Tag Archives: Rivaz

Adam Drobot [BCS from 1956-1959]: Found!

Dear All,

I am not sure how many of you remember Adam Drobot. I have just located him on the net (30) Education | Adam Drobot | LinkedIn

I have downloaded a picture of him from the net. He is an accomplished techy !! His biodata mentions the years at BCS from 1956-1959

Dear Adam,

Yesterday, prior to my mails below, I had written to your corporate address which seemed to have a Adam Drobot as a their CEO on their website. It actually turned out, as I subsequently discovered, to be the you I was attempting to locate !

The correspondence, different colours for better readability, is appended further down in this note.

You, were one of the two Polish boys at BCS during our time, the other being W Kubaseweiz (Curzon, class of 1961), who was a strong swimmer and not the kind you tangled with !!

Accompanying this mail, as attachments, are photographs for Rivaz House for the years from 1956-59 and one for the staff members in 1959 which was the year of our Centenary. You may recognise more than a few of your teachers most of them now gone with the exception of Mr & Mrs Goss !!

I have been able to locate you in all the Rivaz house photographs, except for the house picture for 1959.

1956 –Second row from the top,  Seventh from the right,

1957 – Second row from the top,  Ninth from the left,

1958 – Second row, behind the seated, Fifth from the left

1959 – Unable to locate Adam

[click for larger view of each photo]

I recall you being initially shy and unsure but like other new boys you soon found your footing and were friendly, even easy going. The Adam, I recall was a good student, always in the top five, with a strong disposition to mathematics and chemistry. You loved painting.

The School Art Master, Mr Sasim DasGupta, once commented on your method of heavy and flat brush strokes being somewhat similar to the technique used by Van Gogh ! That year he sent one of your paintings to an institution in London along with those of other boys whose art he felt stood out. In return these boys received certificates of merit. I do not know the name of the institution but Mr DasGupta encouraged talent all the time.

Mr DasGupta was also the Warden of the Remove dormitory where you spent your initial years at BCS. Mr DasGupta, who moved to Toronto and passed away a few years ago, would ask you to spell “Polish” and mildly teased you that that was the spelling for the shoe “polish”. You would deliver a weak smile with a degree of obvious embarrassment.

A small idiosyncratic habit. You were not a sports person but had this habit of often chewing the collar of your Rivaz house jersey! You did not like the marathon and boxing was never your forte

I have never forgotten but you once mentioned that snails were a speciality and a great delicacy in Poland. I have never had the temerity to verify that assertion and hold that belief most firmly because Adam was always a credible source of information. I obviously  never felt desire nor the need to check any further.

The reason why I remember you so well has to do with a little incident and the ensuing moral dilemma

Most of  us were limited by the pocket money that we received at the end of the week from the Housemaster. It was 12 annas (75 paise) or Rs 1 & 4 annas (125 paise) depending on the dormitory you belonged to. When we went out of School on town leave, Rs 5 would get you a movie ticket, a plate of finger chips, an ice cream cone, a Coke and a comic or two! That was luxury.

In 1959 in III Form, you and I sat in the last row along the wall that faced the entrance to the class room from the corridor. You sat on the desk in front of me. These were wooden desks, if you recall, with a sloping lid, lifted at the hinge to offer a cavity space for the storage of books with the provision for a lock. The desk was fixed to the seat with a wooden bar at the bottom that connected the desk with the seat. Often the previous occupant had etched his name on the desk with the use of a compass. There was small space on the desk for an ink pot and we all used fountain pens, the ball point had yet to be invented

One day, I observed a piece of paper what seemed like a Rs 10 note, stained with ink, lodged between the wall and the desk. I dragged the paper using my foot ruler since it was  closer to your desk. Sure enough it was 10 bucks. You were rarely short of money and I felt it, perhaps, belonged to you. Relatively, you were at that time more cash rich and solvent than most of us. So I asked you if that note was yours. “No, it is not mine,” was the response  in your strong heavily accented tone, relieving me, temporarily, of any moral obligation. You are the only one I asked about the note because you were the only likely one who could be its owner in that class room.

I promptly went to the Tuck Shop and deposited that heavily ink stained note (no one else would have taken it!) with Chippu indicating that the credit to my account was now, well, brim-full. For the next few days I enjoyed the best the Tuck Shop had to offer from puris, samosas and chips, all that could satiate an always hungry boy. Days of rapture and contentedness.  A few days later, you came up to me and declared that that Rs 10 note did indeed belong to you. I was non plussed and taken aback. Disaster was about to strike. I froze for a few seconds and then sheepishly informed you that the funds stood extinguished. I had fed, pretty well, a soul in great need. To your credit, you said not a word in rebuke nor did you seek a return of the money. Any other twelve year old would have demanded even an ink stained note. I have always recalled your generosity and understanding.  I have not forgotten though, in my defence, that I had been honest in my declaration and the lack of knowledge was honest though I did speculate, maybe even knew, you were the original owner. No one else was that solvent those days !!

Apart from you, the only other Catholics at that time were Mr & Mrs Goss and a boy named Benjamin (Lefroy, he won the Junior Reading Prize that year! ) who would have finished with the Class of 1964. This group did, on occasion, attend the Catholic service in town with you always turned out in a light grey, well-tailored suit. You were always  well dressed on such occasions but otherwise presentation mattered little.

Adam, you may not remember too many boys from your class during those years at BCS but I reckon you may recall the names of Rishi Rana, the Joshi brothersManjit Sibia, all from Rivaz and in your class, and, possibly, Govinder Singh who lived in Delhi at Wellesley Road not far from the Drobot house in Sunder Nagar.

I faintly recall, that you had a sister and your parents on one occasion drove up all the way from Delhi to celebrate his birthday with a lovely cake. A few days prior to that event, the circle of your best friends had increased rather exponentially in anticipation of a party in the making. The School had arranged a special table outside the Dining Hall in the corridor leading up to the Staff Common Room for the occasion. We wished you wished you “Happy Birthday” with a delightful eye on the spread on that table! . We gorged !!

It has been  65 years in all since we last met. So many memories stand revived and I am sure there will be more inputs from those on this mailing list. Adam will have probably more to add !!

Warmly

Vijay

V K Khurana

Incidentally, the large number on this mailing list includes guys from the classes of 1961-63, some from 1964, Mr Goss, a few others who have shown an interest in all things BCS and the Old Cottonian

Adam replied:


VK,

This is a very pleasant surprise. Thank you for reaching out. A lot of the names on the email list and a lot of the faces in the class and staff pictures still look familiar. Your writeup brings back a lot of memories. Life at BCS had its paces and I appreciate your recounting some of the events even though my recollection might be a bit different. If I look at 1956 I find myself in the first row as fifth from left – and definitely not seventh from right in the second row from the back!

When your email reached me, I was frantically preparing talks for a couple of events this coming week. Once I am back from these you should get a much longer reply. Over the years I have managed to visit India on multiple occasions, including a trip to Shimla. On one of the trips I followed Manmohan Singh as a speaker – that was for Telecom India 2009, in New Delhi.

I currently live in Wayne, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia.  The best email address to reach me is: adam.drobot@gmail.com.

With best regards,

Adam Drobot


Hi Adam,

Truly lovely to hear from you. My thanks.

 While, I will check again, the image you sent is certainly not of you. It is one of the Stokes boys. Most of them migrated to the US. Brilliance was in their genes and they went on to do well in different fields including IT, medicine and laser technology!

 Will wait to hear from you and, yes, different interpretations may occur of incidents in each one’s mind. After 65 years, brain cell degradation at different levels and such other aspect change the perception or imagination of events completely !

 Warmly,

 Vijay

My Song Book – Long play A & B [N.P. Pawa / 1960 Rivaz]

Dear Vijay,

I hope you will not mind me sharing my song books – therein with songs of love, heartbreaks, songs of interdependency and redemption. I hope in these dark days the pages will serve to provide some light.

Song Book Long Play – A

https://youtu.be/rB_emn3aocw

Song Book Long Play – B

https://youtu.be/PvwbA_C7lEM

Thank you so much..
Gratefully,
NP

My dear NP,

Thank you for your mail.and the accompanying pieces of music.

Your modesty and your humility are unfailing hallmarks of your character. That is the way I remember you as do, I am sure, the others from those days at BCS. I can see those signs by the way you have fashioned your message. None of us will ever mind sharing your works!! Thank you.

What was a hobby has turned into a wonderful passion and that is obvious. The absence of professional equipment to support your endeavours is no loss for the manner you have brought out each piece. All the music, including your favourite, Elvis’s tunes, are compositions that are soft, soulful, intense and take you away from the turbulent world that surrounds us today. The range of offerings, and I mention this for the benefit of those who will listen to these compositions, include not only the more familiar ones like Eric Claption, Bee Gees but not often remembered names like Frankie Laine, Leonard Cohen, Richard Marx, EO Excell & John Newton. NP has dug deep into the music world to compile and render these songs.

Finally, it would not be quite the same thing listening to the original which is an obvious thought. That would mean physically fetching and searching for each piece. A bit of a fag but no great discomfort some would say. More importantly sung by a voice and a person we know so well gives the whole effort a soul, an enthusiasm that is a personification that is intimate and familiar. That is something you simply cannot replicate because you are one of a kind, NP. Thank you, again.

Do please stay in touch and it is a pleasure to hear from you.

Without your permission, which I take for granted, I am circulating this to a whole bunch of OCs and some music lovers who know and certainly remember you.

With my warmest regards

Sincerely

Vijay .


During School NP had a great voice -from the Choir and also some of the songs on stage at Irvin Hall

He has still got the same voice but more mellow and matured

Cheers

Sudhir


sudhir kashyap


We grew up with many of these songs in the 1950s. I remember NP as an awesome singer with his base voice — just fantastic.
Joe Joshi 1


Well Done NP , you were great then and still great now ….. your music with the accompanying Rivas house band was a big hit in those days …. it gave us all a great sense of freedom and entertainment …..
Jagtiani was another wiz kid  , he could take a mug a tin can. A bucket and make them talk like drums
Great percussion wizard
You guys produced magic
Sheer talent ….. remember it’s now or never ….. I still picture the relay batons
That were used to produce the opening lines
And the come September beat we all learned to hammer out on glasses, table tops , tin cans almost everything was used …..
Very talented and very entertaining fuckers …..
Thank you for the music 🎶 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

Badal Singh


Hi Badal,

I am very happy to hear from you. It is comforting to know that you appreciated the songs and thank you for remembering ‘It’s now or never’. I still do this number sometimes when I visit the assisted living centers to entertain. Due to COVID it has been quite a while since I last did but replaced the personal appearance with videos instead. The hobby has become useful to bring some joy to the residence there especially when noticing the tapping along even of those who are living in diminished memories.

Thanks also to the never never forgotten Sudhir and Joe Joshi. Thank you for the cheering and your encouragement.
At home my brothers Vinod and Pawan are lovingly propelling to keep me going.

Greatly appreciated.
Np


Dear Vijay,

I am so overwhelmed with so much of your kindness and compassion. Your comments are meaning the world to me and raise literally my being. I am so happy that you have taken me into your confidence. Yes I would like to keep in touch and share music that are still coming my way. You are truly inspiring and we are so fortunate to have you navigate our lives and steps in the right directions. What a stepping stone – what a blessing.

Sincerely,Np


Kanwaljit Singh [Rivaz 1969 Batch]

MESSAGE FROM HIS DAUGHTER [Namrita Singh McGarity]:

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that our father, Kanwal Jit Singh, is no longer with us. Dad fought a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s, and ultimately passed away at home, in his sleep, on Tuesday, January 13, 2021.
To the world Dad was a great friend, life of the party, ultimate prankster, travel and food enthusiast, Iphone fanatic, casino lover, and bona fide fashionista through and through. While he was all of that (and then some!) to us he was simply Dad…the man who taught us how to swim, shared his love for travel and adventure with us and taught us how to be independent and make something of our lives.
Though it has only been a day, the depth of this loss is already apparent. We will always love him and hold him in our hearts. As difficult as it feels at this moment, we are comforted by knowing that he is finally free of the walker, medications and all of the other constraints that held him back from living with the exuberance and passion with which he had always lived. Dad was larger than life. Only today did he finally transcend it once and for all.
Anyone who knew Dad knew how important family and friends were to him. There are no words to adequately thank each of you for the love and support you provided for Dad in his final years and that you continue to provide for us even as he is no longer with us. We would be lost without your support.

– Namrita Singh McGarity

Pages updated 1953 / 1961 / 1962

Himmat Singh sent three photographs of Rivaz House for the years 1953, 1961, and 1962
Two observations. With Mr Farhat Paul as Rivaz House Master, all the boys had a handkerchief in their top left coat pockets (see the photographs). He loved these little touches and the expression, “You Fat Cow!!” He bellowed these words and stretched them over a good ten seconds for the impact that he wanted to deliver depending on his mood. His other talents were exceptional but he left in me an enduring interest in history with details of Babur that the Baburnama never recorded !! He embellished every class with fascinating details that made all the Mughal emperors come alive !! He had several other attributes but his large garnet ring, his penmanship, and his well endowed behind I do remember. There was more, much more, to this flamboyant man but I leave that to your imagination. 
I see faces and remember with affection Mohan (M.M.) SachdevAshok Dina Nath, Huppy Grewal, the Gideon brothers, Preharan SinghMotwani, my dear friend Girish Ghai, the body builder who frequented my house in Bombay on so many occasions. His parents (address 69, Warden Road) were always warm and hospitable. There are others who revive memories aplenty.
Warmly,
Vijay 

The photos/pages can be accessed at: The BCS Batch & House Pages
ENJOY!

Fellow Cottonian Krit Tippakorn / Batch 1970

From Rajiv Pandit Sharma and Vivek Bhasin ( Fellow Brothers of the Class of 1970 who have lost a precious brother Krit Tippakorn Rivaz House).

Vivek
I am so sorry to inform you that we lost our dearest brother, Krit, whom we knew for most of our lives. We are surely poorer today without him
He passed away this morning at 11am California time.
Please inform our friends as you best see fit.
Each one of you becomes more precious with passing time.
Rajiv
********************************************

I have many many Brothers in my life…. My brother Sharat Bhasin is my closest brother.

My brothers from the Class of 1970 are my other most closest brothers.

Krit Tippakorn was also my closest brother.

They say I can write wonderfully and express my love for all my brothers and my love for Bishop Cotton School. The years we spent there growing up to become men, passionate about our lives and doing the best we can well, honestly and diligently.And with love.

Right now I am unable to do..

Krit was a precious part of my life and we got even more closer as the years since we passed out from school stretched further away.

Krit once told me how he met a Buddhist Monk walking across the border in to the US from Mexico. Krit recognized this traveler as one of his own and spent a few minutes talking to him. This monk as a young boy escaped Tibet with His Holiness The Dalai Lama and arrived at the Refugee Camp in Chota Simla; where we Cottonians used to go and help doing social service on Sundays.

Krit made two important journeys to India after he left School in 1970:

The first one in Year 2000 when he arrived from Los Angeles into Delhi ( and I from London); he stayed with me and we traveled up to Dharamsala to meet Abhai Mankotia our brother School Captain Class of ’70 and spent a few days at Udechee Huts; we went on to BCS and arrived during the OC week.

The second trip was when he arrived with Rajiv Pandit (from Chicago) and his brother Thanasak (from Bangkok) for the Sesquicentennial in 2009!

(The third trip was planned between brothers Rajiv, Krit and me to travel to Brasil in 2013).

My last conversation with Krit took place exactly 48 hours ago. All he did was whisper in such pain… ‘Vivek‘ he said….’All I can remember right now is our days in BCS…and what an idea to give money to School for the Climbing Wall Mi Hermano…..and what a wonderful epitaph alongside it on the 2nd flat….TO SCALE THE HEIGHTS TO GLORY

Good Bye our wonderful and precious brother Krit; the whole school prayed for you in May this year when I attended Chapel Service; again during Speech Day.

(I now realise that Miracles seldom happen)

You are now free to soar to Heights of Glory. 

Vivek Bhasin

EDITORs comments added on 14 July:

From emails received from Dr. Rajiv Pandit Sharma [Ibbetson 1961-1970] who is a professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at University of Illinois; we understand that Krit was diagnosed with Pancreatic Carcinoma in April  2011. The tests showed that it a was very serious situation. Through the first phase, attempts at chemotherapy and radiation were successful in containing the growth. He picked up some weight, the pain was controllable, and by the grace of God, he was able to see his son married, the birth of a second grandson. His brother Thanasak visited him in May 2011 and again in December 2011.  He was also able to go to Thailand and spend some time back at home. He knew that the chances of recovery were slim. The pain reemerged in March 2012 and was unremitting after that. Two weeks ago he was beginning to bleed,  OC Rajiv Pandit visited him during this time. Apparently there was nothing much anybody could do. Krit fought this with great courage. BCS was the part of his life that he cherished the most. It was always amazing how this gentle soul settled in Thailand, growing up in BCS, and finally successful in USA, could love our school so much.

We salute Krit and wish his family well.