And The Ship Sails On*…Bill and I just had to go up to San Francisco and watch the Queen Mary II as it sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and passed Alcatraz. We watched most of the silent drama from the vantage point of Greens vegetarian restaurant in Fort Mason. It reminded me of another time, another place when I lived in Columbo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when my brother, Eric, was born in the 1950s. We lived on the sixth floor overlooking the harbor and I often watched large ships float in and out, including Queen Mary I which is now docked at Long Beach, California. *refers to a Fellini movie of the same name.
At 15, I had a crush on a high school senior, Gordon Barbsipuli. He used to play the piano in the turret at Breeks Memorial School and we would gather around and sing “Senorita donkey-sita,” (The Donkey Serenade) during recess. I would sit on the lanai of our flat in Columbo, among my Dad’s orchids, looking out at the sea and sing Harbor Lights in my head, thinking of Barbsi. I saw the harbor lights
They only told me we were parting
The same old harbor lights that once brought you to me
I watched the harbor lights
How could I help if tears were starting
Goodbye to tender nights beside the silv'ry sea
I long to hold you near and kiss you just once more
But you were on the ship and I was on the shore
His mother whisked him away to England where he probably tinkled away in some piano bar and I never saw or heard from him again. I guess I got over it. I don’t actually even remember if he kissed me or not, rare as it was in those chaperoned days. Still, one wishes sometimes for the passion and yes, melodramas of youth. Under the Bridges of Paris becomes more water under the bridge. But then ah, methinks, the Fat Lady hath not sung yet! There’s time, there’s time.
Bill and I were invited to a fund raiser for the Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, held at the Tech Museum, San Jose. Thank you, Sue! More pictures soon.
I loaded some pictures of our trip to Los Angeles in December on Flickr look under Los Angeles (See also pictures taken at Sharad and Archana's at Xmas)
Back to work—the spring semester got me really busy, more busy than when I’m off for sure. I organized a tour of the Sikh Gurdwara above Evergreen Valley College in San Jose with our new trustee, Balbir Dhillon. It was very interesting (I’ve actually never been in a Gurdwara) and the Evergreen Times ran an article. The picture is of me with our new SJECCD trustee, Balbir Dhillon. 
I’m on the strategic planning committee this year, which is more serious than I thought it would be, with a tight time-line. They’ve changed the name from Institutional Effectiveness (IE) to Transformational Initiatives (TI) and I’m on the Organizational Transformation (OT) Committee where we create visions, focus areas, success metrics and commitments to action (CTAs). With all this alphabet soup and hyperbole vocabulary-itis, it’s a wonder I’m still in the game but something about academia never ceases to amaze me. It’s like the waves of an ocean and oceans within oceans, as ancient and new ever tossing above with its relentless calm beneath and goes on and goes on and goes on, endlessly, and tirelessly on.
Mid-February, I had a bone graft done by Dr. Azeem Lakha (the surgeon) with Dr. Terri Homer (the anesthesiologist) attending and Dr. Sarah Nabai (my dentist) being supportive. I guess I would have not had to have this done if the dentist in Quilon, on the Malabar Coast in India had known about titanium before he performed his dentistry in 1959. However, Dr. Lakha promises to correct all that, but not without pain (euphemistically called “discomfort” in America)—and considerable cost. It took me two weeks off work and a third week dragging myself around and I didn’t really get off codeine until the fourth week. There were also dramas, like not having enough appropriate or comfort foods to eat, Bill being somewhat inept at these things and my beforehand prepared Jello and soup done after 3 days. I soon felt an existential aloneness wrap itself around me, in spite of my insignificant but hugely affecting to me physical stress. Certainly, compared to my family and friends who have dealt with cancer, childbirth, or the loss of a loved one in the recent past, it was small, indeed. Brizzy is glad that I’m back to walking him every day and I’ll show up at the Dahn Yoga class soon.
Best video of the Jana Gana Mana (Indian National Anthem) http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7399792002477900458
BIG FAMILY NEWS!
The most exciting thing this month is the birth of our twelfth grandchild, DEVIN SANTOS at 2:28 PM on March 1st to Amy, Bryant and Taylor! Congratulations! 
Bill is happy that now his quiver is full of arrows and his I Ching family of six grandsons and six granddaughters is complete. Taylor, Devin’s older brother is holding him in this picture. Taylor, is grandchild number two, Caleb being the oldest grandchild. Caleb and Anna with their parents, Meta and David are in Egypt—Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor and the desert. They will soon be home via London and NYC. Jessica is tour-guiding in Vietnam for Microsoft, so we hear. Robin is selling her beautiful, handmade cards online now at www.greetcreations.com Dan and Amy and kids have gotten themselves a dog? Pictures, pictures, please!
Cuba spent her vacation at Hotel Chase-Bruner while Natala scuba-dived and spa’d in Maui. She loved it and so did Brizzy.
Sheila came by to Tara Dorabji’s baby shower on Sunday. Tara’s twins are due in a few weeks. Sheila now at South by Southwest SXSW
Eric and Jenny driving soon to Washington DC from Fresno in an Open2View van with a camera pole on top.
That’s February and a little bit of March…write, call, IM, email…no excuse not to keep in touch. Sailing on…
Labels: Ceylon QM2 nostalgia grandson twins
Bill and I were invited to a fund raiser for the Children’s Hospital in 
Bill is happy that now his quiver is full of arrows and his I Ching family of six grandsons and six granddaughters is complete. Taylor, Devin’s older brother is holding him in this picture. 
Sheila came by to Tara Dorabji’s baby shower on Sunday. 
