Back to School Again!!!

In his comments, Karthik seemed that he wanted more of school. So I satisfied his thirst by adding a paragraph in the same post; yet he wanted more!!!

See that's what I said in my "I want more" post...Yeh Dil Maange More!!! More means abundance not the peacock!!

Awww, pathetic joke that was. To make Karthik jump with joy like a school kid; here's more.

One can talk and talk about school life isn't it? Those days were so much fun; pure fun with innocence. How many of us have not played group games which had no logic at all of any sorts. Each one trying to impose a character; not human characters but as animals, birds, trees and run like an horse galloping; flying with an imaginary wings! Did we ever see around who was watching us? Or if anyone was making fun of us? Did we bother to check if the game is logical?

How about the times when we unleashed our wild imaginations......the mountains, the river, the birds, the trees in all unimaginable colors; blue rose, pink mountains, yellow river...did we ever pause to think about any color sense? The drawings were still beautiful isn't it? And how we felt sad when the teacher gave us B grade instead of an A+. Aww, why did the teacher not find my drawing amazing?

And the times when the lunch boxes were grabbed and each one was interested to know what others had packed than their own. The thirst to be admired by a teacher; each one would bring a rose to his or her favorite teacher on Teacher's Day and wait the full day; being bashful to approach the teacher as if it was a boy proposing to a girl!!! And many times; that rose were taken back home without reaching the teacher.

The days of excursion, seeing places with all the excitment; sharing eatables; singing songs. But yet feeling sad that you had to wear uniforms to excursion. The utmost care taken by teachers to see that all the students returned home safe. The movie experience; when kids are taken for a movie each year. It was Home Alone, Baby's Day Out and such. Walking to a movie hall in a orderly manner.....

And the frowning and making faces by few kids who didn't consume meat when someone mentioned meat. Their parents taught them that hearing the word itself was a taboo isn't it? And how the teacher scolded them for acting indifferent. Those moments when the exam papers were distributed and each one literally rubbed their sweaty palms in anxiety. Who could ever forget those moments when one had to gather all the courage to approach the teacher to be excused so that they could run to the restroom - and the weird gestures made to the teacher and the teacher was supposed to understand :-)

Some sort of admiration for the School Pupil Leader and the House Leaders; everyone tends to look up to them as if they are god and their words are final. Those everyday checks for hygiene and neatness after assembly; polished shoes, trimmed nails, neatly pressed uniforms, neatly combed hair......The popping up eyes and the gaze with queerness when the computer was seen was the first time...those isolated rooms..those BASIC programs on the black screen which seemed the most complicated piece of instructions like rocket science!!

Who would care to forget the birthday celebrated at school. Dressed in the best of dress; the day when the birthday kid was free to not wear uniform to school; each kid waited for the teacher to initiate the birthday wish procedure so that they could get chocolates!!! The birthday kid proudly standing with the teacher; while everyone sang and each kid hardly shook hand; while their eyes and hands were on the chocolates....And if it came on a Sunday; the sad feeling that one could not celebrate the birthday at school.

As one grew, things changed a bit. Girls more bashful; boys more aggressive. I studied in an all girls convent. Anyone who has studied in a strict convent will relate to what I am going to say.

These things happen during your teens especially. The interest towards boys are more because there are no boys studying with you. So the sports practice and outdoor practice is a secretly happy times for the girls and they tend to get admired from passer by guys who would literally stop their vehicle to stand across the school gate to see the girls in action. Aww...lets accept, the girls loved all the attention.

The biology classes when the teacher was supposed to teach about reproduction would be the most amusing one. I still recall my teacher began thus "This is an important topic. I don't want you girls to be giggling and acting funny!!" The times when doctors and Mother superior were called in to get our facts right on sex education. They bound religion and science so that we could understand things better and be cautious. The agony aunt sessions later when girls seemed to have fallen in love only to be guided by teachers to get out of it as they told it were mere infatuation and it was too early in their lives!! The gossips that followed later......Those educative videos and the books thereafter. It seemed funny then; but how it helped shape each of the lives.

There was this one amusing incident that happened each year at my school. We got 3 pairs of uniforms each year; tailored by the school tailor. We had knee length skirts; typical convent style. Few bold girls used to cut one fold shorter so that the skirts are shorter.....And the reprimanding later.....How one wished to get out of these shackles and talk about going to college and then wearing their choice of clothes, trousers, skirts.....et all.

Finally, out of school to college when it seems so exciting to be free without uniforms and bunk classes according to whims and fancies. Only to realize that the grass is not always greener on the other side.