Going School Like A College Boy
In 8th class,I used to go to school like a college boy.(College boys of that era carried just one book,folded into a roll and kept in jeans pocket).I always hated carrying the school bag.There was no use of carrying my study materials to school and back to home.I devised a plan to avoid carrying the whole books to home.After the school time,I kept my books in the class itself!To be precise : In the WASTE PAPER BASKET !!!There was no better place to keep my books 'safe' in the class room till the next morning.The school peon/sweeper never cleaned the baskets and i knew nobody is going to know about my 'safe locker'.
But one day the extraordinary happened...The peon cleaned the basket and found my books in it!He gave it to my teachers.The teachers knew that the books are of no use for me but never thought I would have dumped it like this.
They called me to the Teacher's Room for a 'group interview'.After so many excuses (from me) and advises,they returned the books on some conditions.They ordered me never to leave my books in the class again.I obeyed and I left my books with my hostel friends;which I collected from them the next morning...!
My Love of Music...
This was also the time (16-17 years of age,1999-2000) I started taking the world music trends seriously.I had a small collection of English POP albums.Backstreet boys,Michael Jackson,Modern Talking etc. were my favourite bands.I exchanged my albums with other like minded friends from school.DVDs were not in the market and CDs just made their debut.An original audio CD with 10-12 songs was priced at Rs 400-500.
My school bag always had some 10-15 cassettes at a time.During class breaks,senior friends from 10th class snatches my bag and run away with my cassettes.It was very hard to get it back from those music freaks.Then I began hiding my bag inside the class room and sometimes I kept the cassettes in my friends' bags.But none of these protective measures were fruitful.They still got away with my cassettes...
Fair & Lovely
By the half of 8th class,a class mate,Jibin Mathew (from Kannur) made a discovery.A girl from our very own class is in love with me!I was in wonder and did not believed him.who is going to care for a back bencher cum class No.1enemy of teachers was what I thought first.Jibin demanded bribes (cakes and sweets) to reveal the name of the girl.he said thet the girl is always gazing at me in the classand out and that is a sign of her wanting to love me.In the next days, I found the girl and her gang following me during class breaks and after school hours.
I was very very happy that day.My joy was beyond words.I could not control my happiness and I was smiling on my way back to home.I dreamed a lot about her.Dreamed a lot about our future.In one dream we were walking together to the church ,each of us holding the hands of our kids.
I began using Fair & Lovely face creams to change my fair colour to white.(Was useless.)The whole school knew the affair.A few gossipped.Many supported.small children of 5th and 6th class asked me for a treat.Senior friends did some detective works and brought me the girl's telephone number,address and other family details.
But our relation did not progress.we exchanged very little words.And as time went by, another boy from my class got interested in her .After months we got separated by the summer holidays of 2 months.
But the next school year she showed no interest in me.she walked away from me always.Some one has torpedoed our affair.I tried a lot to appease her.I was the class leader and aften took her note books to my home and wrote notes for her ,in good handwriting.But the next day,she would have torn that page.
Later ,I found the reason for her avoiding me.Two senior students called her phone and said something abusive to her sister.She and her sister thought the voice from the phone was of mine.Her misconception has brought an end to the just begun affair...
Learning Internet
I accidently visited an internet cafe with a college going friend.There I saw lot of school children,younger than me,playing games and browsing the net skillfully.I felt proud of them.I have read lot of articles on internet from news papers and I knew what is internet.I eagerly wanted to learn it.
so one evening,I walked into an internet cafe in Pala and asked the operator to teach me internet and basics of computer.he agreed and asked me to pay the normal browsing charge of Rs.4o per hour.The first day I used the computer for about 4 hours and learnt how to open web pages and e maililg.The next day he taught me chatting,downloading,creating folders etc...
The internet connection at the cafe was the then common,slow, dial up connection.The speed was 56kbps or 128kbps then and it often got disconnected.Broadband connections were only available in big cities and it cost a premium.
I bunked classes to watch movies from the cafe.To watch movies from computer, I and my friends paid Rs.20 per hour.I also taught internet ,chatting,gaming etc...to few of my friends.
The knowledge in internet has helped me a lot later in my life...
Travelling to School
The distance between my school and home was 40-45 kilometers.I travelled this distance in the morning and evening by bus.I was the schools most distant day schooler.Yet I arrived school early and left school very late.I arrived school at 8:40 Am(some 1.30 hours before the school starts) and left school at 5 Pm (1 hour after school).
To keep up with my 'busy schedule', I wakes up at 5:15 in the morning.After brushing and toilet and a drink of warm black tea,i would ran off to the cold,fresh water streamthat flows nearby my home.Then I would come home and get dressed in my school uniform;navy blue pants and white shirt.Before setting out into the misty morning,I would have a quick break fast of 1 or 2 snacks and a tea.At 6:15 I starts to walk the 3 kilometers to Pinnakkanad.
After walking 10 minutes,I reached a junction and usually got a friend to walk the rest of the kms.He was Sanal, a painter,married and having two sons.He is limp and was on his way to his job site.
After walking another 20 minutes,there was a flower tree (flowers from October- January) near by a roadside house.Fresh flowers would be lying on the road and I picks up 8-10 of them and keeps one in my hand and the rest in my bag.I smell this flower to the main road that is still 30 minutes away.(While reaching school, the flowers in the bag are given to my friends.)
After walking another 10 minutes, I meets up with a white dog, young and playful.The dog would trot behind or beside me for the next half kilometers.May be the dog would be escorting me out of his area !
Later I met the owner of the dog...A 10 year old,4th class boy named Tom.Like the dog,Tom was also very friendly.They two walked along with me upto a house where he fetched milk for his house.he talked a lot about his school and friends.It was very nice enjoying his talk about silly,childish things.
I reaches the main road at 7:10 and at 7:20,my bus arrives.The bus was LMS (Leena Motor Service), a Limited Stop bus from Erumely to Eranakulam.I often sat at the front,adjacent to the driver,to enjoy the thrilling drive and to have a good view of the scenery.The driver shifted gears rapidly and negotiated the twists and curves with ease.As I watched his driving thrills everyday,I gradually began liking it.[Later, I loved this profession and I wanted to be a driver.(During those times,while travelling to my cousins house at Kanhanghad,I ask special permission from the driver of the Super Fast Night Service buses to admit me inside the driver cabin,to enjoy the super fast night drive.)
At about 8:10 ,LMS reaches Melukavu (a border town between Idukki and Kottayam districts, with mountains on one of its side. )From here some friends,Arunsree and party, joined me to school.We boards the Anjali bus to Pala at 8:15 AM.After 15 minutes, we are off the bus and boards another bus from a small junction.That bus, Vijayalakshmi took us 2 kms. up hill to our school.And at last at 8:40AM, I touch down in Neeloor...
Another Route to School
Some times I do not get off the bus at Melukavu.I would sit in the bus to enjoy the drive through the border districts' misty-blue mountains.
The bus would climb for about 30 minutes through the mountains.The driver's skillfull driving through the hair-pin bends was really thrilling.The bus 's stereo usually played soothing songs.(Songs from Summer In Bethlahem and Friends)There would be no sounds other than the music and the bus engine revving.View of foggy-blue mountains in the early morning sun was another exhilarating seen.When the up-hill climb is over; the bus begins the fast descent through the hair-pin bends.All these makes for a very wonderfull and thrilling ride to school.And in 10-15 minutes of descent, the bus reaches Muttom, a town close to Thodupuzha.
From Muttom, I catches the bus to Neeloor at about 8:50AM.This bus too, climbs the hill to Neeloor with its heavy load of children.This bus,PJMS reached Neeloor at 9:20 AM.
Another Route through Pala
I gets off the LMS bus at Erattupetta and boards a local bus to Pala.From Pala,at 8:05 AM,I board the Neeloor bound,'student's own' bus, Vijayalakshmi.This bus was upto Neeloor onl;y and was always empty.From Pala it always had only 10-15 passengers.Half of it are us,students.Halfway to Neeloor,the bus is packed with students except for 10-15 elders.Usually I and a friend,Chandy are the door keepers at the back door.The door keeping staff of the bus would be sitting in the back seat and smoking cigarettes, leaving the vacant post to us.Then from Kurumannu and Inchukavu,(10 minutes before Neeloor),the conductor of the bus too will be in the back seat,smoking cigarette.THe conductor's vacant post was taken by me and a senior friend,Juggy.I am tasked to collect the bus fares from the boys who boards from the next few bus stops.As I knew each and every one personally,I did my job well.Juggy's role was big;The conductor hands over the ticket book and he gave tickets to the passengers.He is also the front door keeper at the same time.
Upon reaching Neeloor,while the driver reverses the bus, he directs the driver with the bell and the conductor's whistle.
The journey to school was always like going for a picnic...
The sad part here is, our beloved Juggy is no more here....About two years before he caught malaria and has succumbed to it later.
He is only in our memories now...
Three Day Religious Retreat
A three day religious retreat was held at our school in 2008 (8th class)This retreat helped me discover one of the most beautiful places near to our school; The Noorumala (meaning 100 hill.On the first day of the retreat,a few 10th class senior students decided to bunk school.They included me in their company and we decided to spend the whole day up the hill.I was very excited, for it was my first climb to the hill.
They called me to the Teacher's Room for a 'group interview'.After so many excuses (from me) and advises,they returned the books on some conditions.They ordered me never to leave my books in the class again.I obeyed and I left my books with my hostel friends;which I collected from them the next morning...!
My Love of Music...
This was also the time (16-17 years of age,1999-2000) I started taking the world music trends seriously.I had a small collection of English POP albums.Backstreet boys,Michael Jackson,Modern Talking etc. were my favourite bands.I exchanged my albums with other like minded friends from school.DVDs were not in the market and CDs just made their debut.An original audio CD with 10-12 songs was priced at Rs 400-500.
My school bag always had some 10-15 cassettes at a time.During class breaks,senior friends from 10th class snatches my bag and run away with my cassettes.It was very hard to get it back from those music freaks.Then I began hiding my bag inside the class room and sometimes I kept the cassettes in my friends' bags.But none of these protective measures were fruitful.They still got away with my cassettes...
Fair & Lovely
By the half of 8th class,a class mate,Jibin Mathew (from Kannur) made a discovery.A girl from our very own class is in love with me!I was in wonder and did not believed him.who is going to care for a back bencher cum class No.1enemy of teachers was what I thought first.Jibin demanded bribes (cakes and sweets) to reveal the name of the girl.he said thet the girl is always gazing at me in the classand out and that is a sign of her wanting to love me.In the next days, I found the girl and her gang following me during class breaks and after school hours.
I was very very happy that day.My joy was beyond words.I could not control my happiness and I was smiling on my way back to home.I dreamed a lot about her.Dreamed a lot about our future.In one dream we were walking together to the church ,each of us holding the hands of our kids.
I began using Fair & Lovely face creams to change my fair colour to white.(Was useless.)The whole school knew the affair.A few gossipped.Many supported.small children of 5th and 6th class asked me for a treat.Senior friends did some detective works and brought me the girl's telephone number,address and other family details.
But our relation did not progress.we exchanged very little words.And as time went by, another boy from my class got interested in her .After months we got separated by the summer holidays of 2 months.
But the next school year she showed no interest in me.she walked away from me always.Some one has torpedoed our affair.I tried a lot to appease her.I was the class leader and aften took her note books to my home and wrote notes for her ,in good handwriting.But the next day,she would have torn that page.
Later ,I found the reason for her avoiding me.Two senior students called her phone and said something abusive to her sister.She and her sister thought the voice from the phone was of mine.Her misconception has brought an end to the just begun affair...
Learning Internet
I accidently visited an internet cafe with a college going friend.There I saw lot of school children,younger than me,playing games and browsing the net skillfully.I felt proud of them.I have read lot of articles on internet from news papers and I knew what is internet.I eagerly wanted to learn it.
so one evening,I walked into an internet cafe in Pala and asked the operator to teach me internet and basics of computer.he agreed and asked me to pay the normal browsing charge of Rs.4o per hour.The first day I used the computer for about 4 hours and learnt how to open web pages and e maililg.The next day he taught me chatting,downloading,creating folders etc...
The internet connection at the cafe was the then common,slow, dial up connection.The speed was 56kbps or 128kbps then and it often got disconnected.Broadband connections were only available in big cities and it cost a premium.
I bunked classes to watch movies from the cafe.To watch movies from computer, I and my friends paid Rs.20 per hour.I also taught internet ,chatting,gaming etc...to few of my friends.
The knowledge in internet has helped me a lot later in my life...
Travelling to School
The distance between my school and home was 40-45 kilometers.I travelled this distance in the morning and evening by bus.I was the schools most distant day schooler.Yet I arrived school early and left school very late.I arrived school at 8:40 Am(some 1.30 hours before the school starts) and left school at 5 Pm (1 hour after school).
To keep up with my 'busy schedule', I wakes up at 5:15 in the morning.After brushing and toilet and a drink of warm black tea,i would ran off to the cold,fresh water streamthat flows nearby my home.Then I would come home and get dressed in my school uniform;navy blue pants and white shirt.Before setting out into the misty morning,I would have a quick break fast of 1 or 2 snacks and a tea.At 6:15 I starts to walk the 3 kilometers to Pinnakkanad.
After walking 10 minutes,I reached a junction and usually got a friend to walk the rest of the kms.He was Sanal, a painter,married and having two sons.He is limp and was on his way to his job site.
After walking another 20 minutes,there was a flower tree (flowers from October- January) near by a roadside house.Fresh flowers would be lying on the road and I picks up 8-10 of them and keeps one in my hand and the rest in my bag.I smell this flower to the main road that is still 30 minutes away.(While reaching school, the flowers in the bag are given to my friends.)
After walking another 10 minutes, I meets up with a white dog, young and playful.The dog would trot behind or beside me for the next half kilometers.May be the dog would be escorting me out of his area !
Later I met the owner of the dog...A 10 year old,4th class boy named Tom.Like the dog,Tom was also very friendly.They two walked along with me upto a house where he fetched milk for his house.he talked a lot about his school and friends.It was very nice enjoying his talk about silly,childish things.
I reaches the main road at 7:10 and at 7:20,my bus arrives.The bus was LMS (Leena Motor Service), a Limited Stop bus from Erumely to Eranakulam.I often sat at the front,adjacent to the driver,to enjoy the thrilling drive and to have a good view of the scenery.The driver shifted gears rapidly and negotiated the twists and curves with ease.As I watched his driving thrills everyday,I gradually began liking it.[Later, I loved this profession and I wanted to be a driver.(During those times,while travelling to my cousins house at Kanhanghad,I ask special permission from the driver of the Super Fast Night Service buses to admit me inside the driver cabin,to enjoy the super fast night drive.)
At about 8:10 ,LMS reaches Melukavu (a border town between Idukki and Kottayam districts, with mountains on one of its side. )From here some friends,Arunsree and party, joined me to school.We boards the Anjali bus to Pala at 8:15 AM.After 15 minutes, we are off the bus and boards another bus from a small junction.That bus, Vijayalakshmi took us 2 kms. up hill to our school.And at last at 8:40AM, I touch down in Neeloor...
Another Route to School
Some times I do not get off the bus at Melukavu.I would sit in the bus to enjoy the drive through the border districts' misty-blue mountains.
The bus would climb for about 30 minutes through the mountains.The driver's skillfull driving through the hair-pin bends was really thrilling.The bus 's stereo usually played soothing songs.(Songs from Summer In Bethlahem and Friends)There would be no sounds other than the music and the bus engine revving.View of foggy-blue mountains in the early morning sun was another exhilarating seen.When the up-hill climb is over; the bus begins the fast descent through the hair-pin bends.All these makes for a very wonderfull and thrilling ride to school.And in 10-15 minutes of descent, the bus reaches Muttom, a town close to Thodupuzha.
From Muttom, I catches the bus to Neeloor at about 8:50AM.This bus too, climbs the hill to Neeloor with its heavy load of children.This bus,PJMS reached Neeloor at 9:20 AM.
Another Route through Pala
I gets off the LMS bus at Erattupetta and boards a local bus to Pala.From Pala,at 8:05 AM,I board the Neeloor bound,'student's own' bus, Vijayalakshmi.This bus was upto Neeloor onl;y and was always empty.From Pala it always had only 10-15 passengers.Half of it are us,students.Halfway to Neeloor,the bus is packed with students except for 10-15 elders.Usually I and a friend,Chandy are the door keepers at the back door.The door keeping staff of the bus would be sitting in the back seat and smoking cigarettes, leaving the vacant post to us.Then from Kurumannu and Inchukavu,(10 minutes before Neeloor),the conductor of the bus too will be in the back seat,smoking cigarette.THe conductor's vacant post was taken by me and a senior friend,Juggy.I am tasked to collect the bus fares from the boys who boards from the next few bus stops.As I knew each and every one personally,I did my job well.Juggy's role was big;The conductor hands over the ticket book and he gave tickets to the passengers.He is also the front door keeper at the same time.
Upon reaching Neeloor,while the driver reverses the bus, he directs the driver with the bell and the conductor's whistle.
The journey to school was always like going for a picnic...
The sad part here is, our beloved Juggy is no more here....About two years before he caught malaria and has succumbed to it later.
He is only in our memories now...
Three Day Religious Retreat
A three day religious retreat was held at our school in 2008 (8th class)This retreat helped me discover one of the most beautiful places near to our school; The Noorumala (meaning 100 hill.On the first day of the retreat,a few 10th class senior students decided to bunk school.They included me in their company and we decided to spend the whole day up the hill.I was very excited, for it was my first climb to the hill.
Satellite image of Neeloor townThe next day I came heavily prepared to lead my own trek to the hills.I brought a binocular,a canera a set of playing cards and extra food.
I reached the school as usual and asked a lot of friends to skip the church.Nobody wanted to join me for the second day retreat was held at the church,not at the school hall,where it would have been more easier for us to escape.
The teachers,HM and the Boarding Rector, all knew about my first day's trek with the seniors.
After 30 minutes of canvassing,I grouped a few juniors and we were ready to go.But a teacher spotted us and send us to the church.We all sat together,near the exit.Two teachers were watching us from the entrance of the hostel.There was no escape today, we thought.Our trek is not going to happen today.I sat hopeless in the church thinking about the miserable hours of religious 'brainwashing'...
But, 'Praise The Lord', the two 'guards' at the hostel gate went back to the hostel to have breakfast.This time was too much for us,the 'little non-believers'.I asked our gang to get out of the church slowly and separately and reach the UP School nearby.
We threw our bags above the 7-8 foot iron grille of the UP School and scaled it one by one.Christy, the shortest of us (He is also one among the shortest of our school) was lifted by one of us and another held him above the tall grille.Now everybody is out of the 'danger zone'.
But still we had to avoid some one spotting us.We formed a line moved, our heads low,right below the open windows of the live class rooms of the UP School.We left the UP School compound safely and entered the rubber and cocoa plantations to circumvent our school ground.After climbing a number of boulders, we sat at a big rock for rest (or for further surveillance).We had a good view of our school and the ground from there.With the binocular, we checked the surroundings and made sure that nobody has spotted us.For all of us, these moves seemed like a commando team's movement and everyone of us was very excited.
After 40-50 minutes of climb, we reached the top.There were just huge rocks and shrubs at the top of 100 Hills.The place was silent except the sound of the wind.The view was very beautiful,with Neeloor town and our school down below.A range of mountains with springs and waterfalls by one side.
After enjoying the views,we sat down on the rocks and played cards.Then we had an early lunch,sharing each others food.We played cards for some more time and took lot of photographs.We chatted the rest of the time and a few of us slept on the rocks.
We enjoyed our full day wonderfully and packed up.We ran down the hill and reached Neeloor in 10 minutes.The retreat was not over and we waited in the bus shelter.
Later our friends informed us that the teachers knew of our escape and they are looking for us.
But they were not able to get me as I stayed home for the third day's retreat...
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