ACHIEVEMENT -- 9:

RITESH FINISHES ‘MUMBAI MARATHON’ FOR FIFTH YEAR

P S SUNDAR 

Ritesh Choudhary, General Manager, Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty, has brought laurels to The Nilgiris by completing the ‘TATA Mumbai Marathon 2019’.

“I happened to be the only one from The Nilgiris to do this amidst 8,414 who ran the full marathon”, Ritesh told me.

He had taken over as GM at Ooty only on December 1, 2018, and so, this was his first major run after coming to The Nilgiris.    “But, this is the fifth consecutive year I have completed the full distance in Mumbai Marathon”, he said.

“I finished the full distance of 42.195 kilometres in 4:27:02 hours running at an average pace of 6.20 mts/km.  This was better than my own self prediction”, he disclosed.

“This time, while running, I suffered hamstring pull in my thighs but carried on with my running without succumbing to the injury.  On the contrary, I enjoyed the run with a determination to complete it”, said Ritesh who was adorned with two Medals – ‘The finisher’s Medal’ and ‘The Inspiration Medal’. 

 

He dedicated his ‘Inspiration Medal’ to his nine-year-old nephew Harsh and three year-old daughter Reet.   “It is such children who motivate me with the thought that I can do it.   All over the Marathon route, I saw many children encouraging the runners.  This younger generation is motivating me”, Ritesh (36) said.

Ritesh regularly runs in Ooty, now amidst the frost-biting early morning cold.  “This gives me high altitude training and it, in fact, helped me overcome the inclined running up the hill at Peddar Road during the Mumbai marathon with ease”, he shared.

“I will be participating in Ooty ultra marathon in April.   I call running as ‘moving meditation’ because even as we run, we can medicate and sharpen our skill of thinking and concentration.  At Ooty, we run enjoying the bliss of nature and an identification with God!”, he said.

“Besides, in India which is said to be the diabetic capital of the world, running would help to create a healthier nation; so, the running as a movement must be encouraged all over the country”, he added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING -- 26:

‘PLAYBACK THEATRE’ PRESENTATIONS CATCHING UP

P S SUNDAR 

A member of the audience sits on the ‘Teller Chair’.  Jatin Vakharia,  Nilgiri Theatrix co-ordinator, sits on a chair to his right.

Jatin motivates him/her to come out with an anecdote of actual happening from his life which he would like to see enacted instantaneously by chosen performers.   When he speaks out, Jatin asks some relevant queries to help the performers understand the situation clearly.  Then, he turns to the group of six performers standing to his left and narrates the situation as a summary of the anecdote shared by the ‘Teller’.   Then, he declares, “Let’s watch” which is an international alert for the performers to enact the anecdote as a drama. 

Once done, Jatin asks the ‘Teller’ if the enactment reflected the scenario concerned and gets his views as the audience applauds loudly.

Then, another member of the audience occupies the ‘Teller Chair’ and the scene continues.    This is the Playback Theatre.

“The ‘Teller Chair’ and ‘Let’s watch’ slogan are the crux to ‘Playback Theatre’ which is a unique form of improvised drama that invites a true story from an audience member and is then re-enacted on the spot”, says Jatin who has undergone training from international experts in various places.    

This presentation itself followed a three-day workshop  in Coonoor organised by ‘Nilgiri Theatrix’ when British citizen Brian Tasker, a graduate of the School of Playback Theatre in New York and a Practitioner registered with the International Playback Theatre Network, who had come from the UK, conducted the training.

“I was impressed with the way the participants picked up the nuances of ‘Playback Theatre’.   Learning for three days through involvement makes the contestants confident, bold and participate in team work in all aspects of their life”, Brian told me.  

“This form of drama presentation is easy because it is in an informal way with minimum props.   The enactment is mainly the ‘own stories’ of the audience and hence there is a live connect between the performers and the audience.  Anyone with a willingness and emphatic in character can act in the ‘Playback Theatre’.  This is not much demanding exercise”, he explained.

“At this workshop, the first of its kind in The Nilgiris, there were 15 participants, aged 18 to 69, of whom 11 were women.  Interestingly, 8 girl students studying for BA English Literature in two colleges in Coimbatore – four from Nirmala College for Women and four from Sri Ramakrishna College for Women – participated”, Jatin disclosed.  

“We learnt a lot in the workshop.  Although we had participated in drama presentations in the college before, this concept is totally new to us”, said student Pancinovia.  

“Our college has encouraged us by granting attendance to attend this workshop”, said Pavithra of Nirmal College.

“We will use our creativity and improve our presentation.  The ‘Playback Theatre’ is the in-thing among teens, especially college students now”, said another student Sandhya.

“In the three-day workshop, there was training through dance and music, sociometry exercises developing socialising among the unknown participants, elements of playback including conflict and fluid pictures, expressing the various feelings, storytelling and music playing and actual presentation to attract the audience”, Jatin shared.

He said that considering the overwhelming response, more such workshops and presentations will be held in the months to come.

Brian distributed certificates to all participants.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING -- 25:

PROVIDENCE GIRLS BEGIN 2019 WITH CONFIDENCE 

BY P S SUNDAR. 

The students of Providence College for Women in Coonoor had the benefit of starting 2019 with confidence to face challenges, thanks to ‘Cal-Leo-Graphy School of Handwriting and Calligraphy’ organising a lecture by a young UK-based professional lady.

“We brought in Serena Kern (30), Governor of four schools in London, who excels as ‘Lawyer’ and ‘Singer’ in the UK and lectures to students on ‘thinking differently’, to instil confidence, especially among the rural girls of Providence College hailing from poor socio-economic background”, Leo Fernandes, founder of ‘Cal-Leo-Graphy’ School, told me.

Dr Jacqueline Martin, Head of Commerce department of Providence College, said that as Serena is a law graduate from the London School of Economics and working on international trade at Bank of England, her knowledge and experience would be a boon to students to think global.

Serena made a PowerPoint presentation on “You are not ordinary.. So, don’t try to be!”

Citing anecdotes from her career, she urged the students to hone up their talents and pursue their passion in addition to their profession.  “You need to know your passion, talent and weakness to succeed.  You can excel in more than one field.  Be the best in whatever you do with the confidence that you can do it”, she told them.

“Challenges are much more for young woman but success comes when you become someone whom others are looking up to.  The key is that you should support one another as much as possible”, she said.

She answered a plethora of questions from the students led by Student Council President Julia Jasmine Evelin and Jt Secretary Rebecca Thomas.  

“I was moved when they gave me a standing ovation as I am returning to the UK satisfied that the message has gone to them”, she told me.

Serena balances her time between practising law and performing music presentations in the UK. 

“I am a solo artist Rapper with electronic dance music support on many a stage.  I write my own lyric and sing the version”, she said.

She has an album ‘Sui Generis’.   “I am now working on Tamil rap mixed with English song.  This is an influence on the Tamil lifestyle in which I grew up” said Serena.

Her father Carlo Kern is a Swiss who works in ship industry in Saudi Arabia.   Her mother Deepa Kern is a Tamil.  Interestingly, both of them lived in Coonoor and got educated here.

Deepa’s father CC Philip is a retired Colonel who had also worked as Secretary at Coonoor Club.   He lives with his wife Anne in Coonoor.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

LANDMARK -- 2:

A SCHOOL CALENDAR THAT EDUCATES ALL

BY P S SUNDAR

When St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School (state Board) and St Joseph’s Academy (ICSE and ISC) in Coonoor re-opened on Monday after a month-long winter vacation covering Christmas, New Year and Pongal, the Principal Bro Naveen Francis thrilled all by releasing a thematic wall calendar for 2019 for the school.

The huge calendar measuring 28 inches long and 19 inches wide on glossy paper is on the theme “Hill Stations of India”.

Thus, each page highlights one hill station for each month.   For the 12 months, the calendar focuses on Ooty, Kodaikanal, Dalhousie (Himachal Pradesh), Gulmarg (J & K), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Mussoorie Uttarakhand), Munnar (Kerala), Coorg (Karnataka), Gangtok (Sikkim), Matheran (Maharashtra), Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan).

There is a large colour photo of the relevant hill station on the page concerned.  Below each photo, details of the hill station including the elevation, location geographical and historical importance, nearby places and ethnicity of the indigenous population are given. 

A separate box highlights how to reach that hill station, nearest airport, railway station, bus stand as also major picnic spots in and around the station with a map indication.

Collectively, the calendar serves as an encyclopaedia with visuals on each hill station of the country which adds value to the general knowledge of not only the students but the parents and all others who view the calendar.

“We have added on each page a highlight with photos of students who have brought laurels to us and The Nilgiris.  Titled ‘St Joseph’s young achievers’, this segment covers sports, games, art, design, debate, quiz and philanthropy.  Besides crediting the achievers for their contribution, it motivates other students to scale new heights”, Bro Naveen told me. 

The 131 year history covering the birth and growth of the school has also been documented in ‘Down the Memory Lane’ section.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING -- 24:

NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY:

TRIBAL CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM PROFESSIONAL TRAINING..

BY P S SUNDAR.

Yesterday (Jan 23) turned out to be a red-letter day in the life of many tribal children in The Nilgiris, thanks to their getting a free-of-cost training in good handwriting in English by the ‘Cal-Leo-Graphy School of Handwriting and Calligraphy’.

“We conducted this special programme to mark the National Handwriting Day celebrated all over the world on January 23 annually to encourage people, especially students, to go back to the system of using pen or pencil on ruled paper and revive the art of writing a good hand”, Leo Fernandes, Founder of ‘Cal-Leo-Graphy’ School told me.

The programme was organised at Victoria Armstrong Memorial Nursery and Primary School (VAMS) run by the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association in Kotagiri.

“The majority of our students are from tribal communities.  We gave them all four-ruled Notebook to practise the handwriting in the way taught at the programme”, VAMS Principal Poovizhi Sivakumar said.

Leo Fernandes highlighted the importance of good handwriting to the students for scoring high marks in exams and how handwriting changes one’s lifestyle and character.

He taught them the way to write English alphabets with strokes for both capital and small letters, typically called upper and lower case letters.

 

“I also taught teachers the way to teach handwriting to their students and assured to visit the school periodically to help tribal children acquire a good handwriting in English”, Leo Fernandes said.

These children have benefited from a professional approach denied to many, thanks to the foresightedness of VAMS Correspondent Alwas and Education Director Vijayakumar.

Caroline Gilfillan, visitor from England who is helping the children learn English, honoured Leo Fernandes.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)