Hello! A nice winter vacation for you all. Here is the thirtieth video about Ruchi’s Bachelor of Education course in the book ‘Spinning into a Career’.
Professor Kala is the supervisor for the teaching of history. Ruchi develops good friendship with Madam Kala, who wants to visit her even after the course. During the teachers’ training course, she gives practice lessons in schools like Sridhar Vidyalaya, St. Vincent and Punjabi High School. Ruchi’s stammering defect is reduced. She improves in her speech. It is lucid and enforcing, especially when she teaches the poem, ‘Seven Ages of Man’ by William Shakespeare. Her supervisor, Mr. Mathure, is enthralled. Ruchi appreciates the attempt of a student to write a poem by guiding him. Mr. Mathure proposes that Ruchi should teach English Literature to BA students in the same college. Ruchi cannot consider this proposal because she has not scored the required percentage in MA to teach graduate students.
Ruchi’s best friend is Mrs. Sheela Joshi. She suggests that Ruchi should go abroad and teach students. She will earn well, and it will put an end to her middle class standard of living. With this aim in view, Ruchi makes a passport for herself with the help of Jacob, her Jewish friend. Spinsters are banned from going abroad. Visa is not provided to them. Ruchi is dejected and resolves to move ahead with life. Mrs. Sheela Joshi’s husband is in the merchant navy. He visits his family once in six months. Sheela takes Ruchi to her apartment in Navy Nagar. Her house is elegantly decorated. She has hanging potted indoor plants and creepers. She manages the house alone with her children who are studying.
Mrs. Blossom is Ruchi’s Anglo Indian friend. Ruchi has her lunch with her. Ruchi eats well but is thin. Blossom suggests that Ruchi should visit the doctor and get herself checked which Ruchi does. The doctor prescribes medicines to improve her health. Blossom helps Ruchi sing an English song. Ruchi does not miss the chance of performing on the stage. She sings a Hindi song, a Marathi song and a Christmas carol in English. Her stage fright starts diminishing. She spends some evenings in her classmate’s house to practice a classical song for a dance.
The man who is a lecturer happens to be Ruchi’s classmate. She shares her lunch with him. He tells her about Karnataka, the place of his birth. He praises Ruchi for her thin and shapely hip and resents that his wife’s hip looks like a barrel. Ruchi tells him, ” It is you who have transformed her waist into a barrel. She had a good figure when she married you.” The man laughs. Ruchi says, ” Your wife is excellent. She cooks delicious food for you” Ruchi does not like men who do not value their wives.
Ruchi has her internship in Omkar Vidyalaya for a month. She visits other schools for observation of lessons. She submits reports of teaching done in classes in schools. Mr. Mitra, her family friend, requests her to make some idlis for him. Ruchi grinds soaked rice and dal on a stone mortar and prepares soft idlis for him. A few days later, Mr. Mitra passes away. Ruchi goes to pay homage to him. She cannot rely on homeopathic medicines because the reliable practitioner is no more. She takes drugs like Salbutamol, and Deriphylin to control her wheezing.
One sad thing that happens during Bachelor of Education exam is that she loses twenty eight marks because of wrong instructions given on the questionnaire. She is afraid complaining about it to the principal, Mr. Pandube, a rugged, stern fellow. He is vindictive towards certain students. Principal K.R. Patil seems to be a docile person who repeats his statements and goes on and on. He is a voracious speaker with an ambiguous goal. Ruchi joins the NAEP program. The bachelor course gives her confidence and fluency in writing too.
Thank you for listening. We shall see how Ruchi takes on her career in the next video. Till then, goodbye!
Video can be viewed on You Tube by typing ‘Spinning into a Career’ by Usha Raman.
