Growing up in the 1960s and 70s was different from childhood today, especially for those of us in middle-class families who lived a hand-to-mouth existence. Unlike the present-day kids who have a dizzying variety of footwear – school shoes, formal shoes and sneakers, our world of shoes was far simpler. We had just one kind: school shoes – a single pair of black leather and another of white canvas, called ‘PT shoes’ in those days. At home, the ubiquitous footwear was rubber chappals, colloquially called ‘kenchi’, a stark contrast to the array of slippers and flip-flops children wear today.
From ordinary to an (extra) ordinary bus journey
My experience with inter-city travel by road dates back to my M Phil studies at the university in Amritsar. Almost every weekend, I would shuttle between my home town, Jalandhar and Amritsar on state roadways buses. My studies completed, but my bus journeys continued, though on a different route. Now I commuted frequently between Jalandhar and Chandigarh, where I worked. Who was bothered about the deluxe buses in those days? I would merrily hop on any ordinary, non-AC bus. Continue reading “From ordinary to an (extra) ordinary bus journey”
A random memory flashes back
Setting curd before winding up the kitchen at night has been a part of my daily routine for decades. In winters, as temperatures fall the task becomes daunting. I try to follow my mom-in law’s golden rule for the perfect curd: mix a little curd thoroughly into sufficiently warm milk and wrap the milk bowl in layers of covering depending upon warmth that you require for yourself. However, the fact remains setting curd to the right taste and texture is tricky. I remain apprehensive about the outcome.
Suhani yaden…. Tuning in radio memories
Today, when I ask Alexa to play a song of my choice, she obliges readily. However, I can’t get over the charm of the old times, when I waited in anticipation for my favourite song to play on radio. There was an element of surprise in the playlist that added to the appeal. As the singers crooned, I hummed along and tapped my feet to the peppy numbers. Nothing but nostalgia! I remember dreamily my college days when I would lie down at night with a book in my hand and a transistor by my side playing old melodies on Vividh Bharti. These are Suhani yaden, the golden memories of soothing music that lulled me to sleep. Continue reading “Suhani yaden…. Tuning in radio memories”
In fond memory of a benevolent disciplinarian
I distinctly remember the principals’ office housed in a tiny room with low ceiling. The office was small and modest, but the person occupying it was a woman of stature with an impressive persona. Mrs. Shakuntala Roy was the head of the institution when I joined MCM DAV College, Chandigarh as a faculty member a little over four decades ago. I can never forget her awe- inspiring personality. ‘Mrs. Roy’, the way everyone would address her, was a strict disciplinarian. Every morning before the start of the classes, she, in her crisp cotton saris in summers and rustling silk in winters, would be standing in the college corridor. No close circuit television (CCTV) can ensure the kind of punctuality and discipline that her presence did.
Continue reading “In fond memory of a benevolent disciplinarian”
