Curious Tourist

I boarded an evening flight to Ahmedabad as I had to attend school the next morning. I entered the school with a big smile on my face and was brimming with vitality and energy, so eager to transfer that zeal to my kids. I was just about to climb the stairs leading up to my classroom when Raj(name changed) stopped me from going any further and started to tell me with a sad face what had happened in the classroom. At first I was in disbelief, so I continued my ascent and went inside the class. No sooner had I entered than I began to get an extremely obnoxious and foul smell from the room. Manthan was actually right, there was a dead cat covered with flies lying rotting near the blackboard. The putrid smell was burning my nose and it was just getting impossible even to move further inside the classroom. God knows how some of the kids managed to get in to keep their bags inside. I was definitely not expecting anything remotely close to this. It was not a very hopeful and  promising star

Today I celebrated friendship's day with my children. I got colorful ribbons and a delicious chocolate cake for them. We danced like crazy for the whole day and my kids had a great time tying colorful bands to each other, singing melodious songs, decorating the class together and sharing the scrumptious cake with one another.  A Throwback to my days in Korea My TFI friendship started much later as I was earlier friends with Samsung people in Korea.  Let me rewind to my days in Korea- my best pal! I want to share my friendship with Korea and how it shaped me as a person. You will get a glimpse of my 10 month long stay in Korea through the following video- a glimpse of the winter snowfall and how I am creating a Vlog for my parents back in Delhi. Cheers!! My First Snowfall in Korea

Sometimes I am afraid of entering my class in the morning for the fear of not being able to deliver my best self to my kids. My students deserve the best education in the world and I always begin my day with a feeling that I am not yet fully prepared to be that quintessential role model for them. Being  a teacher is a huge responsibility to bear on my immature shoulders. I can't even begin to imagine the influence I would be having on them over the two years of my fellowship. My very own mindset, thoughts, beliefs, strengths as well as weaknesses will start to show in them over the course of next two years. I have already started to see the influence I am having on my little stars. It makes me feel thrilled and excited when I think about all the good qualities they are going to learn from me but it also leaves me so much nervous and scared when I think of my very own limitations and weaknesses. I am very mindful of my limiting mindset and would do anything in my power to overcome

Once we had completed our institute in Pune, we were off to our respective cities. I went to Ahmedabad but not directly. My friend and I decided to visit Mumbai for sightseeing and for indulging in all the touristy affair that Mumbai had to offer. From Mumbai we boarded a plane to our destination city- the city of Gandhi, the city of peace and love, the city of Ahmedabad. Now I am staying in a rented flat with 2 lovely fellows who are just like me. Arpit and Cibin love to experiment with their lives, they like to travel and explore new places, they are foodies in a true sense and they are also highly committed towards the cause. I like them so much more because they are so very gentle and caring. They are among the nicest people I have ever met in my life. Moving to a new city initially felt so overwhelming but with their love and care, their amazing humour and their huge support, I seldom feel homesick. I have never really stayed away from my home for too long. Being at home, I alw

After going through a rigorous training at the Institute in Pune, I felt as if nothing is beyond my reach and that I can make the impossible possible. I not only survived the intense tasks at the Institute but also got good at them as I came out with flying colors and a new found self confidence. I really surprised myself by the intense passion and grit that I displayed during the institute. I became a different person altogether, someone I always wanted to become- a person who knows his purpose and also works relentlessly towards it. I started to believe in the power of purpose and commitment and deeply understood the 'why' of what I do. I taught in a summer school in Pune for four weeks. There I met my very first children whom I taught for the very first time in my life. In the process, I think I learnt more from them than they learned from me. I learnt how to have a smile on my face and stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult of times. I learnt how to forgive an

Trekking In The Himalayas I have been to numerous hill stations in India but most of my trips have been about indulging in a rustic and slow life of the hills. I really enjoy the quaint and cool environment of the mountains as it makes me lose myself in a fairy tale world where there is nothing to worry or fear about. But now I have shifted my gears and look for more adventurous trips which involve real danger. I like to make difficult choices and put myself in risky business because living my life on the edge really excites me. I have experienced river rafting and paragliding in the Himalayas and now I know what it’s like and how it feels to successfully complete such kind of bold activities. It’s like laughing at your initial fears and apprehensions by proudly winning the challenges you had set for yourself. Once you taste the sweetness of these small wins, you would obviously seek more of it. This is what happened to me and now I am always looking for way

When I Flew Like a Himalayan Hawk My friend and I just before taking the leap That's a perfect lift off A controlled landing We woke up to a misty summer morning in the picturesque hill station of Mcleodganj. We had spent the previous night in a quaint hill-top resort, a few miles away from the city and far away from the cacophonous rush of daily life. We were now feeling well rested and were raring to go on a new adventure in the beautiful Himalayan countryside. So we decided to drive a hundred miles away to the idyllic hill hamlets of Bir and Billing. Bir is the landing zone while Billing is the take off site for thousands of Paragliding enthusiasts who visit this region of the Himalayas during summer months. So we were off to Bir-Billing, a world famous paragliding hotspot where the Paragliding World Cup was also being organized at the same time (October, 2015). As soon as we hit the road, happy hormones rushed in our body as we began to anticipate the