Exploring to Learn

It's quite amazing, when you ponder on it, to think how priorities keep changing as you grow older. When I was a student, topping the list of priorities was 'Studies'. Soon 'Career' and 'Work' climbed its way to the top. A short while later, when holy matrimony swept me off my feet, 'Family' settled on its perch at Priority No.1.That soon gave way to 'Son'and that has continued to top the list till now. I wonder whether it is similar for most other women who marry and raise families. Do family and children become the all-important factors in your life at a certain age? Everytime I've found myself facing a tough decision, my priorities bailed me out.Whether it was leaving a permanent job more than four times in my nine-yearlong teaching career or not taking up positions that weren't in line with what was most important for me,life for me has always followed the path lain down by my priorities. Now when I'm standing at the edge once...

A thousand apologies to those 'less than a handful' who've cared to sign up as followers to my shamefully stagnating blog. What do I give as an excuse for not keeping up the blogging habit...for letting the one good thing I learnt last year almost die a silent death? Scratch my head as much I can,I can't think of an answer. Laziness or A Strange Freezing of any Intention to Write? Amateur blogger's block? Whatever. Something stirred within. I shook myself awake. And here I am again, typing away as the words come popping out of my head. Hope I keep it up this time.And use it for something useful. Wish me luck.

Waiting for my turn outside my son's classroom,at the parent-teacher meet,it felt ....how should I put it? Awkward? After years of teaching at the same school,and being on that side of the table, here I was, in a queue , with a dozen other impatient parents,exchanging pleasantries and comparing notes. "She's taking so much time with every parent," remarked a young parent, "doesn't she realise it's a working day for us?" Well, that remark came as a surprise to me. Here was a teacher, giving all the time she could , to each parent,only trying to do her job well. Surely,a parent-teacher meeting isn't supposed to be just an obligation, a formality!I've always thought that it's a great opportunity to find out how your child's doing at school.And even voice your suggestions ,if any. Perhaps,I was still looking at it from a teacher's perspective.Perhaps,this parent had a real busy schedule and had great many important things to do after ...

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When we set out on a journey, we meet several people on our way, interact with them for as long as the meeting lasts and then carry on ,on our respective paths. These days, one is too pre-occupied with one's own concerns to smile at a fellow passenger and strike up a conversation.One needs to be wary, in these times of terrorism and criminal behaviour breeding everywhere, of even sharing a cup of tea with a stranger sitting next to you on a train.No one's sure of another's intentions any more. What surprise then, that even at work, people do not step out of a self-created border? Coming to myself. I have grown up in the little North-eastern town of Shillong,where everyone is friendly with everyone else,where people smile and nod at virtual strangers they meet on their way,where doors can be left unlocked for the entire day with nothing amiss, where helpfulness is a way of life, where you can talk for hours with an absolute stranger without inhibition..... get the idea? Imag...

Here's a list of my top five ways to get injured.These have climbed their way to the top on the basis of my experiences in the past few months.Needless to say, I've learnt it the hard way. Number 5: Spilling a plastic cup of piping hot tea on yourself while trying to express yourself animatedly on some issue. Number 4: Traveling in a rickety Maruti Omni at the speed of 100 kmph driven by an insane driver credited with having overturned a truck at break-neck speed.Surviving right-angled turns at top-speed. Number 3:Rushing to class in another building 50 metres away with just seconds to spare , a heap of bricks and mortar lying strewn along the way and groups of students relaxing on the stairs. Number 2: Absent-mindedly opening the aluminium door to an electrified cabin. Number 1:Falling off a camel's back.Decidedly No.1 on my list. This post is dedicated to all my colleagues who have been with me through the last six months and will surely vote for my top five ways to get ...

Once again, a lot of unnecessary hue and cry over a name.No sooner was the Bandra-Worli sea link christened after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, than waves of criticism lashed out against the announcement. Newspapers carried articles on the issue while news channels held debates on whether a certain political dynasty was going too far by naming every other construction in the country after its family members.The internet too,saw umpteen forums and blog posts dedicated to the issue. I really do not want to dip my finger into this messy pie (long gone stale). What struck me as a refreshing view on this non-issue, however,was my little son's candid remark while he watched some pro-Savarkar political leaders airing their views. In the most matter-of fact manner, my wise seven-yr old asks, " Mom,if China can have a "Great Wall of China", why can't we have a "Great Sea Link of India"? Why do we have to name it after someone?" I was at a loss for w...