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Saturday, August 11, 2018

Just scribbling


I have just been video-chatting with loved ones and old boys, back to back in London, Delhi and Singapore. Now I am at peace at home, having talked happily for a bit after class with a young old boy learning to become a doctor, come back after a vigorous evening walk and listening to raaga jaunpuri on youtube as I write while sipping cold beer. Imagine, I tell myself. See how far you have come, and life is good, getting better by the year! How often I say to the little ones currently under my tutelage that you shouldn’t be too nostalgic about childhood passing by – the best is yet to come.

The posts on Rani Rashmoni and the Mahabharata have at long last been dislodged from the top of the most-read list. Several thousand have read them already. I would so have liked to hear from some of them… but if you cannot otherwise create, keep writing, I tell them, it is one of the few things about you that will endure, or at least might. I was watching King Alfred of the 9th century CE saying in a Netflix series that the written word will carry civilization on its shoulders, and I couldn’t agree more.

To Rajdeep, thank you for the books that you keep sending. I am now deep into Mythos – never knew that Stephen Fry was such a good author! (Can somebody send me that movie of his called General Blackadder?) And thank you vastly more for being there for close to a quarter century now: few can claim as much. I really must make that Japan trip sometime soon. France too, if Nishant stays put for a bit longer…

To Subhadip Dutta and Saikat Chakraborty: are you, too, like so many others, beginning to forget?

To all of the younger  ’uns: don’t confuse Google with knowledge, leave alone wisdom.

4 comments:

Rajdeep said...

Sir,
I am glad to know that you are enjoying Mythos. Stephen Fry is a marvelous writer, speaker and poet. I haven't heard of a movie called General Blackadder, but I have sent you the link of the series I have in your email. Please take a look. It would be great if you can come to Japan sometime. By the way, I have time this week if you are interested in a call. Just email me the time and I will ring you up. We are three and a half hours ahead of you. Regarding google and facebook, I recently read two of Siva Vaidhyanathan's thought provoking books. (Well, I firmly stay away from the internet as you know.) I hope you read them someday.
https://www.amazon.in/Googlization-Everything-Why-Should-Worry-ebook/dp/B004LROCES/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534037406&sr=1-9

https://www.amazon.in/Antisocial-Media-Disconnects-Undermines-Democracy/dp/019093316X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534037406&sr=1-1

Take care and best regards.

Saikat Chakraborty said...

Dear Sir,

The fault lies entirely with me for not commenting on your blog for a long time although I do read it regularly. Henceforth, I will be more regular.

And a note to those who visit this blog, students or otherwise, who feel that Sir doesn't care and do not keep in touch- this post is a reminder that he doesn't give up easily. Sir has always prodded me, nudged over email whenever I didn't call or mail over a long period of time. Sir leads an active life, more than many of us, along with the daily routine of classes and yet finds the time to be in touch, to remind us. Again, I feel ashamed and I will be more regular.

Take care Sir.

With regards,
Saikat.

Sunup said...

Dear Sir,

I liked the usage -- young old boy! So guys like me are 'old old boys'. So how was/is it Sir, imparting knowledge to young boys when you yourself were an young guy versus to young boys when you are older now? Is the experience similar, somewhat similar or just oceans apart?

Love,

Sunup

Suvro Chatterjee said...

Dear Sunup,

I didn't know that you still visit this blog!

You are not really one of the 'old old boys' ... remember, I have been teaching since 1980, and my oldest paying pupil was actually a year senior to me, which means she is 56 now: a little older than you, right?

The answer to the last question could be very long, or very short. I'll go with the latter. A few bright individuals these days, though still very poorly read; the rest, which means 95%, unspeakable. But that, I guess, won't stop many of them getting jobs with Google and the like. That's the age we live in.

Sir