Brahminish in school ......

This happened when I was in Class X, right before the AISSE exams.

A gang of us, 6 girls, used to share food and eat together during lunch break everyday. One such day, we had a social studies mock exam for 2 hrs right after lunch. So, we wanted to finish lunch quickly and do a little last minute discussion for the exam. We were all really tensed and the teacher was considered not-so-lenient. Although the six of us were studious(in a non-geeky way), we made our share of noise and trouble in school days. Anyhow, here is the incident.

12 noon - lunch break; we start eating; 12.20 pm - we all finished eating and were about to get water. We went to the door and turned back when one of us was missing - Anu. We look back and Anu was just finishing up - u know, packing up her tiffin box and all of a sudden....:-))... took her water bottle, poured a little water in her hand, sprinkled it on the wooden writing desk and started gathering it...(Yechal Ittu, Peraatti ?...not sure...). Among the six of us, 3 were Brahmin Iyers and did this at home all the time. So realized what she was doing as soon as she poured water in her hand and started laughing but didn't disturb her concentration. We were on the floor laughing while the other three didn't understand what was happening (being Jains and from Rajasthan...). The five of us stopped and were waiting to see what Anu was going to do next. She finished the whole process gathered everything in her hand (which was nothing at all since we usually spread kitchen towels over the table before eating) and then looked at us. Finally it dawned upon her. :-). None of us could stop laughing after that for the rest of lunch break and forgot all about the tension of the Social exam.

Till date, nothing beats this incident among my school friends. Some things just make you smile....thinking of the good old days!!

Some music grows on you...

After learning classical music for several years and having a tolerable level of singing experience, I still don't understand some things about semi-classical music and film music. There are some songs which impress you the first time you listen to them and makes you want to listen to them over and over. Then, there are these songs which have to grow on you. I didn't realize this until I started college.

Until college, there were just two categories of music - ones which I like and ones which I didn't. Then, once my best friend from school who shares my passion for singing and music in all respects, gave me a cassette. I don't remember the name of the movie or the songs. The first time I heard it, the songs were not that good. I returned the cassette to her saying I just did not like it. She suggested that I keep it for a week and maybe I will like it the next time I hear it. I didn't believe her then but took the cassette anyways. The second time around, the songs were tolerable and thereafter I actually liked it...the songs kinda grew on me and I started humming them...

There was this movie Saaz which came out in late 1990's with Zakir Hussain's music. The movie didn't go well and was probably a big flop (or maybe wasn't even released). But a couple of songs were good. Atleast good and refreshing at that time..and the lyrics are good too (especially considering the story line) - Raat Dhalne Lagi and Kya Tumne Yeh.

This came at the time when I was a major Hussain fan and after Soundscape series for Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Valley, Desert, etc. were released. Looking back, it was a weird phase since all of them were instrumental music and it took me a lot of time and energy to understand, appreciate and enjoy them. But, eventually it grew on me. :-)

How girls beat the crap out of a boy...

Comments to the last post reminded me of this incident.

This happened probably when I was in 4th or 5th class in school. In a class strength of about 30, there were 3 boys. 27 girls Vs 3 boys. While one boy was the guy who pushed me from the swing...he was kinda cute and so the girls didn't have any trouble with him..... the other was a very calm and quiet guy, the studious one ..... but the third one, Praveen, was such a menace, never used to study, made fun of some of the girls, troubled all teachers, what not..... It was one of those Robin hood sort of period. We needed a Robin to save some of our class girls from this boy. Ofcourse with the interference of the teachers things would have been easier... but a bunch of us - girls wanted to do it ourselves...and so, one thursday after the last class (that was Yoga...., we had compulsory yoga as a part of the curriculum until Class VI..), we waited in the cycle stand for most people to leave and since Praveen was the last to leave the school usually (after chatting with the watchman or making fun of every possible girl), we removed the air from the tires of his cycle in front of his eyes... which led to him chasing after us, we went behind the auditorium and beat up the crap out of him...... no, not too severly, he did defend himself well, now that I think about it..just some cuts and bruises...

The next day, we could not stop smiling... we never thought of the aftermath of such an attack, complaints, teacher, etc.. we just did it... Praveen didn't come to school on Friday or Saturday.. and Monday when he came, he never even looked at the girls....he started sitting in the first row so that we wouldn't tormet teasing him about getting beaten up by a bunch of girls.. :-).. and surprisingly started to study well, not well enough to compete with the girls but good enough to get thro' school and college and get a good job..... and never troubled the girls again...

Now, I am not saying we reformed a boy.. just that sometimes beating the crap out of a boy helps in more than one way... :-)

The guy who pushed me from the swings...

I am an avid swinger...does that word even exist? Anyhow, I like swings. Whenever I used to go to the beach or Woodlands Drive (Cathedral Rd - they used to have a playground...), I never even went near any of the other play things..swings were IT... once I got on one, I never got down until it was time to leave the playground..

So, one Saturday (Class 3rd or 4th) when I was waiting in the school playground (Some Saturday's my father used to have day-off's and so would pick me up from school).. the swing got vacant and so I started to swing..to and fro I go higher and higher until suddenly..thud... I fell down.. I enter an oblivious state of bliss when on swings and so didnt actually realize my name being called or a classmate calling me to get off the swing so that he could get on it... so, he just pushed me down.... :-( ... I broke a couple of milk tooth and had hit a stone..so my jaw was bleeding and needed stitches...my dad came in right at that moment, took me to the hospital and things got better.... but after that, they removed the swings in my school considering it to be harmful...although I had morbid hatred against the boy (his face etched in my memory forever), I let it go ... and boys were allowed in my school only till Class 5 and so he was in my class for less than an year or so..

This year, during my annual pilgrimage to Chennai, more than once I got stuck in TNagar/Pondy Bazaar traffic; And being overly precautious, I always wear helmets if in my bike. So, trying to slither in the traffic, between two cars...one with an open window and other without..traffic was really stuck..so, the conversations in the open windowed car was just audible..arguement between a couple...I recognized the guy... It was the same guy who pushed me ..Balachander...I recognized him in a jiffy even after 14-16 yrs...so, I opened the visor of my helmet hoping to see if he would turn and recognize me... recognition flickered in the eyes of the girl in the car... his wife, my school junior... :-)... so, we pulled over and started talking... she introduced me to her husband who never even recognized me... :-(.. after introductions.... I turned to him and asked 'So, do u still like to swing' and his wife got all scared for a second... She went like 'Akka (I was her senior by two yrs n school, that demands a little respect,doesn't it) how did u know abt his fascination for swings'..... Then, finally it stuck him and he remembered (how even after pushing me from the swings 15 yrs back, he was smiling happily and continued swinging). He apologized and we all had a good laugh...

But strange is the way of universe... so many people you know in a lifetime.. who knows when or how you will meet them next...