MY KNAPSACK ON MY BACK ✍️

 

From one horizon to the next;

Much to explore

More to discover

Experiences to cherish, everyday.

From one sunset to another;

Distances to trod

Miles to traverse

Bridges to cross, along the way.

From one season to what follows;

Winds to fly

Oceans to sail

Memories to make, as I go.

From one sunrise to each moonbeam;

A Life to live

Dreams to dream

Lessons, always knocking at my door.✍️

(Originally posted on FB, a year ago, on 16th March '2023.)

BATTLE-STATION ✍️

Back when I used to go on School Excursion Tours to various corners of the country, the kids used to be absolutely obsessed about those very violent video games, in which everyone was mercilessly shooting and killing people, while trying to protect themselves. Instead of enjoying the beautiful scenic views and ever-changing landscapes passing by, from the window of the train, during those memorable long journeys (which children in my early years as a Teacher, actually did enjoy); this gadget and technology crazy generation, would just waste away a large part of the 'fun travelling by train' experience, battling away and thoroughly enjoying every single moment of it, as if it was completely real.

I have absolutely zero knowledge about video games, and even though I enjoy learning new things everyday, this is definitely something, I have no desire or interest, to find out or learn about.😂 

But, I was reminded of those moments today, (for the strangest and a completely unrelated reason), when a thought for a new post cropped up in my over-active and currently extremely delirious mind. Writing about this experience, is one of my coping techniques. Just trying to laugh my way through the situation and to distract myself from the severe, unbearable pain, after a very long and exhausting 'seven weary days'.🤒

Today is Day 8 of me fighting a battle of my own. I guess, that's what created the link to those video game battles and the DB kids, in my memory. In fact, this 'Battle-Station' is located, in a land where trillions of cells reside and happily co-exist peacefully, till some unwanted intruders, decide to cause absolute mayhem and turn everything on its head. On the one side, are these tiny, almost invisible microscopic killers, who've been wrecking havoc non-stop; and on the other, are the numerous attempts, (both natural and artificial) to completely wipe out and obliterate them.

On the day, when the whole world was going just a little bit crazy, expressing their deep affection to their loved ones; and at the time when probably all the possible 'Love Songs' - (Past, Present and Future) were getting unearthed, streamed, downloaded and replayed hundreds of times, across the world, I had the strangest creatures expressing their undying love for me. They gave me the tightest hug and even over a week later, they are showing absolutely no signs of letting go.

The reinforcements (that logic and common sense eventually coerced me to bring in), are truly doing a good job of attacking the offenders relentlessly. But, the battle is probably going to continue to rage on for a week or 10 days still, because tiny as they are, those little rascals can really make you feel like you're walking through a hurricane.

One thing that amused me though, is the names of a couple of the new recruits on this battleground. Sumo made me think of those gigantic wrestlers battling it out in the ring; and Nifty brought the battle of the bulls and bears to mind. I guess, the pharma companies like being creative too, when they pick names for their fighters.

It's quite ironic that someone who would never even hurt a fly, or who wouldn't say a harsh word, even to a person who steps on her toes in a crowded train; would actually be the 'Battle-Station' for a war of this magnitude. Hopefully, the existence of this huge colony of micro-organisms, and the damage caused by them, will be wiped out completely, over the next 2 weeks. Till then, I continue to find ways and means to calm those anxious nerves and to keep looking for the sunshine. This post is one of them.😊

LIFE IS A JOURNEY AND I'M ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT.

    

"So where are you going for the holidays this year?" That has been the question, that I've been asked innumerable times, over the past few weeks.🤔 

The month of May is generally associated with summer holidays, family trips, outings with friends, picnics, etc. I remember spending long holidays in Goa as a child, year after year, during this time.

Some of my 'fondest memories', are of the times I've spent in Goa, with my grandparents and extended family. I remember so many little things, from back then. Playing around in my grandfather's huge house, enjoying the sweet fruits-fresh from the trees, collecting the dried leaves, sitting by the river and watching the barges pass by, going across the river in the ferry boat, dipping my feet in the pond and walking through the fields...

There are so many countless things that I can remember. They are the moments that made holidays during my childhood days memorable. Those long holidays in Goa are among my most cherished childhood memories.✨️❤️

Once my grandparents passed away though, my trips to Goa, were not as frequent as they were before. However, my work began to present me with wonderful opportunities, to travel and discover different places. 

It has always been my wish, to visit as many parts of India as I can, to discover the beauty and variety that exists, in our wonderful nation. 

Over the past decade, I have been extremely fortunate, to fulfill this desire. I have been blessed with so many opportunities, to travel with my boys at school, and to discover India with them. Each and every one of those trips has been a 'learning experience'. 

As I look through the photographs, from the many trips I've been on, the wonderful memories are refreshed. I can remember so many moments, jokes, funny situations, memorable incidents, the beauty of the places themselves, the journey by train, the long bus rides, games, formation of teams, camp-fires and so much more. 

I miss all my ex-students, who used to accompany us on those trips regularly. Although they've passed out of school and moved on in life, the memories of the good times, spent on school trips with them, continue to live on in my heart. I guess those memories will stay with me forever.😊

    

Unfortunately, I do not have any holiday planned for these vacations; and somehow, there seems to be a vacuum. It seems like something is missing. Even though, most of my school trips do not happen during these holidays, it still feels like something is missing.😔

And so, I've been looking through old albums of previous holidays, and re-living the moments over the past week. Every single photograph, has a memory attached to it. So many pictures, bring a smile to my face. 

I remember places, people, past Principals, teachers who've left our institution, ex-students, tour escorts from all the years gone by, experiences, situations, moments...

...and as I think of all these beautiful memories, I say a very big Thank You to God, for every single one of these experiences. They've added so much depth, colour, joy and beauty to my life. 

Each holiday has been a blessing. Every person who has been a co-traveller, has added so much to my life. I thank God for each of these experiences and I look forward to many more in the years to come.🙏✍️

DIWALI BREAK 😊✍️

Diwali holidays for a teacher, brings with it the dreaded load of corrections. Bundles of papers that just never seem to end. Reading the same answers over and over again. Handwriting that occasionally drives one up the wall with irritation; and sometimes answers that defy logic completely. So basically, ever since I've been a teacher, Diwali Holidays haven't really been the best time to chill out and take a break.

Of course, the light at the end of this dark, never-ending tunnel though, are the 'School Tours' that I make it a point to go for every year, during this time. No doubt, going on these tours takes away a few precious days, from the time I would have been able to utilize, in finishing my corrections. However, by cutting down on my sleep and completely stressing myself out, I somehow try my best, to balance the two; simply because the joy these tours bring to me, makes it truly worth the effort.

So, am almost a week into my 3 week Diwali break. My corrections are far from over. I'm trying my level best, to make the optimum use of the time I have left, to finish the corrections, and do justice to every paper that I have to assess, at the same time. 

During this week, I've also been on my first tour for the year. I accompanied 75 of my X std boys and about 9 of my colleagues from work, to the 'susegaad' and laid-back land of the scorching sun, GOA, for about 3-4 days.🌊🌴

Right through this trip though, I found myself experiencing a tremendous sense of deja vu at every step of the way. The reason for this was that I'd gone on the same tour, stayed at the same hotel, and visited the same spots, just a year ago, with the previous batch of students. 

So, almost every experience seemed like a repetition of the previous year. I kept seeing flashes of moments, from last years trip, everywhere I went. The jokes, the faces of the students from the previous batch, the unforgettable memories, kept popping into my head from time to time. I had such an amazing time the previous year, that just a day into the trip, I began to wonder; whether this trip, would be able to match up to it at all.🤔

Thankfully, I've been blest with a personality, that enables me to have fun in whatever situation I'm in. So, despite the uncertainty in my mind, about how this trip would turn out; I actually ended up having loads and loads of fun. 

Breaking the ice with the boys took a little longer this time. I guess the reason for this, was the fact that I hadn't taught these boys, for about two years before this. So, our interaction over the past couple of years, had been limited; and during this year, had been largely restricted to the classroom, which isn't very informal. Of course, while on a trip, I make it a point to have fun, no matter what; and I guess that's exactly what I did.

What I enjoyed most about this trip was the fact that we teachers got a chance to interact with the boys, in a way that is a little difficult at school. When at school, stricter rules have to be followed; and discipline has to be maintained, to ensure the smooth functioning of the institution. On a tour like this, the rules can be relaxed to a certain extent; and the interaction can become a little more informal than it is in school. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all the fun moments singing, joking and laughing together. The secrets that were let out of the bag during this trip, caused the boys a lot of grief; because things that were only between them and their friends, had now become common knowledge, and their school teachers had also become aware of them. 

Of course, they need not fear cause once we get back from a trip, our lips are sealed. On the contrary though, I think these admissions and confessions only gave us an opportunity, to see our boys in a completely different light. We got to see a side of them, that we didn't really expect.😊

Having taught this particular batch of boys from Classes 5-7, I'd always thought of them as little kids. When I joined the school way back in 2004, they were just chintus in the V Std. Somehow,I didn't get a chance to teach them in Classes 8 and 9; and so, now in Class 10, there suddenly seemed to be a gap, not just in our interaction with one another, but also in my perception of them. 

The same boys that I'd only perceived as little kids had now grown up and there seemed to be two whole years of their growing up, that I had missed along the way; thereby making it difficult for me to understand, how much they'd grown and changed over the past couple of years. This batch also has a lot of students, that I'm teaching for the very first time this year; again a reason, for almost no interaction beyond the classroom, in the last 5 years.

I guess, this lack of interaction though, actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. What I really enjoyed about this trip was discovering so much more about my boys. I was introduced to them, their lives, their mischief, their thoughts, their dreams, their world; and these are all things, that are very difficult to discover, within the four walls of the classroom. 

I'm very grateful to God for giving me this opportunity to go on a trip like this once again, because it's moments like these, that make me happy to be a teacher. 

Moments that I can spend in the company of my boys. 

Moments when we can share a laugh together. Moments when we actually get a chance to become a part of one another's lives, to a very small extent. 

I thank God for blessing me with special moments like these, every once in a while. 

My boys will pass out of school within the next few months; but it is the memories of these special moments, that I will savour and cherish forever.

...And I hope and pray that they will remember us and these moments, for a long time as well. Thanks to all the boys who accompanied us on this trip, for making it a memorable one.✨️❤️

MOMENTS THAT MATTER ✍️

An early morning trek with a small group of ten, in the chilly hills of Mussoorie...

Laughing our hearts out, at some spur of the moment rib-tickling jokes…

Two hours of non-stop singing of old Hindi film songs, on a long bus ride…

Listening to the childish banter, of a very intelligent 3 year old…

Spending valuable moments in the company of colleagues…

Turning the tables on my boys, and playing some pranks on them for once…

Whiling away the hours, in the cool climes of Uttaranchal…

Having a cup of hot sweet corn soup, to combat the freezing temperature…

Driving through the lush forests of Corbett and not sighting a single animal…😔

Preparing a hilarious mock Jungle Safari for the boys, to make up for the disappointment…

A spine chilling yet entertaining night walk with colleagues and new found friends, in Nainital…

The fantabulous setting of Wild Crest, Corbett…

Giving the beggars in the train a run for their money with our new-found begging skills…

Enjoying the company of our unforgettable, enthusiastic, friendly and fun-loving tour operators, Jayesh and Majid (urf Himesh Uncle)…😄

The fantastic super-fast train ride home in the Garibh Rath 3-tier AC train…

The inevitable parting at Borivli station which left me visibly teary-eyed...😢

These are just a few of the highlights of the last 9 days, that I spent in the extremely cool hill slopes of Uttaranchal. 

Most of them are apparently insignificant moments of my life. Moments like many others, that I’ve had before, on the many other tours that I’ve been for, over the years. Despite the fact that I’ve been for a tour, a camp or an outing, with my school staff and students, almost every year since I’ve joined the school; I always end up coming back home, with a trunk load of treasured moments. 

I’m not that much of a shop-o-holic. So I don’t really pick up too much stuff, from the places I visit. However, after almost every trip I’ve been for; I’ve come back home, armed with a whole bunch of 'Memories', that I can savour and cherish for a life-time.😊

This year was definitely no exception. After an amazing trip to sunny Goa, with the X std. boys (which was absolutely memorable); I didn’t really expect the next trip, to top that one. I knew I would have a good time (the way I always do); but I went for the trip without too many expectations. 

Was looking forward to visiting the land, that I’ve only read about, in Ruskin Bond’s stories; and the place wasn’t a disappointment at all, (although I would have loved to see more of Dehra Dun). It was absolutely amazing. Of course, I have to add that more that the places we visited; it’s my interactions with the people who accompanied me on this trip, that made it so special.❤️

Parth, a small little bundle of joy – my colleague’s son, who brought so many smiles to my face, while I was on this trip. He was a 'one-man entertainment channel', and kept everyone entertained right through the trip. I will miss not having him around all day long, now that the trip is over. 

My colleagues and friends from work, with whom I just laughed and laughed and laughed, right thru’ the 9 days…Some of us are absolute clowns; and putting so many cartoons in one place, could prove to be quite disastrous for the weak-hearted.😂

Of course, my boys (some of whom are regulars on the tours), whose company I always enjoy. Others, who were coming on the trip for the first time, and left no stone unturned to help make every minute of the trip, memorable.

...And an extremely naughty bunch of 6th std boys, whom I was put in charge of, while on this trip; who managed to actually get on my nerves and lose my temper, more than a few times, because of their constant bickering and quarreling. For some strange reason, they just never got on with one another; and that made life rather difficult, for the teacher in-charge - That’s me - who was holding on to the last strands of her patience, whenever it came to dealing with them.🤦‍♀️😄

Without a doubt though, these are also things that I will remember, when I sit down and think about my memories from this trip. 

Lastly, the Tour Operators, who were like the glue that bound this trip together. After going on so many trips, I’ve interacted with quite a few of them in the past: but no one has been able to gel and mix with the group, as easily and whole-heartedly as Jayesh and Majid. They were the life of this tour, and helped to make this trip absolutely worthwhile. So, kudos to them, for being two of the best Tour Operators, that DB has ever seen, in the last 5 years.👍

While the country is being torn apart by violence and strife, in the name of region and religion; I went for this trip with a lot of apprehension and fear. I wasn’t too sure, if I would come back, safe and sound. 

This trip though, helped me to forget all my worries. It gave me a chance to relax, and enjoy the company of friends and students, in a completely informal setting. It once again reinforced my belief, that it doesn’t take very long to make friends. 

I realized how grateful I was, to be blest with opportunities like these, to mingle with people, and to visit so many places, all over the country. 

I always knew, that I had an amazing ability to make friends. This trip made me marvel at, how quickly I got attached to people. The tears in my eyes at the end of this trip, were tears of sadness, at having to part ways from friends and students; who were my family for the past 9 days...No doubt school begins in two days, and I’ll be meeting almost all of them again; but it just won’t be the same. 

As I sit down to write this post, I am once again grateful to God, for bringing special people into my life. People who make the world a happier place. People who give me a reason to smile. People with whom, I am able to create so many 'Moments that Matter'.✨️✍️

FAITH RENEWED…CONFIDENCE RESTORED ✍️

The excitement had been building up much before the day finally arrived. The countdown had begun in the midst of all the tension and stress of the exams. Suddenly in the middle of supervising an exam, someone would say, “Miss, just 7 days to go.” I guess their enthusiasm rubbed off on me as well; and I also began looking forward to the trip, with a lot of anticipation.

Finally, the day dawned…The exams were over; but the joy on all their faces, was not just because the ordeal of the exams had been over and done with, for the time being. It was more because, in a few hours from then, we would be heading towards the land of the sun and sand. The land of the coconut trees and the rivers. The land endowed with scenic beauty.😊

For me, the excitement was tantamount to that of a little kid, who was visiting a new place for the very first time. No doubt, this was a place I’d been visiting, from the time I was a little kid. I was familiar with practically every place we were going to. Despite that, there was an underlying sense of joy, to be going back to the place, where I’d spent so many holidays with my Grandfather, and enjoyed every moment of it.✨️

For the others, it may have been like just another holiday; but for me going back to Goa, is always 'Special', as it brings back so many memories of my childhood.❤️

It brings a smile to my face, every time I think of how I tried coaxing the boys, to stop what they were doing, by saying, “Look out of the windows of the bus boys. We’re in Goa.”😄 After a point, they may have got annoyed at my repeated interruptions, to say something which was obviously 'So Silly'. For me though, it was a joy, to show off my native land, to these young visitors, who also happened to be my students.😊

Back home now, I find myself day-dreaming, every once in a while. We’re back in our beloved hometown Mumbai; but I don’t know whether I’m really happy to be home. There’s something that seems to be missing. I miss the noise around me. I miss the constant jabbering and yelling, the sing-song and the fooling around. I miss the fun and the laughter. 2 days on the train and 3 days in Goa…Somehow, all of that seemed a little too short. It seemed to get over, before it had even begun.😔

One of my past students, looked at the pictures of my trip today, and he said, “Miss, you sure have a lot of people in your pictures.” His conclusion was that I liked being around people, and that was very evident in my photographs. 

Come to think of it, I actually always like having a lot of people, in my pictures. This time it was Goa, so I didn’t really need to click pictures of places; since I’d already visited most of them before. However, even otherwise, I guess I always have 10-12 people in my pictures; with the monument, famous site, etc, only in the background. There’s so much we learn about ourselves, from the things we do. Isn’t it strange how everything we do, reflects a part of our personality?🤔

I’ve been on so many trips with the boys in school, over the last 5 years. So, what is it about this trip, that stands out? Was there something, that made this particular trip memorable? 

Yes, there sure were a lot of things. The hotel was amazing. The journey to and fro was fun. The hungama on the bus-rides from place to place was crazy. Lots of happy moments to choose from.😊

Strangely though, something that I will never forget about this trip; is an incident that made me unhappy. For almost half a day, it wiped off the smile from my face, and nearly drove me to tears. It was a misunderstanding, with one of my oldest students. An accusation of being ‘partial’ towards a particular group of students, was leveled against me. That word ‘partial’ is something, that cut through my heart like a knife. 

I guess it hurt more, because the person who pointed the finger against me, was a student who was so dear to me; one of my first students, who has always been so special. In the 5 years that I’ve been teaching, this was the first time, a student had leveled such a charge against me; and being something, that I’d always striven not to do, I found it extremely difficult to digest those words.😔

After a distressed day, I ended up with a splitting headache; but decided to sort things out, before turning in for the night. A relaxed chat face to face, worked wonders. It helped to ease the feeling of discomfort, that had been troubling me all day; and it definitely helped to clear the air and sort out every misunderstanding that ever existed.

So, would I call this experience, one that was a dampener on my fun trip? It upset me, no doubt. However, I don’t think it ruined my trip, in any way. Rather, it was a great learning experience. 

I’ve heard the saying very often, that ‘you can’t please all the people all the time.’ This was a real life example of that saying, coming to life through my own experience. 

Of course, I can joyfully say, that I now share an even more special relationship, with that student of mine. A rapport, that is now devoid of misunderstanding; as the whiff of the chilly air, that had momentarily slipped in through the crevice in the window, had now been driven out, and overpowered by the warmth of love and understanding. 

With the faith in the relationship renewed and the confidence in the student-teacher bond restored; I’m happy and my entire trip was worthwhile.✍️

SALAMAT DATANG TO A NEW WORLD 😊💕

Along with all the love and respect that I have received as a Teacher in the past 4 years; and apart from all the joy it brings to me, my job has also given me an opportunity to Travel. 

I have visited a number of places within India, on our 'Annual School Educational Tours' with the boys; and every experience has given me an opportunity, to broaden my horizons. It has exposed me to the immense variety and brought me face to face with the amazing diversity, that exists in our beloved nation.

India is such a wonderful assortment of cultures, language, cuisines, dress, and landscape; and yet despite the multiplicity, there is an underlying oneness that unifies us.

Every trip around India therefore, has been a learning experience for me, and has helped to make the textbooks come alive, right before my eyes. It has given me first hand experience and thereby, made me a more well-informed and knowledgeable teacher, than I was before. 

Now, when I share some information with my boys in class, it’s not merely head knowledge or something I just got off the internet; but it’s a sharing of actual experiences, and that definitely makes the whole teaching-learning experience, more believable and enjoyable.😊

Just over a week ago, my school once again presented me with an opportunity, to take my 'Voyage of Discovery' a step further. It literally took me off my feet and whisked me off high into the clouds, to a place I’d never been to before. 

‘Salamat Datang’- that was the greeting this new world extended to me, as it welcomed me with open arms. Once again I was going to be exposed to a new kind of diversity and was about to be a part of a whole new set of experiences. Only this time, it was beyond Indian shores, in a foreign land, as I visited two of the most sought after tourist destinations in South East Asia - Singapore and Malaysia.💕

CLEAN and GREEN - Those are just two words we keep hearing over and over again, here in India. In those two places however, those are not merely words, but they’ve been actualized and made a reality. Visible dirt is a concept that’s probably unheard of, by the citizens of these two nations; and surprisingly, a large percentage of the population, is made up of people, who are Indians by descent. 

It made me wonder about how, Indians living in a foreign land had learnt to systematically and diligently follow the very rules, that they happily chose to disregard, in their own land.

Malaysia-Truly Asia - How many times, I had seen that ad for Malaysia Airlines on the television; and one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind, as I walked around in Genting Highlands and in Kuala Lumpur, was how true that tag-line actually was. 

There were people from almost every corner of Asia there. It was as if the whole of Asia, in every form, shape and size, had descended upon this country. I never really felt home sick at any point of time, during my short trip. 

Of course, one of the reasons was probably because, I was travelling in a group of 30 people; and we were almost like one big family for those eight days. 

However, the other reason for that was, that we kept bumping into Indians, almost everywhere we went. We heard people around us conversing in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi and of course Tamil, which incidentally is one of the official languages in those countries, a fact which came as quite a surprise to most of us. 

We also ate things like paneer, dosas, naan and aloo mutter in the Indian restaurants there. Who would have thought, that one would be able to find authentic Indian cuisine, in a totally foreign land. Of course, in the bargain, we did miss out on sampling some of the local street food and delicacies, which is something I did regret to a small extent; but the Tour Operator had strangely preferred to book us mostly Indian meals, during our stay there.😒

Singapore and particularly Sentosa Island, was absolutely beautiful; and took us right into the warm embrace of Mother Nature herself. Birds, animals, and aquatic life - we were literally face to face, with all of them. The rainforest settings had been painstakingly created, over a number of years; and provided the animals, birds and the fish with such a wonderful home, where they were well looked after and taken care of.

One of the thoughts that was uppermost in all our minds, was that we in India have almost as much beauty and natural diversity in our country, if not more. What we need most of all, is to chanelise all those wonderful resources and develop it, just as the governments of these two countries have done. They have turned their countries into amazing tourist spots, simply by going back to nature and harnessing the resources they have, in the best possible ways.👍

This trip brought with it, a host of first time experiences for me. There were so many times when I found myself, looking around at things around me, with absolute wonder. I was completely awestruck by some of the experiences, and at so many times behaved like a little kid, who was seeing some of the things for the very first time in her life. 

The long 20 minute cable car rides to and from Genting Highlands, over the forests and mountains of Malaysia; which started off on a slightly nervous note, soon turned into absolute delight and scenic splendour. It made the shorter cable car ride to Sentosa Island, seem like a cake-walk. 

The large number of escalators and elevators that we went up and down in, took some getting used to initially, for those of us who had always been used to stairs; but eventually, we got used to them, so much so that someone suggested that Fr.Bosco, our Principal, should convert all our staircases in school to escalators.😄

I was also dealing in foreign currency for the first time ever; and it was not so much fun realizing, how expensive things were there, when we converted it into Indian Rupees. For the sake of tourists, let's hope the value of the Indian Rupee goes up soon.

The high point of the entire trip however, was a show on the beach at Sentosa Island, called ‘Songs of the Sea’. It was a mix of music, smoke, water, fire, lights, computer animation, laser projection and a host of things, all rolled into one; making it an absolutely spectacular show. It was so beautifully co-ordinated and flawlessly executed, that it left us completely speechless. 

Everything was perfectly orchestrated as we moved towards the magnificent fireworks display, which marked the finale of the show. Words would be insufficient to describe, what that experience was like. One has to only see it to believe it; but that one show, made the whole trip so worthwhile, and was a fitting end to a fantastic trip.❤️

I’d like to end this section of my blog, with a word of Thanks to my Principal, Fr. Bosco, for organizing this entire trip, and for going a step further and thinking of an 'International Tour' this year. 

I will always remember that my first ever 'foreign trip' was made a reality, because of him. Of course, our Tour Operator Alpesh, from ‘Ashish Holidays’ and his contacts in Malaysia and Singapore, ‘Tourland’, for providing us with the best facilities, hotels, transportation, food, etc. 

This tour almost did not happen for me, as I got my visa in hand, just half an hour before stepping on the plane. I guess I have to Thank God and Aadam and Sunder from Ashish Holidays who went all out, to see that my visa was ready just in the nick of time. 

My 29 co-travellers also made the trip very lively and enjoyable, with their enthusiasm and friendly banter. 

Of course, there are also two people who will be etched in our memories for a long time, Mr.Sundarajan and Ms.Bee Choo who were our guides in Malaysia and Singapore, respectively. They were two very colourful personalities, that we encountered; and both of them made our trip memorable. I also learnt a lot about the history and culture of the region from the two of them.

I thank God for making this trip a reality for me and for keeping his mantle of protection over us at all times.✍️

UNFORGETTABLE PEOPLE!!! CHERISHED MEMORIES!!! ✨️❤️

I just got back from Goa a couple of days ago. Spent some days there with a few colleagues from school, a few of their family members and my Principal. A nice lively group of 14 adults and 3 kiddies. We had an amazing time and just didn’t want the trip to end. Even after coming back to Bombay, I find my mind drifting back to the enjoyable moments we spent together.😊

Goa is my hometown. Although I was born in Amchi Mumbai and brought up here, there is some kind of connection with that land of the sun and sand. (Unfortunately, I’m not very fluent in Konkani; and my friends thought I wasn’t fit to call myself a Goan because of that.) 

Anyway, I’ve been going to Goa ever since I was a child. Spent my long summer holidays there, with my grandparents. My holidays in Goa are among some of my most cherished childhood memories. I loved my Grandfather a lot; and the two of us shared a very special bond. So, going back to Goa brings back all those precious memories, of the times I spent with him. I have an emotional attachment, to the place where we lived in Goa, especially because it reminds me of my dear ‘Papa’. The house we lived in, sadly doesn’t belong to us anymore; but going back to that little village called Corjuem in Goa, even for those few minutes, reminded me of the fun times I had spent there as a child. It brought my Papa back to life for me, right before my eyes.✨️💕

Leaving Goa had always been hard for me. I remember that I always had tears in my eyes, on the bus-ride back to Bombay, just as we were moving out of Goa, every single time. It’s been many years now since my Papa passed away. Despite that, I somehow couldn’t stop my tears when the bus was leaving Mapusa, a couple of days ago. They just came out of nowhere, and streamed down my face in a hurry.

I guess some people, some memories and some moments, are just impossible to forget and wipe away, from our minds and hearts. I miss you Papa. I think I always will.✨️❤️