Those days

I am trying to remember people, places, things and events that are almost half a century ago. So if I falter, bear with me, correct me, remind me. People, well there is Brian Edwards, Kevin Wade, Manek Despande, Joseph D’souza, Bedford, Derek Andrade, Bernard Rodricks, Frank, and a whole lot of a hundred and fifty…

Music & Movies

Ever hear of the Binaca Hit Parade. No! Neither did I, until a kind adopted Uncle living on Bazaar Road just behind the Boarders Dormitories decided that the least he could do was to play that hit parade real loud for us boarders. And so, we learnt about Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Jim Reeves, Cliff…

Holy Week

If there is anything about my life as a boarder that I will remember in vivid detail for the rest of my life, it will be the Holy Week. It is not because I have any pretensions about being religious, rather it was because of the great Good Friday ritual. Ever since I finished schooling,…

Bandra Fair

Some years ago when I was in Mumbai to visit my Mother and sister, the Bandra Fair was on and I thought it would be a good idea to go around and remember old memories. I was so badly disappointed that if I ever go again it would be only to visit Mother Mary on…

Teacher Teacher

There I was all of five years old, with my newest buddies and co boarders, Brian Edwards, and Bedford. We all looked similar, or so I thought. Except that I had straight hair define my cranium, Brian had this wierd red brown hair with a fancy curl on top and Bedford had a puff. I…

Outing Sundays

While we boarders spent most of the year in house, we did have visiting Sundays and outing Sundays. The former was to allow relatives to visit their wards, and the latter was to allow the wards to be taken out for a day. On visiting Sundays I would watch with some envy the boys who…

Joe the Medicine man

If there’s anyone who remains firmly in my memory, it is Joe who ran the infirmary. He was always dresssed very neatly, if I remember his favorite was a khaki pant and a white bush shirt worn out (as against being worn inside the pant) and it gave the impression of being clinical. He was…

Altar Boys

Being a boarder also meant a rigorous religious upbringing. Morning prayers, 6.15 am Mass, Rosary, prayers before and after meals, night prayers, and during Lent who prayed most, We. Then there was being an Altar Boy, but all prayers to be learnt were in Latin. Somehow I managed and frequently assisted in mass from as…

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