Doubt! Now I am reconsidering a decision..

My daughter, Joanna does not believe that I have over 80,000 personal friends around the globe. She says that it is impossible to remember 80,000 individual names and intricate details of their lives.

Although I have never met most of these 80,000 and more people, each one is closely entwined in my daily life in numerous ways. And many of their lives are entwined in ways that even they do not know - till they discover it on my blog!!!

I was seriously considering splitting my blog based on the interest groups. Joanna also told me yesterday that I was long-winded on my blog. That is a matter of debate as Omenakochamma from Bangalore wrote:

"Thanks for the update. It sure feels good seeing all the details recorded not only for the information of today's generation but also for posterity. We sure need to thank you for this - THANK YOU!"

Then she added:

"Stories of yours are very interesting. I do hope many more will write in!"

Joanna, on the other hand, wants me to write my thousands of stories as children's stories, and little Samuel wants to illustrate them for me - he is a great computer artist at the age of 8!! He certainly would do them justice.

Then, when I received Cathedrlaite 69er Shyla Bogla's email late this evening, I have had to seriously reconsider this line of thought. She wrote:

Hi Jacob,

It's such a small world...

I have a friend in Poona, Jehangir, (also class of 69) who knows
Gopa who is in Finland now. I remember you writing about
her on your site.

Earlier this month we returned from Kerala, after attending Riyad
and Keya's wedding.

The Tharakans are dear friends...

this too I read about via you, reference the Mathews!

Regards,

Shyla

I have sent this reply to her and to several others:

Hi Shyla,

Small world indeed - I think we are all living in the same 50 foot
square compound called EARTH!!! :-)

Riyad's dad, Thambi, is my cousin and a Stephanian.
Abe is also my yearmate from St. Stephen's!! (I don't have Abe's
email address, so do send him a copy if you can or send him my blog address!)

I do not know Abe's kids as yet, unfortunately, although they are
now my nieces!

You may have seen a picture of Thambi and Bina (from my archives)
on my blog, as also his elder brother, Rajen, with Clinton, when I
blogged about him getting the Padma Bushan. I am waiting for a
picture of him receiving the Padma Bushan from the Indian
President earlier this year!

On the blog there is a youthful picture of Thambi's dad (my
mother's younger brother Padma Bushan K. M. Mathew) at the
wedding of another Cathedralite, Sen Philip, 53er, which also
shows 58er Dr. Peter Philip (also a Stephanian) in the corner.

Gopa Haikkonen (daughter of 54er Cathedralite Sadhana (née Shah)
Madhusadan) is my foster daughter in Finland - speak to her often
as she adjusts to life in this torrid (wonder whether I can really use
that word) climate!!

In fact, Gopa rang me yesterday morning to discuss some
aspects of life and other common friends (Malathi and
Ashok (Dr.) Khembhavi) in Mumbai whom I had introduced
to her mother, 54er Sadhana. I spoke to Malathi and Ashok
yesterday as my dear friends Ilari Sohlo, from Finland, and
girlfriend Ildiko Hämos, from Hungary, are going to meet
today as they land in Mumbai after travelling overland from
Hungary, through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan!

Ilari used to write a great column for my now being revamped
online web fortnightly Findians Briefings. Ilari was a classmate
of my daughter, Joanna, when they did their Masters in English
Philology from Oulu University.

Ashok has been a doctor who has been selflessly working in
the Dharavi slums for years and years, still charging Rs. 10 to
Rs. 20 to treat a patient!!! Malathi loves Finland as she spent
a year here looking after a physically handicapped young man.

All of us in Finland love her immensely.

She and her sister, Lalitha, originate from my hometown,
Bangalore, are close friends of the Indian supermind, Anil
Ananthakrishna, also from Bangalore, who for almost 40 years
has been developing the electric vehicle, and is the brains
behind the petrolless Electric Scooter, which is being
launched all over the world by many different groups!!

In Finland this is being done by a former Motor Cross
Champion driver, Jussi Kynsilehto, right here
from my present home town, Oulu, using the "Solifer"
brand name, which is like using the "Bullet" brand
name in India. Jussi has a great sense of humour as he has threatened
to call a forthcoming model as "(Harley) Jacobson"

Jussi and me at the opening of his Petrol Station in Pulkkila.

Just invited Gopa to get the gmail email address as yahoo
and hotmail are no match to what google is offering. Also
I am persuading Gopa to install Skype so we can talk more
frequently at no cost.

54er Sadhana (Gopa's mom in Pune) has become a dear dear
friend and was instrumental in getting the 54er reunion
together in cooperation with Suhas Phadke and Gracie Hayeem.

I was so happy that they mentioned me on their reunion video!!
(I do understand that especially you helped them
considerably.) And through Gracie (in California, USA), the
circle got completed when I organised her reunion with
your classmate, Barbara Rossi, in Italy who was
in her kindergarten class!!!

And for all this I must say it was my "Seventh Heaven" web
page started way back in 1996 and that later reported the
tragic and early passing away of 54er Head Girl Pamela
Ballantine, which brought so many of different years of
Cathedralites together on my web page. That was because,
Aubrey, Pamela's younger brother, in Canada has been
online with me for several years.

Now, after your email, I am seriously wondering whether
I should split the blogs into my interest groups?

Maybe it is just my torrid (and here I use the word correctly)
political musings that should be split off?

Regards

Jacob