What is a child's age to work?

At what age a child should be allowed to work? Or if a child should be allowed to work at all?

I saw this little girl on the marine drive walk way one evening carefully packing her wares in a card board box. The day’s business was done and she was going home. She was quite business like, methodical, with all the instincts of a survivor in this tough,cruel world. She has no management or marketing degree to earn her bread but she knows how to do it by practical experience. She also knows if she doesn’t sell she will starve for the night.

She must have had a good sale for the day. I can see she was happy. I quietly followed her. She headed straight to a roadside vendor bought something for her to eat. I suppose this is a way of rewarding herself for doing a good job. No one is going to praise her if her earnings are good and neither does she expect it.

Then she happily talked to a lame beggar on the way and they had some good laughs. Then she walked briskly, business like munching what she bought.

She is a little girl of the world and there are millions like her. They have no play time, no education, no comforts and luxuries but just work for survival all the days of their life. In time she will grow up, get married, have children and teach them the same thing- how to survive this tough and difficult world. She will continue to work, have her ups and down, joys and sorrows, trials and tribulations, times of grief and tragedy perhaps more than any one of us and she will bear them very stoically placing her complete trust in God.

Isn’t she doing God’s work on earth in her own simple ways?

MAGIC IN THE SKY

The sky is so ubiquitous that we automatically look at it when we are outdoors.I would like to see the sky in the evenings especially when the sun is setting. As the sun goes down the horizon, it paints the sky with lovely colors and this fills me with a great sense of wonder and awe. Many times I stood mesmerised gazing at the sky for a long time till the darkness sets in. It seems to me that God is showing a glimpse of HIS mighty power and glory.

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. Please click on the photos to enlarge.

THE THRILLS OF YOUNGSTERS

It is amazing to see how youngsters know how to enjoy their lives. Even simple things become a source of great entertainment for them. Their innovations, their enthusiasm, their energy, their daring, their excitement is something which is very contagious and always leaves me speechless.

Of course I was also like that when I was young. But some how over a period of time, I lost that child like enthusiasm, thrill and joy over little things. Now I take many things for granted and many things which excited me no longer holds any attraction for me.

Some might say that a person is as old as he thinks. Age is always in the mind. If a person thinks he is young then he is young and if he thinks he is old he is old. I fully agree with this line of thought. But can I do the things that these youngsters are doing? I am sure to break my neck.

A CATHOLIC WEDDING

Since the time of this wedding was clashing with my work, I could not attend the mass. I reached there just after the mass was over. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

The altar of St.Martins Church,Palarivattom,Kochi.
Please click on the photos for a larger view.

The groom had many friends in the clergy and many priestS concelebrated the mass.

The groom is working in Germany and many of his German friends attended the wedding.

The bride and groom posing with the flower girls.

Lighting the traditional lamp.

The guests enjoying the feast.

A HINDU WEDDOING

I attended a Hindu marriage.The bride is doing her final year degree to become an Ayurvedic doctor. The bridegroom is doing his post graduation in Ayurveda. Both of them will finish their studies next year and will jointly set up a practice.

The initial but brief ceremony took place in a temple. I could not witness this ceremony because I was late. However there were several elaborate ceremonies in the reception hall which I attended. Please click on the photos for a larger view.




The father escorting the daughter into the reception hall.Look at the jasmine flowers she is having.

She is wearing a gorgeous saree.And the father is watching anxiously.



The bridegroom takes the bride around the dias.

The bride posing with her husband, her father, her mother and her brother.

The bride all smiles.

Oil lamps brightly lit up for the occasion signifying a bright, happy, prosperous married life.


The bride posing with her college mates.

Look at jewelry. The parents pride themselves in decorating their daughter with gold jewelry at the time of wedding which the bride will take as her dowry.The gorgeous saree she is wearing is a treat for the eyes.This is a typical Kerala saree worn by Malayalees at the time of wedding.


Wow!The flowers,gold jewelry,the gold bordered saree are a treat for the eyes.sThe bride groom is always in a simple dress in typical Kerala style.The focus is on the bride.
Guests happily chatting away awaiting their turn of sadya(feast).

The feast is ready to be enjoyed.

The guests coming out of the reception hall completely happy and satisfied.

I hope you have enjoyed also. Please wish the couple a happy and successful married life.

COCHIN CARNIVAL - the end.

This is the last in the series of my posts under the heading COCHIN CARNIVAL. If you want to see my earlier posts on this, kindly visit my old blog LIFE IN MOTION and check on my posts dated 11th Jan.,15th Jan. and 29th Jan.
Best wishes:)

THIS TREE FASCINATED ME

This tree fascinated me from my young age. I remember eating a few petals of the flower from this tree when I was a boy with my friends. They tasted sour. The flower and the tree in full bloom looked grand even then.Please click on the photos for lovely large view.

They really grabbed my attention when I was working in Goa as branch manager of Avery India Ltd. I was living in Porvorim and the office was in Panjim. I had to cross the Mandovi Bridge both in the morning and evening. On the steep slope leading to Mandovi bridge there are rows and rows of these trees on both sides of the road. In the months of April, May and June they were in full bloom and there were thousands of bright red flowers on the trees. They looked so cheerful and fascinating that I forgot all the problems I had during the time I drove up or down the slope under the thick canopy of those gorgeous flowers.



Now in Kochi, where I am living, these tress are there but not in rows and rows as I saw them in Goa. Yet I am fascinated by this tree when it is in full bloom. They seem to challenge and defy the mighty hot sun during this season with their beautiful flowers. I wonder how many of us can face a difficult situation with courage, confidence and never say die attitude.

I salute this tree. I think this tree is called the May Flower tree.