When I was in 6th standard my dorm master was Mr Brown. He was a harsh disciplinarian and every morning we would have to stand in line for a uniform inspection. If we didn't pass we were whacked with a bamboo cane. The thing I remember most about Mr Brown, other than pain, was his damn dog Tuqlak. The creature was as bad as his master and was never in a good mood. I cannot count the number of times that bugger tried to bite me. Many many people can relate to stories about this damn dog !!

Who gives a s@#$ about Baseball being a favorite pastime. I remember the days in boarding when Marbles and Tops used to be the s@#$!! Those dudes in Jingle Bells across the street must be millionaires by now, with all the money they made selling those TOPs.!!

Speaking of Marbles and tops, the garden block, as it was those days, was the venue for most of these "sports". I remember there were a couple of unofficial champs in mabs and tops. And that I was NOT one of those. In fact, my mabs skills were so pathetic, I decided to stop playing and start stealing ! Usually I ended up with a good collection, until the elder brother of some junior school kid whom I had stolen from, decided that it was not a respectable profession and dislocated my left shoulder !

I remember well that the way we got out of study time each night was to take a set of dividers (remember the compass set) and put the two sharp ends in a plug point and turn it on. This would cause a short circuit and blow the fuse. The teachers never worked out why the plug points in the study class were all burnt.

The class teacher in 10c was mr Zachariah (1974). We had a biology dissection class. After dissecting the frog we managed to get the carcass into a bag and bring it back to class. This was duly deposited in the teachers desk just before we finished class for the day. Unfortunately this was Thursday before Good Friday holiday. Of course Monday was the Easter Monday holiday. By the time we got back to class on Tuesday the place was full of maggots and the stench so bad that we couldnt have any classes in there.

It was in 1975 when the principal, A.T.Balraj (or 'Tarball', as he was so affectionately nicknamed by students). He usually used to go around the tower block on his way back to office from home after lunch. We usually had 2nd. language period then and, needless to say, quite a lot of noise in the class (8C). On one such day Tarball just passed by and the Hindi master who saw him through the window said: "shhhhhh, the Principal just passed away!!". Tarball, of course, walks into the classroom to find out what all the noise is about. Just then one of the back benchers softly murmured "Hallelueah, he is risen !!"

Man, the way Hitler taught us history in 8th std ('86), we all could re-write history.. He was a class act.. Him and his "Eeenniiff" ( thats supposed to be 'enough' by the way).. And dear ol' Granny, Mrs. Srinivas. She was wonderful.. If only we could figure out what she said half the time.. Really, we needed to sit with a dictionary in class to figure out what she was saying when she pulled you up for something.

I visited Cottons last summer, and met Pa. He said that Chandran was in South Africa! Either in Johannesburg, or Durban. Any Cottonians in South Africa who know anything more?

Remember the time spent discussing socials? The optimum time was at the end of standard nine when the tempo's were announced. When the topic came up, one could see three distinct groups of students emerge. There were some exceptions, of course. One would be the (over?)enthusiastic standard ten's just waiting to enter the Hall and dance themselves into a frenzy. The other was the I-could'nt-care-less-I-have-to-study-for ICSE types who would consider themselves, very esoterically put it,'anti-social' elements! The third would be the I-don't-know-if-I'm-going-to-come-at-all variety who would have secretly been preparing for the 28th of June since puberty!
It was fun. The first official encounter with the girls school....the first shy steps in what one would reluctantly call a dance...the building up of confidence, enough to tap some poor buggers shoulder and get the dirtiest look, ever!..to boldly leading his partner and finally asking her name , desparately trying to catch her conveniently softly spoken words voice over the blaring music!
And for the more mature standard twelves a rendesvous at Casa's after the girls school has walked back with their teachers.Such angels one would say.Angels?
PS( Why in the world do they leave the last row of tube lights on in the Hall every time? Don't they trust US? Just look at our innocent faces. Chivalry written all over! Gentlemen at heart and mind!)

I am so glad to here that a fifth house has been added in honor of Rev. I.L.Thomas.I was his student in the early sixties.
A man of great compassion,humility and strength.

for everyone who reads this.
started bcbs in k.g. in the girls school and 4 th std in 1960.finished high school in 1966.studied the merchant of venice from the reverend!fond memories.great to know there is now a 5th house.
i visit everytime i return to india.
email.. peteprahlad@usa.net