This is the letter I received from Rahul, a survivor of Mumbai's 11/26

hi reshmi

am fine with the blog post. i sent this mail to a few people and its spread like a big time viral. so many people called and wrote to me. people i dont know. the news papers have printed it i believe though i havent seen since i live in singapore. am glad to have
made a positive difference and shall go on. will be in touch.

take care

Rahul

Please read, a mail forwarded to me from my friend of a survivor's first hand account of the night of terror

My friend Simmi kindly forwarded me this as my husband belongs to the same company that Rahul works for. I am totally overwhelmed by the message on his mail that I feel like saving it for posterity..and what better form than a post on my blog.

I will send Rahul an email asking him for permission, of course....

Please read on....and be touched...



From: rahul welde
Sent: Wed Dec 03 15:48:48 2008
Subject: Lucky to have survived ; Living in good shape




My heartfelt thanks to you for your support and wishes during the horrific experience. I havent yet had a chance to connect with everyone and hence this bulk mail - this is so not my way of doing it. My apologies for that.

I want you to know that this is NOT a mindless forward but a straight message from someone you've known.

I wont go much into details of what happened that night. To cut the long story short - I was holed up in my room at the Taj hotel the fateful night of the terrorist attack. Managed to escape by the skin of my teeth at around 4 am - in sheer denial of allowing fire and smoke to swallow me. By gods grace I managed to make the run down 6 floors and some few metres without the devil in my way. You can imagine how happy I am to be here typing this away. ( For anyone who wants to know the gore - let me know. I have the full story and transcripts of my SMSes recorded for posterity - to keep my anger burning and reminding me of my purpose)

I thought I'd leave a few messages which might be of help to all good people.

In the modern day world, risks are a plenty. Terrorists, tsnunamis, earthquakes - the list can go on. None of these check on your profile, company, religion, class or seniority when they hit. They just hit. And we know now it can happen anywhere. Here are a few things we could all do to keep it safer and better.

Firstly, value your family and friends. Two things I strongly recommend you check on
1. Make sure you are covered well by insurance. Even if you are well off - leave them better off if the unfortunate were to happen.
2. Let them know details on things like bank accounts, investments etc. Keep a folio with your spouse and close family.
3. Use every waking moment to cherish what you have - family, friends, nature. Stay smiling, laughing and caring.

Admittedly these arent things I thought about deeply till now. I shudder at the thought of what if.

Lets move from the philosphical to the more practical.

There are a few lessons that I want to share

1. When in a hotel or a new place - please NOTE where the FIRE EXIT is. The fire exit route saved my life. I had no clue of where it was and why I ran where I did. Why I turned left or right. Providential escape for me - nothing more. I've stayed in hotels for years and dont remember ever paying attention to this. Its a few seconds invested that can save you from big trouble.
2. Insist on taking a room in the outer periphery - where the fire brigade can reach you. My room was on the inside and I tell you what - there was no chance the fire brigade would ever reach me. They would have always been a few yards but several hours away. Ever thought of this detail.
3. A key item on your survival kit is your cellphone. I give it to Apple for developing the Iphone - a real smart gadget. Whatever your phone - a critical checkpoint is battery life. Often we wait for battery to go down before charging. Dont ! Keep it full charge all the time. All the SMSes saved my senses and maybe even my life.
4. I learnt for the first time that when running through fire and/or smoke - run bending down and wrap a wet blanket around. I did that thanks to a friend who advised me. Its a different story I chucked the blanket thinking that the cops would gun me down mistaking me for a terrorist. Good tip nevertheless.
5. Dont miss the aspect of staying fit - in running shape. Can help you and maybe even you can help someone.


Last few days I have heard/read a lot about peace marches and candles and politician bashing and police bashing and whatever else. I am sure a lot of energy will go in all that. Having been there I can only say that every soul - the cop, the fireman, the medico and even the common man on the street was doing the best he could. I dont blame anyone. I am sure good will prevail over evil in the long term. The short term blips we cannot avoid.

I have a lot to say and yet not much more. God is the greatest and leads to the ultimate destiny. I am thankful for all that has been and all that there is now.

Happy to be writing to you and wishe you and the family best for times ahead.

Am sure we will be in touch. Till then.

Regards

Rahul


ps : feel free to forward this to anyone you think might find the message useful to know.

The way we were.....before 26th Nov 2008, could we have that back????

The way we were...happy, secure and not a single worry line on my forehead. India was not just the place I called home but the place I felt most secure. Walking in the night all alone was a walk in the park for me.

Then 11/26 happened. And with it, the weight of the helplessness left by the hideous acts of terrorism. The sheer ignorance acts that cost innocent people their lives.

How many more random acts of cowardice await our shores?

My heart bleeds and breaks.....

Barack Obama, what a victory! And here's a less known Obama true (I hope) tale!

ÅSGÅRDSTRAND (VG): Mary was a newlywed and ready to move to Norway, but was stopped at the airport because she didn't have enough money for the trip. Then a stranger turned up and paid for her.

Mary Menth Andersen was 31 years old at the time and had just married Norwegian Dag Andersen. She was looking forward to starting a new life in Åsgårdstrand in Vestfold with him. But first she had to get all of her belongings across to Norway. The date was November 2nd, 1988.

At the airport in Miami things were hectic as usual, with long lines at the check-in counters.

When it was finally Mary's turn and she had placed her luggage on the baggage line, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness: "You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway", the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call. "I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions," says Mary.

Although she explained the situation to the man behind the counter, he showed no signs of mercy. "I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, 'That's OK, I'll pay for her.'"

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before. "He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. "The first thing I thought was, 'Who is this man?'"

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man. "He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants," says Mary. She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

The piece of paper said 'Barack Obama' and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.

"He was my knight in shining armor," says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped 'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes: "I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator"

The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

This week [we] met her and her husband in the café that she runs with her friend Lisbeth Tollefsrud in Åsgårdstrand. "It's amazing to think that the man who helped me 20 years ago could become the next US president," says Mary delightedly.

[Originally printed in VG newspaper in Norway; translated by Leisha Camden.]

True story about a Brahmin who chose Jesus at the age of 19! Amazing!!

Anand Mahadevan is the editor of Outlook Business

I, The Convert
My conversion was not a change of religion; it was a change of heart

Anand Mahadevan

I was born a Brahmin and am the grandson of a priest whom I dearly
loved. I am educated and my current professional standing indicates
that I am reasonably intelligent. I am also affluent and my income
would put me distinctly in the upper middle class bracket. I guess
that would make me high-caste, rich and smart. In other words, I am
not a tribal, or poor or dim-witted. And yet, I chose to become a
follower of Jesus Christ.

The world would call me a convert to Christianity. I have no problems
with that, though I see my faith more as a relationship with God
through Jesus Christ than as a religion. And for the record, I can
truthfully claim that no one financially induced or threatened or
deceived me into converting to Christianity.

I am fiercely proud of my national identity as an Indian and I am
completely at peace with my cultural identity as a Hindu. I retain the
name my parents gave me. My wife, who also shares my faith, continues
to go by her Hindu name. We have two children and we have given both
distinctly Hindu names. In fact, many of my colleagues and
acquaintances who may happen to read this column are likely to be
surprised. They have no inkling about my faith, for I generally don't
go about announcing it. But if someone does ask me the reason behind
the joy and hope that is everpresent in my life, I am always delighted
to share it with them.

I write this piece to make one point—that my conversion was not a
change of religion but a change of heart. To explain this, I need to
go back to my childhood in Chennai, similar to that of so many other
Tamil Brahmin boys like me. My grandfather, every bit the virtuous
priest, had enormous influence over me. I absolutely adored him and as
a toddler, always clung to him. He too loved me to a fault. There was
no wish of mine that he would not rush to fulfil. But even in my
early, formative years I was unable to relate to the religion he
fervently practiced. Later, in my school days, I once spent my summer
holidays with him in Trichy. Memories of dawn walks with him, for the
ritualistic dip in the Cauvery river, cow in tow, are still fresh in
my memory. I learnt many shlokas, some of which I still remember. But
I never understood any of it and none of it helped me connect with
God.

When I was 19, a Christian friend with whom I used to play cricket
invited me to his house for prayer. If he had invited me to a pub, or
party, I would have gone too. At his home, he and his sister prayed
for me. It was a simple yet delightful conversation with God that
lasted all of five minutes. I don't remember it verbatim, but they
articulated a prayer of blessing on my life, future, career and
family. It was a simple affair—no miracles, no angels visiting. All
they did was utter a deep human cry out to the creator God and His
only son Jesus Christ. When they said Amen, I felt in my heart a
desire to follow Jesus.

It was a faith encounter with God that I shall not even attempt to
understand, rationalise or explain. I simply accept it. It is my
faith. It is what I choose to believe. That evening I did not change
my religion, for in reality I had none. Hinduism was my identity, not
my religion. It still is.

The Christianity I acquired that evening is not a religion. On the
contrary, it is an intensely intimate relationship with Jesus. Over
the past fifteen years, I have come to know this Jesus even closer. I
know Him as the pure and sinless Son of a Holy God. And I know Him as
a dear friend to whom I pray and talk to every day—about my career, my
dreams, successes, failures, finances and even my sexuality.

If I read a good book, watch a good movie (Rock On is terrific, mate),
or eat a good meal at a new restaurant, I would naturally tell my
friends about it.In Jesus, I have discovered a truly amazing friend,
guide, leader, saviour and God. How can I not tell all my friends
about Him? And if anyone does listen and he too comes to believe in
Jesus, I am delighted. The world would call it a conversion; I call it
a change of heart, like mine.

But I would never force anyone to listen to me, leave alone
financially induce, coerce or con him into believing. That to me is
pointless and against the very grain of my faith. But I do have a
constitutional right to practice my faith and to preach it without
deception, force or bribery. It pains to see such basic rights of
mankind being cruelly violated every day in this great Hindu nation.

God bless India.

(I, Reshmi the blog owner, would like to add as a post script an emotive comment by my friend Kashmira, a Zoroastrian married to a Sikh army officer (retired). How true her words are!

I'm glad you posted this Resh...Anand has made a very profound statement somewhere in between.."Hinduism is not my religion, it is my identity!" How true. If only we all thought of our respective 'religions' like that! If at all there was meant to be a religion in the first place, it was that of humanity and humaneness! Personally, I feel ALL 'religions' lead us to the same destination....Eternity !!....like all flights to New Delhi will take you only there, so why fight over which airlines you've chosen to travel by ? It's entirely a personal choice. It's the destination we ought to focus our sights on, not the mode of transport! Besides, the people creating a ruckus today, over whose religion ought to be given the top priority, are doing it not because of their love for their faith - no, they couldn't give a hoot about it...it's power that they are after, and who best to fool than our mindless, guileless, directionless junta ? May God grant our people good sense and insight to be able to sift through the muck and glean the truth! God Bless!)

Happy Diwali to all

Diwali (or Deepavali) is a major Indian holiday, and a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Many legends are associated with Diwali. Today it is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the globe as the "Festival of Lights," where the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being.

In many parts of India, it is the homecoming of Lord Rama of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile in the forest, after he defeated the evil Ravana. The people of Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) welcomed Rama by lighting rows (avali) of lamps (deeva), thus its name: Deepavali. This word, in due course, became Diwali in Hindi. But, in South Indian languages, the word did not undergo any change, and hence the festival is called Deepavali in southern India. There are many different observances of the holiday across India.

In India, Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians regardless of faith.

(Wiki)

My only son Tom as an early teen..and Tom even younger..and now...

Well, I could not leave my son out..but could not find a clear picture that I liked..so here's whatever came my way..taken at three stages in his life. The oldest picture was taken at the International School in Thailand, the early teen taken when living in Vietnam and the current one in the UK! That's Tasha and friend Sharon having a jolly good laugh....with Tom in the background!

My home in India where I grew up

Such wonderful memories...the boys (includes my dad and four brothers) and my sister playing badminton every morning. I would be the water girl...it is the house where I spent the formative 20 years of my life and where I still go every holiday! The kids love that house, as much as I do!!! After all, their grandparents live there...

Must try and find a picture of my current home ...

Me with my good friend Jenny

Jenny and I share the same birthday and she's Tanya's best friend Alison's mother. They have been the best of friends from age 4..and still are at age 12 nearing 13!

Tasha's second skydive

Tasha plans to take this new hobby far. This is at 3500 feet in the beginning stage. She would like to freefall from 15,000 feet but that would be after 30 jumps. Good luck, Tasha, my brave princess! I know I couldn't do it!

Take care! And Tom plans to join you when his dissertation is over! And Tanya when she turns 18!

Tash with her Black Belt

Tasha fulfilled her dream of gaining her Black Belt in Kai Zen Do (kickboxing)in December 2007. Her speech was ab fab and everyone loved it. Her 6 friends had come to support her too. She will carry on with this at university. Good Luck!

Mr S and his 2007 Dec Black Belts