Blogger's Block and An International Birthday

The scorching summer sun had dried up the imagination and here I am; posting the borrowed lines from the birthday wishes that arrived in my mail box soothing the pain of aging all alone. Historian Herodotus had hailed the Iranians as the earliest people to have birthday celebrations. So it was a pleasant surprise to open the birthday gift from the special Iranian friend; the bathing baby emanating the fragrance of peace and calming the nerves on a stormy August morning. He somehow reminded me of my own days in the bath basin, when each mug of water Amma sprayed on my head made me jump up and down throwing my arms up and above the head.

The Gift from Iran :)

There were other special gifts; the beautiful card from a student I had never taught nor spoken to; the special message from a beloved student leading a busy life in a city which was Bombay not long ago; the bike from the Chinese, the cake from the Koreans, the chocolates from the Japanese and of course the love and prayers from someone somewhere truly made me feel that I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

Bike from the Chinese "Little Panda" ;)

Cake from the Koreans :D

And the Japanese Chocos :P