Monday, April 6, 2009

The Story of a Sign

This particular 'short film', won an award at the Cannes Festival 2008. The story is really beautiful. You can watch it on this link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyGEEamz7ZM. I suggest you see it. The following is an adaptaion the same story written in my own words. Hope you like it.

It was another fine Mexico morning. The sky was beautiful. The city park was filled with families hanging out on a weekend.
A blind beggar was sitting outside near the park gate. He had a basket in front of him having a few coins and a board beside him saying, 'PLEASE HELP THE BLIND'. He listened to the noises around and was enchanted. Children were laughing, adult couples talking to each other, the traffic on the road and the soung of water falling on water from the fountain. But he rarely heard the sound of coins falling into his basket with a jingle.
Somewhere else in the park was a man sitting on a bench, fidgeting with something in his breifcase. Later, he closed it and got up. He was wearing a tuxedo, sunglasses and had gelled his hair. He didn't look friendly so people tried to keep distance.
This particular man walked towards the park gate, and stopped in front of the beggar. Sensing someones arrival, the beggar cried out, "Please help me. I am blind." There was a jingle. "Thank You" the beggar said.
The man took a look around and then looked at the basket. There wasn't much in it. He stood there for a while. Then he put his breifcase down and walked towards the beggar's board. He picked it up and the chalk lying beside.
The beggar jerked, "Hey, whad'ya think your doin'?" The other man kept quiet. He rubbed the board and scribbled something on it. He placed it down, picked up his breifcase and left.
The beggar wondered what the man had written on his board. But he did not get time to think. Suddenly he heard a lot of jingles. He became alert and put his hand into the basket. A lot more coins were in there and more were falling. He opened his mouth and laughed happily.
Some time later a boy walked past the beggar and stopped by to read the sign. He was really young but he read the sign easily. "TODAY IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND I CANNOT SEE IT" the boy read aloud and threw in a coin.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Getting Shuffled

First of all, I start with another excuse..... first my PC was attacked by a virus and by the time it was fixed, my exams were round the corner. Now, as it is over, I may continue to write stuff.....

I have been to 3 schools. I spent my kintergarden in one school, first grade to fifth in another and the rest in my present one. But what I'm going to talk about now, is about getting shuffled with other sections after spending three complete years with one single section.
It sure does make you feel scared, 'What will I do? I havnt mingled with any kids from the other sections, koi dost nahi mila to kya kroonga?' Well, for others it may be a cakewalk, 'Are kya ho jayega? I'll manage. The worst that can happen is getting Sarang to be in my class.' Some aren't even scared of Sarang!
But three years. We've been together for three years. I can understand if the school shuffles sections every year. You'll manage quickly as there has been rapport with other students. Many may have been your great friends years ago. In such a case..... you'll survive. Actually, this is the best method.
Then there is having the same class every year. Not the best option I should say, because slowly you'll start wishing that boy or that girl in your class. Maybe the discussions or 'gossip' taking place in the other section catches your interest. Maybe their kind of fun is your kind of fun (ummm.... maybe a little explanation needed here. Your friends discuss about one particular thing but you are not the least interested in it. But maybe a group in the other class is discussing about something else, and thats what you know a lot about. Then there is the games your friends play and the games the other section plays and you prefer the latter.). So I'll sum up by saying that this method.... is real dumb.
We now come back to my problem. Thank God I did not have real close friendship with any kid or I would end up crying like the many others. Yeah, I do have one or two good friends in this class and even in the other sections. If I don't get any of these people in my section...... I'll rely on what my mum calls, my karisma. I hope my quiet and polite nature will work for me. I hope.
In the end, all I can do is wait and see what happens. But first I'll have to face Judgment Day (thats the report card day :P), surviving the shuffle is a second thought.