On Both sides of the Teacher's table

I reminisce my college days at Don Bosco Lonavla eagerly waiting for Teachers day, that’s when the senior class students got to be teachers for one day. The students got to run the school and junior college. It was extremely fun but at the same time a herculean task.  That’s when I realized that being a Teacher is the most difficult job.

Four years later I got appointed to teach in the same institution where I was once a student. It was an extremely humbling experience sharing the staff room with the teachers who taught me. The journey of being a Teacher was not an easy one. Don Bosco said, “Without confidence and love, there can be no true education. If you want to be loved…you must love yourselves, and make your children feel that you love them.” Being the Class teacher of standard ten and teaching six different subjects, was only possible with the continual help and support of the Priests and teachers at Don Bosco. Teaching for two years at Don Bosco, Lonavla, has been my best experience till date.

Having been on both the sides of the hedge, I have realized the efforts and hard work teachers put in for the duty they fulfill. Preparing lesson plans, checking papers, filling up all the paper work, organising extracurricular activities, … the list is endless! The role of a Teacher is so important you can either make a person or break them down. I know for sure that teachers put their heart and soul into shaping us into what we are today. Don Bosco – one of the greatest Educators – said, “The school was not the end; it was rather the instrumental means for improving one’s way of life.” It’s overwhelming to see years later students come up to you - all grown up – and share with you how you made a difference in their life.

A great big thank you, Teachers.  Each of you have inspired me to be a better me. On this day, teachers my wish and prayer for you is that you continue to inspire, motivate and believe in your students. May you continue to push your students to the limits and mould us to grow into wise, strong, kind and happy individuals better equipped to live our lives.

Thank you, dear teachers. I thank God for you – the wind beneath my wings.

Bhai Sun na "Apan kya bolera tha"... GOD IS GREAT

God is Great! whatever be the situation Good or Bad. Even in the worst cases I have heard the same words and seen the same faith in this man. I am talking here about a simple man living his simple life who trusts in God and lives to the full. You won't have a dull moment if he is around. The typical mumbaikar with his Hindi, hailing from Dharavi. Wait, hold on to your horses, Don't you start judging because of the place. By the time you reach the end you will be flabbergasted.

On the day of the interview I saw a shy guy sitting waiting for his turn. I had just made friends with a person ram for instance. Ram whispered in my ears " you see that guy there, he is very arrogant and bossy".  And to my surprise ram  was speaking about the same person. on the day of joining i kept my distance from him. But minutes later i saw four to five guys listening to stories of this same shy, arrogant, bossy boy. He was like the heart of the crowd, a standup comedian, one who could make you laugh with anything. I still kept my distance because who wants to be around a showoff. But God had other plans. Both of us landed in the same project. so now i had to talk and relate to him on a regular basis. It was a pain listening to his endless stories and laugh at them when what i really wanted to do was throw him out of the office. 

So what changed him or rather what changed my attitude towards him. We had a group building exercise and this same tambhi ( younger brother) bro as i call him shared about the series of misfortune incidents he had in his life. when  his Dad and Aunt left for their heavenly abode . How he Got himself together to take care of his Mom and family. I saw his heart and all that he tries to cover up with his bright smile and endless crazy jokes. His mission to BE Happy and Keep others happy.  Since then it's been a heal of a roller-coaster ride. From making endless business plan, Study abroad plans. Though none of them worked out i am glad our friendship and brotherhood became stronger in all these struggles. 

I feel so blessed that I have a brother in you. Brother from another mother. Though we are going separate ways we have a lot to achieve and some of the dream destinations we have to visit and sure we will do that. Till then farewell bro. See you next Christmas.

Never judge a Book by the cover. Never judge a person from the place he comes from. I was wrong in my assumptions and i am happy that i was wrong otherwise would have missed meeting such a gem of a person. so remember next time when you judge someone, you might end up becoming BEST FRIENDS. Remember where the lotus comes from.

Oh sorry forgot to tell you the name of the guy " Prashant Devraj" Hats off to you bachi.

Saving for a Cause- Happy Season of Lent

Today the whole Catholic World begins the Season of LENT- 40 days of mortification, fast, prayers and alms giving leading to EASTER. But Jesus calls us above all to be more Loving towards our neighbor. Pope Francis calls all of us to Love the poor. The word Poor can have many different meaning. A person can be poor of appreciation, poor of love, person suffering from depression, peoples suffering from alcohol abuse or substance abuse, victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse and the list can go on. Each of us our fighting our battles some of us have friends and dear ones for help while others face them alone.

During this lent What can I do? Last evening I was with few of my friends. After a good game of volleyball they went for a smoke. And one of them spoke out saying " This season of Lent I am thinking of quit smoking." A thought ran to my mind why not save the money during this Lent Season which could have been spent in Smoking or drinking or lavish living, whatever little I can save. The same could be used for charity with NGO's working for Betterment of Girls. You would ask me 

Why specifically girl? With so many cases of rapes and molestation these days. I feel I need to do my bit. I have sisters, friends, relatives  who need to be safe and this is my small way of contributing towards it. I hope all you read this will be a part of it. 

I am not asking you to Contribute only through your savings. That is a later part. But you can say a kind word to a fellow colleague. A thank you to your Family members. A smile for a sad person. A prayer for those in need. Small gestures, random acts of kindness is what each one of us needs to do.

Have a Happy Season Of Lent.

Mera Naam Joker- Share a Smile

One of the movies which I had been waiting to watch for a long time. And finally last night had the fortune and time to watch it. The excellent story line with great acting by Raj Kapoor. There were many captivating dialogues in the film but a singular one summarizes the whole movie-"Kya main pyar karta hu... Ha me pyar karta hu, Bacho se, budho se, aadmi se, phool aur phatar se" I cant remember the exact words. The translation would mean the question is not "Do I love a particular person?" It is "DO I Love?" Yes I love, I love the children, I love the elders, I love the women and I love the men, I love the flowers and the stones.

All the recent controversy around the AIB knockout made me compare the two of them (AIB Knockout and Mera Naam Joker). Where the first pokes fun at other to make people laugh, the other pokes fun at himself to spread a smile. You may say what is so different about them.Both have the same goal, they make people happy, they bring cheer around. But the means used are different. Raj Kapoor proves that you can make people smile by not insulting or making fun of the other. I am not defending or blaming anyone. you are smart enough to judge for yourself.

People are same everywhere. Stricken by poverty, misery, corruption, rape, killings. lets do our part to make it a better place. This is not a sermon lets bring a smile to each others faces. Hope you liked this post. Ending it with the song from the same movie which is my favorite.

Kisiki muskuraahaton pe ho nisaar,
Kisika dard mil sake to le udhaar
Kisike waaste ho tere dil mein pyaar
Jeena issi ka naam hai.