Neel's Graduation Party
Neel is gradually growing his wings and getting ready to take flight! These last few months of his senior year in High School have been a blur of games and parties. (In his own words: " I got to be honest... life is good!").
We celebrated his graduation with a backyard party on Jun 18th.
Here are some pictures:
Among the many (other) forms of entertainment that was showcased on that day, was a "hoedown" that was put up by Neeraj, Manish, Jatinder and myself.
The hoedown was inspired by the improv show called "Whose line is it anyway".
Here is a video of that hoedown. (Thanks, Aayush for recording the video :)
Some of our friends asked me to share the words/lyrics of the hoedown, so I am posting them here:
----------
1 I was born in Lucknow, India
The year was Ninety Three
My parents named me Neel Krishna
I was a really cute baby
My papa and my mama,
God bless their loving souls
Took a flight to U S A
To a place I now call home
2 A lot has happened in my life
Between that day and now
And if you listen to me
I will tell you how.
El-ementary school was cool,
Tho’ I don't recall a lot
Mama Papa's word on that
Is really all I got
3 Then I got to middle school
I hope I do not blush
When I tell you secretly
On all girls I had a crush
Junior High was girls and games
Things took off rather slow
I was taking all this in
When cold winds began to blow
4 High school my friends, is where
My story takes a twist
So I will take the scenic route
Rather than the gist.
Dreaming was my passion
And homework was a lot of work
I had no time to sit and dream
It was driving me berserk
5 Soon I found the time to dream
It was more science than an art
The period of Biology
Is when I would really start.
The teacher's voice came from a-far
Like a rapidly moving train
That had jumped off it's steely rails
On a up and down terrain
6 Neel Krishna, my boy, it said
Wake up and pay some heed
Through the misty corners of my mind
I thought I heard it plead.
I raised my head in looked around
A tad bit off the desk
Was this a dream I was dreaming
Or had my teacher turned grotesque?
7 It was a dream, indeed, I said
And a smile lit up my face
Closing my eyes again I slept
His memory to erase
Oh what fun to dream and sleep
I have to you admit
With a family as cool as mine
Should I ever commit?
8 Show me your class grades son
Was my father's constant refrain
ESembler and counsellor meetings
Were a huge neck in the pain.
I realized then and there that day
It wasn't easy to be lazy
What I forgot to consider was that
That my parents were... desis!
9 School was a welcome escape my friends
Boy, What a terrific relief!
Not a day passed by when
In having fun I did not believe
From the time I rode the bus to school
Till my car I drove oh boy!
Rarely a day had passed
When I had had no joy!
10 You can be what you want to son
My father would recount
Who knew how easy it was to do
With a facebook account!
So clone myself, I did one day
Mark Zukerberg was a help
A new image of myself I made
Right off the cyber shelf!
11 One thing I hated with all my guts
In my little homebound sector
Misries shizrees all aside
It was papa da lecture
Real or virtual existence my friend
I still have got to eat
Dinner at home I have to say
Without a lecture was incomplete
12 I hated papa’s lectures so
Not because they made me blue
I hated them with vengeance then
Because they were so true.
The only hope in sight for me
To get out of my plight
Was the soothing sound of Mama’s words
Mera ladka hai bahut bright
13 This dream state persisted then
One cannot but deny
From two thousand eight to o-eleven
At North Allegheny High
Between dream and reality thus
My high school years did pass
Standing here today is
A fact I can contrast.
14 Today, I'm a grad-u-ate
My future looks bright and straight
With good wishes from all of you
What is there to debate?
But truth be told, don’t get me wrong
I am very e-lated
But the concept of a graduation party
Isn’t it over-rated?
-----------
There was also some lines I wrote (in the same meter) that I could not recite on that day due to lack of time. Those words are a little more serious and were from me to Neel. (I did recite them for Neel later on that day and he liked them :). I am posting them too:
----------------
A Dad's Perspective
To all the dad's here today
This goes out to you all
Let's not forget the time my friends
When we were four feet tall.
Don’t know about you my friend
But the truth has to prevail
There were times when we felt like Neel.
There was no fear to fail
Books and labs took up our days
But I'd really be amiss
If I did not admit to you
That dreaming was a bliss
I dreamt of things big and small
But by and by I knew
That of all the things that I got in life
The most beautiful gift is you
An August day in ninety three
When I first saw you on a tray
When I look at you standing tall today
My pride I can display
The pride I feel is not for real
Because a force that is unseen
Has made you what you are today
And will always be between
Neel I have to say this to you
In words that may not rhyme
That being your dad
Has brought to me, happiness sublime
There were times I must admit
I was pulling out my hair
I'm sure you know the times I mean
I'm sure you are aware
The life lessons that I gave to you
That would end up in a brawl
Were given with the hope that
I'd hold you before you fall
In the past when times were hard
I was mean to you and smug
I’d do the only thing that makes some sense
I’d make up with a hug
When you look up to me and say
Papa you have no fault
I have tell you how wrong you are
Take my advice with a pinch of salt.
When you climb the ladder of your life
Your dreams to pursue
Don't slip up on the advice I gave
I may have missed a rung or two.
Like clouds can’t hide the sun for long
Your honesty has always shone
And as the years have gone on past
My respect for you has grown
So when I look at you today
My heart fills up with joy
I thank our God who made you a
Fine and wonderful boy
-------------------
We celebrated his graduation with a backyard party on Jun 18th.
Here are some pictures:
 |
| Neel Graduation Party |
The hoedown was inspired by the improv show called "Whose line is it anyway".
Here is a video of that hoedown. (Thanks, Aayush for recording the video :)
Some of our friends asked me to share the words/lyrics of the hoedown, so I am posting them here:
----------
1 I was born in Lucknow, India
The year was Ninety Three
My parents named me Neel Krishna
I was a really cute baby
My papa and my mama,
God bless their loving souls
Took a flight to U S A
To a place I now call home
2 A lot has happened in my life
Between that day and now
And if you listen to me
I will tell you how.
El-ementary school was cool,
Tho’ I don't recall a lot
Mama Papa's word on that
Is really all I got
3 Then I got to middle school
I hope I do not blush
When I tell you secretly
On all girls I had a crush
Junior High was girls and games
Things took off rather slow
I was taking all this in
When cold winds began to blow
4 High school my friends, is where
My story takes a twist
So I will take the scenic route
Rather than the gist.
Dreaming was my passion
And homework was a lot of work
I had no time to sit and dream
It was driving me berserk
5 Soon I found the time to dream
It was more science than an art
The period of Biology
Is when I would really start.
The teacher's voice came from a-far
Like a rapidly moving train
That had jumped off it's steely rails
On a up and down terrain
6 Neel Krishna, my boy, it said
Wake up and pay some heed
Through the misty corners of my mind
I thought I heard it plead.
I raised my head in looked around
A tad bit off the desk
Was this a dream I was dreaming
Or had my teacher turned grotesque?
7 It was a dream, indeed, I said
And a smile lit up my face
Closing my eyes again I slept
His memory to erase
Oh what fun to dream and sleep
I have to you admit
With a family as cool as mine
Should I ever commit?
8 Show me your class grades son
Was my father's constant refrain
ESembler and counsellor meetings
Were a huge neck in the pain.
I realized then and there that day
It wasn't easy to be lazy
What I forgot to consider was that
That my parents were... desis!
9 School was a welcome escape my friends
Boy, What a terrific relief!
Not a day passed by when
In having fun I did not believe
From the time I rode the bus to school
Till my car I drove oh boy!
Rarely a day had passed
When I had had no joy!
10 You can be what you want to son
My father would recount
Who knew how easy it was to do
With a facebook account!
So clone myself, I did one day
Mark Zukerberg was a help
A new image of myself I made
Right off the cyber shelf!
11 One thing I hated with all my guts
In my little homebound sector
Misries shizrees all aside
It was papa da lecture
Real or virtual existence my friend
I still have got to eat
Dinner at home I have to say
Without a lecture was incomplete
12 I hated papa’s lectures so
Not because they made me blue
I hated them with vengeance then
Because they were so true.
The only hope in sight for me
To get out of my plight
Was the soothing sound of Mama’s words
Mera ladka hai bahut bright
13 This dream state persisted then
One cannot but deny
From two thousand eight to o-eleven
At North Allegheny High
Between dream and reality thus
My high school years did pass
Standing here today is
A fact I can contrast.
14 Today, I'm a grad-u-ate
My future looks bright and straight
With good wishes from all of you
What is there to debate?
But truth be told, don’t get me wrong
I am very e-lated
But the concept of a graduation party
Isn’t it over-rated?
-----------
There was also some lines I wrote (in the same meter) that I could not recite on that day due to lack of time. Those words are a little more serious and were from me to Neel. (I did recite them for Neel later on that day and he liked them :). I am posting them too:
----------------
A Dad's Perspective
To all the dad's here today
This goes out to you all
Let's not forget the time my friends
When we were four feet tall.
Don’t know about you my friend
But the truth has to prevail
There were times when we felt like Neel.
There was no fear to fail
Books and labs took up our days
But I'd really be amiss
If I did not admit to you
That dreaming was a bliss
I dreamt of things big and small
But by and by I knew
That of all the things that I got in life
The most beautiful gift is you
An August day in ninety three
When I first saw you on a tray
When I look at you standing tall today
My pride I can display
The pride I feel is not for real
Because a force that is unseen
Has made you what you are today
And will always be between
Neel I have to say this to you
In words that may not rhyme
That being your dad
Has brought to me, happiness sublime
There were times I must admit
I was pulling out my hair
I'm sure you know the times I mean
I'm sure you are aware
The life lessons that I gave to you
That would end up in a brawl
Were given with the hope that
I'd hold you before you fall
In the past when times were hard
I was mean to you and smug
I’d do the only thing that makes some sense
I’d make up with a hug
When you look up to me and say
Papa you have no fault
I have tell you how wrong you are
Take my advice with a pinch of salt.
When you climb the ladder of your life
Your dreams to pursue
Don't slip up on the advice I gave
I may have missed a rung or two.
Like clouds can’t hide the sun for long
Your honesty has always shone
And as the years have gone on past
My respect for you has grown
So when I look at you today
My heart fills up with joy
I thank our God who made you a
Fine and wonderful boy
-------------------
posted by Pankaj at
10:04 AM
|
0 comments
