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Publié par | enyui |
Publié le | 08 décembre 2010 |
Nombre de lectures | 38 |
Langue | English |
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F
REEF
R
O
MS
CHByRahulAlvares
dn22
August
3002
OOL
1
It’snoteverydaythata16yearoldwritesabook.Infact,girlsandboysofthatagearesupposedtospendtheir
timestudyingwhatotherpeoplewrite.Itispresumedthatatthatagetheydonotthemselveshaveanything
significantorinterestingtosay.Andtheeducationsystemguaranteesjustthat.Thebestrewardsgotothose
whocanparrotsetanswerstosetquestionsinexaminationhalls.Thosewhotrytousetheirimaginationorreply
differentlyareoftenpunishedwithlowgrades.
RahulAlvaresdidnotsetouttowriteabook.Undertheencouragementofhisparents,heconsciouslyset
outtotryhishandatlearningthingsoutsidetheschoolframeworkandyoumightsayasaresult,FreeFrom
Schoolactuallycamelookingforhim!AfterhisSSC,unlikehisotherclassmates,heoptedoutofschoolingto
followhisinstincts:fondofreptiles,hechasedthemupatthePuneSnakeParkandattheCrocodileBankat
Mamallapuram.Intheprocess,healsopickeduptrailsofspiders,earthwormsandturtles.Hecaughtsnakesin
thecompanyofIrulatribals.Hegotbittenbyhot-temperedreptiles.Hecameoutofitallgrinningandwiser.
’FreeFromSchool’ishisstoryofayearoutofschool,whenthelearninggraphofhisyounglifewentupleaps
andbounds.Hewroteittoencourageotherboysandgirlshisagetomoveoutofthesterileschoolandcollege
environmentofferedbyIndia’santiquarianeducationalsystem,iftheywishtoexperienceanothersidetolife
andlearning.Helostnothingbutgainedalot.Sodidhisparents.Whenyoureadhisstory,sowillyou.
ThisbookhasbeenoriginallypublishedbytheOtherIndiaPress,Mapusa,Goa.Copiesoftheprintversion
areavailablefromoib@sancharnet.inorTheOtherIndiaPress,AboveMapusaClinic,Mapusa403507Goa.Tel
0091.832.2263306
Copyright2003RahulAlvares
PermissionisgrantedtocopyordistributethisdocumentunderthetermsoftheGNUFreeDocumentation
License,Version1.1oranylaterversionpublishedbytheFreeSoftwareFoundation.
Theauthorhoweverrequestsanyonedownloadingthisbooktomakeadonation(recommendation$2orRs
50)toagroupworkingforthecauseofwildlife,particularlyinGoa.IfyouwouldtoknowofRahulAlvares’
preferencesonwhichgroupcouldbesupported,contacthimatcna@sancharnet.in
Contents
1AFishShopinMapusa
2LearningaBitofFarming
3PlantFestivals
4LearningaboutMushrooms
5ATriptoKerala
6SnakesAlive!
7AVacationwithinaVacation
8Earthworms
9Spiders
10CrocodileDundee
11LearningtoTeach
12YouHaveSight,IHaveVision
13SurveyingaForest
14ChiefGuestAtBelgaum
2
3
8
01
41
81
12
62
82
43
93
64
15
45
65
Chapter1
AFishShopinMapusa
Y
OUMUSTTRYTOUNDERSTAND
thatwhenIfin-
ishedschoolIwasasrawasrawcouldbe.Ihad
nevertravelledanywhereonmyown,neverpurchased
atrainticket,sincelikemostkidsmyageIhadonly
travelledwithmyparentsorrelativesandtheymade
allthedecisions.Ihadnoexperienceofhowtohandle
money(myknowledgebeinglimitedtospendingthe
50paiseoronerupeeIwouldreceiveaspocketmoney
nowandthen).
SowhileIhadsetmysightsontravellingfarand
widemyparentswiselythoughtthatIshouldbeginby
learningtomanageonmyownwithinGoaitself.Itwas
alsotherainyseasonandtravellingaroundthecountry
wouldbemuchmoredifficulttheyexplained.
SoIstartedoutbyhelpingatanaquariumshopin
Mapusa,thetownnearestmyvillage.Theproprietor
oftheshopisAshokD’Cruz,acollegefriendofmyfa-
ther’s.ImusttellyouaboutAshok.Heisnoordinary
businessman:keepingfishisapassionwithhim.He
isfarmoreinterestedinchattingwithhiscustomers
aboutfishthanmakingmoneysellingthem.Ihave
neverseenhimforcinganyofhiscustomerstobuy
fromhisstockofaquariumfish.
Infact,itwasAshokwhointroducedmetotheamaz-
ingworldofaquariumfishwaybackwhenIwasjust
nineandstudyinginClassV.Underhisguidancethen,
Iexperimentedwithbreedingguppies,plattiesand
mollies,fairlysimpletypesoffishtobreed.However,it
wasamatterofgreatexcitementformeatthattimeto
besuccessfulinmyexperimentsandAshokwasgen-
3
erousenoughtoevenbuybackfrommethebabyfish
Irearedjusttoencourageme.LaterIdevelopedsuf-
ficientconfidencetoexperimentwithandbreedmore
difficulttypesoffish,likeSiameseFightingFishand
BlueGuramies-allundertheexperttutelageofAshok.
SoitwastoAshok’sshopthatIwenteverymorning
at9.00a.m.,speedingonmybicycletobeontime.I
wouldstaythereuntillunchtime,aregularhandson,
doingwhateverIwasaskedtodo.
Ashok’sshopisnotverylarge.Itisatwo-roomed
shoponthegroundflooroftheGomesCataocomplex.
Ithasadisplaysectioninfrontandastoreroomat
theback.Theshowroomhasabouttwentyfishtanks
ondisplaywithavarietyoffishthatAshokpurchases
mainlyfromMumbai.Eachtankstoresaparticular
speciesoffish.Ashok’sshopislocatedawayfromthe
mainmarketareasohedoesnothavetheadvantageof
casualcustomersdroppingby.HoweverAshokhashis
regularcustomersandtherearealwaysatleasttwenty
tothirtycustomersdaily.
Duringmyfirstfewdaysathisshop,myworkwas
onlytowatchthetanks,cleanthosewhichweredirty,
removethedeadfishanddosomeothersmalljobs.I
alsofedthefishandtreatedthewoundedanddiseased
fish.Sometimes,Ialsoattendedtocustomers.Grad-
ually,IbegantoaccompanyAshokonhisroundsto
variousplaces.
AgentlemaninMoirawantedtosetupanaquarium
athishome.Hehadatank.Healsohaddefiniteideas
abouthowhewantedittofinallylookandAshokwas
CHAPTER1.AFISHSHOPINMAPUSA
calledtoseehowitcouldallbedone.Themansent
hiscarforus.Athishousewediscussedthelocation
ofthetank,lightingarrangements,thewaterfilters,the
kindandquantityoffishhewouldliketohave,and
maintenance.Afterwewerefullysatisfiedthatwehad
everythingrightandhadnoteddownhisrequirements,
wereturnedtoMapusa.Laterhecameforthematerial
whichwekeptreadyforhim.
AnothertimeIaccompaniedAshoktoaclient’soffice
toputapairofDwarfGuramiesinthefishtankandto
fixapictureasabackdropforthetank.Onsuchvisits
IwatchedcarefullywhatAshokdidandsoonenough
Ashokstartedsendingmeonmyowntovisitsomeof
hisclientswhohadsmallorsimpleproblems.
Iwenttoclientstofixaquariumequipmentsuchas
airpumpsandfilters,tofixtoysinthetanks,tocheck
fishfordiseasesoriftherewasasuddencrisissuchas
fishdyinginnumbers,orifaclientwishedtoaddmore
fishtohiscollection.Iwassenttocollectoverduepay-
mentsorsimplytoenquiretheaquariumsweredoing.
SometimesIwentonmyowntovisitsomeoftheplaces
wherewehadsetuptanksandenjoyedwatchingthe
fishswimminghappilyintheirnewhomes.
Onedaymyemployerdecidedtosendmeasaspy
tofindoutthepricesoffishandfishfoodatacompet-
itivefishshop.Itriedtobehavelikeacasualcustomer
andwalkedcoollyintothecompetitor’sshopandgrad-
uallybegantoaskthepricesoffishandfishfood.Af-
terIhadfoundoutwhatwasneededIboughtapair
ofcheapBlackMolliesfromhisshopjusttoshowhim
thatIwasagenuinecustomer.Fromtheinformation
Igot,wefoundAshok’stobecomparativelycheaper
thanthecompetitor.
DuringthisperiodIimprovedmyknowledgeabout
aquariumfishtremendously.Thiswasmainlydueto
twothings.Firstly,Ihadspentalotoftimeobserving
thefishatAshok’sshopandgettingpracticalexperi-
encefromtheplaceswevisited.Secondly,Ihadbeen
readingthefishbooksthatmyfatherboughtformeasa
giftforgettingadistinctioninmySSCexam.Thebooks
werequiteexpensivebutwellworththecost.Being
4
abletogettheoreticalknowledgeandpracticalexperi-
enceatthesametimegavemealotofconfidencewith
regardtoaquariumfish.
Oneoftheimportanthighlightsofmyexperienceat
Ashok’swaslearningtomakefishtanks.Ashoktold
methatsinceweweregoingthroughaslackperiod,
hewouldteachmehowtomakefishtanks.Ihadto
startfrombasicswhichmeantpurchasingglassforsix
tanks,havingtheglasspiecescuttospecificationsand
thenhavingthepiecesdeliveredattheshopwithouta
scratch.
IhadaccompaniedAshokonseveraloccasionsear-
liertotheglassshopandwatchedasheorderedglass
explaininghisrequirements,orhavingapiecere-cut
becauseitwasdonewrongly.Infact,Ihadbeensentof-
tentotheglassshopforsmallpurchasessoIwasfairly
familiarwiththeownerandtheprocedures.Ashokhad
eventaughtmehowtocalculatethepriceofglass.Still
itwasanewexperienceformewhenAshokhandedme
somemoneyandgavemegeneraldirectionsonwhat
todoandIwasonmyown.Imanagedtopurchase
theglassandalsotogetitcuttosize.Sofar,sogood.
Nowcamethedifficultpartoftransportingtheglass
piecestotheshop.IwonderedwhetherIshouldgeta
rickshawforthepurposebutwasalittlehesitantsince
Ihadn’tcheckedwhatitwouldcostforthetrip,short
thoughitwouldbe.WhileIwastryingtomakeupmy
mindbytestingthepackageforitsweight,theshop-
keeperassuredmethatIwouldbeabletohandcarry
theglasstoAshok’sshop,whichiswhatIfinallydid.
Istartedout.Inthebeginning,itwasnoproblem.
However,thepackagegrewheavierandheavierasI
trudgeduptheroadtoAshok’sshopwithrickshaws,
taxisandmotorcycleshonkingawayonallsides.Even
beforeIreachedmydestinationIdoubtedthewisdom
ofmyactionsforIwastiredandmyarmsachedbut
Idarednotputdowntheglasssimplybecauseitwas
glass.WhenIfinallyreachedtheshopIheavedasigh
ofreliefthattheglasswasintact.Ashokwashorrified
atmydecisionandunderstandablyveryangrytoofor
asheexplainedtomeshouldIhaveh