East or West MY HOUSE is the best

School culturals have a special place in my heart. The whole idea of getting together as  a community towards a common goal gave me such pride in both organizing and participating. However this introspection comes with age and at that time, I vividly remember it was about fun and bonding. It was about giving your best. It was about bonding across batches. Not to forget the small treats you enjoyed along the way. The practise session as always were more fun than actual event with planning schedules ( no what's app groups and just landlines) . You commit you show up. No delays no excuses. No fancy snacks during practice just maybe chips and juice or biscuits or sometimes just water. You stay back in school to occupy the stage to plan your positions and perfect the moves or use the instruments for one last practice. Now when I recollect , the dances were coreographed by seniors and typically every house had their own signature move. Similarly each house had their trademark songs that they had perfected over the years.

The reason I started writing this is because now when I see my daughter all of 6th grade participate in her first inter house culturals am flodded with memories. Funnily the core of this hasn't changed. The sessions are coordinated through WhatsApp and each kid Ubers and swiggy orders their way through. But the enthusiasm remains the same across the kids. The same instructions to smile, practice do your best ,it's the effort that counts. Not to forget the thought behind the theme , costumes. Of course  the costumes have gotten way classier! Analyzing the other teams and strategizing why theirs is better and work towards that.  Then the final results announced and the euphoria that follows is just the same. Truly made me all nostalgic witnessing the energy that hasn't changed across generations. One of those rare days when generation gap seemed non existent and time remained still. 


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