Thank you!
To everyone in the world, a bunch of thanks! Without the 6 billion+ of you all, I wouldn't be a part of the same ol' world...
But above all these billions, stands the lover of my soul, the lamb that was slain, the Son of God who will reign, the dude who died, the man who cried, the lion that roars : Jesus, my Saviour and my God. Know Him, love Him, live for Him, live with Him.
I think the honours next, should be handed over to my dear parents and my bro - the Mr. Herbert Samuel, Mrs. Beulah Herbert and Samuel Santoshkumar. They're simply awesome people. They've put up with all of my idiosyncrasies, with extraordinary patience, limited farsight, expendable energy, frustration, anger, misunderstanding... It's not been a smooth life, but it's been one that was worth living. If ya don't know them, you've missed out on something big in life.
Yo Smiths. This is where you get the 'liner notes' stuff. Without you, I wouldn't be too far from where I am, but you're the glue that connects my heavenly visonary-ism with my earthly living-ism. You have been patient when needed, understanding when I couldn't care less, loving when love left me, helpful when I whined, tearful when I poked, pained when I fell and joyed when I woke up. You are the best. Serious. Smitha D. Gnanaolivu. You are the best of the best. I salute our great God in making such an awesome being as you. Wow. You take my breath away.
The Cool Pals - my own small gang of pals from the Anita Methodist Matriculation School, Chennai. You guys have simply been great. What would life have been without all our meetings? Simply boring. Well, not that bad, but almost... Just almost. Khatheeja, a long-time friend and one who's been with me through so much. Anytime of the night or day, thoughts of you light up my eyes. Leonard, you're a great guy. I guess you're the most under-rated friend I've got. Mangai, I guess saying Colgate Gel should suffice; you're a big part of my growing up. Moulini, through this and that, through thicker and worse, you've been where you always should be - right beside your friends. Thank you. Paul D., you've been a pal, a friend, a philosopher, a guide, an angry enemy (sorta - never really!) and a person of various avatars and sorts. But you've been and I guess will always will be, one of the most cherished childhood relationships I've gained from the Anita school. Sasi, if not for Mouls, we'd have never known you. I still can't believe how close you've become in our gang; still can't believe how close we've become after college. You're a great person. Stay that way.
Bina (Mathew - no longer) - the times spent with you will be evergreen cherished memories. The walks, the talks, the smiles, the looks, the everything. Crystal glass is always crystal glass, butterflies are always butterflies and diamonds will always be diamonds. Never fear, worry or steal.
Santosh George Cherian - dude, you da man. Seriously. Honestly speaking, you're the bestest friend I've made with whom I've spent the leastest time - just two proper years. I'm still yet to complete that song for you, Twenty Years ... Let's see. :) I really love having you in my life!
Ruma Elizabeth Cherian - Ru... Well, what do I say? You've been everything that you should be, to me. You've been more than a shelter from the rain, you've been the rain. You've been quite a many things that I can't really pin down into words - I know that; you know that; and I'm sure, everyone around us knows that too. You've been such a good and great friend. I thank God for you in my life.
Mishtu (also Hannah Joseph/Elliott) - an amazing friend. Quite good-looking, too!
Hz - the sister of my heart. Unexpected, seemingly un-needed, un-understandable, un-keepable and underestimated. A relationship that's been really different and really nice. And your family too - Uncle, Aunty and Beula (We'll add Dinesh mama to the list, too!) - unbelievably different, interesting, fun and worth it.
D4C - the Dudes4Christ (Dudes 4 Christ). Four years of college wouldn't have been the same without the Dudes 4 Christ. AJ (Ajay John Paul), da digital dude. Be it stylish movies, album art, poster design, printed matter for symposiums, christian contemporary music, digital gadgets - you could talk to him about anything. Quite observant and quite a genius. Quite nervous, too. Del Pi (Alexander Rohan John), da dude who is one of the most made-fun-of and laughed-at guys I know. He's eccentric, wierd and a genius. Highly calculative and mentally acute, he can be as much a pain as a joy. Quite the spice in D4C. CTV (Charlie Thomas Victor), a quiet and powerful one. The mighty warrior and a prayer weapon. Quite a companion for me, during college. Jochu (Joseph Vilangadan), the only guy I've seen getting angrier than me, during college. But a guy who'll stick with you through thick and thin. He's dependable, beyond most measures. Jopi (Joseph Antony), the guy that I used to think (for the first two years) was following in my footsteps, as far as spiritual development was concerned. An amazing, caring, lovable chap. Kave (Kaveendran B.), the real dude. Kave is such a handsome chap that I've always called him the definition of dude. He's also one of the most caring guys I know. I still can't forget the extent that he went to, to take care of me, when I dropped into CBE unexpected. Sugu (Sugata Biswas), the only North Indian (from Orissa) in my batch. Real fun to be with, a different thinker; he is soft-spoken, but seldom mild. Another amazing dude 4 Christ. Zee (Vinamzi Paul Samuel), the guy who couldn't meld with us as much as we'd have liked, since he was the only dude who wasn't staying with us in hostel. A great philosopher, but a simple, believer, and child of God at heart.
PC14 - the PrayerCell gang from my batch. The Prayer Cell wouldn't have been the same without the PC Family (14) as we jokingly called it. This supposed "gang" consisted of the afore-mentioned D4C dudes and a few gals - Elen Sebastian, Geena Ann George, Mia Mathew, Renuga Ruth, Rinu Rose, Ru (mentioned above). Was an awesome time working with each and every one of them in the PrayerCell. God really ensured that we had a blast!
The Deadly Duo - an internal codename for my two room-mates, who patiently, (and at times) in wonderment, put up with me for three whole years. Ya, try it - you'll know how tough that is. Arun Jacob and Elwin John Mathew. They're two of the best; but the bestest room-mates that I could've asked for. Sunday night special dinners in the room were really cool; decorating the room for Christmas. We had a sense of belonging to that room.
Josh. Da man. Da manga. Da whatever else. Whether it was a 12 buck treat in a village bakery, or quad-core computing, you've been a part of it. Asterix, Tintin, Germany, Mechanical Engg, Computers, watching Ice Age using our college projector in the SOM Lab the night before our symposium.... with AJ. You seriously rock. I'm actually kinda glad you went away to the US. We get to chat almost everyday now. Awesome!
CSI CE PC Seniors and Juniors (Need to name quite a few people here - will do this later!)
Shekinah. Flower girl!!! That song really sums up the total that is you, but I'm yet to discover the parts. It was amazing the way I found you, and it still amazes me that you are what you are to me. Without finding you, I don't think I would be exactly where I am right now... Go figure!
The Pictionary gang. Kiran and Nishant Pio, Mayuri and Chandrika Cycil, Akshay and Sneha Cherian... Those times were fun. Sad to have lost touch. :(
Kareena Susan Mathew.... Ah! What can I say? Without a certain Y! group (UCM2002) and without mobiles, you might've never got in touch with me. But having got in touch, I think it's amazing what's happened since then. You're a really nice friend, Kare... even including that spiteful outburst (I deserved that. That, and much more!) Thank God for you.
School mates. Quite a few here too.
College mates. More than quite a few, here.
The work gang. Apart from all the colleagues that I interact with on a daily basis, we've got these awesome people - Merw, as we (only some of us) call him, is a simply awesome dude. He's danced his first dance, written his first song and done quite a few other firsts after making his way to Bangalore. Times with him are generally awesome. Amkutts (Amritha Vidyasagar) is another cool person. She may not dig every single thing you do/say, but she'll stick with you. In sorts... Anup George Philip is another awesome fellow. It's almost like Know Anup, know majja... No Anup, no majja! After two years with us at HP, he's moved on now.
Mes relatives. These people are awesome. I mean, think about it - they see a kid like me growing up amongst them : imagine their consternation, wonder and simple mirth at all what I have said and done, these twenty-odd years. Not les miserables, but mes relatives. They're pretty cool - each one of them. Maybe when I get time, I could mention each one of them by name, here.
Church folks - at the Egmore Wesley Church (EWC) in Chennai, St. Stephens' Church, Ooty, which I attended irregularly for the four years that I was in college, the Union Church at Coonoor, where I made friends though I never attended church more than twice or thrice, the All Peoples Church at Bangalore, which confirmed that Sunday worship music could be played loud, hard and as perfect as you could wish, the Living Waters Community Church, which I attend currently.
And to all other thankable people - thanks a million! :)
