Just because I haven't blogged for a while, does not mean things didn't happen.
1. Jill's one-year old cut her little fingers on a sheet of jagged glass, and I incidentally happen to look in there to talk to Ruby's sister Neeraj who works for Jill. I saw Neeraj holding the baby with her bleeding fingers in the wash basin, while Jill had gone downt o get some Band-Aid.
(It boggles me how a mother of 2 small kids can leave a door with broken glass sheets unattended, and also how she can not have stocked on First Aid supplies at home for emergencies. I also don't understand why she didn't come to me for bandages, when I had clearly told her she must tell us first!)
Anyway, I quickly ran, took stock of the situation, brought bandage for the little one, applied turmeric since the bleeding wouldn't stop, asked the older daughter to fetch some ice. Oh god, it was too much! Jill came and saw me handling the child, she thanked me and tried to return my 3 bandages to me (!!!!!!)
I asked her to leave all else, and rush to a GP since the child's fingers kept bleeding, despite all attempts. I feared the worst.
With much persuasion and a final authority in my voice, I got her out, the older daughter and house under my care. Eventually, Meghu took over and I could get on with my day.
2. Our ADHAAR card application process. Many many things happened. 2 officers, a cramped lobby area and big crowds. Many people tried to bribe the officers and nudge their applications in. We had decided we would do it legally AND that very day!
All went well by the Grace of the Universe. We changed our application centre last minute which made all the difference. Someone else fought our battle to convince the officers about accepting our applications, while we filled the forms. We had reached early enough to be amongst the first 10 applicants. Seriously, with the help of a guy with his arm in a plaster, we could get our application done before lunch time!
We took opportunities to give to. There was chaos and the officers were muddled. We helped distribute forms, give information, regulate the crowds, help look for lost/misplaced forms in old bundles, help illiterate people fill their forms. Then I spotted a senior citizen whose presence itself was awe-inspiring. He was unaccompanied. His documents said his date of birth was something 1928! Whoa! Somebody who was in his youth when India got her independence!
I immediately moved the crowd to get him seated. I filled his form, found out what documents he would need. This gentleman impressed me thoroughly, he was carrying a pen!! (Yes, that is a BIG deal. There are tons of fools who walk into places without pens and then go about begging for one from others. Irresponsible fellows.) One of the officers who was earlier thankful that I was helping her, now seemed irritated. She didn't seem keen to take on one more application. She asked me to not help the gentleman, citing that many such people keep coming all the time. I was firm, I drew her attention to his age and how we just couldn't turn him down.
She saw sense, told me which documents will be required, and that they will take his application on priority. i was thrilled. I sent Meghu to photocopy some of his documents to complete the application. But it so happened that I had to join Meghu eventually, So I informed the old man that we will be returning shortly and he must not worry.
Meghu and I took a long time to return because the photocopier was a good distance away. Plus we decided to pack a small snack for both the officers who were admirably tackling the crowds, sometimes buckling under the pressure. Plus we tried to buy fruit for me and get some print-outs as well.
By the time we returned, one of the applicants we had now befriended informed that the old man was getting very worried about his original documents, he thought we might have run away. I didn't like that thought, but I could completely understand him. He had been waiting helplessly. Anyway, I went up to him, got his bunch together and we walked to the officer to submit it. Now he was given a new seat and we told him he would soon get a turn (he wasn't happy with 'soon' he wanted it 'right now').
Then we turned to the officers, and handed them a packet each of 2 hot samosas as a gift. They smiled, thanked but refused to accept. It might count as bribe. And we laughed. Because this wasn't a bribe, because it wasn't being done covertly, a whole crowd was watching and actually appreciating the gesture. So we pressed them to accept it as a gift on behalf of all us applicants. They did :D
This particular day was highly satisfying.
3. My kids at school are beginning to like me. Some are attached. I recently got a Valentine Day drawing from a girl in class 2, which is common for teachers, but it was my first souvenir and so was special! The kids are liking what I teach, the way I do it. Even a certain difficult child with behavioural problems, who had dropped out and then later joined back, even he was responding to me! I am so thrilled!
i feel validated in my heart, that I can reach out to these young children. That I can encourage so many, make them believe in themselves, extend the strong ones, strengthen the weaker ones. impart moral lessons in subtle ways. I have so much power. I pray to the Universe that the right influence flow through me. That I always be congruent with what is good and right, and that I be an excellent role model. Because any which way, I will be emulated.
4. The sweets that Meghu got me from his Hyderabad trip were truly too many to consume. And while they still had good shelf-life, we decided to share these with our neighbours. The first share went to Ruby and family. The second went to an old lady upstairs who has irked me a number of times, but our equation has changed for the better ever since Meghu stepped in. She will never let us leave her home empty-handed. She sent some sweets and snacks for me in return (and I LOVED those). The third share went to Jill, especially the older daughter who has a sweet tooth. We plan to give the last share to our neighbours downstairs, who have given to us in circumstances we will never forget.
5. I now keep seeing that Gramin Seva driver often, at the Metro Station waiting for his passengers. Now we smile and sometimes engage in small talk. A lot of these drivers now know me by face, very few try to flirt or impress. Some keep to themselves, acting as strangers still, while most acknowledge the familiarity without engaging in conversation. One of these days, I am going to ask the friendlier ones to help me distribute flyers for my new business. I hope they agree :)
By the way, I also saw that young college kid in the same vehicle as me, the other day. At first, he avoided eye contact with me, so I thought he was probably embarrassed (you can never tell with teenage boys) and doesn't want a conversation. So I kept to myself, and then discovered that he was trying to catch my eye towards the end of the journey, but by then I had lost interest.
6. A recent trip to the shack where they press clothes turned out to be one of connections. I greet the staff there every day on my way to work and back. We have gotten friendly. One of the them has lived in Mumbai and he told me that when I requested him to make 3 folds of my clothes instead of two. Apparently that's the Mumbai way of doing things! Lol! I told him I too hailed from Mumbai. He has lived in Shivaji Park. An old lady following our conversation chipped in with much happiness that her daughter also lives in Mumbai, but outside it. I knew what she meant. I suggested 'Vashi/ Navi Mumbai' and she nodded vigorously! I told her my home was in Ghatkopar, and that excited her even more, since her daughter's relative lived there. Now this old lady became extremely happy. She told me she was a cook, and that she would be happy to work for me. That I was like her daughter. She told me her daughter boarded the train from Bandra every day. I asked her if she did that because she worked there, she shook her head and corrected me, "No, she has a job there." Hahahaha! That was cute.
On my way back, I greeted an aunty who was soaking up the sun. I complimented her on the variety of plants she had. She immediately offered to give me some so that I could plant them at home. So easily and naturally she offered to give, that it was touching. We discussed a certain red ornamental plant, she gave me a few seeds and I promised her to come back and take some more.
Things have happened, some got blogged about, some have left my memory. But my umbrella always has people under it, and that's how things should be.
1. Jill's one-year old cut her little fingers on a sheet of jagged glass, and I incidentally happen to look in there to talk to Ruby's sister Neeraj who works for Jill. I saw Neeraj holding the baby with her bleeding fingers in the wash basin, while Jill had gone downt o get some Band-Aid.
(It boggles me how a mother of 2 small kids can leave a door with broken glass sheets unattended, and also how she can not have stocked on First Aid supplies at home for emergencies. I also don't understand why she didn't come to me for bandages, when I had clearly told her she must tell us first!)
Anyway, I quickly ran, took stock of the situation, brought bandage for the little one, applied turmeric since the bleeding wouldn't stop, asked the older daughter to fetch some ice. Oh god, it was too much! Jill came and saw me handling the child, she thanked me and tried to return my 3 bandages to me (!!!!!!)
I asked her to leave all else, and rush to a GP since the child's fingers kept bleeding, despite all attempts. I feared the worst.
With much persuasion and a final authority in my voice, I got her out, the older daughter and house under my care. Eventually, Meghu took over and I could get on with my day.
2. Our ADHAAR card application process. Many many things happened. 2 officers, a cramped lobby area and big crowds. Many people tried to bribe the officers and nudge their applications in. We had decided we would do it legally AND that very day!
All went well by the Grace of the Universe. We changed our application centre last minute which made all the difference. Someone else fought our battle to convince the officers about accepting our applications, while we filled the forms. We had reached early enough to be amongst the first 10 applicants. Seriously, with the help of a guy with his arm in a plaster, we could get our application done before lunch time!
We took opportunities to give to. There was chaos and the officers were muddled. We helped distribute forms, give information, regulate the crowds, help look for lost/misplaced forms in old bundles, help illiterate people fill their forms. Then I spotted a senior citizen whose presence itself was awe-inspiring. He was unaccompanied. His documents said his date of birth was something 1928! Whoa! Somebody who was in his youth when India got her independence!
I immediately moved the crowd to get him seated. I filled his form, found out what documents he would need. This gentleman impressed me thoroughly, he was carrying a pen!! (Yes, that is a BIG deal. There are tons of fools who walk into places without pens and then go about begging for one from others. Irresponsible fellows.) One of the officers who was earlier thankful that I was helping her, now seemed irritated. She didn't seem keen to take on one more application. She asked me to not help the gentleman, citing that many such people keep coming all the time. I was firm, I drew her attention to his age and how we just couldn't turn him down.
She saw sense, told me which documents will be required, and that they will take his application on priority. i was thrilled. I sent Meghu to photocopy some of his documents to complete the application. But it so happened that I had to join Meghu eventually, So I informed the old man that we will be returning shortly and he must not worry.
Meghu and I took a long time to return because the photocopier was a good distance away. Plus we decided to pack a small snack for both the officers who were admirably tackling the crowds, sometimes buckling under the pressure. Plus we tried to buy fruit for me and get some print-outs as well.
By the time we returned, one of the applicants we had now befriended informed that the old man was getting very worried about his original documents, he thought we might have run away. I didn't like that thought, but I could completely understand him. He had been waiting helplessly. Anyway, I went up to him, got his bunch together and we walked to the officer to submit it. Now he was given a new seat and we told him he would soon get a turn (he wasn't happy with 'soon' he wanted it 'right now').
Then we turned to the officers, and handed them a packet each of 2 hot samosas as a gift. They smiled, thanked but refused to accept. It might count as bribe. And we laughed. Because this wasn't a bribe, because it wasn't being done covertly, a whole crowd was watching and actually appreciating the gesture. So we pressed them to accept it as a gift on behalf of all us applicants. They did :D
This particular day was highly satisfying.
3. My kids at school are beginning to like me. Some are attached. I recently got a Valentine Day drawing from a girl in class 2, which is common for teachers, but it was my first souvenir and so was special! The kids are liking what I teach, the way I do it. Even a certain difficult child with behavioural problems, who had dropped out and then later joined back, even he was responding to me! I am so thrilled!
i feel validated in my heart, that I can reach out to these young children. That I can encourage so many, make them believe in themselves, extend the strong ones, strengthen the weaker ones. impart moral lessons in subtle ways. I have so much power. I pray to the Universe that the right influence flow through me. That I always be congruent with what is good and right, and that I be an excellent role model. Because any which way, I will be emulated.
4. The sweets that Meghu got me from his Hyderabad trip were truly too many to consume. And while they still had good shelf-life, we decided to share these with our neighbours. The first share went to Ruby and family. The second went to an old lady upstairs who has irked me a number of times, but our equation has changed for the better ever since Meghu stepped in. She will never let us leave her home empty-handed. She sent some sweets and snacks for me in return (and I LOVED those). The third share went to Jill, especially the older daughter who has a sweet tooth. We plan to give the last share to our neighbours downstairs, who have given to us in circumstances we will never forget.
5. I now keep seeing that Gramin Seva driver often, at the Metro Station waiting for his passengers. Now we smile and sometimes engage in small talk. A lot of these drivers now know me by face, very few try to flirt or impress. Some keep to themselves, acting as strangers still, while most acknowledge the familiarity without engaging in conversation. One of these days, I am going to ask the friendlier ones to help me distribute flyers for my new business. I hope they agree :)
By the way, I also saw that young college kid in the same vehicle as me, the other day. At first, he avoided eye contact with me, so I thought he was probably embarrassed (you can never tell with teenage boys) and doesn't want a conversation. So I kept to myself, and then discovered that he was trying to catch my eye towards the end of the journey, but by then I had lost interest.
6. A recent trip to the shack where they press clothes turned out to be one of connections. I greet the staff there every day on my way to work and back. We have gotten friendly. One of the them has lived in Mumbai and he told me that when I requested him to make 3 folds of my clothes instead of two. Apparently that's the Mumbai way of doing things! Lol! I told him I too hailed from Mumbai. He has lived in Shivaji Park. An old lady following our conversation chipped in with much happiness that her daughter also lives in Mumbai, but outside it. I knew what she meant. I suggested 'Vashi/ Navi Mumbai' and she nodded vigorously! I told her my home was in Ghatkopar, and that excited her even more, since her daughter's relative lived there. Now this old lady became extremely happy. She told me she was a cook, and that she would be happy to work for me. That I was like her daughter. She told me her daughter boarded the train from Bandra every day. I asked her if she did that because she worked there, she shook her head and corrected me, "No, she has a job there." Hahahaha! That was cute.
On my way back, I greeted an aunty who was soaking up the sun. I complimented her on the variety of plants she had. She immediately offered to give me some so that I could plant them at home. So easily and naturally she offered to give, that it was touching. We discussed a certain red ornamental plant, she gave me a few seeds and I promised her to come back and take some more.
Things have happened, some got blogged about, some have left my memory. But my umbrella always has people under it, and that's how things should be.
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