So many TED talks make me chuckle and nod in agreement that I wish to express so strongly! "I agree!" I want to say. "Oh, I agree, I agree, I agree a thousand times over!" Sometimes, I think, "And I have more to add to that. Think about this, in the same context. I've felt and thought this, and this, and this!"And then I realise, sitting alone with my laptop, I'm agreeing with a screen and myself.I just listened to a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I had never heard of her, but now, she fills me with all the joy and empathy of a kindred spirit, with respect to so much of what she says.At about the age of seven … I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading: All my characters were white and blue-eyed, they played in the snow, they ate apples, and they talked a lot about the weather: how lovely it was that the sun had come out. This despite the fact that I lived in … [Read more...]
My Grandfather – R.I.P.
On Friday, I decide to spend the night at my grandfather's place. He sleeps at 8 o' clock or so, so when I get there around 10, he is asleep. At 10:20, I hear him getting out of bed. He shuffles past my room and goes to the kitchen. I hear the balcony door creak open and close. I hear him wash his hands in the sink. Then, silence. He doesn't walk by my room again. A little concerned I get up to find my grandfather standing by the sideboard. "What happened?" I ask. My grandfather, caught in the act, confesses, "I felt like eating a banana, so got up." I chuckle and go back to bed.In the morning, he wakes me up at 6, asking me to retrieve a bottle-cap that has fallen. I do so and go back to sleep, after a rather crazy, loud conversation (because my grandfather is hard of hearing).He wakes me up again at 6:20 to ask if my father is in town. We have another loud conversation.At 7, when … [Read more...]
No School
Winter is here!Cold face, cold hands, cold feet... Ah! It's lovely!The first morning that fog descended on our school was almost surreal. It was not Pune; it could not be Pune! Cold face and all the rest, sure, I knew all that. But that kind of fog? It was as if we were on a hill-station! We could not see things two feet away from us, let alone the school buildings. Everything was misty; school had disappeared!Standing in queue to punch in, I realised I wasn't the only teacher delighting in the mist. "No school!" cried one of the teachers. "The school has gone on holiday! No school! Let's go home!" … [Read more...]
Independence Day
I have a dear friend who is half-French, half-Brazilian. She's been living in India for about five years now, and is a unique blend of several cultures. Here's what she said about the 15th of August, 2013.How I feel during Independence Day... So today is Independence Day and I went for Flag hoisting in my schoolThe attendance is compulsory and and I am a batch holder so there is no way I can miss. But even if i could I wouldn't! People might think I'd get extremely bored… half the speeches are in marathi, and the songs in hindi and the fact that I am not Indian by blood… But no, not at all... I love celebrating Independence Day. I love standing in line singing the Rashtra geet with everyone accompanied with the sound of drums, I love singing Vande Maataram and the satisfying fact that I know how to sing it and I know and love the meaning.I even love standing there int he middle of … [Read more...]
A Tribute: Prem Jeevan
I met her twice. Two memorable times. I know nothing or next to nothing about Osho, but once I had the pleasure of dropping this formidable lady, Prem Jeevan, to Koregaon Park. I had a long ride with her, during which she told me about her life, her daughters, and her association with the Osho Ashram. She told me about how she lived in a caravan, once upon a time. She wanted to know more about IB, and was thrilled that a board like this existed. She told me about a time when she spoke at The Bishop's School and everyone was so appalled that she was never called there again. We made tentative plans to meet again, simply because I was so intrigued by her, and she seemed so interested in everything and everyone. That never happened. May she rest in peace. … [Read more...]