Yes , now I know EXACTLY how Mithun da felt when Mimoh was launched!This comparison goes ONLY to the extent of how a parent feels when for the first time your little one walks on the stage, grabs the mike and starts to perform! The comparison ends here, please!
;-)
17th April, 2010. As the day dawned, I woke up with a sinking feeling in my stomach, its the day when A-junior is going to perform. Its a Bengali assosiation program to celebrate the New Years, Poyla Boishakh as we call it..
Sukumar Ray is a household name for any Bengali kid (do not know about the current generation, though). Atleast when we grew up , Sukumar Rays ABOL TABOL adorned the bookshelf of almost every bengali kid. This is a collection of poems, stories, articles, dramas etc which is EVERGREEN..the pleasure of reading it has absolutely no relation to the readers age! you enjoy it at 5, at 25 ,at 55 and so on....
I needed to give this introduction to make the reader understand why "Bhalo re bhalo" was chosen for A-junior to be launched.
It all started with grabbing the book ( which by the way was inherited by A junior from the senior), trying to explain what we are about to do, trying to judge by his reaction if at all this is feasible, trying to explain some more the meaning of the poem, getting him hooked on to it, memorizing it (first myselfand then junior), getting some actions planned and so on...This all fits in 3 lines dear friends, but the real task was tedious, long and at some points totally "give it up" situation.
Step 1:I made a copy of the poem and put it up on the refrigerator with A-s favourite magnet!
Step 2: Started reading the poem whenever we are in the kitchen
Step 3: Making the little one laugh and enjoy centain lines by explaining the meaning ..for eg: Tiki-o bhalo, taak -o bhalo..
Step 4:Ask him to say after me...in other words get it memorized.
Step 5:
Step 6:......
After innumberable such steps, the kid was ready.(almost). However, the night before the program he said NO! I WLL NOT SAY THIS....Can you imagine my face?
I bribed him, cajoled him, scolded him.........nothing worked. ..I gave up.
But then, BINGO, 5 mins before the program started he wanted to do it.......
My pulse starts racing, my heart skips a number of beats, am thinking about the lines on which he might be stuck..etc etc...
So up he goes on stage. After that nothing else mattered any more.....good or bad...I did not care...
17th April, 2010. As the day dawned, I woke up with a sinking feeling in my stomach, its the day when A-junior is going to perform. Its a Bengali assosiation program to celebrate the New Years, Poyla Boishakh as we call it..
Sukumar Ray is a household name for any Bengali kid (do not know about the current generation, though). Atleast when we grew up , Sukumar Rays ABOL TABOL adorned the bookshelf of almost every bengali kid. This is a collection of poems, stories, articles, dramas etc which is EVERGREEN..the pleasure of reading it has absolutely no relation to the readers age! you enjoy it at 5, at 25 ,at 55 and so on....
I needed to give this introduction to make the reader understand why "Bhalo re bhalo" was chosen for A-junior to be launched.
It all started with grabbing the book ( which by the way was inherited by A junior from the senior), trying to explain what we are about to do, trying to judge by his reaction if at all this is feasible, trying to explain some more the meaning of the poem, getting him hooked on to it, memorizing it (first myselfand then junior), getting some actions planned and so on...This all fits in 3 lines dear friends, but the real task was tedious, long and at some points totally "give it up" situation.
Step 1:I made a copy of the poem and put it up on the refrigerator with A-s favourite magnet!
Step 2: Started reading the poem whenever we are in the kitchen
Step 3: Making the little one laugh and enjoy centain lines by explaining the meaning ..for eg: Tiki-o bhalo, taak -o bhalo..
Step 4:Ask him to say after me...in other words get it memorized.
Step 5:
Step 6:......
After innumberable such steps, the kid was ready.(almost). However, the night before the program he said NO! I WLL NOT SAY THIS....Can you imagine my face?
I bribed him, cajoled him, scolded him.........nothing worked. ..I gave up.
But then, BINGO, 5 mins before the program started he wanted to do it.......
My pulse starts racing, my heart skips a number of beats, am thinking about the lines on which he might be stuck..etc etc...
So up he goes on stage. After that nothing else mattered any more.....good or bad...I did not care...
The little one just performed, the crowd clapped, I really did not hear anything.....
It was a pleasure.
It was such a pleasure to see the "little" one grow up........To watch your small kid up on the stage.....its a pleasure.
To see him enjoy doing it...its a pleasure.
To hear the applause..its a pleasure.
It was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life.
