Sangametra swings it!

Just last weekend, we went on an outing in the Lake Titiwangsa park. We went on the ferris wheel, and then we walked around the lake. Sangametra and Giri enjoyed themselves immensely. Here's Sangametra on a swing, singing...

A Sunny Morning

Swaroop, Dharmishta and Sangametra immersing themselves into the fun of hydrotherapy.

Nagesh, Swaroop, Giri and Abhiram taking a break from learning how to swim in the big pool.

Dharmishta, Sangametra and Gururaj, the youngest in the team, test the waters.

Sangametra goes to Pre-School

Excited about the idea of going to school and yet, quietly scared of being left behind, Sangametra was all pony tails, track pants, and white shoes on the first day of school. She goes to the kindergarten in the same Tamil school that Giri goes to. This is just across from where we live in Palm Court. Well then, that's all our three kids in school. Hari is in Form Five, Giri in Standard Two, and this girl poised to take the school by storm when she goes into Year One.

This week she brought back this little work she did in school, and has begun to talk to me endlessly in Tamil gibberish. Of course, I had to make the necessary replies in Tamil gibberish as well.

Sangametra's Camera Work

Seeing so many camera toting people at the dinner table, Sangametra couldn't resist taking matters into her own hands! So she took a picture of Anya taking a picture of her!

Some of Sangameetra's worldly possessions - for record purposes of course!

Dinner with Sam Sook Ah Lek & Aunt Keelah: 28th April 2007

Something must be said about the sharks fin soup at our big dinner get-togethers... but this dinner was extra special because Auntie Keelah and Anya came. Here's Pui Yi and Auntie Keelah. Notice once again the ubiquitous red wine glass!

Anya! All of 29 years old but in my mind still the little girl I remember when she left for Australia so many years ago.

So, of course, at the dinner table I did not budge an inch from my seat as I was catching up with Auntie Keelah... Sangametra took this photo!

Hard at Work

Here's Geetha, Giri and Sangametra one evening, each busy writing, drawing, doodling, and then, raised their heads up for short while to catch their breath, enough for me to take a picture.

Chinese New Year 2007

Giri and Sangametra all set in their red Chinese New Year get up to get to the big party at Hoe Chye's in Puchong.


My favourite aunt, Koo Cheh, and Mum. Koo Cheh is always smiling. Here, she and Mum make a lovely pair.


Father, happy to have the house abuzz with so many kids, and older kids, especially Nik.


Here's the petite Sangametra in her chinese cheongsam. Petite but powerpacked with punch!!!

Reunion III

Seen Nang, Hari and Hoong; cousins and uncle. You will notice that Hari and Seen Nang like being seen together at our family gatherings. Lots to talk about, these guys.


Nik, David and Geetha: there wasn't much for them to eat at the dinner - being vegetarians and all - but Nik seems quite full and fed, gulping down questions, news, answers, etc... it was a non-stop whirling churning. This was time out!


Pok Meng and Pok Lai, 5th Uncle's beautiful daughters.


Little Women: Pui Yan, Pui Yi, and Sangametra. Isn't it amazing how much Sangametra looks like her cousins?!


Nik and Hoong. See if you can find any similarities here.

Giri is Seven

Giri turned seven on 28th January which fell on a Sunday. On Sunday mornings, we get together for prayers at the Temple of Fine Arts. So Giri got the chance to do the finale of the prayer session which is to wave burning camphor in front of the shrine. This is to remind ourselves constantly to seek the light of Divinity in all things.


Then, Giri got to hear the birthday song sung to him by everyone. Of course, Sangametra had to help her brother with the cake. After the song and cake cutting, Giri offered the cake to all the elders first, to get their blessings.


That evening, our good friend Shangita and her daughters, Nritta and Aditi, came on the monorail with us to Berjaya Times Square for a nice family dinner there. With the Chinese New Year coming, we found ourselves posing in front of a red gazebo.

Sunday Morning

After breakfast, and seeing that it was going to be a soft and cool day, we decided to park ourselves on the balcony to do some writing and drawing. Giri and Sangametra are of course excited about this.


Here is the avid writer and artist. She spends a lot of time writing her Tamil alphabet, and drawing flowers and things.


This is a painting Sangametra had done a month ago, all on her own.


This is the view from our balcony, eighteen floors up in the sky. You can see Petronas Twin Towers as well as the KL Tower.

Sangametra's Friends

Dharmishta and Gururaj are Sangametra's friends whose mother, Gowri, works with Geetha at the Temple of Fine Arts. Dharmishta, whose name means "personal dharma", incidentally was named by Swamiji. Swamiji had another name for Sangametra after she was born: Dharmasamvardhini, which means "the one in whom dharma resides", yet another epithet for the Devi. Gururaj is Dharmishta's little brother, and as you can see he is full of smiles and energy.

My Little Princess

This is what my little princess Sangametra looked like when she was just one year old. She is still tiny but she packs a good punch with her voice and her assertiveness. This pix was taken in august 2003.



This is Sangametra with her favourite girl cousin Janice (Geetha's brother Mahen's daughter). Sangametra is now four years old and looking forward to going to school. Janice lives in Klang with her elder sister Leela May and her mother Marissa, and her grandmother. This pix was taken on New year's Day at Mohan's house. Mohan is Geetha's eldest brother who used to live in Canada but now has found a wonderful position in HSBC in Cyberjaya.

Looking Back a Little

This is how Geetha looks like nowadays. She has been teaching Odissi dance all these years but recently she started performing again.

In July this year, we went to Coimbatore, India, to pay our respects at the shrine of our spiritual guru Swami Shantanand Saraswathi. He passed on last year in July. It is very peaceful at the shrine. The shiny black stone in the centre atop the white square marble block symbolises the resting place of our Swamiji who was interred right there in the ground last year. A bluish greenish grey egg-like stone on top of the black stone is the Shantalingam. This consecrated stone marks Swamiji's presence and essence. It is here that daily worship is performed, morning, noon, and night.

Giri and Sangametra always find occasion to pose for a photograph. Right now, they both enjoy painting and drawing. They have started going for Tamil classes. Geetha wants to learn Mandarin. We intend to get the kids and ourselves to learn as many languages as possible.

In Coimbatore, we visited with some close friends who live in the vicinity of the shrine. The shrine there is called Shivanjali. It is a small community in which all of our Temple of Fine Arts projects are located. In the background, dressed in orange robes are Swami Tyageshananda and Girija Ma. Their daughter Swarnalatha is with us as well.

The House that Ket "built"

i have not seen so many of you for so long. some time back, it struck me that it would be nice for our children to see who their uncles, aunties, and cousins look like. now our family is stretching right across the world. from libya to malaysia to australia. i am posting some pix of my kids as a start so that you can see what they look like.


this is the front of our apartment on the 18th floor of palm court in brickfields. geetha named our house "akashvani" meaning "voice from the heavens". it is also a name for the goddess saraswathi who is the goddess of the arts and sciences.


hari, giri, and sangametra. hari has just finished his pmr, that is the major exam in the third form. tomorrow he goes to india on a pilgrimage of temples there with other youngsters, organised by the temple of fine arts. it will be a good experience for him. giri goes to school next year, and sangametra is eager to go to school too. she will join kindergarten. she has just turned four.


giri loves physical activities. i took him on a work trip - an equestrian club - and he got a chance to ride a horse.


we all live in a two room apartment in brickfields, right next to where geetha and i work. we had painted it in many colours.