Where do you generally listen to such announcements?

Five reflections on five years: my people

birthday

newCardigan is five years old this month. If we were a human, we’d be “going” to school over Zoom by now! Normally we like to have a little birthday cardiParty in June, but things are weird this year. Instead, every day this week one of the ‘cardiCore’ will be sharing their personal reflections on the first five years of newCardigan. Please share your own reflections with us on your favourite social media, your blog, as a video or audio recording, an email, or via ye olde postal service. We can’t wait to read, hear and watch them.

Image: GLAM Walking Tour, Hayley Webster and Gemma Steele, Museums Victoria’s Library, Rare Book Collection, Melbourne Museum, January 2018

What a strange time to turn 5. Lockdown has given us all time to reflect. What does newCardigan mean to me? It’s a lifeline to a community that has grown and become a significant part of the GLAM sector in Melbourne and Perth, and beyond, over the past 5 years.

On 12 June 2015 newCardigan hosted the very first cardiParty. Sadly I wasn’t there for that, but a friend brought me along to my first cardiParty in September, then in December Hugh asked me to join cardiCore. I’m incredibly thankful for being part of this community.

Image: GLAM Walking Tour, Clare O’Hanlon at RMIT Gallery, January 2017

When I think back, the thing I’ve taken away from all of those cardiParties, are all the conversations I’ve had with cardies about finding their community. One cardie said to me, after recently moving to Melbourne from Canberra, ‘I’ve found my people’. That’s what newCardigan means to me.

Image: GLAM Walking Tour, curator Julie McLaren giving a tour of the Art Gallery of Ballarat, January 2019

I have so many happy and proud memories with newCardigan. GLAM walking tours have been such a crazy logistical challenge to organise, but they have always been so much fun on the day! We had a GLAM walking tour planned for this year, but sadly we have had to postpone. For anyone who has been on one, it’s a rollercoaster ride of a day, a short stop at each of the four sites, and a walk between (two years running it rained cats and dogs!)… It’s like having four cardiParties in one day, exhausting, stimulating and heaven.

In January 2017 we had our first GLAM walking tour, it rained, as we walked through Melbourne from the Athenaeum Library, to the Shot Tower Museum in Melbourne Central, to RMIT Gallery, and finishing the day at RMIT Design Archives. Such a memorable day. The following year, January 2018, it rained, as we made our way from the Centre for Contemporary Photography to Melbourne Museum where we heard from the Library, Palaeontology, and Archives. I remember 40 cardies in a large room at Melbourne Museum, all wet from our walk, but still beaming with enthusiasm and excitement at the incredible rare books, fossils and archives on display. Last year we headed to Ballarat, it was a very sunny hot day as we made our way from the Art Gallery of Ballarat, to the Ballarat Mechanics Institute where we explored the library and archive collection, then a very hot long walk to the Gold Museum after lunch. I know, we’re crazy to host GLAM Walking Tours in January. We were going to break that tradition this year. I can’t tell you how excited I’ll be at our next GLAM Walking Tour. I can’t wait.

AP State Syllabus 8th Class English Solutions Chapter 1A The Tattered Blanket

8th Class English Chapter 1A The Tattered Blanket Textbook Questions and Answers

Look at the pictures given and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
What do you observe in the pictures?
Answer:
In picture A, we observe a nuclear family that consists of a pair of adults and their children. In picture B, we observe a joint family that consists of a man (the head), his wife, their children, daughters-in-law and their grandchildren.

Question 2.
Do we find many joint families in our society? Yes/No? Give reasons.
Answer:
We don’t find many joint families in our society. The joint family system has been breaking up in India as a result of the increasing individualistic and independent attitudes of grown up children. Nuclear families provide more privacy. Today youngsters want financial independence. Hence, the system of joint family has been gradually disappearing.

Comprehension

I. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Why didn’t the mother recognise Gopi and how did he feel?
Answer:
Gopi’s mother did not recognize him as she might have lost her memory. He didn’t visit her very often. He was very disappointed at that. He tried to convience her that he was Gopi, her son but of no use.

Question 2.
Why do you think Gopi didn’t get anything for his mother?
Answer:
I think Gopi didn’t have any love and affection for his Amma. Actually he didn’t have any feelings for her. He spent all his time in money making. He didn’t have any values. He didn’t give any importance to human relations. He forgot his mother. So, I think, he didn’t get anything for his mother.

Question 3.
The mother could not remember Gopi. Do you think Gopi remembered his mother? What does it suggest?
Answer:
No, I don’t think Gopi remembered his mother. It suggests us that he didn’t have any moral values. He didn’t care for human relations. He was the man of money. He forgot her service and sacrifice. He only looked for the status.

Question 4.
What is meant by the expression ‘the tattered blanket’?
Answer:
The expression “the tattered blanket” means the torn blanket. It symbolizes the life of the Amma. Here the old woman is compared to the torn blanket. Amma is very old and she is in her last stage. No one has any use of her. In the same way, the blanket is a tattered one which is not very useful.

Question 5.
Why didn’t Gopi answer his sister’s question, ‘Do you remember your Amma?’?
Answer:
Gopi knew what he had done to his mother. He came after a very long time to his mother. He didn’t remember his mother. He didn’t even write a letter to her. He came there only for selling his share of the family property but not with love and affection. He valued money and status only. So, Gopi didn’t answer his sister’s question.

Question 6.
If you were Gopi’s sister, how would you respond to his behaviour?
Answer:
If I were Gopi’s sister, I would make him know that he was doing wrong. I would make him know a son’s responsibility towards his mother. I would make him recall Amma’s service and sacrifice for him. I would make him realize that one day he too would become old and face the same situation. I would really hate him.

Vocabulary

I. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate words from the box. Remember, the box has some extra words.

1. All my attempts to make him happy proved ———–.
2. It was very cold. So, I ———– in a corner.
3. Forced by her parents, Sita ———– took the diploma course.
4. What are you ———–? I can’t hear you.
5. The news that he was denied promotion caused ———– to him.

II. Tick (✓) the words that are similar in meaning to the underlined words.

1. His mother made a futile attempt to get up.
a. barren
b. limited
c. useless
d. empty
Answer:
c. useless

2. It’s all tattered now.
a. spoiled
b. old
c. dirty
d. torn
Answer:
d. torn

3. There is a cold mist in the mornings,
a. ice
b. snow
c. fog
d. win
Answer:
c. fog

4. It’s just like a ball of knotted yarn.
a. very small
b. rounded tightly
c. joined
d. tied
Answer:
d. tied

5. I can’t make both ends meet with my salary.
a. earn a lot of money
b. spend a lot of money
c. earn just enough money
d. give all that one has
Answer:
c. earn just enough money

Grammar

Phrases, Noun Phrase and Noun Phrase Apposition

I. Look at the following sentences from the text and observe the underlined part in each sentence.

She saw a bald, fat, middle-aged man.

Discussion:

• Which word in the underlined part is important?
• The underlined part in the above sentence has more than one word. It is called a phrase. The underlined part ‘a bald, fat middle-aged man’ functions as a Noun Phrase.

Complete the sentences with noun phrases using the words given in brackets.

1. I bought ———– (beautiful/a/umbrella/red)
2. We saw ———–in the zoo. (baby/a/elephants/of/couple)
3. Our grand father lives in ———– (big/house/a/stone-built)
4. Ramya has ———– (nice/a/sari/silk)
Answer:
1. a beautiful red umbrella.
2. a couple of baby elephants
3. a big stone-built house.
4. a nice silk sari.

II. Noun Phrase in Apposition.

Look at the following sentences and observe the underlined part in each sentence.

1. Kamala, her eldest daughter, a widow, got up reluctantly.
2. Don’t you remember Vimala, District Collector Nambiar’s eldest daughter?

The underlined parts in the above sentences refer to the nouns that occur before them. The underlined parts are called Noun phrases in Apposition.

Rewrite the following sentences using Noun Phrase in Apposition.
1. Mahesh is my elder brother. He lives in Delhi.
Mahesh, ———–, lives in Delhi.
2. Sarojini Naidu is popularly known as the Nightingale of India. She wrote many poems in English.
Sarojini Naidu, ———–, wrote many poems in English.
3. Rabindranath Tagore is called Gurudev. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.
Rabindranath Tagore, ———–, was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913.
4. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. It is located in Nepal.
Mount Everest, ———–, is located in Nepal.
Answer:
1. my elder brother
2. the Nightingale of India
3. Gurudev
4. the highest peak in the world

Writing

I. Read the following paragraph, taken from the story.

Delhi is too expensive. You know I have four children to look after now. I can’t make both ends meet with my salary. And one has to keep up one’s status. It will be a great help if I can raise some money by selling my share of the family property. I came to talk it over with you.
Now, write a paragraph on how to keep up family ties despite economic pressures (You may use the hints given below).

• Impact of economic pressures
• Lack of time to spend with the family
• Lack of love and affection
• Absence of human relationships

Answer:
People lead a very busy life in the present society. They work like machines. They even don’t find time to sit together. They forget their families. They don’t have any enjoyment. Because of the economic pressures they have to earn more and more money. They don’t give any importance to the human relations. Everyone tries to keep up his/her status. They don’t show any love and affection on their family members. The younger ones forget the selfless service rendered by their parents. They don’t have any feelings to them. They forget the sacrifice made by their par¬ents in the process of giving them good education, providing them good facilities and giving them good lives. In the hunting of money, they don’t find time to spend with their family members. They neglect their parents. The old people are equal to the little children. They need help, service, money, etc. from their offspring. So, the younger ones must provide them to their parents. Despite their economic pressures, they must find some time to spend with their parents. They should remember that one day they too will become old. If they don’t show any love and affection, they too will have to face the same situation. Though the younger ones are busy with their work, they should maintain family ties and show the right path to the next generations.

Listening

Listen to your teacher making an announcement and answer the following questions.

An Announcement on the Radio

Prashanth, a thirteen year old boy has been missing since last Sunday. The boy is in blue trousers and pink T-shirt. He can speak Telugu, Hindi and English. He has fair complexion. He is fond of movies. His parents are much worried about him. Whoever finds Prashanth will be rewarded. You may contact the Sub- Inspector of Police, Vidya Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram. (Mobile No. 99xxxxxx00)

Question 1.
What is the announcement about?
Answer:
The announcement is about the missing boy, Prashanth.

Question 2.
What are the features of Prashanth?
Answer:
Prashanth is a thirteen year old boy. He is in blue trousers and pink T-shirt. He can speak Telugu, Hindi and English. He has fair complexion. He is fond of movies.

Question 3.
Where do you generally listen to such announcements?
Answer:
We generally listen to such announcements :
(i) On the radio (ii) On the television (iii) Over the loudspeakers, etc.

Question 4.
Think of some announcement you may make or listen at school.
Answer:
As you are aware, we are going to celebrate the Children’s Day celebrations in our school on the 14th of this month. We are going to organize a number of cultural programmes on the occasion. So, I would like to request the students who are interested to give their names to the SPL. The selected events are : Dances, Skits, Songs and Plays.

Question 5.
What are the other ways to trace the missing persons or things?
Answer:
The other ways to trace the missing persons or things are :
(i) Announcement on TV.
(ii) Announcement in dailies, weeklies and other magazines.
(iii) Announcement over loudspeakers.
(iv) Announcement through wall posters, pamphlets, etc.

Study Skills

Family related information.

Is yours a nuclear or joint family?
Now write a paragraph describing the types of families using the information given in the above tree diagram.
Write which type of family you prefer and why.
Answer:
Ours is a nuclear family. But I prefer to be a member of a joint family. There are two types of families. They are (i) Joint family and (ii) Nuclear family. A joint family consists of father, mother, their children and their families. A nuclear family consists of father, mother and their children. I really can’t see any disadvantages with a joint family. In every sense it is a convenient arrangement for everyone – morally, emotionally, mentally, financially, etc. With everyone putting his or her efforts, joint family system benefits everyone. The children are well taken care of. They learn to give and take, to be patient, cooperative, tolerant and to adjust with the other family members in a joint family. The joint family gives security, health and prosperity to everyone of its members. The joint family system is one that could help us to live a less stressful life as there are a lot of people around to help us and to share joys and sorrows. The eleders handle the financial matters. So there is no stress on the younger ones. The elders show the right path to younger ones. The younger ones develop the virtues like co-operation, sympathy, sacrifice, selfless ser­vice, obedience, etc. in a joint family. We find love and affection among the members of a joint family. Hence I prefer the joint family system.

The Tattered Blanket Summary in English

Gopi was a government officer living in Delhi. He married Vimala. district collector Nambiar’s eldest daughter. They had four children. Gopi’s old mother was living in the countryside along with her eldest daughter Kamala, a widow. After attending a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, he dropped in on his way back. His mother saw him getting down at the gate and asked Kamala to see who he was. Kamala walked slowly to the gate reluctantly. She recognised Gopi and asked him unpleasantly why he made a sudden unexpected visit. But Amma did not recognize him. Gopi tried to tell her that he was her son. Kamala told Gopi that that Amma was often like that those days. She didn’t recognize anybody. When Amma asked Kamala if her son (Gopi) had sent a letter, Kamala told her everything was fine with him. But Gopi didn’t write any letter to her. When Kamala told Gopi all these things, he replied that he was on his toes always as he got promotion the previous year. So he didn’t get any time to write letters. Again Amma asked who he was. Gopi told her that he was her son Gopi and he had come from Delhi. She even forgot his wife’s name. She used to think that Gopi wrote letters to him every day. So she asked Kamala if he wrote a letter that day. Gopi kept his briefcase on the thinna, opened it and pulled out his contents such as clothes, files, a shaving set, etc. Amma told Gopi that her son Gopi was a government officer in Delhi and had Kesariyogam. She asked him to send her a new red blanket to protect herself from a cold mist. Her old blanket, which was brought by Gopi when he was studying in Madras, was all tattered. Actually Gopi didn’t come to the village too see her Amma. He didn’t have any affection and love towards his Amma. He gave more importance to status. He wanted to raise some money by selling his share of the family property. He came to talk it over with his sister. Kamala knew that he would never come there anymore after selling his land. When she told Gopi the same, he answered that he would come when he got time. He said that Amma couldn’t remember who he was. Actually it was he who didn’t remember his Amma.

About the Author

Kamala Das (1932-2009) is the daughter of the famous Malayalam poet- Balamani Amma and V.M. Nair. She is an internationally known poet, short story writer and novelist who writes effortlessly both in English and Malayalam. She has received many awards for her literary work. Some of them are Asian Poetry Prize, Kent Award for English Writing from Asian Countries, Asian World Prize, Sahitya Academy Award and Vayalar Rama Varma Sahitya Award.

The Tattered Blanket Glossary

thinna (n): sit out (elevated place on the verandas)

futile (adj): unsuccessful

huddled (v): held arms and legs close because of fear or cold.

reluctantly (adv): not willing to do something

screwing up eyes (v): narrowing the eyes to look more carefully

on toes (idm): busy, ready to work

mumbling (v): speaking unclearly and quietly

exasperatedly (adv): very annoyed

kesariyogam (n): well settled (in Malayalam)

tattered (adj): torn

irritation (n): annoyance

peer (v): to look closely or carefully at something or somebody

grating (adj): unpleasant to Listen to

scared (adj): frightened

awkwardly (adv): uncomfortably

wrinkled (adj): having folds in one’s skin.

knotted yarn (n.phr): tied threads

nod (v) : move one’s head up and down to show agreement

make both ends meet (idiom): to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need

look after (phr. v): to take care of somebody/something

feebly (adv): weakly