Back to school

I arrived for the interview looking natty in my new clothes.

Saint Francis de Sales was a big school in Nagpur in the early seventies. My parents, who were keen I get admission there, warned me to take the interview seriously. To be polite, obedient, get admission and make them proud.

A priest in white robes was waiting as I entered the hall with my parents in tow. The customary questions inflicted on a five year old followed. I remember coming up with some pat answers.

After some gentle tabletop callisthenics intended to demonstrate my skill in problem solving, I was asked to spell out some of my favourite things. I believe I got away with this as well.

At one point, the priest offered me a sweet and asked me to identify the colour. In a trice, I was upon the confection, which vanished down my gullet. No answer was forthcoming.

The priest was patient and tried again. This time, he kept the sweet well out of range. I blurted "Green" before trying to grab it. He was kind enough to let me do so.

I was to spend five years in the school before my father was transferred to Kolkata [ Images ].

I enjoyed the time I spent there. The real estate the school sat on was as delightful as it was varied. I remember the huge playing fields and the tall grass where we went 'hunting.' The music room with the first piano I had ever seen was as much a mystery as the enormous flagstones and shiny bits of mica we trod on to and from school.

Somaditya Roy, New Delhi [ Images ]

The translator

We were posted in Trivandrum, Kerala [ Images ], for training in February 2001.

My roommates, like me, were from Tamil Nadu, but didn't know a word in Hindi.

Our batch included a pretty decent-looking girl from Mumbai [ Images ]. My roomies wanted to talk to her in Hindi, so they approached me for help.

They wanted to tell her, "Your friendship is the best thing in my life." I translated this into, "Hum tum [ Images ] ek kamre mein bund ho aur chabi ko jaye [We are locked in one room and the key is missing]."

I can still remember how the girl chased me around the hotel to hit me :).

Despite this, my roomie again asked me to translate "You look great in a sari" in Hindi. "Gale lag jaa [Give me a hug]," I told him happily.

Just as happily, this is what he told her in front of all our batchmates. For a minute, everyone was stunned. Then, they started chasing me... :)

Krish Srinivasan, Denver

Tumhara to baap bhi…

My three-and-a-half-year-old son is a very poor eater and makes faces each time a meal is placed in front of him.

Getting him to eat is always a trying task. I have to constantly remind him to chew, otherwise he just keeps the food in his mouth.

One day, after he brushed his teeth, I offered him a choice of dishes for breakfast. After refusing each option, he told me, "I won't eat at all."

I lost my temper, "Tumhara tho baap bhi khayega [Forget you, your father will also eat]." To which he innocently replied, "Mera baap to office gaya [my father left for office]."

I burst into laughter. My husband had left for office just 10 minutes ago.

Jaya Jaiman, Clarksburg, Maryland

Knowing one's own shape

As a first year student at Bijapur Engineering College, I participated in extempore speech competitions and even won the first prize a couple of times. As a result, some senior boys who spoke well considered me their competitor.

During the annual day competitions, I registered my name in the extempore speech category. My topic turned out to be 'Knowing one's own shape.' I was stunned! What could I say on this subject? I knew everyone would tease me the minute I announced my topic. Sure enough, the crowd started showing and whistling.

My competitors looked triumphant. They were sure I would not speak. But I did. I began by saying a human being's mental shape was most important and then spoke about how one should be good shape mentally to succeed in life!

A huge applause greeted my speech. I went on to win the competition.

Twenty years down the line, this incident reminds me why I always need to be positive.

Anupama, Sedam, Karnataka [ Images ]

Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh