The East Indian Community

Now that my 4 year old daughter has started school, I think back to the time of my own school days.

There are some things that always stick around in your mind. Sights, smells and events typical to the schhol you went to.

Rainy Season: getting into those new gumboots / sandak sandals, the smell of new rubber is one thing that i can never forget. Walking in the rains to school in Vile Parle, with the water squishing my toes, then removing them to dry the feet in class...some fellows would wear socks that smelt of rotten meat through the day!

New Books: Getting new text books was the highlight. I would immediately go throuh the English text books, radiant reader/rapid reader for the stories...poems could wait. Smelling the new book smell was brilliant! getting them covered was an event in itself...especially the home work book - 300 pages...

First day: meeting everyone after the holidays, new class, "which division? I'm in A youre in C?" aslo"Which Class Teacher? She's bloody khadoos" Sitting at your desk, slyly scratching your name into the desk (where no one can see it plus shyly adding your crush's initials as well!)

Birthday: New clothes, sweets (ralalgaon, parry's, elcairs -if lucky) taking your best friend around the school, giving sweets to all the other teachers - what fun.

Gifts would be pen sets, sweets and books, sometimes a toy gun. Parties would be friends at home eating channa, cake and patties (they taste great together), with custard and jelly for dessert.

Nowadays, the kids get entire coloring sets / funny shaped sharpeners - ben 10 /20/30 what have you!

Birthdays are events themselves - my daughter had an event manager for her first birthday!

Gifts are now CD's, playstations and gift vouchers. Barbie sets that cost as much as a scooter would  a few  years back...

However, my daughter mentioned that she liked the "new smell" of her shoes...some things, I guess, never change!

Cheers for now. Some more snippets later...

Welcome your comments and additions.

Neil