was it worth it?

the relentless government blinked. and now, all teachers have higher figures on their pay checks. A 45-day drama, and for what? Sure, its unjust for the government to underpay such valuable members of the society, members who are responsible for shaping the minds and thought processess of tomorrow's adults. But, these guys must now face the consequences of their protests. Reduced vacations, possible workdays on holidays and even the coveted weekends might be ruined. The syllabus was, as it is, burgeoning. 

Now, with a 45-day vacation aside, its going to be even more uphill for the teachers, professors, and students. Unless the authorities mark an asterisk on this year and reduce the syllabus by 40% or so, its going to be hell for even the most studious of kids.

In an ugly street fight between the teachers and government, the poor kids cower at the street corners, hoping, praying for a solution to end this madness. It will be really hard to go with the regular flow of an academic year. Its going to be too fast for anyone involved, teachers and students alike. There has to be some provision made to ease the burden of this batch and measures be taken to avoid this debacle again.

Now I wonder, was it really worth all this hoopla? For a few thousand bucks more, what have these protests really achieved? Its a shame. When will the government (that has 350 crores to construct a friggin statue in the sea) realise the myriad other avenues it MUST invest its petty cash it?!

free agent

the office picnic to durshet was fantabulous! i got to go rappelling and kayaking for the first time. the smooth slants of the massive monolith didnt look as imposing as I would have liked it to, but nonetheless, harness et al, i climbed down the stone and felt incredible. the constant breeze, swaying trees, rustling of leaves, and the gushing waterfall adjacent to me made me lose myself as i climbed down nature's lap.

kayaking was all about fun. after a brief briefing about the to-do's and dont's, oar in hand, i went in the shallow water. kayaking is not at all as tedious as it is perceived to be. its pure fun, and the concept of going straight is lost to beginners. its more like swaying left and right but overall you go ahead. like a drunk crab. gliding on water was the next best feeling after rappelling on the boulder. it didnt matter that the sun was showering us with its summer heat, nor that the water was only a few feet deep. kayaking till ur shoulders drop is something every nature freak or not should do!

i cant wait to do these again. if only the rain-gods decided to challenge us mortals by making the stones slippery and the river deeper.

"I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water has a fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so definite that the tiniest streamlet is an exact replica of a great river."

bliss

today was the most satisfying day i have experienced in a very long time. today marked the 7th death anniversary of my dad, and instead of the sadness usually (and always) prevalent on this date, i felt joy, i felt good, because instead of performing the routine nonsensical pooja calling them monotonous verse-chanting pandits home, create a brick stove in the middle of the house and burn cowdung, and fuel it with ghee, and accomplishing nothing but holes burnt through the pocket and itcy watery eyes, i instead decided to head to monginis, purchase 300 muffins and distribute it among the orphans at the mankhurd children's home.
watching their peering inquisitive eyes as i entered the gate in the car, some were engaged in cricket, others in simple tomfoolery, making faces, playing catch-n-cook, etc.. the pure unadulterated joy blatant in their eyes.

as i entered, i felt like an alien, invading their space.. after the matron managed to make them assemble into single file, my sister n i began distributing the muffins in exchange for meek "thank you"s and the occasional "thank you uncle"!.. seeing their (mostly)-toothy smiles and glee, others were too shy, receiving the muffin, thanking the ground and scooting away.
i haven't felt this satisfied, such a fulfilling experience, in quite a while.. and i remembered my dad and knew that he'd prefer the smiles on the faces of these innocent kids than the traditional inconsequential, nonsensical poojas that only appeases the pandits.. another victory of the human spirit against religion.

today, i can say.. i am happy.. and mean it.