Panajachel

From thebramandaband.wordpress.com

The Bramanda Band

Posted by streickly

Since nothing was going on in Xela this weekend (and because we certainly didn’t want to study) Brandon and I took off to spend the weekend at Lake Atitlan. We rode in another dreaded chicken-bus — which, I should clarify, are decked out, old American school buses which only rarely carry chickens but are always stuffed with twice their capacity in passengers and make a rule of traveling at vomit-worthy speeds — which we were promised would take us directly en route to Lake Atitlan’s main city, Panajachel. We changed buses three times — Guatemalan style. Anyway, all forced inconveniences were forgiven as we caught site of the lake on our last descent from the mountainside. Lake Atitlan is indescribably beautiful — it literally took our breath away. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Gautemalen jewel, it’s a gigantic lake with three towering volcanoes kissing its shores. Encircling the entire lake are mountains covered with dense foliage, spotted with occasional patterns of maize fields. Several small communities are found along the lake, accessible only by boat. It was to one of these little cities that Brandon and I were planning to stay for the short duration of our trip.

So, as soon as we landed in Panajachel early Saturday morning we called to reserve a place to stay. A quaint little hotel with a sauna and private hot tub for 20 bucks, quoted as the best in our trusty guidebook — a real treat after a long week. Ah, too bad. It was full. So was the next place. And the next. After two hours of calls and seven small, fully-booked lake communities later (we guessed it was some sort of hidden high season), we admitted defeat and resorted to finding a place to stay in Panajachel. Panajachel is not that bad, it just reminded me of what I imagine Cancun is like. A million international tourists stomping around, buying crappy trinkets for too much money and taking photos of the locals without asking while at the same time the undignified locals try to cheat the tourists for all they’re worth and there’s not an ounce of the traditional culture to be found — that sort of thing. So we settled for a room in a bright, empty hotel with a rooftop view of the lake. Which was perfect until the 25-strong American high school marching band came to stay there, too. Anyway, we made the best of it and did some of our own shopping, ate a yummy non-Guatemalan meal and drank some wine to the sunset over the lake on our rooftop deck in the evening. We even watched some British TV and then vowed to go in the morning to what was promised to be the most traditional city across the lake — Santiago.

The boat ride was definitely a highlight of the weekend. It took an hour to cross, enough time to enjoy the beauty of the perfectly aquamarine lake water and snap lots of bad photos of the looming volcanoes. Santiago is a benign appearing little village, nestled into the mountainside between three volcanoes. However, when we docked in Santiago, we were immediately accosted by tons of little boys who jumped into the boat and asked if we needed guides … or taxis … or keychains … not even a pen? We squeezed by without buying anything and proceeded up the main thoroughfare into the town. What we found were shops and shops and shops and shops and shops, mirroring those we thought we had left behind in Panahachel, and people yelling at us to buy things and small children who held out there chubby paws, opened their cherub mouths and said “Quetzale” (the Guatemalan currency). When we didn’t give them money, they spanked their butts at us, muttered swear words and ran to find another unsuspecting tourist. Tourism had trashed this town as it had trashed Panajachel — and we felt guilty and disillusioned. We were also feeling hungry so we had a nice cafe lunch of Wonderbread and American processed cheese, with leering children hanging over our plates as we ate. We got on the next boat back to Panajachel and then took the next available bus to Xela.

As we ascended the mountain on our way back, we hardly even glanced at the beautiful mountain lake as we washed our hands of Atitlan and its serene little villages. In any case, it was an experience that we wouldn’t not recommend to someone else.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

* Sunset, Lake Atitlan
* Investigator On Boat Accident


6 Responses to “Lake Atitlan’s Monster”

1.
Linda Says:

January 1, 2008 at 12:50 pm

It all sounds so warm and green, as I sit here looking out at a near blizzard with giant wind-tossed snowflakes punctuated by red cardinals and bluejays in the trees trying to stay put.
Even in the disillusionment it sounds exotic and beautiful there!
Enjoy all for a lifetime of memories.
Reply
2.
Catherine Todd Says:

May 9, 2009 at 4:17 am

Wonderful blog entry; I live in Panajachel part time and love it there. Can’t wait to go back, especially after reading this! I posted a bit on my own blog, with a link back here.

http://lakeatitlan.blogspot.com/

Hope this is alright, and hope we run into each other in Pana one day!

Yours, Catherine Todd
Reply
3.
Catherine Todd Says:

May 9, 2009 at 4:22 am

Whoops… I hadn’t read the whole entry; just the first part describing the beauty of the Lake. Oh, My Goodness! I removed the excerpt from my blog, even though I am sure you did have a bad experience… but luckily that has not been the case for me. I guess it’s because I live there and have friends and “no where to go.” Makes a difference if you’ve been somewhere for awhile, I suppose.

I know parts of the tourism part is “inconvenient” and messy and the tourist traps do overcharge (bargaining is part of the Latin American culture), but believe me there’s still plenty to love about Pana and the villages around the lake.

I hope you give it another chance one day, at times when there’s less tourists (like right now, for example). I’ve been to Xela a couple of times and it is spectacular there. Hope you are enjoying it.
Reply
4.
streickly Says:

May 10, 2009 at 8:05 am

Thanks for the note, Catherine.

Traveling is so individualized, I am not surprised we had different impressions of Pana and the lake. I am sure there are endearing parts of the area we were unable to experience due to our short stay.

Xela was magnificent and we hope to go back one day.

Good luck to you.
Reply
5.
Catherine Todd Says:

May 10, 2009 at 9:19 am

Ah, thank you so much for your response. I was concerned that perhaps I shouldn’t have written mine, so I am very relieved. It was actually GOOD for me to find out what it’s like for people who don’t live there to visit there, as Calle Santander (the tourist trap) can be a nightmare for even the locals, but since it’s such a small part of my life there I didn’t realize that it might be someone’s entire experience.

The negotiation for buying anything can be so bad that I myself quit buying things in Pana, until I met good people that I always do business with. I finally realized there are three prices in Guatemala: the first “real” price is for the Guatemalans, the second is for the foreigners who live there, and the third is for the gringo tourists who visit. The “gringo price” is, as you can imagine, sky high, or at least 4 times the price. I pay double the price, as I am a gringo who lives there, and truly, I can afford it. We are usually talking about a few pennies or a dollar difference. But when they try to give me the tourist price, at ten times the regular price, I get mad and say “I am not a tourist. I live here!” and the price immediately gets cut in half!

I am going to take your notes with me and bring this up at a meeting to see what we can do to improve things in the area.

There are so many tourists coming and foreigners buying property and retiring or living around the lake that I always say I “speak more English when I’m in Guatemala than I do here in North Carlina.” So your experience is very, very important and we must work to preserve a positive way of life for all concerned. Thank you so much. Your description of the lake is one of the most beautiful and accurate I’ve ever read. I hope you do come back to visit. Be sure to let me know.

Yours, Catherine Todd, catherinetodd2@gmail.com
Reply
6.
Catherine Todd Says:

May 10, 2009 at 9:23 am

I live in North Carolina, USA (mispelled as Carlina). Can you correct this and use the full name of “Panajachel” (not the short version Pana” as I wrote) and delete this current note? Thanks…


Archived Entry

* Post Date :
* December 31, 2007 at 8:17 pm

CBSE Sample questions

Sample Question papers can be downloaded from the CBSE site..link is here on the right side.You need Adobe Reader to read it after downloading.

TOP TEN EXAM TIPS.

1. Analyse andfind your own deep and compelling reason to successfully learn your subject and pass your exams.

2. Plan your time to include study, revision and social commitments - a balance of having fun, taking breaks and studying is vital.

3. Use multi-coloured Mind Maps for your notes.

4. Review your notes regularly to reinforce your new-found knowledge.

5. Swiftly skim through your text books and course material before you read them in depth to give you an overview of your subject.

6. Learn how to remember lists of things by linking each item to a location on a journey or route you are familiar with around your town. You could even use your own home.

7. Before you do any revision, warm up by doing some gentle exercise to relieve any tension in your body and to get a rush of healthy oxygen flowing to your brain.

8. Do past papers under thorough exam conditions as often as possible to familiarise yourself with the format and the pressures of working under exam conditions.

9. In an exam, make sure you read the question completely and fully understand what the examiner wants before you allocate your time and begin answering the questions.

10. If you are faced with a mental block breathe deeply, relax and ask yourself "If I did know the answer to this question, what would it be?"

THERE IS NO SHORT CUT TO SUCCESS !

My experimented idea no.1-You can even record your voice while reading and later play it and listen through a headphone.

My experimented idea no.2-Read from your own notebook..our brain easily accepts own handwriting than others!

My experimented idea no.3-Take a break after every 40 minutes..our brain switches to the other side every 40 minutes..change the subjects between analytical to aesthetics(from maths to poems) for better results.

Himalayas as seen from Central Pendam School

I took this photo from the terrace of Central pendam School on 19th November 2007.

VIDHYA DHAR-Centella asiatica-Memory Plus

This herb is found abundantly in Sikkim which is commonly called Godataap,because of its appearance resembling the horse foot.When I talked about it with an elderly lady here ,she said it is vidhya dhar-means wisdom bearing .. In West Bengal(Golpatta) and in Tamil Nadu(vallarai) ,Sanskrit Mandooka parani(frog sittingplace),by the Tribals of chota nagpur -mendak baazi -it is eaten as cooked leafy vegetable.It is often mistaken for the original Brahmi.
The medicinal value of this plant is of immense value as it can be used as a general tonic by any one.For Memory boosting,nuerological disorders,stomach ailments,for ageing people it acts like kayakalp(elixir).

Eating a few leaves daily was thought to "strengthen and revitalize worn out bodies and brains." Centella asiatica has also been recommended as a treatment for mental troubles, high blood pressure, abscesses, rheumatism, fever, ulcers, leprosy, skin eruptions, nervous disorders, and jaundice.

This post is from my own experience and observation..Two leaves daily can be taken raw.Be sure to use the right variety of it..there are many varieties of it found here in Sikkim,the smooth and clean one should be used.

SHARUKH

when he was in class XII.

Hahahas finally the hols! Last thurs last day of sch was an emotional one for my class. 2 years seh! Been classmates for so long den now gonna be reallocated into diff classes...haiz sad.

=(

Here are photos of the last day of sch on thurs, 2/5 WILL ROCK FOREVER!T.T

Thanks ppl for all tat u've done and the memories, be it bad or good lol... and the previous chairmans esp Brindha!=D U've did a lot for this class and ty! See u ppl at our class gathering!

Poor rich` India becoming rich: FM

Washington, Oct 20

India is making efforts to turn "a poor rich country" into an economic powerhouse and make the country rich with an open polity and an open economy, says Finance Minister Shri P Chidambaram. Relating what he called the "story of a poor rich country" at the Harvard University - he had done MBA from Harvard Law School - the minister said he has faith in the future generations as "more and more Indians - especially young Indians - have discovered the virtues of an open polity and an open economy."

"Our effort is to turn India into an economic powerhouse and make India rich," he said in a South Asia Initiative Harish C Mahindra 2007 lecture on "Poor Rich Countries: The Challenges of Development" in Boston Thursday. "While my generation which spearheaded the crossover will do its best, I have faith that the next generation of Indians, and the generation after that, will eliminate the scourge of poverty and make India rich. Then, the poor rich country would have deserved its inheritance."

Giving a long list of things that make India rich and poor at the same time, Shri Chidambaram said, "India is rich because of its natural resources; it is poor because it is unable to exploit those resources efficiently and profitably."

"India is rich because of its native entrepreneurial talent; it is poor because many policy and procedural hurdles stand in the way of the entrepreneurs. ... India is rich because its people are hardworking, resilient and pragmatic; it is poor because often commonsense is devoured by ideology."

"Undoubtedly, India is challenged" with the government facing the challenge of leveraging the huge natural and human resources to ensure rapid economic growth, he said describing growth as "the best antidote to poverty". "With growth, we have a chance to wipe out the stigma of abject poverty, and our people can enjoy the advantages of being citizens of an increasingly prosperous country. Without growth, India will remain a poor rich nation," Shri Chidambaram said.

For well over three decades after independence, India adopted a dirigiste model of economic development. The State was the principal driver of the economy and the economy itself remained closed to the rest of the world. India’s GDP grew at an average rate of 3.5% in those "lost decades", he said recalling that it required a balance of payments crisis in 1991 to jolt India out of its slumber. Then "brushing aside the predictions of doom, the people embraced the new paradigm of an open and competitive economy."

"The India story had begun. It is an unfolding saga and we have added many chapters, but it was not easy in the 1990s and it is not easy now either," Shri Chidambaram said describing the first decade of the new millennium as "the best since independence".

In the seven years beginning 2000-01, India`s GDP has grown at an average rate of 6.9%. Since 2003-04, the growth rate has moved to a higher plane and the average has been 8.6%. 2006-07 was a splendid year with the GDP recording a growth of 9.4%. One would have thought that the challenge of development - in a democracy - will become less formidable as the economy cruises on a high growth path, Shri Chidambaram said.

Wa long no post... exams over last wk. happy! The last 6 days of holiday i watched 1 korean drama and 3 jap drama nice seh! Goong S is nice but i think Goong is nicer, much more hilarious. ^^ but still worth watching la. Eh i watched hana yori dango season one and two! Super nice! Its the jap version of meteor garden but i think this jap version nicer then the taiwan version.haha. I also watched the jap version of hana kimi and hor serious la i think jap actors are better man, i prefer the jap version, is funnier. Must watch!
Last sat when to hav a jab with my mom...zzz she force my go take flu jab coz she scared nov go hong kong not safe =.= haiz...typical paranoid mother. So i went, at 1st nt pain but the next day pain liao. lol cannot lift arm. XD
Ah...den ytd gt in-line skating. I WILL NEVER SKATE ON MY FREE WILL AGAIN! Wa seh fell 3 times on my butt, zzz pain man. Ahh but monkey and min jun noes hw 2 skate though. T.T
Today, went through the question papers of maths, science and lite. Suppose to hav eng too, but hey expected one la Yeo Yeo nvr come, AGAIN so whole class slack AGAIN. Rofl. Lite quite okay if wat ms sharmila says is true, top 3 comes from my class and our msg is the best. So no wori tat one. Maths arh die man, see mrs chua say hor i think can go get ready coffin sia. Sounds so depressing T.T... 2/2 gt the best msg though, but my class msg is only 0.1 away from theirs, so mon when checking script MUST find errors in marking den get more marks so can pull msg!^O^!hahahha. Eh science okay la, 75% of my class gt distinction but did nt meet expectation of msg 1.9 but gt msg 2.0 instead...haiz...0.1 more. Mr leow came for like 3minutes? Den disappeared lol.
AAHHHHH 2moro band prac!!!!!! T.T must get ready for mr lim's "teaching" sia... one month no touch my flute alrdy...hah... sooner or later will sure kenna one la. Hope my recruits will enjoy band prac!^^ Jia you!

HAPPY DASAIN

Farewell to Mr.C.L.Rai

Today the school bid farewell to Mr.C.L.Rai ( P.E.T) who has been transferred to the Dept.of Sports and Youth Affairs-Gangtok.

PHOTO MAP

Central Pendam as seen from the West Bengal ,11 mile.

haha i am bored again. i'm supposed to be studying lite now though lol><. haha but went online to download si ying's lite notes. eh dunno leh anyhw click den come my blog, so...post. =D
Finally man! left three more days of EOYs den HAHAHAHAHA PLAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! hah.... but thinking of it, i asho dunno wad to do after exams. haha. Tested yujia science ytd morning den sho qiao wad i tested came up haha. ~heng phew~ i kinda miss band seh no band prac for 3 weeks... tsk.. feel weird.haha. Haiz but i gonna havta miss like 4 band pracs during the hols from 3nov-13nov...T.T i am dead when i come bac...kenna 'shoot' by conductor...haha. eh i wan go play wif my band batch girls after EOYs! ^^ ever since exams very long no go ler! hahaha. ok sutdy time.

BACKCUTTING

ROAD EXPANSION WORK IN PROGRESS AT CENTRAL PENDAM.

THE MAHATMA

THE STORY OF MY EXPERIMENTS WITH TRUTH
By Mahatma Gandhi

PART 2

CHAPTER XXIV

HOMEWARD

By now I had been three years in South Africa. I had got to know the people and they had got to know me. In 1896 I asked permission to go home for six months, for I saw that I was in for a long stay there. I had established fairly good practice, and could see that people felt the need of my presence. So I made up my mind to go home, fetch my wife and children, and then return and settle out there. I also saw that, if I went home, I might be able to do there some public work by educating public opinion and creating more interest in the Indians of South Africa. The £3 tax was an open sore. There could be no peace until it was abolished.

But who was to take charge of the Congress work and Education Society in my absence ? I could think of two men-Adamji Miyakhan and Parsi Rustomji. There were many workers now available from the commercial class. But the foremost among those who could fulfil the duties of the secretary by regular work, and who also commanded the regard of the Indian community, were these two. The secretary certainly needed a working knowledge of English. I recommended the late Adamji Miyakhan"s name to the Congress, and it approved of his appointment as secretary. Experience showed that the choice was a very happy one. Adamji Miyakhan satisfied all with his perseverance, liberality, amiability and courtesy, and proved to everyone that the secretary"s work did not require a man with a barrister"s degree or high English education.

About the middle of 1896 I sailed for home in the s.s. Pongola which was bound for Calcutta. There were very few passengers on board. Among them were two English officers, with whom I came in close contact. With one of them I used to play chess for an hour daily. The ship"s doctor gave me a Tamil Self-teacher which I began to study. My experience in Natal had shown me that I should acquire a knowledge of Urdu to get into closer contact with the Mussalmans, and of Tamil to get into closer touch with the Madras Indians.

At the request of the English friend, who read Urdu with me, I found out a good Urdu munshi from amongst the deck passengers, and we made excellent progress in our studies. The officer had a better memory than I. He would never forget a word after once he had seen it; I often found it difficult to decipher Urdu letters. I brought more perseverance to bear, but could never overtake the officer.

With Tamil I made fair progress. There was no help available, but the Tamil Self-teacher was a well-written book, and I did not feel in need of much outside help.

I had hoped to continue these studies even after reaching India, but it was impossible. Most of my reading since 1893 has been done in jail. I did make some progress in Tamil and Urdu, in jails-Tamil in South African jails, and Urdu in Yeravda Jail. But I never learnt to speak Tamil, and the little I could do by way of reading is now rusting away for want of practice.

I still feel what a handicap this ignorance of Tamil or Telugu has been. The affection that the Dravidians in Sourth Africa showered on me has remained a cherished memory. Whenever I see a Tamil or Telugu friend, I cannot but recall the faith, perseverance and selfless sacrifice of many of his compatriots in South Africa. And they were mostly illiterate, the men no less than the women. The fight in South Africa was for such, and it was fought by illiterate soldiers; it was for the poor, and the poor took their full share in it. Ignorance of their language, however, was never a handicap to me in stealing the hearts of these simple and good countrymen.

They spoke broken Hindustani or broken English, and we found no difficulty in getting on with our work. But I wanted to requite their affection by learning Tamil and Telugu. In Tamil, as I have said, I made some little progress, but in Telugu. which I tried to learn in India, I did not get beyond the alphabet. I fear now I can never learn these languages, and am therefore hoping that the Dravidians will learn Hindustani. The non-English-speaking among them in South Africa do speak Hindi or Hindustani, however indifferently. It is only the English-speaking ones who will not learn it, as though a knowledge of English were an obstacle to learning our own languages.

But I have digressed. Let me finish the narrative of my voyage. I have to introduce to my readers the Captain of the s.s. Pongola. We had become friends. The good Captain was a Plymouth Brother. Our talks were more about spiritual subjects than nautical. He drew a line between morality and faith. The teaching of the Bible was to him child"s play. Its beauty lay in its simplicity. Let all, men, women and children, he would say, have faith in Jesus and his sacrifice, and their sins were sure to be redeemed. This friend revived my memory of the Plymouth Brother of Pretoria.

The religion that imposed any moral restrictions was to him no good. My vegetarian food had been the occasion of the whole of this discussion. Why should I not eat meat, or for that matter beef ? Had not God created all the lower animals for the enjoyment of mankind as, for instance, he had created the vegetable kingdom ? These questions inevitably drew us into religious discussion.

We could not convince each other. I was confirmed in my opinion that religion and morality were synonymous. The Captain had no doubt about the correctness of his opposite conviction.

At the end of twenty-four days the pleasant voyage came to a close, and admiring the beauty of the Hooghly, I landed at Calcutta.The same day I took the train for Bombay.

EXPLORE SIKKIM-A New Magazine from Singtam

Today I read a new magazine- EXPLORE SIKKIM .Really, clean and elite in its presentation.
This Black&White first issue (I wish later it becomes colourful) is like a journal on Sikkim,because of its decent presentation and broad outlook to preserve the socio-cultural
diversity of this region. The content shows the passion and philosophy behind the publication.
Nostalgia,sports,history,culture,society,hobbies etc.are the major topics.Photos are also of good quality..I don't know why one of the models face is censored and later she appeared in another page. The Tourism column is useful to everyone. Cartoons of Padam-Malay which I use to enjoy in the SUNCHARI also one of the attractions of this Mag.Mr.Shital Pradhan is the Editor ,so you can expect more good quality articles on Sikkim.I am eagerly waiting for the next issue.

Prashant Tamang-INDIAN IDOL-3

23 Sep 2007, 2206 hrs IST,PTI

NEW DELHI: Prashant Tamang, a constable in the West Bengal Police, was on Sunday crowned Indian Idol after vanquishing his rival Amit Paul in a grand finale of the over-two month long talent hunt.

Tamang, 24, who hails from Darjeeling, has undergone a journey from being a member in the police band in Kolkata to becoming the heart throb of millions of TV viewers all over the country.

The grand finale was an all North-East affair as Tamang took on 24-year-old Paul, who hails from Shillong.

The results of the talent hunt were announced at a gala in New Delhi with the final witnessing a whopping seven crore people sending in their votes.

Tamang stole the centrestage with his rendition of the song Yeh Kali Kali Ankhen from the Hindi film Baazigar .

As Bollywood actor John Abraham announced Tamang the winner, the constable thanked his mother in a voice choked with emotion.

"I thank my mother, public and Bengal police for granting me the permission for participating in the show," he said.(Times Of India)

Haha i'm bored....><>

Metal + Acid = Hydrogen Gas + Salt

Carbonate + Acid = Water + Carbon dioxide + Salt

Oxide + Acid = Water + Salt

Yay memorised =DDDD

Lol ytd had a "study session" wif monkey, flo, lydia, wei shan and SL at amk hub opp de macs. Haha quite fun la except SL and wei shan quarrelled over something. lol. I think monkey gt sumting scandalous on her phone but i cant seem to find it anywhere on her phone leh...(haha Marley and me ....=.=''') Hee SL seems 2 likes the doggie we gave him for Bdae, phew~ (haha sry for havin u see us eat while u r fasting><) Yay my mommy juz told me she bringing me to shen zhen and HK for hols!!! wheee, but i scared will clash wif band prac den i die....(i think 70% tat i will die so...ya.) Ahhh... lemme see after EOYs over, i've still gt a CCA open house to prepare wif Wei shan and gab..O.o.... Sian gt 7 maths revision wkshts to do and still gt kamal's art zzzz...Hw i wish can drop art, HE, Music, D&T in sec 2, waste time sia.

Hahaha here are some pictures XD

ok i decided to post after...6 months..?
Ah... together4 juz passed, nt so stressed ler. MY RECRUITS GRADUATED!!!! Eh 2day received the card tt peiyan and nadiah wrote to the ROs, heh heh wan die arh... write somemore on me and ahem arh...hahaha jk la.
Haiz but SA2 comin...sian zzz hope can score well. =DDDD-----go study ler---->

VISWAKARMA PUJA AT SCHOOL

VOTE FOR PRASHANT

Gangtok: The entire hills of Darjeeling District and Sikkim state are gearing up for Prasant Tamang featuring among the last two candidates of the 'Indian idol' television singing talent contest. Chief Minister Shri.Pawan Kumar Chamling appointed him as the Brand Ambassador of Sikkim and appealed the people to vote for Prashant Tamang.Every evening Sikkim Police Band perfroms from 5pm onwards at Titanic Park of Gangtok in "Prashant Campaign". Many Sikkim Ministers are appearing on local television appealing to people of Sikkim for SMS's for Prashant Tamang.Fund collection drive all over Sikkim & Darjeeling to boost Votes of Prashant in finals are on going at very hectic pace.

For Most ,Prashant Tamang is already winner of Indian Idol crown no matter what the results.

Revised Design of the Question Paper in Economics, Political Science and History (Class XII) for Board Examination, 2008

Central Board of Secondary Education

Shiksha Kendra, 2 Community Center, Preet Vihar

Delhi 110092

ACAD/EO (COM)/2007/ 08-08-2007

Circular No.39/07

The Heads

of all CBSE affiliated institutions

SUBJECT: Revised Design of the Question Paper in Economics, Political Science and History (Class XII) for Board Examination, 2008

Dear Principal,

Your kind attention is drawn to Circular No.33 dated 24-07-2007 wherein revised designs of question papers in Social Science(Class X) and Business Studies, Accountancy, Geography and Psychology (Class XII) for Board Examination, 2008 were outlined. In Circular no.37/07 dated 01-08-2007, you were apprised of changes made in the Political Science syllabus of Class XII and distribution of marks over its different units. In continuation of these circulars, the changes effected in the designs of question papers in Economics, Political Science and History (Class XII) are given below:

ECONOMICS, Class XII

Time : 3 hours Max. Marks : 100

I Weightage of marks to Forms of Questions

S.NO.	Forms of Questions	Marks for each question	No. of questions	Total Marks
1.	Very short answer type	1	10	10
2.	Short answer type I	3	10	30
3.	Short answer type II	4	6	24
4.	Long answer type I	6	6	36
5.	Total		32	100

II. The question paper will have two sections A and B with equal number of questions i.e. 16 each.

III. Scheme of Options: There will be no overall choice. However, there is an internal choice in one question of 6 marks, one question of 4 marks and one question of 3 marks from each of the sections. Thus there will be internal choice to six questions.

POLITICAL SCIENCE, Class XII

Time : 3 hours Max. Marks : 100

I Weightage of marks to Forms of Questions

S.NO.	Forms of Questions	Marks for each question	No. of questions	Total Marks
1.	Very short answer type I	1	10	10
2.	Very short answer type II	2	10	20
3.	Short answer type I	4	10	40
4.	Long answer type	6	5	30
5.	Total		35	100

II. Scheme of Options: There will be no overall choice. However, there is an internal choice in every question of 6 marks.

HISTORY, Class XII

Time : 3 hours Max. Marks : 100

I The question paper will be divided into Parts A, B, C, D, and E. The description and division of marks over each part will be as under:

Parts	Forms of Questions	Marks for each question	No. of questions	Total Marks
A	Very short answer type	2	5	10
B	Short answer type	5	8	40
C	Long answer type	8	2	16
D	Passage based questions	8	3	24
E	Skill (Map Work)	5	2	10
	Total		20	100

II. The 3 passage based questions will be distributed among the three parts of the History textbooks, one each. In each of these questions, there will be 4 questions with marks ranging from 1-4

III Scheme of Options : There will be no choice in part A. Part B will be divided into 3 sections ( books). Section 1 will have 4 questions out of which the student will attempt any 3. Section 2 will have 3 questions out of which the student will attempt any 2. Section 3 will have 4 questions out of which the student will attempt any 3 questions. Part C & D will carry internal choice. In part E internal choice will be provided in one of the two map questions.

The detailed question paper design, sample question papers and marking schemes will be shortly put up in the CBSE’s website www.cbse.nic.in. The above mentioned changes may kindly be brought to the notice of all concerned.

Regards,

Yours faithfully,

(C. GURUMURTHY)

DIRECTOR (ACAD.)

C.C.:-

1. The Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, 18-Institutional Area, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, New Delhi-110 016.[.;

2. The Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, A-28, Kailash Colony, New Delhi

3. The Director of Education, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110 054.

4. The Director of Public Instructions (Schools), Union Territory Secretariat, Sector 9, Chandigarh-160 017.

5. The Director of Education, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok, Sikkim – 737 101.

6. The Director of School Education, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar-791 111

7. The Director of Education, Govt. of A&N Islands, Port Blair-744 101.

8. The Secretary, Central Tibetan School Administration, Sector 9, Rohini,

a. Delhi-110 085.

9. All the Regional Officers of CBSE with the request to send this circular to all the Heads of the affiliated schools of the Board in their respective regions.

10. The Education Officers of the Academic Branch, CBSE.

11. The Library and Information Officer, CBSE

12. EO to Chairman, CBSE

13. PA to CE, CBSE

14. PA to Secretary, CBSE

15. PA to HOD (AIEEE)

16. PA to HOD (Edusat)

DIRECTOR (ACADEMIC)

TEACHERS DAY

Dr.Radha Krishnan's BirthDay is celebrated as Teachers Day.He was Vice-President and later become President of India and a Great Teacher himself before,desired his birthday to be celebrated as Teachers Day.Our school also observed this day.Click this link to learn more about this great teacher http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr98/fe0898/f2808981.html

BOLLYWOOD & POLITICAL SCIENCE

Part of a page from the new TextBook Published by the NCERT,for CBSE Political Science -Class XII.

OUR SCHOOL PRAYER

O,Indwelling Lord! In all stable objects and moving beings.I as a child,just born of sleep,firmly desire,and honestly pray that,may all my deeds,in the course of the day,be done for your sake only,and therefore,most pleasing to you,O Lord! whatever is uttered,thought of and done by me,during the day ,is all done by your inner promptings only.

Hence,may all that be sanctified as a sacred offering to you like oblation in a sacrifice,may nothing that I do,give pain to my teachers and other beings,and let no actions of others harm me in any way. Amen!

Nepali version of this prayer:

Hey Parmeswar! nindhradeviko garbabaata ma janmey,hey saara srishtiko swaami,thatha hridaivaasi,thapaikao pavithra naam uchharan gardhai ma mero dhainik kaaryaharu garna laagirahechu.Hey Prabhu mera vachan vichaar ra kaaryalaayi pavithra paarne ra baato dhekaone kripa,mamaathi raaknuhos.Mera kaaryaharule mera gurujan thatha anya kasailai pani chot napuryaos.Sampoorna hridhaile ma mero dhin thapaiko charankamalmaa samarpan gardhachu. Om Shanthi Om!

THE NEW POLITICAL SCIENCE

This years NCERT published text books on Political Science are visually pleasing,the design and inputs make it a learners delight.There is US hegemony in the design and presentation .These books are akin to the text books of US schools published during the 70s.Anyway the material is less ,exercise questions contains "Fill in the Blanks"&"Match the Following" .De-stressing the students and introducing them to the new tools of learning is a good idea,but we should not forget the basics.Unni and Munni teache the children to think.We expect more text books like this in other subjects,so that learning becomes more fun.

Now and Then-Golden Moments-1

thanks to the archives of M.P Subedi sir,West Pendam

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS-PHOTOS