Once upon a time ....I was a naughty school boy!

Once upon a time – in a land far away – I was a naughty school boy too ! So, I was not always a good little boy! Not bad – but certainly not an angel. How is that for a beginning? Well, I studied in the Boys High school and college from grade eight till grade eleven and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It was an all boys’ school in the heart of the city and the pupils came from in and around Allahabad. It was a day cum boarding school and the boarders were the toughies. Most of the boxers, athletes and boys is school teams were boarders. It was a great school and pupils who passed out were ready to face the world. However, in my last two years in school, like many others, I did get into my fair share of trouble as well. The school disciplinarian was known as the Sergeant and he was rather strict. So, if you did not have the right hair cut and by that I meant really short , arrived even a minute late for school , were not dressed appropriately , had dirty shoes , played truant etc you got six of the best and mind you , he had a strong arm . Many boys were dropped to school by their parents on scooters and by cars and they were punished in front of them as and when/ if needed. There were no quarters asked and none given. The Sergeant smiled while delivering the punishment which could be a few shots with his famous cane, being made to jump up and down while holding one’s ears or being literally lifted off the ground when he caught hold of our extra long sideburns ! At times he chatted with the parents while punishing their sons. That surely was a joke in poor tastebut no one complained! Surprisingly, he was very well loved by the boys and no one bore him any malice. As for the parents – they begged him to discipline their boys . However, we as a senior class were a trifle wild if that is the correct term – will leave you to judge. As boys were not allowed to carry footballs to school , we kicked around anything and everything during the break – it could be someone’s tiffin box, a plastic ball, a large marble or even stones wrapped in a sock . You can imagine – 12 boys of varying sizes, in a senior class, running wild in a narrow corridor ,playing this version of football. The result was broken furniture, damaged walls, broken lights and fans and the like – not to mention shins and ankles that took quite beating and clothes that were ruined. We were often hauled up and punished for this childish behaviour, but I guess we were thick skinned and defiant and so the games continued unabated. Slipping out of school during the lunch break and not returning was also indulged in. This was if we had periods where we knew the teacher was lenient. If we never got caught all was well and time was spent enjoyably chatting and stealing (at times buying) plums, guavas and raw mangoes from the villagers in the fields a few hundred meters away. When we got caught – things turned out badly and we paid the penalty manfully. Crying would make us the laughing stock of the school so there were no tea. However, all these were minor infringements compared to an incident that will be etched in my mind forever. If the doctor had not arrived on time I may not have been here keying in this article . There was a boy in our class- very well behaved, smartly dressed and a trifle reserved, who carried very tasty tiffin to school daily. It looked good, he seemed to relish it while eating & above all it gave off an amazing aroma. The kababs , puris , and sweets dishes were to die for . However, I do not remember him ever offering us – I could be wrong. Initially, on a few occasions and just for fun, a few of us stole his tiffin when he had left the class and finished it before he returned. He was obviously frustrated when this became a habit. For about a fortnight thereafter, he went home hungry as we had polished off his tiffin and there was very little, he could do about it. In those days, no one complained to the teacher – that was unheard of and no one went home and complained to parents either – that was just not done. You would be called a sissy. However, complain he did, to a young lady relative in his house and they planned to put an end to this bullying once and for all. They hatched a plan and what a plan it was. For some days he guarded his tiffin, almost with his life and we were unable to get our hands on it much to our dismay. Despite our best efforts, and all our devious attempts to distract him and steal the tiffin, we failed. However now when I think back, we were devils incarnate and we refused to accept defeat! Then one day he came to school with his tiffin as usual and put it in his desk in a rather nonchalant manner. Now if we were smart enough, we should have smelt a rat. However, our stomachs ruled and we fell for the trap. Leaving the tiffin in an open desk , he went out of the classroom during the tea break that day . We were determined to teach him a lesson for all the days of his being extra careful and so, in the ten minutes he was out , his tiffin was picked up( by me on that fateful day) , the food shared out- devoured within a few minutes and the empty tiffin put back . If I remember rightly the loot was shared between five of us. It was a seamless operation and we were thrilled. He returned, looked at the empty tiffin, surprisingly said nothing - class got over for the day and he left. Before I come to what happened thereafter, let me tell you what he had brought for tiffin that day. It was the most yummy “soogi halwa and puris “a sweet dish made of Semolina for the uninitiated! Well, about fifteen minutes thereafter all five of us felt a distinct rumbling in the stomach and literally ran towards the school toilets. Let me tell you while keeping this clean – we were there for about thirty minutes and could hardly walk with weakness after that. Somehow, I cycled home as did the others and without a word, threw the cycle down and ran to the toilet again. To cut a long story short it was food poisoning of the worst possible kind and I spent a large part of the evening and the next day oscillating between the toilet and my bed. By the time the doctor came home to visit me the next afternoon, I was too weak to move and on the verge of collapse. A few injections and tablets and two days in bed and I was soon walking – weak, wobbly but luckily alive. Yes it was that serious. All others faced a similar predicament in varying degrees. I guess because I was the weakest and thinnest, I fared the worst. The enquires then began and all of us blurted out the truth at our respective homes. Further investigation was carried out of what we had eaten and the truth was soon out. Despite being so weak we were all scolded and punished for bad behaviour. In my weak state I wondered what I would tell the Sergeant when I saw him next! (Coming back to the incident - our friend had confided in his relative as to how he had been literally bullied for days and with her help they had mixed something rather nasty in the food. The rest was history and it could have ended badly. Despite what had happened, there were no reports filed, no complaints made and the matter ended as quickly as it had begun . The school year ended as well, and we all went our separate ways. About forty years later guess who I meet? You guessed it right – my friend whose food we had been stealing eons ago. The whole episode came flooding back in minutest detail. Incidentally today we are both in the same country as well and have laughed over this matter on quite a few occasions. He is a well-established, dignified gentleman but he remembers the incident too . I promised him I would put the story up without naming names – and we all know that the fault was ours to begin with. I guess let me say it openly on behalf of all the other rascals – Sorry ……………..!! Before I end let me share something else which is equally interesting - he has also promised to get his wife to make a similar dish for me anytime I choose and he has promised to eat it with me ! All’s well that ends well !

Once upon a time ....I was a naughty school boy!

Once upon a time – in a land far away – I was a naughty school boy too ! So, I was not always a good little boy! Not bad – but certainly not an angel. How is that for a beginning? Well, I studied in the Boys High school and college from grade eight till grade eleven and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. It was an all boys’ school in the heart of the city and the pupils came from in and around Allahabad. It was a day cum boarding school and the boarders were the toughies. Most of the boxers, athletes and boys is school teams were boarders. It was a great school and pupils who passed out were ready to face the world. However, in my last two years in school, like many others, I did get into my fair share of trouble as well. The school disciplinarian was known as the Sergeant and he was rather strict. So, if you did not have the right hair cut and by that I meant really short , arrived even a minute late for school , were not dressed appropriately , had dirty shoes , played truant etc you got six of the best and mind you , he had a strong arm . Many boys were dropped to school by their parents on scooters and by cars and they were punished in front of them as and when/ if needed. There were no quarters asked and none given. The Sergeant smiled while delivering the punishment which could be a few shots with his famous cane, being made to jump up and down while holding one’s ears or being literally lifted off the ground when he caught hold of our extra long sideburns ! At times he chatted with the parents while punishing their sons. That surely was a joke in poor tastebut no one complained! Surprisingly, he was very well loved by the boys and no one bore him any malice. As for the parents – they begged him to discipline their boys . However, we as a senior class were a trifle wild if that is the correct term – will leave you to judge. As boys were not allowed to carry footballs to school , we kicked around anything and everything during the break – it could be someone’s tiffin box, a plastic ball, a large marble or even stones wrapped in a sock . You can imagine – 12 boys of varying sizes, in a senior class, running wild in a narrow corridor ,playing this version of football. The result was broken furniture, damaged walls, broken lights and fans and the like – not to mention shins and ankles that took quite beating and clothes that were ruined. We were often hauled up and punished for this childish behaviour, but I guess we were thick skinned and defiant and so the games continued unabated. Slipping out of school during the lunch break and not returning was also indulged in. This was if we had periods where we knew the teacher was lenient. If we never got caught all was well and time was spent enjoyably chatting and stealing (at times buying) plums, guavas and raw mangoes from the villagers in the fields a few hundred meters away. When we got caught – things turned out badly and we paid the penalty manfully. Crying would make us the laughing stock of the school so there were no tea. However, all these were minor infringements compared to an incident that will be etched in my mind forever. If the doctor had not arrived on time I may not have been here keying in this article . There was a boy in our class- very well behaved, smartly dressed and a trifle reserved, who carried very tasty tiffin to school daily. It looked good, he seemed to relish it while eating & above all it gave off an amazing aroma. The kababs , puris , and sweets dishes were to die for . However, I do not remember him ever offering us – I could be wrong. Initially, on a few occasions and just for fun, a few of us stole his tiffin when he had left the class and finished it before he returned. He was obviously frustrated when this became a habit. For about a fortnight thereafter, he went home hungry as we had polished off his tiffin and there was very little, he could do about it. In those days, no one complained to the teacher – that was unheard of and no one went home and complained to parents either – that was just not done. You would be called a sissy. However, complain he did, to a young lady relative in his house and they planned to put an end to this bullying once and for all. They hatched a plan and what a plan it was. For some days he guarded his tiffin, almost with his life and we were unable to get our hands on it much to our dismay. Despite our best efforts, and all our devious attempts to distract him and steal the tiffin, we failed. However now when I think back, we were devils incarnate and we refused to accept defeat! Then one day he came to school with his tiffin as usual and put it in his desk in a rather nonchalant manner. Now if we were smart enough, we should have smelt a rat. However, our stomachs ruled and we fell for the trap. Leaving the tiffin in an open desk , he went out of the classroom during the tea break that day . We were determined to teach him a lesson for all the days of his being extra careful and so, in the ten minutes he was out , his tiffin was picked up( by me on that fateful day) , the food shared out- devoured within a few minutes and the empty tiffin put back . If I remember rightly the loot was shared between five of us. It was a seamless operation and we were thrilled. He returned, looked at the empty tiffin, surprisingly said nothing - class got over for the day and he left. Before I come to what happened thereafter, let me tell you what he had brought for tiffin that day. It was the most yummy “soogi halwa and puris “a sweet dish made of Semolina for the uninitiated! Well, about fifteen minutes thereafter all five of us felt a distinct rumbling in the stomach and literally ran towards the school toilets. Let me tell you while keeping this clean – we were there for about thirty minutes and could hardly walk with weakness after that. Somehow, I cycled home as did the others and without a word, threw the cycle down and ran to the toilet again. To cut a long story short it was food poisoning of the worst possible kind and I spent a large part of the evening and the next day oscillating between the toilet and my bed. By the time the doctor came home to visit me the next afternoon, I was too weak to move and on the verge of collapse. A few injections and tablets and two days in bed and I was soon walking – weak, wobbly but luckily alive. Yes it was that serious. All others faced a similar predicament in varying degrees. I guess because I was the weakest and thinnest, I fared the worst. The enquires then began and all of us blurted out the truth at our respective homes. Further investigation was carried out of what we had eaten and the truth was soon out. Despite being so weak we were all scolded and punished for bad behaviour. In my weak state I wondered what I would tell the Sergeant when I saw him next! (Coming back to the incident - our friend had confided in his relative as to how he had been literally bullied for days and with her help they had mixed something rather nasty in the food. The rest was history and it could have ended badly. Despite what had happened, there were no reports filed, no complaints made and the matter ended as quickly as it had begun . The school year ended as well, and we all went our separate ways. About forty years later guess who I meet? You guessed it right – my friend whose food we had been stealing eons ago. The whole episode came flooding back in minutest detail. Incidentally today we are both in the same country as well and have laughed over this matter on quite a few occasions. He is a well-established, dignified gentleman but he remembers the incident too . I promised him I would put the story up without naming names – and we all know that the fault was ours to begin with. I guess let me say it openly on behalf of all the other rascals – Sorry ……………..!! Before I end let me share something else which is equally interesting - he has also promised to get his wife to make a similar dish for me anytime I choose and he has promised to eat it with me ! All’s well that ends well !

Musings on a Saturday morning

Is this machine making my life easier like they said it would? Or am I just drawn to if for the lack of something better to do right now? So, I sit and stare out aimlessly at times ….is this what boredom actually is ? Through large panes of glass that definitely need a wash .. I press my nose up against windows that crave to be opened I stand on the balcony and breathe - my only real connection with the outside world I suddenly think of Mandela – Twenty-seven years in solitary confinement He endured the obvious suffering calmly and emerged stronger A young soccer team stranded in an underground cave – seventeen days of misery, torture & fear The rescue was a miracle against all odds The boys then emerged - relieved and smiling but scarred for life The very thought makes me shudder My claustrophobia would have got the better of me And here we are- frustrated after a month Seemingly suffocating in helplessness How weak some of us are! How very strong some others! The television has begun to jar on my nerves And the newspapers even more Sensationalism rules and spreads panic. STOP IT . And what do I see when I peer out, ever so often? Large car parks with a few dusty cars therein No one fighting and circling to find that elusive empty slot. Delivery boys from the supermarket next door going about their daily chores All masked, gloved and cycling – they toil on bravely And then there are the food delivery boys as well Speeding along and thankful for empty roads - and safety Red, blue and black boxes strapped firmly on their motorcycles Feeding the multitudes who are too bored or lazy to cook Pigeons in droves, cooing & fluttering on the pavement below And every now and then one is devoured by cats on the prowl The circle of life – the law of the jungle Then there are those determined to break the rules I spot the regulars – refusing to stay home - they creep around corners Hoping and praying not to be seen – but I see them! It’s a silly pastime I have begun to enjoy And I wonder when they will be spotted & caught and held accountable Morning tea- breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner – snacks in between Food and drinks are shortening the day – not right I know Am I even giving my exercise a chance! What do I do now? Is it lunch time already?

Musings on a Saturday morning

Is this machine making my life easier like they said it would? Or am I just drawn to if for the lack of something better to do right now? So, I sit and stare out aimlessly at times ….is this what boredom actually is ? Through large panes of glass that definitely need a wash .. I press my nose up against windows that crave to be opened I stand on the balcony and breathe - my only real connection with the outside world I suddenly think of Mandela – Twenty-seven years in solitary confinement He endured the obvious suffering calmly and emerged stronger A young soccer team stranded in an underground cave – seventeen days of misery, torture & fear The rescue was a miracle against all odds The boys then emerged - relieved and smiling but scarred for life The very thought makes me shudder My claustrophobia would have got the better of me And here we are- frustrated after a month Seemingly suffocating in helplessness How weak some of us are! How very strong some others! The television has begun to jar on my nerves And the newspapers even more Sensationalism rules and spreads panic. STOP IT . And what do I see when I peer out, ever so often? Large car parks with a few dusty cars therein No one fighting and circling to find that elusive empty slot. Delivery boys from the supermarket next door going about their daily chores All masked, gloved and cycling – they toil on bravely And then there are the food delivery boys as well Speeding along and thankful for empty roads - and safety Red, blue and black boxes strapped firmly on their motorcycles Feeding the multitudes who are too bored or lazy to cook Pigeons in droves, cooing & fluttering on the pavement below And every now and then one is devoured by cats on the prowl The circle of life – the law of the jungle Then there are those determined to break the rules I spot the regulars – refusing to stay home - they creep around corners Hoping and praying not to be seen – but I see them! It’s a silly pastime I have begun to enjoy And I wonder when they will be spotted & caught and held accountable Morning tea- breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner – snacks in between Food and drinks are shortening the day – not right I know Am I even giving my exercise a chance! What do I do now? Is it lunch time already?

Speech at an online Investiture at The Millennium school, Dubai

MY SPEECH AT AN ONLINE INVESTITURE OF SCHOOL PREFECTS AT THE MILLENNIUM SCHOOL , DUBAI - SURELY A FIRST . PRINCIPAL, HEADMISTRESS, PARENTS, MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY AND DEAR PUPILS NEVER IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION DID I FORSEE ANYTHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE . COINCIDENTALY, I THINK IT WAS AT THE LAST GRADUATION THAT I MENTIONED SOMETHING - AND I QUOTE - ‘’ NO ONE HAS A CLUE ABOUT HOW LIFE WILL PAN OUT IN THE YEARS AHEAD – IN FACT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT LIFE WILL BE LIKE TOMORROW ,SO MAKE THE BEST OF THE PRESENT MOMENT ’’ . IT SEEMS JUST LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN WE WERE GOING ABOUT OUR BUSINESS - WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD – CRIBBING ABOUT TRAFFIC, OFTEN IRRITATED WITH WORK, UPSET WITH COLLEAGUES, DISCUSSING PRICES , AND ANGRY ABOUT DELAYS AND SUDDENLY HERE WE ALL ARE – AT HOME – SITTING BEFORE MACHINES AND GOING AHEAD WITH LIFE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY , WHILE CRAVING TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN . WORDS AND PHRASES LIKE PANDEMIC, COVID, LOCKDOWN , QUARANTINE , VENTILATOR , PATIENT ZERO, COMMUNITY SPREAD & SOCIAL DISTANCING, ARE ALL TRENDING . BUT HUMAN BEINGS ARE RESILIANT CREATURES – WE DIFINITELY ARE. MILLIONS LIKE YOU AND ME IN ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE ARE WORKING AND STUDYING FROM HOME AND GRADUALLY WE ARE GETTING BETTER AT WHAT WE ARE DOING. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY AND WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO BUT WE WILL OVERCOME AND WE WILL SURVIVE AND COME OUT STRONGER AT THE OTHER END – THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO TELL OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES EVERY DAY . GO OUT AND SPREAD THIS MESSAGE . OMTIMISM IS THE NEED OT THE HOUR . BARELY A FEW WEEKS HAD GONE BY AND THERE WERE A PROLIFERATION OF NEW SONGS, KEEP FIT VIDEOS, JOKES, STORIES AND , CARTOONS DOING THE ROUNDS . WHATSAPP MESSAGES INCREASED BY THE HUNDREDS AND SUDDENLY EVERYONE HAD FOUND A NEW SPARK OF CREATIVITY & ENERGY. I FOR MY PART HAVE COOKED, HAVE BAKED , HAVE PLAYED MY GUITAR AND DONE SOME WRITING ON MY BLOG. I AM SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING INTERESTING AS WELL . YOU MUST DO SO TO RELAX . IT IS IMPORTANT . AROUND THE WORLD , DONATIONS ARE POURING IN FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO HELP THOSE IN NEED AND THAT’S SO GOOD , GOVERMENTS ARE RISING TO THE OCCASION AND DOING THEIR BEST WHILE EVERYONE RACES TO FIND THE VACCINE. YES WE WILL . WE , HERE IN THE UAE , ARE VERY BLESSED TO BE IN A SAFE COUNTRY, LOOKED AFTER & PROTECTED. FOOD AND COMMODITIES ARE AVAILABLE IN PLENTY AND HEALTH CARE IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY . WE EXPATS MUST THANK THE RULERS OF THE UAE FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE AND FOLLOW THE RULES FOR OUR OWN GOOD . BUT HERE IS SOMETHING - IF YOU PLAY CLOSE ATTENTION - AMIDST ALL THIS MADNESS AND MAYHEM , SANITY IS BEGINNING TO PREVAIL. PEOPLE ARE PRAYING MORE, FAMILIES ARE SPENDING QUALITY TIME TOGETHER, HOBBIES AND SIMPLE PASSTIMES ARE SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY ONCE AGAIN. WE ARE ALL SUDDENLY MORE PEACEFUL AND MORE CARING . PEOPLE ARE EXERCISING AT HOME, AND EVEN FATHERS ARE HELPING OUT WITH HOUSE - WORK WHEN POSSIBLE. I HAVE AN EXCLAMATION HERE . LIFE HAS SLOWED DOWN QUITE A BIT AND THE RUSHING TO WORK, SPEEDING ON THE ROADS AND CHARGING INTO MALLS TO BUY THINGS WE OFTEN DON’T NEED HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL – THE AIR IS MORE PURE , THE QUALITY OF WATER IN RIVERS HAS IMPROVED – OUR WORLD IS TRANSFORMING & RECUPERATING . WE HAVE BEGUN TO CONNECT WITH OUR INNER SELVES FOR A CHANGE AND REALIZE THE TRUE MEANING OF FREEDOM AND LIFE . ALL THAT ASIDE , HEARTYY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU PUPILS AND PARENTS . THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY WHICH YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY STRIVED FOR AND ASPIRED TOWARDS . SO FORGET THESE TROUBLED TIMES AND ENJOY THE MOMENT . THIS IS A MILESTONE IN YOUR LIFE AND IT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT TO BE PROUD OF – LET NO ONE OR ANYTHING TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU . THIS INVESTITURE WILL GO DOWN IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AS BEING DIFFERENT AND CREATIVE – . IN FACT THIS PERIOD IN TIME WILL BE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS IN THE YEARS AHEAD AND YOUNG PUPILS WILL READ WITH WONDER AND AMAZEMENT ABOUT HOW WE MANAGED THE CRISIS . YOU YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN – AND ALL OF US WILL BE IN A NEW WORLD AFTER THIS IS OVER – IT IS GOING TO BE OUR MORAL DUTY TO HELP EACH OTHER TO DO BETTER AND TO RISE STRONGER AND MORE RESILIANT FROM THE SO CALLED ASHES . WE NEED TO PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES, FORGET OUR PETTY QUARRELS , AND WORK FOR THE GOOD OF HUMANITY IN ANY SMALL WAY WE CAN . YOU NEED TO LEAD THE SCHOOL FORWARD AND UPWARD LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT LEADING, MENTORING, GUIDING , INSPIRING , SPUPPORTING , SETTING AN EXAMPLE AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW . BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD THAT CAN BE DONE BY ALL OF US BUT SADLY WE ALL FIND EXCUSES NOT TO DO IT . WE ARE SO WRAPPED UP IN OUR LIVES , ONLY THINKING ABOUT OUR NEEDS & WELFARE . DO YOU THINK WE COULD DO BETTER ? SO WHETHER YOU ARE ON THE PHONE , OR ON ANY OTHER FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAY – DO YOUR BEST TO SPREAD POSITIVITY AND LOVE AND DO IT BRAVELY. PARENTS – YOU NEED SPECIAL PRAISE – YOUR WARDS HAVE MADE THE CUT AND YOUR INFLUENCE, LOVE AND ADVICE OVER THE YEARS MUST SURELY HAVE IMPACTED THEIR CHARACTER AND UPBRINGING . CONGRATULATIONS . EDUCATIONISTS IN GENERAL AND TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR- YOU ARE IN THE LIME LIGHT AND LIKE DOCTORS AND NURSES YOU ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO HELP SOCIETY HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD – TEACHERS I SALUTE YOU . SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN – THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND WE SHALL SMILE , AND WE SHALL SING AND WE SHALL CELEBRATE BUT TILL THEN STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY AND STAY HAPPY – LET US ALL CONTINUE TO PRAY TO ALMIGHTY GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION ON US AND OUR LOVED ONES GOD BLESS YOU ALL

Speech at an online Investiture at The Millennium school, Dubai

MY SPEECH AT AN ONLINE INVESTITURE OF SCHOOL PREFECTS AT THE MILLENNIUM SCHOOL , DUBAI - SURELY A FIRST . PRINCIPAL, HEADMISTRESS, PARENTS, MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY AND DEAR PUPILS NEVER IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION DID I FORSEE ANYTHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE . COINCIDENTALY, I THINK IT WAS AT THE LAST GRADUATION THAT I MENTIONED SOMETHING - AND I QUOTE - ‘’ NO ONE HAS A CLUE ABOUT HOW LIFE WILL PAN OUT IN THE YEARS AHEAD – IN FACT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT LIFE WILL BE LIKE TOMORROW ,SO MAKE THE BEST OF THE PRESENT MOMENT ’’ . IT SEEMS JUST LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN WE WERE GOING ABOUT OUR BUSINESS - WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD – CRIBBING ABOUT TRAFFIC, OFTEN IRRITATED WITH WORK, UPSET WITH COLLEAGUES, DISCUSSING PRICES , AND ANGRY ABOUT DELAYS AND SUDDENLY HERE WE ALL ARE – AT HOME – SITTING BEFORE MACHINES AND GOING AHEAD WITH LIFE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY , WHILE CRAVING TO BE OUT AND ABOUT AGAIN . WORDS AND PHRASES LIKE PANDEMIC, COVID, LOCKDOWN , QUARANTINE , VENTILATOR , PATIENT ZERO, COMMUNITY SPREAD & SOCIAL DISTANCING, ARE ALL TRENDING . BUT HUMAN BEINGS ARE RESILIANT CREATURES – WE DIFINITELY ARE. MILLIONS LIKE YOU AND ME IN ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE ARE WORKING AND STUDYING FROM HOME AND GRADUALLY WE ARE GETTING BETTER AT WHAT WE ARE DOING. IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY AND WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO BUT WE WILL OVERCOME AND WE WILL SURVIVE AND COME OUT STRONGER AT THE OTHER END – THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO TELL OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES EVERY DAY . GO OUT AND SPREAD THIS MESSAGE . OMTIMISM IS THE NEED OT THE HOUR . BARELY A FEW WEEKS HAD GONE BY AND THERE WERE A PROLIFERATION OF NEW SONGS, KEEP FIT VIDEOS, JOKES, STORIES AND , CARTOONS DOING THE ROUNDS . WHATSAPP MESSAGES INCREASED BY THE HUNDREDS AND SUDDENLY EVERYONE HAD FOUND A NEW SPARK OF CREATIVITY & ENERGY. I FOR MY PART HAVE COOKED, HAVE BAKED , HAVE PLAYED MY GUITAR AND DONE SOME WRITING ON MY BLOG. I AM SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING INTERESTING AS WELL . YOU MUST DO SO TO RELAX . IT IS IMPORTANT . AROUND THE WORLD , DONATIONS ARE POURING IN FOR THE AUTHORITIES TO HELP THOSE IN NEED AND THAT’S SO GOOD , GOVERMENTS ARE RISING TO THE OCCASION AND DOING THEIR BEST WHILE EVERYONE RACES TO FIND THE VACCINE. YES WE WILL . WE , HERE IN THE UAE , ARE VERY BLESSED TO BE IN A SAFE COUNTRY, LOOKED AFTER & PROTECTED. FOOD AND COMMODITIES ARE AVAILABLE IN PLENTY AND HEALTH CARE IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY . WE EXPATS MUST THANK THE RULERS OF THE UAE FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE AND FOLLOW THE RULES FOR OUR OWN GOOD . BUT HERE IS SOMETHING - IF YOU PLAY CLOSE ATTENTION - AMIDST ALL THIS MADNESS AND MAYHEM , SANITY IS BEGINNING TO PREVAIL. PEOPLE ARE PRAYING MORE, FAMILIES ARE SPENDING QUALITY TIME TOGETHER, HOBBIES AND SIMPLE PASSTIMES ARE SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY ONCE AGAIN. WE ARE ALL SUDDENLY MORE PEACEFUL AND MORE CARING . PEOPLE ARE EXERCISING AT HOME, AND EVEN FATHERS ARE HELPING OUT WITH HOUSE - WORK WHEN POSSIBLE. I HAVE AN EXCLAMATION HERE . LIFE HAS SLOWED DOWN QUITE A BIT AND THE RUSHING TO WORK, SPEEDING ON THE ROADS AND CHARGING INTO MALLS TO BUY THINGS WE OFTEN DON’T NEED HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL – THE AIR IS MORE PURE , THE QUALITY OF WATER IN RIVERS HAS IMPROVED – OUR WORLD IS TRANSFORMING & RECUPERATING . WE HAVE BEGUN TO CONNECT WITH OUR INNER SELVES FOR A CHANGE AND REALIZE THE TRUE MEANING OF FREEDOM AND LIFE . ALL THAT ASIDE , HEARTYY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU PUPILS AND PARENTS . THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY WHICH YOU HAVE OBVIOUSLY STRIVED FOR AND ASPIRED TOWARDS . SO FORGET THESE TROUBLED TIMES AND ENJOY THE MOMENT . THIS IS A MILESTONE IN YOUR LIFE AND IT IS AN ACHIEVEMENT TO BE PROUD OF – LET NO ONE OR ANYTHING TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU . THIS INVESTITURE WILL GO DOWN IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AS BEING DIFFERENT AND CREATIVE – . IN FACT THIS PERIOD IN TIME WILL BE IN THE HISTORY BOOKS IN THE YEARS AHEAD AND YOUNG PUPILS WILL READ WITH WONDER AND AMAZEMENT ABOUT HOW WE MANAGED THE CRISIS . YOU YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN – AND ALL OF US WILL BE IN A NEW WORLD AFTER THIS IS OVER – IT IS GOING TO BE OUR MORAL DUTY TO HELP EACH OTHER TO DO BETTER AND TO RISE STRONGER AND MORE RESILIANT FROM THE SO CALLED ASHES . WE NEED TO PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES, FORGET OUR PETTY QUARRELS , AND WORK FOR THE GOOD OF HUMANITY IN ANY SMALL WAY WE CAN . YOU NEED TO LEAD THE SCHOOL FORWARD AND UPWARD LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT LEADING, MENTORING, GUIDING , INSPIRING , SPUPPORTING , SETTING AN EXAMPLE AND WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW . BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD THAT CAN BE DONE BY ALL OF US BUT SADLY WE ALL FIND EXCUSES NOT TO DO IT . WE ARE SO WRAPPED UP IN OUR LIVES , ONLY THINKING ABOUT OUR NEEDS & WELFARE . DO YOU THINK WE COULD DO BETTER ? SO WHETHER YOU ARE ON THE PHONE , OR ON ANY OTHER FORM OF SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAY – DO YOUR BEST TO SPREAD POSITIVITY AND LOVE AND DO IT BRAVELY. PARENTS – YOU NEED SPECIAL PRAISE – YOUR WARDS HAVE MADE THE CUT AND YOUR INFLUENCE, LOVE AND ADVICE OVER THE YEARS MUST SURELY HAVE IMPACTED THEIR CHARACTER AND UPBRINGING . CONGRATULATIONS . EDUCATIONISTS IN GENERAL AND TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR- YOU ARE IN THE LIME LIGHT AND LIKE DOCTORS AND NURSES YOU ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO HELP SOCIETY HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD – TEACHERS I SALUTE YOU . SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN – THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND WE SHALL SMILE , AND WE SHALL SING AND WE SHALL CELEBRATE BUT TILL THEN STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY AND STAY HAPPY – LET US ALL CONTINUE TO PRAY TO ALMIGHTY GOD FOR HIS PROTECTION ON US AND OUR LOVED ONES GOD BLESS YOU ALL

Childhood memories

When I think about my childhood, and having two rather strong women at home- my aunt and my mother - I am reminded of a number of incidents – some fun and some a trifle strange and annoying that made no sense at that time – in fact they still don’t but then, as a young kid, who are you to argue. Well this is about my pre- teen life. I enjoyed doing many of the things I mention in this yarn but there were also some that I quite detested. (Post teen was quite a different tale …… will keep that for another time). My uncle was a happy go lucky gentleman, so he hardly figures in any of my stories. Those were the days when comments like – “little boys like you should be seen but not heard’’ were often used. Really? But listen to some more … all very vivid memories. I presume I was short for my age and very skinny so I was stuffed with spoons and spoons of Ferradol apparently because someone had remarked that “I could possibly be having a serious vitamin deficiency” . There was no shortage of quacks. Now Ferradol – if you have ever sampled it, is thick, gooey and not very palatable either but I was made to have it – to put on weight. I never did. Another thing which I was made to have by the mug full was “Complan”. It was supposed to be a “trusted, energy packed, vitamin enriched, complete food” – which made one grow tall. The one I was given was banana flavoured. It didn’t taste anything like bananas to me, if that helps, and I never grew as tall as the boy on the packet. The third was egg flip which was made with raw egg, nutmeg, milk and sugar – I was given this every second day, and this was followed by Seven seas cod-liver oil capsules – all to boost my immune system. Not sure why this did not work on me but what I do know is that I had measles, chicken pox, mumps & pneumonia once each and a sore throat, influenza, a cold, cough and fever quite often. For this reason, I was not permitted to buy the crushed ice topped with coloured syrup that everyone else in our colony loved and relished regularly – presumably if I did, I would get cholera which was the only disease that somehow spared me . I did argue that it did no harm to anyone else and hollered and threw tantrums, but no one bothered to listen. Needless to add, all the above never worked the miracle they were supposed to. People continued to remark as to how small I was and in return I wished them the worst, under my breath of course. I also hated it when friends came over and said, “isn’t Michael very thin and short for his age – why don’t you give him something like Complan or Ferradol”. That was it – then the conversation was only about how stubborn I was and how I troubled my mother when she gave it to me. There was a departmental store in the city and whenever we went there, I was given a coin to put in and take my weight. I remember that the needle hardly moved, and I was under weight for years. Then there was this thing about dressing. For some obscure reason I was never allowed to wear a belt or have a back pocket on my trousers. I now wonder why I didn’t question that odd decision. I vaguely remember something about little boys did not need belts and back pockets looked loaferish. God forbid I put my hands in my side pockets either – that was considered ill mannered! Food was another of my pet peeves – or to put that in the correct perspective – vegetables were. I hated any vegetable that was slimy, so be it brinjals, lady fingers, or drumstick – the day they were cooked were among the worst of my life. Those vegetables coupled with salad - comprising mainly tomatoes and you had one sick looking child – me! Such vegetables almost made me bring up and they refused to go down my throat. The more I tried to be a good little boy and swallow them, the more I almost gagged and felt worse. I once threatened to starve myself to death and was smacked for it. I enjoyed the days we had dinner in the garden though – I don’t know if you guessed this rightly or not. On those days I served myself very well and while everyone was busy talking, I would throw the vegetables to all corners of the garden – at times I would feed our dog ‘’Lovey’’. On a few occasions “Lovey’’ would refuse to eat what I had thrown and then I would get caught but it was well worth the risk. I would then be given the famous lecture about how children were starving all over the world and here I was wasting blah blah blah. I took it in from one ear and out of the other. I guess I was quite incorrigible. House painting was something I did not mind but it was tiring – my aunt loved to paint the house before Christmas. Her ‘piece de resistance’ was the mantel piece which she took immense pride in painting herself. (Some of you younger ones may need to look this up). It was given a marble finish and I was her designated assistant. This took time and patience and by the time we were done it was usually late in the evening having started early in the morning. Then came the cleaning of the hands with turpentine – quite a painful exercise – no pun intended - by the time I was done, all my friends who had been playing outside all day had already gone home and I was left smelling like a rag dipped in oil and paint. To say I would be off mood by then would be putting it mildly. There was more painting to be done as well – there was a man who came in to do this - doors, chairs, the dado, miscellaneous boxes, the good old meat safe and the like. Being the only boy in the family- (there were two female cousins too) helping with the painting became quite a big pre-Christmas chore which lasted for a couple of days. I was also involved in the making of the Christmas cakes – my job being the mincing of the ‘peels’ in the old-fashioned mincer. My hands often ached. I was then responsible for keeping watch when they were put out to dry in the sun and keeping away the birds – especially hungry crows. Needless to add, I was tempted by an item called “petha” which incidentally is still one of my favourites. Every little while a piece or two would be put in my mouth and so I did not complain. I guess I was one of the hungry crows. What is Christmas without a tree? Back then we did not buy tress like we do now – instead we found a well rounded branch, dried it out for a few weeks and then decorated it with snow made of a concoction of soap suds along with plenty of decorative items and lights etc ? Sourcing that branch was a job I enjoyed. We had a house help and so he and I would scour the neighbourhood on many an afternoon till we spotted the right branch. He would then cut it down and we would take it home to dry. At times, smaller branches were tied on with twine or wire to add volume. I would like to believe that I was one of the decorators but more often than not, while others were decorating, I was busy helping myself to the goodies that had been prepared and stored for Christmas. Swinging was something I enjoyed – the only problem being that there were no swings in the vicinity. Hence, I made up for that by swinging on the metal gate. As it was quite large, all that was required was for me to give it one push, jump on and out it went in a wide arc. My mother saw this one fine day and told me not do it if not I would break my head. That did not deter me one bit and so I continued for some months by holding on tighter. Then she dropped a bombshell – If I hung around near the gate, someone (a bogey man) would kidnap and take me away. That somehow struck a chord and I imagined being taken away in a sack and held captive in a dark forest so the swinging on the gate stopped once and for all. I would receive nice gifts on birthdays and festivals but would like to share about two which fascinated me. One was a pair of boxing gloves which I still have. I got them as a gift from my grandfather when I was four years old. They were put away at that time and I finally got hold of them a few years later when I was around nine. I was crazy about boxing and made sure to wear them daily and box anything and anyone who visited – mother, aunt, uncle and young cousins included. Yes, I was often in trouble and was told in no uncertain terms that I would grow up to be a bully if I continued acting wild . Another was an air gun. I was presented with this fantastic gift when I was around eight years old, by my grandfather once again and I was thrilled. The gun was put away in the cupboard and I never saw it again. Apparently when my mother and I were discussing this matter about thirty years later she told me she had given it away at that time itself in case I shot someone in the eye with the pellets! By the way, we had hens, a cock bird and a few ducks for some time. Many neighbours had a few too . The ducks and I seemed to get on quite well. They ate all the left-over food which I fed them as soon as I got back from school in the afternoon and then, quacking away, wallowed in a ditch which I would fill with buckets of water day after day. The cockbird who I named Jonny was a wicked, revengeful, long- legged fellow. I once kicked him by mistake while running. Thereafter whenever he saw me, he charged and tried to nip my ankles or toes if they were exposed. The hens were sweet and every morning, I would feed them before going to school and then collect the eggs which they laid in the hedge in the compound. A friend and neighbour also had a large red cockbird and both these birds would get into fights and peck the hell out of each other (Phillip Pereira are you reading this?) I enjoyed these simple pastimes and spent many a lovely afternoon looking after the birds. Not sure if this last point will resonate with any of you. Often when adults came visiting, my cousins, Annette, Penny and I were put on display. Much before they arrived, we were dressed and ready. Our manners were brushed up and we were told to wish aunty and uncle loudly and clearly – I was told not to mutter under my breath while wishing. We were also warned not to eat up the snacks and politely refuse when offered. Then came the worst part – the entertainment. We either had to sing a song or say a poem for the guests. The more we would remonstrate the angrier my aunt would get and warn us that we would not get dinner if we acted stupid! My cousins usually sang a song called ‘Sisters”- the lyrics were – “Sisters – Sisters – There were never such devoted sisters”! I would laugh and make faces at them from behind while they sang. I would then be called upon to either sing or recite a poem. No amount of last-minute protests would be accepted and so I would go through the motions in disgust. My irritation was not lost on the elders in the family and once the guests left I was scolded and told what a horribly spoilt child I was .Coming to think of it, those on the spot variety programmes have stood me in good stead indeed. As is sit at home locked in due to the present state of affairs, I yearn for those carefree days. I also feel I was a stubborn little boy – not very but quiet! However what I learnt from my mother and aunt are things I will always remember and be thankful for .