Birthday Thoughts on Friendship

 Making friends, keeping friends.

These two things can keep you occupied for good! For life, maybe. Even if you work, you can make friends with some. In rare cases, with the boss too!

It happens to be my 65th birthday, therefore these profound thoughts are occurring instead of the mundane thoughts that usually do. Celebrated with my newly made friends/workmates at JIS University, Shrabani and Karanjyot Kaur who also got a cake made by her sister, who is a Hotel Mgt. graduate from the JIS group itself. Proof of the pudding below-

Gifts I Liked

 The best gifts are visits in person, of course. That I got from old friend Shweta Kushal, on my birthday eve! We had a blast, and visited Dopamine for some yummy food too. 

The other great gifts, apart from wishes in hundreds, were pics of me with the wisher.. Sheetal Garg had one of ours at Prithvi Theatre, from a couple of years ago, and Meghana Khadilkar, likewise. Ananya Nandi De posted one of ours from a Delhi meeting too.

A surprise was a wish from Manuja Seth of NMIMS Bangalore. She had emceed our online convocation.

Enjoyed hearing from friends in Harihar too, on the occasion. And of course, my bookworm and ghost writer friends were at the forefront.

Two more visitors who made it special, were Ishita Modi, ex-IMT and Harish Chaudhry of IIT Delhi, a former classmate from MBA days. Ishita gifted me a Golf ball inscribed with her company name!

We also had a cake cutting at Prestige University, thanks to Divya and faculty colleagues.

Lots of relatives on Whatsapp too. Had a video call with my daughters too, which was nice.

64th Birthday Wishlist

 Actually, there's no wishlist - just a few thoughts. More of a throwback.

I was born in 1960, which was a very different time. Rationing was in force, for sugar, cooking oil (Dalda) and a few other things- sometimes Rice and stuff. Radio ruled (still does in my life), TV did not exist in India. 

Cricket was a gentleman's game, still played in Whites with a Red ball. We went to school, of which I remember only some kind nuns in the first few years, and a couple of classmates. Boarding school was different, and I remember the tough schedule, starting with P.T. at 6 am every day. 

College is a blur, except the Hindi and Telugu films we saw in Hyderabad, and a mess-Ramaiah- we ate at on Sunday evenings coz our hostel mess took a break. Food at our mess was bad. But we survived. Chai and bun omelette at Hilton (Irani, not that one) was a luxury we enjoyed sometimes.

CAT happened, and then IIM Bangalore. That gave some direction to work life, as there was campus placement. An ad agency and a marketing research agency later, I headed for a Ph.D. to Clemson University, South Carolina.

It has been an adventure (starting with an Ad Venture where I worked) in teaching since 1989, full time. And then, admin. here and there, including PES, IMT, IFIM, and NMIMS and Prestige University now. As I prepare to say goodbye to this role soon, it's been a satisfactory run, as Nero Wolfe would say. 

Don't have a specific wishlist. I have grown up, maybe?

Birthday Thoughts a bit Early

 It's not my birthday, but will be soon- 62nd, in about a month. So what do I have at 62 that I did not at say, 16?

I have a lot of gratitude, rather than the entitlement, possibly. 

I suspect I have some humility-no traces of it when you are young, usually. I was no exception, I guess. Maybe not enough, but still.. 

I have legions of friends-partly because I had wheels on my feet, and changed places and jobs frequently. As we speak, I will be changing places again, for a new job-hopefully, my last as a full-timer.

Most of all, a life lived fruitfully, according to what I thought was the way to live it, and no regrets. No, this is not a farewell, I am not going anywhere. I will continue to haunt you through my blog and posts and meetings when they do happen. So don't worry, and be happy- in spite of my birthday rants/ramblings.

Amazing Birthday No. 61

 What do I like the best about a birthday? Attention, affection, love from all who might remember me, of course. I got plenty of that, online and through phone calls. An added bonus was something that Prarthana (my daughter) cooked at home-- a new recipe too- here's a pic. Of course, the celebrations will continue, though the day is over.... for, you keep growing every day!

Two years ago, I was in Bangalore around my birthday, and managed to sneak in a game of Golf at an Army Golf Club-thanks to a friend. Also, there was a wedding to attend, just before, so I met a lot of friends from MBA days. 

Hopefully, the days of meeting friends are coming back after a two-year hiatus due to the Corona virus. We just had a small IMTans get-together a few days ago. Another happy news this year was that my younger daughter went to the U.K. for a Master's in her choice of subject (Cultural Heritage Management), and managed to reach safely through the pandemic. 

I have begun training sessions, one-on-one, to teach people Golf in my campus at NMIMS, on a make-shift course. We do have a nice putting lawn, though. 

How to be 61

 

This is a lesson for all who want to be 61 (I will be, soon)- or more. I may have a bit more to say next year.

1. Be a little more boring. I mean, look for excitement now and then, but not all the time.

2. Enjoy others' accomplishments, forget about yours. 

3. Play or converse with kids of any age. Related to point 1, because this is always exciting.

4. Eat and taste good food of different kinds. While the going is good. You may not have teeth for too long, so take a good bite.

5. Try out drinks too, if you are the kind who does. It's legal, and quite OK, if you don't drink from the bottle. My favourites have been Single Malts of various kinds, and brandy -VSOP if affordable. Hennessey and so on. Sometimes, wines or beer-craft, preferably. Rum is a standby when you run out of money.

6. Try Golf. Or Badminton, or Tennis. Even Table Tennis, if that's what you like. Keeps you social. Bridge is another favourite, though I haven't played it in ages. Avoid online games, unless impossible.

7. Travel if Corona's not around. Even a drive to nowhere, 50 kilometres away from any city, is refreshing. And if you can travel to meet family and friends, nothing like it. 

8. Read whatever you like. It can keep away boredom, particularly if you are retired. Browse in bookstores, rather than online. Gives you exercise too.

9. Make new friends, maybe online if not offline. It's invigorating. You can also join online communities. I am a part of a music group, and a PG Wodehouse Fan club. 

10. Give advice, without worrying about it being taken seriously. It won't, but you did your job, so.. 

A Birthday Celebration or Two

 The wife's birthday celebration at our new abode, Bangalore, and a quieter celebration of mine at Indore during the middle of the pandemic earlier. A Pictorial...

This was an extended celebration with some Tequila..

Adding Colour to My 60 Years

 It has been an eventful journey as I am on the verge of turning 60 on Oct. 7. Just mentioning that I am grateful to friends, family, colleagues of all hues who have added colour to my 60 years on this planet. 

Two pillars of support above, and better half, below.

Kalaivani and her world-beating team..at my place in Indore, and IIMB classmates, below last year.

Below- Fab 5 at IMT faculty reunion party in Nagpur.

Me, in a Vietnamese hat, and below, a Konkan holiday with cousins

The clan at Mom's 88th above, and my in-laws and parents, below.

Last class on Digital Marketing (PhD) at Indore.

Below, a view from Greece (1991).

As a toddler, with my Dad and brother, and two of mine, below.

Some special friends from a music group I joined 5 years ago. This was a Bangalore meetup in early 2020.

Birthday Greens

It is definitely not the blues. Could be greens, or new green shoots that seem to appear from somewhere to brighten up the day, or many days. Had a great time meeting many classmates at a wedding of a friend's daughter, and then met a few old students, and another old friend, and went golfing- all in the space of a few days. Also a week or two earlier, met some grand-kids at Grandmama's Cafe where we had a rehearsal of cutting my birthday cake. I got the royal treatment from Shatakshi and Varun (literally, Shahi Tukda) at their place a day before D Day! That's the first pic-

 Another first was getting some Make-up on , with my own special artist- the bride's friend- before the wedding! After all, we had to keep pace with the lovely young lady!

Above- a first batch student of Kirloskar, Savitha, and I.

 Above- Wedding guests with the well-dressed host at the centre.

 Gatherings at the wedding.

 Earlier meetups.. Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, etc.

There was a lot of banter, reminiscing, gossip, and some enlightening (for me, at least) conversation thrown in. I tried acknowledging all the facebook birthday wishes, and gave up after a while- there were just too many to handle. So I just went into a group mode to thank all those who took the pains. It was a few hundred, ranging from Lithuania and the U.S., to Kolkata (in spite of Durga Puja) and the rest of India.

What I do enjoy the most is catching up with people in person, so I was happy to do a bit of that in the last couple of months. The old ad of Thums Up- Food, Friends and Thums Up, can cure any blues. Adrak wali chai bhi ho sakti hai, instead of Thums Up (Shatakshi, are you listening?).

2017-18 in Pics

Some pics from this year and last.

 Two spots of significance- Sigiriya, Sri Lanka (above) and the Gurudwara in Nanded.

 Above- looking out at Pondicherry, and below, cruising at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

 Flowers on show, January, at Pune's Empress Garden. And below, celebrating my Mom's 88th, also at Pune.

Qasbah, a restaurant in Hyderabad where some of us Engineering college-mates met.

Fifty Six and More

How long you live is not known. But you do have aspirations for yourself in the years that you do. Here are some of mine.

That I have lots of small joys every day. An unexpected mail, or meeting. A smile, or a guffaw, a shared joke..

A well-made cup of tea, with the right amount (for me) of milk, sugar and the tea. With music.

A nice book.

An intelligent, witty comment, or turn of phrase from someone on a facebook post. Or a funny forward.

A beautiful photograph, of a person, place, thing.

A pleasant memory coming back to haunt me.

A great biryani at regular intervals. Hyderabadi, preferably.

7th Pay Commission being implemented ( a sour note? I just want the govt. to be more efficient).

Opportunities to travel, as long as the limbs can move.

To see the sea, every once in a while. Hoping to make it to Sri Lanka in 2017.

Peace (no news channels, hopefully they'll disppear from the face of the earth one day).

Asha Bhosle Turns 83

She is an amazing artist. I am not sure when I learnt to recognise her voice, but it had a magical quality. I was not much into female singers, what with Kishore Kumar occupying centre-stage in my choice of film songs, but she was so good that I paid attention. Some songs that may have attracted me initially were- Parde mein rehne do, parda na uthao.. from Shikaar, Haal kaisa hai janaab ka (Chalti ka Naam Gaadi) and Ga mere man ga (from Lajwanti), a couple from Mere Sanam and Jewel Thief (Raat akeli hai, bujh gaye diye, filmed on Tanuja), and later on, some duets with Kishore Kumar.

Jaane jaan dhoondhta phir raha from Jawani Diwani was a great number, and so was Dum Maro Dum, the iconic song from Dev Anand's film Hare Rama Hare Krishna.There was a steady stream of seductive songs she sang for Helen, like Piya tu ab to aaja (Caravan) and Yeh mera dil pyar ka deewana (Don), or Simple Kapadia (Jab chhaye, mera Jadu, koi bach na paaye, in Lootmaar). Pyar hua hai jabse, mujhkko nahin chain aata is another favourite duet of mine.

Lots of other songs can be listed, like Chura liya hai dilne jo tumko, nazar nahin churana sanam, or Kehdoon tumhe, ya chup rahoon, or Jawani jaaneman, haseen dilruba (Namak Halal), Aao huzur tumko sitaron mein le chalun,..and  Tumhi rehnuma ho, meri zindagi ke (Do Raha).

She also excelled in the ghazal-style songs in Umrao Jaan that were all classy- In aankhon ki masti ke deewane hazaaron hain.., Dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan leejiye.., Yeh kya jagah hai doston.

Happy birthday to a great singer.

Birthday Wishes

I am now 55...well, almost, starting tomorrow. What do I wish for?

Mostly, peace. For myself, of course, and for others.

I wish people get what they want, and also peace. The opposite, strife, or tension, I have learnt over the years, is not good for you. If you can, you should live your life as you like it. If you can't, smile through the life that you might have to lead.

Cherish all that you have. Wonderful parents, siblings, friends, spouse, relatives - all of them could be irritating at times, but are priceless to keep one going. And we might be irritating to them at times, so that's Ok.

Excellence comes naturally to those who try and do their stuff sincerely, and maybe like the Bhagavad Gita seems to suggest, without actively looking for the reward. Work, hobby, activity of any kind (inactivity too) can be its own reward. Enjoy all phases of life, do not regret anything beyond a point, and look forward instead of back.

That in a nutshell, are my thoughts on the day- actually a day ahead of time, like some wishes I have started getting :)

Asha Bhosle is 79

Thinking of new adjectives for her is actually a waste of time, because Roget's thesaurus has been exhausted in the attempt. What I can say is that she has one of the most beautiful voices ever to have graced any music world, and we are lucky that she was born and did her singing in India. Where would we be (particularly people of my generation), without her melodies?

Her music was like a bed of roses, in a world full of angst. Sixties, when she probably came into her own, was not a happy decade for India, what with shortages of sugar, kerosene, cooking oil, and sometimes grains and milk. But listen to her sing, and all thoughts of those hardships vanished. I think that was the quality she brought to it. My first introduction to her songs was probably in the movie Shikaar where she sang 'Parde mein rehne do, parda na uthao, parda jo uth gaya to bhed khul jaayega', followed by Jewel Thief in which she sang a Tanuja song 'Raat akeli hai, bujh gaye diye, aake mere paas, kaano me mere'..to seduce Dev Anand with his crimped neck enveloped in a scarf- it was wonderful!

She quickly followed up (in my chronology) with the Teesri Manzil gems (Helen owes her one), and then 'Piya tu ab to aaja', and a number of  fast-paced OP Nayyar songs, and to me in those days, the greatest of them all. Dum Maro Dum. This song alone must have had the greatest impact on a generation, I am quite positive- though I don't have research to prove it. The magic that RD Burman's music and her voice together created was something, even beyond this song. For instance, 'Jaane jaan', from Jawani Diwani is a classic, where her voice appears completely different.

Well, I can go on and on, but I will just say that her voice was always youthful, and it's no wonder the youth idolised her. But she also made an impact on the serious (older?) listeners with her Umrao Jaan ghazals. 'Dil cheez kya hai aap meri, jaan leejiye'..wow, she is great medicine for the blues, to drive them away.

Gulzar's Birthday Today

Gulzar has been a prolific artist in Hindi films ever since he hit the bull's eye with the song Mora gora rang laile, mohe shaam rang dede (take my fair skin colour and give me a dark hue...opposite of the Fair & Lovely theme). He has come a long way, and many awards later, continues to write.

Pleasant, touching and meaningful lyrics are his forte, and his films always left a mark where it mattered- in your heart. One of my favourite Gulzar songs is from Parichay- Musafir hoon yaaron, na ghar hai na thikaana. Another perennial favourite is Aanewala pal jaanewala hai from Golmaal.

Some of his gems are Hawaon pe likh do hawaon ke naam-Do Dooni Chaar, Hazaar raahen mudke dekhi, kahin se koi sadaa na aai-Thodi si Bewafai, Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi- Khamoshi, Thoda hai thode ki zaroorat hai - Khatta Meetha, Naam gum jaayega-Kinara, Dil dhoondta hai phir wahi phursat ke raat din, a haunting song of nostalgia from Mausam, Tere bina zindagi se koi shikwa nahin (Aandhi, brilliant music by RD Burman and rendition by Lata and Kishore Kumar), Hasne ki chaah ne kitna mujhe rulaya hai - sung by Manna Dey in Aavishkar, Aapki aankhon men kuch mehke hue se khwaab hain..-Ghar, Mera kuch samaan tumhaare paas pada hai (Ijaazat).

Just in case you thought he was too serious, he made Angoor, one of the funniest Hindi movies superbly acted out by Sanjeev Kumar and Deven Varma, both in double roles, inspired by a Shakespeare classic.

I celebrated his birthday by eating Tunde kabab (famous for the Lucknow nawab) with a friend at Sheraton in Saket. Topped up with a mutton biryani. 

Delhi Musings, Customer Service and More

Two incidents of customer service first. We had gone in a group of seven to eat lunch at a fairly expensive restaurant in Bangalore e-city recently. The lunch buffet was excellent. But at the end, we had to wait 20 minutes for the bill, because the cash register had failed!

The second incident is of a private sector bank which did not feel like crediting a cheque I wrote, because my payee's (wife was the payee) middle name was not written along with the long first  AND name. I am sure the idea was to prevent large gangs of cheque-stealers from raiding a poor prof's account, but it was not amusing!


Anyway, on to more pleasant stuff. I have found at least one good bookstore (Om book shop), though it's in Faraway  Gurgaon. But there is a metro station near it (MG Road), so it's accessible. I also found the bus system is good to use on weekends. Friday evenings, the traffic seems quite terrible, but OK on others.

Also celebrated the 50th birthday of a dear childhood friend yesterday at his place. Having had mine a couple of years earlier, I know the feeling- of having lived about two-thirds of your life. And I caught up with more friends from my teen years a few days earlier, so it's not too bad.

Birthday Bash

Like in cricket or the movies, we lay a lot of store by a half-century or a golden jubilee. And so it was that I happened to have a birthday bash a little after I turned fifty, at Pune because many of my family are here.

Starting with my eldest cousin who lives in Mumbai, to one of my nieces also from Mumbai, there were around 25 people who turned up in all for a two-epsiode birthday party. A restaurant called Oasis on NDA road overlooking a valley view below was the venue for lunch. Managed efficiently by two cousins who are good at this sort of thing,we managed to get food served on time to everyone's satisfaction, got a cake cut in between courses, and had a gala time catching up on news and views, with occasional leg-pulling too.

After a nap to catch our breath, we started on leg 2 in the evening. Most people were there, and some more, age groups- 18 to 81. This was more of remembrances, with people reminding me of what I had done to them over the last fifty years. But mostly, I came out Ok from the scan. Of course, everyone was in a generous mood with the festivities floating in the air around us- all our neighbours had also helped by decorating their homes around ours.

Lots of nice cards and letters(handwritten) added to the charm. And a karaoke set gifted to remind me that life is about singing your way through. So I ended with a song (not an age to rock and roll any more) which seemed appropriate to me- Zindagi ke safar mein guzar jaate hain jo makaam, woh...phir nahi aate..