19 October 2024

Dallas Trip 2023

  1. Alighting in Dallas Feb 20, 2023

    Will be spending a few days in Dallas – for work and then visiting old friends. This is where Sharmila and I spent our first half of married life. And the place where both the girls were born!

  2. Dallas friends – Aniruddha and Indrani Feb 20, 2023

    Our oldest Bengali friends in Dallas. We got to know each other when Sharmila and Indrani were both studying in UT Arlington!

  3. Dallas friends – Bikash and Binti Feb 21, 2023

    Late dinner with Bikash and Binti. Interestingly enough, my connections with Bikash go back to Durgapur days!!

  4. Morning run in my old running paths Feb 22, 2023

    Went out for a quick run in familiar roads after a sharp spell of rains in Coppell.

  5. Dallas friends – Baxter Nairon Feb 22, 2023

    I had not seen this gentleman – famously known for his dispassionate way of making a case or opposing one – for about two decades!!

    If any of our old friends were worried about whether he has lost his nerdiness, I present the tattoo on his left arm!!!

  6. That brought back memories! Feb 22, 2023

    Royal Lane building! Old i2-ers will remember this building where many a line of code was pounded. The rumors those days ran rampant that products were not released from this building so much as they escaped!!!

  7. Dallas friends – that one and only inimitable Roger Feb 23, 2023

    Of course, when you let the two of us be alone, some crazy destination travel plans are bound to come up. Are you listening, Shauna and Sharmila? The rest of you might have to wait till August to find out our plans…

  8. Dallas friends – Chethan Gorur Feb 24, 2023

    Another friend that I had not seen in two decades or so. Picked up a few tips on meditation and diet from Chethan this morning.

  9. Dallas friends – Bidisha Feb 24, 2023

    We had some great discussions on life topics in general. In particular, much of our conversations revolved around how to engage with folks with opposing points of views!!

  10. Dallas friends – Reddy and Arindam Feb 24, 2023

    The fourth troublemaker of the quartet – Raj Sundaramurthy – was conspicuous by his absence.

    The highlight of our discussions? Phineas and Ferb!! Don’t ask me how we got into that!

  11. Dallas friends – Willie Weng Feb 24, 2023

    It had been too long since I last saw my friend who was famously known for having no fear in telling the truth to the powers that be!!

  12. Finally landed up at my hosts’ place Feb 24, 2023

    Good old Sunil and Anannya had agreed to host me for a couple of nights. Thank you Prabir and Devalekha for dropping by and reminding me of those great times we had together two decades back!!

  13. Does this happen to you too? Feb 25, 2023

    When I bought my first Honda, I suddenly started noticing all the Hondas on the road. It was like every other car was a Honda.

    When I bought my first motorcycle, even Sharmila mentioned how we started noticing a lot more motorcycles on the road than we had ever seen.

    Asked the nice lady who served drinks to Bidisha and me where she was from. What do you know? She said – El Salvador!! In fact a small village that I actually visited last week! And she is the second person from El Salvador I have met after coming back from there!!

    I realize nothing has changed other than we pay more attention to familiar – that too recent unique – experiences. But it feels too coincidental.

    If any of you visit The Ranch in Las Colinas (near Irving), say Hi to Jennifer Velasquez.

  14. Dallas friends – the Sundaramurthys ! Feb 25, 2023

    Well, if you insist on counting, Rajshekhar and Viji have been Dallas friends, Atlanta friends and Mumbai friends!

  15. Too soon? Feb 26, 2023

    Sharmila and I were shopping in some furniture stores on Alpha Road, when I chaanced upon this chandelier.

    I think it is too close to the pandemic to try to sell this now!!

  16. Dallas Bengali friends – take one Feb 26, 2023

    You know if I do not post this, then this fabulous lunch meeting never happened!!

  17. I found out that we are related! Feb 26, 2023

    Following a tip from Bidisha from the previous day, I was able to put together the whole chain while having lunch with Sashwata. We lived within a stone’s throw (especially if have arms like you go to the gym everyday like all my Dallas Bengali friends these days seem to do) from each other for nine years but had never realized this before.

    Now, to be fair, the relationship is fairly weak. It took four marriages to get us to be related!! One of those “fifteenth cousin, never-quite-successfully removed” kind of kinship.

    As tortured as the description sounds – and it is tortured, you have my word that it is absolutely accurate to state that this gentleman is indeed….

    “My wife’s father’s sister’s husband’s brother’s son’s daughter’s husband’s mother’s mother’s mother’s daughter’s daughter’s husband’s mother’s daughter’s daughter’s son” !!!

    Waiter, one more drink here, please!!

  18. Dallas Bengali friends – take two Feb 26, 2023

    You know, because one good turn deserves another!!

  19. Dallas Bengali friends – take three Feb 26, 2023

    This is to make sure the last person to drop in – Ashok Mukherjee did not get left out from the posts!

  20. Night cap at our next host’s place Feb 26, 2023

    That hostess you see – Mita Basu – laughing away uncontrollably? Don’t mind her.

    In India, where we are notorious for misplacing the word “only” in our sentences, we would excuse her away by admitting… “What to do Sir? She is like that only” !! 🙂 🙂

  21. Dallas friend – Tricia Quaid Feb 27, 2023

    Our favorite friend from very early days in Grapevine and Arlington, Sharmila’s co-student and colleague from business – Tricia!!

  22. Dallas friends – our final tryst Feb 27, 2023

    The final tryst with our friends in this particular sojourn to Dallas. Coffee with Kushal, Madhumita, Sabori, Amit and Tricia!

  23. Interesting perks for a job Feb 27, 2023

    Sitting at the Starbucks, the job ad caught my eye. I get the benefits like flexible time, great folks to work with and even paid education.

    I realize how times have changed when I see that free Spotify account and free Headspace account is now a job perk!!!