Prakash made his presence felt. Whether it was in a classroom, on a cricket field, on a quiz stage, at a reunion with friends, or really just anywhere. He had that presence. A booming voice, sparkling wit, and an infectious laugh. My earliest memories of Prakash are from Sophia’s. He stood out with his mop of curly hair. He was…
My introduction to the word “Geography” came via my third-grade textbook. It was passed on to me by my friend and neighbor Srikanth, who is a year older than me. I received it probably sometime in December after the end of my second grade and I remember poring over the black and white photographs of people and their dwellings in…
I joined the Boy Scouts in 7th grade for a couple of reasons. For one, my brother was already a scout and I was very well acquainted with the motto, knots and scouting lore. I was merely following in his footsteps. For another, that seemed to be the only outlet to adventure for a boy of my age. I have…
“It’s about regimental pride,” said my friend, “I will send you a video regarding this.” I was speaking on the phone with my classmate Chengappa after thirty-five years. I remember him as a superb sportsman in school but I must confess our paths did not cross much then, boys tend to be self-absorbed in their own cliques. However, I’ve been…
The local Toast Masters group meets at my office once a month. On the few occasions that I have passed by the sign, I’ve told myself that I should join the group to improve my speaking skills. My job does not require me to speak frequently in front of large groups of people save for the rare technical presentation at…
“Don’t expect me to get married to my High School!”, said my daughter in a moment of teenage angst. “Why do you like your school so much anyway?” Why Indeed? Could it have been that imposing building that I beheld in awe as I entered its portals the very first time? The same magnificent building that I look back with…
As a young boy, my imagination was fueled by books such as “Robinson Crusoe”, “The Coral Island” and “The Swiss Family Robinson”. I was consumed by the sense of adventure and mystery that these books evoked. Many a lazy summer afternoon was spent dreaming of navigating the Amazon on a canoe or trekking through the Himalayas. These were just day-dreams…
On my recent trip home, a good friend of mine who was a classmate in high school presented me with a necktie. This was no ordinary tie, it was the tie that we wore on special occasions when I was in high school. In keeping with my school’s colors, it has alternating stripes of navy blue and white. While this…