A Wishlist.

Being the travel aficionado that I am, I’ve always wanted to visit the most beautiful places in this world. I believe that there will come one day, when I would have visited the most beautiful, the most adventurous, the most picturesque, the most peaceful, as well as the most bustling places in the world.

This post enlists ten of the most beautiful cities in the world (in no particular order, of course), that I would want to visit someday.

1)      Bruges

Winters in Bruges are an experience to die for. This photogenic city takes life back to the middle ages.

2)      Florence

It is the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to many artistic treasures of the world. The sunsets here are described as magical.

3)      Lisbon

The capital city of Portugal has a mix of contemporary and old culture, and is said to be all year round destination.

4)      Paris

Sometimes referred to as the cultural capital of the world, Paris is like a dream come true. The art, the food, the culture, the museums, the streets, the nightlife – everything in Paris is perfect.

5)      Venice

Names like ‘the floating city’, ‘the city of canals’ and many more define Venice.

6)      Prague

A very vibrant city, Prague is full of art, music and culture, and when mirrored off the Vltava river, it is a breathtaking sight.

7)      Istanbul

Istanbul attracts me basically because of its towering minarets, Byzantine architecture, and underground cisterns.

8)      Rio de Janeiro

The dancing and merriment in the streets, the laidback beaches and the countless festivals all year round make this city worth a visit.

9)      Rome

This city interests me because this is where history exists at its finest. The Colosseum, The Vatican and The Sistine Chapel – every monument here has a story to it which dates back to time immemorial. It is considered one of the best Italian cities.

10)   Amsterdam

Considered as the Venice of the North, Amsterdam has a relaxing charm to it. I would go there to be away from the hustle and bustle of citylife.

Dance, Kids and Happiness.

The whole of last semester was spent in different engagements. I never expected such an experience to come by. One day, in the beginning of this semester, I heard some of my classmates discussing that some people are going for some kind of voluntary work. I immediately went and talked to them about it, and they agreed to let me join in. The following Monday, I accompanied everyone to the Yakshagana Kendra, and introduced myself to the two students allotted to me – Sujith and Deepak. They were 9

^{graders, probably 12 or 13 year olds, who, at first, were a little hesitant to talk to their new tutor. I was supposed to handle Mathematics, and enquired about the syllabus and other similar things on the first day.}

When I first thought of volunteering, I assumed it would be easy, and fun, and also because of my love for kids, I thought I’d get along well with my students. My lack of proper knowledge of Kannada, posed some problems, but we found out new ways to learn. And, because they were from a Kannada medium school, their course books, note books, and even mathematical terms were in Kannada. This was a very big challenge, for which the solution came in a book. A 9^th grade Maths text book in English with exactly the same contents as their course book. It proved to be an extremely helpful aid for teaching them. In most of the government schools, a lot of emphasis is not put on the fundamentals, leaving the kids with little or no knowledge of elementary concepts like Fractions, Decimals etc. This was another big challenge I faced during the course of these 2 months. There were days when they could only concentrate on playing, and wouldn’t want to study. Even after being a Maths lover, and a Maths student for so many years, I used to prepare for at least half an hour before the class started.

Sujith and Deepak, were very cheerful and jolly kids, who understood that I didn’t understand their language, and hence, they tried their best to help me in every way possible, and also to pay keen attention on whatever I was saying, so that they don’t miss out on anything important. English, Hindi, hand gestures, use of all kinds of things to demonstrate, and the assistance of some Kannada-speaking classmates of mine, are some things that made this easier for both, me and my kids.

I’m referring to Sujith and Deepak as my students again and again, because over time, I had developed a special bond with these two. On the days I couldn’t make it to the Kendra and others did, they used to ask for me. Similarly, on the days Deepak was injured and had gone home, I used to enquire about his health and family. We used to play mobile games after studies, or play the Catch Catch game with a ball. They also showed me some of their dance steps, and were very excited when I took a video of them dancing, and showed it to them. All the kids at the Kendra, used to gather at one place and say Bye to all of us collectively. That place gave a very homely feel to all of us. In a place like Manipal, where all of us are so far away from our homes, I found a place like Home.

This voluntary work started off by Nadia’s mother, and Nadia herself, has been a great great learning experience for me. More than what I could teach my kids, I learnt a lot from them. I used to look forward to the two evenings of the week I had to spend there, and used to come back to Manipal with a smile on my face, with a sense of satisfaction and contentment. I am sure that I am going to go back next semester.

(For those who don't know, Yakshagana is a theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. This theater style, resembling Western Opera, is mainly found in the coastal districts and the Malenadu region of Karnataka, India.)