Contemplations and Ruminations

(July 22nd 2020) So this happened two years ago during the long Republic Day weekend when the choir girls had decided to meet up in Madras. We were lunching in Pumpkin Tales on Republic day and Jen and Teenu who used to sit together in class were discussing their school days and how they were always upto no good… they were reminiscing about school and all the mischief they did. So anyway, we ate our food, sang a little birthday ditty for Jen (it was her birthday week) and then we went to a mall to hang out. So while we were trying on clothes, Jen takes a stole and she’s admiring it and since we were just talking about the shenanigans they did in school, I said why don’t you girls flick it. I usually joke like this, and it usually ends in more banter and boisterous laughter. This time, a naughty spark went off in Teen’s eyes and she was like yeah, let’s do it. After that there was no backing down, everybody got into it, like a top level secret mission. We checked if there were camer...

The last few months of 2016 were crazy in so many ways. First there was the money issue (when the higher denomination notes lost their value overnight) which created a mess of economic proportions. The insane queues at banks and ATM's and all the scrambling that was happening to make sense of it all, made November quite memorable.  Around the same time, Trump came out victorious which I thought was pretty hilarious... a sort of validation that people are the same everywhere, based on who we elected here.  Anyway, after the chaos of November, December came with her own brand of drama. I heard of Cyclone Nada, but I was busy in Nagercoil then  enjoying a birthday party... Even that was fun, surprising the birthday girl who did not know that I was at the airport with dad. She walks up and down and I'm hiding behind the newspaper pretending to read it, then I see Manoj by her side, and they finally come out and she is hugging my dad and after that I walk up behind h...

So my birthday was on the next day after our return from Paris and we decided to visit Mount Saleve in France, which is about twenty minutes from Geneva... it borders Geneva and looms over the city protectively.  Once you get down at the bus stop, you have to walk a few minutes to reach the cable cars that take you right to the top of Mount Saleve. In the picture, you'll see the cable car going up the mountain with me and my sister inside.   This is the view as you go up the mountain...  At the top of Mount Saleve....  You can see Geneva stretched out below you, can you make out the water fountain in the distance... the Jet d'Eau.   A sweeping view of Geneva ...  It's just beautiful up there...  Trees and sunlight glinting....   So quiet and peaceful...  This is a common sight in Europe, jet planes leaving traces in the clear blue sky...  Ideal place for picnics...  So afte...