Scouting

Today, as I was cleaning my house and documents, found a certificate/award that I got more than a decade ago...hmmmm.....in my 10th grade...."The Rastrapathi Scout" award.

I have many interesting moments to share which I consider as one of the best moments of my childhood. well why did I join scouts?  Now my wife would hit if I reveal the truth...let me take some courage..."because of Guides :)"...Our school had so many good looking girls in guides..I guess it was a trend then...hence i too joined...well those days these were the means of social networking....but good news to my wife is that I was not much successful in doing any social networking then....ha ha

Well this was a picture that was published in Udayavani paper in 1993 when we got the Rastrapathi Scout award representing our school MJC Manipal. 

Any guesses on my photo among the scouties and dudes of my batch. Couple of them studied with me right from 1st Std. I am still in touch with couple of them (names marked in bold). Let me try to remember the names now..

1)Ashish 2)Deepak 3)Ganesh 4)Gary 5)Jason 6)Keneth 7)Krishna 8)Santhosh Palan9) Santhosh Shetty10)Shridhar11)Sudarshan12)Newton13)14)15)16) Don't know.. sad that i ain't  know any girls :)

Awesome to still remember many names. It was fun participating in the National Jamborate held in Kolar. I still remember names of some pretty girls who came from mangalore and manipal...Seema, Kushnuma, Kshama, Reena..Jahnavi....ha ha...i am sure some names will refresh memories of people reading this...

Anyways, on some serious note...let me tell few things about scout..The tutor who guided us in our school was PG Pandit..he was an awesome person. I still remember his cute little face.

The Boy Scout Movement  took  a start  in the  United Kingdom when   Lord  Baden   Powell    organised a  Scout  Camp  at   Brown sea  Island on 1907 and the 'Scouting for Boys' was published in 1908. Scouting was officially founded in British India in 1909, first starting at the Bishop Cotton's Boys School in Bangalore.

The mission of the scout movement was 

"The mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people, through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society"

I feel great that at an young age I did play a role in contributing to the society (In some small ways). We did some gardening, planting trees, cycling, cooking, trekking, camping, helping people and many more..

I still can remember the scout promise and can tell it without any guide..
                    On my honour I promise that I will do my best

                    To do my duty to God and the my Country

                    To help other people at all times and

                    To obey the Scout Law

The promise by holding the hand upwards like this

I still remember the scout salute..

and Flag song

  

“Bharat Scout Guide Ka Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega

Uncha Sada Rahega Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega

Neela Rang Gagan Ka Visrit Bhratru Bhav Phailata

Tridal Kamal Nit Teen Pratignaon Ki Yaad Dilata

Aur Chakra Kehta Hai Pratpal Age Kadam Badega

Uncha Sada Rahega Jhanda Uncha Sada Rahega”

and the various knots we had to tie with the special rope..

• a) Reef Knot
• b) Sheet Bend
• c) Clove hitch
• d) Sheep Shank
• e) Bowline
• f) Fisherman Bend

and Republic day parade    It was fun practicing drills and doing march past on the R day @ 7.30 AM. Last year, I went to my school after about 14 years for a flashback. I was happy that my tutors still remember me. Even today we have a republic day parade done @ 7.30 AM. We used always get the Best Parade award. Many others groups who participate in march past are guides, NCC cadets, bank employees, HM guys, Medical students, Engineering students and many others. Post march past we got sweets to eat (chocolates and ladoos) and coke to drink. We then used have a football or cricket match between colonies like AnanthNagar versus MIt etc as we used have holiday for rest of the day

Camping and certification experience too were awesome. We had to cook ourselves with the woods in the forest. We had to call few guests and would get a grade based on how best we cooked..luckily we had a scout who knew to cook well in 8th grade itself, his name is Deepak Rao and is a good friend of mine.

I am feeling really nice to write this experience...I can go on for pages...It was such a nice experience. I wish all kids get an opportunity to have such a wonderful experience. Thanks to my parents...

www.vinuthan.blogspot.com 

Coin collection

With stamp collection, other hobby of mine is coin collection. My collection includes both coins and notes. Though my collection is not that vast as stamps, it is fairly OK to say.. I will upload the pics of my collection when i go home next time. not sure where it is dumped....

few of the coins are african coins where there is a hole in between. the reason i had found then for the hole in the coin is, it seems these coins where used to purchase milk. so women used to insert into an rod like structure in the coin and place all the coins...(kind of how my dad puts all the bills. He has this string tied to kitchen window. he makes a small hole in the bill and hangs it there.

please wait for the picture's. will upload it soon.............and also do share any coins or notes of various countries if its lying waste in your houses...

Philately

Philately is the name given for the hobby of collecting stamps. This is one of nice hobbies that i had during my childhood. My mom had few stamps (probably it was her hobby then...) and then i started collecting as well. I used to collect by exchanging stamps with friends....

Exchanging strategies were fun :) Exchanging were based on the rarity, shapes, country and the year. Based on these parameters they were tagged as "Rare".

Criteria for tagging a stamp as Rare: If the stamp is of Triangle or Round Shape. If the stamp is of some country that is not commonly known and is tough to get If the stamp is having a printing errors or is upside down (This is of highest rarity) If the stamp is very old like 1600 years etc

Here is how exchange is done I rare stamp with 1 other rare stamp 1 rare stamp with a common country but with different shape 1 rare stamp with multiple common countries that other person do not have common stamps with other common stamps 1 rare stamp with multiple rare damaged stamp Generally no damaged stamps are collected


I have 70 countries stamp of the around 200 countries Australia,Austria,Belgium,Brunei,Brazil,Burma,Bangladesh,Canada,CAMBODIA (KAMPUCHIA), China,Cyprus,Cuba,Ciskei,Chekoslvakia,Denmark,England,Ethiopia,Egypt,France,Republic of Guinea,Hongkong,Hungary (magyar posta),Haiti,India,Indonesia,Iran,Iraq,Italia,Jordon Japan,Kenya,Kuwait,Korea,Uganda,Tanganyika,Liberia,Liban,Libya,Loas,Malta,Malaysia Nepal,Nigeria,Nederland,Newzealand,Oman,Philippines,Poland,Pakistan,Qatar,Russia,Romania Sweden,Sudan,Singapore,Seychelles,Spain,Srilanka,Saudi Arabia,Somalia,South africa Switzerland,São Tomé and Príncipe,Turkey,Thailand,UAE,USA,Venezuela,Yemen,Zambia

I have as usual the rectangle, square and the rare triangle and rhombus shape stamps. I yet do not have a round stamp.

Just out of Interest, these are the 201 countries of the world Afghanistan,Albania,Algeria,Andorra,Angola,Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina,Armenia,Australia,Austria ,Azerbaijan,Bahamas,Bahrain,Bangladesh,Barbados,Belarus,Belgium,Belize,Benin,Bhutan,Bolivia,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Botswana,Brazil,Brunei,Bulgaria,Burkina Faso,Burma,Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Canada,Cape Verde,Central African Republic,Chad,Chile,China,Colombia,Comoros,Congo (Brazzaville),Congo (Kinshasa),Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire,Croatia,Cuba,Cyprus,Czech Republic,Denmark,Djibouti,Dominica,Dominican Republic,East Timor (see Timor-Leste) Ecuador,Egypt,El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea,Eritrea,Estonia,Ethiopia,Fiji, Finland,France,Gabon, Gambia,Georgia,Germany,Ghana,Greece,Grenada,Guatemala,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau,Guyana,Haiti,Holy See,Honduras,Hong Kong, ,Hungary,Iceland,India,Indonesia,Iran,Iraq,Ireland, Israel,Italy,Jamaica, Japan,Jordan,Kazakhstan,Kenya ,Kiribati ,Korea North,Korea South,Kosovo,Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia ,Lebanon ,Lesotho ,Liberia ,Libya ,Liechtenstein ,Lithuania ,Luxembourg ,Macau Macedonia,Madagascar,Malawi,Malaysia,Maldives,Mali,Malta,Marshall islands,Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico,Micronesia,Moldova ,Monaco ,Mongolia ,Montenegro,Morocco ,Mozambique ,Namibia ,Nauru ,Nepal ,Netherlands ,Netherlands Antilles, NewZealand,Nicaragua,Niger,Nigeria,North Korea ,Norway ,Oman ,Pakistan ,Palau ,Palestinian Territories,Panama,Papua New Guinea,Paraguay,Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal,Qatar, Romania,Russia,Rwanda,Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Samoa,San Marino,Sao Tome and Principe,Saudi Arabia,Senegal,Serbia Seychelles ,Sierra Leone,Singapore,Slovakia ,Slovenia ,Solomon Islands ,Somalia ,South Africa ,South Korea,Spain,Sri lanka,Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden,Switzerland, Syyria,Taiwan,Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Timor-Leste,Togo Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia,Turkey,Turkmenistan ,Tuvalu,Uganda,Ukraine,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Vietnam,Yemen,Zambia,Zimbabwe


I am planing to start collecting stamps again....If anyone wishes to go for an exchange or wish to give me stamps...please let me know....200 is still far to reach..

Lines of a soft corner

Lines of a soft corner

Life in shadows

With a hole too hollow

Glittering are billions of star

And all I need is one star

My arms are open all the while

Come; touch my love with a smile

If you think I don’t have the ability

You sure can change my personality

Don’t let me down my darling

Else my heart will stop beating

Can you be the one, in my life?

Or I shall be lost in the sky

[Lines of a soft corner is a romantic poem written when in college....to impress all the girls]

My Book My Life

My Book, My Life

In my Book with every word written

Has only your picture hidden?

In my Book with every page turn

Has only you in my concern

In my book, in my life

The words I scream, the angel I dream

In my book with few pages to write

There are many moments of delight

In my book are moments which I relish

Only to say that life without you will perish

In my book, in my life

Pages hidden behind covers, love hidden beneath eyes

In my book with every end of line

There is a hope of you being mine

In my book if any pages are torn

Is like all my dreams are broken

In my book, in my life

You are the source to write, you are the source of light

In my book pages turn as wind blow

In my life only you make my face glow

In my book with every page the story strengthens

In my life with every second my love deepens

In my book, in my life

Sentence dies without words, happiness disappears without you

[My Book My Life: dedicated to ALL my friends one sided love ]

Blood for Tears

Blood for tears

When thunder struck deep within my soul

Out sprung the blood of love

So steep and sharp was the prick

None could stop from it to strip

As there was blood for tears

Craters of bloodstone fell

As night came down with touch of evils bell

When screaming in full moon darkness

Hiding was the stars n’ moon in black dress

When there was blood for tears

None, but pain

When my body was to drain

Down I fell raising my arms

Tender heart falling in Gods palms

As there was blood for tears

None, none to cry

My love laid all-dry

What who and how was I

Was the mystery in deep blue sky?

So was the blood for tears

[Blood for Tears was written in my 8th grade when i used to hear a lot of metal, GNR stuff...To all guys who stupidly sacrificed their blood (common scene in colleges)...for all the love cycos:) and not for the freeks]

My Paintings

These are the paintings i have done..

These days I do more of charcoal paintings. The other kinds of paintings that i also do are Oil Paintings and Water color paintings. I need to learn Knife painting also yaar (my sister does it well). Kind of paintings that I do are landscape's and animals. Recently i have also tried faces (using charcoal painting). Next time I need to learn drawing Cartoons.

I have no favorite painters...it started as hobby and I do when i am in mood. But i always appreciate people who draw faces in couple of minutes just by him being in front of him.

Some good paintings i have gifted to may friends and sadly i have picture's taken of those....



Keep looking....some more paintings to come

Never Said

Never Said

Ocean in front and only a drop with me

All too alone with only you in me
Beneath the ocean, Up beyond the sky
Down under the skin, deep within my heart

Lay the Never said Words

Will my silence make you remember me?
All too alone with only hopes in me
Not knowingly, you have stolen mine
Only thy knows shall you be mine

Having Never said those Words

Never would you be hurt, with the unsaid words I have
Never would you cry, with all the love I have
Would the last breath have you near me?
Or would the last beat have the unsaid words in me

Having Never said those Words

Having never said, only hopes lay
Having never said, I can only pray
Having never said, I shall only wait
Having never said, I shall still love

Still love, Still Love…. having never said those words

[Never Said is a romantic poem written when in engineering....dedicated for all the mechanical engineering guys for the one sided story....]

Poem written by me...when TSUNAMI attacked

Mysterious Sea

Staring at the ocean, with a cup of tea
World seems to end, as sky meets the sea
From ages she lies lonely, calm and cold
With all her romantic stories untold

The tides rise and fall at great height
To everyone’s delight there is no end to this beautiful sight
Birds of sea fly in the early morning,
With the sound of wind, one can find her dancing,

Streams of water flow through the land
Touching each n every mankind
Does the sky gift her with the golden ring?
As sun comes down every evening

Suddenly deep down her soul was a quake
We not know the reasons for heavens sake
Out she came with a voice from deep
Taking away all in their silent sleep

Before one could even blink
Down where they to sink
Gone are they, without a word being uttered
As dreams of many are shattered

All the years, she looked like an undisturbed angel
Suddenly she is angry and difficult to handle
Like the sky shed tears through rain
All here are in deep sorrow pain

Thousand lay with deep miseries
Let us forget our small worries
Here we are billions of candles, to give them light
For all the survivors in plight

Please do not get angry my queen
Forgive us for any mistakes unseen
Hey my deep blue sea, please do not be serious
We still love you, though u lie mysterious

[Mysterious Sea was written when Tsunami attached the coasts of India. It describes how the silent sea could someday get angry]