Sipra's Diary ;: Discussions on senior center.dated 10thhaugust.

Yesterday I  went to participate in discussion's group of senior center. The topic was  of my favourite subject :' language'.
 Q::The US Government has never declared an 'official' language.Should there be an official language?

The top three languages in the united states,are: English,Spanish and Chinese.There are more spanish speakers in the United states than in Spain.
When someone comes to this country,no matter the reason, shoud it be there 'number one priority' to learn English?
According to figures from the department of Homeland security,1.o2 million immigrants were granted permanent residence  in the US in 2014;In 2015  the number rose up to1.05.


            ** America,  a superpowerful democratic country in the world  has not yet declared   its own 'official Language' ?  It is hard to believe that the greatest land of diversity---  a multi-cultural, multi-lingual country  has no official language!
 A country means a Nation with its own Constitution ,  Parliament ,National flag ,  Central   bank,  own currency,  and legally approved 'official' language.

Most of the attendees have no clear idea what is meant by 'official'  language. I explained it because India went through long-time language -conflics as India is aso a multiligual country. In India, during the mughal reign 'pharsi' was established as court language ,replacing  the previous sanskrit -related language.During the British rule ,they introduced English  in place of 'pharsi. Now 'hindi'is designated as national language but English also remains parallaly because  Hindi  does not represent collective Indian culture. Hindi is like Greek for the people of south India.
Official  language is a language given a special 'legal status'  used within  government in particular country ,state or other jurisdiction .It is used within the judiciary,lagislature administration of  government  to maintain uniformity.
 But  regional languages ,tribal languages ,remained undisturbed  among people throughout  the time.

The top three languages in the United States ,are English(237.8 million);   Spanish  (40.5)  ,Chinese( including  Mandarin and  Cantonese)  3.4 million.
   .
In my opinion, English must be declared as  'national language' as it is evolved as de facto:maximum people speak in English; Otherwise it will become a hidrance to maintain  the uniformity of national standard  in education, administration, business,legal, judiciary etc.
 For example in our evertday life we can take road-map :if we need 2ft /4ft ft boards  to write only in english  for road direction , then for  four languages a huge board of 8ft /16ft boards are required to be used and   how many such boards are possible to set up every corner of the road? Moreover,besides the question of cost,  it will be very much confusing as well as disturbing  for DRIVING buses, cars, trucks through scanning of several languages. In airports stations or other public places spanish is already used  almost everywhere of US simultaneously with english.

 Russia, China, Japan France  follow their own national language, and not any second language in all public places though all these countries also have become global.
In India, state language and english both are painted on the board in all staions hospitals and public places.In north India many stations and public places are marked  by urdu language.
 In London Punjabis claimed to use their language in some  places for  their own convenience. Bangladesis use bengali script  (and no-english) for  the names of staions, shops, schools, clubs restaurents in some of their colonies  in London. It was so surprising for us to see native language in foreign land.
Since streams of immigrants are pouring in the basin of America continuously, political thinkers should take the issue seriously, before it causes tooth-ache. Like Spanish ,Mandarin, Russians and Urdu  all  languages  are flourishing in US.
 Each language is like gold mines and needs to keep alive But in a global society  like US how can it be conserved?
From the grass-root,  from the school.
    The school should start with three languages: english, spanish and state or native language as third language. I think it is a primary necessity to acknowledge 'English' as  official language.

Without  preliminary knowledge,nobody should get permission  to enter  US / Western countries. To avoid the future problem US can follow the steps of China or Russia in this matter. Lastly, English is   already recognised as an  International language. I am leaving the topic unfinished.   But  I wish to write more on this issue.
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Sipra's Diary: [Rep] Avocado-the -"Green-gold".

At the end of my everyday morning walk from two years back up to now, I used to enter Morton-William as finishing touch to pick up some bread or vegetable. I noticed avocado,  banana, and zucchini are very cheap compared to other items.3/4 and sometimes 5 avocados for $1.I did not like avocado until I tasted a sandwich with avocado spread with a pinch of salt and pepper in some Jewish Party.  It is popular as "butter fruit" in  Mexican locality It is also the backbone of the local economy known as "green-gold" in Mexico to fetch money by exporting in a foreign land, especially in the US. I learnt that it is good for health. Since then I used to buy it; good for breakfast, both as a spread on bread instead of butter or as smoothy.
I was surprised to notice the sudden rise in price: $3 for one avocado. I told my daughter, "see,  just as we started liking zucchini and avocado, their  price goes up."
I learnt avocados come mostly from Mexico and Colombia.  It had been cultivated in Mexico about 9000 years ago. Food magazines have made these items popular by propagating their food value so high that it became the fruit of global trade... As the demand goes up,price naturally rises...
But the story is something more. Avocados grow mainly in the volcanic rich soil of Michoacan state in Mexico. The high global demand for avocado has created a mafia group who plundered all avocados from the land of the farmers at night time. The farmers have to buy insurance to protect against the robberies which caused the prices to go up. Thus the mafia group now control the avocado business....
"Avocados are Nafta's(North American Free Trade Agreement) shining stars," said some economist.
... So the behavioural-psychology-cum-geo- economics etc. have been more complicated by the influence of the criminal bugs; high price is not due to a simple matter of the previously known theory of the demand-supply relationship of the see-saw.
  Every time I toss the idea whether should I buy or not as I  look at the price-tag of an avocado: a dark green, pear-shaped fruit, simple(but ugly and repulsive to look),  too, trails a  stained history!  though it is neither gold nor diamond nor drug, still.......
                      ' et too, avocado!'

You were fine so far,
In the lap of the volcanic father,
Throughout  more than a thousand years;
Sheltered  safely in shady leaves
And feeding the son of the soil.
Soon you will be invisible there,
As NAFTA blew your veil                                
In the open global market
To fill a global appetite.

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Sipra's diary: Experience of 4th July in US

4thJuly,2o18

This year I went to upstate new york by bus for attending a religious retreat The  big Academy bus was full of participants.It was like picnic party . we were practicing the choir  music .The journey took about two hours.I occupied the window seat to enjoy the outside view. I felt the  same vibrabation  and echo of childhood-excitement  of Independence day also here  on 4th july:the  national anthem in chorus with drum-beat and bugle....The bus ran through the City, Newjersy and then small towns. I looked outside  with curiosity.I did not see  any teacher guiding  the marching of school-children or singing pariotic songs anywhere throughout the bus-journey;  nor a single pedestrian walking on road; only  few  running cars moving now and then. Just a regular holiday scene;late rising ,wallowing in comfort on bed .
 Why such a big democratic country is so silent in this auspicious Day?.......I remembered  my  past and first experience of 4 th July in US.

Sipra's diary:Stupefying Ad in the bus-stand...

I was coming back to home from the senior center  after the music program was over. As I was walking towards the bus-stand I was quite stunned to see the advertisement on the huge glass -wall of the bus-stop,86 th street of columbus avenue,Mid-Manhattan,
"MUSEUM FOR SEX". Now I googled the meaning with etymology of the term . Most suitable meaning which matches with museum is "gender'or"male and female'. "sex"does not sound good. It will not attract  standard audience;  it should be replaced by"Museum Of Gender".
Museum is an institution, a home of muses,an adorable place almost like temple.People are so  much sensitive about so many social issues but no voice is raised against using unparliamentary profane words in case of   giving 'title'or advertisement.

Sipra's Diary: WORD THE BEEHIVE.

Y
(Continue)

Sipra's diary:::::::::::::Experience of First 4th july in USA

***.I came to US first time in May 1999, just in the last millennium and before stepping of the current( 'the then' advent of new millennium').I was very much excited to think of witnessing the Independence day in the biggest democratic country, being physically present. It was West Virginia.
In India 15th August, the Independence Day is celebrated with enormous enthusiasm;  all around prevails a joyful feeling of festivity! All the school children with white dress reach the school premise within 7:45. AM.  The flag is hoisted between 8AM to 8:15with the national anthem 'Jana-Gana-mana', bugle and drum-beat. As the flag goes up to unfurl, a bunch of flowers drop from the folded flag. After the inspiring talks are delivered about the lives and sacrifices of the patriots and martyrs. People/students pay homage to their memory. The ceremony usually ended within 11AM with the distribution of some sweets and snacks. Not only schools and colleges but all institutions, court, offices follow this tradition sincerely.
With this picture in my mind, I dressed up myself and set out with my husband at 7 o'clock. My daughter screamed from her bed in a sleepy voice,
" where are you going? Today is a holiday ;  Here nobody
gets up before 10AM on holiday."                                                                                                                                                        "idle girl!" I murmured in my mind and pushed my husband silently to hurry up. We proceeded towards the City hall, downtown. We walked throughout the lonely and silent road. In every turn of the hilly road, I was expecting curiously to hear the cheering voice of school students and people.
My enthusiasm began to fade when I reached near the deserted city-hall.
It was an 8:30.No trace of any people.

 My husband said,"My daughter was right, you didn't listen to her."
I replied "Perhaps we reached too early; let us wait up to 9-o'clock"
 We walked towards the front side of the city hall and saw the national flag tied up to the pole. The flag seemed to be quite old; no scattered flowers under the pedestal of the flag.

 " Oh, see, the flag has been hoisted before we came";
my husband exclaimed!
  I said,"never, we reached here before 8: AM".
"It seems the  city-mayor did  it yesterday night to avoid getting up from sleep early morning on holiday."

I laughed  & laughed to hear his comment, breaking the morning silence.
Actually, my husband wanted to leave the place as he missed the morning tea before coming; and here also he didn't find any hope, as no tea- stall was visible.
I felt for him; so I said  sympathetically,
"let us go to the pole to bow down near the National flag of US; maybe we will never  get the chance of coming on this day!"
" That's a good idea!"My husband answered cheerfully at the thought of going back to home.

Then we were looking all around in search of any stall for morning tea.
Now I noticed a man with tattered clothes leaning in the corner of the wall of the hall with two empty bottles of liquor  between his stretched legs; he seemed to be heavily drunk. I am scared of a drunkard and mad people. So I turned back swiftly to step down the stairs and leave the place. Near the corner of the stairs under a big shady tree, another man came to our notice who was fumbling the huge trash-can;  I can hear him murmuring and laughing softly; He also seemed drunk and mad both,  .. but divinely a happy man!
In the midway of the street, we saw, on our way back, some well-dressed gentlemen and women coming from the opposite side.
I hopefully said, 'see, people are now started coming; it is 9:35, the celebration will be at 10:00PM, as my daughter told.
But those people entered in a church by the roadside, disapproving my guess.
We came back home with much disappointment.
My daughter, still lying in bed, giggled," I told you, It is holiday, nobody will be seen before 10:0'clock!  Did you see  anything happening?"
 My husband promptly replied, "yes-yes, only two happiest persons.  of this country : a mad beggar and a drunkard!
My daughter replied," Oh, you will see them always in the downtown.'
I put the tray of steaming tea and toast in front of him.
 My first experience of 4th July often comes back to my mind on Independence Day, with some dismay.
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Sipra's diary: :Poetry Tribute to 4th july in Mirror

 

       'Oh  say, can you see',what lie ahead,

       Standing under  the pressure

       Of undesired piles of crises

       Are you perturbed or Afraid?

              

      Oh America, what a great test

      Now that  you need to select,

      whether  you would chose  to be hunchback

      Bankrupt father of the opulent immigrants

      Or, a solvent capitalist leader of the Nation,

     To take care of the country with allround vision?

     At the dawn of your young   days

     You famed as a 'nation of immigrants'!

     But long back,you achieved to ride on

     By your own; stood up as savior with valour;

     As asylum that is  too overburdened

     To shelter now  anymore!

    Oh, Time summons you to pitch deeper

    In the heart of the Nation

    The star spangled banner

    That waves with reminder:

    Each bright star is the symbol

    For each state  that was rescued

   At the cost of blood and lives of  the  ancestors,

   Who sailed  through the stormy ocean,

   Crossed the desert and mountain,

   Marched bruised,on prickly thorn,

   To bestow peace and freedom to the Nation!

Oh Nation,

What treasure  do you restore

For the ancestors  as tribute?

Can you  promise  to retain

Their pride, power, prosperity and peace?

How much to expect

From this 'Humpdty Dumpty' diverse nation?

Are they willing to chant  together

 In chorus tune again

 'God  bless  America!'