Three Nuggets For Life I Learned From My Russian Teachers

Some Memories that take you back help you to believe in yourself. Some of them remind you of what JOY can be. Some teach you what makes those moments special & gift you amazing life lessons. Some moments stay etched in your mind mainly for what you experienced which words cannot describe. Moments when the connection to the #voiceinme is strongest!

My husband had a job opportunity with the ISPAT group in Kazakhstan. Since the kids were very little, all of us went together. It was the town of Temirtau & the only Indians there were those who worked in this group. Staying amongst a local community that respected Indians was a memorable experience. I was there with my husband for a year & enjoyed every moment. The children had a play home filled with activities to go to and the mothers had a creative center where we could go & learn local art & craft if we were interested.?It was a center sponsored by the company, where the local children would come to learn arts, music & dance.I did not know that the creative center would give me nuggets for life.

The art activities were clay work, painting, Music & dance lessons were also included. What I enjoyed was learning to sing Russian songs. I had learned the basic level of the Russian language before I joined my husband to equip myself to talk with the locals. The biggest surprise for me was when the first day the maid came home. She opened the Russian-to-English dictionary when she knew I speak fluent English she saw this as an opportunity to learn English from me. Practicing my Russian was now possible only with my art teachers & of course my awesome singing teacher- Alexandria!

?As the only Indian interested in singing, I was special to her. Her patience & encouragement pushed me to learn a very popular Russian folk song “Katyusha.” I learned it because I wanted to at least give some credit to my teacher here in Bangalore who taught me the basics of Russian. I enjoyed the classes & had my first lessons on the basics of voice care too. I picked up a lot of lessons from my amazing teachers in the center, who taught with complete JOY! They gave me the first nugget on life & opportunities.

“Be ready to learn. It is not about perfection but about the joy you derive learning anything.”

I started applying it to everything I did from then on.

This is a picture of all my teachers celebrating one of their birthdays with a marble cake I baked at home for her & my entire team of teachers. It was here that I started baking for the first time.

The annual day of the Center was coming up. Since the local kids also came there all of them were having rehearsals of the different performances that were planned. My singing teacher told me that she would want me to sing! I was shocked. I had never done a singing performance here in India. I told her that I will try & talk but cannot sing. Her explanations on why I should sing because I know the song & my pronunciations were good, and how I should do it as no Indian has done it before, did not help to convince me. Then she said the golden words that still ring in my ears. The second nugget I hold very close to my heart,

“Rashmi, when we look back years down the line, we regret what we do not do when life gave us an opportunity. I see this as THAT opportunity for you!”

I instantly agreed. She had said it with so much earnestness.

The day arrived. I was nervous. She had specifically requested I wear a saree. She had visualized it for me- an Indian lady elegantly draped in a saree singing a Russian song will be a sight everyone in the auditorium will remember for a long time.?I agreed & wore a Saree! As the performances began, I was sitting with my family & watching, a couple of performances before mine I went backstage.?She was thrilled when she saw me in a saree. I was nervous. I said my prayers silently. The moment arrived when the hostess came up to announce in Russian, “What we have next is a special performance by one of our guests. A special moment for us here. An Indian lady singing the popular Katyusha!” I walked onto the stage to a standing ovation & continuous claps, which went on till the song was over with the whole auditorium singing along! An unforgettable moment for me! I get goosebumps even now when I recall the instance. My second lesson that evening was,

“Once you take THAT first step when you are most fearful, that’s when Magic begins. Then on nothing scares you!”

The moment was so special for the locals that it got covered in the local press the next day! My teacher hugged me with pride when she gave me the copy. Here is the picture.

?When my local ICF Chapter had asked me to write for the magazine a couple of issues ago, these memories flooded back & so penned them in the following lines & titled the poem “Memories”

A new journey, a new program I was planning,

A few old books in the cupboard I was scanning,

As I turned an old book whose pages were yellowed,

Out fell a newspaper neatly folded & memories followed

Of an evening more than two decades old,

A performance that made me completely cold.

Singing a Russian folk song solo on the stage

The crowd was all cheering and clapping, all engaged.

It still seems like a dream near impossible to believe!

Am glad it went well; it was special for the accolades I received.

Looking back, I pause to understand how I did it

A word of encouragement was all I needed; I admit.

To stand before the locals to sing their popular song

From a country so different, my saree said I do not belong.

Yet the acceptance and cheer for a job well done

This is where the journey of my confidence had all begun.

A smile, a newfound self-belief for what I am planning

Memories sometimes are all that you need in expanding

The faith, the fear, the music, the cheer, all proving

What you need to achieve your dream is within you grooving.

Get in touch with who you are and what you can be

You will be surprised; by the success, you can guarantee!

These three nuggets, I hold dear to my heart. They have shaped me into who I am today.

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The human library Podcast, "U n' I with Rashmi Shetty"Season 2 :

My guest tomorrow is Mohammed Waseem, ?a vibrant and ambitious professional determined to make a mark in the Software Industry overcoming the challenges of sight. His aim to grow a fulfilling career in the field of IT, utilizing the opportunities in the IT sector is clear to him. An astute, 5 out of 5 rated IT professional in Talent acquisition with outstanding 12 years of experience in an MNC and 1+ years of experience in teaching computers and soft skills in an NGO, Waseem is a role model to many.

He possesses profound experience in hiring techies for different technologies such as Microsoft, Java, Oracle, Cloud, Python, ML, and NLP, from trainee to top leadership position.

Waseem has an unquenchable passion to help others in the differently-abled community by sharing his experiences and knowledge to help them enter the mainstream in society.????He represented the group of visually challenged students in 2008 to meet D.R APJ Abdul Kalam and was chosen from the group to ask him a question

An Ardent musician, he plays several instruments like ‘Veena, tabla, and guitar’ and holds a senior distinction and won the second rank in the state-level veena competition.

He has given several performances on Radio, and TV, in India, and abroad. He Sings several genres like ghazals, pop, and folk & has penned several ghazals/poems and composed them too.

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