OBL at Pine Hills Eco Camp - Saga of a Grade Seven Class (Useful Stuff For Principals, Teachers, Parents, Grand Parents, Students)

OBL at Pine Hills Eco Camp – Saga of a Grade Seven Class

(Useful Stuff For Principals, Teachers, Parents, Grand Parents, Students)

  Rashmi, Grade 7, from a leading school in a big city, is not really into nature. She would rather be at the City Centre with a group of friends, mobile in hand, going for a pizza or a giant burger – that’s fun for her & why not, most kids love to do that.  She lands up against her wishes at Pine Hills along with 40 classmates uand a couple of teachers for their annual camp – how boring! But she finds a way to be happy – with a couple of like-minded girls they chitter chatter in a tent, sharing their Cadburys & chips, while others are wandering and exploring the hills.

  The bell rings, whistle is blown and it’s time for the challenging Pine Hills Ropes Course. Reluctantly, Rashmi & her friends drag their feet to the start point – it’s compulsory to be there & they are basically disciplined kids.

  After the demo by the ustad is given & guiding principles of technique & safety are explained by the senior Facilitator, the boy who leaps forward to do the first obstacle – the Commando Bridge – is Varun. He had been the perkiest of them all since arrival at the camp – he was everywhere; he wanted to be like Don Bradman – very impressive ambition indeed. He climbs up the ladder, puts his left foot on the first rung of the Commando Bridge and then – yes and then – his legs start trembling. He is encouraged, motivated by the instructors & teachers to go on but NO says he in a quivering voice. “Hey, Varun, you can do it – don’t come down!” says a loud, emphatic, girlish voice – it’s Rashmi!! But Varun climbs down, rather embarrassed. His image had always been of a brave, pushing lad.

  So the teacher announces that Rashmi will be the first one to do it. Rashmi’s face paled on hearing this. “What have I landed myself in?” Rashmi must have thought. But her pride did not allow her to back down. She slow-marched to the ladder, climbed up even slower, distinctly nervous, put her left foot on the first rung of the Commando Bridge – total silence – she was never known as the outdoor, adventurous kind -  some voice perhaps in the stomach said something & Rashmi heaved herself up, took the first step forward & hesitated – the long walk ahead on the rungs seemed unnerving. “Rashmi, walk as though you are on the cat walk”, said the Facilitator, encouraging.  And Rashmi, 13 years old, started walking like a super model on a ramp, rung after rung. Half way, stopped a moment,  so much up above the ground she was, the cool breeze floated her hair about, bunches of pine needles on the trees whispering soft wavy sounds so close by – “Nature isn’t so bad after all”, she was obviously thinking – now the applause & encouragement from her classmates was loud and clear, she posed for a photo with a big wide smile, lots of clicking, Rashmi had become a hero in the forest, far, far away from the City Centre. She came down amidst clapping. Wow! “Hey, Rashmi, I didn’t know you were so great,” her expression suggested that this is what she was saying to herself.

“Well done, well done, well done…” so many voices.

  The story isn’t over yet. Facilitator was asking “Varun, what’s the motto of Pine Hills Ropes Course written on that placard?” “Sir, ‘I can, I will’ is the motto”. We’ll tell you the next part of the saga of this camping class soon. We find it very exhilerating, very fulfilling with these kids. Next Blog – a few days away.

Regaining Verve After Tragic Loss Of Dear Wife Sudesh – And How!

1.  We arrived with the Funeral Remains at Delhi airport past midnight, received by Sudesh’s brothers Suresh & Varindar and her sister – in - law, Malika Nadda. We men-folk drove off to Haridwar. Malika promptly decided to accompany the girls to Chandigarh even though she had to be back in Delhi in the morning. Sister Rajesh & her husband Brig Ajay Raina had already deployed themselves along with others to receive them at our house. Ceremony on the banks of the Holy Ganges was smooth, thanks to the pre-plan & preparation. Moving on, we arrived Chandigarh. Varinder had already tied up the venue & every detail for the Prayer Meet “Shanti Paath” which was 48 hours away, leaving only the final touches for me. So much & much else was the support! And it was unceasing as we were going through one religious ceremony after another with great deliberation. So many standing behind us, so many for dear Sudesh – perhaps grief was beginning to get dented.

2.  At home, right away the void hit us. But sons in law, Sanjiv & Shashank, daughters Jyotsna & Bhavna got cracking for the work they planned for their dear Mom. Sleepless nights of the past weeks, jet lag, long travel, grief, sadness – all put on the back burner. In between attending to all ceremonies, pulled out old albums & bundles of photos, laboriously scanning hundreds of them and made out a beautiful 20 minutes video of their darling Mom, super imposed with lovely tunes, to be screened at lunch after Shanti Paath. There were young Anaiya & little Naisha cooperating fully. What children! They can give a beating to Grief!

3.  At the Prayer Meet, eulogies & tributes were spontaneous. Management Guru Bhushan Nadda, her younger cousin, narrated some real incidents of childhood days – for him Sudesh’s great virtue was to step forward, break norms unhesitatingly & very boldly too if anyone needed help. Young nephew, Dr Aman Batish, emotional, had every word coming out from the heart. Sanjiv & Shashank were composed as they spoke of their memories of Mom, providing great confidence. Then came Anaiya, 7 year old, her own concept of eulogy.  I must put out her speech:

My Nani was like a beautiful Balloon. Everything about her was bright and colorful. She loved going on long drives to see fall colors and would get excited every time she saw trees painted red, orange and yellow. She would point out to the trees and say “Anaiya look at this one or look at that one”.I loved the way my Nani dressed up in her bright clothes. She looked the most beautiful in her light blue sari with a red bindi on her forehead. She was very fond of flowers; last summer we planted colorful flowers together in the backyard; she would know the names of all the flowers. My Nani was always full of energy. She used to clap each time I finished a big glass of milk or played a tune on my piano. Whenever I fell sick, she used to massage me for hours. Nani was always excited to attend my music concerts or dance concerts no matter how I performed. Even when she was tired, she made sure she combed my hair and made my braid every single morning before going to school. I will miss you Nani. I will miss your laughter, I will miss the halwa you used to make in the morning, I will miss going to the camp with you, I will miss playing Guess Who with you but mostly I will miss your warm tight hugs and kisses. My Nani was like a beautiful balloon and now she is flying high. In the end I will sing a song from a cartoon video that Naisha and I watch – “Big Balloon Big Balloon, bigger than the sun and moon. Flying high in the sky, flying high and high and high…” And from the tranquil of the congregation, a baby voice joined in the song – yes, 2 year old Naisha!

Grief, sadness are not disappearing but are they being pushed hard to the corner! Not waiting for “time the healer”, Next Blog.