Reflections: The last day of school

Reflections: The last day of school:           Seeing my friend's daughter's picture of the last day of school took me back....20 plus years. The tension of the exam...

The last day of school

          Seeing my friend's daughter's picture of the last day of school took me back....20 plus years. The tension of the exam months was nerve-wracking in high school. As the month of February approached, we put away all our novels and replaced it with text books.Our toys became the geometry boxes as we spent hours perfecting those trapezoids and polygons. Drawing books were substituted by Biology record books as we let our artistic skills out with sketches of cockroaches and frogs. In the ensuing weeks our text books became our listening partner as we recited all our syllabuses to it,pillows as we often dozed off on it and also punching cushion to show our frustration and anger.
           After two grueling weeks of non stop studies,tension, lack of sleep,I usually become a zombie waiting for a reprieve. This was especially true for the 12th std public exams when the pressure on us was tremendous. For me it was self inflicted since I had set my goals higher and challenged a senior friend of mine that I will score higher than him. In the final year of school though, exams seemed to be never ending as we jumped from half yearly exams to 2 sets of mock exams before the final one. On the morning of the first public exam,me and my friend Geetha went to the nearby Ramar temple and prayed to all our favorite Gods.Most of the students entered the school that day with their foreheads decorated  with "viboodhi" and "kumkum" from all the temples in the "Temple City"procured by their devout parents. That was an act so typical of our pious parents, who somehow seem to have had more belief in the supernatural powers than in the intellectual capacity of their off springs! The big examination hall, silence not usual for our Craft Hall, pacing proctors, and the racing clocks... so intimidating. It made me forget my own name. Finally I was able to get my thoughts straight and pull through the first examination which was English. As I got used to the routine the tension eased a little only to surface again as more difficult and important subject tests arrived. The last exam was biology which was very crucial one for me. That time I thought the performance in that particular exam could make or break my "White coat" dreams. After reviewing the answer sheet a zillion times, I submitted it to the examiner and without even looking back, walked out. I still remember the feeling as I walked out of the hall, felt like being released from prison. Sun shine seemed brighter and air outside crisp.In the midst of hot Madurai summer, I even felt the cool Kodai breeze on my face. I was in an euphoric state. Summer vacation at last!! No books, no homework and no more taxing exams !!
         As a tradition, me and my friends used to gather outside "Aavin". "Aavin" was our favorite haunt, a combination of ice cream parlor and on-the-go snack bar and one of a kind in TVS nagar that time. We talked about latest movies, TV shows, vacations plans etc etc. That evening was very special to all of us since we said "Good Bye" temporarily to our buddies. In those days without the internet chat rooms we had to meet each other physically in their living rooms to chit chat. Similarly face-to-face encounter was our face book to show our likes ( and dislikes). That being said meeting our friends who lived only 3 miles away was a remote possibility. This was particularly very hard after we finished our 12th exams. It was a bitter sweet moment I would say. As the excitement of starting college life filled my mind, my heart was drowning in sorrow to say adieu to my dearest friends whom I have known most of my life time.Equally hard was to bid farewell to my school which by then held a special place in my heart. Having spent 14 years in the same school, I personified it, often relating to it as guardian who embraced me with open arms and a warm heart. Its vast playground lined with shady trees, compact "Craft hall",open corridors and cozy classrooms,I knew will etched in my memory forever. As I came home that evening my excitement had died down. I didn't want to change my uniform and for the first time I went to sleep in it, knowing that I will never get another chance in my life to be a school girl again.

Mirage

         A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon when an image is left to the viewer's imagination. That is the scientific definition. The word imagination leaves room for countless interpretation. We all see what we want to see. Human mind can be tuned in the way we want it to be... Good,bad,ugly. Mirage is a real incident that can be captured in camera. It's in sharp contrast to hallucination where the image is purely imaginary. A pious devotee sees God in a cold stone sculpture.Just like a thirsty desert rider sees water on a barren land.Belief in God makes a pious person see his lord in the stone just like optimism makes a thirsty passenger see water in the middle of the desert.
             When I looked at the clouds I saw cotton candy at the six, Cinderella at age sixteen and now all I see is an ambulance! A person's character, experience, thought process plays a huge role in the inference. Sigmund Fred said that all our thought process and action are controlled by our unconscious mind. The impulse, desire,anger, frustration influence one's interpretation of image.
Hallucinations are bizarre, irrational thoughts that are no way close to reality. If we get carried away with our imagination it is possible to slip into a wild ride of hallucination. 
        We all hold on to our emotional anchors in life. It can be your best friend, a parent, sister or a spouse. What seem to me as real may not seem real to a person next to me. My best friend may be someone else's worst enemy.This I call it an emotional mirage! Mirage I feel is not only an optical phenomenon but also an emotional phenomenon! As long as you know how to interpret yours !!!

Science Fair 9th std

The date was announced and venue fixed . Me and Deepa started to brainstorm ideas for our project. Can we dissect a frog's intestines?!...that idea leaped out in a second. Can we create an erupting volcano ? ... We extinguished that idea too.

Suddenly Mr.Gray took over our inquisitive minds and inspired us to come up with a model of a human heart.

We sent out our little helpers to find the best clay in Madurai. Meanwhile my dad shopped around for modeling clay known as China clay to give it a professional touch.Once we had our raw materials we carefully sculpted a structure that resembled a human heart. Satisfied with the finished project we proudly displayed it on the counter top of our biology lab.

Finally came the Inauguration Day of the science exhibition.Excited presenters lined up behind their projects,curious on-lookers were peeking through the window. Teachers, laboratory assistants were doing their last minute touch up before the ceremony.As we all prepared for the finale, there flew our chief guest, small,soft,furry and fast! It was a pigeon!! The bird was caged to give us a lesson on Ornithology.The lab assistant who  opened the door of the cage to feed it had no idea that trapped  pigeon was waiting for that opportune  moment to get its freedom.Our avian friend landed right on our heart, sending "Superior Vena Cava" to the nearby sink. Commotion started in the laboratory with teachers and students trying to catch the eluding bird. One enthusiastic 10th grader climbed on the table,aimed at the pigeon with precision catching it by its legs. In that process he fractured the "Aorta" of our heart too.Me and Deepa were stunned to see our Heart broken ... literally right in front of our eyes.There we stood with our structurally defective heart moments before the presentation.

Aspiring cardio thoracic surgeons, engineers and scientists in that room made miracle happen in minutes. Our heart was not only resuscitated back but also made it as an award winning exhibit.That day in our school made me believe in angels. Wingless angels called friends who can make miracle happen with the power of love!