We all have things we want. Things we're good at. Things we're good at because we want them and then there's the best; things we want because we're good at. If there has been two things I've always wanted, its more knowledge of the world and the ability to fly. The inquisitive part of me was something I got from my father who is undoubtedly the wisest man I've ever met. When I was a kid, me and my dad used play 'Quiz' daily before I went to sleep. It was a fun experience because I got to learn beyond what I was taught in school and quench my curiosity too at the same time. Thanks to this daily dose of general knowledge, I was an active and successful participant in a lot of quizzes during my school life.
Inter house competitions, Inter school competitions, whatever level it was, I was almost always a participant and more than once a winner. But eventually I left the inquisitiveness in my heart behind for academic priorities when I left my school. The years after my schooling were all focused on specific curriculum based subjects and practicals and the like. I got little to no time to even indulge in general reading. In my under graduation again, I started participating in quizzes but the two year lapse had taken its toll on my imaginative inquisition; not to mention the level at which these quizzes were conducted was entirely different from what I was used to. Nevertheless, my ego wouldn't let go of the memory of me of years past, besting people in contests of knowledge. But it was not to be, for a lot of reasons.
College though, in one way or another, finds a way to keep you and your ambitions together. I one day saw an invite for an event where we could create questions for a quiz and send them in, which if selected would provide an opportunity to host my own quiz. I immediately got my grey matter on the job and created a quiz centered on my favorite and one of the most interesting topics out there: Indian Mythology and History. Sadly, I never heard back from the event organizers but it was a refreshing thought, that there were still arenas wherein I could continue to be a part of the 'knowledge race' as I like to call it.
As circumstance would have it, I got another opportunity. My dad called me a few days later and asked me to create questions for the quiz he would be conducting at Rangaraya Medical College, where he has been teaching Physiology to first year medicos. I, for one, was taken aback. I did not expect I was getting to participate in such an event and certainly did not think my questions, which I have to admit were more centered on showcasing the grandeur of Indian Mythology rather than to tease anyone's grey cells would be up to the task. But my father encouraged me to do my best and create a lot of questions covering more than just Mythology and History. Thus started my association with a wonderful annual event which I've enjoyed only more as the years went by.
I sent my father the questions and kept mum, not expecting them in the final draft for the quiz. A month later, my father tells me "The students loved the quiz. Your questions were very much appreciated. They actually want me to thank you, because contrary to every year there was a diversity in the questions this time. Good work!" I was really happy that I could help my father in conducting the event and that was it. But, since then, every year I've look forward to september when my father tells me, "The quiz is a go, get the questions ready!". I rush to my knowledge bank, full of anticipation and energy, happy to again be a part of what I left behind with little thought. Though I was so happy to be part of these quizzes, I never realized one thing. How much the students actually thought of them; until the year after I returned from my M.Sc.
One of the first things my father told me on my return from UK was, "Its quizzing time, get your questions ready." All he had to do was give me the green light. The previous year too, I sent questions to my father thought I was still settling down in UK; the quiz was an event I too looked forward to now. I had been pushing an idea for a 'Rapid fire round' wherein the contestants would have to answer a lot of questions within the given time and stood a chance to make up for a lot of lost points in the final round. Though well conducted, the event sometimes would take up more time than originally agreed upon, and my father normally did not accept. But this year, I insisted. I was in a really enthusiastic mood, since y Masters had gone quite well and I was home after a year.
Finally the day of "Quizza", time for everyone to have their share of quizzing. I was there on time with my father and helped set everything up. The students were adamant that they do everything, but I was having too much fun!! I was actually part of a quiz after so many years and I was going to savor it! In reality I was quite surprised they all knew me by name and when they came up to me and started talking, since I never met any of them. They were all wonderful students, so eagerly looking forward to testing their intellectual mettle.
The quiz started. I was sitting in the first row, making as much of a ruckus as that of the supporters of a particular team when the contestants would answer a question I didn't expect them too. In all honesty, I did not expect them to be able to answer a lot of the questions I cooked up, but I was happy to have been proven wrong more than once. Then came my favorite, the Rapid fire round. Even during my quiz participation days, I used to enjoy those kind of rounds a lot, being given the opportunity to turn the tables at the last moment. They faster my father kept asking, the faster they answered. Out of all the teams though no one answered all the questions allotted to them, they had totally blasted through the expectations I had for them. They were way more well prepared than I'd expected them to be and I was happy to have been an assistant quiz master.
Once the winners were announced, there was a lot of cheering and happiness about. But in reality, it was after the event was over that I got to know how happy the teams really were. Each one of the participants came down to me and thanked me. Each one. They all said the same thing, "Man, you create such interesting questions, we just can't wait to prepare well enough year after year." That was when I realized; the reason behind me feeling so much happiness from these events was not because I made it something of mine, but because the students made me and my questions one of their own. The event was a success year after year because the students kept rising to the challenge repeatedly, pushing me and dad to be better than ourselves in creating questions. Now I truly understood why my father took time off of his schedule however busy he may be. It wasn't because he enjoyed quizzing them. It was because they wanted to be challenged and they wanted to prove themselves and as a teacher, he was more than happy to provide them with that opportunity. After I realized this, I have been looking forward to the event even more and hope to be a part of it for as long as possible.
A thing is not beautiful because it may last forever, but because while it lasts, it is always bettered through effort. My dearest friends in Rangaraya, you've truly made this ring true time and again!
