A Trip to The Zoo

The "hot" favourite cooling itself off

A plan abandoned demanded that a better plan replace it.

We had thought of attending a car rally, and skipped breakfast, decided to have brunch so that food was out of the way. But then we decided that it seemed pointless going all the way to see probably only the start of the rally.

But by then the children were getting ready, and it seemed cruel to not take them everywhere. Our guilt was more than their disappointment, but well, it was an excuse for us to go out together after a long while.

I have always wondered why we end up going to closed up spaces like malls for diversion. And yet, all I could think of was the Fun City in Express Avenue. But my hubby had a better plan - the Zoo. A trip that would be of interest to all of us.

Amazing that my 7 and 5 year old children managed to walk all the way. They were tired, they cribbed, they cried, they tripped - can I blame them. The entire thing took up five hours in peak afternoon, with very few stalls in between for refreshments. And yet, they completed the circuit.

In fact, my son amazed me when, towards the end, he suddenly had a burst of energy as we approached the section with crocodiles. Is that his favourite animal? I wonder. He ran ahead, announced the names after checking with us, and was generally in high spirits. He wanted very eagerly to see a rhino, which seemed missing in the zoo here. But a hippo, and a pygmy hippo that responded to his call by looking up while ignoring the others, more than made his day.

My daughter followed and the two were as if they had just entered the zoo.

Ending the day with ice creams sort of made up for all the hard work. Especially when, on returning, their father let them both play on the computer for half an hour, and then TV, she said "This is my best day!"

I agree, it was the best day in a long time.

Also read: Keeping a Promise, Leisurely Journey

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Maatti Muzhikkum Pethai

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Maatti Muzhikkum Pethai: "வேலை என்ற பெரிய பொறுப்பு சில நேரங்களில் மிருதுவாய் பூப்போல் மேலே உதிரும் நாம் செய்தோம் என்ற திருப்தி தரும் சில சமயங்களில் பாறையைப் போல மேலே..."

Seen to be Doing

As against doing. Every field today is plagued by this. Is it because of the numbers out there, giving us competition? The need to be ranked somewhere? Not just because it brings contentment to us, because we are good at it, but because others can see how good we are at it?

So we do all that it takes to be seen - the doing can wait, and sometimes be skipped completely. It is in recognition, in how many people see us that our focus is. Not on what impact our action has, how does it benefit us and others, and our chosen field...

If we are not seen, does it mean any less?

We struggle yes, but to shoot to fame, and not to get the job done well.

Read also: In High Places ; A Framework for Children; The Sound of Music

Carbon Copies

Genetic imprint? Call it what one may, it is strange how certain patterns of behaviours and games repeat themselves.

"Amma, Sadhvi says she has vampire teeth. If she bites, she can suck blood and she enjoys the taste," my daughter told me, transporting me back immediately to my early school days.

"Nisha says you love eating human flesh," I remember a friend telling me about another friend. I had sat down and cried - quite a melodramatic scene it was. All the boys and girls surrounded me and asked me to have lunch. I said, "No, I will only have flesh!" Wonder why no one thought of calling the bluff and saying there was plenty around me to bite into!

"There is ghost" is another all time favourite.

How do these tales find their way into the mouths of every school-going child sometime or the other?

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Ennudaiya Bike

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Ennudaiya Bike: "அதற்கு என் மேல் என்ன கோவமோ தெரியவில்லை. பத்து வருடமாக உன்னுடன் இருக்கிரேன், நீ புதுசாக வந்த பழைய காருக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்கிறாய் என்று ..."

Education vs. Intelligence

Strange how within a span of three days, I had this discussion with three different people - and all had the same thing to say. Not rocket science, you say? You are right! And yet, the way marks and performance are discussed, the way mothers give up stuff before boards for kids, the way mothers start visiting temples during exams - one would think there was a connection!

I am not saying high scorers are duds. Let's accept they are intelligent. But those who score lower, are they duds?

Now, having had a bindaas attitude through school and college - crying on the morning of getting the report card in the ninth in Cal is ruled out because that was the first time I encountered serious education, and in subsequent years, went back to being bindaas - I am quite amused and confused about the way education is increasingly becoming a pressure point. 100% cut off! For a humanities student, it is a far fetched dream. But even if one can score in commerce...is that what we want - only the top, the rest go drown? Already IIT coaching starts from 9th. Next what? From UKG?

We need utopia in more ways than one!

Let Children Enjoy; Framework for Children; Bringing Up

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Narumanam - Kavithai

Meeravin Mudal Prayatnam: Narumanam - Kavithai: " காட்டின் ஒரு மூலையில் பெரிய மரங்களுக்கு நடுவில் ஒரு சிறிய பூச்செடி அதற்க்கு பூமியே தாய் வானமே தந்தை காட்டு ஜீவராசியே நண்பர்கள் அதில் ஒரு ..."