The chaotic Kerala secondary education - Continuous evaluation

Higher secondary results are out yesterday and I got  a chance to look at some of the results of my nieces and nephews. I have been an observer of Kerala education reforms that have taken place while I started my career in Kerala public education starting from DPEP to the establishment of higher secondary classes in schools. Overall, the goal of the State to revamp the curriculum and educational practices are good, but the surrounding confusion and lack of clarity in implementing their goals have made the department a target of jokes from the beginning. The faults and errors in executing them often causes public anxiety and uninformed people mistake the implementation errors to failure of the program. Recently, the 10th grade result that came out in record time just a couple of weeks after the exam, was full of errors. One of the mistakes was students getting passing grade when they didn't write the exam. Another issue that got magnified was grade inflation. If the general conscience  is that  public education is going down the drain, we can’t blame them. There are enough proofs around us that make us think that is the case.

As I was going through the results, It came to my attention that most all students got full marks for continuous evaluation(CE) which is part of the overall grade and that doesn’t correlate with their actual grades they are receiving on their final exams. If the continuous evaluation measures the progress of the students and if the teachers measure it to a perfect grade, then shouldn’t you expect that particular student to fair well on the final examination as well? Continues evaluation is not meant to give some freebies for the students so school can boast of a better result. What good is it going to do to students if teachers are not keeping them accountable? What use it is to have a grade when it doesn’t reflect on what your true abilities are?

What is continues evaluation

Continuous evaluation is the process of examining the students over a period of time. There are many pros using this type of evaluation to assess student achievement as opposed to one final examination. Some of them can be summarized as follows.

• It helps teachers get feedback on how well the students are learning and modify their instructional practices or perhaps through remedial teaching, can reinforce the concepts that were challenging to students.
• It helps students know whether they comprehend the materials being taught and adjust their study habits and seek help when needed.
• If students are evaluated continuously by various means such as homework, classwork and projects by establishing deadlines, students develop good work ethic and study habits which are more useful in the real world than any subject they study in a classroom.
• Continuous evaluation is also a comprehensive measure of what the student learned in that year. The more diverse assessment tools a teacher uses, the more diverse learners can be accommodated.

By not doing what it is supposed to do, this component of their grade, CE- continues evaluation - is hurting students in the long run than helping them.  Teachers should have proper training on how to continually assess students. More assessments means more work for teachers, but teachers should be willing to take it as part of their professional responsibility and systematically grade the assessments and record it. By the end of the year they can award the average of these assessments as the grade for CE. There can be a school wide policy or a statewide policy on how to categorize and weigh different assessments with rooms for creativity for teachers to experiment their own methods and intuitions that can fit in a classroom. These are the decisions that should be made at the state level.

Few challenges that I foresee

• Push back from teachers and administrators

Well, I am an educator, so I don’t mean disrespect to anyone. But continuous evaluation is a lot of responsibility on teachers which calls for lot of work and dedication. Teachers need to be on top of things like making up new assessments, designing projects, continuously researching and updating their knowledge and skills, grading the assessments and finally record keeping. There will be teachers who are used to not having such responsibilities and may push back. There will be administrators who want to have that free marks given to students so as to have a better school wide results. Proper training should remedy this and when teachers are equipped with the resources, they may be more willing to take up the challenge.

• Not enough resources for teachers

While Kerala is pretty connected by internet, there are number of schools without  computers or teachers who are not computer literates. Again, training the teachers and equipping them with the latest technology is the solution. At least in higher secondary level, this should be doable very cost effectively. Once they are connected, they can share their ideas with other teachers from the district who teach the same subject and support each other.

• lack of effective training

There are a lot of money and time spent on training. Teachers should utilize it effectively and people who are conducting the training need to be aware of the pitfalls of the system so they can remedy it through the training. Without any additional money spent, Training can be more effective if there is clarity as to what needs to change.

• Lack of foresight and supervision from hierarchy

There should be accountability on part of teachers and the school when it comes to awarding the students these grades. A student getting 20/20 in CE and getting 10/80 on the final exam definitely send a message that something is gone terribly wrong. Such cases needs to be identified and proper consequences for the school and the teacher should be established. It doesn’t require a lot of resources to do it. One look at the mark list of students are very revealing. District educational officers should be supervising these disparities and take the measure against the teacher and school as and when needed.

Teachers are professionals who need to act within a certain ethics. The type of education Kerala Education Department envisions also demand a set of dedicated teachers who will abide by the professional ethics and honor code and help students develop  their full potential. It is not easy to educate a population. Teachers have a huge responsibility which doesn't end when the students pass the class with an A plus. It is for the teachers along side the parents to instill virtues and values in a child and help build their character. Today's students are tomorrow's workforce. They will be the one who is treating us, building bridges, making things we use and educate the next generation. If we fail to bring up a strong generation, we fail ourselves. Helping these children grow up to be a responsible adult is the best we can do to make sure we have a better tomorrow.

Feeling trapped

Feeling trapped....

..is when you want to do some thing and you hold back because you have a higher goal to reach, but the frustration of not doing what you want now kills you inside

..is when you know you have a way out but you don't have yet found out

..is when you know the situation is unfair but the whole world is moving ahead without a care, the only choice left to you is to march along.

..is when you see wrong and fail to gather enough courage to stand up for it.

..is when you see things coming your way and yet you get drenched in it

..is when you see yourself in the middle of an ocean all alone and not knowing which direction to swim to get to the shore

..is when you are lively in mind and body, every inch of it, and everything else around you drains the life out of you.

..is when you know your choices are limited and either of the choices bring you to the same destination.

people who feel trapped must swim their way in search of a shore, they may or may not reach the other end. But the decision to swim is the most important one, for if you don't there is no hope left to live.

there is a vagueness about life that makes it so intriguing, we never know what is in store for us tomorrow, this unpredictability is what makes it worth living.

Teaching teenagers about substance abuse.

Teaching young adults about substance abuse is a tight rope walk- Give a long list of advice and they are sure to shrug it off. An autobiographical account from someone who experienced it first hand may feel like a looser to them. But if the speaker can make them see the destruction that can come ones way when people get addicted, they may listen and perhaps buy into it. This is what happened when Mr. Chris Harran, the founder of “project purple” talked to my high school students today- students listened attentively to what Chris had to say. The message was powerful and intense. He was able to make them think and look around for examples among themselves and by the end of his session, perhaps make a resolution in their mind to look after each other and talk to people when in trouble.

Here is a man who could have become a star NBA player, lost his career even before he began. Chris was one of the top and upcoming basketball player in in the country during his high school career and was highly sought after by colleges. Aspiring to stay local, he ended up at Boston college where he was expelled as he could not pass the drug test three times in the firs three months of the college. Peer pressure has pushed him to a drug addict by then. However, He was given a second chance at Fresno state college where he played for the college team. At the end of his senior year, He was drafted by NBA and was playing for teams like Denver Nuggets and Celtics. By that time, his addiction was his enemy. He was released by the Celtics due to couple of pending cases on drug usage. Eventually his fate became that of an addict loosing everything and shuttling between rehabilitation and short periods of work.

In his speech, he mentioned how he was dragged into this addiction and his long battles to come out of it. He urged the students to reflect on what it is that they think they don't have it that make them go to these parties on Friday nights and drink. Here is a man, so close to every basketball players dream and lost everything as he could not come out of addiction. Chris also eloquently talked about what starts as a peer pressure can lead to something that take over one's life. He challenged every students to help the friend who is in this situation. Peer pressure can be used positively to support each other- which is what project purple aims to do- To build a support net work for students.

He also talked about life of an addict and the hurt he inflicts to the people who love him. Such emotional stories can convey things we otherwise can not make the students understand. There are students who come from such back grounds and yet strive to be the best they can be every single day. Yet at times they get treated harshly by their schoolmates and get bullied. Stories such as this help other kids who act rudely understand that not everyone has the same background and each one fight their own battles.

Every man has a mission in life to fulfill, for Chris, it is to help and bring changes to students life across the country. Had he become a successful basketball player, he would not be able to have an impact on others as much as he has right now. His program has been helping teenagers around the country to deal with addiction and rehabilitation. I was also impressed by how Chris turned around his fate and made a mission for life. Everyone makes mistakes. When you shield kids from making mistakes, they become less and less resilient. The one thing that goes wrong, they tend to give up. His story was also an illustration that making a mistake is not the end of life, another shot in life is still possible in every stage! You just have to seek it out!

As I was listening to him, I thought a similar session for parents would be a great idea too. When kids come home drunk, parents should be ready to handle it effectively without panicking. According to Chris, instead of asking who you were with or who forced you to drink, why you drank would be a better question. This would put the spot light directly on the person and he probably can identify what it is that he thought he needed to drink that day for. He also urged the students to talk to parents or adults if they are in trouble. That open communication is something that parents can encourage in their children. Children should not be afraid to come and tell the parents that they have made a mistake.

Couple of my students broke in tears as the session progressed. At the end they hugged and supported students who come from challenging families. As I observed their interactions with each other after this session, I thought to myself that most people are inherently good. They learn mechanisms to defense themselves from their environment. When you give them a nurturing environment, a positive person emerge. They have in them the feeling of sympathy for their fellow beings. We only have to show them how to express it. The younger they are when learning it, the better. And together they can support and look after each other.

Here is a link to Chris Harren's TED Talk at U Mass Amherst.

Chris Harren's TED Talk

A taboo- to work while studying

Recently two articles caught my attention in face book; there was a striking similarity between the two.

One story is that of a girl, Rishu Mittal, current Hariyana State boxing champion, who works as a maid to support her education. Her parents are deceased, she is staying with her only brother and to make ends meet this brave girl works as a maid while keeping up with her studies and going to practice every single night. Such an inspiring story of determination and will power! Every Indian student must read the story of Ms. Mittal. What bothered me is that this news had brought attention to the plight of this girl in a bad light. Instead of congratulating this girl and her strength of character to fight against all odds, people who commented made certain things obvious- first, maids are meant to be uneducated people. Second, if someone has to work to study, that is a shame. This closes the possibility for poor girls who may look at Ms. Mittal and take up life just like her. Why is her story a shame to India? If at all, isn't it one of bravery and determination?

Second story came in around the same time. Arun, an Engineering student in Thiruvananthapuram sells peanuts for making extra money to support his family and continuing his education. People are raged that some one has to work to get an education- and selling peanut by an engineering student? Unthinkable for the general public. We have a long history of treating some of the jobs beneath our dignity. When you go to college, certain jobs are not meant for you. Again the comments on this face book post appalled me! Next time if someone has work to support their education,  they are forever shamed from taking up a route of selling peanuts or any other stuff for that matter.

What is wrong in selling peanuts to make money to go to college? Why are people thinking he needs to be saved? From what? Why do we have this entitled mentality that Government has to provide everything- all you have to do is just show up in a classroom ready to learn, after you graduate, it is someone else responsibility to get you a job, if you need money to study- someone else have to provide you. I am sure Arun and Rishu are not alone in this plight. A lot of students work and study at the same time. We must be encouraging students to do that instead of criticizing someone.

I teach in a high school for last ten years or so in United States. It is not unusual for me to walk into a grocery store and see one of my eleventh graders working at cash register, or order pizza and one of my students will show up at the door! Malden, where I work is not an affluent town. More than half of my students work after age sixteen. Some of them work because they want to buy the latest of every thing, but a majority of my students work for saving money for college. And a good number of my students work for supporting the family with an additional income.

My students juggle a demanding course load, play two or three sports in school team and then have a part time job during the weekend. They enter high school in ninth grade, not sure of themselves and directionless. But by the time they start working, I see a more serious, focused students who are responsible and prioritize their time wisely. When they start working, they become better students. Work, doesn't matter what, teaches responsibility and real life skills. Interactions at work will help them have a different perspective on life while also learning skills that are not taught in schools. 

My own son started working in the summer of his senior year in high school. He continued working in college. During the last two years, he has worked many jobs, until this semester he found his niche as a teacher assistant. Even though both his parents work, the college he choose to attend is very expensive and he needs to work to support his education. While he is busy all day long, the work help him grounded. He is serious with how he spends his money and time for he knows how hard it is to earn money. He has learned the value of time. Thousands of miles away, his parents can stay home peacefully knowing that he knows his priorities. Work teach kids things we can't teach them otherwise.

One of my friend's son worked in a Subway, a restaurant chain, during his senior year in high school. While it was not necessary for him to take up that job for monetary reasons, he took it for the experience. He describes learning how to wrap the sandwich- “Sometimes you have to do things your own way. It may seem to be a little unorthodox but it might just pay off. Soon the regular customers were calling me Origami, too. I became “known” for my creative (yet secure) wrapping. Failure’s usually temporary, and only permanent if we let it be. More often than not it leads to creativity because we have to embrace what went wrong and decide how to improve.” A job in Subway can teach life lessons!

A lot of young people in India wait for their education to be over to get started with their life. They aimlessly wander around spending the hard earned money of their parents and get into problems mainly because they have nothing better to do. It is high time we start encouraging people like Arun who sell peanuts to support his education do what he is capable of doing without actually causing him embarrassment and Rishu who washes dishes to support herself continue doing that without feeling any shame. The rest of us who jump into the bandwagon to cry out loud for the state of these kids can probably help schools and other educational institutions to come up with scholarships to support people in need. When students apply for scholarships and earn it with certain conditions- either academic or sports related- it is not an entitlement, it is a merit. Such students will do better in their life.  

CATCH THEM YOUNG- A way to nation building

Recently, I watched the interview of Sir. P Vijayan IPS in a popular Malayalam TV program- recommended to me by one of my Nieces. Living away from Kerala, I am not in touch with the day to day happenings in the state, even after the frequent visit to manoramaonline or other popular news portals, I miss out the major chunk of news very often. The news of IBN – CNN person of the year, hadn't caught my attention until I saw this interview. Awards bring a visibility to the humanitarian efforts, giving the programs further momentum to move forward. Here is a police officer redefining the role of police in our society- effective policing according to him is not only keep the law and order in a state, but to also prevent the crime. The best way to prevent crime is to eliminate it. And that according to him is to work with young generation to make them respect and abide the law, help them realize their potential and channelize their energy. Each of the sixteen programs he started is one step closer to achieving this goal.

One of his major initiative is Student Police Cadet- an avenue where police officers work closely with students in their neighborhood. The project is a "school based youth development initiative that trains high school students to evolve as future leaders of a democratic society by inculcating within them respect for the law, discipline, civic sense, empathy for vulnerable sections of society and resistance to social evils." One of its indented benefits is the holistic development of the child- a child who will grow to lead with empathy towards fellow human beings and become a contributing member of the society. Another one is that, it helps the people see police officers in a different perspective- one that is involved in a constructive and positive relationship with the society, as a group of professionals trying to better the life of people. There are mutual benefits from this interactions. What began as a small initiative that is pilot tested in a couple of schools in 2006 has now developed into a program that involves 32,000 student police cadets spanning schools across Kerala. It is about to expand to other states in India and also to be adopted by other countries. What a noble idea to make a difference in the life of young people. I can see the student cadets as confident young leaders of tomorrow ready to tackle the future of our country.

Nanma was started by Mr. Vijayan when he was working as city commissioner of police in Cochin. He states in the interview that this project was inspired by an old mother and her adult special need son who were starving for days when he met them. On their first effort to help eradicate poverty, he collaborated with people from different walks of life and together they were able to transform a slum near Cochin by helping the kids with their education, ladies with some life skills, and by taking actions against criminals. They cleaned up the place, children focused on studies and many has been admitted to various professional courses. What is notable in this situation is that, he has recognized that a person alone can not make much of a difference- it should be a collective work of many people – his job was to connect people who are willing to help with people who needs help. Like this projects name- there are a lot of people full of “goodness(nanma)” in this world. The ones who contributed to this project strengthen our belief in humanity. This project also has expanded and successfully implemented across Kerala.

"Our Responsibility to Children" took shape while Mr Vijayan worked as a commissioner of police at Calicut. He was responding to the issue of rehabilitation of vulnerable youth who are caught in petty police cases. He realized that Sending them to Jail is a sure way of making them a hard core criminals, where as correcting them and guiding them is giving them a second chance. People turn to criminal activities mostly due to their circumstance. Through mentoring and guidance and by collaborating with social activists, educationists and police officers, Mr. Vijayan and his team were able to bring back a group of young children from the criminal world and rehabilitate them successfully. And then this program expanded to the neighboring districts and now the social justice department took it up and implemented it in every districts with a goal of “detecting socially deviant behavior in youngsters, including criminal offenses and illicit use of drugs among adolescents and to take corrective measures, evaluate and socially rehabilitate young offenders and  Creating a safety net for insulating children from criminal gangs"

Mr. Vijayan's initiatives mostly focus on children and their well being as that he believes is the best way to make a difference and help build a strong democratic nation. He has initiated about sixteen such programs as of now. Each of his programs are a response to solve a challenge that he encountered during his work. A true visionary, he realizes how to tap the potential of young children and uses it to bring the best in them. He credits it to his love for his own children. It might also have come from his own experiences as young child dealing with the adult world. He had entered into labor force much younger, leaving his studies behind at one point of time. Only a person full of love and compassion in his heart  would have such ideas – to relentlessly lead and thus better the life of people around. Firmly rooted in his humble beginnings, he is transforming the young generation. We can see the ripple effect of his works soon as these young people lead a life he envisions!

What can the rest of Kerala do to help the young generation to raise up to the challenges of the twenty first century? There is no shortage of talents for sure. We need more programs in schools where kids are taught to actively involve in community. Parent teacher associations can help connect kids with volunteering opportunities in the community. Thus we can instill a sense of responsibility and value system not only for few students who choose to be in Student Police Cadet or in NCC, but for every single child. It need not be expensive, a wide range of small programs can be implemented in schools across Kerala where students and community work together- just like how Police and student Police cadets work together. 

Equally important is educating parents on skills to help and discipline their children- which can be successfully taken up by PTA . There should be a constant interaction between school, parents and teachers, not only to see how well students are doing academically, but also to develop and implement programs that help parents and teachers. Schools should act as a support system for parents. Schools can accomplish this by connecting people who can help with those who needs help. 

There should be more programs where collaboration is encouraged between students than competition. Instead of thinking how can I get ahead, students should be taught to work together and collaborate and ask- how can we work together to solve a problem. That would help them look at the problems around and find the solution. The strength lies in numbers. 

About one third of its population between 10- 25 years of age - it is a blessing and a curse for India at the same time. A blessing if we can tap their energy and potential to progress our nation, a curse when its young generation become lazy, arrogant and self indulgent. Where our country will go depends upon how our young generation will shape up. People like Mr. Vijayan is helping our youngsters become a responsible, confident, productive and contributing members of society. I wish that many more of such people will come forward to work together for a better tomorrow.



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Irrational But Well Rounded!

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286 ….digits after digits arrayed effortlessly in his mind as this student recited the first two hundred and fifty five digits of π to the precision of a computing Machine as the rest of the school watched with a gasp! Whether the rest of them can memorize first five digits or hundred, they get the idea- this mysterious number can go on for ever, never ending, never repeating. This particular student won the π- digit memorization contest that our school proudly conducts every year as part of the π -day celebrations!

Each year, we celebrate π – day a little differently. In the past, we ate apple pie, doodled with circles, played bingo with problems that involves pi or just decorated the room representing the non terminating feature of this number. This year, it falls on a Saturday-and since we are racing to make up school days we missed due to snow, I was not planning to do anything special in my class. But students were quick to remind me today that Saturday is March 14th and wanted to celebrate it! They welcome any distractions wholeheartedly!

In a rare coincidence, it is also Albert Einstein’s birthday. π – Day is hence a tribute to the great scientist! As a high school teacher, I am also aware of a group of students anxiously waiting for this auspicious moment when MIT releases their irrational but well thought out college admission decisions every year. There is a pang of anxiety surrounding this date with certain section of the senior class here in Boston and around the country.

Coming back to the irrational nature of this number, the very existence of it as the ratio of the most symmetric geometric figure's circumference to its diameter has intrigued human mind from early on. How did this number come to exist? Who used it first? What is the context? Answers can be found in this great book: ” pi- the biography of world's most mysterious number”. Rereading this book after few years is my past time this weekend

Written for the general audience without much tedious mathematical processes, this book is an attempt to understand π and its beautiful aspects. The book is divided into six parts- what is π, history of π, calculating value of π, π enthusiasts, π Curiosities, applications of π and π paradox. I was fascinated by how the number evolved into today's form.

The first chapter explains in detail one of the greatest challenges the ancient mathematicians faced – trying to measure a circular figure in terms of a straight line.  The problem they experienced was that the circular arcs and straight line could not find a common measure; there were always something left over when trying to compare these types of measurements. The various approximation of the value of in ancient times was the attempt to find out what is left out from a circular measure to the straight line measure.

One of such early attempts was from Egyptians who tried to make a square with the same area as that of a circle. In Rhind Papyrus, a mathematical handbook from early Egyptians, there is reference to this construction which has fascinated the mathematicians for generations until finally they came up with a proof that it is an impossible construction. If we begin with a circle of radius d/2 and a square with side length 8d/9, we can see that Egyptians were reasonably close to the approximated value of. Babylonians approximated the value of to 3.125 in an attempt to find the ratio of the perimeter of a regular hexagon with the circumference of its inscribed circle.  It was Archimedes who is credited with calculating first most accurately. The symbol π, which is the sixteenth letter in Greek alphabets, was used in 1706 for the first time to represent the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of the circle by an English Mathematician.

The book also deliberates π’s appearance in unexpected places, like in Euler’s identity where it join its distant cousin e to form one of the most beautiful mathematical equations (e^(iπ)+ 1 = 0) or in harmonic series or where, at times it almost appears in places like that of square root of 10 or cube root of 30 or square root of 2+ square root of 3 (the values of these expressions being close to that of π). They are fun to read and experience the wonder where things that are seemingly unrelated fit as pieces of jigsaw puzzle.

Now, there are supercomputers that can approximate the value of π to millions and millions of decimal places. While just reciting or memorizing the digits in this number to some random decimal places don’t mean much in the long run, it is a chance for young children to come face to face with what a non terminating non repeating decimal number might look like and to appreciate the beauty of mathematics in their own ways! Just like Egyptians and Babylonians thousands of years ago, this mysterious number, its disguise in a well round figure with an irrational behavior, will continue to fascinate the mathematicians to come!

Life in these united states.....

Recently an Indian grandfather, who was visiting his son and family in Madison, a small town in Alabama was manhandled by a cruel police officer. Mr Patel, who was left partially paralyzed and needed multiple surgeries, was taking a morning walk in the neighborhood when a police officer approached him. Mr. Patel's mistake- he didn't know English and failed to understand the question or instructions that was given to him. In a video that has gone viral ever since, Mr. Patel is shown repeatedly saying “no English” and this police officer instructing him in English “do not move, if you move I will put you down- do you understand?"He must have been so out of mind to think that a person who doesn't know the language can understand the instruction he is giving in English. The police officer was later suspended and is facing a possible termination.

The atrocious stories of police officers mishandling the situation is abundant, in some cases costing life to the people involved. Is it the lack of training they receive?  lack of empathy? Racism still prevalent and police officers are not immune to it? Or is it that the police that control a gun laden population needs to be brutal to keep things under control? After all, they risk their life to be in the street. All these incidents that I read and hear in the media is slightly against what I have experienced in my fifteen years of stay here.

First time, it was through a 911 call. It was my first month in this country- not long enough for me to learn about emergency calls. Lying on the sofa, I dialed 01191 which is the international code and then the country code for India. I stopped half way through as my son interrupted me, dialed again only to miss it, and dialed one more time before I finally got the line through. It was Vishu, a festival day in Kerala, I was talking to my mother in law.

Two minutes into the conversation, I saw a police officer peeping into my room. He asked if I am okay. Confused, I nodded but continued talking as I walked up and down the room about the presence of police in the house. When I glanced through the door, I saw my husband trying to explain something. I saw him leading these officers to the door and waving while I continued talking oblivious to what is happening. Entering the room, the furious husband snatched the phone from me and told his mom that I called these police officers. It took a while for me to comprehend- by mistake I have dialed 911 and these officers were responding to that call. Then I vaguely remembered that I was getting a phone call which I never cared to take as I was conversing with the folks in India. They wouldn't leave when Vinod informed them there is nothing wrong and we didn't need help. They insisted they see other people in the house and made sure everything is okay before leaving.

Even though it is one of those embarrassing incidents in my life, I derived enormous strength from the feeling of security knowing that I would get help in a phone call within minutes. There were times I lived alone with my son when he was still a child. For someone who was extremely fearful of dark and experienced an overprotective childhood in a joint family, living alone in a foreign country is made possible because deep inside, I knew my safety is only a 911 call away. Whenever I sleep alone, I have my phone beside my pillow- just in case if I need to make that call. I feel protected and safe in a way I never would have if I was staying alone in India.

Years later, as I hurried into my car to get to work one fine morning, I noticed my car was unlocked. I had the habit of forgetting to lock it at times, but in safe Winchester neighborhood, breaking in the car was unthinkable. In a panic I realized that some one has gone through my stuffs and the GPS is missing. I was late to work and was a testing proctor for that day, so I drove away distressed. My parents were visiting me at that time, I saw panic in their eyes too. I thought of reporting it to police once I settle down with the testing. However after an hour my father informed me that a police officer came home and knocked on the door to ask if we lost something. They caught a teenager who was breaking in cars in the neighborhood and confiscated many things including our GPS. We were asked to wait for the investigation and the closure of the case against the boy. In couple of weeks, we got a call to collect my GPS. As I walked into the police station with my husband, I was anxious, but was politely received and was handed the GPS and made me sign some papers.

The role of the police of a state is to protect its citizens. There are a lot of good police officers out there who relentlessly put their life in danger and protect the people. And then there are few like the one in Alabama who will exert their power over a fragile old man. But it is soothing to know that they are few and far between. 

In a winter wonderland!

The Winter Storm Neptune is lashing on us in Boston and it is the sixth in the last three weeks, each bringing its own share of a foot or more of snow! The weather forecast says another one is storming its way and expected to reach here in the next couple of days ready to add another foot to the existing snow pile around us. It is white every where!

 In a three week span, it is a record snow fall in Boston. We have been under freezing temperature for a good number of days now which leaves no time for the snow that is accumulated in the ground to melt away. The biggest challenge currently is not the storm itself but the snow removal. Risks of roofs collapsing and ever narrowing roads are all in the play. Where to discard this massive amount of snow?

Schools are canceled each time there is a snow storm. Most offices except emergency workers are advised to stay home to be safe. But after each storm, because of the accumulation, it is a bit difficult to see the street while turning which makes it really dangerous to drive, it takes longer to commute, there is no walkways anymore so people walk on the streets. In a nut shell, getting from point A to point B has become a bit challenging here in Boston.

It is a cycle, a snow storm begins and lasts on an average 24 to 48 hours which forces people to stay home. When Mother nature calms down, we shovel and start the life once again. We prepare for the storm that is coming our way by stocking food and other necessities so we don't have to risk ourselves going out during the storm. The city and the  cleaning crew are working tirelessly to keep everything normal. People in Boston are staying put. Staying tight. 

Each year the winter passes, I am reminded of some basic facts of life- that it is not worth worrying about the weather, that we can only prepare so much in life, what is to come will come our way, so let things be the way they are and try to enjoy what we can- just like, looking outside from a frosty glass window right now and enjoying the beauty of this pure white snow!

Some photos we clicked this winter:

Some of the photos I got from the net: 

This photo sums up the winter here!

Heap of snow!

Life never stops for some!