Saturday, September 19, 2015

Healthy Homework

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Mom: Come, dear, let us sit down with your homework

Girl kid: Ok dear!

Mom: Copy the following words in cursive writing

Girl kid: Yes

Mom: Oh, dear! Your mam forgot to put the 'h' at the end of this word: 'healt'. Write h..e..a..l..t..h

Girl kid: No, mom! I will just copy whatever my mam wrote

Mom: But there is no word like healt

Girl kid: Doesn't matter

Mom: Why don't you listen to me?...I am also a mam

Girl kid: You may be a mam, but you are not my mam

Mom: Ok then, I won't ever help you with your homework

Girl Kid:










...Posted by Ishani


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Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Lay Low!

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"He (CM) has asked Pocharam Srinivas Rao to lay low for now, and Kavita will take control of the situation..."

...ToI Page 4 September 14 Monday 2015





gps: Bottoms Up!





...Posted by Ishani

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Death to Citizens!

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"Any citizen with any service request at RTA offices like vehicle registration, renewal of driving licence, permit or fitness would be executed only after verification of pending challans...."

...ToI Page 4 September 14 Monday 2015


gps: Some mercy there...




...Posted by Ishani

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Monday, September 14, 2015

Tax Syntax

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"Transport officials in both states eagerly await an end to the cumbersome entry tax, which is actually eating into their revenue."

...ToI Page 4 September 13 Sunday 2015



gps: So sorry for the transport officials' loss of revenue.







...Posted by Ishani

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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Ishani Pic

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September 12, 2015


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Devaluation of Ministers

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"Posts at checkposts were allegedly auctioned for anything upward of Rs 10. Ministers used to recommend officials who were close to them."

...ToI Page 7 September 11, 2015






...Posted by Ishani

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Thursday, September 10, 2015

Fox & the Smart Crow

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It is 4 days since I made an ass of myself trying to tell a kids' story to a set of stunned senile grandparents. 

And I have recovered from the shock:


http://gpsastry.blogspot.in/2015/09/ishanis-stardom-grandpas-flopshow.html


For the record, I will now re-tell it here verbatim for what it is worth. It is one of those tweaked tales I used to revel in narrating to Ishani when she was in her kindergarten (now she tells me many tales, highly tweaked). With a cordless mike in my left hand, Ishani standing cheerfully by my side, I acted this out in the open-air quadrangle of her school, 'Cornerstone':

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There was this street vendor with a heap of yummy-yummy delicious golden-brown potato chops (aloo chops) on his cart. 

Pretty soon a young and beautiful crow flew in and perched on the opposite wall. And was watching and eyeing the heap of aloo chops. At the right moment when the vendor turned back, she jumped in and picked up one aloo chop in her beak and flew far away into the jungle. And landed on the branch of a mango tree. And was thinking of biting, chewing, and eating her crunchy-munchy aloo chop.

Just then an old fox was walking below the tree and looked up. You know, old foxes are very cunning. And he wanted to steal and snatch the crow's aloo chop and run away with it. So, he said to the crow:

"Oh, Ms Crow! You are so young and beautiful. And everyone in the jungle tells me that you sing wonderfully. Won't you please sing a song for me?"

The crow looked down and thought this fox is old and so let me sing an old song for him. And she hid her aloo chop below her feet sandwiched firmly between her claws and the branch of the mango tree. And sang a song from the old movie, Missamma:

"Seetaa Raam, Seetaa Raam, Seeta Raam Jay Seetaa Raam..."

for a full two minutes.

And the aloo chop didn't fall down, no way. The old fox was disappointed but old foxes don't give up. So he tried another trick. And said to the crow:

"That was a nice song you sang melodiously. Thank you. I am also told that you are a great dancer. Won't you please perform a dance for me?"

The crow looked down and thought this fox is old and so let me dance a number from an old movie. So she picked up her aloo chop and replaced it firmly in her beak and danced a number from the old movie, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bajey:

"Tha tha ththaa, thadikita tadikta tadkita thaa...naadir diththa naadir diththa naadir diththaa...."

for a full three minutes.

And the aloo chop didn't fall down, no way.

The old fox was beaten again but old foxes don't give up easily. So he tried a final trick and said to the crow:

"That was a superb dance indeed. You gave me a song and a dance but both from old movies. I may be old in looks but young at heart. Won't you please now give me a song-and-dance number from a recent movie...singing while dancing and dancing while singing?"

The crow then sang and danced the popular number from the movie, Chennai Express. You know the number:

"Lungi dance, lungi dance, lungi dance...."

for a full four minutes.

But, before that, she pushed her aloo chop into her pocket. You may think that crows don't have pockets. But this one had. All of six pockets. Two back pockets, two side pockets, two thigh pockets...for, she was wearing her jeans pant (me glancing sideways at Ishani). 

So the aloo chop was firmly zipped in her back pocket and didn't fall down, no way.

The old fox then gave up and said to the young crow:

"I admit defeat. Everyone says I am the smartest creature in this jungle. But you have proved smarter than me. But, tell me, what is the secret of your smartness?"

The crow laughed and said:

"Oh, you want the secret of my smartness? You want to know the secret of my smartness? Write it down...write it down:

The secret of my smartness is...the secret of my smartness is:




"I study in Cornerstone!!!!"



Cornerstone Public School provides a unique learning experience, replete with outstanding love and care. We also recognize the unique needs of your child and extend full support and cooperation. At the core of it we have an excellent child centric work culture. We look forward to forge a strong relationship between children, staff and the parents.




Sharmila Solomon

Director






...Posted by Ishani

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