14 August 2022

Beautiful day out on the lake with the Sivasubramaniams!

If you had told me – thirty seven years back – that in a future world this classmate of mine from Computer Science days in IIT Madras and I will be riding a boat some day, there would have been no way in God’s green earth that I would have believed you. And then, after a moment of thought, I might have asked you – “Will I be above ‘C’-level?” (ha ha). We were nothing in those engineering days if not full of PJs (poor jokes ~ groaners).

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13 August 2022

Saturday evening winding down with Ghalib

Originally a poet who wrote only in Persian, he was eventually persuaded to write in Urdu.

“Na Hui Gar Mere Marne Se Tasalli Na Sahi,
Imtehaan Aur Bhi Baaqi Ho To Ye Bhi Na Sahi…”

Roughly translated,

“If my death did not convince you (of my love), then so be it
If you want to test me even more after my death, then so be it”

13 August 2022

The Jadejas! After such a long time!!

Nayan and Deepma were in town to drop Niharika at Emory. Sharmila and I had an outstanding evening with them. After seeing Niharika, I went back to the photo database to locate her in the archives.

The small kid in blue top? Yep, it is the same Niharika – this is back in 2004. (The other girl with her is our own Natasha !) We missed Avichal this time around!!

12 August 2022

From the bartender’s corner – Boulevardier

There is some confusion about the exact source of this drink. Some say it originates from Erskine Gwynne – an American writer who lived in Paris and authored a paper by the name Boulevardier (in French that would mean a rich socialite). Others say it was indeed his most favorite drink. However it was introduced by New Yorker Harry McElhone who had to leave for Europe during Prohibition period and opened a bar in Paris called Harry’s New York Bar. It was here that the Prohibition-era cocktails were being given a do-over in Europe with local ingredients. (America got introduced to Campari much later).

In either case, it is a close cousin of Negroni with Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Bourbon. It is one of those few cocktails, I can enjoy on a warm as well as a cold day.