What does it feel like?

Adil Ghandy sent me this picture of his recent meeting with his dear Cathedralite friend, Vernon Williams, after a period of 45 YEARS?



They met at Heathrow Airport in London.

Can ether of you tell us exactly how you felt.

Indian Government starts blocking blogs!

(Cross-posted on all my major blogs.)

Freedom, democracy and freedom of speech have been thrown to the winds by the irrational action of the Government of India when they told Indian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to various blogs. This can only be done by blocking access to the entire blog service provider and my blogs are, therefore, not accessible by my readers in India.

I also learnt that most, if not all, Indian ISPs have followed the directive.

Economic Times, India Tuesday July 19th 2006:

DoT casts a cloud on bloggers' paradise

Cathedralite 56er HS Uberoi, one of my faithful readers of my "Seventh Heaven" blog alerted me to this when he emailed me with this:'

Dear Jacob,

I don't know whether you are aware that effective today the Government of India has blocked access to ALL blogsites.

I cannot believe that even your nostalgic Cathedral School and St.Stephen's College sites cannot be accessed by us in India!!

I am at a total loss for words!!

Yours in shock.

Ubi

If you have friends in India who want to continue to access my blogs, even occasionally, please email them and ask them to contact me by email and I will give then the surefire way to continue access.

No Government can stop the internet - as there are many many ways round any censorship, many not known to the stupid politicians who think they are being clever by imposing such foolish bans!!

I will not publish all the methods here for reasons which are obvious.

Coincidence?

(Cross-posted on the Kooler Talk Web Version Blog.)

Is it just a coincidence or was it some fate.

I was informed by the 1954 Green House Captain of the Bombay Cathedral and John Connoon Girl's High School, Zarrin Aga (née Lam), that Rahul Bajaj, who has just been elected to the Rajya Sabha, who was a Cathedralite and a Stephanian, was also the School Savage House Captain in the year 1954.

The 1956 Savage House Captain was also a Cathedralite and Stephanian.

The 1958 Savage House Captain, Dr. Peter Philip (known to most Stephanians as Tubby) was also a Cathedralite and Stephanian.

The 1959 Savage House Captain, myself, also studied in both these instiitutions.

Maybe someone from the school can refresh my memory as to who was Savage House Captain in 1955 and 1957.

Although I am sure they were not Stephanians, this coincidence of the 50's was to me quite astonishing!

5500 kilometres to Oulu

(Cross-posted on my Jacob's Blog.)



We have a new colourful poppy in the Kampitie garden.



Aiti is back home at Kampitie and yesterday was enjoying wearing her floral summer sun hat.

As the crow flies, Tuusula is probably less than 600 km from Oulu. However, our dear friends, Gopa [our foster daghter and daughter of my dear friend, Cathedralite 54er Sadhana Madhusadan (née Shah from Pune)] and hubby, Timo, took the long way round. They had travelled to Switzerland, where Timo attended a course on modern print technologies for newspapers.

They took their new acquisition, a Renault, for a spin, camping along the way. They returned via Germany, Denmark, crossing from Copenhagen to Malmo in Sweden and then drove over the top of the Gulf of Bothnia to reach Oulu at around 20:30 last night.

A total journey of close to 5500 kilometres from Tuusula to Oulu!

Pailin and Unnop had made a special Thai meal of spicy rice noodle salad, chicken red curry and vegetarian green curry (all without fish sauce as Joanna is allergic to fish) for them.



Joanna and Tony, accompanied by Daniel, joined us for dinner. Samuel is away at a summer camp - and Joanna is missing our little rascal, but probably not more than me as I miss our turbulent discussions as the World Cup football has reached the final stage.



The salad was a little too spiced for Timo, but he and Gopa, tired after their long journey, had a good meal and then enjoyed a relaxing sauna in the cellar while Joanna and I watched the French beat the Portuguese in the semi-final.

(We watched the first half together. Joanna and Daniel returned home to weatch the second half. Tony left earlier as he wanted to go for a jog.)







Gopa and Timo were up early this morning and left for Timo's home town, about an hour and a half from Oulu, as they go there to settle things in the house as Timo's mother has now been moved to a Care Centre for the elderly where she can be looked after because of her failing sight and hearing.

It was great seeing Gopa and Timo after such a long time and having them stay a night, as usually they push off after a cup of coffee!