27 February
2017
26 February
2017
Some crazy toy trivia
Can you guess the following? You can Google for the answers – you do not need to post them… But first try to guess
1. What is the oldest toy? If you think hard, you might be able to guess this.
2. What is the second oldest toy? For the life of me, I would not have guessed this right.
3. In England, it is against the law to not provide whom or what with toys? You are going to laugh your head off once you find the answer.
4. Speaking of which, in France it is a crime to sell dolls without this. Can you guess?
5. Which toy originated in gym classes in Australia, was banned in Indonesia, also banned by Japan from playing in public and the Russians deemed it to be “symbol of emptiness of American culture”?
6. Finally, can you guess who is the largest distributor of toys? You can get this if you think about it for a second.
Now check the internet for the answers…
26 February
2017
Feb Run Stats
26 February
2017
Music evening shifted to Saturday
Today is a Nusrat evening. Great words from Ghalibā¦
āHaathon ki lakeeron pe
Mat ja, ae Ghalib
Naseeb unke bhi hotey hain
Jinke haath nahin hoteyā
Some references here – the lines on your palm is considered to state your future and fate, according to some… Here, Ghalib tells himself to pay no attention to itā¦
āDo not go by the lines of the palm
On your hand, hey Ghalib
āCoz, luck is bestowed even upon those
Who do not have any handsā
26 February
2017
The finality of deathā¦
This is why I like to reconnect with anybody who has ever crossed my path before – birthday day calls, dinners during business trips, going to villages in India to extract somebody I knew half a century backā¦ And make some new connections on the way tooā¦ Because you never know if you will ever meet them againā¦
It was hardly a year back – in fact, March 2016 – that I found out that this gentleman – father of somebody I know in Atlanta – was in an old age home not too far away from where my parents live. Last May, I went in unannounced. He did not know me. But that was okay. It did not take me too much time to make friends with himā¦ or the many other old folks who came by to talk to me (their moment of pride? – “my son/daughter is also in America like you” – the irony of they pushing their next generation to a better life in America while they get relegated to a distant old age home with total strangers weighed very heavy that afternoon on my drive back). [āThe Gift of Timeā] (top two pictures)
During my next trip last year – and that would be June 2016, I brought my sister with me – who is a far more compassionate person than I am – and we spent about three hours with the gentleman and more people of his age group at that old age home that time. I remember he mentioning that it would be great for him if I could drop by for two minutes every time I came to visit my parents. [Revisiting an old age homeā] (bottom left picture)
In my next trip (last year end/this year beginning), I was running very short of time. On my way to the airport, I took one more detour – after some debate on whether I will miss my flight – to see him for about fifteen to twenty minutes. His last words? āOk. Go now. But come back again. It feels good to talk like thisā. An overwhelming sense of guilt had gnawed into me on the trip back – Why was I even thinking whether I had time to meet him? If I did not have time for old folks like him who have made folks like me stand up in life, arenāt all my priorities all messed up? [āOne last unscheduled stopā] (bottom right picture)
What I did not know is the following – that meeting on Jan 4 was to be the last. A friendship of 10 months has come to an end. Mr. Lodh is no more. I will go past that old age home to visit my parents every year. And I will just be staring at the home as my brother speeds past it. That one human being I got to know a little is no moreā¦
And I will be wishing that I had gotten to know him earlierā¦ that I had visited him a few more timesā¦. that I had stayed for a few more minutesā¦.
He was, above all, … a human being!!! A kind and considerate one at that too!!
25 February
2017
From the bartender’s corner – Aperitivo with Wint and Lila
25 February
2017
That was the 100th mile for Feb
A few days back, while exchanging birthday greetings, Anastassia and I had agreed that she will help me finish my 100th mile for the month the next Saturday (which is today). That put some extra pressure on me to finish enough number of miles before that.
I had finished three and a half this morning when she showed up. And I was grateful that she did. She kept her word in spite of a sick kid at home. I needed another three and a half. She had us do four! It was a great feeling to finish the 100th mile with a teammate from a previous job. We had run a few times together but the last run was nearly two years back.
I was asking her a few questions – while running in the trail – about the recent tennis singles championship she won (in case you wanted to know, she was pacing us so hard that I was content with only asking small questions in short bursts and let her give all the answers thereby not betraying how hard of breathing I was getting trying to keep pace with her š ) when we heard somebody yell out my name.
I knew that voice. Sure enough it was Peter and his family running in the trail. Peter was a customer of mine long time back in Virginia. Then he and I worked in the same company for some time. And actually, Anastassia and he still does! Anyways, it was an extra gift to meet Peter’s family on my 100th mile of this month!!
Our traditional coffee together had to be skipped since Anastassia had to run back to take the kid to the doctor. And for me now, I am not going to even touch any running shoes till Mar 1st rolls in š
25 February
2017
From the bartender’s corner – Montmartre
24 February
2017
Sometimes we mix business with pleasure
A few of us came earlier in the day to get ready for our Board meetings in Tampa. Tampa is also the place – strictly speaking St. Pete – that our business and personal friend Amar calls home. Amarās company and we often compete with each other and then in many other cases, we partner together. He is acknowledged to be one of the industry leaders in our segment. Therefore, as you must have guessed, it is always great to sit down with him and get his perspectives on market, technology and customers. Specially for me who came from outside the industry.
Last evening, three of us from our team – Mark, Bob and myself sat down with Amar for dinner and drinks. We even called his wife – Aparna – to join us. Which was a good thing – since we are always up for one extra person to gang up on poor Amar!!
It was a great evening – and we even got to do business before Aparna came along!!!
24 February
2017
Separated at birth?
Having stepped out of the flight at Tampa, I was weaving thru all those folks at the gate waiting to get into the plane for the outbound flight, when I thought I saw somebody that looked very much like me. Clearly somebody of Indian origin, he was also bespectacled and sported a clean shaven head.
What is more, I thought I might actually know him. He was peering into his iPhone busy doing whatever it is that busy people do with their iPhones at airports. To make sure I was not mistaking a stranger for somebody I knew, I went and just stood next to him. Eventually, he lifted his head and sure enough – it was an old colleague from the past – Gautam Vyas!
Neither of us work in our old company any more – so it gave me a chance to catch up with his exciting moves in career as well as get updates on some of the old colleagues. Funny part is that we do not live that far apart from each other (by Atlanta standards at least) but we actually saw each other first time after I left that job in of all places – Tampa airport!!
