1 January 2013

Surprise start to New Year

Surprise start to the New Year. Brother and I started the day with a 7K run. Dragged my sister and brother in law for the first 2K too! Not sure whether my dad was inspired or got terribly worried about us but when we came back found out that he had grabbed his new walking stick, left the bed he has been confined to after surgery and went downstairs for a few hundred feet walk. The security guy downstairs had to help him back in the last stretch but what the heck – I will take that anyday over he complaining about dragging my sister and brother in law for a run 🙂

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31 December 2012

Gaaner Asor – with sister

You probably remember from previous blogs about the surprise visit I paid to my ailing dad last year end. I also had mentioned that I sat down with my sister for a music session on New Year’s eve and we played till the New Year rolled in. After three decades I sat down with her. Three decades back, it was the fear of our parents and our teachers that got us to practice music. This time we sat down because we wanted to. (We have always regretted that we did not stay closer to music than we did – although she did a better job than me in that department). I recorded it for our families. (How I had to get myself a tripod in a small town like Kalyani is a hilarious story I will share with you later). If you are so inclined, here they are…


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOgCyo8-6hg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBW0NTD5lg0

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31 December 2012

Music session after 30 years

If it is all about how it ends, 2012 was one of my best endings. In a dream come true event, played tabla with my sister singing for over five hours. And that is when we realized that the New Year was upon us.
It has been at least 30 years since I sat with her for a music session. Every Friday when I play at home by myself, I always remember her as that small sister I had that I wish I could sit again some day for some music.
And that day was today!!

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31 December 2012

NFL moment

Has NFL brought back those replacement refs? While attempting from India to get an update on scores, the NFL app gave an error which, as you see, is complaining that it GOT a network connection!!!

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31 December 2012

Run and pig out!

Another 4 mile run early morning with my brother. After that there was the “paratha aloor dum”. Yesterday was “luchi aloor dum” followed by egg rolls and “moghlai paratha”. It is just a matter of time till I need medical attention 🙂 On the other hand, there is no doubt when I see my mom this evening, she will say “ei du diney ektu bhalo laagchhey dekhte” (“you are looking better in the last two days”) – which as you know is Indian mom speak for “you have put on more weight in the last two days” 🙂

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30 December 2012

Tea break with a twist!

Teabreak with a twist: went for a 10 km run with my brother in Durgapur where he and our sister were born. Took a tea break at a memorable place.

If you can see the tree with white mark on my brother’s right – it was on that road right there, one evening twenty years and two months back, while taking an evening stroll with Sharmila, I had asked her straight and simple – ring, rose and getting on a knee be darned – if she would marry me. My biggest worry was whether she would stand up to her and my parents – none of whom would approve of our marriage. I was counting on her street cred of fierce independence, stubbornness and sense of self determination.

That evening, she summoned all those strengths in her and told me point blank -“No” 🙂

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