Fight

She was enjoying the fight. First of its kind from her aunt and uncle - fighting for her! She was happy with the love shown towards her. What else she wanted in this world!

But what to do with the will that grandpa has left for her yesterday?

A teacher's student

Yae-Bee-Cee-Dee-Eee-Yaf-G-Gach-Eye-Jay-Kay-Yel-Yem-Yen-O-Pee-Ku-Arr-Yes-Tee-You-We-Double u-Yax-Why-Izaddd..

Thus the alphabets were echoing in the house sourcing from a II standard boy of tamil medium. Sometimes he would swallow his ‘Tee’and ‘We’. When he is reminded of that fact, he will hit his head with his tiny hands and innocently say, “ aama maranthutten!” (ya I forgot).

He will show his book pointing to a poem and say, “Teacher inaikku ithu sollikuduthaanga” (Teacher taught this today).The first day when he came, I asked him to read words from the book. But he didn’t know the a,b,c…(small letter A,B,C..). I was astonished. In the developing part, I see the children well-thorough with their A,B,C and 1,2,3 stuffs even before they step into class I!

When I was a kid, I used to stammer when the question was, “What’s your aim?”, not because that I had none, infact I had many. The previous year when I was sitting useless at home, I very much wanted to be part of a teaching profession for classes from 4 to 9. But some works and problems chained me.And here I got my chance :)

One day I asked him, what he would like to become.

His answer was,"Maama mathiri varuven"(I will become like my uncle).

On further enquiry it was known that his uncle is working in a ship in Madagascar . And this boy plans to pass the 9th class and then join the ship there. It was first time I came to hear of such aim, peculiar indeed. But I believe that the boy can reach far heights.

The boy learnt a,b,c,d. pretty quick and I thought that it was time to teach him some common questions.

I : what is your name?

He: My name is Gandhiraj

You shouldve seen my surprise look. He doesn’t know a,b,c,d.. but can answer these questions! Good. I thought of proceeding further.

I: How are you?

He: Am fine. Thank you.

The first question has already had its effects. So I reacted lesser to this.

I : what is your mother’s name?

He: Amma peru ketkrueengala? (Are you asking mom’s name?)

I : aama (yes).

He: Selvarani.

He would have got tht question by the word ‘mother’and ‘name’ I guess. I proceeded further.

I : how old are you?

He: I am fine, thank you.

I : Illai thambi (no brother), How old are you?

He: I am fine, thank you.

Then I understood that he mistook my question as ‘how are you’. I stressed the word old but he still couldn’t get. Because he was not memorized this question by his teacher. And this is one of the reasons why I don’t like the education system especially in government schools.

But I should say, he is good in addition. When the other day, I told him, “unnoda maths booka edu” (Take your maths book). He stared. “kanakku boooka edu” (take ur maths book”). It was then he took his maths book! And the next day, I taught him subtraction, the poor kid got confused! What I could I do? I cant wire his nerves!

And mom came to my rescue. She told me to give a few more problems so that he will practice and learn. And I saw that mom was also eager to teach him. She still helps him out in subtraction! I and my brother are like head and tail of a coin. But that day, he came and helped me. He was much surprised when he knew that children do take time in learning things. Sometimes he pities my student and hurries him off to home!!

And to keep out the boredom, I thought of telling him stories daily – the kids are usually fascinated by them.

“What story would you like to hear?”

“ Singam kathai” (Lion’s story)

It just reminded me how I pestered my grandma to tell story daily - sometimes of a king, of a jungle and of fairies. I smiled and then recalled “the lion and the mouse”, I read in childhood.

Altogether, I am enjoying the teaching job. Sometimes I feel that the job shifts between us when he teaches me innocence, happiness and the excitement that the world has kept for him :)

10 secrets abt me!

Ya, am tagged. And this my first time!!! This tag of revealing some 10 secrets about me was passed by Kally. First I thought tht this was going to be easy, and planned to do it within a week. But day by day, I pondered, what my secrets are! My life is an open book. Its just that few take interest, turn over the pages and read it. Some 3 to 4 of them came soon, but the rest took a long time to enter my mind :)

Okay, lemme share with you the pages that are least read. Here I go,

1. I've planned to write an autobiography. Well, I feel that everybody's life is nothing less interesting than a tale. So I also come in everbody!

2. Two things that I cant control - SLEEP and HUNGER :P

3. Many say that I keep my cool or I manage on the stage well. But lemme say, I have still not overcome my stage fear, phew! But my friends say that I have improved much! :)

4. Watched a forbidden movie- I was not allowed to watch a spiritual movie in childhood (when i was in some 5th or 6th class), with the notion that it will affect my thoughts. However, I peeped through the door's opening and watched it. And I still remember the irrationalism in that movie (Fortunately, I dont remember the movie's name). Sssh... dont tell my parents, they still are unaware of it!

5. Am a born-vegetarian. And sometimes I feel bad that I dont have access to all the menus of the world :(

6. I like to play even when I know that I am losing it - especially in Carrom and badmiton, where my brother usually wins! :)

7. I dont know how to react or what to react when someone praises me. In short I feel uncomfortable. Just a little smile will satisfy me of my work :)

8. When I feel tensed or worried, I get hungry ! I dont know from whom I got this gene. Can't help it! :P (If u think that point 2 and this is same, then the answer is NO).

9. When I watch a movie or read a book, I indulge myself there. I cry with them and laugh with the characters there. The worst effect of it was when I read Harry Potter, where Sirius Black (Godfather of Harry) died. And it took me several weeks to console that it was just a story, a book.

10. It was in 12th standard, I wrote a poem (in some 2003), beacause I thought that I can be a poet!! When I showed that to my Dad, he thought that it was nothing less than a crap. lol!
Then by the end of the academic year i.e, by april 2004, I wrote a poem for a friend on her birthday, and it was remarked good! And that gave me the entry to the world of poetry :)

So my first tag is over! and it feels great completing this tag!

Now my time to tag:

:: Nive :: Janaki :: Rajesh :: Karthikeyan :: Mithe :: Experiencing...
::Grumblings :: Shyamala :: Praja :: Balaji :: Sandy

Cya in the next post!
Until then take care :)