Childhood, that chimeric phase in one’s life, where the one going through it, just wants to get done with it and those who have emerged on the other side wish to return to. All at once enchanting, perplexing, astonishing, amusing and challenging, this chapter of our lives is the longest and an often visited one. It is also the most important, as the experiences that shape childhood is the basis or building block of adult life. It is the foundation stone so to speak and, therefore, it is only natural that the Fundamatics team decided to dedicate an entire issue to this magical theme.
Weaving together the myriad ‘early years’ experiences (present and past) by various members of the IITB family this publication presents a captivating kaleidoscope of motifs in the form of chapters on the fabric of COVID times.
Each motif (article) is carefully crafted by the weaver (writer) to express his/her experience, viewpoint, or description covering themes such as nature, social awareness and the COVID virus. All the contributors have a strong connection to the IIT Bombay campus – alumni, kids of alumni, faculty, faculty children, and faculty spouse.
The tantalizing cover page illustration captures beautifully and puts into visual form the enigma called “childhood”. The star motif for this fabric is crafted by the master story weaver Prof. Shilpa Ranade. Through the skilfully embellished motif (article) titled A Story of a Story she gives us a glimpse of her childhood, treating the adult readers to nostalgia while offering the young readers a wonderful tale. The other motifs (articles) that feature themes such as nature, social awareness and the COVID pandemic each make a delightful read. All articles are a reflection of the times we live in, and how a child’s mind processes reality.
In conclusion, the words on the back of a child’s T-shirt very aptly summarize the memories that the present generation will have of their childhood.“Some have a story, some have a legacy, we had a PANDEMIC, top that!”
Happy reading!
Sections in this Issue
This time, we have had a wealth of submissions, and so have grouped the content thematically into the following four sections for your easy perusal.
We hope you have enjoyed reading Fundamatics, the award-winning ezine published by the IIT Bombay Alumni Association, envisioned as one that is by IIT Bombay alumni, faculty and students, and for the same vast community. And, the best part of Fundamatics is that it is completely free and can be accessed by thousands of our alumni who are spread all over the world. But this does not mean that we do not incur any operational costs in bringing the ezine to you. Your financial support can mean that we can continue to remain in circulation and “free” to you, our readers.
