Blatherings

Saw a great example of how one defines beauty. On returning from school one day, my seven year daughter announced that she thought she was not pretty at all. On being asked why she thought so resulted in this surprising answer - it was because she did not have a flat nose and small eyes! Incidentally, about 90% of her classmates are of Chinese origin.  The first concern was to quickly bring back a modicum of self worth by telling her that she was, in fact very beautiful, because she met  all the criteria of beauty of an Indian.  What struck me later was - how could she  believe me, not having been to India for the last two years, and having to take only my word on the Indian concept of beauty!

The other day, at my daughter's school, I saw someone standing on a chair - putting up alphabets on the school big noticeboard. Out of idle curiosity, I walked up towards the board, and was not a little bit surprised to see that it was the school principal.  Surprised because I thought of all the principals of my various schools who were in the eyes of all of us such super human characters, the kind who would rather be dead than be seen as ordinary mortals! Of course, the fact that each had an army of peons to do their bidding could have something to do about it, but all the school staff and us children were in complete awe of these remote beings.  And here was the principal of this school standing on a chair putting up a sign on the notice board.