The Best Teacher

 She was the teacher in charge of the fifth grade and in the new year she stood in front of her class and told pupils a lie that every teacher usually tells. That's she loves all the children in the class alike well and they are all the same to her. The closest reason for the statement to be a lie was a very little boy named Teddy was sitting in the front row of the class. 

Everyday the boy came to school wearing dirty clothes that were bigger than his body and he was profusely sweating probably because he didn't take a bath everyday. He had no friends. While the other children were playing during the interval, Teddy was alone looking after him. At first the teacher had only a slight dislike for him but over time it grew and finally it developed into a subtle hatred for Teddy. She took great pleasure in checking his exam answer papers and cutting out his wrong answers with a red pen and putting a big "f" on the top of the answer paper. His report was placed at the bottom of the report pile because of the hatred with him. But when she finally checked Teddy's past records she was amazed to read the note that Teddy's first year teacher had left in the report. That note read like this. " Teddy is a very bright student who is always smiling. He is very good natured child who completes the work assigned to him well and clearly. It is a pleasure to have a student like Teddy in the class." The second year teacher's note read like this. "Teddy is and excellent student. He stands out among other children in the class. He is well liked by others but towards the end of the year it appears that he very traumatised by his mother's sickness.  The teacher of the third yearhad left a note like this. "His mother's death has had a great impact on him and although he is trying hard to get back to normal, it appears that his father is not extending a supporting hand to him. I feel that if this situation is not addressed quickly his education and future would be disrupted. The fourth year  teacher's note also checked and it went like this " He has minimal interest in school work and often sleeps in the classroom. He is often lonely and has no friends. 

The present class teacher who read Teddy's past records understood his situation and felt great shame for her. When the first school term nearing close she regretted being so late in reading his past records between the days. 

According to the tradition of the school on the last day of the first term every student should donate small gift to the class teacher and when Teddy handed his gift her heart felt very sad for him. It was arranged but Teddy's prize was characteristically wrapped in a rough brown paper envelope. In from of the other children she opened the parcel and some of the students saw the old fashioned bead necklace and the half empty perfume bottle and laugh to make fun of Teddy. She didn't forget to appreciate the gift and apply some scent on her saree and said in front of the class that it was the best gift she ever received in her life.

At the end of the school, after the other students left Teddy came to the teacher and said in a soft voice I feel mother's scent from you today. At that moment she realized that he had donated the bottle of perfume that his mother was using. 

From that day the teacher paid special attention to Teddy and little by little his usual talents began to appear. As she encouraged him more and more his abilities become more and more polished and by the end of the year Teddy managed to become one of the most talented students in the class and at the end of the year the teacher was transferred to another school. 

Time went by. But at the end of one of the later years a letter she received from Teddy stated that she was the best teacher he had ever met in his life. In another letter after some times he had said his school time was over and he had not forgotten to mention that she was the best teacher he had ever met in his life. 

In the next letter  he had noted that he was now a student at the university. In another letter received after a few years he had said that he had completed his digree in science and was continuing his education. In that letter too he had not forgotten to repeat that she was the best teacher he had ever met in his life. In the next letters that followed he had mentioned about the  life partner he met and marring her next month. He had also said that his farther  died last year and before his death he asked him to invite the teacher to  attends the wedding instead of his parents.

"Are you coming madam? Aren't you." He had asked. 

He had not forgotten to say that she was the best teacher he had met ever. By that time he was Dr. Teddy. 

Teacher attended the wedding and she didn't forget to wear the bead necklace and apply some perfume that Teddy had donated her at the fifth grade. Seeing the teacher Teddy felt like his mother has come to his wedding. Embracing her he whispered into her ear

"Thank you so much for changing my life at the fifth grade. Thank you for making me realize that I am an important person by appreciating me in front of the class when I gifted my mother's bede necklace and the half empty perfume bottle used by my mother that was the most important day of my life.

You are the best teacher I have ever met in my life "

Horoscope of a cat

 This is an eight years old story one of my friends once told me pointing to his pet cat. 

"This is our pet cat. As we considered it's our duty to make his horoscope when it was born, we met the well known astrologer at the neighbouring village one day. We handed him the time at which it was born without telling that the New born is a cat. As he was a reputed astrologer in the locality, we thought that he would know the new born is a cat by using his astrological knowledge. 

He examined the time well and express the prediction. He told that the new born is a boy child. Although the new born is not a boy, it was partly correct because the cat was a male. We didn't show him our imotions. So he continued telling that the boys zordiac sign is "' Pisces "(sign of a fish). We believed it because the cat's favourite food was fish. Next the astrologers said that the child would learn letters well and for our unfortune we are still waiting for the cat to spell letters. After that he told us to protect the child well from water because water is going to be a threat to the child. Actually we did not deliberately try to protect the cat from water but the cat was voluntarily reluctant to go near water and always ran away from water when we tried to bathe him. The astrologer told then that the marriage time would reach the child sooner than parents think and we couldn't refuse the idea because the cat's partner already had 8 kittens. He also told that the child would like to have a job  in the technical field. We tend to believe it too because the cat had already used to lie behind the refrigerator or sleep on it. Lastly he told us the would be much religious and  virtuous. True the cat  never catches a mouse.

My questions to you is, Do you believe in astrology ?

World's Most Expensive Biscuit.

 The image in this post shows the world's most expensive biscuit. You will be surprised to know that its value is around 23000 USD. Also you will be surprised to know that this is an ordinary cracker type biscuit that is around 108 years old. This kind of biscuits were manufactured in England around 1912. Although it is 108 years old it is still very safe in the possession of a nobleman in Greece. This is known as a valuable artefact related to the world famous tragedy Titanic. 

This biscuit was found in a life jacket in a small lifeboat on the Titanic. It had been manufactured by Spillers and Bakers , a bakeryou company in London that made biscuit for dogs at that time. They also manufactured very light and cheap biscuits for the people during the war. 

Newly weded James Fenwick and Marble Fenwick left London for their honeymoon on the MRS Carpathiya a cruise ship.

. Enroute to Washington the Carpathiya had the opportunity to rescue passengers who had survived the sinking of the Titanic on April 15 in 1912. The Fenwicks found the biscuit in the life jacket of a Titanic survivor and then safely encased it in Kodak photo envelope. He also did not forget to write " pilot biscuit found in Titanic lifeboat April 1912" on the front. The biscuit was auctioned in 2015 by London's Hendry Aldrige and sons Auction House and was bought by an unnamed Greek tycoon  for 23000 USD.

Success that brought sadness than happiness

Vihangana Ariyasinha a nineteen year old clever school girl at KurunegalaMaliyadewa girls' school in my country Sri Lanka has passed advanced level examination with three distinctions according to the recently released results by the examination department of Sri Lanka.A success that can only be acheived by a few in a compititive exam like that .At first glance, nobody sees a specialty in this news item. But it is not so.

For parents ,relatives,friends and people of Sri Lanka, her success is one that brings more grievances than happiness because the girl is no more among livings to see and be happy over her stunning performances in the exam.
After sittng for the exam Vihangana fell critically ill with a brain problem and was admitted to hospital.And there she was declared brain dead and her organs were successfully transplanted to save the lives of six critically ill patients.
The surgery not only saved the lives of six patients but also saved the life of an anaesthesiologist who had taken ill with a coronary ailment that affected her heart and lungs.
She was under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital when she was declared brain dead, and her parents had consented for her organs to be donated.
We feel sorry for her and wish her supreme bliss of Nibbana according to our religion "Buddhism".

Kissing Rocks

 The world famous kissing rocks in Vietnam are in danger of collapsing a report says. The reason for this is the rising sea level and the fishing boats passing near the rocks. Therefore the rocks are at risk of erosion. 

Kissing Rocks are a lovely place that many people remember when they say Vietnam. In 2019 more than 4 million people came to visit. These rocks are located near Har long bay. 

At first glance the two rock are located in such a way that they kiss each other, so they have got that name.

Nature conservationists have asked the government to take steps to protect the rocks from collapsing. 

A regulation has been issued to reduce the speed of boats traveling near the rocks and the boat speed has been limited 5 to 10 kilo meters per hour. 

It is deported that a number of tourist attractions on the coast have been damaged in this way recently. 

International Dogs Day.

August 26 is the international dogs day. Is it worthwhile declaring a day for dogs. The story of faithful dog Hachiko would throw some light to discide.

achiko was an Akita Inu dog born in a farm in 1923 and later adopted by Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor of the University of Tokyo. The two fell into a daily routine: Ueno and Hachiko would walk together to the Shibuya train station, where Ueno would pet Hachiko goodbye before getting on the train to work. Hachiko, who also became known as Hachi, would then spend the day waiting for Ueno to come back. In the meantime, local shopkeepers and station workers would keep an eye on him and often give him treats while he held his vigil for Ueno.

This routine continued for several years until one day, tragedy struck Ueno never came home from work, as he suffered a brain hemorrhage and died there. Of course, Hachi had no idea about this, so the loyal dog continued to wait for his owner’s return. Every day like clockwork, when the train would appear, so would Hachi, searching for Ueno. Hachi’s fidelity earned him the nickname “the faithful dog.”
Hachi never gave up hope and continued to wait for more than nine years for his owner to return. Finally, one morning, on March 8, 1935, Hachiko was found dead. It is believed that he died due to natural causes. His body was taken to the train station’s baggage , a place that had been one of his favorite hangouts. He was then photographed, surrounded by Ueno’s wife, Yaeko, as well as staff members at the station. Yoshizo Osawa, one of the staff members, gifted the photo to one of his daughters, who recalled that her dad loved dogs and would often tell her about how Hachi would come daily to the station, where staff would happily share their lunches with him.
Although Hachiko’s life ended decades ago, his story continues to live on. After Hachiko’s death, his body was preserved and placed at the National Science Museum of Japan in Tokyo. Additionally, a monument of Hachiko has been placed next to his owner’s tomb in Tokyo’s Aoyama cemetery.

Hachi’s remains are groomed by professionals. The story of this dog was made into a movie titled Hachi:
Because Hachi remained loyal to his owner up until Hachi’s death, a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected outside the Shibuya Station as a tribute to the dog. Unfortunately, this statue was destroyed during World War II. Although the original Hachiko dog statue could not be restored, a new one replaced it in the same exact spot at the end of the war in 1948. The spot has become a popular and beloved neighborhood park where tourists can honor and admire the unconditional love of this loyal dog.

This Hachiko statue isn’t the only memorial that honors this incredible dog. The station entrance closest to the statue was renamed “Hachikō-guchi,” or “The Hachikō Entrance/Exit” in Japanese. Furthermore, one of the train lines was also called the Hachiko Line.
In honor of the 80th year of Hachiko’s passing and the 90th anniversary of Hachiko’s owner Ueno’s death, a bronze statue of Hachiko reuniting with Ueno was unveiled on March 8, 2015. The statue was placed outside the University of Tokyo’s agriculture department, where Ueno was a professor.

Hachikos Story 

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In 2009, a movie was released called Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. This is a film based on the true story of Hachiko’s unconditional love for his owner. Although the Hachiko dog movie may be thought of as heartbreaking, those who have watched it agree that it perfectly captures the extraordinary devotion of a dog for his owner.
The story of the loyal Hachiko continues to be remembered and beloved by people from around the world. It truly displays the love and affection a dog shares with his human.
The bond between Hachiko and his master convince us that dogs should be given proper respect in honour of the locality they show towards their masters. Therefore declaring a day for them in the human calendar is not unworthy.

Fire Culprits

 The dry season has started in my country. People are long waiting for water for their crops.The irrigation tanks have begun to dry up, that supplied water for the farmers to cultivate their crops and the hydro power plants are severely affected by the drought without water to generate electricity. 

As the undergrowth of the jungles too have dried up, they are very easy to catch fire. Lot of people know this. But don't care about it. Recently a young couple who were on hike to a mountain had stricken a match on top oh the hill and had thrown it away to the open jungle, and it had burned down many acres of forest area when the fire fighters had extinguished it. Police had arrested the couple .Though legal action against the accused is necessary the damage to environment cannot be compensated for. 

In another incident elsewhere some people had set fire and had damaged hundreds of acres of forest area and the much pathetic situation is that hundreds and thousands of innocent  and helpless animals and creatures had seen burned to death. Iguvanas porcupines frogs tortoise lizards and many more kinds of creatures lost their lives for a misdeed that had not been done by them. The images in my post show some ill fated creatures.

Because of this, I,as a caring poor man never set fire to garbage dumps accumulated in my garden but leave them to decompose naturally. By doing so I keep peace in my mind without guilty conscious of killing animals creatures.