Thursday, December 03, 2009

Mount Abu Photographs of our 69 Reunion 40 Years on

Our class of 69 Reunion 40 years on

Lunch at Chacha Inn

R to L

Zozden F Lobo, Edrich Alwa, Kishore Parmar ,Susheel N

Kak, Yours Truly, Jagdeep I Vaishnav Kevin O Fernandes

Did we say grace before the meal? I don't remember !

Paddy's Bridge

In front of the School Office

Some real Cool Dudes

The Sister and us outside the small Dorm.The Dorms are a pleasure to see
Sister has done a wonderful job on the interior.

Interacting with the tiddlers

Brother Joe and the small dorm boys

Boys will be Boys happy to be with us old fogies

Brother Joe a real jovial individual recalling the good times and
remembering the Brothers who taught us

Joe and the batch of 69

Those were the days! Moving lights around the dorm

small candles placed on crab backs and set free .

Hey Ivo this was our Domain 40 years ago,I wont drink your

tea I promise just click that snap.

BACK TO SCHOOL AND CLASS

Our class room 40 years ago

WONDERFUL MEMORIES

Walter Batch 67 and Susheel at the back at Maganjis

Glimpses into the Corridors of by gone days

A Thanks giving Procession around the school led by the Principal
Something we did not have in our time

What was that?

Engrossed (at the lake)

A real interesting snap!

I just cant believe it ! 40 years ago?

Reading the mail sent by Udayan! A wonderful expression
of days gone by !

A trip down memory lane

At my place in Abu

Hey guys see I got it

Some evening

What a joke!

After a good nights sleep ready to roll back into reality

The Flying Scots Man he came met us briefly and then hit the road.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Mount Abu “Batch of 69”–Catching Up After 40 Years

The batch of 69 St Mary's School Mount Abu

Can you spot yourself in these two photographs? The first was taken in 1963, and the second was taken in 1969. Do you recognize yourself or a few familiar faces? Fast-forward 40 years to November 28th and 29th, 2009, when our “Batch of 69” came together for a heartfelt reunion.

Kishore Parmar sparked the idea for this reunion in June when he took the lead in tracking down our batch mates. Gathering addresses, emails, and phone numbers from across the globe took determination. Yet, when Kishore’s initial emails went unanswered, it seemed like his efforts had hit a wall. Perhaps the emails had vanished into cyberspace—or maybe we were just too caught up in our lives to respond.

The batch of 69 Paddy's Bridge

But life has a way of surprising us. Disappointment transformed into excitement as Kishore’s persistence paid off. Replies trickled in, enthusiasm grew, and by the end of November, a handful of us were back where it all began—Mount Abu. The photograph above captures that long-awaited reunion: 40 years of life, laughter, and nostalgia condensed into one joyful moment.

Reflections on Time and Friendship

When we left our Alma Mater four decades ago, we carried dreams as big as the mountains surrounding Mount Abu. Some dreams came true, others morphed into new ambitions, and a few faded into memory. Reconnecting, we recalled Brother Kean’s timeless words, *“All fall short in the eyes of the Lord.”* However, our shared stories and laughter brought us fortitude, gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose.

More than a celebration of the past, the reunion made us realize how precious and fleeting our remaining time is. Despite the unknown number remaining, our gathering affirmed that life, in all its twists and turns, is a gift worth cherishing.

You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

Old age is when former classmates are so grey and wrinkled and bald, they don't recognize you.

Have a GREAT day........and keep laughing!

It's good for the soul.

Tomorrow will post more snaps of the reunion