Lungi Beach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxbbb3usl4

Email to my Uncle .. domain unknown :(

Every1 tht reads this – this msg was supposed to b private ..btwn me n Stephen Uncle .. n unfortunately I told chech tht I emailed him 4 his bday. Chech emotionally blackmailed me since then 2 post on this page .. since then .. n coz I dnt wanna do anthng 2 upset her more than she already is .. here is wht I send Stephen uncle for his Bday .. love u my half crack chech n love ur auditor hubby even more .. mwah!







Dear Stephen uncle,

Happy birthday!! I somehow miss u so much. More today than ever ..
I wish I cld say all this in my mind .. But I feel if I write it down u might read it sometime .. somewhr .. somehow ..
U went away too soon .. I love ur family to bits and I know for a fact that our family is never t same without u.

Jst t fact that I know ur gonna be in ur room or on t couch with ur laptop when I get home was a peaceful feeling in itself. I dnt have that feeling anymore.

Chech spoke a lot abt u on t train after we finished shopping in Sydney when I was there in May .. She was so happy ..
And then when chech wld get delayed at work and u wld be hungry .. u used to wait in t kitchen for her to come back .. that was such a cute thing ..somethin that I noticed but never told u ..

Do u know I don't even have one single pic wid u n me offlate? I regret that .. I wish we had taken more pics .. Somethin to look at and smile .. u know

U know I was so fond of u .. and I know u were always watchin out for me. But now I have to think twice before I do anything coz I know u r literally watchin me :)
I jst wantd to tell u that now that ur physically no more I find myself thinking so much abt u all t time ..
It was painful how u went .. too soon .. too fast. I mean .. u were ok .. man .. in May for Rach’s birthday .. u were fine.
U still had Vodka at Pancakes on the rocks on her birthday .. Only dada n mama wld believe it was orange juice K .. not me or Chech ..
I took for granted that u wld be around a lot more longer ..

Umm ill tell u somethin I have not told anyone ever .. I always thought if ...and that's a BIG if dada was no more for my wedding u wld walk me down t aisle .. Now that I have experienced how it is to lose u ..i pray I dnt need to lose anyone like this ever ..

I know you dnt like to go to church .. especially for a big mass .. I still remember my first communion ... our family was seated on t 3rd row.. I kinda knew u wldnt come .. so when chech told me u didnt come, I kind knew it .. but deep down inside I was disappointed .. Then I went for my Altar call .. when the priest told us to turn around and face the congregation as new members of the church .. there you were .. Smiling at me ..
When I turned from altar u were t first one I saw ..
That too in t front .. 1st row .. Hehe
But t fact is u came .. U came coz I called u
And u came coz u knew it was my first communion ..
AND u came in blue jeans n brown shirt .. the ppl were all decked up in sari or suit or juba n mundu .. and u .. my uncle came looking so cool .. all my friends were like .. wow ur uncle is so cool
Sigh

When I came to Australia in May and u took us to see t pacific ocean u drove all t way .. the full day .. and that’s how I assumed it wld always b .. Infact .. how I thot was for my wedding u wld be driving me to church … I took it for granted ..

We all think u had a blessed life and a blessed death. U didn’t suffer too much ..
But whatever said and done u went away too soon ..
Chech n the kids wl be fine .. But t fact remains t same tht they wld be jst fine .. And nothin else
But we r all here for them jst like before .. Only difference is much stronger ..
So obviously I dnt need to worry too much abt that

I jst wantd to talk to u ..
So ya .. the best way is FB email ..

.i, miss u .. . Have fun there .. K ..see u sometime ..

Ill wear my ralf schumacher cap, the one that u bot me k .. And u wear urs .. that stupid red michael Schumacher cap .. We ll recognise each other through that k :)

Love u .. ur fav niece ;)

Photos complimenting Amal's blog - Australia Trip!

Amal was in charge of breakfast, a role he took pretty seriously! Menu for the day - Anda Burji

I must admit - it was delicious!

Mapping out the Sydney Leg! Where Amal got outvoted 3:1, but still managed to go to the Zoo

Maritime Museum, Sydney

Outside the casino

Spot Steve ...

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After the riot at Country Club Tuross Heads, the party moved to one of the local's home...

The Sydney Melbourne Drive

Great Ocean Drive, I think this was Gibson's Steps ???

Yet a few memories…. Stage-2......

and there was this time Stephen, Shyla, Sonia and I took a 14-hour flight down-under all the way from good ol`e sunny Dubai…........ have to say that the emirates flight attendants were most co-operative (not just attractive) and of course, we cooperated very well with them....... helped them clean..... I mean, clean out a galley of Bacardi totally before shifting base to the next galley.......… didn`t quite realize that 14 hours was really quite a long time......… I guess the Bacardi helped both of us …. Needless to say we were in “high spirits” .. as in “high” in the sky and in real good “spirits” `cause the company was fantabulous :)

We had a good landing and spent the days in Sydney lazing around.....… incidentally I recollect this was Stephen & Shyla`s first landing for their Auz residency. Good on them! Lazed around, did the touristy things and hit the bars, pubs, casinos etc… of course one nite Steve disappeared for a few hours and made some serious bucks at the star city casino too 

and then we did the Sydney – to – Melbourne drive......… and that was awesome – very scenic and kool. Had an amazingly brilliant and relaxed time. And some where down the road, when it was dark almost decided to shack up and checked into a motel with chalets on the beach in a small town called “Tuross Head” …. Simply a slender piece of land jutting right into the blue Pacific to form the Tuross Head - between the twin lakes of Tuross and Coila to be technically perfect in my description  The small town is situated approximately midway between Batemans Bay and Narooma if you really wanna know the details,,,,,,,….

Well, dumped our luggage and headed out to the one and only watering hole out there… their main club house.... wow, what a club..... every one knew everyone obliviously and they were a real welcoming bunch…. Initially sipping on the VBs and Toohey`s and standing around, we were accosted by quite a few friendly locals… ofcourse after the polite bits of conversations about the weather and the drive, all most everyone would pop the question – where are you folks from? Pakistan? Found that to be pretty weird as normally these Auzzie dudes and gals are quite sensitive about asking these things as in the land down under you aren’t even required to incorporate gender, race, age etc on a credential document or resume as that could be sonsidered discriminatory..….

Hey by HumukItis, they were quite disappointed that we were not a bunch of Pakistanis.....…. Then one of the dudes seeing our faces came out with the truth…. They were really hoping we were Pakistanis, `cause on that day, Australian Cricket Team had made mince meat out of the Pakistani Cricket team – 56 All Out  would you believe that? I`m pretty sure it was a day most cricketing fans (except the Pakistani cricket fans), would never forget …. They just wanted to get hold of some Pakistanis to take the piss out of them, of course in a nice manner we hope.....…. 

Anyway as the night went along and the sun dipped and the moon rose up in the sky and we ended meeting almost every one in that club as every few minutes some one would pop by and join the group and get a round of piss.....…. Gosh we were really a big group by the time it was closing time and we stayed over an hour after they closed the club and around 3 am, we went along with a nice couple who insisted that we join them in their beach mansion to continue the party...... well, steve and I like the rest of the CLEF dudes are never known to turn down such options and invites :) ........ and so, we did go along.....…. I recollect we did drink till wee hours of the morning and somewhere around 5 or 5,30 am kindda hobbled over and went back to our shacks…. Hey hey, I remember that the guy there did come out with some crazy honky tonk stuff about Sam and Shyla burst into tears  remember Shyla?

Well, we did wake up to the sound of the sea and had a good watch of the dolphins playing in the sea by the beach side before driving off towards Melbourne…......... Hit Melbourne and … phew, that’s another story................….

Faith

Dear Shala, Sarah and Rachel,

A note to let you know we are thinking of you during this very difficult period following Stephen’s passing.

We can’t begin to understand just how empty your lives are at the moment. I was very impressed by your faith level Shala and I am sure that faith will bring you and the children through. The funeral service was very moving and uplifting.

Stephen made a big impression on me in these few short months he was at the Centre. He was very good at his job and quick to help when someone needed assistance. His IT knowledge seemed unlimited. He put together the specifications on my personal laptop. He knew it all.

I want to leave you an open invitation to come to our place. We live in the countryside about 20 KMs from the centre. I have attached a map for you. I am sure you and the kids will enjoy some time in the Australian bush.

Say hello to your dear mom if she is still with you.

Regards and all the best.
Bernie (and Petah) Duffy.

Darjeeling tea

Dear Shyla,
I met your husband Stephen, when we commenced employment at the Centre earlier this year. I found Stephen to be a very open and friendly man and this part of his nature was reinforced when I told him of a trip to India I had planned for in March 2010.

He told me some lovely stories of his home country and a delightful little joke which I still recount. He also mentioned the much regarded Darjeeling estates. As a result, when in Kolkata, I bought him a small packet of Darjeeling tea and very excitedly presented it to him when I returned to the Centre whereupon he proceeded to make tea for all who were interested and provide us with a lesson on the way good tea should be prepared. He also told us the variations of tea preparation including your special recipe for ‘Masala Chai.’

Just today I noted the packet of tea on the desk of Bernie (who represented the centre at Stephen’s funeral along with Anne and was told by Bernie that the tea was discovered after Stephen’s other belongings had been sent on to you.

I enjoyed Stephen’s company immensely. He had a delightful sense of humour, was warm and gregarious and a genuinely likeable person and I was looking forward to meeting all his family.

It is with great sorrow that I now forward to you, the packet of Darjeeling tea, in the hope that it and the story around it will give you some comfort.

With very warmest and best wishes
Joanne Proter

Message from Anne

Dear Shyla, Sarah and Rachel,

All of us here at the Centre were deeply saddened to learn of Stephen’s passing.

He was both well liked and respected by his colleagues.
We enjoyed his quite sense of humour. He was very well informed on many aspects and lunch room conversations would always be something learnt whenever Stephen joined in. We will miss him.

Thank you for letting us join your private funeral which was very touching.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Anne

3 Decades of Fun Times

16 yrs old. 1982 in Cochin. Brand new town for me and just started to make new friends and that's when I meet Stephen and Aditya. Over the course of time Aditya, Stephen and I would embark on several spur of the moment trips. Each one more eventful than the last. From short day trips to Fort Cochin and around to long ones.

One of the most memorable one was a trip where Aditya had to visit his Cinnamon Estate in Nilambur and to meet his cousins who were based on the property so Stephen and myself go along with him in his trusted Mahindra MM540. Getting ready for the trip the packing was a whole lot of booze and that was it. A great drive, Aditya always kept a steady place and we reached without incident.




Now at the estate Aditya and his cousins get to business and Stephen and myself are left enjoying nature and smelling the flowers. Needless to say consumption of spirits was the activity which went along. That evening we have planned to stay a night at a forest guest house at Masinagudi. A long drive through the Mudumalai National Park and we finally reach Kothawala's Jungle Retreat. Old man Kothawala, an ex planter from Coonoor had setup a very fine spot and the food was amazing. The best of Parsi cooking and hospitality. In the evening we decided to go check out the wildlife. By this time, except for one of Aditya's cousins the rest of us were quite upbeat with alcoholic influences and bravado which turned to some "brave" suggestions - mine was to walk back in pitch black night through the forest (inhabited by big cats and elephants). The sober guy refused to let Stephen and me walk at night. So we got back into the jeep.



At the first forest check post the guard makes a big show of flashing his torch inside and checking the back for contraband. Then we were let through. At the check post on the other end of the forest again a guard came and shone his torch. Alcohol influence at its highest, as soon as the light flashed, I mooned the poor guard...to much mirth and cackles. The guard then goes to the police station, right next to the forest check post and calls the Inspector out. The cops proceed to take us all into the station and then the interrogation begins. We had decided to behave as though we don't speak any South Indian languages but instead only spoke English. However this was not going on very well as the Inspector was talking to Stephen in Malayalam and he was answering back in English. For a while the cops did not catch on. Then the guard was called and he identified Stephen as the mooner and then the cop picked on Stephen. At that time Aditya told the cops that the guard was probably drunk and imagined all this. He explained that one of the guys was changing his clothes in the back as it had got wet by spilling a drink and that's what probably happened. With this the cops now wanted to search the jeep for booze and a few are dispatched to search. They come back with half a bottle of Whiskey. For the amount of drinking we had done, this was a joke and we all started laughing. Eventually the cops let us go saying "Kerala people - keep your tail tied down when you leave Kerala".




The next day the entire village had come out to he streets and waved at us, apparently the cops and the forest guard were not much liked and they thought us heroes to moon the guard.

The pictures here were taken in 2007, beginning of another eventful trip to Goa.

To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure

Hello Stephen’s family and friends!

I just got permission from Mrs. Stephen to blog. I kept reminding her to add me. Now that she has added me, her delay has become my urgency! Verzeihung??!! But, I am forgiving and am ready to blog.

It’s been an interesting read while I twiddled my thumbs and waited for Shyla to let me blog. Oh hell! I said I forgive her, so I will TRY not to bring it up – AGAIN.

I may be the one on this blog with the shortest association with Stephen. But what an association it has been! We met a few years back, under the most stressful conditions. A complex and high profile corporate restructure. We had a strict code of conduct for this restructure including off work/off premises code of conduct.

Stephen and his team from Dubai were initially looked as such – THE team from Dubai. He had a flair for language or should I say flair to divert a situation. On the second day of strategy planning and without being able to give more details – there was an uncomfortable silence in the room about an inevitable decision. No one knew what to say next.
Stephen said - Wie sagt man .... auf deutsch .. has shit hit the ceiling yet or is there more?!! We didn’t know if we could laugh for many reasons - he was a senior manager, what was impending was a tall order but Stephen went on to excuse him for a cigarette break. I think we all needed it but we were all just too tense to declare a break just one hour into a meeting!
In the smoking room, I went to Stephen with an intention of getting an insight of his thoughts. While he was very friendly, I got his message – no insights! Remember the code of conduct.

Stephen was a very intelligent man. We all knew he was a Chartered Accountant. But we watched in sheer fancy the dignified manner in which he strip teased the clothes of our IT department. He challenged their 21 man hours required and brought the delivery period down to 10 man hours. It was indeed very difficult to keep our giggles under wrap for this meeting. Over a round of beers later that evening, he apologised to the IT guys. That’s where we learnt he is a qualified computer genius as well.

The guy never seized to amaze us. He could never be stereo typed. We could never classify him in a category.
He was a stylish computer whiz. He had the typical IT guy back-pack, but in it he also had a complex Canon with zoom lens. A hobby that was common to us.

He would take off his jacket, roll up his sleeves and loosen his tie to fix a computer problem for someone else as he would sit with IT and help them with system requirements.

He would camp out or stay with the gang at motels and we were surprised when we found out he drives an Audi and BMW.

We would ask aloud ‘How did you do that?’ for all the keyboard shortcuts he used during presentations and would secretly ask ourselves ‘how does this guy afford so many pens, ties, shoes and suits!’

Stephen could have a conversation with anyone about GFC, politics, history, culture, religion, cooking, kids, travel – I am sure all of you would agree he was very well informed of everything.

Eventually our families became close. And we realised his motivator. It was you Shyla. One could see the sheer excitement when the both of you planned weekends and public holidays across duty travel schedules!
I remember when Stephen said one day he was nicking off early ‘for a coffee meeting!’ We knew he was meeting you. And that’s how we landed up seeing you the first time. We took his mobile and laptop so he couldn’t let you know there were 7 others coming for the ‘coffee meeting!’ And trust me, we all felt a bit bad when we realised you were taking a flight out after 4 hours to UK. But you can’t complain. You know two weeks later, we freed up Stephen’s calendar so the both of you could do the Scotland drive for the long weekend.

Ofcourse, I won’t forget the F1 Silverstone, which you unwillingly gifted to me. I thank my stars you goofed with the hotel and eventually agreed for Stephen’s option to stay at a motel, BUT refused to share the toilet with other guests:) . Net result - mir! I got your tickets - grandstand view opposite the pits! Danke Liebling, Danke! But I still don’t see any likeliness between Stephen and Montoya. A bunch of crazy [I think drunk] fans mistook Stephen for Montoya, took his autograph, followed us to our motel. It became annoying. We decided to change to a bigger hotel for much bigger bucks, just because we feared for our security, our car and our cameras!
And ofcourse we were [pleasantly] surprised when Lesley and you arrived to join us at the hotel where you had a plush and private bathroom! How you managed to get and coordinate flights during the busy race time and make it there in less than 24 hours still beats me – but then again, Stephen’s explanation is good ‘She is in the airline industry!’

Lesley and I still admire the both of you and your relationship. You would never bat an eyelid when Stephen flirted! Infact he would do so right in front of you. What confidence. You would never dance with another – not even with me! He would drink, you would not. He would smoke and you would not. He loved to drive and you hated to drive. Yet the both of you would enjoy at the bar and you would drive him home while he navigated for you from the non driver’s side.

Karaoke night – you would put up with his Led Zeppelins’ and he would put up with your Celine Dions’. Eventually you guys would share the couch with the Scorpions and the Rod Stewarts.

Being married you guys still shied to kiss in public but Stephen forever had a protective arm around you which would tighten in public crowded places.
Both of you and your relationship - quite unique, fresh, magical – so full of love and life.

As Lesley and I write this blog, we figured this about the both of you. Hope you won’t be offended that we are blogging this, but it’s very cute and almost so pure in a way!

Stephen - Heading a unit of more than 70 strategists and accountants, would still go ‘Oh fuck! I suck at packing my clothes, wish Shyla was here!’
Usually I pick him up when he is in town. Usually, he is in the driveway waiting for me. The one day he was not, I walked inside and found him struggling with his breakfast and he said ‘Mate, I can’t seem to package this sandwich, Shyla would foil wrap this so well!’

Shyla - Heading cost centres across Middle East and Africa and now in Australia, Shyla would go ‘Ummm, hang on Lesley, I am not sure which credit card to use, lemme call Steve!’
And Lesley said there is the one time you needed to write us a cheque. Lesley thought you were looking in your bag for the details and you pulled out your phone and said ‘Steve, what’s my bank account number? … Oh! Ok and do I write One Zero Five One or do I write One Thousand and Fifty one?!’

Successful corporate models, but so interdependent on each other for life’s basics. And so simply in love with each other.

Borrowing this off J.K. Rowling – ‘After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.’

Like I said to you Shyla, Stephen was always a few steps ahead of all of us. And he has just moved on to his next adventure. He will reserve the best grandstand seats for the both of you.
While he is having a good time with most things in the next sphere, he will be pretty hopeless without you for the smaller things that matter.
So I am sure there is a part of him that will always be with you, an invisible arm around you – guiding, protecting and loving you.

Cheers to Stephen and you for being part of Lesley and my life – for showing us what love and family values are all about.

Leslie and I will surely be in Sydney for your birthday!

So chins up my lassie and race along in life and we will all catch up with Stephen for our next adventure.