Oregon and OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) - Part Two

 My father ran a free library as a youth. So we had lots of book on American and Russian history. All the books were translated in Tamil. It was thru my father library books, I learnt about Rasputin (it had couple of illustration of  half naked Russian women .So I never read that book in front my dad) . BTW, do you guys remember this famous BoneyM number Rasputin. We had a good collection of Boney M and Abba tapes when we bought our first tape recorder  in 19 78 or 1979.

We had this huge book titled “Origone Vazhi Pathai”  (Oregon Trail).  I read every book from my father’s library during summer holidays especially during my elementary years. Never in a million years, had I imagined that Portland, Oregon will become my home away from home. When we moved to Portland, Oregon, I read many books on Oregon Trail and visited Oregon Trail Interpretive center in Baker city, Oregon.

 I read about Lewis and Clark expedition and about the famous Native Indian woman named Sacagawea. When we see this famous landmark Beacon rock on Columbia River, I recollect Lewis and Clark passage thru this rock in 1805. Last week OPB aired very interesting documentary “spirit of sacagawea” . This film gave a fresh view on Sacagawea’s life as young girl accompanying Lewis and Clark thru the eyes of Native American people.

I read this book Columbia River Basketry: Gift of the Ancestors, Gift of the Earth by Mary Dodds Schlick in 1999 . Few years back Art Beat aired program on Mary Dodds Schlick. I wish to meet her in person someday.

OPB aired program on Samuel Hill (1857–1931), founder of Maryhill Museum of Art, and the man responsible for constructing the historic Maryhill Loops Road(http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/loops.html). The first macadam asphalt-paved road in the Pacific Northwest was constructed in 1909- 1913. Every time we plan to visit this museum something else would come up. This July 4^th weekend we were all set to start only to find that our new spanking Garmin GPS was missing. Later on (after a month or so) I realized that I kept the GPS on one of the decorative bowls along with other ceramic wares bound for Good will store this summer.  I think that CB’s christmas present was meant to be donated to Good will store : ).

Thanks to OPB I am learning lot about the my city Portland, oregon, My home sweet home. When you guys get time  check out OPB archives thru these two links.

http://watch.opb.org/

http://watch.opb.org/morevideos.html

Remembering my favorite teacher - Sister Edel Mary

• She was my class teacher in ninth grade


• She is a beautiful woman with happy soul.


• She had a beautiful smile like Mona Lisa’s. It’s so hard to interpret her mood because she  gave that Mona Lisa smile even when we behaved badly.


• She taught History.


• She introduced me to Anil Kapoor


• She covered her History book with Anil Kapoor’s posters (I guess from magazine or news paper). She is Anil Kapoor’s fan so I became his fan too.


•  She was a welcome change in our school dominated by unfriendly nuns (mostly Tamil nuns from rural background who tortured happy carefree kids imposing "nun" like rules). I always felt she never belonged there.


• She asked us to learn typing and short hand so it will come handy during our college years. I followed her advice faithfully and passed my typing lower grade mid of  11^th grade year. I attempted my typing higher grade exam after 4 months  but failed. I didn’t practice well due to my half-yearly exams. I was the only one 15-year-old kid, taking the higher grade typing exam in that huge exam hall .I was the youngest student in my institute and hence my teacher’s pet.  I also took short hand –lower grade lessons but discontinued it, when I came to 12^th grade due to tight academic schedule. I had decent knowledge of short hand to take notes .Now  I don't remember anything  .


• She was very entertaining.  I never saw her as a nun but as domesticated women who loved children. She was happy around kids and eager to mentor us in her own undemanding ways. She really influenced my mothering style.


• I watched " Fraggle Rock" for the first time during my ninth grade. She made us watch “Fraggle Rock” once a week during her class hour. That was my first introduction to 3-D animated cartoons . I used to create 3-D model of comic book character(s) out of china clay (aka modeling clay) complete with cardboard castles/building during summer time. Fraggle Rock based projects dominated the summer that year.


• During my college years I forced myself to believe that Sister Edel became a nun because of a broken love affair : ).  She was a vibrant woman who gave up everything in life for the sake of God.


• She died at a younger age (during 1990’s) due health complications arising after a van accident driven by a careless and stupid driver . Even during my schooling years he used to scare the hell out us bye driving the van at high-speed inside our school campus.

 I tried to remember Sister Edel Mary as often as I can , but today I remembered her specially ,when I sang my son’s favorite Anil Kapoor’s dance number “Tak dina din tak dina din .., bom bom bom Bombay mere hai” . 

She was my ideal teacher and no wonder I always wanted to become a pre-KG teacher. I still do.