From: sri@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (a.natarajan)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Subject: WHO IS L. SHANKAR ?
Keywords: sam karOthi ithi sankaraha!!
Date: 1 Oct 92 22:24:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewsj.1992Oct1.222414.21222
Organization: AT&T

Greetings music lovers!

How about a little "gossip" if you also happen to  be  a  "gossip
lover"!!  I read a few postings on "L. Shankar", such as some one
enquiring about his "kulam", "gothram" etc.!  May  I  share  with
any  gossip-mongers  out  there,  an  incident  that  took  place
loooooong ago?

May we journey back to that "eventful" year of  1969  (of  course
AD!!),  when  an ounce(?) of prime Tamil Nadu brain drained out of
India trickling its way to the UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA!  (You
guessed  it  right,  I  am  referring  to  my "ONE GIANT STEP FOR
MANKIND" from Kumbakonam, India to Orono, Maine!)

It was Wednesday, September 3.  My entire clan (every one from my
wife's  side  and  almost every one from my side) had gathered in
Madras to give me a warm send-off as I was about to embark on  my
historic maiden voyage to the New World on September 6!.  We were
ALL "camping" in Semmangudi Sreenivasiyer's home in Lloyds  Lane!
That  evening, my wife's sister Pattu ushered in a young, shy lad
and introduced him to the crowd in  the  front  hall,  announcing
that  he  too  was  on his maiden voyage to the "nether" world in
search of "vidya"!  My father started querying the  youngster  on
such  usual  data  as:   his  destination, his stop-overs, flight
details, etc.  The fellow patiently responded to all my  father's
queries, saying he was leaving the NEXT DAY for London enroute to
NYC.  My over-zealous father asked if he could look at the ticket
he  was  holding in his hands!  After careful scrutiny, my father
quickly pointed out to him that his flight was  in  fact  leaving
WITHIN  THE  NEXT  SIX HOURS (past mid-night), though the date of
the flight was marked as September 4.  The bright-eyed lad rushed
back home to alert his folks of the "situation"!

I was to run into him again on  my  London  -  New  York  leg  on
September 9,1969. (He was carrying a violin in one hand and a bag 
in the other!) When our flight reached JFK, he  asked  me  if  my
friend  who  had  come  to  receive  me  would drop him off at La
Guardia and if some one could spare $10,  which  he  promised  he
would  repay  as  soon as he reached his destination (Middletown,
CT).  I was RICH and LOADED with $40  (money  left  after  I  had
spent  an  entire  $10  bill  during  my stop-overs in Zurich and
London!), so I loaned him a $10 bill generously!!   (He  promptly
returned the same within the next few days.)

That was violin maestro L. Shankar!

                                     During these 23 years,  each
of  us  have gone our different ways!  I am now securely anchored
at the basement of the Bell Labs facility in "another" Middletown
(NJ)  and  he has since left "his" Middletown (CT), settling down
in yonder England!

Did we ever run into each other again?

Yes, we ran into each other a few years ago at Bombay airport  as
we were waiting for our flight to Madras.

Did he recognize me?

Though he said he did, I have my doubts!

If you enjoyed this gossip, let me know. I have more!!

                    HAPPY NAVARAATHRI!!

Respectfully,
Natarajan at Bell Labs in Middletown, NJ.
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical