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Remembering Those Days - Part Three
>> Monday, August 25, 2014
Remembering Those Days
Part Three
Random Thoughts
Note : I hope reading this one could bring back your childhood days to you and make you smile when you complete reading it!
My mom recalls that my father had opposed clicking my first picture when I turned one as he had justified that clicking pictures was some what jinxed in his family. But my mother didn’t listen and they both ended up in a photo studio. Those days, it was beautiful and wonderful black and white photos. The photographer seems to have had a tough time just like a wild life photographer who waits eagerly behind some bush or under some tree’s shade for that one click of some wild animal. He tried his best to get my attention in vain. Finally, he gave me a powder can and was able to click the picture while I was sprinkling the powder from that can. That first picture which has stayed back as a fond memory to me! And I got cold and fever the very next day of clicking that picture. So, my father got a reason to scold my mother. “See, I told you so!” He had said then.
In my child hood days, I was like any other kid of my age, mischievous, and playful. It was really difficult for my mother to feed me food. She would try all the tricks she knew. Many a times, none of these tricks would work. So, my mother used to mix sugar with food and feed me. I didn’t like people looking at me while having my food. I was under the perception that if someone sees you having food then I might end up getting severe stomach ache later on. So, I used to shout “Will you go or shall I throw this plate?” And whosoever was staring at me used to leave me alone. Soon, all my relatives came to know about this. Some of them were curious to know whether it was just a rumor or real for sure. They used to hide behind the door and peep inside. But I was smart enough to find them, and I would repeat my so called golden words to make them vanish from there.
As I was tall, I was allotted the last bench in every class. I felt it was cool being in the last bench. However, every teacher had an eye on the last bench students. Sometimes, even if one fellow in the last bench makes some noise or mischief then entire bench boys were punished. We were made to kneel down outside the class. Sometimes, it was better than the boring lecture inside the class. I was given a nick name “Giraffe” . My classmates if they thought of having fun then they would come near me and shout one of these two names. I would chase and try to catch them. They would tell me ‘Sorry’ when I run and catch hold of them. This was more of fun, as every one of us had a nick name. Every day, during the daily in the assembly hall after the National Anthem, we used to say “All Indians are my brothers and sisters…and slowly conclude almost in a whisper “…except one whom we may fall in love and marry...”. Once in a while, they showed us a movie in the hall on the top floor. Usually, it used to be Charlie Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy movie. We used to have nice fun watching them with our friends.
As I had already won the first prize in drawing & painting contest recently, boys used to come and ask me to help them to draw some science diagram. I didn’t have a heart to tell them ‘No!’ So, I helped them drawing the same picture again and again. Even if it was a boring thing and my fingers ached. The teacher later used to wonder aloud ‘I wonder how you all have become so good at drawing? Is someone helping you with it?’ All used to shout, ‘No, Sir! We did it ourselves!’ Some of them used to look at me while saying it. I just smiled at them. I continued doing drawing and painting. I also participated in inter school drawing and painting competitions on behalf of my school.
I and my sister used to love the Double Decker bus rides whenever we used travel by this bus. This bus used to operate in only one route in Bangalore. I remember that my city was greener and less crowded in those days as compared to now. It was real fun to be seated on the top of the Double Decker and enjoy that wonderful ride. M.G.Road and Commercial Street were most happening places and also nearby to the place where we stayed i.e, Shivajinagar. We used to go to M.G.Road once in a while. I was found of learning magic in those days. I even bought a book of 101 magic tricks to fool your friends. I had mastered a couple of magic tricks and won laurels from my friends and relatives. They weren’t able to guess the trick!
I had jaundice during my fourth standard just before the final exams. I couldn’t prepare well for my exams due to my sickness and I failed in the maths exam by four marks. My dad went and spoke with the maths teacher and the headmistress. However, they were too adamant to allow me to re-write the maths paper. So, I was detained in the same class while most of the students got promoted. In those days, we used to get our class results through post cards. In the summer holidays, we used to wait for the post man to bring us good or bad news.
I held the ‘Detained’ post card close to my heart and was in tears. My father came and patted me and said, “Son, You did put up a brave fight despite your sickness…don’t lose your heart!”
It was most depressing to see my classmates and friends in a new class in the first floor. While I was alone with three of my classmates who were ‘Detained’ along with me. Including my best enemy, Vikram. It was somewhat humiliating when the class teacher asked the detained students to stand up in front of new bunch of students. Then he turned towards me and said, “You can sit down, Vasu!” and I slumped down to my seat. It was then the fear of maths had registered in my heart and mind. Some how, I despised this subject that made me lose one precious year in my life! During my seventh standard and SSLC board exams, maths was one subject that gave me nightmares! But somehow, I managed to clear both the board exams.
I never knew what an earth quake was or how it felt like? My father had arranged for tuition classes with an Anglo Indian old lady. It was one evening during the tuition class that earth quake came! I felt as if the floor was dancing up and down. Later, when I reached home, mother told me that the dressing table went up and came down while she was combing her hair. She really got scared. This was the talking news everywhere. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported and it was a mild earth quake.
I had bought a children’s magazine named ‘Gokulam’ and found Pen Pal’s pages. I made my hobbies list and sent it to this magazine. Two people wrote to me after seeing my ad in this book seeking my pen friendship. They were Archana.K and Subramanian.S. I wrote back to them and wonderful pen friendship started. I saw the ad from Jayashree and Anil and wrote to them and they became my pen friends as well. Then I got one more pen friend Ruby Sarkar through The Asian Age newspaper. This happened to be my lucky newspaper as even my flash fiction ‘Please Forgive Me!’ got published in 2001.
Pen friendship is a wonderful thing, as you never get to see the other person. However, you know that person so well by heart and soul. I had put up a post box to our compound gate and I used to look through my room window, if the post man had dropped any letters in my mail box. If my eye caught something then I would go out with a smile to pick them up. Believe me; I have preserved all those letters in a safe lock box of my cupboard. I had even serially numbered all those letters person wise. I used to go through those letters when ever I missed any of those friends. It used to bring back a smile on my face.
I still remember those wonderful ads on TV of my childhood days. Our favorite cool drink then was ‘Gold Spot’ and the crown caps of the cool drink bottles had various Disney characters. ‘Limca’ was the other option in those days. We cousins used to collect the crown caps. Lalithaji from the Surf Excel ad was very famous. Maltova was the famous health drink for the kids. Hero Honda bike’s ad slogan… “Fill it. Shut it. Forget it.” Whenever, I used to see this bike, I used to think to have it when I grew up. ‘Rasna’ was one more ad. Like this, there were many ads in the TV. I feel that the ads of those days at least made some sense as compared to the crazy and silly ads of today. Many times, I even wonder what is the ad all about? When the product is mentioned in the end, there is no real connection between the ad and the product.
Even our movies of those days were so innocent and cute. Like a hero used to go closer to a heroine. Then they used to show a bunch of flowers. Then she would say ‘You’re going to become the father of my child!’ in whichever language the movie was made. It was so confusing…then our people copied the Hollywood movies with the kissing scene. Even that wasn’t shown properly in our movies. Two heads come closer and you’ll have to assume the rest of the story. I didn’t have the courage to ask my parents how babies were made. We kids were so much innocent that we had concluded that when a boy kisses a girl then she will become pregnant. We were under this belief until the sex education chapter in the biology class of eighth standard. I and my classmate had a good laugh that evening.
Those were some of my childhood memories that I remember today. I feel those days were better compared to Whatsapp and facebook days of today. If we missed someone, we used to go and knock on their door and speak to them face to face, give them a warm hand shake and even a hug sometimes. It was so much reassuring that we had someone to think about us and share our thoughts, feelings, etc, unlike nowadays, it has become an online affair. Gone are those wonderful days of hand written letters and greeting cards...those games which we used to play as kids were more fun than the candy crush or subway surfer of the present day. The feel and smell of books that we had in our rooms was far better than the e-books which doesn’t have physical form today. Internet and social media might have connected the world and made it a smaller place, but it has surely increased the distance amongst those who live close to us!
Even a stranger seated beside you in the bus would be busy updating his or her FB status or messaging on WhatsApp instead of trying to start a conversation with you. Many times, in those days, such casual conversations with the random strangers ended up making them long lasting friends. It is not the same today as we may end up saying “Send me a friend request on facebook !” Modern technology should help us to connect our lives in a better way and not to cripple our relationships like it is happening today!
So, my dear friends, bring back the lost tradition to our kids and make them realize how wonderful our days were then! Make them to see beyond WhatsApp/ Facebook…make them to play wonderful games of those days like ‘Hide and Seek’, etc, than giving your mobile or your tablet to play games like Candy Crush Saga. Let them relive the magic you had lived and left behind you…which have become long forgotten memories of our childhood days!
Part Three
Random Thoughts
Note : I hope reading this one could bring back your childhood days to you and make you smile when you complete reading it!
My mom recalls that my father had opposed clicking my first picture when I turned one as he had justified that clicking pictures was some what jinxed in his family. But my mother didn’t listen and they both ended up in a photo studio. Those days, it was beautiful and wonderful black and white photos. The photographer seems to have had a tough time just like a wild life photographer who waits eagerly behind some bush or under some tree’s shade for that one click of some wild animal. He tried his best to get my attention in vain. Finally, he gave me a powder can and was able to click the picture while I was sprinkling the powder from that can. That first picture which has stayed back as a fond memory to me! And I got cold and fever the very next day of clicking that picture. So, my father got a reason to scold my mother. “See, I told you so!” He had said then.
In my child hood days, I was like any other kid of my age, mischievous, and playful. It was really difficult for my mother to feed me food. She would try all the tricks she knew. Many a times, none of these tricks would work. So, my mother used to mix sugar with food and feed me. I didn’t like people looking at me while having my food. I was under the perception that if someone sees you having food then I might end up getting severe stomach ache later on. So, I used to shout “Will you go or shall I throw this plate?” And whosoever was staring at me used to leave me alone. Soon, all my relatives came to know about this. Some of them were curious to know whether it was just a rumor or real for sure. They used to hide behind the door and peep inside. But I was smart enough to find them, and I would repeat my so called golden words to make them vanish from there.
As I was tall, I was allotted the last bench in every class. I felt it was cool being in the last bench. However, every teacher had an eye on the last bench students. Sometimes, even if one fellow in the last bench makes some noise or mischief then entire bench boys were punished. We were made to kneel down outside the class. Sometimes, it was better than the boring lecture inside the class. I was given a nick name “Giraffe” . My classmates if they thought of having fun then they would come near me and shout one of these two names. I would chase and try to catch them. They would tell me ‘Sorry’ when I run and catch hold of them. This was more of fun, as every one of us had a nick name. Every day, during the daily in the assembly hall after the National Anthem, we used to say “All Indians are my brothers and sisters…and slowly conclude almost in a whisper “…except one whom we may fall in love and marry...”. Once in a while, they showed us a movie in the hall on the top floor. Usually, it used to be Charlie Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy movie. We used to have nice fun watching them with our friends.
As I had already won the first prize in drawing & painting contest recently, boys used to come and ask me to help them to draw some science diagram. I didn’t have a heart to tell them ‘No!’ So, I helped them drawing the same picture again and again. Even if it was a boring thing and my fingers ached. The teacher later used to wonder aloud ‘I wonder how you all have become so good at drawing? Is someone helping you with it?’ All used to shout, ‘No, Sir! We did it ourselves!’ Some of them used to look at me while saying it. I just smiled at them. I continued doing drawing and painting. I also participated in inter school drawing and painting competitions on behalf of my school.
I and my sister used to love the Double Decker bus rides whenever we used travel by this bus. This bus used to operate in only one route in Bangalore. I remember that my city was greener and less crowded in those days as compared to now. It was real fun to be seated on the top of the Double Decker and enjoy that wonderful ride. M.G.Road and Commercial Street were most happening places and also nearby to the place where we stayed i.e, Shivajinagar. We used to go to M.G.Road once in a while. I was found of learning magic in those days. I even bought a book of 101 magic tricks to fool your friends. I had mastered a couple of magic tricks and won laurels from my friends and relatives. They weren’t able to guess the trick!
I had jaundice during my fourth standard just before the final exams. I couldn’t prepare well for my exams due to my sickness and I failed in the maths exam by four marks. My dad went and spoke with the maths teacher and the headmistress. However, they were too adamant to allow me to re-write the maths paper. So, I was detained in the same class while most of the students got promoted. In those days, we used to get our class results through post cards. In the summer holidays, we used to wait for the post man to bring us good or bad news.
I held the ‘Detained’ post card close to my heart and was in tears. My father came and patted me and said, “Son, You did put up a brave fight despite your sickness…don’t lose your heart!”
It was most depressing to see my classmates and friends in a new class in the first floor. While I was alone with three of my classmates who were ‘Detained’ along with me. Including my best enemy, Vikram. It was somewhat humiliating when the class teacher asked the detained students to stand up in front of new bunch of students. Then he turned towards me and said, “You can sit down, Vasu!” and I slumped down to my seat. It was then the fear of maths had registered in my heart and mind. Some how, I despised this subject that made me lose one precious year in my life! During my seventh standard and SSLC board exams, maths was one subject that gave me nightmares! But somehow, I managed to clear both the board exams.
I never knew what an earth quake was or how it felt like? My father had arranged for tuition classes with an Anglo Indian old lady. It was one evening during the tuition class that earth quake came! I felt as if the floor was dancing up and down. Later, when I reached home, mother told me that the dressing table went up and came down while she was combing her hair. She really got scared. This was the talking news everywhere. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported and it was a mild earth quake.
I had bought a children’s magazine named ‘Gokulam’ and found Pen Pal’s pages. I made my hobbies list and sent it to this magazine. Two people wrote to me after seeing my ad in this book seeking my pen friendship. They were Archana.K and Subramanian.S. I wrote back to them and wonderful pen friendship started. I saw the ad from Jayashree and Anil and wrote to them and they became my pen friends as well. Then I got one more pen friend Ruby Sarkar through The Asian Age newspaper. This happened to be my lucky newspaper as even my flash fiction ‘Please Forgive Me!’ got published in 2001.
Pen friendship is a wonderful thing, as you never get to see the other person. However, you know that person so well by heart and soul. I had put up a post box to our compound gate and I used to look through my room window, if the post man had dropped any letters in my mail box. If my eye caught something then I would go out with a smile to pick them up. Believe me; I have preserved all those letters in a safe lock box of my cupboard. I had even serially numbered all those letters person wise. I used to go through those letters when ever I missed any of those friends. It used to bring back a smile on my face.
I still remember those wonderful ads on TV of my childhood days. Our favorite cool drink then was ‘Gold Spot’ and the crown caps of the cool drink bottles had various Disney characters. ‘Limca’ was the other option in those days. We cousins used to collect the crown caps. Lalithaji from the Surf Excel ad was very famous. Maltova was the famous health drink for the kids. Hero Honda bike’s ad slogan… “Fill it. Shut it. Forget it.” Whenever, I used to see this bike, I used to think to have it when I grew up. ‘Rasna’ was one more ad. Like this, there were many ads in the TV. I feel that the ads of those days at least made some sense as compared to the crazy and silly ads of today. Many times, I even wonder what is the ad all about? When the product is mentioned in the end, there is no real connection between the ad and the product.
Even our movies of those days were so innocent and cute. Like a hero used to go closer to a heroine. Then they used to show a bunch of flowers. Then she would say ‘You’re going to become the father of my child!’ in whichever language the movie was made. It was so confusing…then our people copied the Hollywood movies with the kissing scene. Even that wasn’t shown properly in our movies. Two heads come closer and you’ll have to assume the rest of the story. I didn’t have the courage to ask my parents how babies were made. We kids were so much innocent that we had concluded that when a boy kisses a girl then she will become pregnant. We were under this belief until the sex education chapter in the biology class of eighth standard. I and my classmate had a good laugh that evening.
Those were some of my childhood memories that I remember today. I feel those days were better compared to Whatsapp and facebook days of today. If we missed someone, we used to go and knock on their door and speak to them face to face, give them a warm hand shake and even a hug sometimes. It was so much reassuring that we had someone to think about us and share our thoughts, feelings, etc, unlike nowadays, it has become an online affair. Gone are those wonderful days of hand written letters and greeting cards...those games which we used to play as kids were more fun than the candy crush or subway surfer of the present day. The feel and smell of books that we had in our rooms was far better than the e-books which doesn’t have physical form today. Internet and social media might have connected the world and made it a smaller place, but it has surely increased the distance amongst those who live close to us!
Even a stranger seated beside you in the bus would be busy updating his or her FB status or messaging on WhatsApp instead of trying to start a conversation with you. Many times, in those days, such casual conversations with the random strangers ended up making them long lasting friends. It is not the same today as we may end up saying “Send me a friend request on facebook !” Modern technology should help us to connect our lives in a better way and not to cripple our relationships like it is happening today!
So, my dear friends, bring back the lost tradition to our kids and make them realize how wonderful our days were then! Make them to see beyond WhatsApp/ Facebook…make them to play wonderful games of those days like ‘Hide and Seek’, etc, than giving your mobile or your tablet to play games like Candy Crush Saga. Let them relive the magic you had lived and left behind you…which have become long forgotten memories of our childhood days!
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