Ma'am I swallowed my tooth!

Recently, I had the opportunity to teach a bunch of 1st graders, thanks to a very dear friend Usha, who is a Grade 1 class-teacher in an International school here in Singapore.

They were learning about the human body and she thought it would be interesting to have me as guest speaker, me being a doctor and all! When she first asked if I could come and speak to the children a couple of months ago I must admit I was a bit nervous - but decided to 'boldly go where I had never gone before' (sorry couldn't resist the star trek ref) and so I said yes!

We agreed to keep it simple (they were after all only 6yr olds!) and settled for some interesting facts about the systems they knew and decided to show them some of the medical instruments doctors use while examining patients, the classic example being every one's favourite: the stethoscope!

On the day, I gathered my notes and instruments and headed over, feeling rather like a kid on his first day in a new school - nervously excited!! Got there half an hour early by design and the Principal was kind enough to show me around. It was nostalgic to say the least - I haven't been inside a school for oh...let me see...never mind, too many years to count ;-)

Enjoyed looking into the beautifully decorated lower-grade classrooms and the more austere higher-grade ones. Why do imagination and curiosity lose out to practicality as we grow older? Such a shame! Walking around the various labs, the cafeteria, the indoor gym, the library, was like a welcome blast from the past!

And then, it was time for class! I met the kids in their classroom where Usha introduced me as "Our Guest Speaker - the Doctor!" They all yelled "Good Morning Ma'am" in a chorus as I stood smiling, nervously self-conscious, aware they were all staring at me like some kind of interesting specimen, until a little boy piped up, "Are you a doctor really? You don't look like one? Your not even wearing doctor clothes!" Another little girl squirmed in her seat while frantically waving her hand around to attract my attention. "Yes," I said and she burst out "Ma'am you know, once I swallowed my tooth and now it's right down in my stomach!" I burst out laughing and all my nervousness vanished! This was going to be a hoot!

Welcome to the world of 6yr olds :-)

And so we began...all throughout the one hour, they fidgeted, talked out of turn and yelled out details of every injury and fracture they or their family members had ever suffered in the manner of all 6yr olds!! "Ma'am my grandpa's skull burst!" yelled one little boy and then seeing my shocked face - he went on to explain patiently "Ma'am he slipped and had a fracture in his head and had to go to hospital." Another little girl shared how her foot had been in plaster for 6 weeks and then her hand for 4 more, the poor darling I thought and then thought, her poor mother!! And all the while my friend from the classroom kept up her chorus, "Ma'am I swallowed my tooth and now it's in my tummy!" It was entertainingly surreal.

I showed them the stethoscope and thermometer and a syringe - all too familiar from visits to the doctor's clinic. They were fascinated by the otoscope that could 'see right into your ear.' "What's there to see inside the ear Ma'am? Is it red-coloured?" The hammer used to test reflexes interested them so much that while leaving, they had all made their own, by sticking their pencil points into one end of their erasers!! Smart kids these! They trooped out in a straggly line proudly showing off their handiwork. Moms please accept my apologies for ruining one more eraser - but what's one more in the hundreds that will follow! ;-)

The hour passed in a flash! While leaving, they presented me with 3 beautiful thank you cards that I will treasure always :-) I don't know how much of what they heard that day they will remember - but I know this I will never forget what they taught me - stay young, don't be afraid to ask questions, never limit your imagination and always listen to your teacher!

And so that was my first shot at teaching...entirely adorable, utterly exhausting and hugely satisfying!!

A big 'THANK YOU' to Usha and her 'bacchas' for giving me one of the happiest moments of my life!

Old friends...

I'm really into this blogging thing today! Have just finished editing another chapter and am so happy - have decided to spend more time blinding myself at the PC! Sometimes I wonder whether I would even have a life to write about if it weren't for my 'beloved laptop!' - my friend, my confidante and often my muse!!

So here I am with my evening cuppa, rice for dinner on the stove, getting this blog sorted!

Am posting the poems from my other blogs here in an attempt to get organized at the suggestion of my cousin Aseem. One because it was rational and second 'coz rational is so 'rare' from Aseem ;) (kidding bro! you are the best!)

And that's why I thought this title appropriate - because it felt like revisiting old friends. Every poem is special - bringing back treasured memories of joy and pain. Reading them is like slipping under my ancient, dog-eared comforter and curling up, safe from the madness of the crazy world outside! My oasis, my harbour, my sanctuary...just like old friends so often are...

Will start with my first, my precious, my oldest friend...Awakenings.

'Awakenings'

This is the first poem I ever wrote...

It was just after watching the movie of the same title, starring one my all-time favourites Robert DeNiro. The movie is based on a true story of what happens when long-term comatose patients start waking up after they receive a revolutionary drug.

A poignantly beautiful movie about the fragility of life, it got me thinking about how they must have felt, when they awoke to a 'Whole New World' & where they might have been during all those years of silent vigil.

I don't know why I've been thinking about it today - maybe it has something to do with 'The Year of the Rat' and new beginnings or the fact I will turn 40 this year, or the fact that we are waiting for our Baby to arrive, or all of the above! Or maybe it's just my gut telling me, 2008 - is truly the year of my Awakening!

Awakenings

What is my cage?
If not of bars, of thoughts,
Of words, of dreams.
What is it that keeps me from myself,
If not a cage.

What is it that brings me joy?
Helps me fly, touch the sky.
Keeps me from drowning, keeps me afloat,
A touch of sunlight, a ray of hope.

Where is my soul if not within,
And is my heart in perfect sync?
My mind, it soars,
My eyes, they bore,
Into the future and the past,
Until I am at peace at last.

- Harsha

'Father Time'

I honestly don't remember how this next one came to me!

Wish I could say it evolved from some intellectual thought process or better yet - arrived fully formed into my head like manna from heaven! The fact is, haven't a clue - vaguely remember thinking 'rhyming's a bitch!'

So here He is 'Father Time.' Be careful he won't stay long...

'Father Time'

Sometimes it’s hard to know,
If ‘Time’ is friend or hateful foe.
Racing along when he should walk slow,
Standing still when he needs to flow.

He’s ‘Father’, he’s money,
And sometimes just funny!
Laughing, crying. angry, sad,
And at times, just plain bad.

He has his own energy, walks his own pace,
While men run his awkward race.
Some with passion, some with grace,
Some with red and puffy face!

He has a mind all his own,
To terrorize, humble, soothe or clone.
No beginnings, never ends,
Worst of enemies, best of friends.

He pays no heed to human emotions,
Traveling along in his own motion.
Raising mountains, filling oceans,
Watching the rise and fall of nations.

Does he mend broken hearts, and heal broken bones?
Or maybe turn men to stone?
He turns tiny seeds into giant trees,
And then cuts them down with scary ease.

He can be as gentle as a baby’s breath,
Or cold and hard, still as death.
How might we stop him, make him care?
To solve his riddle, who would dare?


- Harsha

'Silent Night'

I wrote this one late one night, when for a change, I wasn't sprawled in front of the TV watching inane hindi serials!

Instead I allowed silence to envelop me in its magical embrace and took a leap of faith.

And so now I truly believe...Silence is golden...

'Silent Night'

I sit silent in the night,
Watching the starry skies.
It’s a beautiful still night,
And the world it seems is quietly resting...

But Mother Nature works on...
Softly swaying trees, reaching ever upward to the sky,
Rustling leaves singing songs to the wind,
Sleepy flowers dreaming of a fruitful tomorrow,
Deep roots, drawing their strength from the depths of the earth,
Travelling farther from home each day.
The night brings them no rest...

Far away the stars shine brightly,
Hurling flames of fire into space,
The moon appears calm and serene,
But what do we know of the upheavals on her face?
I spot Mars, but a red dot in the sky,
How far away he is and yet how closely he seems to watch!
The night brings them no rest...

All over the world there is a hush of peace,
Babies sleep while parents watch,
Parents sleep while babies dream,
Until a cry or dream awakes them both,
And starts again their cycle of life.
The night brings them no rest...

The force works silently through the night,
The heartbeat of this sleeping world,
Moving mountains, flooding rivers,
Carrying hope, spreading seeds,
Bringing moonshine and dreamless sleep,
Come morning, it brings us Joy,
New possibilities to enjoy,
Faith and Hope
Grief and Joy

All through the silent night,
This force of LIFE, keeps us alive.

- Harsha

'Music'

A dear friend of mine organized a dance festival a while ago that showcased Indian Contemporary Dance. It was my first serious exposure to the madly chaotic yet strangely serene world of creative arts - and I enjoyed every loony minute of it!!

I've always had a secret yearning to be creative in the way great artists and authors and dancers are. Creation is mystical to me - often mundane always magical!

The festival allowed me to interact closely with artists practicing their art of dance and I came away impressed by their dedication, moved by their courage, mesemerized by their passion. They seemed normal enough during the day, but on stage at night, they were transformed into mystical beings, lost in their world of song and dance, oblivious to us mere mortals fated only to watch.

I come from a family that loves music and the amalgamation of music and dance at the festival made me think of the music in our everyday lives and inspired me to write this next poem...

'Music'

Music is all around...

In raindrops falling soft and light,
Or thunderstorms, crackling bright,
In the quick march of army boots,
And the low notes of a night owl’s hoot.

In the pitter-patter of little feet,
In the silence of a golden sleep,
Dreams unleash their silent beats,
Music dwells in every heartbeat.

In a baby’s cry and a mother’s sigh,
On quivering lips and mountains high,
In a lover’s song and the temple gong,
Loud and clear, pure and strong.

In the timeless changing of seasons,
And sometimes, for no good reason!
All around us music plays,
In lullabies and ‘Amazing Grace'.

From swaying trees and rustling leaves,
In the trickle of water before the freeze,
Or wafting by on an ocean breeze,
Music brings a sweet release.

Through the gay abandon of letting go,
In the eyes of parents, all aglow,
In the laughter of children and magic of song,
All around us music abounds.

In the maddening chatter of teenage voice,
Where old friends gather and rejoice,
In nostalgic melodies and modern rhymes,
Music takes us, on a journey through time.

In a beautiful dancer’s form and grace,
Music claims eternal space,
Swaying hips and tapping feet,
Moving to the rhythm of soulful beats.

Over and under, inside and out,
Whisper, holler, yell and shout,
Can’t escape it, won’t let go,
Makes spirits sing and passion flow.

In the stillness of morning and calmness of dawn,
Lie infinite beginnings of magical songs.
Conquering boredom, softening thorn,
In every moment, music is born.

- Harsha

Happiness Journal...

I first heard this idea on Oprah! Elizabeth Gilbert the author of Eat, Pray, Love (one of my favourite books) was a guest on the show and she was talking about how at the end of each day, she wrote down her happiest moment. She joked about how it helped her let go of all the million little crappy moments that crammed her day!!

I loved the idea!! Isn't it wonderful to have something happy to hold on to at the end of a long hard day? How many times have I held on to those crappy moments and forgotten the happy ones? Too often that's for sure! So this is my way of holding on to those moments that have brought me joy.

Not all of them will be earth-shatteringly 'Titanic' scale happy but that doesn't matter! So often I find joy in the tiny seemingly insignificant details...the bus I caught in the nick of time, an early cuppa that has miraculously turned out just right (believe me even black coffee is tough to get right on some bleary-eyed mornings!), getting a cab in the pouring rain, a good book...the list goes on.

The other reason is that I wanted to get back to writing again. I loved it as a child (way back when!) and was not bad at it or so I was led to believe ;-) I recently started working with a very dear friend as an editor and am enjoying it immensely! It has brought back all the joy associated with books in general (always LOVED them) and writing in particular.

And so here I go...wish me luck!

It's 11.42am and my happiest moment for the day so far has been starting this blog! Have been putting it off for so long - I feel fantastic at having finally done it! Took me all of 5 min to actually get started too! Isn't it weird how the things you think are most difficult seem like a piece of cake once you get started? It happens to me all the time - I procrastinate endlessly until a looming deadline scares the hell out me and then turn into a hysterical maniac!! I blame it on good old laziness and also the fact that I'm convinced I do my best work under pressure! True as that might be, it's terribly stressful. But this journal is not about resolutions - so I won't make any...yet!

Another happy moment - took a mid-week break from the gym and have managed not to stuff myself all morning while working! An achievement worthy of the Nobel Prize in Restraint!!