Colony Life in the 70s

 I grew up in the colonies of Singareni Collieries in Andhra Pradesh, where my parents worked for 30 years. It was smeared with coal dust, and lots of great memories.

We had free coal supplied to homes, and therefore stoves that used coal supplemented gas stoves or electric ones- electricity was subsidised, as the company had its own plant to generate it!

We had clubs, where we played TT, Badminton, and swam. Tennis, usually the elders played. We also met friends, watched elders playing Bridge, and participated in the many events organised by the Club- parties, picnics etc. 

A sophisticated cosmopolitan crowd of people from all over India was around us- and some still keep in touch. Recently met Archana Singh, after several decades. Have met the Ahujas, Talpallikars, Kaushiks and Mahesh Bhogawar, Vinay and Varsha Nadkarni, over the years. 

Fun times, with vacations being a highlight. Subodh, Manoj Bhide and my brother and me played Bridge non-stop and took river walks in the blazing Sun, during vacations. Also watched films in the Club on 16 mm. projectors..

Childhood Favourites

 They say old age is like a second childhood. But childhood is quite different, I feel. You are discovering many things for the first time. In old age, you may have made most of your discoveries, but you revert to being a child in some ways, like being dependent on someone. Like a child on its parents.

So coming back to childhood, my favourites were books, mainly, and s couple of good friends who we had in school or back home in the holidays. Learnt to read in the school library, and at home during vacations. Somehow, both places had a stock of books or magazines that I could spend hours on. Also, music took some time, to nurture a taste. Kishore Kumar Khandwawala was an early favourite- I was a teen in the 70s- and listening to the radio was a favourite pastime- it still is.

Comics, of all kinds- Goofy, Little Lotta, Dot, Phantom, Richie Rich, and so on were other favourites, among books. Later, Asterix comics grew on me. Movies- mainly Hindi but some English-were also a favourite pastime when I was in my twenties. I still like the theatre experience, though the frequency has reduced somewhat. 

Another favourite was card games, rummy, various others including Bezique which my grandmom introduced us to, and Bridge, which my parents introduced us - my brother and I- to. Lost touch with this brilliant game now.

Portraits of Batchmates-1

They will only be identified by their nicknames, or by initials. These are descriptions that adorned the Yearbook 1982-84.Who says managers are not creative?

SG

Uncrowned leader of the opposition in General Body Meetings, this smart, cherubic young man believes that he has a constructive role to play, fracas with Dunhill & Gadkari apart. Charms is his spirit of freedom and his charms really work. Easy & outgoing, clicked with JD (our marketing prof.). More known for his wildlife excursions than for his enthu about computers. A keen Bridge player and was part of the group which initiated movies in the campus. His favorite jingle : Money, Money, Mani. (Oops, did we slip?)

(Note: We screened Hindi films on a 16 m.m. projector, and Jangal Mein Mangal and Bramhachari were two of these.)

Toddler

He believed in toddling casually into the class 55 minutes late or 75 minutes early depending on which class you are thinking of. He had the dubious distinction of being the youngest guy in the class and younger than most of the girls (even the age they claimed). His voice is remarkable. It is a real treat to hear him when he is tipsy. Even otherwise, he says all the right things at the wrong time.

Trump Presidency- A Look Ahead

Peeping into the future, around 2017, this is what I predict for the US of A and consequently, all of us-

1. The game of Bridge- No Trump bids will no longer be allowed.
2. Immigration- You are either in before November 2016, or out!
3. Muslims- You are out, no matter when you were in.
4. Mexicans- Go fruit-picking in Mexico, no more cherry-picking in the US. 
5. Wig-makers- will get an incentive to make strange-looking wigs. The new normal!
6. Speech-writers will get free access to all speeches ever made worldwide, no charges of plagiarism will be entertained against them. "I have a dream, too.."
7. The Apprentice (hope that's the show he starred in) will be compulsory screening on all TV channels at primetime.
8. Trump Tower will have to be the biggest one in any town he builds one in, and others will be cut to size if they are taller.
9. Taj Mahal will have to be rebuilt to look like like The Taj Mahal Casino built by him.
10. The statue of Liberty will be replaced with the Trump statue-that'll teach the French!

Pics From Outdoors

Indore and Outdoor are both to be enjoyed with equal attention. So it was in a spirit of exploration that we, a band of Indoreans set out last weekend. We managed to take in two major sights, one a religious shrine on the banks of river Narmada (Omkareshwar) and the second, a waterfall called Patalpaani, which has a railway line running opposite itself (like Dudhsagar near Goa, except that this one is below the track level). Some pics of the explorers, mostly colleagues at IIMI. There is this suspension bridge like the one in Rishikesh that you can walk across to reach the temple. Some dhaba food and a terrific shower thumping the roof of it while we ate were other highlights. There was some 'monkey business' at Patalpani too, but we came out unscathed.