Dear La Martiniere,
It’s impossible for me to sum up in just a few words how much you’ve meant to me. You’ve been a living entity, a habit … so much so, that getting up in the morning and not wearing this blue tunic is almost unimaginable.
Through the first few years of my association with you, I was a ‘slow coach’ and a ‘cry baby’. I knew I needed to toughen up, and toughen up I did… Later I earned titles like ‘Hermione Granger’ and ‘cappy’.
When I came to class 3, I improved my handwriting under the watchful eye of Miss Shaw who affectionately called me “a little puppy” because of my two fluffy pony-tails…She told us to make our letters “big and round… like little pearls”… today, my handwriting is a tad bit different…or as Mrs. Dass said, “It looks like it has been written by one who doesn’t have a thumb”… However my hair is still the same, and Miss Shaw’s fairy tales, nursery rhymes and G.K. lessons will be an integral part of my childhood memories…
To Mrs. Sadiq, Mrs. Abbas and Mrs. Dass, the ‘coolest teachers in the world’… middle school was absolute fun with you. To Mrs. Khanna, who made us “lbh” every article in our chemistry books… ma’am you made me “learn by heart” not merely text-books, but also lessons of life. To my all my Hindi teachers... my Hindi was never as bad as Disha’s (as Mrs. Dayal had said, “Angrez chale gaye, Disha ko chhod gaye!”), but my questions would drive anybody to the end of their wits… Miss Khan, who managed to keep us all up during Civics lessons with her sharp sarcasm and witty jokes. To Mrs. Mishra, Mrs. Kashyap, Mrs. Dube and Mrs. Bose, the most patient teachers in the world, I will always be indebted to you for your care and affection. To Mrs. Tripathi and Miss Ali who were my mentors…you honed me into ‘acting like a lady’. Miss Kotesh and Mrs. Gupta... in 2 years’ time, we have broken too many voltmeter knobs and test-tubes, but you both always smiled and said, “Rajkumar, zara dekho bacchon ne kya toda.”
To Mrs. Chhatree … miss, nobody sings like you do and nobody teaches music like you do... we would “come for choir practice to the music room as soon as the bell rings” even after leaving school. To Mrs. U. Pant, our librarian, who has always been a constant source of inspiration to all the students.
To all my juniors who have most patiently endured my “Western Group once more” and “EYES RIGHT!” commands… In the past year, you have given me barrels of love and a treasure chest full of memories, there is nothing else I could have asked for.
To all the boarders who taught me the Martinian way of life… It was with you that I learnt what ‘mart claps’ are and what phrases like “day-chuck” mean, and how a “no need” or an “aaaiyyaaa” can sum up a plethora of emotions… and I just loved becoming a MEG… although I’m yet to beat Dolly’s MEGNESS SCORE!
To Mrs. Abraham who forgave me after I made the glorious mistake of leaving school after class 10 and came back crying in 5 days flat. You called me a ‘bad coin’ and took me back with a smile on your face. I would never be able to thank you enough for all that you have done. Ma’am I am sorry if I let you down. I hope that you would forgive me thinking of me as your little narrator in the ‘Mother Crow, Father Crow’ play…
“Time seems like a summer bird, swiftly flown away…”
La Martiniere, when I first came to you, I had tears in my eyes. It is dramatic irony that today as I leave, my eyes are brimming with tears once again… I am indebted to you for 14 most beautiful years of childhood filled with friends, elocutions, Go-Go ice-creams and Gandhi Corner samosas. Not in a lifetime will I be able to pay back. In the end all I’d like to say is that you are the bestest school in the whole wide world and I love you from the very bottom of my heart… I’m not going to say that I’ll miss you because I’m never ever ever going to forget you…
It’s impossible for me to sum up in just a few words how much you’ve meant to me. You’ve been a living entity, a habit … so much so, that getting up in the morning and not wearing this blue tunic is almost unimaginable.
Through the first few years of my association with you, I was a ‘slow coach’ and a ‘cry baby’. I knew I needed to toughen up, and toughen up I did… Later I earned titles like ‘Hermione Granger’ and ‘cappy’.
When I came to class 3, I improved my handwriting under the watchful eye of Miss Shaw who affectionately called me “a little puppy” because of my two fluffy pony-tails…She told us to make our letters “big and round… like little pearls”… today, my handwriting is a tad bit different…or as Mrs. Dass said, “It looks like it has been written by one who doesn’t have a thumb”… However my hair is still the same, and Miss Shaw’s fairy tales, nursery rhymes and G.K. lessons will be an integral part of my childhood memories…
To Mrs. Sadiq, Mrs. Abbas and Mrs. Dass, the ‘coolest teachers in the world’… middle school was absolute fun with you. To Mrs. Khanna, who made us “lbh” every article in our chemistry books… ma’am you made me “learn by heart” not merely text-books, but also lessons of life. To my all my Hindi teachers... my Hindi was never as bad as Disha’s (as Mrs. Dayal had said, “Angrez chale gaye, Disha ko chhod gaye!”), but my questions would drive anybody to the end of their wits… Miss Khan, who managed to keep us all up during Civics lessons with her sharp sarcasm and witty jokes. To Mrs. Mishra, Mrs. Kashyap, Mrs. Dube and Mrs. Bose, the most patient teachers in the world, I will always be indebted to you for your care and affection. To Mrs. Tripathi and Miss Ali who were my mentors…you honed me into ‘acting like a lady’. Miss Kotesh and Mrs. Gupta... in 2 years’ time, we have broken too many voltmeter knobs and test-tubes, but you both always smiled and said, “Rajkumar, zara dekho bacchon ne kya toda.”
To Mrs. Chhatree … miss, nobody sings like you do and nobody teaches music like you do... we would “come for choir practice to the music room as soon as the bell rings” even after leaving school. To Mrs. U. Pant, our librarian, who has always been a constant source of inspiration to all the students.
To all my juniors who have most patiently endured my “Western Group once more” and “EYES RIGHT!” commands… In the past year, you have given me barrels of love and a treasure chest full of memories, there is nothing else I could have asked for.
To all the boarders who taught me the Martinian way of life… It was with you that I learnt what ‘mart claps’ are and what phrases like “day-chuck” mean, and how a “no need” or an “aaaiyyaaa” can sum up a plethora of emotions… and I just loved becoming a MEG… although I’m yet to beat Dolly’s MEGNESS SCORE!
To Mrs. Abraham who forgave me after I made the glorious mistake of leaving school after class 10 and came back crying in 5 days flat. You called me a ‘bad coin’ and took me back with a smile on your face. I would never be able to thank you enough for all that you have done. Ma’am I am sorry if I let you down. I hope that you would forgive me thinking of me as your little narrator in the ‘Mother Crow, Father Crow’ play…
“Time seems like a summer bird, swiftly flown away…”
La Martiniere, when I first came to you, I had tears in my eyes. It is dramatic irony that today as I leave, my eyes are brimming with tears once again… I am indebted to you for 14 most beautiful years of childhood filled with friends, elocutions, Go-Go ice-creams and Gandhi Corner samosas. Not in a lifetime will I be able to pay back. In the end all I’d like to say is that you are the bestest school in the whole wide world and I love you from the very bottom of my heart… I’m not going to say that I’ll miss you because I’m never ever ever going to forget you…
