.....longawaited Re union....

......as frnds re unite in Patna for the 1984 batch ,can't hide my feelings....after all, a minimum of 8 yrs were invested in togetherness of studentship & camaraderie......8 yrs is long frnds, do not mind the delay of our course completion.....we stuck together longer & definitely learnt more.....I was so fascinated by Patna University with its haloed status nd my Science College tenure ,I was nothing but awe struck....this followed PMCH nd the legacy continued of good environment ,teachers ,nd highly esteemed colleagues....we all developed our existing skills there nd did well.....my idea of PMCH was an institution where I could pick up the very basic tools for eking out a modest ,decent, dignified living, learning the basic trade nd putting it into practice as soon as I passed out....in that extent I succeeded nd never felt short in confidence ever in profession.....in fact, the haloed status aft MDAT, which catapulted me to the Haloed Institute...pitched with all the sharpest brains around....went a long long way in providing the necessary fillip to an ever learning & ever improving career.....after stepping out its been North nd North nd North thereafter, as many of my distinguished frnds hv found similar status in their careers....!!!!.....such is the glory of PMCH & its Environs....proper competitive environment is the rt tonic for growth nd shud be laced with a legacy.....the Riverside blocks, the heritage bldng of wards....the long list of distinguished Alumnus is the rt.arena for an investment of Confidence in Life....come wht may u will shine.....if u hv these credentials.....seeing frnds together in animated deliberations @ meet, gives a deep sense of satisfaction as to the strength of our roots.....I feel lucky wht GOD bestowed in one moment of his unfathomable kindness....!!!!

.......India as seen abroad....

.......the streets r dry, with Rain Gods finally signing out.....o wht a spell of showers 'twas....!!!...nearly nine mths.....the Majlis elections r round the corner......with enthusiasm slightly subdued as compared to the Presidential....hordes of tourists frm EU,Japan ,China,India r pouring in & out ....nd all r in business......the atmosphere healthy.....!!......Emirates set up a large office nd the Mid east traffic is no less....small operators like Tiger Air, with focus on Indonesia & Phillipines r setting up operations.....MegaMaldives are having exclusive flts to Dalian & Shanghai....nd in no time the china circuit is doing well....much to our consternation & discomfort,little Nanu wud tease Doel nd call her Chinese b'cos of her skin color,as the kid wud see hordes of Chinese tourists frm China mainland....Spice jet with flts to Del via Kochi is a suitable alternative for us....though we prefer the BLR route since Bangalore is our 2nd home in India....nd the springboard for our Expat status, now for a long time.....love the City nd Mysore for its ambient weather.....the abandon feeling of landing there frm Maldives Islands is v spl. to all of us.....aft. all its our Land.....!!!!...our own people.....!!!!

......Opening Over.....

.....New Yr generates blistering pace.....the opening spell of the Indian Ocean Tale gets delayed, not du2 bad weather, which is otherwise superb...but sheer paucity of  time... nd as " Rojnamcha ".....the Indian Ocean Diary so close to the heart enters its 5th yr....its time to thank each nd everyone who cares to hv a peek as to this part of the world.....!!!!....its peak tourism now.....as the weather is relatively dry.....Futsal pitches r in full swing nd football's miniature nd often indoor version in full glory here now....people love2play here nd recently AFC challenge cup will be hosted here in May which will promote tourism industry further.....also this is Golden jubilee of Indo-Maldives ties nd recently Dosti week with programmes concluded with fanfare....the new Kangaroo kids bldg for Nanu is lot more spacious nd playful nd Doel's Billabong High nd Nanu's Kangaroo kids are now equidistant frm abode....though now both Archana & myself have to split up pick ups & drops.....its a welcome change....!!!....as usual Times Now nd NDTv 24x7 r hogging my late nite Tv times.....with an imp.election yr back home....hv to keep abreast.....hving left Homeland1 at a later date hv kept us rich in its legacy of thoughts & bondage.....a strong desire to criss cross the subcontinent emanates this New Yr.....looks like a priority now with India so much to offer for our mental,physical & spiritual gains.....!!!

..............Good Bye......!!!!!!......Good Year.....!!!!!

......Good Lord, has been kind....!!!!....in tht the year slithered away with high spirits, hope, nd in fighting fitness.....children have been Happy, with Doel nd Nanu doing well under the tutelage of their Ma , who wrkd overtime to ensure our happiness nd focus.....being communicative helped, nd the hard grind of Service well matched.....everyday teaches u a lesson....nd year aft yr u r more learned....more receptive....more expert in ur interactions.....as Usman balanced himself precariously on the cornice to service the external Unit of the AC at home @10th flr.....I felt humbled nd dwarfed by the sheer performance of his abilities professionally....he refused a scaffold belt nd did his job professionally totally engrossed nd focussed.....I was horrified nd benumbed at his candour ....day in nd day out, he wud perform, smilingly....I thought dangerously......for 250 dollars a mth. nd hvin to support his fmly back home.....he didn't hv any options.....he showed me his kids pix in the mobile nd his wife....I told my children, whn they wr comfortable in the cool realms of the serviced machine,to thnk the Lord always, be modest nd humble....for in any gud` thing to come in their way Sacrifice is their somewhere or the other, by someone....!!!....sensitivity nd empathy towards ur environs r cardinal I explained....the whiff of fresh air in Delhi has touched the locals here too....in tht Majlis passed the RTI Bill for the first time.....Good cannot be suppressed for long.....to feel Good u hv to be innately Good thts the parting thought of the year I passed on to the Children....!!!...thnks to all fmly nd frnds for their companionship nd support, thru out the Yr....!!!!

.....Jingle Bells....!!!!

.....the grueling, focused, Annual Exams of Carmel Convent Madhupur, the formative yrs tutelage, would end on a high note always, with Socials organised by the Carmelite Sisters, for all the students standard wise....tht was exactly the time whn the thought wud hit upon an otherwise exam laden mind nd impending promotion to a higher class with new sets of books & stationeries, tht Christmas is in the Air....the Socials wud reflect tht, nd the short eats served wud also ring a familiar bell of impending festivity nd holidays....!!!!...how a school can influence a mindset nd behaviour nd mood is all the more relevant even after 40 yrs later....far far away...!!!...as told earlier ,my late father used to ensure tht we visit the Chapel nd Nunnery with a boquet nd Sandesh frm Bardhhaman Mistanna Bhandar :an established legendary sweet meat institution of the small town....on Christmas Day to wish our teachers.....the otherwise out of bounds parlour of the Mother in the Nunnery ;we wud gain entry,ushered in ,made to wait a trifle too long to look around :the wall hangings , artefacts nd victorian furniture.....Mother wud bless us , wish us gud health,a delicious plum cake nd a miniature cask laden with wine....this was our spl moment of Merry Christmas  as a child.....nd it was year aft yr  celebrating Infant Jesus & Christmas with these rituals.....!!!.....Wishing fmly, frnds a Very Merry Christmas.....!!!! 

......On this Spl. day....!!!

....9th Nov.1962 Morn.....as the ClockTower ticked feverishly in a busy Baidyanathdham Devghar four square.....my Ma, was having tough time negotiating with the labour pain & complications for my deliverance : her fourth child, in the nearby Civil Hospital.My elder brother nd two elder sister were at home having been taken care of my Pishima(Aunt frm Calcutta).....Dr Mrs Konar was pressing & working hard for a difficult situation enough to trigger the panic button of my father who loved his wife immensely....there in the hospital corridor our local Panda(Priest frm the BabaDham temple) comforted him with mantras of well being nd commitment frm my father for one maund of Rice,one Gold nd Silver Trishul each of 10gms in the name of Lord Shankar,the presiding deity in the famous temple ,stones throw frm the Hospital....my father prayed hard with the commitment chants of our fmly priest....as the clock tower Hr hand reached 9 nd the minute hand at 32 ...Lord Shankar...Baba Baidyanath heard his prayers....nd I was born healthy with minimal damage to my Ma....instantaneously I was christened as Shankar.....much to the joy of the fmly....nd tumultuous times it was with Indo China war of 1962 in progress with Ladakh nd NEFA(NorthEastFrontier Agency),now Arunachal under severe attack....a fledgling newly gained freedom under strain.....amidst this constraint there was a ripple of happiness.....my elder brother 5 1/2 yrs of age marched in with a stylish cap nd a customized coat nd pant, shook hands with the 'Lal Bhai' as my sisters called me but was not too amused for the uninterrupted attention he used to get, got divided nd his child like brain could quickly sense tht....he hving born in native place in our haveli nd being a son born was celebrated immeasurably by my Grand parents nd community....nd here I was born in tumultuous times in a civil hospital.....yet the attention frm my sisters peeved him....it took a long time for him to realise tht he was not the only one for whom Bapi nd ma wud get things.....even til date my obeisance to him is highly guarded nd his suzerainty still I accept....my early nascent years in the temple town with the Clock Tower, the narrow alleys,the fragrance of the peda shops the bel patri(wood apple leaves :3 leaves in one stalk)nd marigold scent in the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord,the rituals  engraved in my soul....the sublime clime of the Santhal parganas, my parents unflinching devotion to the fmly ,grew me well ....I salute nd Re salute thm for whtever I recd. in this Birth.....!!!!!!

......festival of lite nd hope....!!!!

As the year in its terminal stage, there is definitely a thaw, .....moments of recollection & evaluation......the system crash at home gets resurrected.....nd purposefully delayed , to hv a taste of having have to lose something so vital & important.....now tht we r in the know of importance of things ,we intend to appreciate nd utilise further nd not take anything for granted.....the remote land has taught us this.....!!....even the half chilly got saluted this brkfast nd not disposed....for 7yrs ago we learnt in Laam Fonadhoo...... far south....near Equator......how imp. it was..... for want of it....!!.....our appreciation of Gurgaon & Bangalore gets augmented year after year on annual leaves..... nd our unflinching love towards Homeland 1 remains intact, though ,Male', the Capital has no dearth of any thing nd u don't miss anything.....including Fish frm Riverine Bangladesh....Jamir wud call me aft the arrival of fresh consignment & diligently will I fetch for the fmly....Doel is wary of the fish bones, but Arnav is a cat....!!....the year has been fabulous with rain God's still showering....driving back home in the rains aft a long long day....with Kishore da in ful cry of his rendition "......RimJhim Girey Sawaan...Sulagh Sulagh Jaye Mann....Bhige aj is mausam mey ....laage kaise yeh agann....!!!!...."....the inexplicable balm over the tired self....!!!!....Archana arranged a fabulous Diwali for us with her Hand made Diyas nd Rangoli nd typical Bihari Diwali fud made us feel at home......we take this opportunity to wish fmly nd frnds a very prosperous Happy Diwali...!!!!!