I have often
wondered what it is that makes Bhutan so delightfully different from the rest
of the world. I was born and brought up in a fairly reputed family in Bengal
and studied in some of the best institutions of Kolkata, yet, I am ashamed to
say that there are so many things that I do not know, so many things I cannot
do in this life. Whereas most of the people I have had the good fortune of
knowing from close quarters, from years of stay in this god-blessed land, are
nothing short of being self-made men and women. They do not have to desperately
start looking for an electrician the moment the fuse of a switch-board goes off.
Nor do they feel utterly helpless when, back home on vacation, they have to
prepare the meals for a day or two, while their parents are busy tilling the
fields or helping the relatives of a close, deceased neighbor recover from the
shock by helping with the chores. My brethren in the profession will understand
me better thinking about the innumerable occasions when the students produced
works of pure marvel, literally with nothing but scratches!
Having
glanced through an article about procrastination from a book entitled ‘101
Inspiring Stories’, I have decided to write about my class, XI Sc’B’ without
wasting any more time. I am not sure if this is the right time. But let me try
to do it right now in the hope that tomorrow will be a brighter day and usher
in a better prospect. I have always preferred to write only about things that
concern me, things that others do not find hurting and offensive. Most of the
articles I have penned till date are related to my teaching experiences, with
some occasional writings on my trips and tours to places of little significance. By doing this, of late, I have started feeling
rather selfish, as if I do not care for others, or I am so busy projecting,
advertising myself that the rest of the world does not matter to me at all!
So when I
decided to visit our class SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) area after
the recess, I was not exactly expecting much, let alone finding any drastic
changes or improvements. I had already informed the class captain of my
inability to be with them due to a severe headache, and decided to stay back in
the class instead. I found the earlier mentioned book lying on a desk and
immersed myself in it. The first pleasant surprise came in the form of the boys,
who had taken it upon themselves to rearrange the class seating arrangements.
Yang Tshering Sherpa drew a picture on the board, his comrades worked
accordingly and within no time the class was transformed into a cosy corner of learning.
As the boys
started trooping back to the class from our area, the thought of heading home
came to me. I had already informed the concerned In-Charge and had an exemption
from the matches. I was walking past the staff room, when the desire to find out
what my class had done without my presence, got the better of me. I was very
impressed with the sincerity of the students of one section
of XII , who all are working on their Project for 2014 by concretizing the path
in front of the steps leading down to the new laboratories, bifurcating the way
to Class-XI Block and the Girls’ Hostel.
I was
extremely surprised when I stepped down the stairs as I had a glimpse of the
hard work put in by my boys and girls.
Let me
digress here a little, Reader, to talk about another time towards the end of
the last academic session. Call it an eerie coincidence or what you will, my
class XII Arts had been then assigned the same bare, barren and boring area as
well. Initially they wanted to convert the square in front of the library and
the labs into a lush lawn. They had already collected some patches of grass for
that purpose. Unfortunately, they had to drop the idea later on. That must have
been a spirit-dampener of some sort and from then on till the end, they whiled
away the SUPW time by pretending to be engaged for no practical purposes or
gains.
Standing on
the top step, I was in for the second surprise of the day. My class students
had managed some planks from somewhere and with a brand new saw and ounce of
endless energy, they toiled to dedicate themselves to shaping them into some
unbelievable hanging gardens!
I do not know right now if anything will grow in our flower gardens or not. I do not know if anyone other than the students, will get to know of their herculean efforts, but the truth of the matter is Class-Xi SC’B’ has made a difference by selflessly contributing to the physical ambiance and greenery of CHSS. They have given their best shot at transforming the hopelessly barren land. Only Time can tell us if the detestable duckling will metamorphose into a swashbuckling swan or not!
I do not know right now if anything will grow in our flower gardens or not. I do not know if anyone other than the students, will get to know of their herculean efforts, but the truth of the matter is Class-Xi SC’B’ has made a difference by selflessly contributing to the physical ambiance and greenery of CHSS. They have given their best shot at transforming the hopelessly barren land. Only Time can tell us if the detestable duckling will metamorphose into a swashbuckling swan or not!
