Once in a deep and sombre mood, I wrote a poem - "Miles of Tales Condensed in a Sigh!". Its' still my favourite. With an open mind, you may also like it perhaps.
Hear the hypnotic tales, from graves dead men shout,
Passionate lives, lived or dreamt, calmly recount.
Whom they loved, and who deceived,
Magnanimities and cussedness, given and received.
Laughter and tears, grief and stifled cry,
Miles of tales, condensed in a sigh.
Link to the complete Poem at my blog
Friday, December 08, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Ramu With Sadhu Merani
(Thus Spake Ramu):-
Hi folks
After enjoying some mouth watering chaat at Chaat Paradise in Sunnyvale, Shobha& I (duly chauffered by Rohit & navigated by Bhavana & Baby Mira in tow) drove into Meranis sprawling Ranch at Las Gatos on 18th at 2.58 pm. Merani was waiting eagerly at the door to receive his Mech'71 buddy after 35 years perhaps a little apprehensive as to whether he would be able to recognise me or not.
But recognition was instantaneous and the joy unbounded.He rushed out to greet us & shepherded us all graciously into his drawing room. Sudha soon made her appearance and after the initial round of introductions we settled down comfortably for a long chat.As Merani & I were deeply engrossed in our own conversation about life at IIT & thereafter,blissfully oblivious of all else present, Shobha & Sudha took the opportunity to know each other better. It turned out that Sudha was brought up in Chennai and had her schooling at Church Park(same school that Madam Jayamma also attended).Sudha also narrated some interesting experiences with some of the Mech'71ers whom she had an opportunity to meet during their visit to Dilli in Dec' 2000 -the confidential & classified details are being with held.
Merani & Sudha turned out to be fantasic hosts. After a session of digital photography Sudha led us all into the dining room for High Tea - mountains of sandwiches, varieties of cakes & cookies, samoosas & what not.What a veritable feast ! Had we known about the generous spread in advance we might have decided to give a skip to the chaat paradise.
The Meranis have two children - son works in San Fransisco & daughter is doing her undergrad.
Merani it turned out has a passion for gardening.He took us on a tour of his lawn & garden - showed us his special oak tree which he reported as the tallest on his street,the tulip tree which flowered in winter and his fish pond which had some exotic & very colourful varieties of fish.
Soon it was time to bid adieu-all good things have to come to an end ! And we departed carrying pleasant memories with us.
Tho photographs are still in the camera & will be posted shortly.
Bye folks
Ramu
Hi folks
After enjoying some mouth watering chaat at Chaat Paradise in Sunnyvale, Shobha& I (duly chauffered by Rohit & navigated by Bhavana & Baby Mira in tow) drove into Meranis sprawling Ranch at Las Gatos on 18th at 2.58 pm. Merani was waiting eagerly at the door to receive his Mech'71 buddy after 35 years perhaps a little apprehensive as to whether he would be able to recognise me or not.
But recognition was instantaneous and the joy unbounded.He rushed out to greet us & shepherded us all graciously into his drawing room. Sudha soon made her appearance and after the initial round of introductions we settled down comfortably for a long chat.As Merani & I were deeply engrossed in our own conversation about life at IIT & thereafter,blissfully oblivious of all else present, Shobha & Sudha took the opportunity to know each other better. It turned out that Sudha was brought up in Chennai and had her schooling at Church Park(same school that Madam Jayamma also attended).Sudha also narrated some interesting experiences with some of the Mech'71ers whom she had an opportunity to meet during their visit to Dilli in Dec' 2000 -the confidential & classified details are being with held.
Merani & Sudha turned out to be fantasic hosts. After a session of digital photography Sudha led us all into the dining room for High Tea - mountains of sandwiches, varieties of cakes & cookies, samoosas & what not.What a veritable feast ! Had we known about the generous spread in advance we might have decided to give a skip to the chaat paradise.
The Meranis have two children - son works in San Fransisco & daughter is doing her undergrad.
Merani it turned out has a passion for gardening.He took us on a tour of his lawn & garden - showed us his special oak tree which he reported as the tallest on his street,the tulip tree which flowered in winter and his fish pond which had some exotic & very colourful varieties of fish.
Soon it was time to bid adieu-all good things have to come to an end ! And we departed carrying pleasant memories with us.
Tho photographs are still in the camera & will be posted shortly.
Bye folks
Ramu
Ramu In US
(Thus Spake Ramu):-
Hi Guys
A brief report on my visit to the US so far :
1.Had a 2 hour long meeting with Julka at a Las Vegas bar - reminiscing about 35 years of life after IIT ! Julka now offers free consultancy on how to gain a pound a day and double your weight in 50 days ! Neither of us had a camera hence no snaps are available.
2.Met Nirmal Singh & Jas Kiran at a New Jersey Pub - We had a smashing time indeed. Nirmal is now offerring consultancy on how to get to the US as a student after you are 55 ! Photographs are available & will follow.Sorry Gill about being unable to make it to Buffalo -we missed a good opportunity ! Missed you too Deepak at NJ !
3.Have a meeting set up with Merani at Los Gatos on 18th. Really looking forward to seeing you Chander ! Understand Rajiv is somewhere in your neighbourhood - Do you think you can get him to join us on 18th ?
And congratulations to Puj on his daughters wedding at Guruvayoor Temple. Really wonderful news indeed. Guruvayoor is just 2 hours drive from Coimbatore & I certainly will attend.Hope to see other Mech'71ers too there at least guys like Girish,Venkat,Murali,Guvrus. Weddings are normally conducted outside the temple so upper garments can be retained. However for entry into the temple it is mandatory for men have to go topless.
Ramu
Camp : Washington
Hi GuysA brief report on my visit to the US so far :
1.Had a 2 hour long meeting with Julka at a Las Vegas bar - reminiscing about 35 years of life after IIT ! Julka now offers free consultancy on how to gain a pound a day and double your weight in 50 days ! Neither of us had a camera hence no snaps are available.
2.Met Nirmal Singh & Jas Kiran at a New Jersey Pub - We had a smashing time indeed. Nirmal is now offerring consultancy on how to get to the US as a student after you are 55 ! Photographs are available & will follow.Sorry Gill about being unable to make it to Buffalo -we missed a good opportunity ! Missed you too Deepak at NJ !
3.Have a meeting set up with Merani at Los Gatos on 18th. Really looking forward to seeing you Chander ! Understand Rajiv is somewhere in your neighbourhood - Do you think you can get him to join us on 18th ?
And congratulations to Puj on his daughters wedding at Guruvayoor Temple. Really wonderful news indeed. Guruvayoor is just 2 hours drive from Coimbatore & I certainly will attend.Hope to see other Mech'71ers too there at least guys like Girish,Venkat,Murali,Guvrus. Weddings are normally conducted outside the temple so upper garments can be retained. However for entry into the temple it is mandatory for men have to go topless.
Ramu
Camp : Washington
Beta Sab Bare Peg Serve Honge
Gulla on The VV Club Get Together Nov'06
Know how to wreak havoc in a staid, conservative institution such as the Vasant Vihar Club?
You start by getting Shorty - in his rich, fruity baritone - coach the bar waiters - country yokels of recent import from Bihar - the niceties of fine service. "Beta sab bare peg serve honge aur tum poochna nahin bas laate jaana, laate jana!"
Then you have the saints - the creme de la creme of Mech 71 - come marching in - here a VK, anon a NK, even a Rajni Kant from Mumbai - and the tables start filling midst much merriment & bonhomie - a sudden blare of trumpets and in march KC & Ranjana & Sheikh Pujari along with Maestro Marwaha (who has single handedly brought our maverick flock together again after many a year). KC firmly declines a snifter - "Oye main peeta nahin hoon! " - but then who is he to pit his feeble cunning against the wiles of Shorty's writ? A puff of bar dust and our hero is holding a glass in both hands. No such temperance problems for old Puj! A deft flutter of his burnoose and a discrete flash of them dinars and the waiters promptly forget their tutorial and flock around him with an assortment of potent containers, each clamouring for his custom.
KC dwells on his approaching grand-father hood with much pride. A sudden hush prevails as he goes into the intricacies of gripe water, nappy rash and pottie training. Marwaha nods knowingly & the dapper Manchi listens carefully. They mix KC another chhota. Shorty starts singing "The Mayor of Bayswater. . . " Pujari invites us all to his daughter's wedding in January in Kerala. It is to be solemnised at the Guruvoyur Temple. He is aghast when informed he will have to go topless and in a lungi - or did we confuse the setting with Sabrimalai? GB & Ramu would know.
We troop in for dinner - a huge spread of the best and brightest VV Club has to offer. And then its packup time - Petkoff Sunil Gupta speaks his third sentence of the evening & the event draws to a fitting close.
Thanks heaps - Marwaha & Shorty and all those present - for another impeccable do. Perfect as always! Eyes down now for Merani's, and then El Gill's & jolly Johri's evenings! Delhi is shining!
Gulla (from Vienna airport, waiting to connect a flight!)
PS I don't think all the 71ers have been addressed - Normal bhai pls forward to those I've missed out! Thanks
Know how to wreak havoc in a staid, conservative institution such as the Vasant Vihar Club?
You start by getting Shorty - in his rich, fruity baritone - coach the bar waiters - country yokels of recent import from Bihar - the niceties of fine service. "Beta sab bare peg serve honge aur tum poochna nahin bas laate jaana, laate jana!"
Then you have the saints - the creme de la creme of Mech 71 - come marching in - here a VK, anon a NK, even a Rajni Kant from Mumbai - and the tables start filling midst much merriment & bonhomie - a sudden blare of trumpets and in march KC & Ranjana & Sheikh Pujari along with Maestro Marwaha (who has single handedly brought our maverick flock together again after many a year). KC firmly declines a snifter - "Oye main peeta nahin hoon! " - but then who is he to pit his feeble cunning against the wiles of Shorty's writ? A puff of bar dust and our hero is holding a glass in both hands. No such temperance problems for old Puj! A deft flutter of his burnoose and a discrete flash of them dinars and the waiters promptly forget their tutorial and flock around him with an assortment of potent containers, each clamouring for his custom.
KC dwells on his approaching grand-father hood with much pride. A sudden hush prevails as he goes into the intricacies of gripe water, nappy rash and pottie training. Marwaha nods knowingly & the dapper Manchi listens carefully. They mix KC another chhota. Shorty starts singing "The Mayor of Bayswater. . . " Pujari invites us all to his daughter's wedding in January in Kerala. It is to be solemnised at the Guruvoyur Temple. He is aghast when informed he will have to go topless and in a lungi - or did we confuse the setting with Sabrimalai? GB & Ramu would know.
We troop in for dinner - a huge spread of the best and brightest VV Club has to offer. And then its packup time - Petkoff Sunil Gupta speaks his third sentence of the evening & the event draws to a fitting close.
Thanks heaps - Marwaha & Shorty and all those present - for another impeccable do. Perfect as always! Eyes down now for Merani's, and then El Gill's & jolly Johri's evenings! Delhi is shining!
Gulla (from Vienna airport, waiting to connect a flight!)
PS I don't think all the 71ers have been addressed - Normal bhai pls forward to those I've missed out! Thanks
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Where Bheem Sat
I met RC Sahni after decades. I had an official engagement in Bhopal so I contrived to meet both RC Sahni and Ghai separately.
At a very short notice, RC found a slot for me in his crowded calendar.
As I got ushered into his official lair, I could see the lanky lean boy moulded by intense life-experiences into a distinguished looking statesman. Public high achievements and Private pains add gravitas to ones personality. The well appointed and book-lined mahogany panelled stadium-sized chamber (as the offices of senior bureaucrats are called) could put anybody in awe - if it was not a friend occupying it. His chamber overlooks the Charles Correa designed Vidhan-Sabha - which RC showed me like an owner showing-off his pet jewel - since this project was executed under his stewardship.
Like in such gatherings after decades - we exchanged what have we been upto all these years. Being fellow government-wallahs we also had lot of career things to gossip about. RC has unstintingly helped me a lot in such matters.
The talks as usual accompanied by tea and things. Children are a topics close to heart when we meet like this. Besides our own successes/failures - paths that children take or don't take - affects us the most. We exchanged what our children are doing now. When I left after the overextended meeting - there was a large gathering of visitors waiting fretfully in the waiting room.
I then squeezed in a visit to an anthropological site 45 KMs away called Bhimbetka (= where Bheem Sat) which has ancient cave-paintings of Neolithic Man. Read about it in detail at my blog Bhimbetka.
Ghai is Director Purchasing for a Medical College start-up. He also set aside all his Purchase Orders - and selected the meeting point as a "Police Thana" near his Railway DRM's office. We went off to an Udipi-joint in view of my dietary restrictions. I had idli and he - wada/sambhar with cold-"Kaapi". Discussions were also as varied as idli-wada. It was nice to hear that his son has gone to Denton, TX for PhD - very near my son who is in Austin TX. We then talked of past. He has boldly experimented and has taken some reverses in attempted "Businesses" in his stride with aplomb. All these have not changed one bit his irreverent and bold outlook on life. I came away with a feeling of respect about the unspoken family support he must have had during such reverses - which is rare. My camera failed at this instance and the photo with him is from a mobile-phone without flash in the late evening.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Wistfully 11 years younger us!
At the Silver Jubilee gathering at IITD. Pleasures and aches are part of memories. Who could have imagined that, that smiling Ashwin Bhatia, would not be with us later?
At the Director's bungalow. Forget how we may be now looking like - imagine how must these Kids in photo be looking like now?
Subhash Kataria, Girish & Gadbad Gulati
Some More Photos Later.
PS: (The photos had to be converted to lower resolution for the web)
Girish
Thursday, November 02, 2006
An Evening with Mrs & Mr Nirmal Singh
It was so nice of Mrs Nirmal Singh to have braved her knee pain and still commute from NJ to Manhattan to meet us. Nirmal hosted Me and my wife (Anu) at the Khyber Restaurant - which was a walking distance from our Hotel. They are a great pair. We talked of this and that. Children - their marriages. Future hopes and fears.
Indian when abroad, wistfully wait for two things - Indian Food, and water instead of Bottoms paper.
My first need so wonderfully met by Nirmal.
The second one was met only after my return to India.
If an ass could smile, it did.
To Prof Mal and all Mech'71'rs
Prof Mal ordered me to create a blog. Here it is. It will be Mech'71's blog - they will do the postings, hopefully. To start with let me add one about the nice evening I had with Nirmal Singh at NY.
Girish
Girish
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