Back2School@45

A few assignments have been marked. And yours truly has done well. Mostly stuck to As. The feedback from lecturers have been encouraging. This is not only assuring but also a stress reliever of sorts. I remember the first few weeks struggling with codes, concepts and jargons. I still do. But now I know that it is a process. It starts with confusion. Confusion – What the fuck is he talking about? Struggle – I don’t get it! Doubt – Did I make the right choice? Answer – Do I have a choice? Dive and figure – Try again. And again. In your own way. Play to your strengths – Communication, presentation. (Ya, that’s it. After 20 years of work experience and fancy designations)       Each time I think about this, I am reminded of this term TINA (There is no alternative). And then I saddle up.   There are other things springing up. I have gained a lot of knowledge in the past few months, but I seem to forget as much as I take in, probably early signs of Alzheimer?...

In between when things become too stressful and its sunny (the former is common, the later rare), Nitish and I step out.   One day, we ventured to a large park named Cornwall right in the middle of Auckland, just like the SGNP in Mumbai or the Cubbon park in Bangalore. The moment you enter the park you are welcomed by large trees and unkempt grass on which lay  heaps of shedded leaves of autumn. Kids cycle aimlessly, joggers run purposefully and oldies walk gravely. Amidst all of this, we are here with a resolve to walk up to a small hill called One Tree Hill summit. It’s an easy 45 minute walk up to the top where you are greeted with lovely 360 o views of the city. There is also a huge obelisk, a memorial to Maoris, the first New Zealanders. On another day, we head to the Piha beach, which is an hour’s drive. Piha has been on my radar for a while but many sunny days were missed owing to the lockdown. The road to the beach twists and twirls like a happy dipsomaniac. It passe...