GRANNY TALES 101

The last few weeks have been quite tough. I lost my grandmother and death is seldom a welcome visitor or shall I say, never a welcome visitor. Dadi, as my sister and I fondly called her, was very close to me (and the whole family, but I’m going to stick to my personal account here). She’s seen me grow from a baby who could barely mouth words to a journalist and designer who runs her own company. And she had a huge role to play in it all. Her absence has created a void that can never be filled – not in my home, not in my heart.

LEARNING TO BE PATIENT FROM 8-YR-OLDS

Being a teacher isn’t an easy job when you’re averse to the idea of children. The noise, the tantrums, the mischief, the pranks and perhaps, even the inquisitive mind, can make children a difficult lot to handle if you’re low on patience. And yet, teachers stick on. They tolerate the naughtiness and the squeaky voices and sometimes, even miss it in the rather mundane, sophisticated company of organised, well-mannered adults. They stay not simply because they need to teach the ‘future generation’. It is the image of those innocent faces, curious eyes, oily ponytails and carefree smiles that makes them want to stay. It is in the little hurdles that they cross that a teacher experiences unmatched happiness. And the love received is multi-fold that you could never walk out of that classroom even on a bad day. 

“Inside the classroom, there is love and acceptance like there is in few other places”

Teaching is one profession where it isn’t merely the student that’s learning something new. Children are often a mirror of those values that adults seem to lose in their quest for a better life or simply because they wear the mask of adulthood. Whether it’s an undying curiosity or the thirst for learning, young minds can teach us more than we can imagine.

In our second part of this series, we see what chirpy, intelligent and creative adolescents from the 6th to 10th grade learn from 23-year-old Yashasvini Rajeshwar. A Humanities graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), Yashasvini teaches English as a second language at a private school on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. The school caters to children (largely first-generation learners) of the local tribes in and around the area. From learning adjectives and prepositions to having their pieces published in national dailies, the beaming faces of these children coupled with their undying spirit is what keeps her going. As she opens their eyes to the world of Marquez and Wordsworth, she learns a lot more about life and being grateful. 

WOMEN OF THE SOIL

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Connected.”

As you sow, so shall you reap. Quite literally in their case where farming is their only source of income. What they sow, is what will ultimately earn them a meal, a saree, a house. They are so connected to their field, that they spend a significant amount of their time in laborious work, hoping to get a better yield.

LOOKING FOR SADNESS IN OUR HAPPY LIVES

Shrubs, stones and pebbles were getting roasted under the blazing sun. The vehicle she traveled in threw up a cloud of smoke. A lady in the distance balanced a stack of bricks on her head. She walked barefoot to her workplace, perhaps a few kilometres away. The heat didn’t seem to bother her.

WHAT MAKES CHENNAI HOME

To me, Chennai is home. It has been home for the last twenty one years. Whether I decide to settle in London or Paris, Bihar or Kerala, Chennai will be my home. But what’s there in Chennai? Why is it synonymous to home?

Well, what Chennai is to me, Delhi or Bombay is to you. My childhood memories, the sights and sounds of Chennai, the people, the history, the culture, the food – that gives it the feel of home.

INDIAN WEDDINGS – A BUNDLE OF ENTERTAINMENT & FUN!

Indian weddings – Mehendi

Weddings are happy occasions. Indian weddings are more than just happy occasions. They are the epitome of true love, entertainment, tradition, culture and fun. I’ve been longing to write this piece for a while now. Somehow, I always feel that given the nuances and complexities of an Indian wedding, I am sure to miss out on one of the best moments. Nevertheless, I’ll try my best to do justice to this post and of course, to Indian weddings.

PHOTOGRAPHS

My sister rang the bell from downstairs. I was on the floor above. I ran to the stairs and asked her what it was. She told me the cart had come. I could hear the characteristic tune of Sai Baba’sbhajans ringing from the street. It was the cart indeed. I wore my slippers and went out.