Breathe - A Poem About Life in a Smog

Ring-a-ring o' roses, a pocket full of posies, a-tishu a-tishu, 

We all fall down! And all the King's men and all the king's

Horses couldn't put us together again. And as we breathe in

The toxic air, "beneficent beasts of prey and greedy-good 

Doers " turn their attention to petty things even as we choke

And gasp for a breath of fresh, clean air, one breath, just one!

And we are fed juicy titbits to keep us busy and not think

About the toxic air. We've stripped the Aravalli mountains

Of trees and plants, whittled down the oldest mountains,

Drained out wetlands, cut down forests, all in the name of 

Development. And all this while the 'King of Melon city'

Relaxes in his realm, 'placid' to all intents, just and wise!

All we want is fresh air and not purified air, greenery, and

Not concrete jungles, vibrant wetlands, and not sewage pits!

But all we get is stale, toxic, deadly air that damages our eyes,

Destroys our lungs, leaves us handicapped for life. People are

Affected, not by chemical warfare, but by the toxicity of apathy.

And all the 'king's men, nor his horses, seem to want to help us!

The eyes smart, tears flow as they try to wash out the pollution,

You sneeze, cough, and your breath rasps as your lungs fight to

Extract the much-needed Oxygen from a toxic soup of particulate

Matter, organic refuse, corrosive gases, and other harmful things.

Fresh air is a costly commodity, and you need to travel far and wide

To get a sniff of it. Some say, "Leave this place if you don't like the air!"

All those of us who are more 'liberated' and enlightened might

Claim to fight for our rights, the right to travel, the right to work,

But then, we forget that one of the basic rights is the right to 

Breathe fresh and clean air. We need to, not just start, 'Mending 

Walls', but build tall walls to stop the smog from pouring in!

That would be true technological advancement put into good use.

As you read these lines, you see the toxic haze roll in, ominous,

Malicious and predatory, with all intent to suffocate and choke

Everyone, children, adults, and the elderly! The smog advances

blanketing everything in its  wake, bringing in a 'Dusk' of unreal

Nature, wilting everything it touches, turning colours into deadly

Greys, a hint of things to come, even as we watch helplessly!

And as time passes, the breath of fresh air becomes a lost cause.

It is in the news that, soon, apart from gas masks, we will be sold

Bottled air of different flavours, even as we wear our branded

Gas masks! Natural fresh air will soon be a commodity of the past,

To read about and watch in films. As we emerge into the twilight

World, reality fades, and the dusk emerges with all its ghosts!

The eyes smart, tears flow as they try to wash out the pollution,

You sneeze, cough, and your breath rasps as your lungs fight to

Extract the much-needed Oxygen from a toxic soup of particulate

Matter, organic refuse, corrosive gases, and other harmful things.

Fresh air is a costly commodity, and you need to travel far and wide

To get a sniff of it. Some tell, leave this place if you don't like the air!

Raptors of Gurgaon

Crested Serpent Eagle spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

While Gurgaon develops into a concrete jungle with fewer wetlands and greenery, Raptors have adapted to the changing landscape with great success. It is therefore not surprising to see Shikras and Eagles perched on power line poles waiting for a chance to pounce on small rodents or even scrounge for leftover food in the dustbins. 

A Brahminy Kite spotted at the Chandu Budhera Canal area. 

Raptors are, however, not just scavengers (unfortunately) but also some of the apex flying hunters. Their swiftness in flight, keen eyesight, and superb maneuverability make them among nature's most amazing flying wonders! No wonder some of the fighter planes with stealth features take their shape from falcons.

A Shikra spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

Raptors are some of the most amazing birds to photograph. They are nature's examples of aerospace engineering and no wonder many of our fighter aircrafts are designed after them. Raptors are a source of inspiration for aerospace engineering. They exhibit exceptional aerodynamic capabilities and unique flight adaptations whether it is reconfiguring their flight dynamics in terms of changing their wing and tail profiles to suit the situations! Talk about thrust vectoring! The field of study associated with a study of the flight dynamics of raptors is called biomimicry. Aerospace engineers study flight patterns of raptors in several key areas including wing morphing and flexibility, adapting to different speeds, (sweeping back wings, flaring, maneuverability, and improving wing camber to achieve efficient flight patterns.

Sultanpur National Park

Serpent Eagle at the Sultanpur National Park

Important Questions for Memories of Childhood

 Q. 1 Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (1x4=4)

But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial on that first day. Late in the morning, my friend  Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few words of English, and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy.

i. What does the term, 'eating by formula' refer to?
a) following a ritual before eating.
b) a manner of eating
c) the process of eating
d) a formula for eating healthy
ii. What would be the hardest trial that would take place later that day?
a) being thrown about in the air like a rag doll
b) being tied to a chair
c) eating by formula

d) having her hair cut.
iii. State the relationship between the Assertion and the Reason
Assertion: Native Indians did not cut their hair.
Reason:     It was a custom and tradition to have long hair.

a) The Assertion is correct but the Reason is not.
b) Both the Assertion and Reason are incorrect.
c) Both Assertion and Reason are correct, but the Reason does not support the Assertion.

d) The Assertion is correct but the Reason is not.
iv. What had Judewin overheard that terrified Zit Kala Sa?

Q2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (1x4=4)
I felt so provoked and angry that I wanted to touch those wretched vadais myself straightaway. Why should we have to fetch and carry for these people, I wondered. Such an important elder of ours goes meekly to the shops to fetch snacks and hands them over reverently, bowing and shrinking, to this fellow who just sits there and stuffs them into his mouth. The thought of it infuriated me.

 i. Who is 'I' in the above extract and what had provoked her?
a) Zit-Kala-Sa and she was angered by the cutting of her hair.

b) Bama and she was angered by a village elder bowing to a young man.
c) Zit-Kala-Sa and she was provoked by having to wear Western clothes.

d) Bama and she was angered by having to fetch things for adults.
ii. State the relationship between the Assertion and the Reason
Assertion: The person in the extract was infuriated.

Reason:    She had witnessed an episode of untouchability.
a) Both the Assertion and the Reason are incorrect.

b) Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason support the Assertion.

c) The Assertion is correct while the reason is not.
d) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.
iii. Fill in the blank with a correct solution.
The only solution to the problem, according to her brother Annan, was_____________
iv. State whether the statement given below is TRUE or FALSE

The extract describes an example of racial discrimination.

Q.3 Short answer questions to be answered in 30-40 words. ( 2 marks each)
a) Although Bama and Zit-Kala-Sa belonged to different eras and countries, what made them similar?
b) How did Zit-Kala-Sa feel on the first day at the Carlisle School for Indians?
c) How did Bama feel on the day she saw the village elder with the vadais and later when her brother 
told her about the significance of the incident?
d) How did Zit-Kala-Sa and Bama fight against the Chauvinism of the mainstream community?

 Q. 4 Long answer type questions to be answered in 120-150 words. (5 Marks each)

a) You are Zit-Kala-Sa. Write a diary entry describing your first day in the Carlisle Indian School.

b) You are Bama, write a letter to your friend, Kamala Dass, describing what made you decide to 

excel in studies.
c) Write an article on the topic, The seeds of rebellion are sown early in life. Injustice of any kind cannot escape being noticed, even by children.

Important Questions for Birth-Grade 11

 Revision Questions for Birth by A.J.Cronin

Q1. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (1x3=3)

His thoughts were heavy, muddled. The episode he had witnessed at Cardiff station still obsessed him morbidly. He thought of Bramwell, foolishly devoted to a woman who deceived him sordidly, of Edward Page bound to the shrewish Blodwen, of Denny, living unhappily, apart from his wife.

i. What is the tone in the extract?
(a) Sombre and pensive.
(b) Light and playful
(c) Dark and gloomy
(d) Thoughtful and happy
ii. What was common about the people mentioned in the extract?
(a) They were divorced.
(b) They were pleasantly married.
(c) They were leading unhappy married lives.
(d) They were residents of the same town.
iii. State the relationship between the Assertion and the Reason statements
Assertion: Andrew was in a muddled and confused mood regarding his relationship with Christine.
Reason: He was troubled by the stories of unsuccessful marriages.
(a) Both the Assertion and the Reason Statements are incorrect and don’t support each other.
(b) Both Assertion and Reason Statements are valid, and the Reason supports the Assertion.
(c) The Assertion is correct, but the Reason is not: the Reason does not support the Assertion
(d) The Assertion is incorrect, but the Reason is correct.

Q2. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. (1x3=3)

As Andrew walked with them, spent and slow, his footfalls echoing with the others under the morning sky, he kept thinking blindly, oblivious to all other work he had done in Blaenelly, “I’ve done something; oh, God! I’ve done something real at last.”

i. Andrew felt spent and tired because:
 (a) He had returned from a long journey.
(b) He had not slept the whole night.
(c) He had to struggle to resuscitate a stillborn child.
(d) Both (a) and (b) are correct.
ii. The expression, “I’ve done something; oh, God!” Suggests a sense of 
(a) relief and satisfaction
(b) a feeling of closure
(c) accomplishment and self-worth
(d) victory and exultation
iii. State whether the statement below is TRUE or FALSE:

Andrew had proved that there lies a difference between textbook and practical learning.
Q3. Short answer-type questions to be answered in forty to fifty words. (3 Marks each)

 (a) Why were Morgan, his wife, and Morgan’s mother-in-law looking forward to having 
      their first child?
 (b) What did Andrew think was the motive behind the old woman offering to make him a 
      cup of tea?
 (c) Why do you think that the nurse sobbed hysterically?

Q4. Long answer-type questions to be answered in 120-150 words. (6Marks each)
 (a) Draft a Diary Entry on behalf of Andrew describing the day he was able to revive 
       a mother and resuscitate a stillborn child.
 (b) Write a speech describing why it is important to balance textbook knowledge with 
       practical knowledge as successful professionals.
 (c) Describe the emotional conflict that takes place in Andrew’s mind before the 
      operation, during the operation, and after the operation.

Unity Sunday was Celebrated in The Church of The Epiphany as Fete

Unity Sunday was celebrated as a Church Fete today. We were honoured to have with us the Rt. Revd. Dr. Paul Swaroop as our chief guest. It was an occasion of coming together over exotic food, games and prizes to be won.

There were games, fun, and food. It was a gathering to be remembered! The WFCS and the Youth Fellowship did a wonderful job, as also the fete coordinators. The guidance of the Presbyter in charge. Revd. Prateek Pillai and the efforts of the members of the Pastorate Committee ensured that the occasion was a grand success!

I am sharing a few glimpses of the event, the games, the fellowship, and the fun we had. There was great enthusiasm among everyone and an eagerness to participate in all the activities, whether it was tambola, the painting competition, or musical chairs. The filter coffee was amazing and so were the exotic foods!

The spills and trills at the musical chairs game were something to watch, even as it was a kissa kursi ka!

Voila, she made them run for the chairs!