Reunion at Toronto - More Photos

Hi Guys,

As most of you know that we held our first
reunion in Toronto on June 28/08, I am
forwarding to you some of the pictures
we took at the restaurant.

I tried my best to get a hold of as many of
our ex-students as I possibly could, but sad
to say that I only managed to get a handful.
We really had a fabulous time. The conversation
was ongoing with nobody stopping for a minute.
There was so much to cover, and time was not
on our side. We were lucky to have Willie Chen
with us that evening.He was the most recent graduate
(1990), and he was the only one who participated in
the Centenary celebration held last October. We asked
him so many questions about GMS.

Guess what ! This meeting went so well that everyone
asked to have another reunion in November 2008. I
personally like to ask John Kingsley to help me to get
more people to sign up for the next reunion. The exact day
and place will be confirmed later. This time we are planning
to have an Indian Buffet. We miss our Indian curry.

Hope to hear from more of you out there in Canada.
Rhadesh, please spread the word.
Thanks,

Willy Wu (1971)

Unforgettable Memories of Darjeeling……

The past and continuing problems in the Darjeeling District have served to bring back some fond memories from a visit in 2006. One wonders how long it will be before politics and ethnic splits will drive to oblivion the precious essence of what is good in Darjeeling.

The Windamere Hotel, Darjeeling

“An oasis of old-fashioned comfort and friendly service; the perfect recuperation from a strenuous trek.” The Earl of Limerick, London, England- (The Guest book at the Windamere Hotel). It is "One of the three Jewels of the Raj", said a celebrated travel writer of The Windamere Hotel. Established in the 19th century as a cozy boarding house for bachelor English and Scottish tea planters, it was converted into a hotel just before the outbreak of the Second World War. Well known to sophisticated travelers the world over, the Windamere is famous for its unique ambience and charm, and has been the subject of many leading stories in the international media. Windamere is the original "Heritage House of the Himalayas". It is situated on Observatory Hill, a Darjeeling landmark, believed to be the focus and repository of life-enhancing cosmic energies.

After many strenuous hours of jeeps, buses and trains to get to Darjeeling, one finds The Windamere an oasis. In the early Sixties, a 21-year-old socialite from New York called Hope Cooke met the Crown Prince of Sikkim at the bar, and the ensuing engagement party was held at the hotel by it's owner Mrs Tenduf-La. The photos of that night can still be found in the albums that are piled up on the piano in the sitting room with its red velvet chairs. There are all the guests, frozen in time: a 60's minx in a miniskirt surrounded by matrons whose clothes are trapped in the Fifties; Seventies hikers in fluffy alpaca jumpers; women sitting in a row against the wall in full taffeta skirts wearing silly party hats; Mrs. Tenduf-La's recent 95th birthday; and, startlingly, an elderly Peter Ustinov holding court.

Anecdotes, a hotel booklet called 'Bliss in a Swirling Haze' and perusing the guest book informs one that former special guests have included Queen Elizabeth, Sir Edmund Hillary, Henrich Harrier of “Seven Years in Tibet” fame and the bloke who discovered Lawrence of Arabia. The Windamere has a library called the “Snuggery” which is filled with English thrillers and books on Darjeeling's Toy Train. The office and dining hall are lined with the photos of West End stars that come out from London to perform, among other pieces, "The Songs & Dances of the Hills", in an outdoor setting. On other walls are images more than 70 years old of explorers like Alexander David-Neel, and the Tenduf-La family.

The buildings are buttercup yellow surrounded by flower gardens. The rooms are Victorian in style, kind of chintzy, with fluffy quilts and towels, clawed baths, and beautiful views. Most look over the mountains, including the Mall on which, in the old days, a brass band played every day, and children went on pony rides. The Windamere is set in old world charm with coal fires every evening, hot water bottles tucked under the blankets when you return from dinner, “traditional entertainment” in the gardens, a beautiful and well-stocked bar, staff in turbans, high tea every afternoon (yes, cucumber sandwiches) and three meals a day. All food is included in the price under what is known, for reasons that sound military, as 'The American Plan'. Each mealtime you are offered 'either' western food 'or' Indian. What this really means is 'both' and the uninitiated end up with a peculiar mixture of roast beef, potatoes, pappadums and fish curry on the same plate.

The Darjeeling mist traps the coal smoke, which hangs heavy in the air. On a night of full moon, the smoke outlines the shape of the clouds, and occasionally, gives a hint of the Himalayas around Darjeeling. Like the food, the whole experience is delicious, if a bit hallucinogenic. While it costs compared to other Indian hotels, you need to think of the Windamere as a destination, a country in itself.

A kind of Shangri-la in which hospitality and good manners make you forget why it is that the days of the Raj are long gone, that the country of Sikkim, a couple of hours down the road, is part of India and the real Darjeeling is at a constant tug-of-war with the state and central authorities, for an identity of its own.

(Adapted from an article in “The Age” and appropriately modified).

A fool steps in where the brave fear to tread

When I entered Presidency College in 1966, Naxalite movement had just begun in real
earnest. There was an abandoned building behind the college which was used by the Naxals as a
hideout and making crude bombs. It was a hideout where the police didn't dare to enter.
One day there was a huge blast and smoke engulfed the ruined building and even entered our first
floor library where I was chatting with my classmates. I ran down the stairs and went towards the
building. Nobody ventured to enter. The smoke cleared and we saw a young man leaning on the
iron railing of the verandah. I went to have a closer look . He was senseless. The palm of his left
hand was almost blown off and two fingers were severed from his palm and hung from the skin.
The next action that I took was instantenous and foolhardy. But I had no time to think. Seeing his
serious condition, I called a taxi and took the young man to the Hindu Hostel which was a den for
the Naxalites.
My friends later scolded me for what I did. They said I could have been arrested by the police
if they were hanging around. I knew the consequences of my action. But at that moment the sight of the injured young man had obliterated all sense of self-security. What I did was done in
the heat of the moment. But, unfortunately, that young man was later arrested.

Reunion at Toronto, Canada

I have just received this mail from Merrill Smith.
The photograph of our Oldies is too valuable to be left for a week.
Hence, I am posting it immediately.

HI Radheshyam:
Thanks to Willy Wu who organized the reunion these are the people who showed up. Had a nice time chatting about by gone days.
Cheers Merrill Smith Sharon Ont Canada



Note: 3rd boy from left is Steve Pon and not Steve Lin. The error is regretted.

Msgs from Old Boys 29

Picture sent by sir, Mr. Lobo

Sitting L to R: V Janardhanan, P K Gupta, A K Roy, Bruce Wallace,Ashok Oberoi, Mr. Matthew Lobo, M J Patel. F Verahana, Roger brady, P Ghoshal, Partha Roy,
Standing Middle Row: L to R:Glen Miller, Satis Shroff, David Ludwig, SC S Rai,. P P Singh, Tom Ma, K K Rai, I N Shrestha,Manos Chowdhry.
Standing Back Row: L to R:Radheshyam Sharma, Sanjoy Dasgupta, K T Liu, J K Ghosh, Wangdi,Ramdhari Agarwal,Sheane Brady, S P Chatterjee, Gurmeet Singh, Darriel Michael. N Venkatraman


Bro.Anil and Radheshyam
Picture taken by Sir, Mr Lobo at St Mary's during his last visit to India.

Msg from Vishal Gurung

Hello Mr. Sharma,
regards!
I’m an ex-goethalite. I am looking for a friend of mine, an ex gms too but in vain. His name is Kiran Atal from the batch of either '84 or '85 or '86. I am not sure. Could u help me out?
Regards
Vishal
22.06.2008

Msg from Thondup Sherpa

Dear Chief

I think you should read the Sunday edition - 1st, 8th & 15th of June - of the Times of India. There is a column by Subramaniam Aiyer.... you will like it.

Best regards

Thondup
26.06.2008
P.S. As for the agitation.... when the Govt of West Bengal is convinced that Bengal means only that area in and around Calcutta and harnesses all development ( funds) only around Calcutta then don't you think the people in North Bengal have a right to differ ? It is a different issue that Siliguri and the so called locals here are anti-Gorkhaland. But then what percentage of the population are actual Siliguri-vaasis and NOT BANGLADESHIS? If one wants to nit pick then one should remember that the original inhabitants of Siliguri and the surrounding areas are Rajbangsis and then the next lot of settlers are Nepalese. Unfortunately it has been made into a communal issue. There are Marwaris, Biharis, Assamese, Bengalis, Tibetans and even a sprinkling of South Indians (Tamilians, Keralites, Andhraites and even the odd Mangalorean) settled in the hills - NONE OF THEM HAVE BEEN THREATENED. UNFORTUNATELY THE MEDIA AND THE PRESS HAVE THEIR STRINGS BEING JERKED FROM CALCUTTA SO THE NEWS IS SLANTED AND JAUNDICED (THOUGH IN THIS CASE THE COLOUR IS RED )

And since we are on a political wicket now let me ask you a few personal questions

1. WOULD YOU VOTE FOR A PARTY THAT IS CONVINCED THAT THE NUCLEAR DEAL IS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE LEADERS OF THE PARTY ARE TOO GREEDY WANTING TO HANG ON FOR ANOTHER YEAR SO THEY WILL NOT STAND UP TO THEIR CONVICTION?

2. WILL YOU VOTE FOR A PARTY THAT CANNOT FIND A NEW LEADER OTHER THAN FROM THE SAME OLD NEHRU / GANDHI FAMILY? I MEAN EITHER INDIA IS UNDERPOPULATED OR THE CONGRESS RANKS ARE FILLED WITH INCOMPETENT NINCOMPOOPS THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANYONE ELSE.

3. IN CASE THE CONGRESS TOES THE CPI (M)'S LINE AND SCRAPS THE NUCLEAR DEAL DO YOU THINK ANY THINKING PERSON WILL VOTE FOR THEM IN THE NEXT ELECTION? DO WE WANT SPINELESS LEADERS?

3. WILL YOU VOTE FOR A PARTY THAT DOES NOT GIVE ANY VALID EXPLANATION FOR REJECTING THE NUCLEAR DEAL BUT GOES AHEAD WITH THEIR VETO BECAUSE SHOULD OUR COUNTRY GET THE DEAL THEN THEIR MASTERS IN BEIJING WOULD FEEL THREATENED?

4. WOULD YOU VOTE FOR A PARTY THAT STILL MAINTAINS - THOUGH NOT VOCIFEROUSLY - THAT THE 1962 SINO-INDIAN WAR WAS DUE TO THE INDIAN ARMY INTRUDING INTO CHINA? AND THE SAME PARTY WILL ALSO AGREE THAT ARUNACHAL BELONGS TO CHINA?

SO WHO DOES THAT LEAVE US WITH???????

I am NOT a political animal but in the face of the above I believe we have no one to take us out of the mess other than the BJP ( this despite the fact that I was a staunch practicing Gandhian - khadi et al - during my college days ). That is if the BJP does not mess it up

Thondup

Msg from Sanjay Chettri

Hello friend,
This is the 1st mail of yours I am responding to. Plz do not mind. You seem to be quite concerned about our school, the ex-pupils and the place as well. it is really good.
Let me tell you a few things regarding the politics of the hills. The demand for a separate state of the Gorkhas (i.e. Nepalese of Indian origin) is till date 101years old. Unfortunately the leaders till Ghising just made it a begging bowl for his personal use. This demand is just for our identity as Indians since we have contributed a lot for the country till date in all aspects. The Bengali people have Bengal, Punjabis - Punjab, Biharis-Bihar etc.
Why not Gorkhaland for the Gorkhas as well as other communities living in these parts for generations. This area we are demanding never belonged and still is not a part of Bengal. It was annexed due to some technical mistake. We need to look back at the history of this area seriously then only it is good to have an opinion. We want to be recognized as Indians when we go o the plains like Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai etc not people from Nepal or other parts. Besides this we have been deprived economically, academically and so on. You must have noticed the area when you came for the centenary. It has become worse in the past couple of decades. So I hope you will also give it a good thought and pass on a positive message.
We love to live in India as Indians, a state within India.
With regards,
Sanjay.
23.06.2008

Msg from Ralph Reeves

Hi Radhesh,

Thanks for the message. Thought you would have enclosed the picture of our school. Never mind - next time.
Talking about gasoline prices. We call it "gas" here. Right now CAN$ 1.34/litre. The Canadian dollar is in par with the US$ or there about so it's almost the same in Rupees viz: approx. Rupees 95/litre. Looking at the prices in Europe, we should be happy, yet people are unhappy and always complaining. If one came to terms with certain ways of life, the world would be at peace. But then again, all are not made the same.
Next week is our reunion. I will give you an update.
Take care and be safe
Ralph
22.06.2008

Msg from Pradeep Mohan

Dear Friends,
I felt so sad seeing the pictures.
How many births all of us have to take in the world to save millions suffering from acute and deplorable conditions.
All the 'Hell' and 'Heaven' we talk about are here in the world for us to see.
The message the pictures convey is like getting an electrical shock and when we see our plate filled up with our daily food, we cannot but thank the Almighty and it is cruel to waste the food and water
All of us can do one thing. If we know such people live in a specific African country and there is one dependable organization willing to extend their reach there, we can and should support it by consciously reducing our daily intake and send the money equivalent to them. That is the only way we can thank the Almighty for the kindness extended to us. By doing this way, the total demand for food will remain the same, as per the American President and we will not add to inflation.
We all live in this strange world where the parity between the Rich and the Poor is so much far-apart that on one side tons of food and millions of gallons of water are being wasted and on the other side, some unfortunate people are starving and even dying from hunger and water. The extent to which some one goes to seek even a drop of water is shocking and sickening to see.

The least we can do is to take an oath of NOT WASTING any grains or a Drop of Water from now on. For what we can save just by not wasting may feed thousands and may even help keep inflation under some control.
Regards
Pradeep Mohan
24.06.2008

Msg from Kalyan Kr Pramanick

Dear Radheshyam

Its refreshing to get your mails every time.
I finally managed to take time out to fill out my persona details form.

Cheers
Kalyan
(GMS 83-91
23.06.2008
Msg from Raj Lama

Dear Raja,

I am sorry if my mail has offended you.
I have been repeating throughout my blog that politicians are the root cause of all problems faced by the general public.
Ghising was ruling Darjeeling with a iron hand for the last 20 years or so. He did not do anything to remove the grievances faced by the people. He built his wealth making a fool of the general masses.
Now it is the turn of Mr. Gurung to repeat history.
He too will have hordes of people killed in his demonstrations.
All these politicians shout against each other during the day and sit on the table with a bottle of alcohol with their opponents at night.
If anybody is to be killed, it should be these politicians who mislead the masses for their own selfish ends. Then after their purpose is served, they leave them high and dry.
I regret if my views of politicians offend you, but that is the truth.
Yes, you can say they are a necessary evil but they are evil, no doubt about it.
Having studied in Goethals, I would not want the education and other activities in Darjeeling to suffer as it did in Ghising's time.

Radheshyam


Dear Radheshyam,

I am an ex-day scholar boy of the 1987 batch, presently based in Darjeeling and a supporter of the GJMM movement in the hills. Many other ex-boys are actively involved in the movement. Therefore, i take offence to the derogatory remarks that you have made without taking cognizance of the ground reality here or in Rajasthan, as for that matter.
Please keep in mind that troubles the worlds over are mainly the result of oppression, suppression, exploitation, blah, blah, blah.... which, I firmly believe, is the case with the Darjeeling hills. And, please don't take my views as some form of monomania since everyone here thinks the way i do.

Raja lama.
16.06.2008

Superstition & Rituals

I am sure most of you must be remembering this very popular song of the 60’s by Don Costa and his Orchestra.
Since my article today is on why a particular day is suitable for a certain event, I have reproduced the whole song below just to bring back memories.

Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday, a Monday,
A Monday is very very good
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday, a Tuesday,
A Tuesday, in fact I wish you would
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday, a Thursday,
A Friday and Saturday is best
But never ever on a Sunday, a Sunday,
A Sunday, cause that's my day of rest

Most anyday you can be my guest
Anyday you say but my day of rest
Just name the day that you like the best
Only stay away on my day of rest

Oh, you can kiss me on a cool day, a hot day,
A wet day, which ever one you choose
Or try to kiss me on a grey day, a May day,
A pay day, and see if I refuse
And if you make it on a bleak day, a freak day,
Or a week day, well you can be my guest
But never ever on a Sunday, a Sunday,
The one day, I need a little rest

We have all come across such situations in life when we cannot do any particular thing on any particular day.

We Marwari’s do not cross the River Hooghly to enter Kolkata on any Tuesday.
I have tried explain to my people that the trains do not come empty to Kolkata on Tuesdays but to no avail. Even educated people are not willing to take the risk.

Similarly, our people did not set out on journeys on Wednesdays.

We try to avoid purchasing iron articles on Saturdays and avoid making payments on Thursdays which is considered inauspicious for Lakshmi (Godess of wealth) to go out of the household.

There is no basis for the above superstition but we still fear to oppose them although there is a reason why Don Costa may have wanted to take a one-day rest from continuous kissing.
Kissing after all is strenuous exercise, as any newly married couple would vouch.

There are certain beliefs, which do have a basis.
We avoid taking salt on Sundays since time immemorial. It is only now that doctors are telling us to avoid salt to control B P.
We take curds before setting out on any journey or going on any important assignment.
We all know that curds prevent excessive movement of your bowels, which would be embarrassing on such journeys.

I am sure all of you will be able to come up with some such superstitions/beliefs in your own surroundings.

Here is one which is slightly amusing

A little girl was watching her mother prepare a fish for dinner.
Her mother cut the head and tail off the fish and then placed it into a baking pan. The little girl asked her mother why she cut the head and tail off the fish.
Her mother thought for a while and then said, "I've always done it that way - that's how Grandma did it."
Not satisfied with the answer, the little girl went to visit her Grandma to find out why she cut the head and tail off the fish before baking it.
Grandma thought for a while and replied, "I don't know. My mother always did it that way."
So the little girl and the Grandma went to visit Great Grandma to find ask if she knew the answer.
Her Great Grandma thought for a while and said, “Because, in my day, we had only a small kitchen, and my baking pan was too small to fit in the whole fish.”

We are lucky here that the ritual went back only two generations and the little girl was enlightened.
Sometimes the mystery goes back for so many generations that the rasons are all lost.

Remembering "The Admirable Crichton"!

Those of us who were fortunate in having Brother Fitzpatrick as Class Teacher (in Classes 9 (B) and 10 (B), 1980 and 1981) will surely remember “The Admirable Crichton”; A very enjoyable play that was part of the prescribed ICSE curriculum for English Literature. Brother Fitzpatrick’s enthusiasm, diction and delivery were truly unmatched and one has to be grateful for the excellent grounding we received under his dedicated instruction. One may also recall that due to the unavailability of the printed text, we had to make do with “cyclostyled” copies of Barrie’s play!

The Admirable Crichton is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. It was produced by Charles Frohman and opened at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London on November 4th’ 1902, running for an extremely successful 828 performances.
Although the play deals with serious and then controversial class issues, it does little to seriously challenge the status quo. Barrie had considered a more challenging resolution - particularly an upbeat ending with Crichton and Lady Mary continuing their relationship - but decided "the stalls wouldn't stand it".
Synopsis: The story is centered on an extremely efficient butler who is in the service of Lord Loam. During a vacation on their yacht they become shipwrecked on a desert island and it is here they all realize Chrichton, the butler, is the only one capable of looking after everyone. On the island he becomes the "Guvnor", and heads the group who live an exotic lifestyle on their paradise island. But what would happen if a ship were to come along and rescue them?

Act One is set in Loam Hall, the household of Lord Loam, a British peer, Crichton being his butler. Loam considers the class divisions in British society to be artificial. He promotes his views during tea-parties where servants mingle with his aristocratic guests, to the embarrassment of all. Crichton particularly disapproves, considering the class system to be "the natural outcome of a civilized society".
At the beginning of Act Two, Loam, his family and friends, and Crichton are shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. The resourceful Crichton is the only one of the party with any practical knowledge, and he assumes, initially with reluctance, the position of leader. This role begins to take on sinister tones when he starts training Ernest, one of the young aristocrats with them, to break a liking for labored epigrams by putting his head in a bucket of water whenever he makes one. Crichton's social betters at first resist his growing influence and go their separate ways, but in a pivotal scene they return, showing their acquiescence by accepting the food Crichton alone has been able to find and cook.
Act Three reveals the island two years later. Crichton has civilized the island with farming and house building and now, called "the Gov.", is waited on with the trappings and privileges of power, just as his master had done back in Britain. Lady Mary, Loam's daughter, falls in love with him, forgetting her engagement to Lord Brocklehurst at home. Just as she and Crichton are about to be married by a clergyman who was shipwrecked with them, the sound of ship's gun is heard. After a moment's temptation not to reveal their whereabouts, Crichton makes the conventionally decent choice and launches a signal. As the rescuers greet the castaways, he resumes his status as butler.
Act Four (subtitled "The Other Island") is set back at Loam Hall, where the status quo has returned uneasily. The Loams and their friends are embarrassed by Crichton's presence, since Ernest has published a false account of events on the island, presenting himself and Lord Loam in key roles. Lady Brocklehurst, Lord Brocklehurst's mother, quizzes the family and servants about events on the island, suspecting that Lady Mary may have been unfaithful to her son. The household evades these questions, except for a final one when Lady Mary reacts with shock - "Oh no, impossible..." - to the suggestion that Crichton might become butler at her married household. To protect her, Crichton explains the impossibility is due to his leaving service, and the play ends with his and Lady Mary's regretful final parting.

Msgs from Old Boys 28

A Satelite View of our School
Sent by Kamlesh Kallani



Msg from Kamlesh Kallani

Dear all,

Subject: Re: Our school from above

Kamalesh Kallani----1971 Batch

Msg from Sir, Mr Lobo

Thanks, Ashok, for the shot.I recognised all the areas and the one that you ask"What the Hell is this?" is was called "Croaker" in my day.
I'll request Radheshyam Sharma to post the "View from the Top" on his blog.

Croakers (biological name-CICADA ) are the camouflaged creatures that make a shrill droning noise, especially after dark.
I didn't, but some enterprising lads who wanted to take it out on the Master on Duty, would smuggle them into the Study Hall which would disrupt the proceedings. By using the thumb and first finger and pressing down on their transparent wings pressing they would emit. We Muggers welcomed the break !!

It was a dense forest and we'd grab the chance to go down to fetch Footballs that went over from Third Field when we were Juniors and from the First Field when we the Big Guys on BALL BRIGADE.
Raspberries, wild Olives were collected to stave and supplement the Spartan diet.
On my last visit I noticed that the land has been cleared and made way for a Volley-ball court..sad and what price progress!
And the powers to be have done away with Years 11 &12, Hockey and Instrumental Music, supposedly due to lack of space. Difficult to comprehend.
On my part,as an ex Student and Teacher, I will continue to push for the above and hope others in the various Alumni will do likewise.

Keep those Colours High as you are doing with the Goethalites on your mailing list.

Matt Lobo

Msg from Adip Roka

Thanks for all the news and opinions. Iam proud to be an Ex-Goethalite
and have a colleague like you. Adip Roka,Ex-Goats (1974)

Adip Roka

Msg from Rajesh Agarwal

OK, no problem.

Do come home when you come to Kolkata

Radheshyam

Dear Radheyshyam

It is very interesting hearing from you almost every week and getting updated with the latest news.By the way let me introduce myself to you as Rajesh Kumar Agarwal( Batch 1991). setteled in Siliguri.Kindly let me know as to how do I see the latest list of old boys (GOATS) i.e which site do I open. Infact I had updated the form with my name and details quite some time back but am unaware of the updated list of GOATHALITES.Another last question i would like to ask is your BATCH YEAR and some of the details of your friends as well as if you could send me some old photographs related to GMS. thanks and waiting to hear from you.

Rajesh1991 GOAT

Hello Rajesh,

I am from the 1965 pass out badge.

Among my friends of the same year who visited Goethals during the centenary were A K Roy, D K Roy, J K Ghosh, Bruce Wallace, K K Rai, Ramdhari Agarwal(Siliguri).

You will get a whole lot of photographs if you visit our blogg http://goethals1907-2007.blogspot.com/ on the net. You will find many many photographs there.

The GMS site (goethalsmemorialschool.com) has a whole list of boys. I am also trying to update the records by asking everybody to send the personal data form which I send every week with my mail. Hope you have sent your data.

Since you are from the 1991 batch, I shall send you the details of all boys of the 1991 batch whose data I have, when I reach home this evening.

Ramdhari is from Siliguri. You may be knowing him.

Cheers.

Radheshyam

Dear Radheyshyam jee

Thanks for your spontaneous reply.
I was surprised to know that you are from 1965 batch (just shattered my expectations) even senior to my uncle Dr. Santosh Agrawal , child specialist (setteled in kolkata) who passed out in 1969.. any way age shouldnt be a barrier so i will keep touching you thru mail.

Regards,
Rajesh

And finally some humour sent by Rajesh to keep you smiling during the weekend

Physician, Heal Thyself!!

A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach
her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.. The Doctor
told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to
give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from
her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears
you.
If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and s o on until you get a
response.."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was
in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see
what happens."
Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his
wife and repeats, ", what's for dinner?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his

wife and asks, , what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response so,

He walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. ", what's
for dinner?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. ", what's for dinner?"

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

"James, for the FIFTH time I've said, CHICKEN!"

Moral of the story:
The problem may not be with the other one as we always think,
could be very much within us..!

Smileys

Men are in the habit of poking fun at the expense of their wives.
Lalit Narayan informs that they are fighting back.
How?
See how they attack with claws and brooms
Radheshyam

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his
Sweat-shirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he
shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?
"It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"
He yelled back, " University of Oklahoma "
And they say blondes are dumb...

A couple is lying in bed. The man says, "I am going to make you
the happiest woman in the world."
The woman replies, "I'll miss you..."

"It's just too hot to wear clothes today," Jack says as he
stepped out of the shower, "honey, what do you think the
neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?"
"Probably that I married you for your money," she replied.

Q: What do you call an intelligent, good looking, sensitive man?
A: A rumor

Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And
Patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death.
AMEN

Q: What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath
and calling your name?
A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough.

Q: How do you keep your husband from reading your e-mail?
A: Rename the mail folder "Instruction Manuals"

A young man wished to purchase a gift for his new sweetheart's birthday, and as they had not been dating very long, after careful consideration he decided a pair of gloves would strike the right note - romantic, but not too personal.

Accompanied by his sweetheart's younger sister, he bought a pair of white gloves; the younger sister purchased a pair of panties for herself.

During the wrapping, the clerk mixed up the items and the sister got the gloves and the sweetheart got the panties.

Without checking the contents first, he sealed his package and mailed it to his sweetheart along with this note:

Darling,

I chose these because I noticed that you are not in the habit of wearing any when we go out in the evening.

If it had not been for your sister, I would have chosen the long ones with buttons, but she wears short ones that are easy to remove.

These are a delicate shade, but the lady I bought them from showed me the pair she had been wearing for the past three weeks and they were hardly soiled. I had her try yours on for me and she looked really smart.

I wish I were there to put them on you for the first time, as no doubt other hands will come in contact with them before I have a chance to see you again.

When you take them off, remember to blow in them before putting them away as they will naturally be a little damp from wearing.

Just think how many times I will kiss them during the coming year. I hope you will wear them for me on Friday night.

All my Love,
Hollingsworth

P.S. The latest style is to wear them folded down with a little fur showing.

Another "Old School" Classic.......More Darj. Dist. Nostalgia!

St. Paul's and Kunchenjunga (1870s)!

Chapel and steps to the Quad

A conservative English boarding school is the setting for this glimpse into a boy's life during the Victorian era. Tom Brown arrives at Rugby School and encounters the tyrannical hazing of the school bullies in an institution where discipline has been nearly replaced by anarchy. While a stern new headmaster attempts to bring order, Tom and his friends stage their own revolution against the bullies, employing tricks, fisticuffs and ingenious practical jokes such as nailing the ringleader's furniture to the ceiling!

Tom Brown's Schooldays was first published in 1857. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s. Hughes attended Rugby from 1834 to 1842.The novel was originally published as being "by an Old Boy of Rugby", and much of it is based on the author's experiences. The fictional Tom's life also resembles the author's in that the culminating event of his school career was a cricket match.
Tom Brown was tremendously influential on the genre of British school novels, which began in the 19th century, and is one of the few still in print. A sequel, Tom Brown at Oxford, was published in 1861 but is not as well known.

Tom Brown is energetic, stubborn, kind-hearted, and athletic more than intellectual. He acts according to his feelings and the unwritten rules of the boys around him more than adults' rules. The early chapters of the novel deal with his childhood at his home in the Vale of White Horse. Much of the scene setting in the first chapter is deeply revealing of Victorian England’s attitudes towards society and class, and contains an interesting comparison of so-called Saxon and Norman influences on England.

On his arrival at Rugby, the eleven-year-old Tom Brown is looked after by a more experienced classmate, Harry “Scud” East. Soon after, Tom and East become the targets of a bully named Flashman. The intensity of the bullying increases and, after refusing to hand over a sweepstakes ticket for the favourite in a horse race, Tom is deliberately burned in front of a fire. Tom and East eventually defeat Flashman with the help of a kind (though comical) older boy. In their triumph they become unruly.

In the second half of the book, Dr. Thomas Arnold, the historical Rector of the school at the time, gives Tom the care of a new boy named George Arthur, frail, pious, academically brilliant, gauche, and sensitive. A fight that Tom gets into to protect Arthur, and Arthur’s nearly dying of fever, are described in loving detail. Tom and Arthur help each other and their friends develop into young gentlemen who say their nightly prayers, do not cheat on homework, and are on the cricket team. An epilogue shows Tom’s return to Rugby and its chapel when he hears of Dr. Arnold’s death.

The novel is essentially didactic, and was not primarily written by its author as an entertainment.

As Hughes said: Several persons, for whose judgment I have the highest respect, while saying very kind things about this book, have added, that the great fault of it is ‘too much preaching’; but they hope I shall amend in this matter should I ever write again. Now this I most distinctly decline to do. Why, my whole object in writing at all was to get the chance of preaching! When a man comes to my time of life and has his bread to make, and very little time to spare, is it likely that he will spend almost the whole of his yearly vacation in writing a story just to amuse people? I think not. At any rate, I wouldn’t do so myself.

“It was not the cold, clear voice of one giving advice and warning from serene heights to those who were struggling and sinning below, but the warm, living voice of one who was fighting for us and by our sides, and calling on us to help him and ourselves and one another. And so, wearily and little by little, but surely and steadily on the whole, was brought home to the young boy, for the first time, the meaning of his life — that it was no fool's or sluggard's paradise into which he had wandered by chance, but a battlefield ordained from of old, where there are no spectators, but the youngest must take his side, and the stakes are life and death. And he who roused this consciousness in them showed them at the same time, by every word he spoke in the pulpit, and by his whole daily life, how that battle was to be fought, and stood there before them their fellow-soldier and the captain of their band — the true sort of captain, too, for a boy's army — one who had no misgivings, and gave no uncertain word of command, and, let who would yield or make truce, would fight the fight out (so every boy felt) to the last gasp and the last drop of blood. . . . . . this thoroughness and undaunted courage which, more than anything else, won his way to the hearts of the great mass of those on whom he left his mark, and made them believe first in him and then in his Master”.

Life in Calcutta in the Seventies

After last weeks photographs of Calcutta of 1940, here is an article sent by John Kingsley of Calcutta - 1970. It will bring back many nostalgic momsnts.

By—Sarabjit Singh
Tees Saal Baad, thirty years later, is as good a time to reminisce as any, I guess. Nostalgia strikes especially in the company of old buddies or when the drinking gets heavy. There is to it a bitter-sweetness, much like a hospitalization where the attending nurse resembles Ivana Trump. The spirit and the step become lighter and the eye mistier in the full knowledge that the good old days will never return.

It was in Calcutta , now rechristened as Kolkata, in the early 70s that , much like the rest of India , British influence was waning. The India Tobaccos and the ICIs, the Dunlops and the Metal Boxes still had expatriate chieftains. The government of the time suffered from severe paranoia. There was a deep fear that the country's independence would be jeopardized if foreign companies were allowed to grow. Production capacities of such organizations were pegged and penalties imposed if these were exceeded.

As all hard-core Calcuttans will swear, it was possible then and probably is now, to rise above the squalor and the filth, the teeming hordes, the traffic jams and the unbelievably poor civic amenities, to a finer sensibility. There was a spirit and bonhomie that kept the city from dying. There was also an ethos, which ensured that a good time could be had regardless of the size of one's wallet.

For sure Calcutta had its problems but it also had its compensations - its rich club life being one. Very few cities can offer a greater variety. For sports lovers there was a Rackets Club for Squash, a Cricket and Football Club for those as well as the more exotic games of Rugby and Cycle Polo; there was a Tennis Club which boasted of members who had played in the Davis Cup; a Golf Club with over seventy water hazards and a Swimming Club.

Indians were barred from membership of the swimming club till, in a well-publicized incident, a Minister of the State Government dove into the pool, dhoti and supporters and all, to signal the end of an era.

There was the Tolly Club where one could, in theory at least, ride a horse between golf shots.

Then there were social clubs like the Punjab Club, which catered to a primarily Punjabi clientele whose major activities were eating, drinking, playing cards and flashing diamonds.

The Saturday Club was more cosmopolitan while the Ordnance Club and the Officers Institute at Fort William played host to Army officers who danced nearly as stiffly as they marched. The Dalhousie Institute and the Rangers Club were enlivened by the carefree, happy-go-lucky spirit of Calcutta 's rapidly declining Anglo-Indian population.

The staid Bengal Club and the Calcutta Club epitomized the true culture of the Brown Sahib. The list of clubs was quite endless and an enterprising young Boxwallah could ensure year-round free membership by participating in the various Merchants Cup tournaments. These tournaments were open to mercantile firms and drew many a pot-bellied senior executive onto the court or playground.

Each club had its own particular charm. The atmosphere at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club Bar was akin to an English pub. The smoke and alcohol-filled evenings usually ended up with some lusty singing of bawdy songs. 'Diana, Diana, show us your legs, a yard above the knee' would be belted out by a dozen raucous voices. The bartender's name was BI – short form for British India .

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club served the juiciest steaks in town., which washed down with a bottle of beer after a golf game was great value for money. You couldn't have a better meal. The Rackets Club answered the prayers of perspiring squash players in the form of a bartender called Abdul, who specialized in mixing Nimbu Panis, fresh lime juice, which were arguably the best in the city.

Clubs apart, there were other small touches, which gave life in Calcutta a flavor different from any other city. Christmas Week for instance meant a huge Santa Claus at the head of Park Street . The street itself would be lit up from end to end by one of the lighting companies. Small bands equipped with trumpets and drums would stand outside the festooned restaurants. For a small tip they would play any of the old favourites – Elvis or the Beatles, Pat Boone or Paul Anka while their benefactors swayed (or was it tottered) and hummed along.

Saturday nights meant Louis Banks, Braz Gonsalves, Pam Crain or Usha Iyer live at Trincas or the Blue Fox on Park Street . If one was feeling adventurous, there was Isaiah's Bar on Free School Street for a different kind of action.

Sunday mornings were reserved for jam sessions at Firpos where cocktail sausages would be served gratis with the beer. It is a sign of the times, literally and figuratively, that restaurants today serve peanuts.

Among the other options was that of watching a late-night movie at the Globe, Elite, or one of the other English movie theatres in Central Calcutta . These had been converted from drama theatres and still bore vestiges of their former roles with their quaint balconies and bars. One could grab a quick beer before proceeding to Nizam's Restaurant for their mouth-watering Kathi Rolls.

The chicken, mutton, egg or aloo rolls or combinations thereof, were a great food attraction. Calcutta 's essentially egalitarian character revealed itself in the fact that the well-heeled in their cars as well as the not-so-well-off in hand-pulled rickshaws would all descend on this institution. Sometimes, you could come across a slim, fiftyish man who would serenade your sweetheart with old love songs while drumming with his fingers on the bonnet of your car.

I wonder how much things have changed in these thirty years? Do young men still step onto soggy fields to play five-a-side football by floodlight and emerge bruised and mud-caked? Or are they content doing eyeball exercises in front of the TV? I wonder if Diana ( Hayden , an AI girl , a former Miss World ) is still showing her legs . We won't know, will we, till some Japanese corporation invents the Time Machine. Considering that Man has already reached the Moon, can this be far behind? H G Wells would certainly be pleased.

'From Phuket to Bhagalpur...'

Richard Johnson, June 15, 2008

I loved the pictures of 'Old Calcutta' and those great pictures from Jimmy Keir coming through Matt Lobo with his challenging comments: Isn't it a crying shame that our prestigious School, that prides itself in having produced Hockey Olympians, has no place for the sport today. I can relate to being passed on the 'legacy of sport' from those early days at GMS and the influence it has on my life (and on the lives of my grandchildren) today.

I'm going to miss writing and reading the blog for a few weeks. Evelyn and I are escaping the Melbourne winter for the warmth of Phuket for a few weeks. I feel my age at the end of the semester nursing a cold and a weary body and mind and a football team (Essendon) that's not doing very well this winter! I must discuss 'Australian Rules Football' with you in a later blog entry.

I wonder if there are any Goethalites in Phuket? I am sure there'll be some in Thailand.

Now, a request for some help please. I am researching an aeroplane accident that occurred in Bhagalpur on December 6, 1944. I would love to be in contact with someone who lives in Bhagalpur or who has some contacts there who may be able to help me. If you can, please contact me on rjj@deakin.edu.au or on my postal address which I gave in an earlier post on 'passing the baton'.

I know, instead of going to Phuket I should be heading to Bhagalpur - I will in the not too distant future.

Best Wishes to all Goethalites

Warm Regards

Richard
Dr Richard Johnson
Faculty of Arts and Education
Deakin University
221 Burwood Highway
Burwood 3125
Victoria, Australia
Phone: +61 3 92446438

Smileys

While browsing through the few messages we received this week, I present these smileys collected from different sources just to make your Sunday much brighter

Radheshyam

Following the footsteps of the Master..

The Old Preacher

An old preacher was dying.
He sent a message for his IRS agent and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom.
As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed.
The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling.
For a time, no one said anything.
Both the IRS agent and the attorney were touched and flattered that the old preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moment.
They were also puzzled because the preacher had never given any indication that he particularly liked either one of them.

Finally, the lawyer asked, "Preacher, why did you ask the two of us to come?"

The old preacher mustered up some strength, then said weakly, "Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I want to go, too."

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting.Well,here is one example

Retirement Fun!!

The other day John and Mary went into town and went into a shop. They were only in there for about 5 minutes.
When they came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.
John went up to him and said, 'Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?' He ignored him and continued writing the ticket.
John called him a Dumb ass.
He glared at John and started writing another ticket for having worn tires.
So Mary called him a shit head.
He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first.
Then he started writing a third ticket.
This went on for about 20 minutes.
The more they abused him, the more tickets he wrote.
Just then their bus arrived.
John and Mary have a little fun each day now that they are retired.
It's important at their age

Those who live in glass houses ....

Dialing Wrong number
Bob was sitting at the table one morning, reading the paper
after breakfast.
He came across an article about a beautiful actress who was
about to marry a football player known for his lack of IQ.
He turned to his wife and said, "I'll never understand why the
biggest jerks get the most attractive wives."
The wife blushed and whispered,"Thank you, darling"

The following one is of those who used to cram essays for the exams. In school we did not have much of this but in college we used to have boys learning essays by heart.

A sardar for an exam had studied only one essay ‘FRIEND’, but in the exam the essay which came was ‘FATHER’ . he replaced friend with father
in the essay and it read: AM A VERY FATHERLY PERSON, I HAVE LOTS OF FATHERS,
SOME OF MY FATHERS ARE MALE AND SOME ARE FEMALE. MY TRUE FATHER IS MY NEIGHBOUR

More things are done by prayers ....

The Stormy Sea

As the storm raged, the captain realized his ship was sinking fast. He called out, "Anyone here know how to pray?" One man stepped forward. "Aye, Captain, I know how to pray."

"Good," said the captain, "You pray while the rest of us put on our life jackets. We're one short."

Messages from Old Boys 27

Msg from Saumyajit

Sorry Saumyajit,
Gaurav till date hasn’t submitted his details.
I am in office just now.
When I go home in the evening, I'll try to find out from the other 1987 boys and let you know.
Anuj Malhotra E-mail: anujpekoe@gmail.com
Saikat Sarkar E-mail: psaikygms1@rediffmail.com; saikat.sarkar@citi.com
Ujjwal Das E-mail: ujjwaldas@rediffmail.com

Dear Sir,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I would be pleased to know about Gaurav Chatrath Batch ICSE 1987.

Thanks in advance,

Cheers!!

Saumyajit
Dear Saumyajit,

The records are slow in coming and it will take quite a long time to collect all the data at the rate they are coming in.
If, however, you would like any details of your batch mate, I would be most happy to give you, if they have sent it.
Please feel free to ask.

Cheers

Radheshyam

Dear Sir,

Please find my personal details as attached. Also would like to know if the data has been compiled, am anxious to know about it.

Regards,

Saumyajit


Msg from Ralph

Hello Radesh,
Thanks for the update. The pictures of the Chinese disaster areas were fantastic. Although you think they were shown for propaganda purposes, they were still breathtaking and emotional. Which country does not do the same? After all, you have to remember that the 2008 Summer Olympics are going to be held there. It's good to see that they are coping and will come through with this eventually.
We have finalized our reunion for June 28th.in Toronto. Will give you the scoop the day after. I could not recognize anyone except Keith Wallace in the picture taken in front of our school entrance during the 100 yrs. centennial. Some look familiar but that’s about it. I'm going to have to ask Marc.
Take care and be safe,
Ralph

Msg from Keith Hayward

Hello Keith,

Your mail brought back all the memories as if it was just yesterday. It was very good. I'll post it on our blog next Saturday.
For "Passing the Baton" what Richard meant was experiences in life which would be beneficial for the new generation and others.
Your experiences in college, work place or personal life.
We have between all the old boys of GMS about 300000 man-days of experience. If you want how I calculated, I could give that.
Some good, some bad and some ugly and some neutral.
If we remove 8 hrs of sleep per day, it still comes to 200000.
If we remove 50% neutral experience we should be having about 100000 man hours of experience.
If we could chronicle even 10% of that, it would be 10000 man hours.
Suppose only 50% of our boys are connected by net, it still gives us 5000 man hours.
If we consider one man hour of experience as one page, we could have a 5000 page of experiences.
This book would put Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace to shame.
Just think, take out your ball pen and start writing.
Don't worry of the commas and full stops, we will correct all that.

Warm regards

Radheshyam


Hello Radheshyam,

I would like to reminisce my not so good memories at School(1954/60!
Starting with daily Morning Mass, (Roman Catholics) angelically praying!!
The Fluorescent light above me fell on the ground and exploded into my eyes.
It was a week in the Infirmary.
Annual sports training,
I got a Hammering by Sir (Matt) for not passing the ball to the next team player.
I was rushed to Darjeeling Hospital with an expected Hernia.(It was a Groin Strain).
Morning Inspection,
Bro. Ponese (Principal) laughed at my dirty shoes,
I was sent to wait at his office.
1/2 hour later I got the best of 3 with the Cane.
Quarterly Cards (Pink Excellence),(Blue Good), White (Fair) &Yellow BAD)I
Expected Pink.
As usual, I got Yellow! Sir McKenzie brought out the Strap, 2 cuts in the palm.
Bro. Cahill (Khattu).
You would never see or hear him at class, but you know you get a Khut from behind, or the Eraser whiz pass your head, At least for us, he was a bad shot!
Bro. Doyle would lift us up by our Ears, again for talking.
Just a few off my head.
We always respected our Elders.
Great people, great memories, great school,
G.O.E.T.H.A.L.S
Please ''Pass The Baton''.

Keith(Hayward) 1954/60.
8.6.2008

Power of Positive Talk - APJ Abdul Kalam

Our former President is one person among our leaders whom I greatly admire.
He is so different from all the other politicians who became Presidents of our great country. So any article which he writes are really worth reading.
Here is one on Positive Thinking.

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.
One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.
My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.
I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did... fall.
My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.
This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.
My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.
Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.
Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.
The point is made.
If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.
If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."
People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.
My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.
These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.
Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.
So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc."
If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue. Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.
Notice when you or other people use them.
Ø But: Negates any words that are stated before it.
Ø Try: Presupposes failure.
Ø If: Presupposes that you may not.
Ø Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener.
Ø Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.
Ø Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)
Ø Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.
Ø Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.
Examples:
Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"
Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid. You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!"
Exercise: Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.

The Three Kick Rule...

The rustic farmer is not always a fool as this story proves

A big-city California lawyer went duck hunting in rural Texas. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of a fence. As he climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing. The litigator responded, “I shot a duck and it fell into this field, and now I’m going to retrieve it.”
The old farmer replied, “This is my property, and you are not coming over here.”
The indignant lawyer said, “I am one of the best trial attorneys in the US and if you don’t let me get that duck, I’ll sue you and take everything you own.”
The old farmer smiled and said, “Apparently, you don’t know how we do things in Texas. We settle small disagreements like this with the Texas Three-Kick Rule.”
The lawyer asked, “What is the Texas Three-Kick Rule?”
The farmer replied, “Well, first I kick you three times and then you kick me three times, and so on, back and forth, until someone gives up.”
The attorney quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.
The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the city feller. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy work boot into the lawyer’s groin and dropped him to his knees. His second kick nearly wiped the man’s nose off his face. The barrister was flat on his belly when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly caused him to give up.
The lawyer summoned every bit of his will and managed to get to his feet and said, “Okay, you old coot! Now, it’s my turn!”
The old farmer smiled and said, “No, I give up. You can have the duck!”

Photographs

I received these from Jimmy Keir whom you might have met at the Centenary.
Jimmy is very involved in working hands on with the underprivileged and makes regular trips from the Philippines to the charitable organisations in India.

Isn't it a crying shame that our prestigious School, that prides itself in having produced Hockey Olympians, has no place for the sport today !
Music (Band and Orchestra) has met with the same fate.

Matt

Calcutta in 1940

Some Old Nostalgic photographs of Calcutta - sorry Kolkata from 1940
Those were the good old days when we could cross the roads as and when we wanted.
At that time people were educated so thay could read the STOP sign on the traffic police's body and stopped. Now even after showing the hand / light/whistle, they do not stop.
Matt


Bentick Street
A scene from Chowringhee
Tram Depot at Chowringhee
A scene from Esplanade
A scene at Dalhousie Square
British Troops at Ferry Ghat
Flower Vendors near Howrah bridge
Holy Man or Tantric
Howrah Bridge
Nimtolla Ghat
Traffic Police

Jimmy Keir

Sent by Sir, Mr. Lobo

Budding Olympians

These photographs were sent to me by Jimmy Keir who was a Student and Teacher in Goethals.He is very involved in working hands-on with the underprivileged.He makes frequent visits to monitor the work that is being carried out.

Some of the lads with their makeshift hockey sticks.

jimandsan@hotmail.com

BSA Hockey Stars> Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008

The BSA young lads played an exciting soccer match against a Darjeeling team. Alana's coaching and daily runs have kept them fit. Now she has a new challenge - to make the boys the future Indian Olympic Hockey Team!

Playing with twigs and branches, and using a wild fig as a ball, they showed how adept they are to the game. Now with proper hockey sticks we have the makings of a future Dhyan Chand or C.S. Gurung (Olympic Gold Medalists)

Jimmy

Reunion with our Class Teacher

After a lapse of nearly 44 years some of us lucky members of the Class of ISC70 managed to catch up with Mrs Myrna Lobo during the Centenary bash in November 2007. She was our teacher in Class 4 in 1964 and we were the only class Mrs Lobo ever taught in GMS.

Still beautiful and radiant as ever and looking a lot younger than "her" boys she was also a lot fitter too. She raced us up from the 1st Field (Garibaldi Field) to the Garden benches. Mrs Myrna Lobo lives with her husband Mr Mathew Lobo in Perth, Australia.

Bishan Dewan

Steeped in Old School Nostalgia ……..A Must See (Again)!

Speech Day Tea on the Quad (1945)

Refectory (1943)

“Goodbye, Mr. Chips” is a novel by James Hilton, first published in 1934. The story was published in the British Weekly, an evangelical newspaper, in 1933 but came to prominence when it was reprinted as the lead piece of the April 1934 issue of The Atlantic. Afterwards, Hilton became a bestselling author and numerous adaptations were made including two Academy Award-winning films and various stage adaptations.
The novel tells the story of a much-beloved schoolmaster through the long years of his tenure at Brookfield, the fictional boys' public boarding school where he taught. Arthur Chipping conquers his inability to connect with the boys at the school as well as his initial shyness when he marries Katherine, a young woman he meets on holiday who provides him with his nickname. "Chips", despite his own mediocre academic record, goes on, to have an illustrious career as an inspiring Housemaster and educator at Brookfield.
Although the book is unabashedly sentimental, it also depicts the sweeping social changes that Chips experiences throughout his life: he begins his tenure at Brookfield in 1870, as the Franco –Prussian War is breaking out, and lies on his deathbed shortly after Hitler’s rise to power. Chipping is seen as an individual who is able to connect to anyone on a human level.
Clearly discernible, is a nostalgia for the Victorian order that had faded rapidly after Queen Victoria’s death in 1901 and whose remnants were fully destroyed by the First World War. Indeed, a recurring “leitmotif” throughout is the devastating impact of the war on British society. When the war breaks out, Chips, who had retired the year before at age sixty-five, agrees to come out of retirement to fill in for the various masters who had entered military service. Despite being taken for a doddering fossil, it is Chips who keeps his wits about him during an air raid, averting mass panic and sustaining morale. Countless old boys and masters die on the battlefield, and much of the story involves Chips's response to the horrors unleashed by the war. At one point, Chips reads aloud a long roster of the school's fallen alumni, and, defying the modern world he sees as soulless and lacking transcendent values of honor and friendship, and dares to include the name of a former Austrian master who died fighting on the opposite side.
Sentiments and Reaction:
I recently watched the original version of the film and of course, it transported me back to the Darjeeling District and the “good old days”. While there are strong elements from the movie that generally apply to all our schools in the Darj District including Goethals, one can clearly see St. Paul’s in the setting and plot. I watched the film after a good 31 years and it actually took me back to the “Goddard Era” at St. Paul’s and my father’s years at school (1945-1957). The Old Paulites I reconnected with in Australia were from an earlier generation of OPs and World Wars One and Two impacted the life of the school and theirs in a fashion similar to the movie. The Paulite Chapel at St. Paul’s has numerous listings of the names of Old Paulites who fought and lost their lives, serving in both World Wars.
The film’s British Public School ethos is emphasized repeatedly and the strict manners and dress code was St. Paul’s all over again…….a Sunday afternoon in Darjeeling…..groups of Paulites on their Sunday outing….three-piece navy blue suits with umbrella in hand (“Chhatawallas”) and “exeats” issued by the MOD (Master-on-Duty) tucked securely inside their jackets pockets! Sixth Formers set apart in their grays’ and boating jacket with the OPA or The Duke of Edinburg’s Crest…… rushing up Jalapahar as the Chapel bells rang, to make it in time for the compulsory roll call and “Evensong”……those were the days!
The film opens within the quadrangle of the revered Brookfield School, founded in 1492:
...one can almost feel the centuries...Gray old age, dreaming over a crowded past.
A train whistle blows, signaling the arrival of chattering, excited boys for the beginning of the new school term. As all the pupils, each wearing a hat, file into a building for an all-school assembly, they carry on the time-honored tradition of the British boys' school called 'call-over.' (The film ends with the same tradition.) A master stands at the doorway with a list of the names of each pupil, and the boys file past and call out their last name.
It is the late 1920s - the Rector announces a "small disappointment" for the students:
For the first time in fifty-eight years, Mr. Chipping has been unable to attend first-day assembly. Chips - and you'll allow me to refer to him as 'Chips,' seeing that thirty-seven years ago this autumn, he gave me a thrashing for sheer-bone laziness. Well, Chips has a cold, and a cold can be quite a serious thing for a young fellow of eighty-three.
Old schoolmaster 'Chips' was ordered to stay at home by the school's doctor, "but it was quite a battle. Our old friend was finally induced to surrender, and he is now sitting under violent protest by his own fireside."