Gulf Asian English School

I went to judge an inter-school debate competition today. That made me extremely nostalgic about my school. I remembered all my school days and the fun that we had.

I did my schooling in a land far, far away. I have been in Bombay for three years then went off to do my Masters in a city (not so far,far away but this I am not going to tell you).

During my Bachelors the pain of leaving a country I had grown up in, was too much and I did not talk to anyone. My Masters friends I realised later were too CENSORED to have a meaningful conversation with. Anyways, the result of all this, is that I do not have one single close friend in the city of my birth - Majhi Mumbai.

The only close friends that I can last recall were my school friends which brings me to the subject of my post. I left my school exactly 10 years ago in 1995. Yep, that was my school name. Gulf Asian English School. Nothing fancy or pretensios like St. Pauls blah blah. (It was earlier called Sharjah Montessori School.)

When we seperated we knew full well that we would never meet up again. Indeed our last words were "We will meet....in the next life!"

But now it the age of the Internet and I have hopes that we will meet up. I so desperately want to talk to them if only to ask them how they are doing and whether they are alright.

I guess putting their names on the Internet is as good way as any of getting in touch with them.

So here goes.

Ishrat Jahan Haque, Anees Fathima, Niketa Jethani, Somia Khan, Huda Parveen, Yasmin Akhter, Bilquis Khannum, Protima, Masuma, Afshan

Vishal G. Nair, Vikas G. Nair, Shah Imran, Nawaz Khan, Salim, Shane Mathew, Devendrajit Singh, Abdul Rahim, Jerry T. George, Manesh Jacob, Bejoy Issac, Beniyl Mugudan, Jacob Mathew(my oldest friend by far - I have know him since I was in Kindergarten!), Jehangir Khan, Shane Mathews, Reji George(?)

In fact with Jacob Mathew, I remember an incident where I my mother had packed my favourite biscuits for my lunch. I fell and the entire contents spilled out. Jacob helped me up and even offered to share his lunch with me. That was when we were 6!

The girls and guys names are seperate in the spirit of segregation. People who did their schooling in the Middle East would know what I am talking about!

Since I am at it, I will see if I can remember their siblings

Abaraham Mathew, Salma Fathima, Juveriyah Fathima, Malan Begum, Sumbul Khan, Shelly Mathews, Hitesh Jethani.

Cool! Quite good. Now if Lord Google will bestow his benevolence on me.....