Learn-Develop-Grow

[This blog post is inspired by a rush of thoughts which floated through my mind over the last 3 days. Last week I conducted an "orientation program" at a well-known school in the city. I was referred to as the "speaker" in the tradition of their having a speaker at their term orientations. Despite my protest, facing a group of 100 teachers from pre-Primary to Higher Secondary level, I was branded the Speaker.  However, this was a small glitch in an otherwise fabulous morning.  Read on ... ] The topic I was to present, though limited by time and space, encompassed teaching skills, motivation, instant lesson planning and, because the teachers felt they needed something for their personal lives too, we added Time Management Tools.  The precise content was not as important as the methods I have been used to employing.  So, on with the show. I firmly believe that one has to live the part, so rather than deliver a talk, I found myself involving the teachers in inter

[Blame it on the Pujas! The various sounds coming from the Pandals.  And lots of house-arrest, time to write.  So here goes my thoughts on music, singing and modern instruments.] No American Pie, this Sincere apologies to those who thought this might be about Don McLean, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the team. But the music died several times since then, in my opinion.  So this is about events in my life that make me think, and sing.  What are the events that could have kicked this off? A party at home, several good friends who are close to over the proverbial hill, a couple of amazing singers and pianists in the house and, lubricated by spirits that raise the spirits, the party becomes a "jam".  That's event #1. A query by a lady friend to my wife, "How does he remember all the words of every song?" - in response to my grabbing a microphone and letting rip somewhere around the right note, that too on a public stage. That's event #2. A d

[This is largely from a blog post I had put on my website several years ago (February 2011).  I was reminded of it by two incidents that happened recently.  Read on ... ] Ah! The joys of earning money This evening I visited my mum, now nearing ninety, and listened, for the umpteenth time to several of her stories of yesteryear.  And, like rediscovering a good book, as one thumbs the pages, suddenly nuggets of information pop out that you hadn't noticed earlier.  She was recounting how she got a job in shorthand-and-typing back then.  It was a long and interesting story which probably deserves its own post. But the upshot of it was that she did land the job at the princely sum of Rs 70 a month. And then, I was reminded of my son earning his first Rs 300 working as a Kayaking Instructor at EcoPark, Kolkata.  And when you're getting older, you tend to reminisce about your life and times and the first money you ever earned. Imagine having a bicycle o