Creativity in colour

``WAR PAINT on our faces, we're ready for war! We'll beat the summer heat, clobber boredom and outshine the sun without our own colours.''

Well, me and 23 of my friends, we're painting and colouring on chart paper - summer camp. No, it is not one of those `pay- through-your-nose-and-learn', because we cannot afford that. We don't have a problem talking about that though, in fact, I would like to tell you about how we just went to school last year. But, that is another story. Today I must tell you about our summer camp.

Do you know Fr.Jesu? Nesakkaram? Yes? They came to our `cheri' and taught us and then helped us go to school.

And Uncle Amal Raj? You don't know him?! He says he is from `Mediaiscape' (I don't know what that is) and is such a good painter. He gives us paints and crayons to play with - as many as we ask for. We started painting only this morning and they have promised to let us do a little dancing in the afternoon.

But we have such a long way to travel everyday. We come from Saidapet and we have come to this `realllly biig' college. There is nobody there and lots of green grass. Maybe when Amal Uncle is not looking, we can jump around in the grass. Don't tell him this, okay? Today the teacher brought us here, but she says from the day after tomorrow we will have to come here by ourselves. But we can come, no problem. Just take that green bus from the bus stop in Saidapet and ask for `Music Academy', the teacher told us. From there we walk down to `Stellamarys' college. I don't know the number of the bus, but Ashok, who stays next door does - I'll come with him. We have to be here by 9-30 a.m. Shiva has a new watch, so we will know.

Hey, Ashok, pass the green paint. Not dark green, light green. Aai! Can't you be careful? I now have green paint all over me. Amma is going to be angry, when she sees the paint on my white T- shirt. But see, isn't this picture coming out well? They taught us this method today - first draw the outline of a house with a candle, then you apply paint on it. It does look good. My picture, I shall call it `My house' and then if you can wait one second, I will let it dry in the sun.

Soon, Uncle Amal says, I can also work with a camera! First the automatic camera and then he says something called `eselar'. That is something I am looking forward to. But he also says all of us will not be able to do the photography course. Will they choose me? I am good with paints - will that do?

Actually, I am getting a little hungry. Shiva says it is 12-45 p.m. and I asked `teacher', but she says lunch will be ready only at 1 p.m. What will they give us? Biriyani? Whatever it is, it will be better than the rice and buttermilk I have at home.

After lunch, we will dance and sing. The teachers will play music and teach us to dance. I think Sheela will do that better than I. When we had a cultural programme on Tamil New Year's day, she danced very well for `Padayyappa'. Even Ashok is good. He dances like Prabhu Deva!

Today, at around 5 o'clock we will go home. After 10 days, I can bring my mother here for the exhibition. She can come and look at my pictures - she will like it.

Aey Shankar, where are you going? Wait for me, da. I think all of them are going to have a small game before lunch. Let me go and play with them. Please come and look at the exhibition, my painting will be there. You will be there, no?

By Ramya Kannan

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