So, Puneeth had to attend a wedding and couldn’t take Kaaju for his walks today. I decided to accompany Aditi and Kaaju. He was amused and decided to show me all his favourite sniffing places, and in the end, didn’t want to get back home – Dil Maange More. I think the street dogs look at Kaaju the same way as we Indians look at foreigners in public places.
After dropping a very reluctant Kaaju home, we walked over to the park – the ground was full of players today – there was a heated Volleyball match, 2 badminton courts with doubles and a few small kids playing cricket in a corner. We can all co-exist, if we want to, isn’t it?
I have been noticing an old lady begging in the park since the last two days. One of the walkers gives her some money from her purse. There are such sad gaps in our social welfare structures. Oddly what I noticed was the purse. I have always found carrying a purse, handbag, even a sling bag cumbersome. So much so that, I make sure now that I have a pocket in all my Kurtas. It will be nice to have a saree with a pocket. And with Gpay & PhonePe, do we need to even carry a wallet?
We decide to walk to TKS Iyengars for breakfast – Masala Dose, Nuchinunde and hot steaming coffee. It tastes like home – tasteful ambience decorated with brass vessels and traditional yummy iyengar food. Looks like a family enterprise – saw 3 different people, infact 3 generations, on the counter, in the half an hour we spent there. We walk back home, completing over 8 kms today effortlessly.
Sundays are incomplete without a nice, old style, head massage with warm oil- Champi, Isnt that what it is called now. I made the most of Durga’s presence today – reading a new book, ‘Paw verbs for a Dog lover’s heart’(thank you Dr Reshma), sipping hot coffee and pestering Durga for another 5 minutes, another 5 minutes of massage. This is life.
Have I told you that I have recently been employed as Brinda’s summer holiday tutor by Durga, with strict instructions that she should make the most of her holidays – inspite of me telling her that Brinda is in 2nd standard and both of them should just chill. Frankly though, it has been fun, we did tables of 6,7 and 8 in Mathematics, a poem in Hindi and ‘What are sentences’ in English grammar. I am enjoying reading and writing Hindi after a long time.
Did you know I used to teach Physics for High school? Immediately after my graduation, waiting for the Post-Grad entrance results and the start of the session, I had 6 months. I applied in a school close to home in Panchkula and was offered the position of Class teacher for Class V and then suddenly given the additional responsibility of teaching Physics to class IX. Well, Physics had certainly not been my favourite subject ever, had found it very dry, but couldn’t tell the Principal that. So, took up the challenge, started studying again and preparing thoroughly with Daddy and Purnima, knowing how brutal high school students can be to teachers who are not confident. By the end of 3 months, I knew the subject much better than in my years as student in High school and college – all a mind block, I guess.
Surprisingly, I built a reputation of being strict too. Would start every class with – Please leave the class if you are not interested, and believe it or not, in the first week, on two days, more than 50% of the class walked out. I continued and slowly by the end of the week – they were all gradually back and we began enjoying the class. Life as a teacher is unpredictable – every day is new with its own challenges. The Parents – Teacher meeting was hilarious – most parents wouldn’t believe that I was the notorious teacher that their wards had been talking about. In a class of Jats & Sardars, I looked like a pygmy.
As I write, Kaaju brings his bone and sits next to me, chewing it. From time to time, he comes closer, looks at my notes, gives me a lick and nods his approval. Hope you all also have a blessed Sunday – Bangalore will certainly see rain today.
0 Comments