Dr.Ravi visits Mysore

Dr.H.R.Ravi, a well-known surgeon in Bangalore and our CKC classmate was visiting Mysore for a relative's wedding. He informed his arrival and the next morning he was here, with his wife. He was the one who used to make charts for display or write some drawing on the board in the convent and high school.

I'm sure he uses the scalpel as skillfully as he used the pencil to draw pictures.

Evergreen Memories

Evergreen Memories

Gone are the days
when the school reopened in June,
and we settled in our new desks and benches.

Gone are the days
when we queued up in book depot,
and got our new books and notes.

Gone are the days
when we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.

Gone are the days
we learnt writing with slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips.

Gone are the days
We began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Colour pencils and finally sketch pens.

Gone are the days
we started calculating first with multiplication tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to calculators and computers.

Gone are the days
when we chased one another in the corridors in
Intervals, and returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat.

Gone are the days
when we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds.

Gone are the days
when all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.

Gone are the days
when a single P.T period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.

Gone are the days
when cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
and Neckties and socks rolled into balls.

Gone are the days
when few played "kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
while others simply played "classroom book cricket".

Gone are the days
of fights but no conspiracies,
Of competitions but seldom jealousy.

Gone are the days
when we used to watch Live Cricket telecast,
in the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks.

Gone are the days
when few rushed at 4:45pm to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus.

Gone are the days Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day,
and the one-month long preparations for them.

Gone are the days of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams, and the most enjoyed
holidays after them.

Gone are the days
of tenth and twelfth standards, when we
spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.

Gone are the days
we learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost,
we laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.

Gone are the days
with so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.

Gone are the days when we used to talk for hours with our friends.
Now we don't have time to say a HI.

Gone are the days when we played games on the road.
Now we work on the road with laptop.

Gone are the days when we saw stars shining at night.
Now we see stars when our effort doesn't work.

Gone are the days when we sat to chat with friends on grounds.
Now we chat in chat rooms.....

Gone are the days where we studied just to pass.
Now we study to save our job

Gone are the days where we had no money in our pockets and fun filled on our hearts
Now we have the ATM as well as credit card but with an empty heart

Gone are the days where we shouted on the road.
Now we don't shout even at home.

Gone are the days when we shouted out names in front of friends' houses to borrow notes.
But we use mobile phones to call.

gone are the days where we got lectures from all.
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....

Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and Ever..... NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE,
DONT FORGET TO LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL EXISTS.
IT WONT BE THERE FOR EVER.

Gorur Srinivas Shandilya visits

His name on the CKC rolls was G.R.Srinivas. But later on when he joined Engineering at SJCE [and resided at Sanketi Hostel for a major part], he came to be known as "Shandilya" among his recent friends. I knew only then that it was the name of their 'Gotra'.

He stays 'half way round the earth' [my favourite expression, borrowed from my favourite Phantom Comics] and whenever he comes to visit his parents in Malleswaram [Bangalore], he makes it a point to set foot in Mysore too at least for a few minutes. This time round, two days after Christmas 2007, he was already here as an opportunity had suddenly arisen to make the trip. His son Ashwin was still in the 'jet lag mode' as they had just landed about 30 hours or so back!

During the hour-long stay here with me we 'nostalgiated' the schooldays, for about a quarter part. He has a fantastic 'Doctor-like handwriting'. I managed to get a sample of the latest in my autograph book after I showed him - much to his awe - his own letter of 1980 written to me. We have kept the correspondence going once in a while all through, except for a longish hibernation until a few years back. His handwriting was better then!

Zakir Hussain

We have heard the name of Zakir Hussain, haven't we? He was the President of the country when we were in CKC. It was a familiar name for us and it continues to be. Our friend Zakir Hussain happens to be the son of the friend of the President at Aligarh Muslim University, if my memory serves right. Well, our Zakir, as most of us remember, was popular for his neat italic handwriting, his first-rank scoring ability and his Kannada! He was one of the top five students in school.

He never misses a visit to my house while he visits Mysore from Brunei. He is one of the top five of the century too! Ask him where? In Brunei. Details will be revealed soon. It relates to his accomplishment as a Paediatrician in that country.

Here he poses for our camera.

This time round, I had the pleasure of accompanying him for morning walks - we are all getting old!!- to Kukkarahalli Kere on 3-4 days. He has some leisure time on this trip and so we were able to spend a bit of time together.

Gopi and Merlyn's visits

Gopi [Rajgopal] called me in September that he is coming to Mysore on a business trip - for a day. He is living in Chennai for 19 years [hope memory is right]. That was an oppportunity to meet a couple of friends and enemies - yes enemies. I was one in our 7th and 8th classes. But it was fun in those days! I can neither recall why our good friendship soured nor the circumstances it got sweetened thereafter. While in 7th an incident happened [see my blog on memories] which I am not repeating here. Back to his visit now.

We had breakfast at home. Mysore's Bajjanna Lane is where he lived. That also gave him the opportunity to visit his old house opposite Keerthi Typing Institute and Mari Gudi. His old tiled house was as it was when he left many years ago. He was happy to enter that house now and to know that his own friend who is renovating their old house close by was living there temporarily. He went down memory lane in Bajjanna Lane! We soon bid goodbye after we visited another old closer neighbour of his.

Come November, Meera called to inform the arrival of Merlyn from Poona. After the expected teleconfirmation of schedules Merlyn arrived home with her CKC-studied brother. She spent about half an hour with my family and then it was time to go to Meera's house closeby.

I took Merlyn to Nandini's house also, since it was very close. Nandini is an English Teacher and you can see one of her young pupils here.

Meera and Merlyn were meeting each other for the first time in 30 years and they are indeed expressive here in this picture. Merlyn's brother returned after his shopping stint - he had gone from our house and returned to Meera's.

Back in August, another schoolmate - not our classmate - visited us. Sriranjini from Sydney, Australia. She had seen one of my blogs on the web and since I had mentioned CKC, she got interested to know who this is. After exchange of e-mails, we had become friends - her memory of those days is quite amazing even though she was in the "B" Section [kannada], same academic years.

We must make it a point to visit old mates at least to say hello, at least once in a while. It keeps us going!

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Some of us meet

Meeting old mates is always a joy and a much looked forward programme. Another old mate Shantala invited us for her daughter Padma's wedding in Bangalore on 30th August, 2007. Some of us could make it on the eve of 30th, that is on 29th since most of us found this convenient. I had been to Bangalore that day to be there for my daughter's CET Engineering seat selection (she retained what was chosen earlier since no openings in 'better' colleges came that day, Vidya Vikas College, Mysore, Civil Engg.). The next morning we had to get the admission done since it was a very auspicious day. It was done by 1 pm as scheduled after we rushed back on 30th. Coming back, it happened to be an enjoyable evening as it gave the opportunity to meet, esp. to a few who were seeing each other after decades. The fun in trying to identify the face from memory is quite something even for the beholder!

Here are some of the pictures that were taken from my small camera:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dinakar58/CKCGroup

Rupa [Machaiah], Rohini, Mrs. and Mr.A.R.Rajaram, [Dr.] H.R.Ravi, V.G.Jaishree and 'us' met.

At the Sarada Vilas High School

School Uniform: Cream shirt and Olive green Chaddi. Some had trousers. But it was optional.

[Words have followed my thoughts - please bear with the flow!]

We got scattered to different schools for our 8th. It was May 1970. Passing out 7th for me was an adventure. That incident with the “pickled star gooseberry” which played its role has been narrated in a separate place. Well, it was time for us 12-year old boys to get relieved from the Convent. At times we disliked, for no valid reason, being under the tutelage of Sisters and sitting with ‘sisters’. But afterthought tells that they were as affectionate as one can get. But the best memories are from the convent for all the good things that formed the basis of our education. We boys no longer needed answering the attendance as “present sister” or “present miss”, much to our relief!

In high school, all teachers were “Sirs”. I was admitted to Sarada Vilas Boys High School. It was also equidistant [and close by] from my home, just a 10-minute walk. I could now go on the bicycle alone. That was a Robin Hood which my late uncle was using and later a cousin who was using it also went on a heavenly journey. It had become mine. I had learnt riding the bicycle as early as my 7th year from my other small blue cycle on which I must have covered many miles in street itself!

I do not remember about bringing application forms and all formalities involved in admission. I had a first class marks in 7th, which was good given the ‘adventure’ just before the exams. My grandfather knew the Head Master Sri M.N Lakshminarasimhaih (MNL). Knowing was not that important because cut-throat competition was relatively absent as there was no mad rush as it is now. It was a reputed school where my father and uncle had studied and there was still that old generation teachers on its rolls, with that traditional dresses typical of Mysore. Close-collared coat and ‘kacche panche’ with a stiff cap as head gear. The HM also wore this costume. It was the last year in office for him.

So, the first day of school arrived, I attended. It was a Saturday. The next working day was Monday with a gap of Sunday. To prevent a ‘Dviteeya vighna' my grandmother asked me to at least step on the class room’s doorframe – it was a Sunday and none was there, the gate was open – which instruction I dutifully followed. I remember how funny I felt at that time. I had gone riding the Robin Hood.

MNL took English grammar and composition. He had that typical entry into the class. The very moment he stepped into the class room he used to begin the class with the words “In the last class, we were ….” The most silent class was that of Maths which the well-built annd much dreaded KRK took. He was notorious for hitting the boys black and blue and pinched the thighs when someone did a mistake [sometimes to the entire class!] which was very painful. Equally painful were his blows from his huge palm on our cheeks. And a ‘back handed stroke’ on the right cheek. How much the boys hated his strictness! He stretched it too long. He came to school on a green Raleigh bicycle. The very sight of him was chilling. What a great relief it was to all the boys, without exception probably, when he was sent away for one-year training while we were in 9th. KRK stood for "Krishnamurthypuram Rotti Kalla".

We had AVR who took English Prose. Short man, white hair, always spoke English, renowned chain smoker. His class was a bit noisy. He had a smoker’s cough that troubled him in between and he had always a cough lozenge “Peps” as that brand was known. When he passed by, that smell mixed with cigarette smoke odour emanated! Boys used to tease him from a distance esp. for his typical gait. AVR - "Ardha Vade Ranganna".

NS Seetharam used to take Algebra. His writing on the board was a pleasure to see. Equal sized, equal intensity and very neat. Hardly any chalk dust! Even his erasing was meticulously done. Soft-spoken, good teacher clad in kacche panche and always ash coloured coat, with a black headgear. Became HM when MNL retired. "NSS - Nona Saiso Shoora"

The name “MRK” used to give us chills in the spine, somewhat like KRK’s. Because he always carried that black rosewood ruler meant for hitting the boys with. Any mistake and we would get a blow from that. Very painful! He used to take Science –Physics. He wore thick ‘soda’ glasses. MRK - "Madhya Raatri Kalla"

For Biology, one SNC [Chakravarthy] took. He was very short tempered. One incident in the 9th stays in memory. There was one Jagannatha who did nothing wrong. Someone else teased him as ‘godamotte’ [he was a bit fat] during a class and he came chasing Jagga in the class and Jagga ran over the benches and he got cornered. He got some blows.

Chemistry was taken by BN. B.Narasingha Rao. He had that typical jump while he pedaled his bicycle which the boys waited to see! Slim, simple dressed and bespectacled. His son also was in our class. BN Ramesh. There was another BN Ramesh also! When someone came in search of Ramesh, we had a problem – there were six of them. BN - "Beedhi Naayi"

There was that old wrinkle-faced man Jogi, the attender having a slow gait who took back the attendance register and also rung the school bell.

Sanskrit was my opted language and there was the one and only Anantha Somayaji. The noisiest class! He did his job and the boys just had their own ways. His shouts “stop talking” just got drowned in the noise and never seemed to reach any ear! Traditional dress with vibhuti – sandal paste marks on forehead.

CVR took ‘non-detailed’ English. Soft –spoken, his teaching was interesting and had us all listening. For, he had that knack of making funny gestures relating to his explanations to the lessons.

We had that PT master VK who came on his always glittering bicycle. During the Games period which was just before the lunch break, most of the boys would run home from the open ground just behind the classrooms. We were supposed to play games like cricket, kabaddi, kho-kho volley ball or whatever. PT was always one period we disliked to attend. Some lazybones used to come with false bandages and plasters to show an injury to sit out! A few complained of fever. VK - "Vadkal Kundi"

N Lakshminarasimhaiya was my father’s classmate. He took Geography. His class was much looked after as he was very jovial, cutting jokes to make the class interesting. Sometimes a bit indecent jokes too. NL - "Naayi Laddhi"

History and Civics were taken by BMPV, strict but good teacher. Not an interesting class due to the dull nature of the subjects. I was to meet this teacher after 35 years and visit his house. He has a great impression on me because of an incident which has been narrated separately, concerning ‘bad English’.

AVR, a short teacher again with the traditional dress of kacche panche took Geography. He also had a great sense of humour. His speed of dictating notes was too fast for hour hands to cope up with. And he used to give notes in pages! Writing it was a very tiring exercise. After many years I used to see the sad sight of him selling incense sticks in the streets after retirement, most likely driven by poverty. Here was another case to prove the old saying that the school master never gets rich. The mischievous boys used to tease him by pulling the tucked kacche panche.

Then there was the Urdu teacher MSK who was asked to come to “take care” of the class during the “work experience” period, which was a great time for all the boys to make merry. MSK reluctantly would try to silence the class but always in vain. He would simply sit clearing his nose for 45 minutes till the bell rung.

MKG, a tall and fair man, clad trimly in kurta-pyjama would come during one of the WE periods and teach us stitching, hemming etc. It has come in handy in my later life.

NSV came to take Physics in our 8th class. "Nona Saiso Veera"

There were VSS, KGB, SR, DVN, who did not take our “C” section in all three years.

Nicknaming teachers was a great fancy among the boys. Many nicknames to teachers’ initials were carried forward to coming batches. Some of them were humourous some were childish. But they were done for the heck of it. Here are some of the Kannadized names. KRK- Krishnamurthypuram Rotti Kalla; MRK- Madhya Ratri Kalla; AVR- Ardha Vade Ranganna; NSS- Nona Saiso Shoora; NSV- Nona Saiso Veera; VK- Vadkal Kundi; SNC- Godamotte, NL-Naayi Laddi, BN- Beedhi Naayi, DVN- Donku Veene Narada.

There was one S.Suresh who, if at all came to class, was found sleeping on the desk often. Noor Ahmed always sat in the last bench. KRK used to call his name in the attendance as “hundred Ahmed”. One ‘Koli’ Ramesh whose house was opposite the gate of the school and he would start from home when he heard the bell! We envied such nearness! Very mischievous little fellow – he would sometimes climb the toilet wall and escape home!

There was no cycle stand in those days. We used to park our bicycles in front of our classes and hardly there were 10-12 of us that came on them. Latecomers got the treatment from KRK who used to hover around the gate looking for victims at the time of the morning assembly and a short while after. The iron gate was closed later, but somehow one or two would climb over it and silently enter.

After classes, some boys used to play cricket in the school enclosure. Being shy, I remember just once making use of the facility. Instead, I used to dash home to have my own cricket with street boys. Annual day functions – I never took part.

One Shankar Nadig used to carve erasers with a blade into rubber stamp to print his name on books. I had copied this art and had become adept at it!

Cariappa was a talented fellow. He used to get his books bound using cardboard from soap powder packing. It was amazing to me. He had made to his Raleigh Bicycle a switch to operate the ‘brake light’. I copied the idea from him and did it to mine much to his delight! He had made a motor bus using a plastic box (which I never found) and a toy motor. I made my crude model! Both of us exhibited in the Science Exhibition. Venue was the old Dasara Exhibition Building [now Medical College]. This was in our 10th in 1972-73. One Jaipal had his bicycle fitted with a dynamo in the front axle.

There was a ventilator below the window to bring in fresh air. There was an outlet pipe below it in every class that opened towards the open ground outside. Suddenly, someone would shout through the pipe and that sudden loud echoing sound would rattle everybody. When the teacher ran to the window to look for the culprit, it would always be too late. It seemed to provide a good break to the lessons for a couple of minutes!

There was one teacher who wore a 'naama' on his forehead. MC Chokkanna. We came to know that he was a poet having composed many poems when he used to tell some poems in the class and later had even sold us his compositions in the form of a little booklet for twenty five paise each.

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This blog was posted sometime ago. Now, in August 2010, I've started an exclusive group for SVBHS on Facebook. The widget is shown on the right corner of this blogpage. There are more photos there. Please join there.

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