School Re-visited - The year was 1999 !

(Before you start, I'd just like to say that this post is about what I remember when I was in the 6th Std, my  first year in a boarding school. Wrote it down as I remembered. Most of you who did not study in Montfort,would not be able to connect with this post.But that's your fault. ;)  
Just keeping those memories alive. ) 

The over-all view of the school now. Can't seem to find an older pic !

It was someday in the first week of June in 1999, when I first entered Montfort. An unforgettable day indeed. For a boy who was pampered till 5th Std and then all of a sudden to be dropped in a boarding school, it was a bit hard to digest. I wonder now, how it would have been for my friends who joined at the 3rd Std.

I remember every minute detail of that day. My dad dropped me in the dormitory. I knew no one. The only guy I knew before I joined was Shijin Mathew(And to make things worse, the bugger came only the next day !) The worst part was not knowing the schedule or the whereabouts. The school looked like a labyrinth sort of a castle. Like the sort of buildings you imagine in the fairy tales. Anyways..the first people I got introduced to, or rather spoke to on that very evening was Adarsh Appukuttan and Don.T.Scaria. Apparently, my dad was calling me from the classroom window and Adarsh or Don was the one who told me about it. Then came a badly tanned version of Santa Claus, with a cane. That was Simon sir. (Black magic guy) :D Man did he freak me out or what ? Thinking about it, he reminds me of Shrek now.

That night, I wept and I wept.I learnt the meaning of the word - 'Homesick' only then. Being an old student, I expected Adarsh to console me, but no. It happened the other way around ! I looked to my left and there was a tiny guy with huge glasses. His name was Hari Vignesh. He talked ..a LOT ! I cannot remember who was on the other side. Time flew that evening. Cried myself to sleep. It was 6.30 am..and then rang the most disturbing bell I ever heard in my entire life,followed by a wailing siren like those used when an inmate broke out of prison.The thought did cross my mind then ! Thus started the first chapter of my life - Montfort.

Initially I hated it. I hated it so much, that I sent a letter every day..every single day to my dad, asking him to take me back. I had no idea that the letters took almost a week to reach Dubai. He eventually got a bulk of them. My first class teacher was Ms.Jean D'Monte. Infact she was the one who told me, that it takes a week for the letters to reach my dad ! Friends were easy to make. Some of them were Nikhil Sebastian, Ramaswamy, Jakir , Jacob Shailendar, Alsad, Jacob Joseph and sooo many more. The first blunder I made in school, was bringing a squash racket thinking it was a tennis racket. I remember that embarrassing moment. Especially because T.Santhosh and KV Manoj teased me during the morning coaching ! :D

6th Std had so many other memories. Joining the choir seemed like a big deal to me. And being in the "Tenor group" was *ahem* a very big achievement for me. Then there was the Junior Literary Society aka JLS. Oliver Goldsmith, Wiilliam Shakespeare,Wordsworth and John Milton were the house names.
( Pats back for awesome memory)  and I was the captain for Oliver Goldsmith...in my class. 6B ! *insert applause*.  The funniest day that year, was the fancy dress competition ! Nikhil helped me out with the costume. I dressed up as an FBI agent. LOL ! The line I said on the stage was so funny and dumb..but mostly dumb. It went like this - "I am Raj. FBI, from the police department ! Are there any robbers out there ? *pointed gun to audience* Beware !!" . *applause* That was my first stage performace ever. Got first prize for it..and later found out that all the participants got 1st prize..even Gurumoorthy !  Didn't seem wierd at that time.

When it came to exams, I failed once in the 6th std. It was for Geography. Got 33/100. Mrs.Betty was the teacher then. I begged her for grace marks but in vain. My birthday was another day I'd never forget. The custom was that the birthday kid had to go to Bro.Anthony's office to order a cake. The kid then had to prepare a list of the people invited for the birthday party. Before the prayer in the refectory, Simon sir would read the names of the students invited. Only close friends made the list and I think there was a limit to it too. And this so called "Birthday party" happened under the staricase outside the refectory. I still remember Anand Raj's birthday cake that year. It was baked in the shape of a ship. It was massive and the whole 6th std got a piece :) Thanks machi :D

There were also Nutella sharing, Don's white complan sharing and also some kid's awesome fish pickle. Don't remember his name. And ofcourse Bro.Wilfred ! He was my dad's warden too and so he was 'supposed' to be lenient to me. But he forgot who I was within a week. We used to get phone calls from parents through him. He was also incharge of the pocket money. The small plastic rectangular pieces used to be my only source to buy Curry noodles and Crunch chocolate bars coz Sunday dinners sucked big time.

Thats all I remember about what happened in the first year of my life in Montfort. The facts I have stated here are all straight from memory. Its never easy to forget the first part of an amazing journey. To look back and think about it, it leaves you nostalgic for sure. But more than that,by writing down all of this, it gave me an opportunity to live through that one year again. That one year was just the beginning to an amazing journey in Montfort.

I sure as hell enjoyed writing this.

More to come.

Raj.A.B