Preparation for the Speaking Lab Exam for the first years has been keeping me busy these three days.

Tomorrow and the day after, the college is going to become one of  the most inaccessible places on earth with the District authorities taking us over. But that is another  tale...

For the first time today, I saw how technology can enthuse people and create ripples of excitement in an otherwise staid and routine life.

I happened to meet Prof.Lakshmana Perumal, the COE. He's  normally very quiet, subdued and professional . But with his new Micromax, he's turned so animated and so eager to experiment with his Nokia. He showed Prof.Anbalagan and me the new phone. 

As he explained the various features, he was truly like a little boy, so gleeful and joyous at the various applications available. His eyes shone and he was totally animated. His enthusiasm was catching.  

I'm not much of a tech freak myself, but I could see and share in the excitement, as the sky opened up before our eyes with the positions of the constellations with their names, position of planets and the moon unfolded before our eyes like magic.  It shows one the nearest gas stations, restaurants (Karuppur Punjabi Dhaba was there), the nearest ATMs, opens mails, accesses Wikiandroid, plays music, takes videos, records sounds, shows one the road maps and is all touchscreen. Oh, wow, amd  at only Rs.6000/ it seemed like the most affordable toy ever. 

But above all, it showed me that hidden inside serious academics are little boys who have not given up the simple pleasures of life, like being happy with a little thing.  


I also went to bid goodbye to the Principal, Prof.P.M.Kavimani, who is assuming charge at Chennai as Addl.Director at DOTE. I wished him well and promised him that the GCE newsletter team would keep him updated on its developments. He, in turn, came up with an exciting suggestion - setting up a Community Radio for the benefit of the students in villages nearby, the women, farmers and others who could tune in and listen to our broadcasts. I know that Anna University Chennai has an FM station since I was one of their guests giving a talk one evening. I don't know if this will become a reality, but the idea has germinated and I hope the valuable suggestion given by Prof. Kavimani will bear fruit.