Home sweet home…

Hello all,
    Yep, I’m back home for a couple of days. And I’m luvin it. :D

    Its kind of funny how your home always attracts you… The lovely trees… The bed… The beanbag… My parrots… My pigeons… My fish… My chicken… My computer… My lovely beautiful exemplary computer… :D Oh, and parents and stuff :P

    Its fun :) Yeah, a fun weekend get together with a couple of teachers, friends and so on…

    Hmmm… No, I’m not letting you spoil my fun… I’m just gonna go ahead and have fun, without too much blogging - sorry pal. :P

    Cya, and have a good weekend folks… [I’m luvin’ it :) ]

July 28, 2007 | Filed Under My life and more... | 3 Comments 

Yet another session at Rajendranagar

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

Last Thursday, I had yet another wonderful session with the kids at Rajendranagar area, the slum adopted by the Center For Social Action, Christ College. I was assigned to teaching Mathematics to the 7th grade students. Along with me were 3 other exchange students - Win, Alex and Samantha. Win and Samantha were from USA, while Alex was from France.

We found that the students were way beyond eager to lap up all we could teach them. Those little brains struggled as we taught them the basics of Algebra. Though it was quiet alien to them at first, they soon caught up, and within a few minutes, they were virtually sucking us for more information. It was lovely to see those young minds perform on mathematical problems.

The four of us split up. Samantha handling three of students who did not know basic arithmetic,  Win handling 2 students with algebra, Alex battling with a girl who was finishing the sums she gave to her even before she paused for a breath, and me handling 2 students with basic algebra, and one with arithmetic.

Take my word for it, its a lovely sensation when you do something for someone, and know that it makes a difference, however small the “something” be. And being with those kids was not only fun, but also heartening, to feel that these were the future generation of our world, and to learn that we were setting up a proper platform for them to learn and grow.

Apparently, the kids enjoyed the session as well, since they treated us to the “Rajendranagar handshake” and hearty “bye”s as we left… Thus, we left behind another beautiful evening of fun and truth… We left behind another Thursday of taking out the humane side in us… We left behind, with our hopes set for the future sunrise, and the next Thursday :) .


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July 22, 2007 | Filed Under A thought..., My life and more... | Leave a Comment 

The flight of Her’s [poem]

Hello all,
A few days back, I faced with a dreadful enemy, what we commonly call “stress”. As in too much to do, too little time, and no one helping out. It so happened that the work I had delegated fell back on myself, and an assignment was preponed, thus very much toppling my schedule.

Quite unhappy, and depressed, I was struggling for happiness, in yet another forlorn period by our crack brained Computers in Communication teacher, when a flighty soul liberated me from all pain and suffering :) My fine feathered friend flew past our classroom, and showed me the better part of life and liberty. Thus, happiness liberated, I decided to dedicate a poem to my liberator in that dull and mundane period…

The flight of Her’s
[ written in thanks to a brown pigeon which saved my soul from ultimate depression and hate. thank you :) ]

‘Cross oceans, vast seas, lands she flew,
To find a realm, of peace, of hue.
Unwelcome darts did blockade every path,
Invited they, with open arms, Mars’ due wrath!

And as she flew through hearts of conflict,
A tiny beam, a ray, of hope did inflict;
She a happy bird, landed in joy,
To be confronted; Oh She! It was all a coy!

Into his heart, she flew in like the wind,
Trapped she was; the heart, she  found, had no mint!
A group,  and army, saddening that true heart,
She tried to med, alas it was beyond all chart!

In those depths of death, so dark,
She clutched onto that heart, that last mark.
And from darkness to light, she flew with him,
A rush of light, liberating his whim!

To be free, Oh freedom behold!
Into a rush of change; she did mould!
Thank you, my dear, for driving away the dark!
Thank you, thank you, my fair fond lark!

- Neo Garfield
4.7.2007

I hope that you grab the essence of the poem. Please do let me know about your views. Cheers :) And have a great week :)


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July 9, 2007 | Filed Under A thought..., My life and more..., My writings | 2 Comments 

Unsuni… The unheard…

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I had the magical oppurtunity today of having watched a wonderful dance-drama show named the “Unsuni” meaning the “Unheard, done by the Darpana Arts and Drama society, about them whom where unheard in our society. It was a true eye opener, or in other words, it opened my eyes even more to certain facts which I was trying to deny, and oppose from existence.


The one and a half hour play discussed about 5 different stories, which were real life incidents, which happened in India. Happenings in the lives of a beggar, a farmer, a manual scavenger, a women’s whose family was massacared in front of her eyes due to socio-relegious issues, and a leper. All these people were denied the chance to justice or their rights. Their living conditions were miserable. They had no place to call their home. Their story was not heard. They had no way to claim their lives as true - the court denied their very existence!

But “they” lived on, and fought for their cause. They made the difference for their community. They made us, call “them” “us”, when we shouldnt have been calling “them” ‘them’ in the first place!

The play was so real and tantalizing, that I felt a part and gestalt of “our” very existence. The questions Unsuni rose, and the questions they answered, and the eyes they opened were eternal and infinite. If you have watched Unsuni, please do comment on your experiences. For the others, you can check out the Unsuni website (www.unsuni.net) for more information about the movement, the shows, the venues and so on…

You can obtain the script of the play on their “Sources” webpage.

Thank you dear reader. I hope you’ll go through the Unsuni script, and support Unsuni with all your heart. We can make a difference. What you and me are doing makes a difference. So lets make it!

July 4, 2007 | Filed Under A thought..., Emotion,Literature,Philosophy, General World | 1 Comment 

What is education?

Hello all,

I had to do an assignment for tomorrow, titled “What in your opinion is education?” Since it was a relevant topic, I’m posting a copy of it here :) . Do give me your opinions.

What in your opinion is education?

Education, in my opinion, is that factor which makes an individual of the species Homo sapien sapien into what we might refer to as a human. It is one of those factors which distinguishes man from an ordinary beast; the slightest of which, when imparted converts the new born beast into a human. In a nutshell, it encompasses knowledge, grasping of skills, power of judgement, wisdom, creativity and ability to abide by social restrictions.

Mark Twain once said, “I’ve never let my school interfere with my education”. The argument which we see today in several parts of our country is whether education is really a product of a school, or a college, or any other such so called educational institutions. I would opinion that education is not just the product of an educational institution. Education begins when a child is born. When the child learns to walk, talk and play, that is a part of education. When the child watches the media, it is education. When the child interacts with his peers, that too is education.

The very first medium of education is the environment; parents, the media, peers, and teachers occupying the second, third, fourth and fifth places respectively. Education cannot be given or provided or sold. It is to be self-comprehended. Educational institutions and teachers are not mediums of providing education, but they are paths through which the student should foray to gain education by himself (or herself).

When an individual can think rationally for himself and make firm decisions; when he is knowledgeable enough to be wise; and is wise; when he is creative enough to create new paths, and not tread through the ones already cut; when he is versed enough about issues to make an opinion; then, he is educated.

Taking all this into consideration, I would question the very existence of words such as “educational institutions”, “Primary Education”, “Secondary Education” etc.

Education is not restricted within the four walls of a building, nor in this country, nor in this world! It is restricted only by the bounding limit of this universe. Man has much to learn.

I hope that you found this meaningful. I invite any differences of opinion, or feedback via my comments form. :) . Please note that this article is Copyrighted.

(c) 2007 Mohan K.Pillai


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July 1, 2007 | Filed Under General World | 2 Comments 

Appreciate simple things…

Hello all,

Here’s a wonderful picture containing a wonderful meaning forwarded to me by my dear ex English teacher, Lakshmi ma’am.  It calls forth a message to appreciate the simple things in life… Go ahead, take a read. Take a few seconds to contemplate; for it might create that turn in life!

Simple things in Life...

    Have a great Sunday :)


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July 1, 2007 | Filed Under A thought..., Simple things in life | Leave a Comment 

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