Exploring to Learn

It was love at first class. My relationship with UshaKiran, that is. Looking back at when I first heard of this place....it makes me wonder how I could remain oblivious to this pocket of joy right here in my neighbourhood. For about a year now I had heard of this charitable tutorial school for the children of our society's maids, drivers and guards - some good Samaritan was running in our society itself. But not until this day did I go up to the place just to see if I could help. Selfish me! I knew I was bogged down by my life and could hardly manage to slip from one role to another within the mere 24 hours handed to me. I knew that between household chores, lessons, lesson planning, meetings, phone calls and everything else this would be one more 'thing to do' - I did so want to go and be a part of it especially because it was right here next door and yet I knew it just wasn't possible with my crazy schedule. And then it happened. Pratik, my lad,  whose intent...

The world around me Noisy hurried rude No time for quiet asides Thoughtful musings I need to keep up Catch up, rush Shove those thoughtlets somewhere Not into oblivion No Just till the whirlwind Lets off steam I’ll make myself a space In the calm centre And retreat into myself.

There are umpteen reasons to explain Why I do what I do Why I write what I write Without worrying much about loss or gain Oh yes there are reasons galore That I keep up my sleeves And in the curves of my pen A hundred niggling thoughts or more. Why? Do I gasp at some act or sigh Why? Do I wonder at a scene or am shy Why? The world is teeming with curious minds Eager to unravel a smile or a cry It's easier to take things as they are Than evade their probing eye. Nothing is juicier than a story concealed behind a dozen piercing whys Fit for a piece of steamy front page news for sure It doesn't matter whether it be the truth or a bunch of lies. So yes to conclude I do write And in fits and starts, bits and bytes My reasons for writing - it's a rather lengthy list- So for the curious busy-bees here's a gist When the world goes all topsy turvy and I can't take it That's when I try to fathom these waves of emotions and share Wh...

All around me little kids are growing up Mouthing words I never knew existed Making gestures I scarce can understand All around me little people are growing up Throwing caution to the winds they laugh with glee Pushing the line of decorum they gladly stand All around me young minds are growing up Thinking at such speed my mind can't keep pace with Working out things I couldn't in my brightest of moments have planned All around me the world is growing up In ways I hope to some day comprehend Simple thoughts are getting complicated by each minute Perceptions and personalities clash at every bend Some would say what you call growing up Is how, with time, people change right before your eyes Growing up should mean maturing into someone better Or transforming into someone else or becoming more wise Growing up for me however Does not fit into a set paradigm Aging but maybe not maturing Life's experiences moulding us over time So why do I stand and c...

These days understanding literature has become so much easier what with the internet's humongous repertoire. But then, you need to analyse every detail you read for not everything up there on the net will be true although it may be someone's point of view put across rather strongly. Recently , when I read The Highwayman trying to identify the threads of poetic craft that ran through it, the very experience of reading this poem filled me with wonder. Wonder at how the poet could have taken a not-so-heroic highway robber and simply with the help of well-crafted phrases and a thrilling romantic plot turn around our perception of the highwayman. So our sympathies lie, not with the law, not with what history tells us about highwaymen of the 18th century, but with the young, dashing highwayman who is hopelessly in love with Bess, the landlord's daughter, the man who promises to be back to his beloved , the courageous young lover who comes riding back to seek revenge for his l...

Haven't written for a lo--o--o-ong time and understandably so. From my own admission, I have been spending countless hours doing one thing after another and none of it really substantial ...and every now and then sharing relieving moments cribbing with fellow victims about the fate we have subjected ourselves to. Yes, teaching , still...and every year it gets more complicated. My children are growing up right before my eyes and amazing me every other day with yet another proof of 'growing up'. Relationship hassles, identity issues, I can sniff it all the time...irritatingly itching to lend a ear to these oh-so-familiar woes and desperately fighting the urge to dole out unsolicited advice.... Guess I need to use this space for something fruitful now. My not-so -little ones have their first final exams in a couple of days and I wish I could be of some use ... so let me see if I can use this space to help them with some study material...with profiles to be written by the doz...