Kool and the gang

I have added a list of characters that I shall often refer to, on this blog under 'The Baker's Basket' so that I do not have to render explanations whenever I talk of them. The list shall be updated regularly though the people mentioned on it right now will always be on. They are my dearest friends and its been 7 years of knowing each other. We met while doing our postgraduation and since then have been thick as thieves. I met Baha through Ponappa, but ironically we are better friends now. The salient point of our friendship has been an open mind. All of us (barring Jackie/Jacqui who is canadian and conventional balti) are leading lives unlike most young Indians who conform and have not buckled under parental pressure (I, of course had significantly less parental pressure to deal with in the first place) and will not buckle down ever. Baha is a young gay man who is pursuing a PhD in Georgeland. Ponappa is a confused bi and so is Jackie/ Jacqui (Jackie/ Jacqui is not confused). Ponappa is also pursuing a PhD in physics. Mata is a married woman but her marriage has been inter-religious which in India is a huge thing and is a very talented architect and also the most balanced and sensible of all of us friends. Poo is a trained psychologist and specialises in group dynamics but ironically is never able to identify her psyche. I and Baha do that about her and have great fun in the process. Balti is like me, a masters in mathematics and is working for a major investment firm as an actuary. It actually suits her well. She also preaches to all of us the wonders of matrimony, having been safely married off four years ago. Baker is a businessman and not friends with the rest, he hasn't met them. He is a voracious reader and I have taken it on myself to cultivate him into a non-philistine. I have made great strides with him and I shamelessly mooch off his books. We often have pseudo literary discussions and it is my life's mission to always take the opposite stand. He is also a confirmed singleton like me, ponappa and baha. Another weird and common thing about my friends apart from the baker and mata is that they all have only one surviving parent. I know its a weird generalization but it actually is true.

So ladies and gentlemen, have fun peeking into my crazy life.