Back to School?

Siba Prasad Maitra grapples with the word purja

Time was when ‘laughing club’ meant only laughter exercises to us. Before long, free-hand exercises were introduced. After some years, the ambit was extended to yoga (though optional). And of late, a round of tai-chi warm-up exercises has also been incorporated as part of our morning routine.
While these have helped in the daily attendance (and popularity) of the Club, what remains neglected for long is the question of holding classes on primary education. This need is often expressed when members are reminded of elementary GK or sometimes, spellings or say, basic arithmetic.
For instance, Mallika Kagzi today advised all of us to upgrade our skills on counting beyond 9 for the ta’i-chi round.

Khatoon Baig turns up

Srichand Arora too has been unforgiving whenever there’s a goof up on addition or subtraction – particularly in matters relating to cash. “Didn’t they teach you to count in school?” is his standard line.
Language skills became a focal learning issue in this back-to-school approach as common Hindi words like nikaalna (to take out), purja (component) and lota (water pot) caused a good deal of confusion (and laughter) this morning.

Chhaya Appalwar (ext rt) introduces her guests,
Pramod and Manisha Kannurkar

To Monthi Serrao for example, there is no difference between a plastic glass (for say, hot tea) and a lota. Siba Prasad Maitra tried educating her with examples like “the morning after over-eating” and leaving the rest to imagination – but all in vain.
Significantly Maitra himself refused to see any difference between purja, parchha (slip of paper) and puriya (what, according to him "medical compounders give you in Bihar”) and even brought up the expression Urr ja (fly away) out of the blue! So rigid were they in their beliefs that no amount of correcting them could help. Otherwise Dilip Babani – the one most amused by all this – would have been only too happy to conduct a crash course on Hindi usages for their benefit.
That apart, it was wonderful to welcome Khatoon Baig back after her recent hospitalization. She suffers from acute breathlessness, which gets aggravated during winter. Doctors have advised her not to venture out early morning when pollution levels are very high. But she could not resist the temptation of catching up with us and dropped by on the pretext of soaking in the morning sun.
It was a pleasure to see her -- looking plump, but hale and hearty.
Bihari Milwani:
Instead of learning Hindi, better invent a language that will be accepted by one and all!
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
With advancing age one tends to forget many things learnt at an early age. There are certain colloquial words which have peculiar meanings prevalent in a region. All the same, the main effort of the laughter club is achieved with the spontaneous laughter generated by Monthi and Maitra. After all, laughter is the best medicine.