Gerald D'Cunha

Pic.: Yojana Singh “Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.” - Robert Brault I heard someone telling this old story, once again, today” O nce, there was a King, who had never ventured out of the luxury of his palace. So, one day, he decided to experience the life outside his palace. Surrounded by his ministers and Generals, he set out on a week-long tour around his kingdom. By the time the King returned to his palace, he sensed unbearable pain in his feet… The roads have been rough and treacherous. So, as soon as he walked into the palace, the King called his ministers and ordered,, “I want every road in my kingdom be covered with leather carpets. It is too painful for me to walk.” Now, one of King’s advisers mustered enough courage to tell him: “My Lord, is it not wise to cover your own feet with a small piece of leather instead of skinning thousands of cows and wasting millions of rupees?” ...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty W hat is endearing to see, here in Mumbai, is the amazing fact that Ganesh idol is kept and worshiped by almost every kind of person – regardless of religion, class or creed. Mighty rich and the downright poor, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, yes almost all rejoicing in the Ganeshotsav … And, the Visarjan. .. Little ponds and lakes, vast rivers and seas… Lord Ganesh is sent off in any of them… But, it was not so, where I grew up – Mangalore. Only the members of  GSB (Goud Saraswat Brahmins) – the Konkani community – would keep Ganesh idol at their places… and, on the final day, immersed the Lord’s idol at the wells in their compound. It was a quiet, dignified affair… Mostly a private one. What I remember the most about it is, that, our next-door land-lady had a GSB tenant. Now, the land-lady was a Christian and had her rigid mindset. She would never allow her tenant to immerse the idol in the well in their compound. So, they approached my mom,. S...

Pic.: Anand Ashokan “Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with.” - John Wanamaker   A couple of days ago, Ekta, a dear student of mine, who presently pursues MBA through a reputed institution in Mumbai , had posted a picture: “She is holding ma hand, you see!” Ekta had given the caption, filled with pride and excitement... The present Union HRD-minister, Ms. Smriti Irani, had visited Ekta’s college. The picture captured the moment when Ms. Irani had held Ekta’s hand as she was stepping out of the car. “Ekta, please don’t wash that hand... yes, till you hold mine!  What say????” I sent my teaser to Ekta, indicating that it was a precious moment, and she had to cherish it for a long, long time. “Till you hold mine” was to convey that I, too, being Ms. Irani’s great admirer, would love to feel the fragrance of her hand, of course, via Ekta’s hand! “Hehe...Okay sir....not yet washed m comin sir...”...

Pic.: Anand Ashokan M ayank* is a wonderful boy. He is in twelfth standard – ISC and goes to a reputed institution. Besides, he comes from a wonderful family... Both parents are highly educated, and the family is blessed with, almost, everything one would desire. But, to me, Mayank has been a kind of mystery. He loves me and respects me. But, lets me down when it comes to his attendance... If he attends one class, he misses two, at times, three! I have tried my level best to make him understand... He realizes his problem, gives me a new promise... only to break it, once again! This has been going on right since his eleventh standard. This year, he has Board exams; so, I am quite concerned... Yesterday, Mayank had attended my class after missing three classes in succession. I consciously decided not to ‘lecture’ him or ‘scold’ him. It was futile, I knew it... If it hadn’t worked for this long, it wouldn’t for whatever period is now left. So, I went about  te...

Pic.: Nishant Joshi I have written many times before on Sir Richard Attenborough. But, invariably, those writings have revolved around two great movies he was associated with: ‘Gandhi’ and “ Jurassic Park ’ ‘G ANDHI’. Well, Sir Attenborough conceived, produced and directed this remarkable movie. I was 24 when I first watched this classic. What inspired me the most about Sir Attenborough was the fact that he had been longing to make this movie for two long-decades, which meant ever since I was a little boy of four! So obsessed he was to create this epic – rather narrate to the world, on the silver screen, the story of his hero – that, he ran from pillar to post, knocked every possible door, got rejected and dejected as any mortal would, and still refused to give up on his dream... He kept creating and recreating the movie in his mind for twenty long-years, till, finally, he saw it manifest in 1982! I still admire Sir Attenborough for this reason the most. ...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty “For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is... let it rain.”   ―   Henry W. Longfellow W hether you agree with it or not, Mondays do bring, for most of us, those blues which none of us likes... I had a relaxed Sunday, yesterday. At night, a friend of mine had invited some of us for a dinner at a lovely restaurant. None of us could attend his daughter’s marriage, which had taken place in Lucknow , recently. So, he wanted to share his happiness with some of us, here in Mumbai. We had a wonderful time and returned home quite late... This morning, I had my early-morning lecture. So, while teaching my students, I could understand, very well, the meaning of the phrase – ‘Monday Blues’! But, then, there was no option but to beat them... and beat them black and blue! How did I do it? Being a Sunday, I hadn’t come to my classes, yesterday. So, this morning, t...

Pic.: Nishant Joshi W hen I look around me, I find two kinds of people: those who have come on this earth to help me, guide me, teach me, empower me, inspire me… and, those who have come here to be helped, guided, taught, empowered and inspired by me… I really feel, that, it is something so beautiful about living in this world! Yes, to be thirsty and humble enough to look up to someone… And, to be mighty and kind enough to reach out to someone… When I look at one side, I can see so many people who look up to me… I know, as a teacher of my students or writer of my readers, as a father of my son or brother of my brothers or as a husband of my wife, God has sent me here to touch their lives… Make a difference in them… And, when I look at the other side, I can see so many people whom I look up to… I know, as a student, son, brother, husband, patient, client, citizen, church or society member, God has sent so many of those wonderful souls, here, to touch...

Pic.: Girish Gupta “ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing .” - Jesus Christ H ave you heard about a man called Nicholas Winton? Most probably, you haven’t... At least, I hadn’t. Last week, Ganesh Waran, one of my friends, who lives in Australia , had posted a BBC video-clip about this man... It was then I learnt, that he was one of the true unsung-heroes of World War – 2 times. Then, I got hooked on to his stories... searched more about him and learnt this: Nicholas Winton was a handsome young-man, had a smooth-going life in England ... Just before the War broke out, he had been on a holiday to Czechoslovakia , and, then, was left caught up, there, to accomplish the most unlikely mission of his life... He ended up saving the lives of 669 children, by secretly arranging to transport them to England . The parents of these children, mostly Jews, who knew what fate awaited al...