Since the last one or two years some of my companions from our days in the boarding, reached out to me. The first was Frank (is it the same one called affectionately 'Butler'?). Then there was Joe D'Souza, John Carvallo, and now Philon. I guess we are all in our 60s.

Joe D'Souza as I remember was affectionately called 'Chintu' and if memory serves me right, he was a good friend. John Carvallo was the studious one. He took his studies very seriously. And he was also a damn good hockey player. Then there was Philon who I recall was very stylish with a huge  puff and handsome too.

Well at the current moment John Carvallo is visiting Dubai for his grandson's First Holy Communion. We are to meet tomorrow for the first time after about 45 years. Meanwhile I've just sent Philon in the USA a hello.

I was saddened by the news about Bro Toth who passed away. He saved my life when I was about 8 years old when he took me piggy back to a doctor in the middle of the night because I had the pneumonia. The infirmary was my favorite spot when I joined the boarding in 1950 or so. This continued for some years until I became toughened. Joe's technique of giving an injection was like throwing a dart. While his tech of administering an opening dose of Epsom salts was to hold your nose while you gulped the horrible tasting fluid. But the food in the infirmary was just heavenly compared to the refectory food.

Please spread the word that STANISLAUS SEVENTYNINE has been set up on Facebook for 1979ers.

I picked this YT-video from a Facebook post (thanks Lee!), that is evidently choreographed to drive home an anti-bullying message. A great show, however the message is not so evident from the dance alone. So I decided to mash-up this with an article written by Editor-in-chief Trine Eilertsen at Bergens Tidende. I believe there is a fine line between a prank and what can escalate  to plain terror. I think it is worth making a point about of bullying and why it needs more attention. I believe bullying exists in the workplace too -- but we probably learn this at school first!

Teacher Bjørndal's method

And you! Keep your mouth shut, you idiot! 

Original (Norwegian). My translation with Trine's permission.  

There is a knock on the classroom door of Class 9B. They are about halfway through a Norwegian class. Outside is the class teacher. When the class sees him, they sit up in their seats. He has that effect on them, and they realize that this must be serious when he interrupts them in the middle of another teacher’s class.

- I want to talk with Arne, Per, Lise, Ingrid, Gunnar and Tone. You will join me in the group room now!

The students look at each other questioningly, get up and go out of the class.

- “Sit down”, says the class teacher tersely, after he has closed the door behind them in the group room. “And listen carefully”

Just heard that Brother Tort incharge of the Treasurers Office for long passed away earlier this evening.  Brother Tort has spent a lifetime in India having come to India as a novice. The attached picture shows Brother Tort at extreme left.

Funeral was held on 4th Feb 2011 at 9am at St. Peter's Church Bandra. May he rest in peace.

I would recommend reading this article "The caste busters" that appeared in New York Times recently (The article is based on a theme from the author's book). What fascinated me, was the sense of ambition and ability that Misal demonstrates -- to be able to exploit the medium of TV to its maximum. I wonder what social media and mobile broadband could do in the years to come. Besides Misal, it was also the sense of development and innovation emerging at the "bottom of the pyramid" -- probably the place to watch for exciting business opportunities?

It was the article's closing paragraphs that stuck most in my head  "... a generation being trained rather than educated. They knew nothing about industry, art, history, literature, science". And then the dilemma that "...Misal did not have the luxury of broadening his vision, because if he lost focus, the world of degradations that he had escaped would be delighted to take him back".