Anyone who has stayed in a hostel, at some point in their life, would be able to identify with the sentiments expressed in these poems. I was lucky to have spent three memorable years as a boarder in my alma mater in Bangalore.
A typical girls' hostel, it was " ruled" by Sr. Eunice Halge, an elderly autocratic nun of European descent.( She told us that she hailed from Italy , but her tyrannical ways, made us believe that she was most likely a German, who had certainly trained with Hitler in her previous birth, if not in this one!! )
Our hostel suffered from the usual maladies that plagued most hostels- mundane menus, rigorous regimes, remorseless ragging, a whimsical warden and regressive regulations ! Nevertheless, our spirited souls could not be reined in, and so we made merry - smuggling food to our rooms, sneaking out of the college premises bunking classes, sneaking into our rooms during class hours for an afternoon snooze, ragging the poor freshers, enjoying pyjama parties well past the "lights-out"time, hosting freshers parties for newcomers and farewell parties for our seniors!
The common room was a veritable amalgamation of chaos- some of us played table tennis, some watched TV, some listened to music, some played games, many others just lounged around staring into space, some even managed to study amid all the ruckus,- all of this happened in the same space and yet nobody complained. All the activities blended in perfect harmony.
Here are two poems written way back then . The first one is about the hostel life and the second one is about our inimitable, unforgettable, whimsical warden- Sr Eunice Halge who was addressed as Mother Mary,without whom, our experiences would have been so incomplete and bland.
Memories
~ Dedicated to all my friends who made my stay at JNC hostel (JNCH), Bangalore wonderful and memorable ~
Life at JNCH, they say,
Is all fun and play.
Come, I shall narrate a different tale,
Of JNCH, where I was neither hearty, nor hale !
To begin with.....the life sustaining force - FOOD !
How often did we on this subject brood -
-About eggs being crude
-and maids being shrewd !
How we dreaded the dampening sight ,
Of eggs and potatoes, morning ,noon and night !
One look at the cakes and desserts , coloured bright,
Sufficed to freeze our appetite.
About JNCH's atmosphere,
The less said the better.
It was so tense and austere,
A little spark could actually start a fire.
Rules and regulations were so severe,
We were worse off than prisoners anywhere!
Instances of gating,
Outnumbered those of our outing,
Twice a week we were let out on "parole"
Gladly then did we in Koramangala stroll,
Stopping by at "Cozy Hut" for a chicken roll,
Which often worked wonders for my poor starved soul.
Our saturday outings to "Brigs & Comms" were more eventful,
We returned with our wallets empty and our stomachs full!
Sundays also gave us no respite,
B'fast had to be at 7.30 , if we trudged in late, we got not one bite!!
Seeking permission to go out was an ordeal,
On deaf ears,fell uselessly many an appeal,
Thus was thwarted our gregarious zeal,
Making us with anger and helplessness reel,
After all our nerves are made of fibre, not steel,
And when unreasonableness we face, irate we do feel !!
Inspite of all that strife,
These memories remain the best ones of my life,
What wouldn't I give to spend one day in JNCH again !
The Iron Lady
~ Dedicated to dear Mother Mary , who is no longer with us ~
Clad in spotless white,
She seems unusually bright,for such an old sprite,
Sometimes she is a bit too trite,
But in the circumstances, it is often right.
Many call her stern and strict,
But love and warmth she never does restrict,
Her frail health does not constrict,
To make JNCH distinct in the district.
Indiscipline and unruliness make her wild,
For she disbelieves in "sparing the rod and spoiling the child"
Many a wild child has she made mild,
And hearing these reports, many happy parents smiled.
It is said she is despotic,
Making the inmates' lives melancholic,
But if she were democratic,
Believe me, JNCH would be so chaotic
Her recurrent outbursts hold no malice,
Their sole aim was to redeem us from vice,
All- in- all , life in JNCH is quite nice,
Especially with Mother Mary it is worth the price.
Armed with unmatched insight,
She puts up such a brave fight,
To demolish "wrong" and establish "right,"
Often I have puzzled about her indefatigable might.
Clad in spotless white,
In her inimitable gait,
She trudges across the JNC site,
Oh ! What a truly unforgettable sight!
In future , I shall make darkened moments bright,
By calling to mind this "unforgettable sight"
Of this lovable and indomitable sprite,
And with much pride and delight , this poem recite!
~ Yasmin
A typical girls' hostel, it was " ruled" by Sr. Eunice Halge, an elderly autocratic nun of European descent.( She told us that she hailed from Italy , but her tyrannical ways, made us believe that she was most likely a German, who had certainly trained with Hitler in her previous birth, if not in this one!! )
Our hostel suffered from the usual maladies that plagued most hostels- mundane menus, rigorous regimes, remorseless ragging, a whimsical warden and regressive regulations ! Nevertheless, our spirited souls could not be reined in, and so we made merry - smuggling food to our rooms, sneaking out of the college premises bunking classes, sneaking into our rooms during class hours for an afternoon snooze, ragging the poor freshers, enjoying pyjama parties well past the "lights-out"time, hosting freshers parties for newcomers and farewell parties for our seniors!
The common room was a veritable amalgamation of chaos- some of us played table tennis, some watched TV, some listened to music, some played games, many others just lounged around staring into space, some even managed to study amid all the ruckus,- all of this happened in the same space and yet nobody complained. All the activities blended in perfect harmony.
Here are two poems written way back then . The first one is about the hostel life and the second one is about our inimitable, unforgettable, whimsical warden- Sr Eunice Halge who was addressed as Mother Mary,without whom, our experiences would have been so incomplete and bland.
Memories
~ Dedicated to all my friends who made my stay at JNC hostel (JNCH), Bangalore wonderful and memorable ~
Life at JNCH, they say,
Is all fun and play.
Come, I shall narrate a different tale,
Of JNCH, where I was neither hearty, nor hale !
To begin with.....the life sustaining force - FOOD !
How often did we on this subject brood -
-About eggs being crude
-and maids being shrewd !
How we dreaded the dampening sight ,
Of eggs and potatoes, morning ,noon and night !
One look at the cakes and desserts , coloured bright,
Sufficed to freeze our appetite.
About JNCH's atmosphere,
The less said the better.
It was so tense and austere,
A little spark could actually start a fire.
Rules and regulations were so severe,
We were worse off than prisoners anywhere!
Instances of gating,
Outnumbered those of our outing,
Twice a week we were let out on "parole"
Gladly then did we in Koramangala stroll,
Stopping by at "Cozy Hut" for a chicken roll,
Which often worked wonders for my poor starved soul.
Our saturday outings to "Brigs & Comms" were more eventful,
We returned with our wallets empty and our stomachs full!
Sundays also gave us no respite,
B'fast had to be at 7.30 , if we trudged in late, we got not one bite!!
Seeking permission to go out was an ordeal,
On deaf ears,fell uselessly many an appeal,
Thus was thwarted our gregarious zeal,
Making us with anger and helplessness reel,
After all our nerves are made of fibre, not steel,
And when unreasonableness we face, irate we do feel !!
Inspite of all that strife,
These memories remain the best ones of my life,
What wouldn't I give to spend one day in JNCH again !
The Iron Lady
~ Dedicated to dear Mother Mary , who is no longer with us ~
Clad in spotless white,
She seems unusually bright,for such an old sprite,
Sometimes she is a bit too trite,
But in the circumstances, it is often right.
Many call her stern and strict,
But love and warmth she never does restrict,
Her frail health does not constrict,
To make JNCH distinct in the district.
Indiscipline and unruliness make her wild,
For she disbelieves in "sparing the rod and spoiling the child"
Many a wild child has she made mild,
And hearing these reports, many happy parents smiled.
It is said she is despotic,
Making the inmates' lives melancholic,
But if she were democratic,
Believe me, JNCH would be so chaotic
Her recurrent outbursts hold no malice,
Their sole aim was to redeem us from vice,
All- in- all , life in JNCH is quite nice,
Especially with Mother Mary it is worth the price.
Armed with unmatched insight,
She puts up such a brave fight,
To demolish "wrong" and establish "right,"
Often I have puzzled about her indefatigable might.
Clad in spotless white,
In her inimitable gait,
She trudges across the JNC site,
Oh ! What a truly unforgettable sight!
In future , I shall make darkened moments bright,
By calling to mind this "unforgettable sight"
Of this lovable and indomitable sprite,
And with much pride and delight , this poem recite!
~ Yasmin
