The crow and the fox - moral of the story!

I guess this is a typical Indian story. I was telling my son the story of a crow that was cheated by a fox. It goes like this. There was this crow that flicks a vadai, a south indian delicacy, from an old lady. With the boot in it's mouth the crow settles on a tree. Just then comes a fox. You are so beautiful, can you sing a song for me, saysthe fox. The stupid crow opens its mouth and there goes the vadai right into the mouth of the fox. The disappointed crow was back another day, this time with a boot from the old lady, again. Not to miss a chance the fox shows up under the tree. You are so beautiful, can you sing a song for me, says the fox. Isn't the crow experiencednow? Still not able to resist the flattery, the crow secures the vadai in it's claws and sings what it things is the best song. The fox is not to be out-smarted yet, the fox said 'Man! thats awesome! why dont you spice it up with a dance? That is one heck of a compliment to resist and the crow obliges. The happy fox runs with the vadai in itsmouth. So the story goes several rounds until the crow reaches nirvana!

What's the moral of the story? There are some families that shut their doors tight before the meal. Dont let strangers watch you eat! They have learnt a lesson or two haven't they? ;-)

To Montessori or not to Montessori!

When you are a parent of two and half year old and live in Chennai, then hop in! It is going to be one hell of a rocky ride finding the 'best school' for our kids. Only a week ago, I was woken up violently by my anxious wife to go stand in the Q at 5 in the morning. To what? Just to buy the application form for the pre kinder garten. It is one of the popular schools in Chennai, no doubt! However, from what I gather, they follow the traditional Indian teaching methods. Im confused. Having exposed to the Montessori methods of teaching through my wife, I have become a big fan of Montessori. Should I go ahead with this school or look for a montessori school? Again, the dilemma iswhat next? In Chennai, the options are very restricted when it comes to Montessori. First of all there are not many good schools in my neighbourhood that can call themselves truly Montessori. Secondly, there are not many senior Montessori schools in Chennai. What to do after 5 or 6 years in Montessori? I have to send my kid to a traditional school and I will have to go through the same painful search, which I may as well do now itself! Grief!

Ancient India

Cyclone Nisha kept me indoor and I have started reading Ancient India by RS Sharma, translated into Tamil by Magini. It is an interesting reading and it re-emphasizes India's rich cultural heritage. It is a crisp recap of what we already know as a general knowledge through our school text books and a lot of little-known but important events andthe lives of the ancient Indian subcontinent. I have not finished reading, though. However, when I browsed through the chapters, I was disappointed to note that only one chapter was marked for the South Indian history. Just as with many North Indian historians, the Indian history is hardly anything more than that of Hindustan. The importanceof Decan plateau is usually overlooked. It does not do justice to the history of 'Ancient India'. Is there any good book on the ancient history of the south?