All about ET

You finished writing my piece? ET asked me the other day. When I was talking to him last week; I just mentioned that I am going to write about him. He promptly asked me about it. I told him it would be my next post. ET...strange name huh?

Well, the name is Abilash Sekar. It was about 6 months into my first job, one noon at a restaurant; some of us joined another group for lunch. We were a bunch of freshers, completely prepared to enjoy the financial freedom by indulging in food. Yeah it was food, food and food. A friend introduced as "He is Abilash"; that was when I first met ET. It was a formal "Hi". To me, he looked like a high school kid; not that I was any better. Yet, there was something about ET...(ET! I dont know what it is even to this day ok?)

OK! So this is ET's latest pic. Does he not look like a high school kid?

Why ET? His friend told us that this guy had an amazing contradictory qualities that made him unique species. Very lazy yet agile when required. Slacking yet good academic records...Seems closer to a nerd? Maybe I am being nice to him....was a nerd; that's why he was nicknamed ET. That stuck among his friends and at home and even at work. People knew ET as ET than as Abilash. What his friend told about ET was true; which I gradually found out through the years.

At work; we didnt collaborate since he and I worked for different projects but for the same release. We would go to lunch together. Always soft spoken, innocent looking bespectacled ET was a silent killer when it came to food. He can gorge on and on; but one look at him and no one would believe it for his slender frame. I liked to watch ET eating :P Again ET I dont know why. Its just that you look cute while eating :P

ET hated walking; but soccer was his life. I can't imagine how? Would take 30 minutes to walk half a kilometer but very good at soccer. Well, he didnt know until few months back that I followed soccer too. ET likes driving a lot; he used to drive his Zen to office. Well, a gang of 5-6 of us made a good freshie gang and it was fun. ET left after 2 years to pursue MS.

About his extremely opposite qualities; I recall an incident at Lake Tahoe. Incidentally; 3 friends who left to pursue MS and 2 of us who went on business trip to US decided to make a road trip for 10 days. Our first destination was Lake Tahoe. It was freezing being December; so we wanted to have something hot to warm us up. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant and ordered for soup. ET was seated opposite to me; while reaching for my soup; I knocked off the glass of water; the water spilled on the table and the excess was about to spill on ET. His reflex was so fast that I thought I was seeing a fast-motion in a movie...He just got away in a blink of an eye. Here is a pic before that event occurred.

The same evening; when we were leaving from Lake Tahoe; my friend was tired and asked if ET can take the wheels. So ET who has not driven a lot in the US; just got behind the wheels and made it look so easy on a snow slicked road. He drove all night without any show of tiredness. He can do that with ease on Indian roads as well on the very first day he lands in India. I asked him about people who stay abroad for few months and then complain about how they cant handle Indian roads. His response was "I just spent 2 years only; but I was born here remember?" Yeah but not everyone are this way; dont they throw a price?

Some more incidents like these prove ET being ET without a doubt. Mature in thinking; meticulous planning but no one would ever have a clue about it. We were supposed to go to Antarctica last December; the plan was to board a ship from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego on a 16 day trip. Then again, ET ditched me and instead traveled to Columbia. ET! You owe me one now that I have written all good things about you :P


Well, on a serious note; it feels good to see him being  regularly in touch. Trust me; even in today's world of social networking overdose; people are still so busy to catch up on each other. Most of my first friends at work are not in touch; they don't bother to call when they visit Bangalore. ET is one of the few..Glad ET :)

The start of the road trip - Dec 2007

Couldn't resist this ET ;-) You can give any hot babe a run for her money ;-)