"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
-Albert Einstein
Today, I feel like writing something about my school life. Some of my best and unforgettable experiences have come during this phase of my life. Sometimes, I secretly wish that I could go back in time and be a schoolboy once more, but alas, I have managed to do it only in my dreams, and I know that it is the best I can get.
School life was that phase of my life where I lived a completely carefree life. Come June and I would be geared up to face a year full of fun and excitement. Of course, there were tests, homework and so forth, but who really bothered about them? I was a proud member of the 'Last Bench Club' which consisted of a group of five to six people. The little things in life fascinated us and we endlessly explored new ways of playing pranks and making mischiefs which in turn, forced our teachers to explore new ways of giving punishments. "You will be given TC if you repeat it next time" and "Bring your parents to school next Saturday" were some of the most famous cliched dialogues which I used to hear day in and day out. The only time I studied was during the day before my exams when I used to get some sort of supernatural powers to cover the entire syllabus in such a short span of time!
And then, there was ‘gully cricket’. Oh! It was the best thing since sliced bread. Bricks turned into wickets, the road turned into a pitch and the Coconut tree branches transformed into bats. Since there were some houses on the off-side with glass windows, we played only on the leg side. Maybe this is the reason why I am a strong on-side player [Citation needed…:-P]. Ross Taylor might have had similar conditions too when he played during his childhood, as is evident by his high percentage of stroke-play over the mid-wicket region!
This was also the time when I developed my love for reading. I used to wait eagerly for the monthly issue of ‘Champak’. Champak’s June 1995 issue was my first. I have still preserved many old copies of Champak. Also, once in a while, I used to get copies of ‘Tinkle’ and ‘Chandamama’ too. The folk tales in Tinkle were my favorite. But it was Champak which inculcated in me the habit of reading, for which I’m very grateful. If it was not for Champak, I might never have ventured into the realms of Sherlock Holmes, Malgudi Days, Harry Potter and so forth during my later years.
There were some very good programs on TV during those days, unlike the ones we have today. DD National was the only channel during my early primary school days. For mythology lovers, there were serials like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Krishna and the likes. I think most of the Indian homes in the 1990s got their TV sets because of these serials. Such was their impact! I was a big fan of Alif Laila and Tippu Sultan. My mom tells me now that I used to have my food only after watching those shows! But, I feel DD’s USP was, and still I believe it is, the advertisements. The haunting tunes of ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ and ‘Baje Sargam’ are still etched in my memory [By the way, I have forgotten ‘Phir Mile Sur’ long back…:-P]. Whenever I eat jalebis, I am reminded of the Dhara advertisement, with Parzan Dastur’s ‘Jalebi!’ exclamation still ringing loud and clear in my ears.
The animes of Mowgli, Donald Duck, Aladdin, Baloo, Scrooge and co. were an integral part of my life (I didn’t like Mickey Mouse then, and still I don’t know why!). Later, came the colorful world of Star channels to sweep us off our feet. Now, I hardly find DD channels in people’s houses anymore. Everyone has moved on, I guess.
Well, time doesn’t wait for anyone, does it? It’s been a long, long time since I have left my school. I have forgotten many of the things that have happened since then, but the memories of my school days have managed to stamp their indelible existence in my mind [ROM flashed!?:-)]. I wonder whether it is the same with all the 90s kids of my generation. When, and not if, the gadget for time travel is invented, I most certainly know where I will go first…;-)
And then, there was ‘gully cricket’. Oh! It was the best thing since sliced bread. Bricks turned into wickets, the road turned into a pitch and the Coconut tree branches transformed into bats. Since there were some houses on the off-side with glass windows, we played only on the leg side. Maybe this is the reason why I am a strong on-side player [Citation needed…:-P]. Ross Taylor might have had similar conditions too when he played during his childhood, as is evident by his high percentage of stroke-play over the mid-wicket region!
This was also the time when I developed my love for reading. I used to wait eagerly for the monthly issue of ‘Champak’. Champak’s June 1995 issue was my first. I have still preserved many old copies of Champak. Also, once in a while, I used to get copies of ‘Tinkle’ and ‘Chandamama’ too. The folk tales in Tinkle were my favorite. But it was Champak which inculcated in me the habit of reading, for which I’m very grateful. If it was not for Champak, I might never have ventured into the realms of Sherlock Holmes, Malgudi Days, Harry Potter and so forth during my later years.
There were some very good programs on TV during those days, unlike the ones we have today. DD National was the only channel during my early primary school days. For mythology lovers, there were serials like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Krishna and the likes. I think most of the Indian homes in the 1990s got their TV sets because of these serials. Such was their impact! I was a big fan of Alif Laila and Tippu Sultan. My mom tells me now that I used to have my food only after watching those shows! But, I feel DD’s USP was, and still I believe it is, the advertisements. The haunting tunes of ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ and ‘Baje Sargam’ are still etched in my memory [By the way, I have forgotten ‘Phir Mile Sur’ long back…:-P]. Whenever I eat jalebis, I am reminded of the Dhara advertisement, with Parzan Dastur’s ‘Jalebi!’ exclamation still ringing loud and clear in my ears.
The animes of Mowgli, Donald Duck, Aladdin, Baloo, Scrooge and co. were an integral part of my life (I didn’t like Mickey Mouse then, and still I don’t know why!). Later, came the colorful world of Star channels to sweep us off our feet. Now, I hardly find DD channels in people’s houses anymore. Everyone has moved on, I guess.
Well, time doesn’t wait for anyone, does it? It’s been a long, long time since I have left my school. I have forgotten many of the things that have happened since then, but the memories of my school days have managed to stamp their indelible existence in my mind [ROM flashed!?:-)]. I wonder whether it is the same with all the 90s kids of my generation. When, and not if, the gadget for time travel is invented, I most certainly know where I will go first…;-)
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