Management Lessons from a Circus Camp

What is Circus?

A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, trapeze acts, hula hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists. The word also describes the performance that they give, which is usually a series of acts that are choreographed to music (Courtesy – Wikepedia).

The need to learn management lessons from circus:

Education should be made experiential. Circus mania has gripped the town of Tumkur. Students get a chance to see the performance and connect it to their academic topics. Management students can use the concept of circus as learning tool. This exercise is an extended activity that is beyond the classroom and aims to make MBA degree program more life and people oriented.

Marketing:
Brand sponsorship – Candyman.
Banners and Posters, Mouth Publicity.
Music through speakers, reachable 2-3 kms
Devotional songs to start with followed by film songs.
Market study – the sell-ability of the product.

The Art of Negotiation:
Internal Negotiation – Management and the members of the Circus Team.
External Negotiation – Management and Government Officials and the public.

A lesson in Team work:
Acrobatic performances – Co-ordination, Concentration, Trust.

The Message of Hard work:
Labourious hours spend in training the mind and the body.
Strict work pattern – three shows a day and day practice.
Exemplifies the axiom – Practice makes the act perfect.

Planning:
Transportation and Camping in a particular area.
Financial planning and programme planning – to keep the sustained interest of the
audience.

Laughter Therapy
A clown makes you laugh and this is good to remove stress.
Entertainment factor.

Time management:
Time is the real ring master.
Timing of acts especially acrobatic acts is very crucial
The start time and the end time are very important. If exceeded it may affect the next show.
Time/ being punctual is important factor for a manager/leader.

Well Within the Limits

What is this vacuum that seems to envelop me.
There is something waiting to break free.
The pain swells up and searches for a vent.
It is deep within and will burst my insides out

Sense of loss, meaningless and futile buried in the sands of time.
Entangled in the mental webbing of memories, within a frame.
Laughter and mirth is not a distant dream, it is near.
Waves of happiness beckon me to the future.

Satisfied, defeated and out smarted - the world puffs and spurts.
Make way, make way… The emperor of deception has landed.
Well-chiseled and well- crafted.

Intruding into the well being of the world.
Words lose their sound, meaning - their linguistic identity.

The Process of Writing

This is an attempt to describe the process of writing and the stages involved in it.



Scene or object:

The first stage refers to the external world of sights and sounds. A writer gets fascinated by this reality and is captivated by it. The external object can be a beautiful natural scenario or a flower. The writer in this first stage dons the role of an observer. He observes his fellow human beings and the world around him. Subjectivity plays a great part in this act of observation.

Senses:

The scene or the object of fascination can enter a writer’s mind through the five senses – hearing/smell/taste/touch and vision. These senses make the external reality to become an internal reality. There are varying degrees in which this senses can function. For example if a person is hungry, his olfactory organs will be in a state of high alert. If the same person is spending time in a silent environment then his/her auditory faculty will be sharper.

Impression or Perception:

The dictionary meaning of the word impression is something that stays in the mind, or a mental image of something or somebody. Some of the external realties that get transferred to the mind will leave a lasting impression on our minds. It will be imprinted in the inner recess of our minds. In my opinion this is an unconscious process. These impressions to a certain extent shape our perception about life.

Thoughts:

The impressions lie dormant in the mind. They find their way to the conscious level and become thoughts which to certain extent guide the writer.

Writing:

The thoughts appear in the form of writings either in a piece of paper or in a word processor. The writing can take any shape – it can be short story or a poem or even an essay.

Rewriting: The act of correcting, polishing, and sharpening the first draft.

To summarize the process of writing in a line -
(Scene/Object – Senses – Impression – Thoughts – Writing-Rewriting)

A Beautiful Morning...

It's a beautiful day

Sky falls, you feel like

It's a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

Lyrics courtesy - U2

The start of the day. It is like god flashing his flashlight on this world. Everything is lit up and people are touched by the sun rays. To a scientist the day is a result of some cosmological movements. For a man of literature or imagination the morning brings in a new beginning. There is hope and expectations. The removal of darkness and the entry of light symbolize the end of ignorance and ushering in of knowledge. People still feel the Promethean myth haunting them.

The warmth and brightness that a morning offers to you is a treat for your body and mind. You feel rejuvenated and you feel exuberant because of this natural therapy. I have sometime wondered why humans wish each other good morning. It is indeed a good custom which recognizes the goodness in a morning.

Media houses have exploited this concept of saying and wishing good morning in an extensive way. Most of the English news channels produce programs with titles like –
Good morning India, Day break, News in the morning, Morning coffee hour, The Morning Edition. The program also will include some health tips bordering on Yoga, Meditation, Thought for the Day, guest speaker and even daily horoscope. It is also good to compare this ‘war of small screen images’ with the habit of a middle class Indian who starts his day reading the morning newspaper with a steaming cup of tea or coffee. Radio channels too fight for this morning ‘air space’ with radio shows reminding you that it is a bright sunny day. Vidya Balan’s character in the second installment of the modern day cinema parable of Munnabhai hollers good morning and wakes up 'Amchi Mumbai'.

I am sure that in spite of the attempts made by the media to ‘pollute’ our morning. The joy of waking up from our bed to listen to the chirping of birds, to feel the warm sun rays caressing our skin will remain very much a customized experience.

Oh what a feeling

What a wonderful emotion

Yeah what a life

Counting my blessings and knowing

What a beautiful day

Lyrics courtesy - Chris Cagle

My Writing Graph

As a school going boy I had the habit of maintaining a journal. Initially it was a verbal record of the daily activities. I would like to name the act as scribbling. My journal writing became more focused and elaborate as I grew up. I started writing about the life around me, e.g People whom I have seen and met, places I have visited and events that I have witnessed. As time went by, I found myself writing more about the inside reality (mind) than the outside reality. The fears and insecurities of life and topics related to spirituality found a regular place in my journal.

As I prepare this rough sketch of the research proposal I am able to trace a pattern in my journal writing habits. It is quite interesting to note that I have approached my journal only in difficult situations. Whenever I faced a road block in my life, I was able to communicate my feelings to the inanimate friend - The Journal.

There are two instances from my life which I would like to quote to exemplify the above mentioned idea. The first one is connected to the death of our pet-dog Caesar. He was a Dachshund and due to his intelligence and loyalty he won our hearts. His death created a vacuum in our family. One day while traveling, I had an idea of writing something about him and soon I found myself writing a short story on him. I am still perplexed by the way the act of creativity happened. The title of the story was – He Came, He Saw and He Conquered Again. It was like paying a tribute to Caesar and his presence in our lives. The kind of emotional fulfillment that I experienced after the finishing the story was phenomenal.

The second was a more personal and painful episode………………..my writings became introspective. I was able to move on in life because my journal writing provided me a new perspective. It was not just my writings that helped me but also two books written by the theologian Philip Yancey. I immensely enjoyed reading and re-reading ‘What is so amazing about Grace’ and ‘Where is God when it hurts?’ by Yancey. His style of writing made me conclude that some writings when properly understood can help in the healing process of the mind.

Moving on to the academic part of writing, the dissertation for my Masters Degree was based on the writings of the African American author Alex Haley’s work – Roots. The book labeled under the literary genre of faction traces the ancestral roots of Haley to a village in Africa. Later when I did my M.Phil program, I did my thesis on yet another African American writer named Ralph Ellison. The title of the book was Invisible Man. In my opinion the African American writers saw their writings not just as a political tool for claiming their rights but also as an act of therapy. They used writing as means of getting out of the pain and anguish of their ‘painful’ race memory.

I became a teacher in the year 2001 and I was introduced to the exciting world of classrooms, blackboard and the young bubbling student life. To make myself better equipped as teacher I used to read a lot about the art of teaching and the life of teachers. Two significant books, which had a deep impact on me, was the book by E.B Braithwaite titled – To Sir, with Love and Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. Both these authors created in me a compassionate attitude towards my students.

As part of the English learning process I asked them to put down in the paper their linguistic problems. They found writing about their problems much easier than speaking about them. Stage Fright, Grammar, Spelling, Problems in Fluency are some of the difficulties they shared with me. Equipped with a proper understanding of my classroom psyche, I was able to create a need based curriculum based on their writings.

I always had a fascination about the working of the human mind. One of the reasons for this is the essay by Sigmund Freud titled – ‘Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming’. The fascination reached a fulcrum when I read about the French Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. I noted that the discipline of psychoanalysis became more structural with Lacan. According to Lacan ‘the unconscious is structured like a language’.

As a person who believes in the fact that real learning happens outside the classroom, I have always encouraged learners to come out with theatrical presentations. My first stage production was based on the Dairies of Anne Frank and the second was based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The first stage production explored the world of Anne Frank and the audience witnessed the fact that there were two Anne’s – One herself in flesh and blood and the verbal Anne which we can find in her writings.

Live Feed from B'lore City Station

I am seated inside a Tata Indicom web portal inside Bangalore city station.I am enjoying the attention that i am getting from the people who are walking outside the cafe.they are all curious to know about what is happening inside the cafe. the best expression is - 'sea of humanity'. Everybody seems to be in a hurry to maybe ' as the Indianised English expression goes - to catch the train. I think as an English teacher I should 'entrain' rather than catch it. it is very claustrophobic inside this place.I am signed up for one hour browsing time and i now i really regret it. This post is supposed to be a live one since i am writing what i am experiencing. Going back to the only thing/object that i can see around me - PEOPLE - I am simply wonderstruck about the number of people who are getting ready for their travel. Everybody has got a destination to reach. They are impatient and there is 'a peace of understanding on their face'.

On Rodin’s Thinking Man

Who is he and what is he thinking about? That’s the one chunk of question that flashes in my mind whenever I see the world famous sculpture of Auguste Rodin. The link on Rodin at Wikepedia says that Rodin wanted ‘to celebrate individual character and physicality’. I appreciate him for that attitude. He never compromised on his values and integrity. To quote once again from Wikepedia ‘Rodin was sensitive to the controversy about his work, but did not change his style’. He is indeed a non-conformist and the only literary parallel that I can think of is Shelly’s roaring West wind.
Now going back to the question in the beginning. What are thoughts run through the mind of the Thinking Man.?
Please note the fact that he is Nameless/Costumless. His lack of costumes enhances his individuality and his non-conformist attitude.

Some random thoughts that are running through the mind of the thinking man….

Maybe he is worried about his nakedness
Maybe he is thinking about thinking
Maybe he preoccupied with thoughts about his girlfriend.
Maybe he is worried about the sad plight of humanity
Maybe he is thinking about the flood/Tsunami victims
Maybe he is thinking about child labour.

CALICUT – CINEMA ZONES

Watching cinema in the theater is an activity by itself. In these days of pirated Cd's and DVD's the fun factor is restricted and limited. Gone are the days when there was a process involved in this act. I remember that I used to coax n cajole my parents to take us (me and bro) for a movie. In Calicut the cinema hall which we used to frequent was the Blue Diamond. Sadly, last time when I was passing through Mavoor Road I saw that Blue Diamond is no more there. A shopping mall is being constructed there.

The thousand memories of families in debris

Everything stirred by the greed for a few pennies

We used to have lovely dinner at Hotel Paris and move towards the theater. One of the last movies which we as family watched there was – Manichitrathazhu. Then I and brother watched a movie named – Summer in Bethlehem. That's it. I owe a lot to Crown theater which near the Town hall for kindling in me a taste for Hollywood cinema. The theater in the pre-independent era was used by the British as a ball-dance room. I don't exactly remember the number of movies that I have watched there. From 007 to Species, From Jurassic Park to Titanic…

The theater was more like a second home to me. I used to be a regular visitor for the first show which began at 6:30 pm. In one way the same theater created in me an interest for English songs. I think they have the best acoustics and any song played inside the hall was a treat to our ears. Crown still stands fresh in my mind for a person. If I remember correctly - his name was Govindan Kutty. When I saw him first he was something 60 years old. He even figured in the newspapers as a person who makes Calicut special by bringing the spirit called – Calicut-ism. (To be continued)

The Death and Rebirth of a Teacher

"...I find myself contributing to a longstanding, steadfast goal of mine: the constant betterment of me..." - Ayn Rand.

Words that inspire us. Here the thoughts are self-directed. It is very much personal. As a person who has worked in the so-called premiere institutions in south India (Loyola and MCC) I have felt that the organizational goals always scuttle the growth of the individual. I am reminded of the quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau which goes like this “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains”. The urge in the individual to react and do something for his own good is always repressed. Even if you decide to become the incarnation of a non-conformist you have little escape. You will be treated as the eye-sore of the institution.

After this tryst with my own academic fate, I have decided to follow a particular course action. Devote maximum working hours not for the institution but for myself. I think this I am doing not because of any animosity or ill-feelings towards the institutions which gave me my first footing in teaching. I also understood the fact that there is something known as the growth factor which is important for me and the institution and I also have learned the lesson that the institution grows even in spite of my contribution. I am not rebel but I would like to propel and project myself into the world of creativity and innovation.

On the Road Much Travelled

It is always good to meet somebody from the past.
It makes us aware of the fact that life is fast.

The memories - the Good and the Bad and the Ugly seems to last forever.

That’s one thing that gives life its power.


The roads that I have walked - sometimes with friends.

The battles that I have fought - sometime with foes.

Everything was a miasma - I have been walking through that.

The feelings about yesterday kept me alive - en-caged.

Did I fumble in the beginning - Never... Was I too humble?

People made the lamb a lion, roaring its anger at the rubble.

The echoes of which still reverberates in the dark slimy corridors of life.

Much intense, much painful, and much weak against the sharp logical knife.


This road much travelled has become slushy with stagnated beings
Jostling for a space, crashing against other bodies, leaning.
The exit road is blocked with entry points
Ruthless, unrealistic and unplanned
The road much travelled gets fragmented in the inner recess of the human mind.

The purpose of www.writingsofprem.blogspot.com

I vehemently feel that it is for myself. I write about my life and the experiences that I pass through in my life. After all the definition of a blog is – web log. This is my online diary. I really cannot comment on the life span of this diary. It depends on the availability of free internet connection and lots of free time. The blog, for me is a white board to scribble my thoughts. It kinda gives me a channel to vent my feelings. To write about certain aspects of life which I can never discus with my friends or family members. The Blog also performs the role of a mentor to me. It encourages me to write, follow a schedule and helps me in getting satisfaction or verbal catharsis.

I feel that the internet is the modern substitute for a wall. Earlier in the development of man we had our ancestors writing on the wall. These days’ teeny-boppers write using the web. So I am sure that writing will continue till the end of human existence, because writing is good for all those thought filled minds.

What they Don't Teach You at B-schools - Book Talk Script

What they don’t teach you at B-school.
Book talk Script

Introduction
Discussing the title of the book/ Relevance of MBA in India.

The Content:

MBA creates managers not Leaders.
The concept of Participative Leadership.
B-schools can’t teach you Intuition. (Knowledge filtering)
Data base of management practices.
Importance of Listening/ How to cope with failures.
Thrust on analysis not synthesis.
Let your heart decide your career not your wallet – (The myth of highest-paid-job-on-campus)
Try to find your own mentor.
Don’t climb the corporate ladder sacrificing – HONESTY/INTEGRITY/SINCERITY.
B-schools don’t teach you – Compassion and the power of Long Term Relationship.
Masters in Compassion rather than Much below Average
The world needs people who can think out of the box.
Two qualities that a placement officer seeks – Leadership / Communication skills.
The difficulty to align organizational goals with that of individual goals.
4+2 P’s = Product/Price/Place/Promotion – People / Pace
Pride/Passion/Results – If you have pride in what you do and if you do it with passion, results are sure to come your way.
MBA creates bloated ego’s – not aware of the ground realities.
The three essential skills for the corporate world – How to motivate people
How to influence them
How to get the best out of them.
MBA education creates dependency – Syllabus/Faculty/Marks.
Brevity – The art of being succinct
B-school does not encourage multi-tasking
To look beyond the clout of a CEO
The need to set Short term goals and Long term goals
The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.
The fast changing world of business – Henry Ford
B-schools don’t teach you EQ and AQ
Campus removed from realities of life
There should be constant alumni interaction
Solid foundation in money matters
Finding passion in the job
Figure out what you enjoy doing and find plenty of people who will pay you to do it.
Need to develop local case studies
Be like the fruit rich tree which bends down (Humility)
Not just criticize but offer solutions as well.

Conclusion
Learning is a life long process.

Humane Writings - Newsletter from Libya

Please click on the image to read the newsletter

Please click on the image to read the newsletter

Second Issue of the Humane Writings

Please click on the image to read the news letter

Please click on the image to read the news letter

Calicut - FOOD ZONES

I was born in this city, but the city was not born in me. (Courtesy – Jesse Jackson speech I was born in the slum, but the slum was not born in me).

The city is the third largest in the state of Kerala and one pf the important business centers in North Kerala. I grew up in this town which has got a fantastic coastal line. I did my schooling at St Joseph’s Boys which is close to the Arabian Sea. Lunch break for me was the time to take a long walk through the beach road. I had a friend by the name Shimjith who always accompanied me in this afternoon jaunts. In Calicut the private buses are green in colour and I had some personal favorites depending on their speed and comforts. I and my family(mom,dad & bro) used to make regular trips to the sea shore on holidays. There is one Swami’s hotel where the specialty was hot and soft uppama. Other hotels which we used to haunt are – Hotel Paris near Palayam and Hotel Sagar near the KSRTC bus station. The former serves you good briyani and the latter was famous for its parotta.
Calicut has got one street which is always filled with people. The street is known as SM Street. The expansion of the letter SM is SWEET MARKET. A commercial street which never sleeps. At the beginning of this street there is a bakery called – Maharaja’s where you get the original Calicut Halwa. Unknown to many people there is a small café on top of this bakery which serves you Puri Masala and Coffee . (to be continued...)

Review of Man..an Awakening...

MAN-AN AWAKENING'

The play moved between the past and the present, the real and the imaginary. It took you from the present day school classroom to the war-stricken world of Anne Frank. It transported you from happiness to sorrow, from despair to hope. In the end, it really moved you.
'Man-an awakening', the first theatrical enterprise of Theatre Beings of Madras Christian College (MCC) was a ringing success, if the sustained applause of the packed audience in Anderson Hall, MCC, was any indication. Theatre Beings were able to produce their first play within six months of the formation. This theatre group comprises a dedicated team of theatre-loving students and teachers of MCC.
The play, which began at 6 pm on Friday, the 20th February 2004, lasted for over an hour during which time eighteen young actors performed their roles to perfection. 'Man…an awakening' was not conventional, least of all its stage. The entire hall was the stage, with some of the scenes even enacted among the audience and from the galleries above.

The play revolves around the life of Anne Frank (well enacted by Midhu James), the young German-Jewish girl, whose diary written during the Second World War poignantly relates her tragic story. A young school Boy (Ajay Kuruvilla) of today, who reads her diary is fascinated by her life. He is drawn into her world by a Mad Man (Amit Naik) and the Man’s silent alter ego (Jenny Mary Mathew), and we see scenes from Anne’s life through the Boy’s eyes, while he questions his existence and the world around him.
One of the memorable scenes in the play was the final one between Anne and her love Peter (Aswin Sridhar), enacted from opposite galleries. Another was the one which had Anne with two flower garlands symbolizing her sister Margot and Peter, where she achingly cries out at the world’s injustice: “If freedom is torture, then let that freedom die!”
Apart from the actors, what transformed the play into a brilliant success were the sound and the lighting, along with the sets and the projector (which showed several scenes from world and civil wars).
The sound and music was ably handled by Anand Kurien and Benjamin Mathew, while the lights were controlled by Ayben, Srikanth and Varun Aiyer. The props were unusual and even included battery torches and a bullock cart.
The script was original, penned by Varun Aiyer, Lincy Jacob and Midhu James. The credit for direction went to Varun Aiyer. The gifted young man was guided by Aswatthama Jd, an expert from New Delhi’s National School of Dramatics, with over twenty years of theatre experience.
Premjith Mathew of the English department was the staff-in-charge, who also was in charge of organizing and managing the various committees involved. He was assisted by Benjamin Mathew and Joshua Rozario, and an enthusiastic offstage crew.
Except for a few glitches at the beginning, the play ran smoothly. Its exceptional success heralds more innovative and enjoyable experiments in theatre by the Theatre Beings.

My name is Bond...Ruskin Bond

He is one author whom I admire not just for his writings but also for his solitary existence. He lives a life of a mystic. A life of a recluse. I am tempted to compare him to the neighbor in Mending Wall by Frost. The exact line is - ‘I let my neighbor know beyond the hill’ Ruskin bond lives in the hill station of Dehardun. He is a living monument left by the British. His books are examples of verbal paintings something what Turner did using paint and brush. I doubt, whether an Indian can capture India like the way Bond did. My first taste of this green literary landscape was when I did one of his short story in my under graduation. The title of the story was – Night Train at Deoli. It is about a railway station, a boy and a girl and the forest that is behind the station yard. There is only one word to describe the story – Haunting. It is only after shifting to Chennai to pursue my masters that I started my journey through the Bond-ian literary terrain. The journey was little difficult at first but after that I was able to identify with the author and his mindscape. I should thank British Council and Ric videos for giving me the regular – verbal and visual feed on Ruskin Bond. I read most of his Nature writings and also watched the movie version of his book – Flight of the Pigeons. I am sure in the days to come. I will encounter this author again and that will be a memorable one.

A Verbal Picture of Myself

Can a photo speak? Even if it can, will it tell the truth? I have 'seen' a book titled People Watching by Desmond Morris. The book claims that we can understand a person by just looking at his/her body language. Another book worth quoting is ‘How to Read a Person Like a Book’ co-authored by Gerard I. Nierenberg, Henry H. Calero. As a teacher I can easily read my the mind of students by just looking at them. This helps me to design my classroom tactics according to the 'pulse' of the audience. Now coming back to the question of getting to know a person looking at his photo is something which we all should try doing. You are welcome to post your comments on my photo, which is pasted here for a sample test. Lets see whether you succeed in your evaluation of my snap and know me by just looking at my photo. Happy Reading...

Creative Question Papers

Teaching is my profession. I derive immense pleasure from this act which also fills the creative cavities of my brain. Apart from teaching and the classroom interaction I like to design question papers. Below you will find some questions that I had designed for part two English students at MCC.

Question # 1:
Too much love will kill you, if you can't make up your mind
I'm just the shadow of the man I used to be
I used to bring you sunshine now all I ever do is bring you down
How would it be if you were standing in my shoes
Can't you see that it's impossible to choose
Now there's no making sense of it
Every way I go I'm bound to lose,
And you won't understand why, you'd give your life
But here it comes again
Too much love will kill you
In the end...
Too much love will kill you, just as sure as none at all
It'll drain the power that's in you, make you plead, and scream, and crawl
And the pain will make you crazy; you're the victim of your crime
Too much love will kill you every time

Read the lyrics of the song ‘Too Much Love Will kill you’ (Queen) and compare it with the last line of the poem Mending Wall (Robert Frost) – ‘Good fences make Good Neighbours’

Question # 2:

Robert Frost tells us that he first he stood, then he looked and finally he took the road less travelled. Explain the meaning of the words stood, looked and took in the context of the poem – The Road Not Taken.

Question # 3:

Heal the worldMake it a better placeFor you and for meAnd the entire human raceThere are people dyingIf you care enough for the livingMake a better place For you and for me (Michael Jackson- Heal the World)


Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth and the weeping shores? (Michael Jackson – Earth Song)


Wild rivers and waterfalls I can hear the planet call show a little respect Beautiful to everything that is beautiful and if you want to save it all show a little respect (MLTR – Animals)

Based on your reading of the above quoted lyrics.Preapre a short but sensible paragraph on the need of preserving and protecting the earth/ environment and showing respect for all life forms.
You can use the essay authored by Jane Goodal as textual reference

Creativity is my teacher
Me, the humble learner
Muse inspires me to flourish
That’s one thing that I cherish

Books - Verbal Jaunts

'Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend,inside of a dog its too dark to read '

Groucho Marx

Books are my friends, the characters in a story are my mentors and the author is my role-model. Returning from that bookless, library-less world of Libya. I plunged myself into the universe of reading. The first book on which I could lay my hand was by J.M Coetzee. In 2005 I have read one of his work titled Life and Times of Michael K. I found that book was moving and deeply humane. So this time when I saw Coetzee on a library shelf (waiting to be devoured) I never had any second thoughts. Thus I started reading BOYHOOD. A poignant portrayal of a South African childhood.

The book contains two main binary oppositions -

The cultural ego-clash between Afrikaans and the so-called English life.
The religious animosity between Catholics and Protestants

I want to write a book on my childhood..it will be fun..i am sure..

Dreams are what we have
In this world, a dark cave
A dream is not something that happens when you are asleep
It is something which will never let you sleep