This was unexpected. But welcome. Who would run away from a party?
My first Christmas party for the season arrived at a time I least expected.
On Thursday.
It happened at St. Bede’s that evening.
Vincent Felix always makes it a point to invite me to events at this over-a-century old school. I am glad I accepted his call earlier this week.
Vincent is among the few ‘old boys’ of this Anglo-Indian school who studied here in the 40s. He is 84 (he passed out of school before India became independent) and he has lots of San Thome and Mylapore stories to share.
And when he shares them on the sprawling grounds of St. Bede’s where boarders play vigorous games of hockey and basketball until dusk, these stories come alive.
On Thursday he told me how he was the only dayscholar among seven boarders in senior school who were caught redhanded by the Rector on the beachside, for enjoying the company of the girl-students from other city schools who had to write their final exams at St. Bede’s!
“Today, we celebrate Mother Mary’s birthday so I am sparing you the flogging,” the padre had told the boys. “But you will have to clean the chapel as reparation.”
It was a great evening - for Vincent Felix and members of the Old Bedeans (the alumni) had put together a Christmas party for the boarders, all Anglo-Indians.
There was music, they had Santa, there was a Christmas tree and the boys sang a few carols. And they roared when all of them got gifts, bought by the alumni.
And when the special biryani was served, the boys were the happiest lot present.
The padres were also there and it was a perfect Christmas party.
I only wish the boys’ band had time to perform after dinner. But then, there are rules to follow in a boarding. The show had to close.
For the Old Bedeans present it was indeed a wonderful evening.
Hopefully, there will be many such evenings this Christmas for you.
December 04, 2010
November 13, 2010
Welcome to December Season 2010
It is that time of the year when we work a tad closer with the community of musicians, dancers, sabha managers and gurus of the classical, performing arts.
We are on the edge of yet another December Season - a season when this city hosts hundreds of concerts of Carnatic music and of classical dance and dozens of fringe events.
Many people say that the ‘season’ is getting chaotic, maddening and bloated.
That is because more and more sabhas come alive in December, more and more artistes fight for a place on stage, schedules get longer.
I guess this is some thing you have to live with till the wheat and the chaff get separated.
However, the December season is unique, has a character of its own and must be celebrated and supported.
The web site that we manage - Kutcheribuzz - was a child of the December season. Over a decade ago, we braved monsoon rains and negotiated unhelpful sabha managers to post the concert schedules of all leading sabhas to provide a simple utility space on the Web.
The site has grown in many different ways and directions. But at the core we have tried to get the community to be part of it.
This December season we want to drive the community collaboration further.
We would like to get rasikas to file reports on what they saw and heard in the auditoriums. Those who love taking great photos can also contribute them to the web site.
There is also space for short videos.
Artistes are also welcome to e-mail short notes on their new productions, collaborations or lectures. So can arts institutions.
E-mail us at - editor@kutcheribuzz.com. Or call 044-24994599.
We are on the edge of yet another December Season - a season when this city hosts hundreds of concerts of Carnatic music and of classical dance and dozens of fringe events.
Many people say that the ‘season’ is getting chaotic, maddening and bloated.
That is because more and more sabhas come alive in December, more and more artistes fight for a place on stage, schedules get longer.
I guess this is some thing you have to live with till the wheat and the chaff get separated.
However, the December season is unique, has a character of its own and must be celebrated and supported.
The web site that we manage - Kutcheribuzz - was a child of the December season. Over a decade ago, we braved monsoon rains and negotiated unhelpful sabha managers to post the concert schedules of all leading sabhas to provide a simple utility space on the Web.
The site has grown in many different ways and directions. But at the core we have tried to get the community to be part of it.
This December season we want to drive the community collaboration further.
We would like to get rasikas to file reports on what they saw and heard in the auditoriums. Those who love taking great photos can also contribute them to the web site.
There is also space for short videos.
Artistes are also welcome to e-mail short notes on their new productions, collaborations or lectures. So can arts institutions.
E-mail us at - editor@kutcheribuzz.com. Or call 044-24994599.
November 04, 2010
Record your stories
Did Mylaporeans stick to Mylapore when it came to shopping at Deepavali time or did they go to China Bazaar and Rattan Bazaar?
Who were the big and popular names among neighbourhood shops?
What was the atmosphere at home when the seniors and the young, relatives and friends gathered to make sweets and snacks?
Times like festivals are times when you can indulge in lots of social history.
And record it if one can, simply because much of it does not get into print or go online and because much of these records will die with the passing away of every generation.
At our newspapers we do make an attempt to record memories of people who have great stories to share. These efforts are few and far between because there are countless stories and many story-tellers but very few people who volunteer to document them.
I pause for a few seconds when I run through the Obituary notices of very senior and colourful personalities that reach our desk for publication. We have lost another set of stories that this man or woman may have shared had we had a long conversation . . .
Is it important to record the experiences of people who used trams and state-run transport buses in the past and of major events at school campuses?
Is it useful to collect photos of social events like weddings and grihapravesams that took place in 1960s and to save the annual reports of leading organisations?
Everything that are troves of stories of our past is important.
It is easy now to document all this in the age of technology. But we volunteers.
Who were the big and popular names among neighbourhood shops?
What was the atmosphere at home when the seniors and the young, relatives and friends gathered to make sweets and snacks?
Times like festivals are times when you can indulge in lots of social history.
And record it if one can, simply because much of it does not get into print or go online and because much of these records will die with the passing away of every generation.
At our newspapers we do make an attempt to record memories of people who have great stories to share. These efforts are few and far between because there are countless stories and many story-tellers but very few people who volunteer to document them.
I pause for a few seconds when I run through the Obituary notices of very senior and colourful personalities that reach our desk for publication. We have lost another set of stories that this man or woman may have shared had we had a long conversation . . .
Is it important to record the experiences of people who used trams and state-run transport buses in the past and of major events at school campuses?
Is it useful to collect photos of social events like weddings and grihapravesams that took place in 1960s and to save the annual reports of leading organisations?
Everything that are troves of stories of our past is important.
It is easy now to document all this in the age of technology. But we volunteers.
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