Of Friendship, July 4, and an enchanting nest

Vaհe H Apelian  

Of friendship

Friendship transcends time, distance, religion, culture and race. 

A few days ago, I received an email from Nitin, a former colleague, and an old friend, I have not communicated for the past two decades, if not a bit more. The email read, “Respond, if this email is valid still. Hope you are doing well. Warm regards.” Yes, it was. I came with it not long after a domain popped called Yahoo! Who would have wanted not to jump onto a cyber world called Yahoo?

Time momentarily froze when I read the email. Nitin and I worked for the same company. Our offices faced each other. There was not a day at work that I did not meet him. He was in the chemistry side of our shared projects. I was at the pharmaceutical side. One day, I found out an intricately inlaid wooden carving of elephant on my desk. It was from Nitin, who had brought the heavy ornament with him on his return visiting home. It dawned on me that in a casual conversation I had mentioned that the elephants are my most favorite animals. It has become a permanent presence in our home. Elephants form profound life-long friendships.

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Of July 4

Tomorrow, July 4, 2026, marks the ssemiquincentennialof the United States. The month of July has a personal significance for me. On July 9, 1976, I set foot in the United States, at the JFK International Airport. Telltale signs that the country had just celebrated its bicentennial were palpable. To mark the 250th anniversary, Boston is hosting a massive, yearlong celebration with the peak festivities around the Fourth of July weekend. Our son and daughter-in-law have invited us and our khnamis to spend the weekend in Boston. That will also highlight my 50^th anniversary in the United States.

One of the high points of my immigration to the United States has been the friendships I formed, some passing and some enduring to this day. Some of whom were born and raised in the United States.They were Harold, Bill, John and a few others. Others were Imitiaz, Satish, Nilesh, Mushfig, Leonardo, Maria, Mohammad, Fu, Zhang, Nick, Saied, Masih, and others. They were from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, Italy, Roumania, Uganda and far East. They were immigrants like me. The contributions they brought to the American pharmaceutical industry, be it its developmental science, and technology, are unmistakable and undeniable.

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Of enchanting nest

After our, out of main site facility of the company we worked for in Cincinnati closed, I looked for employment in another pharmaceutical company, while Nitin established his own company in Goa, India. In the ensuing email, he wrote that he and his wife have put an end to their professional careers and pursuing personal interests and  “enjoying life making documentary films, publishing digital books. Lot of community work,” and seeing their grandchildren.

It turns out that his wife Vinda is also an avid gardener and on their farm, she has started a home stay. “Lots of my friends do come and stay (of course complimentary to all friends).” He urged us “Do come so we can share memories of the lost time.”

India has fascinated me. Goa is the smallest state in India and has a unique culture of its own. I doubt that my wife and I will undertake such a journey. It was so good to get connected again. 

I read that Gao has a vibrant cultural which is a fusion of East and West, shaped by over 450 years of Portuguese rule alongside indigenous Indian coastal traditions. This unique Indo-European blend has come to define the region’s unique culture, architecture, and cuisine. And all those who may be interested in a home stay away from home, while experiencing the region’s unique culture may consider - https://theenchantingnest.com/