The Great day... Teachers' Day

My mobile phone beeped at 12 midnight on September 5th & I wondered who on earth would remember me at this hour & more over, its neither my Birthday or anniversary. The SMS read 'Happy Teachers' Day'.... a msg sent by my sister in Bangalore, India. How could I, of all ever forget this wonderful day?

The same morning, I wished my colleagues all those from India. Call it a surprise or coincidence none remembered this "TEACHERS' DAY". This day was so wonderful day during school days.

My boarding school was unique where we celebrated all events & all feasts of India with great zeal. Similarly, on Teachers' day, all the Teachers & Principal of the school partied away from campus leaving all the responsibility to school captain who would be the acting Principal & all XII standard girls would be various teachers. Some of the acting teachers would teach really better (much better than real ones- Oops!) & some others would merry around with jokes, singing & entertaining. The acting librarian would allow us to take n number of Mills & Boons, Cosmopolitan magazine and similar ones. That was so much fun!! I waited for my turn be this acting teacher in XII std, but never wanted to be a real teacher in life.

On the 1st Teachers' day in my medical school, we were lectured by one of the Professors that soon we will all be teachers & we shall be standing on this side of podium. I was so disheartened!!! Never in my thoughts, I wanted to be working as a teacher by profession. Thought I would be a great clinician one day, sitting in my clinic treating the patients.

The meaning of the word "DOCTOR" is a "Teacher- In Skilled profession". I understood that 'Doctors are one who doctors the doctrine'. A good clinician is always a "Teacher", he who keeps teaching patients, subordinates, colleagues & junior staff.

Call it a destiny or fate, I ended up being a lecturer of a medical school tutoring & guiding fresh mind students. Today, I stand on this side of podium, driving myself best to give better doctors for tomorrow. No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Becoming a teacher, I have realized the charm of gathering knowledge and the pleasure in its dissipation. Cheers to my teachers.. without them my world would have taken a stormy turn.

Happy Teachers' Day!!! To my great teachers includes my lovely parents too.

Air travel Bhoom!!

"I was sitting on the most comfy seats, was served best chocolates by beautiful air hostess".. then came a big voice.. I opened my eyes to see an Ogre bus conductor scowling at me. Oh No !!! Again... it was a dream. At last I got out of the stinky bus & stood there like a glower longing to travel by flight at least once because, never had I. Had heard from friends all sought of good things on flight like the great hospitality by stewards, Pretty Air Hostess, Imported chocolates, lovely toys etc etc...

My dream came true with first domestic travel within India.. I just loved it because, more obvious it was Kingfisher private flight services with plenty of "Red chillies". Then onwards my flying became a routine & I started collecting my skywards coupons abroad. I believe in a Kannada saying " Desha suthu Kosha odu" which means "Either read volumes of books or Travel the world".So I decided to Travel a lot & enjoy the diversity. Is this saying valued even today???

I do not think Nobel prize combo Al Gore & Pachouri would approve this. These days people who travel more are black listed for contributing to Global warming. Neither the air travel is comfortable any more due to increasing fall in American economy affecting the fuel prices world wide & bad to worse air travel quality. All those running aviation industries put their working brains together and came up with really weird ways for cost cutting like....

• Cut down lettuce & extra cheese in sandwich which saves few of their dollars
• Welcome drink has become a single cup of Juice, forget about wine, chocolates
• Food is served but..... single meal charges 20$
• No in-flight entertainment
  
• Movies are played but only trailers & if u wish to watch it full.. pay 6-10$
• More ridiculous is pay 2$ for their cheap head phones
• Hospitality is not the same.. There are only 2 air hostesses for some 100 passengers. Now ask for water, you will get when reached the destination.

I feel like protesting and to shout "Why should I fore go a lettuce or my favorite cheese to help them in their aviation business??"

How have these changes affected regular travelers like me? ... Don't think that I have put a full stop on my traveling aspiration.

Those who want to travel will never stop nor will sit with heavy heart.. Nobody complained but enjoyed such ideas this way

• Pack a mouthful burger from home or favorite drive way
• Come with refill soft drink after one would have tried 2 different full drinks already
• Carrying a palmtop DVD player with favorite recent movies & Bose head phones to enjoy in full thrust
• Don't bother about air hostess selling 2$ head phones
• Carry a reading book & sink in thoughts
  

MORAL OF THIS BLOG: Take it easy... Life is simple. Do not screw the happiness of one's life for selfish profits.

COWRIE Shells and DESTINY..

I cherish my childhood days and the games we played then were so traditional & wonderful. We hardly see such games and involvement in today's Gen-X children, who are oriented towards all gadgets and video games; the names of which are also difficult to name (game boy, GB advance, X-box etc etc).

I remember waiting for summer vacations, playing all day during my childhood days. Most of the playing things would be just with garden sticks, flat stones, pen, paper, marbles etc. I wonder How eco & econ friendly were they!!?


The Games we played were like lagori, langdi, Thoor chandu, police & robber, chowka-bara, (name , place, animal, thing) which are going for extinction along with the many other good old lifestyle games.

I had some high profile friends who got cowrie shells when I just used tamarind seeds to play ''Pachisi" {a ludo kind of game}. I admired at these shells several times. My love for this cowrie conchs has remained green till today.

Days passed, years just rolled & destiny got me to this paradise land which occupies only a dot on the Globe. "Seychelles" the Paradise- has kept mother nature satisfied by nil to minimal nature destruction. Call it a destiny, because toiling beach side on world's best beaches was just in my dreams. While toiling, the shells in camouflage came along kissing my feet. What attracts me is not those colorful shells broken or seeded. Its cowrie conchs which are found here in plenty & in variety. This brings flashbacks of my childhood days and my friends who never gave me one when I asked for.

I have gathered lot of cowrie shells of different sizes & varied colors. When I sit with my collection, tears roll down my cheek reminding my good old friends who are now not in touch. The new gen-X do not like to play with conchs.

My husband always tells ,"Life should go on..Do not hamper your present day thinking of something already gone".

Yes.. my husband is my new playmate who also craved for it like me..

And is this Destiny?????