9 March 2014

Chalupa Run

The herd thinned out a little due to the Daylight Savings (everybody slept an hour less). We were excited to have two first timers there – Nachiketa and his younger daughter Remi!!

Like last week, tried keeping up with Pooja for the first mile. Initially she ran at 7:30 min/mile pace. And then for the last quarter mile she decided that we should sprint – we peaked at 6:15 min/mile!!! I raced to win and then when I realized that I won’t, I raced to make her break the record 😉

After that was a leisurely couple of miles more!!!

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Category: Running | LEAVE A COMMENT
7 March 2014

Cool Puzzle

This puzzle does not require math skills but some imagination and visual skills. Assuming you have not seen this problem before, that is. One of the visual skills required is getting past my terrible drawing abilities 🙂
So, there is a painting with a string attached on the top two ends as shown in the picture. And there are two nails on the wall horizontally separated. (the separation distance does not matter).
Can you hang the painting with the string in a way that if any one of the nails come off, the painting will fall down to the ground?
Of course, the painting needs to actually hang from the nails using the string.

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Category: Puzzles | LEAVE A COMMENT
6 March 2014

Nikispeak again!!

So, there is a Miley Cyrus show coming up. And I asked my usual question to the girls (by SMS) if they wanted to go. (I never go but many times they show up for all these concerts). I was anyways wary of exposing any of the girls (including Sharmila 😉 ) to “twerking” (I think that is the word, right?). So I asked the question in a negative way.

Again, Niki’s response was hilarious. I so wish this firecracker would remain 10 years old for ever!!!!

Here, see her response for yourself…

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Category: Humor, My Family | LEAVE A COMMENT
6 March 2014

Nikispeak

After two very tiring days in Dallas and then rushing back for a customer dinner yesterday, I was dog tired and late to bed last night. Decided to change up my routine this morning – slept in till 6 am and then had a leisurely coffee at home instead of going for a run and all that. And since I had missed Nikita’s birthday day before (I was on the road), offered to accompany her to school today.

While driving there, I opened with an ice breaker – “Can you think of some
English words that have three consecutive vowels?”. She gave me one long look, answered “Aaaaaaah”and “Wheeeeee” and then closed her eyes!!!! But not before reminding me “No more academic questions before school hours”!!!

Needless to say, the rest of the trip was very quiet and decidedly vowel-less!!!!

Category: Humor, My Family | 6 Comments on Nikispeak
5 March 2014

Ahmad Wali back again!

Ever since I had that conversation with that Afghan cab driver in DC, I have been trying to dig up more songs of Ahmad Wali on YouTube. Here is one that is just amazingly mellifluous (at least to a Bengali ear). I am also intrigued by the influence from common roots of Indian songs and Afghan songs on each other. The tunes of most of his songs remind me of some other song I have heard before. (And I cannot understand a single word of what he is saying).

For all my Bengali music lover friends, which Nazrulgeeti does the second song of Ahmad Wali (starts at 5:35) remind you of? There are parts of the song that have almost the same tune!!

And for my Afghan friends (read Miriam 🙂 ) what is the meaning of the song he is singing?

Category: Music/Poetry | LEAVE A COMMENT
5 March 2014

Some more intersection points…

Before hitting the sack last night, there was just enough time to meet some more of my old friends. Got a chance to meet Willie Weng and Greg Yut from my old code development days in i2.

Greg drove for over half an hour very late at night and Willie came straight from the airport after his business trip on his way home to meet up. Can you imagine what our important topic of discussion was? It was not about life, learnings or much about our old friends (well, a little). We spent most of the time discussing the frustrations of having to deal with teenager kids!! Between the three of us, we have six of them (Greg takes the lion’s share with four :-)).

Heaven knows, we have become like our dads!!! 🙂

Again, it was great seeing two of my most memorable friends from early days of my career with whom I got a chance to work on a daily basis and learn a lot!!!

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Category: Intersection Points | LEAVE A COMMENT
5 March 2014

Que Sara Sara!

Met Sara Emily Bowling Ovacik Waller tonight. And that is just one person!! Also met her recently acquired husband Richard. Met Sara after almost a dozen years. We worked together in i2 where her job was to keep my the then boss honest! Which was a feat unto itself!! Apart from some catching up of old friends, there were some great recollections of hilarious incidents. Not all is worthy of the august company here. But certainly, we can talk about the time when she wrecked our common boss’s new red BMW 🙂
Seriously though, I was really glad Sara could make some time for me. Nothing like catching up with a true human being like her.
Like I said, met her new husband Richard too. Not only did he impress me with his handlebars, he actually understands his cocktails!! Here is a guy I need to know a little more and learn a lot about mixology!!
Great evening!!! Hope to run into them once again…

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Category: Intersection Points | 2 Comments on Que Sara Sara!