tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1965187193229929022024-03-18T21:23:51.603-07:00ART BY ANNIKKIRauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-11404684267185233182016-01-13T00:19:00.002-08:002016-01-13T00:21:22.630-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been exactly a year since my last entry. Much water has flowed under the bridge.<br />
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So I hope to update you slowly over the next few weeks. I think I may be able to keep some sort of schedule for this blog!<br />
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But first the latest news. The Facebook Page of the Findians Publishing Division came on line today. Just go to Pages in Facebook and enter Findians Publishing Division and you can read the history of our 22 years in this field with descriptions of all the books that we have released.<br />
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There are many exciting offers, especially our 49th Wedding Anniversary offer where you can get one of latest 3 books absolutely FREE when you buy the hard cover version of my book "Edible Art" at a discounted price. You save over €45!<br />
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The three new releases are "Handbook for Survival in Finland" (2016), "...for the hour of His judgement is come:..." (2016) and "The Titanic Called India" (2015).<br />
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I have been having relaxing fun creating various objects by crocheting rags. My page "Art of Crochet" on Facebook has become very popular. I also have psges on crocheting on Pinterest.<br />
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Short entry, so see you in a couple of days as I work out a strategy for developing this blog. Everythingvis up for grabs now.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-74022075324758313752015-01-13T01:25:00.000-08:002015-01-13T01:27:10.573-08:00Inactivity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I must beg pardon for my inactivity on this blog for almost 8 months. I have been posting regularly on Facebook, and keeping in touch with friends and relatives.<br />
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It was my 70th birthday this year. Jacob threw me a surprise party, which was such a wonderful occasion attended by many friends.<br />
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I was also able to take part in the reception to meet the Indian President His Excellency Pranab Mukherje <span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> and his daughter, Sharmistha. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">83er Sharmistha is a Stephanian, like 63er Jacob, about 20 years his junior. She passed out in 1983, </span><span style="line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">having done</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> History. They are </span><span style="line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">Facebook</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> friends. She is an very competent Indian dancer. She has shared a </span><span style="line-height: 16.799999237060547px;">few</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> of her performances which she has choreographed herself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 1.4em;">She has </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">just informed</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> the </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">public that</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> she is </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">going</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> stand for the Delhi Assembly from Greater </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Kailash</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> and wants suggestions how SHE can make a </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">difference</span><span style="line-height: 1.4em;"> the lives of Indian women. She is practical and </span><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">not building castles in the air. She wants suggestions on what she can do, and not things like bringing legislations,etc.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">I do hope she will get elected, as she seems to know her priorities and may not be a chamcha to the Nehru-Gandhi family! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Delhi is given the honour being called the most polluted city in the world. I can vouch for that. I hope she can do something to save this city, which is choking itself!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">If Jacob and my reading is right, Sharmistha has the character and personality to become the next head the Indian Congress party, a fitting tribute to the work of her father! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">With young dedicated and competent leaders, the Congress party could rebuild itself after getting rid of people like the 7 Stephanians (68er Kapil Sibal, 72er Ashwini Kumar, 73er Salman Kurshid, 74er R. P.N. Singh, 76er </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Shashi Tharoor, 90er </span><span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Joyti Scindia and 97er Sachin Pilot) who sat in the previous Manmohan Singh Government as YES men to Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi. They are the ones who have brought St.Stephen's College to disrepute, filling shoes they did not have the competence to fit!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">In comparison, I have only Dr. Verghese Kurian of Anand and Amul fame, who used to do something and then tell indira Gandhi, the autocrat, what he had done. He knew going for approvals was a waste of time and money. The White Revolution was the result of his dedicated work starting at the grassroots level in Gujarat</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, verdana, sans-serif, FreeSans;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">It was nice to see the the day we flew from Delhi to Hyderabad, it was named as National Milk Day as tribute to Dr. Kurian, known to us a Jollychayan, who was married to Mollykochamma!</span></span></div>
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Jacob and Annikki standing behind Sharmistha at the Helsinki reception for Indian President His Excellency Pranab Mukerjee. Also seen are Indian Ambassador to Finland, His Excellency Ashok Kumar Sharma and Finnish Foreign Minister, Erkki Tuomioja.</div>
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I have been quite active otherwise. We have had the grandchildren,Samu, Daniel and Maria over for summer and Joanna, our younger daughter, brought the three of them also for Christmas.<br />
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We had a disastrous trip to India in November and December. Jacob and I are documenting it on our new web site, http://www.findians.com. The new book is being serialised on Jacob's Blog as "The Titanic called India". I did see the Taj Mahal and witness the making of the decorated inlaid marble. And I lived on the edge of a jungle just on the outskirts of Mumbai!<br />
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Several have asked why we callled it that, when the Indian greatness is being shouted by the Indian Ministers.<br />
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Believe it or not, Indians were flying around the planets many thousands of years ago, but sadly, today, they do not know how to design a simple road and pavement in India. Take a person in a wheelchair anywhere on a street in India, and you will know what we mean.<br />
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Maybe the Indian knowledge went along with those who designed those amazing flying machines! :-)<br />
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I have designed a few cakes, the last one being based on my discovery of the Agra Petha, a delicious Indian sweet made from Pumpkin. Granddaughter Maria I used it to decorate Joanna's mango Petha birthday cake a few days ago.<br />
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I have been <a class="spell" href="https://www.google.fi/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=crocheting&spell=1&sa=X&ei=Mdi0VIPzHof5ygOX_4KQBw&ved=0CBkQvwUoAA" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;"><b><i>crocheting</i></b></a> in my spacetime. Jacob complains that I am cutting up his lungis. These lungis are over 25 years old and fall apart the minute you touch them. Does well as colourful <b style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;"><i><a class="spell" href="https://www.google.fi/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=crocheting&spell=1&sa=X&ei=Mdi0VIPzHof5ygOX_4KQBw&ved=0CBkQvwUoAA" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;">crocheting</a> </i></b>material when I tear them to shreds! This was a my latest piece, a butterfly, but I have been making lots of cylindrical baskets to keep the various papers that Jacob keeps lying around as well his many spectacles which he keeps misplacing! (Earlier I had used Haldiram's Soan Papdi as cake decoration, and it was also a great material!)</div>
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Jacob wants me to sell them so he can afford to buy 110 count lungis from his old friend from Madurai, Mohammed Abubacker, the Chank brand lungis. I wonder if the Chank brand exists today as Jacob is talking about 1975!<br />
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We received news a few days ago of the passing of another family member, journalist B. G. Verghese. He and his wife, Jamila were Stephanians, like Jacob, but about10 years senior to him.<br />
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I used to enjoy the writings of Bublichayan, as he is known in the family, as they were sharp and incisive!<br />
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There are many people that need to be thanked for the help and generosity in looking after us in India. Surya and Devi (Hyderabad), Raghu and Gayathri (Bangalore), Rajen and Prema, Chacko and Ammu (Kottayam), Bina (Cochin), Malathi, Amal. Joseph and Sam (Mumbai). Other names will be thanked by Jacob who kept a meticulous record of the trip!<br />
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You will also soon find this blog on our new web portal, http://www.findians.in. Hope you enjoy the re-emergence!:-)</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-16932693332173382152014-04-20T05:02:00.001-07:002014-04-20T05:02:50.067-07:00Easter 2014I saw the Finnish Orthodox Easter service last night on TV. It was uplifting. The music was truly wonderful.<div><br></div><div>Jacob told me that in India it is similar. <div><br></div><div>I did attend weddings in the Orthodox Churches but never the Good Friday and Easter services. The level of direct emotional involvement by a church member in India compared to Finland is considerably more. </div><div><br></div><div>Jacob once wrote in one of his online pages about his childhood memories about celebrating Good Friday.</div><div><br></div><div> I must find it. It was truly inspiring. It showed that members felt the pain of Christ on that fateful day, personally. They lived His suffering and felt His pain.</div><div><br></div><div>That was why on Easter Day they felt the joy of His Resurrection!</div></div>Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-9437332020779998552014-04-18T23:25:00.001-07:002014-04-18T23:25:04.439-07:00Finnish media and freedom of speech - a myth?<div>Given below is the email (in Finnish, but English translation is provided here also) I sent to a Finnish reporter in Kaleva who wrote an article about the situation in Ukraine and Russia. </div><div><br></div><div>It made me very angry! </div><div><br></div><div>There is no freedom of speech in Finland except for the media itself to defend its corrupt brothers in the Finnish Justice System, the Police, the Lawyers, the Bureacracy and the Politicians!</div><div><br></div><div>All my experiences are highly personal pver the last 30 years I have lived in Finland!</div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div>Below <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">is cover of my book "Freedom of Speech - Whose?" (In Finnish) which I had compiled a few years ago of my text messages that Kaleva had refused to carry in its Readers' Comments page! (The updated Finnish/English version will be released shortly.)</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEBXeS-EVcbP0gRlUDKQYjC0j6VXTcCEWGqoZ5iicWve4KrUbxHs4QeQwUWiQ0sq4SQEr9KBlUWmXI-EiaTgjQdvvsJyEtQ8huIFL9xbE54pg7cDEgnM4J3vmgRR20Jsz2Ldl50EVdyiv/s640/blogger-image--2087206276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyEBXeS-EVcbP0gRlUDKQYjC0j6VXTcCEWGqoZ5iicWve4KrUbxHs4QeQwUWiQ0sq4SQEr9KBlUWmXI-EiaTgjQdvvsJyEtQ8huIFL9xbE54pg7cDEgnM4J3vmgRR20Jsz2Ldl50EVdyiv/s640/blogger-image--2087206276.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Email to Kaleva Reporter:</div><div><br></div><div>Hello,</div><div><br></div><div>Your views on Finland are suspect so it is difficult to accept your opinion about Russia.</div><div><br></div><div> If I write the sky is blue, Kaleva will publish the opinion. If I tell the truth, I will not.</div><div><br></div><div> That is why I published my book, "Freedom of Speech - Whose?" Text messages rejected by Kaleva! </div><div><br></div><div>The justice system, the police, the lawyers, the bureaucrats and politicians operate a brotherhood system! </div><div><br></div><div>This type of corruption is built into the Finnish lifestyle aided by a willing media which wants to ingratiate itself with their powerful brothers! </div><div><br></div><div>The common Finnish citizen does not enjoy any of these privileges.</div><div><br></div><div>And in Finnish:</div><div><br></div><div>Hei,</div><div><br></div><div>Mielipiteenne Suomesta ovat epäilyttäviä, joten on vaikeaa hyväksyä mielipiteenne Venjäjästä.</div><div><br></div><div>Jos kirjoitan taivas on sininen, Kaleva voi julkaista mielipiteen. Jos kerron totuuden, se ei voi.</div><div><br></div><div>Sen vuoksi kirjoitin kirjani "Sananvapaus - Kenen?" Kalevan hylkäämiä tekstiviestejä!</div><div><br></div><div>Oikeuslaitos, poliisi, asianajajat, byrokraatit ja politiikot ylläpitävät veljeskuntasysteemiä!</div><div><br></div><div>Tämän tyyppinen korruptio on sisäänrakennettu suomalaiseen elämän tyyliin median suostumuksella, joka haluaa päästä heidän voimallisen veljeskunnan suosioon!</div><div><br></div><div>Tavallinen Suomen kansalainen ei nauti naistä etuoikeuksista!</div><div><br></div><div>tv.</div><div><br></div><div>Annikki </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0Northern Finland (null)64.992073 25.509134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-19117023731368521122014-03-08T04:13:00.000-08:002014-03-08T04:16:33.708-08:00Need a job?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I recently had adverised here for a highly competent individual to join my team, with even a share in the business. Not a single application! :-)<br />
job<br />
Now I need something simpler. I need a driver cum secreatary wih some computer and human skills, for about about 20 hours a week. A student wanting to get some extra money to support himself or herself?<br />
Ou<br />
I have had about 60 applications, mainly from Finns in Oulu, retired people, students and a few really wanting to get into the job market.<br />
<br />
Do apply quickly if you are interested. I will be interviewing this week.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-78254858095181956052014-03-05T23:01:00.000-08:002014-03-05T23:01:10.132-08:00Dubai The International Indian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is a very nice article about Jacob, quite wrongly stated as being the <a href="http://www.theinternationalindian.com/current_issue_flash.html#/26/" target="_blank">Oldest Malayali in Europe</a>! He is not the oldest in Europe and also probably not even in Continental Europe, which was the original research topic by Prof. Prabhu Guptara, the author of this article. It is a chapter contained in a book on the Malayali Diaspora which was released in Cochin last January.<br />
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However, I do know that although he may be the oldest Malayali in Finland, he is also the youngest at heart! :-)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdyOpJR6wTrMf05RK3T-l6MAi8bK0s7Zl3G-E32ULk8CP7bzJNmQ29I0hKtjWKiDstshm-DZ9abNkDIgOTTPfkX_sgz3Xi97R_D-6P1Z60tnvTGPc9JnEmYWu6ZacQiCpc7zyyb_N1hFS/s1600/Oldest+Malayali.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdyOpJR6wTrMf05RK3T-l6MAi8bK0s7Zl3G-E32ULk8CP7bzJNmQ29I0hKtjWKiDstshm-DZ9abNkDIgOTTPfkX_sgz3Xi97R_D-6P1Z60tnvTGPc9JnEmYWu6ZacQiCpc7zyyb_N1hFS/s1600/Oldest+Malayali.jpg" height="640" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The International Indian<br />Reported as being the Oldest Malayali in Continental Europe</td></tr>
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-39029895679357735152014-02-14T09:34:00.001-08:002014-02-17T02:28:25.072-08:00Finnish TV interview about Me!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I am pleased to give you two links to a TV interview by Helena Lehtimäki of Laureus University of Applied Sciences, Espoo, about me. I really enjoyed myself! It was aired in a new TV station called CaringTV which is to motivate us older folk to do creative things.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEwPv_6U0X8&feature=youtu.be" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEwPv_6U0X8&feature=youtu.be</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/yEwPv_6U0X8" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">http://youtu.be/yEwPv_6U0X8</span></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Helena and her team have gone a great job. Thank you Helena.</span></div>
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-10967459099086873242014-02-05T21:01:00.002-08:002014-02-05T21:07:43.004-08:00What is a great honour?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday I received in the post a copy of the Finn-Brits Magazine for Spring 2014 which is a special issue which celebrates 35 years of the existence of this Society to help the Finns understand the English Language and British Culture.<br />
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The magazine contains a feature about me and my work as an artist, author, but is mainly centred around the fact that I was Chairperson of the English Club of Oulu, plus being a teacher fort Finnish children to retain the English language when they returned back to Finland after they had spent some time in an English speaking country.<br />
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This is part of the History of the Finn-Brits Society. I am greatly honoured to be the subject of this article.<br />
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Hope you enjoy it.<br />
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If you are interested to interact with Finns and help them to improve their English Language skills, you will find a chapter of the Society near you. Join in - it is fun as they have some wonderful programmes around the year.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-8240113924430626402014-01-11T21:10:00.001-08:002014-01-11T21:14:46.818-08:00Not a single reply! Why<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I advertised a couple of boog entries ago for a work-at-home assistant to help me. I am absolutely inundated with work.<br />
<br />
It is surprising that not a single person replied or applied. No students, no housewives with time on their hands and computer skills,<br />
<br />
Jacob has got many hundreds of requests from all sorts of people wanting senior desk jobs in IT, Web design, SAP, Java, etc. All sorts off challenges and opportunies - including marketing, sales, etc.<br />
<br />
Here was an opportunity, where the sky was the limit, for someone who could work independently, It was the start of a team as there is so much work required to be done.<br />
<br />
But not one application.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-62097400494988810202014-01-09T21:28:00.000-08:002014-01-09T21:28:46.880-08:00Natural childbirth - Is it for you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take a look at the story today in Huffington Post "</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/photos-home-birth-social-media_n_4549531.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">New Mom's Uncensored Photos Reveal The Beautiful, Messy Reality Of Home Birth</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You may have to register to read the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Natural births difficult unless you prepare for it correctly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In Finland it is not permitted. I have covered this in one of my tutorials.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Although Finland has the lowest mortality rate with regard to childbirth, something is missing in the mother/child relationship. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">That develops out of natural childbirth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please see the details in my book "<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194341309/Raising-a-Child-the-Montessori-Way" target="_blank">Raising a Child the Montessori Way</a>" where the importance of natural childbirth is discussed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In my case, our first daughter was b</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">orn in a hospital in an English village (Cross Houses), the second, our elder son was born in our home in a very small English village (Shawbury), while the next two, a daughter and then our youngest son were born in Willingdon Hospital, in Chennai. Each was difficult in its own way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have just uploaded Tutorial <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/198090512/Tutorials-5-A-5-B-and-5-C" target="_blank">5 A, 5 B and 5 C on Scribd.com</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/198090512/Tutorials-5-A-5-B-and-5-C" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Tutorials 5 A, 5 B, and 5 C on Scribd">Tutorials 5 A, 5 B, and 5 C</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/annikki4matthan" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Annikki Matthan's profile on Scribd">Annikki Matthan</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.708006279434851" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_71847" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/198090512/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-76yw3c4arzyz32jqmpl&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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The next upload of the Tutorial series will be in a couple of days.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-10583326594515010722014-01-09T10:15:00.000-08:002014-01-09T11:48:22.431-08:00Correspondence Course Tutorials 4 A and 4 B<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With this tutorial we are moving into areas which are important from the parents point of view of how they react to the development of the child.<br />
<br />
You can find this tutorial at <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/197794081/MMCC-Assignment-Correspondence-Course-Tutorials-4-A-and-4-B" target="_blank">Scribd.com</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/197794081/MMCC-Assignment-Correspondence-Course-Tutorials-4-A-and-4-B" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View MMCC Assignment Correspondence Course Tutorials 4 A and 4 B on Scribd">MMCC Assignment Correspondence Course Tutorials 4 A and 4 B</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_61612" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/197794081/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-19892475148169430162014-01-08T22:03:00.000-08:002014-01-09T10:15:45.377-08:00Anyone looking for an exciting work from home job?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>We have a job opportunity for someone really interested to doing creative work. Anyone looking for an exciting work from home job?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Your location is not important if you have good communication skills - you may be in Timbuktu!</b><br />
<br />
Jacob and I have several hundreds and hundreds of <b>web pages on books</b> created over the last 25 years. They were all very high revenue earners till we stopped updating them about 5 or 6 years ago.<br />
<br />
It is our intention to revamp all of these web pages in an organised schedule, starting with items based on our current activities.<br />
<br />
We need someone who is interested in creating web pages based on our old models, updating them by doing web searches and downloading the new data and the uploading it back on our web service provider.<br />
<br />
To get an idea of this work, go to the page <a href="http://koti.netplaza.fi/~amatthan/montessoribk.html" target="_blank"><b>Books on Maria Montessori </b></a> which we had set up over a decade ago. You will find at that time there were about 150 books about her dating pre- and post- 2000. Each is linked with the title and a special link which meant that anyone who went to buy a book from Amazon in either US or UK would earn us a commission. <b>Now there are over 700 books.</b> This has to be updated.<br />
<br />
<b>Also we have to link in the 20 odd books published by Annikki on this subject and help generate online sales! These are currently all eBooks but we need to create then as paperbacks.</b><br />
<br />
<b>This was a very healthy business for us. We were always in the top ten on all the Search Engines! We have the secret on how to reach the top in the Search Engines!!!</b><br />
<br />
Like this we have several hundreds of web pages <b>about many tens of subjects</b>, and all of these need to be cleaned up and updated before uploading.<br />
<br />
Your job would be to update each page based on searching within Amazon (and also making us Associates of Amazon in India), and then putting up each web page back on our server.<br />
<br />
It is very steady work but you should have the feeling that you are interested in the work and <b>you are web competent enough to work by yourself with the minimum of supervision.</b><br />
<br />
<b>That is only the first part of the job.</b><br />
<br />
We also want to relaunch our very popular fortnightly web magazine which was called <a href="http://koti.netplaza.fi/~findians/Briefings/briefings.html" target="_blank"><b>Findians Briefings </b></a>which had a readership of around 80000 people. It started a paper version (see picture below) with a hundred readers in 1992! <a href="http://koti.netplaza.fi/~findians/Briefings/briefings.html" target="_blank">The last web issue was released in June 2008.</a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It is possible that we could make it a weekly.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmTwHAHsAVTxFHg78OTJnnLhA9mS3Mumb5VCYSZMtT5FR6MA97s2LiDY6a-NC0Mk9T6Va2T-3yk_zonY3tuMUiYDDwo7QqwMPd_lokbYhZ5hV-HmQYOm8GXdrg4wNueCutMvaTYOZ1A4S/s1600/IMG_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="First Issue of Findians Briefings 1992" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmTwHAHsAVTxFHg78OTJnnLhA9mS3Mumb5VCYSZMtT5FR6MA97s2LiDY6a-NC0Mk9T6Va2T-3yk_zonY3tuMUiYDDwo7QqwMPd_lokbYhZ5hV-HmQYOm8GXdrg4wNueCutMvaTYOZ1A4S/s1600/IMG_0028.JPG" height="640" title="First Issue of Findians Briefings 1992" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Issue of Findians Briefings 1992</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In this we need to put all the old issues in a new and interesting format back on the internet and especially gear them for reading on mobiles, and launch the new version alongside.<br />
<br />
At the same time we have several extremely interesting web sites which are linked to our original web entry page "<a href="http://koti.netplaza.fi/~findians/index.html" target="_blank">Findians Index Site</a>". This has literally hundreds of links and important information.<br />
<br />
<b>Your job would be to organise this whole experience and make the Findians Site popular again.</b><br />
<br />
Our old domain name was stopped (and we believe is now being exploited by someone else, but he is a copycat so we do not have to worry about him). Copyright for the term Findians still remains with us!!<br />
<br />
We can establish a new domain name or use the system we used as a parallel to the Findians Domain name.<br />
<br />
Jacob's alma mater blog pages (<b>Kooler Talk (Web Version) of St. Stephen's College, Delhi and Seventh Heaven of Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai</b>) will also come under this work as also our many blogs, Google Groups and many new avenues which we keep creating.<br />
<br />
You would also help us in writing our new books scheduled to come out during the next three years. We have some very interesting books that will expand our publication base which now has over 30 books and will reach 50 by year end.<br />
<br />
You should be competent to use <b>a Apple Mac platform</b>, have good computer skills as using Pages, Numbers, iBooks, OpenOffice, NeoOffice, PageSpinner, Graphic Converter, GIMP, Business Card Composer, iPhoto, iTunes, Picasa, scanning, editing photographs, editing text, printing, and many tens of very useful products which run on the Mac.<br />
<br />
You would also have to support the current marketing activities that we are undertaking such as publishing eBooks, etc. You would also be working on selling ad space on all our web sites.<br />
<br />
(If you use Microsoft Office you would have to be able to convert from Windows format to the Mac format!<br />
<br />
The new content will be provided by me and Jacob in the form of articles and news items. <b>We are both 70+ but we are active and expect you to keep up with us! :-)</b><br />
<br />
It is regular work and we can pay by the hour on an "honesty" system or on a commission basis, whichever suits you. Or if you want to join us as a partner, that would also be considered..<br />
<br />
If you are seriously interested, please contact us at jmatthan@icloud.com.</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-32418153175995415092014-01-07T10:25:00.001-08:002014-01-07T10:25:45.869-08:00Do you think there is anything we missed?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Jacob and I tried our level best to cover all important aspects of life in Finland.<br />
<br />
Here is the Contents list of our latest eBook, "<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/196440001/Handbook-for-Survival-in-Finland" target="_blank"><i>Handbook For Survival in Finland</i></a>".<br />
<br />
We have latest links to most of the relevant sites as Universities, Applied Science Universities, hsl.fi, vr.fi, Koskilinjat Oy, Finnair, Magistrates Office, Tax Office, KELA, etc., etc.<br />
<br />
And we also have our own interprettions!! :-)<br />
<br />
We have the guidelines of prices you should be paying for your foodstuffs!<br />
<br />
Is there anything we missed as we can put it as Anexure! Your help would be greatly appreciated!<br />
<br />
Criticism welcome as we want this to be <b>the only independent reference book </b>you need when coming to or living in Finland as a student, out-sourced engineer or even a tourist.<br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contents</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Preface</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contents</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glossary for Acronyms</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dedication</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Frontpiece</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Survival System?</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Some Facts</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>History</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Geography</b></span></h4>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flora and Fauna</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Climate</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lake and Sea Temperatures</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wind Conditions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snow and Ice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Midnight Sun</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Winter Darkness</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nature's Markers</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Demography</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Religion</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">People</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Government</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Press</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Economy</span></h4>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Currency and Finance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inflation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Taxation</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Education</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Universities</span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Language</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Learning the Finnish Language</span><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Culture</span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guide for Foreigners (and Some Others)</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Embassies</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Documents</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Financial and Other Requirements</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Customs Regulations on First Entry</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Registration in the Population Register</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unemployment Benefit</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terms of Employment</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trade Union Membership</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Employment Contract</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Social Benefits</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Church Membership</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Taxes</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Accommodation</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marriage</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maternity, Paternity and Parents' Allowances</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Children's Allowances</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Children's Day Care</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maintenance support</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Concluding Remarks</span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Existing in Finland</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finnish Department Stores and Shops</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food and Drink</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gardening for Profit</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pet Food</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Domestic Appliances</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Glass and China</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clothes, Textiles, Jewellery, Furs</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Toys</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sports goods</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Souvenirs</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">International Mail Order Purchasing</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flea Markets</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Restaurants</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Transport</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hair Dressers</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tipping</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Postal Rates</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Telephone</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Electricity and Water</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smoking and Drinking</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Health Care</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Credit and Bank Cards</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Concluding Remarks</span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Third World Holidays</span></h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tickets</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Duty Free Presents</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clothes</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other Travel Requisites</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opticians</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dentists</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Executive Health Check-up</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Medical Supplies and Toiletries</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Miscellaneous Items</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shipping Purchases</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Holiday Films</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finnish Customs Regulations</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P. S. Moscow Airport</span></h4>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Finally - Dying in Finland</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bibliography</span></h3>
</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-48016126576214142182014-01-06T02:03:00.000-08:002014-01-06T02:05:15.139-08:00Finally completed and uploaded<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An effort of almost 2+ years to update our 1994 best-seller has now been completed and uploaded as an eBook on <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/196440001/Handbook-for-Survival-in-Finland" target="_blank">Scribd.com (eBook Handbook for Survival in Finland)</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/196440001/Handbook-for-Survival-in-Finland" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Handbook for Survival in Finland on Scribd">Handbook for Survival in Finland</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/jmatthana" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Annikki Matthan's profile on Scribd">Annikki Matthan</a></div>
<iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.706896551724138" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="null" id="doc_93494" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/196440001/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-25y38py584jh4fwhnwco&show_recommendations=true" width="null"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "//www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book is meant for foreign students coming or in Finland, out-source engineers, those foreigners living in Finland and also tourists coming to Finland.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Survival System developed by us can help you live a comfortable life in Finland at a reasonable cost. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is not only the front and back cover that has been changed. The entire book has been re-written and the full advantage of an eBook with hundreds of useful links have been introduced which will take you to all the important pages about Finland which we used in doing our research. It covers almost every aspect of this wonderful and beautiful country! But it also thells you of the many hundreds of pitfalls that you will encounter when you live here.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our original Guarantee goes with the new eBook that if you do not recover the cost of the book after using our system for 1 month, we will refund you the cost of the book.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you for the patience, but it was a really hard task to do this!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Comments welcome so that we can quickly correct any errors.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-64866379367243291272014-01-03T21:46:00.000-08:002014-01-03T21:46:20.851-08:00Manuscript unearthed!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am in the middle of finishing the <b><i>"Handbook for Survival in Finland"</i></b>, which is a complete re-write of our 1994 best seller with many hundreds of links so that it is really an interactive eBook. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is takeng longer than I expocted as it is a laborious task. Hopefully finished this weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While searching for some documents I came across another 2007 manuscript of mine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is in Finnish and it is called "Sananvapaus - Kenen?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This translates to "Freedom of Speech - Whose?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYJF6zAve5s0yLcLfwiSBWVPUOrQmBMax2VZw4TV8Cewz4YYrsZD7Puu_3DUHmRI94Hm244mmPIsbEdBYLRERSS6ZpZTHxT3D2KOc1lXnkvWNa84bB1aacjQQcXIoP63QG1HMpf4jRY0e/s1600/IMG_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Original cover of "Sananvapaus - Kenen?" which is a barbed wire fence!" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYJF6zAve5s0yLcLfwiSBWVPUOrQmBMax2VZw4TV8Cewz4YYrsZD7Puu_3DUHmRI94Hm244mmPIsbEdBYLRERSS6ZpZTHxT3D2KOc1lXnkvWNa84bB1aacjQQcXIoP63QG1HMpf4jRY0e/s400/IMG_0672.jpg" title="Original cover of "Sananvapaus - Kenen?" which is a barbed wire fence!" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Original cover of "Sananvapaus - Kenen?" <br />which is a barbed wire fence!</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was written when I was frustrated by the attitude of our local newspaper, Kaleva. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I wrote that the sun was blue and shining as a text message, it would be published. However, if I pointed out something controversial, it would not see the light of day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My opinion is that media is one of the main cornerstones of the corruption prevalent in Finnish Society - and this book is proof of my opinion!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I, therefore, decided to publish a book of the text messages of mine that Kaleva did not publish.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have decided to update this publication (many new text messages to be added), and also make it a dual language (Finnish and English) eBook. However, as I do not have the original computer files, and the result of scanning are not good enough, the text has to be typed in, that is the entire text and the translation. Also, a new cover has to be designed along with the interior to suit the mood.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your good wishes will spur me on! :-)</span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-13745725417587976382013-12-28T23:55:00.001-08:002013-12-28T23:55:19.837-08:00Which 2 books should be on your bookshelf?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Together with late Dr. Benjamin Spock's book on "Baby and Child Care", my latest publication <a href="link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/194341309/Raising-a-Child-the-Montessori-Way" target="_blank">"Raising a Child the Montessori Way"</a> is my most important work to help build the next generation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was a mother at the age of 23, alone with my husband. No parents to help us in the middle of nowhere in a remote English Village! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I raised our four children in England, India and Finland using my own method - which is similar to what Maria Montessori has expounded in her theory "The Child is the Father of Man."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have blended the work of educationist Maria Montessori and that of spiritualist Ellen G. White (author of "The Great Controversy") to produce a masterpiece which gives a detailed account of how to bring up a child from the prenatal stage till the age of 6 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also tackle the problems that would be encountered when a new sibling arrives in a household. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The roles of parents and the Community are essential to raise a child of the future. Living in a strange and distant country makes it even more important to develop the important skills as the local language while keeping your mother tongue also strong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I tell you on reality being the essence of child upbringing rather than fantasy. Building blocks are far more important than Computer Games! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You have to create the strong foundation in your child. That is your child's healthy future at stake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I explain how you do just that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The basic philosophy is that the Child is the Father of Man. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below is a picture of granddaughter Maria, aged 5 making her own cake in my kitchen, and thoroughly enjoying the experience. rather than playing games on computers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Such experiences are what children want and need.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can forget toys which keep the attention span of children for a few hours or days and spend doing with them as a parent or grandparent what the child wants to do and enjoys - doing work to become a better individual.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is an eBook which you cannot afford to miss!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/194341309/Raising-a-Child-the-Montessori-Way" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Raising a Child the Montessori Way on Scribd">Raising a Child the Montessori Way</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This work is based on the intensive study I completed as Correspondence Course Tutorials. My Tutorial Guides are available online eBooks, also through Scribd.com.</span><br />
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-33531869223955829732013-12-26T00:00:00.003-08:002013-12-26T01:28:30.164-08:00Are you interested in news way of life?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My problems with putting my book <b><i>"Raising a Child the Montessori Way"</i></b> on line has continued. I am trying many ways to overcome the quality problem to make it readable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I took another job on hand and put up the <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193722103/Tutorial-Course-Introduction-for-Maria-Montessori-Education-from-birth-to-6-years" target="_blank">INTRODUCTION TO THE TUTORIAL COURSE</a></b> pamphlet to my series on Tutorials for the Maria Montessori Correspondence Course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To complete a course in teaching children using the Maria Montessori method requires the student to complete a series of assignments. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I completed this 22 part series and achieved an unbelievable 98% average. My answers were not based on the material which came with the Correspondence Course, but my own research.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To help students I am put up the text of what I wrote for my assignments which students can use to do their own tutorials quicker and faster. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also as I have done my research so thoroughly, I may have no equal in the knowledge of Montessori Education of Infants till the age of 6! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is because I used it with my own family before I knew about Maria Montessori.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193722103/Tutorial-Course-Introduction-for-Maria-Montessori-Education-from-birth-to-6-years" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Tutorial Guide Introduction" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R61RGl9Zaec/UrvYDwNf--I/AAAAAAAADbQ/4WaoySAVFIs/s400/Tutorial+Guide+Introduction.jpg" title="Tutorial Guide Introduction" width="296" /></span></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193722103/Tutorial-Course-Introduction-for-Maria-Montessori-Education-from-birth-to-6-years" target="_blank"><b><i>Tutorial Guide Introduction</i></b></a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have also put up the first course tutorial book </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193695937/Tutorials-1-A-and-1-B-Maria-Montessori-Correspondence-Course" target="_blank">Tutorial Course Tutorials 1 A and 1 B</a></i></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193695937/Tutorials-1-A-and-1-B-Maria-Montessori-Correspondence-Course" target="_blank"> </a>which answers two important aspects of this course. The questions are:</span><br />
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<span class="a" style="left: 760px; top: 2647px; word-spacing: -3px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tutoria<span class="l6">l 1 A: The Role of the <span class="w6"></span>Child in the Finnish Society </span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="a" style="left: 760px; letter-spacing: -1px; top: 2806px; word-spacing: 2px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tutorial 1 B: Montessori sees the Child as the Father of Man</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the first ! A, I remain controversial as ever, as when I wrote this assignment in 1992, Finland was considered as one of the best countries for low Infant Mortality rates and Child Care. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had another opinion which I expressed raher freely. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I wrote then still holds true 15 years on!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second part of this assignment is the statement of the philosophy of the Maria Montessori Method. It is no surprise that former American President, late Theodore <b>Roosevelt,</b> was of the same opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy this series.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgFpxa-UqWOVj7QUvTWzjFfLRg7CBGq6k4jCRF64YiNG0Hdqqnb0dqFPhpLOFBBEwq6aVh-u4X8ywBOvGjZPwI5iPW04zT1wx0H-x9gEohavd3kdgSEeiOfotUu0FyuMbkgpCvJatRGuw/s1600/Tutorial+Guide+1+A+and+1+B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Tutorial Course Tutorials 1 A and 1 B" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgFpxa-UqWOVj7QUvTWzjFfLRg7CBGq6k4jCRF64YiNG0Hdqqnb0dqFPhpLOFBBEwq6aVh-u4X8ywBOvGjZPwI5iPW04zT1wx0H-x9gEohavd3kdgSEeiOfotUu0FyuMbkgpCvJatRGuw/s400/Tutorial+Guide+1+A+and+1+B.jpg" title="Tutorial Course Tutorials 1 A and 1 B" width="306" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/193695937/Tutorials-1-A-and-1-B-Maria-Montessori-Correspondence-Course" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Tutorial Course Tutorials 1 A and 1 B</i></b></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even if you are not a student of the Mara Montessori Correspondence Course, you will the answers to these two assignment topics of great interest. It sets the tone for your own life and work - <b>there can be another opinion to widely held views.</b></span></div>
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-231246496832575852013-12-24T15:06:00.000-08:002013-12-24T15:06:56.419-08:00When should the cat play?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As all the children grew up in the mid-90s, I had much time on my hands. I wanted to do something in my life that I liked.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvJedomXKX0/UroPYrL1Y-I/AAAAAAAADa4/nzyv-s4e7ik/s1600/Cover+Raising+a+Child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Maria makes a cake with Grandma Cover of my new book" border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fvJedomXKX0/UroPYrL1Y-I/AAAAAAAADa4/nzyv-s4e7ik/s400/Cover+Raising+a+Child.jpg" title="Maria makes a cake with Grandma Cover of my new book" width="326" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Maria makes a cake with Grandma<br />Cover of my new book</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After working for the English Club of Oulu teaching little children to maintain their English language skills, I had become fascinated with education of little children and I looked around for something to study.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I discovered Maria Montessori and that her view about Education was radically different than what I had learnt - but it was identical to the way I had tried to bring up my own children. She gave importance to the child rather than the parent or the teacher. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Her philosophy was centred around the phrase that "The Child is the Farther of Man"!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She wrote volumes upon volumes about Child Education. Everything she said rang a bell with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I visited the Maria Montessori St. Nicholas Institute in London and enrolled for a correspondence course in the subject.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As luck would have it, there was a tutor in Oulu, Finland, who was heading a Maria Montessori school for young children here. She is a Venezulean and she is married to a Finn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anna Eskola was given the task of receiving my correspondence course tutorials and marking them. This consisted a series of questions to which I was expected to write the answers based on the reading material provided in the tutorial available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I got almost every book written by Maria Montessori and her son into my personal library. I started to study the subject with great gusto. My tutorial answers were based on much more than what was contained in the course matter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was an interesting phase as I studied each subject and then wrote the answer to the question on paper. As I did not type, I then dictated it to Jacob. He is a ferocious typer and could keep pace with my dictation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon I was rolling out the tutorial answers. My tutor was immensely pleased with the thoroughness of my answers. I was very happy with the replies, the comments and the grades I was getting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Writing in English, I did have the assistance of Jacob's enormous editing skills as he corrected my Finnish/Indian English into British English, or rather the English he used for editing scientific text which could be understood all around the world, from China to Argentina and from Zambia to Bangladesh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a result both of us got educated, but Jacob in a lot simpler way! :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The course went much faster than I expected and before I realised it I was through it all except for visits to schools, Montessori and other types to do the practical assessment. As we were going to India, I chose two schools in the small town of Kottayam, one a small Montessori children's school and another, called Corpus Christi, which handled children from Junior to High School.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Corpus Christi was the premier school in Kottayam. It was founded and being run by a lady called Mary Roy. She is the mother of Arundhati Roy, the Booker Prize winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mary Roy is the same age as me, but she has had a stormy life, with her parents, her husband, her brother and her daughter. But she is a fighter, and it was this that helped her start one of the most famous schools of Kerala.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She is not a Montessori follower, but her education theory which she has implemented is very close to the Montessori system. I was surprised that when we met two little children for dinner the night before we visited the school, they were waiting to get to school the next day. (That little girl, Naiomi, is today a friend of mine on Facebook and got married a few months ago!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I completed my course and my tutorials received an average of 98%. Now that I have got the hang of how to publish eBooks, I intend to publish my tutorial work as an eBook series! The answers to each tutorial question are available with the assessment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wrote a condensed book - "Raising a Child the Montessori Way" but unfortunately the original computer files have been lost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I do have the original and already in 1998 many people wrote to me asking me to publish it. I made it into a paperback, and already wrote the Preface, but never published it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been struggling for the last four days to put this book online. (That is why the blog entries have been missing!) The scans were not good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am now trying several methods to ensure I can get this book up as soon as possible. I will not change the original version but add a few comments to update the context as 15 years is a long time since writing it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I captured a picture of granddaughter Maria wanting to make a cake just like her grandma during last summer. I am intending to use it as the cover of the boo as it depicts what educating a child is all about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope you will tell other about this book and also find it useful in raising your own child/ children. Very workable and it will result in a well rounded up-bringing!</span><br />
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Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-91996170647158503602013-12-18T22:47:00.000-08:002013-12-18T22:47:28.447-08:00No job was too small!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we came to Finland, both Jacob and I were unemployed. Jacob started to look around. I, too, was looking for something I liked to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did a few weeks in the Oulu University hospital with my nursing background. This was not feasible as I had to look after my entire brood (Indian style)!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I saw that the English Cub of Oulu was intending to run English classes for Finnish children. I contacted them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Club Secretary, Pirkko Böhm, asked whether Jacob would do a talk about Indian culture.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3hya22On-z8rLzpKdPGdnIluA-LHHMsVI8HqD_q8CvFB1dIngVwalFfBzarbveY1rdqBea7RvSkM8ZBs7u2uKZAK5i87p-To8DAK-S5rhXdH9BEl-Kfep1uKhO_KZsvBXvZWZ4tOoiZJ/s1600/1984+Mother+Theresa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Painting of Mother Teresa by Annikki (1984)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3hya22On-z8rLzpKdPGdnIluA-LHHMsVI8HqD_q8CvFB1dIngVwalFfBzarbveY1rdqBea7RvSkM8ZBs7u2uKZAK5i87p-To8DAK-S5rhXdH9BEl-Kfep1uKhO_KZsvBXvZWZ4tOoiZJ/s1600/1984+Mother+Theresa.jpg" height="240" title="Painting of Mother Teresa by Annikki (1984)" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>1984 Painting of Mother Teresa by Annikki</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We constructed an exhibition of all our very rich collections we had brought from India - coins, stamps, antique lamps, my paintings of birds and antiques, batiks, books, encyclopaedias, magazines and other items from our collection. I myself did the one above one of Mother Teresa. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh2x0FDhyrVSk1SjLMvRLtoqC30RA6GhfeXJWWH-55EgvicG3lvP32HszjDyZFU5SyF9P_VP7Zt-pknptJ5XYOsDyitmDktyKLvqHqYrjJhR73dX_awO2IsLFuFcaLSvx_OcNYK5KpsYa/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Jacob and Annikki (1984)" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh2x0FDhyrVSk1SjLMvRLtoqC30RA6GhfeXJWWH-55EgvicG3lvP32HszjDyZFU5SyF9P_VP7Zt-pknptJ5XYOsDyitmDktyKLvqHqYrjJhR73dX_awO2IsLFuFcaLSvx_OcNYK5KpsYa/s1600/IMG_0022.JPG" height="400" title="Jacob and Annikki (1984)" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Jacob and Annikki (1984)</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All these were put on display, and I even dressed in a sari! Jacob dressed in his traditional Kerala clothes of the <i>mundu</i> with <i>jubba</i>! [I could not dress in a sari these days as I have outgrown all my blouses! :-)]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a great talk as Jacob is a very good professional speaker. He held the audience spellbound. He cleared up many misconceptions about India, but he did call a spade a spade! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The exhibition was well received. I was pleased with my effort to bring Indian culture to Oulu, my home town. And we made life-long friends.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgdcfVVEKuTsewnIRoyqcFzE0CXRNaPNR62mbb6A-MMvAtfKaDnYkWpJ5jYO6X3htVIHI0I77My59EZgNqpgRuw8Fq4G2bgBOb6aXABuW0G17Dyz6cnRFQeWxF_1ekYgZaKIcybpwtiUW/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="My English Club English Class students." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgdcfVVEKuTsewnIRoyqcFzE0CXRNaPNR62mbb6A-MMvAtfKaDnYkWpJ5jYO6X3htVIHI0I77My59EZgNqpgRuw8Fq4G2bgBOb6aXABuW0G17Dyz6cnRFQeWxF_1ekYgZaKIcybpwtiUW/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" height="178" title="My English Club English Class students." width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>My English Club English Class students.</i></b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGght9hgTsdKdRszGgHmXAXkUiS7QtBNuNrU5FRCwrDMZnoWF0xXJ0-Z5q8-o1hgLdeRivtCqRzQo1F2tGpalwKuzsJzXF2r_tI0u6zw0eb_WyLhg1Rw25bZjqps-Cx6U-T23Tl7ri3IP/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Another of my English Club English Class students." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGght9hgTsdKdRszGgHmXAXkUiS7QtBNuNrU5FRCwrDMZnoWF0xXJ0-Z5q8-o1hgLdeRivtCqRzQo1F2tGpalwKuzsJzXF2r_tI0u6zw0eb_WyLhg1Rw25bZjqps-Cx6U-T23Tl7ri3IP/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG" height="182" title="Another of my English Club English Class students." width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Another of my English Club English Class students.</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a result of this the English Club of Oulu, which is primarily an organistion to help Finns in Oulu improve their English, asked me to run classes for Finnish children who return from abroad so that they could preserve their English knowledge. Although it was just one hour a week, I did it with great gusto for several years. I had tapes, children's books and I used my own art to teach the chidden. I enjoyed it and I think the children also did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the process Jacob and I became Lifetime Members of the English Club, the status we still hold today! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Being a Lifetime Member is a good investment as you do not have to pay the membership year after year, you are locked in at a very low price, and the Club has the benefit of getting a larger sum which they can use when in the early stages of its existence!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYYSc_9tjSOxxJLJ26PPJs1dn3nWjQkTijVqmdD0DrzKkuG2qn75BaDPHBEXfCxNGcBdPuqQBTo12Fen0fQX18ZCW7AlxvtlFcXk-mhzyb3OWw6Z1BsRsfIuk1CrwiA3YVhINlRnrj4B0/s1600/1988+Finland+Oulu+EC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYYSc_9tjSOxxJLJ26PPJs1dn3nWjQkTijVqmdD0DrzKkuG2qn75BaDPHBEXfCxNGcBdPuqQBTo12Fen0fQX18ZCW7AlxvtlFcXk-mhzyb3OWw6Z1BsRsfIuk1CrwiA3YVhINlRnrj4B0/s1600/1988+Finland+Oulu+EC.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Elected as the Chairperson of the English Club of Oulu. <br />I am holding the gavel!</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Later, because of the contribution of both Jacob and me to the running of the English Club of Oulu, I was elected as the Chairperson of the Club. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During my time as Chairperson we organised many events including a fortnightly talk in English about various issues. Jacob did a wonderful talk about the freedom of the press in India. This was a very controversial period as the fatwa on Salman Rushdie (who was 3 years junior to Jacob from Jacob's school in Bombay, India) was issued at that time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The moral of this story is that we made some wonderful friends due to a participation in the local clubs of the city, which has lasted us till today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is another part of our <b>Findians Love Story</b> with the citizens of Oulu!</span></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-34884720466765957802013-12-18T12:52:00.000-08:002013-12-18T13:00:18.270-08:00Whom do I think of most when I think of India?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the present enormous furore about the maid servant of Devyani Khobragade and the diplomatic spat between US and India, I think I must tell you that when today I think about India, whom do I think of first? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(<i>I am glad that the Indian Government and Opposition have a common stand against the world's Policemen, who have no right for this type of behaviour against an Indian or any diplomat diplomat! This coupled with Edward Snowden's recent revelation (regarding Brazil) about the indiscriminate spying by the US Government shows what we are up against.</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jacob's family or my very very close Indian friends?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not really!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think of all those who were in my "establishment"!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was my establishment? I was a housewife with four children of different ages. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the years the people in my establishment changed, but the final lot before we left Madras for Bangalore are listed here. I valued all of them and I had excellent relations with all of them, They changed over time as they had their own personal preferences!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(There were our maids, Maggie and later her daughter, Pushpa, and then a Burmese refugee, Lakshmi, cook Stephen Baby, and a few more. They came and went depending on their personal family situation!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a driver called Narayanan who was with us from 1969 to 1975, when we moved from Madras to Bangalore. When Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) closed its office in Madras in 1969, Narayanan was jobless and Jacob's father, who was the head of that company recommended Narayanan to us. We never regretted the decision to employ him!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Narayanan was crucial to my life as I depended on him for all my outside contacts and work in Madras as Jacob was travelling around the country almost 20 days a month. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Narayanan would be at my house as early as I requested, take the children to school, two at the Vana Vani School in the IIT, Adayar, and one in the City Centre, in the Sacred Heart School, more commonly known as Church Park on Anna Salai! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Narayanan was there to pick them up and bring them home after school. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could be absolutely sure that in his custody they were safe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Narayanan used to do my daily shopping for provisions in Panagal park in T. Nagar, as I was not able to go every day to the market. When I did go, he was at my side to see that I was not cheated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I trusted him implicitly and his small family, of his wife and his children were an extended part of my family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we left Madras he started his own taxi service and till a few years ago he was running it. His son qualified as a software engineer and works for one of the leading Kerala software companies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoydKFJ_46IzoD1SS4RxN7rpagCeY1HUTgWfsH0ve_LhalA9ql89ZdHKhRYFcc-0jT1gczZVdOfssZLU-9Qn4yWJPvrMXXFu_nog79yXk6mIZ5u6TCvTXJqbcMltplhlYZIvyi2-iSWSLi/s1600/1991+India+Madras+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Narayan and his family. He made sure his taxi was at our disposal whenever we visited Madras." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoydKFJ_46IzoD1SS4RxN7rpagCeY1HUTgWfsH0ve_LhalA9ql89ZdHKhRYFcc-0jT1gczZVdOfssZLU-9Qn4yWJPvrMXXFu_nog79yXk6mIZ5u6TCvTXJqbcMltplhlYZIvyi2-iSWSLi/s1600/1991+India+Madras+2.jpg" height="276" title="Narayan and his family. He made sure his taxi was at our disposal whenever we visited Madras." width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Narayan and his family in 1992. He made sure his taxi <br />was at our disposal whenever we visited Madras.</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we visited India, he was there to drive us around and he would bring his family to meet us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a cleaning lady, called Neela, who used to come to clean our house. Her husband was a drunk. Her son, Anbu, was our elder son, Jaakko's best friend. When Jaakko came from school, they were inseparable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM2NM_psi2VnzLKz4pGQLQvaIWq_K3og04fGJcJEqPGUDmJUv395Wd28Nuclo7bWFJEI7TzNui5uZMXRtwsDXHAbuo0I5C26x1Ghz1fwheGayCBhSUgr7QeXKE5L_ECAXD1-_z6FTV6cX/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Shanti, my maid who was hilarious!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM2NM_psi2VnzLKz4pGQLQvaIWq_K3og04fGJcJEqPGUDmJUv395Wd28Nuclo7bWFJEI7TzNui5uZMXRtwsDXHAbuo0I5C26x1Ghz1fwheGayCBhSUgr7QeXKE5L_ECAXD1-_z6FTV6cX/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" height="320" title="Shanti, my maid who was hilarious!" width="260" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Shanti, my maid who was hilarious!</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a maid to called, Shanti. Not very hard working! She was a friend who had me in splits of laughter. She was a small time lifter, but as I knew it. She used to take anything valuable from the house. I never left any valuables lying around. I always blamed myself whenever I lost anything as I knew it was my irresponsibility!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a gardener called Munuswamy. He was so old, he hardly could walk around the garden. He, however, managed to keep our large garden looking neat as most of the plants around the garden were sweet smelling perennials!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had watchman, an old man, called Raju, who was from Ooty and spoke Butler English, who was pleasant company. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raju used to take the lunch by cycle to the two children in the Vana Vani School! Raju used to eat half of it on the way there, so I used to put double of what the children needed! :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raju felt very important as he was my interpreter when my knowledge of tamil failed me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a housewife, I had the responsibility of ensuring all these were my happy family!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, these are the people I remember most when I think of India. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we moved to Bangalore, only Neela could move with us. But she missed her son, so she moved back to Madras. I got her a job with one of Jacob's cousins and she worked there for several years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My establishment in Bangalore was not as a large as in Madrs but they were as important, as you will learn from another entry of mine on this blog, and the eBook - the Findians Love Story, coming out very soon.</span></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-10081728444816178072013-12-17T21:34:00.000-08:002013-12-17T21:34:31.181-08:00The Finnish lies continue!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently we saw that a Viking Line ship M/S <i>Amorella</i> drove up against a rock and was run aground! <br />
<br />
If one reads the stories on internet, it appears that the company did not learn its lesson of 38 years ago and continue to promote lies, as they did then!<br />
<br />
Many people ask why Jacob and I do not ever travel on Viking Line.<br />
<br />
Driving ships aground appears to be part of the tradition of the Viking line.<br />
<br />
I will describe our experience on 15th August 1975.<br />
<br />
We had come to Finland for a holiday in July 1975. We were scheduled to spend about a month in Finland. However, Indira Gandhi declared emergency in India. Some close friends of Jacob's, who were in the Indian Administration Service in New Delhi, sent Jacob messages not to immediately return to India as there were some problems related to my stay in India. (We returned in November instead of August as originally planned!<br />
<br />
Luckily, as we were staying with my parents, there was not too much extra cost to carry on living in Finland. However, we were short of money.<br />
<br />
As we had been living in England, I had left some money with my friends in England and our Barclays Bank was still active as I was not bound by Indian rules to close our bank accounts when we returned to India.<br />
<br />
However, as there was no Barclays Bank in Finland, the only way was to go to Copenhagen in Denmark and draw the money from the branch there.<br />
<br />
My brother, Eino, agreed to drive us there. We set off to Helsinki. We left or two daughters, Susanna (8) and Joanna (4) with my sister, Anneli, and her friends, while Jacob, Jaakko (7) and Mika (2) and me drove to Naantali on Western Finland to take the car on a ferry to Kapellskär in Sweden.<br />
<br />
The reason we chose this route was it was the shortest and cheapest to do the crossing to Sweden. (It still is!!)<br />
<br />
<table class="infobox" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: 90%; width: 315px;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROJHZ1DSSp3Zo0ieInAjM61NI5EBrPr71IkBaxkJto5jAMNVoW2PHxXyF7GE6KFXGjTSv9plKHVsgX0WmIlVYB4P2EflcWehFjAH2TZtOsauW0MJBJsbF65AcUIV0tBVje0gdMl-hmTYa/s1600/Viking+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Official picture of MS Viking 1" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROJHZ1DSSp3Zo0ieInAjM61NI5EBrPr71IkBaxkJto5jAMNVoW2PHxXyF7GE6KFXGjTSv9plKHVsgX0WmIlVYB4P2EflcWehFjAH2TZtOsauW0MJBJsbF65AcUIV0tBVje0gdMl-hmTYa/s1600/Viking+1.jpg" height="275" title="Official picture of MS Viking 1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Official picture of M/S Viking 1</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Career
Name:
<i>Viking 1</i> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Operator:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking_Line" title="Viking Line">Viking Line</a> (1970–1982) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Route:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naantali" title="Naantali">Naantali</a> — <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariehamn" title="Mariehamn">Mariehamn</a> — <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapellsk%C3%A4r" title="Kapellskär">Kapellskär</a> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Builder:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_Werft" title="Meyer Werft">Meyer Werft</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papenburg" title="Papenburg">Papenburg</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germany" title="West Germany">West Germany</a> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Acquired:
19 August 1970 </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Identification:
<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMO_number" title="IMO number">IMO number</a>: 7018599
Fate: </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Scrapped, October 2002 </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> General characteristics </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Tonnage:
4,239 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_register_tonnage" title="Gross register tonnage">GRT</a> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Length:
108.68 m (356 ft 7 in) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Beam:
17.24 m (56 ft 7 in) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Ice class:
1 A </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Propulsion:
5,965 kW (7,999 hp) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Speed:
18.5 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knot_%28unit%29" title="Knot (unit)">knots</a> (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Capacity:
1,200 passengers and 260 vehicles</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We left Naantali on the M/S Viking 1 in the evening. We had a great buffet meal on the boat. We then settled the children in the bunks in the cabin and we went to the nearby cafe to enjoy an evening drink.<br />
<br />
While we were relaxing, Annikki's brother commented that this was the best part of our trip.<br />
<br />
Then suddenly there was a churning sound and all the curtains in the room started to shudder as the ship shuddered violently. Jacob commented that we had probably hit some rough weather, but one look out of the window showed it was a very calm sea. I knew that the propellers were churning backwards.<br />
<br />
I ran to the cabin when the ship hit rock and it was obvious we were running aground.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="mw-headline" id="Viking_1">Viking 1 (In Finnish. From Wikipedia)</span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rederiaktiebolaget Sallyn omistaman aluksen kotisatama oli
Maarianhamina ja tunnuskirjaimet OGXO. Se liikennöi Suomen lipun alla.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Viking 1 oli tulossa Naantalista Kapellskärin lauttasatamaan aamulla
21. marraskuuta 1971, kun ankara lumimyräkkä ja myrskytuuli painoi
aluksen lujasti karille. Päällystö kuulutti jo lähestyessään satamaa,
että laivan on vaikea päästä laituriin. Aluksella olleet 851 matkustajaa
odottelivat kahvilassa , että veneet ehtisivät kuljettaa heidät maihin.
Viking 1, jossa oli myös 10 yhdistelmäajoneuvoa ja 77 henkilöautoa, ei
saanut karilleajossa vuotoja. Hinaaja avusti aluksen irti karilta ja
alus siirtyi telakalle Tukholmaan tutkituttamaan vaurioitaan. Vuotojen
ja koneiston siirtymisen vuoksi alus joutui olemaan poissa vilkkaasta
joulunalusliikenteestä pari viikkoa.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elokuun 15. päivänä vuonna 1975 Viking 1 ajoi <a href="http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nauvo" title="Nauvo">Nauvon</a>
pohjoispuolella päin Järvisaarta. Väylä tekee paikalla lähes 90 asteen
käännöksen, mutta alus jatkoi kulkuaan suoraan nousten saaren
rantakalliolle. Potkurit ehdittiin kuitenkin kääntää ennen saarta
jarrutusasentoon, joten vauhti hidastui ja vauriot jäivät vähäisiksi.
Satamahinaaja Naantali ehti pian paikalle ja sai aluksen irti savisesta
pohjasta yhdellä nykäyksellä. Alus pääsi omin avuin jatkamaan matkaansa
Kapellskäriin, joten 407 matkustajan matka viivästyi vain 7 tuntia.</span></i></blockquote>
<br />
A look out of the window showed we were sitting atop an island with trees just outside of the window.<br />
<br />
The crew was in chaos, while the passengers were even more in panic.<br />
<br />
Jacob and I kept our nerve, collected the children, put on some clothes and went to the deck to survey the situation.<br />
<br />
Slowly order was being restored. We knew we could jump off the ship too dry land!<br />
<br />
The ship was supposed to do a 90 degree turn at that point and the person at the helm had forgotten this and driven the ship straight up into the island called "Järvi Saari" (Lake Island).<br />
<br />
Now started the damage control by the captain and crew. They said that the matter was under control and they were organising for divers to inspect the bottom of the ship to assess the damage. They said that the tug boat to pull us off the ship would arrive and they would keep us informed.<br />
<br />
I went back to the cabin with the children while Jacob stayed on deck to keep watch on things.<br />
<br />
At about 7 in the morning, Jacob noted many crew members being herded into the dining room where they were served breakfast. Just at that time the helicopter arrived with the journalists. The passengers were kept well away from the journalists while a set up scene of the crew meeting the journalists as passengers was organised.<br />
<br />
The helicopter went away with their false story.<br />
<br />
By that time 2 tugs arrived and attached the tug lines to the ship. As they pulled to try to pull the ship back into the water, one tug line snapped making the ship lurch violently. It could have well turned on its side!<br />
<br />
They attached another tow line and the experienced tug captains this time very carefully got the ship off the island.<br />
<br />
By the time we reached Kapellskär it was late on Friday afternoon, a delay of several hours.<br />
<br />
We had to drive right across Sweden to Copenhagen taking the boat ferry from Helsingborg. We slept on the roadside under and in the car and we reached Copenhagen on saturday morning.<br />
<br />
This was a wasted trip as banks were not open in Copenhagen on Saturday. We went to the parents of Jacob's friend, Viney Sethi, who was married to a Danish girl. They were very kind and gave us a hearty late breakfast and the we had to drive back all across Sweden to reach Kapellskär as we had to cross on the ferry back to Finland.<br />
<br />
We found a different boat but the crew was the same as had brought us over - which was rather disconcerting.<br />
<br />
The trip back was without event. We reached Helsinki, picked up the girls and drove back to Oulu.<br />
<br />
Jacob wrote an article "<i>Vikings invade Järvi Saari</i>" and sent it off to the ship owners explaining the issues and our losses. They were extremely angry to get this letter as they were trying to cover up the incident as a mechanical failure.<br />
<br />
This could have never been, as at 10 at night in summer, it was bright sunshine, so it was obvious the guy at the helm had lost concentration or gone to sleep! The captain was in the dining room just at that time as we saw him when we were finishing our dinner!<br />
<br />
The Finnish version from Wikipedia shows that even 38 years on, there is the continuation of the lie - but they forgot that there were some witnesses - Jacob and I being among them!</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-40473590864058877572013-12-17T03:17:00.000-08:002013-12-17T06:04:18.889-08:00The reason for moving to Finland?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many people have asked both Jacob and me why we moved to Finland in 1984?</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is difficult to give a straight answer, but there were several contributing factors, but none of them were individually strong enough to the decision. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was another reason which we discovered much later!</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first reason <span style="color: #042eee; text-decoration: underline;">was the terrible time I went through</span> being subjected to a false charge by the Bangalore Police which had dragged on for 5 years. I was subjected to much humiliation. But it ended with the Police withdrawing all charges against me and acting as my defenders, but then I was subjected to harassment by the Indian judicial system! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In itself it made me make a decision halfway through this episode that I wanted to leave India!</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jacob was being harassed by a totally corrupt Karnataka bureaucracy, and fight as he would, there was no way around this very public battle. It sort of made him decide that he was not doing anything constructive in Karnataka, and if he wanted to preserve his integrity and honesty, there was no other way than to go somewhere his work and talents would be judged on its merits. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So he met Karnataka Member of Parliament, S. M. Krishna, who was then Union Minister of State for Finance in New Delhi, and explained the reasons why he was pulling out and moving to pastures where he had an even chance of succeeding.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The third reason was that both Jacob and I felt that our children had received and accepted their roots in India, and we both felt that they should be given a chance to understand their roots in Finland. So, if there was an option, we felt we should allow them a reasonable period for them to appreciate this. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children loved their life in India and they had a close bond with their paternal grandparents, so it was a very difficult decision for them.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We waited for Susanna to finish her School and after that, we felt it was time to move as I received my freedom in March 1984.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we processed all our papers by mid April 1984 but with no job under the belt for either of us in Finland, trusting in our Lord, we set off to Finland. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were welcomed by my parents in their home in Oulu, Finland. It was a small house but we settled in into an upstairs corner with our own kitchen, a living room and two small attic bedrooms.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children were back in Finnish schools in August, but it became very obvious that Susanna, who had to move into the High School system of Finland to get into University, would not be able to survive the three years.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since Susanna was born in England in the 60s, she had her British Passport. When one of her classmate friends from India invited Susanna to come to England, we made the decision that for her future, she should move to England and continue her studies there.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the first time one of our family was leaving us, and both Jacob and I were heart-broken, but we knew that we had to be concerned about Susanna's future and not our feelings.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So in November 1984, 8 months after our shift to Finland, Susanna moved to England.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jacob had not yet got a job, but God looked after us in may ways and we were able to survive those 8 months. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By 1985 April it became obvious that our elder son, Jaakko. was also having problems with the Finnish education system, so when he finished his middle school, we allowed him to join Susanna in England, as he too had been born in England and held a British Passport.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was again a big emotional blow for all of us, as Jaakko was the life and soul of our family, but his future decided our action.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By that time Jacob had got a job in the Unversity of Oulu as an assistant Researcher and as Scientific Editor of English publications for the Microelectronics Laboratory. It became obvious he was outstanding in his job so he was firmly entrenched in the University, but I was keen to reunify our family.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So in the summer of 1986, I shifted, with the two younger children to Birmingham, England where Susanna and Jaakko were now well established.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jacob came to England in September, but he was not happy with life in England and our circumstances, while he was doing so well in Oulu. We decided that I would return with the two younger children to Finland. We returned in November 1986 to Oulu.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I must give you some background of the situation in my parent’s home in Oulu. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also living there was my younger sister, who had, by her rather difficult experience in France in 1965, had become a schizophrenic patient. The Finnish system was that she was to be looked after by her parents, but they were unable to control her and she ruled the roost in there home.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I could manage her, to a point, but she was milking her parents and they could do nothing.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One fateful Friday in December 1986, I had gone to town for shopping. As the Sabbath was soon approaching, I cut short my shopping trip and took the bus home. I went upstairs where Mika was listening to the radio and put the kettle on for cup of coffee. I smelt some smoke and went downstairs to see what was the problem. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I opened my sister's room I saw a fire raging in one corner. I shut the door and quickly told Mika to get out of the house. I ran to the neighbours and asked the lady to call the Fire Brigade.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our neighbour, being a reporter, also called her newspaper.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We soon had a crowd of people waiting for the house to burst into flames, as was the case with wooden houses.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was concerned for my parents, whom I knew were in the house. Mika banged on the living room window, where we knew my father was resting.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went into the house and when I opened the door of the living room, as it was already dark (in December darkness descends by 3 pm), I could not see him, but he immediately smelt the fire. He ran out and started to collect water in buckets in the small toilet and tried to put out the fire, which was gathering momentum, with dark smoke coming out of my sister's room.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My mother managed to come down the stairs from her room. She was blinded by the smoke, but we managed to get her out of the house.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was wondering where my father was as he had not come out of the house. So I went in and I found him trying to close the door to my sister's room to try to contain the fire, but the force of the smoke was so strong, he was not able to shut it. I dragged him out twice but he just went back in.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally I understood his intention and I tried to help him, but the pressure inside the room was so strong that we could not together shut the door.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The suddenly, for no reason, the door shut.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My father acted slowly but surely. His clothes cupboard was just behind us. He opened and took out his main clothes and proceeded down the stairs to the cellar, where he had his shoes.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went out by the front door and waited for the Fire Brigade. By that time people were streaming in from around to see the blaze. My sister was standing at the gate. She told a neighbour that it seemed that the fire had not started in earnest!</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was in the back gaden watching the blaze through the window while at the same time, the small ventilation duct was billowing out thick smoke.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Te Fire Brigade arrived and the first question was whether there was anyone left into house. I told them that my mother's dog, Jesse, was trapped in the upstairs bedroom. Thy went in with a smoke extractor and soon emerged with the dog.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They acted quickly and efficiently and before the house could explode, they were able to put out the fire. My sister's room was completely gutted and the entire house was flooded as the firemen ensured that no spark was left unattended.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They took my parents to then hospital to ensure they were not suffering from any smoke inhalation problems.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joanna had been walking home from school and when she saw the Fire Engines rushing, she thought that our house must be on fire. She and her friends rushed home, but the main excitement was over.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Police arrived and having establishing the facts took my sister to the psychiatric hospital.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If we had moved to Finland, if my experience in England had not been negative, and if I had not returned home before the start of the Sabbath, the lives of my parents and their home would have been lost.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coincidence, fate or the handiwork of our Lord God, could have directed efforts to ensure that my parents survived and their home was saved.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no doubt in my mind why we had to move to Finland. As a result of this I was able to fight the case of my sister in Court that she was not convicted as an arsonist and to also get her a permanent place in the psychiatric hospital, so that my parents were freed from her over-bearing and demanding character.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For that I can surely say what or who was the reason for shifting us from India to Finland. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can you?</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 29px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 24px; min-height: 29px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-14219133872310365192013-12-14T08:56:00.002-08:002013-12-14T08:59:53.129-08:00Details of the Bangalore earthquake in 1984! Natural or intervention from above?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can make your own decision whether this earthquake was a natural phenomena or whether there was intervention by a higher being!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is a web site, </span><a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Amateur Sesmic Centre,</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> which lists all the major earthquakes in Karnataka and Goa, with their listing starting in August 1507. they are not very frequent.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the listing for March 1984:</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us">20 March 1984</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"> -
<span lang="en-us">Denkanikota area, Karnataka, Ms 4.6 (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">1</span></a>).</span><br />
<span lang="en-us">12.550</span> <span lang="en-us">N, 77.770 </span>E<span lang="en-us">,
OT=10:45:22 UTC (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">2</span></a>)</span><br />
<span lang="en-us">Felt (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">14</span></a>)
in southern Karnataka at Bangalore and Mysore and in Tamil Nadu at Krishnagiri.
Intensity VI (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#15" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">15</span></a>)
was observed at Kelamangalam and Kowthalam in Karnataka. Cracks were seen in
plaster and utensils were overturned at these places. A section of a mud wall
also collapsed and a 2-metre tall papaya tree was uprooted (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">14</span></a>).</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us">12.550</span> <span lang="en-us">N, 77.770 </span>E<span lang="en-us">,
OT=10:45:22 UTC (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">2</span></a>)</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us">Felt (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">14</span></a>)
in southern Karnataka at Bangalore and Mysore and in Tamil Nadu at Krishnagiri.
Intensity VI (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#15" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">15</span></a>)
was observed at Kelamangalam and Kowthalam in Karnataka. Cracks were seen in
plaster and utensils were overturned at these places. A section of a mud wall
also collapsed and a 2-metre tall papaya tree was uprooted (<a href="http://asc-india.org/seismi/seis-karnataka-goa.htm#14" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">14</span></a>).</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-us">When you read <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/annikki-matthan-and-jacob-matthan-editor/for-the-hour-of-his-judgement-is-come/ebook/product-17356377.html" target="_blank">"...for the hour of His judgement is come:..."</a>, you will see how circumstances caused me to receive my freedom from the </span>corrupt judicial system in Karnataka!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the <b>Preface</b> to the book written by me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>When I went to live in
<a href="http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/%7Esrinivasa/indial.html">India</a>
in 1969, I had expected my life to be full and rich
in content. I entered a strange and wonderful world.
I knew that I had entered a world previously unknown
to me, a world which was a blend of ancient history,
customs, cultures, languages, religions and people
with a touch of each bygone era existing together
with the development and infiltration of the modern
age. I enjoyed unravelling some of its past in trying
to understand better its present. The country's past
and present, its nature and people were full of
surprises, both big and small. Each day was for me
an adventure of discoveries, from the smallest insects
to the big mysteries of life, the reasons for existence
and the meaning of life.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
I wanted to know the ways in which Indian society
functions. I had not intended or expected to have any
close encounters with its legal system, but that was
in store for me, and I faced it. Along with the daily
discoveries of life in India, I made my biggest and most
important discovery: <b>Life in Jesus Christ</b>. I came
face to face with my God and Saviour who freed me in a
breathtaking manner during the final moments of my court
appearance. He declared me not guilty.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
On returning to Finland many people have asked me why we
left India. After hearing some of the incidents, several
people asked me to write about them. There are also many
close friends and family members in India who do not know
all the facts. Many did not hear of my final appearance
in the court room and its outcome. The reason for writing
this is to narrate, as clearly as possible, all the main
events as they occurred.<br />
The legal case was complex. Few people know little of the
legalities of what it means to be a foreigner in India, or
for that matter in any part of the world. The spiritual side
of this episode could perhaps be even less understood without
the exact account of the events and how they were relevant
against the Biblical background. A struggle is going on,
unseen in this world, between the forces of good and evil.
For God, it is to free man from all bondage and slavery.
For the devil, it is how to enslave and capture man without
him having the least suspicion.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
The intention of this book is not as a theological reference
to the pages of the <b>Holy Bible</b> to persuade anyone to
believe in, or an attempt to prove the existence of a distant,
uninvolved God unaffected by the events in the lives of people.
It is, however, my sincere attempt to prove the love and power
of the living God of the Holy Bible, who is involved and
interested in the lives of individuals, whoever and wherever
they may be. The pages that follow are intended as an
encouragement for people in situations that may appear humanly
impossible to show how help can come in the most unexpected
ways. It is also to show that when you take even the first
feeble step towards God, He comes all the way towards you and
remains faithfully with you in all your life experiences.<br />
This book is not intended to be of theological or literary
merit. It is the true life story of a mother of four young
children living an ordinary life and the extraordinary
circumstances which caused great changes to happen to the
family. It is a story of how the presence of forces of
good and evil touched them in a tangible way, where the
presence of God was felt concretely in the events that took
place in an unusual, awesome manner and caused her to accept
God personally and His guidance in her life and that of her family.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
Looking back to the time I was fighting my case against
the police and the government and facing uncertainties
as to the outcome, I remember a discussion with my family
while we were living in
<a href="http://hulk.bu.edu/misc/karnataka/districts/mandya/mandya.html">Sommanahalli (Mandya District)</a> village in the
beautiful, tranquil Indian countryside. I was airing my
feelings after one of our trips to a court hearing in
<a href="http://hulk.bu.edu/misc/karnataka/cities/bangalore/index.html">Bangalore</a>. I said that when this incident was over I
would write a book. After my case came to such an incredible
ending, I had all the more reason to put down the unusual
twists and turns of events which led to those final
extraordinary moments. This has been the time for it,
nine years on.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
I look forward to the release of this web version which
was voted by you, the reader, to be the first of our
books to be published on the World Wide Web to reach the
widest possible world audience as part of our committment
to spread the Word of God and his fantastic deeds and
as a thanks to him for having kept us safe from evil
all through these years.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Rauha Annikki Matthan</b>
Oulu, Finland.</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He tested me in several ways. Our elder son was bitten by a deadly snake, the krait, far from civilisation, where there was no doctor or anti-venom, and he survived! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my greatest hour of need, He was always with me. He was my strength!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can I ever repay Him?</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
After all the legal obstacles were removed and I was free to go, Jacob had
to wind up his work and business and be ready to travel. Although I was
very happy to get back my passports and was now able to travel anywhere, I
was very sad to leave my home and life in India. If I could have reversed
those two things I would have. Everything would have been perfect. But
I accepted the situation and knew we had committed ourselves too far to
change anything. I trusted that there was a purpose and a meaning for us
to start our lives somewhere else. It was not for us to know then, but
time would reveal His will and it has.</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> "I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become
my salvation."</i> <b>Psalm 118:21</b></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The purpose of our move to Finland will be revealed in future blog entries, so do come back to read my continuing "love Story"!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope you enjoy my book! Indian, Finn, Christian, or one of any religion, you will see the importance of trusting implicitly in your Maker!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span lang="en-us"><br /></span></span></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-84457497369039428622013-12-12T17:25:00.001-08:002013-12-12T17:26:50.200-08:00Does it need an earthquake to get justice in the Indian System?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I talk of a Love Story and I am trying to give you different aspects to this picture of this Love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Husband, children, grandchildren, parents. siblings, in-laws, friends, relatives, those who worked with you, a<b>nd one more, above all!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In this list I must also include the undying Love of my Maker for ME!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I was arrested and prosecuted by the corrupt justice system in Bangalore in the 1970s, I went through sheer hell for over 4 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had to present myself week in and week out in the Magistrate's Court in Bangalore to be humiliated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I never lost my faith in my Maker.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was He who intervened with His full power to get me justice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is described in my eBook <a href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/annikki-matthan-and-jacob-matthan-editor/for-the-hour-of-his-judgement-is-come/ebook/product-17356377.html" target="_blank">"...for the hour of His judgement is come:..."</a> which I wrote after I had returned to Finland. It was published on the internet, probably one of ther first books to be published fully on the internet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can also reach the book by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did it need an earth quake for me to get my freedom? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The answer is YES!!!</span></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196518719322992902.post-81526326693194762042013-12-10T23:40:00.003-08:002013-12-10T23:45:24.200-08:00Part 2A: Is this Love Story about just 2 people? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the inputs I have been getting, it has been assumed that this Love Story was just about 2 people - Jacob and me! That is far from the truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
This romance is between the many tens of people who showered us with love and affection over the years starting with Jacob's late mother, Mariam Matthan (known to us as "Ammachi" - which means "Mother" in Malayalam).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNHeuxeOwMlA6qqAcsMVji-D8TcmsOqXXg8VeiFNf_pV2IlUvNMcordggzlMuKFhmALoX0twY-tOHvLZ1a0C486X3Ua9aNsZ8Vqd2AjbjyhJkooE3V_f33slx0bQUWJ-MUkNxJPPDMea1/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="K. C. Mammen Mappillai" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNHeuxeOwMlA6qqAcsMVji-D8TcmsOqXXg8VeiFNf_pV2IlUvNMcordggzlMuKFhmALoX0twY-tOHvLZ1a0C486X3Ua9aNsZ8Vqd2AjbjyhJkooE3V_f33slx0bQUWJ-MUkNxJPPDMea1/s400/photo.JPG" title="K. C. Mammen Mappillai" width="310" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>The late K. C. Mammen Mappillai</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Ammachi was the only daughter of the <a href="http://koti.netplaza.fi/~jmatthan/granddad.html" target="_blank">Doyen of Kerala, Mr. K. C. Mammen Mappillai</a>. He and his wife (Kundjunammama) had 8 sons and one daughter. Out of the eight sons, four of them with a public profile went on to receive the Padma Shri Awards and one the Padma Bhushan as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is there any family in India who has this record? (Jacob's cousin, Mammen Mathew, son of the late Mr. K. M. Mathew has also received the Padma Shri Award!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS3-icl9wQ3NHVATpL6puSY8KTmeTMWHw44uLQSk1YDoCwWS6BneUQ9TFpXoSOh-Fjin2vaM9SEh3ALA_c_kMWtttLpVhPXhbOLOlP1iAkEtMuzksBkJviQ7UFj6-sJcNd-acTwGcLbmL/s1600/K.+M.+Cherian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Padma Bhushan K. M. Cherian" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS3-icl9wQ3NHVATpL6puSY8KTmeTMWHw44uLQSk1YDoCwWS6BneUQ9TFpXoSOh-Fjin2vaM9SEh3ALA_c_kMWtttLpVhPXhbOLOlP1iAkEtMuzksBkJviQ7UFj6-sJcNd-acTwGcLbmL/s320/K.+M.+Cherian.jpg" title="Padma Bhushan K. M. Cherian" width="315" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Padma Bhushan K. M. Cherian</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">T<a href="http://www.kandathilkudumbam.com/downloads/Chapter_9.pdf" target="_blank">he late K. M. Cherian</a>, the eldest, received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan (1971) Awards. He took over running the Malayala Manorama after the demise of the father in 1953.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/DWJ-lPcVCYo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Padma Shri K. M. Philip with Mrs. Philip.</i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.grpweb.com/people/management/105.html?tmpl=component" target="_blank">Mr. K. M. Philip</a> (now 102 in 2013), who besides being the Father of the Indian Rubber Industry, was also the World Y. M.C.A. President was awarded the Padma Shri (1993).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Mammen and his father, K. M. Mathew" height="365" src="http://kotinetti.suomi.net/hilja.reinikka/photos/Family/05RajenKMM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>The late Mr. K. M. Mathew Padma Shri in 1998, <br />with his son Mammen Mathew <br />who also received the Padma Shri in 2005.</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://kotinetti.suomi.net/hilja.reinikka/photos/Family/05RajenKMM.jpg"> </a>
</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
The late Mr. K. M. Mathew, received the Padma Shri in 1998, and ran the Malayala Manorama after the passing of Mr. K. M. Cherian. He turned a small town newspaper into an international communication channel for all Malayalees around the world and created so much out of the institution to build the Manorama Directory, the Balrama for children, the Vanitha for ladies and the Manorama Weekly, plus launch The Week, which today is India's largest English weekly magazine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZrcBkCXjQfbne3Oezf8M9asCHVPRXls-j8Y6TKJubksYLBupJZSK91iqU10YUXIYUk11zmSFgYrzzV_m6moihKFuWvPcA9yRl2PfxoUJT_mQPRDOPjjMVtMT2obylo6DRztCSTvSTn8a/s1600/K.+M.+Mammen+Mappillai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="The late Mr. K. M. Mammen Mappillai, Padma Shri in 1993." border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZrcBkCXjQfbne3Oezf8M9asCHVPRXls-j8Y6TKJubksYLBupJZSK91iqU10YUXIYUk11zmSFgYrzzV_m6moihKFuWvPcA9yRl2PfxoUJT_mQPRDOPjjMVtMT2obylo6DRztCSTvSTn8a/s400/K.+M.+Mammen+Mappillai.jpg" title="The late Mr. K. M. Mammen Mappillai, Padma Shri in 1993." width="283" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>The late Mr. K. M. Mammen Mappillai, Padma Shri in 1993.</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The late Mr. K. M. Mammen Mappillai who received the Padma Shri in 1993, with his brother, Mr. K. M. Philip, turned a toy balloon factory into India's largest tyre company, MRF Ltd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj5T20iTpzM/UqgTizy5W5I/AAAAAAAADWM/ptUU0N92SQI/s1600/Ammachi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Ammachi when she graduated from Women's Christian College, Madras in 1934" border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj5T20iTpzM/UqgTizy5W5I/AAAAAAAADWM/ptUU0N92SQI/s400/Ammachi.jpg" title="Ammachi when she graduated from Women's Christian College, Madras in 1934" width="263" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i>Ammachi when she graduated from <br />Women's Christian College, Madras in 1934</i></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
All eight brother's revered their sister, Ammachi, and she held them together to build the MM Empire. Without her daily chats sitting in her home in Bangalore, the entire family would have gone in different ways. Whenever there was a disagreement, they would be on the phone to her, and in her quiet manner, she would bring them around to a common viewpoint.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was not unusual to see her brothers arrive at her home in Bangalore to stay for a day or two to work off their steam!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ammachi opposed my marriage to Jacob and after Jacob's father failed in his mission to stop the wedding, she gave the job to two of her brothers, her eldest, K. M. Cherian and her youngest, K. M. Mammen Mappillai. Both of them were far ahead f their time and only established from Jacob that he was serious and committed to this relationship, and they advised Ammachi to quietly accept Jacob's decision.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Till the day we got married, she was opposed to the union, but within minutes of the wedding, she publicly declared - "What God hath put together, let no man put asunder", and from that day I was closer to her than her own daughter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She was there at Bombay harbour to meet us when we landed in September 1969 and she whisked the two children and me way to her home to ensure that from that moment we were looked after in a way that I can never forget. Her love was unconditional to our children and to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we moved to Bangalore in 1975, I decided to make something unique for her. I toiled for 7 months to produce a masterpiece art piece, "The Zebras" and this hung in her living room as the centrepiece till the day she died.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IJV6LgSC7i6NJt6EUgejkZO0QvGdS46m6JdL-sXOgNw5vpQuxvlC4c81g2BdBAffDWP6DQq1hY53yldbIkFV1LbpHpN-PszsUYp7veJM8fdEsVppX0WsUTuAhaZor5cYjYuQ6G3T32p9/s1600/1976+Wool+Tapestry+Zebras+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="http://www.grpweb.com/people/management/105.html?tmpl=component" border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IJV6LgSC7i6NJt6EUgejkZO0QvGdS46m6JdL-sXOgNw5vpQuxvlC4c81g2BdBAffDWP6DQq1hY53yldbIkFV1LbpHpN-PszsUYp7veJM8fdEsVppX0WsUTuAhaZor5cYjYuQ6G3T32p9/s400/1976+Wool+Tapestry+Zebras+2.jpg" title="http://www.grpweb.com/people/management/105.html?tmpl=component" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Zebras, a textile art piece made by me<br />for my mother-in-law in 1976.</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On her passing away in 2000, the art work was returned to me and now is the centrepiece in our living room.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Till her very last breath she showed her love and affection for our entire family despite many attempts to break that bond by jealous family members. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have written here about the Kandathil family to which my mother belonged. I must tell you about the Maliyakal family to which Jacob's father belonged It was equally distinguished!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, this Love Story covers many many people. In future blog entries I will tell you about other wonderful people who have been part of my life in England, India and Finland!</span></div>
Rauha (Peace)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07017221986842748794noreply@blogger.com0