No uniform, no timings, no attendance and no set schedules. This is the kind of school you go to when you 'want to' learn as opposed to when you 'have to' learn!
Classrooms have come a long way since I last went to school. Blackboards have become whiteboards and the chairs are more evolved and modern. There seems to be a place for everything and you soon realize that technology has come a long way.The one thing that hasn’t changed though is the smell of a brand new text book and the excitement of learning something new!
My “second” first day at school had just started. I collected my book and took a seat in the first row. Actually I could also call it the second last row coz there were only two rows! My teacher occupied the chair facing me and started by saying that the Spanish language has 30 alphabets as opposed to the 26 there are in English. (Over time I will wonder whether they really need that many alphabets as every other word seems to be starting with letter E). She then went on to teach me the pronunciation of the alphabets and my first reaction was “I’m glad my name is not Rajesh”. Since J is pronounced as K in Spanish I wondered if Rajesh becomes Rakesh. Of course, my own name is complicated enough even in English let alone Spanish!
At this point I think I should introduce you to the star cast of Academia de Espanol. The flexi timing hasn’t given me the opportunity to meet all the students and teachers but I would categorise the ones I have met into - The Super Two and The Magnificent Seven!
The Super Two is made up of Dinesh and Vidya. They are the wonderful husband and wife team who started and nurtured this academia into what it is today.
Dinesh is the more dynamic and enterprising soul. Being an extrovert at heart he effortlessly establishes a rapport with everyone around him. What sets him apart from his peers is his genuine desire to ensure that all his students learn as much as possible. For him it is much more than just about collecting fees and increasing the bottom line of the business.
The exuberance and effervescence of Dinesh is perfectly tempered by his level headed wife whose parents have aptly named her Vidya (meaning knowledge). She is the calming force in the academia. If you ever wondered how an institute of learning can feel homely then visit us when she is around and see for yourself.
Now that we know The Super Two lets move to The Magnificent Seven!
Nihira is first on the list because she is the one who started teaching me. If there is a perfect “the girl next door” personality it has to be her. Confident and patient she never gets tired of my questions and whenever I get flustered she just says “don’t worry you’ll automatically learn it”. Very few people can emote as effortlessly as she does. Her face is an instant reflection of how she feels about anything, be it surprise, confusion, disinterest or joy. It’s as if her face is a live TV of what goes on in her heart and mind. She is quite popular among her students. Oh yes! I just learnt that she is also an accomplished singer. Now I have the perfect excuse if my Spanish ever goes awry. Singer se Spanish seekho gay toh yehi hoga:) Just kidding!
Jenny plays the double role. She is a teacher cum student but what she likes most is cracking up! She just needs an opportunity to start that hearty laugh of hers. If she continues to laugh this way she is sure to lead a long healthy life. Being helpful and approachable is something which comes to her very naturally.
Mahalakshmi is the name of the goddess of wealth but in our midst all she wants to be is goddess of subjunctive! I feel she is the most methodical of them all, sometimes far too methodical. She is extremely focused and has a strong personality. She takes time to open up but once she does she can be good company.
Eesha is someone I have seen in class just a couple of times but enough for me to gather that she can be very simple or extremely classy with equal ease. She comes across as a very choosy person and also likely to be the first to get scandalized.
Mrinmai looks just like one of those dolls you see in the display window of a toy store, devoid of any blemish. The best label on this petite soft spoken girl would be FRAGILE! She is the one I’m totally scared of going close to. I’m scared she might fall apart if I do so much as even breathe a bit heavily! She said her name means “from the soil” but looks more like she crash landed on earth from up there!
Sonu too is a petite girl. People see her loooong hair as her striking feature. I see it more like a wick to the dynamite that I think she can be. She uses her small frame to her advantage by being extremely agile, active and energetic.
Last but not least, we come to the serene and knowledgeable Jayant (Natu). When I see the effort taken by him (post retirement) to come all the way for learning Spanish I'm convinced that he must really love the language. Don’t be misled by his quietness. The depth of his knowledge is something we all want to benefit from.
Classrooms have come a long way since I last went to school. Blackboards have become whiteboards and the chairs are more evolved and modern. There seems to be a place for everything and you soon realize that technology has come a long way.The one thing that hasn’t changed though is the smell of a brand new text book and the excitement of learning something new!
My “second” first day at school had just started. I collected my book and took a seat in the first row. Actually I could also call it the second last row coz there were only two rows! My teacher occupied the chair facing me and started by saying that the Spanish language has 30 alphabets as opposed to the 26 there are in English. (Over time I will wonder whether they really need that many alphabets as every other word seems to be starting with letter E). She then went on to teach me the pronunciation of the alphabets and my first reaction was “I’m glad my name is not Rajesh”. Since J is pronounced as K in Spanish I wondered if Rajesh becomes Rakesh. Of course, my own name is complicated enough even in English let alone Spanish!
At this point I think I should introduce you to the star cast of Academia de Espanol. The flexi timing hasn’t given me the opportunity to meet all the students and teachers but I would categorise the ones I have met into - The Super Two and The Magnificent Seven!
The Super Two is made up of Dinesh and Vidya. They are the wonderful husband and wife team who started and nurtured this academia into what it is today.
Dinesh is the more dynamic and enterprising soul. Being an extrovert at heart he effortlessly establishes a rapport with everyone around him. What sets him apart from his peers is his genuine desire to ensure that all his students learn as much as possible. For him it is much more than just about collecting fees and increasing the bottom line of the business.
The exuberance and effervescence of Dinesh is perfectly tempered by his level headed wife whose parents have aptly named her Vidya (meaning knowledge). She is the calming force in the academia. If you ever wondered how an institute of learning can feel homely then visit us when she is around and see for yourself.
Now that we know The Super Two lets move to The Magnificent Seven!
Nihira is first on the list because she is the one who started teaching me. If there is a perfect “the girl next door” personality it has to be her. Confident and patient she never gets tired of my questions and whenever I get flustered she just says “don’t worry you’ll automatically learn it”. Very few people can emote as effortlessly as she does. Her face is an instant reflection of how she feels about anything, be it surprise, confusion, disinterest or joy. It’s as if her face is a live TV of what goes on in her heart and mind. She is quite popular among her students. Oh yes! I just learnt that she is also an accomplished singer. Now I have the perfect excuse if my Spanish ever goes awry. Singer se Spanish seekho gay toh yehi hoga:) Just kidding!
Jenny plays the double role. She is a teacher cum student but what she likes most is cracking up! She just needs an opportunity to start that hearty laugh of hers. If she continues to laugh this way she is sure to lead a long healthy life. Being helpful and approachable is something which comes to her very naturally.
Mahalakshmi is the name of the goddess of wealth but in our midst all she wants to be is goddess of subjunctive! I feel she is the most methodical of them all, sometimes far too methodical. She is extremely focused and has a strong personality. She takes time to open up but once she does she can be good company.
Eesha is someone I have seen in class just a couple of times but enough for me to gather that she can be very simple or extremely classy with equal ease. She comes across as a very choosy person and also likely to be the first to get scandalized.
Mrinmai looks just like one of those dolls you see in the display window of a toy store, devoid of any blemish. The best label on this petite soft spoken girl would be FRAGILE! She is the one I’m totally scared of going close to. I’m scared she might fall apart if I do so much as even breathe a bit heavily! She said her name means “from the soil” but looks more like she crash landed on earth from up there!
Sonu too is a petite girl. People see her loooong hair as her striking feature. I see it more like a wick to the dynamite that I think she can be. She uses her small frame to her advantage by being extremely agile, active and energetic.
Last but not least, we come to the serene and knowledgeable Jayant (Natu). When I see the effort taken by him (post retirement) to come all the way for learning Spanish I'm convinced that he must really love the language. Don’t be misled by his quietness. The depth of his knowledge is something we all want to benefit from.
P.S.
Views expressed above are solely that of the author and may not be subscribed to by the teachers or students except when it is in their favour!
None of the individuals mentioned above are fictional and resemblance, if any, to fictional characters is purely coincidental.
Names of individuals have not been changed intentionally in order that they are exposed to all the accolades they might receive.
1 comment:
hi
your class sounds like fun
wonder who would write about how u are or what u do in class :)) lol
have fun
cheers
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