mero blog: July 2014

28 July 2014

ujwal's mini graduation ceremony and celebration

it was by luck that i got to attend ujwal's graduation ceremony in hannover. we had not been able to attend his graduation from Virginia tech a decade ago.. so grabbed the opportunity to attend his mba graduation ceremony from gisma business school. i stopped by for 3 days while heading towards usa for a meeting. it was a very small and cosy affair of the dozen or so working weekender mba students ... the pictures include the celebration after the ceremony too...

the day, 18th july (incidentally kripa's birthday too) was perfect.. infact have been to hannover and springe half a dozen times.. and even in summer had never seen this blue a sky, or experienced such warm weather ! purrfect!

here is the graduate to be heading for hannover from springe...

rehna chauffeurs us into the city with its tree-lined avenues

getting fitted into the ceremonial gown...

.. and the cap with its tassle makes it complete...

the happy joda-jodi

sunitaji and mimi arrive to witness the ceremony which was going to happen in a hall across the street from the school...

15 minutes to go.. ujwal sits down in his classroom...

the commencement programme schedule

the caped dozen walk into the hall to the tune of piped music

ann-kathrin fortmann of gisma opens the ceremony.. that had more of the American than the german flavour

prof. dr erich brke, president of leibniz university puts in a few words...

... as ujwal listens on...

conferring the degree keeping the camera in mind!

and the video clip of the conferment

the last word by the class president yannik...

... as the professors and other students listen...

.. happy happy wife...

weekend mba class of 2014

makkha-makkhi

dobbar makkha-makkhi

tebbar makkha-makkhi

bubblies to add to the grins

here's to the second masters!

ujwal with his pal yannik

ujwal's was probably the largest contingent present at the ceremony

... the graduate...

the celebration started with some ice cream..

.. and paddleboat in the lake.. that rehna realized i'd never visited in the all these trips.. najik ko tirtha helaa !

the dome of the zentrum building in the distance

we all took turns at paddling...

the paddle-bug

that =evening we went to a fancy restaurant.. and ujwal wondering whey there were so many seats around the table.. he didn't know about claudia and bjorn and family coming.. that was where i handed the graduation present.. a valley painting (a la thanka style)

.. and here is his reaction... the painting featured images of landmark buildings in ujwal's life in kathmandu, his various interests-- flying kites, watching and photographing planes, with his smurf cap, with his graduation cap and with various family members, and, of course, rehna

... appreciating the gift with a flying kiss!

us all

choosing from the menu.. mimi does not seem too impressed with ujwal's suggestions! she'd rather have gourmet hamburgers elsewhere

bjorn helps son

claudia with the other two kids

when the food arrived in their fancy plates...

ujwal went to celebrate with his friends after that.. so it was only next morning that rehna got to give him his present.. flowers..

... and something that ujwal will not be too thrilled about as can be seen in rehna's mischievous grin...

... and it is a smartphone!!!

.. later ujwal celebrates by giving himself a present a model of airbus 380

so that was ujwal's gray-jooo-yation celebration

19 July 2014

cycling after lord knows how long... :)

i was on a bicycle lord knows after how many years... it was a beautiful day in springe, germany.. in fact even though i have come to springe many times in the summer.. this was the first time. that i was met with sunshine and blue skies and nice warm temperature.. no need for sweaters! so ujwal suggested we go for a cycle ride, while rehna would prepare lunch. so ama chhora went for a ride through smooth and rough roads, as well as through the green and dark forest... exhilarating, to say the least!
(most of the photos taken by ujwal)

the morning was lovely. the last time i was here, these hills were yellow and brown shedding their fall leaves...

the blue sky .. with contrails of aircraft flying at over 30,000 ft... and sadness to think of similar contrails day before yesterday as MH17 must have flown past hannover on its way eastwards before being shot down over ukraine.. :(...