Dear Sherry
It has been about two weeks since Viqar Uncle, your phuppa passed away. I hope the family is moving in the direction of healing. This is the second death in your family in the last two months. It must be a difficult time for everyone, and I hope all of you find ways of supporting each other through this. I'd like to be around for you, so if there is anything you want to share, just reach out and you'll find me there. Thanks for sharing with me a little about Viqar Uncle's career as a teacher. I am sure his students feel the loss, and also a lot of gratitude for what they learnt from him. Teacher-student relationships can be incredibly special. Many of mine have been. The person I am today is, in large measure, thanks to the wonderful teachers I have had. Their love, encouragement, constructive criticism and guidance have helped me shape my thinking and open my heart.
 |
| Mira (a turtle from the Either Or store in Pune, India) reading bell hooks |
My finest teachers have been those who haven't told me what to think and believe but who have created the space for me to ask questions, reflect, argue, challenge their ideas and mine, and pursue the love of learning. I feel grateful that at every period of my life, be it school, college, university, or after, I have found some amazing people to learn from. In a broad sense, so many people have been teachers -- family, friends, colleagues, mentors, students, and the people whose work I have read and admired. One of my favourite writers on education is bell hooks, an African American feminist who brings together quite beautifully the seemingly disparate worlds of Paulo Freire and Thich Nhat Hanh.
In the blog post you wrote just a few days ago, you mentioned a bunch of movies. Of those, I have managed to watch only two - Shaadi Ke Side Effects and Queen. I am quite fond of Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar, and that is what led me to the cinema hall. Though the film made me laugh a lot, I could not help noticing the familiar stereotypes around men's work and women's work. Of course, the film did try to turn them around a bit but not much. The most important thing that film left me thinking about was the amount of hard work parenting requires. And that willingness to put other people's needs before your own. I'm not ready for it. I wonder if you are either. What's your take on fatherhood?
As for Queen, I simply loved it. Such a progressive film! It felt great to see a Bollywood heroine stand up for herself, and come into her own. Seeing her grow into a confident person was an education in itself. I felt the film was empowering at many levels, and not from the lens of gender alone. I found strength in Rani because of the way she managed to negotiate living in countries and contexts quite different from her own. Regardless of the many cross-cultural friendships I treasure, I have still not travelled outside Southasia, and I do have some amount of anxiety around how I would feel once I go to the US or to Europe. I felt Rani had something to teach me.
 |
| With Zach, a very dear friend who lives in Seattle |
I am glad you wrote about your trip to the US, and how it felt to be there. I too would like to go. Berkeley is a place I feel a very special connection with. I cannot explain why. It is something visceral. I will be able to tell you only once I have had the experience. What I would love to explore in the US includes public libraries, street art, cafes, bookstores, various cuisines; most of all, the experience of cross-cultural friendships with people from all over the world. I have friends in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and elsewhere but I have not had the opportunity to travel there yet. Inshallah, soon. I have applied for a program that might take me there. I will keep you posted.
 |
| A beautiful tree spotted in Bandra, a suburb of Mumbai, on a walk with my friend Adithya |
Now, I'll go back to a book that I picked up in Pune last week. It is called 'Just look up...to see the magic in the trees around you'. The author is Sadhana Ramchander. It is a quiet little book, with lots of pictures of beautiful trees, flowers, leaves, and plenty of poems and musings. I love trees, and I love hugging them. Have you tried it? You must. Hugging a tree, and resting your head on its trunk, is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. Of course, you can enjoy it only if you are prepared to risk looking like a fool to others who don't understand. When I visit Lahore, I would love to spend time looking around at the trees in various neighbourhoods. By the way, if you were a tree, which one would you like to be? I'd like to be a banyan.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Love,
Chintan
No comments:
Post a Comment