Fifth Formers at St.Clare's

Making up for the old times; there are many books in Children's Literature I had always longed to read. Now that I have time, I can not seem to find any good library around in Dharamshala and to purchase all would not be sane. Fortunately one of my husband's colleague's son has a reasonable collection and I borrowed some of Enid Blyton's. The books look very old as if passed down from many a readers, scribbled by different hands and names.The yellow pages remind one of the dusty shelves in old libraries. I love everything old and decaying be it grannies, houses, photos or books. Something is always intriguing about them, they hold secrets that is only about to be lost. The earthy fragrance from the pages, enchants and fills you with the nostalgia of long and gone.

The one I am reading now is “ Fifth formers at St Clare's ”.

The book is eighth in St Clare's series, out of total nine; its about boarding life at st. Clare's, the girls are now fifth formers and all set to go to sixth form. I have not read any of previous books in series but looked up a bit on Internet to get an initial idea. You can also find a few videos on You tube based on it.

Here is link to one quick video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q84Qmik1wJw


A quote from book that reminds you of last days at school and something that you miss utmost when grown up :)

" They tackled their new work, grumbled and groused, laughed and talked, played games and went to bed tired out. It was a good life, an interesting, full and friendly one. Sometimes the fifth formers felt a little sad when they thought that they had only one more form to go into-and then St. Clare's would be left behind forever."

Halfway through the book and I found myself taking a road down the memory lane, the years of friendship, fun and fear of exams! There are amicable moments that will make you smile and blissful. The book starts seeming to be a little broken, however collects itself as we read further. 

The story in book dwells in the interplay between the girls with each having a distinctive character. It conveys the imperative subtle lessons of teenhood to its young readers quite convincingly. Not very heavy and a light read every young teen girl would identify herself with one or the other character.

At Teenage, a tender phase in a child's life, it becomes sometimes hard for parents to communicate with their children and understand their mind, in such times a good book can serve the purpose and be their guide.

Churning butter with love!

Food is very close to my heart, a very important nexus between mother nature's produce and all living beings. But not just any food; food that binds generations and families, foods that have stories to tell. Before we all succumb to the world of ready- made, instant, packaged food, which is somewhat inevitable seeing our growing economy and consumerism.

It took me a while to realize how blessed it is to hail from a place that has just been opening itself to the world, retaining its pristine state is a question. A place with not much of credible and valid historical records of diverse people that have settled here; making everything equally complex and beautiful. And like our lifestyle, food also has evolved and has been adapted in accord with the strong influence that came from all corners. Lahauli food now is no more just potato and buckwheat. So before we loose our indigenous lifestyle altogether, I am making an attempt to have it saved here.

Everything we see in our lives has a story. That is why I love them so much, everything is here because it has a story. The story of your watch, city, friends and you! It's the background story that instills the element of curiosity and interest in any otherwise ordinary thing :)

Churning Home-made Butter :)

Story: Still looking up ;p

Step 1

Thickened Milk Cream

Step 2

Cream turning into lumps

Step 3 

Lump of ready butter and buttermilk

 

In Search of me

What I had thought of life and what I found it to be.

I thought it was about seeing the world,
learning and knowing more,

I thought it was about being there and doing that
adventuring and living Life,

I thought it was about being wise and wealthy
Chunking those numbers and calculating profit-loss

I thought it was about religion and faith in god
debating love over war and seeking compassion.

I thought it was about being an artist or an activist
fighting wrong and saving the world...

But somewhere beneath this chaos I found serenity

Underneath the world I saw through my eyes

I began to see a world of peace through my insights!

And in a corner I found a girl smiling, happy to just be

I found me :)

Musingz..

Sometimes all I want to feel is the power of what is beyond this life..what is it when the end would be right in front of eyes.

...and i will sit by the edge ,only smile
for years would have passed
and my destination finally arrived
I await you to hold my hand and show me my sunrise.
beyond this world and above this life.

Amen

Brain-da yoghurt ban gaya!

Amidst so much of chaos and hustle bustle while I am busy attending customer query and clearing payments I see my manager  piercing through the crowd surrounding my desk and barks at me “ kyun madam mr. mahna ji ( ex-staff ) ka medical bill pass nai kiya abhi tak? (Mr. Mahna staring at me )

For a second blank, I wondered what bill whose bill? And who the hell is mahna? And then I recalled, it was Saturday afternoon when my assistant manager had handed it over to me and said keep it in your drawer we'll clear it on Monday! Before I could utter another word my manager found an opportunity to grumble on me yet again, "yaar aap kya karte hain kitne baar bola hai daraaj mein cheezein rakh ke bhool na jaaya karo! ( It’s the first time that I came across this work and absolutely didn’t know how to process it and my assistant manager was supposed to help me with it. ) I struggled to keep my raging blood in control, after a few minutes they both are on my desk again and  this time both are with a smirk on their faces to take me down!

Enough already, I kept aside my fears, and put my foot down to not tolerate this kind of behaviour  from them and with warning. My manager  wants everything to be done within seconds without any error and he expects everything perfect but he will not put even 1% effors to help you guide resolve issues or anything, on the other hand my assistant manager he will waste your hours for A:he’ll reply after you have asked at least 10 times the same question and B: when he would try to teach the concept  it will only confuse you more, instead! 
If I had anybody teach me anything good it was the clerical staff.

Coming back to putting my point about their behaviour , I told both of them you guys are in a rush to run after 6 pm and nobody is ready to stay back for not even for half an hour to help me finish work ( since am a newbie in the job) so either you guys stay back with me help finish work or don’t expect it to be finished by me.There was no way they wanted to stay up late so a blank expression on their faces was quite expected.

I so much loved the expression on their faces and Lol there was a customer watching the whole act and could not stop grinning, because he knew like almost all regular customers know that I am literally overburdened!

So much for the crap I was tired of hearing everyday ,I am happy to have put my fears aside and actually said my heart out.Now am sure that my manager would think twice before saying anything unreasonable to me.

I hope so!

There are many others out there struggling with even worse managers than mine but it is important to bridge the gap and the only way to do this is, put your fears aside and have a dialogue.

The Infamous Naukri

Its 30th September 2011 "The half yearly closing day", there is no public dealing. Clerical and sub staff come only for attendance and leave shortly after a cup of tea and chit chat; some for movies and some for good time with family and friends. The officers stay to struggle, endure and work mercilessly for the closing.
I took no time to waste and started with work to finish earliest i.e. by 7 pm. A hand stretches out to me with a letter. I look up, a tall guy dressed up as if heading for a  corporate meeting with a branded bag and huge branded watch flashing on his wrist. I go "Yes"? Him "Hi, I have been asked to report at this branch as a new Officer". The first thought that came to my mind "Push him out of the door and warn him runaway right now else you are doomed!"
An MBA in Retail and Marketing he thinks he landed himself a fine placement with a Public Sector Bank, ignored of the reality. Equipped with good interpersonal skills, a fine personality, good eloquence, it is pitiful that these well trained traits will only fade with time, like mine and many others. Gone are the days when Banks took customers and employees both for granted. While some efforts have continuously been made over the last couple of years to improve customer service nothing much has been done for employees except for adding more pressure. Years ago, banks were infamous for employee exploitation, and they still continue to be so. It would not be shocking if few years down the line a few public sector banks in our country start to tumble due to inadequate staff and the figures in red highlighting the balance sheets!
More and more efforts are being made by banks to leverage the use of Multimedia, Technology and Branding and et al to cope with the changing demography, but all in vain. The situation is more or less same since the internal functioning of the banks is stale. It reeks of inefficiency, corruption, mismanagement and power game.
There is no system as such to provide customer service that is why any customer entering the premises for the first time is perplexed and it is only after, he has been asked to contact the next guy and next until he reaches the first one again, is he attended! Most days the branches look like a fish market which makes me wonder is the new breed of MBA’s ready to work in a fish market like environment calling for more risks, more accountability with no employee protection or are the banks ready to give these brand laden kids a career and a work culture to be proud of?

P.S: There has no single day passed since my joining when I had not prepared myself mentally  before leaving for work and felt as if I am heading for a war and shall fight to return as a survivor at the end of day!

The Walk

How long could I continue this? Starting my every single day of the year with walk followed by yoga, a cup of green tea and last but not the least an apple. Growing up as a lean girl to plump flabby young woman, I am finding it harder to get back in my prior structure. Just when I am at my blossoming age, I look (read feel) more withered. Ouch! That sure hurts. In pursuit of attaining a perfect shape , I forced my sluggish soul to get up early this morning and start with what could save me “The Walk”. Now I am not any aspiring model or blah blah but I do not mind at all to look like one. Since I am working on one of my projects i.e. “back with vengeance” (after being absolutely absent and inactive for a long time) 
I needed to walk.

From philosophical point of view, my walk started with Dell. Seven months of affair with dell followed by return to my soil, exploring and comprehending my culture, experiencing living with my own people, sharing their love etcetera. It takes a whole lot of courage for me every time I look back at the past seven daunting years of my life. Apparently it’s taking me longer than expected to bounce back and thereafter progress. How long? Isn’t it long enough already? May be I am one of those who gets stuck up once in a sarkari naukri and the walk turns into a standstill forever. You start reeking like stagnant water with a rusted brain. All you do is curse Govt. day and night. Do I have any right to be insanely cynical about our government,When I am god dam myself a high time procrastinator, a hypocrite and in competitive! With youth like me this country sure is riding on ‘Highway to Hell’. But contrary to my fear I hear a lot of fuss over ‘Next Gen’; India’s shining bright future and all those politically correct things about us!

Wow do I feel good to be part of this over-hyped attention we are getting? A weak guilty voice inside me said hell no you looser! You are not even an inch closer to be part of this dynamic young force your contemporaries make. Shoo away!!

I am a pathetically boring simple next door girl but I think over everything that surrounds me and I think deep (mostly on the mundane events I come across and observe) and hence may be write deep. If not anything I feel joy in writing expressing myself. It makes me feel safe and secure and just like thinking it opens new door and takes you to new highs of self –realization. Enlightens your soul by constant reasoning, justifying rights and wrongs, analyzing, learning and imbibing the much greater nuances of life!  

and the The Walk not literally but philosophically does continue for me through writing :)