5 March 2014

Ahmad Wali back again!

Ever since I had that conversation with that Afghan cab driver in DC, I have been trying to dig up more songs of Ahmad Wali on YouTube. Here is one that is just amazingly mellifluous (at least to a Bengali ear). I am also intrigued by the influence from common roots of Indian songs and Afghan songs on each other. The tunes of most of his songs remind me of some other song I have heard before. (And I cannot understand a single word of what he is saying).

For all my Bengali music lover friends, which Nazrulgeeti does the second song of Ahmad Wali (starts at 5:35) remind you of? There are parts of the song that have almost the same tune!!

And for my Afghan friends (read Miriam πŸ™‚ ) what is the meaning of the song he is singing?

5 March 2014

Some more intersection points…

Before hitting the sack last night, there was just enough time to meet some more of my old friends. Got a chance to meet Willie Weng and Greg Yut from my old code development days in i2.

Greg drove for over half an hour very late at night and Willie came straight from the airport after his business trip on his way home to meet up. Can you imagine what our important topic of discussion was? It was not about life, learnings or much about our old friends (well, a little). We spent most of the time discussing the frustrations of having to deal with teenager kids!! Between the three of us, we have six of them (Greg takes the lion’s share with four :-)).

Heaven knows, we have become like our dads!!! πŸ™‚

Again, it was great seeing two of my most memorable friends from early days of my career with whom I got a chance to work on a daily basis and learn a lot!!!

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5 March 2014

Que Sara Sara!

Met Sara Emily Bowling Ovacik Waller tonight. And that is just one person!! Also met her recently acquired husband Richard. Met Sara after almost a dozen years. We worked together in i2 where her job was to keep my the then boss honest! Which was a feat unto itself!! Apart from some catching up of old friends, there were some great recollections of hilarious incidents. Not all is worthy of the august company here. But certainly, we can talk about the time when she wrecked our common boss’s new red BMW πŸ™‚
Seriously though, I was really glad Sara could make some time for me. Nothing like catching up with a true human being like her.
Like I said, met her new husband Richard too. Not only did he impress me with his handlebars, he actually understands his cocktails!! Here is a guy I need to know a little more and learn a lot about mixology!!
Great evening!!! Hope to run into them once again…

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