'Dada' means Grandfather in Hindi.
I realized today that the strong sense of family that we see in India is also reflected in the language. There are different words for your father's father (dada), and your mother's father (naanaa), and your son's son (pataa), and your daughter's son (dhtaa). There are even distinctions between your Father's older brother's wife (taaI) and your Father's younger brother's wife (caacai). There are many kinds of uncle -- your father's older brother, your father's sister's husband, your father's younger brother, your mother's brother, or your mother's sister's husband.
So I understand a little better now how people can say there are 100 members of their family. They probably have different words for all of them!
Anyway, learning this was a side effect of trying to find the spelling for 'dada', after a conversation with my co-worker 'P'.
He was excited to tell me that he got engaged on his vacation. I didn't quite know if it was appropriate to ask if it was an arranged marriage. But he is clearly happy about it, in any event.
He is looking forward to his new responsibilities as a family man, and it has made him rather philosophic. He wonders whether all of our modern inventions have actually made anyone happier. He notices that his parents and grandparents do not have computers, and yet they are quite happy. So he asked his 84 year old 'dada' what the secret of happiness was. Here is his answer:
Happiness = (Total # of desires fulfilled) / (Total # of desires)
So we tend to have lots of stuff, but we crave more, so our happiness ratio is not always very good. His parents and grandparents do not have a lot of stuff, but they don't want more things, so they are happy.
It's quite an idea...
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
Winter
It's not that I'm trying to boast, but I seem to be developing a reputation as the Winter Expert. This is in spite of the fact that I'm not a particular fan of winter. I do like having 4 seasons, but Winter could be a lot shorter, if you ask me!
Here in New York, we are digging out from a blizzard over the weekend, and it is really easy to see that some people need remedial lessons in coping with the weather.
1) Wear a hat. Just do it. Whoever you are trying to impress by going hatless is not nearly as impressed as you think they are. I did an informal study of the commuters this morning and noticed that people without hats were not smiling. And confidentially to the hatless lady wearing the fur coat, you can be silly and rich (and cold) at the same time.
2) Wear boots. For reasons, see item 1. P.S. both of these items have been added to honor my mother.
3) Zip your jacket. Saturday night, in the middle of the storm, the teenage son of the super at my apartment complex was helping shovel the walks. He was complaining how cold he was, and the snow had totally stuck all over the sweatshirt he wore under his open jacket. I asked why he didn't zip his jacket and he said it was broken. So I asked if it was ok if I tried to zip it for him and lo and behold, a miracle occurred and God fixed the broken zipper. Or something like that.
4) Ok, now that I've echoed what mothers have been saying for generations, I've got a request for you, too. Don't dress your kids in itchy clothes. It's not worth it.
5) Shovel your walks. This item is here to honor my father, who always made sure we had the best shoveled walks in the neighborhood. I know that it is physically hard to shovel, but if you are not well enough to shovel you are also not well enough to fall on the ice that will stick around for a couple of weeks if you don't shovel before people trample a path through the snow. Anyway, this is why God made teenage boys. They are like human snowblowers if you motivate them (preferably with cash). We had a couple who were trolling the parking lots yesterday. One showed a truly creative technique in which he scooped a shovel-full of snow in between the cars, and flung it overhead to land in the open spot behind him, without denting the cars on either side. Truly impressive.
5) Learn to measure. I hate to break it to you, but you don't choose the deepest drift when you are measuring how much snow you have. I'll probably get run out of town for this, but around me, we actually got around 10-14" of snow, not the 20" everybody is claiming. That's sort of like standing on tiptoe when you say how tall you are. And while we are on the topic of measuring, if you quote the wind-chill temperature, don't pretend that it is actually the number on the thermometer.
6)Remember the fun of snow. I work with a lot of people from warmer climates, who have never experienced a real snow storm. So I make it my business to teach them how to make snow angels and snowmen. Indoor activities can be fun too. Years ago, I spent a snow day learning to crochet. I intentionally did something new, so I would take advantage of the extra day off. And how about some hot chocolate? Or maybe a stew in the crock-pot? If you want something quicker, here's my recipe for an instant winter meal: 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, then fill the can with milk and pour that into the pot too. Add one can of corn, with the juice (use a can about the same size as the soup can). Add one can of tuna or salmon. Heat until simmering and serve.
7) Think about the miracle of snow. We usually think of water as being either liquid, frozen solid, or steam, but snow is a whole different thing. It's frozen, but it's fluffy. All the snow-making machines in the world can't make as much snow as one storm. To top it off, each snowflake is so intricate. I don't know if every snowflake is actually unique or not, but they are really amazing. Here's a link to some photos of snow crystals
Personally, if I were going to blanket multiple states with snow, I would start with a structural building block that required less work, but once again we see examples of the abundant creativity of God.
Here in New York, we are digging out from a blizzard over the weekend, and it is really easy to see that some people need remedial lessons in coping with the weather.
1) Wear a hat. Just do it. Whoever you are trying to impress by going hatless is not nearly as impressed as you think they are. I did an informal study of the commuters this morning and noticed that people without hats were not smiling. And confidentially to the hatless lady wearing the fur coat, you can be silly and rich (and cold) at the same time.
2) Wear boots. For reasons, see item 1. P.S. both of these items have been added to honor my mother.
3) Zip your jacket. Saturday night, in the middle of the storm, the teenage son of the super at my apartment complex was helping shovel the walks. He was complaining how cold he was, and the snow had totally stuck all over the sweatshirt he wore under his open jacket. I asked why he didn't zip his jacket and he said it was broken. So I asked if it was ok if I tried to zip it for him and lo and behold, a miracle occurred and God fixed the broken zipper. Or something like that.
4) Ok, now that I've echoed what mothers have been saying for generations, I've got a request for you, too. Don't dress your kids in itchy clothes. It's not worth it.
5) Shovel your walks. This item is here to honor my father, who always made sure we had the best shoveled walks in the neighborhood. I know that it is physically hard to shovel, but if you are not well enough to shovel you are also not well enough to fall on the ice that will stick around for a couple of weeks if you don't shovel before people trample a path through the snow. Anyway, this is why God made teenage boys. They are like human snowblowers if you motivate them (preferably with cash). We had a couple who were trolling the parking lots yesterday. One showed a truly creative technique in which he scooped a shovel-full of snow in between the cars, and flung it overhead to land in the open spot behind him, without denting the cars on either side. Truly impressive.
5) Learn to measure. I hate to break it to you, but you don't choose the deepest drift when you are measuring how much snow you have. I'll probably get run out of town for this, but around me, we actually got around 10-14" of snow, not the 20" everybody is claiming. That's sort of like standing on tiptoe when you say how tall you are. And while we are on the topic of measuring, if you quote the wind-chill temperature, don't pretend that it is actually the number on the thermometer.
6)Remember the fun of snow. I work with a lot of people from warmer climates, who have never experienced a real snow storm. So I make it my business to teach them how to make snow angels and snowmen. Indoor activities can be fun too. Years ago, I spent a snow day learning to crochet. I intentionally did something new, so I would take advantage of the extra day off. And how about some hot chocolate? Or maybe a stew in the crock-pot? If you want something quicker, here's my recipe for an instant winter meal: 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, then fill the can with milk and pour that into the pot too. Add one can of corn, with the juice (use a can about the same size as the soup can). Add one can of tuna or salmon. Heat until simmering and serve.
7) Think about the miracle of snow. We usually think of water as being either liquid, frozen solid, or steam, but snow is a whole different thing. It's frozen, but it's fluffy. All the snow-making machines in the world can't make as much snow as one storm. To top it off, each snowflake is so intricate. I don't know if every snowflake is actually unique or not, but they are really amazing. Here's a link to some photos of snow crystals
Personally, if I were going to blanket multiple states with snow, I would start with a structural building block that required less work, but once again we see examples of the abundant creativity of God.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
The Creator
Have you ever noticed how creative God is?
It's easy to see the hand of the creator when we look at the stars or a beautiful sunset, but I've been thinking about dirt. Dirt from different places is so different.That's something I notice when I travel. I come from New York, where dirt is dark brown. In New York, we assume that is the 'normal' color of dirt. And we also expect it to stay in its place. Unless you roll around on the ground, you don't really get dirt on you. You can even wear white clothes, and they stay white (unless you ride the subway, which really isn't God's fault).
Gardeners incorporate extra organic matter into the earth, of course, and then it becomes even darker, and sort of fluffy. And for some reason, they seem to like to smell it. I only like to smell dirt when there is a sudden thaw in the Springtime. That scent of melting earth is a sign to me that Winter is over.
Now I'm in Sedona, AZ, and the dirt is red. Kind of brick colored. For a short time after it rains, the earth is wet and slippery, but soon it dries out and becomes hard. And then red dust gets kicked up. Lots of people buy white cars (so they don't get so hot in the sun), but the cars don't stay white for long.
In Turkey, the dirt was tan. It was kicked up as dust, and hung in the air and lighted on your clothes and skin, and stuck there. I've been home over three months, and have worn my hiking boots through rain, sleet and snow, and I can still see the Turkey dust in the creases. I think of it as a free souvenir.
People who enter competitions to build sandcastles become experts on different types of sand. Some sand has larger grains, some sand has rounder grains, and it all makes a difference if you want to be able to build an elaborate edifice. Who would have known?
So what's the point of saying all this?
If I were creating the world, I would never think of all this variety. I would simply make one kind of dirt, and be done with it. But God is so creative that he didn't just make all kinds of plants and animals, he even made all different kinds of dirt. Imagine having that much excess creativity, that you invent countless kinds of dirt.
It's easy to see the hand of the creator when we look at the stars or a beautiful sunset, but I've been thinking about dirt. Dirt from different places is so different.That's something I notice when I travel. I come from New York, where dirt is dark brown. In New York, we assume that is the 'normal' color of dirt. And we also expect it to stay in its place. Unless you roll around on the ground, you don't really get dirt on you. You can even wear white clothes, and they stay white (unless you ride the subway, which really isn't God's fault).
Gardeners incorporate extra organic matter into the earth, of course, and then it becomes even darker, and sort of fluffy. And for some reason, they seem to like to smell it. I only like to smell dirt when there is a sudden thaw in the Springtime. That scent of melting earth is a sign to me that Winter is over.
Now I'm in Sedona, AZ, and the dirt is red. Kind of brick colored. For a short time after it rains, the earth is wet and slippery, but soon it dries out and becomes hard. And then red dust gets kicked up. Lots of people buy white cars (so they don't get so hot in the sun), but the cars don't stay white for long.
In Turkey, the dirt was tan. It was kicked up as dust, and hung in the air and lighted on your clothes and skin, and stuck there. I've been home over three months, and have worn my hiking boots through rain, sleet and snow, and I can still see the Turkey dust in the creases. I think of it as a free souvenir.
People who enter competitions to build sandcastles become experts on different types of sand. Some sand has larger grains, some sand has rounder grains, and it all makes a difference if you want to be able to build an elaborate edifice. Who would have known?
So what's the point of saying all this?
If I were creating the world, I would never think of all this variety. I would simply make one kind of dirt, and be done with it. But God is so creative that he didn't just make all kinds of plants and animals, he even made all different kinds of dirt. Imagine having that much excess creativity, that you invent countless kinds of dirt.