Table Of ContentFREE FROM SCHOOL
ByRahulAlvares
22ndAugust 2003
1
It’snoteverydaythata16yearoldwritesabook. Infact,girlsandboysofthatagearesupposedtospendtheir
time studying what other people write. It is presumed that at that age they do not themselves have anything
signi(cid:2)cant or interesting to say. And the education system guarantees just that. The best rewards go to those
whocanparrotsetanswerstosetquestionsinexaminationhalls. Thosewhotrytousetheirimaginationorreply
differentlyareoftenpunishedwithlowgrades.
Rahul Alvares did not set out to write a book. Under the encouragement of his parents, he consciously set
out to try his hand at learning things outside the school framework and you might say as a result, Free From
School actually came looking for him! After his SSC, unlike his other classmates, he opted out of schooling to
follow his instincts: fond of reptiles, he chased them up at the Pune Snake Park and at the Crocodile Bank at
Mamallapuram. Intheprocess,healsopickeduptrailsofspiders,earthwormsandturtles. Hecaughtsnakesin
thecompanyofIrulatribals. Hegotbittenbyhot-temperedreptiles. Hecameoutofitallgrinningandwiser.
’FreeFrom School’ is his storyof a year outof school, whenthelearning graph of his younglife wentup leaps
andbounds. Hewroteittoencourageotherboysandgirlshisagetomoveoutof thesterileschoolandcollege
environment offered by India’s antiquarian educational system, if they wish to experience another side to life
andlearning. Helostnothingbutgainedalot. Sodidhisparents. Whenyoureadhisstory,sowillyou.
This book has been originally published by the Other India Press, Mapusa, Goa. Copies of the print version
are available from [email protected] or TheOther India Press, Above Mapusa Clinic, Mapusa 403507 Goa. Tel
0091.832.2263306
Copyright2003RahulAlvares
Permission is granted to copy or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation
License,Version1.1oranylaterversionpublishedbytheFreeSoftwareFoundation.
The author however requests anyone downloading this book to make a donation (recommendation $2 or Rs
50) to a group working for the cause of wildlife, particularly in Goa. If you would to know of Rahul Alvares’
preferencesonwhichgroupcouldbesupported,[email protected]
Contents
1 AFishShopinMapusa 3
2 LearningaBitofFarming 8
3 PlantFestivals 10
4 LearningaboutMushrooms 14
5 ATriptoKerala 18
6 SnakesAlive! 21
7 AVacationwithinaVacation 26
8 Earthworms 28
9 Spiders 34
10 CrocodileDundee 39
11 LearningtoTeach 46
12 YouHaveSight,IHaveVision 51
13 SurveyingaForest 54
14 ChiefGuestAtBelgaum 56
2
Chapter 1
A Fish Shop in Mapusa
YOU MUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND thatwhenI(cid:2)n- erous enough to even buy back from me the baby (cid:2)sh
ished school I was as raw as raw could be. I had I reared just to encourage me. Later I developed suf-
nevertravelledanywhereonmyown,neverpurchased (cid:2)cient con(cid:2)dence to experiment with and breed more
a train ticket, since like most kids my age I had only dif(cid:2)cult types of (cid:2)sh, like Siamese Fighting Fish and
travelled with my parents or relatives and they made BlueGuramies-allundertheexperttutelageofAshok.
all thedecisions. Ihadnoexperienceofhowtohandle
SoitwastoAshok’sshopthatIwenteverymorning
money (my knowledge being limited to spending the
at 9.00 a.m., speeding on my bicycle to be on time. I
50paiseoronerupeeIwouldreceiveaspocketmoney
would stay there until lunch time, a regular hands on,
nowandthen).
doingwhateverIwasaskedtodo.
So while I had set my sights on travelling far and Ashok’s shop is not very large. It is a two-roomed
widemyparentswiselythoughtthatIshouldbeginby shopontheground(cid:3)ooroftheGomesCataocomplex.
learningtomanageonmyownwithinGoaitself. Itwas It has a display section in front and a store room at
alsotherainyseasonandtravellingaroundthecountry the back. The showroom has about twenty (cid:2)sh tanks
wouldbemuchmoredif(cid:2)culttheyexplained. on display with a variety of (cid:2)sh that Ashokpurchases
So I started out by helping at an aquarium shop in mainly from Mumbai. Each tank stores a particular
Mapusa, the town nearest my village. The proprietor speciesof (cid:2)sh. Ashok’sshop is located away from the
oftheshopisAshokD’Cruz, acollegefriendofmyfa- mainmarketareasohedoesnothavetheadvantageof
ther’s. Imusttell youabout Ashok. Heis noordinary casualcustomersdroppingby. HoweverAshokhashis
businessman: keeping (cid:2)sh is a passion with him. He regularcustomersandtherearealwaysatleasttwenty
is far more interested in chatting with his customers tothirtycustomersdaily.
about (cid:2)sh than making money selling them. I have During my (cid:2)rst few days at his shop, my work was
never seen him forcing any of his customers to buy only to watch the tanks, clean those which were dirty,
fromhisstockofaquarium(cid:2)sh. remove the dead (cid:2)sh and do some other small jobs. I
alsofedthe(cid:2)shandtreatedthewoundedanddiseased
Infact,itwasAshokwhointroducedmetotheamaz-
(cid:2)sh. Sometimes, I also attended to customers. Grad-
ing world of aquarium (cid:2)sh way back when I was just
ually, I began to accompany Ashok on his rounds to
nineandstudyinginClassV.Underhisguidancethen,
variousplaces.
I experimented with breeding guppies, platties and
mollies,fairlysimpletypesof(cid:2)shtobreed. However,it AgentlemaninMoirawantedtosetupanaquarium
was a matterofgreatexcitementfor me at thattime to athishome. Hehadatank. Healsohadde(cid:2)niteideas
be successful in my experiments and Ashok was gen- abouthowhewanteditto(cid:2)nally lookand Ashokwas
3
CHAPTER1. AFISHSHOPINMAPUSA 4
called to see how it could all be done. The man sent able togettheoretical knowledgeand practical experi-
his car for us. At his house we discussed the location enceatthesametimegavemealotofcon(cid:2)dencewith
ofthetank,lightingarrangements,thewater(cid:2)lters,the regardtoaquarium(cid:2)sh.
kind and quantity of (cid:2)sh he would like to have, and One of theimportant highlightsof my experienceat
maintenance. Afterwewerefullysatis(cid:2)edthatwehad Ashok’s was learning to make (cid:2)sh tanks. Ashok told
everythingrightandhadnoteddownhisrequirements, me that since we were going through a slack period,
wereturnedtoMapusa. Laterhecameforthematerial he would teach me how to make (cid:2)sh tanks. I had to
whichwekeptreadyforhim. startfrom basics which meant purchasing glass for six
AnothertimeIaccompaniedAshoktoaclient’sof(cid:2)ce tanks, having theglass piecescut to speci(cid:2)cations and
toputapairofDwarfGuramiesinthe(cid:2)shtankandto thenhaving thepiecesdeliveredat theshop withouta
(cid:2)x a picture as a backdrop forthetank. On such visits scratch.
Iwatchedcarefully whatAshokdidandsoonenough I had accompanied Ashok on several occasions ear-
Ashokstartedsendingme on my ownto visit someof lier to the glass shop and watched as he ordered glass
hisclientswhohadsmallorsimpleproblems. explaining his requirements, or having a piece re-cut
I went to clients to (cid:2)x aquarium equipment such as becauseitwasdonewrongly. Infact,Ihadbeensentof-
air pumps and (cid:2)lters, to (cid:2)x toys in the tanks, to check tentotheglassshopforsmallpurchasessoIwasfairly
(cid:2)shfor diseasesorif therewasa suddencrisis suchas familiarwiththeownerandtheprocedures.Ashokhad
(cid:2)shdyinginnumbers,orifaclientwishedtoaddmore eventaughtmehowtocalculatethepriceofglass. Still
(cid:2)shtohiscollection. Iwassenttocollectoverduepay- itwasanewexperienceformewhenAshokhandedme
mentsorsimplytoenquiretheaquariumsweredoing. some money and gave me general directions on what
SometimesIwentonmyowntovisitsomeoftheplaces to do and I was on my own. I managed to purchase
where we had set up tanks and enjoyed watching the the glass and also to get it cut to size. So far, so good.
(cid:2)shswimminghappilyintheirnewhomes. Now came the dif(cid:2)cult part of transporting the glass
One day my employer decided to send me as a spy piecesto the shop. I wonderedwhether I should geta
to(cid:2)ndoutthepricesof(cid:2)shand(cid:2)shfoodatacompet- rickshawforthepurposebutwasalittlehesitantsince
itive(cid:2)shshop. Itriedtobehavelikeacasual customer I hadn’t checked what it would cost for the trip, short
andwalkedcoollyintothecompetitor’sshopandgrad- thoughitwouldbe. WhileIwastryingtomakeupmy
ually began to ask the prices of (cid:2)sh and (cid:2)sh food. Af- mind by testing the package for its weight, the shop-
ter I had found out what was needed I bought a pair keeper assured me that I would be able to handcarry
of cheap Black Mollies from his shopjust toshowhim theglasstoAshok’sshop,whichiswhatI(cid:2)nallydid.
that I was a genuine customer. From the information I started out. In the beginning, it was no problem.
I got, we found Ashok’s to be comparatively cheaper However, the package grew heavier and heavier as I
thanthecompetitor. trudged up the road to Ashok’s shop with rickshaws,
DuringthisperiodIimprovedmyknowledgeabout taxisandmotorcycleshonkingawayonallsides. Even
aquarium (cid:2)sh tremendously. This was mainly due to beforeIreachedmydestinationIdoubtedthewisdom
two things. Firstly, I had spenta lot of time observing of my actions for I was tired and my arms ached but
the (cid:2)sh at Ashok’s shop and getting practical experi- I dared not put down the glass simply because it was
ence from the places we visited. Secondly, I had been glass. WhenI (cid:2)nally reached the shopI heaved a sigh
readingthe(cid:2)shbooksthatmyfatherboughtformeasa of relief that the glass was intact. Ashokwas horri(cid:2)ed
giftforgettingadistinctioninmySSCexam. Thebooks at my decision and understandablyvery angrytoo for
were quite expensive but well worth the cost. Being asheexplainedtomeshouldIhavehadanaccidenton
CHAPTER1. AFISHSHOPINMAPUSA 5
thewaytheconsequenceswouldhavebeendisastrous problem at all. It was a large hotel with lovely lawns
andhewasafterallresponsibleforme! Itrulylearntan andaswimmingpool. Iwalkedintothehotelproudly,
importantlessonthatday. with my head held high, and tried to act as if I were a
Learningtomakeanaquariumtankisgreatfun. One veryexperienced(cid:2)shdoctor. Iwentand mettheman-
has to (cid:2)rstplan thesize of thetank. Forthis one must ager. He told me which (cid:2)sh had died. I searched for
(cid:2)rst decide on the length of the tank. After that, the symptoms of disease but found none. I then realised
height and the breadth are to be proportionately cal- that theproblem was very simple and onethat is very
culated. The sides of the glass are held together with common: a case of overfeeding. Fish require food in
silicone, which is a glue, and which feels like rubber proportiontotheirsizebutoftenpeopleputmorefood
when it hardens. Silicone does not dissolve in water. thannecessaryintothetank. Theextrafoodmakesthe
The tricky part is being able to apply the silicone only water cloudy and polluted and this causes the (cid:2)sh to
totheedgesoftheglassandnotlettingyoursticky(cid:2)n- die.
gers touch any other portions of the glass. Otherwise, I cleaned the tanks, replaced the pump, checkedthe
theglasswilllookdirty,forthesiliconemarkswillstay (cid:2)lters and showed the hotel staff how to feed the (cid:2)sh.
like a (cid:2)ngerprint on the glass forever. After the tank Ievenmanagedtodosomesalesworkbysellingthem
is resealed on the inside with silicone (to give double some(cid:2)shmedicineswhichtheycouldkeepasstandby
protection),it isleft fora daytodry. Thenextdayit is and made a bill for them on the bill book that Ashok
testedby(cid:2)llingwithwaterandifalliswellthetankis had given me. They seemed satis(cid:2)ed with my work
readyforsaleandcanbedeliveredtothecustomer. andmademeacupoftea,whichIdidn’tdrinkbecause
AfterI was taughthowto dothe (cid:2)rsttank, I started Idon’tdrinktea. AfterIhad(cid:2)nishedIcouldn’twaitto
helping with the rest. I recall how once by mistake I tellAshokaboutmyexperience.
stucktheglassupsidedown. "There’ssomething(cid:2)shy During this period, I took the opportunity once to
aboutthelooksofthistank,"saidAshok.Whenhereal- visit (cid:2)sh shopsin Panjim which Ihad heard about but
izedwhatmymistakewas,heverynearlyputmeinto had not yet seen. The occasion came when my 3-gear
thetank! cycle broke down and I needed to go to Panjim to get
My (cid:2)rst opportunity at testing my skills at (cid:2)nding spares. I tried to persuade my mother to get them for
out the reasons for "(cid:2)sh dying in an aquarium" (the me from Panjim since she went there often. She re-
most common complaint from customers) came when fused, saying that I should learn to do things on my
the manager of Hotel Osborne in Calangute asked own. That’s when I thought of making a whole-day
Ashoktocomeandexaminetheiraquariumontheho- trip to Panjim to buy the spares, visit (cid:2)sh shops and
tel premises. The (cid:2)sh were dying, he said. The owner alsomakeafewpurchasesforAshok.
of the hotel was a very goodcustomer of Ashok’sand The next day, I accompanied my mum to Panjim
so Ashok was keen to solve the problem. However as where she showed me a few essential places and then
he could not go himself that day and did not wish to leftme onmyown. Iwas a bitnervousbut was deter-
delaymatters,hedecidedtosendmeinstead. Hegave mined to manage somehow. I (cid:2)rst went to the Kamat
me themanager’svisiting card, directionstothehotel, restauranttoeatasIwashungry. Iwasamazedathow
some (cid:2)sh medicines and a pump to install in place of muchitcostmeto(cid:2)llmystomachoutsidehome! After
theoldonewhichwasdefectiveandIwasonmyown. that,IsearchedforashopfromwhereIcouldpurchase
IwasproudandhappythatAshokfeltcon(cid:2)denttoen- silicone(Ashok’serrand). AfteralotofaskingaroundI
trustmewithsuchanimportantjob. foundtheplace. ThenIlookedforthecycleshop,found
I left in the evening for the hotel. I found it with no itquicklyenoughbutdiscoveredthattheitemIwanted
CHAPTER1. AFISHSHOPINMAPUSA 6
was out of stock and would be available only the next Iwasonmyownandfreetomakedecisionsorexperi-
week. mentwithideasIthoughtworthwhile.
I was then free to visit the two (cid:2)sh shops I had in I discovered that I have a great passion for reading
mind: "Bislin" and "SomethingFishy". Bislin was well books. I used to go every morning to the library, on
stockedand had many typesof exotic (cid:2)sh but I found my way to Ashok’s shop, and pick up something to
it very expensive. I chatted with the people who ran readduringmyfreetime. Myfavouritebookswerethe
the shop (it is a family business). They also keptbirds Hardy Boys and I (cid:2)nished practically the entire series
forsale. Afterwatchingthe(cid:2)shforsometimeIdecided whileIwasatAshok’s.IalsoenjoyedcomicslikeTintin
to go to Something Fishy which was just around the andPhantom.
corner. AtSomethingFishy,Iwasdisappointedat(cid:2)rst Evenings, after I had (cid:2)nished with Ashok’s shop, I
sight to see very few (cid:2)sh. The shop assistant told me wouldlistentotheFM radio music programmes. Like
thatastheywereexpecting(cid:2)shthefollowingweekend any other teenager, I like fast and loud music. Fortu-
almost all their tanks were empty. But what I saw re- nately, my aunt Allison visiting us from Canada gave
maining in the display tank amazed me. I saw man- me a walkman which enabled me to play my music
eating piranhas with my own eyesfor the (cid:2)rst time in withoutdisturbingtheothers. Ithoughtaboutstarting
my life! However, the piranhas were quite timid and tolearntheguitarbutmyparentsadvisedagainststart-
shy. Apparently, it is only when they are kept hun- ing guitar lessonsimmediately as Ihad plans totravel
grythattheybecomeferociousmeat-eaters. Something outofGoain thecomingmonths. Letterwritingisnot
Fishyalsohadexotic(cid:2)shcalledBlackGhostwhichsold one of my favourite things. However, I was forced to
atRs.3000apair! replytothepeoplewhosentmelettersandcashprizes,
Apart from learning about (cid:2)sh at Ashok’s shop I congratulating me on my examination results. I was
gainedalotofothervaluableexperience. overjoyedtoreceivepromptrepliesfromseveralofmy
Ihadneverdonebankingbefore. ButonedayAshok relatives andfriendscommendingme on mychoice of
casuallyaskedmeifIwouldgotohisbanktowithdraw ayear’ssabbatical. Ialsorealisedthatyouonlygetlet-
somemoney. Ididn’tfeelliketellinghimthatIhadno ters when you write to people. However, I still don’t
ideaofhowtogoaboutdoingthis. InsteadIaskedfor enjoyletter-writing.
directions to the bank and setout. Somehow I (cid:2)gured OnSundays,Iusedtodoafewoddjobstoearnsome
mywayaroundandgotthejobdone. Iwassentmany pocketmoney. LikewashingthecarforwhichIusedto
times after that to the bank to deposit and withdraw get(cid:2)verupeesfrommydad. Iwasalsothemainerrand
money. boyat homeand I didall kindsof jobs like payingthe
Although I had all the time in the world at my dis- electricitybills,buyingtherationsandsoon.
posal I found it was not the easiest thing for me to ef- Allinall,workingatAshok’swasagoodbeginning.
fectively manage my time. Several times I would be
speedingawayonmybicycletoAshok’sshopbecause
Field Work Notes:
Ihadwokenuplatethatmorning. OrIhadtopushmy
lunchhourtilllaterbecauseIhadnotcompletedallmy
NowJulieHasaFish Tank
tasksfortheday. Itwasanexperiencelearningtoplan
my day properly and I would feel quite pleased with Julietand PeterD’Souza are collegefriendsof mypar-
myselfwhenIgotthingsrightonmyown. ents. TheyliveatCalangute. Peterisacriminal lawyer
I also gained a lot of valuable insights into my own andJulietisaschoolteacher. Ourfamiliesoccasionally
hobbies and interests since for the (cid:2)rst time in my life goonoutingstogether. On oneofthesepicnicsduring
CHAPTER1. AFISHSHOPINMAPUSA 7
mySSCyearJulietdiscoveringmyinterestinaquarium assignment as Julie said that she would buy the (cid:2)sh
(cid:2)shpromptlytriedtogetme toassistherin settingup froma(cid:2)shshopinCandolim. However,asshedoubted
anaquariumintheirhome. whether live plants were sold in Candolim, she asked
Actuallytheydidhavea(cid:2)shtankearlierbutthebot- me to send her the plants through Peter. She also told
tomglasshadcrackedandJuliethadgivenittoAshok metoprepareabillforherwhichIwastohandoverto
for repairs. And there it remained, in Ashok’s shop, Peter. AllthisIdidwithinthenexttwodays.
with nobody attending to it. Juliet had reminded me A week later, I had to visit Peter and Julie’s place to
onseveraloccasionsaboutthetankbuttherewaslittle delivera notetoPeterfrom my dad. I waskeen tosee
I could dootherthan pass onherremindersto Ashok. the (cid:2)sh she had bought and how they were doing in
WhenIstartedworkingwithAshokIquickly tookthe the new home I had made for them. As a present I
opportunityofkeepingmypromisetoher. decided to take (cid:2)ve pairs of guppies from my garden
The (cid:2)rst problem was to (cid:2)nd the tank. I began tank. Imagine my shock when I found that the tank
searching for it in the storeroom of Ashok’s shop. I was just as I had left it, with no (cid:2)sh at all to inhabit
founditrightatthebottomofall theotherbigtanks. I thelovelyquarters. IwasgladIhadbroughtalongthe
wasrelievedtoseeitstillinonepiece. AshokandIthen guppiesandthesebecamethe(cid:2)rstlotof(cid:2)shtoinhabit
removed the broken bottom glass. We took the mea- the tank. I also (cid:2)xed the light and the regulators and
surements and bought new glass from the glass shop. settheplantsproperly.
After (cid:2)xing the tank, I went to Peter’s of(cid:2)ce and told Juliet’slittledaughterscrowdedroundmeasIstood
himtopickitupandtakeithomewheneverhecould. backtoadmirethenowcompleteaquarium: (cid:2)shswim-
Petercame byandtookit homethenextevening. A minghappilywithnewlyinstalledplantsandair(cid:2)lters
fewdayslaterIcycleddowntotheirhousetosetitup. bubbling away in a corner. Juliet soon joined us and
OncethereIrealizedthatJulietdidnothaveanymate- thanked me warmly and to my utter surprise slipped
rial for placing in the tank except a little gravel which a 50 rupee note into my pocket. I protested that she
was not enough to cover even the base of the tank. I should not pay me for this as I was having great fun
explainedtoherall theessentialitemsneededandshe butsheinsistedthatItakethemoneyand thisbecame
gave me a freehand to purchase material and decora- my(cid:2)rstearning.
tions for the tank. On my next visit, I took a few ki- In similar fashion I set up (cid:2)sh tanks for a few other
losofgravel,apump,plasticplants,(cid:2)shmedicine,the family friends. Besides having a lot of fun and gain-
undergravel (cid:2)lter, some pipeline, a few regulators, T- ing valuable experience, I also earned pocket money!
jointsanda(cid:2)shnet. Ialsotookfourtypesofaquarium Avdoot and Rekha Munj in Mapusa have a lovely big
toysandtwoshellsforhertochoosefrom. tank which I helped set up for their daughter; Alvito
I started off with washing the gravel, then (cid:2)xed the andCelineSantiagofromParraalsohadanempty(cid:2)sh
under-gravel(cid:2)lter. Inextpouredgraveloverthe(cid:2)lter, tankwhichtheywantedtoputbackinuseandIorgan-
and placed the decorations of shells and toys on top. isedthe(cid:2)shforthemtoo.
Then the tap and (cid:2)lters were joined to the air pump. There was also the large (cid:2)sh tank in the of(cid:2)ce of
AllthiswhileIwaswatchedintentlybyAngelannand the Principal of my school (St. Anthony’s at Monte
Miriam, Juliet’s twoyoungdaughters,who keptoffer- Guirim), which I had maintained during my school
ing opinions or help here and there. After about two days. I continued to keep watch over it through my
hours,everythingwasready. Onlythe(cid:2)shandaquatic youngerbrotherMilind,who,likeme,isalsoa(cid:2)shfan.
plants remained to be put in the aquarium. The task
of selecting the (cid:2)sh for the tank was not part of my
Chapter 2
Learning a Bit of Farming
One of my plans for the rainy season was to go to that I had so readily agreed. Next morning I was wo-
RUSTICFarmwhichisinThanem,asmallvillagenear ken up early and we set out for the (cid:2)elds which are
Valpoiintheremotenorth-easterndistrictofSattari,so quiteclosetoourhomes.
thatIcould gain someexperiencein farming. RUSTIC
Holdingtheploughmayappearasimpletaskbutbe-
Farm holds a special attraction for me because I was
lieveme itisnotsoandcalls forquitealotofskilland
bornwhenmyparentslivedonthisfarmandwestayed
stamina. The trick is to keep the plough in the centre
theretillIwasthreeyearsold. AlthoughIhavenoreal
and avoid cuttingthehoofsoftheanimals at thesame
recollectionofthatperiod,wehavemanyphotographs
time. Oneneedstoputtherightamountofpressureon
ofmybabydaysonthefarmandmanystoriesthatmy
thehandleastheploughshouldneitherbetoodeepnor
parentstellus ofthosetimes. Westill visit theplace at
tooshallowinthesoil. Alsoonehastoconstantlykeep
leastonceayearandalsomaintaincontactwithseveral
one’seyeonthebullockstodirectthemtoturnaround
of the villagers who worked then on the farm. Yesu,
at the end of the (cid:2)eld and to lift the plough when it
ourdomestichelpforthepast16yearscomesfromthat
reachesabund. Lastly(andthisismostimportant)the
area. In 1985 RUSTIC Farm was sold to the present
bullocksmustrecogniseyouorelsetheywon’ttakeor-
owners Shyam and Ujwala Achrekar. I had intended
dersfromyou.
tostaywiththemforamonthandlearnaboutfarming
The bullocks knew Guru very well but I was a
(cid:2)rst-hand. Unfortunately due to some personal dif(cid:2)-
stranger so Guru made me keep shouting cries of
culties they could not have me visit them. It is one of
"heeree heeree" which is how they get the animals to
thefewregretsIhadduringmyone-yearsabbatical. As
move-sothattheywouldatleastbegintorecognisemy
things worked out, however, I was able to learn a few
voice. Although I went ploughing with Guru for sev-
basicsaboutfarminginmyownvillageatParra.
eral days in a row, henever letme ploughon my own
becausegettingtherightbalancewasstillverydif(cid:2)cult
My neighbours, the Kandolkars, are a peasant fam-
formeandifanyofthebullocksgothurtduetomyin-
ily and during the rains they take to farming their
experiencehewouldhavetogivetheanimalatleast15
own (cid:2)elds. They also do ploughing work for others.
days’restwhichwouldcosthimheavilyinearnings.
Guru, theeldestson,has a (cid:2)nepair of bullocksfor the
purpose. It so happened that Guru was doing some Aftertheploughingisdonethegroundhastobelev-
masonry work at our house and I was chatting with elled for seeding. This is also done by the bullocks
him about my sabbatical when he casually asked me who drag a wooden piece shaped like a broad fork
whether I would like to come ploughing with him. I across the (cid:2)eld. This I was allowed to do on my own
jumped at the offer even as he seemed a bit surprised and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was like having a nice
8
CHAPTER2. LEARNINGABITOFFARMING 9
ride, standing on the wooden leveller while the bul-
lockswentupanddownthe(cid:2)eld.
Ialsotriedmyhandatsprayingseedsandlaterfertil-
izer,onthe(cid:2)elds. SometimesIdidabitofweeding,to
while away the time in-between ploughing. On some
days when we were ploughing it used to rain heavily
and I enjoyed working in the rain with all the other
farmers. After ploughing we would be treated to hot
teaandbreadorpaobajibytheownerofthe(cid:2)eld.
I recall how surprised the owners of the (cid:2)elds we
had ploughed would be on seeing me sitting with the
other workers-dirty with mud like them-because nat-
urally, they recognised me, since I am from the same
village. Onelady,infact,thoughtIwasplayingtruant.
Shetoldmeshewasgoingtoinformmymotherwhere
IwasthatSundaymorning. ShethoughtthatIoughtto
havebeeninchurchattendingMassinstead.
The(cid:2)eldworkwasagoodexperienceandonewhich
I cherish. I helped Guru plough about half a dozen
(cid:2)eldsandevennowwhentherainyseasonapproaches
Irememberthatexperiencewithwarmthandpleasure.
