Here’s wishing Donna aka pondhopper, a very happy birthday! May you continue to bring smiles onto the faces of your many friends, and have a great day and year ahead, in the company of friends and loved ones.

The weather was quite nice today, so Shruti and I set off on a small bike ride, along the River Stångån.

India celebrates 5th September, the birthday of its second President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, as Teacher’s Day. Schools in India often have functions honoring Radhakrishnan, and present small mementos or gifts to teachers. The functions often include plays and skits with children playing the part of teachers. I remember how we’d pool together money we’d saved away from our meagre pocket money, and buy something for our teachers. Even the naughty students and those who forgot to bring in their homeworks would be spared from the otherwise mandatory caning, on this day! Some teachers would even crack a rare smile, making us wonder why they didn’t smile more often :)

A close friend of mine, Ankit Dangi, is a Jain, and each year, as part of the Jain tradition, he observes Kshamavani or ‘Forgiveness Day’, on the last day of the annual Paryushana festival. He must have attracted lots of questions from perplexed and puzzled people who didn’t know the religious significance of the message, when he posted messages seeking forgiveness, on social media, so he now includes information about the festival, in addition to the traditional message, asking for forgiveness for any hurt caused, either knowingly or unknowingly.