Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Divine Grace 8: Absentee landlord-neighbor appears at the right time!

Here is an episode where I describe how two unrelated happenings came in handy to save me from a big expense.

I bought my present house in the year 2008.  In this part of the country people rarely build a wall around their property.  The house I bought is in an old neighborhood and the house itself was built in the early 1980s.  There were fences in the rear and sides.

Before buying the property, We go through detailed procedures to ensure that the property is free and clear.  The property boundaries are available in what is called the legal plat available from the city or county office.

I was perhaps the third owner of this property.  We do not bother about surveying to verify the property boundaries when we buy the property even though there is no permanent structure to define the boundaries of properties.

Around 2010 or so, something pushed me to have my property surveyed.  I engaged a property surveyor and got the property surveyed to match with the legal plat.  I got the property corners established.  This helped me realize that the fence along the Eastern side of my property was about 11 feet inside my property.  I was able to convince my neighbor and got the existing fence removed and put a new fence, thus reclaiming 11 feet of land along the Eastern boundary.

Fast forward to  December 2016.  One cold morning I got a phone call.  The male voice at the other end said something about a tree.  I thought some tree service outfit was trying to sell me some tree service and responded accordingly.  It turned out it was my neighbor to my rear (South of us) was calling to report that a tree from my property had fallen and caused damage to his property.  I went to that side of my house and was shocked to find the damage to his deck and a window.   (By God's grace, nobody was hurt or injured.  The occupants are a couple and a boy 7 or 8 years old.)

I called my home insurance company and they started processing the claim.  The tree that fell was a dead tree.  As per Georgia law, if the dead tree of one owner caused damage to another property, then the owner of the tree is liable.   Next day I went out to my back yard to see the fallen tree at close quarters.  I was able to see that the tree was not in my property after all.  This I was able to notice as the property corner pin set  by the surveyor was still there and the tree was well outside of that corner.

I called my home insurance company as well as my neighbor to explain this and had hard time convincing them because the tree was to my side of the fence separating my property and the neighbor's property!

At this point I need to mention one more item:  The owner of the property to my west does not live here; nor was the house rented and hence it was unoccupied.  The yard was maintained by some maintenance crew but I saw the owner - an elderly lady - only once or twice since 2008.  She was in Pennsylvania attending to here aged father and was visiting here for a brief stay of a day or two.

The dead tree that caused damage was in her property as established by my property survey.

As I was struggling and stressing how to convince my home insurance company and my south-side neighbor, this lady appeared out of the blue!  I could meet her and she said she was fixing to move in shortly.  I was able to take her to where the tree was and show her the dead tree that caused the damage was in her property.

That helped resolve my dilemma and I was off the hook as far as the liability for the damage was concerned.

Now, that lady did not move and has not shown herself again since that visit of 2017 January (as of December 2018)!

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Divine Grace 7 -Photo Opp With Test Cricket Skipper


I am narrating some events or episodes from my life.  These are all events that happened totally unexpected and unplanned for.  As they are also pleasant or happy events, I tend to take these as the play of Divine Hand.  

The one I am about to narrate is one which would be thrilling to any youngster.

This happened in the year 1960.  We were on our educational tour.  The tour lasted about a month.  We covered most of North India and Eastern parts.  The Taj Mahal was of course one of the spots.

It was a full moon day - I remember because the Professor who arranged and accompanied us was boasting how he cleverly set it up so that we visit the Taj on a full moon day and enjoy the beauty to its full extent!

Six - myself, N. Rajagopalan, S. Venkatesan, R.K. Visvanath, A. K. Somanathan and T. D. Sundara Babu - of us always moved together. RKV carried a camera with him.  Suddenly Somu spotted the Australian cricket captain - Richie Benaud.  It was a pleasant coincidence that the Australian Cricket team was also visiting the Taj the same day as us!  One of us - if I remember correct, it was RKV. - approached Benaud and asked if it is OK to take a snap with him.  He said OK.  

How elated we felt to take a photo with the Test Cricket skipper of Australia!  Unfortunately, I have misplaced the photo and am not able to add it here.  However, I have found a photo of Richie Benaud in the net and have placed it here.


Divine Grace 6 - How One Person's Career Was Found in an Instant!

How a casual inquiry of an old class mate in a bus resulted in a successful career for my brother

We all know how it goes - finding or settling in one's career.  These days parents start guiding or channeling children towards a favourite career such as Medicine, Engineering, etc from a very early age!  With abundant options and improving career opportunities worldwide, youngsters start making plans from their high school days.  This is applicable particularly where the parents are well informed and are themselves financially and professionally well off.  

In our days - pre 1980 - we had limited educational institutions, options and guidance.  We just go through a pattern of education and hope to get employed gainfully after graduation.  Those who are good with mathematics choose "first" group and proceed to Engineering or math/science majors.  Then there were those who would move towards the "second" group with a view to proceed to medicine.  Then others choose arts and get into administrative services or law.  Many however end up in one of many clerical or banking jobs.  Most of the time the process after successfully graduating is to keep applying until a job is secured.

Very rarely is one's entire career decided by one chance meeting between two persons.  Here is one such account  from my life.

One of my brothers had just graduated.  His degree was B.A. from the University of Madras.  He had no idea as to what to do next and none of us elders were any better informed either.

Then it happened!  I was in a city bus and saw my school class mate also in the same bus.  We were seeing each other after may be 10 years.  We both were in the bifurcated program of Engineering, Composite Mathematics group during our High School days.

"Hello!  Guru.  How do you do?"  
"Doing fine Muthu.  Glad to see you after a long time.  What are you doing these days?" 
"I am an Assistant Professor at the School of Planning and Architecture.  What do you do?"  
"Muthu, I am a practicing Chartered Accountant"  
"How does one get to be a CA?" 
" Any graduate can become one.  It starts with joining a practicing CA and passing qualifying exams."  
"I see.  I have a brother who has just come out of college.  He has a B.A."  "Why don't you bring him in?"  

I took note of his office address and by this time his destination had come and he got off the bus. 

Next day I took my brother to his office.

Rest, as they say is his(s)tory.  My brother is a successful practicing CA.  

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Divine Grace 5: Found Stolen Book Before Finding It Was Stolen!

This is the fourth episode in the series on Divine Grace in My Life.  The foreword explains
what triggered me to write and share these events.  Divine Grace is not exclusive to recovery from serious illness or escaping a near death situation.  Any event that happens totally unexpected and rare could be Divine Grace.  Finding a lost article in an unusual place or when all efforts to find it have been to no avail is also of this category.

I am reminded of one such event that happened in the year 1981.  This was the time I was a Graduate Student at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.  We used to display a bumper sticker which read: "Is There Life After Graduate School?".  Going to graduate school 20 years after bachelor's degree, with daughter and son already in their elementary school was, to say the least, tough.  There was only one thought in my mind those days: to get out of graduate school and get employed.

It was semester break.  The grounds were still covered with snow and slush.

 Purdue University - Civil Engineering Building
The university town of W. Lafayette was practically deserted like any university town.  Undergraduates will be almost all locals and would have gone to their parents' place during the break.  Only international students among graduate students will be left on campus.

We were living at 220-16 Nimitz Drive (one of the Married Students' Housing units).  It was a two-roomed apartment in the top floor of a two storey row house. My wife and children were thrilled to  live in an apartment with running hot and cold water and so spacious for the first time in our life.  There is a small shopping complex within walking distance.  The complex housed a grocery store and a book shop.

 
Follet's Book Store - W. Lafayette, Indiana

One fine morning, I had some time to kill and strolled to the book shop.  As I was browsing, I saw a copy of "Civil Engineering Handbook" by Urquhart (McGraw-Hill Publication) on the top shelf.  I already had a copy of this book in my book shelf in the graduate students' office.  I got it as my free copy when I joined the McGraw-Hill book club.


I was curious to know the price of this copy in the store.  I took it and opened up
and was shocked to see that it was my own copy, with my name!

I went and pleaded with the store manager and explained to him that it was my copy stolen and sold to the store by the thief.  The manager simply said "I bought the book.  If you want, you can buy it for the marked price!"

I had no recourse but to buy back my own book (which I got for free the first time!) for $34.00!


Thus, even before I knew my book was gone from my shelf, I found it in the book store!  Going to the book store, checking the book which I already have and finding it to be my own book -- none of this was planned for, nor the result of any effort on my part!


Saturday, July 26, 2014

Divine Grace 4: A Chance Meeting Proves to be a Divine Design! - 2

                     'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
                               Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
                               Hither and thither moves, and mates,  ..............
                               .......................................................................  
                                        --Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:  

                                          Fitzgerald  Translation


When one leaves home and familiar surroundings and goes to another city, state or country in search of job or education, one goes through an initial period of depression.  Anybody who went away from home would have gone through this.   The same is true of the young bride starting her married life with her husband's family.  I remember actually praying to God that I be not selected for admission to post-graduate course (Soil Mechanics) in IIT-Khraghpur.  I had travelled one day and two nights by train from Madras to Kharaghpur, bag and baggage, in response to a telegram from IIT.  But it was so threatening and disappointing that I wished I do not get selected - and it happened!  I returned by the next train and surprised my father.  I did not have enough  sense or mental maturity to understand the financial strain I put on him by this wasted train trip!

That happened in 1960.  Now fast forward to 1990.  

These were times when it was rare to see people from India come to the US with a visa and a job - either on contract or through the parent company in India.  Most of us came here for higher studies with the condition that we return home.  Invariably, we end up finding a job here (and losing the job back home if there was one!) and get settled here. 

I know many  cases of people returning back within days of arriving - especially if they had the financial backing and family support.  Here is one such case where this young man had just come leaving his mother, young wife and a baby girl in India.  He was so upset with what he saw against what he had in his mind that he was ready to return the third day of his arrival.

My daughter was doing her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin.  She and some of her friends whose parents were like us - first generation immigrants from India - set up a voluntary group to help new arrivals of students from India.  They put together a welcome pacckage and sent it to prospective students from India.  It was so thorough and professional that many later told me that they really thought that the welcome package was sent by the University staff!

Venkatesh of Coimbatore - a total stranger to us - came to Austin as a student of the Business School.  At that time he was working in India, married and had a little baby girl.  He had to leave them and his mother in Coimbatore.

Upon arrival at Austin airport, to his dismay, he found that the friend of his who was expected to receive him at the airport and help him was not there.  He was not available over the phone either.  Venkatesh had the letter sent by our daughter's volunatry setup and called the phone number listed on it.  It was our home phone number.  It was late night.  My daughter went to the airport to pick him up and brought him to our home.  I was already asleep after the days strenuous work and was woke up by the loud phone talk of Venkatesh to somebody from our phone.

Next morning I took him out to help find an apartment and also to set up a bank account.

On the third day I got a call from him.

"Sir, I want to have your advice.  May I come to your house and talk with you?"

I said OK and went to his place and brought him to my home.

"What is the matter?"

"Sir, I am very disappointed.  I am seriously thinking of returning home"

"Are you sure?  Do you realize the consequences?  You have borrowed heavily to pay for your flight out from India.  Now, if you want to return that is again a big expenditure."

"Sir, I have thought about all that.  It is a big task to pay off the loan.  However, I have some savings and I can continue to save and pay off the loan.  I will be able to start work in the same company."

"Venkatesh!  What is the need to return now?  You have just come.  You wait through one semester and see how it goes and then you can decide."

"Apart from the living conditions, the curriculum also is not as I thought.  I feel I will be wasting my time here."

"See, you have just arrived.  The strain of long air travel, added to the fact that you are missing your mother, wife and child is making you mentally and physically fatigued. Any decision you make now is not going to be proper.  I would say you just wait for a semester.  If you come back to me and tell me you are returning when you are in a happy frame of mind, then I would agree."

He seemed to be convinced and I took him back to his apartment.

He telephoned me after the semester to thank me and to say how he is happy now to have talked with me instead of going ahead with his decision to return home immediately.  Shortly afterwards he brought his mother, wife and child to Austin.  He even took active interest in the newly formed Ausitn Tamil Sangam activities.

He completed his studies and has since been working as a Professor in a University in Pennsylvania.

He perhaps would have done well back in Coimbatore had he returned soon after reaching here, without completing his studies.  But the financial strain and the reaction of others about his returning would have definitely had a big negative impact.  

I cannot help feeling that it was Divine design to have caused us to meeting each other leading to his staying here and seeing it through to finish his studies as planned.


Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Divine Grace 3: A Chance Meeting Proves to be a Divine Design! - 1


                                                    
                               'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
                               Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
                               Hither and thither moves, and mates,  ..............

                               .......................................................................  
                                                          --Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:  Fitzgerald  Translation


Just as Divine Grace helps us through another person, we also are used as the instrument to save another person from trouble.  Here is one such event.

Chattahoochee river runs through the city of Roswell where I live.  There is a River Walk developed and maintained by the city to facilitate residents to go for a walk.  I and my wife go for evening walk in different places and the River Walk is one of them.  On one such evening in 2010 November we noticed an elderly lady sitting alone in one of the benches.  From her saree and other features, it was evident that she was also from India.  We went and sat beside her and my wife picked up conversation as is our practice when we see somebody from that part of the world.  We have made quite a few friends this way!

As we were talking, her husband, son and daughter-in-law came.  They had gone for a walk while the lady was resting as she was too sick to go with them.  On seeing me, the gentleman sat to introduce himself and chat with us while the youngsters wanted to go for another round of walking.  They were from Bengal.  The son, B. Banerjee was employed here in the US.  He was newly married and the parents had come to help him and the young wife set up their household.  As usual we exchanged our telephone numbers.

After a few weeks, a yoga instructor belonging to Maharishi Vethathiri's Ashram was visiting Atlanta as a part of his tour of the US.  We wanted to arrange for interested people to meet the instructor and get the benefit of getting initiated into the Simplified Kundalini Yoga of Maharishi Vethathiri.  We were able to find about ten persons interested.  We arranged to have these meetings at our house. 

The elder Banerjee was interested.  His wife could not attend as she was suffering from cancer and was too frail to sit for long. His son could not attend as his work schedule did not allow him to do so.   The young daughter-in-law was also interested.  I went to their house every evening to bring them for the class and the son will come after work to pick them up from our house.   The course was conducted during a week and they (the father-in-law and the daughter-in-law) came for all the days except the last one due to bad weather and treacherous road conditions.

After a few days, the Banerjees invited me and my wife for dinner one evening in January 2011 as the elder Banerjees were returning to Calcutta later that month.  We had a pleasant evening at their house, chatted with them and thus got to know them a little bit more.

The elder Banerjees returned to India.  My wife was so carried away by the newly married wife of B., especially as she was so young and pleasant looking.  So, due to her friendly nature my wife wanted to call and say Hello to the young girl and see if she needs any help.

We had the shock of our life!

The call went to the elder Banerjee in India.  He broke the news that the sweet, pleasant looking newly married daughter-in-law of his had made a big scene accusing her husband B. of abusing her and had gotten police restraint for him from entering their apartment.  He could not enter his apartment when he returned from the airport after his send off to his parents!

The mother, who was very frail and was suffering, had died of the shock.  The young girl had filed for divorce and had, with the help of a neighbor Bengali and a non profit organization, filed a case against B. Baanerjee.

We got a call from B. Banerjee in July 2012.  He had lost his job in Atlanta and had moved to Florida with a new job.  He had come to Atlanta to defend himself.

His wife had complained that, among other abuses, she was never allowed to get out of the apartment, she was not allowed to use the phone, etc.  She had complaints against her mother-in-law as well.  B. Banerjee asked me if we can come and tell the court what we know.

As a witness I was asked if I have known B. and his ex-wife, and how I knew them.  I told them I have seen them first in the Riverside Park and later at our house during the yoga classes, and again when we went to their house for an evening dinner.

After a few weeks, B.  called to thank me.  My witness had helped him to be exonerated of all the 19 abuse complaints (false) thrown on him. He and his attorney thanked me and said my witness was very strong in helping in this case.

What is interesting is that the other friends of us who also attended the yoga classes and had seen the elder Banerjee and the young daughter-in-law were not available to come and give their witness as they were out of town the day of the case hearing. 

Looking back, it appears that we met the Banerjees in the park just to be the instrument in the hands of God to help save B.  from his trouble months later!

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Divine Grace 2: Fianancial Aid in the Last Minute


The desire - almost an obsession - to go abroad got into me.  In that process the actions I undertook  - sound really foolhardy when I look back - and how I got saved from financial ruin in the last minute is an important and unforgettable event in my life. 

The seed for this obsession got implanted in me surprisingly by the casual remark made by a watchman!  I was in my school final class (High School Senior).  My father was building our new house at Jagathambal Colony, Chennai.  I along with my younger  brother used to visit the construction site to watch the activities and have fun.  On one of those evenings I overheard the watchman say "Junior will do well to go abroad and return."

College of Engineering, Guindy
Then several years later, as the third year student in Guindy Engineering College, I came to know about two of our seniors who went to Australia for Summer work.  It was fairly easy those days to go to Australia and get employed.  So, I started gathering information and working towards this.  Our class mate S. Venkatesan joined me and we were making plans to go to Australia by ship.  In the meanwhile I got a job with the Directorate of Town Planning, Chennai, and was sent for higher studies in IIT, Kharagpur. Upon successful completion of my M. Tech and return, got deputed as the Head of Post Licentiate Department of Town and Country Planning at the Central Polytechnic, got married, and fairly well settled. The idea of going abroad was forgotten.  Venkatesan went a different route in his career.  My obsession stayed buried only to come to surface with much greater force when I was an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning, Madras University.

It dawned on me that there was no scope for me to advance at the School of Architecture and Planning (SOAP). I was overlooked time and again and persons younger and less experienced got promoted above me. Besides that,  there was no job satisfaction at SOAP.  My obsession got rekindled and surfaced with much greater force.  I applied and got my passport, cleared GRE and TOEFL and started sending applications to several universities in the US.

Technological Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
I got admission from the Northwestern University (NU), Evanston, Illinois.  It was at this juncture I took what is really foolhardy.  I used my Life Insurance and our house as collateral to get loan from the Indian Bank and booked for my flight to Chicago.  I was under the wrong impression that it is easy and certain to get financial support/part-time work soon after landing in the University.

Thank God!

By God's grace, just 2 days before leaving for the States, I got a total surprise in the form of a cable from the Chairman, Civil Engineering Department, NU.  I was given $350 for 20 hours a week work as Research Assistant, besides tuition waiver.

It was as if the Divine Power said "Your attempts at going abroad failed time and time again by way of warning you.  What audacity you have to be so adamant on going abroad forgetting your wife, two young children, a sister yet to be married, a brother yet to finish his education, parents in village after your father retired from service, accepting 6-months leave with half pay (Rs. 450), just $80 cash in hand?  You fool, take this $350 monthly assistant-ship and make good use of it"
To Reflect Upon:
At one time or another the tide of fortune rises for every one.  All that one ought to do is to discharge one's duty as best as one can.  It is like taking the boat up the river, overcoming the downward flow of water.  While steadfastly and devotedly doing his duty, a favorable time comes to bless the man with all prosperity"  - Swami Chidbhavananda:  The Bagavad Gita; Commentary on ch2: verse 32