Me..with the folk group

A young Rajasthani folk dancer

Rajasthani women

Kesariya padharo mhaare des...

Jaisalmer

Blog Birthday

Exactly a year ago, Toeragz was born. When I mentioned this to my fellow blogger and good friend, he insisted on writing his views on the same.

One day last week, when it was pouring heavily in Chennai and I decided to stay home and blog hop, my toe got stuck in toerag.blogspot.com. The blogger's latest post was about 100 things one should do in life. Now the Internet is full of such things, but something made me go through each of those 100 tips. What was that something? Was it that something which had brought me there in the first place? What was that something anyway? Or was it someone, instead of something? It was someone, I realised, as Sangeeta popped up on my screen. She said Hi, held my hand and took me on a guided tour of Toeragz. There, hidden in a corner of the screen, I found several small pieces, soaked in compassion and sensitivity. The pieces pick out the tiniest of human emotions which most of us tend to miss out.

My favourite is the short, short story about a woman addicted to blogging. And of course, her experiences with the tiny tots. There are many more, and many more going to come. And today is Toeragz’ first birthday. I wish to raise a toast because a blog's birthday is no less significant than a blogger's. A simple detail will explain that: just click on Sangeeta's profile and you will see it has been viewed by a few thousand people. Of them, a hundred must be returning every month to take a look, and of those hundred, a few dozens must be returning every week. And at least a dozen of them click on Toeragz every day: they are people who love Sangeeta, rather people who have grown to like Sangeeta. And she has accomplished all this without even stepping out of home.

That's the amazing thing about blogs: it connects hearts and minds without the help of middlemen. Physical presence is not at all necessary. In any case, it is the mind that matters. So here's raising a toast to blogging and to the great mind. Happy birthday Sangeeta, er, Toeragz.

- Bishwanath Ghosh

Thank you Bishwanath, for your kind words (me's blushing) To conclude this post, I have listed a few of my favourite posts

Best Laid Plans

Best Laid Plans-II

Class Act

Casper-The Friendly Ghost

Giving 'Miss' a miss!!

Close Dose

Baby Talk!

What was that again?

(I tried to look for the top 10 but could come up only with 8.

(Fishing for compliments.*Wink Wink*)

Uhmm, post The Great Indian Comedy Show, I would love to rename this post as Pehchaan Kaun? LOL

I started this blog when I was going through a difficult phase in my life. (which explains the name I chose for my blog-Toeragz) But since then it has been a great year! The Blog world has given me so many friends. Thank you all of you, and hugss!

Innocent Days, Innocent Ways

I walk into this class during Recess and notice this li’l boy looking forlorn and lost. His arm is in a sling so he can’t play with his friends. They have left him alone. I have seen him before and he doesn’t look his usual chirpy self. Time for some pep talk!

Me: You know what I like about you?

Kid: (Shaking his head) Uhmm… No, Miss.

Me: Your eyes twinkle when you smile. I like that… a LOT!

Kid: (Smiling, anxious to return the compliment and obviously is very generous with it)

Miss, I like your whole body!

Me: (biting my lips. Simply dunno where to look)

Trying Times....

God knows I need a laugh :(

Hi!

I'm just back from a trip to Tirupati and Rajasthan. Will post the pics in a few days. Have a lot to catch up with..see ya!

Happy Diwali..

Wish you all a very Safe and Happy Diwali!

100 Stress busters...

• Getup 15 minutes earlier
• Prepare for the morning the night before
• Avoid tight-fitting clothes.
• Don't rely on your memory
• Practice preventative maintenance
• Make duplicate keys and store them where you can get to them
• Say 'no' more often
• Set priorities in your life
• Avoid negative people
• Use your time wisely
• Simplify everything you can
• Make copies of important papers and store them where you'll be able to find them
• repair anything that doesn't work properly
• Ask for help
• Chunk down big jobs into little ones
• View problems as challenges
• Look at challenges as opportunities
• Unclutter your life.
• Smile
• Be prepared for rain
• Laugh at something
• Pet a dog or cat
• Don't try to know all the answers
• Look for the silver lining
• Say something nice to someone
• Teach a kid to fly a kite
• Walk in the rain
• Schedule some time each day to play.
• Take a long shower or a bubble bath
• Be Conscious of the decisions you make
• Believe in yourself
• Stop beating yourself up
• Stop saying negative things to yourself.
• Visualize yourself winning
• Develop your sense of humor
• Stop thinking that tomorrow will be a better day
• Set goals for yourself.
• Say hello to a stranger
• Ask a friend for a hug
• Give a friend a hug.
• Look at the stars
• Breathe slowly
• Learn to whistle
• Read a poem
• Listen to some music you've never heard before
• Watch a ballet
• Read something
• Do something new.
• Stop a bad habit.
• Buy yourself a flower
• Smell the flower
• Find support from others
• Give support to others
• Do it today.
• Work at being cheerful and optimistic
• Put safety first.
• Do everything you do in moderation.
• Pay attention to your appearance
• Strive for excellence, not perfection
• Stretch your limits a little each day
• Look at a painting or a sculpture
• Hum a song.
• Eat nutritiously
• Plant a tree
• Feed a bird
• Practice grace under pressure
• Stand up and stretch
• Have a "plan B"
• Draw a picture
• Buy some crayons and color
• Learn a joke.
• Be responsible for your feelings
• Meet your own needs.
• Know you limitations and let others know them, too.
• Throw a paper airplane
• Exercise
• Learn the words to a song
• Get to work early
• clean out one closet or one drawer
• Go on a picnic
• Take a different route to work
• Put an air freshener in your car
• Watch a movie
• Eat some popcorn while you watch a movie.
• Write a note to someone you haven't heard from in a while
• Take a walk.
• Go to a ball game and scream
• Eat a meal by candle light.
• Recognize the importance of unconditional love.
• Remember that stress is an attitude.
• Keep a journal
• Practice a smile
• Remember that there are always options
• Develop a support system
• Quit trying to "fix" people.
• Get enough sleep
• Talk less
• Listen more
• Praise others
• Stop counting things.

Author unknown

Check this out!!

An online exhibition of watercolours by my talented cousin Prashant Prabhu...Do visit ...Reflections

Marzipan Babies

A Squeaky Question...

What is the plural of a computer mouse?

Is it "mouses" or "mice"?

Vision 2020

Welcome to 2020,
Welcome to the age of plenty

An age of world peace,

No politicians with palms of grease.

No goons brandishing blood thirsty blades,

And yes, we’ll have found a cure for AIDS!

No garbage, no more slums,

No waifs scrounging around for stale breadcrumbs.

You wont find even the faintest trace of crime,

No killings, for reason or rhyme.

In virtual classrooms the teachers will teach,

Education will be within every child’s reach.

Everything around us will be clean and green,

A pollution free city... Is no longer a distant dream.

Formula 1 tracks in every metro, For the Narains of tomorrow,

No international funds will we ever need to borrow.

Once again India will be a land of milk and honey,

Teen writers give JK Rowling a run for her money.

A safer place for children this world will be

Look! Snaps of teachers splashed on Page 3!

Girls and women, well have no fear,

There will be no Sunil More’s lurking around here.

For 2020, this is my vision

Come on, let’s get working …

WE ARE ON A MISSION!

The Write Stuff

Hey! My blog has been reviewed by Ashish! Check this out!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

Here's wishing a very very Happy Birthday to a very special friend Neelima!!

Happy Birthday to You Neels... may all your dreams come true!!

Hey all! Do leave your birthdates in the comment box so we can all wish you too!

Making a Difference!

Last month an essay contest titled ‘An Idea That Made a Difference to My Classroom’ was conducted by Scholastic India. I sent one of my tried and tested ideas across (Remember Casper?) and my entry was chosen as one of the top 100 from over 1500 entries that were received across India. As a token of appreciation I was awarded with a certificate of honour, a set of books and a jewellery box as well. The news made my Teachers’ Day even more special. Thank you all for your wishes..

The big and small of it

Last evening I was waiting for the elevator , I was surprised to see this little girl alone inside it.
I asked her," Where's Mummy?" After a moment of thought, she replied, " Small mummy..in the kitchen, and capital mummy ... to the market."

What did she mean? Now you figure that out! :P

Current Music- Native American flute music -Carlos Nakai

Under the Microscope...

I first began teaching when I was 18/ 19, when friends would approach me to get their doubts cleared. I started taking up tuitions of my next-door neighbours (now very good friends of mine) at the request of their mother. By the time I graduated ( 1993) , I had made up my mind that I wanted to take up teaching as a profession. Easier said than done! My parents wanted me to become a Chartered Accountant, but nothing could make me change my mind because by that time, I had realised that even after 5 nightmarish years of studying accounts, I wasn’t really able make any sense of what my teachers had tried to teach me. Much to the chagrin of my parents and brother I applied for a teaching job ( I needed to be working to get admission to a part-time course in B.Ed) in a school located in a god forlorn part of the city.

After a brief interview, I was appointed as a teacher in the Secondary Section. I was to take up English in Class 5 and Economics Class 10. Whew! Now I thought that teaching English to the 10/ 11 ear olds would be a cakewalk and it would be a pain to teach Economics since I really really hated the subject.

And here’s what happened on the very first day of my teaching career. I entered the class a very confident teacher, armed with my English textbook, all set to wow the children with my teaching . The lesson was about Microscopes. I explained the lesson in great detail showing them pictures of microscopes and flashcards of new words. ( I must mention that 90% of the children were first generation learners and most of them would converse with me only in Hindi) so after I was through with my droning I encouraged them to ask questions if they had any. I was pretty sure that I had done a great job and that there would be none… one hand went up and I nodded at its owner (actually dared him) to go ahead and ask his question.

Boy: Teacher..(thoughtful pause) germs/ micro organisms bahut chote hote hain na? (The germs/ micro organisms are very small aren’t they?)

Me: Yes, they are very tiny.

Boy: Hum log unko dekh nahi sakte hain na? (We can’t see them with a naked eye, can we?)

Me: Nahi..Err, no. (getting a li’l panicky now)

Boy: To phir usko pakadke microscope mein kaise daal sakte hain? (Then how can we catch them and put them under the microscope?)

You could have knocked me down with a feather. Don’t even ask me how I wiggled my way out of that question! I won't be able to answer you anyway. I think I lost time ... just blanked out and honestly I have no memory about what took place in the next 10 minutes.
What I do remember is my resolve to be a good teacher (when I came to). Well, I have been true to my word, and 12 years and several schools later I have 2 awards for being 'the best teacher in my section' and several appreciation letters to my credit. That incident was surely THE turning point in my life! Today I make sure that I am more than thoroughly prepared before I enter a classroom... 'cos I wouldn't want to cut a sorry figure in my class ever!
*Grin*

Baby talk!

Kids are so funny. Just when you think nothing they say can surprise you anymore something like this comes along and says, “Think again!” Sometimes I am amazed at the things they come up with.

Last week I was walking down the stairs with this teacher who is in the family way.
A chubby cherub walked up to us and asked the teacher: What is the matter teacher? Your stomach seems to be growing everyday!
Teacher: (squirming uncomfortably) Err... God put a baby in my stomach.
Girl: (nodding her head wisely) Oh! So you are reproducing…

We really had to exercise super control over our facial muscles on this one!

Oh No! Not Again!!!

Oh dear God! It's happening all over again:((

Incessant rains

Water logging

Rising water levels

Traffic jams

Stranded people

Power failures

Unpotable water

Dead phones

No trains

Delayed flights

Floating vehicles

Forced holidays…

Loss of lives

Wiped out households

Tragic stories

Panic attacks

All this plus what’s left of Torrential Tuesday

Rotting debris

Unbearable stench

Floating Carcasses

Undiscovered bodies

Missing people

Muck

Grime

Well-founded fears

Rumours

Unfounded fears

Government apathy

Jokes about govt. relief work and its empty promises

Looming on the horizon is another dark cloud…an impending epidemic

God save us Mumbaiites! Please keep us in your prayers…

Horror Revisited...

I stared in dismay at the heavy rains lashing out, hoping against hope that nature’s fury would calm down by the time for us to leave school. As hours went by my hopes thinned out as I watched the rising water level.
Parents of students in our school had started streaming in to pick up their dear kids. Not all of them could make to school though, and at 7 p.m (one hour after closing time) we were marooned with around 100 children along with 25- 30 staff members (teachers as well as helpers)
The phone lines were dead! There was no way we could have contacted the parents of these children. Mobile networks were down too and we were completely shut out from the outside world! Teachers were frantically trying to call up their families to ensure their safety and to assure them of their own.
Outside, the rains were poring down mercilessly showing no signs of relenting. There was an unspoken pact among the teachers that they wouldn’t leave until all the students had left safely with their parents. We worked together tirelessly to ensure that children were handed over to their parents as and when they came in. The water levels were rising in alarming proportions. Our school library was partially filled up with water and anxiety writ all over our faces.
Very soon we were left with around 30-35 children, some of whose parents who had been able to make it to the school but didn’t want to risk their lives by venturing out into the rains again. The teachers did their best to keep the mood light. The children were oblivious to the fact that something was wrong. They were busy drawing pictures, playing games and chatting away gaily with their friends. Only a few glum faces were noticed, but teachers took them under their loving care and made sure to wipe out any traces of gloom. Luckily, our school had stocked up well on biscuits and soft drinks. We got these distributed to the children who were more than happy to get their hands on their favourite biscuits and soft drinks.
Somehow, our Principal managed to establish contact with a local caterer who was also a parent. Within hours she managed to send us rice, dal, pickle and papads. It was a welcome relief for us. Dal and rice had never felt so tasty before this.
Hours went by and we resigned to the fact that we were destined to spend the night at school. A few classrooms were cleared and mats were laid out for children and their parents to retire for the day… and what a day it had been!
Most of the teachers had already heard from their spouses and checked up on the kids who were in the safe custody of their in-laws or caring neighbours. Another classroom was converted into a makeshift dorm for the teachers. But sleep eluded us and we decided to make the most of the God-sent opportunity by chatting up each other. Most of us were still numb with disbelief. ‘Is this really happening to us?’ was written all over our tired faces. Our sense of humour was at an unusual high and we spent all night cracking jokes and laughing till our sides ached. We simply had a ball of a time.
We didn’t realise it was already dawn. We wished each other a good morning and wondered aloud what time would we sign out in the staff muster. A teacher’s family who stayed near the school managed to send us chai and breakfast. Soon worried parents started streaming in to pick up their kids and soon we were left with just 4-5 kids. The rains had subsided so our Principal suggested we leave soon too and she would wait until the kids dispersed. Outside there was a traffic jam and we could see people wading through waist-deep water. We split up and started off for home. I embarked upon the journey-all by myself :-( I kept telling myself to be brave and … I put my feet in the water. It was cold and mucky and I felt all my resolutions breaking down.
Somehow I managed to take the next few steps and very soon I was in waist-deep water. It was a very risky thing to do, because this road was full of potholes, and there was also the fear of getting electrocuted or worse still, drowned. Strangers offered their advice- ‘Behenji aap is taraf se chaliye (pointing towards the divider) idhar safe hai.
The water was muddy and I could see plastic bags, fruits, onions, pieces of broken furniture, footwear etc. floating and occasionally entwining around my feet. I couldn’t believe this! I, who have always been particular about cleanliness, would wash my hands with disinfectant soaps after reaching home was actually wading through sludge and grime. I shook my head in disbelief. I was still among the luckier ones who stayed very close to my workplace, now if only I reached home on time.
On the way I saw many damaged vehicles, school buses with children in them, public transport buses with passengers trapped inside, autorickshaws, and fallen motorcycles. I looked around and vaguely remembered seeing something like this on TV and here I was in the middle of all this! This couldn’t really be happening to us! What normally would have taken me 20 minutes, took me almost and hour and a half and I finally reached my locality.
It seemed like our locality had faced the brunt of the fury. I rubbed my eyes in shock when I saw that water levels had risen till the first floors (though it had ebbed by morning) Harried looking neighbours and Amma who had been waiting for me looked relieved when they saw me wading through knee-deep muck.

Water water everywhere…not a drop to drink!

If you think that my nightmare ended there…think again! I was in for a few more shocks…no power, no water… and worse still…I had to climb up five storeys:(( As hours went by, tales of horror started streaming in… everyone around was talking about carcasses of cattle, dead bodies floating in the water, people asphyxiated in their own cars…

Each of us has a story to recount… of horror…of survival… and I do so hope that things will get back to normal and Mumbai spirit will stay afloat...

Current Music: Alanis Morisette - Zacce Lyrics - I'm a Bitch

Be Right Back!!!

Hear This, All Ye Muggles, Hear!

The agonizingly long wait for Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince has finally come to an end. And for all those ignoramuses who don't understand what the excitement is all about, I can only say, "EAT SLUGS!"

I am gonna 'disapparate' for a while so that I can spend every spare moment that I can manage to squeeze out of my busy life, to lose myself in the world of wizardry and magic spells.

I will be right back after the magical break!

Choices...

Hindustan Times (its Mumbai edition is expected to hit the news stands anyday this week) or The Times of India( a newspaper that I have been reading for more than a quarter of a century.. .geeez that makes me sound so ancient) ??????

Wanna be here?

You could be here too !!!!


If you wish to see your blog post featured in the Deccan Chronicle, rush in your bestest posts and details (around 300 words) to prashkrish@gmail.com.

You could also check out Prashanth's Blog for more details.


All the best!

First Impressions...

Today evening, I was taking up geography in Std. IV. Since it was the very first time they would be writing a worksheet in my class, I was spending a lot of time going over instructions. “Write your names on your worksheets, today’s date", etc.. When I reached the point where I was instructing them to write the answers neatly, one of my students stood up and mouthed the old adage, “The first impression is the last impression” Obviously the kid has been getting a lot of gyaan from well-meaning adults around her.

That got me thinking about first impressions. Do they really count? I mean I have been taken in by people who have made a very ‘good’ impression on me, only to be disappointed later on.. and there have been other times when while meeting a person I have brushed off the unmistakable ringing of warning bells in my head...only to regret later on...

Now I’m really confused... what’s your take on this?

Literally Tagged

Tag-o-mania again. This time I have been book tagged by Prabha and Somu.
So..here we go again..

Total Number of Books I own
Around 250-300

Total number of books given to others and never came back
90-100:(

Total number E-Books
241

Last Book I bought
Hotel - Arthur Hailey
(I’d read this one eons ago and wanted to add it to my collection)

Last Book I was gifted
The Broker- John Grisham

Grave Secrets – Kathy Reichs

I purchased these 2 books with the Crossword gift Voucher I got when I won the 1st Prize in an essay-writing competition conducted by my school. The topic was, ‘Strategies for adults to influence student behaviour’

(There… I finally bragged about it)

Last Book I read
Deception Point- Dan Brown

I am currently reading
Nothing.. save my morning daily

Five Books that mean a lot to me
A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett

I must have read this book around 100 times over a period of 2 years when I was 10 -11. It was my best friend for that period, and helped me to walk away unscathed from a certain phase in my life.

The Harry Potter Series- J.K Rowling

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

As the Crow Flies- Jeffrey Archer
My favourite rags to riches story

Messages from the Masters - Dr. Brian Weiss

I have always been enamoured of occult theories like past lives, reincarnations etc. and was totally zapped by this book and the other titles written by the same author.

3 books I started reading, but never completed
1. Flash Mx 2003.or was it 2004? Tech is simply not my cup of tea.
2. A monk who sold his Ferrari (Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)
3. The Power of Now- Eckhart

Book that made zero sense to me
My Accounts textbooks when I went through a 3 year-old nightmare called B.Com

My most treasured books
Reader’s Digest (1955)
Blackstone’s Tricks you can do (1948)
The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne (1955)

I have a penchant for collecting old books, and these are a part of my prized collection

Who am I gonna tag ?

Swetank
Sudheer
Shub
Kanishka
Xena
Nupur
Selwa
Shantanu
Ram
Venky
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And finally it’s that time of the year, when we want to have sizzling pakoras and nearly scathing coffee, sit by the window and watch the rains or read a book and listen to your favourite barsaat/saawan songs..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do Visit

Cinnamon is back after a long break during which she got marriedJ

Came across Swetank’s blog and was awed by his poetry… Simply amazing...a must-see must- read blog..

I graduated!

...again!!!!

*Update: (Since everyone is asking for details..)I had appeared for my B.A exams and got through..I'm already a Commerce graduate, so that explains why I said I graduated again.

Questions about percentage and marks will be diplomatically dodged:p

Tag Gag!

Ok so I’ve been Tagged! Thrice! (When it rains…) Now you will all learn how boring I am.
And you can thank Tarun, Udit and Anbu for it. It had to take something like being tagged to wake me up from my reverie.
So here we go...

Three Names I Go By :
Skinny(hope the labeling works)
Sangeet
Saumya

Three Screen Names :
Saumya
Toeragz
Chutzpah111

Three Physical Things You Like About Yourself:
My eyes..and my smile..and…my height (I stand five feet and eight inches tall)

Three Physical Things You Don’t Like About Yourself:
My teeth, my skin and my pot belly LOL

Three Things That Scare Me :
Roaches
Lizards
Exams

Three Things I Want To Do Badly Right Now:
Catch up with my sleep
…and my reading
and get my hands on Harry Potter and the half-blood Prince (but I guess I’ll have to wait for another month *Sigh

Three Careers I have considered/Am Considering Right Now:
I love teaching but if I ever decide to quit, I’ll consider
-Designing greeting cards
-Running a school in a sleepy village
-Working as a librarian

Three Places I Want To Go On A Vacation
Coorg
Egypt
Calcutta

Three Kiddy Names I Like :
Kaynaat
Saksham
Nishtha

Three Things To Do Before I Die :
Deep sea diving
Travel the world
Get myself a house in Koorg

Total Number Of Films I Own On Dvd/Video:
19 DVDs/ Lost count of the number of CDs

The last film I watched:
Err..err..can I skip this? Can I tell you about the second last film I watched? Waqt
Oh..well here it is..
Bunty aur Babli.(and don’t ask me why?)

Three Of Your Everyday Essentials:
Books
Books
Books

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
A wig, my dentures and a pair of spectacles
*plays canned laughter

Three People Who Have To Take This Quiz :

I don't know how many, if any, of these people have been tagged yet, but I'm going to tag them anywayPrabha
Harish
Praveen
Gipsy
Vardan
Alex
Pisku
Sophia
Somu
Anand
Sriram
Jinu
Vidya

You said three? Hehehehehe!

And oh! I’m tagging my taggers right back with my own set of questions! Aah! Sweet revenge!

5 stupid things you did as a kid

If you were granted 3 wishes..what would you ask for?

Your most embarrassing moments…

Name a celeb you have a crush on

On a deserted island, you would take ________(whom) along?

And if anyone else wants to inflict this upon themselves...Be my guest!

Laws.........Another FWD

Variation Law:
If you change queues, the one you have left will start to move faster than the one you are in now.

Law of the Telephone:

When you dial a wrong number, you never get an engaged one.

Law of Mechanical Repair:

After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch.

Law of the Workshop:

Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of the Alibi:

If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the Next morning you will have a flat tire.

Bath Theorem:

When the body is immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law Of Close Encounters:

The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law Of The Result:

When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law Of Biomechanics:

The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

Theatre Rule:

People with the seats at the furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law Of Coffee:
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold .

Close Dose

As teachers we always insist that our students speak in English while at school.

This incident took place a few years ago. During that time, a few political parties had called for a 'Bharat Bandh'. I was telling my students that our school would be functioning as usual the next day. A child immediately stood up and asked, "But teacher, tomorrow is..Bharat...(groping for a suitable word)... Tomorrow India is closed, no?"

Why Men Are Just Happier People?

A forward from my Inbox..

What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be president.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO T-shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal. (Ewwwwwwwwwww!)
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood -- all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.!
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You have to shave only your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.
You can "do" your nails with a pocketknife.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

No wonder men are happier!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Currently Humming- Hooked on a feeling (from Ally McBeal) - Vonda Shepard

My Favourite Books

Here's my all- time favourite reading ..

1. As the Crow Flies- Jeffrey Archer
2. Eleven Minutes - Paul Coelho
3. Messages from the Masters - Dr. Brian Weiss
4. The Harry Potter Series- J.K Rowling
5. The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
6. A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
7. Deja Dead- Kathy Reichs
8. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
9. Who Moved my Cheese?-Spencer Johnson,Kenneth H. Blanchard
10. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
11. Master Of The Game- Sidney Sheldon
12. Kane & Abel - Jeffrey Archer
13. Hotel - Arthur Hailey
14. The Faraway Tree- Enid Blyton
15. Dibs in Search of Self- Virginia M. Axline
16. Rising Sun - Michael Crichton.

I'd decided to list top 10 of my favourites, but I just couldn't stop at 10. I could go on and on, but this is all for now. Of course, I'd like to see your list. Do share them with me...

Welcome a new blogger!

Just wanted to throw out a welcome to Somu my friend.
Somu has been blogging in Sify. I'm happy to see he has started a blog in blogger.
Why not take a minute to drop him a line?

Best-Laid Plans ...the Concluding part

…and started reading out the list of all the goodies that she loved so much, to the salesperson of the local departmental store. Within minutes she was making her favourite brand of 2-Minute noodles while nibbling away at her favourite brand of Chocolates. She hummed her favourite song and did a li’l jig as she stocked her refrigerator with varieties of cheese, chocolates, cans of condensed milk…
The next morning she woke up to the sound of the doorbell. It was the maid. She hurriedly washed the dishes of last night and picked up the clothes that were strewn all over the room. She went on blabbering to an uninterested Maya as she went on doing her chores. Then she mentioned her plans to go for her annual visit to her village, and promised that her friend Praveena would come in instead of her.
It was 10.a.m already. Maybe she could have a quick brunch. Time for some yummy upma. Harsh always preferred chapattis or parathas, and by the time she finished making his favourite breakfast, she was too tired to cater to her own tastes. She rummaged around in her refrigerator looking for ‘rawa/suji’ and met with no success. After a while, she gave up and settled for a packet of potato wafers along with a yummy cheese dip.
The very thought that she was realizing her dream of spending time alone got her into a euphoric mood. She plonked onto her chair in front of her computer. Pangs of guilt hit her as she gorged on those greasy crispies. She was already fighting a losing battle with the bulge and..’Oh never mind! I’ll do what I want now and worry about it later. She entered a Chat room and typed away furiously at the keyboard. She had just made friends with an Armenian guy. She seemed excited as he started teaching her a few basic of Armenian. She munched away at her chips as she regaled him with facts about India. It was a while before she could even glance at the clock. It was late in the afternoon and she realized that she hadn’t even bathed or combed her hair yet. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled, “Who cares anyway?”
She looked longingly at the bed and stretched out for an afternoon siesta. Oh what luxury! She woke up 3 hours later to the shrill ringing of the telephone. It was her husband who had called to inform her that they had reached safely. He was still sour about the whole thing. ‘He’ll come around, sooner or later’, she said to herself and went back to her dreams. She could do what she wanted to without having anyone around to ‘tell her off’.
Dinner was hot cheese chilly toast and chocolate milkshake. Over dinner, she made a mental list of things that she always wanted to do but never had the time to.
1. Reading books.
2. Watching T.V
3. Surfing the net.
4. Go shopping with her best friend (wait a minute! There was no best friend anymore..not after the tiff they had last month) Never mind! I can always go by myself.
5. Get lots of sleep.
6. Get lotssssssssssssssssssssssssss of sleep.
7. Pamper yourself silly..
8. Write a post everyday.
9. Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep…

She woke up late next morning and took a swig from the milk carton in the refrigerator. Darn! The new maid hadn’t turned up! She muttered a few oaths under her breath and then aloud as she remembered there was no one around to hear her. She decided not to bother with the dishes or the grubby clothes. If the maid didn’t show up tomorrow, she would do them herself or look around for another help. Sigh! So much for her vacation!
She was starved. Time for some yummylicious ‘kheer’. She added dollops of ghee to the pan, threw in some dry fruits and had her favourite dish ready in no time. This evening she planned to order for pizza…
There was so much work to be done- making new posts and now was the time to start those recipe and photoblogs which she had always dreamed of. She sat hunched over the computer..
And so it continued day after day..
Days culminated into weeks. but who was counting? She simply lost track of time…she was busy, busy having the time of her life!!! The dishes in the sink were increasing day by day, there was nothing in the laundry though…. Who cared anyway? It was just her in the house and she didn’t mind the mess. She had always preferred a lived in appearance to those spic and span houses (which was a good idea for her next post). She typed furiously on the Notepad and made her first draft. There was so much work to be done- making new posts and now was the time to start those recipe and photoblogs which she had always dreamed of. She had always secretly prided at being a good photographer. Her old photographs gave her enough material to last for a lifetime.

A month later…

Her husband called up to say that he had been sent on an assignment to Chennai for a month, so Shivam would stay back with his cousins and granny, and he would pick them up on his way home. She asked to speak to her son. Shivam came panting to the phone to say a quick, ‘Hello Mom’ before rushed out to play with his cousins. No one missed her, not even her own flesh and blood she thought ruefully. Two big tears rolled down her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut. She shrugged off her feelings and decided not to let a petty incident ruin her holiday. She decided to make the best out of the next month. She called up her workplace to extend her leave for another month. A few minutes and conversations later, she was free...for another month.
She had one more reason to be happy. Her site had just crossed 10000 hits!!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! She hit the keyboard and was back to blogging with a vengeance.
A week went by and then two, three, four…and then, one morning….
She woke up to the sound of the doorbell. She gathered her still asleep self to the door and opened it!
Surprise surprise!! There stood her hubby and kid. (Had a month gone by already? She had certainly lost track of time!!)
She came back to the present and opened the door widely and held her arms wide open, waiting for her son to rush into them..she waited… when he hesitated, she pulled him close waiting for the first human touch she would have in two months. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next! Shivam screamed out loud and clung to his father.
She didn’t understand. She looked up to see her hubby who was clearly looking repulsed…she was stunned! What was going on here? She bent down to take the bags from his hands, but he wasn’t letting her take them. He gave the house a appalled look and said,’ we’ll be back in two days. I hope you will clean up the house by then’. And was gone..
She still didn’t understand. Scratching her head away, she looked around the house. For the first time in two months she noticed the stench…the tiny million roaches crawling away on the floor..on the sofa..the kitchen..the sink..thousands of plates with decaying food on them..the cupboard…..it was then that she looked into the mirror. At first, she couldn’t recognize the huge shapeless gray figure, with a hairstyle that would put the scariest ghost to shame. She shuddered with repulsion..
She sat down with her hands on her head! Oh! What had she done..rather..not done.. she was in the very clothes that she had been wearing when they had left. Her skin had turned shades of gooey gray. Her hair …She hadn’t bathed or combed her hair..she didn’t remember brushing her teeth either… she started sobbing.. a roach peeped out of her sleeve to see what was happening. With a start, she brushed it away and rose to walk towards the bathroom. ‘It isn’t too late’. she consoled herself. She would first clean up the hall and make it presentable and then…
She switched on the geyser to get water ready for her bath...she even had to do something about her weight…and…she would get a few insect sprays ...and…2 loud knocks brought her out of her reverie. It was a sound alert from her computer to tell her that some friend had just come online.. ‘Let me just peep to see who it is. I have just enough time to say a quick ‘hello’ before my bath water is ready’. She took her position in front of the computer and sent the friend her favourite smiley.. and then…got up from her place to turn off the tap before the water could flood her bathroom..
‘I still have two days before they come back….’, was the last thought she had before she went back to her chair in front of the computer…
The End

Best-Laid Plans...

She heaved a sigh of relief as she got off the elevator. She dipped her hands in her handbag and fumbled for the keys. Her purse was always in a mess and as she found the right key and opened the door, she once again resolved to get her purse organized. When was the last time she had cleaned up her purse? or cupboard? or ...? Oh! Never mind! She thought to herself as she dumped her heavy bag and purse on the bed as she switched on her PC. She looked at the clock. It was only 6.05 p.m. she still had 25 minutes before she could pick up her son from the bus stop.

She smiled to herself when the connection to the Internet fell through. She clicked on her favourite browser and typed in her URL, “My own URL” she said proudly to herself. It took forever for the page to load. Ah there it was! Her very own blog! Her world! She checked and responded to all the comments posted on her blog.

Ding-Dong! The doorbell rudely shocked her out of her reverie. She looked at the clock. It was 6.40 p.m. Darn!!!!!!!!!!! She had forgotten to pick up Shivam her son, yet again. The 2^nd time this month! She hurriedly opened the door and smiled sheepishly at Mrs. Gupta, who had obliged her once again by bringing her kid back home. Mrs. Gupta responded with the slightest of nods and walked off in a huff before she could thank her. Hmmmph! What does she think of herself? The dumb woman! I bet she hasn’t even seen a computer in all of her stupid life. Oh well! That was a bit of an exaggeration. She had all her sympathy for Mrs. Gupta and her likes that devoted all of their waking time in their kitchen and pleasing their husbands and in-laws. She now turned her attention to her 9 year old who was showing signs of bursting into tears. Brat! Drat! Now she would have to pacify the kid before his granny came home. She and her son! Together they had spoilt the kid rotten. She tried to pacify him and when nothing worked she threw in her trump card. She promised to take him to the new McDonald’s that had sprung up in the local Mall. Sigh! There goes her plan to write a new post in the weekend. The thought of The weekend brought back to her memory the spat that she had with her husband this morning.

He had wanted them to visit his old granny and she wanted to rest. “Weekend is the only time that I get to myself! Surely you are not gonna take ‘that’ away from me!” “All you need to do is to stay away from that darned computer of yours, and then you will be left with all the time in the world.” He quipped back.

“Oh get off my case! Stop bringing a machine into all our squabbles, will you? If you had the time to talk to me, I wouldn’t be looking for solace in cyberspace.” “I’m tired of hearing the same things again and again,” he snapped back. That was last week. This morning they had had yet another spat.

Weekends and Shivam’s impending summer break were fast becoming a bone of contention between the two of them. Harsh’s favourite cousin was getting married in April in Bhatkal, and he insisted that they attend the marriage. It had been such a long time since they had taken a long vacation. He had already got his leave sanctioned and had their tickets booked. They were going away for a month. Wait a minute! For a month? That too in a place where computers or the internet were unheard of? Or at least uncommon? She couldn’t stay away from her computer for that long.. and that too for a stupid wedding? How she hated attending those oh-so boring weddings. The wedding hall would be divided into two sections arranged with those plastic chairs. Even in this day and age one section would be occupied by women and the other by the men folk. All the women could talk and discuss about was their latest acquisitions in jewelry, sarees and kids! In a place like this she would always stand out like a sore thumb. AAAAAAAAArgh!! No way she was going to let hubby talk her into it. This was not her idea of an ideal vacation. She had other plans. She smiled conspiringly at herself.

She had begged off by lying about not getting any leave from work. He could see through the lie. That was followed by yet another heated exchange of words. After she had exhausted all her tears, she started looking at the bright side of things. Now she could take that much needed break from work as well as family. She drifted off into a pleasant flow of thoughts and started making plans. Yawn…

The next morning she called in sick and helped in packing away their stuff neatly in their archaic suitcases. Atlast, the trio left and she plunked herself onto the sofa. She would miss her son a lot but at the same time she needed a break, some time for herself. Besides she took comfort in the knowledge that her son would be well taken care of. She could only manage a bowl of instant noodles with a few veggies added in the name of nutrition. She had already applied for a month’s leave and it had been sanctioned.

She was feeling a school-girlish excitement that was growing by the hour. From tomorrow there would be no work, no nagging hubby, no cold wars with mom-in-law for a whole month!!! Fun uninterrupted!!! She reached out for her cell-phone and dialed the familiar number. She heard the deep voice of a male at the other end. She smiled …

[To be continued]

The Carpenter

Just felt like sharing this e-mail forward with you..

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This house I built or you and is your house," he said, "my gift to you for all the good work you did for me over the years."

The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But we cannot go back.

You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. "Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live in tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives."

-- J. Michael Straczynski

Help!!!

Attention everyone! My friend Sudhir has put up some riddle on his blog, and wants someone to unsolve the puzzle..I tried my hand at it..and currently am tearing my hair out over it. So do me a favour and crack his code..Some one HURRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! before I go crazy..and bald :-(
And do tell me whether you had any success...

Currently humming- Chris Isaak - Wicked Game

Giving 'Miss' a miss!!

After teaching a lesson, I do a short oral recapitulation to ensure that learning has happened. Recapitulation generates a lot of excitement and noise in the class. Dozens of hands shoot up even before I finish asking a question. It is usually followed by deafening cries of "Miss!!!! Miss!!!!" while they blurt out their answers.
"No chorus answers please!'', I keep repeating, but it often falls on deaf ears.

I even tried to deal with it using humour.

Me -" Who built the Rock Garden?"
Kids -"Misssssssssssssssssss"
"Nooooo!'' I quip back, "that was not me!! To which they respond with another noisy round of laughter.

One afternoon after I narrated the story of 'How the Rainbow was Made', I launched into another of those question-answer sessions. There was a noisy buzz once again while they competed with each other to answer the questions. The class went out of control..yet again..Phew!
Amidst the racket, I asked the next question, "What did the Sky ask the Earth?"
" Miss!! Miss!! Will you marry me?" shot back one boy. (That was the question that the Sky had asked the earth) At first there was stunned silence after which the whole class broke out in uncontrolled laughter. They all turned around to look at the boy whose face had turned many shades red by then...

Needless to say, from that moment I have atleast one boy in my class who thinks twice before he gives a chorus answer. LOL

What was the best compliment you ever received?

I have just finished another exciting year of teaching Grade 4 children.

In all of the 12 years that I have been teaching, I have received many compliments from my students, colleagues and seniors.

Here are some of the best compliments I’ve ever received.

"I like the way you teach this subject",

"You are the best teacher in the whole world". (With a gold medal which said just that, and got crowned with a wreath of olive leaves ~~ Inspired by the Olympic games~~It has even made its way to a local tabloid, sans my name or pic)

"You are like my mother".

“You are so funny”.

“I like your ideas"

and many more…

Recently, I was very touched when one of the boys in my class came up to me and said, "Teacher, my mother is like you"

I think that was one of the sweetest compliments I’ve ever received.

What was the best compliment you ever received?

From my Treasure Trove!

Click on the image to enlarge..

I love collecting books. Though I usually buy them off book shelves of 'Granth', 'Crosswords' and the likes, my favourite haunts are those raddi shops. You never know what you are looking for until you find it!
A decade ago, I found this 4-in-1 Volume of Reader's Digest (1955) at a raddi shop, and my heart stopped beating. I pretended to have a vague disinterest in it( a bargaining tactic *Wink) and finally bought it for just Rs. 4/- What a find! Ever since, it has become a part of my prized collection..

These ads featured in the Reader's Digest caught my attention...

Another one...

Click on the image to enlarge it

Defeat..

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition.
Giving up is what makes it permanent."

-Marilyn Vos Savant

Missing you...

Circa- 1980.
Venue- Carmel of St. Joseph's High School.
A timid girl called Sangeeta Iyer enters Class 3.C on the first day of her school. So shy and afraid, she doesn't even dare to look for a seat for herself. She somehow glances up to see a girl with a warm smile extend her hand to the vacant seat beside her. Sangeeta Iyer (me)makes her first best friend-Mili Ganatra.
They spend an entire year sitting next to each other. The teacher never suspects that these innocent-looking girls are actually smuggling in comic books, and reading them while she is teaching

Circa-1981.
The first day of school. I look around for my best friend. I am horrified to know that Mili has left the school.
Mili, I still miss you a lot.

Circa-1982.
Somewhere in the middle of the term.
The Marathi teacher asks the class to write an essay on 'Majhi Aai'( My Mother). Suddenly, I hear my neighbour Deepa Lalwani sniffling. It takes me 2 days of incessant cajoling to get her to reveal that she has lost her mother. My heart goes all out to her. I make my second best friend and this time we remain best friends for 5 years. She brings out the prankster in me.:P. I'll never forget the play we presented on Teachers' Day in Class 7.

After we leave school, we lose touch
Deepa, :( I miss you too.

This post would be incomplete if I don't mention Jacob.
I spent most of my vacations at my aunt's house in Walkeshwar. When I was in Class 5, my aunt shifted to a place called Mukadam Chawl in Malabar Hill. Being in a girl's school, I was very reluctant to talk to 'boys'. But some of them would never leave me alone. One of them was Jacob, who was just 2/3 years older than me, was bent upon pulling my pig-tails and teasing me. He kept calling me 'double battery' because I wore glasses. Exasperated I mustered up some courage and played my trump card. I warned him to stop teasing me or else I would complain to my father who was a police inspector. ( A lie that my mom had taught me to threaten strangers if I ever fell in trouble). Luckily, my threats didn't have the desired effect. In years to come, he would never let me forget about the 'threat' . The cat-eyed Jacob, his brothers Allwyn and Anthony and I went on to become good friends.
He was so full of energy and enthusiasm. He would get all of us (kids) to wake up at unearthly hours, and take us all out for a walk on the beach. I was so much in 'awe' of him.
(Pssst! I fell in love for the first time.)
I can never forget how Jacob got all the kids in the society together to make Diwali snacks for a neighbour, whose husband had left her, and kids had conveniently forgotten her. Together, the group made 'karanjis'( Gujiyas) and chaklis, and besan laddoos. Since I was the youngest I was given the task of arranging the stuff on the plates. I felt very insignificant because I wasn't doing much to help. After the whole stuff was cooked, (it tooks us 3 days) I was surprised when Jacob announced that the first 'laddoo' should be given to me. I'm sure my face turned beetroot red. But for the first time, I felt proud of myself.
Thank you, Jacob, I learnt 'giving' from you..

Unfortunately, the chawl was bought by some builder and his family relocated itself to Goa. I never even got a chance to say, 'Goodbye'

I hope someday my friends Google this post out, and we are re-united.
Jacob, Anthony, Allwyn, Jacintha and Nasreen(from Mukadam Chawl)

Deepa Lalwani, Nanda Kansara, Sonali Aksekar, Rekha Kamath and Mili Ganatra( Carmel of St. Joseph's High School)

I miss you all. You will always remain in my memory. And that, is an understatement.