Ananth, my friend, my sincere best wishes for you and your family on your forthcoming journey. May it be a safe and successful one. Please keep us all informed of your progress Many of us intend to travel, some sooner, some later, so your experiences will be a great help.
Good luck mate.
James.

Bon voyage Ananth !! Keep safe.

By the way, we all expect you to find an internet cafe and let us know how you are going on.

xx

Hi James and Hi Winnie ( I can never forget that name as my mother in law has the same name)

Thanks a ton for all your kind wishes and I really do not require a cyber cafe to be seeing all your posts. I am also carrying some of thosefancy gadgets - which my sons are geeks at and have promised me I will be connected to the net all the time .
With lots and lots of love, a big hug and Winnie gets all the kisses.
Ananth

Ananth,

My Pal,

Glad that Tracey has forgiven you, but thought she would for no one can stay angry at you for long.

I will miss you, your humour, your frustrations but most of all your inherent honesty.

Enjoy your adventure, hope the leg behaves, and if you get the chance well you have our email address drop us a line now and then, we shall always reply.

There is one God Ananth - whatever we call him or how we choose to worship him, He is your God as He is mine and I pray that He will guide you in your travels, comfort you when there is no one else, and constantly give sustenance to your soul which never ages or dies.

Maggie is surprising me I thought she might go to pieces but there are just so many people from all over the globe praying for her that the result is palpable my friend - God does not desert His own.

God be with you now and evermore, simply be you for you are the person we all love and cherish as we love and cherish your wife and sons.

On your epitaph I would write simply

"Ananth - a Man for all Seasons"

Good luck amigo take care Alan

good luck on your adventures,take care and keep safe,looking forward to hearing all about them.love shirl xxx

Dear Alan,
You are truly the most positive and religious amid all us (some are devils like me!!) I am very serious when I say that both you and Maggie are a major influencing factor ina lot of lives. Now before I get down to any other thing - why will you miss me, my humor,my frustrations and my honesty. I am only going half way across the globe - the day my posts stops will be the only time you all better start worrying

Maggie is truly made of steel and with a loving husband like you by her side it would be dream come true should anything happen. I am not too hot shot at giving unlined symptahy messages - so I guess you understand what I mean.

Thank your stars Alan, that you have not met my two princes. You will surprised that such kids really exist on this earth. There is nothing, nothing, nothing that I have not given in to them. Their every whim and fancy was taken care of almost immediately and we have reachd the stage where they think money is where the world revolves around. I know its not like being a good father - but I have never ever locked up my wallet( I never carry cash - my ccs are enough). Their pocket money exceeds what most people in India make in six months and they get the allowance twice a month. The expenses for movies etc are of course not included in this pocket money -thanks to an indulgent mother. The only person they are scared of and genuinely scared is your truly. If they are my sons - I am their Dad!!!

The epitaph could read just " He came, saw and he went" Noone is going to rememeber this in any case after some time. Memories are very short.I like yours too - "Ananth (make sure you get that spelling right! - a man for all seasons. You know which song I play on my mobile whiel I wait for the other person to pick up is Terry Jack - "seasons in the sun"

So Alan, dont say bye bye at this stage - only start thinhking when the posts stop!

With tons of love to both Maggie and you ( I am sorry but I cannot wish you'll a long life but can surely wish that you spend all your days with friends and hapiness all around you.(if you see a guy flying around with a daiper around - donr worry to much - it will only be me as the angel!!!.

Dear Shirl,
Dont you even think for a second I am going to not be in touch with all of you. I promise I will be there writing every day with all whacky incidents that keep happening with me. One never cuts of from their families and that what you all are for me.
Love you, xxx and a big bar hug,
Ananth

Dear Ananth
I hope your trip is both successful and happy for you. I know that it's important to sort things out so that everyone is secure and looked after, but don't wear yourself out!

True wealth comes not from money and possessions but from the love of family and friends, you have this in abundance - enjoy it!

Thank you for all your words of love and support, I can feel that hug from here - hope you can too

Looking forward to hearing of the adventures you'll no doubt manage in Oz and Spain.

Love and an extra big hug xxxx
Sara

Dearest Sara,

Almost all is set for the trip though I will have work my bottom off right thru the journey -putting posts to all my loved ones on rdoc! No, honestly finishing all my work is going to take time and the long hauls are the best way to catch up on your work as you can do so peacefully and complete more.

I can reconfirm what you said - though I did make lot of money (initially my world would orbit around greenbacks), gained a bit of fame here and there with my modelling, travelled around the world, changed the lives of my parents and siblings now its taken a back seat. You may not believe this- I have no idea where my money is - in which account, invested where and how. Sonya manages it all and I never ever carry cash- just my cards - all Gold mind you and the most envied Platinium. I am just no longer interested in any material things and find almost everything a bore. Its come to a stage where I wish I was not so metalrestic then - perhaps now I would been better off. But clocks cannot be reverted By no means does this mean I am Richie Rich - but am very comfortable. I have grown up the hard way by a strict disciplined army officer - my dad. He had no money, nada, nil money when they got married(love maraige)He took a loan from the Indian government for his education and went on to do his Engineering. He then opted to join the army, though he could have earned a lot more in the civilian world. He kept saying it was his way of repayin what the Country did for him. However, the Army does not mean great salaries but what one becomes ( the entire family ) is worth every bit of it.
I was truly born with a golden spoon in my mouth as I never ever lost out on anything ans as money came my way -I became wiser and started saving rather then give all the girls in the disco a drink on the house after every round!! For all I know - there may be no money at all in my accounts but that is my wifes headache. It seems my younger son has this spoon now and all of us discuss things with him(not with me!! - but him) to take any desecions about cash transactions. He knows all the pin numbers, the account numbers, what was the last amount we had in that bank and what had we bought using that card!!! Its wierd but good.

But as you spoke of abundance of friends - I have them all over the world and you will be surprised at the number of mails I recieve a day!All these people took a liking to me not because I was going to splurge on them, or I had some money - but because I got along well with each one these people. The kind of people? Valets, servants,all the people who do menail labour, the managers, and on and on- and not one of them knew I had a bit of money. I remember one friend of mine -the air control head in Mexcico city. We met on a flight where he was going to Chile and I to Argentina. It was one of the nicest things to see him at my door step in Argentina asking me out for dinner and drinks. We flew back to Mexico together and we still remain great friends.

Finally,I am not going anywhere - just to Oz - so lets not talk about my being nice etc. etc till its time.
Once again the extra hig hug come your way with roses and smooochs
Love,
Ananth

Hello everyone,
Guess my last post from ground level as it is time for the epic saga to begin. I am quite sure with the whacky things that keep happening to me it will become one heck of story (one incident I do recall was membership to the mile high club- an elite club. If you know about the club and are a memeber, you will know what I am talking about - or its a highly guarded secret)I wonder if my membership will be renewed - though I doubt it.

Hong kong - here we come for our first stop of the trip(the second one is home!!). It will be fun as I know Hon Kong like the palm of my hand and know all the hot spots where one can get the best bargains in the world- the clothing,footwear,electronics - the list goe on.Both Varun and Arjun are looking forward to it for building up their already overflowing wardrobes. I am quite sure Sonya will join in what the Chinese will term as the Shenoy Sale of the Year! I have ensured all my credit cards are totally uptodate and will never be declined (there is always a first chance!!) and that all means I will be owing the companies one hell of a lot of money by the time we leave.I have never been one who loves only the best of hotels as I look more at the convenient location - which would be all a hotel with proximity to everything - be it the airport, shopping or shopping in this case (I used to work also earlier). I have never landed (or taken off)from the new airport so lets see how it is as the hype it recieved was really great. Flights normally take off on time and am sure the Aussies too are particular about time and we should take another long boring haul on the Quantas flight (they do have decent looking airhostesses but nothing to beat the British Airway ones - Air france is the worst). I am sure they will really like me as I will not be calling them for anything as far as booze, snacks, water etc. is concerned.

We land Sunday at Merlbourne - the quiet airport! They do not announce the arrival or departure of the flights -so if you have to get a flight you better keep you eyes on the board. Well, each to his own. We should be home by Sunday late afternoon. I have decided on not doing anywork for two or three days as I got something far more important to do. I have to meet up with some friends - rather a couple who I love very much.

I will be carrying on these "carry on" series as ever serie takes place.Till then I will be posting all my posts in reply to your posts or add to other posts from far above in the clouds (May just see Dad there??!!)- I am actually falling in love with the word 'posts' - you'll think it had something to do about getting reicarnated as a dog in my next life? .

Well - next post in the sky. Till then "Namaste" - Hello or Bye - when you meet you say it and when you leave you say it - almost as wierd ad English.
All my love, kisses(ladies only)and big grizzely bear hugs to all,
Ananth

Bon Voyage Ananth

Keep safe, look forward to hearing all about it

Mum
xxx

Travel well and enjoy
Dave and Sue