Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year - 2011





Here is wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

May the next year be everything that you ever wished for and more....

See you all in 2011


BTW: I clicked this at Times Square a couple days back-- missed the ball drop by a few days :)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Glass Castle



Just finished the Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. An inspiring true story that tells you that no matter how bad your situation is , there is always a way forward. The pic above is from Jeanette's second book - Half Broke Horses(which i have not read)but i think the cover is more appropriate to the Glass Castle. Jeanette is the one with the cat in her arms in the pic above.

Four kids grow up in abject poverty in Welch, a coal mining town in WV. Their survival instincts and dreams of getting on in life get them to "parent" their parents and push them for a better life. When all attempts fail , one by one the kids make their way out of Welch to find a niche for themselves in the world.

Most of us donot realize that the mere fact that we are sitting in a heated house today is something that raises us to a level that many ( i wont put a % to it as i dont know the %) in the world do not have. There is so much to be thankful for in our lives. Highly recommend reading...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Kenya Nov-Dec 2011


Jumbo everyone. ( That is the Sawhali word for greetings) We made a trip to Kenya this winter and clicked this at the Thompson Falls on the outskirts of Nairobi. This is where the fabled Olympic Kenyan runners practice.. infact we did catch a glimpse of them jogging past in the distance while I was running to find a washroom ( I have a future - would'nt you agree)?



& that is the Thompson Falls.. its not going to solve the worlds energy problems but it was a pretty sight.. bad camera NOT bad photoghrapher.



I needed a typical African picture - acacia trees, Giraffes, and the undulating african savanah streatching away to the horizon-- well i almost got all of it -- almost





We crossed the equator too a couple times and got educated on a curious phenomenon-- In the northern hemisphere, water draining vertically downwards from a vessel drains with a clockwise circular motion and anti clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Dont tell me you knew this - we were never taught this AT ALL, right through grade school



We hobnobbed with the cheetah's



rode an ostrich



Fed a Kelly the Giraffe.

Incidently these Rothschild giraffes live in the backyard of a Kenyan resident. there are only approx 600 of these beauties left and this guy had 9 of them



.. and danced with the Masai

any one wants to see more pics???

Sunday, December 19, 2010

A Walk through Eden Woods Park



This afternoon I took a walk through Eden Woods, the park opposite our home. Soft snow fell , the ground was untrodden below me and with Robert Pirsig's famous "Zen & the art..." in my ears, it was what some people call -- 'living the moment'

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Will it be a Do-it-Yourself World?



Today if you want to do your plumbling or put up a shower door, where do you go? In earlier times you went to the yellow pages and called a tradesman. Today you go to Youtube or Home Depot, get the knowhow and attempt it with a fair degree of confidence. If you need technical help in an enginerring or a High School subject , you go to Khan Academy and get upto speed while Salman Khan ( The man behind Khan Academy) doodles you out of your confusion. I had mentally accepted this style of education and jested with my friends that I was Youtube educated but i was not prepared for what I saw in a Staples store today ( pic above)

If DIY books exist on seperation and Divorce , it truly reflects how volatile our relationships are becoming. This ties in well with what i had been reading about communities who inhabit the Canadian Northern provinces. As the ice cap recedes due to Global warming, the Innuit men stay back at home as they wait for the ice to thicken on the waterways before they venture out to hunt. As they stay home longer, frustration seems to rise and it gets directed at the family. Obviously relationships get strained. Did you ever have an inkling that Global Warming could have this kinda side effect? We all have heard that rise in sea levels could make islands like Maldives disappear, but this was a new one.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like in the future. Could it get even more modular? Say for example, your car stalls. The message on the dash says " Fuel pump faulty" . You go to the auto store , pick up the right part and the installation direction walks you through the install process. I think the Swedish furniture chain, Ikea started this with their DIY furniture. Suddenly there was an explosion in the consumer market place as goods started being sold in a semi ready state. Not only that ...If you need to file your taxes, a software wizard speeds you through the process. Furniture, electricals, house repair, gardening ... are all DIY now a days & I suspect it will get even more of a DIY world as the world tightens its belt as a result of the last recession. Then where does this leave all our specialist. Will they disappear? I suspect we will still need them but only for the really heavy stuff... surgery ( I doubt you can do a heart by-pass as a DIY) , car engine repair, complex litigation and so on.

For those of you who would like to get initiated to this new world , i suggest you go get yourself a tool kit today but try and stay away from the books in the pic above.

PS:Talking of a DIY world ... some of you may recollect years back , taking apart our mobikes and then while attempting to put it back, we seemed to have an unreasonable number of spare parts left over. The mechanic who was called to "fix it" went to work with a smug grin on his face-- a grin we would have loved to wipe off his face with a shiner to his nose.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

My Friend Anand





Anand passed away on Dec 05, 2010 of a massive stroke to the heart. He was a shade over 50 and still played squash.In fact from what I gather he was on his way back from his morning game. Does that make any sense? Staying in shape apparently does not guarantee a long life-- so what does??!!

I first met Anand during our degree course in 1983 and soon found a common bond in the game of Squash.Besides our daily game , the most memorable ones were the ones we played after a series of exams. Those were specially extended hard hitting and punishing games after which we sat exhausted in a pool of sweat, happy without a care in the world. After we finished the degree course , I never ever found a squash partner of Anand's caliber. The few times we met post our pre-mature retirements, he did mention that he was still playing and I did experience a twinge of envy , but i was very happy for him. He was just such a guy you would want to see happy always & share some time with and have him as a friend.

Anand & I once did a motorcycle trip from Pune to Mhow with a stop over at Devlali. We both rode different Yezdi machines and as it so happens in long distance rides, riders get seperated due to traffic & road conditions.This being before the cell phone era, I always found Anand waiting for me a few kms ahead with a worried look on his face. He always had this considerate streak in him which in those days i found irritating but today I can not, but respect.

His innocence and simple nature endured most of us to him all through our degree course and beyond. Most evening during the degree course, would find us congregating at some one's house. Anand would amble in help himself to a drink and somehow be the source of all the merriment and laughter. At one such occasion I recollect he had wanted gin and somehow picked up a bottle of vinegar. Anand being Anand did not notice this till I went back tothe kitchen and realized what had happened. Till then Anand was oblivious and happy with his "drink".

The last I spoke to Anand was around the middle of Nov this year after a long time. The tele conversation lasted for an hour and we laughed a lot recollecting mutual friends and incidents of days gone by. We ended the call promising to keep in touch, little realizing that this was the last call I would ever make to my friend.

Today Anand is no more. He died doing what he loved best ie playing squash. Our hearts go out to Neena and the kids , Karan and Raman. We wish them strength in these trying times. All of us have lost a great friend & like I read in an email from some one -- he was a true Officer and a Gentleman.

Rest in peace, Anand.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Virtual Boarding Pass



Have you ever walked confidently to the check in counter at an airport and realized that you have misplaced your boarding pass that you printed out at home? I faced that about an hour back and was racking my brain as to how to get out of this situation and still catch my flight. I suddenly remembered that I had taken a picture of the document and i fished out my camera from my carry-on and showed the desk clerk the picture of my boarding pass on the LCD of my camera. Half expecting a lengthy discussion and delays, i was amazed that without a blink she checked the picture and handed the camera back to me. She quickly printed off a fresh boarding pass and had me on my way.

It assured me that we really are in the 21st centenary. Apparently while discussing this with a few co passengers, this is pretty normal. Did you know this?

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Fifth Ave Collections


Ladies! if you want some great bargains on jewellery-- hook up with Sanchita. You could do the straight forward thing ie to "Buy" or alternatively you could "host" a show. Either way there are spin offs that could make you nod your head that it was an evening well spent.

This evening as the large gathering of women "ooh-ed & aah ed" and preened themselves in front of mirrors I realized that the feminine mindset considered the process ( read discussion and chatter) of buying jewellery to be part and parcel of the experience of owning the piece of jewellery.

Guys, do not feel forlorn and shy away from the event -- learn to indulge your lady :)-- (Hopefully that's a few brownie points for me from Anita)

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Renu & Kulu- 25th Anniv



On May 23, 2010 , Friends and Family converged onto Waterloo for Renu & Kulu's 25th wedding anniv. The venue was Zeeks.. their family run restaurant which they have managed so efficiently for the last few years. More on that later & now back to the anniv. Our ties go back 25 years when their wedding anniv preceded ours by two days and Renu and Anita go back even further to their high school years. Our lives took a divergent path till they decided to come to Canada in 2005. Prior to that in the non email era we mostly got away with attempts at telepathy and rare telephone calls. When they landed in Canada we were in touch right away and it was so heartening to see them get going almost right away. They scoured the area for a business of their choice and homed onto a winner. Today as I see them pull into our drive way in one of their snazzy cars-- one can easily say that they have well and truly "arrived" .

Renu & Kulu: Many Happy Returns of the Day. Congratulations for the great partnership and for raising two superb sons. Here's hoping to see you grow & prosper even more with happiness and health when we congregate for your 50th.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Alfredo -- once again

Some of you might recollect reading about Alfredo earlier last year
http://neerajtandon.blogspot.com/2009/09/alfredo-cabbie.html

Guess what - A few days back , I hailed a cab just outside Atlantis in Nassau and I could not believe my eyes--there was Alfredo once again. I zapped him by calling him by name and his smiling face smiled back even more when i recounted to him about the cab trip we had with him many months back. We chatted easily during the ride and Anita casually asked him to drive us to a pay phone as we wanted to call our sons in Canada as it was mothers day and they had no way to reach us as our cell phones were turned off. Alfredo said nothing during the ride but when we reached our destination he pulled out his cell phone and told us to go ahead and dial Canada. Once the call had been made -it was a bit awkward when he refused to accept money for the call and said -- it is not about us getting a free call but about his ability to get God's blessings for the way he lives his life. As i reached into the cab to retrieve my bag, I spied a Deepak Chopra book lying on his dash. Silently I thanked Deepak for transforming so many men into Alfredo's who bring cheer and happiness to the world around them.
I said it before & i am saying it again-- if you ever happen to be in Nassau-- call Alfredo- taxi# 739

Yes, yes-- I forgot to take his pic once again but I got his business card. His pic on the card does not do him justice- so I do not wish to post it.

Then & Now


Mhow, India, 1985

Miami, 2010

As you will observe from the pics above, over the years, I have managed to shed my uniform and don a pair of shorts, lose some hair and gain a few pounds. Anita of course, has remained unchanged. To celebrate our 25th we sailed aboard the Majesty of the Seas to the white sands of Coco-Cay and Nassau. The umpteen meals they served around the clock went straight to the "waste" -- how I wish i had more restraint-- but what the hell-- it was our 25th.While we lay under the sun during the day and gazed the stars at night-- we both concurred that we were truly blessed to have what we have and extremely thankful for the life we have had so far.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Magnificient Desolation


Just finsihed hearing "Magnificeint Desolation" by Buzz Aldrin the second man on the moon. The first three chapters are superb describing the journey to the moon. Some fascinating nuggets from the audio book
> The Lunar Module(LM) in 1969 had less computing power than a modern day cellphone
> The LM landed on the moon with 20 secs worth of fuel spare
> The LM was so cramped and bare ( to reduce weight) that the fuse boxes/ cables were not encased-- with the result while getting in/ out of the LM, Armstrong/ Aldrin with their bulky space suits knocked a fuse out of the fuse box ( the very fuse that was to fire their module back into orbit. Gingerly it was plugged back in place with Aldrin's pen.
> The astronauts almost got locked out of their LM on the moon surface if Aldrin had not had the presence of mind to keep the door ajar which would not have opened from the outside due to the air pressure inside and no pressure outside ( the door opened inwards)

I recommend atleast hear/read the first few chapters -- after that it is astonishing to know that Aldrin went into depression as no goal on planet earth was good enough to spark an interest in him and he became an alcoholic, broke up his marriage, got arrested and went through some rough years even tried selling cars at one point in his life-- Cant help feeling sorry for him as one cant help recalling the probverb-- "what goes up must come down"-- for Aldrin it is almost "pun implied".
Having won his battle on alcoholism and depression he is currently engaged in efforts to initiate space tourism and exploration of the planet Mars.

Life returns to Canada



After a not so cold winter but nevertheless one that does take away the flora for a few months, we are beginning to see it all come back. The foliage is bursting out in all its greenery .. here is a closer look



On many days as I step out the front door, I marvel at nature in the fresh morning air which is crisp and invigorating. Its a blessing to be alive and well. Words from a movie ( forget which ) keep coming back to me-- "make each day count"
Most days I dont succeed but its "work in progress" :)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

This Vehicle Stops at all Railway Crossings



There is a limit to safety and I thought this morning I reached that limit.I was a wee bit late driving in to work trying to make it in time for a 9 oclock when I had to stop behind a bus which , you guessed it "stopped at all railway crossings". I was on a single lane road when the bus came to a full halt at the railway crossing. I counted to three and then another three and still the wretched driver did not budge. As I waited impatiently willing the bus to move forward, the railway crossing gates began to close. I could have cried but all I could do was sit there my knuckles white on the steering wheel listening to the gates coming down with that irritating ringing sound and--- wait. If the bus driver had moved on the first count of three we both could have been across the crossing. On an impulse I got out of my car and walked over to the side of the bus driver wanting to give him a piece of my mind. As I looked up I saw a beautiful blonde face smiling back at me. I stood there transfixed by her beauty till I realized it was getting awkward and blurted "Good Morning-- have a good day" and walked back to my car. It was a beautiful day.
I think its a good thing that Vehicles stop at railway crossings ;)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tennis Elbow



Over the last few months I have been living with an injury on my forearm termed as a Tennis elbow. This has resulted in me wearing a black band over my upper forearm. On being questioned by most well wishers, I have till now tried to respond as genuinely as possible but having tired of the same routine response, I try and hold a straight face while saying such things as ... "I am wearing a black band as my way of protesting against being over worked and underpaid" or ... "oops did my swastika fall off?" .. or its to remind me to be nice to everyone today -- even you"

Some folks persist and then not being of the mettle that actors are made off, I succumb to a smile and give them the actual version.(Tennis Elbow)

The problem with this injury is that it resfuses to go away and makes you incapable to doing even mundane things as giving some one an energetic handshake or lifting a mug of beer or picking up your laptop to go to work. Most of these actions result in a shooting pain and very soon I learnt to use my other( good) hand-- so much so that I am turning to be a lefty. The funny thing is that I did not get this from tennis. I suspect it is to do with spending long hrs on the keyboard and my resolve to go "paperless". I also do not use a mouse and my efforts to try and bring myself to use it has not yeilded any positive results. It (the mouse )simply lies there un touched till I snap shut my laptop and as i get up to walk away I find it dangling at the end of a cable. I eventually got rid of it and i am back to the touchpad which is not doing me any good , I know but i am hoping that somehow if i ignore it enough .. it will go away. Anyways..... Next time you exetnd your hand to shakehands and you find that I offer not my right hand but my left -- it is not because I am from the Scouts ( Scouts left handed hand shake) but because I suffer from lateral epicondylitis (thats what the docs call this damn thing).

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Will Ford drive to Moscoe or drive out Moscoe?

This morning while driving to work , I put on the "John Oakley Show" on AM 640. Normally I am plugged into an audio book but on an impulse I decided to check what else was on in the world besides the volcanic ash. John was on the air interviewing Howard Moscoe. For those not in the know Howard has been a city councillor for over a decade and is known for biting off more than he can chew. This morning he went the extra mile to stay in that league. I heard him say that the city councillors had hired a consultant for 50 grand of the tax payers money to confirm that the councillors who already earn a few $ shy of 100 grand a year, needed a raise in their wages. To be fair to the councillors I believe one can re phrase the objective for this consultant in many ways but what does a consultant "you"hire do??-- they WILL say you deserve a raise -- thats a no brainer. And then going along that same lines one tends to ask ones self as to how do councillors get to decide to spend 50 grand just to determine if they need a raise. I, and I guess most of us will have serious concerns on how our tax $$s are being (mis)managed in the hands of our councillors. Mr Moscoe ofcourse was oblivious of the fact that what the councillors were doing, was ridiculous.

Another aspect that struck me was who supervises these councillors?? It seems no one. Except for radio programmes like the one I was on -- The councillors seem to be splurging with abandon with what seems to be a clean conscience. If you ever decide to run for office, make sure you have killed and buried your conscience somewhere along the way. That makes me wonder as to how will Rob Ford survive his Mayorial years-- my vote is on him. I hope he wins and drives OUT the likes of Moscoe.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Mighty Volcanoes on a Fragile planet


The news that has dominated the world over the weekend has been the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Travelers are stranded , businesses are impacted and the airlines are wringing their heads in despair. No one can predict how long this ash will continue to spill out into the European skies and literally bring all of Europe to a grinding halt. It makes one think how fragile our planet is where nature can without warning literally stop our civilized world. The ash which is pulverized rock a few mm in size is shot 5-8 kms vertically into the atmosphere when molten lava meets with sub zero temperatures of the glacial ice. The resulting steam which is due to such extremes in temperatures results in the ash being shot so high up into the sky. The higher it goes the wider will be its spread and the winds blowing eastwards have literally blanketed Europe and as far as Moscow. In the midst of all this is Poland trying to grapple with a national disaster of losing almost all its leadreship in one plane crash. A few years ago I recollect reading a policy where more than two national dignatories were prevented from travelling in the same aircraft. Today that policy makes a lot of sense in Poland. Imagine the logistic problems of having a national funeral without having the ability of air travel.

The last time I recollect nature reminded mankind of its awesome power and to a much more devastating degree was when the tsunami struck us the Indian ocean on Christmas eve in 2004.

As we follow the daily news I hear that KLM has flown a passengerless airplane through the ash and landed safely. I wonder will the airlines take on the responsibility of flying a plane load of passengers through the looming ash cloud based on this test or will they chicken out-- more importantly will you buy a ticket on such a flight even if the airlines said it was business as usual but is Eyjafjallajokull listening-- from what I last heard it was business as usual at Eyjafjallajokull as well.

BTW have you guys heard of George Kourounis of "Angry Planet" fame. He is the guy who goes chasing natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes and volcanic eruptions. Next week he is going to be in Iceland and taking "calculated risks" to get as near as possible to the lip of Eyjafjallajokull to give us pictures of what goes on in the belly of the volcano-- I personally doubt it will be possible on an active volcano but Mr Kourounis has "been there done that" -- I am sure he knows what he is talking about.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Juniper Remedy



Anyone know of a cure to save a Juniper tree. This one stands guard in front of our house and as the summer is around the corner,we are trying to spruce up the flora surrounding our home. It seems that the the tree is dying in parts ( the brown leaves) and still thriving in the rest of its plumage. Any advise is welcome.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Mergers/ Acquisitions/ Outsourcing/ Insourcing/Offshoring....



Yesterday I was in an discussion on Mergers and Acquisitions at a networking group. BTW, before I proceed those of you who frequent such gatherings did you notice that most of the folks at such sessions are predominantly from the IT/technology sectors? Anyways-- back to my subject; The emphasis in all such ventures, be it Mergers/ Acquisitions/ Outsourcing/ In sourcing/Off shoring-- they are all focused almost entirely on the legal and financial aspects only. Weeks, maybe months are spent on negotiating,bargaining, haggling.. (then it gets worse..) hood winking, downplaying, hiding, misrepresenting, .....lying.. and when finally getting sick of the exercise and running out of patience, Agreeing!! The merger is announced and the stock prices surge in anticipation of the boost that the economy will get from the new merger/acquisition.

Meanwhile..... guess what!-- no one has told operations. Months of deliberations have had no connections with Operations ( the very guys who ensure that the business rakes in the revenues that feeds your payroll). Now, when the merger is announced, the "VeePee's" and the "Pee's" all go off to play golf.. relying on the old Financial Times post adage-- When you’ve got them by their wallets, their hearts and minds will follow. Yes -- they "follow" as they need to retain their jobs and in order to do that the poor folks down in operations have to read through reams of the signed contract to make sense of it and see how it applies to them. Its like trying to service a train that is running a 100kmph with processes that have broken or are not valid. What happens next?? ...

Frustrations mount. Management expectations are in the spirit of the agreement and are now impatient that the operations folks have not yet aligned themselves to the "great strategic path" that the senior leadership has lined up for them. The most competent resources start to leave, others are actively scouring the job market and the situation simply goes South.

Sounds familiar? Those in operations would probably agree with me. I did some thinking and realized that the main cause is Communications. Who are the folks who populate our board rooms? MBAs,CAs and the like.. right?. Rarely do you find any technical manager sitting in on such meetings. And why is that? This is because, as a breed a typical techie is soft spoken, not outspoken at all, preferring to work with his hands and head rather than his mouth and hence he is usually represented by a manager who possess these verbal abilities. These managers swiftly work themselves up the ladder and very soon the touch with the techie is reduced to an electronic status update oblivious to the fact that advancements in technology have overrun his outdated ideas and thinking.

So, what do we need among other things to succeed at M & A's----We need in the board rooms of today, technical managers who are in step with technical advancements, who are articulate enough to convince and negotiate at mergers and acquisitions to include all aspects of operations which will ensure that the mergers/ venture being attempted is as seamless as possible.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Earth Hour 2010



Yesterday's Earth Hour came and went. In spite of my willingness to add my bit towards saving planet earth, I failed. I simply forgot. At the stroke of 8.30pm local time I was behind a wheel, driving as fast as i could, East on Eglington Ave, trying my best to make it on time to a friends dinner. As I recollect now the roads were pretty deserted and I made good progress. When I returned, my son asked me if I had remembered and i sheepishly had to say "no". I made a call half way around the world,to India, and my parents told me that they had barely any power the whole day. It was quite possible that the power outage at 8.30pm local in India could have coincided with the Earth hour.


Later at night I scoured the Internet to see how the Earth Hour had been observed around the world. Most pictures ran the standard "before & after" and though there was a marked difference in the quantity of light that was turned off, I could not help but feel guilty that I too could have been part of the movement had I stopped by the road side and did what was right.

How many of you reading this blog, remembered?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Aloo


Today I drove down to the other side of the GTA to have coffee with my friend Raju. We do this every 35 years & I am hoping we can step up the frequency a bit now that I know where he is is "holed" up. Raju whom we all knew as Aloo in the academy, managed to slip under the radar and without anyone even getting wind of his move, he disappeared. Like most of us who leave our digital imprints all over, Aloo left no tracks/ signs & it was only due to the super sleuth Deeen ( DN Gupta) who tracked him down and put me on to him. Raju, armed only with his "gunner credentials" and an attitude that is worth a million, worked his way up diligently like a good immigrant and in his own characteristic easy laid back way has built a life for himself and his family in this distant land.
We spent the evening catching up on common friends and how life had treated us in the last three decades. There was only one down side ...Raju, that coffee was way to sweet .. ( anyone recollect when one visited remote posts in the field, the quantity of the sugar in the coffee was supposed to denote how welcome you were...)

Looking fwd to that lunch in Brampton, Raju.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Lawyers




A few days back we got involved in making a will. While I was reviewing it to ultimately sign it -- here is a "gem that i came across....
Can you make sense of it? Read from the top of the page to the second last line ending with the word "duties". ( Double click on the image to read the text)That is part of a will -- God alone knows when the will needs to be executed what sense it will make to those entitled. What kind of grammar is this-- Iam sure none of us ever learnt anything like this. Who ever heard of a sentence which goes for half a page.Only the lawyers can keep their focus on what the initial part of the sentence said as it takes you through its loops and turns. When the sentence eventually ends you are glad it ended, never mind it made no sense. The relief is short lived as the next sentence is almost as bad , if not worse. Do you know what really bugs me -- they give you this drivel and ask you to pay for it as well. Remember all those lawyer bashing jokes-- go for it guys-- leave no stone unturned-- the murkier the better.
Take a look at the cartoon below-- makes you want to take a swing at them-- right?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Some great Audio Books




Just read ( heard) two great Ken Follets'-- "Pillars of the Earth" and "The World without End"
I wonder if I ever mentioned how keenly I have taken to audio books. Its a great way to keep up with reading which started off very well in primary and middle school with Enid Blyton -- all those Sudden ( Oliver Strange and the other guy-- forget his name-- My name is Green , James Green), Desmond Bagely-( never see those books anywhere now-- not even in Chapters) & later we moved on to James Hadley Chase and Harold Robbins for which some of us got caned ( that was 6 whacks on the rump by Bro Huges with his lack cane). As we moved into the big bad world --Somewhere down the line TV and our profession got the better of us and the "book" got dropped. This went on for many years during which i did read an odd book but it was rare. Suddenly I find myself visiting the library very often picking up an audio book I have put on hold. Today as I drive or even potter around the house I remain plugged in to an exciting audio. Just finished listening to two great epics by Ken Follet ( the ones on top) -- highly recommended to any one who has the inclination. Just be warned , that this is VERY addictive and could even get you into a spot of trouble -- any one interseted to know how?

Sunday, March 7, 2010

A coursemate comes calling...



Around two yrs back Shokin was here & at long last another coursemate, Anil Nanda made it to us in Canada. Anil was in the US on business and very purposefully planned his trip to Canada to come meet with us. Perhaps it was due to the momentum and energy that was generated due to our course reunion on Feb 13th that prompted this visit but it was great to connect with Anil and his son Ankit and nephew Anirudh who is a student here @ UofT. Anil was nursing a lingering cold and declined a beer ( else i would have served it in the porcelain momento we got at the reunion)and had to settle for some lesser beverage, (which he got in a cheap glass :)!!

To the Services 79 batch: Spring is around the corner, as you can see the snows are melting-- who is next???-- I promise you the finest local lager in the reunion mug :).

Monday, March 1, 2010

Holi in Toronto



Living far away from India, there is a high possibility of such festivals slipping by without one even noticing it------ not if you have Anita monitoring it via the phone, web and the regular temple updates. The usual Holi revelry that evening was interrupted by the famous Ice Hockey Olympic game between Canada and the US and the spectacular closing ceremony. I am sure Crosby will find himself a great niche in the Hockey hall of fame. We even caught sight of the Indian team in the closing march past-- I wonder what event did India participate!!

At the end of all the feasting and a couple of games we did indulge in a little bit of color -- the results you can see above

Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Day - 2010


The New years has come and gone -- to all those who visit this blog-- wish you and your family and friends a great 2010. May all your dreams come true which implies that you must have a dream ( Can't win a lottery without buying a ticket -- remember)
Like most people I too have made some resolutions. I am following through for the last three days -- only 362 days left. Come tomorrow ( Jan 04th) and the world will kick into gear and that is when we will all go chasing our dreams.
Good Luck and make each day count.