English: Class 10 (First Flight) — Chapter 5: Glimpses of India

The elders in Goa often reminisce nostalgically about the "good old Portuguese days" and their famous loaves of bread. Although the original Portuguese eaters of loaves may have vanished, the makers — the mixers, moulders, and bakesmiths — still remain. The age-old, time-tested furnaces continue to operate, and the traditional baker's bamboo can still be heard heralding his arrival in some villages.

During the author's childhood, the baker, known as the pader, was a friend, companion, and guide. He visited twice a day: once in the morning on his selling round, and again after emptying his huge basket. Children ran to meet him not just for the loaves, but for special bread-bangles (sweet bread of special make).

Baking holds an essential place in Goan social life and festivities:

• Marriage Gifts: Meaningless without the sweet bread known as the bol.
• Feasts and Parties: Lose their charm without bread.
• Daughter's Engagement: The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches.
• Christmas & Festivals: Cakes and bolinhas are absolutely mandatory.

In the old days, bakers wore a peculiar single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees called the kabai. During the author's childhood, they wore shirts and trousers shorter than full-length but longer than half-pants. Baking was a highly profitable profession; bakers and their families never starved, and their plump physique (often compared to a jackfruit) was open testimony to their prosperity.

Coorg, or Kodagu, is the smallest district of Karnataka, situated midway between Mysore and the coastal town of Mangalore. Described as a "piece of heaven," it is famous for its rolling hills, evergreen rainforests, spices, and coffee plantations. The best season to visit is from September to March, when the weather is perfect and the air is filled with the invigorating aroma of coffee.

The fiercely independent people of Coorg are believed to be of Greek or Arabic descent:

• Greek Descent Theory: A part of Alexander's army moved south along the coast and settled here when return became impractical, marrying amongst the locals.
• Arabic Descent Theory: Supported by the long, black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus, known as kuppia, which closely resembles the kuffia worn by Arabs and Kurds.

Coorgi homes have a rich tradition of hospitality. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army, and the first Chief of the Indian Army, General Cariappa, was a Coorgi. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a licence.

The river Kaveri flows through Coorg, home to the large freshwater fish Mahaseer, kingfishers, langurs, squirrels, and wild elephants. Coorg is a major hub for high-energy adventure sports, including:

• River rafting and canoeing
• Rappelling and rock climbing
• Mountain biking and trekking along numerous walking trails

The climb to the Brahmagiri hills offers a panoramic view of the entire misty landscape of Coorg, leading to the sixty-four-acre island of Nisargadhama and India's largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe.

Pranjol, a youngster from Assam, and his classmate Rajvir travel from Delhi to Assam for the summer vacation. As the train moves, Rajvir is mesmerized by the magnificent green scenery, watching soft green paddy fields give way to endless sea-like stretches of tea bushes under sturdy shade-trees.

Rajvir shares historical legends about the discovery of tea with Pranjol:

• The Chinese Legend: A Chinese emperor always boiled water before drinking it. One day, twigs from the fire fell into the pot, imparting a delicious flavor. These were later discovered to be tea leaves.
• The Indian Legend: Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation. Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids; their leaves, when boiled in water, banished sleep.

Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C. Words like chai and chini are of Chinese origin. Tea reached Europe only in the sixteenth century, where it was initially used more as a medicine than a beverage. At the Dhekiabari Tea Estate, Rajvir observes the second-flush or sprouting period (from May to July), which yields the finest quality tea.

The Trees is a symbolic poem depicting the conflict between man and nature. It describes trees that have been imprisoned indoors for decorative purposes breaking free to return to their natural home — the empty forest. This movement symbolizes liberation, healing, and the unstoppable force of nature reclaiming its rightful place.

• Stanza 1: The trees inside are moving out into the forest, which has been empty for days, leaving no place for birds to sit, insects to hide, or the sun to cast shadows. By morning, the forest will be full of trees.
• Stanza 2: Throughout the night, the roots work to disengage from the veranda floor cracks. Leaves strain toward the glass, and stiff twigs and cramped branches shuffle under the roof like newly discharged, half-dazed patients leaving a clinic.
• Stanza 3: The poet sits inside her house, writing long letters, barely mentioning the departure of the forest. The night is fresh, and the smell of leaves and lichen reaches into the rooms like a voice.
• Stanza 4: The glass breaks as the trees stumble forward into the night. Winds rush to meet them, and the moon appears broken like a mirror, its pieces flashing in the crown of the tallest oak tree.

• Simile: "like newly discharged patients" (comparing the movement of cramped branches to recovering patients); "broken like a mirror" (comparing the fractured appearance of the moon through oak leaves to a broken mirror).
• Personification: "no sun bury its feet in shadow" (giving the sun human feet); "Winds rush to meet them" (treating wind as an active welcoming agent).