Look back, smile.

Interacting with all these children throughout our journey has made me realize and reminisce childhood’s innocence. Those carefree days, when we would all fantasize about growing old, and becoming adults, and now as an adult, all I can think of is reliving hose days. Children are impressionable and it is our duty as responsible adults to expose them to the right kind of information and entertainment. An early exposure to great artistic works can only do wonders for a child’s upbringing. Cheers to CFSI for providing us the opportunity to go on a journey of a lifetime and doing something good for all the children. Even if one of them becomes a filmmaker one day, because of that day we took a screening and some workshops, we can consider our work to be done.

NG

Sikkim: The land of no tax, no tobacco and no smoking!

Sikkim was the most hectic of all. In our dear imaginary worlds, we all had imagined (and scheduled it too in a way) that it would be the most relaxing of all. The only two female species in the group had also managed to squeeze in some time to go buy the famous wool and carpets with the popular Tibetan dragons on them. But alas! that couldn't happen. 

What kept us occupied were not beautiful sceneries nor the so warm and welcoming hotel rooms but the 'people'. Our team met people with similar interests and philosophies, doing there own bits in their respective fields. And anything we say about Gangtok wouldn't be complete without the mention of Cafe Fiction or Rachna Book Store. Thanks to Mr. Raman, the owner, we met so many interesting people, had intellectual discussions on art and design, cinema, reading and coffee brewing! Chicken Bomb, his very own recipe is something we all are gonna miss here in Delhi. And of course his careful collection of books.

In all six schools were covered in three days which included schools like Don Bosco and Taktse International, NGOs like Alpha Learning Center and Padma Odzer Choeling, schools in remote areas like Ivana Memorial School and Government schools like Encheui Government School.

First Day at Cafe Fiction

Rachna Bookstore above Cafe Fiction

At the Cafe

Nitesh and Mr. Raman

I've put this pic for the cutest TV I've ever seen, at the back :p

Taktse International School

 

Alpha Learning Center

Encheui Goverment School

Ivana Memorial School

Padma Odzer Choeling

Don Bosco, Malbasey

GR

No one knew where Malbasey was!

Its the most popular school, people knew about it in Darjeeling but funny-ly no one knew where it was! Don Bosco Schools are well known all over and so was Don Bosco, Malbasey but nobody seemed to know where Malbasey was. Relying heavily on our taxi driver to take us there, me and my colleague got up at 5 in the morning to leave for this school situated in the West Sikkim. Dear Kunchenjunga had also decided to show itself that day. So I was hoping it to be a lovely early morning drive, up and down the hills and catch the rising sun on the way. I didn't wanna sleep even for a second and our taxi driver made sure we didn't. Tarzan Daju (substitute for 'bhaiya' in Nepali) was full of tales. He was a talker and I was in full mood to listen to all his tales. From preparation of local food to brewing of local liquor we heard it all. He also told about his life before and after marriage with so much humor and a hint of sarcasm which left my colleague rolling with laughter.

By this time, we had climbed quite a height and could see the beautiful snow-clad  Kunchenjunga with sprawling gardens of tea beneath it. It was a sight to behold and we did capture it in our cameras as we stopped by for a cup of tea.

Kunchenjunga and the Tea Gardens

Tista River en route Malbasey

Tarun with Tarzan Daju

The school was quite uphill and remote. One couldn't even see the building until one reached the main gate. But it was a peaceful and a serene place to study in. With a loving Father as their Principal and a clean, green, peaceful campus, it provided an absolutely conducive environment for learning and growing up. The Father told me that being in such a remote location, the school doesn't have many visitors. And it indeed seem like a close-knit big family. They welcomed us with their traditional 'Gamocha' and an extremely sweet pahadi chai.

The drive back seemed like a long stretch of forest with wild plantations and river Tista on our sides. It will be a journey I'll remember for a very long time.
GR

Trust

When you are on the move, trusting people comes naturally when you have no other option but to do so
NG

Borders

We are in Agartala at the moment. We visited a temple( I have forgotten the name), where we saw the Indo-Bangladesh border, separated by an iron fence. On this side India, the other side Bangladesh. A thin line separating two countries, marking different ideologies, culture and history. A thin line between two nationalities. It was all the same on both sides, everything. A bird hopped from one side to the other, as the border patrol stared.
NG

After whisky,driving risky...After wine,driving fine

This is bit of a late post, but the time spent in Aizawl has still not sunk in. That view of the mountains, glistened with lights, like a million stars. Out driver Muana, well part driver and hip hop producer/ lover- he drove up and down steep hills, reverse, on roads where most drivers would find it hard to drive straight. Aizawl is a beautiful little town, nestled in its own glories, cut- off from the rest of India. The people are the most friendly I have ever come across and completely influenced by the west. Speaking to the local kids was a bit of a problem and we wish we could have reached out to them with our ideas, without needing translators who could only half communicate what we were trying to say. Definitely going back again.
NG

Deep Connexions

I was in kolkata again. Old chai and cigarette shops, cycle rickshaws, roadside card games. Met my altar ego, 'Deep', who studied at BHU. Trained in hindustani classical and plays bass for a fusion band.We spent the whole night listening to music from 3333,elsiane and stuff- full connexion.
NG