To Teach or Not to Teach? That is the question.

Two years ago while visiting family in India, we made a trip to New Delhi and Agra to see the historical buildings & learn more about them.  While in Delhi, i went to my school. It was a pleasant feeling to step into the learning center after 22 -23 years.  I remembered most of the structure, the playground where an eagle once swooped down  & made away with my lunch, the cafeteria & classrooms.  Then i met my teacher.  She was my class teacher as well as a science teacher in my 8th grade.  I excused myself & requested her to step out of the classroom. She hadn't changed at all in all these years but i had aged. I asked her if she remembered me? She smiled & said " of course i know you. Your hairstyle may have changed from wearing two plaits to a ponytail but i know who you are". Then she went on to tell me about all my batch mates & their locations & said i was missed at the reunion. As i marveled at her memory, my son asked her if i was a good student? She remembered the times she had to punish me by sending me out of the class or making me stand on the seat for either not paying attention or not doing the homework but then she also remembered me as her student. She told my son, "she was a good girl". I left the school, happy at the thought that my teacher remembered me.  We went to a school where the strength of the class was anywhere from 40 to 55 for one teacher. Only the teacher knows how they survived year after year, coming back every working day, teaching a varied bunch of kids.

When my son started school in Singapore, after the first day which was pretty emotional for both of us with tears and hugs. The teaching assistant had come and gently taken him away from my arms. She kept him in her lap until he was ready to explore. Her patience with a bunch of wailing & complaining kids was amazing.  He sulked the second day but had no tears.  The 3rd day he got ready on his own. The 4th day he peeked into the auditorium & saw the reassuring face of his teacher and waved me off. He liked his teacher & school so much that he insisted on going to school even on weekends. He is now 10 & is still happy to go to school but the weekends are spared. A teacher is always right & he will be ready to pick a fight or argue with me if it is the teacher's word against mine. 

In my middle school in Mumbai, i was a class monitor but also played pranks on the teachers. One day we dusted the chair with white chalk powder. We knew our English teacher would like to occupy the seat while teaching. She had the habit of seating herself without looking at the chair. That day, the seat left a mark on her seat. She was very upset with us but after reprimanding us, she was back the next day, ready to teach as if nothing had happened. I think i would be seething for a long time if it was me but she was the teacher & she knew we had plenty to learn. There were many instances where we would scream a nickname for a teacher behind their back. They all knew who was screaming and yet they came back day after day, year after year to teach us all. Most of us turned out good. We even had a reunion and felicitation for our teachers where they remembered all our mischief and misdeeds but also recognized our accomplishments.

Every morning i walk my son to school and stop and say hello to some teachers. Each morning they greet the kids and parents with a cheer.  Their energy is addictive. Its pleasing to see some kids from older grades stop by the younger grades just to give a hug to the teachers. Their hug says it all. At times the kids may get mad with their teachers but doesn't last long. In the end teachers are like parents, they mean well.

Last week, i was out supporting our teachers and schools at the county commissioners budget hearing. We were all asking for the teachers to be paid better and that teaching assistants dont lose their jobs.

I fail to understand why do teachers have the uphill task all the time.  They also need to eat and feed their families just like any others. A little treat now & an outing later on their time is not much to ask but for the teachers its still a tall order. Some of them live paycheck to paycheck while others wait for the next check.

Even if one argues that some of the big businessmen or entrepreneurs to be dropouts, they still attended kindergarten & elementary & maybe middle and little of high school too.  Without the teachers teaching us the basics like abc's and 123's there wouldn't have been phones & electricity, trains & airplanes.

Some of my friends are teachers and i know they do what they do not for the money but for the joy.They were proud of us & we were proud of our teachers.

But for the way of the world, we need money for everything. The teachers need it too. They are not asking much but from what's going on even the little is shown as much. It's sad that some teachers work two jobs to feed their families. Sometimes when i bite into a slice of pizza, i am forced to wonder, if the teachers have the money for their next meal?

This is a problem everywhere. Be it in India or be it the US. The foundation is being rocked time and again. They have withheld until now but when the breaking happens, the repairing may not.  

Teaching is a noble profession. Give the teachers the respect they deserve. They shouldn't be thinking of another option!!

Imagine a world without teachers...??

Demise of the Ambassador

Two weeks ago India celebrated the election outcome. There was much happiness at the much needed change.  A new Prime Minister with a new cabinet was in place.  I remember running wild at election times, collecting the different party badges and even shouting the slogans along with the campaign workers. Sometimes a few of us would get into a party car and get a ride as long as we shouted the slogans for that party. Yes, i have done that and even traveled in the open trunk of the car. The big Hindustan Motors Ambassador(Amby) car. The short joy ride in that car was a lot of fun with a few of us squished in and fighting for the window seat and at times vying for the front seat. It used to be even more of a joy ride with some samosas in hand, eating them while riding in the open trunk of the car. It was a picnic on the go.  The election frenzy along with the joy rides were some sort of treat. That was in the capital city of Delhi.

Those days having a car was a luxury. Luxury when sparse is most enjoyed.  Ambassadors were possibly the only cars ruling the streets across India. A few years later the smaller car Premier Padmini (PP) came into the market as well. But the Ambassador continued to be the "One" car for a long time. It was the car for the politicians, policemen, actors, taxi drivers or just a family car for those who could afford to have them.

 I am not a car expert but anyone who has seen and been inside an Amby knows how big and spacious it was inside and out.  There would be jokes that if you can't find a place to stay in Mumbai just get an Amby. The rear seat which was meant for 3 adults would easily seat 6-7 kids or seat 4 adults comfortably.  My uncle had an Amby & he used to make sure it had a bath every day.  The car was kept very clean & he was possessive about it. Such was the attraction.The days the family went for a drive, there would always be a pleading look on all our faces to let us sit in the front seat so we could have the bird's eye view.  It was another thing that even if i got to sit upfront, given my age and height, i couldn't have seen beyond the small portable rotating fan on the dashboard.

The trunk of the car used to be a favorite hiding place. Of course the parents could never know, we were hiding in there. The trunk could fit in 2 large suitcases easily & maybe a smaller bag too and if it wasn't sufficient then the rack on roof top carrier came handy. The suitcases and holder beds ( a green holder for clothes which also doubled up as a bed) tied in place with a rope was a common sight with the Amby's. It somehow had the balance to carry all the load.

Those were the days of minimal corruption & less pollution. The cars those days were made to last.  Amby was a strong car. PP was also strong but Amby had its own strength and built.  Many of the Ambassadors would have their own small rotating fan standing on the dashboard to provide the much needed air & save everyone from smelling each others sweat. Sometimes it did have the opposite effect of spreading the "gasping for breath" smell but mostly it did the right thing. Air condition was introduced a few years later, first by PP & Amby followed a little later. The windows had to be rolled up and down manually & we used to have competition on who could roll it up or down faster until one day the knob was in my hand & my chances of sitting next to the window got jeopardized. 

Ambassadors ruled for a long time, then came the Maruti in the 80's. Ambassador was a "Palace on Wheels" compared to the little Maruti cars. With the economy opening up, different cars came into the Indian streets. The big car was getter lesser showing. The Innova's and Sumo's are good but there was something about the Ambassador. 

Maybe it was the size, maybe it was the color or maybe it was the first car that gave me my first ride. 

My last ride in the Ambassador was more than a decade ago when i visited Delhi for work. Some of the taxis were still the Amby's. It was a good ride with the happy driver & plenty of space.

Last month the factory produced as little as a few hundred cars. The company announced shutting down their production facility.

I am a little sad about the Amby going out of production. Seems like it has been around forever & i have had some good times traveling in them.  Ironically, Amby has been around post Independence but is going out just like the longest ruling Congress party. It ruled as much but it's time now to bid adieu!!

So long Ambassador!! 

40Fun

It's once again that day of the year.  Last week a slightly older gentleman at our Table Tennis club looked at Achyuta and asked "he's your son?  You don't look that old?" I smiled and said, "I am not but he is .." and I was thinking "really ?". It certainly feels good specially now when i am possibly half way or maybe little over the halfway mark in life.
 
An few iny miny years ago i quietly stepped into the big 40! That's when the itch, the mid life crisis etc. is supposed to happen. I know something in me switched on & life suddenly picked up speed in a good manner. - i think!

A few firsts happened.  I bought a dress for the first time and then did it again the next year. Years ago while in college, i trudged everywhere in my flipflops,  that's when my dear friends presented me with a pair of nice noticeable slippers.  My shoe collection has improved  & matched the dresses & i even have a bold pink walking shoes in my collection. My friends will be pleased. Every time i tied my hair or plaited them, my sister -Gayathri  & my friends would encourage me to try different styles. My styles dont change daily  but they change for occasions & at times my tresses are let loose as well. I occasionally wear the eyeliner & lipstick. I have managed to surprise myself and them  :-)

Driving wasnt exactly a well liked activity. Moving from Asheville to Singapore was a bliss for me with all the public transport at my disposal. If anyone happened to ask me if i drove a car? My response used to be " i am a very driven person". ;-) I was happy enough to be a passenger while someone drove me around town from place to place. After returning to the US, i  have taken to driving my Rav4 happily. Even an accident hasnt kept me off the road. Though a Ferrari is still wanting, i have had the pleasure of driving a BMW. 

I had almost given up playing Table Tennis.  One would think Singapore was the place to play and improve my game, no such thing happened. Instead my knees started losing cartilege, my calf muscles tore, tendenitis got my hand, had a  pinched shoulder & i wont even mention my shining teeth. All this when i was well short of my 40th. All of them got fixed partially after a lot of doctor visits. I used to see a doctor almost every week & Govi called me the "Golden Goose" jokingly. I was boosting the medical economy.

Entering the 40's didnt cure all these body parts but my attitude changed. Walking helped shed some kilos and keep my knee strength. A little control on my taste buds and useful tips from well meaning friends helped change the diet a little without losing the taste. Now my body parts play tag in falling apart so my weekly doctor visits stopped and the goose doesnt give out the golden eggs that often.  I became a regular member of the local table tennis group.  I am possibly playing the best Table Tennis of my life & i see room for further improvement.  Arm & knee bands help support the weak muscles. Post play therapy include ice and at times the magic of pain killers.
But the biggest draw for the renewed passion for this sport was when i entered the center to play Table Tennis and saw some very young men at the table competing seriously. These men were 80 year olds and there was even a 90 year old player. A 60 something lady player screaming with joy after a shot, did it for me. 
My mid life crisis had set in.  I wanted to be out there playing more, improving my game & most importantly having fun.  A few weeks ago allergies stopped me from playing & it was simply agonising. I looked like a sulky kid denied a play date for no fault of mine. When the snow storm was coming through our town i was looking at the weekly forecast to check how it looked on the playing days. A senior player came upto me and asked me my age and when i mentioned that i was still a few years behind him, he calculated and said that in about 8 years he would like me to be his partner for doubles in the senior games. The spirit of the senior players is amazing.  We played through a potential tornado threat.  We were all worried but the game kept our mind off the fear & let us have fun. 
A while ago a young chinese player joined our group. He happened to be an international umpire for Table Tennis matches and definitely very good player as well. It took a lot of effort and practice before i started taking games off him and those were the best days. I was mighty pleased and there was an energy surge in my tired limbs. He has returned to China but i still hold fond memories of my few winning moments.

Sometimes i play some shadow shots while cooking or folding laundry.  My hands practice mock serves while i walk to pick up Achyuta from school.  Maybe its the compulsive obsessive playing disorder? (COPD)

A few silver strands have started showing on my hair, glasses come up my nose while watching t.v, eyes squint at night to avoid the glare while driving, my knees creak noisily while climbing up the stairs but all these seem a little trivial now. 

My mother was instrumental in getting me into this sport. She spotted a talent ;-). I am very happy she did that for i am not sure what other mid life activity would have captured my attention. Govi is the best partner i could have had as both of us share a love for sports. Achyuta waits & supports me sportingly, at the times when he is forced to accompany me during my play time.




From troubled 30's i have moved into fun 40's.  As i add another number this year, i still look forward to driving a Ferrari, shopping at Harrod's, continue to be in touch and meet friends, spend as much time as possible with family and maybe wait for Fed to turn 40 before i get to have a game with him.

Thank you everyone for your wishes, they are very much appreciated as i advance through the fun age.

This Birthday blog is for Gayathri, who always encouraged me to read more and write more.