* I have the habit of jotting down ideas and writing full length posts in my diary, but some get lost in my indecisions (to post or not to!) This one, was written during the bleak period of COVID and here, it is, making a late appearance on the blog*
It all started with the lock down.
Normally, I wouldn’t have started teaching GBee Telugu, because, firstly he enjoys listening only to English rhymes. Secondly, he told me himself, that he is not a fan of Telugu.
Inspite of that, I tried teaching him Telugu and the results were unsatisfactory.
GBee : Avoiding eye contact and feigning ignorance!
But then, COVID happened and the lock down was implemented, which meant, GBee had nowhere to go, no friends to play with and had very little entertainment except for YouTube and the miserable light emitting diodes called T.V! ( We stay in an independent house and GBee had been an only child at that time)
One fine day, I tried my luck with him again by introducing the first two alphabets in Telugu and GBee didn’t shut me up!
That was most promising outcome, more so than my non-existent career!
This started the chain reaction in me and GBee found himself a Telugu teacher at home. (He must have surrendered, since he had no place to go and no other person to use as a friendly ally)
After a week of daily grilling of all the 52 alphabets (4 alphabets are not in usage now), GBee began recognising Telugu.
Tiring out GBee with repetitions.
GBee caved in….!
He had to accept defeat and even began taking interest in learning the dreaded ‘Italian of the East’!
As the days progressed, one day I asked him to tell me the Varnamala, which I knew GBee has learnt ‘by-heart’.
Instead of reciting all the 52 alphabets of Telugu, GBee only replied me, with the first and last alphabets!
The re-emergence of the Smart Alec!
After almost a fortnight, the kid became too clever for his own good…
I patted my own back, who likes a boring kid? Give me a smart Alec, any day!
P.S:
1. Telugu is called the Italian of the East, since it is rhythmic, just like Italian language. It is a language apt for poetry and songs. Any person with a little knowledge of classical music will vouch for that.
2. Sri Krishnadevaraya, the Tulu Emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire had quoted, “Desa Bhashalandu, Telugu lessa!” in his Telugu epic, Amuktamalyada. It translates to, “Among all the languages in our country, Telugu is the best.”
3. On a completely unrelated note, let me give a shout out to Rishabh Shetty and hope he makes a movie on Sri Krishnadevaraya, one of my favourite Emperors, along with Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj and ‘Chhaava’ Chhatrapathi Sambhaji Maharaj.
Whenever I think of Sri Krishnadevaraya, the image that appears before my eyes is that of N.T.Rama Rao, in Mahamantri Thimmarusu. My maamma (paternal grandmother) is the reason I watched this movie while I was still in primary school. Although I don’t remember half of it!
N.T.Rama Rao as Sri Krishnadevaraya
4. The sequel of this post will be up next. TATA everyone!
