Madhosh Kiye Jaa

Golf Training

I played Golf starting from my days at Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies in Harihar, around 1996. My colleagues Dhanapal and Vijayakumar, and YK Gaur, were my partners. Occasionally, got to play in Bangalore with friends- Ravi at BGC, or Muthu at KGA. But in later years, I found opportunities to start training students and faculty in playing Golf, when I was at IMT Nagpur. We actually created a Green and played in the evenings, and trained our students and colleagues.

At IIM Indore, I used the cricket ground to play a few shots, and trained some students and faculty in the basics. Also a few MDP participants from various companies.

At NMIMS Bangalore just after the COVID pandemic, we started playing on a green patch in campus, and many faculty or staff picked up the basic drive and Putt. It was great fun and the institute bought a kit subsequently.

I think schools or institutions should, where they have some space, try and teach this unique sport - it's not very expensive to do just a couple of shots and some putting. And the bragging rights for students are priceless!

Myths About Dollar Earnings

Life in the US or the west is a dream for many. So is a life in the Gulf countries, for others. But what is the reality, vis-a-vis a life in India? I mean, a working life and a retired life.

I was earning a comfortable (at the time) 40 thousand dollars per year when I got a job in the U.S. as an assistant professor. Spent quite a bit on the 2 Bedroom apartment, and furnishing it. The car and medical insurance payments later, was left with just enough to make a trip to India perhaps, and a comfortable lifestyle. But we had to do our own washing, ironing and cleaning. Car maintenance occasionally came up. If we had had kids, maybe expenses would have multiplied.

The same applies here, at a lower rupee salary. Plus you get maids for housework and dhobis to iron clothes. Drivers are available or autorickshaws in cities. Now metros too. Public transport has always been better in India, and safe for kids and older people. So they are not dependent on you for their movements. Now we have the Metro as well in many cities. Your savings tend to be high in India, as you spend less, unless there are medical emergencies. You can plan your retirement savings too, if you start in your thirties or so.

Job security was higher too, until now. So it's possible for a qualified person to live a good life in India too, particularly for a double income family of the middle classes.

Lost a Good Friend

Vasanti was first the wife of Muthu, a colleague and friend. Then, she became a friend- the two daughters also were friends of ours. Swati and Sreya. Saw them grow up, in our multiple meetings. Her Mom and Dad also became friends, so did her brother. Her dad lived to be 95, and was my facebook friend! He had worked in Kolkata a long time.

Vasanti studied at IIM Calcutta, and experimented with a few jobs with companies in Bangalore, and then settled into domestic life. She was into music, serious singer and did a few rounds with friends.

Very interesting conversationalist, with firm views on anything you talked about. Very supportive of my job changes which we discussed many times -whenever I changed jobs.

She had cancer for the last few years, and did fight it for around 5 years, through many chemo or other treatments. Finally the fight ended on April 10th. Will miss you, Vasanti.

With Vasanti and Muthu, in Bangalore. In better times.

Forays Down South

Like the Maratha rulers did, we went to a Southern foray, covering Bangalore, Coimbatore and Calicut, in April 2026, to celebrate my retirement..

Did meet a few friends, and stayed with a couple. Mostly by train, except one bus journey from Coimbatore to Palakkad, in a non-AC bus. The Vande Bharat from Bangalore Cant to Coimbatore is very convenient. I used to do this by bus earlier.

Some books I read at Ravi's place, Calicut

He's a biker too..

Jayasimha and Manoharan at the Deck by Sherlock, MG Rad.

Calicut.

From the train, Bangalore- Coimbatore.

Roomies and Colleagues

Sometime in life, you have roommates, or roomies. I had some in my school dormitory, in my engineering college hostel, both in Hyderabad. Later, had some in the U.S., until I got married. IIMB had single rooms, but great diversity in terms of classmates.

These are great learning opportunities. You live with completely different kinds of people, and learn to get along with them. My engineering roomies were Telugu speakers, and it improved my Telugu. In school we had to speak English.

The U.S. roommates or flatmates were all from Hyderabad, so it was not a big challenge. Also, we had a French friend, an Iranian one, a Turkish one and a Nigerian one among classmates in our courses, apart from Americans.

A Korean and a Venezuelan colleague followed at Lander, my workplace. And of course, an American, Leslie, who became good friends with my wife.

In India, multicultural colleagues followed (I worked across the country), including Odiyas, Bongs, South Indians from all states, and Marathi and North Indians from all over. Enjoyed the diversity and good times, with festivals of all kinds being celebrated.

Strait Talk About Hormuz

Not many cooks knew where and what the Strait of Hormuz was, before March 2026. Now, thanks to Trump bhau, we all do.. not sure how it will impact the Assembly elections in Keralam, TN, West Bengal states in India. We shall find out on May 4th

Not sure if Putin closed any straits around the globe anytime. So Trump out-trumped him in this sphere- or crooked (not straight) line on the globe.

How the world comes out of this imbroglio and when, we don't know yet. But if the objective was to divert attention from unpleasant domestic scandals and poor ratings, this is not to be straitjacketed as an ordinary strategy. It is a masterstroke in international diplomacy, after Venezuelan strike, forgotten in a week, because half the world does not know where Venezuela is, but more importantly, their kitchen fires were not affected. So we still don't know where it is..

Ninetieth Birthday of Manik Gokhale

One of my mom's two surviving sisters turned ninety last week. There was a big celebration of course, attended by extended family and friends. I was lucky to be there too. Some of the people in pics-