Education or ignorance?

Long time ago when yours truly was in school (I love acting old. Don’t I??) , there existed one concept. It was mainly cultivated by those cynics who claimed that it’s difficult to score good marks in state board. Hence ICSE or CBSE (both being national level boards for secondary / higher secondary education) was “simpler” compared to the prevalent state board. I vehemently opposed to the concept that time, perhaps because I was in ICSE board myself.

But the fact remains that our education system needs to be revised. My humble opinion is that all boards should be merged into one. Probably that would be the only answer to this inconsistency existing in the nation. Marks are disbursed among students like crazy!! How does this system recognize true merit if almost 60% students from a school get +90% marks in their boards?

Another concern remains the introduction of English as a language in fifth standard in Government schools. I am not aware of the current implementation of this rule in the country. But I feel it’s absolutely horrendous to imagine a kid would waste first few years of his academic life learning sweet-nothings. However he would always expected to be as competent in the language as others who live by English since they step in schools. Generally the morale of the former is lower when he faces the world after a decade…a world where English is the lingua franca!

But I prefer being an optimist. I loved one particular line from a popular movie I watched in recent past. They say that no country is perfect; the citizens have to strive to make it so. True…..
It’s very easy to criticize and to leave the country for our own growth ….What is difficult is to stay here…to implement all the progressive ideas that breed in an educated mind. I hope someday we all realize that…Say Amen!

The fan.......

Typically I should call this post to be “inspired” by this particular write-up I read. These days I have been reading “Chicken Soup for Working Women”(Awrite there…..Don’t laugh at me)…Nice inspirational stories-yes…..But I read them for the real life ones which are everyday stories like those Readers’ digest stuff I usually like.

So there was this article about a working mother, also a single parent to a two year old. She talked about how she would strive hard to stuff the kid with toys / objects that could keep him busy and her free for other chores….till one day when she told him to watch the ceiling fan whilst she did other work… And then he pulled her to watch the fan so as to provide her with respite from those humdrum stuff…..

I could completely relate to this bit. Very often we tend to get so occupied in our daily lives that we forget to live in the present….I do not remember watching a starlit sky in years now…or observing a butterfly sitting on the wall before me…..or smelling the first rain….Though I love them all….Then what am I aiming for, in life???

Blame all these so-to-say boring posts on those philosophical pangs that occasionally trouble me nowadays. But I have reserved this blog to express my state of mind…I have to push off now. I was allowed only these ten minutes of spare time to spend on my thoughtful stances. Enough for the day. I guess?!! :)

But really…..I would love to watch the ceiling fan rotate one day….minus thoughts of the past failures or future endeavors…of meetings I goofed up….of appointments that await me….I would love to live in the present moment…one day!!!!!

BrewHaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How many times have you tried out your mommy/daddy’s clothes as a kid? How many times have you tried on those attractive looking bottles of cosmetics and perfumes (okay this one’s for the girls alone) or dad’s shaving foam (you get who this is for …don’t you?!!!)?

I just happened to revisit all those days of fascination and apprehensions for adulthood…..all those moments of secret pleasure in imagining oneself as a grown-up…..all those pangs of ire on listening the same old “After you grow up kiddy!” rebuff.
And why!??!...you may ask.

I was walking to office the other day when I saw this seven/eight year old child striving real hard to reach the foothold of his cycle. Absolutely nonchalant about the bulk of an adult sized vehicle this child kept falling and grasping onto the paddle time and again. Every time he managed to reach to the paddle a satisfied smile flashed to reveal a broken set of milk teeth!!

Life’s all about getting what we don’t have…..and then lamenting on what we lost. All through my childhood and adolescence I yearned to be an adult …..And now that I am one….. I wish I were a kid again….Probably it’s this longing mixed with boredom that predominantly engulfs our lives, I landed up indulging in some unadulterated fun this weekend.

So yesterday some of us friends went to this new hangout in Bangalore called "BrewHaHa" to (hold your breath now) play!!! And play what???....Games those were so integral of our growing up years….Lovely moments to cherish, some amazing hours with your loved ones and good food!!! BrewHaHa’s all about that and more.

I strongly recommend the place for people who are game for some serious fun. Only regret: I wish I could have spent more time there with some friends I miss every moment nowadays…Guys- I wish our college days were back!!(See there….again I wish something….Didn’t I tell you??)

Who are they????????

This thought has been bothering me from quite sometime now…….What is being a celebrity all about???

It’s sometimes so funny the way these people (I hope calling them “people” doesn’t offend them) behave. Please do not get me wrong here. I have nothing against “them”. It’s just that their “holier than thou” attitude totally irks me.

I’m sure their work demands a lot of hard work and arouses hell lot of curiosity among us lesser mortals. I’m sure they often sacrifice basic joys of life as a price for fame. I’m sure they hate (actually here I’m not that sure!! :)) being hounded by paparazzi at each moment of their lives……

But what my otherwise logical mind cannot justify is their severe attitude problem. I mean, being a celeb does not entitle them to consider themselves super-natural (oh u bet they do!!!)…..Being able to get front-seat passes at award functions when other commoners are sweating it out at the back to get a glimpse of these “stars” is no license for them to behave as if they own the world.

I do not know if this attitude prevails only among the glamour world citizens or among all famous people in general…..But this definitely needs attention. As I read in a magazine the other day, these actors are becoming more of “people” than “stars”…Probably if we compare an “Audrey Hepburn” with an “Angelina Jolie” or a “Sridevi” with a “Preity Zinta”…yes they are…..But I am certain there’s still a long way to go.

After all, the toil that a daily-wage earner invests is as much as a film actor would put in…if not more!!! So what if both eat meager meals (one out of compulsion and other out of fancy!!)……Well, inequality is all life’s all about, I guess……..

My Sentience personified.......

My mum remarked the other day that somehow the word “ma” (in whatever form/language it may be) exudes a feel of security, warmth and unconditional love. She was probably missing my grandma (her mum) a bit too much that day…..

But those words really got me thinking. ….And this post shall have all those threads of thoughts that got me pensive after ages that day….

If I may bore you readers with a small walk down my memory lane, I’d like to share this small incident here. I had once met this nun (Pardon my amnesiac head here…can’t mention her name) as a kid. She happened to say something which has somehow left a mark in my heart, probably forever.

She told me that all mothers are special-but that mine was a little more. I’m sure each one of us would like to believe so. But since this is my post I’d like to tell you why I feel so (Readers please do share your thoughts about the same).

Today, when I can proudly and humbly (whoa!!!What a paradox) call myself a career woman, I do realize the importance of being on one’s own feet...The feeling of being able to wake up each morning to know that you would have to rush to work, the feeling of buying your dear ones cute li’l things with your own salary, the feeling of knowing that you are revered at your workplace…..the feeling of creating a niche for your own self is simply ecstasy! I understand that today.

And to be able to achieve all that and then give it up just for your child is something I call grit. A lawyer of my mum’s caliber could have soared high today….To give up all that and more so as to let your child grow up as an able human being is something that sure deserves appreciation.

So this goes as a thank-you note to her this “Mothers’ Day”.

Thank you for everything Ma!!!

“For I know the plans I have for you”

Of late I have been visiting quite a few blogs…And as I discover the thoughts of fellow beings, I can’t really help thanking God for what I have!!!

True, life hasn’t been a bed of roses so far…There have been moments of pique and failures…..There have been bouts of monotony….and pangs of untoward thoughts. There have been times I’ve complained of so many things that I almost sounded like Calvin (of C&H fame of course)….

And yet when I came across this article about Nick Vujicic, I realized how kind life’s been. I remember this poem I read as a child (and I’m sure many of you readers might just have glanced over it). It was a child’s confession as to how she complained of her ugly feet or eyes till she saw a lame or blind person…I remember the poem had got me thinking with that tiny little brain of mine even then….Nick Vujicic reminded me of the same poem all over again…..May his kind continue to motivate us earthlings……He sure is an exemplary creation of God!!!!This was a quote on his website(do take time out to check out the link):

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Kudos to all those who dare to dream ….to those who achieve them and all those who don’t!!!!