Sitting at the Starbucks, the job ad caught my eye. I get the benefits like flexible time, great folks to work with and even paid education.

I realize how times have changed when I see that free Spotify account and free Headspace account is now a job perk!!!

The final tryst with our friends in this particular sojourn to Dallas. Coffee with Kushal, Madhumita, Sabori, Amit and Tricia!

Our favorite friend from very early days in Grapevine and Arlington, Sharmila’s co-student and colleague from business – Tricia!!

That hostess you see – Mita Basu – laughing away uncontrollably? Don’t mind her.

In India, where we are notorious for misplacing the word “only” in our sentences, we would excuse her away by admitting… “What to do Sir? She is like that only” !! 🙂 🙂

This is to make sure the last person to drop in – Ashok Mukherjee did not get left out from the posts!

You know, because one good turn deserves another!!

Following a tip from Bidisha from the previous day, I was able to put together the whole chain while having lunch with Sashwata. We lived within a stone’s throw (especially if have arms like you go to the gym everyday like all my Dallas Bengali friends these days seem to do) from each other for nine years but had never realized this before.

Now, to be fair, the relationship is fairly weak. It took four marriages to get us to be related!! One of those “fifteenth cousin, never-quite-successfully removed” kind of kinship.

As tortured as the description sounds – and it is tortured, you have my word that it is absolutely accurate to state that this gentleman is indeed….

“My wife’s father’s sister’s husband’s brother’s son’s daughter’s husband’s mother’s mother’s mother’s daughter’s daughter’s husband’s mother’s daughter’s daughter’s son” !!!

Waiter, one more drink here, please!!

You know if I do not post this, then this fabulous lunch meeting never happened!!