Sunday 5 May 2019

A Flurry of Firsts - My Trip to Mayo College, Ajmer

"Once a year go someplace you have never been before", said Dalai Lama once. And I did - to Mayo College, Ajmer.

It was the best trip ever. I had a lot of fun with my friends and this was a journey full of first times. I did so many things for the first time and that included travelling by train, which far exceeded my expectations.

We arrived at Mayo College Girls by bus after dropping the boys off at Mayo College Boys. I was awestruck by the amazing campus. We had a little briefing after which we were taken to our dormitories in separate houses by the escorts. Thankfully, I was put in Charumati House with my closest friends. Everyone there was very helpful and sweet as sugar. They told us everything that we wanted to know and helped us throughout. We made a lot of new friends.

On the first day, we went to the school fete, that luckily happened to be held on the same day as we arrived. We ate a lot and enjoyed a lot. It even rained towards the late evening, which I quite loved. It was so pleasant after that and everything was so scenic.

We went to Mayo College Boys the next day to get a tour of the campus. It was nothing like I had ever seen before - It was humongous. We saw so many amazing things and the two boys escorting us and showing us around, Abhi and Raghav, were very nice. We even went to the museum, where we saw all sorts of amazing things....from age old currency to a baby preserved in a glass container. I have to say, that it was equally fascinating as it was creepy. Over the course of the next four days, we visited Pushkar, Ajmer Sharif and a Jain temple; all of which were interesting experiences. We even attended home science classes, dance and music classes, a Science and English lecture (which, by the way, was on a totally different level).

Another first time for me was when we were taken to the Shooting Range and I shot a 10m distance rifle. It was thrilling! We also attended art lesson, where our group did two things - monoprinting and yarn mandala making, both of which were spectacular. But the highlight of my trip was the speech we had the honour of attending by Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni. He spoke about his adventures and struggles in Siachen and how positivity got him places. His determination, discipline and optimism inspired me in more ways than one essay can put across. He made me want to make a difference. He said "You may not be what you want to be, but you can be the best of what you are", and that struck a chord.

Maybe, that is another reason why I, so badly, want to enforce some kind of change in my school - some more discipline, some more motivation, some more excellence and some more...well, Mayo!

Our goodbye was a very sad one; for within just four days, I had gotten very attached to the girls in my dorm. It felt like we had known each other for ages. We exchanged contacts and promised to stay in touch. All I can say is, I am eternally grateful that I was presented with this splendid opportunity.

Read more about the influence of my experiences at http://rajivmaheshwari.com/an-account-of-april-and-annual-closing-the-endgame/

Tuesday 30 April 2019

Tomorrow - A Poem By Tanvee Maheshwari

Tomorrow is an illusion
The ideas of "future" are bait
Do what you want to
Nothing is worth the wait


Was yesterday really there,
And what lies in tomorrow?
Will it bring sunshine of joy,
Or, will it bring tears of sorrow?


Will the Sun come to work tomorrow?
Will all your beloved be there?
Or, will the Lord take you -
Into his subtle care?

Oblivion may come crashing
Everything may be snatched away
So, the best thing to do for now,
Is to live your best life today!


Be with the people you love,
Be away from the ones who are rude
You will never know what hit you
But the memories are forever
So, to be continued!


"Tomorrow"
A Poem by Tanvee Maheshwari