Some personal photographs from my collection

I have pleasure in wishing a dear cousin's equally dear husband a very happy 78th birthday today. Wing Commander (retired) A. G. Mathews lives in Defence Officer's Colony on the outskirts of Chennai. Annikki and I used to live in this Colony way way back in 1970-1972. It was a delightful place.

Mammykochamma and Kuttachayan, as they are known to us, were my guardians in Delhi in the 1960s when I was studying in St. Stephen's College. And they were great guardians!!

Kuttachayan enjoying a glass of cheer at Suchi and Michael's wedding reception in Chennai in 1999

I was overwhelmed with email from all over the world about two great personalities I mentioned a few days ago. The first was my mother's cousin, the late K. C. Mathulla who passed away on 28th January 2005. Many recalled his fine, helpful and loving personality. Going through my photograph collection I found this picture taken by Annikki when the two of us paid our personal respects to him in 1994. Dressed in his favourite clothes, lungi and bush shirt, he narrated many stories to us about life in general after his wife had passed away.

I was amazed that how well informed he was about our lives although we had not seen him for over 10 years.


Pappachayan with me in 1994 at his residence in Mumbai

Both Stephanians and Kandathil family members were overjoyed at the news of Rajen (Mammen to many) receiving the Padma Shree. I had a message from our college Old Students Association President, Shankar Ghose, asking how he could contact Rajen to invite him to the Re-Union Lunch they have in College on the 2nd Sunday of December every year.

Here is a picture of Rajen with me in 1989 when both of us were considerably younger!! Note the resemblance - Rajen is miniature version of me!!! :-)


Rajen with me at the MRF Guest House in 1989