This feels like a count-down to the ball being dropped in Times Square on the New Year eve here...
As I had promised Udhay, here goes my introductory mail..although I have been a member of the group for a while (not sure when I joined it, but thanks to my friend Bharat Shetty Barkur - I get to lurk in the background, admiring the geeks and non-geeks of this group from afar). I happen to be hard of hearing, but I strictly communicate orally and am an excellent lip-reader. I consider myself to be a jack of all trades and a master of none - with a long athletic/competitive tennis career (did dabble as a tennis coach for a while, to make ends meet), which I had to abandon in order to pursue my higher studies (a must for our middle-class family, where 'education is wealth' - which I do not fully agree with, since there are instances of people doing equally well without any fancy degrees under their belt). I strongly believe that a sporting career helps develop the confidence, drive and independence in any individual, come what may. Some people are naturally gifted, while others make it to the top with sheer hard work, blood, sweat and tears, the latter category of which I fall into! I did dabble in poetry and painting, plus competitive yoga when I was in my teens, but had to weed them all out, to focus solely on my tennis career. I am better known as a tennis player, although I consider myself to be a decent athlete. I have a passion for travel, for it helps widen my horizons, and I do enjoy going on long drives. I get to be in my elements on the road as well as on the courts. In any case, I have a background in Civil Engineering and a double masters in Environmental Engineering and Science/Computer Science. I do not fall into any of the above, for I have never really gotten around to work in either the civil or environmental fields. Worked briefly in the IT sector, before I realized it was not my cuppa joe. So, I am now back to square one, not to mention being broke, and clueless, but still trying to chase my lofty dreams. I did be more than happy to list them all out here, but would spare you the drudgery for another day :) To give you a brief glimpse into one of my goals, one of them is to make a foray into modeling, at such an advanced age! I am an ardent admirer of Jack Ma and J.K. Rowling and strongly believe that when you have the drive to do something, it is bound to work, no matter what. I do admire women who break the glass ceiling in their respective spheres.... As the fastest woman on two wheels once said...."If someone is interested in something, they don't have to start off with a whole lot of money to be successful at something they love. They just have to pursue it, and make it happen". In closing, I would like to mention two of my favorite quotes by Johann von Goethe: - *Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.* *- Plunge into the thick of life....* I would give an arm and leg to be there for the 20th reunion of Silk List this evening, but unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances have played havoc on my plans... Hopefully, I will get to see you folks during my travels, or at the silver jubilee and golden jubilee celebrations, if it ever takes place, either in India or anywhere else around the world. It helps to get some perspective from well-read folks like you all... Regards, - pcs.
