We don't need no Education?!

Carrying a bag weighing at least 6-7 Kg, you could be forgiven for thinking that a school going child today was going off on a trek to the Himalayas!

Have always felt strongly towards our educational system (or lack of one) especially at the school level. Have always disliked the examination system that encourages swallow and vomit and by-rote learning without any understanding and application of the concepts. Add to that the unbelievable amount of competition in our country and the pressure it creates and you almost feel sorry for the students.

You would think that this competition with peers would create a pressure cooker situation for the students. Yes, there is peer pressure but this is actually the peer pressure amongst the parents. Parents look at what the other children are doing and feel compelled to make their children do the same lest they are left behind. "oh, she is attending Arts and Craft classes, we should send our Pinky too. Oh, he is going for Kung Fu-Karate, we should send our Mickey too." All this, without even asking Pinky and Mickey what they really want. I have experienced this at close hand as parents of children in the 5th or 6th standard start fretting about what college they will get into, what if he fails to get a good percentage (mind you 80-85% is not good) and sundry other things which frankly "DO NOT MATTER"

When I was in school it was not always like this. We had time to be with friends, watch our favorite cartoon and serials on TV, play and pursue our cherished hobbies and did not feel bogged down. The trend of sending your first standard kids to coaching classes too started only in the late 90s. And post that, we all know how coaching classes have sprouted in almost every nook and corner of every city, creating a parallel schooling system almost.

Though there have been some improvements in the attitudes of parents, the system needed a shake up. And the recent RTE act aims for exactly that. It is indeed heartening to see that no student will be allowed to fail between Class I-VII and special care would be taken of the academically weak students. What is needed is an environment which fosters openness and creativity and understanding which should replace fear and anxiety and the schools need to take adequate measures. Parents too need to support this step wholeheartedly and encourage their children to take up multiple activities and not let them vegetate by sitting in front of the computer and TV.

Another piece of legislation passed in Maharashtra today was the decision to replace Marks with Credits for the UG and PG courses and a pattern of continuous evaluation not just based on final examinations. The new system will also allow students to choose credits from other streams, which is the norm followed at most educational institutions abroad. However, as always with any new scheme introduced in our country, the key will be implementation.

Flashback..

This is one of the very short stories I had written some time back. I had to write a story which began with she looked at me, smiled and said not a word.....

Some of you might have read this before. Just thought of sharing this with others.

She looked at me, smiled and said not a word. I wanted her to say something. It could have been anything in the world but I just wanted to hear her speak because if her facial features were so good I was imagining how beautiful her voice would be. But I consoled myself saying that a smile is worth a thousand words. I left from the library borrowing the book advanced theories in quantum physics knowing fully well how much I would read that day. I just knew that I had to see her again tomorrow. Since the past week, she had captivated me, her smile had completely mesmerised me. But what made me think the most was why hadn’t I seen her before? Looking at her, I felt that she was the one who would fill the void in my life.

The next day dawned bright and beautiful and I woke up with a purpose. I put on a bright blue shirt and a comfortable pair of denim jeans. My heart was beating as I entered the library. And it was then I saw her...the same pair of bright eyes, sharp face, long hair which had me enchanted. I took the courage to approach her for mine was not an ordinary boy meets girl case. Here I was, a 35 year old professor and a widower and there she was, a lovely librarian, somewhere around 30. After the tragic death of my wife, I thought I would never love again. But love is a funny thing as they say. I was returning the book to her when I saw it. She had a beautiful diamond ring on her engagement finger. A thousand emotions swirled inside my mind. It felt as if the sea until now so calm had suddenly turned violent and my ship just capsized. I felt helpless. I could do nothing but somehow managed a smile. That was probably the shortest love story ever. And as I smiled, she looked at me, smiled back and said not a word....

Joy lies in the simple things....

Yesterday i.e. Sunday was quite a happy day for me. As the day drew to a close, I thought about the reasons why I felt good that day. No Big event happened. No Lottery, No Proposal from a company, No Proposal from a girl. Nothing. It was a just a routine normal relaxed day. But as I delved deeper, there were some things which I did after a long time.

1) A visit to the police station - Well, went there for passport verification and nothing to be happy about it. Just that it brought back old memories. When I was actually caught and taken away by the police. What was my crime? I was playing cricket in my compound which was deemed to be life threatening to one of the residents!!!!!! :) (This REALLY happened some 3-4 years back)

2) I read the Sunday Newspaper at leisure - front to back. Fully. The newspaper in one hand. A cup of tea in the other :)

3) Danced in order to prepare for a friend's Sangeet - I admit, i am no great dancer. But the fun that one has in marriage preparations - just wonderful. The camraderie, the leg-pulling, the shy groom, friends, family - all together And the dance captures it all perfectly. :)

4) Cleaned up my cupboard - it takes a tremendous amount of motivation for me to clean up my cupboard. My roomies and my parents will vouch for this. But yeah, when it's all done, you feel happy and satisfied. I have realised that there's nothing more satisfying than a job well done. :)

5) Ate Pizza which has Amul Cheese on top - No Mozarella Cheese - Yes! I can hear some collective Shee and so- middle- classs comments. But before the days of Dominoes and Pizza Hut, this was the way I had Pizza and I loved it. Dont know how many of you feel this way but that taste still lingers :)

6) Finally, slept for some time on my mom's lap - I don't think I need to give any explanations. It just feels fantastic :)

So on the face of it, a routine normal relaxed day. But still so immensely satisfying. All of us encounter small little moments like these everyday. Different things which tend to leave a smile on our face. But in this hustle-bustle, overstressed life of ours, we tend to overlook them, shrug it off and carry on. The worrying fact is that as students, we haven't even got started. I wonder what is going to happen when we are faced with more responsibility.

Reminds me of the lines of a poem which I love - Leisure by W.H.Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

UPsy Daisy

The opening - a silly looking lamp jumping on top of the letter I and pushing it down! And then sitting spell bound for two hours.

A talking toy, talking cars, lovable and funny monsters, a rat who cooks, flying houses, a panda who kung-fus! I think you all get the drift of what this blog is all about. :)

Yeah. Animation! Disney, Pixar. Fun. Entertaining. Magical.

Since the time I saw Beauty and the Beast to today when I saw UP, I have fallen in love with animated movies. Perspectives have changed - earlier when I used to watch it as a kid, laughing at all the silly slapstick antics, now - we smile and appreciate the creativity, the brilliant concept and of course the really smart jokes ( i still laugh at all the slapstick, silly jokes :P) - but the love for animated fare has only grown stronger.

I am sure as kids, most of us saw cartoons and read comic books. Why did that excite us so much? I think there was something very magical about it. It made us believe that there are superheroes that can save the world, detective dogs, fighting robots, strange visitors from outer space. It opened up so many different worlds and possibilities for us apart from the school life and books that most of us used to spend our majority time in. It meant escaping into those different worlds, forgetting all other things around. Tell me frankly, how many of us imagined ourselves to be he-man or superman or acted like giant robot? I definitely tried to act like he-man - the cricket bat being the sword and then uttering those iconic lines - "By the power of Grayskull...I have the power!" They also drove in very sensible points and the right messages on our highly impressionable minds.

Coming back to the present, there is something about these movies which brings a smile to your lips, leaves you feeling happy and contented, sometimes making you wonder why things in the world can’t be as wonderful and joyous and creative. For close to 90 minutes, you forget the worries which you are always mired in and get drawn into a world full of amazing stories and characters. You are mesmerized by the creativity of the stories, the concept (where do these people get their ideas from? I want to know what they have for breakfast!), the execution with the almost life like characters, and the simple message which drives the story forward in every movie. That’s the best part about these movies - there is always one very simple and strong message which you take with you and which stays with you for a long long time.

Think of all the reasons for going to a movie - A means to escape from the present, get entertained, leave worries behind, laugh, chuckle, marvel, get delighted?? Animated movies can give you all this and more! So for all those people out there who think that animation is for kids, think again. Just watch any of the animated movies and bring some magic into your lives.

Here is a list of my 5 favourite animated movies.
1) Lion King (Unbelievable scenes, memorable music, unforgettable characters)
2) Monsters Inc (the concept was just out-of-this-world. Loved the idea! And Mike Wazaouski!)
3) Ratatouille (brilliant concept, simple story, super message)
4) Toy Story (I can watch this movie N number of times)
5) Ice Age (this was fun!!)

Speed Breakers

An Eight lane express way. Speeds of close to 100 kmph. The roar of the wind drowning out all other noises. Hair flying like crazy. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you hit a speed breaker! And you hit the brakes hard!

Apply that situation to personal life, where everything is smooth sailing until, suddenly, some news or event or incident throws your life out of gear momentarily. And leaves you confused and irritated. You are at a loss as to what to do and roam around aimlessly, lost deep in thought. It has happened to me quite a few times. Have anyone of you felt like that before?

Dealing with these speed breakers takes time. As you assess the situation, brood over it for some time, talk it out with friends or family, or just do anything which takes your mind away from the event.

But some speed breakers just refuse to go away. These road blocks come at regular intervals. And you just don't know how to deal with them! Leaving you confused and irritated.

aaja nachle!

Dance!

You may be twinkle toed or you may have two left feet. Your hips may certainly don't lie that you are a smashing dancer or your hips may indeed be lying indicating that you are flat footed!

Michael Jackson or Mithun Chakraborty, dancing is super fun. I never imagined i would be saying this as earlier I was a very shy dancer and would just shake a leg here and there, do some bhangra and then just retreat! But things have changed and how!

I still probably am the worst dancer but i really don't care. I know just two three steps which I can keep performing all the time! This was evident at today's SP Anniversary party ( Happy Anniversary to all :D ) But while dancing, the whole world seems to just melt away! You can just let your hair down and enjoy! That's the best part about dancing. It allows you to be yourself without thinking about what others will say or think. Most of the time, while doing any work or performing any activity, we think about how the other person will act, say or feel. But not when you are dancing like crazy on the dance floor!

All worries seem to disappear, you are high without any intake of any damn thing and its the best way to de-stress and unwind!

So, a request to all you non dancers out there - (i was one amongst you earlier) - We may not exactly set the dance floor on fire, but we can certainly enjoy our dance without feeling conscious of anything! Just try it once and feel the magic!

P.S. My 5 favourite dance numbers (you can add your own!)

1) Ishq tera tadpave - Sukhbir
2) Beedi - Omkara
3) Dekha na hai re socha na hai re - Bombay to Goa
4) I am a disco dancer!!! ;)
5) Koi kahe kehta rahe - Dil Chahta hai

Baithi kya Borivli, jaati kya Wadala? – An ode to the Mumbai Local!

A sauna or a trading room, a kitchen or a massage centre? An akhada or a card playing room, a can of beans or a lifeline? A bazaar or a den of thieves, a newspaper or a bhajan mandli? A discussion forum or a breakfast table? A pain or a panacea??

Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for this multifaceted personality – the strange creature called the Mumbai Local Train or just local for us Mumbaikars. Love it or hate it, you just can’t ignore the Mumbai local.

I was travelling by train today from home to college when suddenly I felt like writing about our local trains.

Various thoughts were running in my head as to how I should go about writing this.

For close to seven years now, I have been going up and down and up and down along with thousands of other co-passengers and have been through all of the above situations described above.

Our trains are more popularly known by a few numbers and alphabets – the 9.10 CST, the 7.57 K, the 5.20 D and you get an idea! So much so that entire groups have been formed based on the time of the train and the destination. And you really start to enjoy their company as you see familiar faces every day. You may not know most of their names but acknowledge their presence with a smile. (Beautifully captured in the closing scenes of A Wednesday!)

I have boarded a train absolutely clueless but when I alighted at my destination, I knew a lot about stock markets and could give you a few excellent tips myself and you which could lead you to believe that I am the Oracle of Ghatkopar. I knew about the latest political manoeuvrings and had Bollywood gossip served fresh and hot! Oh and just drop in a word on yesterday’s cricket match and it’s like lighting a match to an oil tanker. The whole compartment will explode and all the cricket experts will argue furiously that Dhoni should have sent Yuvraj up the order and why Harbhajan should have bowled round the wicket to Kevin Pietersen. Yes! If you don’t mind all the pushing and the shoving and people stomping on your feet, then it would be quite an enjoyable ride. In fact, one of the best ways to prepare for a GD or an interview, would be to take a first class ticket, initiate a conversation, sit back and you will come back an enlightened person!

There are several other unforgettable memories associated with travelling in our trains – the card playing group, the bhajan singling mandli, the vegetable cutting housewives on the way back home, the compartment to compartment salesman (I swear that if you want to learn how to sell, just listen to them make their pitch to the people – it’s fantastic!) and of course the minor altercations due to the inevitable pushing and shoving. I remember the most amusing thing would be people from the other end of the compartment making their wisecrack comments about the fights going on!

I remember the great times we had travelling to college as a group. Discussions, debates, leg-pulling, sometimes just plain nonsense, sometimes serious and sensible. But travelling alone is also equally interesting. However strange it may sound to you, this is the one time when you are alone with your thoughts, pondering about the day that was about to begin or reflecting on the day that was on the way back home. It also gave you some time to catch up with the latest news (if you were bored of the conversation around!) by reading the newspaper or the latest novel. Oh! If you really want to master the art of reading a newspaper, you should catch the morning train while going to work. (The multiple folds of the paper and the unbelievable positioning of the paper in spite of the lack of room).

Earlier when I used to travel, I used to marvel at how people could sleep in the train in such heat and with so much noise around. However, I now am a certified practioner of sleeping in trains. A half hour nap and you end up feeling refreshed! The sleep just comes automatically, which may be due to the rocking motion of the train. And it is equally amazing that people seemingly fast asleep get up without any alarm just as their destination is approaching! (Though there have been several times when I have missed my stop!)

There are problems too – the delays, the crowd, the long ticket lines, breakdown during rains which most people are familiar with and yet we tend to shrug it off.

Because we know that the local train symbolises our city – nonstop, fast paced, efficient and single minded. Selfish on the outside, but always willing to help whenever needed. The only mode of transport that connects our ever growing city and keeps the cosmopolitan culture going. The local does not distinguish between religion, caste, sex. You can find the peon and his boss travelling together, the student and the professor, the doctor and the patient. It is a great leveller and in the biggest democracy in the world – one of its most well known symbols.

Some links

Watch this excellent documentary by BBC on our suburban railway system.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/bombay-railway.shtml