Diwali Activity – Class 7

I like the winter season best. Winter is a time when one is filled with the energy to do work. There is very little loss of energy from the body. Summer makes one sweat and one gets easily tired. In some parts of India, winter is not so severe. This is especially so in coastal areas where the climate is more or less equable throughout the year. But many other parts of India have extreme winters. Temperatures in some northern regions go below 0 degree celcious in December and January.

I live in Nagpur and the winters here are quite severe. As October turns the corner, it starts getting cooler. The days become shorter and the nights longer. Woollen sweaters, scarves and mufflers come out of the cupboards. It is a difficult task to get up in the morning from our cosy beds and walk to school. However, once I am up, I feel very energetic and lively.

My one wish is to see snow in winter. I have read a lot about snowmen and snowball fights. Maybe, when I grow up, I will be able to live in a place where it snows in winter!

I take great care of my books. I cover them in transparent plastic or brown paper. I keep them carefully on a bookshelf. While reading, I do not fold the edges or keep the book upside down. I do not eat while reading or scribble anything in the books. If they show signs of tearing, I immediately use glue and repair them. I lend my books only to people who I know will also take care of them.

Every now and then, I take all my books out from the bookshelf and clean the bookshelf thoroughly. I check to see whether there are any insects in the books. As far as my school books are concerned, I keep them neatly on my study table. During the monsoon, I see that the books are covered with a plastic sheet in my bag, so that they do not get wet. I sit at my table while studying and always keep my books on my table. I love books and I feel that they really give us a lot of knowledge and entertain us. In return, I take the utmost care of them.

Ans. The Annual Prize Distribution Day is a day that all ofus in the school look forward to. For me it is very special since I always win some prize or the other. This year I took part in the dance competition too. It was an Assamese dance and quite difficult. But we had practiced the dance a month in advance. It was a dance with bamboo sticks. Pairs of students held two bamboo sticks in parallel formation. Then they banged them on the ground, lifted them, brought them together, separated them and then banged them on the ground again. The dancers had to get their feet in between the bamboo sticks when they were separated. It was tricky but fun.

Mr Jeevan Mehta, a local industrialist, was the chief guest. His wife gave away the prizes. There were plenty of items — dances, plays and mono-acts. I went up in my dance costume to receive my prize for academic excellence. I also won a prize for elocution. I could see mummy and daddy cheering from their seats.

Finally, I had to go on the stage for the dance. I was nervous and so were others in our group. But soon the familiar Assamese music came on and we went through our Steps gracefully. As the music went faster I could hear the audience clapping and tapping their feet
in time to the music. All of us were thrilled. Our dance was a grand success. Everyone cheered after the dance.

The next day was declared a holiday and we all cheered.

“A well-deserved holiday,” I thought to myself. It had been a hectic month, indeed.

I always await the summer vacation anxiously, for this is the time we go on our annual family trip. Last year we had been to Kashmir. This year we decided to travel down south to Udagamandalam (Ootacamund or Ooty for short).

After spending a few days in Bengaluru and Mysuru, we proceeded to Ooty. We went there by bus and the journey was pleasant. The weather began changing halfway up the mountains, but we had equipped ourselves with sweaters, scarves and woollen caps.

The road upwards was quite steep, and the tall Nilgiri trees were fascinating. It seemed like we were moving through the clouds. Ooty itself is a beautiful place, full of greenery !

We put up at a small but pretty cottage on one of the slopes. The climate was very pleasant and we were full of energy. We went for long walks every day, without getting tired even once. We visited the Botanical Gardens and the Boat Club. The boat ride was sheer fun and the water blue and clear. We saw nearly all the famous mountain points and clicked many photographs.

We stayed at Ooty for three whole days and then took the bus back to Mysuru. It took us another two days to reach Nagpur. Here the climate was extremely dry and hot, and we couldn’t help remembering the cool heights Of dagamandalam.