PARTS OF THE EAR

Aboriginal Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection)
Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

What is Otitis Media?
Otitis Media is a common childhood infection which affects the middle ear. Because of the infection, the Eustachian tube (see picture below) gets blocked and stops the airflow that keeps the middle ear healthy. If infection persists, fluid builds up in the middle ear and can become thick like glue.

What causes it?
Colds, flu and chest infections.
Prematurity ie, being born too early.
Smoking around children.
What reduces the rate of middle ear infections?
Taking a shower each day, washing hands and face and washing clothes regularly.
Good nutrition - fresh food, cutting down on "junk food".
A bed for each child - overcrowding increases infection.
Parts of the ear
This picture shows different parts of the ear:


(Look at the glossary, at the end of this fact sheet, for the meanings of the different words in the picture and in this fact sheet.)

Who is at risk?
Otitis Media is a big problem for Aboriginal children. Many children get Otitis Media but Aboriginal children are ten times more likely to get it than non-Aboriginal children.

Some factors about Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infection)
Otitis Media (OM) is a common childhood disease - 75% of all children have had one episode of O< by the age of five and for some it may continue throughout school life.
As many as eight out of ten Aboriginal children could have a middle ear infection and hearing loss at some time during the school year.
Hearing loss can make things much harder at school for Aboriginal children, especially if English is a second language, and the teachers are not aware of all the problems.
If children can't hear properly, they can't learn properly.
A child with Otitis Media may have fluctuating hearing loss. This means that hearing loss will vary, depending on how bad the ear infection is.
Signs of Otitis Media
Signs of Otitis Media include:

Ear ache or pain in the ear.
Cranky or upset or behaviour problems.
Temperature or high fever.
Rubbing or pulling ears.
Not paying attention or always saying "what".
TV must be louder.
Doing badly at school or pre-school.
Off balance.
How does it affect learning?
The build up of the sticky fluid makes it hard to hear. The sticky fluid in the ear can cause hearing loss. If a child cannot hear what is being said it makes it hard for them to listen. They can have trouble hearing in the classroom or at home. Because of hearing loss they can have learning problems or behaviour problems.

What can you do to help?
Take your child for regular check-ups to help find Otitis Media.
Breast feeding helps to protect against infection.
Teach your child how to blow their nose so they can get rid of mucus (REMEMBER TO BLOW NOT WIPE).
Make sure you and your children eat healthy foods.
Try to get housing that is not over crowded - eg one child per bed.
Don't smoke around children, in the car or in the home, because smoking makes it easier to get Otitis Media.
Always make sure your child is seen by the doctor or nurse so you can get help for Otitis Media that may not be getting better.
Ask for your child's hearing to be tested if he/she does not seem to be speaking or hearing properly or if he/she is not doing well at school.
Ask for your child to see an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist if he/she does not get better quickly.
DO NOT give baby a bottle to drink in the cot or bed.
When feeding baby, hold his/her head in an upright position.
How can parents help the child learn to speak and listen?
Get your child's attention before speaking and talk loudly, looking at their face so that they can see you and see your face expressions.
Talk to your child a lot and read lots of books/stories in a quiet area so they can hear you. By caring and spending time with your child it will help them to learn.
Let teachers or carers know that your child has a hearing problem. Ask them to be patient and help your child learn to listen.
Glossary
Cochlea: The cochlea looks like a snail shell. It is part of the inner ear. Its job is to receive sound vibrations and turn them into messages to send to the brain.

Ear Drum: The eardrum membrane is part of the middle ear and separates the outer ear from the middle ear.

Eustachian Tube: This is a tube that goes from the middle ear to the throat. The tube does three things:

Let air flow through the ear to keep it healthy.
Drains infected fluid from the ear to the throat.
Stops fluid from going back into the ear from the throat.
Pinna: The outside part of the ear (the ear "flap").



Otitis Media or Glue Ear is very common in Aboriginal children.
Finding and treating it early is important.
Reduce the risk by learning how to prevent it.
Be patient, supportive and spend time with children who have Otitis Media.

PART OF THE EYE

Types of conjunctivitis
Infective conjunctivitis
Infective conjunctivitis is caused by infection of your eye with bacteria or a virus.

Sometimes babies develop conjunctivitis in the first few weeks after they are born. This can happen if an infection is passed from the mother's cervix (neck of her womb) or vagina during delivery, or if the baby has a reaction to a treatment applied to his or her eye. Contact your GP if your newborn baby has signs of an eye infection.

Allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis can be caused by an allergy, such as an allergy to pollen (hay fever), house dust mites or cosmetics.

There are four types of allergic conjunctivitis:

seasonal allergic conjunctivitis - this affects both of your eyes and people often get it at the same time as hay fever perennial allergic conjunctivitis - people with this type of allergic conjunctivitis have symptoms every day throughout the year in both eyes, often on waking each morning contact dermatoconjunctivitis - this type of conjunctivitis can irritate your eyelids and it occurs most often in people who use eye drops giant papillary conjunctivitis - this is common in people who use soft contact lenses, although it can also occur in people using hard contact lenses and after eye surgery
The different parts of the eye

Symptoms of conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis can affect one or both of your eyes and cause symptoms including:

soreness, often described as a gritty or burning feeling redness of the whites of your eye blurred vision watering or discharge from your eye a slight sensitivity to light Your symptoms will depend on which type of conjunctivitis you have.

If you have allergic conjunctivitis, you may also have:

swollen eyelids itchy and watery eyes other hay fever symptoms, including sneezing, a runny, itchy nose and itchiness at the back of your throat a rash on your eyelids (if your conjunctivitis is caused by an allergic reaction to a medical or cosmetic product) If you have infective conjunctivitis, you may also have:

yellow pus-like discharge from your eyes, which might make your eyelids stick together after you sleep (if you have a bacterial infection) a watery discharge that can be crusty in the morning but isn't pus-like (if you have a viral infection) cold-like symptoms, such as a fever and sore throat swollen lymph nodes in front of your ears (lymph nodes are glands throughout your body that are part of your immune system) When to see a doctor
See your GP straight away if your eyes are very red, or if you have red eyes as well as:

severe pain in your eyes sensitivity to light difficulty seeing You should also contact your GP if you have had symptoms of conjunctivitis for more than a few days.

Causes of conjunctivitis
Infective conjunctivitis
Viruses are thought to be a more common cause of conjunctivitis than bacteria. The type of virus that usually causes the condition is called an adenovirus. This virus can also cause the common cold, so you may develop conjunctivitis at the same time as having a cold.

Common causes of bacterial conjunctivitis include the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. You can catch infective conjunctivitis from being in close contact with another person who has it. It's important to wash your hands after coming into contact with someone who has the condition.

Infective conjunctivitis is most common in children and older people.

Allergic conjunctivitis
You might develop allergic conjunctivitis if you're allergic to plant pollens that are released into the air at around the same time each year. This is called seasonal allergic conjunctivitis or hay fever conjunctivitis.

Perennial (all year round) allergic conjunctivitis can be caused by house dust mites or animal fur.

Eye drops, cosmetics, and other chemicals can also cause allergic conjunctivitis - eye drops are the most common cause.

You can get a form of allergic conjunctivitis called giant papillary conjunctivitis if you use contact lenses, or after eye surgery.

Irritants
Foreign bodies, such as an eyelash or a piece of grit, or chemicals, such as chlorine, getting in your eye can cause conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis caused by a foreign body may only affect one of your eyes.

Diagnosis of conjunctivitis
Your GP will ask about your symptoms and examine you. He or she may also ask you about your medical history. You may be asked to read a chart to check your vision.

Your GP may use a special dye and a blue light to look at the surface of your eye. This is called a fluorescein examination. If your GP thinks that you have infective conjunctivitis, he or she may take a swab of your eye to identify the cause. The swab will be sent to a laboratory for testing.

Your GP may refer you to an ophthalmologist (a doctor who specialises in eye heath).

Treatment of conjunctivitis
Self-help
If you normally use contact lenses, don't wear them until the conjunctivitis has cleared up. It's also important that you don't rub your eyes because this can make inflammation worse.

If you have allergic conjunctivitis, try to keep away from whatever is causing the allergy. For example if you're allergic to a cosmetic, don't use it again and try an alternative product (wait until your symptoms have gone before you try the new product). It may be more difficult if you're allergic to pollen, but keeping windows and doors closed on days when the pollen count is very high may help to reduce your symptoms. A cool compress (a facecloth soaked in cold water) may help to soothe your eyes.

Infective conjunctivitis usually settles without treatment within one to three weeks but this can vary between individuals. It may help if you clean your eyes and remove any secretions from your eyelids and lashes with cotton wool soaked in water.

Infective conjunctivitis is contagious. So it's important to wash your hands regularly, particularly after touching your eyes. It's best not to share pillows and towels. Don't go swimming until your conjunctivitis has cleared up. You don't necessarily need to take time off work when you have conjunctivitis, and if your children develop it they can still go to school - unless there are many people affected in an 'outbreak' of conjuntivitis.

Medicines
If you have bacterial conjunctivitis, your GP may prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment. These are also available over-the-counter at a pharmacy.

Viral conjunctivitis will clear up on its own without the need for medicines.

If you have allergic conjunctivitis, antihistamine medicines may help. These are available over-the-counter from a pharmacy or your doctor can prescribe them. They are available in the form of eye drops or tablets.

Your doctor may also prescribe eye drops called mast cell stabilizers. These are also available over-the-counter. These are more effective at controlling your symptoms over a longer period of time (rather than antihistamines that will give rapid relief). It may take several weeks before you feel that they are having an effect, but you can take an antihistamine at the same time so that your symptoms can be controlled while you're waiting.

Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine and if you have any questions, ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice.

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Ancient India Culture Has Had a Lasting Influence





You can trace Ancient India Culture back thousands of years! The rituals, traditions and beliefs that are popular in India Culture today were developed long ago. Not all Indian people share the same beliefs or religion, but fundamental cultural values are similar throughout different regions of India. India Culture began more than 5,000 years ago with the Indus Valley Civilizations.











A picture of some Indus Valley Civilization Ruins.









The mysterious Indus Valley Civilizations of Ancient India Culture were named for the fact that they were established along the Indus River. There were several Indus River Civilizations, the most famous is called the Harrapan Civilization. These people lived and flourished around the Indus River, in the western part of South Asia at least 5,000 years ago. Ancient clues left behind, tell us that these Indus Valley people, also known as Dravidians, discovered how to work with metal, and that they had developed their own form of writing.



It appears as though all transactions between communities were done in trade of food, tools and crafts. These early people of India appear to have had a very simple social structure.




Historians believe that the social interaction between the Dravidian and Aryan people resulted in the Indian Culture that is still present today.






The introduction of a caste system changes Indian society forever!




Sometime between 2000 and 1500 BC, nomadic Indo-European migrants, known as Aryans, arrived in the Indus Valley area, dominated, and enforced a hierarchal social structure to the region. This was the introduction of India's Caste System. Beginning at about 1500 BC, the Aryan's hierarchal social structure was implemented. People were all assigned different social roles. This new formed society was called the Vedas Civilization.





Historians believe that the social interaction between the Dravidian and Aryan people resulted in the Indian Culture that is still present today.





In a caste system, your social status would directly determine your duties and your class in society. If you were a priest or Brahmana, you were in the highest class. If you were a Kshatriya, you were a warrior who protected your civilization. If you were a Vaishya, you were considered service class, and probably worked in agriculture or provided service to a higher caste member. If you were a Shudra, you were in the lowest class, also known as "untouchables". The Shudras performed jobs like removing trash and cleaning up messes.







During this Vedic Age, Indian art developed in a number of ways. Symbols of animals, like bulls and cows were drawn and became important and revered. Sacred hymns were written in Sanskrit and chanted, which was the start of Indian music. Music and dance developed much further and people began creating and using instruments to keep the bass and rhythm of songs. Dancers wore elaborate costumes, make up and jewelery, and they often performed in temples and in royal courts.



Hinduism is born.



Hinduism was born in ancient India culture. Hinduism began in the Vedic Age in the form of a religion best known as Brahmanism. Priests used their newly developed Sanskrit writing to create the 4 parts of Vedic Texts. These four collections of hymns, formulas, spells, incantations, stories, predictions and apotropiac charms.



India Culture Today is more complex version of what existed thousands of years ago.

SKELETION SYSTEM

The supporting tissues of animals which often serve to protect the body, or parts of it, and play an important role in the animal's physiology.

Skeletons can be divided into two main types based on the relative position of the skeletal tissues. When these tissues are located external to the soft parts, the animal is said to have an exoskeleton. If they occur deep within the body, they form an endoskeleton. All vertebrate animals possess an endoskeleton, but most also have components that are exoskeletal in origin. Invertebrate skeletons, however, show far more variation in position, morphology, and materials used to construct them.


The vertebrate endoskeleton is usually constructed of bone and cartilage; only certain fishes have skeletons that lack bone. In addition to an endoskeleton, many species possess distinct exoskeletal structures made of bone or horny materials. This dermal skeleton provides support and protection at the body surface.
Various structural components make up the human skeleton, including collagen, three different types of cartilage (hyaline, fibrocartilage, and elastic), and a variety of bone types (woven, lamellar, trabecular, and plexiform). See also Bone; Collagen; Connective tissue.

The vertebrate skeleton consists of the axial skeleton (skull, vertebral column, and associated structures) and the appendicular skeleton (limbs or appendages). The basic plan for vertebrates is similar, although large variations occur in relation to functional demands placed on the skeleton.

Axial skeleton

The axial skeleton supports and protects the organs of the head, neck, and torso, and in humans it comprises the skull, ear ossicles, hyoid bone, vertebral column, and rib cage.

Skull

The adult human skull consists of eight bones which form the cranium, or braincase, and 13 facial bones that support the eyes, nose, and jaws. There are also three small, paired ear ossicles—the malleus, incus, and stapes—within a cavity in the temporal bone. The total of 27 bones represents a large reduction in skull elements during the course of vertebrate evolution. The three components of the skull are the neurocranium, dermatocranium, and visceral cranium. See also Ear (vertebrate).

The brain and certain sense organs are protected by the neurocranium. All vertebrate neurocrania develop similarly, starting as ethmoid and basal cartilages beneath the brain, and as capsules partially enclosing the tissues that eventually form the olfactory, otic, and optic sense organs. Further development produces cartilaginous walls around the brain. Passages (foramina) through the cartilages are left open for cranial nerves and blood vessels. Endochondral ossification from four major centers follows in all vertebrates, except the cartilaginous fishes.

The visceral skeleton, the skeleton of the pharyngeal arches, is demonstrated in a general form by the elasmobranch fishes, where all the elements are cartilaginous and support the jaws and the gills. The mandibular (first) arch consists of two elements on each side of the body: the palatoquadrates dorsally, which form the upper jaw, and Meckel's cartilages, which join ventrally to form the lower jaw. The hyoid (second) arch has paired dorsal hyomandibular cartilages and lateral, gill-bearing ceratohyals. This jaw mechanism attaches to the neurocranium for support. In all jawed vertebrates except mammals, an articulation between the posterior ends of the palatoquadrate and Meckel's cartilages occurs between the upper and lower jaws. The bony fishes have elaborated on the primitive condition, where the upper jaw was fused to the skull and the lower jaw or mandible could move only in the manner of a simple hinge. Teleosts are able to protrude the upper and lower jaws. In the course of mammalian evolution, the dentary of the lower jaw enlarged and a ramus expanded upward in the temporal fossa. This eventually formed an articulation with the squamosal of the skull. With the freeing of the articular bone and the quadrate from their function in jaw articulation, they became ear ossicles in conjunction with the columella, that is, a skeletal rod that formed the first ear ossicle. The remaining visceral skeleton has evolved from jaw and gill structures in the fishes to become an attachment site for tongue muscles and to support the vocal cords in tetrapods. See also Mammalia.

ATMOSPHERE

Without our atmosphere, there would be no life on earth. Two gases make up the bulk of the earth's atmosphere: nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%). Argon, carbon dioxide and various trace gases make up the remainder. Scientists divided the atmosphere into four layers according to temperature: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere. The temperature drops as we go up through the troposphere, but it rises as we move through the next layer, the stratosphere. The farther away from earth, the thinner the atmosphere gets.


TROPOSPHERE

This is the layer of the atmosphere closest to the Earth's surface, extending up to about 10-15 km above the Earth's surface. It contains 75% of the atmosphere's mass. The troposphere is wider at the equator than at the poles. Temperature and pressure drops as you go higher up the troposphere.

The Tropopause: At the very top of the troposphere is the tropopause where the temperature reaches a (stable) minimum. Some scientists call the tropopause a "cold trap" because this is a point where rising water vapour cannot go higher because it changes into ice and is trapped. If there is no cold trap, Earth would loose all its water!

The uneven heating of the regions of the troposphere by the Sun causes convection currents and winds. Warm air from Earth's surface rises and cold air above it rushes in to replace it. When warm air reaches the tropopause, it cannot go higher as the air above it (in the stratosphere) is warmer and lighter ... preventing much air convection beyond the tropopause. The tropopause acts like an invisible barrier and is the reason why most clouds form and weather phenomena occur within the troposphere.

The Greenhouse Effect: Heat from the Sun warms the Earth's surface but most of it is radiated and sent back into space. Water vapour and carbon dioxide in the troposphere trap some of this heat, preventing it from escaping thus keep the Earth warm. This trapping of heat is called the "greenhouse effect".

However, if there is too much carbon dioxide in the troposphere then it will trap too much heat. Scientists are afraid that the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide would raise the Earth's surface temperature, bringing significant changes to worldwide weather patterns ... shifting in climatic zones and the melting of the polar ice caps, which could raise the level of the world's oceans.

Do you know why the amount of carbon dioxide is increasing?



STRATOSPHERE

This layer lies directly above the troposphere and is about 35 km deep. It extends from about 15 to 50 km above the Earth's surface. The lower portion of the stratosphere has a nearly constant temperature with height but in the upper portion the temperature increases with altitude because of absorption of sunlight by ozone. This temperature increase with altitude is the opposite of the situation in the troposphere.

The Ozone Layer: The stratosphere contains a thin layer of ozone which absorbs most of the harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The ozone layer is being depleted, and is getting thinner over Europe, Asia, North American and Antarctica --- "holes" are appearing in the ozone layer.

Do you know why there are "ozone holes"?



MESOSPHERE

Directly above the stratosphere, extending from 50 to 80 km above the Earth's surface, the mesosphere is a cold layer where the temperature generally decreases with increasing altitude. Here in the mesosphere, the atmosphere is very rarefied nevertheless thick enough to slow down meteors hurtling into the atmosphere, where they burn up, leaving fiery trails in the night sky.



THERMOSPHERE

The thermosphere extends from 80 km above the Earth's surface to outer space. The temperature is hot and may be as high as thousands of degrees as the few molecules that are present in the thermosphere receive extraordinary large amounts of energy from the Sun. However, the thermosphere would actually feel very cold to us because of the probability that these few molecules will hit our skin and transfer enough energy to cause appreciable heat is extremely low.

Sir C.V.Raman

MY first meeting with Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, the eminent physicist, is still green in my memory.

One day, in 1948, I telephoned the Nobel laureate to ask if I could meet him at his convenience and photograph him for an illustrated feature. I was apprehensive about getting an appointment from so busy a person, but was pleasantly surprised when he asked me, "How much time would you need?" An hour, I said. Raman went on to say that thirty minutes would do. I could see him the next morning at nine sharp. "Come on time," he warned.

Sir C.V. Raman during a lecture at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, circa 1959.

I dutifully reported my success to Pothan Joseph, Editor of Deccan Herald, which had been started barely a month earlier. "Be punctual and conduct yourself with grace," Pothan counselled me. He told me that Raman was a man of quick temper and so I should not throw my weight about in his presence, just because I was a newspaperman. "He may get angry if you direct him to act before your camera. He is particular about the rules he sets for himself," the Editor warned. After listening to all these dos and don'ts, I felt somewhat nervous because I was going to photograph a celebrity for the first time.

I decided to take another person with me for moral support. My choice fell naturally on my alter ego of those days, M. S. Sathyu, now a noted film director, but barely out of his teens then. Sathyu and I were great friends from our school days and he used to keep me company on my assignments.

Contrary to our fears, we found Raman extremely affable and gentle. He seemed very cooperative as I photographed him in his study, laboratory, library and the garden he loved. All this took twenty minutes and I still had ten minutes left to complete my job. Then, a bright idea struck me and I told Raman that I would love to photograph him with Lady Raman. "Forget about her. She's not here," he said. And then a brighter idea came to my mind. Summoning the required courage, I asked the scientist: "Sir, may I take one last, important picture? Will you please pose for me displaying your Nobel Prize citation?" Pursing his lips, Raman gazed at me while my heart began to pound rapidly. He relaxed in a minute and, to my utter surprise, said, "Why not?" He went into a room to fetch the precious document.

At the opening of a photo exhibition in Bangalore, circa 1949.

"I'm lucky," I hissed in Sathyu's ear. I entrusted my brand-new Speed-Graphic camera to his care and set about adjusting the furniture and books in the room, for the all-important picture. Raman had meanwhile returned, holding the scroll, and stood beside a blackboard on which was scribbled in chalk the diagram of a galaxy and other mathematical calculations. He looked at me and said, "It's getting late. Shoot!"

When I was about to pick up my camera from Sathyu who was standing in a corner, the silence in the room was shattered by the sound of metal hitting the ground. We looked around and found to our dismay that Sathyu had dropped the camera.

Raman's face was livid with anger. He walked up to Sathyu, gripped him by the collar and thundered: "Do you know what you have done? You have damaged a beautiful instrument of science. Why weren't you careful?" We were shaken and mumbled our apologies. Our minds were a melange of shame, confusion and embarrassment.

Raman's anger subsided within a minute. Holding the camera in his hand, he carefully examined it as an experienced doctor would a patient. He wrote on a piece of paper: "Prisms out of alignment. Replace one broken piece and realign. Set right the metallic dents." He pressed his prescription in my palm and gave us the marching orders saying, "You may leave now." My first photo session with the Nobel laureate, Bangalore's most famous citizen, had ended in a fiasco.

My immediate problem was to get the camera repaired and I rushed to my friend, Tom D'Auguiar, who was working at the Central Telegraph Office in Bangalore. Both of us were members of the Mysore Photographic Society. He suggested that I take my camera to his friend, C.X. Lowe, who owned the Elite Studio on South Parade, today's Mahatma Gandhi Road, not far from the office where I worked. It took a week for Lowe to set right my equipment. I was delighted when I got back my repaired camera from Lowe who refused to accept his professional charges. "Let me keep this 'prescription' that the famous scientist wrote for you." I parted with my invaluable souvenir.

I met Raman again a couple of months later. By then I had been elected secretary of the Mysore Photographic Society. We had organised an international salon and wanted him to inaugurate the show at the Bible Society premises on South Parade. Raman readily agreed but made it clear that he would go round the exhibition and not make any speech. I remember garlanding him. He smelled the jasmine strings as he looked at the pictures with a keen eye. At the end, he patted me on my back and exclaimed: "It's a wonderful exhibition. I'm sure it will draw many visitors." Raman was with us for a whole hour when some members coaxed and cajoled him to say a few words. Much to our surprise, he made a little speech. I fidgeted in my chair as he recalled the fiasco I had created on my first visit to his place. "Now that he is secretary of your Society and has helped mount this beautiful exhibition, I will at last forgive him!" he said amidst applause.

An hour had passed and the jasmine garland was still around Raman's neck. It was his habit to keep it on him until he reached home to pass it on to his wife, Lokasundari. Fairer in complexion but shorter in stature, shy and soft-spoken, she was Raman's ideal partner and shared his love for music, particularly the veena.

When he was about to get into his car, I asked Raman if I could visit him again for more pictures to complete my feature article. "Come over after telephoning me. Are you going to bring the fellow who dropped your camera?" He burst into laughter.

In his study at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, circa 1949.

I did not go to see him immediately after the event he had inaugurated. I knew that he would be preoccupied with things connected with his 60th birthday. I remember how it was celebrated in a grand manner in November 1948. Many of his distinguished students and colleagues were present at his home in the morning. They sat in a separate room animatedly chatting with each other while Raman performed a private religious ceremony, sitting in front of the sacred fire with his wife. The whole house, filled with smoke emanating from the sacred fire, seemed to respond to the melodious chant of Vedic hymns. Wearing his dhoti in the orthodox fashion, Raman came out for a short while, as though to bless his students with a gentle nod of his head. I noticed the sacred thread that was conspicuous on his bare chest and the pigtail dangling behind his head. His forehead was smeared with sacred ash. The knight-errant of Indian science looked like a Brahmin priest from a south Indian temple. My fingers itched to freeze-frame him but, alas, I did not dare open my camera. The private religious function was not open to the Press.

The felicitation function in the evening, presided over by Sir Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar, the Dewan of Mysore, was a grand one. Looking regal in his black long coat and turban, Raman sat beside Mudaliar. I was there with my camera, all ready to record the event. Before the meeting began, Raman, who was in a jolly mood talking to his many friends, sighted me in the Press enclosure and beckoned me to his side. I had already established a rapport with him. When I went up to offer my congratulations, he held my hands in an affectionate grip, pumped them furiously, before breaking out into a hearty laugh. He took a quick look at my camera and asked, "Is it working all right? Don't drop it again!" I said 'yes' and added that I hoped to meet him soon, for a second photo session.

When I went over to his place after two weeks, I found him in the company of children from a local convent. Raman bubbled with joy in their company, answering their questions in his characteristic, simple way. I followed him as he led them into a room saying, "I will show you something beautiful." Our eyes were focussed on a variety of stones of many sizes and shapes, besides crystals and minerals that had been beautifully displayed in the dark-walled room.

"They look ordinary to your eyes, don't they?" he asked. "Yes, Sir," the children chorused. Instead of remaining a silent onlooker, I ventured to say: "I like their shapes and unusual texture. But I wouldn't call them beautiful."

"Nonsense," he retorted. "What subjects did you study at college? Humanities, I suppose."

"Yes, Sir."

"No wonder. You don't seem to know even the rudiments of science. Colleges don't teach much."

So saying, Raman suddenly switched off the light. Standing in the centre of the dark room, he switched on a portable ultraviolet lamp and played it on the exhibits. The stones and minerals came alive and began to glow in breath-taking bright colours - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and their myriad combinations. Raman had transported us into a fairyland. A bright little girl screamed in joy - "Alice in Wonderland!" The delighted scientist joyously hugged her and planted a soft kiss on her tender cheek.

Having shown us the beauty of nature revealed by the application of physics, he went on to explain the scientific basis of the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence. "You must have seen the glow worm at night," he said and explained in a lucid, easy-to-grasp manner the scientific phenomena behind what we had seen. He also spoke about the discovery of what came to be known as the Raman Effect, which concerns the molecular diffraction of light and won for him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930. He claimed that the blue of the sea was due to the molecular scattering of light and was not a case of reflection of the sky in water as most people imagined. Raman had the knack of explaining the most abstruse scientific phenomena in a language that ordinary people could understand.

Over the next few years I established a closer, affectionate rapport with Raman and showed him all the pictures I had taken of him. I visited him often but only after getting a firm appointment.

With awards and mementos stored in a steel almirah at the Institute, circa 1959.

One lucky day, I found him in an expansive mood and he told me the story of his trip to Sweden to receive the Nobel Prize. He recalled what he had said to the members of the University of Calcutta who had gathered to felicitate him after he was conferred the Fellowship of the Royal Society.

"I'm not flattered by the honour done to me. This is a small achievement. If there is anything that I aspire for, it is the Nobel Prize. You will find that I get that in five years." These words seemed shorn of modesty but they were indicative of his determination to achieve whatever he wanted to. And precisely at 7 p.m. on February 8, 1928, C.V. Raman fulfilled his promise by a discovery so vital and so far-reaching in its effects on modern scientific knowledge that the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics to him became a certainty. It was the same spirit of adventure that compelled him to go to Sweden in order to receive the prize in November 1930, even before the awards for that year were announced. His optimism and meticulous planning were such that he reserved berths for himself and his wife on the ocean liner to Sweden five months in advance.

His eyes misted when he narrated to me the story about the award ceremony in Stockholm.

"It is celebrated with much pomp and dignity. There were about ten thousand persons in the assembly. The Swedish king was in the chair. Five persons had to receive the prizes. All of them were seated in their chairs flanked by their countries' flags. I was sorry to see that I was under the British flag. India was still under British rule. The Civil Disobedience Movement was in full swing and Mahatma Gandhi was in jail. I was overcome by emotion when my name was called and I went up to receive the prize from royal hands."

After receiving the Nobel Prize, Raman is reported to have visited his native village where his aunt asked him: "What is all this commotion about the big prize you have received?" He explained to her, in his characteristic lucid style, his discovery. After listening to him with rapt attention, the old lady is said to have remarked, "I didn't know it was so simple. I am surprised that such a simple thing should have merited international recognition!"

Showing his Nobel citation to Donald S. Connery, an American journalist, in Bangalore, circa 1960.

My last photo session with Raman was sometime in the 1960s, during the All India Congress Committee session held at Sadashivanagar in Bangalore, not far from the Raman Research Institute in Hebbal. I had arrived in Bangalore from New Delhi with my friend Donald Connery, to cover the event for the American magazines, Time and Life. He was a correspondent for these magazines. Having extensively photographed the meeting, where Jawaharlal Nehru was the cynosure of all eyes, I suggested to Connery that we take a break from the politicians and spend some time with Raman. When I telephoned the scientist, he was happy to hear my voice and the progress I had made in my career from the humble beginnings he had known. "Bring your American friend along," he said, and this delighted Connery.

We spent two hours with the scientist at the Institute he had set up with an eye for thoroughness and meticulous detail. During the interview, Connery asked Raman a number of questions on a variety of subjects, which the scientist answered with his characteristic candour, while I went on shooting pictures. Raman told him how greatly he admired Nehru and recalled the day in 1949 when the Prime Minister spent a long time at his place. "Nehru was fascinated seeing my collection of diamonds, stones and minerals and the gorgeous spectacle that unfolded before him when I played my ultraviolet lamp on them in the dark room." Like a consummate showman, Raman demonstrated the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence for Connery and me. One never got tired of seeing that beautiful sight.

Connery was full of admiration for Raman, who was brutally frank and unafraid when he spoke, sometimes caustically. "While I admire Nehru personally, I dislike the cronies around him," he remarked. He referred to the AICC session as "a big tamasha where they just talk, talk and talk from morning till night." When he was asked for a quick solution to India's food problem, Raman said, "We must stop breeding like pigs and the matter will solve itself." The two hours we spent with the Nobel laureate seemed like two minutes.

The scientific world is very familiar with countless anecdotes and affectionate memories of Dr. C.V. Raman and his gracious wife, Lokasundari.

A story goes that Raman was once speaking at a gathering on cyclotrons. He abruptly stopped talking and walked up to an elderly person to pick up his cane. He returned to the rostrum and began swirling the cane above his head. As the movement picked up speed, Raman asked the gathering. "Tell me what will happen if I let go of this cane now." No one answered. All the faces in the assembly exuded grave concern. Raman was still swirling the cane. "Don't be scared," he told them in a baritone voice. "It will of course travel towards one of you to break the head. I won't let that happen. I was only explaining to you the cyclotron principle."

Raman's aversion to politics and politicians was well known. It is said that he was once offered the post of Vice-President of the Indian Republic, which he politely declined saying. "What will I do with this ship?"

At a felicitation function on his 80th birthday, speaker after speaker praised him. One of them compared his intellect to a diamond - hard, brilliant and multi-sided. Raman intervened to say, "I wish someone had said that I also had the heart of a lion."

JOKES

Teacher: Maria please point to America on the map.
Maria: This is it.
Teacher: Well done. Now class, who found America?
Class: Maria did.
Submitted by: Kmankoolman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Scotsman who was driving home one night, ran into a car driven by an Englishman. The Scotsman got out of the car to apologize and offered the Englishman a drink from a bottle of whisky. The Englishman was glad to have a drink.
"Go on," said the Scot, "have another drink."
The Englishman drank gratefully. "But don't you want one, too?" he asked the Scotsman.
"Perhaps," replied the Scotsman, "after the police have gone."
Submitted by: Ugur Yavuzturk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?
B: Yes I am, I married the wrong woman.
Submitted by: Anonymous
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A man was pulled over for driving too fast, even though he thought he was driving just fine.

Officer: You were speeding.
Man: No, I wasn't.
Officer: Yes, you were. I'm giving you a ticket.
Man: But I wasn't speeding.
Officer: Tell that to the judge! (The officer gives man the ticket.)
Man: Would I get another ticket if I called you a jerk?
Officer: Yes, you would.
Man: What if I just thought that you were?
Officer: I can't give you a ticket for what you think.
Man: Fine, I think you're a jerk!
Submitted by: Nick Henry, ESL teacher in Korea
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are the three quickest ways of spreading a rumour (or gossip).
Telegram
Telephone
Tell a woman
Perhaps not very politically correct in the times we live in, but worth a slight chuckle.
Submitted by: Dave & Brendan
EDITOR'S NOTE: Maybe you could teach your students the phrase "politically correct" and discuss it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day.
If you teach a man to fish, he can always eat.
If you give a man a fire, he's warm for a day.
If you light a man on fire, he is warm for the rest of his life.
Submitted by: Anonymous
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Did you hear that a baby was fed on elephant's milk and gained twenty pounds in a week.
B: That's impossible. Whose baby?
A: An elephant's.
Submitted by: Ugur Yavuzturk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Am I the first man you have ever loved?" he said.
"Of course," she answered "Why do men always ask the same question?".
Submitted by: Ugur Yavuzturk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I was young I didn't like going to weddings.
My grandmother would tell me, "You're next"
However, she stopped doing that after I started saying the same thing to her at funerals.
Submitted by: Chris Fisher
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A: I'm in a big trouble!
B: Why is that?
A: I saw a mouse in my house!
B: Oh, well, all you need to do is use a trap.
A: I don't have one.
B: Well then, buy one.
A: Can't afford one.
B: I can give you mine if you want.
A: That sounds good.
B: All you need to do is just use some cheese in order to make the mouse come to the trap.
A: I don't have any cheese.
B: Okay then, take a piece of bread and put a bit of oil in it and put it in the trap.
A: I don't have oil.
B: Well, then put only a small piece of bread.
A: I don't have bread.
B: Then what is the mouse doing at your house?!
Submitted by: Genti Biraci
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A very drunk man comes out of the bar and sees another very drunk man.
He looks up in the sky and says, "Is that the sun or the moon?"
The other drunk man answers, "I don't know. I'm a stranger here myself."
Submitted by: Anonymous
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A man is talking to God.

The man: "God, how long is a million years?"
God: "To me, it's about a minute."
The man: "God, how much is a million dollars?"
God: "To me it's a penny."
The man: "God, may I have a penny?"
God: "Wait a minute."
Submitted by: Freshteh Sadeghi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred is 32 years old and he is still single.

One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a good wife?"

Fred replied, "Actually, I've found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."

His friend thinks for a moment and says, "I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl who's just like your mother."

A few months later they meet again and his friend says, "Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?"

With a frown on his face, Fred answers, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much."

The friend said, "Then what's the problem?"

Fred replied, "My father doesn't like her."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An elementary school teacher sends this note to all parents on the first day of school.
"If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I will promise not to believe everything your child says happens at home.
Submitted by: Willaim Greaves
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the operation?
B: Yes, of course.
A: Great! I never could before!
Submitted by: Fred
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why couldn't Cinderella be a good soccer player?

She lost her shoe, she ran away from the ball, and her coach was a pumpkin.

(Requires basic knowledge of the Cinderella story and that both ball and coach have double meanings.)
Submitted by: Jillian H.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher: Tell me a sentence that starts with an "I".
Student: I is the...
Teacher: Stop! Never put 'is' after an "I". Always put 'am' after an "I".
Student: OK. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.
Submitted by: Monirul Hassan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two factory workers are talking.
The woman says, "I can make the boss give me the day off."
The man replies, "And how would you do that?"
The woman says, "Just wait and see." She then hangs upside-down from the ceiling.
The boss comes in and says, "What are you doing?"
The woman replies, "I'm a light bulb."
The boss then says, "You've been working so much that you've gone crazy. I think you need to take the day off."
The man starts to follow her and the boss says, "Where are you going?"
The man says, "I'm going home, too. I can't work in the dark."
Submitted by: Tshifhiwa Rambau
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two cows are standing in a field.
One says to the other "Are you worried about Mad Cow Disease?"
The other one says "No, It doesn't worry me, I'm a horse!"
Submitted by: Michael Trew
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher: How can we get some clean water?
Student: Bring the water from the river and wash it.
Submitted by: Zeinab Eltayb
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. What do you call a ginger bread man with one leg?
A. Limp Bizkit. (limp biscuit)
(Alternate: What do the British call a cookie that got wet?)
Submitted by: Emily Mileski
(If you don't know what Limp Bizkit is, see the results of a Google search for Limp Bizkit.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A guy says to his friend, "Guess how many coins I have in my pocket."
The friends says, "If I guess right, will you give me one of them?"
The first guys says, "If you guess right, I'll give you both of them!"
Submitted by: Matty
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a good one to follow the following previously submitted joke.
A: What do you call a deer with no eyes?
B: No idea. (No Eye Deer.)

A: What do you call a dead deer with no eyes?
B: Still no idea.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A: Meet my new born brother.
B: Oh, he is so handsome! What's his name?
A: I don't know. I can't understand a word he says.
Submitted by: Landa Eugene
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: When does the (English) alphabet have only 25 letters?
A: At Christmas time, because it is the time of Noel. (No L)
Submitted by: George Hurlburt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter?
A: An envelope.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: If you drop a white hat into the Red Sea, what does it become?
A: Wet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do you call a boomerang that won't come back?
A: A stick.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Where do you find giant snails?
A: On the ends of their fingers.
(Giants' nails.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What travels around the world and stays in a corner?
A: A stamp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is white when it's dirty and black when it's clean?
A: A blackboard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These need to be written.
Q: What do you call a pig with three eyes?
A: A piiig.

Q: What goes Oh, Oh, Oh?
A: Santa Claus walking backwards.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do elephants have that no other animal has?
A: Baby elephants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Depending on where you live, students will enjoy this one.
Q: What do you call a hippie's wife?
A: Mississippi.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What did the ocean say to the beach?
A: Nothing, it just waved!
Submitted by: Eric Stein


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The First 3 Years of Marriage
In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens.
In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens.
In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Wife wanted".
The next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What happens when "you" and "I" are gone?
A: Only 24 letters are left. (you=the letter "u" and I the letter "i".)
Submitted by: Maria Zermani


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Riddles of Alphabet
Q: What letter of the alphabet is an insect?
A: B. (bee)

Q: What letter is a part of the head?
A: I. (eye)

Q: What letter is a drink?
A: T. (tea)

Q: What letter is a body of water?
A: C. (sea)

Q: What letter is a pronoun like "you"?
A: The letter " I "

Q: What letter is a vegetable?
A: P. (pea)

Q: What letter is an exclamation?
A: O. (oh!)

Q: What letter is a European bird?
A: J. (Jay)

Q: What letter is looking for causes ?
A: Y. (why)

Q: What four letters frighten a thief?
A: O.I.C.U. (Oh I see you!)

Q: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment but not once in a thousand years?
A: The letter "m".

Q: Why is the letter "T" like an island ?
A: Because it is in the middle of waTer.

Q: In what way can the letter "A" help a deaf lady?
A: It can make "her" "hear.

Q: Which is the loudest vowel?
A: The letter "I". It is always in the midst of noise

Q: What way are the letter "A" and "noon" alike?
A: Both of them are in the middle of the "day".

Q: Why is "U" the happiest letter?
A: Because it is in the middle of "fun".

Q: What word of only three syllables contains 26 letters?
A: Alphabet = (26 letters)

Q: What relatives are dependent on "you"?
A: Aunt, uncle, cousin. They all need "U".

Q: What is the end of everything?
A: The letter "g".

Submitted by: Mubarak Abdessalami


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a bilingual English/Spanish joke-- especially good for a class of native Spanish speakers. It also illustrates an important gramatical difference between languages (genders of nouns).

An Englishman went to Spain on a fishing trip. He hired a Spanish guide to help him find the best fishing spots. Since the Englishman was learning Spanish, he asked the guide to speak to him in Spanish and to correct any mistakes of usage. They were hiking on a mountain trail when a very large, purple and blue fly crossed their path. The Englishmen pointed at the insect with his fishing rod, and said, "Mira el mosca!" The guide, sensing a teaching opportunity, replied, "No, senor, 'la mosca'... es feminina."

The Englishman looked at him, then back at the fly, and then said, "Good heavens... you must have incredibly good eyesight."

Submitted by: Gary Cooper, Dallas, Texas


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What has many keys but can't open any doors?
A: A piano.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What has 6 eyes but can't see?
A: 3 blind mice.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Who earns money driving their customers away?
A: A taxi driver.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The teacher speaking to a student said, "Saud, name two pronouns."
Saud who suddenly woke up, said, "Who, me?"
Submitted by: Abu Jouri


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teacher: Today, we're going to talk about the tenses. Now, if I say "I am beautiful," which tense is it?
Student: Obviously it is the past tense.
Submitted by: Abu Jouri


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What is orange and sounds like parrot?
A: A carrot
Submitted by: Mariana GÛmez


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?
A: Yes, because the Empire State Building can't jump!
Submitted by: Submitted by: Ana CarriÁo, Portugal


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a riddle. It works well if you let the students ask yes and no questions about the situation, before revealing the answer.
Q: A man goes into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun, and points it at the customer. "Thank you" replies the customer and walks out. What happened?
A: The customer had hiccups.

I've used this in many countries in Eastern Europe. It always works - a shock as a hiccup cure appears to be an international thing.

Submitted by: Jenny Mitchell


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What do you call a deer with no eyes?
A: No idea.(No-eye deer)
Submitted by: Pablo Ortega Ju·rez


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESL teacher: You must never begin a sentence "I is ...".
Clever student: Please sir, what's wrong with "I is a vowel".
Submitted by: Glenn Jarrett