11 July 2017

Five mind blowing facts I learnt last evening…

Late evening, Nikita decided to go for a swim and I went out to give her some company. Instead of actually jumping in, I stayed land side and started reading up on some geography trivia. Some of the things I learnt just blew my mind away. See how many of these you already know. After answering them, Google up and find out the answers!!

1. Which city first reached a population of 1 million?

2. Which country has the maximum number of pyramids?

3. What fraction of the Nile river’s total length flows thru Egypt?

4. In which continent is the driest place on earth?

5. There is a sea that has no coastline. Can you name it?

Category: Puzzles | 7 Comments on Five mind blowing facts I learnt last evening…
11 July 2017

Tuberose from Sharmila’s garden

I grew up in India calling this “Rajanigandha”. Without doubt, one of the most fragrant flowers one can ever be around. This flower almost always carries a symbolism of marriage in my mind since every wedding ceremony in India (certainly the parts that I come from) would have this as a must-have item. This, those ever-flickering tubelights in the wedding halls and those dratted small green insects that rejoiced in walking sideways around those flickering tubelights (Bengalis help me – “shyamapoka”???).

My dad – who is not exactly conversant with everything America – could not be more glowing of this country when I told him this morning that Sharmila has grown “Rajanigandha” in our garden. It has almost made up for his disdain towards those American socks sellers for selling me socks that barely came up to my ankles. (He figured for the money I paid – once multiplied by the exchange factor, I should have gotten socks up to my knees. Or even more!! 🙂 )

Anyways, going back to the picture, this was taken with an iPhone in the evening. I could get one stalk in an angle such that there was nothing behind that gave a great depth of field perception.

Category: Images | 19 Comments on Tuberose from Sharmila’s garden
9 July 2017

Touching thank you gesture to all my readers

About a week back, you might have read in my blog or in Facebook my feature on Jessica (“A profile in courage”) and her own writeup (as my first guest writer) on her travails and how she has fought back every inch of life.

Many of you showed your support for her quietly, some by putting comments in my blog, some by voting that you “Like” her fight back story and some more put in encouraging words for her in Facebook.

She has taken great inspiration from your thoughts and words of support. I got this card from her recognizing how much your words have meant to her still ongoing healing process.

I know I post too much. Guilty! Too many of the running pictures, not so funny jokes and what not…. But the realization that my readers and I together, made a difference to somebody wonderful like Jessica, makes it all worthwhile for me.

Allow me to name all the ones who put in encouraging words on my blog and Facebook…

Shout out to all of you that made Jessica’s day and many more of you who did it quietly…

Sri Ganesh (my senior from my first job), Mrs. Bhowmic (my geography teacher in middle school), Sharmila (the one who reminds me how much I post 🙂 ), Amitesh (my alter ego in Atlanta), Ranajoy (my junior from middle and high school), Anushree (my classmate from elementary school), Subho Nath (my runner friend in Atlanta), Sumana Rao (my colleague from i2 days turned personal friend), Geeta Bhandari (my colleague in Mumbai from my first job), Vicky (one of my first colleagues who had the tough job of keeping me honest as my exec admin in i2), Moniruddin (my actual first friend of life), Brandee (my colleague from previous job in Atlanta – who also say right outside where I sat and was the brunt of a lot of my terrible jokes), Nita-di (our friend from Knoxville and my elder daughter’s heroine), Vineet Seth (my colleague from i2), Raja-Gautam (my friend from Atlanta), Debbie (Jessica’s friend), Tracy Fitzpatrick (my colleague from early start up days – another victim of my terrible jokes), Monolina (better half of my classmate from eighth grade), Swami (my peer, friend, philosopher and guide from yesteryears), Sibapriya (classmate from my middle school – and the first one to throw in his words of support for Jessica), MRs. Gurung (my home room teacher of eighth grade), Baisakhi Chakraborty (my friend from school days and a survivor by her own right – from an accidental incident and somebody who I consider lucky to be still on her friend’s list), Dipita (my wife’s classmate), Karen (my colleague from i2 days), Jayanta Biswas (another classmate from middle school), Jyotiswar (yeat another classmate from middle school), Shernaz (my colleague from first job in India), Amy Swotinsky (my colleague from my job in Boston), Sonali (spouse of my frind from middle school), Michele (colleague from my first job in Atlanta) and Lisa (colleague from my job in Boston).

I am really really proud that people like you who made a difference to Jessica count me as your friend!!

Category: Intersection Points | LEAVE A COMMENT
9 July 2017

From the bartender’s corner – Not Your Dad’s Gin and Tonic

This is perfect for my Bengali friends who typically like their drinks a little on the sweeter side. And the lychee-like aroma of elderflower is bound to win the noses of them.

If you do not use Uncle Val’s gin, use Hendricks. You will need the cucumber to interplay with elder flower. If none of them are handy, just gently muddle a couple of cucumbers and stir after you have poured the ingredients. (Do not shake though, it will become too frothy).

The ingredients are the gin and elderflower liqueur and tonic water. The original recipe calls for tonic syrup and sparkling water but tonic water is good enough and less hassle.

Category: Cocktails | LEAVE A COMMENT