Locus of control

Before the exam...when not prepared...
Wee: I wish the teacher who is setting the paper loses her balance on the stairs and falls down and loses her memory and won't be able to set any paper ever.
Tee: I wish I have an accident while crossing the road...and my brains fall out.

After giving the exam...which was super f***all...
Wee: I hope the place where all the answer papers are kept catches fire.
Tee: I wish I get really sick and I can't walk or talk and can never go back.

Six feet under

Entrance to a burial ground.
Khudanpur-Paratwada, Amravati District.
Maharashtra.

Pic by D.N. Oct '09

Reality check

One evening I had gone to WD's school. At the time few children were doing math problems with their teacher and with the others I did a little English reading from story books.

I sat with one girl, 6 years old. Barely knows a few words in English. The book we had, had a lot of pictures...it was a book about a family...mother, father, children how they help around the house, etc..etc.

So we came to a page where the mother puts a band aid on the child's knee cause he was hurt. Looking at the picture, I asked her what is happening in the picture. She didn't answer. I explained what had happened in the picture. I tried to link it to her...

"Jab aapko chot lagti hai....tab mummy kya karti hai? Kuch lagati hai chot par?"

She looks at the picture, she looks at me and says, "Jab mujhe chot lagti hai, mummy mujhe marti hai."

Life as we write it

"If you really want to commit suicide, Sidney, I understand. But I'd hate to see you close the book too soon and miss all the excitement that could happen to you on the next page- the page you're going to write."

-Sidney Sheldon's father.

A line from the book, The other side of me by Sidney Sheldon.

Gurupurnima

My First card as a teacher. Made by my students on Gurupurnima :)

The long awaited rains

The rains are here.

Refreshing, rejuvenating, rejoicing.

Cleansing the mind, cleansing the soul.

Bringing that little happiness I longed for.

Like every monsoon it has made me happier!

Understanding Children

"Sometimes we forget that children have just arrived on the earth. They are a little like aliens, coming into beings as bundles of energy and pure potential, here on some exploratory mission and they are just trying to learn what it means to be human. For some reason Dennis and I reached out into the universe and found each other. Never really know how or why. And discovered that I can love an alien and he can love a creature. And thats weird enough for both of us."
From the movie Martian Child (2007).
This is written in the book that David the adoptive father writes about his adopted son who thinks has come from Mars. A must see movie.

Flashbacks

"I don't like taking photographs...I feel weird looking at them later. It's like life is in phases...I find it weird looking at phase 3 when I am in phase 6. Memories good or bad..whatever... phase 3 is phase 3 and phase 6 is what I should be bothered about."
- M.V. 2008

Finally a Good bye

Addressed to my class.
I'm glad it has ended...I don't have to see u guys again...at least not for another few months. I hated all of u. I hope I never get to work with u all...well can't really say, but anyway.

A personal goodbye to...
Pac, I am not ur 'best friend'... I have been rude, sarcastic to u...n u didn't get it...u kept coming back to me...dude...! Why are u staying in Bombay...grrr! I don't want to know anything more abt ur 'special powers'...!
Maj, Your rudeness is not gonna take u anywhere. stop thinking people are blaming u, are trying to hurt u...and plotting a scheme against u....gosh!
Yap, I'm glad u stuck around till the end...even though it was rough. I'm glad u are going back. I feel bad for u...but I know things will get better once u are back to your 'Kingdom' :)
Fus, U are superficial. Stop screaming...I can still hear ur screeching voice...eeeh!
Zam, Dude....I missed u like hell. U were one person in class I could actually call as my friend, talk on paper during lecture...laugh abt anything n everything...having u around made it easier to glide through most of the year. I won't forget the little trips to mocha's...harbour line platforms... :) I hope u are doing fine.
Char, One thing...good u left...another thing...I missed having u around. I am not 'excessively happy' it was bcuz of U n Zam who used to make me feel happy. I shall meet u very soon.
Ast Ber, Don't simply include me in ur plans. I am not even acknowledged by u wen I'm in class.
Step Sav, U guys must start a recipe blog or something, not like I appreciate it or enjoy ur recipes...dude that is all u guys talked about whenever we sat for lunch together....ehh!
Nei, Grow up.
Bel Dil, I thought u guys were nice....but u are not. Bel stop thinking u conquer the world...cuz u don't. But yeah all the very best to both of u with ur centre...and for everything. I shall visit it someday.
Pan Rul Vep Sub, Ma'am there's no point apologizing wen the damage is already done. U call urselves special educators... have patience, understand ur students, every individual is different...this is what u taught us.
MRs, LDs, VIs... All the very best guys. Yes there are some nice moments that I can look back at and smile. Anyway take care.

Teach. Touch lives. Grow.

On choosing the right one

"...You must know from experience that when it comes to picking somebody else to raise your kids, no one seems right. No one is you. And so you choose someone who is most like you. Someone that will give the kids a taste of their real mom, the mom they lost and never really got to know. In so many ways, we are so much alike, that's why I chose Helen. Of course, she'll have lots of fights with the kids, yet she'll find a way to make up. I know sometimes she messes things up and makes big mistakes. On the other hand, she also makes big comebacks. Respect her Jenny. Give her a shot. We're family and I'm counting on you to keep everyone together..."

From the movie 'Raising Helen'. (2004)
An extract from the letter written to the eldest sister by the second sister who wrote it way before she died and she chooses 'Helen' the youngest sister to take care of her children. You ought to watch the movie.

Silent SCREAMS!!!

Population explosion

I was journeying home by train... a pregnant woman with two children, a toddler and one about 6 years were sitting next to me. The children were cute and they attracted attention from the women sitting opposite them.

Woman sitting opposite: You have a son and a daughter....now what do you want?

Having two children is not enough! If anything happens to u what will happen to these children. They will go to the orphanage. Your husband will get married to somebody else. You think he will take care of them. Oh no.

not letting her say anything. the pregnant woman smiles in embarrassment.

Pregnant woman: But what can I do?

Woman sitting opposite: What can you do... you can only do whatever you want. You are thin too....what if something happens to you then what! Three children sigh

Station came....everybody got off...words lost in the air....it remained in me....

I wondered...I am the fourth child...Did anyone talk to my mother like this. Did she want me. Four children sigh

Time management

Scribbles opens her dabba at 4 pm in class...
Kala: Why are u eating now!?
Scribbles: Arre I forgot... I wasn't hungry earlier.
Just then Manju comes in...and sees me eating....and talks to Kala about me....front of me.
Manju: See this girl.....has no sense of time.....always comes in late for lectures, doesn't eat on time... scribbles laughs shamelessly.... doesn't know what time to get up n sleep....she doesn't know what is happening in coll.... and what... her watch is 10 mins fast!!

One whole year...

Yeah it's been one whole year.... since we parted ways.
I remember this day...last year... all we did was fight.
Bitter. Tears. Anger. Frustration. Anguish. Love.
I met you four times in this year. Four times.
I was fine. You were fine. But it wasn't the same.
I cried a hell lot of times.
I still cry.
I miss you... I want you to know that.
I know things have changed...You have changed...I have changed.
I don't know how many more years to come will it be like this... but one year has gone.
I love you...I still do....and I want you to know that.

"What with one fight, friendship is not broken. She's still your best friend. You fight with your father, he doesn't stop being your father. You will continue to call him daddy..."
-Mari, 2005