Random
Counterblast to Tobacco
While researching the history of the Stuarts, I discovered some delightful pieces of information. Elizabeth I did not trust tobacco – it made her sick. But she was also intrigued by it. Once, she…
Picnic!
I insist that the way I left school in the morning set my mood. People (read ‘teachers and students’) hate duty that takes them out of school into the hot sunshine. I exclaimed, “Picnic!”…
Board Exam
Ought I to be nervous? Concerned? Stressed? My students are writing their board exams. I wished them luck, gave them a pep talk and some last minute ‘tips’. One student asked me for a…
My Camera Journey
Somehow, digital cameras have turned me away from photography. It is, somehow, I don’t know… Too technical? Too easy to get a good shot? Or perhaps a part of me loved the exclusivity of…
Invigilator
Right through school, I enjoyed exams. People found that odd, so I often did not confess that I loved exams. I loved the excited anticipation just before exams. I loved that clean, fresh uniform.…
Non-Cooperation
Leela Samson, in her book Rukmini Devi writes: ‘Mrs Besant disagreed with Gandhi on the issue of non-cooperation. Her opinion was that mass civil disobedience was fraught with dangerous possibilities. She was apprehensive of the nation’s…
Dysfunctional Internet
I remember when internet did not exist. I remember when internet at home was unheard of and we always had to go to a Cyber Cafe. I remember when internet at home was the…
Naughty Boys
Everyday at school, I learn something new. Yesterday, the boys in my class did something that I can’t help laughing at, even though I know that the joke is on me. I don’t like…
Classes at School
I had an awful class yesterday. A teacher was absent, so her class was clubbed with mine. I was not particularly sceptical; I did not think I needed to be. How wrong I was!…
Another School, Another Life
I began another life today. I am to teach English at MIT Pune’s Vishwashanti Gurukul. I felt awkward listening to staff room gossip. How funny it is that I had to open yet another…