16 September 2024

Returning the favor

All those years when my parents were alive, I used to show up in Kolkata airport to visit them quarterly. Unfailingly, these two (my nephews) would be waiting outside the airport to receive me and then accompany me to their granddad’s house.

Years later, I now get to return the favor as the younger of the two comes over to the USA to start his undergraduation in UC Riverside. We took the coast to coast flight yesterday and are now waiting eagerly at Los Angeles airport for Rishu to show up!

That handwritten board was Sharmila’s idea.

By the way, they eventually outgrew their shorts and used to show up in their long pants. I have not returned that favor yet 🙂 🙂

16 September 2024

A chance call brought us together

Remember how I had talked about a very meaningful conversation I had with Uttara on her birthday a couple of weeks back? I know Uttara, of course, as the wife of my dear friend Kushal from my middle school days.

Turns out, circa 2004, when I had gone to visit Kushal in his house in Mumbai, I had missed her. She was traveling out of the country. But I did meet their daughter Shreya. I also remember meeting Uttara’s dad that time.

Now, normally, Uttara is busy when I call her in the evenings. So, we switch to Whatsapp messages later. This time though, she picked it up. While talking to her, I found out that Shreya was starting her PhD in a couple of weeks. In University of California, Irvine!! Which is about an hour from University of California, Riverside where my nephew is going to join.

So, instead of going to the airport directly to pick up my nephew today, we first made a detour to UCI. Picked up Shreya and went for lunch by the waterside. It was a short meeting but a memorable one. Sharmila summed it best when we dropped her back in her college and headed towards the airport – “She is so well put together!”

Really a very mature, well balanced young adult!

15 September 2024

Not that I need an extra reason to travel…

… but this quote from Mark Twain helps…

“Travel is fatal to prejuidce, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (Mark Twain)

So, here’s to getting rid of some more of my prejudices…

13 September 2024

Blog Readers from the World – 2024 September Edition

Just hit the 185 country mark with the some unknown reader visiting the blogsite from Paraguay. The world map here shows where all the readers to my blog come from. Notable exceptions include Cuba, Turkmenistan, Palau and a few African countries.

Thanks to Larry Mason for helping me with the WordPress editor when I was stuck.

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