Volleyball, School and Sports

While returning home yesterday, I saw a HUGE poster for the Vajpayee Volleyball Cup - an inter-school district level tournament. My brother used to be part of his school team for this championship.

I somehow linked it to my era, when my batch mates used to go for a tournament (which I mistakenly thought was the Vajpayee Cup) and always used to run into a school called Gandhi School.

Gandhi school boys were massively built guys whose smashes would leave you reeling. In particular they had someone who could smash the ball almost perpendicularly; while the rest of us normal mortals could only smash it diagonally!

So, the story every year used to be this - we prepare well, go into the tournament with lot of confidence; but invariably run into these guys, put up a heroic fight and come back battered and bruised. The only parallel I can draw is to Arsenal in the Champions League. A good team which runs into Barcelona and Bayern Munich year after year and come back as heroic losers :-)

In the middle of all this reminiscing, a tinge of regret crept in. Why had I forsaken my budding tennis abilities for mere marks and in the quest to be popular? ( volleyball and cricket were the top sports at school then). What if I then had the guts that I have now - to do things I like and do it without caring for acknowledgement?

God, if I have to lead the same life again I promise I will work on my tennis right from school level!

Pashupatinath

Interesting piece of news. The new Nepal government has decreed that the diety in the Pashupatinath temple would be worshipped by Nepali priests thus ending an era of Indian priests officiating.

One of my Sanskrit teachers in school, Mr. Rama Kantha Prakash (called RKP) used to be a priest there. Wonder if hes part of the evicted regime!!! Hope he's doing well

A multi-talented man

For those who have studied between the years 1992/3-1995 at VVSGCS Bangalore, the best times would have been when that cool, awesome teacher U Sriharsha taught Sanskrit the way youngsters need to be taught - in their own "kewl" manner.

Sriharsha sir was a judoka. This aura around him itself made people listen at the least to what he used to say. Not to mention the tight slaps which would reduce the cheeks of the victim to beetroot red.

In addition, he was a PFA (People for Animals) activist. I still fondly keep the postcards of the tiger cub he had given to me when in school.


Last but not the least, how can I ever forget those early morning hours of learning Sanskrit? The cycle ride to Bashyam circle in the chilly Bangalore mornings, followed by steaming tea at his place and some of the best Sanskrit lessons ever taught.

Heres requesting any reader of this blog entry - "If you, by the slightest chance, are acquainted with U Sriharsha please do help me get in touch".

Thanks