The Perfect Mistake: Navigating the Unexpected
Siddappa, a seventh-standard student studying in a government school in Guntakal, was to prepare an essay for a forthcoming English test. His friends tipped him that the subject would be ‘crow’. Siddappa worked hard and prepared a three-hundred-word essay with his sister’s help. At the examination centre, the English composition topic was ‘cricket match’. He was surprised. His heart raced as he stared at the blank paper, three hundred memorized words about crows suddenly useless. Both the subjects are poles apart — the Crow and Cricket match. He thought for a while. He had listened to an India- Srilanka test match on the radio at home. He began writing, visualizing the majestic scene: the emerald green field, the pristine white uniforms, the tension in the air. From his memory, he accurately described the match’s opening with umpires, fielders, and two batters at the crease. As one bowler bowled from one end, the batsman at the other end swung his bat and hit the ball for a four. The ball hit a crow while crossing the boundary line. The moment he hit the word ‘crow’, Siddappa became comfortable and poured the story of the crow onto the answer paper without a mistake: ‘Crow is a black bird…….’
I travelled to Tokyo on a business visit. I had one extra day, and I wanted to visit a school, as I had heard so many interesting stories about the education system in Japan. My colleague was kind enough to arrange the visit to the ‘school’. I had taken a few pamphlets of India and small trinkets as gifts to the school children. I also prepared well for any questions the students would ask.
I had learned and practised my opening greetings in Japanese, such as ‘Arigatou gozaimasu,’ ‘Konnichiwa?’ and ‘Ogenki desu ka?’ I also familiarized myself with essential Japanese mannerisms, such as bowing while greeting. I consciously spoke slowly, as I tend to talk quickly.
On the day of the school visit, my colleague picked me up from the hotel at 8 a.m. As my colleague drove me to school, I looked outside the window, observing the busy Japanese life. After an hour, the car stopped in front of a vast building. Exiting the car, I realized I was in front of “Rikkyo Business School”, a well-known business school in Tokyo. My heart sank as I realized my colleague misunderstood the ‘school’. She assumed that I wanted to visit a ‘business’ school’. As I took a few steps towards the entrance, the dean came forward and led me to his office. After a few introductions to the faculty, he took me to a classroom where grown-up students were waiting for me. Per the dean, I had to spend one whole day with them. My heart sank, feeling unprepared for the situation.
I had prepared for a ‘crow’, but I had to face a ‘cricket match’. I faced a classroom of university students instead of the children I had prepared for. After an introduction and initial remarks, I asked, “How much do you know about India? “One student raised her hand. I became comfortable, and the ‘The Crow’ story helped me survive the day, finding a connection with the students.
