Syeda Farida - a chubby cheeked wonderwoman
/The years 2008-2013 were filled with learning and wonder. I had freelanced for Young World, The Hindu, where I met Syeda Farida ma'am (Or fondly known as Farida ma'am). This post is an ode to her./
In a world full of fanged monsters, Farida ma'am was a chubby-cheeked angel. The first thing you'd notice were her eyes - calm yet fiery and next, her tenor: a sing-song rhythmic quality that fitted her so well. I first met her at The Hindu office. It was a dream-come-true for me. She offered me coffee, which I reluctantly had and she pored over my blog posts that I printed for her to see.Her eyes lit as she smiled and told me that my interests were in social service, art and literature related articles. And, she suggested me to write in those beats. She gave me some writing tips, since I did not major in journalism. However, I enrolled in one, immediately. Such was her effect!
Initially, I was hesitant to speak with Farida ma'am and a couple assignments later, we grew comfortable enough; she would call me to scold me too. I love people who uninhibitedly fondly scold others.. it shows the level of freedom they share. And, Farida ma'am was never afraid to speak her mind. She often used colloquial words while addressing us too.
I still remember this one story for Young World, where I had featured a student who had done exceptionally well and Farida ma'am scolded me for doing such a feature. I was afraid if it had to do with my writing style. She said that what kind of precedence are we setting for the children who are not gifted as much as her. We love excellence but forget the thorn of expectations for the rest of the junta.
Her ideology was different. It was no shocker when I learnt that she was a Buddhist (though given my prejudiced mind then, I was taken aback). She savoured south-Indian delicacies. Many of my meetings with her were at the south-Indian Chutneys at the Nagarjuna circle branch. She loved the coffee, there.
Farida ma'am will always remain a memory and a mentor I will remember all my life. Our parents and teachers teach us to hold a pen, but it is a mentor who teaches us to use it well. Such was she. She taught me and many of us, how to wield the pen.
An article from her: The Himalayan Paradise
Note: beats: In journalism it is the specialised field that one takes up to pursue one's journalistic career in, e.g.: sports, politics..etc.
In a world full of fanged monsters, Farida ma'am was a chubby-cheeked angel. The first thing you'd notice were her eyes - calm yet fiery and next, her tenor: a sing-song rhythmic quality that fitted her so well. I first met her at The Hindu office. It was a dream-come-true for me. She offered me coffee, which I reluctantly had and she pored over my blog posts that I printed for her to see.Her eyes lit as she smiled and told me that my interests were in social service, art and literature related articles. And, she suggested me to write in those beats. She gave me some writing tips, since I did not major in journalism. However, I enrolled in one, immediately. Such was her effect!
Initially, I was hesitant to speak with Farida ma'am and a couple assignments later, we grew comfortable enough; she would call me to scold me too. I love people who uninhibitedly fondly scold others.. it shows the level of freedom they share. And, Farida ma'am was never afraid to speak her mind. She often used colloquial words while addressing us too.
I still remember this one story for Young World, where I had featured a student who had done exceptionally well and Farida ma'am scolded me for doing such a feature. I was afraid if it had to do with my writing style. She said that what kind of precedence are we setting for the children who are not gifted as much as her. We love excellence but forget the thorn of expectations for the rest of the junta.
Her ideology was different. It was no shocker when I learnt that she was a Buddhist (though given my prejudiced mind then, I was taken aback). She savoured south-Indian delicacies. Many of my meetings with her were at the south-Indian Chutneys at the Nagarjuna circle branch. She loved the coffee, there.
Farida ma'am will always remain a memory and a mentor I will remember all my life. Our parents and teachers teach us to hold a pen, but it is a mentor who teaches us to use it well. Such was she. She taught me and many of us, how to wield the pen.
An article from her: The Himalayan Paradise
Note: beats: In journalism it is the specialised field that one takes up to pursue one's journalistic career in, e.g.: sports, politics..etc.
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