HONNEMARDU WITH FRIENDS April 28, 2009

 

sucessfully completed

Final exams are the conclusion of an academic year. When it happened in our school, we were happy that soon, it would be time to relax. Our exams were spread over a month and before it really started we were making plans as to where to go after exams. The deal was that we had continuous school till 20th April even though we finished exams at the end of March. So, the school was taking us to a trip and we chose honnemardu which is my uncle’s centre for adventurous sports situated in shimogga on the backwaters of river sharavati. The dates got finalized and we also finished our exams gradually. We were to start on 28th by a midnight train to shimogga. We reached shimogga very early in the morning and were feeling as sticky as we could. We went to have a wash but there was no waiting room in the station. We took a bus to talguppa and from there we hired a quailis and went onward to reach our destination. At honnemardu we were warmly received by my aunt, who at once provided our growling stomachs with good breakfast. We were told to change, freshen up and dress suitably and roughly for the wilderness. We then went on our campus introduction tour, where we were introduced to the surroundings we were to be with the next 3 days. We were then briefed about the rules and how things at honnemardu functioned. My aunt’s name is Nomito and our instructor for the whole program was Ashok. The starting of our program was with a little activity called “greeting the sky” which was based on the value of unity and how things can be made easier by working as a single unit. In this activity we were to hoist up a person lying on the ground together using all our strength and hands. We were able to hoist everybody in the group up.

 

hoist up

 

 

After that we put on our swimming clothes and also our life jackets. We swam quite a distance from the mainland to a small island. We all had fun and the people who did not know swimming like my H.M and two other girls swum with us comfortably. We came back and headed straight for lunch to the base camp or else known as the medical centre. We were exhausted and asked for some time to rest and it was granted. We changed to our dry clothes and suddenly it started to rain. We all cooped in our small room for warmth and enjoyed the rain. Later, my aunt & the instructor came to our room instead of the base. We then went to have some quiet time, in order to analyze things and rethink our behavior at times and many other important things like that. On the way back to our room, we were stopped for an activity which was totally fun, challenging in terms of how fast you can use your brain in times of trouble. It was at the first look, just a rope tied between two plants. Later it was told to be considered as an electric fencing. We had to imagine that we were in grave danger from elephants and at a point have to cross a electric fence. How as a group would we do it? Again the objective being unity and also a meaning that people in times of trouble are ready to receive anybodies help even if they are the bitterest enemies. We took the activity challengingly but did not succeed that well in the starting. The method in which the game functioned was that people should pass over the rope and the minutest touch to it makes the person dead. We tried it and after no success went back for circle time (which is a meeting done to discuss things in a circle formation as we are heard by one and all). We determined the problem and tried the activity again this time in the room and succeeded.

 

electric fence game

 

 

After this it was time for dinner and we went back to the medical centre and before dinner played a game of antakshari and had dinner and went to get a good night’s sleep. DAY 2: We were to get up and be ready early the next morning in order to start trekking in the cool weather and be back in time for breakfast. We trekked to ‘bhimana hegge’ where obviously were Bhima’s footprints.we stumbled, mumbled and grumbled during the trek. We had fun and on coming back had tasty aloo parathas. We then got into water but this time to learn how to paddle. There is no facility of water for bath in honnemardu and there are no bathrooms only toilets. We are to have a bath in the open area if wanted. We learnt paddling which was something very new to us and also very fun. Believe me it hurts when tried first. By then the sun was scorching and we were to paddle to an island to spend a night there. We packed essentials, camping equipments and distributed it equally to all the coracles (teppa) and set off.

paddling

 

 

 

We had great fun paddling in competition to each other. When we reached the campsite we had to hunt in the forest area for firewood. We found some and by then the sun had set and it was dark. Ashok had started pitching tents and after that we played ‘dum sharas’. We then dined and went into our tent. A tent comprised of 5 members and my group known as ‘the famous 5’ comprising of myself, preksha, namitha, sagarika and pooja were in 1 tent. We are one good and fun group who stick to each other and have lots of secrets. We (i.e the 5) played ‘truth or dare’ in the tent and kept speaking till midnight while the others were snoring peacefully. After sometime we were reminded by my aunt to sleep and we had to sleep. DAY 3: After learning how to make a campfire, the previous evening, we learnt another important thing that is to extinguish the campfire before leaving the campsite. After learning the extinguishing part we had to smear ash mixed with water to our faces in which we had fun smearing it on others faces also. We were ready to start back and we were given the choice to either swim or paddle back to the mainland. I opted for paddling as I had already had an experience in swimming and paddling was exciting preksha, pooja, sagarika and namitha swam the whole way through and after reaching the mainland we unloaded the luggage and washed the coracles. Afterwards we were all ready to go further with our land activities.

The first in that day series was one called shepherding that was to do with how communicative we can be without the use of speaking medium. I was to be the shepherd and the others were dumb and blind sheep, I as a shepherd had the power to see but not speak. I had to guide the sheep into the pen through a gate without making them touch any other part of the pen and only with sounds. I.e. by clapping, clicking of the tongue etc. we were good at it and only 3 among 10 sheep’s died and then nomito aunty asked everybody else than we 9 and herself to leave. Now we knew there was an serious activity to be done. It was called ‘hotseat’ and it was a activity where a person will be blindfolded like the previous game and will be told to sit in the centre of our circle and one by one people will point out the negative points of the person in the centre. We have to take it sportively and change ourselves as much as we can. After this hot session we were to do ‘service project’. Every team that goes to honnemardu has to do its bit for honnemardu and we had to bring firewood for cooking. We brought large logs of wood. We were exhausted by the time we finished it and by then it was time for us to leave honnemardu and back to pavilion (tumkur). We had our last circle time and shared our ups and downs in the journey and left, feeling very happy and satisfied because we had done so many things and learnt things we never expected to and passed each of it in flying colours. We had the maximum fun in those 3 days though things were difficult to look at in the first. Later it was good to try. We were all happy to be involved in such a superb activity. We all left with big smiles on our faces and new potential to look at things in a different manner.

 

trekking

DANCE COMPETITION!!! PROUD WINNERS!! February 15, 2009

Okay! Okay! Looking at this don’t think we won the grand prize. We won but not the 1st, 2nd or 3rd. in a way the 3rd but the 3rd consolation. Hey! Hey! Doesn’t mean any less to us as we won 3rd consolation seniors and juniors mixed.
Now, let’s start from the beginning. It was a sunny day NAH…… it was nothing like that. Waiting in the van for a student and our headmistress to enter myself and my friend kept on yapping. Simran, my junior, 7th student entered the van. We greeted her by quick HELLO’S. She goes to a dance school which is said to be good and is a good dancer as told in the previous write- up’s we are all dance fanatic’s . We love dancing to the most possible extent. She gave us the news saying that her dance school was hosting a dance competition; we naturally were jumping up and down our seat which was invisible to others. We already had asked our H.M umpteen number of times to send us to various dance competition but she rejected due to various reasons. This time crossing all our fingers and toes we hoped she would allow us as we were in 9th .next year is a strict no-no for fun times they say none announced as such.
We raced to the class and convinced our best dancers to compete. Our H.M looking at our enthusiastic faces gave it a green signal. They were also excited. We were a mixture from a student of 6th to a student of 9th everybody was involved. We planned to do 3 dances initially, but as times raced we found it difficult to handle. We were 8 girls in the dance and later on we asked 4 guys to join as guest appearances they did a good job. The principle problem was that we couldn’t make up our minds and the adults too. They almost had us out of the idea of entering once. But, we gals are invincible we didn’t give up and we went on as planned. At the day of the dance with our school uniforms on as dance costumes. Ready to show our hidden talent and ready to dance to the tunes of the song,” aaja nachle” from the movie” high school musical” we were rocking.
We could feel the music pumping in our blood. totally, focused we went to the venue and danced with so much energy that when we left the stage there was no energy left in us. We didn’t expect to win or anything we had just done it show some people who didn’t believe we had it in us and to just enjoy what we loved to do. When our groups name was announced and it was said that we had won a prize we were astounded. We kept gaping till the memento was actually in our hands. We still couldn’t believe that we won something the first time we participated. it was an unexpected, pleasant surprise which had a good many peoples mouth locked for eternity.

winning group!!!

the first day of school as a 9th year 08-09 August 31, 2008

The first day of this academic year 08-09. This year I am promoted to 9^th and still am one of the proud seniors of the institution. We were again 6 chums together one big, happy friendly family. Glad to see each other again we exchanged our news of what we did in summer. We later learnt from Rekha aunty the latest addition to the class and that santosh our one year mate had left, the latest additions were 2 girls and a guy. They were Nikitha and Megha the gals. The surprise was that the new guy was also by the name Santosh. We laughed heartily about the incident. We were asked to sit in a circle and there were many new admissions for 8^th we, oldies introduced ourselves and waited patiently till the newbie’s introduced themselves. They were initially shy at first then they opened up. We recalled last year’s incidents and bonded. The newbie’s were all amongst themselves. We knew megha as she was tejaswini’s next door neighbour and my friends in that locality knew her. So, she was quite friendly. Whereas, santosh and nikitha remained closed. We had a gala of a time; we were keen to see how the new teachers and friends are going to adjust to our environment. They were quite surprised to know our friendly relationships with teachers. The new teachers were fab and friends yet to be known. So with an exiting day I went back home bursting with happiness. Meeting classmates and lovable teachers after a long time was super fantastic and all the superlative terms that can be used.

an eye opener July 27, 2008

 

rahul bose

Shaurya

It takes courage to make right_right

 

This movie revolves around the Indian army and a sensitive, high profile court martial. Siddhant chaudary (rahul bose) is a son of a brigadier who died on the battlefield. He himself is an army lawyer. His close friend akash kapoor (jaaved jaaferi) and he are always together, they are like family. AK aka akash kapoor is posted as the prosecution lawyer for the court martial of javed khan a soldier of the army is accused of murdering his fellow officer rathod. Javed is keeping mum he doesn’t want to speak about the incident. Sid wants to go with AK to shrinagar where he is posted finally, he gets to go with AK but as defence lawyer to javed. He is surprised to be employed as javed’s defence lawyer. He doesn’t want to do it but AK tells him that the case is a open and shut case and that he just has to come to the court and announce javed as ‘guilty’ that is what Sid had planned to do. When they finally reached Jammu he meets an aspiring journalist kavya shastri (minissha lamba) who knocks some sense into him which makes him think about the case and deal it in a fair manner. She accompanies him and helps him in fighting the case. During this a strong bond is formed they become very good friends. Sid does everything a lawyer has to do for his client (javed) and gets to know the involvement of a higher authority who is brigadier Pratap who is most respectable in his profession. He you can comprehend is a man whose lines shouldn’t be crossed. Rathod the victim was his ‘blue eyed boy’. This is great as to pratap (kay kay menon) wants javed to be hanged. Occupied in helping Sid, kavya gets herself to trouble that she is put behind bars. Sid does not know what to do as all witness’s are against him and javed  has chosen to keep mum about the incident. Nobody is of help to him so he chooses to ask brigadier to step into the witness box and answer his questions. Brigadier is a difficult man and accepts it this makes big news that the brigadier is stepping inside witness box. Sid grabs this opportunity and makes the brigadier speak and confess his crimes. The dawn appears to say that the brigadier is a mass murderer as to take revenge against what had once happened to his family. He is taken into custody and through this journey of making right_ right Sid discovers himself. Now he knows what the true meaning of ‘Shaurya’ is.

 

The movie is very realistic made on real facts and this movie shares light to what had happened in each one’s life. This movie showcases that sometimes even right has to be justified as being right and carrying out this deed fairly and fighting for one’s respect is what that is actually called ‘shaurya’

 

This movie speaks volumes as to what can happen in one’s life and how we can discover oneself, truth and loyalty through a tough journey. Hope this movie makes people open their eyes and accept the truth around them and not be blind about it.

 

What a piece of work by all actors a serious movie and very good eye opener for common man.

 

 

 

 

 

DEMOCRACY- MY ESSAY WHICH SECURED 4TH PLACE IN ALL INDIA SCHOLASTIC WRITING AWARDS!!!!!! July 14, 2008

                                                                        

 

Democracy is one word we hear often but really thinking about it gives us different meanings of the same word, as every person has his own views and visions about different things.

 

Democracy by the vision of a student is ‘pure freedom’; freedom of expressing ones views and voicing our opinions.

 

Democracy can be in the most simplest matter for instance our way of dressing, behaviour, likes and dislikes where as in major issues like government , politics, poverty, life and all that but for what and how should we really use this democracy? Is the day’s biggest question!

 

We can use democracy in a righteous manner and also in a very bad way. Democracy will lose its meaning if we use it in a wrong manner. We misuse our democracy by showing all bad kinds of ads on TV and showing things which will spoil people who see it. Using democracy in a righteous manner is showing or writing things will benefit us in a good way.

 

Reality shows on TV like “mission ustaad” which is giving singers an opportunity to voice an opinion on major social issues by just expressing it in a song composed by themselves which may be very effective in its own way. But you should also help people in doing a good cause for the society, but not when exploiting our nation’s wealth.

 

We exploit and use our nature without thinking the harm we may cause after our act. Democracy is not for hurting feelings but to voice our opinions.

 

Why don’t we use this to raise our voice against racism, but not to see this and raise our voices in simple unmatterable issues.

 

The ‘Lead India’ programme by Times of India speaks about leaders of our generation today. It is a very inspiring show which tells us to be a rebellion and fight for our needs.

 

Poverty, corruption, racism, feticide, stamping of women’s rights and positions are all major social black marks.  We as citizens should come forward to clean these black marks.  And it is true that women are at every level that a man can reach.  Women are powerful; they can make miracles happen to this country but only if everybody cooperate with them.

 

Feticide becoming a leading problem is a sin/crime done by citizens.  They without thinking twice kill female babies.  Don’t we this is wrong?  Why shouldn’t we think so, what is the main reason for this feticide.  People take these children as burden and feel what is the use of them?  This is mostly wide spread in north India.  I and many others think it should be stopped by all educated people.

 

Poverty is to be found every where in the world and mostly in the developing and underdeveloped countries.  There are two sects.  That in below poverty line (BPL) and above poverty line (APL) sects. 

 

Just because they are poor, people treat them like dirt.  But, I would like to say that they are not dirt but a major part of the world in which we are living.  If they revolt we will be no match to them.  It is also in other people’s hands that they don’t raise such a scenario where they need to revolt, but talking about the present the poor need to know that they are also somebody and need to use the democracy the other part of the world is given to raise their voices against this issue. 

There is no democracy given mostly to the women of our society.  As people think they are only there to follow others which is a wrong opinion in every way.  Women have the sharpest tongues and know what the world is.  And can really take care of themselves.  Then why was India given into the hands of great politicians like Indira Gandhi, Pratibha Patil and freedom fighters like Rani Lakshmi Bai and Abbakka Rani with many others.  When they were respected so much in those days then, why not now?  They have so much strength and power in them.  Let them explore but also protect them.  Let us let rise people who will be India’s next women legendaries and let there be lot of them.  Let them not take positions of men but have the confidence to tell men if they are wrong and also coordinate with them. 

 

There are lots of people who are involved in getting freedom and making this country in which we live a democratic one.  Why did they have to fight for this?  They could have just let us be in a country where there is no democracy and where people were ruled by British.  They did it because they did not want their future citizens facing this kind of a rule.  And that they knew India could and should develop on its own with its people’s help.  Development may not take place in small time.  But the spirit that it will happen still lies in our hearts. 

 

Corruption, the word which is heard every where.  This is one of the reasons why our country is not developing.  Because some of our leaders are always in thought of their own development but not the country as a whole.  There are people who have forgotten that India is our country and have sold India to other countries in very small aspects which one day will lead to be big problems.  The saying ‘look before you leap’ doesn’t come to count here. 

 

 Money has become such a big component that people are ready to be misused but only if they get a big amount inn return.   Corruption, if let loose like this will one day completely destroy us. 

 

People should realize the harm caused to other people when they take this bribe which is shameful, they shouldn’t accept bribe in order to protect the status that the country has gained. 

 

These are the black marks wide spread in our society which can be overcome only if citizens start playing the major role and start protesting for what ever done wrong?  This is why I think ages ago people fought for our freedom so that we can continue our lives as proud citizens of India.  I think this how we should use our democracy. 

 

KINNARI

8 STD.

Ankita High School

Maralur,

 TUMKUR – 572101

 

Jan 2008

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