Hello, back to reminiscing. My first standard (read grade if you are amercanized by now) experience was quiet a hoot.
After being enrolled in VSSS school, we had to pay the first term fees by a certain date. My parents started training us to be independent from an young age. So I was handed over the 36 Rs in cash and told to pay in the front office. So off I went, found the kind Mrs.Kunjamma Abraham and paid my own fees. So much to be said for my parents trust in a 5 year old. And so much to be said for such a responsible 5 year old. Oh wait - my arm hurts from patting myself in the back - let me get it back where it belongs :-)
Since it was the first few years of being in existence, our first year, I believe we still followed the KV style and my parents had to make a second language choice. And that started a cold war in the house. My dad, having been raised all over North India, wanted my second language to be Hindi. My mom, being a teacher in TamilNadu and having never stepped out of TamilNadu, wanted my second language to be Hindi. Of course, while they trusted me to pay the fees, they did not want me to arbitrate on this or have my own choice. Go figure!!!
Well, curious to know who won? Dad of course. So my first standard started with Hindi as my second language. But when I graduated from 12th standard, my second language was Tamil. So who really won Dad, uh? I had Dad at home to instill a life long love for the English language and Mom to inculcate good reading and writing habits. I still remember her saying" Hand writing is so important. Presentation is so important...". No wonder I remember a lot of their collective advice even now - perhaps that is what is superior parenting. Never forced, just told gently, firmly, consistently and god only knows, repeatedly :-)
I remember Mr.Venugopal(? I think that was his name, I remember his face so distinctly, but he left after first grade), my English teacher and the beautiful Ms.Stella, my social studies teacher. Everything else is a blur. By the time I was in first grade, I had graduated from being "brilliant, but talkative" to downright precocious. I remember this incident very well in English class. I was bored because I knew all the spellings etc they try to teach you then. I wanted to really go out and have a drink of water. So I stand up and ask Mr.Venugopal, "Sir, Can I please go drink some water?". He says I am teaching, I want you to sit down and focus on my class, you can go and drink water during the recess (break). But I was a 5 year old that had to have water. I was quiet mad at him.
End of the class, he asks the class for the spelling of "Vehicle". There were not any hands up, mine was, so I get called to say the spelling of "Vehicle", correctly, I might add. Then after a few questions he says "Do you have any questions". My hand goes up again. Intending to show him up to the rest of the class, I very innocently ask him "What is the spelling of Cat, Sir?". He did not know quiet what to do and roars up laughing because of course he knows I know my spellings and was being a smart aleck. He finally stops doubling up in laughter and says "Go drink your water now". Point,Game,Set,Match - Mr.Venugopal. Only I foolishly thought I had won then. It might not sound very funny now - but it was a matching of wits between a grown adult and a 5 year old.
My best friends in this grade were Venkatraghavan and Anil Kumar. The trio of us were hopping on benches, jumping from windows, generally being very boisterous. I remember these two used to, for some reason, love to tickle me then. That was the annoying part of our friendship. I am still in touch on FB with Venkat...don't know where Anil is.
We ended first grade on a high note and graduated to second grade in the summer of 1979. Little did we know that we had in store for us, a brand new teacher, who in future would shape us all into worthy individuals, who I kept in touch until my wedding and used to go visit, who is perhaps dearest to so many that graduated from VSSS - the indomitable one and only Mrs.Kesan, Mrs. K. Vadivambal miss. She started the year we entered second grade. I can still smell her distinct wondrous smell. She is so alive in my memory like she is standing right here, in front of me, as I type this. More to come !!!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Meet the neighbors
Once we settled down in the newly painted, gated and gardened(?) G40/4, we started to get to know the neighbors.
Obviously we lived in G40/4.
In G40/1 lived a family of 4, I can't remember all their names, but I do remember Vinod. Vinod's initials were M.K.Vinod and I think uncle's name was Karunakaran. Those days you never asked for adults' names - if I remember some of the adults' names in our block, that is because I probably had a personal relationship with them. Aunty was very nice and would let us all tramp up in her garden. Since they were the other corner quarters, they had a huge garden too. Vinod was in the same class as me and he had a little sister. Bordering their backyard was the backyard of another family that lived in the other block. They were the Rao brother's family. I remember Pallavi - she was my class too and all her uncles were very good painters - artists. I think we still own a watercolor one of them did for my Appa.
In G40/2 lived Ramakrishnan uncle. I really think he was married but his family lived in Kerala. His home was also home to a group of bachelor's who were his room-mates. So we called his house the "Bachelor's quarters". He had a huge tree in his front yard and a even bigger mango tree in his backyard. He did not mind at all if we suttufied mangoes from his tree. So all our houses' pickles came from his mango tree.
In G40/3 lived my favorite family, the Balakrishnans. I think I first befriended Vatsala aunty even before I became friends with her children. I used to visit with them EVERY SINGLE DAY. No, not to play with the kids, but to hang out with Vatsala aunty. I used to talk to her, then talk to her and talk to her some more. My god, thinking back she must have been one very patient person. I used to watch her buy fish everyday and clean it and cook it while she explained patiently to me, a pukka TamBram, the art of cleaning fish, cooking it without smelling fishy and also the art of extracting the fish bone so people would not choke over it. I would nod sagely - I think I just loved all the attention she showered on me. Her sons were Shibu and Shejil and her daughter was Lija. Lija was several years my senior - I think when we moved there, she was already in 8th standard or something like that. She was also very quiet, I have rarely witnessed her talk or yell or scream or anything my boisterous family would do. Shibhu was the older of the 2 boys. he was kind of borderline quiet as well. Shibhu and Shejil were in the same class and at least 3-4 years my seniors. Shibhu had some health issues and missed a year and joined Shejil in the same class I think. Vijay and I used to follow these 2 around and torture them when Vatsala aunty was not available :-) Shejil taught me how to play my first game of cards. He was always such a patient guy and knew how to play with little kids. We all played cricket together. The only reason I was in that team was because my dad bought me a cricket set, so my condition was that if they were to use it they had to have me on the team. Shibhu used to call me "Malcolm Marshall" because I used to do this big show of running a long distance befor bowling a ball which would be far wide anyways. I just knew Balakrishnan uncle - but for some reason the moment he came home, I would rush out the door. I think as a child I was initimidated of him. He was sweet and did not say an unkind word. But I never got to know him like I knew Vatsala aunty. Of all our neighbors, I think the rest of my family was also very close to this one family.
In G40/8, right above us, lived Sudhi Matholi(I just recently know his last name), with his brother Suji and their parents. Sudhi was a year older that Vijay and a couple of years younger than me. He was such a studious and meritorious learner. Kind of quiet, but used to come over and play with Vijay all the time. I can distincly remember Suji and uncle and aunty's faces peering at us from their high perch as we talked back and forth.
In G40/7, first lived Sunitha and Vinitha and then the Moinudeen family lived there until we moved. I used to play with Sunitha (one year younger than me I think). Vinitha was a baby then. The Moinudeens pretty much kept to themselves - later I heard Moinudeen uncle was actually a spy and was expelled from HVF Avadi. Wow, did not even know I was living right under the nose of all that excitement. Excitement apart, I did feel a certain indignant anger when I heard it. Who knows if it was all true or not - but I felt/feel very strongly no Indian had/has or should have a right to sell the defense secrets of a country.If he did do that then he got what he rightly deserved.
In G40/6 lived another close friend of mine, Lakshmi Alagappan. She had 2 brothers, Sivanand and Vijayanand. Siva was the usualy older child, mature and while he played with us, made sure his siblings were safe etc etc. Vijayanand was a character. A hoot to be around and made us all laugh all the time. He used to take Hindi songs, change a few words here and there or add a south indian accent and it used to sound so funny. I used to play Gilli Dhanda with these guys too. Siva used to make the gilli and dhanda I think. Lakshmi was in my class as well (I use my class loosely - in Vijayantha Senior Secondary School - English Medium school as it was otherwise known - we had about 8-9 sections of over 50 kids in each standard a.k.a class. So we were all in the same grade,Vinod, Pallavi, Lakshmi - but not in the same section).
In G40/5 lived Sini and her family. Sini and Sudhi were in the same class. I know she had a younger sister. I can even still remember her face. But unfortunately I do not remember much of their mom or dad. They lived right across Lakshmi's house and I was a frequent visitor there too. Lakshmi's mom was an avid reader and stocked up on the Tamil Magazines and I used to borrow them and read them, after I was done with all the magazines my family bought. This was inspite of school, extra curricular activities, homework, pattu class, etc etc. And playing outside all evening - well, if you know me, you know what a Type A personality I am.
There, the neighbors are introduced. Most summers were spent in idyllic laziness playing in each others' yards or biking all across HVF Estate or reading. We used to stage plays in our garden. Play gilli dhanda, eat guavas, go to the Estate shops :-), play cricket, play in the park opposite our quarters all day...What fun. Andha naalum vandhidaadho...I am in touch with Sudhi, Shibhu and Shejil. Through them I know of Lija and Suji. Wonder whatever happened to Sini, Lakshmi, Siva , Viji and Vinod. Will I ever get to see all of them again...
Obviously we lived in G40/4.
In G40/1 lived a family of 4, I can't remember all their names, but I do remember Vinod. Vinod's initials were M.K.Vinod and I think uncle's name was Karunakaran. Those days you never asked for adults' names - if I remember some of the adults' names in our block, that is because I probably had a personal relationship with them. Aunty was very nice and would let us all tramp up in her garden. Since they were the other corner quarters, they had a huge garden too. Vinod was in the same class as me and he had a little sister. Bordering their backyard was the backyard of another family that lived in the other block. They were the Rao brother's family. I remember Pallavi - she was my class too and all her uncles were very good painters - artists. I think we still own a watercolor one of them did for my Appa.
In G40/2 lived Ramakrishnan uncle. I really think he was married but his family lived in Kerala. His home was also home to a group of bachelor's who were his room-mates. So we called his house the "Bachelor's quarters". He had a huge tree in his front yard and a even bigger mango tree in his backyard. He did not mind at all if we suttufied mangoes from his tree. So all our houses' pickles came from his mango tree.
In G40/3 lived my favorite family, the Balakrishnans. I think I first befriended Vatsala aunty even before I became friends with her children. I used to visit with them EVERY SINGLE DAY. No, not to play with the kids, but to hang out with Vatsala aunty. I used to talk to her, then talk to her and talk to her some more. My god, thinking back she must have been one very patient person. I used to watch her buy fish everyday and clean it and cook it while she explained patiently to me, a pukka TamBram, the art of cleaning fish, cooking it without smelling fishy and also the art of extracting the fish bone so people would not choke over it. I would nod sagely - I think I just loved all the attention she showered on me. Her sons were Shibu and Shejil and her daughter was Lija. Lija was several years my senior - I think when we moved there, she was already in 8th standard or something like that. She was also very quiet, I have rarely witnessed her talk or yell or scream or anything my boisterous family would do. Shibhu was the older of the 2 boys. he was kind of borderline quiet as well. Shibhu and Shejil were in the same class and at least 3-4 years my seniors. Shibhu had some health issues and missed a year and joined Shejil in the same class I think. Vijay and I used to follow these 2 around and torture them when Vatsala aunty was not available :-) Shejil taught me how to play my first game of cards. He was always such a patient guy and knew how to play with little kids. We all played cricket together. The only reason I was in that team was because my dad bought me a cricket set, so my condition was that if they were to use it they had to have me on the team. Shibhu used to call me "Malcolm Marshall" because I used to do this big show of running a long distance befor bowling a ball which would be far wide anyways. I just knew Balakrishnan uncle - but for some reason the moment he came home, I would rush out the door. I think as a child I was initimidated of him. He was sweet and did not say an unkind word. But I never got to know him like I knew Vatsala aunty. Of all our neighbors, I think the rest of my family was also very close to this one family.
In G40/8, right above us, lived Sudhi Matholi(I just recently know his last name), with his brother Suji and their parents. Sudhi was a year older that Vijay and a couple of years younger than me. He was such a studious and meritorious learner. Kind of quiet, but used to come over and play with Vijay all the time. I can distincly remember Suji and uncle and aunty's faces peering at us from their high perch as we talked back and forth.
In G40/7, first lived Sunitha and Vinitha and then the Moinudeen family lived there until we moved. I used to play with Sunitha (one year younger than me I think). Vinitha was a baby then. The Moinudeens pretty much kept to themselves - later I heard Moinudeen uncle was actually a spy and was expelled from HVF Avadi. Wow, did not even know I was living right under the nose of all that excitement. Excitement apart, I did feel a certain indignant anger when I heard it. Who knows if it was all true or not - but I felt/feel very strongly no Indian had/has or should have a right to sell the defense secrets of a country.If he did do that then he got what he rightly deserved.
In G40/6 lived another close friend of mine, Lakshmi Alagappan. She had 2 brothers, Sivanand and Vijayanand. Siva was the usualy older child, mature and while he played with us, made sure his siblings were safe etc etc. Vijayanand was a character. A hoot to be around and made us all laugh all the time. He used to take Hindi songs, change a few words here and there or add a south indian accent and it used to sound so funny. I used to play Gilli Dhanda with these guys too. Siva used to make the gilli and dhanda I think. Lakshmi was in my class as well (I use my class loosely - in Vijayantha Senior Secondary School - English Medium school as it was otherwise known - we had about 8-9 sections of over 50 kids in each standard a.k.a class. So we were all in the same grade,Vinod, Pallavi, Lakshmi - but not in the same section).
In G40/5 lived Sini and her family. Sini and Sudhi were in the same class. I know she had a younger sister. I can even still remember her face. But unfortunately I do not remember much of their mom or dad. They lived right across Lakshmi's house and I was a frequent visitor there too. Lakshmi's mom was an avid reader and stocked up on the Tamil Magazines and I used to borrow them and read them, after I was done with all the magazines my family bought. This was inspite of school, extra curricular activities, homework, pattu class, etc etc. And playing outside all evening - well, if you know me, you know what a Type A personality I am.
There, the neighbors are introduced. Most summers were spent in idyllic laziness playing in each others' yards or biking all across HVF Estate or reading. We used to stage plays in our garden. Play gilli dhanda, eat guavas, go to the Estate shops :-), play cricket, play in the park opposite our quarters all day...What fun. Andha naalum vandhidaadho...I am in touch with Sudhi, Shibhu and Shejil. Through them I know of Lija and Suji. Wonder whatever happened to Sini, Lakshmi, Siva , Viji and Vinod. Will I ever get to see all of them again...
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