Times have changed a lot. We are flying to New York so that Natasha can decide which of the two last colleges that she has narrowed her choices to would she reject.
Back in India, times were simpler. Actually, there was not much of a choice – unless you were willing to pick up a life long battle against parents, relatives and society in general. The way it worked for me was as simple as this – you got a good rank? Great – you are going to Computer Science. What is your rank exactly? Ok. You will not get the first college but you will get your second college.
That was it! That was how I found out that I was going to Chennai (Madras) to study Computer Science. The first day I saw the college was the day I packed up my stuff, said goodbye to family and about 33 hours of train ride later entered the campus as a fresh student.
Life is way more complicated now. But kids are far more mature these days too. And that is why I am pretty impressed how methodically kids these days make their choices.
One remaining question – but, why do I have to get up at 3:30 am to catch a flight? I thought I was done with my decisions 🙂

Great start to the 50s. Long math session with Nikita, a half marathon run, a new cocktail, dinner with the family at the girls’ favorite joint and a night cap with Sharmila by the fire lit in the woods…

Memorable moment (during dinner)… I asked the three girls “What do you a call a person in his fifties?”

“Old”, said Natasha 🙂

Sharmila bailed out on me for the coffee we were supposed to have had after I completed my run. Apparently there was a mom-daughter moment going on at home. Somebody, evidently, has not kept track of the money she has been spending and so there is an “animated” discussion going on between mom and daughter to resolve that. Of course, when I say a teenager and her mom are trying to resolve it, this is not your run of the mill diplomatic exchange of words. This is more like hand to hand combat.

I extended my coffee break and came back home later. It is not like I was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. I was mortally afraid of getting killed by the irony of the situation 🙂

Set up Sharmila’s new gallery website. I have some more work to do to make it more mobile friendly. As of now, I am leaving it at though…

If you visit her website and do not like the paintings, don’t blame me. I am just the IT guy. 🙂

Somebody needs to remind him that those are not opposable thumbs that he has…

Just eight years back, we were sitting in this patio outside the kitchen of our new house trying to identify the colorful birds in the forest. She was three then.

Today, we are sitting in the same place learning about exponents and indices…