Count your garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by the golden hours, don't remember clouds at all.
Count your life by smiles, not tears, and with joy on every birthday.
Count your age by friends, not years.






     Fromof AAI......

     Hey Jerry the Berry and Pinkey Winky (I thought about monkey then you are far too beautiful for that superlative!)
I wrote this one greasy night for the Southern Alumni......

    Hi Priya/Philipji
Great to hear that you two are doing it right ! Wish I could be there. Lali and the kids will be reaching Madras on the 13th June. I will be coming later in the month. Looking forward to letting my hair loose. Here is my article for your unique creation". Hope you won't censor it !

    Memories...oh God Where have all the flower's gone....
Sometimes my heart goes heavy when I think of all those beautiful people and places. As Beatles would sing it " some are dead and some are living, in my life I love you more".

    July1973
I was 15 years old, precisely 41 kgs and 5 feet nothing. Zorro, that long haired pygmy from Nairobi smirked at my puniness. Only good ole Jerry believed that I will be tall one day! Oooh I can smell that smell of HED as we troop in for the Galath Daniel inspired and choreographed "Sundance". I was too stoned to recall the dance moves . But my partner, Uma Gurung that beutiful Nepali woman kept me hanging on.I can hear the thunderous applause as we gyrated haplessly to the music. She kept me sane for a couple of years, till that lousy, much more humanoid Pereira swept her away. That bum is living with her to this very day in some filthy jungle in Laos. Serves him right. May the good Lord keep my first love smiling despite that sneaky oily Pereira's evil charms. Now all I have is a photograph and I realize she is not coming back any more.

    I was variously known as Micky the mouse and Chota Sahib depending on the audience. All the block servants including Harshad Ali, that noble looking hookah smoking good old man,Chuttan that ex-butcher turned hairdresser who gave us all that freshycut, Shabir who kept us alive with his devine mutton curry and roti, when we were thrown out of the Cafeteria, Cutting the cut throat who fleeced us even when were poor and hungry, his chamchas Panditji and Mongru all called me Chota Sahib. I can smell the sweet aroma of the green green grass from home, Manipur and Muthiganj. Again as Beatles sang Life used to be so glad.

    We were that the last vestiges of the sixties revolution. We did our bit to change the world.We devised ingenious ways to steal the juicy kinnowmandarins, made "sticky points" in Makinos debut as the Agronomy lecturer, patronized the madams in MG, shamelessly "streaked" past the HED on moonlit nights, Cut classes, cogged exams, danced with General Janaki, Pix, Shayne, Chubala, Menoka....and all those lovely people, loved and lived for 8 years on those grassy lawns on the banks of Yamuna. Is Sarkar still alive and well?

    I can remember the picnic to Sujavan devta that enchanting little island in the middle of the mighty Yamuna river. Me disappearing with Chubala and Menoka Edwards and the crowd in search later. Oh all those hillybelles made my day.Of course the courage came from the "Tarra" we discovered from the boatman.

    Also remember the wallop I suffered from those angry boxers. Ooh my jaws still aches. The only guy I ever fought off the ring for real, was that fastidious Zorro. He didn't quite like me borrowing his underwear without his permission. He was vicious and mean and used his belt with terrifying accuracy. Then we made up and stole the chickens. We also tried to steal the huge Lancashire pig, whoever told us that pigs don't squeal when pulled by the ears, was one big lier.Poor 'Major' Manoj ended up with a broken arm and rustication, adding insult to the injury.I can remember JBC intoning the virtues of a place called Ag Inst." A home away from home". Cheroot Mammen's swinging gait,his bellbottoms sweeping the new hostel corridors.Kadala Mathai in his Levi's fatigues.Borda's sisters.Poor ole Tommy dog castrated.

    "Hai Rickshawale" I can still remember Amod F'..More getting out of the rick with his fancy backpack and his shiny long hair waving in the wind.Akhil with the white Tshirt and emblazoned with "Tiger in My Tank" quickly made Amod feel at home with the offer f a puff from the chillum. Amod's freakdom lasted precisely a day. God what a tragedy. The man had come all the way from that beautiful southsea island of Fiji to study agriculture.He never did get to that and did not make it beyond interag despite being phenomenally brilliant.I have now tracked his beautiful sister down to Suva.I have also tracked down my classmate Peter who dropped out only to make it big in distant New Zealand. Well it was to be a meeting promised to be 10 years after, but got postponed to 23 years.As Bad Company sang "Destiny always a ....

    Bad Medicine was our group. With Boo on the lead, Jerry rythm, Thambiah on the drums and Taisong on the base. I cried when I heard that little Tai died drinking. Can hear Suresh ridiculing me, when he smashed that saucer on my head. And we had a peace pipe later with a Payya sir doing his bit. Rest in Peace my friend.

    In the year of the great flood, the Khatmandu trip was great. I was saved from asphyxiation from the burning bed in musty hotel room in Beerganj by my soulmate Koshy and Chacko. My faithful friend Koshy and Chacko joined the renegade later and left me to my on devices on a cold Nepali morning . I stayed in freak street with that girl from Old Hungry Eyes . Listening to the music of the hippies from California next door..... later making it in YinYang disco. Amazing grace, I was in Haight Ashbury in San Fransico many years later in 1993.

     Ganesh
Hey Ganesh what a great surprise ! Where are you??? I am in New Zealand exporting sustainable plantation pine to India and Dubai.
Ganesh can be reached at silal123@dte.vsnl.net.in

    Johnny Chitamber
Johnny do you remember that small guy of 73 vintage (though I passed out MSc in 8o) where is Shalita now?? I had been to UC at Santa cruz in '93 and gave lectures on organic farming. Also had contacts with the CCOF.

    Edward Daniels
Eddie do you remember Micky the Mouse???
Sill looking for your whereabouts.........

    Hi Ratna
Ratna Kumar my ole long suffering roomate in the good ole hostel. Your little roomate's aging now...... like all the other rockstars ! Not greatful dead yet. What you upto in Oz? Give it to the wallbies old man. Drop a line will ya.
Ratna Kumar's email Ratna@netspace.net.au

    Nithi
Chinna mami still around eh. Jesus I can still hear you singing in those bellbotoms and those long and nasty side burns!
Nithie we need your new email addy !!!!

    Greg
Why no reply?? Give my luv to Sally and those great kids. What's my lil girlfriend upto these days??

    Val
Where are you and what are you upto?? I am down under staying afloat on logs.

    Abel
Read your stuff ........it's neat ! Can't say the same 'bout my great friend Koshy, who I guess is still smartin' on my li'le folly of not visting him on my last trip to Sydney and has been incommunicado ever since.
keep in touch fellas.

    Hey Martin.
God loves you please Mrs. Robinson.....send me your news will ya.......

Martin Victor martinv@pd.jaring.my

    I can remember the times Amigo. They will stay in my heart forever.
    And finally as Pink Floyd sang..........The song is over.
    Hey buddies give me cyberhug
    Jacob Mani a.k.a Mickey


    This is great stuff Mickey ........only BeWaRe of Minnie Mouse..........

ARE YOU A COMPUTER - HOLIC?

Following is a quiz from Dr. Kimberly Young, Founder of the Center for On-Line Addiction as seen in FamilyPC Magazine, August 1999. Answer the following 20 questions according to this scale:
1 - Not At All
2- Rarely
3- Occasionally
4- Often
5- Always
Then, compare your score with the key below.
How often...
1. do you find you stay online or at the PC longer than you intended?
2. do you neglect household chores to spend more time online or at the PC?
3. do you prefer the excitement of the Internet or PC to intimacy with your partner?
4. do you form new relationships with fellow online users?
5. do others in your life complain about the amount of time you spend online or, at the PC?
6. do your grades or work suffer because of the amount of time you spend online or at the PC?
7. do you check your e-mail before something else that you need to do?
8. does your job performance or productivity suffer because of the Internet or PC?
9. do you become defensive or secretive when asked what you do online or at the PC?
10. do you block out disturbing thoughts about your life with soothing thoughts of the Internet or the PC?
11. do you find yourself anticipating when you will go online or use the PC again?
12. do you fear that life without the Internet or PC will be boring, empty, and joyless?
13. do you yell or act annoyed if someone bothers you when you're online or at the PC?
14. do you lose sleep due to late-night log-ins?
15. do you feel preoccupied with the Internet or PC when off-line, or fantasize about it?
16. do you say 'just a few more minutes' when you're online or at the PC?
17. do you try to cut down the amount of time you spend online or at the PC and fail?
18. do you try to hide how long you've been online or at the PC?
19. do you choose to spend more time online or at the PC over going out with others?
20. do you feel depressed, moody, or nervous when you are off-line or not at the PC, which goes away once you are back online?

Score:
20-39 points - Average user. Go in peace.
40-69 points - You've got the makings of a problem user. Think about what you're doing.
70-100 points -You're it, a real computer- or online-holic. Get help. Now.


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Thursday, July 01, 1999

Don't forget....Kilroy wuz here....