Anil's 50th Birthday Party

It was a real honour to be invited to Anil Aukluck’s 50th Birthday Party.  Anil is a wonderful accountant, trustworthy and reliable, hard working and considerate.  He is a friend of my much admired friend Ganesh Nanda.  I’ve had the joy and privilege of attending Indian concerts with these two men and their wives. They are so concerned with family and community. I’ve had the joy of meeting their children.  Their wives are happy beautiful women who are strong and admired in their own right. I loved meeting Anil’s daughters. They are a going concern.  What father with three beautiful daughters and his sister’s daughter could remain sane in this high energy mix.  Yet Anil is calm and spiritual.  I think that Ganesh turned to spirituality to survive his children passing through adolescents to become the successful young adults they are today. Anil is right in the midst of the storm but remains serene.
He is an artist too, doing lovely drawings and paintings.  As I listened tonight to Harish Kumar, the famed music director Tabla player, Ganesh told me that Anil also plays flute.  Being on Facebook I so enjoyed seeing video of Anil  riding horses with his daughters on beaches but here he is a musician as well as accountant and painter.  There’s no end to his talent.
The night was a great success.  It was held at the Hall on Ross street. I’d been to the most remarkable of Hindu Sikh weddings there with the most beautiful of brides and most handsome of men. As tonight the ladies were all dressed in festive sari’s and the men in black jackets and slacks.
A young couple sang and played guitar on stage, Ganesh’s young friends, all very modern, a contrast to the traditional setting.  In the background through the night scenes from Bollywood movies played on the many large screens around the hall.  Ganesh pointed out famous stars.
 Laura and I began the feast with samosa appetizers. I loved the fish the best.  The spread was magnificent.  Both Laura and I felt that was the meal only to find out later that there was another feast to continue.  Laura loved the vegetarian curry but I could swear the goat curry was a delicacy unheard of, that strange meat to an average Canadian palate, melting in my mouth.  My girth gained as we feasted and feasted.
Ganesh and his truly lovely wife Anita were the best companions.  Ganesh and I talked politics quietly, he has great hope for the future.  With Canadians staggering before the plummeting world oil prices Ganesh’s gold business is doing very well, as gold holds value when other currency fails.  Meanwhile Anita was showing Laura iPhone video’s of her grandchildren and these two grandmothers were in heaven discussing much more important matters of domestic politics.
Anil’s wonderful daughters had made a film of Happy Birthday greetings with songs and hilarity from all over the country and as far away as Britain. A much loved baby,  dancing to the Indian music in a video clip, definitely stole the show. Anil was on the verge of tears with such a gift of love from his daughters, family and friends.  It was so touching to see his parents and other old people wishing this great man well. The young and sassy friends however called him by his nickname moose!
Then the women were dancing, first the young, then the old and following their lead all the men poured on the stage.  Anil was lifted on shoulders of friends along with his wife and the two lovers danced across from each other high above the crowd.  Next Ganesh and I were invited too. Who would have known, my spiritual community leader friend turns out to be a regular dancing guru.  Some inner tabla took over and he and Anil were young men again. The music was infectious so I couldn’t help but join in.  Such laughter and fun.
When Laura and I took out leave the party was going strong.  What a wonderful night to remember.   Happy Birthday Anil!
!