A Place called Home by Ananya Vepa

A Place called Home

By Ananya Vepa

 

Tracy, California was where I first felt like I was home. All my earliest memories are rooted deep in the loam that grows wheat. I lived there for 5 years, and when I left, I felt like my heart was breaking into pieces. So what if I was just 7 years old when I moved? I remember almost everything about Tracy like it was just yesterday. However, I am fast losing them, so I think that sharing my memories will help me hold on to them for longer.

            When I was 5, I started Kindergarten in George Kelly elementary school. Since I was in the afternoon class, I had to go at 11:30 and come back at 3:00. Then I would go outside and romp about in the hot, hot sun until my mother dragged me back into the house. As I’m writing this, I realize that I was sooo innocent. I didn’t have a care in the world, I was as free as a dove and as light as a feather, and I wasn’t hung down with problems. I was happy, and took pleasure in the smallest of things. How I wish that I could be like that now, guileless and completely carefree!

            Tracy was spread out in the most chaotic way that is organized. You could have a huge mall right next to a wheat field (incidentally, West Valley Mall was next to a field) or a cow pasture next to a restaurant (that was there too). Even though I was very small, I could still find my way around. Whenever we went to Safeway (our local supermarket) I would always get lost, without fail. Against all odds, however, I would always find my way back to my mother. It was impossible to get lost in Tracy.

            People might argue that I was too young to remember everything about Tracy, but I do! I remember that it was just off the highway (3 highways to be exact) and nobody came unless they lived there or something. I remember that it was calm and peaceful like a herd of cows. There was no hurry or haste, no rude busmen or loud honkers, just shanti. However, in that air of calm, there was a lot of hard work. There were cows to feed, wheat to plant, kids to teach. It was always busy, but nobody noticed because they were too engaged in the work they were doing. This affected me, and I learnt to be compassionate and to appreciate hard labor.

            I believe it is important to remember the places that you have lived in because the effect they have had on you can never be taken back. Like a plastic mold that shapes metal into filigree, you can never change back into what you used to be. Living in Tracy made me understand that hard work is important in order to have a good life. Looking back, I realize that I was very innocent and carefree, and to be happy in life, I must be like that. What changes has your old home had on you?

 

“How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you-you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences- like rags and shreds of your very life.”

                                                -Katherine Mansfield

 

“When the uniqueness of a place sings to us like a melody, then we will know, at last, what it means to be home.”

                                                -Paul Gruchow

Hospet – my place of enlightening by Aditya Kolisetti

Hospet – my place of enlightening

 

Be it Disneyland, or a small house on the beach, everyone has one special place that they hold dear to. Everyone has one special place where something, a special moment happened that changed their lives. Be it due to love, happiness, or any other emotion, that moment – and its setting – is preserved in one’s heart forever.

I too have one special place. That place is where my family roots are. That place is Hospet. Hospet is where I learnt many life lessons that changed who I am. Hospet taught me many things, such as things as small as ignoring my sister’s constant chatter or things as big as taking life slowly.

I have always taken life too fast; always hurrying through a task, always fearing that time will run out. Hospet is always slow and easy going, so there I am a fish out of water. While everyone was reading, napping, or just sitting and doing nothing, I was running about, trying to get things done. One day, I noticed that everyone was slacking off, even though they all had chores to do. After asking them, I realized that I was stressing my face off in the holidays, even though holidays were meant for relaxing. That was how Hospet taught me a valuable life lesson.

Another major thing is how nearly everyone uses the internet for research, videos, music, and many more things. In Hospet, the internet is very feeble and not a day passes without a least 2 power cuts. Hence, I can do nothing on my gaming consoles. Since all the books are in Kannada, I can literally do nothing there. For the first 2 days, I was like a drug addict abruptly cut off his supply. Bored out of my skull, I begged my dad to take me somewhere other than an old temple. He agreed, and took me to a ruined palace complex. We were supposed to stay there for only 2 hours, but we stayed for 5! That instance taught me that there is flavor in the blandest of places, and to never get on my aunt’s bad side. It also taught me that one doesn’t always need the internet.

My final point that Hospet taught me is that it is okay to let your hair down and relax sometimes. Not only during holidays, but even during the heat of exams. I realized this the hard way, by studying day in and day out. Only when everyone told me I was studying too hard, I took my first long break. Not only is it fun, when anyone tells you to do something, you can say, “But I’m doing what you’re doing the whole day!”

To sum it all up, I don’t just love Hospet for its beauty, but also for everything it taught me. Not only is Hospet a second home to me, it’s also where my family roots are, which makes it very special to me. Even if it is torn down, it will always stand tall in my heart.

 

 

BEING RESPONSIBLE IS DIFFICULT by Sara Baskar

BEING RESPONSIBLE IS DIFFICULT

What is responsibility? I think that responsibility is knowing what’s right, and preventing others from doing wrong, no matter how it affects you. Weighing your options and considering them carefully, choosing the one which is best. Keeping your possessions neatly where you can find them easily if needed. Not trying to shirk your duty – doing as much as you can, not just skimming the surface.

This is why I feel that being responsible is quite difficult. In other words, stopping the impulse to do something crazy and reckless is hard. “Don’t go near the swimming pool, it’s not safe”, I’ll say, although I want to jump into the cool, refreshing water myself. Since I am the eldest child in my apartment, I am entrusted with quite a lot of responsibility.

Some of the adults compare me with their children, which I really don’t like. They say, “Look, Sara is listening to her mother”, or “Put your sweater on! See, Sara is wearing her sweater”. This is one reason why being responsible is difficult. I feel a bit uncomfortable as I don’t want to be considered prissy and perfect. I’m not a “good girl”, that is for sure. However, I can be responsible if I try.

Responsibility is a crucial quality in life and I know that I should develop it now. Some of the smaller children are only allowed on the terrace without an adult if I am there. I have to “keep an eye” on these children. Since I feel quite grown up doing this, I do it to the best of my ability. Push them on the swing. Run after them. Steer them away from the swimming pool. Through it all I have a lot of fun!

However, sometimes even this responsibility is tough. Once I was asked to look after two little boys. Without their mother to rein them in, both Ryaan and Nabeel ran wild. They disobeyed everything I said. “Come back here!” I called frantically to Nabeel, who insisted on running near the swimming pool. When their mother arrived, I was breathless and very annoyed.

Responsibility – I have gotten used to it and sometimes I even enjoy it. I feel proud that adults trust me with their children. It’s nice to know that I’m the “big girl”. I feel good when I realize that adults want their children to follow my example. Yes, there are plus points to being responsible, too.

However, some people think that I can shoulder an enormous amount of responsibility. They forget that I’m still a child, and sometimes I just want to have fun. During my friend’s birthday party I was asked to make sure no – one littered. I told them not to, but they didn’t listen. I ended up clearing their trash. I had to do it all myself. I felt that this was quite unfair.

Another time, I was told to take care of Carol, an energetic four – year – old girl who just wouldn’t keep still. I didn’t know Carol at all. She was a stranger, a guest at someone else’s party. Her parents were    no – where to be seen. My friends and I made sure she was safe and within our sights. When the party was over, we found Carol’s parents, and delivered her to them.

A horrible incident once happened in my apartment. It concerned a very badly behaved boy. He kept on doing nasty things to others and the problem worsened each day. Finally no – one wanted to play with him anymore. I was brought before his mother, who scolded me badly. Why? She did it because I was the oldest. I was shocked and extremely upset that she had raised her voice to me. I ran away as fast as I could.

So this is another reason why being responsible is extremely difficult. What about my possessions? Well, that’s a whole different story…

My study table is so cluttered that I cannot find anything on it. “Oh no, where is my physics worksheet?” I exclaimed in dismay one morning. Where was it? I had to find it before going to school, because I had to submit it that day.

I dug through piles of stuff on my study table, shoving books aside, sifting through useless, dry color pens, fingers barely escaping the shards of a broken ruler. I’m so clumsy and disorganized, and I couldn’t find my physics worksheet! At last I retrieved it from under a mountain of loose papers. “There it is!” I cried out, very relieved.

Hear me out on this one.My mother had a watch, a really beautiful one, strung with small, milky – white pearls and a delicate silver clasp. I coveted that watch, and thought it was so elegant. Then one day my mother said that I could have the watch! I was delighted beyond words. I immediately slipped it onto my hand. Every so often I would glance at it, looking at the tiny, silver, ticking hands that told me the time. I was so thrilled to own such a wonderful watch!

Calamity struck two days later. I was at a friend’s house, wearing that lovely watch. We were sitting on the bed and playing a game. Absentmindedly, I fiddled with the watch. I took hold of one of the pearl strands and twisted it around my finger. The string was frail, and it snapped. The precious pearls clattered to the ground, and the dial fell on the bed.

“Oh, no!” I wailed, close to tears. “My watch! How could I have been so careless?” The watch was broken and could not be repaired. I was so disappointed! I had       no – one to blame but myself. My mother, seeing how sad and guilty I was feeling, did not scold me.

So there are good and bad sides to being responsible. In my opinion, you should enjoy the positive side and accept the negative side. Only then, responsibility will seem easier. Now I’ve finished, so I am going to put my papers away like a responsible girl!

                                    THE END

 

How do you Define a friend? by Aarushi Tiwari

How do you Define a friend? How warm is their personality? My definition is most likely to be entirely different to mine - which proves my point- It is hard making new friends.

You may say this proves nothing. But think about it, is it easier to befriend someone who is similar to you, or totally different?Continue reading my essay to see why I think so.

The first word that comes to one's mind when you hear the word friend is "Trustworthy". To be a good friend, you should be good at keeping a secret. Me? I can't do that. Often, when someone tells me something, I go around, with it at the back of my mind. Soon, i say it out when I least intend to, and soon everyone knows.

Once, my opposite neighbor told me about a lovely, enclosed garden with many butterflies. Of course, I was so excited, I told every one. Soon, it was bulldozed off its vegetation, and the butterflies flew away.

See, I can't keep a secret confidential. Once, I was cycling with one of my acquaintances: Vanessa. I was talking about something when somehow the story changed to something personal that irked her. We never spoke after that.

Keeping of secrets is not the only thing that makes a friend desirable. Another is being "Cool". What is cool for one person may not be so for another. Many people who I am acquainted with only befriend people who fit in to their definition of cool. I hardly ever fit into their definition. According to some of them, I should change. Why should I change for someone else? I am  who I am and will be who I want to be. No one change That. Those who try are on a wild goose chase. 

Finding a friend and fitting into their definition of cool is not easy. But what is even harder is getting along with their friends. I once happened to have a misunderstanding with a friend's friend, and my friend stopped talking to me. We soon drifted away.

 

Even if I do find a like minded person who appreciates me for who I am, it is often so that he or she is apart of a large group. I have nothing against That, but when in the group, all of them talk about subjects of common interest between them. They laugh at things I can't make sense of, as I am new to their group. I feel like the black sheep.

Once I had a friend, Nionika. She was a very talkative girl who it was fun being with. But, when with her other friends, she talked about the dance class they attended together. I constantly felt left out of conversations in the group, and slowly withdrew myself. 

Over the years, I have a few close friends and together we are a group of like-minded, fun-loving tweens.  

Food is Life in Love by Vinaya Seshan

 

FOOD IS LIFE IN LOVE

 

‘Le nouriturre’, ‘khaana’, ‘saapad’, ‘bhojanam’, ‘khaiba’ and ‘tabemono’, they can call it but for me it means the world. Food is one of the things that pace my heart, widens my eyes, comforts my tongue, cushions my tummy and maybe even enlarges my body! My love for food is justified as it boosts up my spirits, it has an unlimited variety and most importantly, it gets my taste buds excited.

I used to be a pain in the neck as I rejected anything near my mouth but thankfully Balaji Chithappa went all the way to Annapurneshwari Temple, all the way in Chennai, for my good health and here we go…

Past is past so the unlimited variety makes life easier having you adjust to any style of food while each cuisine takes you to a completely different world; sometimes to Spectacular Spain, many to Incredible Italy and others to Mesmerizing Mexico. Always choosing a multi – cuisine restaurant leaves a wide mind for your unique choices with its aromas making one drool in temptation.

Nevertheless, a heavy breakfast ain’t sufficient for me. The slightest feeling of hunger is when I see food. Hunger or ‘crave’? In other words, the sight of food excites my taste buds. In school it’s my friends who save the day by sharing their delicious delicacies with me.  

To wrap it all up, food is an immensely important attribute in life. Not only is it essential in everyday life but boosts up your spirits with its numerous varieties and excites your taste buds.

“FOOD IS MY LIFE, CHOCOLATE IS MY DEATH” – Vinaya Seshan

 

 

A DEADLY VIRUS BY ADI AGARWAL 7B

A DEADLY VIRUS       BY ADI AGARWAL 7B

Procrastination; a deadly virus. The art of putting books away and resorting to other things. The outcome of a life so full of sports and the modern world of technology, devices and socializing.

By now I’ve realized that over the months, distraction, and only distraction has got to me. This of course, has made me resort to procrastination, unknowingly. Feels amazing, I another victim of this rapidly spreading disease. An epidemic I would say, has taken the lives of so many teenagers worldwide, I almost wish I was born earlier.

It must have been the start of 7^th Grade, I happily going about my life till tragedy struck; devices and sports. My life was suddenly ambushed by a wave of sports – probably the reason my interest in studies was temporarily lost. Now that I had gotten into the habit of ignoring studies, the worst possible thing happened to me; devices. These “devices” have been convicted worldwide to increase the rate of procrastinators.

Come to think of it, procrastination is, and will always be a very controversial topic. While some say it is easy to get rid of, and leave behind, others say not. Whereas I think both make sense; it will be quite easy for this habit to die down if you put your mind to it and have a strong mindset. On the other hand, it isn’t all that easy. There are still people who are attached to their devices and just give up trying not to procrastinate. You really need a strong mindset in order to expel this habit, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone has difficulty dealing with it.

 

Take my case for an example, when I started procrastinating, and  I realized it when my marks showed a significant downfall, I tried to stop immediately. And that is very important; to realize your mistakes and take action as soon as possible. Consequently, I had achieved my goal halfway. Even though it will always be hard at the beginning, you have to try and get the hang of it. Practice is all that matters. If you can’t think of a solution, resort to someone you know can help you, or the internet (Of course I didn’t know that I could, otherwise my habit would’ve gone down twice as fast) and take their opinions and suggestions/methods of everyone openly.

In conclusion, I would like to say that yes, you shouldn’t just expel devices out of your life, neither should you with sports. The old times are over, this is the 21^st Century for Christ’s sake! The whole world basically runs on devices. But again, too much is never good, and you have to set boundaries and pay adequate attention to situations. Take this as a warning. Stay aware. Have a good day. Thank you.                                            

 

 

 

 

                THE END