Golden Jubilee of WWII in Russia

Moscow 1995: 50th Anniversary of victory in II World War celebrations in Moscow. It was held just outside Moscow where the final war to retake Moscow from the Germans was staged. That was the mother of all celebrations. 50 heads of states including Mr. Clinotn was there and we were there too! Thousands of impeccably dressed armed forces personnel, hard ware, air force jets flying low over head and music and gaiety all around. Except that Mr. Boris Yeltsin was as usual a peg or two more than he could handle! Usha, Bhuvana and Nikhil posing with WWII veterans.


A view of the impressive march past.


Here, Nikhil climbing on top of a WWII tank displayed in an exhibition during the celebration.

Its party time in Moscow

It was party time - every weekend all Kerala students in Moscow used to reach our apartment for an evening of food, drinks and fun. Nikhil, Anil, Jose, Anil, Radhakrishnan, Geetha, Bhuvana, Kavitha, Anil and Arun are visible and busy. Majid and Ismail are also busy, but not in the picture! See below.

If wishes were horses!

I was chatting with a friend of my son tonight. He was a little confused. He was afraid to talk to his parents about his problem in munching entrance study materials etc... I talked to him for some time and I told him all I wanted to tell to my son and never did. I told him that every teenager in Kerala cannot and need not become a doctor or engineer, I told him that it is not important what you do, but how u do it, and he should never be afraid to tell his problems to his parents because they would surely not want him to suffer and be depressed. He was quite nervous, but when he said goodbye, he was practically smiling.
Yes, it seems that I am good with people in general, I can reason with most people... and then why I am not able to do it at home? Why I am not able to relax? Why do I get annoyed even though all I want to do is to embrace him in my arms and tell him that I love you? Or hold my wife in my arms and whisper I love you for a thousand times? Why do I get uptight and serious? Is it because I want to appear important to them as my wife keeps telling me? Or is it because if I also loosen up, we will become a looose family - because they both are never serious? Or because I know that they will immediately give me list of demands ranging from mobile phone to Rolls Royce!
Or could it be that when u r with ur own, u always expect too much???
I will tell you when I crack the puzzle :)

Memories of another day - 1

Place: Moscow
Time: 1994
We were cruising at 140kmph along the ring road around Moscow. Stefano Nardi was driving very slowly compared to his normal speed! Suddenly he asked me. Ajith, is it true that you Indians work all your life and save for your children? I replied, yes, Stefano. That is true. He said, you are all idiots. I work for myself. I will support my daughter for her education and thats it. Then she have to earn her living. I am not going to work like an ass all my life so that she can do nothing and enjoy her life! I said, Stefano, our culture is different. Like our parents did before us, we try to provide for our children what is wrong with it? He said, dear Ajith, you think you are doing a favour to your children. But in fact you are making them lazy and useless. Because if you provide for them, they will not work! Never do that to your son. Let him earn his living with his own efforts and become his own man. Otherwise he will not have any respect for you or for him and nobody will respect him too.
On that morning in Moscow, I did not believe Stefano. But now? I see the truth!
Are you listening my friend? Earn your living and earn your respect! There are no free lunches!