New school in town
If you were to ask me what was the one thing that is a game changer in any country I’d say it was education. Education brings with it immense progress - because more citizens become conscious about environment, conservation, punctuality, que’s, etiquette, value systems, moral values and incidences of rape and crime are likely to go down with learning and enlightenment. When new schools open up, I feel we are teaching more people how to fish than handing out dole? The ‘make in India’ agenda also gains impetus with enterprise and skill development. So when I’m invited as for a new school inauguration I am happy to be part of the flag off! I’ve always had a strong affinity for students and schools and education! The smell of schoolbooks is alluring!
The new Finland International School is a beautiful blend of an Indian school with Finnish ways, books and teachers. An intertwining of the best of both worlds and way more hands-on in its look and feel. The launch of this colourful school was grand and celebratory even if on a particularly hot day. But with all the pomp and pageantry we had quite a wonderful time heralding one more illustrious institution on Mumbai’s firmament! Soha Ali Khan Pataudi and Sagarika Khan with her dapper husband made for exciting chief guests and spoke well. Kudos Shashank Goenka; Fatema Agarkar; Principal Ana Hart; COO Nikke Keskinen and the team FIS Tanja Kauppila, Rajani Naik, Radha Trivedy, Sheetal Sheth, Babita, Meeri for pulling off a very fun inauguration.
Foodie delight
Schools restaurants and new cinemas opening in Mumbai make it an even more happening city of dreams? A heart-warming story to be shared about my folks is about Gaylord Restaurant on Churchgate. My parents first met at St Xavier’s college studying economics honours and had enjoyed clandestine romantic dates there post college. So when this favourite restaurant was renewed and reopened in its lovely Paris like avatar recently, it was absolutely imminent that we go there for dinner.
Luxury designer Aakif Habib hosted an intimate dinner for me and my parents and also ordered the very dishes they had had at that time so that they relived those moments while savouring the same chicken a la kiev and vegetable au gratin that they had loved when dating at this historic restaurant.
Reliving memories
Speaking of old times, this was a week of reliving memories for many! There was a reunion of their college friends and mates at Vijay and Suniela Malhotras home and a resplendent party celebrated the great times of bon homie these friends spent through college and life in the sixties and seventies. It was an age of life long friendships made for the sake of laughter and camaraderie without favours, agenda and pay backs.
I wonder if that will be the way going forward for our current generation. Of life long bonds for the sake of bonds and no other. Many veteran divas toasted over champagne and red, belting out mellifluous golden oldies even while yesteryear singing sensation Sudha Malhotra also sportingly sang a favourite movie melody. Grand dame Durga Chulani, Sabira Merchant, Manju Sanghi, Geeta Mehra and many more reminisced about the passing of an “old order giving way to new”! The ‘new’ was represented by Bollywood actor Vishal Malhotra with his wife Raashi and by me so all the pictures and selfies were taken by us.
Whether the ‘new’ spells loyalty, faithfulness, sacrifice and the values of those times remains to be seen?!
