I observed the commosion and jamboree that the 2 different events have created in my family and found it pretty interesting!
As if a perfectly conjured up scenario,the first guy H belongs to my mom's side,which is a very conservative family and still follows the rules of the Brahministic way of life religiously and has literally no representation in the U.S,except me.The other guy R belongs to my dad's side,which WAS once a conservative family and oflate seems to be hellbent on religiously not following any customs or traditions,with most of its members paying visits to the U.S as it was at a stone's throw.
Both these cousins are pretty shrewd guys,unlike yours truly,but then the real point I wanted to make is the contrasting scenarios they had to go through.
The H study Scenario :
H studied at the Boiler Plant high school in Trichy and as every other 12th std student of his times,his whole year was devoted to tuition classes/coachin classes/entrance classes and an occasional glimmer of fun that he got daily from watching 1/2 an hr of 'Metti Oli' during dinner.Thank God they didn't have Moral science as a subject lest his mom would have squeezed his time-table to accomodate a tuition time for that too.I was completely amazed,when I came to know that he had a tuition class for 'French - his second language' at 4.30 a.m 3 days a week!Holly Molly...French at 4.30a.m??I would rather bang my head against the wall and save my brain of the misery!
My uncle and aunt were typical brahmin parents forcing their unfulfilled childhood wishes into the guy's minds right from his very early age.What I am talking about is their perseverance and conviction to making sure thier kid would become a doctor or an engineer;the latter compulsory ought to be from a premier Engineering college!
I heard that my cousin gave his Board exams and million other entrance exams,on the hopes of becoming a doctor!
The R study Scenario :
R studied at the Kentucky junior High school at Lexington and as every other 12th grade student of his times,his whole year was devoted to Basketball games/baseball games/Literary and debate activities and an occasional special class for SAT exams that was somehow squeezed into his time-table.I happened to visit my uncle's place last year and was amazed to find my cousin's room all redesigned as per his likes,with a huge 'Michael Jordan portrait' and a 'Shaq O neal' memorablia nicely arranged on the walls.And there was the special Gym that had been created at the basement,some of whose peraphernalia I have not even seen in my apartment Gym!
My uncle and aunt were ABCD parents,showering their kid with everything that they had never got during their childhood and had left the option of choosing his career to my cousin's wishes,with a light dose of cajoling to take up a Medical line,even if it required them to bring down one of their bank balances!
I heard that my cousin took his SAT once or twice and was even gieven a chance to take it up again.
The final countdown!
My Indian cousin got his results and as I had expected the overdose of studying and unnecessarily devotion of time to coaching classes had taken a toll and it turned out that his Board exams results albiet being 1139/1200 were not upto the hype that had been created in our family circles.His entrance exams results weren't splendid either,the blame neated tucked on to the coaching centre.
And finally the reality is..he is going to join Amrutha College under the college's so-called merit category which has a tuition fee of 70000rs/yr with hostel n food expenses bringing it to a lac/yr!
My ABCD cousin,am not sure,if there was any element of results from his schooling.What I got was an invitation for his graduation from school and a special invite to the party that was to follow later in a private hall for all our family members!He is all fired up to do his undergrad at the Univ of Michigan!I didn't dare to ask if it was a free seat or a payment seat or a management seat :)!
I attended his graduation party and was bewildered to find the way the graduating kids of his school were treated as if they had saved the world and were literally boosted with enough praises that could fuel a few years of their sagging confidence!
The surprise element of the family party that followed was the 50k$ Lexus GS300 car that my uncle presented to R for graduating!
Upon watching all this happening,I was put into deep thoughts...2 similar families..2 similar kids..both of them my cousins..What a completely different scheme of things happening in their lives!One being treated like a dog while the other not less than God!
-Raapi
Posted by rajesh | 
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poor thing, your cousin in india.... i too had a similar experience, had umpteen coaching classes, got a good total(1161), but a little less in cutoff for tnpcee...got into BITS, couldnt afford, chose a private engg college...all is well that ends well, got a job!!!!
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hey..U got into BITS n even then took a private engg college..Thats really sad/bad...
Anyways..great to know u r doing well !
-Rajesh
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no regrets,
crescent wasnt that bad either, had fun at college
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Rapi...
I know the totals r shootin up compared to our times(?!..dei vayasaiduthada namakku)...still 1139 shud b a very decent one...dint he get the PSGs,GCTs...
Ipo than entrance-m thookitangaleda...
btw, the US cousin is also an achiever ..the lexus is worth the fact he hasnt bcom the typical uncontrollable american teen n wants to go to a "ccaaalleige"..
- nanban n@n
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nanbaa...
No idea daa..
i don think they even waited for all those colleges/counselling..
konjam pro-activeaa serthutaanga..
but then who can trust JJ and her antics..
She might suddenly say Engg admissions in TN might be decided based on
1)height
2)weight
3)# of machams on the candidate's left hand..
4)color of eye with blue being the last in order
5)If all above match,based on their father's height/weight n so on..
Anything other than the entrance scores!
-raapi
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Super post friend.
THe dog/DOG analogy had that punch:-)
God - when was he ever fair?
Posted by 
expertdabbler #
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raapi.. this one is a brilliant post... very good comparison.
~Oo°~
Check out this gem: suntv.blogspot.com.
~Oo°~
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