Ringtone Maloo !!

So you might want to read "Building Up to the XIC reunion" if you haven't done so yet. Because it started when we went looking for classmates from oh so long ago.

In the last 3 weeks we've "found" Hema, Christine, Malcolm, Rohinton, Denzil, Pushkar, Billi, Karl, Sanjiv, Sanjeev, Bisham, Uneza, Jairam, Yogi, Peyton and Chitra.

12 of the 16 have connected in and been party to the inane , often silly and occasionally comic genius banter. 2 have maintained a steadfast silence - and the jury is still out on the other 2.

We have found that atleast 1 of the 16 is agile enough to make it up a coconut tree. Whether he makes it back down or not we do not know - cos he uses his blackberry to respond to mails. 2 can write email when under severe peer pressure. 1 has invented a very interesting language called bhangrezi - angrezi when written under the influence of bhang, of course. There have been phone calls and a couple of "sightings". The word is out - everyone has turned 40 (a few times atleast), got grey hair - which some remember to color, and are starting to act, show or look their age.

But appearances and accomplishments apart - the old characteristics are still very much in evidence. Take for example Christine - the social ambassador - smoothing out the rough edges making people welcome.

Or Malcolm who has hoarded every photograph and autograph book he ever took in his entire life, has then indexed and filed everyone of them, now he trots them out as evidence should someone make one false move.

He also teaches meditation in his spare time. If he is this wired with meditation, I wonder what he'd be like without it. No more caffeine for you Malcolm.

No one has seen Sanjiv - but we've talked to him, and we've seen his website - impressive - and he has set up a website we can post photos and share info about ourselves. Denzil still has the wry sense of humor. Yogi is still acting like the playboy - I did not know then whether it was real or an act and i still don't know. Sanjeev was his old self - easy to talk to. If Pushkar did not say a word - you'd think we were still in XIC -he looks just as he did.

And Rohinton Maloo - if you didn't actually see him face to face and just heard him on the phone - same thing - the sense of humor, if anything has sharpened over time. The stories have become richer with the varied experience he's had.

Some examples: "In a few years, people will need to get a visa to visit the United States of Delhi - its like a country in itself - like no other part of India. " Rohinton left our reunion early so he could stop by at his hotel and change into a suit - he was to go to a party at which the host had called him and asked him to come formally dressed. When he showed up there sweating profusely in his 3 piece suit - he saw all the men wearing 'flowing kurtas and embroidered bras" over their pajamas. For this, our dear Rohinton, spent an extra 2 hours riding around Delhi to grab his jacket !!!!

Rohinton's best playmates are the security guards in the various offices he visits. He insists on drawing a picture or scrawl instead of signing his name. He then tells them he is writing his name in Ancient Egyptian - the only language he writes (no no - the guards never question - cos they cannot read anyway). Some of them want him to have his photo taken for an electronic ID Badge. Rohinton loves making faces into the webcam much to the chagrin of the security guards. So then Rohinton engages in a philosophical discussion - its still me isn't it... this is how i look most of the time anyway - it will help people recognize me . .. why do you need a photo if my face is already there.... " and the poor guards can only offer a weak 'Sir that is not how it should be".

The other day he went to the Reliance Mobile office - they had been expecting him . The guard called up the host and informed him that Ringtone Maloo had arrived !!

Ringtone Maloo - funy how it just works. Can you imagine - Ringtone Sequeira, Ringtone Mehta, Ringtone Sharma, Ringtone Basu, Ringtone Shah, Ringtone Fernandes, Kashyap !!!! Maybe Ringtone Bisham and Ringtone Yogi or Ringtone Bamroo might work......... but Ringtone Maloo sounds just right.

If this post seems disjointed its cos i fell asleep writing it. Either its very boring or I am up very late !