Friday, July 20, 2007

Then and now

A couple of things I want to expatiate on yesterday's post. It is too long to go in the Comments section.
Things have changed a lot in the nun's college I went to. The girls have become so hip that young men looking for coy, well-behaved girls brought up in a god-fearing, Christian environment no longer consider the college girls marriage material. The girls go for movies on their own (not herded like we were) and wear mini skirts and jeans (the change was visible even when we were about to leave college). Since the college now offers a fashion designing course (as opposed to just a Home Science course for girls who had no better ambition than to land a good husband when we were there), girls can afford to be dressed like the models on fashionTV. In our days, it was only traditional Indian attire - full skirts and blouse, salwar-kurta with duppatta and sari.
When I was there, 1st PDC/First-year Predegree course/Class 11 girls were not allowed out, even for shopping - church was an exception for non-Catholic Xian girls. They could go to their respective churches outside the campus, while the Catholics went to the college chapel. I preferred to go to the hostel chapel, which was generally empty and quiet.
I made my first shopping trip when I reached 2nd PDC. Me and this friend of mine, Anne Sheba, approached the warden and cited a few things we wanted to buy from outside. The warden sister told us she'd get them for us herself!
"But, oh sister, we need to buy a pair of sandals too!" my friend cried. That clinched it. Like two prisoners out on parole, we roamed the streets for an hour though our limited pocket money did not allow us to make any extravagant purchases. My dad saw to it that I had only a shoe-string budget after the mess fees were paid, which prevented me from getting too lavish.
Even the shopkeepers/ theatre owners thought they had a moral responsibility to report any untoward behaviour from the girls to the nuns.

p.s. My parents are leaving tonight, so I have taken a day's leave. The kids have been packed off to school and I am enjoying a tryst with my blog before I take up the lunch preparation.

2 comments:

Joyismygoal said...

Thanks for sharing that, I wonder if you feel that how girls dress is indicative of the morals they have? I believe that that they are closely related, but my view is not shared by all here in in the US. Did all your years of schoo; get you increased salary for your job? What is ityou do for your Job?I hope you had a nice visit w/ your parents.

Ladybird said...

Well, the amount of exposure may be indicative of a girl's character especially in a conservative country like ours. Maybe in the West where frocks and minis are the norm, it may not be, unless they reveal too much. But I am surprised you think so.
No, it didnt win me any extra pay -I started as a probationer though it prolly helped in getting the job. What counts is on-the-job experience and a flair for language. So a mere graduation is enough, a journalism degree would be an advantage tho.
I am a copyeditor - in newspaper parlance a subeditor. WE work behind the scenes cleaning up copies of reporters, restructuring them, rephrasing etc.

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