Having the conviction

and shouldering responsibilities, but always striving to do the right thing...Another lesson from father and grandpa.

Being nice

even to the people who stab you in the back and try to ruin your advancement- that describes my father. I used to get upset that he would treat his colleagues so well when some of them were sleazy bastar*% but now I see his philosophy and his approach to life. A great big heart.

Courage of Conviction...

Thanks to my brother who introduced me to the writings of Marcus Aurelius. They are extraordinary in depth of thought. He writes about the good things he took from everyone around him.

I have seen our father struggle with so many frustrations, especially with those at work. The excruciating office politics destroy the drive of anyone desiring to do good work, but father was committed to perfection till the end. The conviction to do the "right thing" irrespective of the consequences, is something I learnt from him. Of course what seems right at one instant can, in hindsight, appear grossly wrong, but the conviction to do the right thing is near and dear to me and is a key aspect of my sense of values.

SJ and LP

In the running argument over which pair- SJ or LP- should be regarded as the greatest composers of Hindi film tunes, I rest my argument on the fact that our father's collection had more tunes of SJ than of LP. Father did have Parasmani, but his collection of SJ included Kanhaiya, Kat putli, Begunah, and Sangam..

The Magic of Talat

Father had quite a few records of Talat Mehmood. While I always enjoyed Talat's songs, I have come to greatly appreciate his amazing talent and his wonderful contribution to music. Am always awed by the extra-ordinary musical tastes of our father.

Rags to Riches

My older sister introduced me to some excellent movies including The Boy Who Could Fly, Baghdad Cafe, and Rags to Riches. I wish I could have seen these with father- he would have loved them.

Wish I had...

talked to father about his days in Calcutta..As I listen to Bengali songs, courtesy of my brother and picturize the place, I realize that father could have made the imagery come alive. Mother occasionally tells us stories of their life in Calcutta...What a life they had led then...