Jan 24, 2009

This is hopefully a tonic for all of you who are working hard for the second gathering of 1969 batch.

Additionally, if you like, you can use it to give a taste of this great experience for those who were unable to come last year.

As we gear up for the second annual gathering of the 1969 batch,let’s take a look at what the grand Reunion was like. Here’s how it all started : It took nearly 3 years (yes, meticulously traced by Mani) for the impulse to grow, from casual exchanges-

“It would be nice to meet”- between 2-3 people in Matunga, to the first phone call by Mani in August 2007.

And Mani who wondered, “ Is it really possible, after 39 years?”

Nevertheless persevered and managed to contact 10 people by 2nd October. When he was almost convinced he had bitten off more than he could chew, Selvaraj reached out to many because of his catering business and hope was revived. “Ganapathy from Rameswaram, Rajaram from Salem and Govind from Mumbai” also called Mani. Suddenly the impossible seemed possible!

“I decided to cast my net far and wide” (can you imagine Mani making this wicked, manipulative statement?)- not just “boys” from Tamil divisions, but girls, and Malayalam sections too. “ I was like those Amway reps- sleep, eat, walk, talk only reunion”!

What followed is nothing short of a miracle.

Almost everyone called someone else, and chatted, for long minutes, exchanging notes, catching up - and what a lot of catching up had to be done!- imagining what it would be like when everyone met after 39 years.

Magically, the voices changed, the smiles broadened, the walk became springier.

Families got used to loud guffaws, and excited laughter, and the strange new language littered with “boys” and “girls”, “Tamil section” and “Malayalam section”, “classroom”, “bench”, “Satyannasti”, “Muthuswami Iyer” , other teachers’ names etc.

Many families enjoyed this excitement vicariously, and some even had helpful suggestions - “they told me to shed my red shirt and wear some light dress”.

In the midst of all this overflowing happiness, some worked hard to prove the sceptics wrong. Meetings happened, and plans were made. On the day- have you ever seen so many smiling faces all in one place? Handshakes and controlled feelings, backslaps, warm embraces, tight hugs, excited voices, squeals of delight( yes, yes, “the girls” of course!), total chaos as voices floated over each other.

Everyone was “ looking for a familiar face”. Panic- “Oh my God, I can’t recognize anybody!” “Ah there’s Janaki!” .

“ I still can’t believe this is happening!”

"Oh my God, there’s Satyannasti! "

For many, there was a feeling of “homecoming”, “renewed energy”. And, all this right under “Muthuswamy Iyer’s stern face”!

And, what do people cherish most about that day’s experience?

“I became a 16 year old that day”

“It was a dream come true”

“Experience of a lifetime”

Realizing that these are “ friends with no baggage"

“It’s a nice feeling that this will happen every year”

“Meeting the teachers, KRK’s maths class, sitting in my old classroom,making new friends among the batchmates - these are things I never thought I would experience.”

“The whole show was wow!”

“I was watching the CD every day!”

“ the before and after photographs- when realization dawned on me that some strangers were in fact my friends- the feeling was terrific and cannot be expressed in words.”

“The spontaneity of interaction amongst us, whether boys or girls - unimaginable in our school days!”

Jan. 26, 2009

Do you want to know what people mostly talked about at the Reunion?

Would you believe it- the most talked about topic was "Teachers"!