Memories of Sem

The Perfect Hailstorm- 7 May 1998

2012-06-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Some days in St. Joseph's College can never be erased from our memories. This article is about a day in Sem which still remains vivid in my mind.

With only a week left for the most awaited 'Annual Sports Day' everything was in perfect shape. The preparation were almost in the final stages. Quite a few events had already been decided. The relay teams were in order. The drill practices were going full-fledgedly. Students had been selected for rope work and gymnastics team was finalized. And then came the storm that caught Nainital unawares.

We had late sleeps on the occasion of a national holiday, Muharram. Even at 7 am it looked like dusk. The sky looked grey, dark and threatening. No sooner had we all entered the study hall for second studies than it began to rain and hail. It was a day many of us would remember in many years to come. It was the day of the perfect hailstorm.

Nainital in the Background

While in the study hall, one of the students reminded in the middle of the storm that some of the windows in the dormitories were open. The teacher in-charge(Mr. M.C. Pandey) then sent for the captains to check for the same only to hear the shocking news of the havoc the storm had caused. Almost all the window panes towards the college front were broken and shattered. The hail and water had entered the dormitories soaking all the beds near the windows. It was like the fury of hell. The storm was deafening and the wind blew like crazy. Bro. Murray's room(adjoining the school church) had its roof blown away to the second field which was just a glimpse of the catastrophic hailstorm. Class 5 B(the class at the end of the old senior building) was torn to pieces. The whole scene was unbelievable.

The First Field after the Storm

The seniors were then summoned to help around. The drain in the quadrangle had clogged causing the water to overflow. The students cleared the drains using hockey sticks. It was a shocking episode of nature's destruction. It did not occur to me then but when I look back now, I am thankful to God that no life was lost.

Outside the Bogs in the Evening

One of the billiards table was completely wet with pieces of hail on it. Every inch of the ground was covered with hail as if it had snowed. At the college front the plants looked denuded without their leaves. The college front with the broken panes and leafless plants looked haunted like a scene from a horror movie. The water tank used for the toilets across the first field was also blown away. At the teachers quarters near beside the basketball court, the hailstorm had played havoc too.

The College Front with Broken Window Panes

We were allowed to go for town walks in the evening. As there was no electricity we were made to dine at 6 pm and go to bed at 7 pm. The ensuing day the Principal, Bro. M.R. Beddoe announced to the surprised students about the 'Sports' being cancelled and that we were to go home on a vacation for 19 days till the school was brought back to shape.

Photos by: Peter Wu(Sem '99)

World Cup Finals 1998

2012-04-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

Life is full of surprises and so is football. The recent semi-finals of the Champions League is proof enough. While helpless and out of luck, Lionel Messi tried to do all he could to lead Barcelona to the Champions League finals, it surely was not enough. In another semi-final, Christiano Ronaldo met with the same fate with Real Madrid, leaving most of the Asian fans in disbelief, shock and despair. Only 19 May 2012 will tell who will be crowned the champions among Chelsea and Bayern Munich. However, this defeat and overhauling of the favourites reminded me of another time in Sem which was similar, the World Cup Finals of 1998.

Instead of 9 pm we were made to go to bed at 8 pm to get some sleep before waking up again to watch the FIFA World Cup Finals at midnight. It is heart-warming sometimes to look back and reminisce those days in St. Joseph's College, Nainital which seemed extra-ordinary during those days but have been forgotten in due time.

We were woken up by Br. O. Ballantyne just before midnight of 12 July 1998. Many of us, but not all- some were happy to miss the finals and sleep- woke up with sleepy eyes and found the drowsiness gone as soon as the match started. It was the favourites, Brazilians against the unexpected and the dark horses, the French. All of us loved Ronaldo(Brazil) and were expecting to see him in all his glory but it was not to be. We did not know the names of many footballers but instead of Ronaldo we were mesmerized by the hitherto unknown to us Zinedine Zidane of France. His two goals sealed the victory for France and left the Brazilians in a state of unbelievable shock amounting to coma. The final score was 3-0. A lot of us were not prepared to witness Brazil beaten by France. We finally had to go to bed again by 3 am.

I wonder if any of us can recall that we were allowed to sleep like kings the ensuing morning till 7:30 am. It was a Monday but fortunately a holiday after the first term examinations.

The Four Houses

2012-01-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

Apart from being divided into various classes, Sem was also divided into four houses. We just loved being identified with our respective houses and enjoyed competing with each other. Sometimes it was more than just competition- it was a brutal fight till the end for the winner's shield. Man! How we swelled with pride on being awarded the 'Cock House' shield at the end of an academic session. Winning a race on Sports Day(Annual Athletic Meet) was an honour.

The four houses and their motto:-

Pant(Green) House - Ever to Excel
Nehru(Yellow) House - Faithful and Brave
Tagore(Red) House - Onwards and Upwards
Gandhi(Blue) House - Act Manfully

The houses were formerly named as St. Patricks(Pant), St. Francis(Nehru), St. Pauls(Tagore) and St. Peters(Gandhi.)

How many of us still remembered the motto of our respective houses? I am sure not many. And this is what this blog is all about- Remembering the days and ways of our Alma Mater, the Good Old Sem.

I was in Nehru House. During my days in Sem(1991-1998), it was Pant House that generally stood first in various competitions.

Interaction with Ex-Students

2012-01-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

During my time in St. Joseph's College, Nainital we had not many but some interactions with the ex-students in the form of football matches. I still remember the day when the students from the ICSE' 94 batch visited Sem in 1998 during the football season- 19 June 1998 to be precise- to play football against the College 'A' team. According to the excerpts of my personal diary, the Semites won by 4 goals to 3. Kuldeep Negi, Piyush Bisht and Manish Upadhaya were amongst the '94 batch that had come to SJC. What was surprising was that not all of them were star footballers during their stint in Sem. This evidently showed how they loved Sem and loved to play on the field where it had all started.

Interactions such as these are always important and welcome in our Alma Mater. Perhaps, ex-students can go beyond the football matches to interact with the students in Sem and also guide them in choosing their career and in pursuing their dreams. One can easily infer from the Sem Yahoo group that Ex-Semites are not too happy with the recent tidings in Sem.

However, what are the old boys doing? A Trust for Sem is underway to ensure proper and effective participation from ex-students to help regain the glory of Sem. This is going to be an epoch-making event in the annals of Sem's history. Let's wish the Trust all the luck and hope it achieves what it plans to in the coming years.
Certa Bonum Certamen.

The investiture programme for the Board of Trustees is being held on 23 January 2012 at Taj Palace, New Delhi. Ex-students who wish to know more or meet the Trustees may contact Mick Hogg via email at mick@projectlighting.com.au

Cheer Slogans of Sem

2011-12-08T23:16:00.001-08:00

When Messi and Christiano Ronaldo play against each other the whole aura is amazing and when Maradona entered the football field people stood up to watch. Likewise when we played at the flats the atmosphere was inexplicably surreal. I have played many matches at the flats- it was an honour to play for St. Joseph's College- however, the only thing that kept us going was the cheering and chants of Sem's supporters.

The ambience was something out of the world. The Semites/Semians who cheered for us were the heart and soul and an integral part of all the matches we played. In many of the close matches we played and those matches in which we came out from the jaws of defeat was the cheering and support that helped us emerge winners in the end.

Here are some of the slogans and chants I can remember that still sometimes ring through my ears and take me back to those days of everlasting bliss.

15 August 1996(Juveniles Finals)

-Come on Sem, Give it to them. SJC.
-China Peak and Tiffin Top. Sem, Sem at the top.
-Sem, Sem, Sem, Sem. Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra.
-Who are, who are, who are we? We are the champs of SJC.
-Tickle-Tackle, Tickle-Tackle. That's the way to fight the battle.
-Aloo Patty, Cream Role. Sem, Sem, score a goal.
-Ready, Ready, Ready, Yeah...
Everybody ready, Yeah
We want a G, Yeah!
We want an O, Yeah!
We want an A, Yeah!
We want a L, Yeah!
What does it spell? Goal...
Louder! Goal. Still Louder! Goal. Scream! Goal. Yell! Goal.
-Too high to kick over. Yeah,Yeah!
Too low to kick under. Yeah,Yeah!
So kick in the middle. Yeah,Yeah!
And score like Thunder. Yeah,Yeah!
-Sem has won the match, today!
Oh! Deep in my heart, I do believe,
Sem has won the match today.
-Kick them, Boot them, Make your way
Sem, Sem all the way.
-Certa Bonum Certamen.

Remembering the Time

2011-12-01T04:41:00.001-08:00

The Schedule in Sem

Sometimes when I take a look at my watch I wonder what the guys in Sem would be doing. Would they be in classes, would they be playing or would they be in bed listening to songs...? 12 noon meant an hour long lunch break. 3:30 means the time for games where one can picture all the students in one of the four colours- green, yellow, blue or red.

Trying to remember those amazing days in St. Joseph's College, I thought of putting down what I remembered as a student in Sem. For some it could be dead habits but for many of us it was a way of life and discipline that certainly has made a difference in everything we are.

School Days

06:00 - Wake up to thunderous Claps, wash up and change
06:50 - Morning studies
07:30 - Breakfast - Bread was always a part of it
08:00 - Second studies

08:50 - School begins
10:05 - 10 minutes break after 2 classes/periods
11:55 - Lunch break/Recess
12:55 - Classes resume
14:10 - 10 minutes break
14:55 - School ends
15:00 - Tea time
15:30 - Games time
16:55 - Wash up and change into civil/coloured clothes
17:30 - Studies for 2 hours
19:30 - Dinner
20:00 - To dormitories after changing into night suits
21:00 - To bed

This was a typical school day routine where day-scholars stayed in Sem from about 8:30 till 15:00. Some of them stayed during the games time for their respective house matches.

Waking up at 6:30 during the gazetted holidays and Thursdays which we termed late sleeps were days we looked forward to with great enthusiasm. It was definitely a treat for the boarders.

Do you recall the late studies that happened on Wednesdays, the day when our evening studies started from 18:00 instead of 17:30? How many of us remember those very few generous offerings from the Principal in the form of free evenings. Whiling the evening away playing foota, cricket or just doing nothing.

Movies on a Sunday and inter-house matches were always there but what about the inter-class matches in football and cricket. Getting excited about visiting Ramnee during their school functions, studying under the torch-light during examinations, getting up earlier than the claps to practice athletics and football... Those days were much more than mere school days. They were the best and nothing compares to them.

What else do you remember of the most memorable and formative years in Sem? Please share!

The College Anthem

2011-08-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

You've heard of many a school I trow
And many a college too
But there is one that always is
The best for me and you
'Tis perched o'er Naini's lovely lake
And our dads were there of old
For a century and more 'tis known
As the home of the true and bold

'Twas called at first the good old Sem
And later SJC
And a dearer place cannot be found
At least for you and me
Its boys are hard to beat my friends
In classroom, field or fame
Their motto down the years has been
Make sure to play the game

And here's to the boys of SJC
To her children every man
And pass the word to those who'll come
Give the motto of the clan
Adown the years to fight life's fight
To fight it clean and be
Among the boys who've kept the bridge
At dear old SJC

What Football Did to Me

2010-09-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

The following article is about the instrumental role played by football and Sem(St. Joseph's College) in shaping my life and character.

                                        Mini Football Team 1996

We were two down but this time, surprisingly it was not the same as before - no feeling of remorse or helplessness as the game proceeded. As the final whistle blew, with my head held up high, I yelled 'never mind' to my team and greeted my opponents with a genuine smile.

Being a proficient football player and one of the best in my category in Nainital - my schooling till class ten was in St. Joseph's College, Nainital - I was far too conceited and a big show-off. My short stature was never a problem on the field. I was too aggressive, fearless, intrepid and formidable on the field to care about my height. Bro. J. Murray used to call me a 'Devil on the Field.'

                                   Juvenile 'A' Team, Winners 1996

'Losing' was a word not to be found in my dictionary, of course, I did lose sometimes. The moments after losing any match would be filled with melancholy. It would always be like 'life is so unfair', 'why only me?' The sight of the winners cheering and beaming with gaiety would be unbearable for me, I would turn green. I just could not muster the strength to take it. All hell would break loose if we would be down by a goal or two during any of our matches. I would be yelling to coordinate the game, and scolding and mouthing obscenities at the slightest flaw by any of our team-mates. I would commit mistakes too but would get away without being checked by anyone. Nobody else could.

While playing, I would always be intending to hurt my opponents somehow or the other. My motto would be: if you can't take the ball, take the man. This motive would become more apt and active when we'd be losing. Winning brought me the greatest joy.

By the time I reached class seven I had started writing my diary. Each night prior to writing my diary entry I would introspect and in one such moments I realised that I was left with no friends, in spite of being famous, or infamous, and bringing laurels to my school. I realised that my friends were ebbing away because of my vanity and schoolmates were losing their admiration for my football skills due to my misdemeanour on the playground. I had been trying to gain cheap popularity through delinquencies.

                                   Juvenile 'A' Team, Winners 1995

I was left alone. Loneliness started to haunt me relentlessly. All around me I could feel loneliness engulfing me. It strangulated and suffocated me. I felt a profound sense of being shunned and sadness that permeated everything. Succumbing to loneliness I asked my parents to change my school without citing any appropriate reason for this. Obviously, they didn't take me seriously and I asked to carry on in the same school. The school became so disgusting that I sometimes had a mind to fail in the exams. I was between the devil and the deep sea, not knowing what to do.

How long could I endure this? It was too much. I wanted to change, and desperately. However, I could never figure out how. Those were the times when I thought myself to be the saddest, most unfortunate and lonely person that trod on this earth.

One morning after washing and changing, I stood alone at one of the quite corners of my school. My school being on a hill-top, overlooks a divine scenery. That morning the earth had never seemed so beautiful: cool, clear, with a resplendent sky and an easy breeze. The rays of the sun looked splendid. The Gaula river gushed downhill, and the captivating meanders formed by the winding river could be seen in the plains. The land seemed enchanting and dreamy. It was so amazing that my eyes brimmed with tears. Never ever in the five years spent in St. Joseph's College, had I come upon such an enchanting sight. Incredibly, the beauty of this place had never struck me before. When the bell rang for morning studies, I woke up from my listlessness and walked towards the study hall but this time I felt peace at heart and my legs seemed so light that I could fly.

                                      College Team, Runners-Up 1998

The ensuing night when I was writing my diary I realised that I had experienced joy in its purest form, joy that highly transcended the joy of winning a match and of being surrounded by the well-wishers and congratulated by girls whom I didn't even know.

Henceforth, I would go to that corner every morning. Gradually, I started going there whenever I had free time to sit, lie down, pray, practice singing and sometimes, simply to kill time. The joy of winning a match was surpassed by these simple and demure acts. I found these acts to be rejuvenating and yet, so simple and mundane.

On that day while writing my diary something struck me, I was changing. Losing the match did not give me a helpless feeling any more. I was not perturbed by the results of the match unlike earlier on when my whole evening would be wasted looking back in the match and lamenting my wrong moves and how I could have had scored.

As the days passed by I became more and more modest on the field and elsewhere. Nevertheless, I continued playing with full vigour and vitality. I had the same aggressive approach but now I would never try to hurt my opponents. I realised that I alone did not make a team, instead I was only a part of a team. I stopped using profanity on the field and tried to give a chance to even the weakest guys in my team to make them feel equally involved in the game. Mistakes made by my team mates did not result in me scolding them but an encouragement to try again. No matter what the score, winning or losing did not make a difference. The joy this change brought to me was amazing. What really mattered now was playing whole-heartedly and fair, and with my team-mates as a TEAM.

The board inside our school gymnasium which still reads, 'The most important thing in sports is not winning but taking part. The most important thing in life is not conquering but fighting well,' now made sense to me.

                                      Juvenile Winners' Cup 1995

By and by I felt a renewed energy in me. I became more optimistic. I was concentrating better in my studies and doing well, and miraculously, I found myself with more and more time for my hobbies such as writing songs, writing my diary, collecting stamps and etching those six-packs which I have maintained to this day. It could't get better than this.

All of a sudden my life had turned 180 degrees. Suddenly, I was never alone any more. By now I had created a niche for myself as an all-rounder. My batch-mates respected me and the juniors looked up to me. What could be more satisfying than knowing that there were so many guys wanting to be like me in every way. My best moments were when the tiny-tots of our school used to surround me and innocently marvel at my qualities. Their fascination for my hair which bounced all over my head while running and playing football would touch me immensely. During the holidays, I would be surrounded by juniors asking me how I kicked the ball so hard, what I ate, about my physique, hair, studies. Some would even come with a football and ask me to coach them.

It didn't take me long to acknowledge that they wanted to be like me. This fact gave an impetus to set a good example and influence others in a positive way. I remember when I was a kid, I too had my seniors as my heroes and had been influenced by them, and one of the worst things contracted from then was the word 'f***' and other similar slangs, which I used so casually when I was in class four. I used to think at that time that using these words made you a gentleman, which was utterly wrong. So, the first thing I did was to stop using such words. This is the reason why even to this day, I seldom abuse. I began to value mundane things: family, friends, teachers, sitting with kids. It seemed as if I had never known what vanity was. I realised respect begot respect. I never mocked anyone again.

Almost everyday then, would be a new experience for me, which I would jot down in my diary each night. There were many nights when I had so much to write that after the lights were put out in the dormitories I used to go to the lavatories to be able to write under the lights there.

                                         College 'B' Team 1996

Now-a-days though, I have not been playing regularly but I do miss those days like hell and miss my football boots too. I once in while take out the time to go to my colony's park and play with the children there.

No wonder, the days spent in school are the moments I will cherish forever. Those days in the hostel - home away from home with my friends - laughing together, crying together, studying together, debating that hot topic - girls, quarrels and making-ups, sharing home-made delicacies - are still crystal clear and vivid in my mind, as clear as jet black ink on a white page. Going back to those days make me so nostalgic that sometimes my eyes well up.

Football in St. Joseph's(Sem) taught me a lot and has been a great teacher for which I am very grateful. It made me 'someone' even if I am no one for many. It made me realise my self-esteem. Most importantly, it taught me not to consider what I have got but to dwell upon what I have to give or have given. Another thing it bore in the core of my heart is that the whole world is a team where everyone is incomplete without the other. It gives me a reason, if nothing else, to respect everyone no matter what position they hold in society or how much they earn. It also gives me the strength to do what I love - be it weaving carpets, writing, spinning wool in taaku(distaff) or charkha(spinning wheel), going to Chhangru(my home town) to work in our fields or going swimming in the river two times a day in Darchula - without caring to care what people might say.

                                       College Team, Winners 1997

I learnt to give my best and do things whole-heartedly, and follow my school motto which says, 'CERTA BONUM CERTAMAN' meaning, 'FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.'

Still Loving You...

2010-07-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to my childhood friend, Udai who died in November 2002 by drowning in the river Thames,London.

On a starry night,
I wonder if I’m right,
Looking down with rue,
Shining so bright, is that you?
How I try,
Lord heeded my cry.

If I had only known,
The Diwali that it would be,
The last time that we talked,
Life has left me to be mocked,
I would have let you know, how much I cherish you,
And every moment spent with you.

A chance you never gave,
To say it’s you that I crave,
Then came a cruel day,
You quietly slipped away,
So dreadful and gruesome,
You were so awesome.

If I had only known,
That you would desert me,
Just in days,
After parting ways,
I’d pray and pray,
And never let you astray.

I still remember,
How cheerful we were,
You called at 1:30 in the morning,
Days later, I never knew I’d mourning,
You said “3 diyas for one pound,”
And we laughed our hearts sound.

If I had only known,
That it would be our last laugh,
I’d have kept our conversation everlasting,
Your company I’ll always be wanting,
I’m pleading “come back please,”
Alas! Death it’s prisoners doesn’t release.

Precious Moments, Invaluable Gifts

2010-07-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

Living Life to the Fullest

One of my friends while discussing what LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST meant to all of us, said that there was nothing better than riding a bike with a girl sitting behind you. Another said that owning a mansion and a couple of vehicles which must include a mercedes illustrated the defination. Yet, another offered that having a girlfriend in every station was what it meant. Others supported going to discos and late night parties that went through the night till dawn and other such things related to material pleasures. Meanwhile, I was unable to comprehend what 'living la vida loca' meant to me. I was quiet and nodding my head in agreement with all my friends. Then, one of my friends misquoting shakespeare said that all that glittered was not gold but still, what mattered was that it did glitter. The next thing I heard was that the world was a stage where everyone was to play a part and his was to 'live life to the fullest.'

While my friends had been offering their suggestions on how to drink wine to the last drop I was silent, not knowing what to say. When my friends asked for my opinion, I confessed that i didn't know. I really could not figure out.

From the age of six I have been away from home, from my parents, my family, my village and my country(Nepal), going home only during vacations. It is a tradition in our family to send the children to far off places due to lack of proper educational facilities at home. As if this wasn't enough, civil war cropped up in Nepal making it dangerous for young children to stay there. My hometown still has no motorable roads, no electricity, there are three common drinking water-taps for the whole village and a number of domestic grinders. A river and brooks provide for bathing and washing purposes. Nevertheless, the scenic beauty can leave anyone spellbound and dumbstruck. My village, Chhangru nestles in the lofty himalayas. Chhangru to me has been so delectable, so reposeful, so dreamy and so much inviting that I always long to be there.

The proverb (or cliche) 'you realise the worth of a thing when you lose it,' is what I avidly believe in. Having stayed away from home for more than half of my life, I have realised the true value of home, parents, siblings and relatives. While my friends are planning to usher in the new year in Goa, I, quite oblivious of what is going around me, am waiting for winter so that I can be home. The moments I spend at home, I guess, come closest to my 'living life to the fullest.'

Those moments filled with incomprehensible ecstasy when I'm just a few minutes away from home are beyond compare. The inaudible music in the air as I enter my village is overwhelming. The peculiar aroma of my house as I enter the porch steps - can anything else have your sense of smell saying ' nothing can better this.' My little room gives me a 'welcome back' look and says 'I missed you' which reciprocate with a mumbled 'me too.' The feeling I get on the first morning after I get up from bed to chance upon the sun throwing golden streaks of rays on the hills is indescribable. No sooner do I step outside than than my soul starts somersaulting, slithering, soaring, tumbling, freewheeling with ecstasy and elation to find myself at home. Everything seems to be festooned with festivity.

While in college I had rented a room and had been staying alone, cooking, cleaning and washing all by myself . Almost everyday I would come back from college after practising football and singing and attending lectures, at about 8 pm. Some days would be so tiring that I could eat like a hog but then, I would be too tired to cook. Then I would tell myself 'you won't die if you miss one meal,' and sit doing nothing - frustrated, yet moments later I'd be making 'chappatis' - who has ever won against hunger? Those are the times that make me realise how selfless our mothers are and wonder how we young guys take everything for granted. Now-a-days, though, I'm working in a BPO and of course, I seldom get time to cook now.

At home, sometimes, I'm a bit mean too. Even if I have woken up from sleep, I stay in bed, waiting for mummy or my sister, sometimes even papa to come and offer me a hot cup of tea. I occasionally don't arise from bed deliberately till mummy throws off my blanket and pulls me out with her special touch giving me unsurpassable joy early in the morning. Sitting beside mummy as she runs her fingers through my hair and comments on its length, gives my soul an eternal feeling of security and tenderness of her coarse hands.

Among the best moments are the times when we wash clothes together. One of us applies soap, the other scrubbing hard, and another rinsing the soap out, and still others hanging the clothes on the porch to dry. We keep interchanging positions. The feeling of togetherness is so blissful. Going shopping with my family also gives immeasurable pleasure. Tending to our lawn and garden is another chore which I relish. Home cooked food, with that peculiar smell of firewood, is what I crave for.

Meeting our relatives in and around the town, with them receiving us with brimming eyes and marvelling at the change I've undergone vibrates the most intimate chords of my heart. Sitting with my grandmother till late at night and recollecting the days when I was a little kid and how I used to pout and cry at small things and comparing them to the present bring tears to my eyes. Moments spent with my siblings chatting about their school and life in hostels, and going rapturous over their anecdotes are the most wonderful moments.

Bathing in the river under the open sky gives me an inexplicable delight. Walking along the river-bank with a walkman, listening to mushy ballads and slow rock makes me fall in love with the gushing river, emerald hills, obstinate stones, whistling trees and chirping birds. It gives me tremendous pleasure to feed my cows, mules and horses. The peculiar way they act when they see me after a long hiatus makes me laugh with joy. These are the priceless moments and invaluable gifts that I'll never ever trade for all the world has to offer. No, the grass has never been greener on the other side, the grass at my end has always been the most succulent and greenest.

Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realising that life is made up of little things(Frank A. Clark). Little things like sight of dew drops in a spider's web; or, the stillness of mighty mountains; the sudden chatter of a mountain brook as you round a bend of a hill, the little things that give you unplanned and unexpected delight and make you sink in reverie. Perhaps, I'll never have a girl behind be on a bike (God! why did I not learn to ride a bike?) and I'm sure that I'll never be owning a mercedes but I can take that all in my stride, on the strength of those precious moments at home spent 'living life to the fullest.'