The kick off

When I heard the news about the chances of relocating to the Netherlands, the immediate reaction that flashed in my mind was a big NO! Onsite has been synonymous to the US or UK to most of the software engineers, especially if it is a long term opportunity and if you are with school- going kids.  Anything other than that, you get skeptical and it was the same with me. But better not jump into conclusion without a little bit of pondering, was what my mind said.

Suddenly  what sparked my mind was a message I got to the orkut group two years back. It was from an ex- office colleague with whom I had lost touch, as with many of them ; after getting engrossed with my darling devils. Yes..she said she was in Amsterdam..and in next half an hour I shoot a mail. Her kindness and God’s will; she responded positively and convincingly that it is a nice place..much better than the US as you don’t have to depend on a car!! Nothing to be taken personal, it was just her opinion.

Ok, there goes the kick off. Next few days browse as much, analyse on the international board of education, do still deeper to find the extra curricular classes and then research on the hospitals, vaccines, weather and ofcourse temples!!!Try to get more contacts, bombard them with all this hoping not to get into their nerves and finally give the green signal on the move.

The only thing that could never console my mind or even accept any near compromise was Navneeth’s school.  As a parent, I liked everything about it. I still remember the days when I had to decide on his schooling. I was in a dilemma of whether to put him in a normal CBSE school or the upcoming Montessori method of education where the child learns at his pace. All I wanted was a holistic development for him so that at the end of it,  he is successful and happy. The outcome of putting the child in a prestigious and popular CBSE school is straight forward and we all know it. To know the other side of the new education tree, I met a Montessori trained teacher cum friend with whose explanation I was carried away but the end of it she asked me ,”If all you want is success and happiness of your child, will you be ok if he grows up and says ,””Mom, I want to be a Potter”! and another friend jokingly remarked only if there is a race, there is the motive to run. If you praise a lazy jog with a WOW, he is never going to run.That minute I was clear. I want him to run and pottery can be no more than a hobby for him. 

I am clear I am right for my son and days were happy from the day he stepped into PSBB. There was no pressure and there was time for all the fun  while his studies and extra curriculars went hand in hand, very good indeed. Be it writing, sloka, swimming or drawing there was healthy competition with real smart kids and in three years the classmates are real pals.

Well, everything must pass is the rule of life but I really dint want this to pass so soon. The last day to collect his TC was really tough at heart though Navneeth would not have realized it much or rather the man in him made him hide his emotions with the compromising statement that I will join them in third standard. Sometimes it is nice when we are just kids. But I can say I could compare my feelings with a successful engineering girl candidate having her campus offer at Infosys on one side of the balancing scale and a marriage proposal of a nice guy with a green card. You never know until the end which weighs more!!

All this flashback was just to say that we are all set  to board the western education system. “” no pressure all appreciation” way to bring out the inside talent could not stop me from being reminded of my friends remark on the running competition. . .