Checking in with the Pulijals
This was a very long standing promise that I finally got to keep. After almost 10 years!! I remember making that promise when Hari and Usha had visited Sharmila, the two young daughters and myself in our then-new home in Atlanta. I remember having a great time talking about everything and sundry. That meeting itself was after another ten years since I had visited them both in their house in Randolph, New Jersey.
Since I have some time these days in hand, I got into the car and pressed the gas after pointing the car in a generally north easterly direction from Atlanta. The idea being to catch up with some old friends. First stop was Roanoke, VA. Thoroughly enjoyed the solo trip. Took a lot of stops to enjoy the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Eventually showed up at the Pulijals’ abode around 7 PM. It was almost a throwback to that evening I spent at their Randolph house. Non stop chatting. We talked about our old colleagues from US and India, about the kids, about Usha’s passion for dancing, growing plants and trail walking and Hari teaching young kids yoga and Bhagwad Gita! I am not sure how we got there, but we also talked about the reverse osmosis process while softening water!!
It was just like the good old days!!
It took me quite some time to get to the promise I had made them that I would visit their then-new digs in Roanoke. Finally, I got around to it last night!!
Loved it!
Nice Rajib. Thanks for sharing!!
Rajib – it was a pleasure meeting you and catching up. It was great hearing the latest on i2 friends what they are up to and reminiscing the good old days !
Rajib, wished I’d know you were going to be in the Roanoke area: I grew up in Bedford (about 25 miles east) and I could have given you some sight seeing tips, one being the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. Interesting puzzler: why in the world would they put this memorial in a tiny town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of SW Virginia?
What is the reason?
Bedford had the largest per capita loss of life of any town or city in US. The “Bedford Boys” as they were called were the first to land on the beaches at Normandy and most were killed, nearly wiping out the entire generation of Bedford’s young men. Memorial website is here: https://www.dday.org/overview/ and you can read their story here: http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii-the-town-of-beford-virginia-loses-many-men-on-d-day.htm. Jane and I went to the dedication on June 6th, 2001, and it was incredibly moving with hundreds of dignitaries and veterans attending from all the countries involved. You can see some of the speaker highlights here: https://www.c-span.org/video/?164634-1/day-memorial-dedication
Wow! Learnt something!
Check it out if you ever get back to the area…
i will indeed
You are I. Dallas
No
In Atlanta