A tribute to my Teachers Part I

Teachers play a larger than life role in everyone’s life, and I am not singled out either. On this day when the whole country and students pay their respect to the noble community who have brought  us up to this level, passing on their knowledge but at the same time preferring to stay back as teachers, at this juncture I would like to pass on my heartfelt respect to each one of them who have been instrumental in making me what I am.

Let me begin with my Primary school teachers. From the railway school, a majority of them were from the Anglo Indian community. Mrs.Gone, A very serious looking person, Mrs.Tennant (who was always pregnant with a protruding tummy) Mrs. Pavne, the only dark complexioned anglo that I had seen and Mrs.Lazesaro,  Mrs.Johnson. And  Mr.Vedachalam.

Mrs.Lazesaro was my 2nd class miss the only one to be clad in a saree, while the rest were in their couture frilled frocks. I remember her for nursing me with a bandage and treating me with chocolates after I got hurt with a face to face dash with my brother, while we were playing police/robber during our lunch break I had a bloody scar that still exists on my left temple (being remembered for her kindness and care).

Mrs. Johnson was class V in-charge, rated to be very Strict and a terror. I was in class I and My sister in class V. I would wind up earlier and  have to wait for my sister and brother who will accompany me back home, One such day I was clinging on to the window bar of class V peering in anxiously wondering when the class would end.  Mrs.Johnson noticed me (I should have been distracting the attention of the students) and called me in and inquired what was the matter, I said "I am waiting for my Sister."(in English) She was very happy that I could communicate without fear, gave me two ‘kammarcuts’ and made me sit in her class by the side of her desk till the Class was over, It was a surprise for every one because they had always attached only strictness to her character. This was another side to her. Since than I was usually given a place in her class. I still remember the half smiles that she returned to me. She was the first person to be charmed by me.

Vedachalam Sir was my Tamil master. We were introduced to Tamil language in class II ,While I was in class III, I fared very badly in a Tamil dictation Test and he scolded every one and me in particular, because there were very few students with Tamil as mother tongue in the class(others were anglo). I was annoyed and retorted saying I will prove that I will get 10/10 in the next test. For a while he was shocked never thought a class III student would have guts to challenge and said “Ok! Parkalam!” (Ok ,we will see).

My next Dictation results proved I had taken 10/10, But he had forgotten the last episode, I went  up to him, showed my paper and said “Have you noticed  Sir?  I have kept the Challenge!” He laughed gave a gentle pat on my back and I guessed everything was okay. One evening Appa had a visitor and was speaking to him. He had called out to Amma asking her to send a cup of coffee for the guest. I was assigned the errand of carrying the coffee to them.

While I handed the coffee tumbler, Vedachalam sir looked up at me, not having  expected me there, he asked Appa, “Sir Unga Daughter ah?(Sir, is she your daughter?) Appa said, ”Yes. Yen ketkureeinka?(Why) He said, “She challenged me ,Sir! She won the challenge too. Ippathan Sir theriyuthu antha DAIRIYAM  ENGIRUNDU VANTHATHU NU!”(Only now I understand where from she has inherited the guts.)

I remember him for being so magnanimous in accepting his defeat, was the first person whom I challenged and I learnt that any challenge big or small has to be taken seriously and success is always sweet but it requires lots of hard work and mostly for showing me that I am Appa’s replica!

  

............ Bucket .........Bucket ........BUCKET........

 When life becomes monotonous and the pep keeps declining We start thinking how to bring back some joy and interest into it ,and involve our self into one of  these  activities: go out on a picnic,see friends,visit the nearest mall , read a book or play game etc,.but still nothing gives us the type of feeling of elation of challenging someone and winning it.

The bigger the bid the more challenging it becomes,to fall inline with, this is the recent activity that has spread more faster than the Ebola virus ,and One item that has become very important and being talked about in the last couple of weeks is the 'bucket', I guess it all started with an awareness campaign for ALS (Amyotropic lateral Sclerosis) a terminal illness that can effect the motor system and gradually make you confined to your wheel chair and cot and than to lead you to your final destination. Its not a new find but an existing illness which at times gets missed for Parkinson cause both are degenerative, progressive and not reversible with medication.

Suddenly people have started worrying about this and a campaign started travelling down the social network sites, WITH A CHALLENGE EITHER TO DONATE 100$ or to down yourself with a bucket of iced water, A real challenge since finding a Bucket in your house or in a departmental store is a very rare sight if you are in a foreign country, I guess some of us who visit foreign countries are into this first level of shock that you should get tuned to the tissue culture and also to the habit of getting into a tub for a bath. Even more challenging to down yourself with an iced water when the temperature down there is touching zero and sub zero,So  people felt it was worth donating 100$ than to under go the torturous act of pouring ice water on ones self,(did people scan and upload the donations made). while others who could not afford to loose 100$ preferred taking the challenge of ice bucket ,the motivation you were promoting a cause,and an indirect thrill

    because you should  upload your video with the water downing scene . this activity with a chained mail nominating(challenging) three more started occupying the social sites and i am not apprehensive with the number of downloads the site may come down too unable to handle the traffic. People from different part of the world started uploading their videos.

I guess there was more of water being downed than donations being paid because it gave people a chance to put up a very impressive bathroom scene which was hither to only seen in movies and always considered more private,which was given a public tag. with the consent of their parents who said I cant afford 100$

instead you take the challenge and for people over here put up in tropical countries sweating out in the humid heat visiting the pleasure of a bucket of ice cold water was heavenly and had the feel of standing down below one of their nonvisted water falls.

Well from media reports its confirmed that the donations  have already crossed 100 million dollars towards ALS Research Foundation, first time to touch such soaring collections and as auxiliary benefits.

 People started purchasing new buckets, cause you can't show up a old used bucket on the video. Buckets of various colors and people with different attires started putting up their posts ,some who were proud enough to show off their Rest rooms were there showing off their luxury, while others preferred Showing off their terraces gardens, lawns and backyards. might be After watching the videos business may start booming for redoing your toilets,ordering new sets of clothes which may be more attractive (thank god no dress code was defined.......... by ALS.)

Now after a month every one of them have started their own campaign of challenging one another  ALS has been forgotten and the word BUCKET has picked up its momentum, (Vallu  poei katti vanthuchu.........)

 Every one have now started their part of bucket challenge ,"Book bucket challenge "GOD alone knows what relevance exists between a book and a bucket and people commenting about the best book,s nice to know that even in the midst of such busy schedules and compelling conditions the habit of reading books does exist they have read nice to see people listing out their favorites might be this would lead into a hurry to purchase more books and read them too, but at the same time sad to see that many of them such as Arthur Hailey, Robin Cook, Sydney Sheldon, Irving Wallace, P.G.Woodehouse, Thomas Hardy, AND MANY MORE ARE MISSED OUT,

while some one else started with rice bucket challenge of giving free rice that too in buckets.

If this is one side of the story, India has started with yet another Bucket Challenge  "RICE BUCKET CHALLENGE" People gifting the the needy with buckets of rice and putting up videos, what  a shame(this is a country that still talks about the qualities of karna who was known for his benevolence,the highlight being that even his others hand never knew what he gave away as charity .)Are our people not flooded with enough of free bees, including rice and why to show ourself in such pathetic conditions.

Looking at all these things i am also motivated to start with a bucket challenge that all of us can really do,why don't we start off with a challenge of washing up a bucket of our dirty linens,you see it might really save a lot of water and power,and if each one of us start off doing this we may really march towards a surplus power driven country.

Well any idea how this 100,Million $ that has gone into ALS foundation would be utilized and what benefits we would derive ? Either directly or indirectly,  Yeah this might be a 100 billion dollar bucket challenge question for which none of us might know the answer.........