My first job - with TI Cycles Ltd of the Murugappa Group in Chennai - offered me great scope in exercising my muscle - Management Accounting and ‘Planning & Control’, writing strategy and review reports, and physically juggling Kodak slide presentations! 

 

I developed many long lasting professional and personal friendships, and also met my late wife Janaki. She was a person who played a transformational influence in my life. 

 

Our journey took us to Lagos, Nigeria where I worked for 18 months, and in 1984 to Melbourne, Australia - a place that I used to call ‘my heaven on earth’!

 

As I settled down in Melbourne, I had a long stint at Toyota Australia - primarily in Management Accounting, until I took the bold move to IT Business Consulting by joining the then Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in 1995, followed by a move to IBM Global Business Services in 2000. 

 

Suffice to say that I learnt to get adept with computers, produced heaps of power point presentations - using jargon and pretty pictures (unfortunately), travelled and…

 

I would like to say more about where I am now. I am happily retired …. did so in mid 2009. After 7 years, I have absolutely no regrets, I keep myself quite busy with new interests. I am glad that it is over 7 years since I prepared a Powerpoint presentation, and have a strong distaste for management jargon.

 

I volunteer as a patient transport driver at a local integrated Cancer hospital and I serve on the Council of the Sydney Centre of Self Realization Fellowship (having become a disciple of Paramahamsa Yogananda in 2008). I have discovered the joys of meditation and follow a spiritual sadhana.

 

I moved to Sydney in 2011 …. as part of downsizing from a house to an apartment. I met my wife Kaljeet in 2015. Kaljeet was born and brought up in Malaysia and as part of developing her own roots in Sydney, is studying an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition - a two year full time course. We also are in the midst of moving into a new apartment when we return back to Sydney in January 2017.

 

I visit Chennai annually, to spend time with my Dad and my four sisters. My nieces and nephews, and their children provide us with a lot of joy.

 

We look forward to renewing friendships, and as our schedule becomes less hectic (perhaps in 2018), resume our interests in travel around Oz and around the world. Above all, we would like to live in peace and harmony with the rest of the world!