School

A big fat mundane Indian atmosphere....

School...the adrenal rush associated with the word, takes you another level of being high! A part of life that is always counted as a class apart, a phase of life that brings to us the happiness we wish to have, packed with sadness and the thrill! School has been all we ever wanted, or maybe even never wanted! School life is a mixture of emotions of fun n party, drama and being shy, more like a journey that is a roller coaster ride!

Going down memory lane to my 12 years at Baldwin Girl’s High School, reminds me of all the fun I’ve had, the drama that I’ve done. 4^th June 1999 was when I first entered the land of blue and white mysteries waiting to reveal itself and all its glories. I was 4, being a young toddler I was accompanied by my parents into my first classroom! Getting out of the shell my parents had kept me in, I was now facing a new side of the world, new faces, new walls, and a whole new atmosphere made me fear! I was small and suddenly into a big world with so much to learn from n explore. The colourful clothes, the Disney walls, the playground with nursery rhymes made the year perfect with Surashmi ma’am to teach me and Savitri Aunty to do my homework, the year went pretty well! It was now time for the lil me to enter grade 1, when Miss Rosy made the class a lot  more livelier! Sitting together with a wide buffet for lunch, or playing pole to pole with the beautiful tinge of colours in the field, life seemed simple!

Being separated in different houses in 2^nd grade, and the scary classes of Miss Pam, made us feel a tinge of pressure but soon 3^rd grade bought in a whole new ritual of carol singing and dancing at our Christmas party! We had our cup of fun while playing secret angel in 4^th grade or sitting in the secret room and chatting away, skating in the corridor or running to rule! Life was much of a fairytale back then.

It was time for middle school; Classes were shuffled after being in E section all the time, we now merged with new people and had a new class with a new name, we were now students of 5’D’! We did miss our classmates and friends, but we also learnt to adapt and adjust! We gave it our best, decorating the bulletin board n winning the competition for 3 years in a row! We felt proud! 6^th grade was more of playing like the grown up girls. Getting out of the girly girls and change to big didi’s! Basketball was what we loved and lived for then! The beautiful red and white Spalding became our God back then! We had grown; we now even created our own rhymes, danced and entertained people at lunch! My very own Munni bhehen talk show was a big hit then! 7^th grade got the end of middle school, but the classroom made us feel like little queens, we did have our own dining tables, our cricket court and a classroom all in one! Red and green being the colours of Celebration made the school look like Jesus’ own home! With the melody of carols all around, and the lit up atmosphere, seemed like another nativity scene to have appeared!

High school now began with entering 8^th grade, being a leader for a year, it was again time to be a part of the Baldwin Democratic Organization for another year, going for an overnight trip, or laughing with the chotu group of our class, squeezing orange peels at our friends during class, or playing with chalk, having a round of shrades, or just dancing away! The year was packed with fun! Soon it was time to say goodbye to one of my best friend Shreshtha, she left to the states, leaving us in a miserable state! But time flew, it was time I finally entered the best and most awesome phrase and building of anyone Balwinian’s life! High School, in the High school building! The best place to laugh, cry, share our problems, or even the thoughts that run by! Two best years of my life, that may not have been as awesome as expected, but they sure did teach me a lot of lessons! Along with age comes responsibilities, to see all my friends be leaders, and create decorum around, it was good to be the one innocent kid creating the sound :P

Stepping up to reach greater heights, my friends and I persevered to end, Dealing with a lonely trip, or even a horrible class, the teachers always stood by to teach us to make the best of what we got! With never to despair, we flew high, moving forward ever, backward never, keeping the flame of hope alive! 10^th grade entering the beautiful gates, every time felt like it were our last, for it was now going to be the end of a wonderful experience! A life that was now more than just school, it was like home that made us grow to be who we were! Of course I miss it, to see the colourful field, the flags waving up high, the tiny children screaming and beautiful pots breaking! The 10minute hugs, the running in the field, the drill practice or just having our sports teacher scream! Farewell, or Christmas, bought in us care and hope the class chapels and various celebrations, let Santa account for us to be good!

Years in Baldwin’s flew at the speed of light, Baldwin’s the place that was more like my 2^nd home, the place where I have lived and grown. My journey here had now ended, seems like only yesterday that it all began, amazed at our seniors leave with a sore heart laughing and wondering what made them cry, to see now where 12 years went by! Small did we know that we were next in turn to bid adieu to all the madness and fun! Through all the crying and laughter our teachers stood by to give us a happy ever after!! To say goodbye made us promise to stay Loyal and always render service, and ensure to make the Baldwin Banner fly far and high! :D J

Author's Note

A few local words used.