Angry birds guide for managers.

Identify your team members. Leave your experiences.

कुछ यादगार लम्हे

When we were unpacking our stuff in Fremont last summer we found out that something was missing. We thought we had it with us. We let a few days pass but sure enough we could not find it. Now we are again unpacking in a different part of the world and we are missing something. Deja vu all over again. But now we know what it is - it is the warmth, love and enthusiasm of the folks in Ottawa.
Ottawa occupies a special place in our hearts. We enjoyed everything from dosas to cocktails, cricket to poker, gentle birthday jingles to frenzied dancing. And the taste lingers. They say winters are rough in Ottawa but we managed to see the good times in Ottawa in way that makes the Bangalore weather rather dull.

Of late Padmini and I haven't been in touch with Ottawa gang mostly due to two big moves we did last year. But we talk about you guys often; more than often. Whenever the infamous Bangalore traffic gets to us, our conversation turns to 10-minute-get-anywhere commute in Kanata; when Mrinalini looks for new friends, we remember the Ottawa cuties; when we want to shake our legs, we look for TT (Tejinder's tunes).

We do learn about happenings in Ottawa such as grab-a-job among the ladies or lets row the boat this summer. And many more. Latest pics do find their way to our inboxes. And thats where we learnt that Aravind turned 40. Well as they say one should enjoy one's forties as fifties are now a reality.

Father's day is upon us and I am going to miss the cricket matches. I believe the OPL (Ottawa premier league) will do great with Gulab, Prakash and Kishan steering it. Umesh will bless it remotely. And with summers making inroads Satvinder must have made plans of camping and canoeing. I truely miss the camping bit as we dont have any safe camping here in Bangalore. Summers also gives Prabhu an opportunity to trim his plants all day long and be on the porch.

I wanted to write this earlier but a visit from an Ottawa-ite last evening helped me overcome my procrastination. Dhanya is always persistent.

Bangalore is a change. Padmini is busy with setting up the place and co-ordinating कामवाली बाई schedules. We do meet with Subodh, Sweta and Anika but Bangalore traffic does not allow to meet us as frequently as we would like.


I will not say goodbye as we are sure to do things together again. Some day. Please do write and share the latest. (via blog or otherwise).

Go "Rajasthan Royals".

A tribute to "35 years old" friendship....

This page is dedicated to Ansa, Tatu, Harish, Golsa, Parag, Monu, Mansa, Alsa and lot of other whacky characters who played an important role in shaping my personality. Mostly by avioding what they were doing or preaching.
I hope this memoir serves as a good guide to their spouses by giving an almost uncensored insight into the characters they chose to marry. We all shared so many episodes, anecdotes and प़गे that it is difficult for me to get to a good starting point. At best I will be spordiac, jumping from one event to another. Sometime I will hide the name of the scoundrel to save his skin. मसलन if I say "They drove drunk into girls hostel at 1 am " - keep guessing I wont tell as promised to Alok and Monu.

We all were friends, rivals and confidantes for fourteen years circa. Most of us ran in loose half pants and played lot of leg cricket in our school St. Anselm's, which was located in an area called चक्कर. This area was the territory of Mordia and Panjabi brothers. Ajmer was a sleepy town (it still is) but we always found ways to liven ourselves either by landing in police station (do you remember that Harish) or bunking school for झम्मू's. We really disliked technology at that time suc as TV, etc but had a special liking for Mr. Bell's invention - the phone. Phone meant different for different people. Important study material, झम्मू timings and other triva were exchanged. But phone's most powerful feature - the ability to send your voice into the next door girl's house caputred our imagination in varying degrees. While some were very proficient (and still are !!! hey Godfather) others stumbled on the opening sentences. Fast forwarding to Jodhpour. We practically live together, all of us and Ramkaran (later on Mr. Ramkaran). All the mommy's_good_boys tasted the vices and virtues of freedom. Things which were looked down upon became in-style. Slogan was "गोल्डफ्लेक की बात ही कुछ और है". Some were still trying desparately to be nice boys, some had crossed over and some were feeling guilty. Some were falling in love and some were just falling. There we made a few friends.
(Meanwhile some folks like Harry the hunter, Ash the blunder, etc.. drifted to other places... )

Life sure is great teacher but only in retrospect. Jodhpur was a great teacher too. We experimented with drinking. It was meant to be an "experiment" only. But we underestimated the length of trials or were not educated about it. Monu can vouch for that. Though Gaurav has been spotted sober at times in later years. Ansa's and Golsa's first few marriages ended in first year of college and there were times when the would-be-bride only appeared at "a distance".
Well Jodhpur is incomplete without Parag the punter (he really was one). Punter had a strange gift. He actually took the discomfort with pleasure. Of course when the discomfort belonged to someone else. Parag is also credited with inventing "mouth-only-smoking" where no lungs involved. It was mastered on multiple packs of Malboro lights. His help was his nemisis and of others. Didnt I tell you I will cover ramkaran. I refuse to discuss his bike and bike riders.
Just as jodhpur taught us. Alibag and bombay brought another perspective into lot of people's life. I was not privy to those details I swear. But it was heard that Ash the blunder was saved from a mandap in Alibag from the help of his big wig friends. Of course Anoop.

We were also friends with lot of people most of them are now old and gray (yes 35 is old) there were Puneet Gupta, Hemant R., Punjabi brothers, Ashish M., Nitin.

I wish people will add to these ramblings.... floor is now open.
(May contain factual errors.)