Wake up Kid !!!

Dare me say this, "Sleeping in classrooms is the best thing that can happen to anyone attending school or college."

Sleeping during classroom lectures is a common phenomenon for most of the students. For me especially after lunch , it was very difficult to concentrate on teachers or professors speech. Sometimes I used to sit stretching my eyes wide and showing them I am still alive. Sleeping with eyes wide open is an art of highest grade that very few of us ever master. Fortunately with lots of practice I was real good at it.

At school, Principal used to teach us Hindi. He was approximately 65 year old - an old hog , but very soft and slow speaking personality.

With great respect in my heart, I believe he is one of best Hindi professor & amp; we are blessed to have him as our teacher. [haha... He might be reading this as well who knows. Just playing safe !] His specialty was, when he used to speak one can easily identify which Hindi vowel he was putting on the particular "Shabd". I was one among his "adarsh shishya".

I always preferred sitting on the first bench. (That creates an illusion of being a good student, and its a real perfect place to sleep in disguise! ) That day due to some reason I sat on 3rd one near the window. It was afternoon time and very watery & amp; cold wind was flowing. It was a pleasant weather. Principal Sir was teaching us the chapter “Kya Nirash Hua Jaaye” (it was indeed very boring, but dare I express that then ! ). I didn’t know when my eyes got closed. I woke up with a shocking voice “Get Out of the Class”.

Every one was looking at me. I felt embarrassed and crying. I thought Sir has seen me sleeping ! My heart sunk ! I thought its GAME OVER forever for all those short naps.

With heavy heart, when I reached class room door. I saw my father was standing there. For an instant I thought "Am I still dreaming?" He had come to give me some important certificates which I had forgotten to collect. I collected them and Principal sir asked me to come in. Thats when it stuck me like a bullet. Actually he had not seen me sleeping, he just called me cuz my father wanted to meet me. I took a deep breath , my cover was still intact. I could still sleep in the next geography lesson.

Now I am working in an office, the condition has not changed very much. I still sometimes sleep when I see my PC, the pile of drawings & the red and blue pens. Damn! The whole workplace is so conducive for sleeping.

I also do understand why Old folks have insomnia. Yup , you guessed it right ,cuz they dont have to go to schools or offices. So all grandmas and grandpas out there - If you want to have sound sleep then forget the Valium and Calmpose, all you need to do is start attending few History lessons in school and you surely will doze away in dreamland.

SHOCK laga laga laga -.SHOCK laga

I was in 6Th standard when teacher had given a project of “Science in Every day life”. I along with my 2 friends started working for the project. Since we had no god father or guide for our projects... we started doing our own.
We fixed the back ground theme of project that was to show the day to day activities related to science happening in our daily life of morning to evening.

We did shopping and bought all the accessories required for the project. We thought of showing the Sun hence we decided to use a small bulb.We also bought batteries to run the bulb. While doing this job suddenly a wild doubt came into my mind and I told my friends that we have not checked the batteries. 3 of us got upset and confused how to test the batteries.

We decided to check the batteries at home.We took 4 electrical cables and did the connection like this - One end of cable to main electrical power switch board of home; other ends to battery. Then took 2 more cables, front end connected to battery again and other end to a small zero watt bulb. It was a disastrous connection.

One of my friend who was a "Jain" by caste recalled God Mahavir Swami's name and switched on the power supply. We could not imagine what happened in next 30 seconds.

At first instance I saw a big spark, followed by a small fire ball falling on the bed sheets kept near by, bed sheets started burning.One terrible sound of blast. For a small fraction of second we saw light in our bulb [which proved batteries were actually okay]

After 30 seconds all 3 of us were shivering like anything. Since this experiment was done at my friend's home i decided to run before her parents knew about the situation.

Even after completing my engineering, i still feel electronics or electrical is the most difficult subject.

Candyllicious

If there really is something called picture perfect spring day on a dream scape, well last Sunday was pretty much it.

Yeah , I know, spring is officially still weeks away, but nature has already started celebrating spring. And what better indicator to do that than arrival of spring to be signaled by the the Canadian signature tree "Maple" in itself.

Warm sunny days are just around the corner. Its the warmer day and chilling subzero nights which mark a special season of Ottawa - "The Maple Syrup Season". Though by the name of it , it really sounds boring and unromantic, but believe me you, its a fun and frolic season for all candy lovers out there.

After seeing an ad in local news paper , I thought of checking in into this ride by myself. So I traveled by bus  to a place called Sugarbush which is in a small suburb of Ottawa called Cumberland. And the first thing that strikes you is the long line of cars parked along the roadway. For sure you are not alone in this "sweet" adventure.

The gate of Sugarbush welcomes you as much as the intoxicating warm maple syrup smell. Before you give up to your senses, you see kids and grown ups lined up for the quintessential activity of creating a candy out by pouring  hot maple syrup on crushed ice. Just in 10 seconds or so the hot maple syrup starts getting crystallized and its time to wrap it around a wooden stick. By the end of 30 seconds , you are just holding a stick in hand sans the maple candy. Maple candy is now resting peacefully in your stomach. Take few moments to cherish the lingering sweet taste of maple candy and you are ready to go for another one.

On weekends , nearly thousands of people visit such farms on the outskirts of Ottawa. Some candy lovers however choose to go every weekend since the season only lasts for 2 months. In such farms you could see thousands of maple trees tapped for collecting sap. This sap is then boiled in an evaporator to create fresh maple syrup. Nearly 30-50 liters of sap creates one liter of quality syrup.
The whole process from collection of sap to its magical transformation into a crystallized candy is demonstrated in the farms.
This looks like a perfect setting for "Charlie and the chocolate factory Part 2". After 2 hours , 10 candies and 30$ s , I left for home contented both in body and mind.

-Shantanu
PS. Some information is sourced from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Sun

Women’s Day Special

My today’s story is dedicated to a lady named “Chandani”.

I met her when I joined my first company. It was rich industrial area mainly famous for metal and power industries.

I was Shift In charge of Raw Material Handling and Unloading Area. Chandani was one among the workers who worked 12 to 14 hrs a day and who used to help crane operators for opening of one or two tons raw material bag and unloading the same in the big wagons. Her job was very tedious, heavy and infact not good for women’s health. She was thin; fair enough with long black hairs, shining eyes and with full of energy. Every morning she used to give me a big smile, which I always reverted back.

Once I had not seen her for few days, I enquired but none of the workers knew what had happened to her. Suddenly I met her one day, she was looking very thin with dull eyes no energy but with the same smile as ever. I asked what the reason of her absence was. She replied her husband is suffering from blood cancer and he is not going for work since many months. She had two kids and old parents to look after. She was alone working for the family. She told me how much she loved her husband & moreover she was sure & fully hopeful that he will be fully cured one day and she will make him ready to go for work. I was speechless, from the day onwards she used to bring her little kid in the plant as he was small and needed her mother all da time, and she was indeed one of the strongest women I had met. She taught me the lesson of importance of love and family in our life.

After this incidence I met her many times but never dared to ask about her husband. I had left that job and now I don’t know where she is. I wish for her smile and happiness.



Happy Women's Day to all the women & to men who appreciate the value of women in their life.

Lots in the Name !

My story starts from a typical marathi brahmin family where I was born as a first girl child. Initially the grand mother was little upset as she had wished for a male child but eventually she started developing soft corner for me and now i am her most favi grand daughter.I was chubby, sweet and very calm girl and hence i was liked by everyone. I was 3 year old, when my mother taught me the word "school". i was so ignorant at the age of 3 that i did not know what my actual name was, i thought my nick name is the only name i have.

One day I was sitting in a Rikshaw with my mother and aunt, they were taking me for school admission. my mother was teaching me if principal ask my name what to answer. I replied my nick name , my mother explained me that i should answer my real name (niti). During my way to school I saw a big temple of Lord RAMA, i asked who has made this temple. My mother replied one great women late MRS. Khushalee Bai Sharma has given lot of donation and on her name this temple has been made. i was very much fascinated. my mother was ignorant whats cooking in my mind.

But by the time i had decided to have a name. as known we reached school, Mr. Principal asked my name and i replied Khushalee. My mother and aunt were shocked.But principal liked this name a lot and he wrote this name on my enrolment and made it official.

After this event i tried to change my name but it was not possible due to some or other reason. Believe me name signifies our personality. My friends and my teachers believed that my name signifies what i am.