Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ferent parts of the country. The Vidyalaya in each place is administered by a Managing Committee consist-
ing of the local members of the Chinmaya Mission and other interested people in the cause. The School has
nursery as well as primary classes in most of the centers. Montessori and other modern systems are adopted
in the nursery section. A curricula that is child centered and activity oriented is followed. The medium of
instruction is English.
In a growing child, individuality unfolds over the years. Stage by stage his awareness and under-
standing abilities and capacities unfold as he becomes more and more aware of our world and gradually
he moves from the dim consciousness of infancy through the dreamy days of childhood to the intellectual
awareness of adolescence and beyond to adulthood. He should be assisted in this awakening process in
the healthiest possible way by bringing to the child the right kind of educational nourishment. This is what
Chinmaya Vidyalaya is aiming at with sincerity in the best interests of the children and their future.
Aims and Objectives
The primary object of the Institution is to bring about the harmonious blending between the traditional and
progressive methods of education. Our endeavor is to “create free human beings who are able in themselves
to impart purpose and direction to their lives”. Our teaching method and subject matter are so evolved that
they can develop, harmonize and bring together, the powers of thought, feelings and action in the child.
When this integration of head, heart and hand has been brought about, the basis has also been laid for men-
tal adaptability, initiative and moral strength in adult life. In short our aim is to impart the best of education
with utmost care, love and understanding with a view to instil into these young minds, early enough, moral
and ethical values, strength of character, discipline, national outlook firm faith in all religions and an abiding
spirit of service and sacrifice and thus help and encourage them to develop a healthier and broader outlook
on life.
Our Motto
“KEEP SMILING” is our School motto. This means : be brave and courageous always, face every experi-
ence in life with a smile on your face. In other words, be balanced in life under all circumstances joy or
sorrow, success or failure, honour or dishonour, prosperity or adversity. This calmness of the mind expresses
itself in a smile.
Our Emblem
The Chinmaya Vidyalaya has for its emblems, the lamp and the ‘Hamsa’ bird. In the light of the
Scriptures (represented by the lamp) the discriminative power of the human intellect is to be de-
veloped (represented by the Hamsa bird), Vedic tradition describes Hamsa as a bird that can drink
milk alone from a mixture of milk and water. The human intellect with its discriminative power
must be able to discriminate between Spirit and Matter and must come to enjoy the Spiritual Es-
sence in the world of names and forms. Thus the emblem indicates that the function of the Mission is to help
people in developing ethical values and cultivating in them a discriminative intellect.
THE CHINMAYA
- Yellow depicts a positive outlook or vision of life
FLAG
- The Tricolour symbolizes love for and pride in our country and its culture
Hari Om!!!
Year after year I eagerly await the release of Akshara, knowing that
each year the magazine will be put together in a more interesting and
creative fashion. I have never been disappointed so far. The packaging
and content are both brilliant.
I congratulate the Literary committee! May their tribe increase and may
Gurudev’s blessings be upon you all.
The much awaited Akshara is once again in our midst. The magazine re-
flects the triumphs, the success the laughter and tears of the school. The
literary committee works very hard every year to bring out the interest-
ingly compiled articles, photographs, stories and pictures. I hope all
those who peruse the contents will find it an extremely interesting mix of
imagination, creativity, science and sports.
Akshara is the medium through which we let the world catch a glimpse
of our school- its philosophy, vision and activities. It is a wonder world
of caring, where all staff and students strive for excellence raising the
bar in every way, year after year.
My thanks to all stake holders-management, parents, staff and students
for their unstinted support and cooperation. It is this generous support
and Gurudev’s blessings that spurs us to greater heights. Our vision is
“We will, we can and we should” and Akshara reflects it.
We heave a huge sigh of relief – the exam stresses have finally subsided! Hari Om dear parents,
teachers and fellow students! We have come back to you this time with yet another venture, the
school magazine, throbbing with the pride and eminence of our school! Last year, as time and
energy had to be spent on the CBSE Meet, the magazine had failed to come out. So this year
we’ve duly worked to supply reports of the varied school activities for this year. We’re proud to
say the magazine has become enhanced, yes, both in content and quality, and reading it would
be an assured pleasure. We’d received quite critical comments about our newsletters, ‘Chinmaya
Pravahini’ – new editions 1 and 2 – and we would like to reiterate what we’d said the last time; it
is extremely heartening to see your active involvement in the functioning of the literary sector of
the school as ‘We have just sowed the seed and tended to it day and night. It’s you who get to add
the fertilizer; and it’s, you who deserve to enjoy the harvest!’
We have a long list of acknowledgements: the completion of this magazine would have been
incomprehensible if not for the handsome efforts of the people listed below: We would like to
acknowledge the trust our principal, dear Maya Ma’am, and our dynamic Kamakshi Ma’am, and
all our teachers had placed on us when they told us, “Oh yes! You can do it!” during every step we
took towards achieving every task put forward to us.
We would like to thank Anoop K Nayak (student of class 12) for the strikingly beautiful and
splendid designing which is the soul and essence of our magazine. He had worked with us
day and night, breathing life into the magazine. We would like to mention our sincere thanks to
Anjana Pratap (ex-student) for selecting the themes.
Special mention to Mr. Manoj(B.M Screens) for helping with the printing of the magazine.
Last (but not the least!), we would like to acknowledge the vehement and eager response of all our
readers which has encouraged us to go a long way from the first edition of the Pravahini.
Now lets start ruffling those pages!
Talent File
A fantabulous collection of vibrant
articles chipped in by the students from different
walks of life...
Teachers Korner
Take a look at what our teachers would
like to showcase...
Designed By
Anoop K Nayak
For digital copies(PDF)
visit : http:\\www.akshara.cjb.in
CHAITHANYA 2008
C haithanya 2008 was a confluence of creative energies and the dynamic synergy of brilliant
young minds; a unique platform for celebrating variety and talent. A much-awaited cultural extravaganza
as it was, it showcased the enthusiasm and flair of students from schools across Cochin. It was based on the
theme “Southern Spice-Celebrating the Flavors of the South…”
The inaugural ceremony witnessed lighting of the lamp by honored chief guest Mr. Salim Kumar, the
guest of honour, Mrs. Kamakshi Balakrishna and our dear Principal Mrs. Maya Mohan. This was followed
by welcoming ceremony wherein the team leaders were invited onto the stage and were garlanded. Each
of them lit a candle which they set afloat that symbolized their whole-hearted participation. The inaugural
dance showcased the culture and heritage of the Southern states of India.
The first event onstage was Rock Rasam in which the teams had to fuse an English rock song with a regional
melody. Vakya Var, a literary event consisting of three stages including a quiz and Candid Candidate, the
surprise event organized by ClubFM which was an RJ Hunt held on-air, were conducted simultaneously.
The Carnatic Carnival was held in the school grounds in which the teams had to cheer their teams
toward victory. The cheering squads had to come up with innovative slogans and coordinated steps. The
Vogue Vastra was a celebration of the blend of traditional and modern styles of clothing. The teams were
given over three hours time to come up with their mind-blowing designs to portray on the ramp.
The Thrilling Tandav, was the dance event in which the teams had to dance to South-Indian tunes
full of energy. Mr. Lalu Alex was the chief guest for the valedictory function and distributed the prizes to the
event winners. Finally it was The Choice School who bagged the overall though it was a nail-biting finish
with Vidyodaya School just one point behind as the first Runners-Up. Bhavans Vidyamandir Girinagar and
Nava Nirman Public School shared the second Runners-Up while SBOA took home the cheering trophy. The
day came to an end with a spectacular dance put up by the Chinmayites. With a warm handshake, the stu-
dents dispersed, glowing memories of the day kindled in their hearts.
m school, truly fitting the theme – ‘Echoes of the Dark’. The first event was ‘The Rock Resur-
rection’, where our musicians sang a rock song that was composed by them. We came second
in this event. The literary event, ‘Tales from the Crypt’, came next. The next event was ‘The
p Phantom of the Opera’, the skit, where the participants had to mock any horror movie. Our
versatile actors bagged the first prize for this with their truly hilarious spoof of ‘Manichitrat-
u hazhu’. The fashion display, Goth Chic, came next; the theme was ‘Goth’, and our models
and designers did a wonderful job that got us the second prize. The surprise event, ‘Jack in
l the Box’, was next in store and we won first for it. Then came the most awaited event, ‘Sway-
ing Spirits’, the dance. Thanks to our spectacular choreography and our talented dancers, we
came first. Our overall consistency made us the clear winners. Our cheering squads have been
s constant supporters every year and this year too they didn’t disappoint us by bringing home
the Cheering trophy along with the coveted Impulse trophy. At the end of the day, as we left
e Choice, we were proud of our achievements and most importantly, proud to keep the
Chinmaya flag flying high.
SCIENCE EXHIBITION
A spectacular science exhibition was conducted in Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala. This was
organ¬ized by the Science Department of the school in collaboration with the Elon University of
North Carollina.The Exhibition provided a platform to kindle the inquisitive minds of children. The
main aim of Elon Uni¬versity is the propagation of science at global level. 23 Students of the uni-
versity accompanied by 2 teacher trainees and 2 professors are involved in this project. They dis-
played their working models and other exhib¬its like parabolic lens, inflatable lungs etc.The main
attraction was the involvement of students in experiencing scientific facts and also to learn about
various approaches to Science education in the United States and in India in an unfiltered manner.
YI (YOUNG INDIANS)
On 9th August, three smart engineering students of Model Technical College came to our
school to create awareness about the poor condition of waste management in the city through the
YI programme.The YI programme aims at bringing down the amount of non-bio-degradable waste
generated, come up with innovative ideas to collect waste, and make Kochi a better place to live.
The YI creates awareness through colourful posters, demonstrations, and campaigning.
Its main aim is to organize the youth of India to serve India better.
During their short visit, they explained to Chinmaya students the need to manage waste, the
need to control waste generation and the need to make our Kochi clean.
Some of the measures suggested by them to manage waste are-
• Segregate waste.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
• Prefer biodegradable to non biodegradable.
• Create awareness among the people in your locality about waste management.
Space Quiz
Aravind S Kumar
V-C
As the winner of the space quiz conducted by VSSC, I got a golden opportunity to interact with great scien-
tists behind the glorious Chandrayaan – I mission, and to visit the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thumba.
Let me share what I added to my knowledge there.
ISRO was just for rockets and satellites for me. The VSSC museum and the theatre display there
reveals what the Indian space department do for a common man. They are not in the world of heavenly bod-
ies alone but are coming down and touching even a tribal villager. Indian space programme was born in a
Church at Thumba, in our own Kerala. Since the geomagnetic equator passes through Thumba village it was
necessary to locate the launching program there. The St. Martins church at Thumba turned in to the great
VSSC museum and VSSC expanded its premises to the 600 acres of land around. The Altar of the church is
still the same in the museum. The space program started with launching sound of rockets. The VSSC mu-
seum gives the story of past, present and future missions of ISRO. Its growth from ASLV to PSLV and then
to the geo synchronies GSLV are shown on display. The hard work that had taken by the father of Indian
astronomy – Vikram Sarabhai is pictured in detail there. Trough, monitor illustrations, models and picture
charts chandrayaan – I mission is fully on display. The fully indigenous PSLV – Mark III – a future project
– and the other future projects planned even to 2030 are described there in the archives. In a special archive,
the MIP – Moon Impact Probe built by VSSC to send in Chandrayaan displayed. Pictures and profiles of all
the scientists worked with ISRO till date, are also found a place in the museum. Along with, the details of
International space station NASA’s contribution to the world and the countries in space exploration are also
narrated. For a space enthusiastic nothing is worth than this museum.
The interactive session was along with the deligates.
1. ISRO chairperson Shri G Madhavan Nair.
2. VSSC Director Dr. K Radhakrishnan
3. ISRO satellite centre Director, Bangalore Dr K T Alex
4. ISRO Inertial system unit director Shri PS Veeraraghavan
5. VSSC Project director Shri S Sreerama Krishnan
6. VSSCAssociate director Dr. V. Adimurthi
7. Sathish Dhawan space centre Shriharikkotta, director Shri M.C Dathan
8. Mission director of PSLV – CII, Shri George Koshi
9. Telemetry tracking and commanding network director Shri SK Sivakumar
10. Vehicle director of PSLC – CII, Shri C. Venugopal
11. MIP project leader Shri Y Ashok kumar
12. Payload scientist Dr. Sayed Makhbool Ahmmed
13. Space application centre Dy. Director Dr. As Kiran Kumar
The inter active session did quench our quest through brilliant answers from the brains of Chandrayaan
team.The Chandrayaan I mission has 3 main objectives. To take 3 dimensional pictures of the moon, to
identify the presence of Helium -4 and to search water in polar regions of the moon. The 3 objectives are
very much unique none other has done this before. From our controlling station we can control all the sensi-
tive parts of Chandrayaan and even we can repair it from the earth. The MIP has taken thousands of 3D
pictures before hitting the surface of moon. The scientists crew also expecting some wonderful unexpected
reports about the moon through h the Chgandrayaan mission. ISRO will launch Chandrayaan II in near by
future with specific objectives and a Lunar Manned mission in 2015. Also, Aditya – the mission to sun is
developing. Mars, Jupiter a all are aims to ISRO. The gearing up process of ISRO, from a sounding rocket to
Chandrayaan is described as the hard work of thousands of Indians.
The team advised the student world of India, not be limited to the IT world alone with the financial fascina-
tion, but the doors of Indian Space research are widely open to all, with treat opportunities. They appreciated
our knowledge and did welcome to wonder worlds of space exploration.
I left VSSC with my heart full of pride being an Indian and wishing the scientists all the best wishes for their
up coming projects.
Vidyodaya Camp
T he inter school camp – 2009 at Vidyodaya was held on 16th, 17th, and 18th of Janu¬ary. The
theme for the camp was Chandrayan I.
Six students accompanied by two teachers Ms. Indira and Ms. Latha attended the camp.
After reaching the school premises, the students were divided into the different groups namely Lona,
Rona, Diana and Itzamna. The teachers were put into the groups named Rangers and Surveyors. We
were all allotted classrooms accordingly.
The opening ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp followed by the spectacular dance items
presented by the Vidyodayans. This was followed by the ice breaking session and the obstacle race.
Then we were shown a slide show on Chandrayan I. Following this was a spectacular Campfire
with fireworks.
Day 2 started with 5:00am wake up call. After bed coffee we had aerobics which was
fol¬lowed by the triathlon race which included cycling, swimming and running. We all en¬joyed
the adventure games and creative sessions. Quizzing was conducted after lunch in the A.V. room. We
were given the opportunities to draw pictures, write stories and poems in the literary session. The
treasure hunt was as exciting as the other activities. Then we went for hiking around the school.
The presentation by the groups on the topic ‘moon wars’ included a skit, music composi¬tion
and dancing. Campfire II was as exciting as the 1st one.
The 1st activity for the third day was yoga followed by the cross country race. The wa¬ter games
were challenging. The most enlightening and educative moments were the interactive session with
Mr. George Koshi, the director of the mission Chandrayan I and Mr.Sahadevan from Mathurubhu-
mi. ‘Fun Zone’ conducted by Club FM 93.5 was real fun.
The closing ceremony had camp evaluation and the distribution of the certificates. The teachers who
accompanied the students also participated in each and every activity
The RAY programme was conducted at Abad Plaza on 25th Nov. 2007 by the rotary club of
Cochin metropolis for personality development of young adults of today.
The programme was inaugurated by Dr.Salim.N.Kumar who was also one of the guests of honor.
Dr.Mathew Philip and Adv.Beechu Cherrian later addressed the gathering.
There was a PowerPoint presentation by Dr.Loni on table manners and grooming. Lunch was
served soon after a brief interaction between the Rotarians and the children on basic etiquettes.
There was an interactive session by Dr.Vinod on how to enhance memory power. He advised the
children to visualize and learn so that words would be imprinted on the sub-conscious mind. Adv.
Bechu Cherian gave a lecture on public speaking after which he called a few to participate for ex-
tempore.
There was also a treasure hunt which tested our analytical thinking. Tea was served after which
certificates were distributed.
Chinmaya Vidyalaya was represented by Aarthi Ramesh, Saranya Sreekumar, Anasa, Chinmay, Bar-
thi Menon, Narayanan, Vijetha, Anup Pratap Chandar, Surabhi, Ronak and Dhruv Duttani.
This interactive programme was indeed a learning experience. It taught us basic etiquettes, public
speaking, memory development and overall personality development.
CULTURAL EXCHANGE TRIP TO
SINGAPORE
By Bharat Babu
Singapore, new friends, different culture, exotic food, awesome sight seeing and above all, inter-
acting with students of a different country, finding out what and how they learn at school; this was
the trip anticipated on our cultural exchange programme to Singapore.
We, a batch of 16 extremely fortunate students of Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala embark¬ed on
this 10 day programme to Singapore, on the 1st of August, 2008.
Aditi Warrier, Annette Fathima Hogan, Bharat Chelekkattu Babu, Gopalkrishnan, Joseph An-
tony, Jyothipooja Perekulath, Karna Anand, Manish Jaikishan, Nitin Nair, Revati Shenoy, Sharan
Krishnamenon,Tanvi Sanjay, Ustav Changoiwala, Sudheeksha, Nidhi Vargheese, Rose Sneha were
the fortunate students who participated in the programme.
The teachers accompanying us were Ms.Annie George and Ms.Rema Chandrashekar. The
journey began with all of us boarding a Silk Air flight to Singapore. After reaching there we un-
packed and were shown the local sights. We were then taken to Bukit View High School, the school
involved in the exchange programme. There, we were allowed to participate in the teaching sessions
for 3 days attending classes with the local students. This experience gave us a glimpse of the school-
ing of a different culture. Anybody can travel to a different country, but to interact with students on
their home ground and learn from them was an exhilarating experience. We showed the Singapore-
ans two Indian dances – the energetic Bangara and the graceful Dandia. This was followed by an
Audio-Video presentation of our school and its various facilities. Then we had the Chinmaya song
and the National Anthem which rounded off the show.
The Chinmaya contingent got on the sight seeing band wagon. We then explored and shopped
at the fabulous malls. We returned after a very exciting stay at Singapore by the 9th of August.
ART SPLASH
An art exhibition called art “splash” was held at Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala on 31st
July. Many “specially abled” children from Raksha School visited Chinmaya along
with their teachers to take part in the exhibition. Along with the students of Raksha, students of
classes 6th, 7th and 8th participated in the programme.
The students were divided into groups of ten each .Then each student was given an umbrella
on which the slogan “SAVE TREES” was written. Students were asked to paint leaves on the um-
brella so as to cover up the slogan. When taken out in the rain the paint would be washed off and
the slogan would re-appear. According to the teachers of Raksha,
By doing this activity students will learn to conserve and protect trees.
GNU/LINUX WORKSHOP
The GNU/Linux workshop organized by the World Bank was held at Model Engineering College,
Thrikkakara. Students of 11th from various schools and Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala represented
by its own batch of six. These 11 B students which included Saranya Sreekumar, Anasa, Vishnu R.
Pai, Anup Pratap Chandar, Athul Raj V.S. and Gokul S. Krishnan were enthusiastic participants in
the workshop. The workshop began at around 9 a.m with an introduction to the wondrous world
of Linux. To impress us , they portrayed the many graphical effects that even school children could
come up with a little bit of creativity and a tiny spark of interest.
Then they introduced us to basic commands in Linux. Due to power failure, the hands-on session
was conducted during the afternoon session. They even taught us commands to hack others ma-
chines! The sessions were very interactive, informative and impressive. They even gave contact
numbers so that they would be able to answer our queries 24x7!
MATHRUPOOJA
Mathrupooja was celebrated in a grand way on Maha Navami Day. This Day is very special to
Chinmaya Vidyalaya as it is when the students are reminded of the obeisance that they have to pay
to their mothers. The session began with bhajans. Five verses of Mathrupan-chakam were chanted
in Sanskrit, followed by its English Translation. Students performed pooja to their mothers, offer-
ing chandan (sandal), kumkum (saffron) and flowers. Our principal, Mrs Maya Mohan, gave a talk
on the importance of Mathrupooja and the relevance of mothers in the lives of children. The session
ended with the children offering flowers to Goddess Saraswathi and Poojya Gurudev Swami Chin-
mayananda.
SURVEY ORGANISED BY
GLAXO SMITHKLIME
Glaxo Smithklime organized an awareness programme for classes III , IV & V on August.
They made children understand the need of taking booster dosage ( paticularly DTP ) on time. A
survey was conducted among parents to check whether the dosages were given on time to their
ward. They also organized a few games like ‘Best Caption’, ‘Word Building’ etc. We received a good
response from parents.
LEGAL AWARENESS
A group of 14 Students of Class 9 went to the high court of Kera1a on 9th November 2008
to attend a legal literacy class from 10.00 am to 2.00pm. The program was inaugurated by Jus-
tice K.K.Usha. A welcome speech was given by Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice Basant, Sri. Rad-
hakrishnan Pillai and Justice K.K.Usha herself. The legal literacy classes were taken by two promi-
nent lawyers of the high court - Adv. Sri. Lal Warrier and Adv. Annie George.
In this class the students were told about the importance of legal awareness. They were also
told about the different parts of the constitution and how a bill was passed in the parliament. The
importance of Panchayati Raj and Gram Sabhas, the duties of the law making body-the executive,
legislature and the judiciary, were also discussed. Students were made aware of the election com-
mission and the rules passed by them.
Different laws like ‘Right to Information Act’ ‘Human Rights Act’, ‘Consumer Protection
Act’, ‘Individual Civil Rights’, ‘Criminal laws’ , ‘Penal Laws’, ‘Total Prevention/Regulated Laws’
etc. were explained. The ‘Environment Protection Act’, ‘Forest Act’, ‘Motor Vehicles Act’ made
them aware of the punishments made against environmental pollution. After this the students had a
15 Minute interactive session with the lawyers. Students were made to understand how to deal with
daily life problems legally. They encouraged the students to approach the police with any problem
more freely and friendly.
The children’s day was celebrated for the lower classes (1 to 5) on 13th November. The
higher classes (6 to 12) had their celebration on 14th November. The children were dressed in tradi-
tional costumes. Prizes were given to the best dressed girl and boy. Kamakshi ma’am was present as
a special guest on 14th November. The film ‘Taare Zameen Par’ was shown for classes 6 to 8. 9 to
12 had their celebrations in the auditorium from 9:00 a.m. The teachers astounded the students by
their variety programmes. There were dance and music items, a humorous skit and even a kolukali
to spice it all up. The programme was a great success but, sadly, it came to an end at 1.20 p.m. The
whole show was co-ordinated by our very own Litty Miss and Sheena Miss.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
The Independence Day was celebrated with patriotism and enthusiasm in Chinmaya Vidya-
laya, Vaduthala. Even the rain could not extinguish the spirit of patriotism in the students.
The celebrations began with the hoisting of the flag by the chief guest, Mr.Unnikrishnan. The
sight of the Indian flag swaying lightly in the sky made us very proud of our motherland.
The flag hoisting was followed by the march-past by the four houses. The chief guest,
Mr.Susheel Puri took the salute. The march-past was followed by speeches which revealed the rich
cultural history and heritage of India. After the speeches concluded, the music students performed
a patriotic song with inspiring words. The programme concluded after a few concluding words
from the chief-guests. The actual “Independence Day” might be over but their inspiring words were
enough to remember all the coming days as if they were August fifteenths.
RYLA 2008
By Anjali Binod (Interact Sub-Editor)
Our RYLA 2008 experience commenced on 21st November. The Rotary Youth Leadership
Awards 2008 was held by the Rotary Club of Cochin Harbour at Munnar. Thirty-one students from
Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala along with students from Toc-H, Choice, Bhavans and Govern-
ment Girls School assembled at the Regional Sports centre at Kadavanthra at around 12 noon on
21st November for an inaugural function. The programme started with an ice breaking session. Our
bus left RSC at 2:30 p.m. After a long exciting bus journey, we reached Marthoma Retreat Resort
at around 11:00 p.m. On 22nd November, the schedule started with a morning walk at 6:00 a.m.
followed by a two hour session on topics such as Attitude management, Public speaking and Com-
munication, and Creativity - theatre and drama. That night we had a campfire. We even performed
a dance and a skit for the Rotarians, the instructors and other students. On the last day, we had
extremely interesting sessions on topics like Dining etiquettes and Leadership qualities. This was
followed by a photo session. At RYLA, we made a lot of friends and learned a lot. Overall, it was a
lot of fun accompanied with a lot of education.
Swamini Vimalananda met the teachers on 26th June 2008.In her talk she stressed the importance
of a vision statement to an organization. Each organization has ‘yantra’, ‘tantra’ and ‘mantra’.
Without mantra, an organization is without direction. Swamini mentioned the Chinmaya Vision Pro-
gramme and stressed the importance of every member of the Chinmaya family being aware of the
vision statement.On 27th June Swamini addressed the students of the tenth and twelfth standards.
She stressed the importance of having high ideals and living up to them. There is always a gap be-
tween the ideal person one wants to be and the person one really is. This gap should be bridged by
improving one’s behaviour and not by lowering one’s standards. Later addressing teachers, Swamini
felt that all children should know the school prayers and certain rituals and understand their sig-
nificance. She also exhorted the teachers to gain mastery over their subjects and also over the tools
which they used to impart knowledge to their pupils. Mrs.Meera Natarajan introduced the Swamini
and Ms.Veena N proposed a vote of thanks.
ENVIRO COLLAGE – YI
Three students of Chinmaya Vidyalaya , Vaduthala, Namratha Ajai and Nayana.V of class IX and
Nandana.V of class VI took part in the collage making competition(enviro-collage) conducted by
YI(Young Indians) of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) on 27th November 2008. The competi-
tion is a part of ‘Environment’ a programme which aims at promoting cleanliness of the environ-
ment. The competition was conducted in Bhavans Vidya Mandir, Girinagar on 27th November
2008. The half-an-hour competition was commenced at 5 o’clock with the topic for the collage as
water conservation. Following was a seminar by the chairman of YI, in which he spoke to the vari-
ous schools and collage participants about determination. This was followed by the prize
distribution.
The Interact club of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala had visited the old age home and the home
or handicapped women (both at Thevera) on Tuesday the 9th of January. We distributed Kerala sa-
ris and mundus and also served a sumptuous Sadya at the old age home. We were shown around the
old age home and also introduced to the elderly inmates.
Thereafter we visited the home for handicapped women. The inmates keep themselves busy
doing embroidery work. They were keen to do embroidery on saris so we donated 18 oil cotton
saris. In addition we gave them some pulses and medicines. We also spent time singing along with
them. It is here that we realized everyone is special and is blessed with special talents.
REPORT ON VISIT TO MATHRUSHAKTI
ORPHANAGE
Mahima Chandak
On the 22nd of February we went to the orphanage in Aluva called Mathrushakti. We were 20 stu-
dents with 2 teachers-Hilda miss and Sarasija miss.
The place was a beautiful 3-storeyed house. Discipline was strictly implemented in the campus and
each one of the forty girls abided by it. We played a number of games like Anthakshiri, Crossing the
river, Passing the parcel, Dodge ball, 4 corners, Kabbadi, Crows and Cranes etc. Each winner was
given a gift hamper sponsored by a Chinmaya student -Utsav Changoiwala. Then we performed a
dance for them. After around three and half hours of fun and games, we were served lunch specially
made by the girls there. The food was scrumptious indeed. This was followed by a lively interactive
session with the girls. After the interactive session they performed a dance for us-the Kerala art of
dance named ‘Kaikottikali’. This was followed by a melody by one of the girls there.
Later on, we gave them the some bedsheets and pillow covers we had purchased for them with the
money collected from our various fund raising programmes. We also gave them steel plates and a
gift hamper each which consisted of a comb, nail polish, chain, some stationary items like pens,
erasers, sharpeners etc.
We the students of 9th standard from Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala visited the General Hospi¬tal
in Cochin. We started from school by around 1:00pm, a group of forty students and a teacher, Mrs.
Usha Kiron. We took some fruits along with us. On reaching the hospital, the hospital staff took us
to the cancer ward. We were first taken to the male cancer ward. Soon after that we were taken to
the female cancer ward. Following this, Dr. Ansar, a cancer specialist spoke to us for a few minutes
about cancer and its symp-toms. After spending more than an hour in the hospital we left to school
with a heavy heart. We thank our principal, Maya Ma’am, for giving this opportunity to realize how
we take everything for granted in life; how easily we are able to throw tantrums at others to get
what we want when the other side of the world continue to tip toward grief and utter despair…
KALA SANGAM-2008
Kala Sangam”,as the name says, is a sangam of the various arts as well as a coming together of
people interested in promoting arts to the next generation. I was fortunate of having been part of
for four wonderful days.Held from l0th to the 13th of May 2008, in the beautiful campus of CIRS in
Coimbatore,it was a programme of mammoth proportions into which must have gone a lot of plan-
ning and co ordination.Kudos to the organizers who saw to it that the sessions went off at clock
work precision and the hospitality was so good that everybody was sad to leave.
Day three had Mr. Krishnesh Mehta talking about creativity and innovation and the need of
art teachers to appreciate “out of the norm” art done by the children. Radha Gomati spoke about
the plight of the art teachers in schools today which sure did touch a chord in everybody! The fol-
lowing session had us in splits as we tried to make some cartoon sketches of one of the participant.
Then Mr. Rakesh Katrey explored the possibilities of art in the different media which has become a
necessary evil today.
On day four everybody was dolled up for the group photo. This was followed by a session on
digital art, a new medium with vast possibilities with no limitation of space! Mr. Balram gave some
tips on elements of visual art e.g. texture, tint etc.
Thus the workshop ended but special mention must be made about the early morning session
conducted by Swamini Amma from 7 to 8am everyday. Everybody grumbled about the time but after
the first day was present at the hall well in advance! The sessions were called “Art of Right Living”
and it had the right blend of spirituality with practical advice to teachers sprinkled with apt anec-
dotes. After these sessions at times the other sessions paled in comparison.
Last but not the least the arti and bhajans by Atharvana Chaitanya used to be an out of the world
experience!
The ICAI – Institute of Chartered Accountants of India held a National Debate Competition
as part of their Diamond Jubilee celebrations this year. The city level debate was conducted at
Hotel Mercy, Kochi on 31st of October, Friday. The topic for the debate was “Academic qualifica-
tions are more important than Professional qualifications”. The debate consisted of a single round
where the participants in random order presented their views on the topic, for or against, for a
maximum of 6 minutes. Tony, of the Navy Children’s School was declared winner.
REPORT ON NATURE QUIZ
The nature Quiz, YI GNAPE QUIZ, was conducted by young Indians Environment Initiative
at St: Mary’s UP school on 18th September 2008. The topics covered in the Quiz included wildlife,
marine life, endangered species etc. The Quiz Mistress was Rani Ma’am. In the preliminary round,
teams from many schools participated. Out of that six teams were selected to the second level. The
second level had video, visual, rapid fire and buzzer rounds. The names of the selected teams were
Thylacine, Great Auk, Slitter’s sea cow, Passenger Pigeon Dodo and Quagga, all names of extinct
animals. The top two teams were selected for the Chennai finals. The selected six teams were given
gift vouchers, certificates and books. Our school team secured the third position in the Quiz. We
came to know many facts about the nature and environment and most importantly we became con-
scious about the consequences we may have to suffer if we don’t protect the environment.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY: This university started in 1940 under the agricultural depart-
ment. Later in 1972, it became the Kerala Agricultural University. Its main aim is to develop
high yielding variety crops. Other aims are generating improved technology, crop manage-
ment and crop production.
This university founded by M.A Subramanian has its main crop of research as rice
because it’s the staple food of Kerala. Other crops grown there are coconut, sugarcane and
rubber. It consists of 2 instruments, the Sunshine Recorder and Evapo-Meter that help in bet-
ter cultivation.
This university that is located in Mankombu near Alleppey, is the only agricultural
university of Kerala.
GURUPOORNIMA
Priyanka Mohanan
Gurupoornima is the sacred day when the great guru Vedavyasa was born. It is celebrated on
18th July. The word Gurupoornima is full of meaning. Guru is he who removes the darkness and de-
lusion from the heart and illumines with higher wisdom. Poornima means the effulgent Full moon.
Full moon here signifies wholesome or wholeness. In our school Gurupoornima was conducted with
all associated rituals. It was conducted in the K.G auditorium. Manju miss told us the importance of
the sloka ‘GURU BRAHMA GURU VISHNU GURU DEVO MAHESHWARA GURU
SAAKSHATH PARABRAHMA THASMAI SREE GURAVE NAMAHA’. Bhajans were sung
and students offered gurudakshina to our dearest Guru Swami Chinmayanda.
REPORT ON CHINMAYA SUBHA SAHAS CAMP
Period: April 4th to 9th 2008
Venue: Coimbatore Chinmaya International School
Participants: 13 students from 7th to 9th
Chinmaya Subha Sahas Camp was organized by the ‘CCMT’ and supported by the trainers
from ‘LEAP’, a Delhi-based professional organization. A total of 103 students of Chinmaya Vi-
dyalayas across the country took part in this adventurous camp. The camp was held at the ashram
campus of the Chinmaya International School in Coimbatore which was surrounded by lush, green
trees and had a cool, calm and serene ambience. We were shuffled into 10 groups under 2 trainers
each. The groups were named after the Dashavatara, i.e., Matsya, Koorma, Krishna etc. It was a
five day camp and the tasks included many thrilling activities like jumarring, monkey crawl, rappel-
ling etc. We really enjoyed the basic lessons in rock-climbing. The last day was very exciting, with
all the teams competing against each other to win the obstacle race. This was a 2 mile course filled
with obstacles like mud-pits and dirt tunnels. Time was calculated on the basis of the last person of
a team to finish the course. The team to cover the trial fastest was declared the winners. These ac-
tivities provided opportunities for improving our life skills as well as bringing out lots of values like
teamwork and cooperation.
The activities were arranged by ‘LEAP’, a team of experienced mountaineers, led by Mr.
Amit, the once record holder for being the youngest in the world to scale Mt. Everest- a feat he
achieved at the age of 17! Each day began with an early morning prayer session which was fol-
lowed by a warming-up exercises. After the day’s tiring activities, we were soothened by bhajans
and an inspiring interactive session with Pujya Swamini Vimalanandaji, who is the all in all of
CCMT. The camping out was another exciting part of the camp which saw us pitching our own tents
and cooking our own food. This was real fun as everyone, including teachers, took part in this. This
camp was a wonderful experience and the values and the skills we learned here are things we would
like to cherish forever.
A word of thanks to Priya Miss and Prasanna Miss who accompanied us and took care of all
our needs as best as possible. I would also like to thank Anil Chetan for driving us to and fro. Also
we extend our thanks to Maya Ma’am who gave us an opportunity to be part of this unforgettable
camp.
ra
ha
k s
A
A Literary Committee Special -
LIVING THE LITERARY DREAM
By Roshni Menon
(Vice President)
W
an article on Monday, we would go to them on
Tuesday, and they would say, “Oh!I meant next
hen I heard my name being called for Monday”!
the post of the Vice President of the Literary Finally, we would decide to write it by
Committee, my joy knew no bounds. It was ourselves. Then it was the processing . We had
indeed a dream come true for me . I imagined to get it designed, decide on the format, size
myself at the peak of glory, wearing that glit- and resize the articles, place photos correctly,
tering badge and walking around as the queen get them printed, get the copies checked and
of the world. But,only when I got to know what finally release them. Our lips would curl into a
it really takes to be a member, did I realize how smile on seeing the fruits of our toil.
hard it was.So here’s a little sneak-peak into my Book Week was again, a lot of work,
story. but it was one fun-filled week. Reading all the
It began well. My juniors kept asking me poems and stories of the student was
what badge I was wearing and were curious interesting, some of them even had us doubled
to fiddle with it. Some even called me ‘Library up with laughter. And it was a great experience
Vice-president’. My friends started calling me being part of Novice Novella-to get an oppor-
‘literary’,’Literature’ or ‘VP’. I was recognised tunity to read such amazing stories and admire
wherever I went.Haa..Those were the good great artwork was indeed an honour.
times.Somebody once said,”Life is not a bed of Coming to the members, we as a com-
roses”. But I would say that it is indeed a bed of mittee had loads of fun together. Each of us
roses-because when you’re tired and exhaust- came from different dimensions and yet, we
ed, you rest on the bed, in hope of the aroma bonded well with each other. We are now the
and the softness, but what you actually feel are best of friends, inseparable as they call it, be-
the thorns! In life too, it’s the same-when you cause we spent a major part of our life together
find the door to success, someone hides the working for this committee. This reminds me
key. of my constant fights with the President, not
The main things the Committee had to Obama(of course not!), but ANUP. We would
do were to conduct Talent Time, publish Prava- start bickering at each other for the silliest of
hini, conduct Book Week and release Akshara. the silliest things and when it came to a con-
Sounds easy? It is so not! We started off with dition that, if we were allowed to go on we
Talent Time, which was probably the toughest would kill each other, SARANYA(the member
thing we ever did. To be frank, it was the week aspiring to greater “heights”) would come and
before that we realised that Talent Time was shout the wits out of both of us, sometimes she
nearing and it was an 11th hour journey for us. would even hit our guts. But she was indeed
We had to decide on the events, get the judges, the perfect mediator.
hand over duty lists to the teachers and what KEERTHANA and NIKHILESH took turns to show
not. Just when we thought everything was up and disappear-when one was there, the oth-
going right, something bad would happen, it er wouldn’t, and if both of them are there, one
would alter the complete working of things, of us wouldn’t! SURABHI (our Secretary),has
and we would have to start all over again. But been our wall of support, with a very innovative
in the end, our hardwork paid off well. head, where ideas keep popping up.
Pravahini and Akshara were not-so-easy People tend to think that we’re a bunch
ways to kill boredom, because when you’re at of nerds-writing things and publishing them.
it, there’s no time for rest. We ran around to just We are so not. Now that you know what all we
anywhere and everywhere to get articles and had to do, let me give you a few advantages.
reports. Someone would promise to give The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. We
walk around school, noticing every possible
thing, are a part of all the events (yes, includ-
ing Chaitanya and Sports Days) and get to write
about just anything and everything! We can
even write ill about a person (devil’s grin)(But we
From Roshni...
don’t, of course!). Also, All’s well that ends well.
In our case, there’s a slight difference. All’s well
that eats well. Because during all our activities
Hold On Friend...
a major part of our quality time was spent at
the canteen, where we would be making up for
the numerous breaks that we lost. Plus, if you’re I know that you are depressed,
looking for an ideal way to bunk class, Literary By whatever things that happened,
Committee is your only solution. Our committee But let me tell you this my friend,
being the busiest of all committees and the only You have not reached a dead-end.
one to function throughout the year and the You still have a life to live through,
next year too, we are always working. And just To continue making your dreams come true.
anything can come to our effect. I know that it was indeed a harsh test,
Really, we have had so much fun - of But let us hope that it was for the best,
course there were the tough times too, but Who knows, maybe you’re in for a surprise,
they were just stepping stones. Being good at And one day you are sure to realize,
literature is not the only aspect of getting to be That these were just those stepping stones,
a member. You have to be responsible, sincere, To conquer your dreams and make them your
hard working and patient. Also you have to be own.
tough too to endure conversations with Ma’am. So whenever you’re feeling gloomy or forlorn,
Speaking of Ma’am, she has been our source of Just keep telling yourself to hold on,
inspiration and very dear to all of us. Without her Because you will, for sure, find your destiny,
support, encouragement and of course, those And you will smile in that harmony,
timely ‘shoutings’, we would never have been In the meanwhile, if you want some care,
able to complete our work. We love you Ma’am Just know that I will be there,
for everything. And of course, beloved Maya For there is nothing that love cannot win,
Jagan Miss, Deepa Miss and Suresh Sir, we are It is like that it has always been…
very grateful to all of you for being such sweet-
hearts and putting up with all our faux pas. And
our dearest teachers too, for being what you are,
and helping us in whatever ways you could. I
must say, that I don’t remember being in class in
the First Term. If it wasn’t for your understanding
nature, I wouldn’t have been able to do so.
As our
term comes to an
end, I would like
to wish all the
incoming badge
holders the best
of luck, for your
fun n frolikin’ has
just begun!
Mr. Watson woke up with a start. It was the same dream every time .Mr. Watson walked up to the
window. He looked out at the sky and was soon lost in his own thoughts.
“It was the year 2085. I was working as the Assistant Chief Engineer at NASA in the solar sector. It
was my duty to monitor the sun and other stars.
One day we were shocked to see that another star, Alpha XII of the Andromeda galaxy was enter-
ing into the sun’s orbit. Within a few days, we observed that the brightness of the sun was diminishing.
The sky was slowly turning into a dull grey color. The temperature of the Earth started to fall. Mr. Jack,
one of the scientists at NASA, explained that some rare element in the Alpha XII was reacting with the
hydrogen molecules in the sun. This led to an endothermic reaction, which was freezing all the hydrogen
molecules in the sun. He also said that if the present situation was to continue, the solar system would
become history.
A week later, when we had lost all hopes of survival, we saw a mysterious glow near the sun.
On careful observation we saw that it was revolving around the sun. We could not understand what was
happening. Four days later, we were overjoyed to see a small ray of light being emitted from the sun. This
was the ray of hope for survival. We continued to gaze at the silver glow. To our surprise, we saw that it
was moving towards the Earth. We waited with bated breaths, not knowing whether it was a friend or
a foe. We soon understood that it was a space craft. It looked strange. A few aliens wearing black suits
emerged from the craft. Their appearance surprised us. They resembled human beings in every aspect
except their skin, which was blue in color. One of them came forward and introduced himself as Kruger.
I suddenly got the courage to ask him if it was he who had saved the sun. He replied that
he had been sent by his people to save the earth. I asked him why they had decided to save us. Kruger
replied-“It is your existence that determines our survival. It is a long story which goes as back as when the
‘Big Bang’ occurred. First, let me ask you whether you know about the principle-‘for every action. there is
an equal and opposite reaction’?”
“Yes”, we replied,” We call it the Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion.’
Kruger further went on,” When the earth was created, which can be considered as the action, our planet
was created as the reaction. There is one more thing that connects our planets. A person is born on
our planet only when someone is born on your planet. So, by now you might have guessed that if your
planet was destroyed, then ours would also be destroyed. So we used a rare compound ‘Omicronion’
present in our planet ‘Omicron’. This compound reacted with the frozen hydrogen molecules, liberating
large amounts of heat. The sun will get its original glow within a day or two.”
Just when all of us heaved a sigh of relief, we saw a wicked grin on Kruger’s face. And he
said,”Your existence was unknown and will continue to be unknown in the years to come” .He sprayed
some green liquid on all those present there except me. He winked at me and said,”You, my friend, are
special to me. We were both born on the same day and at the same time. ”And with a wink, he left the
way he’d come. Because of his spray, everyone forgot all that they had witnessed, except me. I continued
to remember Kruger, my twin .I longed to see him just one more time before my last breath. I know he is
out there some where.”
A Proposal
By Anjose John and Vishnu Menon
Maths Nagar,
Differential Street,
Pythagoras Road,
Diagonally.
My dear Mrs.Trigonometry,
I want to know your opinion about the marriage of my son,Master Zero with your
daughter,Miss Infinity. I have consulted Mr.lntegral who has told me that this wed-
ding promises a very good relation.They have a good Combination.
For eg:-,
Any number/infinity=0 and Any number/0=infinity
Kindly consult your various Formulae and Log Tables and let me know the date of
the happy union.
Great Quotes
Unless we have a definite faith in the goal of our existence, and unless we believe,
work for, and actually come to experience the goal positively as an existent factor, there is no
hope of any plan becoming successful.
Universe is a cosmos and not a chaos. There exists a mental affinity; a scientific law; a
rhythm of mental relationship in which the entire living world is held together, in one web of
love.
-Swami Chinmayananda
A Solitary Fight Inevitable Insomnia
Remembering my childhood- a child walking alone If it wasn’t for her,
in the streets of sorrow, I wouldn’t be here.
From a past that always tends to follow, If it wasn’t for her,
Hope fills up my empty spaces, I wouldn’t have seen a new heaven.
Broken dreams take me to distant places. If it wasn’t for her
Sorrow, I cannot fence that in, I wouldn’t be so lucky.
It is like holding back the wind. And now, if it wasn’t for her
A silhouette figure-might be my father, who said, I wouldn’t be so depressed,
Little baby, dont you cry, everythings gonna be For she spurned out my love.
alright. If it wasn’t for her,
After that he went on, I wouldn’t be haunted by this insomnia.
And I was left alone, | tried to forget her,
To fight my own fight. But I couldn’t,
Walking alone, no one there to hold my hand, Not when I’ve seen life only through her eyes.
No one there to understand. It is her eyes that I saw the world once,
The world now accepts what I write, It is through her eyes that I knew true happiness,
Because I fought for my dreams and won the fight. So how can I ever forget her?
I would have done anything to do it.
KEVIN U You can forget the goals of your life.
XI-B You can even forget your own name.
But can you forget what you see every time?
Can you forget the sun that sinks into the sea?
Can you forget the aroma of a flower?
Can you forget the sparkling drops of rain?
Maybe yes!
But can you forget yourself?
No
Can you forget this world?
No.
So now I say,
Now I say that I cannot forget her,
Coz everything in this world reminds of her.
The azure sky reminds me of her azure eyes.
The rain reminds me of the times I’ve spent with
her.
It goes on and on.
And now I have a choice.
End my life, and maybe, I’ll forget her.
Or live this miserable life,
And be a victim to this inevitable insomnia.
Vivek Kartha
XI-B
SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT CHINMAYA
By Arya Mohan
• Everyday you have a test in the first period and are waiting to rush to class to revise; the assembly
always goes 10 minutes longer.
• Whenever you hit or shout at someone or do something you shouldn’t be doing, look around,
there’s bound to be a teacher watching you.
• Whenever you get a computer program right after many hours of hard work, the power will go,
the system will crash and you will have to do it all over again.
• The most interesting and happening place in school-the canteen. Every time you are enjoying,
you look down and see a tiny tot writing your name from the ID card saying,”Don’t speak in Malayalam”.
• People who speak Malayalam once in a blue moon are caught more often than those who speak
English once in a blue moon.
• If you ever happen to visit the K.G section and talk to the kids there, the one you think is the cut-
est and nicest ends up being the naughtiest and insults you.
• No matter who the culprit is, every time there is a noise in the class, the backbenchers are always
blamed (which is true most of the times though!)
• Every time you actually do your homework but don’t bring your book you get punished, whereas
if you don’t do your homework and make up excuses, you go unpunished.
• When the teacher asks a question in class, there are 2 cases:-
-You know the answer and try making eye contact with the teacher; she doesn’t even see you.
-You don’t know the answer and try desperately to avoid the teacher; you will be the first person
to be called.
HOW TO BEHAVE ONESELF AT BUFFETS
By Shruti Nair
Buffets ? I hear you wonder out aloud. Yes. Buffets with a capital B. (Pronounced bu- fays and not
buff-ets the way the illiterate lot like you pronounce it these days...)You wonder why an idiot like me is
wasting precious mag space by extolling the virtues of veganism, potty training etc... I wonder why an
idiot like you is wasting his/her time as well as mine by attempting to read the article before understand-
ing its heading. I can almost see your eyes wandering back to the heading and then snake themselves
back to this very full stop. Before you scream “SHADDUP!!!” let me realize the true meaning of the topic
before writing any more baloney.
How to behave yourself at buffets? Sounds more like restraining than behaving…
Yep. I remember the farewell party in Xth when I’d practically starved myself to eat at the sump-
tuous buffet… and I ended up with 4 pieces of naan, hovel like heaps of paneer butter masala and veg
Manchurian on my plate. Your mouth’s watering??? Mine was too… Alas! *melodramatic sigh* The Curse
of The Ultra Bon Vivant/ Gastronome /Gourmet /(in very layman terms…) Foodie struck me and hard
… I didn’t even get a single serving of Chocolate Chip Mousse / Banana Caramel Fudge/ Butterscotch
Almond-Date Icecream Cake that day.. Coz I didn’t have any space left in my tummy. Man!! What an or-
deal to sit ignoring the maniacal grins of content classmates left ,right and centre tucking into the buffet
when your own stomach is complaining in very rude and jerky language (read: burps) WARNING : OVER-
LOAD.
And my strictly vegan friend (name withheld for personal reasons involving threats of manslaugh-
ter, poisoning and the like), whose plate looked like a jungle to the most food-wise ignorant lot (YOU)
and a paradise lost and found to the aficionado( ME) remarked , “The chicken lollipops taste remarkable”
yours truly could take it no longer and vented out all my anger in a Tarzan inspired yell ( complete with
the chest- thumping), which was most (un)fortunately drowned out in the blare of Pink Floyd’s “We Don’t
Need No Education!!!” from the loudspeakers.
Any more buffet memories, you ask, now certain that this crackpot hasn’t really given you any tips
to behave yourself at a buffet or a party or even at your two year old cousin's birthday party. Any more
buffet memories?? Lemme think… you mean like the time my bro got indigestion when he ate (or shall
we say drank) too much of the Crème of onion soup, or the time my other brother was soooo engrossed
in seeing Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest that not only did I eat his dinner in addition to
mine and fall sick but I also got the inspiration to write this piece and thereby pass out to you the ma-
laise of indigestion . Happy Hogging
MY BEST FRIEND
Gokul S Krishnan
I joined Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Vaduthala two years ago i.e. in my ninth standard due to my parents
getting a transfer from Trivandrum to Kochi. I would like to share with you how I earned one of the best
friends in my life.
I first saw him on the day of my admission test. We were writing the test in the KG block. Only a few stu-
dents were there for the Class 9 admission test. I prayed and did some of the relaxation techniques my
father had taught me. Just then, the boy sitting next to me asked my name. This was very sudden indeed.
We exchanged names with each other. Soon I realized that the person I was talking to was a genius! After
sometime he put a halt to the conversation as sudden as he had started it. Then he started muttering
words. At first I thought he was cursing me or something, then on moving a bit closer, I understood that
he was not cursing me. In fact, he was cursing no one at all! He was just revising the 8th standard por-
tions. As I saw this, I felt as if all my relaxation techniques were wasted. I was strongly reminded of Her-
mionie Granger in Harry Potter.
The test went on quite well. For a few days, I completely forgot about him. When the results came out
that I had passed the test, I was sure that he also would have passed the test. I had forgotten his name.
When I went to meet Maya Ma’am with my parents, I expected him to be there. As I didn’t see him, I
thought he would’ve joined some other school.
The school reopened on a Thursday (I am sure as there was Vishnu Sahasranamam that day!!!). The new
students were given the freedom of choosing whichever divisions they want. Tired of sitting in divisions-
B and D, in the past years, I rushed for 9 A. Then I remembered that my parents were still downstairs. As I
turned back, someone dashed into me and muttered an apology. The muttering was a very familiar one.
It was him, that mysterious whiz kid! We identified each other and exchanged ‘Hi’s. Together we went
downstairs to say bye to our parents and climbed up the steps all over again to return to class.
On the very next day, Friday, shuffling took place. I had two things to pray. One, we both should end up
in the same class. Two, I didn’t want to be in B or D. Much to my (or our) happiness we both did end up
in the same class, but sent to division D! I didn’t mind much actually. We were shuffled last, and reached
the class late, only to find it empty. We were indeed, surprised. A little later we learned that our class was
supposed to have CCA during the first period. We went to find the others and got lost. Nobody was there
to direct us. So we helped each other out and ended up in the Music room at last where I learned that he
was a singer too like me! Wow!
The more I mingled with him, I found him more interesting and I understood that he was an all-rounder:
an average athlete, a good singer and a master in academics. I have only got two friends like that. When
I compare him with the other one, I feel that the former requires a bit more of exposure. At times, he is a
bit comical and we friends, tease him a lot about his studious character.
I am positive that we will be friends throughout and yes, I do also wish that he would be in the same col-
lege as I am or maybe I’ll try to go to the college he would be in. I pray to the Almighty to help us com-
plete this cruise of the friendship, correction, our BROTHERHOOD. With him I bear a bond that is one of
the strongest and one of the fewest ever in my life.
AUTOGRAPH
On this page of pinky pink, Parties you, trig quiz me we did them all,
I sign my name in inky ink.. You even taught me to play beach ball.
I really do not want to leave, All Those “Wrong-number!” prank calls we
But promise me you’ll never grieve. made,
My joys and sorrows were yours as well, Are memories that will never fade.
You picked me up when I fell, And now, even though we‘ll be miles apart,
And when you won trophies and medals, I’ll treasure those moments in my heart.
My heart with pride did swell. Even though I’ll be so alone,
Okay, quit gloating and come down from I ll still wear your eau de cologne,
cloud 9, I hope that brought a smile to your face,
Ahem... are you expecting me to ask you for That little frown I hope it helped to erase,
your sign? Did I just hear u groan?
Coz that’s an impossibility, The next rhyming word was my dog’s bone.
Instead dream about winning a lottery! I’m known 4 being quite unfunny,
Your outrageous laugh, oops! I mean snort, But that’s no reason to get your nose all runny.
Was the reason we fought a lot. Before away from you I go,
Yeah, I know it sounds so ridiculously dumb, Just thought I’d like you to know,
But hey I made up by treating you chewing This bond between you and me,
gum, Was just meant to be.
And after all you are my best chum. Even though this is goodbye,
(Although you should forget and not care Promise me you’ll never cry.
About the part where there Though it started over dosa and chutney,
Was chewing gum all stuck to your hair!) Its gonna last for eternity…….
Remember the time we listened to a song of
Rihana’s, And thank you for being my best buddy
And went all crazy and bananas,
Boy, we really brought the house down, - Maria Tharakan and
Earning the name ‘Maniacs of the Town’. Shruti Nair
The Heartbreaks and the ankle aches,
The taste of those New Year cakes,
Identical nose rings and sometimes even zits,
All those springtime sales pajamas that never
even fit,
Made life for us a big hit.
A FRIEND FROM THE FUTURE
By Vishnu Gopinath
As I sat in my office at New exact date. But one day I was late
York, my glance fell on the calendar. to college. After hurriedly catch-
The date was January 2, 2012.Memories ing a bus and occupying a seat my
flashed across my mind about a January cell phone rang. When I answered it,
when this strange acquaintance start- Charles’s voice asked, “Where are you
ed. By the way, I am David, working now David?”. I told him that I was
in Microsoft, New York..... late for college and that I was in
It was the beginning of a new a bus. He replied “Please don’t go
semester at Virginia Tech University. to college today David. Please, I am
Professor Martin entered the class. pleading you. Or else you will re-
With him was another teen, tall and gret it. Please don’t go.” I was sud-
fair with blue eyes and brown hair. denly taken aback. I asked him “why?
“This is Charles. From today onwards What is the matter? What is wrong
he will be one among you.”- Charles?”. Charles said “You will
Prof.Martin said introducing the kid. come to know in due course. Please
Charles proved to be listen to me.” and he
a student of a rather un- hung up. I was per-
canny amount of intelligence plexed. But I decided to
and grasping power. He could do as he had told me. I
solve complicated problems got off the bus and took
and calculations in seconds. one back to my apart-
But the thing he was most ment. I didn’t know why
good at was computer. He had I was doing this but I
a good knowledge about com- felt that Charles being
puters and also had an ex- my best friend a good
ceptionally good speed when person wouldn’t be playing a prank on
it came to working with computers. me.
Even our computer professor used to After studying for sometime,
remark that he hadn’t met anyone so bored I switched on the TV. There was
talented in that subject, even after a flash news on the TV. On reading it
being in the field for over 25 years. my body went numb with shock, a very
He was also a very friendly and help- small portion of it. The news read
ful person. Soon we became the best ”SHOOTING AT VIRGINIA TECH”.A mad
of friends. gunman had entered a classroom and
The only area where I could ex- fired at the people, killing many. As
cel over him was sports and arts. He more details ran across the screen,
was rather slow when it came to play- my body became paralyzed with utter
ing sports like basketball and also disbelief. The classroom he entered
was terrible when it came to play- was the one where we studied in, 13
ing the guitar and other instru- people had died. Our professor was
ments. I assumed that as no one can also killed.
be perfect, when one aspect of the I went to Charles immediately.
personality is highly developed (in On seeing him I thanked him a lot.
Charles’s case his brains),the other When I asked him how he knew about
aspects remain dormant. Soon Charles it ,he told me “I saw this incident
became the topper of our form. in my dream. My dreams had come true
But one day he did something. a couple times. So as a precaution I
After that I became indebted with my warned you. I tried contacting the
life to him. I don’t remember the others but everyone where at
college.” Charles replied “We have studied about
Days passed slowly healing the this incident in our History lessons.
wounds of the attacks. We gradu- I didn’t try to warn the others as I
ated andI joined Microsoft. Since my had said on that day because if I had
job kept me busy, I couldn’t contact done so, then this incident wouldn’t
Charles on a regular basis. Every have happened. No one would have
time I did so, he used to say that he died.”
didn’t want to get into any job cur- Everything would have gone wrong
rently. He said that he was doing a if everyone among us knew about this
bit of photography. incident and it hadn’t taken place.” I
Later one day, I got a call from understood what he was saying. It was
him. He said “Please come to the ad- completely right. He added on, “In the
dress I am giving you David at 6 PM future some of the present countries
today. If you don’t come today we would be ruined due to pollution and
wouldn’t be seeing each other for- war. Oxygen in the atmosphere would
ever”, and giving the address he hung decrease due to global warming. Now I
up. I was taken aback. His voice told have to go. Thank you for giving me
me that something was wrong. your company and making my punishment
At 6 PM I went to the address fun with your friendship.”
that he had given me. It was that of He shook hands with me. Then
an apartment. After saying hi to him opening a cupboard next him he took
he said “I have a confession to make out a suit that looked like an astro-
to you David. Please keep it a se- naut’s. It had Oxygen cylinders. He
cret.” I asked him “What is it that wore it and looked at his gloved hands
you want to tell me? You look sad.” He where a message in red appeared saying
replied, “The truth is that I don’t “Oxygen level-100moles”.Then taking a
belong to this period David. I belong small device the shape of an i-POD he
to the year 3000.” I thought that I said “January 1,3000AD”.He looked up
was dreaming. I couldn’t believe my at me, smiled and waved. I returned
ears! Was this a joke?? the wave and suddenly in a flash of
He continued “I misused a tech- light he vanished. I stood there, baf-
nology that I had access to. As a fled, not knowing what to do. But any-
punishment for this crime I have been way I decided to keep this a secret as
sent to live in a timeline when tech- doing otherwise would have been like
nological development was low as com- betraying Charles…
pared to ours for 2 years. My sentence Suddenly the phone in my of-
is over today. I have to return to the fice rang bringing my thoughts back to
future.” the present. I answered it. It was my
I groped for words but nothing boss, he said, “Hey David, have you
came to my head. He continued “You forgotten?! You have a board meeting
might be wondering about the secret to attend today. January 2nd , 2012.
of my unusual amount of intelligence. We are waiting for you. Hurry up!” I
That is because in the years to come, looked up at the calendar, smiled see-
technology and competition will in- ing the date and said “Yes .I will be
crease. Man will tend to be more de- there right now.”
veloped intellectually due to this
reason. But as the brains develop the
other talents of humans will remain
dormant.”.
I asked him, regaining some of
my control “But how did you save me on
that day. Do you people have the power
to foresee things also?’.
RYAN GIGGS-The Legacy
By Arjun Balachandran
To play more than 800 matches for a single club and win In one match against Arsenal, Giggs took the ball from
some 20 honours is something spectacular. Not every foot- halfway line, dribbled past four Arsenal defenders
baller can match that or in other words, not every footballer before launching a left footed strike into the top corner
can achieve what Ryan has achieved in his career .To play 20 of the net. He famously whipped off his shirt as he ran
seasons for one of the greatest club in the world is something to celebrate with his team mates. 1998-99 was his best.
very incredible ..and to win around 20 major trophies with
He was a part of the United team that won the incred-
the same club is even more remarkable...
ible treble i.e. the premier league, FA cup and UEFA
Ryan Giggs is one of the greatest sportsmen UK has
ever produced. He is a true professional and role model for al champions league in the same year. Giggs continued to
l. excel in the four years that followed the treble triumph
“I’ve been at United since I was 13 and I’m very of 1999. In 2003, Giggs won his 8th premier league
title. After 2 mediocre seasons, Giggs won his 9th title.
fond of the club and the fans; they have been
In the year 2007 followed by 2 more in the subsequent
an integral part of my life”.-Ryan Giggs
years. He was the captain of the manutd side which
When Manchester United won
their 11nth premier league title on May 16, won a hat trick of the premier league titles from 2007-
2009; It was Ryan’s 11th premier league 09. Giggs won his second champions league medal
title too, and all with manutd. He has when manutd defeated Chelsea in a nail
made over 800 appearances for manutd biting final Moscow, in which Giggs
in which he has won 11 premier league
converted the penalty what became the
titles, 4 FA cups,3 league cups and
winning penalty in sudden death for
2 champions league trophies. He is
also the player to have played and United after United goalkeeper Van Der
scored in every single season of the Sar saved Chelsea striker Anelka’s kick.
premier league since its inception in The final was his 759th appearance for
1992 and also the first player in his club which is a club record. In the
UEFA champions league history to 2009 season, Giggs won the PFA player
have scored 12 successive seasons. of the year award mainly because of his
He might not be as famous as the long term contribution to the game. He
former united players like Ronaldo made his 800th appearance for United
or Beckham, but Giggs certainly is against Arsenal in the 1-0 semifinal UCL
United’s most decorated player. win. Though manutd entered the UCL
Born in Cardiff Wales on 29 November 1973, finals in 2009, Giggs and his men got defeated by Bar-
Giggs began his career at manutd in the 1990-91 season. He celona. At 35 now, Giggs has a contract with manutd
became a first team regular in the 1992 season. He was just
till 2010.
17 years old when he made his first manutd appearance. By
the 1994 season Giggs was firmly established as United’s
At the international level, Giggs played for
first choice left winger and became one of British’s most Wales national team till he retired from the interna-
prodigious young players. His emergence as a big factor in tional football on June 2007. Apart from his football
that heralded the dominance of United in the league. His im- achievements, Giggs was appointed OBE (Order of
mense popularity heralded a new era in football fandom and British Empire) in the Queen’s birthday honour list
was once also described as the ‘boy who converted a million 2007 and was inducted into the English Football Hall
innocent teenage hearts into United fans. of Fame in 2005 for his service to English football.
Giggs showed such unique talent that worlds like “To spend 20 years at one club is unique in this
“genius” and “magician” were often flaunted in era. Ryan has been a fantastic servant to United. It
description of him by teammates like Cantona and Beckham. will be a comforting thought if he ends his career here.”
Giggs proved himself to be a strong goal-scorer and many – Sir Alex Ferguson
of his goals were shortlisted for various ‘goals of the
season’ awards. In short ,he is truly a living legend....
Oberon By Vivek kartha
The Oberon Mall in Kochi was pretty busy since one is just going to take me down and not up”
it was a Sunday evening. A bunch of teenagers “Exactly” said Josh. “Anyway I’m gonna do that
circled around the Baskin Robins ice cream stall. before the escalator does it” “Ha ha, very funny”
From their looks I deduced that they came from I said sarcastically as I stepped on the escalator
those high class families who owned atleast a with Josh.
Mercedes. There were five of them in the group, “Josh, stop being a weirdo” I said. “For god sake
two girls and three guys, the girls looked quite we’re best friends, and what sort of friend are you
pretty, and the guys were also handsome. The if you fight for a girl who you just saw?”
cuter of the two girls licked on a dark chocolate “Oh yeah? Why can’t I have her?”
ice cream, while the others scooped in flavours “I had my eyes on her first”
like Rum punch and Praline. “So?”
“Come on Joe” my best friend Josh called. “So I get her” I said. “As simple as that”
I frowned at him and asked, “Where do you think As soon as he reached the top Josh took the
you’re going?” esca¬lator which moved downwards. “What the
Josh folded his hands and said, “We’re supposed hell?” I snarled as I caught with him. “Stop right
to buy that book for your mom. Remember?” there Josh”
“Before going” I said. “Doesn’t she look cute?” I He ignored me and ran towards the ice-cream
pointed at the girl who licked on the chocolate stall and stopped a few metres away from the girl.
ice-cream. Josh looked at her for a while, and a But luckily, I managed to catch up with him.
smile crossed his lips. “She’s totally cute!!!” “Why are we back here?”
I squeezed his hands and said, “Mind closing your “Wait and see” he said as he waved at the girl.
mouth? People are watching” “Man she’s damn To my surprise the girl looked at our direction and
cute!!!” said Josh. she waved back.
An old couple frowned at Josh as he raised his “Bingo” said Josh as he kept on waving.
hands and looked at the ceiling. “People are look- You jerk” I snarled. “What do you think you’re
ing” I warned. “Stop being a jerk, and keep your do¬ing?”
thoughts away from that girl” “Joe, keep your voice down” Josh warned.
“Excuse me?” Josh exclaimed. “Why in the world “I won’t allow you to get her” I said and looked
should I keep my thoughts away from her? It’s not at her. “Oh crap! She’s coming here. I swear I’ll kill
like she’s your girl friend or anything” you if you propose her”
Right then, I just felt like slapping Josh, he was Get lost Joe
acting like a total freak who’s trying to steal my At that moment, what he said hurt me a lot, not
girl friend. Ok! That was an exaggeration, take it be¬cause he was trying to steal “my” girl. But the
this way; he’s trying to steal my “future” girl friend fact that he was willing to ignore his friend for the
(That is if I’m fortunate enough). sake of a new girl.
“Josh, we’ve got to talk this out” “Josh!” I said softly. “You’ve turned out to be a
“By the time we settle our little dispute, she’ll be moron”
gone” He ignored my comment and kept on smiling at
I looked at her and turned my focus back to Josh. the girl, and surprisingly she smiled back.
“She’s licking on another cone” I said. “From the “What the hell is that girl thinking?” I murmured.
looks of it, we have atleast ten minutes” “And what the hell is this jerk doing?” To my sur-
“Dude! Let go of my hands” I tightened my grip prise, she walked to our direction, and Josh was
when he said that. grinned like an idiot.
“I won’t! Just come up with me. First, let’s get the “Got her dude” he said softly.
book” The next moment, the girl threw out a flying kiss.
“Fine jerk!” Josh pulled his hands away and “Damn!” I exclaimed.
walked towards the escalator. “Hey wait up man” I Our pulse was rising as she came closer. Josh
said as I caught up with him. started sweating, and I touched his hands, they
“Take the next one” He said. were cold. Now she was just two metres away.
I smirked and said, “If you didn’t know, the next We both tried to figure out who she had chosen
had chosen among the two of us.
To our surprise, the next moment, she just ignored the two of us and walked past us. “What on Earth?” we
said in unison. A tough masculine guy was standing behind us, and she was all over him.
Josh looked shocked.
“Guess she wasn’t waving at me” said Josh.
“Yeah, Good luck next time loser” I smirked. “And goodbye to our friendship...I just figured out what it
means to you.” Josh looked depressed. “Dude, I’m really sorry, jus’ gimme another chance” said Josh.
I pretended as if I was considering his offer, but the truth was that I was obviously willing to continue our
friendship, but for the sake of it, I kept on pretending.
“Well?” Josh asked eagerly.
I smiled and gave him a gentle hug and said, “What are friends for, if they can’t forgive each other”
By Maryann Oliver
MOTHER
M: for Millions of things she does for me
O: for Oceans of love she wraps me in
T: for Tender tears she sheds for me
H: for a Heart made of precious gems n jewels
E: for Emotions which she has given me
R: for Right guidance she gives to me
By Rohita Manohar
EXAMINATION I Wish...
I am in tension
Cuz of my examination I wish I was a bird
In Malayalam there is composition So that I could fly up in the sky
In English there is comprehension I wish I was a ball
In maths there is application So that I could bounce to the sky
In physics there is derivations I wish I was a sun
In chemistry there is equations So that I could be bigger than everyone
In botany there is respiration I wish I was a fish
In zoology there is reproduction So that I could swim in deep water
In history there is civilization I wish I was a tree
In civics there is administration So that I could give ,many fruits to others po-
In geography there is occupation litely
So dear students cuz of my commotion n confu- Now I wish that I should be a child
sion So that I could be with my parents forever!
Don’t miss ur examination
Cuz we are the backbone of our nation! By Malavika Mohanan
By Rohita Manohar
WEIRDEST!
After The hectic life that was tenth A quiet reserved n melodic girl
We looked to the whole length of eleventh Who likes to be in her own lil world
To start a new life of joy and sorrow Extreme emotions, ecstatic n sad
Love and friendship and the days of tomorrow A wonderful friend who sometimes go mad
Sometimes life gives what we least expect A naughty but nice, brother n buddy
Sometimes it gives what we’ll surely reject Who thinks his jokes are hilariously funny
But what destiny had in store for 8 who least He loves to play he loves to fight
expected Inside hes soft but he likes to show might
Was a very dear friendship the readily accepted
A lil saint or angel as some may call her
Opposites attract as the old saying mentions Shell reach the sky if she grows any taller
Is how 8 of them emerged from different dimen- Ever supportive ever energetic
sions Loud n simple, n a brand fanatic
Joined together in a tight lil bubble Tiny n weird, childishly crazy
In what the thought a bond unbreakable She runs behind cats but to walk shes lazy
Stubborn she maybe but she understands all
She can be smart n cunning, dumb n cute Shes always there with u a delicate doll
And when shes needed she tends to go mute
But behind all that is a hand to lent A sensitive girl with silky hair
Extended by I fun loving friend Everyone loves to go to her lair
Cuz food n fun awaits us there
Witty, emotional n unsensible describes him the N a heart full of love shes so willing to share
best
He has characters way different from the rest So this is the group, weirdest of all
He has a craze for cats n dogs Available to each other at every beck n call
A loyal friend to everyone from obama to the old A lil message to this group of pals
pond frog To each n every one of these boys n gals
This friendship is pure n true
Weird n stupid, dumb n cool Stick with each other through n through!!!!!
A sock stinking black dog loving fool
A sweet friend whos a lil aloof By the weird sisters!
Who seeks greater heights by climbing roofs
THE ALIEN POINT OF VIEW
By Shruti Nair
Time: Day break
Place: Rocky Mountains in a very powerful country
A normal morning in one of the most powerful countries of the world. The sun wakes up as usual , pale
and shining through the thick clouds. The trees breathe, spread their dark green leaves, relishing the sun-
light .A typical day in the life of the people living here. But it was not to be so.
Tucked away in this very powerful country is a small town well-known for its rocky terrain and aptly
named Rocky Mountains .In this town , in a very sleepy house , is a female who is presently sleeping .Let
us call her Goldilocks. Goldilocks sleeps on, oblivious of our presence. In the middle of a nightmare, she
starts and smells something burning. Jumps down and runs all the way down the corridor, down the
flight of stairs and to the kitchen. But there is nothing cooking there. She smells smoke sharper than ever
and hurries to inspect her house and stops when she reaches the back of the house.
Her backyard….. it lies now in the middle of a huge circle. The grass that thrived there before is all burnt
out. The wooden fence encircling the backyard is all charred. A junkyard of used metal lies inside the
black hole. Little burnt wires and plugs all thrown about , a flurry of unknown greenish metallic pieces
here and there, radio transmitter-like things, buzzing and whirring. She can feel the heat emanating from
the site. She turns ,gets the phone and dials 999 .
Two hours later, Rocky Mountains is declared a non-permit area.
Barely 2 weeks after the Rocky Mountains incident.
Time: Day break
Place: Sunny Brooks in the same very powerful country.
Two of the fisher folk gather their fishing lines and walk to the bank. Twenty minutes pass without any
success in the fishing. Suddenly, they see something in the water-something gold and fiery. They look up
to be shocked by a huge rolling orange ball of fire with a yellow tail shooting over them and then falling
into the dense foliage behind them. A large explosion. And then the debris start falling. The fish come to
the surface of the river to gobble up the pieces that are falling into it. A forest fire spreads.
Fishermen 1and 2 take a look at the flames licking the trees and then screaming loudly, they rush for
help.
Seven hours later ,Sunny Brooks is struck off from the list of tourist destinations in the country
A month after the Sunny Brooks incident.
Time: Afternoon.
Place: Hot Desert in the same very powerful country
A paleontologist is walking slowly with his team of helpers.
Let us call the subject Marco Polo. He looks at his map which shows that they are very close to the site.
Marco sees something and then stops. He can see a pit of burned sand and a mess of a mechanic dump.
Pieces of greenish metal glinting furiously under the sun .
Something buzzes something beeps. His eyes start to water.
He dials 999
One day later, safaris in the Hot Desert are just fantasies in the minds of maniacs.
Time: Day break
Place: Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains is now converted to a high-tech space-lab. Scientists scuttle from place to place clutch-
ing metal samples as if they were of their own flesh and blood. Huge electron microscopes gather infor-
mation from the samples placed at their focuses. Officials scurry from place to place , sending informa-
tion to other space centers, packaging the precious debris into different metal containers.
Hot Desert and Sunny Brooks also suffer the same fate.
About one week after the Hot Desert incident.
Time: Morning
Place: The capital of the very powerful country
We are now witnessing a conference . A conference in which the brightest heads of the country takes
part.
At the head of a long table sits the Head of Space Administration ,Nicholas Coperpicus with his eyes
closed. No one dares to interrupt his train of thoughts. At last ,he opens his eyes and commences to talk.
A careful assessment of the environment in the conference hall makes us assume that he is the Boss here.
“There has been three different attacks on three different places, all in the same month. We have clear ev-
idence that there is intelligent life outside our planet. It is also true that this race is as advanced as ours.”
“ The evidence of a greenish metal which has not been found on our planet yet was rather intriguing.
It seems that the aliens are much more advanced in the field of metallurgy.” He stops. The ear-splitting
silence is terrible. Boss starts his monologue again. “These crashes were not really attacks, but just probes
falling off target. I am positive that these aliens are not aggressive”
He stops , looking for approval. Chief Astronomical Scientist, Ferdinand McCallen has an opinion differ-
ence. “Mr. Boss, how can these aliens not be aggressive when we know that these space probes were
sent to examine our planet ,possibly to know whether life exists here and maybe to take photos and rock
samples .In that case, sooner or later the Aliens will know about us. Then ?”He asks the others. “Ha!,” says
Adolf Shitler , the military Chief. “ Ha ,” he repeats ,stressing the monosyllable . “If they know about life on
other planets ,of course they wouldn’t be happy. They’ll send more and more probes and at last a space
ship loaded with guns and missiles. We’ll blast them ,in space ,using our new technology before they
can even reach our precious planet.” He thumps the table with the air of some one finalizing something.
“ What’s your idea , Capot?” The Chief Space Explorer, John Capot looks up to speak. “ Mr. Boss ,right now
, we don’t know what these aliens seek from us. They can either be peace-loving or aggressive. Any way,
there is a need to keep an eye on this civilization. The newly developed space probes, the Narad and
the Hermes can excellently be put to the test as they’ll be able to monitor the Alien planet without the
Aliens spotting them,” he concludes and looks at Boss. The Boss takes some time to think and then looks
at each of them while he speaks. “Like you said , we don’t know what the aliens are like. To be on the safe
side, our missile technology will be given a boost,” he says looking at Shitler. “ We will also launch our two
space probes to spy on this civilization. In a way that they don’t get suspicious of our probes.”
He stands up ,his way of saying that the meeting was closed. The conference was over as far as he was
concerned. There was no need for an elaborate conference when everyone knew what was going to hap-
pen. They knew how to deal with the invaders ….if they would ever come.
He crosses the room to the sound proof window and looks through the glass at his own reflection. He
likes what he sees and looks deep into his red eyes. Those cherry red eyes follow the outline of his dark,
furry body. He admires his long black tusks, polished and shining. His tentacles flex their muscles as they
move. He raps the glass sharply with the pointed nails of his paws. His cherry eyes are bulging out and
his cheeks are sucked in. His head is shiny and bare except for a long clump of hair at the base of his
neck. He turns away from the glass now, satisfied. He sweeps his four legs of the floor and collapses into a
revolving chair.
The conference was nothing but a ploy to fool the reporters and the journalists into believing that the
government was doing something about the crashes.
The reason they weren’t doing anything was because they knew exactly how to deal with the invaders
….if they would ever come
He looked at his shiny claws and then wondered why the inhabitants of Earth were so interested in their
planet.
He then licked his lipless mouth with his forked tongue and then wondered what the Earthlings tasted
like……
Billions of light years away, on a small planet called Earth. The newsreader looks old and so very un-
glamorous when compared to the newsreaders back home. A young man looks bored as he watches a
moody customer argue with the bartender. His name is Harvey Bent ,but the woman onscreen reads on.
“…after the first failure, the Space Administration Association is now organizing a manned space trip
to-”crash – something falls as the two men off screen start fighting. Mr.Bent isn’t listening any more.
He was smiling very strangely. And in the clatter and the din of the pub, and in that flash second ,if you
would care to examine his face, you would see that his blue eyes flickered to blood red, his black hair was
replaced by a shiny oiled skull , polished tusks and a blue bifid tongue thrust out from his clean lipless
mouth . He thinks …At last! A suicide mission! Excellent news! Must report to Boss immediately. And he
continues to smile in that very strange manner.
C’MON! Work those noodles!
By Jayakrishnan & Ashwa Prasad
frozen memories...
only one, yet a major, disappointment;
as I was a major vegetarian all I lived on
for the whole week was basically French
fries and ice cream, and an occasional
dosa too (sigh!). During that stay many
W
ate that thermocol, and Ursula Ma’am
of us split into groups, bonding well,
had to come up on stage to make me
so well that we even called each other
spit it all back! Just because I did not like
across the street with tribal sounds! It
the disgusting taste of the thermocol, I
hen Dad said if I’ve to was indeed sorrowful to say bye-bye
conceded!
submit an article for the magazine, why to the tour, but then again, you have to
Anyways, after KG, I joined live for what was ahead of you too, don’t
don’t I write about my twelve years of
‘Infant Jesus’, an Anglo-Indian school, you?!
school life, I thought, why not, it would
really popular and not a co-ed! Being
be a piece of cake! Ooh was I mistaken! It was in eleventh that I actually
a non co-ed didn’t matter much then,
When I barely remember what was bloomed, no not into a mature adult,
but if you ask me to go back there right
taught to me last year, oh forget it, this but from an immature child to an equal-
now, then probably you’ll be forced to
year, how can I go all the way down ly immature, but adolescent! Fortunately
see my shoe-size! You see, you’ll all miss
my memory lane to twelve years ago?! at least by then! This eleventh standard
me! The admission interview was fun,
Phew! era was the golden era of my life! What
whatever the Principal asked me, my
Well, come to think of it, I don’t father dutifully answered! Finally, when with the new glittery silver badge of the
actually know my birthplace, as in which I went for the third time, I requested my Literary Committee President and a new
hospital, what time, blah-blah, but I do group of friends too to enjoy life with!
mom, to not come with me, and come
remember that those initial years were That too, with those who think that they
to think of it, it did turn out fine! But
spent in Kollam, south of Kerala, in a have loaned the Indian Railways for their
immediately after three years over there,
sweet little house, a sweet little family tongues! Let me describe the Literary
I was thwarted from Kollam and forcibly
of five, my sweet grandmother, father, Committee to you!
re-rooted in Cochin.
mother, Chechi and of course, sweet old 1. Roshni Menon, darling VP; the
The only thing that Infant Jesus
me! I had gone to pre-school in ‘Vidya only major part of her you would first
asked me when I left was that I keep up
Jyothi’, an institution, yes, in Kollam, notice would be her small mouth which
their name wherever I go…
to which I owe a lot to. Actually I had a ever remains open; either gossiping or
ma’am over there by the name Ursula, And thus, since fourth I’ve been plain chit-chat or even that gape of utter
somebody who had tried her best to here, in Chinmaya, a part and parcel of surprise! If ever you want something
get me up on the stage to sing a rhyme. it, especially its canteen! (lol!) In fourth, from her, you literally have to demand it
Huh? Me sing?! No way! I kicked at her, I was this ideal little boy who tried his from her; just shout at her once in while,
boxed her, with my supposedly strong best to impress his new teachers in his share with her fresh, top cream gos-
limbs, but finally she decided to give up! new school, a totally new boy with a sip, share heart-warming smiles and a
And I didn’t sing either! But I did partici- totally different attitude! Well at least till couple of laughs, and she’s the loveliest
pate in an Onam Sadya, wearing a hand- tenth I did have only a very small group friend. She stands by you even if she’s
kerchief of a ‘mundu’ and pretending to of friends, people who were ready to not as keen on it. She has a very versa-
eat thermocol, well, actually everyone listen to my problems, sometimes at tile schedule, but she usually demands
else pretended, but I thought it was least to mock me with! But these were some specific timing when she likes to,
actually food, and when food meets my darling people! Without them I would as mentioned before, gossip, to contin-
eye, oh there’s no looking back! I actually have been some boy who would sadly ue gossip and even more gossip, along
with a few really hilarious jokes, which gives you belly-aching laughter!
2. Saranya Sreekumar, the diminutive marvel, somebody whom you can count on to stand by you whenever and wher-
ever you want. She has brilliant oratory skills (like Roshni), though she’s always too modest to admit that. We share a special
friendship; I write her speeches for her, she speaks them in the best way it can be said, and I beam in pride!
3. Keerthana V Nair, the wavy haired girl, whom we Literary Committee loves to refer with our hands flowing in a wavy
pattern so that nobody near us can really understand we are gossiping about Keerthana! She was transferred from the Cul-
tural Committee to Literary; supposed to be a gift to us! She’s somebody with a cool attitude, no ego problem, who can make
you do work by giving you serious, solid advice, and help you to enjoy its fruit! She’s excellent in her English; our juniors have
recorded her to speak 147 words. per minute! I must remind you, she got the highest marks for English in the 2008 boards.
4. Surabhi Dhar, a ‘dude, just chill!’ kind of girl who is a
brick wall of moral support and who never forgets to say a ‘Hi!’ or a ‘Bye!’ or even a ‘Please!’ or a ‘Thanks!’. She has had
more out-of-country experience than all the above-mentioned people put together and that superbly reflects in her English.
She turns up whenever you want her to, and she’s a true literary member; you see, she never runs out of fresh gossip!
5. Nikhilesh Nair, a yo-yo dude, somebody who likes to be a part of every programme and event and contribute solidly
to all of them equally. He pulls a long face when he’s forgotten else you can see him actively running around throughout the
school, noticeably flashing his silver badge too!
6. Lastly, but don’t you dare consider the least, me! For my description…well you’re reading that right now!
We, the Literary Committee, were a very joined-at-the-hip group; bickering about each one to the other, and then going and
apologizing all over again! Though I’ve had brilliant tiffs with Saranya and Keerthana, the major ones were always with Rosh!
When something didn’t go as I planned, she always snickered at me, turning the knob of my temper stove, and then the short-
est of the shortest Saranya had to interfere, boxing at our stomachs simultaneously while we went at each others’ necks, to
stop us while Keerthana would be busy praying why she was transferred from the Cultural to the Literary Committee! After
that Roshni and I would go for days without a word whistling through the air between us, until we think about buying each
other a cutlet to call a truce!
Though we had a lot of classes to miss and a lot of tasks thrust upon us as well as those which we unknowingly
wound up with, we somehow found a way out of it all. We did not actually bunk classes for the sake of bunking classes, but we
actually bunk classes for the sake of bunking classes, but we never did compromise on a genuine opportunity!
But as every day whistles by, and I place my hand on my heart in pain at the meagre time I’ve left on my hands to enjoy my
school-life, I hear my nerves perceiving the constant throbbing, a reminder of how much Chinmaya has given me, and though
significant, yet paltry, how much I’d given back. But, then again, these kind of debts are meant to remain as debts! Even if my
twelfth is to get over faster than expected, then though physically I’m being forced to leave, but my soul will continue to be
kindled by the Chinmaya flame!
Anand Alex
I went to see the teak museum in Nilambur. We saw different kinds of teak pieces like Thailand
teak, Nilambur teak etc. I saw fifty-five types of butterflies and moths. I also saw beetles that destroy trees
like coconut or teak. The oldest teak in this museum was more than four hundred and fifty years old.
This museum is surrounded by a garden with big trees and flowering plants. There was also a park with a
bamboo house. This is the world’s only teak museum.
Vishnu V Govind
Fool Again
An Atheist Professor of Philosophy was Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted
speaking to his Class on the Problem Science has your GOD, Smelled your GOD? Have you ever had
with GOD, the ALMIGHTY. He asked one of his any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
New Christian Students to stand and . . . . Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Professor : You are Christian, aren’t you, son ? Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student : Yes, sir. Student : Yes.
Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ? Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, De-
Student : Absolutely, sir. monstrable Protocol,
Professor : Is GOD Good ? Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you
Student : Sure. say to that, son?
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ? Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Student : Yes. Professor : Yes, Faith. And that is the Problem Sci-
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though ence has.
he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
attempt to help others who are ill. Professor : Yes.
But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Student : And is there such a thing as Cold? Pro-
Hmm? fessor : Yes.
(Student was silent ) Student : No, sir. There isn’t.
Professor : You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start (The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this
again, Young Fella. turn of events )
Is GOD Good? Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More
Student : Yes. Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat,
Professor : Is Satan good ? a Little Heat or No Heat.
Student : No. But we don’t have anything called Cold.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ? We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No
Student : From . . . GOD . Heat, but we can’t go any further after that.
Professor : That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in There is no such thing as Cold.
this World? Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Ab-
Student : Yes. sence of Heat.
Professor : Evil is everywhere. isn’t it ? And GOD We cannot Measure Cold.
did make everything. Correct? Heat is Energy.
Student : Yes. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Ab-
Professor : So who created evil ? sence of it.
(Student did not answer) (There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Thea-
Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? tre )
Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there
World, don’t they? such a thing as Darkness?
Student : Yes, sir. Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn’t Dark-
Professor : So, who Created them ? ness?
(Student had no answer) Student : You’re wrong again, sir.
Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use Darkness is the Absence of Something
to Identify and Observe the World around you. You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright
Tell me, son .... Have you ever Seen GOD? Light, Flashing Light . .
Student : No, sir. But if you have No Light constantly, you have
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your nothing and it’s called Darkness, isn’t it?
GOD? In reality, Darkness isn’t.
Student : No , sir. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness
Darker, wouldn’t you?
Professor : So what is the point you are making,
Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical A helping hand
Premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how? I’m living my life in darkness from ages
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Waiting for a little ray of hope all my life
Duality. It kept me awaited
You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Now from my eyes come the tears of blood…
Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the I cried my whole life but no one was there to con-
Concept of GOD as something finite, something sole me but today when my beloved cries I lend
we can measure. her my shoulders…
Sir, Science can’t even explain a Thought. And hold her hand close to my heart so that every
It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never drop of tear which falls from her eyes I keep it
seen, much less fully understood either one. with me because her tears are not tears of blood
To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be but they are tears of happiness which are priceless
ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a So my friend let your emotions flow out
Substantive Thing.
Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence Born As Abandoned
of it.
Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Stu- Lost forever so I weep...
dents that they evolved from a I’m fetching for something, someone
Monkey? Don’t know who or what....
Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolu- I know that I’m born to this world to
tionary Process, yes, of course, I do. Make a difference
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with Life is long but no time to live.....
your own eyes, sir? I have people to understand upon but no
(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, begin- One to understand me.
ning to realize where the Argument was going ) My life is now like desert ... Not knowing
Student : Since no one has ever observed the Where to go
Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even Something is there in me which I want
prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavour, To confess upon but the good soul in me
Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Stops me from doing so.
Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher? (The Class I need everyone but no one needs me...
was in Uproar ) Born as an abandon one my fate is to
Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has Live and die like an orphaned one...
ever seen the Professor’s Brain? (The Class broke
out into Laughter )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever
By Priyanka S Kumar
heard, felt, touched or smelled the professor’s
brain? No one appears to have done so. So, ac-
cording to the Established Rules of Empirical,
Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says you
have no brain. With all due respects sir, how do we
then trust your lectures?
(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the
student, his face unfathomable)
Professor : I guess you’ll have to take them on
Faith, son.
Student : That is it sir… exactly! The link between
Man and God is faith. That is all that keeps things
alive and moving.
The most beautiful thing on Earth
The exclamation ‘beautiful!!!’ pertains to wide variety of objects depending on people as
well as situations. Sometimes it is a natural phenomenon, at other times, one of Mother Nature’s
assets and many a time, a creation of the unbounded imaginations of man himself. The rainbow
in a drizzle, the edgeless lake mirroring the crème crescent moon, the gurgling stream rushing
down the rugged mountain path into the vast world down below, roses red and sweet, a hot cup
of coffee by the fire on a cold winter night, the shapes and structures, both big and small, materi-
alizing out of human skill and intellect are all well admired.
The meaning of beauty extends further to the ‘feeling’ of beauty. A timely act of kindness,
an occasional surprise or even a word of appreciation at the right time leaves the receiver more
light-hearted and content.
The fairest of all, which everyone knowingly or unknowingly harbours in their hearts, are
those cheerful moments in life, when your face lit up, when your eyes were filled with tears of de-
light, when you came across a ray of hope you least expected, when you realized that often good
things come in small packages.
I would say, one feels the happiest when one knows that he/she is the reason another fellow be-
ing finds life worth living. Even the tiniest deed in times of need is a source of enormous happi-
ness, more so for the doer. The joy of sharing could be said to be another version of the same.
As we go on about happiness and joy, more important seem its expression. When you tell some-
one, “Ho! Thank you so much, it’s so sweet of you to have done this for me!” little do we realize at
the moment how our gratefulness is also a source of joy to them. Politeness, punctuality, disci-
pline are all guidelines on how we can be more considerate and make others more comfortable.
The smile that unfolds on their lips in such a moment of elation is the materialization of the true
inner beauty of bliss, which goes to waste if not expressed. The gesture is an immediate return,
which costs nothing but comes of free will and can give a lasting sense of satisfaction to the
beholder. One must develop the ability to effectively perceive the veiled beauty in those grateful
smiles and gestures that we are rewarded in return for our help. Similarly one must make a sin-
cere effort to recognize the support we receive by way of a ‘thanks’ from the bottom of our hearts
or a wide smile and a word of gratitude.
If, now we look back on the path traversed in the journey of life, we would find that it is
these very tiny, apparently insignificant yet treasured, events which helped you form a mental
image of the world around, moulded you into what you are today, which showed you that you
are but a teeny weenie segment on the gigantic canvas of life, which told you; it is moments like
these that really make life the most beautiful thing on Earth. So people, grab every opportunity
to help bloom the flower of satisfaction and contentment in the hearts of others…to advocate
harmony, joy and beauty in the world we live in…to help build a beautiful world…
Chinnu George
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Search - ÄMá
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अपूर्वा वेंकट
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AFood For
Thought
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A Source : Internet
Submitted By
Mr. Pratap Chandar
ANAGRAMS
DORMITORY: ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters: When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM IS NO AMITY
MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the
letters:
WOMAN HITLER
Here are some more of the of the
best funny thoughts
• We all can’t be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the sides and clap as they go by.
• We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police.
• Welcome what you can’t avoid.
• What happens if you get scared half to death twice?
• What the hell, go ahead and put all your eggs in one basket.
• What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expect generally happens.
• When I am sad, I sing, and then the world is sad with me.
• When I was young I was told that anyone could be president. Now I am beginning to believe it.
• When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
• When it’s dark enough you can see the stars.
• When someone points skyward, it’s the fool that looks at the finger.
• When you don’t know what you are doing, do it neatly.
• When you have nothing to say, say nothing.
• Which is worse: Ignorance or apathy?
• With a rubber duck, you’re never alone.
• Work harder: millions on welfare depend on you.
• Work is the curse of the drinking class.
• Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.
• Worry is a misuse of the imagination.
• Worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps you busy, but gets you nowhere.
• You can observe a lot just by watching.
• You can only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
• You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish.
• You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
• You don’t have to explain something you never said.
Classifieds
Top 9 Funniest Newspaper Classifieds (Actual excerpts from classified sections of city newspapers)
1. Illiterate? Write today for free help.
2. Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you’ll never go anywhere again.
3. 3-year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.
4. Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first.
5. Dog for sale: Eats anything and is fond of children.
6. Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
7. Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.
8. Wanted: Man to take care of cow that does not smoke or drink.
9. We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
Common Sense - An obituary
'Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, common sense, who has been with us for many years.
No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red
tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in
out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm. Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and
reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were
set in place. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they them-
selves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better
treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a
burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of
coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents Truth and Trust, his wife Discretion, his daughter Re-
sponsibility and his son Reason. He is survived by his 4 evil step-brothers;
• I Know My Rights
• I Want It Now
• Someone Else Is To Blame
• I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.
COMMUNICATION GAP
Memo from General Manager to Manager:
Today at 11 o'clock there will be a total eclipse of the sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon
for two minutes. As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to
view the eclipse in the car park. Staff should meet in the car park at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short
speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made avail-
able at a small cost.
DONKEY’S BRAIN
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be
covered up anyway;
it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and
help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the
donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he
quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what
he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his
back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it
off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well
and happily trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds
of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping,
never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred - Forgive. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen. Live simply and
appreciate what you have. Give more. Expect less.
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A T Z! ! !
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A
ANNUAL ATHLETIC MEET 2008
The 28th annual athletic meet of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Vaduthala was held on 5th and 6th
of December 2008. K.P Venugopal, assistant commissioner of traffic police was the chief
guest. Mrs. Kamakshi Balakrisnan was the guest of honour. The inaugural ceremony start-
ed off with the march past by the 4 houses, followed by the lighting of the Olympic torch.
After that, the chief guest hoisted the flag and declared the meet open.
The events started off by 8.30 am with the100m dash for all categories.
The second day started with the 1500m race for the super senior boys.Sharath Krishna
emerged as the winner and broke the existing record.
More records were broken in the javelin throw and shot-put by Vishnu and Shankar respec-
tively. The closing ceremony started with the march past which was followed prize distribu-
tion.
Vishnu R and Shanker R were the individual champions in the super senior boys category
and Ashwika was the individual champions in the super senior girls category.Aravally was
declared as the overall champions.
This was followed by the dehoisting of the flag by Mrs.Kamakshi Balakrishnan
The game started off with each team playing against the rest of the 5 teams. Thus by the
end of 25 matches , the 4 teams(Daring Bulls, Hustlers, Silver Hawks & Blue Blazers) with
the highest points entered into the semi-finals and the rest were knocked out. The heat
and the pressure among the teams grew high and the semi-finals ended with 2 best teams,
Daring Bulls captained by Pranav (12th) and Hustlers captained by Ronak(12th),entering
into the finals. In the final game Hustlers (Ronak, Revin, and Arjun) emerged victorious.
The ‘TOP SCORER OF THE FINALS’ was William George (Daring bulls) and the ‘PLAYER
OF THE TOURNAMENT’ was Jibu Joseph (Silver Hawks).
I have been many people in many places. The names of those Unaware of the rain that falls,
who have practiced my profession ring like a hall of fame for
humanity-Booker.T.Washington, Buddha, Confucius, Moses In silver strands,
Jesus.
My name and face would long have been forgotten, Oblivious of the receding voices,
but my lessons and character will always be remembered in
the accomplishments of my students. I have wept with joy And the green silence,
at my birthdays being celebrated, paled with remorse at their
innocent smiles answering impatient admonition, and laughed They wrestle.
with glee at naughty pranks seeking attention and recogni-
tion.
I have been a proud mother at weddings of former Two intense balls of mischief,
students and a thrilled grandmother at the birth of their
children, but have often stood with head bowed in grief and Two glistening ebony imps,
confusion by graves dug too soon for bodies far too young.
Throughout the course of a day, I have been called upon to be Straining every quivering muscle,
an actor, a friend, a nurse and doctor, coach, money lender,
substitute parent and a keeper of faith. Rolling in the mud,
I am a full time treasure seeker in my quest for new
Over and over,
opportunities for my students to use their talents, and in my
constant search for these talents, that sometimes lie buried
One on the other,
in self defeat .I am the most fortunate of all who labour. A
doctor is allowed to usher life into the world in one magic They wrestle.
moment. I am allowed to see that life is reborn each day with
new questions, ideas and friendships. An architect knows
that if he builds with care, his structure may stand for centu- The rain falls in silver ropes,
ries; a teacher knows that if she builds with love and truth,
what she builds will stand forever. And I…I smile….
I thank you, God, for this wonderful life
that I am so fortunate to experience. I have a past that is rich And move on……..
in memories, a present that is challenging, adventurous, and
fun, because I am allowed to spend my days with the future. Veena.N
The emergence of women from darkness to light has in- The personality of a woman is thus tied to the
volved the arduous move from apron string of somebody and she gradually gets reduced to
discrimination and compromise to the struggle for a quivering shapeless form, trapped in the meshes of false
emancipation and self expression. Women stand at the ideology that reduces life into mere absurdity. In the name
brisk of an age, in which human life presses forward to of conforming to the process of soacialization she has sur-
actualize new forms. Women has entered a new era of rendered her assertiveness, and her ability to act and to give
evolutionary process where rapid change is a dominant shape to her life. But modern women’s spirit, having trav-
consequence. Society does not always conform to the social elled through psychologically arid lands, crave for liberation
optimum of the modern generation in reorganizing human from the constricting male view of woman.
communities. Hence, modern women are in the process of Women are now aware of the psychological tur-
developing a new consciousness, which can eventually lift moil a woman undergoes when she is caught in the danger-
them above the isolation and ignorance that ously alluring world with a tenacious past that is imbued
envelop them today. They are gradually emerging from the with tradition. The search for light, happiness and fulfill-
abyss of meaninglessness and suffering, to be ment is hence subtly linked with the transformation and
renewed and replenished in the totality of their life. incarnation of women.
‘Woman’- the word itself conjures up exotic and The term ‘patriarchy’ was developed by feminists
mystical images. Indian womanhood has yet to be explored in the 1970s and 1980s to refer to the systematic nature
and experienced from all angles and in all its complexities of man’s power. According to T. Hartmann, as quoted in
and contradictions. A woman is a product of her social and Aveen Macguire’s essay, “Power, Now You See It, Now
cultural environment. She is treated as an object, defiled You Don’t”. Patriarchy can be defined as ‘a set of social re-
and defined according to the culture of the group. The cul- lations between men, which have a material base, at which
ture of each community is rendered unique by their share of though hierarchical, establish or create interdependence
mythological literature and few other words have amassed and solidarity among men that enable them to dominate
a chain of myths as that of ‘Woman’. The ideals and desires women’. In the patriarchal relationship, communication,
of a community are expressed through mythical legends. sharing and harmony are missing since power is vested in
To justify women’s inferior position in the soci- the hands of one sex, at the cost of the other.
ety, classical and modern men take shelter in the biological The status of women had deteriorated steadily and
explanation. Biologically, women are genetically adapted gradually in the ancient times. They were even deprived of
for reproduction. Consequential to the hormonal milieu of the facilities of education. Calculated subliminal infusion
women, features like that submissions, tolerance self-effacement and stoicism
softness, patience, warmth, impulsiveness, submissiveness were virtues of Indian womanhood, made women feel
etc. dominate their behaviour. Nature has provided women that too much independence on display of individuality is
with a subordinate status in the society and she is assumed unbecoming and unwomanly. Their cursed spirit could not
to be intellectually even be graded into action, or inspired by courageous epic
inferior and physiologically weak. The assumption that warrior women like Gandhari, Kunti or Draupadi.
women are by nature tenders of home forms the basis of This feminine consciousness created by both patriarchy and
all women’s subordination and sexual division of labour. its other extensions like colonialism for instance has to be
Consequentially, dominance of the male over the female is torn free in order to liberate the female from the ‘starry
considered to be the result of the former’s physical strength existence’.
and the latter’s physical weakness.
“Feminine” refers to characteristics appropriate to [An extract from the M. Phil.
the female sex, with an implicit non-masculine emphasis. Dissertation‘Quest for Self-Identity: Women
It also refers to the inward image of a woman moulded in characters is the Novels of Meena Alexan-
the human psyche and handed down to generations in the der’]
language of customs, traditions and myths. What gives
woman her infinite charm is that, the real meaning of femi- By Mrs. Maya Jagan
ninity has always remained ambiguous. (Teacher-English Department)
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Curb those fears – Here are a few tips!
Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on
Strategies on using time: a chronological chart.
School term/semester overview: develop, or plan If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule
for, blocks of study time First thing in the morning, check what’s ahead for
About 50 minutes? How long does it take for you to the day
become restless? Always go to sleep knowing you’re prepared for
Some learners need more frequent breaks for a tomorrow
variety of reasons Long term planner
More difficult material may also require more fre- Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead.
quent breaks Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to
Place blocks of time when you are most productive, constructively plan time for yourself
as morning person or night owl! What you can control in your studies:
Schedule weekly reviews and updates “Here I study”
Sunday night may be an excellent time to review Get a dedicated space, chair, table, lighting and
your calendar environment
Be mindful that as deadlines and exams approach, Avoid your cell phone or telephone!
your weekly routine must adapt Put up a sign to avoid being disturbed or interrupted
Prioritize assignments If you like music in the background, OK, but don’t
When studying, get in the habit of beginning with let it be a distraction. (Research on productivity
the most difficult subject or task with music versus without music is inconclusive)
For more difficult courses of study, try to be flex- Stick to a routine, efficient study schedule
ible in your approach to success Accommodate your day time/night time energy
Build in “reaction time” when you can get feedback levels
on assignments before they are due. See our Guide on Setting goals and making a
“Perfection is the enemy of good”, especially in the scheduling
course of beginning an assignment. Focus
Given that you build in review, roughly draft your Before you begin studying, take a few minutes to
idea and proceed from there summarize a few objectives, gather what you will
Postpone tasks or routines that can be put off until need, and think of a general strategy of accomplish-
schoolwork is finished ment
Eliminate, delegate or delay non-essential tasks as Incentives
part of prioritizing. Create an incentive if necessary for successfully
Review for a test may be more important than completing a task, such as calling a friend, a food
enjoying a sport and playing the game later will be treat, a walk, etc.
more enjoyable without the pressure of the test. For special projects such as term papers, design
Develop alternative study places free from distrac- projects, long book reviews, set up a special incen-
tions to maximize concentration tive.
Use your “free” time wisely Change topics
Think of times when you can study "bits" as when Changing the subject you study every one to two
walking, riding the bus, etc. hours for variety
Review notes and readings just before class Vary your study activities
Review lecture material immediately after class Alternate reading with more active learning exer-
(Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without cises. Ask yourself how you could increase your
review) activity level while studying? Perhaps a group will
Effective aids: be best? Creating study questions?Ask your teacher
Create a simple “To Do” list for alternative strategies for learning. The more ac-
This simple program will help you identify a few tive your learning, the better.
items, the reason for doing them, a timeline for Take regular, scheduled breaks that fit you
getting them done, and then printing this simple list Do something different from what you’ve been do-
and posting it for reminders. ing (e.g., walk around if you’ve been sitting), and in
Daily/weekly planner a different area
Rewards For example, set 4:30 to 5 p.m. as your worry/think
Give yourself a reward when you’ve completed a time. When your mind is sidetracked into worry-
task ing during the day, remind yourself that you have a
Best Practices: special time for worrying. Then, let the thought go
You should notice improvement in a few days but for the present, and return your focus to your im-
like any practice, there will be ups, levels, and mediate activity.
downs: It will benefit other activities you do! Tallying your mental wanderings.
Be Here Now Have a 3 x 5 inch card handy. Draw two lines divid-
This deceptively simple strategy is probably the ing the card into three sections. Label them “morn-
most effective. ing,” “afternoon,” and “evening.”
When you notice your thoughts wandering astray Each time your mind wanders, make a tally in the
say to yourself, “Be here now” and gently bring appropriate section. Keep a card for each day. As
your attention back to where you want it. your skills build, you’ll see the number of tallies
For example: decrease
You’re studying and your attention strays to all the Maximize your energy level
other homework you have, to a date, to the fact that When is your energy level at its highest? When are
you’re hungry. Say to yourself “Be here now”. your low energy times?
Focus back on subject with questions, summariz- Study your most difficult courses at your high ener-
ing, outlining, mapping, etc. and maintain your gy times. Sharpest early in the evening? Study your
attention there as long as possible. most difficult course then. Later in the evening?
When it wanders again, repeat “Be here now” and Work on your easier courses or the ones you enjoy
gently bring your attention back, and continue this the most.
practise, repeatedly. It will work! Most students put off the tough studies until later in
Do not try to keep particular thoughts out of your the evening when they become tired, and it is more
mind. For example, as you sit there, close your difficult to concentrate. Reverse that. Study hard
eyes and think about anything you want to for the subjects at peak energy times; easier ones later. This
next three minutes except cookies. Try not to think alone can help to improve your concentration
about cookies...When you try not to think about Visualize
something, it keeps coming back. (“I’m not going As an exercise before you begin studying, think of
to think about cookies. I’m not going to think about those times when concentration is not a problem
cookies”). You might do this hundreds of times a for you--no matter what situation. Now try to feel
week. Gradually, you’ll find that the period of time or image yourself in that situation. Recapture that
between your straying thoughts gets a little longer experience immediately before your studies by
every few days. So be patient and keep at it. placing yourself in that moment.. Repeat before
You’ll see some improvement! each study session.
Do not constantly judge your progress. Take it easy A: Approach/attitude/arrange
on yourself. Good practice is enough to say that Approach your studies with a positive attitude
you did it, and that you are on the road. The mind is Arrange your schedule to eliminate distractions
always different and the practice unfolds over time S: Select/survey/study!
with many ups and downs. Select a reasonable chunk of material to study
Worry or Think Time Survey the headings, graphics, pre- and post ques-
Research has proven that people who use a worry tions
time find themselves worrying 35 percent less of to get an overview
the time within four weeks. Study marking any information you don’t under-
Set aside a specific time each day to think about the stand
things that keep entering your mind and interfering P: Put aside/piece together:
with your concentration. Put aside your books and notes
When you become aware of a distracting thought, Piece together what you’ve studied, either alone,
remind yourself that you have a special time to with a study pal or group, and summarize what you
think about them. understand.
Let the thought go, perhaps with “Be here now,” I: Inspect/Investigate/inquire/:
Keep your appointment to worry or think about Inspect what you did not understand.
those distracting issues. Investigate alternative sources of information you
can refer to other textbooks, websites, experts, tutors, etc.
Inquire from support professionals (academic support, librarians, tutors, teachers, experts,) for assistance
R: Reconsider/reflect/relay
Reconsider the content:
If I could speak to the author, what questions would I ask or what criticism would I offer?
Reflect on the material:
How can I apply this material to what I am interested in?
Relay understanding:
How would I make this information interesting and understandable to other students?
E: Evaluate/examine/explore:
Evaluate your grades on tests and tasks
look for a pattern. Examine your process toward improving it. Explore optionswith a teacher, support profes-
sional, tutor, etc.
The Of fice-Bearers 08-09
From Left To Right: Arjun(Senior Head Boy), Rahul(Junior Head Boy),Arvind(Sub-Junior Head Boy),
Nanditha(Sub Junior Head Girl), Aswathy(Junior Head Girl), Aathira(Senior Head Girl)
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Going Clockwise:Anup Pratap Chandar(President), Roshni Menon(Vice President), Nikhilesh
Nair(Member), Keerthana V Nair(Member), Mrs. Deepa Ravishankar, Saranya Sreekumar(Member), Mrs.
Maya Jagan and Surabhi Dhar(Secretary)
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Going Clockwise:Arjun Balachandran(Senior Head Boy), Jashid Hameed(Vice President), Abhay
Jayaram(Member), Utharaa Zacharias(President), Mrs. Tuney.N, Aarthi Ramesh(Secretary), Aathira P
Menon(Senior Head Girl), Meghna Menon(Member), Ashwathy Chandrakumar(Member)
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From Left To Right: George Punnen, Mrs. Shyamala.C and Annu Anna Alex
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CAP’NS AND VICE CAP’NS
By Reshma Rajagopal
XI
By B.B Meenakshi
III
By Maryann Oliver
VI
We Met The Experts
Swami Vivekananda