Attack of the deadly Avacado !

The other day I was in my favorite preschool class and as always chit chatting with the little tykes. Somehow the conversation turned to injuries. So while we were comparing different ways we hurt ourselves, one of the kids turned to me and we had this conversation.

“Ms Thomas….. Hmmm… you know… hmm…. my brother’s teacher…. Well … hmm … he got hurt.”

“Oh wow!! Really… was he hurt badly?? “

“Well…. Hmm… he was bitten by an avocado “

“A what???? “

“An avocado ...Ms Thomas “

(By this time…every other child was looking at me like I was daft...And nodding their heads and even telling me that they have seen the picture of the avocado”)

“Are you sure... That it was an avocado that bit him … coz I think an avocado is something you eat”

“Ewwwwwwwww Ms Thomas…. We can’t eat an avocado… It eats us ….. Come I will show you a picture of the avocado”

So we walk to the bookshelf….. And I was finally shown the deadly avocado…I finally saw it ... i started to shake .. fear or laughter ???...well you judge...

Staring back at me was the picture of ............

AN ANACONDA !!!

The suffering of his Broken Heart - Max Lucado

I RECEIVED THIS IN MY MAIL TODAY. THE MOMENT I READ IT I FELT THAT I HAD TO SHARE IT. SO HERE YOU GO …

    The Sufferings of His Broken Heart

                                                                                                                           - Max Lucado

Go with me for a moment to witness what was perhaps the foggiest night in history. The scene is very simple; you’ll recognize it quickly. A grove of twisted olive trees. Ground cluttered with large rocks. A low stone fence. A dark, dark night.

Now, look into the picture. Look closely through the shadowy foliage. See that person? See that solitary figure? What’s he doing? Flat on the ground. Face stained with dirt and tears. Fists pounding the hard earth. Eyes wide with a stupor of fear. Hair matted with salty sweat. Is that blood on his forehead?

That’s Jesus. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Maybe you’ve seen the classic portrait of Christ in the garden. Kneeling beside a big rock. Snow-white robe. Hands peacefully folded in prayer. A look of serenity on his face. Halo over his head. A spotlight from heaven illuminating his golden-brown hair.

Now, I’m no artist, but I can tell you one thing. The man who painted that picture didn’t use the gospel of Mark as a pattern. When Mark wrote about that painful night, he used phrases like these: “Horror anddismay came over him.” “My heart is ready to break with grief.” “He went a little forward and threw himself on the ground.”

Does this look like the picture of a saintly Jesus resting in the palm of God? Hardly. Mark used black paint to describe this scene. We see an agonizing, straining, and struggling Jesus. We see a “man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB) We see a man struggling with fear, wrestling with commitments, and yearning for relief.

We see Jesus in the fog of a broken heart.

The writer of Hebrews would later pen, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV)

My, what a portrait! Jesus is in pain. Jesus is on the stage of fear. Jesus is cloaked, not in sainthood, but in humanity.

The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees.

The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you’ll ever get to God. Watch closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fog is a pierced one.

 

FAITH

FAITH IS NOT DEMANDING WHAT WE WANT; IT IS TRUSTING GOD'S GOODNESS IN SPITE OF LIFE'S TRAGEDIES. 

FAITH IS NOT DEMANDING WHAT WE WANT; ITS TRUSTING GODS GOODNESS IN SPITE OF LIFES TRAGEDIES

Friends, Strangers & Countrymen…. Lend me your ears…..

I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT.

An AUNT..Can you beat that … (actually maybe you can.. but I dont care !! )

My lil sis is expecting (or as folks back home would refer to “she is in the family way “...hahahaha). My sister does not have a blog … so I have decided that I will post the baby ticker on my blog.

I am so thrilled that I have already figured out what the baby is going to call me. "Tante" That’s German for aunt I have been told!!!

While I am still trying to picture my sister pregnant, I have had no problems slotting my brother in law into the daddy role (he has been practicing with me!!!). This is one journey I am so glad I have ring side seats for!!!

I found out on Friday and since then every time I think about it I tear up, and I can’t stop my heart from skipping an extra beat…. Thrilled doesn’t even start to define what I feel. But I def do know this. I feel blessed. I feel so blessed to be here during this time and I feel blessed that God is giving me someone to love. Most importantly, I am so grateful and thankful to God for giving them the precious baby. I know they will make awesome parents.

I can’t wait to have him/her in my life. Can’t wait to torture the parents with threats of tattoo and piercings and I can’t wait to spoil the lil one rotten.

I am already counting down the days ……. 

Kids say the most apt thing –

Recently one of my students from Muscat, was in a play.

He was “King Richard” and during the play, he was supposed to get stabbed. Seeing him being stabbed, the girl standing behind him had to scream “ King Richard has been stabbed”.

Unfortunately, come the day of the final performance, the boy who was supposed to stab “King Richard” forgot to stab him. Despite nods and nudges from the other cast members, the “murderer” didn’t stab.

Finally “King Richard” decided that the show has to go one and fell dramatically to the ground screaming.

 Seeing him collapse to the ground, the girl behind him screamed “King Richard is having a HEART ATTACK “  

Sympathy Card

One of the teachers at my school lost her sister yesterday.

So today, her grade 3 class was asked to make her a “sympathy card”.

Here are the wordings of one such card (verbatim):

“Dear Miss B, this is a astonishing new which is depressing. But it is a co-incidence. My ancestors was a King of India, and he did not die of old age but of a heart attack. I am sorry”

It is well ....

Horatio Sapafford was a 43yr old lawyer who lived in Chicago with his wife Anna and his 5 children.
In 1871, his only son died.
Few months later, the Great Chicago fire of 1871, consumed his real estate investments and he lost his entire life savings.
2 years later, Sapafford and his entire family decided to go on a holiday to Europe. However last minute business delayed Sapafford. He sent his wife and 4 daughters on the SS Ville Du Havre, promising to follow in a few days time.
The ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and it sank in q2 minutes. 226 people were killed.
When the survivors landed in Europe, Anna Sapafford cabled her husband “Saved alone, what shall I do? “
He immediately left Chicago to go bring his wife home.
In the midst of his sorrow, when sailing near the place his daughters drowned, he wrote ….

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Why am I writing this?

Every day I stumble.
Every day I falter.
Some days I question. Even when I know I should not.
I don’t ever doubt him being there. Even then, I tend to double check…
After I heard this song in church on Friday, it stuck with me. I googled it, and that’s when I read the story behind this song. It got me thinking, if he could have such undying faith at one of the worst moments in his life …why can’t I?
That is the faith I seek.
The never ending, never shaking belief that no matter what he will be there and no matter what he will guide me through.

Thank you !

It’s been a few months since I moved to Chennai. And while I do love it here, it’s not been easy. Being in a city where you don’t know many people and to have a new job tends to get overwhelming.
Life+job +new place+ I, more or less seem to have settled into a pace but there are always times that make me feel absolutely lost. I feel so selfish when I say this (coz I know I am so very blessed), but that’s being honest.
And today was one such day…. I think I had reached my saturation level and was close to tears…
I then took up the Daily Bread for my morning prayer…. And this is what I read

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithfully will remain.

He answered every single cry and prayer of mine ….
I am all set

Bring on the world

NO……. NOT ME!

Disclaimer: This is NOT a spin off on “Not me Mondays”. The story below DID NOT happen to me. It’s purely fictional and any resemblance to actual situation is purely INTENTIONAL.

I DID NOT leave my school in Friday the 24th of October at 3pm for a 6pm flight to Muscat in pouring rain.
I DID NOT find myself stuck in traffic just 1 km from where I work at 4 pm.
I DID NOT have murderous thoughts towards those blocking traffic.
I DID NOT pray.
I DID NOT get stuck on a bridge at 5 pm with 8 kms left to go to the Airport.
I DID NOT panic and call my sister.
I DID NOT worry about missing my flight.
I DID NOT pray.
I DID NOT get out of the cab at 5 pm and run towards the station with my duffle bag on my shoulder.
I DID NOT find the path leading up to the station flooded.
I DID NOT wade through it to go, jump a queue and get a ticket.
I DID NOT pray.
I DID NOT get out at the station that is across from the airport and find the walkway flooded.
I DID NOT wade through “questionable” water.
I DID NOT walk/ run in the rain to the check in terminal.
I DID NOT think that I would have missed my 6 pm flight.
I DID NOT fly Indian Airlines
I DID NOT check in to find out that the flight was delayed for 1 hr.
I DID NOT pray and thank him for getting me there safe.
I DID NOT finally board a flight that, instead of going to Muscat via Calicut, flew to Trivandrum, then to Calicut and finally Muscat.
I DID NOT feel sick throughout.
I DID NOT get upgraded to first class for the final leg of my journey.
I DID NOT pass out only to wake up just before we landed in Muscat.
I DID NOT fall sick till the following Saturday and DID NOT need any medication.
I DID NOT have my folks take care of me and supply me with endless meals of curd rice and red fish curry.
I DID NOT fly Indian Airlines for my return journey.
I DID NOT find my return flight cancelled.
I DID NOT silently / loudly curse.
I DID NOT have to fly via Bombay / Mumbai.
I DID NOT wander 2 hours trying to find an Indian Airlines official to help me get my boarding pass.
I DID NOT finally board the flight at 7 to only sit on the tarmac till 8am.
I DID NOT fall asleep and miss take off.
I DID NOT miss another day of school.
I DID NOT vow to never to fly Indian Airlines again.

I DID NOT thank GOD for getting me home safe.

Kid's say the most "perfect" thing !!

(This conversation took place while I was walking (in line) with Ms Dina’s KG class)

Student 1(girl): How do you know us?
Me: Well I work here and I asked for the "BESTEST" KG class and everyone told me it was you guys. So I came to meet you all.
Student 2(boy): so you are a teacher?
Me: Yes !
Student 2: but you can’t be a teacher.
Me: why not???
Student 2: Because… you are SLIM!!
Me: (in my mind) I LOVE YOU!

Kids say the darnest thing !!

I just got back from a pre K class.

Each time I go to that class I come back smiling

This is the conversation between the student and the teacher (during playtime)

Student L: “xkoos me… xkoos me ... xkoos me Miss T”

Teacher: “Yes L, what is it ?”

Student L: “can I please put this hat on”

(Gives the teacher a Knights Helmet)

Teacher: “sure you can. Wow... how smart…. Look …. You are a Knight”

(Student looks funnily at the teacher ….thinks…..)

Student L: “No, Miss T, My name is L “(point's to himself)

(point's to the window)" and its day ... not night “

and proceeds to walk off.

No prizes for guessing who the teacher is !!!

Carry on luggage :)

In case I haven’t already told you … I AM GOING HOME!! Yay!!

10 days of home food and TV and sleep. “Nice “I hear you say…. I agree!!

Once the decision was made to go back home, I began getting items to add to my list to take back. These items DONOT come all together but in e-mails strewn over the past 2 months. Which, I should say, is fine by me?

So this got me thinking of the various times we have gone back home and of the weird (according to the kids and husband) stuff we had to carry back.

We carried back chairs. Yes! You heard me right CHAIRS. These were chairs from Gujarat! These are chairs we CANNOT sit on. If you lean against it, they break and it’s too small for an adult to even contemplate sitting on it. As we were passing through the security check, the policeman there couldn’t help but ask me … “Don’t you have chairs in Muscat?”Answer:”sheepish grin”

We carried back a cradle. This apparently was the cradle Amma slept in. She had it cleaned, painted and polished. Not because there was going to be an addition to the family, but because in our house (according to Amma dearest) we lacked a cute table!! (REALLY???). With a glass slab on top, this “crable” (cradle + table; for the slow ones) sits in our living room.

We carried back a 2-3ft lamp (a.k.a”vellaku”) coz well the corridor lacked “something”
I am sure that we carried heaps more interesting stuff. I guess in the end it was definitely worth it coz we do have a lovely house with chairs we can’t sit in and lamps we don’t light!
I thought I better leave you with my current “take back to Muscat” list:
5 kgs Kerala Rice
2 kgs Idli Rice
½ kg Jangri
½ kg Ladoo
1 kg Muruku (it was ½ kg till Amma said “make it 1 so all in all you will have about 9 kgs worth of food to carry”)

And there is still 3 days remaining before I travel.

I KNOW, I HAVE LEARNT, I AM LEARNING, I BELIEVE…….

I believe that God answers all prayers… it’s just not the answer WE want.
I know that there is a God up there who looks after me.
I have learnt that there is only 1 God.
I am learning that prayer is a skill that needs to be learnt.
I believe that there is a plan laid out for me. I just might not be seeing it.
I know that it is possible to be in a crowd and still lonely.
I have learnt that it is possible to miss someone I haven’t even met.
I am learning to be patient and wait.
I believe that sooner or later I will master the art of cooking the perfect steak.
I know that I get upset if my students don’t work well.
I have learnt that just 1 hug from my students has me feeling like a million bucks.
I am learning that I need to be a good example.
I believe that people still judge a book by its cover.
I know that I can’t sing despite the desperate hope that I can.
I have learnt that I am a good listener.
I am learning to be a better listener.
I believe that people think I am weak because I cry easily.
I know that I will cry the next time I see Bambi.
I have learnt that there are some who can STILL reduce me to tears.
I am learning that I have so much more to learn.

No Scarifice

This song has in the recent times become my favourite. I seem to be humming it ever so often even caught myself singing it yesterday (if you can call it singing).
It’s an amazing song by Jason Upton and well it says it all. For me this is what I need to do. Not give parts to Him, but give ALL.

No Sacrifice

To you I give my life, not just the parts I want to

To you I sacrifice these dreams that I hold on to

Your thoughts are higher than mine

Your words are deeper than mine

Your love is stronger than mine

This is no sacrifice

Here's my life

To you I give the gifts

Your love has given me

How can I hoard the treasures that you've designed for free?

Because

Your thoughts are higher than mine

Your words are deeper than mine

Your love is stronger than mine

This is no sacrifice

Here's my life

To you I give my future

As long as it may last

To you I give my present

To you I give my past

Because

Your thoughts are higher than mine

Your words are deeper than mine

Your love is stronger than mine

Your thoughts are higher than mine

Your words are deeper than mine

Your love is stronger than mine

This is no sacrifice

Here's my life

TAGGING

1. If your lover betrayed you, what would your reaction be?

I would feel that life as I know it has come to an end and think that I would never recover from it!

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?

God has already made few of my dreams possible and is working on the rest. The remaining would be to be blessed with a good family and a never doubting faith.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?

Auto drivers and those that hurt kids. Oh! and those that bug me ( hint !! hint !! )

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?

Hmm I would give 1 million to my folks n sister n brother. Splurge 1 million on a trip for the family. Buy. Build a nice house and INVEST the rest (YES !!! I am boring and I love boring things).

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?

Err not rite now coz my best friends' a girl. But YES I definitely look fwd to it.

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?

Loving someone. I know I am loved.

7. How long would you wait for someone you loved?

Long enough.

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?

Migrate to a different hemisphere.

9. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?

Child Abuse.

10. What takes you down the fastest?

Hurtful comments.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

At a family reunion about to head out for a trip with my whole family.

12. What’s your fear?

Snakes

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?

Funny, extremely loving, caring, scatterbrained, talkative, ODC philic, super mom in the making.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?

Neither. Married & rich.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Look for the band to tie my hair

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who will you pick?

NEVER going to happen. Falling in love and maintaining with 1 is difficult enough.

17. Would you give all in a relationship?

sure I would.

18. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?

Forgive- not immediately but in time.
Forget- No! just so that I wont make the same mistake again

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?

if you knew me, you would know.

20. List of 6 people to tag:

none… all that I would have tagged , have already been tagged !! (shaking fist wildly at scatterbrain !!! )

Thanks Scatterbrain :)

My Family- Part II

This is a continuation of my prev blog

A much talked about shopping trip my parents took. It had been pouring in Muscat and my parents decided that they needed to go shopping. They left my sister and me in the house telling us to “study “. Perfectly normal I hear you say, well, read on.
When they got back, they rang the doorbell but no response. So my dad pounded on the door, still no response. Our folks began calling our names loudly, if you know our parents you know how loud they can get, no response. While all this was going on, they turned out the electricity thinking might have been a gas leak and for all you know we might be lying unconscious in the house. They went to our downstairs neighbor (we were living on the first floor) and called the house. No response. Appa then got a “ladder “from the neighbors’ house, put it against the wall and climbed up onto our balcony. Luckily the balcony door was left open.
Guess what my dad found when he walked in.
Both my sister and I were fast asleep, on the couches, in the living room, very much unaware of the panic we had just caused. And just so you know how “passed out “ we were, the door that they pounded on, was right next to the living room and the phone they had rung on, was between the two couches we were sleeping on.
All I can say is, “I am glad I lived to tell the tale!”

All of us, desperately, hoping that India would win, the cricket match it was playing that day, as Appa would take us out for dinner IF they won.

Amma, used to message every other day when I was working at Pondy. She would ask me to get online and when I used to tell her I was busy, she would ask me to let her know the time etc etc. Now adays, I have computer in front of me for most of the day. Till date, I am yet to receive a message asking me to get on chat !!

Playing dumb charades with my folks especially Appa. If ever you want to watch a game that will reduce you to tears (only because you are laughing so much) let me know. I shall invite you to our next family games night. Here’s a hint: ask him to mime “Coma”.

The trips we took as a family when we used to come down from Muscat for the summer holidays. Having family scattered all over Kerala meant 2 things. My dad would have to drive all over and it also meant endless hours in the back of a Maruti Van. Those who have had that experience can sympathize with me. As children both my sister and I decided that we would grow up, get our license and take our parents around with THEM in the back seat. We grew up, we got our license and Appa sold the van … Smart man !!

As kids, when we had guest, we would end up sleeping on our parents’ bedroom floor. One night we discovered that we had water guns and decided to squirt our folks with it while pretending to sleep. We THOUGHT it would surprise them and Appa/ Amma would ask “water? Where is this water coming from?” (Silly kids!!) What we didn’t consider was the excellent hearing power Amma possess. Before we knew it, we were bombarded by pillows from either side and had Appa and Amma standing over us and well…. Need I say more???

My Family - Part 1

While going through my blogs I realized that I haven’t written much about my family.

So here goes….. These are small instances which I will always remember (some maybe not that small!!)

My Amma’s standard answer to us asking “Why” (after she has said “No”) “because I said so”

My dad deciding at 10 at night that it will be a good night for an ice cream, so piling us into the car ,pajamas and all and driving to Baskin Robbins!

My dad driving us 100kms to see a Malayalam movie and returning at 1 am on a school night.

Us kids locking our folks out of the house and allowing them back in after having them sing a song and write their names in the air with their butts !! It will help you all to know that my Amma’s and Appa’s names’ consists of I, few O’s and few S’s. We also expected them to put a full stop after their name J

My brother (the pain that he is) when he was small was the cutest lil butter ball ever. And when you asked him something and he didn’t know he would respond by saying “I na na “(I don’t know!!)

My sister trying to sing the song of an advert when she was small. “Vicador washy washy.. e washy e wishy.. “ (Videocon washing machine… it washes it rinses ) & “washy washy nema, washy washy nema (washing powder nirma , washing powder nirma )- for someone who didn’t like to take baths it’s amazing the songs she chose !

A Thought !

The newspaper for the last few days has been filled with stories of various blasts and about the injuries and deaths that followed.
In one of those articles, someone had asked whether “people had forgotten the art of caring, forgotten the need to help“
I was thinking about that when the article that detailed out the recent blast in Delhi caught my eye.
This is what happened.
Two guys in a moped drove past a busy area and what looked like a package dropped from their bike while they sped off. A 9 yr old boy, seeing the package drop went forward to pick it up and return it to help. That package was the bomb. When the boy lifted it, it blew up, severing his head from the rest of the body. The boy was thrown in the air and fell several feet away.
Needless to say that 9 yr olds life came to an abrupt ending.
Now you tell me, if getting blown up is the end result of trying to help someone what would anyone WANT to help? If getting killed is the result of caring enough to do the right thing, why would anyone do it?
I still believe that the art of caring or wanting to help is not dead.

But sometimes it’s hard !!

The blog says it all ...

I am bored..so thought i might as well write this blog in webdings.... for a change .... ok todays topic.... BLOG TEMPLATE ..... I get bored of my blog's template every other day.. but then again i dont think it really matters coz no one really reads it !!
but here is the thing .. have you noticed how boring the page templates are in blogspot ??? hey mr blogspot man.... new templates pls !!
oops... does this mean i will be barred from havin an account ?????
well as you can see.. i am bored... actually i am more tired that bored...so i am TIRED bored !!
(HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP)

Translation :
I am bored..so thought i might as well write this blog in webdings.... for a change .... ok todays topic.... BLOG TEMPLATE ..... I get bored of my blog's template every other day.. but then again i dont think it really matters coz no one really reads it !!
but here is the thing .. have you noticed how boring the page templates are in blogspot ??? hey mr blogspot man.... new templates pls !!
oops... does this mean i will be barred from havin an account ?????
well as you can see.. i am bored... actually i am more tired that bored...so i am TIRED bored !!
(HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP)

Ray of hope

There are weeks where things go to plan and then there are weeks that have you looking up at Him and silently mouthing “ ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?? “

Well the end of last week and early this week was one of the “are you kidding me” weeks!! So when I realized that I had forgotten to pay my electricity bill (failure to do so will result in then shutting off your main switch!!) it was more or less like the straw that broke the camel’s back. So there I was on a Tuesday feverishly praying that things will soon work out. I remember praying” please give a sign that it’s going to be ok. Please let me know that, no matter what, as you have done always, you will take care of me”. In short I asked for one “ray of hope”, to indicate that things aren’t always as bleak as they seem. Please don’t take this as my lack of belief but I am only human. And well that day, I faltered.

I decided on Tuesday night that I would rock up early to the electricity board, and be among the first in line, pay my bill and get to work. On reaching there I happen to strike up conversation with a woman and man, both of whom were there to pay the bill early so that they could get back to work. While waiting at the billing counter, we began talking. When I say “billing counter” what I actually mean is a small dingy meshed window, beyond which it is too dark to see, and through which you hand over your card and cash and like magic a random hand comes and takes the money and thrusts the receipt back to you. During our conversation, I mentioned that I was a teacher (well I really didn’t think telling them I was a speech and language pathologist would prove useful). The woman told me that she worked as a domestic help and the man told me that he ran a milk booth. The man then mentioned that though the sign says that the billing counter indicates that it would open at 830am, there is no guarantee and mostly it opens anywhere between 9 and 10am.

On hearing this, my already stressed out brain went into over drive and I began to panic. So I decided (very quietly) that I might as well take ½ day off to get this done. I also began practicing the conversation I will have to have with my boss in my mind. No sooner had I practiced it for the third time in a row, the man looked at me and said “Madam, I know this will make you late for work. Why don’t you give me your card and the money and I will pay your bill for you and I will meet you at a place you tell me to in the evening and give you back your card”.

Before I go on any further let me just tell you all this. I have lived in Chennai for the past 4 month. Till date I am yet to meet a stranger who was willing to help. I have to fight with auto drivers everyday for a fair ride and I have had people at the counter stare at me like I am mad when I say “thank you” and I have had palm readers curse me when I told them I didn’t want my palm read and beggars (very healthy ones I might add) scream at me when I don’t give then any cash. So you can imagine my surprise when I was offered the help. The offer lead to a discussion between the “devil” and “angel” that resides in my head. (I state that this conversation took place only because I was so stressed out) The conversation went something like this:
“Angel”: “oh wow...what a nice offer “
“Devil “: “there is nothing nice about it… I am sure he wants something ... I know, he will disappear with your cash”
Angel”: “no way, after all its 195 Rs… what good would that do? “
“Devil”: “fine… do what you want… but I will be waiting to say ... I told you so!! “

So, I thanked the man profusely, took out Rs 250 and my card and handed it to him. He opens the card and without any hesitation, hands back the 50 Rs. I again hand it back to him, telling him to please take it for all the trouble he is going through for me. He once again hands back the cash and tells me “My God, won’t allow it.” He continued by saying “I however have only 1 request. If at any time you are free, can you please give some tuition to my children so that one day they can end up being like you”. Words failed me and all I could do was nod.

I had found my “ray of hope”.

I left the electricity board with the biggest smile on my face and with my faith in a lot of things, restored.

To add to the joy, guess who was waiting for me at the predetermined location with his daughter, carrying the card, the receipt and change of Rs5.

THANK YOU GOD! YOU ARE AMAZING!!