Takkalino

Have been feeling most of the week as if I am wading in unfamiliar waters. First, it was the 6k run on saturday, the route was most familiar, the distance also not that unfamiliar but it was this being part of a huge gathering of people coming to run together that was totally unfamiliar. Peace and I ran together, but we didn't do our usual chit-chat, we were strangely very focussed. Kenny apart from providing inspiration also caused some distraction, oh those shoes or are the socks? I just can't get over them! At the end of the run my mouth was slightly bitter and I felt a little faint but in a minute I was normal and the feeling was absolutely fantastic. It felt so great, unfamiliar but great.

Second, it was a lecture to college teachers on "feedback" , in the context of how it can be used in making teaching more effective. It was part of a weekend program which I was hesitant to be a part of. I wasn't not sure if I am there yet, I mean reaching a stage where I can teach about how to teach. Anyhow, I did agree and realized it was a much harder lecture to prepare for than the usual technical things I lecture on. On the lecture day, what made it even more awkward was that this bunch of colleagues who were organizing the program were also attending it. To top it there was also the person who had given lectures about "effective teaching" to us. The power point slides suddenly seemed very inadequate and why had I bothered to put Tendulkar's picture in one the slides? Anyhow, I started and went along with what I had in plan. It wasn't so bad after all. In fact, at the end of it I was quite pleased with how it had all turned out. RRJ was sitting in the side listening to Amma's blabbering and his feedback: when I grow up I want to be a famous cricketer ….. not a teacher!

But perhaps while liquidizing the tomato chutney in the morning what was weighing on my mind was the impending event where I have to elaborate on the philosophy behind what I do as an academic. That is a tough one because so far the philosophy has been "try to survive". Doesn't look good as the heading of a slide, does it? Lost in these thoughts I switched the mixie on. Didn't do the usual pulsing first. In half a minute, it was tomato sprayed all over the wall, on the platform and on my dress. I screamed and yelled at nothing in particular, and tried to ignore RRJ and RRS who thought it was very amusing. Nothing unfamiliar about that though.