Describe a skill that you learned from older people
You should say:
- What the skill is
- Who you learned it from
- How you learned it
- And how you feel about it
Music is my passion, and I love listening to Indian movie songs on my headphones.
Though I possess the headphones that have a very great sound quality, they have their limitations.
The music I hear on my headphones is created by someone else, and there is no comparison between the music we create and the music that others have created for us.
Since childhood it was my dream to learn a musical instrument. I wanted to learn a string instrument.
The most popular string instrument in my schooldays was guitar.
We were all fans of rock-n-roll music. And rock-stars such as Freddie Mercury, Bryan Adams were the kings of Rock music.
And I used to dreamed about becoming a rock-star one day.
But, then as I grew up, I realized that the real fun is in learning a piano. The sound of a piano is a very sweet one.
And it is a soulful experience to hear someone playing a piano.
I would become ecstatic whenever I imagined myself giving a piano performance at some imaginary music concert.
When I entered college, there was a music-course that our university was offering for college students.
A well-known musician , Mr. Ronald Christie was the mentor of that course. Mr. Ronald Christie was a very popular piano player in his time.
He had won many national and international awards for his extraordinary piano performances.
So I was quite excited to learn piano playing under the tutelage of Mr. Christie.
My friend Suresh and I enrolled in that course, and as college students we got a 25% discount on our fees.
Our classes took place on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday in a week.
Our teacher Mr. Christie whom we called “Sunny Sir” was a very humble person.
Sunny Sir never reprimanded us if we made any mistakes while practicing.
Although he had reached the ripe age of 70, he was fit as a fiddle. He himself would play his piano with the energy of a young guy of 20.
It was very amusing to see his agile fingers moving over the keyboard as if it was a mighty river that was flowing.
And what a heavenly piece of music “River flows in Us” that Sunny Sir composed.
Our course lasted for 2 years , and then Sunny sir got an offer from Trinity Music School, London to teach piano there.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime offer that he could not refuse.
So he had to go, and we were very upset about his departure.
On the last day of our course, he gave us some motivational tips to improve our piano playing skills.
With eyes full of tears, we bid him a fond farewell.
Today, when I play my piano in front of my friends and they praise my music skills, I just close my eyes and with gratitude in my heart I say thanks to my piano teacher , our beloved Sunny Sir.
What can children learn from their parents?
Parents are the first teachers of their children. Children can learn many things from their parents.
Parents teach their children not just practical skills such as doing arithmetic or composing an essay, but also the moral values they teach their children.
What knowledge can children learn from their grandparents?
Children like to hear stories. And grandparents are the best storytellers. Usually these stories are mythological stories, and sometimes stories from history.
Through these stories children learn about their cultural values. And these stories also give them moral lessons that build their character.
What kind of help do you think older people need?
In my opinion, this varies from person to person.
But there are a few things that they need the most.
At their age, they usually suffer from some kind of debilitating condition. Some have poor eyesight or some need joint-replacement surgeries. Some need medicines for diabetes , whereas some need constant care and attention as they suffer from amnesia and other neurological problems.
But, these are just health related issues.
One thing that all the old people need is the love of their family members. Also old people need kindly attention from their children.
What skills can young people learn from older people?
Young people can learn the art of listening from older people.
I’ll tell you why.
Old people are very sympathetic to young people. And whenever we go to them with our worries and complaints, they first silently listen to all that we want to say.
After giving us proper attention, they offer some valuable advice for our problems.
It is not always the advice that solves our problems, but listening with patience allows us to pour our heart out.
And this is the skill that we young people seem to lack in our daily conversations.
We are always eager to say something , whereas we hardly have any patience to hear what the other person is saying.
Describe a toy you liked in your childhood
You should say:
- What kind of toy it is
- When you received it
- How you played it
- And how you felt about it
If we talk about my childhood, I have many fond memories of that time.
I can talk about my childhood friends for hours on end and I would still have many more stories to narrate.
The time when I was growing up was the time when our world was free of social media. And I am really very thankful for that.
It was a time that we spent making lots of memories without worrying about posting them somewhere.
Although we could invent new games and make homemade toys that could last at least for one summer vacation , there were some toys that we either bought from the market or got as a present from our parents or relatives.
In those days, remote controlled toy cars were all the rage. And we kids madly craved having one.
Luckily, I got my toy car when I was in 6th standard.
It was my birthday, and my father arranged a small birthday party where he invited my school friends and a few family members that lived in my city.
My uncle Suresh Johnson gave me a remote controlled toy car that he brought from the US where he lived at that time.
It was an extraordinary toy as it was just like a miniature version of a Ferrari car.
The remote control was wireless. And its range was around 6 feet. So I could operate that car by sitting on a sofa in my drawing room and drive it across the room.
I can still remember how envious my school friends were. Some of them had a toy car, but none had a remote controlled car.
I decided that I would not play alone. I loved that toy, but I also wanted to share the joy.
So I would invite my friends to my house to play with me every day after school.
Soon we were arranging car-races on every Sunday evening where my friends would take part with their own toy cars.
Of course, my car would win all those races. But there was nothing to lose for the other participants. They also enjoyed the play. And I enjoyed their company.
Today, when I remember those days, I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards my uncle who gave me that amazing gift.
Do you think parents should buy more toys for their kids or spend more time with them?
In my opinion, they should do both things.
Indulging kids with toys is not a bad thing. In fact, it develops their creativity. With more toys, kids have more chances to invent new games. And this is beneficial to their developing brain.
And we can’t underestimate the importance of spending time with kids. The toys that parents buy for their kids are useless if they themselves don’t play with their kids with those toys.
What’s the difference between the toys kids play now and the ones they played in the past?
Kids in the past had very simple toys, and playing with those toys involved taking an active part in the play. That made children more imaginative.
Today, the toys are quite expensive and they don’t encourage creativity as there is less imagination to do on children’s part when it comes to playing with the modern electronic toys.
Should advertising aimed at kids be prohibited?
No, banning something is not a proper solution. Companies that make products for children have every right to promote and sale their wares.
And their advertisements would definitely be aimed at kids only.
Of course, some misleading ads should be curtailed by a regulatory body , but that is another topic for debate.
How do advertisements influence children?
Kids are very easily influenced by whatever they see on TV.
Advertisements often lures them to buy products that they usually don’t need.
When kids see their favorite cartoon characters eating a particular fast food product, say, a burger or a doughnut, they would crave that thing. Some would throw tantrums and exhort their parents to buy such things.
And this may lead to childhood obesity that is a worrying thing .