29 January 2021

That bit about “Early to bed…”

Nikita had asked me to wake her up at 7 am. Which is never an issue for me. It is a different matter that after about half a dozen nudging, she eventually gets up at 8:19AM. One full minute ahead of class starting at 8:20.

This morning though, I slept in and did not even get up till 7:15. I had barely put my glasses on and picked my phone up when I was accosted by these hilarious texts from Nikita. Apparently, she has been awake since 5 and realized I did not wake up at 6 (as I told her I do – which is normally what I do.)

But you can see her funny texts here accusing me of putting up a charade. She even went to the extent of opening up a website – http://exposingrajib.weebly.com to expose by double standards!!

BTW, I was checking the website – apparently, there are more exchanges on the website – I assume from Nikita’s friends?

27 January 2021

A great tribute to my mom

This is by my first cousin once removed – Shreya. (I know my math now from here).

I got this from her literally on the one year anniversary of the day I saw my mom last.

Why my cousin does computer science instead of doing what she is so good at, I will never know. But then again, this is from a guy who wanted to be a steam engine driver but did computer science because his parents heard that the topper from the previous batch in high school had done so.

So, there is that…

26 January 2021

Of Montaigne and Somshekhar Baksi

This guy – Somshekhar Baksi – is what you might call a Renaissance Man. My meeting a few years back is something I savor every moment reminiscing about it. Once a year, I get to talk to him on his birthday. (Which, regrettably ends when he realizes I have taken too much of his time). Today was no exception.

Our big topic today was Montaigne. If you are not much into philosophy, this is your cue to exit. Baksi – as we used to call him in our MBA school days – led me to yet another book – not Montaigne’s “Essays” per se… but the biography written by Sarah Bakewell.

This is what I came up on Page 1… Nothing has described why I blog about mundane details about my life better than this… Or why I will never write a book…

“shared self-revelation is the best way to develop trust and cooperation around the planet, replacing national stereotypes with real people.”

For, in describing what makes me different from anyone else, I simply reveal what I share with everyone else: the experience of being human. This idea—writing about oneself to create a mirror in which other people recognize their own humanity— while not unique, is often overlooked.

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25 January 2021

Was that a premonition?

Last time I visited my parents, which was today, one year back, I had written up this about my mom…
“The biggest fear I have in life? For all the attention I have paid to my dad, what have I done for my mom? It is so easy to take the role of the caregiver for granted. I try to even bring up the topic of “what if mom dies before dad?” and I am summarily dismissed by everybody. My dad’s response is simply “I will die the next day”… continued here

Who knew life will play out exactly as I had feared?