A cricket ground goes from ‘gol’ to ‘round’

By Priyanko Sarkar | TNN

Hardik Mehta may be small, but what the four-and-a-half footer lacks in length, he more than makes up in spirit. A smile perpetually lights up his boyish face, and not surprisingly his students take to him readily.
The 27-seven-year-old businessman is one of scores of Teach India volunteers at the Kotak Education Foundation (KEF)-run Aamchi Shaala, a Marathimedium school in Chembur. The students who drift in from the neighbourhood slums are children of sweepers, maids and drivers. Mehat’s job is to help them improve their broken English so that they can speak confidently and correctly when they leave school.
KEF has decided on a novel method: instead of teaching a whole classroom, volunteers will be assigned a small group of two or three students so that each child gets individual attention. The students seem pleased, although in the Ganpati festive week only 50 of them, one-fourth of the entire strength, has shown up. Some of the volunteers seem unsure of how to proceed in each one-teach one mode, but Mehta has no such qualms. He
is assigned one student: a shy, pint-sized thirteen-year-old, Nikhil Kapse. Having quickly got the measure of each other, Mehta gets down to business.
He shuffles the stack of sheets he is carrying, and points out objects, words and numbers. They stop at a page with pictures of a fish, a ball and other objects, and Nikhil admires the drawings. Name the objects and write down the names, instructs Mehta. Nikhil easily tackles this part, but stumbles when it comes to writing down numbers. Mehta takes him through the exercise, encouraging and smiling all the time, and in their two-hour slot, they manage to go through the whole sheaf.
A commerce graduate with a diploma in business finance, Mehta enjoys teaching so much that he’s even signed up as an economics teacher at a Bhandup college. He talks about the “immense satisfaction in teaching students life skills’’ and says that Teach India is a much-needed concept that he is glad to be a part of. “The students completely depend upon me. So I have to make sure I know everything first. It makes you feel rather conscious in the beginning, but now I am fine.’’
The aim is to broaden Nikhil’s limited vocabulary and help him frame full sentences. The first word is a simple household one, ‘tap’, and fitfully, the sentences begin to flow. Mehta allows the boy to speak in ungrammatical English without correcting or scolding him. “Once he’s finished his sentence, I help him develop it again with correct grammar and pronunciation,’’ he says. Nikhil constructs sentences like, ‘My house has null (tap)’ and ‘I see cartoon with TV’, which he utters in a small voice. Realising that he likes cricket, Mehta asks him about the game in English.
“What colour is the ball? What shape is a cricket ground? Nikhil says the ground is ‘gol’. Mehta prompts him, “Gol, circle, round,’’ and Nikhil pounces. “Round,’’ he shouts, his voice no longer weak. He learns to say other sentences: “Sachin Tendulkar is my favourite batsman’’; “A Test match lasts for five days’’; “India played a one-day series with Sri Lanka last month.’’
“That was good,’’ says Mehta with a smile and a wink as he wraps up. “Can’t wait for next week.’’
Kotak Education Foundation
Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) is a new non-profit promoted by Uday and Pallavi Kotak. It was set up in January 2007 and functions out of Mumbai and Raigad district. KEF’s mission is to empower children and youth from underprivileged families through education, help them conquer the poverty line and lead a life of dignity. KEF wants to train 1,500 underprivileged youth in the year 2008-2009.

Friday night at Lake Lagunita

Yesterday was one of those regular Friday's. I did things which I do most often - watched a movie, dine out, dropped someone at the airport (yes that is quite common :), general tp at N & J's place and some things which I do not do quite often - like spending an hour in the middle of the night by the shores of Lake Lagunita at Stanford. I think I must have been there like only 4-5 times in nearly as many years here. And even less when it had water in it.
So it was a pleasant surprise when my Stanford roomie N had told me earlier in the day that they had filled it with water of late. Not a lot, but still some to make it seem like a water body :) So on a whim - A, K, H and me all decided to go there. A & K being coffee fans decided to make some and take it with them to drink there. After the whole process was done, we were finally there somewhere between 2 and 3 am.

It was nice. As nice as I had expected it to be. Oh yes, there was a totally random open air potty and wash basin installed in the middle of nowhere on the lake shore. Why would anyone want to put it up there was beyond any of our's comprehension! Unfortunately it was pitch dark for us to take any picture of the contraption, but I am definitely gonna try and get one if I get a chance again.

As is usual when you are sitting with friends under nothing but the sky, the conversation eventually turned to stars and constellations, and everyone tried to locate something we could identify. And then there were some interesting pictures taken with some lighting provided by A's cell. Here is one - try and identify who this is :)
Each of us had such a picture taken but I believe none came out as nice as this :)

And while there we started playing some good songs - under the stars and next to the water. It was a good experience. Life was good and I was happy to be there.

H was sleepy soon and so we headed back home. Hope to go back soon sometime and spend some more time gazing at the stars and wondering what the heavens hold :)

The Kite Runner

Read the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini en route from San Francisco to Hong Kong. I had read some rave reviews about the book on Amazon, hence my expectations were already reasonably high. I hadn't read a lot more about the story line other than the fact that it was the story of two 10 year old friends who get separated, and that it was based in 1970's Afghanistan. So how was the book? The short answer - Amazing! I have never felt so many emotions all at one time, in one book. Amir's foibles, Hassan's loyalty maybe exaggerated or 'laaf' as the Aghanis would say, but they made my heart and mind turn, churn. What was so special in the book? Maybe most of us see those episodes of our lives vividly through Amir's actions as a prism - when we failed to stand up to things we belived in, when courage failed us, when we disguised cowardice as prudence. and later as some of the more brave ones ask forgiveness for past mistakes, have the strength to atone for them. Most of us, I believe had had such episodes - some few, some many. I think the book comes closest to that notorious mirror of the shameful past - in those early chapters upto the part where Amir and Hassan part ways.
Then came the next phase - a new life for Amir in America. Somehow the indirect connections the book was typing me with, in the first part actually started seeming much more real now. Hearing Amir talk about his life in Northern California as an immigrant far away from his past made me feel that I was in that story - visiting all those places he mentions - East Bay, Los Altos Hills, Highway 17 places I have come to know pretty well in the last 4 years that I have spent in the same area.
Later when Baba dies, and the mosque overflows with well-wishers paying their last respects, both of my eyes shed a tear. Something there, just touched me.
I won't give away any more of the story. All in all its a wonderful book and I am looking forward to getting his second book soon.

Bulgaria Day 1

So I landed in Bulgaria, unable to get away from India for good. Geos was good enough to pick me up from the airport. It was a long time since I had experienced seeing a new country (well Canada last year does not really count :)) so I was really looking forward to this. The airport was newly done, though it was small, there were not a lot of people around so it seemed pretty empty and quiet.
Once bags were done, met up with Geos and we drove out of the airport in his car and came straight to downtown Sofia which is about 10 minutes from the airport. Along the way I was keenly observing all the sights of the place, the apartment buildings built during the communist era of this country, reminded me a lot of similar buildings in most of Mumbai.

Can't leave India behind!

When I left for Bulgaria and as I started coming closer to the last segment of my journey to Sofia, I started believing that for once in 4 years I will be in a place where there really are no Indians, and it will really feel like I am one of the first to come to that country.
This feeling started getting strengthened at Frankfurt airport. I saw Indians of all sizes and colors all over the airport, at nearly every gate, in flights going to all places around the world. I was awed by the sheer numbers, but in my mind I was convinced that Sofia is probably one place where there probably is no Indian going to. While in the line for getting on board the bus that would take us to our plane I looked around and could see all seemingly Bulgarian people around me. Good, no one to make me feel non-unique. I got on the bus and was about to gloat over my achievement, when alas there comes an Indian couple. Not the tourist kinds, but the kind that seemed to have the husband coming to a foreign country for a project and the devoted wife in traditional Indian salwar kameez following the husband around. But I did not care, I was dejected by the destruction to my uniqueness in that bus and more importantly in the country I was heading too.
As if this was not enough, read on for what further transpired in the bus. Right across me on the other side of the bus there was a young Bulgarian sitting across a middle-aged Caucasian lady who was probably from the US. As the bus was still relatively empty I could easily hear their conversation. It went something like this -

Lady - "Are you from Bulgaria?"
Boy - "Yes. Are you visiting Bulgaria?"
Lady - "Yes I am. So have you lived in Bulgaria all your life?"
Boy - "No. I was in Turkey for a couple of years for my education. And then in India for a few months for traineeship." (At this point my interest was aroused :) and I listened keenly for the rest of their conversation.)
Lady - "So where in India did you go?"
Boy -"Kolkata."
Lady - (Not able to understand) "Where is it?"
Boy - "Its on the east coast of India, close to Bangladesh."
Lady - "So is it in Bangladesh?"
Boy - "No... It is close to Bangladesh but in India, in a part of India called Bengal. Though people in Bangladesh also speak Bangali."

The conversation then moved on to what the lady was planning to do in Bulgaria etc. As I said before, at a place where I had expected to be away from India and everything Indian (not in any bad sense, obviously like most I am proud of who I am and where I am from) for a few days. But I realized that its not going to be that easy to achieve this, already before boarding the flight to Sofia I had encountered two connections to India.
You probably need to go somewhere much more remote to actually realize this goal. In fact recently I heard that at many tourist spots in Switzerland, the local guides talk to you in English, German and yes you guessed it - Hindi!
Jai Hind!

A busy summer ahead

Well its going to be a busy busy summer ahead. Had been to the HCI conference the week before last, followed by all the running for the planning for the Europe trip. Yes for those whom I haven't gloated over yet, I am going to Europe but fear not I will be going only to Bulgaria. Well, why not elsewhere? coz they wouldn't give me a visa in the short time that I have left :(
So maybe the rest of Europe will have to wait for some other time.
2 weeks in Bulgaria is going to be followed by my folks joining me in 2nd week of June. So it is going to be pretty happening the next 2 months or so after that. And add to that A & K moving for good to the bay area in June, and it is all a recipe of a pretty eclectic summer :) I do like that.
That gets me thinking on how it seems like yesterday when 2007 started, just like yesterday when I got my new car, just like yesterday when I had that awesome time at graduation.... Some of these memories are so vivid, I wonder why. Like just the other day we were talking about how some of us remember things when we were like 3-4 years of age. A time when you still did not even have a concept of memories, a time when you just lived for the day and forgot that your friend had taken your favorite toy the day before. But why is it that, even from that age some memories stick with you till maybe the end of your life?
The brain has lot of mysteries and this is very well one of them, you remember really random things from eons ago and forget important errands assigned to you just a day back. Like for instance I remember my memories from nursery school where I used to be so scared of Santa Claus, especially when I could see below the false mustache and beard that it was actually someone else. And there is that other picture of my mom forcing me to drink my milk when I really didn't want to, well I think I was traumatized enough by that one to remember it :)
Maybe there is something in each of those memories which triggered something in my head and seared them there for good.

A long and happening time

This has been a really hectic and happening past month and a half. N & J came over to stay with us (albeit temporarily) and Jiju was visiting us last week. On an average we have had 5 people or more at our place in these days. fun times :)
looks like things will be slowing down now, and I do hope they do. Really been a while since I took it easy, curled down with a book late into the night :) Have not even finished Code Name God which I had been reading before all the mayhem started. chalo, now that I have found time to come back and write a bit, I am sure I can find time to finish that off.

Planning for Friday

Whoever thought that planning for a Friday evening could be so complicated? Just speaking from firsthand experience of today. Had to plan dinner and something after, and it so happens that my circle of social acquaintances were split into a mindboggling number of mindbogglingly intractable groups :(.
Here's what they looked like -

Group 1 - consisting of 3 people planned to have dinner at office and watch Babel later.
Group 2 - consisting of 2 people asked me to plan something for tonight, maybe dinner at one person's place and movie later.
Group 3 - consisting of 4 people planned to have Mediterranean food for dinner at 7.30 pm, with a booking already done, and preferably no movie for them
Group 4 - consisting of 2 people wanting to have dinner early and non-Mediterranean food at that, preferably Indian buffet.
Group 5 - 2 people, not in any dinner plans, but in for either Babel or Blood Diamond

Group 6 - Crazy me, hopelessly believing that I could get the above groups to some kind of agreement on what to do Friday evening.

And well, this does not include the whole set of people I would hang out with in the bay area as atleast 3 of them were out of today's plans!

God give me some better sense.

Discussing ghosts and restrooms at 3 am :)

Disclaimer: This post is not going to raise your intellectual awareness or give you any new insights into life. Read it if you have really nothing better to do and if you think ghosts in your workplace restrooms is an interesting topic to discuss in the middle of the night.
Yesterday night was strange. I just finished a long discussion about my company and future competition in market etc etc in general with C until late in the night. (Well this is what happens when you live with someone who works at the same company you do :), you never really come home!)
So well I could have carried on my musings about that the whole night, but deciding not to try C any more, decided to wish him night and retire to my room. But well was not feeling sleepy so was just randomly surfing. And all of a sudden an office colleague Kaci logs onto messenger. Now I have known Kaci to be someone who is in office well before 9 and that too after nearly a 40 min commute. So I was visibly surprised to see her online at like nearly 2 am!
So I ping her questioning her motives to be online at such an unearthly hour and all that. It turns out that the culprit was the seemingly high amount of caffeine she had pumped in herself during the day. (For some reason, no amount of caffeine ever seems to affect my sleep, I wonder why?)
Anyways so there she was complaining about how she should have decaf next time onwards and the like. At some point she threatened me with retaliation for a practical joke I suggested I could happily play on her and to protect myself I said I would take refuge in a place she would never catch me in. So ya, you guessed it right the conversation moved to restrooms in office, and how unfair it would be of me to hide in such a place from her. It so happened that recently she was by herself in the restroom. And then when she confessed that she had heard someone singing in their, I tried hard to convince her that it was our company's homegrown version of Moaning Myrtle. For some reason she really liked the idea, so I went on and advised her to be careful of open pipes out there, who knows what might be in there. Anyways for a long time, the convo seemed to be really fun and entertaining for one at 3 am at night. (Talk about the time affecting your moods!) I wonder how it would feel though to really have a Moaning Myrtle in the restroom, and have some real magic in the world :)

Friendship and Love

Lets look at a particular synergy between these two relationships, the fuzzy area where they overlap. Something in the screenplay of the recent movie Kabhi Alvida... seeded this thought in my mind. There is this one scene, just before Rani's marriage to Abhishek where she and Shahrukh are sitting on a bench (please ignore the fact that its her marriage and all her family doesn't care leaving her alone :)) talk about love and friendship. In a nutshell the question was do you need love in a relationship or is friendship enough? Is friendship a form of love as well? For Rani, the reason for not loving Abhishek was the fact that the relationship was so full of friendship that there was no place for any love at all. Obviously this was just a crutch to support her handicapped view of her self-imposed marriage.
But this brings the more important question into light - can friendship make up for the lack of love? Can you be best friends with someone and not love them? And still be ready to spend your life with them? Or is friendship transitioning to love, a more natural path? And if that is the natural path, does love replace the camarderie that friendship had brought in?
A lot of questions, I do not claim to have answers in black and white to all or even some of them, in fact I know for sure that even my answers will be different at different times, in different moods, in different situations. Even the order in which you talk about these two things can imply a lot; when I started writing I had the title as Love and Friendship but then changed it to the current one, and if you ponder awhile you will notice how big a difference even that makes!