Random Reading Project: Day 8

 So, this was the best bedtime message I could have read!

Random Reading Project: Day 7

 This one is from Enola Holmes 2 and encapsulates the spirit of the film, really.

It’s remarkable what can be done when people underestimate you. -Mira Troy

Hmm. I quite like the sound of that, I must say. Especially in the context of the Football World Cup!

Random Reading Project: Day 6

 So this is from a reel by Thera.find whom I follow on Instagram.

It made me think that this is one of the lessons we all have to learn in life, sooner or later.

Random Reading Project: Day 5

 This one is from Dhar Mann, whom I follow on Facebook:

"If you find yourself trying to prove to someone that you're enough, it sounds like the person that really needs convincing is you! When you recognize your own self-worth, you won't ever need to prove it to anyone else."

Fact. I have spent most of my adult life seeking validation from others. Thank goodness I have exited gracefully (ok, maybe not gracefully all the time!) from that unholy mental phase of my life. Now, every night, I reflect on my thoughts and actions for a few minutes before bed and assess whether I have been kind and just to myself. If not, tomorrow is a new day. 

Better late than never.

Random Reading Project: Day 4

 So, today's bit is from Jack London's 'The Call of the Wild', the much loved and acclaimed classic.

This raises a fundamental question about the relativity of values in a given matrix. Are they the right values if they do not help us prosper or even survive? What use would our principles and codes of conduct be if the demands of time and place weaken and even, to some extent, render our very existence futile?

Given the current sociopolitical milieu, the fundamental questions raised by London's timeless text cannot but haunt us. Again and again.

Random Reading Project: Day 3

 Today, I refer to a dialogue from a Disney web series, The Mysterious Benedict Society that my son and I are absolutely in love with:

'To be a parent is a constant state of worry. But I'm learning that worrying is not a form of preparation. It doesn't make anything less likely to happen, nor armour you if it does.'

So true. Once a parent, always a parent. However, good parenting is not about feeling mindlessly responsible, guilty and stern round the clock. It is more about exposing your child to the vagaries of the macrocosm and knowing that you have spent enough time, arming him/her with the correct values, strengths and perceptive skills that should surely stand him/her in good stead. Well, generally!

Random Reading Project: Day 2

 'They say that when just before we die we see the images of our life passing quickly by, like flashes of our existence. The things we've done and those that are still left to do, slowly being swallowed by mist. Maybe that is what dying is. The fading of memories. Allowing them to erase you.' 

(Season 1, Episode 7 of 'La Cocinera de Castamar' on Netflix.)

This reminded me of Coco, Disney's brilliant film, that gives memorable context to the Mexican tradition of Dia de Muertos.

New Project!

 After months of being utterly incommunicado on the blog front, I've resurfaced. To break the lethargy I tend to sink into from time to time when trapped by the banality of routine, I thought I'd embark on a new project that might make writing seem less of a task and more of an adventure.100 Days of Reading.

Yes, I know people have done sarees and happiness and books and films but I wanted to do something slightly different.

So what would I write about?

Anything interesting (a line, a paragraph, an article, a caption, a quote...) that might arrest my attention and help me focus on the fact that the world is still an intriguing place to live in, one event/ thought/ adventure/ mystery etc at a time. I'm not completely sure what trajectory this idea is going to shape up into but hey, that's the plan, right?

Here goes Day 1:

Lonely lessons

 I have been teaching subject and predicate in both the English and Bengali languages today. During the course of the lesson, I reaffirmed what I've always believed: that children learn better when they have a peer group to reinforce that learning. As soon as my son joined my student, there was a palpable change of atmosphere in the room; the classroom became a common room and learning became entertaining, instead of a grim duty to be done under duress.

The ensuing study session was a success, the children had a stimulating quarter of an hour bouncing ideas and possibilities off each other. On the other side of the table sat I, a happy educator who felt she had just taught something meaningful and relevant. No wonder online learning is never comparable to a physical classroom; the former, despite our best and concerted efforts, shall sadly remain an exercise in lonesome lethargy.

Exams & Eligibility

I do not cope well with exams at my age. Neither do I look forward to interviews. The trauma of proving your worth in terms of knowledge is draining. 

Our recruitment system needs overhauling in some drastic manner. What's the point of having years of experience if that doesn't realistically translate into assessing one's eligibility in the profession of your choice?

 I don't envy anyone sitting for an exam or appearing for an interview. A few hours' worth of writing or a few minutes of speaking are not a pragmatic passcode for a field which seeks to enlighten amd not just educate.

What are the options, though? I might need to reflect on that for a bit.

Republics et al

 A wave of extreme patriotism in the form of relevant Bollywood songs blaring into our sleepy ears on R Day has been a pattern we resign ourselves to every year. Funnily enough, the feelings mutate into B town item numbers by evening, as if the localites have suddenly recovered from their euphoric hangover and need to belie it in some radically different avatar of expression.

On the other hand, most of us simply go back to having a relaxed Sundayish leisurely breakfast and thank heavens that the print media has dutifully brought us this day our morning alms, umm...alarms. The local club indulges a flag hoisting session with those religiously attending being rewarded with shingara and jilipi. 

We also pay homage to our Puritan upbringing by convincing our son that the Republic Day parade is THE thing to watch, slyly pretending he is being granted some extra TV time. Thus, we wash our hands of our duties to our hallowed Republic. 

Re-public, regarding the public, re- publicising our lack of real republican fervour in a consumer driven, EMI ridden rigmarole of a postmodern exist-tense.