karahalios seeks to find out how the eReader stacks up in India By Tyler Karahalios California, United States The e-reader is revolutionising the reading experience

lick. Click. Click. That’s all it takes to turn the pages of a book. Well, not quite to turn the page, but to electronically move on to the next page.

The world is being revolutionised by rapidly advancing technology. It is impacting on countless aspects of our lives all in the name of convenience. One of the latest crazes bombarding international markets is the eReader. It has taken our beloved art of reading and made it more convenient and accessible. This craze is reforming not only the way we read and the way we study, it is creating drastic and lasting changes in the world of books - in publishing, buying and selling.

Indian Ingenuity

Infibeam is trying to combat the issue of affordability by providing Gift Vouchers for the purchase of ebooks from the Infibeam website. Although eReaders can be expensive to buy initially, when one considers how much more affordable single

Another Indian company taking advantage of the opportunities surrounding the eReader is Madurai based Geethik Technologies who convert novels to electronic format. As a result of Madurai’s infamous power cuts, and to appeal to foreign clients, Geethik employees work tirelessly throughout the night converting novels to ebooks. While a portion of the employees work on typesetting, the majority work on the conversion. Mr. M. Karunakaran (27), eReader Conversion Team Leader, took me through this conversion process step by step. As I don’t understand computer jargon, Mr. C.M. Balasubramanian (28), Geethik assistant manager, translated for me. Firstly, every page of the physical books have to be scanned into the computer using a high resolution scanner. This is the lengthiest part of the process. The next step is to convert the document from Adobe PDF format to a Microsoft Word document using Abbyy FineReader software. Using various other software programs, the word document is transformed into hypertext mark-up language (html) format so that it can be processed online. Once online, the text is again converted, this time to Cascade Stale Source (CSS) format. This is the stage where the skills of Geethik employees are put to the test. To the untrained eye, it appears that just a few clicks adjusts the font type, font size, margins, text alignment and all other layout components. However, it takes an incredible depth of knowledge regarding online formatting to be able to do this. There are hundreds of codes that Geethik employees must be familiar with in order to make all the formatting changes that result in a flawless final product. Finally, the CSS format is converted to ePub format where it is now primed and ready for the eReader of your choice. There is one layout for the Amazon Kindle, another for the Apple iPad, and yet another for the Sony Reader. Geethik converts books for all of these eReaders.

As one of the world’s leaders in technology, it is no wonder that the eReader has also reached India, both in terms of product development and sales. Affordability, however, has so far prevented the eReader from developing a strong market presence. But as technology advances and popularity grows, the cost is likely to come down.

One corporation that is making major headway in the promotion and sales of eReaders in India is Infibeam. As the first company in India to create an eReader for Indians, Infibeam launched the Pi eReader in February 2010. Last year, they launched the Pi2 which features a touch screen, Wi-Fi, and supports twenty-one official Indian languages. Madhur Kishore, Assistant Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Infibeam, said that this feature was created in response to, “queries from customers who want to read their local literature on the go,” because “India is a land of diverse cultures and multiple languages.”

Convenience at a click

ebooks are in comparison to single books, especially with incentives such as Infibeam’s Gift Voucher, eReaders have the potential to become cheaper in the long term. Infibeam has also created an avenue for aspiring Indian authors to digitally publish their books on the Infibeam website called ‘InDigi.’ This platform, “avoids the hassles of publishing a book at an individual level by helping the author at all stages of self-publishing,” Madhur Kishore said. This concept has the capacity to challenge or change the process of publishing.

While the technological vernacular I just described makes it sound like an exhausting process, Mr. Karunakaran completes it with ease. After years of typing away, Mr. Karunakaran has become team leader of the eBook conversion process and knows the ins and outs of it like the back of his hand. In fact, all the members of the conversion team are so familiar with the process that they convert roughly 2,000 pages per day.

Kindling interests As a Kindle owner, I was surprised by just how advanced the technology is and how simple this process seemed. By no means would I be able to replicate the process, but under the careful watch of Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. Balasubramanian, the Geethik employees have mastered these skills that allow so many of us to read with ease and convenience on our various eReaders.

Mr. Balasubramanian, Geethik Technologies Assistant Manager, sharing his knowledge about e-readers

Volunteer Anne Punt from The Netherlands sitting in the shade using her eReader during her lunch break at the Journalism office

Madurai Messenger Trends May 2012

I enjoy the actual feeling of the book the paper pages, the smell, the weight.” Despite her preference for books, when asked if she reads more now that she owns an eReader, Anne responded with a resounding, “Yes, definitely. I used to own a library card, but you’re still time bound and the quality of books isn’t always that good, and buying books can be really expensive.” Her favorite perk of owning an eReader? “When I’m reading in bed I no longer have to switch sides when I change pages to make it easier to read!”

Mr. Karunakaran of Geethik Technologies guiding us through the conversion process The day shift team at Geethik Technologies

The Indian Paradox For Marco Duranti, the divide between the rich and the poor, and between beauty and ugliness, have spurred him on a quest to unravel the root of such paradoxes in India, and find out if they can be synthesised for the greater good By Marco Duranti Milan, Italy

eReaders are reaching people of all ages. Similar to Anne, twelve year old Mukundan Sundaram from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, prefers to read physical books, but says he loves his Barnes and Noble Nook eReader because it enables him to purchase books he otherwise wouldn’t be able to find in stores here in India. But for many Indian readers, the eBook is currently out of reach, mostly because of cost. Just how this trend changes in years to come is uncertain. But if the Indian uptake of the eReader is anything like that of other technologies such as the mobile phone, for example, India may well become a leader in not only product development, but also eReader use.

When asked how owning an eReader has changed the reading experience for him, Chennai resident Mohammed Waseem, proud owner of an Amazon Kindle Fire, enthusiastically replied, “It definitely rekindles the interest in reading. I, for one, had a waning interest in books. Now I feel like reading more. I have installed a lot of books by classic authors like Charles Dickens, John Milton, Jonathan Swift, and Shakespeare simply because I can get

these on my Kindle Fire for free!” “You can store so many books, make notes and highlights, search for meanings instantly, adjust font, font size, brightness, margins, etc. It all boils down to flexibility and making us lazier.” While Mohammed actually prefers reading books on his eReader, volunteer Anne Punt from the Netherlands said she, “prefer(s) an actual book because

From the way books are bought and sold, to the vast number of job opportunities, eReaders have undeniably had an effect on the world of books. Now, books can be obtained instantly from anywhere in the world with the touch of a button. Additionally, eReaders have provided authors with the ability to self-publish more easily and ultimately create more material for voracious readers to devour. But the most significant impact that eReaders have had must be the way they have changed the reading experience forever.

A common sight in rural India: Marco Duranti captures a farming scene from a car window

have been in India just for the last eight days, but I have already had the opportunity to witness how this country presents several contradictions.

asked me for money while I was walking in the streets. That fact made me reflect on prejudices that many Westerners have about developing countries.

The first striking contrast that I noticed was between wealth and poverty. Foreign tourists can meet wealthy people in restaurants, which are very cheap compared to European standards, but are accessible only to the Indian upper class. I have seen two different kinds of poverty, which I label as “nondecorous” and “decorous”.

The second kind of poverty, which I term “decorous” is that which applies to people living in the countryside, with whom a foreign tourist has actually little contact – he or she just sees them from the car window, and has the impression of seeing a world belonging to the past which he cannot communicate with. The view of villages, farmhouses, huts and dwellings poses a basic question: how should economic development interact with this ancestral way of living?

By non-decorous poverty I refer to people with no property, who struggle to survive. I expected to see many people in that condition in Delhi, but surprisingly no more than five beggars

Westerners may be fascinated by what they consider a bucolic picture of a quiet

society, far from the hustle and bustle of the modern capitalistic world; but the other side of the coin is poor access to health care, education and other facilities. The second contrast that I found particularly striking was between beauty and ugliness. On one hand, the monuments I visited showcased a degree of beauty, harmony and proportion that is very difficult to see elsewhere. On the other hand, the streets were covered with garbage and dust, and everything reeked of absolute negligence. One of the most difficult challenges in India will be to stop pollution and to develop an ecological conscience.

Madurai Messenger Art May 2012

Commentary on Life Combining humour, knowledge and art, cartoonists have a way of commenting on life that is quite unlike any other form of creative expression. Anne Punt learns about this profession through an interview with Guru Prasad, cartoonist for the Dinarmalar, the well-known Tamil daily

The Netherlands

But to become a cartoonist, you need the right mix of all of these skills. So, my personal opinion is that a cartoonist cannot be given training. Perhaps you can fine tune their skills if they already have a cartoonist inside them.

uru Prasad is the cartoonist for the Dinamalar, one of the leading Tamil newspapers in India. With ten years experience in drawing more than 3,000 cartoons and illustrating more than 15 books, I was curious to find out what it takes to be a cartoonist in India.

Is it difficult to be a cartoonist in India? When the British left India, our leaders, who had fought for independence, drew up a respectable constitution that would ensure freedom and equality for people who had been denied democratic liberty for centuries. Having drawn such a magnificent constitution, the leaders looked forward to a life of peace and prosperity.

Excerpts from the interview.

Was becoming a cartoonist a childhood dream? What did your parents say about your job choice? Nothing was planned. I don’t remember the exact date or month or year when the idea came into my mind. It was like falling in love – unplanned and unexpected. But when it happened, I knew this was it! As in any love marriage in India, first my parents objected to my decision, later they supported it.

If things had worked the way our founding fathers had hoped, the cartoonist would have become an extinct species long ago. But fortunately, both the rulers and the ruled unintentionally became champions of the cartoonist’s cause and ceaselessly provide grist to the mill. In today’s environment, a cartoonist - even one with limited talent could flourish effortlessly.

How long have you been creating cartoons / comics? From time immemorial! I remember drawing a cartoon of a Brahmin priest riding a bicycle with his angavastram and his tuft of hair swaying backwards in the direction of the wind. I drew this when I was three or four years old. Even though the cartoon was only slightly better than a scribble, all my relatives and neighbours appreciated it.

Is there a big audience for cartoons and comics in India? Yes!

Is your style of drawing different now than when you started? It’s just like our handwriting – when we were in kindergarten, our handwriting was messy scribbles. And just as it has improved, so too has my drawing. I keep on improving.

How did you get into the industry? I applied to Dinamalar with some sample cartoons along with my bio-data. Within a week, they called and gave me this job. It was a cakewalk! I’ve been with Dinamalar since 2002.

What training did you complete to become a cartoonist? Can a cartoonist be trained? I doubt it. To become a cartoonist, three ingredients are needed: general knowledge, drawing skills and a sense of humour. If a person has more general knowledge, he or she would preferably enter into government civil service or administrative service. If a person has more drawing skills, he or she will end up becoming an artist. If a person has more sense of humour, he or she will become a stand up comedian or a joker.

By Anne Punt

Guru Prasad marks Sachin Tendulkar’s much awaited hundredth international century

A cartoon drawn by Guru Prasad when the threat of swine flu was prevalent

Your cartoons are quite political. From what I’ve seen in Indian newspapers, the articles seem positive and criticism is rare. In the Netherlands, where I come from, political cartoons are quite cynical. Do you want to be critical? And if yes, do you find it difficult to do so? If not, how would you describe your cartoons? I have not seen any cartoon published in the Netherlands, so I can’t compare. India is the second most populated country in the world, and 10 percent of the population unemployed... How do you think they will while away the time? Only by criticising!!

When you are critical, is it always your own opinion? Or do you consider other people’s opinions as well? Cartoonists should reflect the society. That is the purpose of an editorial cartoon.

Do you have to follow the opinions and ideas of your editor? Or do you come up with the ideas for your cartoons yourself? Yes, I come up with my own ideas, but the decision to publish or not publish a cartoon lies with the editor.

Some people feel that comic books are just for children to enjoy in their free time. Do you consider comic books “real” books? Do you believe that they are just for children? If a person wants to be young at heart, he or she should become a child at heart. The only way to relive childhood is through reading comics! Who would refuse to relive childhood? I often wish I could go back to my childhood when I’m feeling stressed out or depressed. There’s not as much to worry about as a child. Someone else does all the worrying for you! When we were kids, all our problems could be fixed with a hug, a kiss and a Band-Aid! It’s just not that simple anymore.

What do you love most about your job? My flair is in drawing cartoons. I love this profession because cartoonists have a licence to criticise and ridicule!

Madurai Messenger Authors May 2012

Reflections of the Soul Paulo Coelho’s novels are universally popular. With a gift for story-telling, he transports readers into a world of spiritual awakening, life lessons and love. Katharina Irrgang shares her experiences reading his novels

Germany

I 26

Brazillian author and lyricist Paulo Coehlo has captured the hearts and minds of readers all over the world with his 30 international best sellers

Before beginning to write a new book Paulo Coelho must find a white feather. “If I see a white feather today that is a sign that God is giving me that I have to write a new book,” he once said.

Having never heard of the author, I just started reading with no expectations. The story is based on the experiences of a young Brazilian prostitute, Maria. It also narrates Maria’s journey to find what true love is by letting her own life guide her. To talk about the different sides of love is one of the main themes in Paulo Coelho’s books.

In my opinion, you can learn most from people who have a different way of looking at life. Paulo Coelho’s books appeal to me because of his ability to describe a different way of perceiving the world without making it difficult to relate to.

I had completely forgotten the time and my environment until my friends came out of the water an hour later because I was lost in my own Paulo Coelho world. My friend who owned the book didn’t have a chance to get the book back until I had finished reading it. Paulo Coelho, 65, is a Brazilian novelist and lyricist, and has written 30 books so far. His novels often have autobiographical elements or rooted in his life experiences, which I find appealing. At the age of 16, Coelho’s introversion and opposition to following a traditional path led his parents to admit him to a mental institution, from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20.

A few years later, he went travelling for two years as a hippie through South America, North Africa, Mexico and Europe. His parents were not thrilled about this because they wanted him to become an engineer like his father. However, Coelho, even from his childhood, had always wanted to become a writer.

A collection of Paulo Coehlo books. Some of his most popular titles include: The Pilgrimage, Eleven Minutes and The Alchemist

An important influence in Coelho’s life is religion A firm believer in angels and omens, it is logical that his books are always characterised by religious elements which can be very constructive especially for people who are not really religious.

By Katharina Irrgang

read my first Paulo Coelho book one year ago, and it immediately drew me into its spell. I was on the beach in Nice in France. I was bored because all my friends were in the sea but I was not in the mood to swim. Since I didn`t have anything to do, I picked up my friend’s book, Eleven Minutes (2003) by Paulo Coelho.

“If I see a white feather today that is a sign that God is giving me that I have to write a new book”

In 1986, Coelho walked the 500-plus mile Road of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, a turning point in his life. On the path, Coelho had a spiritual awakening which was the subject of his classic novel The Pilgrimage (1988). Whenever you read one of his stories you can guess if he is writing about a real experience, imagination or a mix of both.

Paulo Coelho’s The Winner Stands Alone (2008) was also an eye opener for me. The book is structured like a criminal novel, which is not the sort of book I usually like. However, reading it expanded my horizon. The story is set at the Cannes Film Festival in France where the beautiful, rich and powerful play in the spotlight. He shows what happens if you do not follow our own individual life-long dream, but instead run after false dreams. What I really like on this book is that most of the emotions of the protagonists are familiar and comprehensible and, up to a certain point, include even the actions of the murderer. Most of Paulo Coelho’s books are bestsellers. The Alchemist (1988) has gone on to become an international

27 bestseller and has been translated into more than 70 languages. According to AFP, it has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in publishing history. Coelho wrote The Alchemist in only two weeks in 1987. According to him, this enormous pace was possible because the story was “already written in soul.” The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago in his journey to Egypt after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. Paulo Coelho’s passion for story telling is evident in his ability to reach as many people as possible. To help achieve this, in January 2012, Coelho made his books available for free via The Pirate Bay website, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The website has actually increased the sales of his books. But the reason he uses this platform was not because he wanted to increase his sales. Rather it was an opportunity for people to take advantage of new technology to support and to spread good literature.

Writing is not the only means of fulfillment for this talented person. In 1996, Paulo Coelho and his wife Christina Oiticica founded the Paulo Coelho Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The institute provides aid and support to children and elderly people with financial problems. It aims to give more opportunities to the underprivileged members of the Brazilian society and support the translation of Brazilian literature into other languages. Writing about topics that affect everyone must be Paulo Coelho’s calling as a writer. As he says, “It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary.” Simple things like a good book can create incredible and touching moments. Reading a Paulo Coelho book can be very rewarding. You can always amplify this feeling when you select a nice place for reading, be it a sunny roof terrace, a cozy café… or perhaps a beach somewhere in France.

Madurai Messenger Book Reviews May 2012

Hinduism: A Way of Life Italian Marco Duranti, a post graduate in classical languages (Greek and Latin), discovers Hinduism through Am I a Hindu? This engaging book gives him insight into a whole new way of life and living embodied in the most ancient of all religions, whose central tenet is freedom and tolerance By Marco Duranti Milan, Italy

efore coming to India, I did not know very much about Hinduism. Am I a Hindu by Ed. Viswanathan provided me with a complete overview of this religion. The author proves to be informed and competent. Written in a question and answer format, the book captures the dialogue between a fourteenyear-old American-born Indian teenager and his father, which enables the reader to easily distinguish the salient points and issues. This interesting approach, and the simple and direct language, makes it an enjoyable read, despite being heavy in new terms and concepts. The opening question is the title of the book: “Am I a Hindu?” Thus, we understand from the beginning that this book contains a quest for cultural roots and identity by a second-generation immigrant teenager who is born into a different country and culture than his father. The problem that arises is that of the compatibility between Hinduism and modern Western society. He asks directly if Hinduism can stand grilling questions. The father’s answer to his son’s first question provides a definition of Hinduism: “We follow Hinduism, so we are called Hindu… Looking at it in one way, Hinduism is the relentless pursuit after truth. As such it is the religion forever. There is only one God and one truth… Looking at it in another way, Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life… Right now, Hinduism is more a culture than a religion.”

Title: Am I a Hindu? The Hinduism Primer Author: Ed. Viswanathan Publisher: Rupa Publications Year of Publishing: 1993

Hinduism is thus presented not as a religion with a fixed orthodoxy, but as an open cultural approach to reality. In the author’s view, this is the key to the compatibility of this religion with modern freedom of thought, as well as the reason Hinduism can face challenging questions. “Hinduism has no problem facing any type of question. It does not have to hide behind unpronounceable Sanskrit words or spiritual dogma. Instead, it absorbs new ideas like a sponge. Believe it or not, Hinduism recharges itself with modern thoughts.” The author repeatedly highlights that Hinduism has always been the most tolerant among the major religions. “Hinduism allowed and still allows the free flow of thoughts.” (Preface, p. III) This paved the way for the presence of free thinkers, who, in monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam, could have been burned alive. Hinduism even admitted materialistic thoughts like the Nastika philosophy, whose founder, Charvaka, “rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration.” (p. 63) Discovering that Hinduism encompassed contrasting ideas is very instructive for a European. Western readers are inclined to believe that freedom of thought and religion is a European and American achievement, ignoring that other cultures too could have developed this concept – even centuries before the West. Thus, this book proves to be a valid means to overcome some Western prejudices.

After the preliminary questions, the book ranges over all the aspects of Hinduism, beginning from its history: its birth, more than 3000 years ago, and its evolution. It introduces readers to Hindu literature, from the holy books to the epic poems, along with other cultural manifestations such as art, mathematics, music and dance. It highlights, one by one, the philosophical systems and the religious currents. It also provides the reader with an overview of practices such as meditation, occultism and yoga. Regarding the status of women, the author admits that they have a subordinate position to men in Hindu scriptures and society, but points out that the same is valid for other religions too, such as Christianity and Islam. On the other hand, the author claims that “right now in India, compared even to countries like the USA, women have better respect in social as well as professional lives. In India, women have equal wages with men in all types of professions.” (p. 235) Particularly interesting is the author’s explanation of Sati, the widows’ custom of killing themselves by jumping into the funeral pyre of their dead husbands, which was practised among the Rajputs of North-western India. He points out that this ritual has no scriptural backing, and he finds a social reason for it: since the Rajput were engaged in frequent wars against the Muslims, many warriors died in battle. The consequent high numbers of widows would have posed serious moral problem in a monogamist society, which, however, was brutally avoided through this practice. Mr. Viswanathan also addresses another controversial issue in Hindu society: castes and untouchability. The author clearly speaks out against this system. “It is the great curse on Hinduism… Untouchability stood against all Hindu ideals and principles. It only helped conversions from Hinduism to other religions.” (p. 250) It was interesting to discover that the caste system was first adopted in the third millennium, to distinguish between

the Aryan invaders and the primitive Dravidian inhabitants of India. Since the invaders had fairer complexions than the natives, the distinction was colour-based. As a matter of fact, the term Varna, which in Sanskrit stands for castes (this latter word comes from Portuguese) literally means “colour”: the fairer the skin colour was, the higher in social hierarchy the caste. One striking feature of this book is its effort to present Hinduism as a system of thought which can encompass other religious beliefs – lending to the idea that all religious systems are an equally valid means to reach God – as well as explain every single phenomenon of reality. Yet, there is at least one passage in which the author seems to apply this view improperly - when he tries to explain the reason that the Jews were persecuted by the Nazis. On the basis of the Karma law, he wonders: “Did they inherit a great mountain of Karmic debt by wilfully stating that the punishment or sin of crucifixion of Christ should fall on them and their children and grandchildren?” (p. 142) I am sure that Mr. Viswanathan is not aware of the implications of his statement. It is exactly the accusation of being the “people who killed God” that for many centuries was the pretext for countless acts of persecutions against Jews in Europe. It is thus better to refrain from presenting such a dangerous thesis. The Holocaust which took place during the Second World War is but the last of a series of episodes of persecution where the causes were religious. One more questionable point concerns the author’s presentation of Hinduism teachings as scientifically-based theories. For example, he sees an analogy between the ten Avatars of Lord Vishnu and the evolution stages described in Darwin’s theory. (p. 149) He considers the reincarnation doctrine as an “old-age scientific idea.” (p. 152) This may seem to the author coherent with the effort to reconcile Hinduism and modernity, but in fact it highlights confusion between the two spheres of science and religion. The scientific

method is based on the observation of a natural phenomenon, formulation of a hypothesis, which can then be converted in a scientific thesis only after several repeated experiments, the results, under the same conditions, must always be the same. Religious doctrines have nothing to do with the scientific method, as they were developed centuries before the scientific mentality emerged. Thus, their value for us lies in there being a collection of moral precepts and a way of interpreting the world beyond the simple description of natural elements. The scientific and the religious methods of exploring the world can coexist, provided that one does not invade the field of the other. Beside these main critical points, I could find another questionable statement, though of minor importance. On page 25, the author claims that the English words “father” and “mother” come from the Sanskrit words “pitha” and “matha.” No scholar would agree with such an assertion because modern linguistics proves that several languages of the world belong to the same linguistic family, called Indo-European. This explains the etymological similarities of Sanskrit with English, Iranian, Latin, Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, Greek and other languages. Despite these shortcomings, Mr. Viswanathan’s book remains a useful handbook for those who want to be introduced to one of the world’s most ancient religions. As a writer, his strength lies in making the region accessible even to non-Hindu readers using an inclusive approach which tries to integrate Hinduism with other religions and views of life. As the conclusion of the book states, it is up to the American-born teenager to continue with the way of Hinduism: “If you find a better way to answer all the problems, if you see science that can solve all riddles in life, you may dump Hinduism and all other religions.” (p. 321) A good lesson in tolerance and freedom.

Madurai Messenger Book Reviews May 2012

Thrirty Urmigar, Bombay native and author of The Space Between Us

A Love that Binds Us Tyler Karahalios reviews The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar, a novel that explores the relationship between two vastly different women living in Bombay. Prepare to be challenged and begin to relate to their hunger for love and understanding in an unforgiving world By Tyler Karahalios California, United States

We all hunger for connection. We hunger for relationships. Inherently, we all hunger for something even greater - we hunger for love. Thrity Umrigar, a Mumbai native, takes readers back to her home country in The Space Between Us, a gripping and heart wrenching novel that explores the tender yet fragile relationship between sixty-five year old slum dwelling maid, Bhima, and her upper class Parsi employer, Sera Dubash.

Bhima and Sera could not be from more diverse walks of life. In a conservative Indian society, and despite the status quo, the two women build an intimate relationship, connected through motherhood and womanhood. As they experience betrayal and the cruel whims of fate, their friendship satisfies a hunger for someone who understands them, for someone who is loyal to them, and for someone who loves them.

“Following Bhima through the bustling streets [of Bombay], readers are bombarded by the smells, sounds, sights, and characters Umrigar so masterfully brings to life”

When Bhima nurses Sera back to health after an exceptionally brutal beating from her husband, the two become close. Undeterred by ridicule and questions from her friends and family about her close relationship with Bhima, Sera supports Bhima in every way possible, even paying for her granddaughter‘s university fees. Both Bhima and Sera have suffered extraordinary pain and loss. Initially, Gopal, Bhima’s husband, was the most loving of husbands, making her the envy of all other women. However, after a horrible accident for which Bhima feels responsible, Gopal becomes depressed and despondent. In the ultimate act of spite, Gopal abandons Bhima, taking with him their only son, and leaving her alone to fend for herself and their daughter. Years later, in an unexpected twist of fate, Bhima’s daughter and son-in-law are suddenly struck dead by a silent killer, AIDS. In their wake, they orphaned a seven year old daughter, Maya, who Bhima is left to raise. Fate had also been cruel to Sera. While courting her, Feroz had been the kindest and most charismatic of gentlemen. Shortly after their wedding, Sera was subjected not only to the depravity of Feroz’s extremely conservative mother, but also to Feroz’s brutal beatings.

As readers become engrossed in the pasts of these two women, they cannot help but be captivated by the shocking events of the present. Maya excels in school and Bhima is thrilled by the bright opportunities looming in her future. But Bhima’s world comes crashing down when she learns that 17-year-old Maya is pregnant. The dreams Bhima once had for Maya evaporate right in front of her eyes and all she sees is Maya following in her own footsteps to become a civil servant, instead of breaking the chains of poverty as she seemed destined to do.

Readers grieve for Bhima as she painstakingly waits for the father of Maya’s child to assume his responsibility. However, as time passes and no one steps forward, Bhima is forced to make a devastating decision. This ultimately brings the novel to its pivotal point, testing the bonds of trust and friendship that have been so cautiously and thoughtfully constructed between Sera and Bhima. All of this is in stark contrast to the joyous pregnancy that Sera’s daughter, Dinaz, is experiencing. Every day, Bhima works in a home where a pregnancy is being celebrated. Every night, she returns to a home where a pregnancy is a curse.

Through the eyes of Bhima and Sera, Umrigar also guides readers through the city of Bombay. Following Bhima through the bustling streets, readers are bombarded by the smells, sounds, sights, and characters Umrigar so masterfully brings to life. Through Sera’s eyes, readers learn of the astounding contrast between the rich and the poor. While they share a close relationship, their lives could not be more different. Bhima wakes up before dawn to get clean water from the community tap. Sera complains whenever Bhima is late due to her poor health. Bhima is 65 and still doing manual labour as a civil servant. Sera has not worked since the day she was married. On the contrary, she has always had people like Bhima working for her to make her life easier. Bhima lives in a one-room hut in the slums. Sera lives in a lavishly decorated apartment. Bhima is forced to condemn her orphaned granddaughter’s pregnancy. Sera is able to rejoice in her daughter’s pregnancy. The relationship between mistress and servant and the gross class inequality in India, is a topic close to Umrigar’s

heart. As something which was present throughout her own childhood, she undertook the writing of The Space Between Us to give readers an insider’s perspective on life as a slum dweller dependent on the upper class for survival, as well as life as an affluent Indian who is dependent on the slum dwellers for their civil services. From segregation in the United States to apartheid in South Africa, examples of class inequality are rampant throughout history, making it a universal subject which all of us have witnessed in some way, if not experienced. If you read The Space Between Us, prepare to put your life on hold for a few days as you genuinely experience the seemingly insurmountable pain, but also the incredible joys, that make up the daily lives of Bhima and Sera. Warning: Expect to be challenged and to explore just what it is that you hunger for.

Madurai Messenger Book Reviews May 2012

Your Wish is my Command! Kim Clarys reviews the international best seller The Secret that talks about an age-old secret: we are co-creators of our lives and we participate in this joyful process by aligning our thoughts with the energy of the Universe. While impressed by this not so obvious spiritual truth, she also wonders if the author has treated a complex issue rather simplistically By Kim Clarys Belgium

Rhonda Byrne exaggerates the power of this ’secret’ that apparently has been known for centuries. Not only is she stating the obvious by putting forth the axiomatic truth that positive thought leads to positive outcomes, but she also promises the prospect of winning the lottery or even recovering from a terminal illness. Her most important message: “The Great Secret of Life is the law of attraction.” (P. 25)

I am certain that there are people who would be very impressed with the book. It appears as if everything is your own fault. If you got robbed, it’s your own responsibility because you were scared of being robbed. If your father died, it’s because you we’re afraid that it would happen and you didn’t wish hard enough for his recovery. It all also revolves around yourself. The ’secret’ is all about what you want. If you want it enough and imagine how it would be for yourself, then you’ll get it and then you’ll be happy, not even considering what would happen to other people. The book also leaves some questions unanswered. For example, what will happen if two people want very opposite things at the same time, or if two people want exactly the same things at the same time. In this way, Byrne forgets the bigger context.

The book drew considerable positive response from celebrities. Oprah Winfrey waxed lyrical about The Secret, which, of course, tremendously improved the sale of the book, and in a way, endorses the central tenet of the book. Oprah grew up in harsh circumstances, but still became a living example of the American dream. So, here is the deepest ’secret’ of the Universe: If you really want something, you think about it all the time and imagine how it would be if you had it, you will attract it and will have it. Your thoughts become things. (p. 25) Why? Because you send messages into the Universe, the Universe can hear you and apparently your wish is the Universe’s command. You’re a human transmission tower transmitting a frequency with your thoughts. And if you want to change anything in your life, change the frequency by changing your thoughts. (p. 25) But you have to be careful. if you think negative thoughts, the Universe will pick this up. You can’t think “I will never win the lottery” or “I will never be a good student” because then it will not happen. You can’t even be against war, you have to be pro – peace. In other words, the universe

But from what I understand, these weren’t the most joyful persons. Beethoven was a genius, but he was a very gloomy person who didn’t trust a soul. He had a rough childhood where his drunken father often got him out of bed, because he wanted to hear his son’s magnificent artistry on the piano. Some people are still surprised by the anger in Beethoven’s music. So even without positive thoughts he still was a tremendous pianist. Perhaps one can even say that Beethoven needed destructive thoughts to compose his music. Artists are often led by negativity and depression. Tremendous pieces of art, music and writing were created in a downwards spiral of dark thoughts. Churchill, not an artist but an intellectual, also suffered from deep depressions which came and went. He called them ‘black dogs’. Both Beethoven and Churchill were supposedly aware of the ’secret’, but both were so negative throughout their life and at the same time achieved so much. So, maybe the ’secret’ is not a must after all.

he Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a book not only with a good message, but also a lot of promises. It can open the eyes of people who are blind to the power of positive thinking, but if you’re already an adventurous, confident person who thinks positively, you won’t discover much new.

have bad thoughts? Can you even appreciate positive thinking if it’s the only thing you ever do? There were supposedly a lot of famous people who did incredible things and who were aware of the ’secret’, like Churchill and Beethoven.

There is of course nothing wrong with positive thinking. It will make you happier, but it doesn’t create miracles. I’m in India, because I really wanted to be here, but also because I coordinated with Projects Abroad, worked hard for a year to raise the money and bought my plane ticket. I didn’t get it by sitting on my couch, imagining how cool it would be to be in India and hoping that suddenly somebody would show up presenting me a ticket. responds to the undercurrents and underlying imolicigs beliefs and fears behind your thoughts. But don’t we need negative thoughts sometimes? How can you sense the difference between good and bad if you never

The book even recommends that you to not talk about your negative feelings. If you feel sick, don’t tell anyone because you will feel worse. If somebody else talks to you about his or her feelings, please blow them off because they will drag you into their bottomless pit of desperation. Do not listen

Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret

to society’s messages about diseases and ageing. Negative messages do not serve you. Human beings are not machines. We have negative thoughts and sometimes you just have to let it all out. You can’t act like everything is fine when somebody hurts you deeply, or when you’re burning with fever hoping that it will go away. Sometimes, you have to have a little breakdown. Talk, cry, even scream if you want to, so that you can feel relieved. We are humans and humans have limits. If we pile up our negative thoughts and try to ignore them (because that is what you are actually doing), we will eventually explode. The Secret brings out several complex feelings. Like India, you either love it or hate it. I still recommend this book because it presents a spiritual truth. Maybe it can even open your eyes and make you a more positive person. But if you think its all nonsense, the best it can provide you with is a good laugh. If it is true, you will have a great power in your hands. But I will never be able to tell you if it really works, because by writing this article I’m already sending the wrong messages into the Universe.

Madurai Messenger Village Voices May 2012

The Seaside Spell of Muttom This month, Village Voices features the sights, sounds, flavours and seascape of Muttom, a small scenic coastal fishing village in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. Edward Liptzin finds himself spellbound by this quaint place where the people are predominantly Christian and fishing is a way of life Text By Edward Liptzin, United States Photographs By Ingelise Jones, Australia

Fishing boats line the coast of the seaside village of Muttom in Tamil Nadu. The harbour, seen in the distance, will soon be complete

A curious Kabisa (2) ponders our presence as we interview her mother, Kavitha, about Muttom

”We even got a chance to sample some of the local fish for lunch in Muttom, and I can personally attest that it was excellent”

he waves crash lazily on the shore and the trees rustle in the distance. A gentle sea breeze takes the edge out of the sun’s rays and gives the air a slight taste of salt. All throughout the day, trucks drive from the town to the coast to deliver concrete tetrapods to aid in the construction of the harbour. A cathedral stands tall and proud at the waterfront and the old lighthouse can be made out at the top of a hillside. I breathe in, and then out. It’s as if the whole world has relaxed around me. Welcome to Muttom.

Place The scenic village of Muttom is quite a distance away from Madurai (approximately 265 kilometres), but makes an excellent stop if you happen to be in the area. Since our cover story took us all the way to Nagercoil in the south of Tamil Nadu, our only difficulty was making sure we ended up at the correct Muttom! With one Muttom in Tamil Nadu and the other 4 hours away in Kerala, “Things can get a little confusing,” as one local put

it. A population of 12,500 makes up 2,500 families, so the seaside town isn’t quite as small as some of the other farming communities further inland. It does, however, have a similar spirit to its smaller counterparts. Everything moves at a slow and relaxed pace, and everyone we spoke with was very friendly and open. What might surprise one about this seaside town are its multiple colleges and schools. With more than four colleges offering a variety of majors

and two official English schools, most children can get a good education without having to travel too far. There are also two schools managed by the local Catholic Church, and it’s estimated that more than 99 percent of the residents are Christian. If you do come to Muttom, make time to visit the beach where you’ll find beautiful rock formations, fun waves to splash around in, and pleasant huts to lounge underneath. For us, this experience was just the beginning.

Production and Labor As Muttom is right next to the ocean, it has quite a large fishing community. Every person we speak to in town was either related to a fisherman or caught

fish for a living. Fishing trips vary greatly in length, with some choosing to go out for the day, and others working on larger boats that go out for over a year at a time. Likewise, fishing boats go out both right in front of the village, and as far off as Saudi Arabia, as Kavitha (30) tells us. “My husband has been gone for nine months now,” she says, standing in the doorway with her son clinging to her leg. She put a hand on her pregnant belly and continued, “He fishes so far away because he can get more money to send home.” We even got a chance to sample some of the local fish for lunch in Muttom, and I can personally attest that it was excellent.

People We are lucky to catch some time with a few locals in the town, starting with an interesting man named Sundararaj (67). Well, he nearly drove past us on his motorcycle, but when we caught a glimpse of this guy, we knew we just had to speak with him. He was raised “around Monday Market,” which is also known as Thingalnagar. Sundararaj used to work in construction in and around Tamil Nadu, going as far as Chennai

for some jobs, but now buys and sells goods at the Monday Market. He’s been in Muttom for about ten years now and has four children, all boys. “I love my sons, but I am a little sad that I have no daughters,” he tells us as he gives a small smile and adjusts his glasses. We chat for a bit longer and grab a good picture before he revs up his motorcycle and speeds off into the distance. We then met a woman with some of the most extraordinary earrings I’ve seen in India. Her name is Elizabeth, which is not a name I ever expected to encounter here. She just so happens to be the oldest person in Muttom. She doesn’t know her exact age, telling us that, “It could be around seventy or eighty... probably eighty plus.” She moved to Muttom when she got married in her 20s, and has been here ever since. Her husband was an avid fisherman, who unfortunately passed away just last year. Elizabeth reflects, “He was fishing, even up to one week before he died.” Partway through our chat, a truck slowly and loudly drives right past us, making us all pause. Apparently,

Madurai Messenger Village Voices May 2012

For 40 years, this Catholic church has watched over the Muttom harbour and the fishing boats that come and go Sundararaj (67) gives us one last glance before firing up his motorcycle and speeding off to Muttom’s Monday Market

since construction of the harbour began three years ago, the constant truck driving has caused much damage to the structural integrity of homes on the road. “We all look forward to the harbour being finished later this year.” I nod in agreement. It was hard enough being an unemployed single woman with a physically disabled son to take care of – the last thing she needed was her home falling apart too. Finally, we follow a recommendation to seek out the head priest, Father Raj. Born in a small town about 20 kilometers away, he was appointed by the local bishop to come to Muttom about five years ago. One of his sisters is married to a man in the town, so he does have some family here, not that he minds living here. “I like it here, yes. It’s very nice,” he says speaking good English, which makes him the first person I can directly interact with in Muttom. He reflects on the recent increase in tourism and filming around the area, telling us, “They don’t really help the village. While they do come here, they don’t stay or spend money here.” He says, however, that business with the church is good. Father Raj has to be available for guidance on both personal and family issues at

The eldest person in Muttom, Elizabeth (80+), grins as she recalls her husband’s deep love of fishing

all times, and if he isn’t going to be around for a day or more, he explains that he, “needs to make sure to have a notice posted.” Nearly all of the people of Muttom come for mass, which is held once in the morning and again in the evening just so everyone gets a chance to come once. The 40 year-old church is big, but not big enough for 12,500 people.

Prospects and Promise Elizabeth told us that in all her years of living in the village, only one thing has really changed: the harbour. And, after talking with others in town, it is the only thing that causes any concerns for the future, positive and negative. “The waves have calmed down, it’s very, very useful for our jobs,” Ravi (28), a local fisherman, told us, “But it’s a private harbour, it’s not open yet.” He seems cautiously optimistic. He is happy with what the breakwater has done so far but unsure of what new rules could be put into effect when the harbor officially opens. If the full waterfront suddenly becomes restricted, it has the potential to seriously hurt the local families who live in the area who rely on simple access to the water to fish in. This would make life harder during the months when the Tamil

Ravi (28), a fisherman in Muttom, neither confirms nor denies that he and his fellow fisherman enjoy parties

Nadu and Kerala governments limit fishing for conservation purposes.

Pastimes With many of the men gone for long periods of time on fishing trips, many of the women have ample free time, they enjoy taking boats out into the ocean and swimming. When the men do get some downtime, however, either out at sea or back home, they like to spend it “playing cards... and dancing.” We ask if they have any parties, which was answer with a sudden roar of laughter and another question, wondering, “Why do you need to ask?” Our time in Muttom ends with a short trip to the beach to dip our feet in the cool water before starting the long journey back home to Madurai. Nearby, a group of friends and a dog splash in the waves, having fun without giving our group of foreigners a second glance. It sums up the full experience quite nicely: Muttom, the cool little fishing village that goes at its own pace and everyone there seems to have a good time.

Madurai Messenger Identity May 2012

Bold and Beautiful Indian women are renowned for their distinctive beauty… dark eyes, tanned skin, colourful saris and sparkling accessories. Bewitched by their magic, Ariane Lecuyer goes in search of beautiful women in Madurai to learn about their beauty secrets

Beauty No. 1 Name: Dhanalakshmi Age: 16 years old Profession: Student and flower seller during holidays Time spent accessorising: 30 minutes Beauty trademark: Bright yellow half-sari

What is your definition of beautiful? Everything which is bright is beautiful

Do you use any make up?

I like to use Fair and Lovely face cream but I don’t want to put too much make up on my face. I prefer to be natural.

What accessories are you wearing and why?

A green necklace and bangles. I am just wearing what is available in my house.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?

Text by Ariane Lecuyer, France

Aishwarya Rai

Photographs by Nicolas Brangi, France

Beauty No. 2 Name: Kanakavalli Age: 35 years old Profession: Flower seller Time spent accessorising: None Beauty trademark: Sweet smile

What is your definition of beautiful? Being beautiful is doing your job well. If you want to be beautiful inside, you just have to work well.

Do you use make up?

I’m coming here to make flowers, why should I wear powder etc!?!

What accessories are you wearing and why?

I don’t wear any accessories. I’m myself wherever I go and I don’t want to waste time in the morning by accessorising.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? Me! Because, as I said, I’m doing my job properly.

indies, gold necklaces, white powder, jasmine flowers… Every women has their own personal touches to reveal their beauty. Together with Katharina Irrgang and Nicolas Brangi, I took to the streets of Madurai, to interview women about their beauty and accessorising routines, and to find out what beauty means to them. We wanted to find women going about their daily life who radiated their own sense of beauty. We wanted to find ‘real’ beautiful women and prove that beauty isn’t just something found only on the pages of fashion magazines. South Indian women love to wear jasmine flowers in their hair, so we decided to visit the flower market in Mattuthavani, Madurai. It is a place where women from all classes come to sell or buy flowers for their hair or, for prayers or celebrations. On the way back from the flower market, our photographer Nicolas Brangi, had a bright idea to go to a beauty salon. Of course! Where else could we find women who spend lots

of time beautifying themselves! We went to Rachna’s and spoke to some of the beauticians who explained to us that women in Madurai are more traditional than in a big city like Chennai. If they decide to put make up on, it has to still look natural, even for special occasions. Some younger women are however, starting to get more daring by showing more original style. Our next stop was Vellamal College of Engineering and Technology to learn what the younger generation of Madurai thinks about beauty. We assumed that they would fuse traditional and Western styles in terms of fashion, but what about their perceptions of beauty? We were also curious to learn about what they think men find beautiful. Finally, we decided to look for beatuiful woman at Madurai’s newest shopping centre, Vishal. Shopping is, afterall, a universal love for most women!

Beauty No. 3 Name: Vani Age: 25 years old Profession: Jasmine flower seller Time spent accessorising: 2 minutes Beauty trademark: Jewellery

What is your definition of beautiful? I don’t really have any definition but, for example, my cousin’s daughter does all the work, for me this is beauty.

Are you wearing any make-up?

I never wear make up, just powder. That’s maybe the only thing I do every day.

What accessories are you wearing and why?

I don’t know, I don’t really think about it. (and yet she was wearing stunning earrings and fresh jasmine flowers in her hair).

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? I don’t have anybody in particular in mind.

Madurai Messenger Identity May 2012

Beauty No. 4

Beauty No. 7

Name: Balkis Age: 27 years old Profession: Hair stylist Time spent accessorising: No more than 10 minutes because she has to take care of her child Beauty Trademark: Sparkling eyes

Name: S. Buvana Age: 21years old Profession: Final year in Computer Engineering Time for accessorising: Only 2minutes Beauty trademark: Elegance

What is your definition of beautiful?

A clear mind and a clear heart is beauty for me.

One girl can have a beautiful smile, another could have beautiful skin and so on. Everybody has something beautiful.

Do you use make up?

I don’t want to use any make up. My skin was given to me by my father, so it’s pretty enough. I don’t want to hide it.

What accessories are you wearing and why?

I like to wear jasmine flowers in my hair every two days - every time I wash my hair.

What is your definition of beautiful? Is there anything you must do or wear before you leave the house? Everyday, I wake up 40 minutes early so I can workout on my exercise bike. I prefer to spend my time exercising rather than putting make up on.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?

All creatures are beautiful according to God. Without make up every one is beautiful.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?

What do you think men find beautiful?

My mum. Even if she has a very wheatish complexion, she is the most beautiful woman to me.

I think they like woman who take care of them – and who are nice and affectionate.

Beauty No. 5

Beauty No. 8

Name: Atifa Hilal Age: 21 years old Profession: Final year in Computer Engineering Time for accessorising: 10 minutes and always in a hurry Beauty trademark: Effortlessness – she is simple stunning as she stands before us

Name: Subathra Age: 26 years old Profession: Helping her husband in his business Time spent accessorising: Maybe 5 minutes Beauty Trademark: Natural beauty

What is your definition of beautiful?

If you keep your mind beautiful, if you keep you heart beautiful, automatically you will be beautiful.

Being yourself is beauty. If you feel that you are beautiful, you’re obviously going to become beautiful.

Is there anything you must do or wear before you leave the house?

What is your definition of beautiful? What accessories are you wearing and why?

I wear gold jewellery for tradition, and bindies for my religion. To show that I’m married, I also put red powder on my hair, wear toe rings and a gold necklace.

I have to put eyeliner everyday, that’s the only thing.

How do you normally do your hair and why?

Megan Fox, she is pretty hot.

I like to use coconut oil and henna. I never use shampoo, only henna. This is a traditional powder which has a medicinal effect. It makes my hair stronger and darker.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? What do think men find beautiful? That’s a difficult question. Different people have different features. Some will prefer eyes and some others, the smile etc. It depends.

Is there anything you must do or wear before you leave the house?

I need to put sacred ash (vibhuti) on my head, but I don’t use any make up or cream.

Beauty No. 6

Beauty No. 9

Name: Divya A Age: 21years old Profession: Final year in Computer Engineering Time spent accessorising: 5 -10 minutes Beauty trademark: Charming dimples

Name: Yamini Age: 26 years old Profession: Software Engineer at Bengaluru Time spent accessorising: 30 minutes Beauty Trademark: Excellent fashion sense

What is your definition of beautiful?

What accessories are you wearing and why?

Beauty is the inner divine feeling in each person.

I’m crazy about bangles! When I have to be traditional, I wear long earrings, a lot of bangles and bindies. But when it comes to Western style, I mostly small earrings and other small jewellery, but no bangles.

Is there anything you must do or wear before you leave the house? I need to plait my hair and I like to choose jewellery.

Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? My Mom, of course!

What do think men find beautiful? Every man has his own perception, but I think the most important is character.

How do you normally wear your hair and why?

Always free hair. I feel more comfortable like this just because I think I look better.

Do you wear any make up?

When it comes to parties, I do! But not on a daily basis. I use sun screen and kajal.

Who is the most beautiful woman of the world?

I like Aishwarya Rai but I’m not crazy about her… Maybe Anushka now…. But Aishwarya Rai is also really beautiful.

What do you think men find beautiful?

I think for men it’s completely about complexion. If your complexion is good, they will think you are beautiful.

Madurai Messenger Identity May 2012

Beauty No. 10

Compassion for Youth

Name: Nivedhitha Age: 25 years old Profession: Student, PHD in architecture Time for accessorizing: 15 minutes according to her (30 minutes according to her mother) Beauty Trademark: Smooth and shiny hair. (Unfortunately this woman would prefer to remain unidentified by photograph, but we assure you she was beautiful!)

Kourei Yoshibe reveals his compassion for the children of the world and says his concern for their welfare is one of the reasons he came to India

What accessories are you wearing and why?

By Kourei Yoshibe

I don’t like anything in particularly. I wear every kind of jewellery.

Japan

How do you normally do your hair and why?

I did a permanent straightening of my hair a few weeks ago because I like to wear my hair free and straight.

How important is your beauty for you?

I like to take care of myself. For example, I go two times a week to the beauty parlour for my eyebrows. To feel beautiful makes me happy.

Who is the most beautiful woman of the world?

I don’t know (She ignores her mother’s advice to say ”My Mom”)

Beauty No. 11 Name: Alice Sheeba Age: 31 years old Profession: home maker Time for accessorising: 20 minutes Beauty trademark: Fair and lovely skin

What accessories are you wearing and why? I usually wear gold. I also like imitation but my husband likes only gold.

How do you normally wear your hair and why?

I use shampoo but the water is so bad in Madurai that I really need to use oil. My husband is a doctor so, I use Indian medicinal oil.

What is your definition of beautiful?

Whenever the heart is happy, the mind is happy, and you will look beautiful.

What do you think men find beautiful?

Just some of the many children who Kourei Yoshibe has enjoyed meeting in Madurai

Quietness.

I The Beauty Myth During this quest for beautiful women, we became a little crazy from our constant looking and comparing of women on the street. It was sometimes embarrassing to realise that we were staring at women while they were shopping or working. Nevertheless, we will not forget all the wonderful and adorable women we met. Sometimes we could see the pride in the husband’s eyes when we said that we wanted to write about his wife for an article on beautiful women. Sometimes we could see shyness in the women’s eyes when we asked them “What do you think men find beautiful?” - A difficult question to answer in front of their family. Interestingly, of the women we spoke to, the more traditional women were more confident talking about beauty than the modern women. Several times we had to bargain with young girls who, at first glace seemed really confident with their image, but wouldn’t dare talk to us. Yet, after interviewing more than 30 women, we discovered such varying definitions of beauty and beauty habits. “Everything has its beauty,” said Andy Warhol. After spending three weeks focused on this subjective definition, we can say that every woman has something unique which is beautiful.

have come to India because I want to learn about Indian culture, people, customs and especially Indian children. At home in Japan, I am a member in the SCN (Save Children Network), a club at the University of SOKA. I recently did a presentation about Indian children who beg in the streets. I wanted to know why children beg. I believe that children are a treasure in the world and very important for the future.

But it’s hard to see it and realise that these children have no shelter, no food and no education. Madurai children are very high-spirited and brighter than anything else I have seen in Madurai. When I went to town, I saw lot of smiling young people. I think Madurai has many more smiles than in Tokyo and yet young people living in Madurai suffer more. Even their hopes are higher.

Madurai does not have a lot of child beggars, but I met a few near the Sri Meenakshi Amman Temple. There, I met a small boy who works in a traditional clothes shop. It was very impressive that he worked in a decorated building that is like a temple. He spoke good English and was calling out to all the travellers. He worked with his elder brother. I asked him, “Are you going to school?” He bluntly said, “No.” I then asked promptly, “Why not?” but he didn’t reply.

Japanese children have a lot of things such as television, video games, toys, animation cartoons, air conditioning, many retail stores and much more. But the Japanese forget what makes you truly happy. The Japanese believe that if you have many good things, you will feel content. It makes people happy temporarily, but it isn’t permanent. What makes you truly happy is to grow as a person and nurture your inner self.

That day, I saw working children, some physically challenged beggars, and homeless people. It is difficult for me to accept that there are children whose future is broken. I know that there are a lot of children who face poverty all over the world.

I believe that young people in Madurai have a strong desire to learn and grow. Some children have even asked me to teach them Japanese. I appreciate the kindness of Madurai people, especially the children and my host family.

Madurai Messenger Culture Kitchen May 2012

Palette Pleasers: S’More Please! By Tyler Karahalios and Edward Liptzin California, United States Tyler Karahalios couldn’t wait to taste her s’mores… she guarantees that once you try one, you will want some more!

This month, our two confident American volunteers prove that they can make vegetarian heart stoppers in India with little trouble. Ignoring our waistlines, we devour their rather scrumptious dishes and find ourselves wanting ‘s’more’

e Americans love our meat. Hot dogs, 16 ounce sirloin steaks, meat loaves, pork roasts, and fried chicken are devoured in outrageous quantities back home. So, when you throw two Americans into Indian society where little or no meat is consumed and ask them to whip up a traditional American dish without an oven, they have to get a little creative. After much consultation with other American volunteers, we decided that good old ‘mac ‘n’ cheese’ (macaroni and cheese) is a classic American dish and worthy of the ‘Culture Kitchen’. The challenge: we’ve only ever made mac ‘n’ cheese out of a box, complete with fake cheese powder. Our directions were to cook two dishes, so we also chose ‘s’mores’ which is a uniquely American dessert. I (Tyler) have a large family. I am the oldest of eleven

Eddy Liptzin and Tyler Karahalios work as an American team to deliver delicious mac ‘n’ cheese

cooking experience. After making this devastating decision, we purchased the plain macaroni noodles and left the store quickly before we had a chance to change our minds. cousins, all of whom are at least eight years younger than me. Whenever we get the whole family together at my house, it is absolute madness! After a few grueling hours of throwing the brood of young ones around in the pool, it is tradition for us to make s’mores. This is always my favorite part of the day – not only because I love s’mores, but also because it is great fun to watch all the kids make an ooey gooey mess! The only problem with s’mores is that after you eat that first one, you always want s’more! With my close ties to this delectable dessert, I decided it would be fun to introduce the Madurai Messenger team to this treat. For those of you who don’t know what a s’more is, it only has three ingredients – graham crackers (an American honey and cinnamon biscuit), marshmallows, and chocolate. Basically, it’s a biscuit sandwich with a filling of

melted marshmallow and a few squares of chocolate. Generally, you cook the marshmallow over a fire until it turns golden brown and is on the verge of melting. We are, however, in India and only have a gas stove at our disposal, so we must roast our marshmallows over the stove flame. As it turned out, deciding on the dishes was the easiest part! Finding the ingredients, however, proved to be quite the task! The first obstacle we were forced to overcome was one we never thought we would encounter: our temptation. You see, we found ‘it.’ We found the Holy Grail, the road to El Dorado, the fountain of youth. We found boxed mac ‘n’ cheese, just like we get at home. Despite our overwhelming desire to purchase it right then and there, we overcame the enticement, deciding that the volunteers deserved an authentic American

Our following stop did not end in tragedy. However, we did hit a few bumps along the road. We could only find two types of cheese in the supermarket: processed cheddar slices and plain cheese slices. As these were our only two options, it made the decision a little easier: cheddar cheese slices. Our next task was to track down “milk” chocolate. Here is where our two cultures collided. Unbeknownst to us, in India, “milk chocolate” is our equivalent of “white chocolate.” We kept asking for milk chocolate and they kept bringing white chocolate. After a few minutes of being lost in translation, we finally figured it out and were able to locate milk chocolate or “white and milk chocolate” as it is known here. While we miraculously found marshmallows (albeit flavoured), the last little problem we faced was the

acquisition of graham crackers. We knew that finding them would be a long shot, but what we didn’t know was that no one even knows what they are. Needless to say, we had to improvise. Instead, we purchased True Marie Biscuits, which proved to be an adequate substitute. Finally, we were ready. It was time to teach the volunteers a little something about American ingenuity in the kitchen. Our weapons: a two burner gas stove, some pots, a whisk, and our mental acuity. It was bound to be interesting. Things were going according to plan until the mystery lumps began appearing in our cheese sauce. To this day, we still don’t know what they were. We followed the recipe to the letter, yet when we mixed the milk and flour together, the flour started clumping. Perhaps we had burnt the flour, but that didn’t make any sense because the milk had just only started simmering. Even as we both took turns whisking furiously, the lumps just wouldn’t disappear. We turned up the heat and mixed in the cheese. The cheese slices posed a

Belgian volunteer Kim Clarys can attest to the addictive taste of s’mores!

slight challenge, so we tore it in small pieces and added it gradually, whisking continuously. After the cheese had all finally melted and our sauce was a perfect tint of yellow-orange, we mixed the sauce in with the pasta. Despite the lumps, our mac ‘n’ cheese turned out to be rather delicious. In fact, it was the first Culture Kitchen dish that has made volunteers go back for a second helping, and even a third! After our unexpected yet triumphant success with the mac ‘n’ cheese, it was time for dessert. Surprisingly, none of the other volunteers had ever tried s’mores and only one had ever heard of them. After a brief explanation on the art of making this messy treat, Kim Clarys from Belgium was the first volunteer daring enough to take on this daunting task. After the others saw her countenance change in delight upon her first bite, it was a fight to see who would get the skewer to cook the next marshmallow. True to its name, everyone wanted ‘some more’ after their first s’more. All in all, we think it’s safe to say that the Americans put on the best Culture Kitchen to date.

Madurai Messenger Culture Kitchen May 2012

Bowled Over by the Indian Experience Despite the intense heat and dust of a tropical country and its chaotic traffic, James Chapman is charmed by the mellow warmth, kindness and friendliness of the people of India By James Chapman England

Eddy Liptzin whisks the cheese sauce for the infamous all American dish, mac ‘n’ cheese

Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Tyler Karahalios, the proud American, expertly serves mac ‘n’ cheese for the volunteers

S’mores

For four people Ingredients: 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles (2 cups) 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk 3 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese Method: 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar and Parmesan until the cheese is melted. 3. Drain the pasta and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Ingredients: Graham Crackers (Or any sweet biscuit, preferably honey flavoured. In India, True Marie biscuits work well) Marshmallows (one for every two biscuits) Hershey’s Chocolate Bars (or any milk chocolate squares) Method: 1. Break the graham cracker in half (or take two substitute biscuits). Put a piece (or a few pieces) of the chocolate bar on this half of the graham cracker. 2. Put marshmallow on some sort of skewer (e.g. metal hanger, stick, etc.). 3. Heat marshmallow over open flame until golden brown (or as dark as desired – but try not to let it catch on fire) 4. Put the mushy melting marshmallow on top of the chocolate. 5. Now, put the other half of the graham cracker (or another biscuit) on top to create an ooey gooey sandwich.

A street scene in Madurai, the kind of scene that bowled James Chapman over

eing a new traveller and first time flyer is a big step for anyone. But coming from a country such as England, which is renowned for its civilised ways and high tempo lifestyle, and entering a developing country such as India is something of a culture shock. Looking at Chennai from above just before landing, the ground looked full of life. This large city with big ideas and a blazing sun makes you feel like you’ve entered into another universe. No matter how many times you practice it over in your head, you can never prepare for the full impact of the tropical heat. Coming from England where the average temperature for March is a nicely chilled 13 °C, you do

get a sense that people who live in such warm conditions do very well to even stay awake for most of the day. On my way to my host family’s residence after arriving at Madurai airport, I saw a family transporting and caring for two baby elephants. This was a moment I will never forget because in my eyes, it sums up the friendly open nature of Indian people. The city of Madurai is beaming with life day and night. What I have seen in my short time here has already blown my mind. For me, the traffic is outrageous. So many motorcyclists riding around without helmets is alien to me and seems so wrong. But at the same time, the scenery is incredible.

As I sit here writing this, I can see through the corner of my left eye, part of the most beautiful cliff I have ever seen. Normally in England, you would expect to find such mountainous terrain next to a beach, so it was unusual to see it here far away from the sea. This image will stay in my mind for a long, long time after I go home. For anyone, this is an experience that can only be labelled as amazing. Having been here for only two days so far makes writing this little piece all the more of pleasurable. It’s safe to say that I have fully fallen for the Indian experience.

Madurai Messenger Film May 2012

Moved by Magic Moved by a story of true love and stunning animation, Kourei Yoshibe reviews Howl’s Moving Castle. Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones and directed by Miyazaki Hayao, this beautiful animation film is popular with audiences young and old. If you’ve not yet experienced the magic, we suggest you do! By Kourei Yoshibe Japan

Film: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) Director: Hayao Miyazaki Language: Japanese and English

ave you ever fallen in love? Howl’s Moving Castle makes you feel love and helps you realise what “true love” is. Howl’s Moving Castle, the highest grossing Japanese film of all time, was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and features extraordinary animation from Studio Ghibli. Originally released in Japan in 2004, the film was later dubbed in English through Walt Disney in 2005. The movie received international acclaim and a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 2006 Academy Awards. Based on a fantasy novel by British writer Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle invites the viewer into a world of magic, set during a time of war. The story lends itself well to Miyazaki’s style. His films often feature strong young women as the lead characters, and explore the way humans interact with technology and nature. What unfolds is an adventure full of danger, excitement and enchanting characters. Sophie, an 18-year-old hat maker, works in her late father’s hat shop. One

day, she meets a wizard named Howl. Unhappy about their meeting, an evil Witch of the Waste places a curse on Sophie, transforming her into a 90-yearold woman. Unable to speak of the curse and horrified by her appearance, Sophie goes walking out into the hills in search of a cure. Seeking shelter from the cold, she comes across a magic moving castle. When she enters, she meets Calcifer, a friendly fire demon who is under a curse preventing him from leaving the castle. Making a deal with the demon, Sophie agrees to clean the castle so that they can help each other find a way to break the spells. The castle turns out to be owned by the mysterious Howl. Unaware of her true identity, Howl welcomes Sophie into his home. At first, Sophie finds Howl self-absorbed, but gradually, she opens her mind and heart to him. The mysterious Howl assumes various identities and his castle is a portal into different worlds and dimensions. Guarding the portal

is Howl’s student Markl, who Sophie quickly befriends. As the war worsens, they must face the King’s sorcerer, Suliman, who tries to entrap Howl. Howl soon discovers that the old woman is actually Sophie, and they realise their love for each other. In the form of a bird, Howl is a fighting force in the war, but it is a transformation that threatens his human form. Sophie and Howl must find a way to end the war, break the spells and be together. In Howl’s Moving Castle, Miyazaki introduces the ugliness and misery of war and also focuses on the love between Howl and Sophie. Through the central characters, we learn the way in which true love can help people to not give up, even in the face of conflict and tragedy. In my opinion, it is the imaginative animation and beautiful story that makes this film so popular. Prepare to be entertained and enchanted by this magical film. Prepare to feel the love.