When I read what you wrote, "I still remember the train pulling out of sealdah station and how i was crying and holding on to my mum telling her I dont want to go to school...." I could feel the pain of separation. I wanted to cry too.
Its all started with my mum and dad having their usual fights ,and yeah back then I was only 2 years old .So my aunty and my uncle feeling sorry for me decided i need a better environment and a good place to live instead of listening to my parents fight . So of they packed me up for a long journey to the Homes . I still remember the train pulling out of sealdah station and how i was crying and holding on to my mum telling her I dont want to go to school . in my little heart I cursed her and was so angry but then I quess she was doing the right thing for me and my future sending me of far away from all the evil things that I may encounter at home .
well i was a boy of 2 and yes I landed up in Lucia King with aunty Diana at my side .She was a jewel and a lovely mother who took care of us and loved us as her own kids .I remember i was in Green dorm and everything was green that till today its my favorite colour .The Au pair ladies were taking good care of us and I enjoyed my golden days at Lucia King .
Then I got alittle older and got sent to wales Lodge where aunty mary took care of us ....hehehehe.....boy she was one strict house parent but had a soft spot when we did everything right .I remember if we wet out beds or made number two in our underwear she spanked us till our bums were red . She taught us how to follow rules and how to be clean and be ready for the cottage life .
Then when I was around 7 i was sent to Scottish Canadain ,it was so big for a little boy when you have to look at the roof from the playing ground . cottage life was cool ,but hard ,as we small boys were in constant fear that if anything we do wrong ,we were sure to get lupped up by the big boys or from Dhari /Thaje . Cottage life was not easy because it was a survival life ,you just had to look out for your self and learn to live with everyone big or small . The bullying /sexuall abuse and the injuctise was all part of the big boys normal routine .and as a little biy all you ever waited for is to be a big person so you dont take crap from anyone . school wasnt far from the life we faced in the cottages ,teachers had their own way of mocking /and abusing the students physically and mentally .
I cant say the Education was good ,because if you have 3 hours of study every day ,im sure you would do well in the education field .( Morning prep /Night prep)
Food ! Hmmm! [ cant say it was good apart from breakfast ,lunch and dinner had more or less the same taste and didnt look different .What tasted different was the sunday meals and i always looked forward to sundays .
Sports ! I enjoyed sports but 90% of the sports we participated was not on free will . if you didnt join some sports where it proved if your tough enough ,then your called a sissy or a chick ( boxing ) Swimming was the scariest sports of all ,cos when your a small boy man your thrown into the deep and there your on your own trying to save your self ,gosh what a way to teach kids how to swim .? ( learning with fear in you )
Hostel life was not at all bad ,like I said in the Homes if your a big made boy ,your ok and life is cool .( Hostel life was more of forming your own gang ) example .....> nepali gang /anglo gang /bhutanese gang etc < At this age we turned out to be rebelous ,I quess after so many years taking a beating and flogging and with the strict military rules we just went crazy and did things we just couldnt imagine .
well after all those years ,i still love the homes and respect the people who teach us these ruless.( after leaving DGH it makes you the perfect man for the real world when it comes to survival /independancy and standing on your own 2 feet ) But on the other hand it never gave us the freedom of really trying to see who we are ,where did we come from what is are status in the real world . It never helped us psychologycally because many of us went through a hard time and did need help after school life .
For most of us who lived their from a baby ,thats our culture and thats our base .( Thats our origin ) Thanks Melvinn Pattern
