THANK YOU 2025… WELCOME 2026

While standing on the last day of this year, when we look back, we can see that many things that happened were unplanned. In 2025, we may have decided to do many things, but some of them didn’t happen. At the same time, many unexpected moments came into our lives, bringing changes to our personality. When I look back at my own life, I can see many falls and  growths, some of which I never planned. Life is like that we plan many things, but life itself always has some other plans.

Through different experiences, we were able to understand our lives more deeply. Sometimes a random moment or a simple conversation with someone can bring great changes to our lives, changes that hold great value. For me, one such unexpected and precious moment was the publication of my book  “T Thoughts.” I had just started writing some quotes, and they later turned into a book. I am forever grateful to everyone who stood by me and helped me to become an author. I have learned many lessons through that publishing journey, and I believe those lessons will guide me in my future writings and publications.

As this year is coming to an end, I want to tell everyone: don’t be sad about whatever happened. Accept all the experiences as a part of life, because each one taught us something. Carry forward the useful lessons into the upcoming year, and let go of the negative ones so you won’t repeat them again. Try to give your best in this New Year. Never demotivate yourself. Try to build your self-confidence every day, live in harmony with nature and other living beings, and above all, be a good human being.

Wishing Everyone a Prosperous and Blessed New Year 2026. 🎉✨

 

              Unexpected Gifts Are Always Special💝

                                        

I was just scrolling through my gallery when suddenly an image caught my attention. It brought back the memory of a surprise I once got from my junior, who is also my roommate. One day, both of us went out together I had to attend a Jesus Youth program, and she was going to the library with another friend. Since we were travelling in the same direction, we decided to board the same train. As we were walking towards the ticket counter, the sight of red roses kept for sale caught my eyes. I am a great admirer of these flowers, so I told her, “Hey, look how beautiful those flowers are!” She agreed and even asked whether I wanted to buy them. I told her, “Those flowers might be expensive, so we can just leave it.”

Then we boarded the train she went to the library, and I went for my program. I thought she would finish early, but unexpectedly, both of us reached the station almost at the same time. She reached a little before me. When I arrived, I called her to find where she was, and when I saw her, I noticed she was hiding something behind her.

When I asked about it, she slowly stretched out her hands, holding those red rose flowers towards me. I was awestruck. I asked her, “Is this for me?” and she said, “Yes, this is for youu,” which truly touched my heart. It was the first time someone had brought me flowers, and it made me genuinely happy. I never expected her to do that, and I couldn’t express my happiness in words. She made my day a memorable one and gifted me the loveliest thing I admire the most.

 

                    The Place That Holds a Lot of Memories 🌊

Today I am writing about a place that holds so many memories for me. It is the stream we call it "thodu" in Malayalam. These are the small waterbodies that join the rivers. I learned to swim in these small streams. When I was young, I was very afraid to step into the water, and my father used to drag me and my siblings into it. I would immediately cry aloud, and father would say, “Nothing will happen, keep quiet,” but I never listened and cried again. Then he would become angry and start scolding, and that kept me silent. After some years, as I continuously went to bathe in the streams, my fear of water completely disappeared.

Whenever my cousins came home, our first destination was always the streams and rivers. In the front side of my house, we have streams, and at the back we have a river which divides into three parts. Some years later, a check dam was built in the stream which raised the water level to the height of a person. With the help of my cousins and aunts, I learned to swim there. It was a wonderful experience. First, we used tyre tubes for safety, and later, as I learned, I started swimming without them. When I became confident in swimming, I even taught my friends how to swim. After a few days of practice, they also learned. There was a root of a tree which grew like a swing, and we used to swing on it whenever we came to bathe. As the water levels are not very high in these waterbodies now, the check dam is open.

      Whenever I go to the stream to wash my clothes, it brings back all those sweet and bitter memories to my mind : the games we played in the water, fishing with friends, swimming competitions, small accidents while playing, eating raw mangoes with salt, and so on. When I look back, it feels like it all happened just yesterday. These old golden memories are something that still give me a sense of happiness.

 

                            A FEEL-GOOD FANTASY.

                   As a Nivin Pauly fangirl, I was very happy when we decided to go for his new film Saravam Maaya. I felt the film was an actual comeback for Nivin. This movie is a horror/fantasy directed by Akhil Sathyan, with Nivin Pauly as the central character. The Premam star’s charming performance and his superb combo with Aju Varghese captured the attention of the entire audience. The actress Riya Shibu was the real show-stealer.

The film revolves around the character Prabhendu (Nivin), who is a passionate musician and a Hindu priest coming from a family of affluent priests. His life changes completely when he meets an unconventional ghost. The film is truly engaging, and I felt it was a feel-good movie. The songs and background music were so melodious. Some of the dialogues delivered by the characters were also quite catchy. I enjoyed the film very much, and I recommend everyone to watch it.

 

                        

                       Moments Of Happiness💕

The moments spent with all our family members are always very precious. Today, we had such an opportunity because we attended my cousin’s engagement function. It brought everyone together, and we had a wonderful time. On our way to the venue, we chose a different route, and the view on both sides of the road instantly captured my attention the lush green paddy fields and, in some places, the beautiful red amaranthus fields. What a sight it was! As a nature admirer, I couldn’t resist taking a few videos. Exploring new paths with such lovely scenery is always a delightful experience.

                         

 

            A WELL SPENT DAY💕

Even though I was sick, today was a wonderful day. Because my cousins came home and together we went to my mother's home and to a place called "Thabore". As I am sick, I was a bit hesitant to go with them, but they pushed me and as this was the only time we got together, I agreed to go with them. It was a great trip, and we took many photos. The view from the top of that "Thabore hills" was really beautiful. I feel that even though we may have some sickness, if it’s manageable, try to go with your loved ones, as those moments with them can't be brought back.

 

                    When Sickness Visits On Christmas Day .               

                 December 25th, the day we celebrate as Jesus’s birthday. “She will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means God is with us)” (Isaiah 7:14). As I have said earlier, this is one of my favorite days of the year. Unfortunately, this time my Christmas was spoiled by cough, severe throat pain, fever, and other discomforts. After the Christmas Mass at night, I was not even able to speak clearly, as I had partially lost my voice. The very cold climate here made these health issues even more difficult to handle. So, this Christmas was not a very happy one, but since I am at home, I still feel okay because I can be with my family.

 

                                           THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS🎅🎄

Today was a very busy day, as it was the day before Christmas. From morning onwards I was running to different places to buy things, attend choir practice, carol practice, etc. All the members of my family were assigned different duties. I had the duty of making the crib, and with the assistance of my brothers and father I completed it. There was a little difficulty while arranging the lights. Some of them were not working at first, but later the timely help offered by my brother solved the problem. We also had the carol from our parish, and after that we have the church service at 12 AM on December 25th.

As this is my favorite season of the year, I am so excited to go for the night church service and am eagerly waiting to see Baby Jesus in His crib. I am wishing all my readers a very Happy Christmas 🎅🎄.

 

                      PASSION FRUIT😍

             Today I thought of writing about a fruit. Most people may know about it, that is, ‘Passion Fruit’. We have a passion fruit plant here at my home, so when I saw the fruit I was reminded of the blog instantly. Years before, we had another one and its vines climbed up onto our old mango tree. Then we had lots of fruit, and we used to share them with all our neighbors. But now that old one is no more, and we planted another one. Now it doesn't spread like the older one, yet it has some fruits.

This passion fruit is a tropical fruit and has a sweet-tart flavor, aromatic pulp, and crunchy seeds. It grows on vines, and its flowers are very attractive. Its fruit has two varieties known to me: one is the yellow one and the other is the purple one. It is also a vitamin-rich fruit and is taken by dengue patients to increase their blood counts. Passion fruit is actually native to Brazil but is now grown in most places in Kerala and India. I like this fruit very much, and sometimes my brothers make juice using this. If any of you are not familiar with this, do try it once.

                              Preparing For Christmas🎄🎅

                      I was waiting for my online classes before Christmas to end, and today they finally ended. The classes will restart on January 5th. I was actually waiting for this day because I wanted to start the work of making the crib. As my brothers are busy with exams and other church activities, I decided to start the work on my own. I told my father, “Let’s start making the crib and all,” and he told me to start by myself since he was down with fever. Even though he said that, right after I cleaned the place for it, my father came and started giving me instructions on how to arrange everything. After some time, he also joined me in arranging the things. One of the best things I like about Christmas is the process of making the crib, as I find it very interesting. Today we completed the hills around the crib and the pond. From tomorrow morning onwards we will continue the remaining work. 

 

                 

GLORIA 2K25 – Town Carols

We had our first Christmas carol of this year today, which was organized by the youth in my town. It was a great program in which people of all ages came and participated. All of us had a wonderful time together. Our parish priest gave a meaningful message on Christmas. I got a chance to sing a carol song with one of my friends in the program. This was the first time we were able to arrange a DJ Town Carol, which actually caught everyone's attention. All the people, irrespective of religion, came and participated in the celebration. This town carol was started some years ago, and this was the first time I got a chance to be a part of it, because all the previous years I came back home for vacation only after this program. But this time I am so grateful that I got a chance to be a part of this power-packed DJ carol. This was a really memorable program in my life, and I believe that these wonderful moments will be the only treasure that can be cherished later in our future lives.

 

                           

                   The Legend Lives On: A Tribute to Sreenivasan Sir.

        This day brought shocking news to me. One of the legends of the Malayalam film industry, Sreenivasan sir, passed away. He was an actor, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He had some health issues but was getting better. Just last week, I saw him in a programme he had recently attended. So this sudden news of his death was truly shocking for me. He was an actor who truly lived through his characters, and the stories written by him directly addressed societal life and its problems to a great extent. His own life experiences were transformed into films, and his exceptional work had already earned him a special place in the hearts of audiences and in the film industry. Not only in Malayalam, but he was also known in other film industries in India, and he was even a classmate of Rajinikanth at the Madras Film Institute. His movies like Kadha Parayumbol, Nadodikkattu, Traffic, and Akkare Akkare Akkare were some of his masterpieces in which he delivered wonderful performances. He also directed a large number of films that brought him many state and national awards. Some of those films include Vadakkunokkiyanthram, Sandesham, Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, etc. Each of these films dealt with different themes, and some were political satires or films that addressed social issues.

In one of his films, when Lal Jose sir asked him, “Why are you so passionate about cinema?”, Sreenivasan sir replied, “To write about our dreams, to convey our protests, and to share philosophies and life’s realities.” For him, cinema was equal to speaking on 10,000 stages. His answer was very true, and he proved it through his great works.

Adieu, Legend Sreenivasan sir.🥀

 

 

Our Little Luna 🐶

We got Luna 5 years ago. She was very young then, and like any little one, she was also very naughty. Luna loved to play with us. Me and my three siblings spent a lot of time playing with her. Now you may think, who is this Luna? She is our pet dog. In the beginning, me and my sister were a bit afraid of dogs, but my brothers liked them very much. They used to play with her, feed her, and take care of her. Luna has always been a fan of little kids. I still remember the day my nephew visited our house. He got so excited when he saw Luna outside and immediately wanted to go near her. When we took him there, Luna happily started playing with him, just like she knew him for years. Years have passed, and Luna is still as lovely and sweet as she was on the first day. One interesting thing I noticed about her is that, unlike other dogs, she used to share her food with one of the hens in our house. They were actually very good friends and sometimes even ate together. Luna loves all our family members very much. Whenever she sees any of us in the courtyard, she expects at least a small pat on her head. If we don’t, she starts barking and making funny sounds to get our attention.

Most of the time when I go outside, I spend a few minutes playing with her. She jumps toward us, gives her “hands” (her forelegs), and sometimes we even dance with her. I feel so glad to have this cute little doggy in our life. I truly enjoy the little moments we share, and I love watching her play happily in the courtyard.

 

                                               When Help Makes All The Difference .

                                  Today we had online classes. I am not a big fan of online classes because the feel and experience we get from offline classes are very different. I decided to make soya chunks roast for today's lunch. As my mother needed to go to work, I told her that I would prepare it. Seeing this, my two younger brothers also came and said they would help. Thomas, the youngest among them, has his Christmas exams, so I asked him to go and study and told him that I would cook the dish after my class. My class was supposed to end around 12:30 p.m., so I asked my other brother, Isaac, to cut the vegetables so that I could start cooking immediately after class. He is very interested in cooking and likes to try new dishes, so he agreed without any hesitation. But his help made all the difference 😂. By the time I came to the kitchen, he had not only cut all the vegetables but had also boiled the soya chunks. I felt very happy because it was a great help for me.

When I started making the dish, I asked him whether he had added salt to the soya while boiling. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to do that, which made my work a little more difficult. After preparing the roast, it still didn’t have enough salt even though I added some later. Usually, we add salt while boiling the soya chunks because that is when it gets properly absorbed. Somehow, after a few trials, we managed to fix it. In the end, all of us enjoyed our lunch with soya chunks roast.

Please Note: I wrote this with HIS (Isaac's) permission😄😄.

 

                      When Your Land Welcomes You With Beautiful Scenery...

The happiness we experience when we reach back to our own place hits different, right? Today I can feel it as I reached my home. I am from the Kannur district of Kerala, which is famous for its beaches and hill stations. On my way home from the railway station, I saw a delightful scene where green fields stretched out, above which fog had spread along both sides of the road. This was a treat to the eyes and also brought a kind of coolness to the mind.

I didn’t get the KSRTC, which we Keralaites call “Aanavandi,” so I missed one of the most amazing scenes that I usually note during my early morning journeys back home. That is the morning view of the place called Oduvallithattu, which truly makes us say, “WOWW!” The beauty and calmness we feel in our own place is irreplaceable, and it can’t be found in any other place.

I am so glad for this vacation, as it gave us precious moments to spend in our land with family, relatives, and friends.

 

                                        Here Begins The Holidays......🥳🎉

Today I am writing my blog with great excitement because today we are leaving for Kerala for our Christmas holidays. We were actually counting the days till today. The climate in Kerala is also very cold now. The very day on which we decided to go back home, the naughty rain came and drenched all our dresses which we had hung outside to dry. This actually made us helpless, as we thought we could dry all the clothes, keep them neatly here in the hostel, and leave happily for home. But this rain really betrayed us. As we were very ready to go back home, we spun the clothes and hung them again to dry because we didn’t have any other option. There is nothing more to write today. I am going home by train, and as a person who likes to travel, I am looking forward to a pleasant journey.

Wishing all my friends here at MCC happy holidays.

 

                                   Turning Fear Into Learning Experience.

                                               

                                 I used to take online classes for kids through the English for Kids program, as I mentioned earlier in one of my blog posts. However, last Saturday, I got the opportunity to conduct a webinar for the first time. It was not only for kids, but also for their parents. The webinar aimed to introduce the syllabus of our training program and to provide students with samples of the activities and games we had modelled to enhance their language skills.

At first, I was a bit nervous, as it was my first experience conducting a webinar. However, with the support of my co-mentors, I was able to present a set of modules effectively to both students and parents. I received a lot of appreciation from many people, including our main head, George Sir. His words “Terese, you have improved a lot, and there is a professional touch to your presentation” truly boosted my confidence and made me very happy.

The response from my dear students was also rewarding. From this experience, I understood that with good preparation, commitment, and support, we can achieve anything. I consider this opportunity a stepping stone in my future teaching journey.

                                   

 

                                       To Connemara Library 📚📚

“Nothing is more pleasant than exploring a library.” Yesterday, with my friends, I went to Connemara Public Library, Egmore, Tamil Nadu. This is one of the oldest libraries in the country. We went there to search for some materials for our project and to explore the place. It was a great treat to our eyes when we went to the old library building. The ceiling work and the architecture of the building were so amazing. It really felt like we went to some other place like Rajasthan, Jaipur, etc.

The Egmore Museum is also there in the same compound, but as we didn’t have time, we just went to the library and then walked around the place. It is a calm space which can give us a kind of comfort. There, we also found many sculptures, which were arranged outside the museum, and all of them were many years old. The old building really captured my attention the way the books were arranged and the old print versions of books like St. Jerome’s Bible.

We have only seen this kind of library in films, and this was the first time we entered such a very old and beautiful library. When we talked with the staff there, we came to understand that this December 5th they had completed 129 years. Many people came there, and most of them were in the library reading books, newspapers, magazines, and some of them were preparing for exams. We also found some birds like parakeets and pigeons there, who were also residing in some spaces of the building.

One thing I found interesting there was an age-old tree trunk which was exhibited outside. As it was a wonderful site, all of us took pictures there and collected resources from the library. It was a great experience to explore such an old library, and I request all my friends to go there at least once because it is such a marvelous place where you can see age-old sculptures, scriptures, books, and buildings.

                

 

                A Night Out Battling the Chills

Many of my friends told me that nightlife in Chennai is very nice. For hostellers like me, it is difficult to get a chance to enjoy nightlife. I was actually waiting to get one. Today, I was able to go out at night with my roommate to drop off one of my seniors who came to see us here from Bangalore. First, we were so happy; then later, the cold wind hit so much that we started to shiver. Actually, we thought we could manage the weather, but it went opposite to our expectations. Both of us were laughing and shivering at the same time. Then we started to walk very fast to reach back to our hostel. Though I liked the foggy climate, it was difficult for me to withstand it. It was a nice experience to walk outside on a chilly night in Chennai, and I really liked it.

                   

 

                                    Mary Had A Little Lamb and It was REAL.                

                            You know what? The most famous nursery rhyme which we used to sing from our childhood, "Mary had a little lamb", had a story behind it. I came to know about this from today's general essay hour while we were dealing with children's literature. I already knew that some other nursery rhymes had stories behind it like, "Baa Baa black sheep" was based on feudalism, "Ring a ring a roses" was based on black death, like that. But I never knew there was a story behind one of the most favorite children's rhyme--"Mary had a little lamb". Ma'am read to us the story behind the rhyme. I will just summarize the story here for you and attach the link through which you can access the complete story. There was a real Mary who had a little lamb with her. One day while she was helping her father with farm chores they found two new born lambs and one of them was abandoned by its mother, it was very sick and about to die. When she continuously asked for permission to look after the lamb, her father and mother finally allowed Mary to take care of it. Thus, through her continues effort, love, and care, the lamb recovered fast. It was able to stand on its own and also became very much attached to Mary. One day when Mary and her brother went to school, this lamb also followed them and they were not able to send it back. Then, she kept her pet under the desk and covered it with a blanket. But, when the teacher called Mary to the front to recite a lesson, this lamb also popped out following Mary. This led to complete noise and laughter in the class. And later, one of her senior, John Roulstone, came and gave her a poem that he had written. It was the rhyme which we later learnt in our nursery schools. There is more to the story which you can read from the following link.

LINK :https://modernfarmer.com/2017/12/true-story-behind-mary-little-lamb/

 

                                                      My Small Bunch of Happiness

Sometimes when we feel down or bored, the people around us with whom we feel comfortable make our life better. Even their presence will sometimes give us a kind of solace. My roommates are such a bunch of good friends. When the five of us are together, we actually make a different world of our own. If any of us has some problem, we stand together and try to sort it out. My favorite time with them is the time we sit and talk to each other after coming back from college and explain the things that happened. One among them is very energetic while talking about those things. She is the one who is very much concerned about her aura. Most of the days she tries to preserve and protect her aura, but unfortunately, she comes back after losing her aura. The way she narrates things is really interesting. Sometimes she even re-enacts those things for us. Today also we had such a moment where all of us laughed a lot. Two of my roommates are juniors, and they are the kids who entertain us with something every day. During the exams only, this place becomes silent as all of us are engaged in studies; also, we used to help each other during that time. These people have also become the happiness pills in moments of tension. Whenever any of us feels down or loiters around, these girls come and ask, “Entha chechi, depression aano…?” and make us laugh by saying some jokes or something. They are known as the “Neelakkuyil Media” of our room, as both of them capture every moment of us, including some funny clips, and make reels out of them. When we went for birdwatching, these juniors also came with us, and they helped us capture photos of birds and insects. Actually, we feel like we are meant for each other, and all of us get attached to each other so fast. I was very glad I got these people here in Chennai; otherwise, I would definitely have gone back home. When we have people around us who know us well, who encourage us, who stand with us, that is the greatest blessing according to me.

 

             Secrets Behind The Advertisements : What An Ad Really Tells Us

                                 Today, in the cultural studies hour, we had an activity in which we had to analyze any promo video, advertisement, or post based on seven questions. As a group of five, we chose the Malayalam advertisement of Pampers. The first question was “Who is being represented?” From the ad, we found that a mother with a newborn child and a female doctor, who may be a pediatrician, are shown. The second question was “How are they represented?” It was answered as: in the ad, we can see that the mother is represented as solely looking after the child and always anxious about the baby’s comfort and health. Then, medical institutions also appear by giving approval to certain products.

Next was the question, “Are there any stereotypes used in the advertisement? What are they?” The answer to this question was also evident in the ad, where it showed the stereotype that childcare is the duty of the woman/mother alone, and the father is not shown anywhere. Fair-skinned actors are only included, and there is no male representation at all in the Pampers ad. The fourth question was, “What visuals and linguistic signs create this representation (colors, properties, and the way it was shot)?” Here, the answer we found was that a blue and aquamarine color theme is used, which matches the company logo or the cover of the product. A domestic, homely setting and medical scientific visuals can also be seen in the advertisement.

The next question was, “Whose perspective is being shown? Whose voice is powerful here?” From this, we understood that the perspective of upper-middle-class families is portrayed. The corporate and doctor’s voices are shown as powerful. The second-to-last question was, “What message about society does this advertisement reinforce?” To this question, our response was that the ad shows people being more concerned about children’s comfort and wanting the best for their kids. It also depicts the idea that good parenting is linked to informed consumer choices.

The last question was, “Does the ad support or challenge any dominant ideology?” To this, we reached the conclusion that it reinforces patriarchal ideology by presenting childcare as the primary and natural responsibility of mothers. It also supports consumerist ideology by suggesting that good parenting is achieved through the purchasing of branded and scientifically approved products. The ad upholds the authority of scientific and medical institutions and also supports upper-middle-class hegemony. At a surface level, the ad appears progressive, as it portrays a caring and attentive mother. However, this ad does not truly challenge any power structures; instead, it repackages traditional roles within a modern, consumer-friendly framework.

It was such an interesting discussion, which allowed us to identify the ideas that were hidden behind the usual advertisements we see on television. This made us aware that ads are not just promotions of their companies, but that there is a lot behind their portrayal.

 

 

                                                 Department Christmas Celebration

Today was our department Christmas celebration. All the students came dressed in a Christmas theme, and we had a wonderful gathering with an insightful message that reminded us that Christmas gives us the values of love, peace, and hope. The department choir presented melodious songs, and many students and PhD scholars performed songs, dances, and skits, which made the program lively and energetic. After the official program, me and my friends went to take photos and reels and spent precious moments together, as this was our last Christmas here. After a long wait, we finally had our lunch, which was delicious. I sincerely appreciate everyone who worked behind the scenes to arrange the program and the food. I felt extremely happy that we were able to spend time together, and I look forward to cherishing all the moments at MCC with my friends, as these memories will remain the greatest treasure of my life.

 

                                                     Christmas is Here!!!

          This is the month of Christmas. I am waiting to go back to my hometown and start the preparations for Christmas with my family. I am very excited to go back home, as it is the time when me and my siblings come back home and spend time and enjoy together.

As part of our Christmas celebrations, we had a Secret Santa in our class. This time, our class representative arranged it in a different way. We are supposed to buy the gifts and give them to the class representative along with a note addressed to our Secret Santa. We should not write our names; instead, we need to include a few clues about ourselves, and the person who gets the gift has to guess who the sender is. After we got our Secret Santa, Me and my friends went out to buy gifts for our Christmas friends. It was a wonderful gift hunt. We went from shop to shop, and searched for gifts, which started in the afternoon, ended at 8:30 at night. All of us were very excited to arrange the gifts and exchange them, as this was our class’s last Christmas at MCC.

 

                                            Beginning of my Teaching Journey.

                         After a long break yesterday, I restarted my part-time work at Accent English Academy. I was a part of that academy since 2021. Joined there as a student and now working there as a mentor in the program "English For Kids" from April 2022. It is a platform designed exclusively for kids of the age group 5 to 13. When my sir invited me to join the academy as a mentor, I was very excited and a little afraid at first, as it was my first time as a teacher and also taking classes for little kids through the Zoom platform. I didn't have any idea at the beginning about how to start. What could I teach? Many questions like that came up in my mind. But with the support and guidance given by the main head of the academy, our dear George sir, and the support from my family, friends, and teachers, I was able to polish myself in teaching students online. Me and one of my UG classmates were the first mentors of this "English for Kids" program. By engaging with the students, it actually helped me learn many new things. I was able to rearrange and create the syllabus for the classes based on each student's area of interest. If any of the students found difficulty in learning and practicing English, extra support was given to them through special sessions. This platform for kids is a space where they can open up and speak freely, interact, and express themselves. We are not only helping them learn the English language, but we are also helping them improve their skills. I will share more about this program and my experiences there through occasional blogs. I was actually very proud because I was able to share the little knowledge I had with the kids so that it would help them in their future journey.  "Knowledge is not meant to be concealed; it should be shared."

                                          

                                                          

                                                         Different in Species, Same in Pose.

                                                         Nature is a place where human beings, plants, and animals exist together by caring for each other, right? It is our duty as conscious beings to care for our nature and other living creatures. Here at MCC, one of the things that really struck me is the creatures living here inside the campus. Especially the dogs here—they are very friendly, cute, and playful. Different from the dogs that we find outside, these dogs at MCC are different. They are very cool towards us; they come and play with us, and most importantly, they come inside our classes while teachers are giving lectures. As a new MCCian, it was a new thing for me. None of us chase it away. It walks round and round and sometimes comes towards each student, with the expectation that it will get some food from us. Last day too, a dog was there in our class, but I noticed only after the class. It found shelter in our class and was taking rest under a desk, as it was raining outside. After some time, it went outside. During the breaktime, while I was talking with my friends, we saw another one coming up through the stairs. It came before us and lay down there. Some students came towards it and caressed the dog. As my two friends were afraid of them, I stayed there with them, just watching the dog. Then, as I was sitting there, watching the dog, my friend took a photo. I asked her, "What are you doing?" Then she said she was trying to capture me and the dog in one frame. As the dog was not very close to me, I thought she wouldn't be able to get a picture. As I was looking somewhere else, she took a picture of me and that dog and showed it to me, saying that "two friends were sitting in the same pose," which actually made me laugh. Actually the caption given by her was somewhat correct. And she is the one who asked me to write about that photo in my blog, and I dedicate this to her.

                              

                                     When two nature lovers pose in the same way....😅🐶

 

                                                Through The Woods Of MCC.

                                 After coming here at MCC I came to know that our college has a farm. From then onwards I wished to go there and was waiting to get an opportunity. It was then that Rufus sir asked us to go for bird watching and he told us we can go to the farm also. Then as team with my 2 classmates and 2 juniors who were interested in bird watching and adventures, we set out. Actually, we didn't know where the farm was. We just followed the boards which showed the direction to the farm . On the way we found some birds, butterflies, owl etc. We also got 3 pines of a porcupine. After losing our way in between, at last, we reached the farm . I was very excited to go inside. Then we asked the security for permission and said that we came for bird watching, he allowed us to go inside. While we were standing at the gate, a peacock just passed before us but we were not able to get a picture. 

                   Then we walked inside looking for birds, animals and insects. There we saw egrets, cows, a calf, pigs, and also spotted some birds. While we walked to capture the picture, suddenly some puppies ran towards us. Then my friends stopped halfway. I didn't noticed it first, as I was walking slowly to take the pictures of the birds, but as I turned to ask something, I found them standing there before the puppies and were not moving from there as they were afraid of them . My juniors are very afraid of them that they began to say, "ayyo chechi.....ithine oadichu viduu..." and all . As they were little puppies, the security told us it won't do any harm. So I went there and chased the puppies away. Then took my friends along with me to take the photos. It was such an incredible walk which we started from near the Botany department and ended up near Selaiyur hall. We were able to listen to the sounds of birds and the creaking sound made by the branches of trees in the wind. Thus, one of my wish came true and we really enjoyed the walk.

Some of the pictures we took are given below

                                                    Common Mormon Butterfly

                                                White Throated Kingfisher and Black Drongo

                                                      Jungle Babbles

                                                 Common Pierrot Butterfly

                                                                  Egret

     

                                                   Common Mormon Butterfly

                                                     Pines Of Porcupine.

                                                                   MCC FARM

                                                                Banyan Tree

 

                                                      The Month of December

                                         December is the month of hope, happiness, love, sharing, and of course the very chill weather. This week is kind of a very cold one. Everyday it was raining continuously, which made most of us to remain under our blanket in early mornings and doesn't allow us to wake up. As this cold weather continued, we were not even able to dry our clothes. While walking to and from the college, and also in the class, I was literally shivering. Me and my friends were actually waiting for some hot weather. After 3 days of continuous rain, this morning appeared as a clearer one. The sun peeped through the clouds which actually gave us some kind of happiness as the long awaited guest has arrived. During the breaktime at college me and my friends went outside to get some sunlight so that we could keep ourselves warm. But the sun didn't stay for long. After one hour it again started raining, which brought back the chilling atmosphere. 

 After coming to Chennai, the one thing I understood was that the climate here is unpredictable. Even though I shiver, winter (without rain, foggy climate with little warm sunlight) is still my favorite season and December is my favorite month because, it's the month of Christmas!!🎄🎅

                                        A Foggy morning at MCC❆🌁