Warm weather...

What's worse- shoveling snow four times in a day, or life in sweltering 90 degrees plus weather? I remember father cycling in the latter, never had a chance to see if he would have liked the former.

zindagi ek safar hai suhana

was a Kishore song that father also liked- it is a good reflection on life.

Bhakta Tukaram

was one of father's favorite movies. It has a song by Ramakrishna. Gynana and Bhakti- the two aspects of life- were both embraced by father. Many Indians only embrace the latter, without the former.

Christmas..Hyderabadi style

We had a Christian family opposite our house in Hyderabad. We used to admire their Christmas Tree during the holidays- made it very festive. Dad would enjoy the festival too. Since all of us went to Catholic schools,we had some elements of Christian music drilled into us, including many hymns. That was a really fun time of our lives.

trip to India

I will be going to India for the third time in a year. Wish I had done that while I was studying at Northwestern...A whole host of emotions.

Punjabi music

Went to a Sikh Paath today on the invitation from a friend. Just occured to me that we did not have Punjabi music at home- either classical or pop like bhangra. Wonder how this music appealed to father...

Putting up the mosquito nets

around our bed- I always remember father coming around and making sure we were tucked in with the nets around us. Miss him so!

House of Bamboo

We are considering bamboo flooring for our house- House of Bamboo was one of father's favorite songs.

penciling it in

Today SR was throwing a tantrum because mom had misplaced a picture of our neighbor's kids. This reminded mom of the day when dad blamed her for misplacing some sharpened pencils that dad had kept in a 'secure' place for us. Mom had absolutely nothing to do with the pencil-gate, but dad blamed her for the missing pencils- which eventually showed up as they had either dropped down or rolled down.

Getting around...on a bike

I am always amazed at the number of places father could get to on his bike. Work, school, the doctor, the rice and grain market, and so many other places were always within reach of his bicycle.

Going up Tirupati

in father's Jeep- that was a hair-raising experience. Great kudos to the driver Krishna (I think). Driving up those hills is so dangerous.

Element of trust

I remembered JD Lee's Elements of Inorganic chemistry yesterday- it was an expensive book that dad let me buy. He supported my studies completely and paid for my IIT coaching at Little Flower and all the expenses associated with writing the JEE. What a trip that was.

Eating cup cakes and cream cones

these were our favorite snacks at school, and our parents always gave us some money for those!

Yummy days!

Telangana-Andhra riots

that are happening now remind me of a similar situation when I was growing up in Hyderabad. Partitioning the state has always been a hair-splitting situation.

Dad's cooking

I distinctly remember one night when our mom was away in Nellore and father made dinner. The sambar was delicious, though a little sweet. The rice was cooked flawlessly. He served us kids first. We had it on our old dining table, which father eventually replaced with a new one that he designed.

Aye Pyase Dil bezuban....

from begunaah..Remember listening to this Mukesh gem with father...

Hum Kisi Ke Kum nahin

One of the noisiest memories from the Himayat Nagar home is that of the owner's son playing the music from Hum Kisi Se Kum nahin and Pantulamma- have heard those songs enough to last many lifetimes..

Dedication

Our father was extraordinarily dedicated to his work, despite the fact that due to organizational politics he never got the recognition he richly deserved. Our mom also talks of the dedication of our grandfather. As I look at my own career and my efforts, I think my father and grandfather would not be disappointed.

Entertaining the kids

Father used to do many tricks for us, including card tricks and puppets. He taught me how to play cards, especially the simpler form of bridge.

travel travel

Listening to my brother talk about his trip to Jasper and Sawridge my mind went back to the days when our father traveled a lot, in much harsher conditions that what we do today. It is amazing what he had to put up with and the fact that he just "did it." There is a lot to be said for the unbounded spirit hidden in humans- only some succeed in manifesting it.

Bhupinder

Today I downloaded, legally, a compilation of Bhupinder songs. Father also liked his songs, especially Dil Dhoondta Hai and Beeti Na Bitai Raina. A fine singer in a classical mold, he has sung quite a few gems.

Geet Gata Chal

Was another movie whose music father really liked and bought the EPs. I am not sure if he had seen the movie. Jaspal Singh and Aarti Mukerjee both sang Ravindra Jain's compositions exceedingly well.

Venkateswara Suprabatham

When I got up today and played the MSS version of the Suprabatham my mind went back in time to the many days father would do the same thing. Along with the Suprabatham the record also had bhaja govindam.

Aradhana

Na hrudayamulo nidurinche cheli.. was one of my favorite records! A great choice by dad- it stills holds a lot of magic for me.

A sport about sports

Both my dad and I are true sports lovers- we followed all types of sports and found them enjoyable.

Snakes and ladders

I remember playing snakes and ladders and other board games with father. Those were a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Father would have been 80 years old if he were alive. I cannot believe that it has been 19 years since he passed away...