23 and 24th Dec.

23rd
Completed packing. We are in get, set and go position now.
24th
Will leave for IGIA at about 2030 hours to catch the midnight flight to Bangkok on way to Hanoi , our first port of stay and later to Seim Reap in Cambodia on a 7 night and 8 day trip. 3 nights in Vietnam and 4 in Cambodia. God blessing, our next trips may be to Bali, Myanmar and China in 2018/2019. With this we would have covered more or less entire far east. I have already visited Japan and Hong Kong in 1986. Along with Venita visited Thailand and Singapore last year.  One should keep travelling to different parts of the globe to feel the pulse of every civilisation. I am confident it will make us more tolerant and happy in life.
Quotable Quotes :"Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep  in life." Robert Louis Stevenson

21 and 22nd Dec.

21st 
Got itinerary, hotel vouchers and visa for Vietnam and Cambodia visit. Took Vodafone pack for Rs 499 for ten days. It will be possible to make and receive calls at Rs. 39 per minute. Incoming sms will be free and outgoing at Rs 15 per sms.
22nd
The last pre-Xmas  working day in the Supreme court was on 15th and in the High court of Delhi today. Both the courts will now open on 2nd Jan 2018.
Quotable Quotes :"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Robert Louis Stevenson wason

20th Dec.

Pilku is 49 today. He was born on 20.12.1968 at 05.58 hours. According to the Indian calendar, it was Thursday, Shuklapaksh, Pratipada of Paush, Samvat 2025 at Kanpur, UP. Venita  distributed sweets at VV. She visited temple to pray for his long, happy and healthy life. We talked to him ,Ruchi, Amolikaa and Abhishree too.
Photograph reproduced below is a repeat. It was taken at VV last year.

Quotable Quotes: "Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." Omar Khayyam

17 18, and 19th Dec.

17th(Sunday)
Started preparing for journey to Vietnam and Cambodia on 24 /25th instant for a week.
18th
In the afternoon in the Supreme court. BJP won Gujarat and Himanchal Pradesh elections. The results were announced today. There was tough fight between the two parties.
19th
Travel Agent gave the final itinerary for Vietnam and Cambodia.
Quotable Quotes :"Marriage is like life - it is a field of battle, not a bed of roses." Robert Louis Stevenson

15 and 16th Dec.

15th Dec.
In the Supreme court in the afternoon.
Neha  came to VV on way back from Vasantkunj along with Akshat. She had joined Venita who had gone there for shopping. Babloo came from his office in the evening. All of them went back to Gurugram after dinner. It is good if children keep visiting us like this. After seeing them we are happy.
16th(Saturday)
Attended birthday get-together for Yashovardhan and Chhotu at a restraunt in Gurugram. A couple of photographs, taken there are given below :
                           Akshat and Yasovardhan in the party

Chhotu and Rajat

Chhotu looked pretty in her dress.
In the evening attended wedding reception of Chokila Tshering Iyer's daughter Gayatri Dekila and Brady Andrew,an American, in La Meridian hotel. She retired as foreign secretary. Her daughter is quite tall, about 6 feet, so is Brady. Met quite a few batchmates of IAS, IFS AND IPS and Ex-Vice President Hamid Ansari, an ex-IFS officer. We had delicious dinner.
Quotable Quotes :"You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving." Robert Louis Stevenson

12 ,13 and 14th Dec.

12th
Venita returned from Vikaspuri.
Finalised itinerary of our trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We leave on 25th Dec, witness Xmas at Hanoi,Vietnam and return Delhi after celebrating New-year in  Siem Reap, Cambodia, an eight day trip to two countries. Took a 10 day (minimum) Vodafone pack for use there.
13th
In the Supreme court in the afternoon. Participated in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections and cast my vote.
14th
In the Supreme court in the afternoon.
Venita came along and visited a replica of Puri's Lord Jagannath temple at Haujkhas in New Delhi. She had food/prasad there along with many people at lunch time. She said that as it was Dwadasi today,it is quite auspicious to have rice in a Jagannath  temple. She brought rice from Puri of Orrisa when we visited there a couple of years back. She mixes this rice in our food on festival days to get the blessings of Lord Jagannath. She does it with sincere conviction.
Quotable Quotes :"I've a grand memory for forgetting." Robert Louis Stevenson

10 and 11th Dec.

10th (Sunday)
Due to minor sprain in the left ankle, stayed back at home.
11th
It is stated  that "caffeine in coffee acts on insulin, which is responsible for controlling blood sugar, and this can make it harder to lose weight. In addition, it can also cause anxiety. A better option would be to replace it with a tea." Google news
Quotable Quotes :"Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer." Robert Louis Stevenson

8 and 9th Dec.

8th
Much time was spent in Vodafone store, in Connaught place to rectify my cell which replied to all that I was either busy or out of reach. I was connected to just a few calls in a  day. The store changed the cell's sim. Let us see if it works.
9th (Saturday)
Venita went to Vikaspuri for some temple program.
Attended Executive Committee meeting of Arsipso at its RK Puram office.
Quotable Quotes :"A friend is a gift you give yourself." Robert Louis Stevenson

6 and 7th Dec.

6th
Neha and Akshat came. Akshat was unwell due to bad stomach. He could not go to Agra with a school trip today. As Neha went to Max hospital along with Venita, I had Akshat's company for quite sometime. I tried to take care as much as I could. He spent time mostly watching HBO and reading a book. Along with Neha, he went back to Gurugram late in the evening with Babloo when he came from his office on way back home.
7th
In the Supreme court in the afternoon.
Submitted required documents for Visa to Vietnam. We will take E-visa to Cambodia.
Quotable Quotes :"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Robert Louis Stevenson

5th Dec.

In the Supreme court in the afternoon.
Quotable Quotes :“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” R.L. Stevenson

4th Dec.

Arun/Sunanda went back to Mumbai in the forenoon.
In the Supreme court in the afternoon.
Quotable Quotes :"We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future; men of discernment deal only with the present moment." Chanakya

3rd Dec.(Sunday)

Attended a family lunch get-together, organized by  Arun/Sunanda at Gurugram on their 40th anniversary.  In all 18 of the family  attended. A photograph of theirs taken in the premises of the restraunt is given below :

CSOI arranged an interaction with Dr.NC Saxena, a batchmate of IAS, on 'Why India is not doing well in social sector' in the evening. Main reason was stated to be fudged statistics of social indices. Great political will and beurocratic honesty were needed for course correction, according to Dr. Saxena.
Quotable Quotes :"As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?" Chanakya

1st and 2nd Dec.

1st Dec.
Babloo is 46 today. On 1st December, 1971, Wednesday, Chaturdashi of the month of Marg Shirsh, Shuklapksh, Samvat 2028, he was born at 09.02 hours in Dhubri civil hospital, Assam. I was then posted as SP Goalpara distt., the biggest dist.in the state of Assam area wise. The dist hqrs was at Dhubri. We prayed for good health and long life to him. We rang him up and wished happy birthday when he was on way to Noida to attend office. He joined us all at VV in the evening. Apart from Neha, Akshat and Shivani, Arun and Sunanda ,who came yesterday, also celebrated the occasion. Babloo cut the cake to the singing of happy birthday by all. Some photographs taken in my cell-camera  are given below :

Dinner with delicious dishes by Venita and Neha followed. Venita gave food, sweets and snacks to guards and other helps.
Earlier went to the Supreme court in the afternoon.
2nd Dec.
Quotable Quotes :"One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises." Chanakya