A walk down the school memory lane- Part 8

Unanimously detested, universally disliked – the undesired work of ‘homework’

Work for all…..

         So while this walk has been full of happy moments, wonderful memories, nostalgic remembrances and colorful past, not every aspect in school was loved, enjoyed or desired! Think about your loads and loads of homework for a while and you will understand my sadness and hatred instantly. An endless struggle to be dealt at home, I always believed ‘homework’ is the first word that kids start to dread for the rest of their lives.

        As students, the dread lies in ‘completing it’ while as parents it lies in ‘getting it completed’. Either ways, this villain wishes to stay with us forever! It may not be easy for teachers too, as evaluating, rectifying and grading a wide range of interesting offerings demand lot of strength, courage and patience!

       

Impossible to escape

            When I first thought about this facet of school life, I chose to keep it at bay keeping in mind ‘not so’ interesting shades to this story, but compulsive nature and forceful approach of homework gripped me in its stride. Demanding a post in its memory, I was once again caught under the load of this work! Though there have been many years since my last encounter with school homework, writing this post brought the same feeling all over again. Writing under a deadline and completing it a perfect manner, the influence of ‘homework’ managed to reach my blog too!

         With an aim to involve students into studies and keep them in touch with their course, homework takes birth in every classroom and every grade. Though beneficial for our progress and essential for the years ahead, it is impossible to appreciate its significance while being buried deep within. By the time we understand the real reason of this self-declared 'punishment' and value of teachers’ demands, we find ourselves instructing our kids for their share of homework!

Teacher’s privilege, student’s problem

       As a kid when I listened to teachers’ instructions while filling the book with list of homework, I always admired their luck and privilege to be able to do so. Wondering about their happiness while ordering us with so much work, I waited to stand at the other end of table. With passing years and increased maturity, I realized it was always meant for our own good. Practice of spelling, handwriting, multiplication tables and question-answers did contribute in our development, but this level of understanding delays in its appearance. While engrossed in its completion and surrounded by its influence, it is nothing less than a big problem!

      Discussing the purpose of this homework, I clearly remember our words back then. “Once we are elder, what is the use of these tables?” or “Who writes so much while in office?” were our innocent queries as we viewed teachers’ strict words and parents’ disciplined instructions as ‘benefits’ of being ‘elder’! Waiting to be free from this bondage felt like a dream, as amidst words, calculations, questions and answers the prospect of no forced work at all appeared tempting by all means.

   

      It is only after we depart miles away from a wonderful school life, that we realize red marks on notebooks and shouting from teachers back then were more amazing than performance reviews and confusing instructions from our boss today! While our troubles were limited to which subject to complete first and what answers to write for the questions, we were never left alone to experiment and explore.  Independence and uncertainties of life as adults offer no such guidance or support!

 

Different students, different approaches

      Over-sincere, notorious, extra-careful, careless, honest, obedient, easy-going, hard-working, lucky, while every classroom is a blend of such different type of students, the approach of each of them towards their homework differs by many ways than one. While sincere, hard-working and obedient never disappoint their teachers, the notorious ones give them consistent opportunities for disappointment.

        From careless students forgetting their homework at home to extra-careful ones creating copies of the same, from honest students fearlessly announcing their incomplete work to lucky ones escaping punishment, from intelligent rankers with excellent efforts to photocopying types waiting to copy-paste from them; teachers witness so many diverse varieties within the walls of a classroom.

       While teachers exhaust all possible means of punishment; students ensure surplus stock of reasons, excuses and routes to escape. As one belonging to the sincere camp, I did complete my homework to avoid troubles, but not without the usual supply of complaints.

       During regular working days as this homework became one with the schedule, completing course of work on holidays, festivals, occasions or birthday felt extremely difficult. Hoping for a worldwide halt to homework, our innocent minds secretly prayed for a timely ban, allowing us to enjoy, relax and rejoice!

      Though homework was always famous for bad memories and boring stories, it sometimes offered surprising rewards. As a ticket to gifts, games, outings or entertainment, excellent behavior and perfect schedule of completion brought some good moments too. Yet, no amount of gifts or praises delivered same happiness as the golden words of ‘no homework today’ from teachers.
      So, as long as one walks in and out of school during childhood, this homework will enter and exit along!

    What was your equation with homework? Was it love-hate or only hate-hate all through your school?

    

        

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 7

Accessorizing our school life

          As the core of school, while textbooks, notebooks, papers, files formed an important part; along with them several other accessories chose to enter into the plot. Essential, unavoidable, significant, desired as they were utilized every single day at school, their role was definitely large enough to deserve an independent mention.

        Be it school bag that posed as an all-in-one package or water bottle for those quick breaks, be it our favorite tiffin filled with loads of love or stationary box full of wonders, be it school uniform that we detested daily or tie and belt to be worn regularly, every accessory made it big in the academic journey. Many a times while the primary focus of books was too boring to think about, these colorful, fancy accessories provided the much desired spice!

         Right before the school commenced, thought of purchasing these new articles was the center of attraction. Devising novel plans to convince parents for new things, their endless efforts to show us good features of the last year used ones, our tricks to highlight the faults in the old and finally reaching a common ground with some old and some new; this to-and-fro shuttle with parents every passing year was a sport in itself. Among siblings, the competition of bagging new items resembled a tough battle. While as kids, we only knew the act of demanding, our parents and teachers worked hard to teach us its true value. It all makes sense today, as I look around at students with fancy accessories and an endless wish-list!

All-in-one secretive school bag!

       Famous for carrying a bulky bag, I could not resist the temptation of using the word ‘secretive’! Every passing grades, as I carried a big bag to school, my parents and sister always wondered about the secret contents within it. With an aim to prevent any punishment, as I carried every book carefully, along with extra ones too, my bag supported me as a strong, sturdy partner.

       As a probable way of posing harm to students, when the load of school bags was reduced to a great extent, it was a total relief and delight to all the parents. Every new year brought amazing new trends in these bags. Horizontal style in the primary years and vertical back pack in the secondary ones was an unstated golden rule that we all followed! Stuffing it with all possible requirements, opening- closing it innumerable times and protecting it with utmost care, school bags were close to us all through the journey. Emptying and cleaning it completely was certainly a tough task!

       A companion that accompanies each one during every single day at school, these bags are truly an entry pass into the institution. Nostalgic memories of bags used in school life do have the power to make us think about its value and weight all over again.

Uniform fashion compulsion- a style statement detested then, missed now!

        Wearing same uniform every day for the rest of school life was never a pleasure to look forward to. Dressing up perfectly with discipline as we teamed it up with tie, belt and hair band, it was a compulsory affair undesirable by all. With only one single variation of sports uniform, monotonous attire was a part of life. 

       The wait appeared too long as we hoped to enjoy fashionable independence in college and office. Different clothes, diverse styles, variable colors attracted us towards adulthood, creating a strong impression of never missing the checks and squares of uniform ever again! But as said, we always miss the past or dream about the future, the freedom of choosing styles for ourselves now, do pull us back to the peace of having a fixed school uniform.

     Offering the benefit of one single attire daily during school times, increasing confusion of choosing a dress is a total challenge. Deciding what to wear consumed good amount of time and continues to do even today as it is not as simple as picking up a designated uniform! As I miss my school uniform and the peace of mind that followed, I realize my mistake of underestimating those wonderful checks and squares!

   Though we always had contrasting views about our own uniform; bitter ones while within the school premises and sweet ones while comparing it to the other schools, sad ones while talking about its color or pattern and happy ones while remembering it later, we realize its charm only after it refuses to fit our frame!

 

 Food for a break, water for a reason – the bottle and tiffin of joy!

        Trendy water bottle hanging around the neck and fancy tiffin box sitting in the bag were reasons to be happy during boredom of primary school life. Waiting for the recess break with eager eyes, opening up our tiffin box and experiencing mom’s love in the form of tasty delicacies kept us well occupied. Eating and returning with empty tiffin seemed as matter of pride, while ignoring the ‘not so favorite healthy items’ invited punishments and sorrow!

       As senior years approached, these tiffins and bottles changed to simpler ones,but interests towards friends’ boxes increased to a great extent. More inclination towards canteen food and less pull towards our own tiffin appeared and disappeared every now and then. Perfect excuse to halt for a while, water bottles appeared as handy ways to pause!

    

      Stationary boxes and range of contents in it added to these list of accessories. While such secondary aspects are only required to assist in the learning process, it is essential to limit them only to the required purpose. Spending money and time behind their changing trends may lead to comparison between kids involving them in unnecessary money matters.

      Though we may have never thought about it, bidding farewell to school meant good-bye to these wonderful accessories too!  

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 6

First day of school.....!

The excitement for a new start...

        Now though I have walked for several miles along this memory lane of school, I realized to have missed the very start of this game. After long, relaxed, happy and enjoyable summer vacation, when school call their students back to the academic adventure, it does deserve a post to its name. Blending happiness, excitement, sorrow and eagerness, this first day turns out to be totally memorable.
 
       No matter a student belonged to which grade, this first day at school always resembled a special event. Fortunate to be in the same school right from pre-primary till the secondary, first day meant meeting friends and new teachers.
   
      Excited to see our new class teacher and getting introduced to the entire team for different subjects were important tasks for the day. Hoping to be lucky with friendly and lenient teachers, most of the time was spent in discussing reviews from our seniors. Comparing the strictness level of teachers with friends from different divisions kept us occupied with lot of work right from day 1!

      Another form of excitement that gripped each one was the entry of new students in the class. Be it different area, different city or different state, when new entrants introduced themselves, there was happiness of making new friends. Behaving as more experienced and knowledgeable with respect to school, sharing essential facts and 'non so essential' features offered excellent means to break the ice with these 'new-comers'. While they must be excited for a totally new place, our excitement to know them as new classmates was not less either.

Approaching first day with emotional dynamics

       While first day at school was just a small affair, its influence was spread since a long time . With changing moods and different feelings, this day greeted with us diverse meanings. When acquainted with this date for the first time during the day of result, it appeared as a far away time in future. Not thinking about it while enjoying every single moment of freedom, it meant nothing at all.

       With mounting boredom of holiday routine and no other activities left in the pipeline, momentary dreams about reopening of school offered excitement and joy. Looking forward to meet friends and get into routine appeared tempting by all means.

        It also initiated the tiring course of holiday homework, completing all the work meant for two months within short span of two days was a draining activity, after all! While this eagerness lasted for a little time, approaching monsoon brought mixed feelings. Sorrow of parting away from freedom with happiness of receiving rain showers meant fusion of many things together.
 
       Purchasing new books, bags, umbrella, tiffin-box, water bottle; covering books and labeling them while enjoying the fresh smell of new possessions offered newly found happiness year after year. Deciding to study with all possible dedication and promising to ace every examination was the ritual followed each year in spirit of freshness and novelties all around. With passing time as the colorful first day faded to lighter shades, all these enthusiastic vows would disappear into thin air only to reappear around same time the next year.
   
        First day of school was probably the only lightest day in the academic calender as there were no studies or books, only talks and more talks. Discussing or writing about summer holidays was the first ever assignment,bringing nostalgic memories all over again. With duration of fewer working hours as the day would end quickly, its excitement continued till all members of the family heard a detailed account!
     
     

Day ends , routine starts

        All the fun, energy, enthusiasm would set away with setting sun as normal routine of school followed this much awaited 'first day'. Until next round of around 365 days, there was nothing besides learning, studies, examinations along with short breaks. Though short vacations during major festivals offered little relief, these could never replace the happiness of summer vacation. The joy of first day was totally different, after all it stood 'first' for a reason!

      How were your first days at school? Did you wait for its arrival or hope for its departure?

A walk down the school memory lane –Part 5

Uniting for a kick-start – the daily morning ritual called ‘assembly’

        While lost in the nostalgic sound of school bell; another regular routine bringing a fresh, new day at school caught my attention. Starting the daily schedule with prayers, hymns, songs, thoughts, news, school anthem while hoping for a good day ahead, these assemblies played an important energizing role. Waking each one’s sleepy mind and preparing it for the session of the day undoubtedly spelled out a lot of work.

         Initiated with an aim to bring all students together, promote exchange of thoughts and information, provide a platform to address the entire crowd and sing anthems to celebrate the pride and glory of school, these assemblies were a blend of many things together. With ‘interesting’ and ‘not so interesting’ features of the assembly, this timely management of a daily morning show certainly deserved credit.

      A school that encouraged its students to excel in every possible domain, we got the opportunity to participate in assemblies right since our primary days. With a new class conducting the assembly each day, the schedule offered an equal chance for every division. Hoping to bag some exciting portion, while contributing ideas as a team; planning and practicing for assembly was total fun.

       During the primary grades, this planning was in safe hands of the class teacher. As innocent and sincere kids, our job was to follow the instructions and wait for praises! Eliminating fear of speaking over the microphone, our teachers always encouraged every student to participate. Practicing, enjoying, worrying when the assembly proceeded in a flawless manner; it offered fame, happiness, pride that lasted all day long.

      Hearing our name in assembly was the greatest highlight as we hoped every friend, teacher and classmate took a note of our performance! Being happy about the task assigned for assembly, several days were spent soaked in its stories, both at home and school.

       In senior years, as the baton of planning, executing, conducting and presenting a class assembly was transferred in our hands, it changed the entire experience. Hunting for ideas, searching for novelties, discussing contents and deciding participants offered total entertainment. Topped with several arguments as we struggled to find a solution, our teachers were undoubtedly essential for the final verdict. Interesting features like news, puzzles, and jokes always encountered competition while dry sections like thoughts and articles struggled to find participants.

       Set against the backdrop of innovative themes, famous characters, interesting stories or novel plots; introducing the flow of items in an assembly was the most challenging task. Experimenting with unique ideas such as television series, movie story, a talk show or an interview, it was always exciting to look at compering ideas by different classes.

       Hosting the assembly as a compere or reading out news as a reporter were my favorite activities, as I prayed to bag this role during every turn of our class assembly.

         So, while conducting and participating in an assembly was an enjoyable experience, listening to assemblies presented by others appeared extremely difficult! Instructed by teachers to stay disciplined and appreciate the efforts of others taught us the role of audience. Staying silent and lending a patient ear to the person over mic was undoubtedly the first step towards success. It made us realize that the journey of a successful presenter starts from the audience!

         Though we usually heard this morning assembly from our classroom, one designated day of the week brought us closer to it, as our entire class stood in the school hall. Fearing to be within the visible radius of Principal, this important day demanded all possible attention and discipline hidden deep within.

        While singing the school anthem every passing day, I never imagined there was so much power in its words back then. With boredom and compulsion, as we joined in its tune as a regular chore, its rhythm and melody feel wonderful today.While remembering those beautiful moments at school, singing anthem with friends proved to be one of the best experiences of school life. 

     Wish we could record a video of our assembly at that very moment or capture images of the regime at that very instant. Though it is not possible now, melodious memories of this assembly shall always play the nostalgic tune.

      Let’s think about these wonderful assemblies we all had in school, though we were forced to pay attention back then, we shall thoroughly enjoy them today! 

A walk down the school memory lane- Part 4

Love-hate relationship with the school bell! 

Unavoidable, indispensable, loud, clear, commanding saga of the school bell….

         Besides the colorful events, playful memories, joyful moments and wonderful episodes during school life; there were several other aspects touching this phase each passing day. While thinking about such timely occurrences and memories of school journey,I caught myself remembering the loud and clear sound of our school bell! Though its schedule was as regular as the rising and setting sun, its presence and influence in life created a novel spark each day.

       As if pulling me back to follow its commands, this unavoidable and indispensable school bell ordered a powerful narration.

      A sound that demands discipline, order, regularity and perfection, school bell reminds me of the significance of tight schedule back then. Assuming different responsibilities and conveying different messages at diverse times of the day, this bell was capable of being liked and disliked all along the span of a single day! As a most wanted, hated, desired, appreciated phenomenon throughout school, its significance was too powerful to be avoided.

Different times, different meanings, different relations 

        Starting a new day with the ringing of bell, its loud noise seemed irritating, disturbing and unwanted as a big, long day awaited ahead. While waking up and preparing for an early morning school, every heart wished and hoped for the bell to postpone schedule; but its life-long trusted partnership with the school clock never made that possible!  Wondering about the strict discipline of this bell, all we could do was complain to ourselves. No matter how many times we expressed our hatred for this morning sound, it always waited for us;mocking at our helplessness.

       So while hatred and anger marked this first bell at school, the same sound was welcomed as it marked an end to a session before commencing the next one. For subjects and topics that appeared dull and dry, the sound of bell was definitely nothing less than music,while during fun-filled tasks,it appeared as an interruption! I always wondered if this bell watched all our sessions with careful eyes, ringing in too fast when not desired and making us wait endlessly when most needed. 

Happiness and bond with this bell!

      As if leading the entire school, this bell always had its way. When it rang at the perfect moment forcing a teacher to evaluate our homework some other time or postponing loads of work for the next session, we could not ask for more!  Moments like these brought us closer to its magic,convincing of its love for poor students! 

     As kids of primary grade and too small to understand the clock, we may not have appreciated the timely ringing of the bell. But as students of higher classes with better clarity; waiting for the bell to ring or looking around at friends with confused looks indeed formed exciting, fun-filled memories,as we think of them today.

      Sound of bell announcing recess was one of the most awaited moments of the day. A perfect opportunity to run away from class, studies, books and teachers, this session was more for fun than food! While eagerly waiting for this much needed break, its arrival felt totally exciting. The bell at the end of recess always seemed incorrect as if the school clock chose to run rather than stick to its usual walk!

       Reading, writing, studying, talking, complaining, enjoying as we managed to sail through one eventful day at school, the last bell of the day was undoubtedly the most loved one. Starting with hatred, progressing towards affection and finally filled with loads of love, this school bell offered diverse moments all within a single day. While bidding us good-bye at the end, it waited to greet us once again for a bright, new day. Hopes for its delay or wishes for its early arrival made no difference as it taught us discipline of a perfect schedule.

       Though a necessity and routine in each one’s life, memories of school bell do hold some exciting and interesting stories for each one of us. While writing about this important friend in my school life, I realized its valuable presence in the journey. Be it a regular school day or day of examination, be it a special event or celebration at school, this bell chose to ring and make our school life totally memorable. Such colorful memories remind one about the simple, routine, usual yet totally amazing happenings along this phase called ‘school'.

       Do you remember this disciplined, loud friend of yours?

       Did you wait for its sound all through the day?

      Time to end this piece… before the bell may ring and command me to do so! 

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 3

A chance to win, a chance to lose, a chance to showcase, a chance to prove - the exciting opportunities called 'competitions'

        Singing, debate, elocution, fancy-dress, dance, drama, handwriting, painting, drawing,quiz.... and an endless list of competitions; competing for an exciting life at school!

         Besides academics, an array of diverse intra-school and inter-school competitions occupied the course of our term. While pondering about the memories of school,I could not resist bringing them into the picture. Right from the pre-primary level till the secondary grade, every academic year greeted us with tons of opportunities to hold a certificate or display the wining cup! With an increase in academic level; the type of competitions and nature of performances did differ,yet crossed-fingers and wishes to win always remained the same.

         Designed and conducted with an aim to encourage all round development, these different
competitions forced students to look beyond their books. While most of times, it proved to be additional work for parents - preparing, practicing and working with kids gave them a chance to be back on stage in their own little way! With innovative ideas and interesting concepts, as we looked forward to these competitions, it spelled out lots of fun; after all it was our only tried,tested,valid, approved reason to stay miles away from homework!

        As kids of primary section, fancy dress was our most memorable competition every year. While parents were engrossed in racking their brains for novel ideas and spending time behind the costumes, we eagerly waited to try them out! Rehearsing the script at home with all possible energy and enthusiasm, yet forgetting the part on stage formed moments of fun and joy. When I look at my photographs dressed as 'vegetable garden' or 'doll', I feel amazed at my parents' skills to hunt for different ideas.
   
        While these performing competitions were favorite among all, those revolving around writing or reading witnessed less participation. With an aim to encourage these skills, when a tag of 'compulsory' decorated them, the entire class had no choice but to be a part of it!
     
        Organizing competitions as per season,month or festival was an interesting feature to match the changing time. From 'painting contests' about nature in monsoon to 'lantern preparation' during festival of lights; from 'Best out of waste' competitions at the end of term to elocution based on different themes; there was so much to learn from these deviations to the routine schedule.
   
        Debate and quiz competitions during our senior years were thoroughly enjoyed by all. While defending or opposing interesting topics, an official chance to fight was totally worth it! During higher grades, opportunities to participate in inter-school competitions meant lots of fun. Be it solo or a group event, performing and wining for the school was a matter of pride.

        Though within its premises, complaining about school was part of our regime; such inter-school competitions served to rekindle flames of love while on the outside. As a group when we worked together to win for our school, it brought us closer to values of unity, team spirit, coordination and cooperation. Memories of march-past competitions on various grounds, with numerous schools across the city, still appear fresh and recent, as each one of us worked hard for the wining title.
   
       With increased exposure to the virtual world and influence of reality shows, nature of competitions seem to have changed a lot. As school is the foundation for a child's future, it is essential that these competitions encourage them for newer experiences, yet preserve their innocence. Our teachers and management at school worked hard to give us these fun-filled moments on stage, while still keeping us rooted to our childhood.
   
      Though competitive spirit is essential to promote ideas,skills and talents of students, excessive stress on wining can rob away all the fun. Pressuring kids for the first position or tempting them with gifts to win, may inhibit their natural essence of trial and error. After all,like it is always said, wining and losing is part of the game and to enjoy this game, it is essential to play right till the end!

 So, as an after thought, which competitions did you enjoy?

Were you forced with the 'compulsory' tag or did you choose to participate yourself?

What was more interesting - participating as a kid or participating through your kid? 

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 2

Picking up fun, happiness,laughter, joy ....after all that is the purpose of a school picnic !

         As I continue to walk along the memory lane of my school, the next stop that meets and greets me is 'Picnic'. A day filled with fun, adventure, freedom and joy, this day meant total enjoyment for each student alike. From studious book worms to notorious pranksters, from shy kids to the outgoing ones, each and everyone waited for this day all year long.

        As soon as the notice for picnic entered our school calenders, the next cycle of events were totally predictable. Seeking permission from parents, requesting them for picnic money, promising to be well behaved and disciplined, agreeing to their prerequisite commands of studies and finally trying to win either mother or father depending on the past records of success rate! At times, even after all these attempts, if things refused to fall in place, playing the final card of  "All the other parents have agreed" or "Teachers have instructed it is compulsory"  was certainly the safest bet.

           With successful outcome of permission and payment of money,began the real fun! Planning, discussing, thinking and waiting, days were spent in picnic mode right since then. The day appeared to be far away as levels of excitement, happiness, eagerness rose to the peak. Though the location of picnic was same for at least a few years in row, complaining or making a sad face was mere formality as it never stopped us from revisiting, all over again. After all it was a day with real friends while being away from the educational ones ! 

               Bus rides till the location were filled with absolute fun in their own way. Singing, talking, shouting, dancing, the hour long ride seemed as short as few minutes,with an eager rush to run and start the day. Frequent instructions to walk together in groups and stay with teachers reached our ears as taste of freedom could spoil our taste buds !

              Rides and games kept us totally engaged as there was so much to do with less time in hand. Exploring all the options to extract maximum fun appeared to be each one’s motto, as everyone hunted for ways to stay entertained. Though teachers had more work than enjoyment while handling a batch of so many kids, their participation and enthusiasm magnified our fun to a great extent. Watching teachers in a different mood was totally exciting as we secretly hoped for its continuity in our classroom as well !

          Definition of picnic and mode of enjoyment transformed with passing years. As little primary kids, it meant swings, slides, running games and tiffin boxes (with picnic menu of potato and bread !),  under the guidance and instructions of teachers. While, as secondary students, it meant roller coasters, adventurous rides and outside food ! Hunting for unique games and searching for fun-filled ideas kept us occupied for days and days before the picnic as novelties brought excitement.

        With a day totally for ourselves, picnic did a lot more besides enjoyment alone.It taught us management of our belongings, time, safety and responsibility while being away from watchful eyes of parents. A day to be with friends, it filled our bags with valuable memories and precious moments. Staying in group, working as a team were some of the other essential things it conveyed us,as enjoyment expects numbers and fun demands crowd ! Looking beyond individualistic needs, it forced us to think as a troop.

      While a typical school day of five hours seemed to stretch forever, a picnic day of around 10 hours appeared to be so short ! Tired legs and sleepy eyes greeted parents as they hopefully waited for their parcel in one single piece ! Stories of picnic and tales of enjoyment colored the conversations for many more days in future, enjoying the fame of being a hot topic at both school and home.

       As I look back at my numerous memories of picnic year after year, I feel amazed at the excellent management by school staff and teachers. Handling so many kids would have been definitely more difficult than the dangerous roller coaster or the tallest adventure ride !

       While it is impossible to relive these past experiences of school picnics all over again, the happiness of picking, collecting and protecting numerous memories offer lots and lots of fun. Though we continue to enjoy picnics even today, they can never match the innocence and energy of school times.

So, do you possess similar memories like me?

Have you picked lots of fun during your school picnics?

How was the experience of permission process with your parents and what was your success rate?

What promises did your kids make, when they wanted to attend a school picnic?

A walk down the school memory lane - Part 1

NOSTALGIC SPOTLIGHT OF SCHOOL ANNUAL FUNCTIONS !                   

   

       Students running around backstage,waiting for their performances; teachers rushing with usual, last-minute preparations; parents sitting in the audience with enthusiasm and joy; Principal and supervisors hoping for a peaceful, flawless show and days of practice looking forward to meet their final outcome  – the sight of a typical school annual function! Be it a school in any town, any city, any state or any country, this yearly dose of annual gathering is certainly one of the most awaited events of the academic life.

        As a platform to showcase talents, feature skills, display novelty and demonstrate team spirit, these annual functions are an excellent opportunity for every student. Solo and group dances or songs, plays, speeches, debates and novel acts find an eager audience,as the stage welcomes performers year after year.

       With shops displaying ‘Back to school’ products for sale and schools reopening after summer vacation in this end of the globe, I was tempted to walk down this memory lane and remember interesting facets of my school life. Annual shows undoubtedly played an important role in this colorful phase of school journey. Waiting for annual function notices right from the start of the academic calendar and hoping for interesting roles to participate became part of our schedule as increasing level of classes offered exciting, unique opportunities.

        As our annual show was conducted at a location far away from school, the to and fro bus rides were totally memorable. Confusion, noise, fun, laughter, talks dominated this experience as teachers worked really hard to keep us under control ! Energetic happy faces in the morning while totally tired ones in the evening marked the entire day as there was so much to do during this much awaited event.

        Though this function lasted for a single day, its preparation, practice, arrangements and discussions demanded months and months of time. As an excellent opportunity to be away from classroom and skip loads of homework, memories of running away for practice, brighten up my face even today!  Hoping that the teachers select me and my friends for interesting songs to dance on, wishing to bag exciting role in plays and praying to be away from speeches were the flow of events almost every year. Memorizing long speeches and playing around with words formed a compulsory activity for me as every function caught me with talks and more talks!

            Another colorful memory of the annual function consisted of final dress rehearsals. With different styles of costumes, accessories and proms; commenting, complimenting and teasing each other brought in great fun and joy. Besides an opportunity to develop ourselves in extra-curricular domain, these functions helped us interact with students from different divisions and grades. 

             

            Making new friends ,learning from their experiences and marching towards perfection taught us a lot during such activities as books and courses alone cannot fulfill every single requirement. Facing an audience, performing on stage, practicing with determination, dedication and focusing with confidence were some of the lessons that we learnt as we enjoyed the spotlight.

  

           Though the outcome of these functions meant an excellent show on stage, it could never proceed without the hard work and motivation of teachers. Besides handling the curriculum, when they spent time teaching, polishing and rehearsing us with different acts, it meant innumerable efforts. Contribution of parents can never be expressed in words, encouraging, inspiring and being with their kids, they would eagerly wait to be active spectators. Taking time off from office, when dad attended my functions or apart from handling her schedule, when mom visited the school with numerous extra tiffins for rehearsals ,their participation was undoubtedly more than mine.

  

        Prize distribution session during an annual show was the other most awaited activity. Though prize winners of different competitions were known beforehand, the entire experience of walking proudly while receiving a certificate and posing for a photograph spelled out great fun.

      Annual shows truly resembled family functions as they involved each and every member of the school. From students to teachers to administrative staff to house keeping team, it made sure to keep everyone occupied. Though roles and responsibilities varied, the end product offered same portions of happiness.

        From eagerness of participation to tiredness due to endless rehearsals, from fun at the final day to sadness at the final end, this schedule repeated in the same manner year after year. Though the flow of activities or stage to perform remained same throughout our school life, what changed were the increasing levels of seniority. While as primary school students, we followed every act taught by teachers, senior classes offered us the chance to plan, organize and set up events by ourselves.

           Truly a learning experience by all means, these functions completed our all-round development. As I look at our annual show photographs, the memories fall as refreshing rains. An important event in every academic life, this yearly spotlight does make one famous, confident and happy.

    So, what are your memories of school annual functions? Were you a dancer, singer, orator, actor or part of the audience to clap, smile and enjoy? 

Is it half century, already?

       What started off as an idea to pen down thoughts, soon turned into a form of enjoyment as writing posts, hunting topics, designing titles and exploring options brought me into the world of blogging.Churning out novel ideas, while polishing them with a personal touch,started to shape these blogs as regular doses of happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and fun offered their services! While coordination between mind, fingers and laptop worked to accomplish this job, each of the writing experiences have been truly wonderful by all means.

       Though, the thought of writing a blog had been running down in my mind for a long time, motivation and inspiration from a dear friend turned into a much-needed final push! Memory of the first blog dates back to a chilly winter evening, when snow chose to be our only companion, grounding us within the walls of our house. From then, started an endless journey as relocation, trips, daily experiences, past memories added text and images to the matter!

          Feedback from readers is the only fuel that can power any blog. As I started to share this blog and connect with people - comments, experiences, observations and discussions from the readers added a wonderful, unique shade to this activity. Be it prompt feedback from grandparents or motivational words of parents, be it appreciation from relatives or encouraging comments from friends, be it inspiration from teachers or fun-filled words from students, be it suggestions from readers or acknowledgement from blog visitors, each and every connection formed a precious treasure.

            Eagerly waiting for a comment from my husband or pushing him till he finally gives one and receiving feedback from my elder sister though her little one keeps her totally occupied in the new, tough job are some of the interesting participants of my blog. Though the post on this newest addition to our family was filled with fun and joy, I cannot wait for the day when he reads it himself !

            Library, coffee shops, clubhouse, table by the swimming pool (housing this particular post!) besides home sweet home, have been some of the interesting locations that offered an excellent ambiance for the flow of words. Wandering around for ideas and thinking about its outcome, before finally narrowing down to the topics that receive a green signal from the editor in head are some of the events preceding every single post.

Cheesecakes to celebrate !

           While playing with words and exploring its scope, an opportunity to contribute articles for a website as one of the authors was indeed a fantastic stage for this literary adventure. Getting an advantage of being a part of a huge,bloggers community, besides being picked as one of the best for a post, have been the certifying factors to bring this blog on a long way so far.

          This blogging experience has certainly taught me a lot more than just writing. While motivating me to expand my vocabulary and read different genres of material, it has made me understand the significance of ‘point of view’. While each of us take a different stand about various aspects in life, blogging strengthened my belief that the sight of world totally depends on the type of lenses we put on! Though some aspects can be firmly classified as either right or wrong , many factors are influenced by our version of understanding, faith and belief. It also gave me an opportunity to explore various social networking platforms as the means to connect and share.

          Since far away from home, blogging has proved to be a wonderful means to share my experiences and adventures in a foreign land. As a closet to hold all my memories, these blogposts will definitely drive me down the memory land when I read them after years and years in the future.  While writing about past memories of childhood, it gives me free rides to the port of nostalgia!

       Though each of these posts have been close to my heart, writing them took me to different levels of happiness. Blogging about trips, picnics and adventures brought back all the fun, blogs about daily, routine experiences and objects threw light on their role in life, while blogs about people and relations gave an emotional touch to it.

        Thinking, writing, rethinking and rewriting, this blog has reached its 50^th post in the series. While many ideas are waiting in the pipeline, hope to continue this experience and adventure for many more days to come. A heartfelt gratitude to each of you readers, this blog could never have reached the half-century mark without your love, patience, support, guidance, feedback and wishes.

          Hope to be showered with your comments and suggestions in the future while looking forward to this journey ahead.

          As a feedback exercise, will love to hear from all of you,

1.       Which blog post did you enjoy the most?

2.       Which blog post could have been better than it was?

3.       Suggestions of new ideas and modifications to the posts.

Happy reading!

 

A long way ahead ! 

       

Expressing gratitude to teachers; celebrating presence of friends - two special occasions over the weekend!

          

        

          Though ‘start to a weekend’ or ‘the weekend itself’ is nothing less than a celebration,having special reasons on these days amplify the happiness and joy to a great extent. Last weekend brought in two such occasions – an occasion to thank our teachers for their lessons, guidance and values on ‘Guru pournima’ and a day to thank our friends for their love, support and fun as ‘Friendship’s day’. A day dedicated to all our friends, it welcomes this month with lots of joy,as the first Sunday of August is marked exclusively for these fantastic folks.

            While discussions regarding the need of such dedicated days take rounds quite often, the fun of getting united and remembering our people do offer a lot of wonderful moments. An opportunity to express gratitude, relive memories and celebrate their presence is simply amazing and totally worth it.

         Though ‘Guru pournima’ inspires us to remember our teachers, it is an occasion to thank all the ‘gurus’ in our life. From our parents, grandparents, siblings, school teachers, college professors, friends, office colleagues and neighbors, every person entering our life gifts us a valuable lesson. Small children also teach us many aspects in life;the videos of my 3-month old nephew motivate me to never give up, as his innocence and hard work keep him glued to every single task at hand!

        Our parents are undoubtedly the first ‘gurus’ as they sow the seeds of morals, principles and good deeds in us. With patience, dedication and great care, school teachers take us through the path of education. Besides curriculum, they impart lessons of honesty, trust, care and share as they prepare us for a bright future. Teachers in college train us for the professional phase of our education as we step ahead to face the world. Each of them touch our life in a wonderful way, as nothing can replace their determination and focus. With a single aim of bringing out the best in their students, the success and growth of an entire class says it all.

          As we progress ahead in life, we may move further away from our teachers, but being the first step of our ladder, they form the foundation of life. Ascent towards growth is impossible without the initial base that starts it all. Grateful towards each of my school and college teachers, their role in the journey has been phenomenal.

        Though my stint as a teacher lasted for a short while, being remembered by students on this day felt special in every way!

        While leading their disciples towards knowledge, success and prosperity, our ‘gurus’ truly enlighten, inspire and motivate us to live. Though one day of ‘Guru pournima’ or ‘Teacher’s day’ in September cannot accommodate their year-long greatness, it gives us an opportunity to think, talk and tell!

             Soon after, a day full of happiness, fun,enjoyment knocked into our lives as friends asked for all the attention, love and care! Greatest support ever, having friends to laugh, smile, fight, argue, play, plan and rejoice makes life colorful and attractive.

        As a family that we choose by ourselves, friends influence every single factor of life. From play group friends who share our tears of being far away from home to school friends who make school life interesting, from building friends who play with us to college friends who dream with us, every single friend is a valuable asset.

         The beauty of friendship is that it keeps growing! As we make new friends at every phase while being away from the old ones, the count only increases ,never replaces! With passing time, meeting our friends may escape from our schedule quite often, but the trust and bond that hold us never demand a thing. Friendship flourishes with honesty, care, love and selflessness that keeps it alive forever. The ability to reconnect with our friends even after years and years of being away does the job of a powerful cement!

      Though the fun of friendship bands and markers that we all enjoyed in school and college has now been replaced with messages and calls, the love and support of friends shall always remain the same. Totally blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life, their appreciation and criticism keeps me well balanced and well behaved!

          This celebration dedicated to our ‘Gurus’ and friends truly bring us close to the colors

of our life.With a hope that they continue to inspire and support us in our journey, we totally need them as our fellow passengers!

          What do these two special days mean to you? How do you express gratitude to your teachers and celebrate presence of your friends!