1. Swayamprabha's Storyboard
2. Muraad Musings
3. Srirangam Roots
4. Waltair Chronicles
5. Bombay Boys & Girls
6. Calcutta's Prince of Chowringhee
7. Triplicane Travails
8. Delhi Paati & Other Stories
9. Lord Sinha, The Jewish Jezebel & Pethajee
10. Calicut's Cleopatra
11. Bangalore's Vasudhaiva Kutumbam
12. Govinda Kutty Menon a.k.a Gopi Satva Prasad a.k.a Dadajee
13. Govinda Kutty Menon
14. Mysore & The Days of Yore
15. Q for Quetta, Q for Queen
16. Tales of Anglo India
17. Around The World & Other Stories
18. Nepotism & The Matriarch
19. Jaggi's Jottings - Tales of The Agraharam
20. The Dressing Table and other stories
21. Grandfather's gifts
22. Cousins play house house
23. Nandidurg Extension Stories
24. Bangalore to Bangarpet
25. Aunty Dotes
The wicked Aunts
26. Reaching Kochi & Bosbigs Lodge
27. Pemblasheri Ramunni Menon & Thalli Temple
28. Puthukudi Ramunni Nair and Unchakandi Valluvasheri Narayaniamma
29. Black Magic, Karnavans and Karyasthans
30. The Bank of Travancore Crash
31. Matriarch's village
32. From Archaka to Entrepreneur
33. Nasty games with nasty toys
34. MGMJ and The Iron Butterfly
35. Vagus Nerves of Steel - My Mother and Grandmother would have been fabulous doctors
36. 3 stellar sisters
37. Sara Cohen and Taha - A sweet story from Jew Town Kochi
38. Che ches and the Family
39. Gosh and Magu
40. Genghis Khan Kokax Clan and the Deadly Daughters-in-law
41. Gopi and Ragu Menon - brothers-in-arms
42. I hate Bangalore Banger Brothers - A Hotel room in Bengaluru
43. Bar Mitzwahs and Bath Mitzwahs in S-New York
44. 1 naught 1
45. V R Family Entertainment
46. Confidence in our family
47. Madura Coates cupboards and Standard 2000s KGB (Koramangala Girls and Boys)
48. Indian Railways to Hindustan Aeronautics to BEML - An icon named KPV Menon - no one came close to his honesty, ethics, integrity and leadership styles
49. Our family played a part in building this city, continues playing a part. Jaggi and me, try and build it on rock n roll and all that jazz
50. Relatives who made good but really did no good on both sides of the family
51. Bhakta Prahalada and his cheating uncle
52. Deep sea diving and Captain SN Bayanker's legacy in a diary
53. An App company in Gujarat - Tales of The Amazon and Money what a drag
54. "Your father never gave you anything but grief" - how my father gave me everything
52. Leela's lace and Nambisan's ghee
53. The Matriarch of Nileshwar
54. Her Majesty's Pharisee scientist and a suicide in a Parsi dharamshala
55. Shivajinagar, Russel Market, Gujli, Cockburn Road, Rickshaw puller's parties and St. Mary's Feast
56. Bangalore School, Socials and Fetes, a wall in Cash Pharmacy
57. A Java, a job promise, a math tutor, his dancer daughter and political connections
58. Hotel Ashok
59. Bands, stars, politicians, people
60. Jayamahal Palace, Dad's Pals, Vets, Whisky, Mansion House, Old Monks and XXXs
61. Plus an heiress and Radio Gaga
62. A visit to Pallipuram - Ways to the heart
63. Old School Principles
64. Shifu, Oogway and Andy Panda
65. Yogi bear and Kung Fu Panda
66. Bhadrakali and the third eye
67. The third eye and Kotiyaevan
68. Bhagawati and Kotiyadevan
69. Ekalavya and Karna
70. Akkamahadevi the Skyclad Spirit
71. Agape or the Love of God
72. Peace is always better than war, Love is always better than hate, contentment is always better than discontentment
73. Swayamwarams in the family
74. Jill and the Beanstalk
75. A village near the matriarch's village
76. Textiles and taste
77. Family design
78. Interiors and exteriors
79. Borderline schizms
80. Mummy the kutty papa politician
81. Gajju, Sondh,i Suraj, Karthik and Mukund
82. Ghost in the silver oak
83. My beautiful extension babysitters
84. Map and Carnatic tutor
85. A gem of a teacher
86. Nehru's personal pilot
87. The doe eyed Carnatic singer and Satyabala
88 My favorite grandaunt's. and the youngest matriarch's Lakshmi and Sulochana both nicknamed "baby"
89. One majestic Thamburan
90. Maths teacher, saree selector married to our favourite uncle and granduncle
91. Pierry The Missionary and Justice Bheemaiah
92. Uncle Dorai, Aunty Rani the Roses, Nedungadis
93. Running away with the Sahanis
94. Suri and Nayyar
95. The Coorg Family Next Door & Rama
96. Uttam, Uday, Uttara, Rupa and their Iranian Paying Guest
97. Only Place & Snaize Brothers, Fairy Lights Apple Pies Fisty Cuffs & Exciting Nights
98. Canadian Metcam, a send off party in East West Hotel, Gomathi Nayagam and us racing to the moon and back
99. A Mulberry Tree in the Extension
100. Cheeni Ami Cheeni, Margaret's Nursery School and Arunodaya Kindergarten
101. Col Smith and his Menagerie in Benson Town
102. Kabutar Jaa, a Day spent in Benson Town, ISI, Amita Vasant, a cowshed, NP Minty and Lalgudi Rajalakshmi
103. Holi days and the doctor damned
104. Most beautiful home and kindergarten sprawling and splendid
105. A Birthday party at the Razzaqs
106. D&S Talwar and a sweet lady named Usha
107. Christmas flowers and the Nayagams
108. Shyamala and Tarini
109. Kavita and another Uttara and Rama's Kitchdi recipe
110. Picnic on a solar eclipse Shilton Hotel General and Rohini Kumar
111. Nanking, Dad's favourite haunt and Mr.Bhang
112. Continental, Blue Haven, The Changs and Chinese Names
113. Luchis, Lichees and a Roman holiday in Calcutta
114. Cheppadi, a 13th Century heritage site
115. Kunzali Marikyar Museum Mini Goa, Tatas and Birlas guest house sand banks and boat rides
115. The Matriarchs Island
116. Jayamahal Park
117. Mrs. Hosali Radha Menon and her granddaughter on a walk
118. Royal Stores and Lakshmi Kutti
119. Raksha a Sacred Heart memory, two more Rs, a Julianne, Sylvia Dolly Nair, Suffer Little Children in St.Patrick's
120. I will sing to my God never ceasing
121. MASS Fritz, Stella and the Charismats of Bangalore
122. The Sisters of St. Joseph's of Tarbes
123. The best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep
124. Stumped Schule and Somappa
125. Uncle's fault seedy movies in New Opera Theater, growing up with the movies in Bangalore
126. Indiana and McDonald's, the Archie life and ice cream castles in the air with Joni in Bangalore
127. Wedding saree and wedding pandal decoration
128. Card playing nights in Whitefield
129. Reuben Blake with shiver me timbers
130. Bible Society of India, John Thompson's Piano Tutors. Mr. Dias, Angelus Bells and Sister Nessie, the sweetest most arthritic old nun
131. Sommer House and Captain Bhalla
132. An Old Testament, Jean Butters and the house that Jack built
133. Frankie and Johnny, Bonnie & Clyde
134. The fake queens Pappa Geeka and Miss Bose
135. Ullu and Crow
136. Eena De Rebello
137. Mr. & Mrs. Sundaram
138. Pitambaran and Chandran living by their own code
139. Nigamanthan the Maverick Pandit
140. Roji & Nandu, Triplicane and Matunga
141. Ratilal Mansion Hornby and Peddar Road
142. The Headgirl and Prithviraj Chauhan a blue eyed Pattar Prince steals the thunder
143. Inner Circle Chronicles
144. Calcutta Boys School and Sacred Hearts Girls School
145. Subbarathnam's Zeitgeist Panjwanis Sharmas Nehras Peters and Pischays
146. Young students movement
147. The Farias of Lavelle Road
148. Binnys Crescent and Dhobi Ghat Quarry
149. Our extension park
150. Three Brothers and a Sister
151. The Guru Gangs
152. Khow Suey Hamburgers Sindhi Khadi Chola Bhatura Chateaubriands Snickers and Mars Bars widening taste buds in Bangalore
153. A D Couto Wedding Anniversary, a wedding, a waltz in Whitefield recreation centre
154. Winston Churchill sat here, Waverly Inn and the Innkeepers daughter, A Club, B Club, C Club
155. La Porte Pappa Yates Sanaullah and D Davenport tuition and fruition
156. Our family's first flight
157. Thiruvadis and Raghavans
158. Davy Padma Ahmed Ansari Michael Hamid Framji Aroor Kumar and other Teachers we spent our formative years with
159. School and my parallel universe
160. Juggy and Gautam
161. Rugby jokes and Playboy in an antique writing desk in Whitefield
162. Aunty Lizzy the Armenian
163. Extension fancy dress
164. Ted Jahan the Conservator of Forests our Family trip to the heart of Orissa and Junglistan
165. Calicut and Burma teak
166. Latika and Samant, Kripa and Ranjit
167. Miraya and the Strauss family
168. Natalie Rogandorf
169. Rabindranaths
170. Nambiars
171. Inland Letters
172. Secret Friendships
173. DG&G
174. Three favourites
175. Nuns and the crypt
176. Sports Day
177. Tailors and PT Masters
178. Mohini and Moyna of Museum and Kensington Road
179. Padyamoola Annamma and a Runaway Love
180. Kalamandalam Radhika and Kumudini Lakhia
181. Eshwar Sagar and the American Dream
182. Kurup Nair Balan Vasantha Prabha Prema Balan Reeta Ravichari Kunjamma Johnny Lakshmi Kutty Parameshwaran Shakila Sirrah and Fayroze and so many others who passed through the portals of home
183. Music and memories Bangalore and Beyond
184. Shantha and Chellapathy Rao
185. Mozarias
186. A man about Whitefield - Prem
187. Bianca Castafiore, Mrs. S, the warmth of a funny world
188. Jani the mechanic, Ghani the shoemaker
189. Ramasamy the barber
190. Sheela and Venoo
191. Cantonment polyclinic
192. The Diana haircut
193. News Bangalore and the CBD
194. Water taps what fun
195. Prank calls
196. Comm St. Brigade, MGs
197. HMT & ITI Colony
1. Rebellas EX WHY
2. Vibgyor...Rainbow Stories from our beloved city
3. Blood and Gore in Bangalore
4. Andhra Merrytime Services
Andhra Marrytime Services
I Will Be What I Will To Be
5. Rubies and Companies - The Case of The Missing Emerald Ruby White Gold Cartier Clip on, Ghandaberunda pattern, a pawn shop in Bangalore
6. Blue Jenes
7. Cafe Jazz Joustings
8. Whitefield Jazz
9. Bangalore Alliances Dalliances Romances Speed Dating Queen
10. Skillet Pan - Cooking up stories
11. Diamonds, Rifles & Naxalite Nicktophobia
12. Gypping and inheritance
13. PB clan - Illustrious ancestors
14. Ancestor worship
15. Dismembered
Family members Cutout
16. Hunting grounds Exploits of a Colonial Past
17. God Bless America in Bengaluru
18. Anthems of Change
19. Vande Mataram - songs of home
20. The typist, the dictator, the dictaphone and other addictions
21. Two peas in a podcast
22. The dancing drama queen
23. Fearful in Oratory or Pratiwadi Bhayankaram
24. Don't Right me off
25. Left handed complement
26. Arms and the woman
27. Love all
28. I'll hit you with my best shot
29. Music of The sacred heart
30. Names and other callings
31. A horribly naughty girl grows up, grows fat and grows out, but never outgrows Bangalore.
32. BFFF - Bangalore Family Friends Frenemies
33. Yella Maadonna Maradonna
Material Girls and Boys
34. Thin, quiet and intense observations by playing dumb
35. Wannabe saint Soldiers of God
36. K&S Mekhri Twinnings and a haunted house in Benson Town
37. Sister Leone and the stylish baby
38. Gopi and Usha's book club
39. Jakes The Rattlesnake The Clown The Thoroughbred Our Family Three Ring Circus
40. Blood Sugar Baby All The World's a Stage
41. Stand Up Comedy Stand Up Tragedy
42. Acharyas and Co Pickle Preservation
43. Suroopakam Kuroopakam Duroopakam - How to remain well preserved like a pickle
44. Playgiarism
45. Dog's Day and Cats Fight
46. Co Shees & Co Hees
47. Put your hands in the air and give me all your money. Ma Baker's Cake Icing and Bakery
48. Collectors Calling
49. Raya - The Royal Bread
50. BenthaKaalaOoru to Beer Ooru
51. Whining and Dining
52. Haha Maadi My Pop's a Cop
53. The stick insects fall in love
54. Musical tales and railway days
55. Drive-in restaurant, drive-in theatre
56. Dingare Dingare Meenakshi, Sepoy Anne, Haadu Santhoshakke, Bobilli Raja, Kadalanakkare Ponore and Yaadon Ki Barat and so many songs we grew up with
57. City and Cantt fusion
58. MPress of Unblandings
59. Turmeric Yellow, Ruskin Bond, Sweet Bernadette, 2 Teas and One Casabianca, also my Granddaddy's nic named after the poem. Our sister S, our brother Dinesh Ali Akbar Khan, a famous Gharana, Aman Ki Asha and the Oud he gifted Jaggi
60. Burjor and Khorshed Lord, Mum, Grandmom, Jaggi and me on the trip of a lifetime to Egypt and Cyprus, Jaggi's Oud obsession and the Lords of the Golden Age of Hindi Cinema
61. Siberia, a group of scientists and a mother's grave stone in Russia. Bonny Dawson, Jimy Bunyon and the antique cello
62. Kamala's silver spoons, thalis and teasets, winnings of a bridge playing home maker
63. Dolls from around the world, my Michiko's and Mini hahas and how my grandmother taught me geography
64. Clare De Lune, Sakura, a doll named Lisa and other gifts, buffalo soldiers, Russian girlfriends, Michael Jackson and Farewell My Summer Love and Theme song from Arthur
65. The Three Musketeers of Koramangala and friends and family elope
66. Adam and Mako and a trailer ride to Mangalore
67. Seema Rani and Badi Sayani
68. Jyoti 81/6 and Jyotinivas
69. Vepagunta the house my Grandparents built from scratch, a neighbour called Bernie Rosario Lacchi and Demadu from Burma
70. Piggy banks doggy tails discount sails Cashmir to Bangalore an IOU notes
71. Anna & Keith and my Inner Circle crush.
72. Dornahalli and the patron Saint of lost articles
73. Oh Carol dad's worth McGuires, Giddens, O Grady's, and Stations of The Cross and a statue of Our Lady
74. St.Jude Thaddeus, a French Celestine connection, the Holy Ghost and Casper the Friendly Ghost.
75. Nepal and her beauty
76. A missing bottle of Glenfiddich and grandma's Mexican skillet pan and other nicking and pickings.
77. Guru Nanak and The Grove. And a Painter
78. The pianist and painter, also a poet, the physicist and artist. The cultural anthropologist, twins and and Maya and a bunch of lovely folk.
79. Two back-to-back North Malabar feasts
80. Dad's free advice. Who will play the piper and the Pied Piper of Hamlin
81. MAJJa maadi family reunions
82. Happy and his Housie
83. Tell your brother Chris
HAPPY TEACHERS DAY
1. Our Mother and The Tree of Life - A plant students gave her, a tree now outside our window.
2. The Centre of Our Universe
3. Best Zen Master awards to J&J
4. Best swimmer and deep sea diver award to A
5. Lekhak student of the year
6. Under performance and the student - i had Wonderful Teachers. You see I jus wanted to sing and nobody would buy that
7. Life coach award goes to G "Mum simply called him that lovingly "Mr. Gopinath" when she was really fed up of his shenanigans. Out Together Dancing Cheek to Cheek is their song
8. To every ONE I say "Thank You for The Music" and Our Patron Saint Cecilia whose Feast Day Mom shares.
TWO HOME MOVIE MEMORIES VIEWED IN GROVE BEFORE THE PROJECTOR WENT PHUT. BOTH COURTESY OF MY DEAREST THATHA S.N. BAYANKER
His homes were named Srinivasa in Waltair Uplands where a massive commercial building now stands. Apparently, all the trees my grandmother planted still bear fruit. The best mangoes we had ever tasted ripened in the storeroom by my grandparents and given to us where we had to say 'May I have a mango please" and thank you". Because English manners are quite different from our Indian customs, but anyway we learnt our English manners like this, also multiplication tables, painting in the afternoon, singing in the morning and evenings, watching my grandfather perform the morning pooja and evening pooja, reciting all his prayers. Late evenings were for visits to people’s homes in Vizhag where we would sing fun songs around the piano. There was a compost pit at the back of the garden where leaves and other things used to be burnt. I once ran and dived right in with my brother watching in horror as I told him to go and get help because my legs were entrenched in burning leaves and I couldn't get out of the very deep pit. Kanaka and Simhachalam, the house boys helped me out and I wore long pants for a while so I didn't have to tell my parents and grandparents of my wild ways and self-inflicted injury. The Bhatia's our neighbours who lived a mile across from us would play Tina Charles and other modern music that filled my summer holidays with Dance Little Lady Dance and other songs. Back to now. The topmost section has family photographs in black and white of Waltair Club Days, Fancy Dress Parties and days of yore, taken without my permission by my uncle and apparently used to decorate the pub. Maybe I should play FBI and CBI and sue him because of the terrible things he has done including physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually harassing my grandmother, Jaggi and me. His wife, his equal partner in crime and I think they are using our money because we are the legal heirs of our grandparent’s estate after my Mother. Probably using our money to fund their son's business, an App company in Gujarat no less. They probably don’t pay taxes, probably using our money to fight a litigation case on my aunt's side of the family. I think she should draw a line and put a stop to her avarice. We've registered a report in the Whitefield Police Station of a particular incident that happened and a friend of ours was luckily the eyewitness to blood and gore in Bangalore. The will was forcibly changed in Bangalore and my grandmother forcibly taken to Hyderabad. The police really did nothing and he’s just been summoned based on the complaint. He has denied me access to my home now which contains gifts including jewellery, my trousseau, silverware and other sundry things that all belongs to me. He's nicked most of the albums and a lot of other things as well. Basically, to spite us. We really want him to be transparent with what he has to give us including shares of ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) which are now a gold mine and huge amounts of money. He went around spreading rumours, trying to damage our reputation saying Jaggi and me were not to be entertained at the banks where my grandfather's money which belonged to my Mother and to us hopefully is still there. My grandmother said he was mismanaging my finance The money is accruing interest no doubt and definitely my interest because we could use the money to enjoy ourselves and a whole lot of good..
Thatha's other home in Koramangala Bangalore was named Shree 612, 80ft Road Koramangala. Now in its place stands YES Bank and something called the Attic. Behind there's a coconut tree my grandmother planted. We sold the place for a song thanks to restless Uncles who couldn't have cared less about our inheritance. 1000sft of the plot was not even taken into account when the property was sold. My grandmother really wanted to maximise profits whereas my grandfather wanted out of that terribly crowded locality. Thatha had an accident on his morning walk on Vishu Day, was in a coma for 10days and passed on peacefully. The sons came only after he had passed on, thanks to their wives who only swoop in like vultures. One to claim money and the other to claim a husband but we were there for Thatha and couldn't have his funeral because the rains had got in to the low-lying area that Koramangala is and filled our sunken living room, a home designed by Jaisim the famous architect who often said "we should allow the elements to come in to our homes", I wonder if his home is constructed to let every sort of element in.
Straight from the hospital on the way to the crematorium, in the back of the Maruti van, where I sat, I heard my aunt discuss the division of my grandfather's property. It's after that my grandmother and me began to co-invest. Uncles and their wives owe us a lot of money. They wanted us to stay poor and hungry while their children thrived and arrived. Well, it sure has backfired on them and mediocrity is what they will ever know or maybe things that are less than mediocre and their children will come to no good. There is the Highest power that protects the meek and the mild and even the ones with righteous anger. God is the ultimate Judge.
Now for the two home movie memories - Mum in her resplendent red saree, blushing furiously as dad with his toothy smile whispered sweet nothings in her ear on their wedding day in Guruvayoor, Kerala. When it came to my naming ceremony, Dad wanted to name me after his girlfriends. I might have had a thousand names. My brother is named after tennis star Jaideep Mukherjee though my maternal grandmother wanted to name him Dhiran Vasudevan after his paternal grandfather Vasudevan. The second home movie memory is after I was born, the first time I saw the ocean in Vizhag at the age of 1 wearing a blue bikini with Mickey and Minnie Mouse motifs which my grandparents had got for their first grandchild from USA. The video has me running towards the ocean really fast and my father an ace sprinter, boxer, swimmer, flight sergeant, driver of trains a Man who could pretty much do anything if he set his mind to it. My Mother said, he had a really good brain and we do know that the human brain (for instance my uncle and aunt in Hyderabad) can conceive of every sort of evil known to man. Dad caught me before I drowned. I am still a hopeless swimmer. I can just about stay afloat, but I possess a fool's confidence and no fear because I know somewhere on Earth and in Heaven someOne is watching over me.
My grandfather Thatha's paternal uncle cheated him of a massive trust fund. Honouring his father or Petaji's word, he never put a case against his uncle and started from scratch. My grandmother has given me bills, letters and accounts of bullion shares invested in, how she funded her village using my grandfather's hard-earned money, saving ungrateful nephews from meningitis, who came to take our signatures to construct buildings on property my brother and I still own because my Mother signed on behalf of us when we were minors. When I refused to sign, my grandmother's nephew asked me how much I was getting for our music performances. The village is thriving and we've got many wonderful family members as well. Luckily not everyone is a greedy, selfish human being. We plan to revisit when my Mother's cousin visits to talk about what my grandmother really wanted to do for her village. I usually stay with one of my dearest friend's daughter and husband who is a top litigation lawyer. Their daughter is a design researcher with an Australian company and a fabulous Indian Classical Dancer. their nephew is a fabulous Indian Classical Singer and is finishing a course in an Indian Arts Conservatory in Trivandrum. The village and beyond is extremely hospitable. Anytime we can enter the home of a Muslim, Christian, Hindu and be hosted with yummy food and yummier beverages. Ultimately, that is what is important. And why we celebrate Onam and Vishu and the great king Mahabali where prosperity and peace were a given during his reign. The God particle is not a figment of our imagination. Science and Spirituality will always go hand in hand.
USH PLUS USS
THE GODDESS OF DAWN
MOM'S THE WORD
ADD AND MULTIPLY DON'T DIVIDE
UNITED we stand and the rest is history, let it not repeat itself.
BLUEMARLIN
ENTR
PRIZE
Dad's first baby conceived on a farm in Vepagunta, Andhra Pradesh. The house was built by my grandparents using bricks from a brick making machine built by my grandfather and his dear friend Alf D'lima along with workers. Farm grown produce included sweet corn, trees grown included soapnut or kunkudikaya trees, drumstick or moringa, mango trees, guava trees, jackfruit trees, courtesy my grandmother, assisted by farm hand Demadoo who looked after the dog Sheba. Taras and Tiya came later. Baby J running after chickens and older sister Mana, a baby herself snooping in rooms that smelt of Gamaxine, poking her nose in two pink cupboards that housed some of her grandmother's treasures, nothing short of the treasures of Sierra Madre. Her grandfather had nicknamed her CIA and his code would be STOP TALKING CIA IS LISTENING. Mana (what J used to call his older sister because he couldn't pronounce her name). A stream with tons of rose apples and cashew trees grew beyond the barbed wire fence behind the the farm. The house was a two story with basic electricity and water facilities, a lovely balcony on top where the bedrooms were and an Irish priest regularly visited. Downstairs was a living and dining and kitchen. The first Indian language I picked up was Telugu and then English from our neighbour Bernard Rosario, a an Anglo Indian bachelor, retired from the Vizhag Port. He lived on an equally large farm growing flowers and fruits rearing sheep, goats, chicken. We had cows that gave us milk on our farm and chicken for eggs. Bernie Rosario had a fisherwoman named Lacchi (ironically the name is Lakshmi, named after the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity). Lacchis were also night soil workers, sweepers, fish mongers or did the lowest form of work you can think of. But our Lacchi was the lucky one. We all treated her like gold. She was covered with tatoos, wore every kind of body piercing, smoked 'chuttas' and drank toddy, had a vocabulary to make a sailor blush. Though I've forgotten telugu, I remember every profanity she taught me. Had even shared her paan and got my mouth burnt with chunnamb and my first smacks from my father and mother. Dad spent too much time in the village with the tribals, drinking toddy, smoking cigarettes and also had maxed the tribal gambling dens. He always used to bring back extra vegetables for mom to cook after his sojourns. It did get him into lot of trouble with mom who had to singlehandedly look after two babies but Bernie Rosario or Bernie Babu as he was referred to had a home full of books, most gorgeous collection we had ever encountered from fairy tales to encyclopedias. We were never short of entertainment, education or home healing tips from the workers and our erudite neighbour. This is my first memory and dad's baby Blue Marlin Enterprises. La,la,la life goes on and as Paul sang Obladi Oblada Life goes on. Music was the centre of our lives even then. Mom and Dad singing and to us, visiting grandparents, grandfathers harmonica, Bernie's music collection. Also learnt some riebald telugu songs. This I have forgotten but my grandmother reminded me. Demadoo's family still lives in Vizhag. His son Kanaka used to work for us. He used to say Sheba Laba Laba. Apparently it meant something in Burmese because that was where he was from. I'm glad I've kept these memories of a beautiful place and beautiful time which is been swallowed up by the greed of the city and roads to progress which frankly lead to nowhere.