8 April 2023

Rewind-Pause: Flashback from December 1986

We have the IIT Madras Alakananda hostel (our year) get together going on in San Diego now. Some incredible arrangements made by our local hosts – Ranga (S. Rangarajan and his wife Maya), GB (G. Balakrishnan) and Mani (Mani Krishnan).

Ranga, Madhav and I were reminiscing their trip to Durgapur back in December 1986. Madhav and I were headed to IIT Kharagpur for the Inter-IIT meet. Ranga (from Kolkata then) and Madhav had come over to our house.

We gathered my Durgapur friends one fine morning – Mousumi, Debatosh, Avijit, Aditi and Baisakhi and all of us made a trip to Shantiniketan.

This is one of the few pics that I have from that trip.

Category: Time Travel | LEAVE A COMMENT
7 April 2023

First flight after stepping off from work

We are off to San Diego. It is one of the most favorite cities for Sharmila. I think specifically, the La Jolla area.

There is a get together of some of my dorm mates from Engineering School in India that we are off to. I think Sharmila has met only about two or three of my friends from those days.

Should be a great meet. Plus we will get some time to check out some old spots from our trips there. I think the last one was in 2005)

Category: Vacations | LEAVE A COMMENT
6 April 2023

A very special family

Rajat-da and I went to IIT together. He was two years senior to me and my student counsellor. We spent a lot of time together in the soccer fields. In fact, we both played for our college in the inter-IIT meet in Kharagpur in 1986. He was a wizard in table tennis (ping pong) and still is. And still as crazy as ever when it comes to soccer (especially the Euro leagues).

After not having seen him since 1987, I got a chance to meet him in Bay Area a little over six years back. It was a hurried meet (I had just flown in from DC and he had to drive from San Jose to meet near SFO).

And then today, we had a very relaxing meet! I got to meet his family – Anindita-di, Rohit and Ankit. We had a long brunch and caught up on a lot of stuff – past and present. Not least of which was the staple diet of dad jokes! (or as we called in IIT – “PJ”s !!)

Category: Our Friends | LEAVE A COMMENT
4 April 2023

My old trail is back!!

(so is my running speed – for one day at least)

After over 10 years of running in this trail – with a lot of history including snakes and paramedics – I had to finally stop since they shut down the trail. It was under construction for over a year and then Covid hit. Which meant all the supply chain problems.

While wishing Bill happy birthday the other day, I found out that the trail had opened up a couple of days before. Went back there today for a great run. The wooden planks are all new and felt so much better on the feet and knee.

Somewhat swept up by the moment of running again in this trail that I know so many details of, I posted a sub-30min 5K (3.11M in 29:30). I have not done this – in about 4 years or so.

Good to get back to the old trail.

Category: Running | LEAVE A COMMENT