22 March
2013
21 March
2013
Sampat bhai!
The benefits of business travel!! Met good old friend from MBA days Vikram Sampat after over 20 years!!! It was priceless catching up after so many years!! Like the gold old days, had an ice cream with him after dinner. Instead of our usual haunt -ICP (Ice Cream Parlour) it was CCI (Cricket Club of India) this evening!!
21 March
2013
Oat meal!!
Another 5K in really humid Mumbai. Sitting at the breakfast table, I was wondering why oat meal in India tastes so much better than in US. Then I noticed the plate of Jilebi, aloo paratha with Chana dal and achar and the masala dosa surrounding it at my table 🙂
I know what my Indian friends in US are thinking – “You pig! You deserve to run aimlessly” 🙂
In my mind I am telling them “suit yourself” as I dig deeper into the two rasamalais 🙂
20 March
2013
Run in Bombay!!
Twenty years back in this city, I used to run in the morning so as to not miss the train to Andheri. I used to run to the Borivali bus depot not to miss the early BEST bus to Kandivali. Those were purposeful runs.
This morning, in the same city, I ran without any general purpose for 5K. Shaved off a minute a mile due to the flat terrain.
And as I did that, I twice almost ran into people running from cross streets. No doubt they were trying to catch a train or bus 🙂
19 March
2013
Flight to India
That is one heck of a way to get to India. First, back in Atlanta, as I was trying to finish off the last few calls before they close the doors of the plane – hailstorms hit the airport. Hail hitting your plane when you are sitting inside sounds far worse than when you gift your 10 year old nephew his first set of drums (presumably to exact some kind of revenge on your brother) 🙂
Of course, we had to wait for a couple of hours for the State Farm guy to show up – or whoever it is that shows up to check hail damage for planes. Yes, there is such a thing. I have half a mind to write to Delta that they could have easily saved all of us 15 minutes by switching to GEICO! 🙂
Finally we took off with no chance to make my connection flight in Amsterdam. I took a zen like attitude – whatever happens will happen. Worst case scenario, I will stay in Amsterdam for a day and go the next day. There are worse things that can happen. For example, Delta could have been with Allstate 🙂
Fortunately, the flight picked up speed and we made up some time. Just enough that I realized I had a shot at making the connection. Which I did. By a few minutes! And that is when it dawned on me that my luggage may not have been that lucky 🙁 Nothing shatters zen-ness like the the prospect of being in a hotel with no extra set of clothes and a few customers to meet that day!!!
So, here I am in my long flight from Europe to India wondering what is in store. Delta tried to make it up by giving me three gulabjamuns in my meal. Why the odd number three, I will never understand. At this point, I had the proverbial angel and devil duking it out on my either shoulder. “Too much sugar”.. “So what? it is India”.. they went on and on 🙂
Finally, I gave in and bit into my first gulabjamun. It was so hard thatI barely left a bite mark!! And that is when I realized that Delta’s gulabjamuns beat paper and scissors 🙂
And that brings me to where I am now. Slowly descending into the Indian sub continent. Not knowing what I am going to wear tomorrow morning for my run. And a couple of teeth that are sore 🙂 Zen, shmen, my left foot 🙂
17 March
2013
Run, Mimosa, Run, Wine!
17 March
2013
College tax day!
After doing a lot off yard projects, Nikita and I were relaxing in the hammock by the pool. I wanted to tell her how much I will miss doing projects with her when she is off to college. Thinking about the day she will leave us for college, I asked her “Do you know what is the day I dread the most?”
“The day you have to give taxes”? she answered. 🙂
Upon further reflection, I continued with my snooze in the hammock 🙂
16 March
2013
Spring day!!
15 March
2013
Proud recipient….
After my rather scathing report on my family-in-India’s relative ignorance of the internet, my brother has decided to singlehandedly fight back. He set up email ids for my 8 year and 5 year old nephews. I am the proud recipient of the first emails that has ever been written by my nephews. I am sure by the time they go to college, emails are going to be passé. So, I am keeping this for posterity:
5-year old Rishu wrote:
Dear Jethu
I am rishu sending the first mail to you.What are you doing?pls reply. I am going to sleep now.
love
rishu
>>>
8-year old Riku wrote:
Hello Jethu,
how are you and what are you doing.What are Nikki & Tasha didi doing.What about the chart of transports That must come to me.What about the Chhota Bheem?
Regards
Riku.
14 March
2013
Upside down bunch of grapes
Thursday evening flying back home. Puzzle time.
Put 10 coins in four rows – top row has four coins, next has three, next has two and bottommost has one (will look a bunch of grapes – see the picture).
Now by moving only THREE coins, you have to get the bunch of grapes to look like upside down. (so, top row has one coin, next has two….)
This is not a trick question. The arrangement is exactly the same – but upside down.
