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Equitation

Equitation

Japalouppe Camp 2 ends.

13 November 2023
Equitation

Apple. Meet tree.

8 November 2023
Holiday/Vacation

That girl from Jap!

20 March 2023
Adventure

Three wheels to riding class.

3 March 2023
Hero(es)

Naming Freya’s baby.

Freya, Kymaia's favourite horse, is having a baby. Kym has been tasked with ...

Equitation

Girls can’t ride, eh?

Kymaia goes from 'girls can't ride' to demonstrating how to mount, walk, trot, ...

About Me: Kedar

This is my space. To ramble, rant, or ruminate. You are welcome to join me. You can see more of me here. I am an IAF+Air India brat (my father and my kid brother, both have donned the wings of the Indian Air Force) growing up in cantonments across the nation, and attending 12 schools before graduating as an Electrical Engineer from Pune University in 1994.

I speak, read, and write English, Hindi, and Marathi (in that order of proficiency), and am very active on social media (mainly Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and lately, Threads and YouTube too), though I do not engage beyond first or at most second level comments. My philosophy for writing can be found here.

Professionally, I am consulting with young people heading their own startups. If you are a startup and need an impartial Entrepreneur-in-Residence to bounce your ideas off, get practical advice from, and basically have around for the 33 years of hard-earned experience in starting up, running, and even shutting down companies, then I am your man. To start a conversation, mail me here.

Personally, I am deeply and passionately engaged in educating (and learning with) my daughter (who was born on my 42nd birthday!) in a non-formal setting and chronicling her (and my) journey. Indeed, unlike most kids who want to become pilots and firemen, actors and doctors, and so on, during my childhood, when I was asked what I’d want to be when I grew up, I’d always answer, ‘Father.’ So, in a way, I am living my dream. I consider myself the luckiest man on Earth (until life is discovered on other planets).

In my spare time, I love to ride/drive, travel, try different foods, watch movies (I love murder mysteries, war movies, and heists), read (mostly non-fiction), debate, and sometimes play golf or squash, or if it’s low enough stakes, poker.

I am politically promiscuous, in the sense that I do not follow a specific political or social party or leader but, from instance-to-instance, choose the argument (and hence, the side making that argument) that best suits my ideological stance of secular humanism. You can find my posts about politics here.

I love dogs and horses (though it’s been a rather long time since I rode one) and am an avid biker with a Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor, who I call BattleCat III. Follow my travels and travails on the bike here.

About my opinions, they are how I like my morning tea: extra strong, piping hot, somewhat dark, grounded in earthy aromas and spices, something that instantly wakes you up, and served without standing on ceremony.

Try me. Start a conversation! What have you got to lose?

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Kedar Anil Gadgil Follow

Entrepreneur, business shrink, political strategist, diarist, risk-taker, dog-lover, rationalist, humanist, biker, son, father, in love, in no particular order.

KedarAnilGadgil
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sabycreates Sabiha Majgaonkar @sabycreates ·
14 Dec

Suicide, the ultimate rebellion, the final act of non-cooperation, isn't something to be laughed at. It is heartbreaking to see it being ridiculed by some people I truly admire (who I'd have presumed more empathetic than that) to counter some other people (who are known…

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kedaranilgadgil Kedar Anil Gadgil @kedaranilgadgil ·
12 Dec

VERY interesting!

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kedaranilgadgil Kedar Anil Gadgil @kedaranilgadgil ·
7 Dec

Back in December 2012, when the Nirbhaya protests erupted across the country, I wrote this and discovered it only in reference to something else I was looking for.

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kedaranilgadgil Kedar Anil Gadgil @kedaranilgadgil ·
7 Dec

When's the movie coming out?

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kedaranilgadgil Kedar Anil Gadgil @kedaranilgadgil ·
5 Dec

How many of us can be Ravish Kumar? I, for one, can't. Of course, I can't, and won't ever be Rajdeep Sardesai. I'd probably be more like Prannoy Roy.

We all have a limited fount of courage. Each of us knows where that limit is. Notwithstanding our public posturing.

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Kedar Anil Gadgil

kedaranilgadgil

Entrepreneur, business shrink, political strategist, diarist, risk-taker, dog-lover, rationalist, humanist, biker, son, father, in love, in no order.
I asked ChatGPT to roast me (I’ve been a power u I asked ChatGPT to roast me (I’ve been a power user ever since GPT-3 came out 4 years ago, and a subscriber for a while), and then posted it on FB. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t fit on Insta. So, I asked it to shorten it. Here it is. Enjoy: Kedar, you’re a perfectionist control freak with a PhD in overthinking and a black belt in micromanagement. You say you delegate, but let’s be honest—you’d rather do it yourself and then complain about being overworked. Your ideals are so rigid they could double as scaffolding, and you cling to them even when everyone else has moved on to practical solutions. Vulnerability? You’d rather perform a TED Talk on your flaws than actually admit you have them. You juggle a million things at once, burn yourself out, and then wonder why no one’s keeping up. You want a legacy so bad you’re probably drafting its logo right now. But hey, you’re brilliant, relentless, and inspiring—just enough to make everyone put up with you. Now go sit down and let someone else drive for once. 😏
Instagram post 18084585769529457 Instagram post 18084585769529457
Clap. Clap. Clap. "It is because and only because Clap. Clap. Clap. "It is because and only because of our beloved PM, Modiji, that Hindus, who would have been in danger, are safe. Take him away, and Hindus and Hinduism will be in khatra. The Muslims and Christians will take over and overwhelm us. It is only the wall-like Modi who stands between Hindus and their total annihilation." ~ My Brahmin Modi-Worshipping Friend My dear MBMWF, let me tell you a story: On his regular patrol across Trafalgar Square, a Bobby comes upon a sincere-looking man standing under the Nelson's Column clapping his hands slowly, rhythmically, and vigorously but with a great sense of purpose and gravity, looking serious, as if doing a great duty. The Bobby stops and looks at him quizzically. The man returns the state, holding it for a moment, and then going back to his clapping. Sincere Man: Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. London Bobby: "Ahem, Sir, may I ask what you are doing?" SM: "I think you can see that clearly. I am clapping. It keeps the statues from turning into man-eating lions and protects the general public from harm." LB: "Huh?" SM: Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. LB: "Sir, there are no real man-eating lions in Trafalgar Square. Only statues." SM <smugly>: "I know. You're welcome." LB: "..." SM: Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Just to clarify, MBMWF, the clapping man in this joke is mentally ill. He truly believes he's scaring away lions from Trafalgar Square. This is a joke because his stupidity is evident to the listener. The trouble with Modi and his cultists like you is that you don't get the joke. Because, in this case, you are the joke. Just that it will take some distance, maybe a generation or two, for people to see it. And I'm not joking. I wish I were. But I'm not.
In the heart of Pune, there's this quaint place wh In the heart of Pune, there's this quaint place where you can sit on a small porch and watch people and traffic pass by as they make fresh, hot puran poli, douse it in sajuk tup, and serve with hot katachi amti. Would recommend it 10/10. This is peak Pune. #LiveToEat
Where do you go after the doctor's visit, who you Where do you go after the doctor's visit, who you had visited for cough, cold, and congestion and have been prescribed antibiotics? Why, of course, to an ice cream parlour! What's the point wasting the fantastic weather and long drive, right? P.S.: We just spent two full focused hours filling up the marks and rank register for the half-yearly results, and deserve the break. Or so we've convinced ourselves 🤪 #CoupleInLove #LiveOnTheEdge #EveryNightIsADateNight #LohaLoheKoKatataHai
OK, Google, where does the Rupee stop? There is a OK, Google, where does the Rupee stop? There is a lot of hullabaloo about the misdirected vehicle that killed three people who went over an unfinished bridge. Google Maps is somehow being held responsible for it, and the clamour is rather shrill. I fail to see how they can be blamed. I won't get into the process by which Google Maps suggests routes and chooses roads because that's besides the point. What I will say (rhetorically, of course) is this: If a bridge is unfinished, if a highway is under construction, if there is danger ahead on a particular road, isn't it the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that the entrance to that road is shut, clearly marked (with provision for visibility during day, night, and all weather conditions), and maybe even supervised, whether by humans or technology, to prevent unauthorised traffic that might put lives at risk? Isn't it something that the traffic police are also supposed to co-operate with the contractor and take care of at a local level? Isn't it the duty of the oversight authority that is supposed to monitor such safety norms in practice and ensure that the contractor and the local traffic enforcement authority follows them? Isn't it the job of the bureaucracy that appoints such an authority to ensure it is doing its job? And isn't the government in power, which directs this bureaucracy, supposed to be where the buck finally stops? So, shouldn't we be pointing fingers and demanding accountability from (1) the contractor, (2) traffic police, (3) PWD, (4) local Collector and IAS officer, (5) road transport/public works minister, (6) Chief Minister, before we start collectively crapping on Google? Did we not learn all of this in Civics in STD VIII? Or have we forgotten everything because it is easier to blame Google, the American company? P.S.: All of this is presuming the victims didn't see the roadblock, run through the blinking lights, ignore the traffic warden, and force their vehicle on a road where entry was clearly prohibited. Why this caveat? Because I know Indian drivers. You see, I am one of them.
A Sunday morning! Me: <Starting the car engine> M A Sunday morning! Me: <Starting the car engine> Misbahji: <Chanting the 'safar ki dua'> Me: "Are you done?" Misbahji: <Continuing to chant while gesturing me to wait with her hand> Me <after 2 whole minutes>: "Are you finally done?" Misbahji: <Blowing towards me> "Yes, bolo." Me: <exasperated> "You do realise how much patience and forbearance an atheist like me needs to pander to your superstitious claptrap?" Misbahji: "..." Me: "The amount of time you waste on this..." Misbahji: "Yes. I know. But have you thought of how much I have to do because of your non-belief?" Me: "Huh? What do YOU have to do?" Misbahji: "I have to pray twice. Once for me. And once on your behalf. Have you thought of that?" Me: "..." Misbahji <snapping her seatbelt in the slot>: "Now drive carefully." Misbahji wanted to have chhole-bhature for a long time, but I simply couldn't make it happen for various reasons. So, this morning, I surprised her with a sumptuous North Indian breakfast of authentic chhole-bhature, rasmalai, jalebi, dhokla, and dahi-bhalla. Is it weird that I love to see her face when she's eating? For some reason, she looks most innocently and transparently happy, beautiful , and at peace while enjoying food. And I love to see that. #CoupleInLove #FoodIsLove
Misbahji insists she's Jai. I think she is Basanti Misbahji insists she's Jai. I think she is Basanti, the BattleCat is Dhanno, and I am, of course, Veeru. What do you think? Should I hide behind a dargah and go, 'Kanyaaaaa' to convince her? Or climb on to a water tank, piss drunk? #CoupleInLove #RideToLive #RideToLove #TwoWheelsForever #InstaLife
The universe revolves around a #CoupleInLove The universe revolves around a #CoupleInLove
I feel equally sorry for all the right winger trad I feel equally sorry for all the right winger trad bhakts who felt that once 'their' government was in power, both, a litre of petrol and the US Dollar would become ₹35, China will vacate our land, Vivek Agnihotri will win an Oscar, Indian Ayurveda practitioners will win the Nobel in medicine, and the American President will end his speeches with JSR from the very next day as I do for those leftist liberals who fervently believe that once 'their' government is in power, hate will stop, the media will be free, the police will protect you and side with the law, the farmers will stop killing themselves, children will be fed and educated, Naxals will enter a float in the Republic Day parade, where they'll dress up in costumes and present their 'traditional dance form' for the visiting dignitary, their Gujarati Jain neighbour will invite them for Iftaar, and the chief justice will be fair, fearless , and impartial not just in oration but in actual action & deeds. The eternal truth is that throughout history, at least in India, only the rulers have changed. Never the rules. Why do you think your own times or generation should be the exception? P S.: Here's a random photo of me this morning as I dropped off Misbahji and Maryam to school and went to see Maa, wearing my new Kolhapuri chappals. I know. I know. It is unrelated. But what the hell, I say. Vain for a penny. Vain for a pound. Right?
And then....the chappals! #WhenInKolhapurDoTheKol And then....the chappals! #WhenInKolhapurDoTheKolhapuri #GetYourKicksBeforeTheWholeShithouseGoesUpInFlames
Aaaaand....the mutton! #GetYourKicksBeforeTheWhol Aaaaand....the mutton! #GetYourKicksBeforeTheWholeShithouseGoesUpInFlames #TambdaPandhra
So, at the stop where Misbahji wanted to have the So, at the stop where Misbahji wanted to have the thalipeeth (not available before 10, unfortunately), as she stood in the crowded (and noisy) queue to order, I tapped her from the back and quietly said, 'I need to go.' Mji: 'Where?' K (whispering): 'I said I want to go to susu. I'll be back.' Mji (unable to hear me): 'Huh? Where are you going?' K (exasperated, loudly): 'I am going outside to that Tempo Traveler parked there, approach the rear tyre, lift my right leg, and pee. All right?' Mji: '...' K: '...' Mji and K, together doubling with laughter: 'Hahaha' As I walk away to the washroom, I can feel the eyes of the the entire queue behind her who overheard the conversation and wondered exactly what I was doing and where I was doing it. What a great start to a day! #CoupleInLove #CrazyFamily #LiveTheShallowLife #GetYourKicksBeforeTheWholeShithouseGoesUpInFlames
Was to ride to Kolapur for a meeting. Motorcycle p Was to ride to Kolapur for a meeting. Motorcycle punctured. 🤬 So, back home to change (can't possibly drive in my riding gear) and take the car. Misbahji says she'd come along. So, passing time on Reddit while I wait for her to be ready. Reddit and Discord is where the action is now. Facebook is passé, at least for me. And the more time I spend amongst the young, the more I learn. Am amused at the youth today, though. We were so much more relaxed. And our parents so much cooler! Ah, well. I am sure it's my survivorship bias. There must have been millions of other young people who'd probably identify with the OP more than I could. What about your childhood? How would your parents have reacted? How would you react?
Here’s me jumping over a shallow waterbody with Here’s me jumping over a shallow waterbody with the same energy that I jump over the various crises in my life that threaten to derail it at regular intervals: With nonchalance and gay abandon (not to mention, in style), without even looking down at it, as if it doesn’t exist but in my (very) fertile imagination, very much looking like a man who knows that he is living a life that will look great in hindsight in his (auto?)biography, even if it is in fact, like every other regular Joe, or Jamal, or Jatin, simply a painful, stressful, and excruciatingly slow (if you're lucky) ride to eventual (and unsung) death, whenever it comes, as he actually lives through it, and yet not caring, continuing to live it up in a fashion as if Daniel Day Lewis, or perhaps even Akshay Kumar, is going to play him in the blockbuster Oscar-bait film version. Also, a very good morning to you, folks. How is it hanging?
Indian secularism? This morning at our home, as w Indian secularism? This morning at our home, as we prepare to receive guests (later in the evening) for our annual Diwali party, the house is abuzz with activity. Maryam is on a Rajasthan trip with her father, Kymaia is with her mum, and Maa has come to stay with us for a few days. Vikas is putting up the flowers and toran, Maa (freshly bathed) is saying her morning prayers (Ramraksha) as she cooks batata poha (my favourite), Misbah is wrapping return gifts of handmade diyas and sweets for the evening guests, the house-help is watering the plants, and I am lounging about in my silk robe and pyjamas with a cup of tea in my hand, the lord of all I survey, trying to look busy so no one gives me any work. Maa: "अथ ध्यानम । ध्यायेदाजानुबाहुं धृतशरधनुषं बद्धपद्मासनस्थं, पीतं वासो वसानं नवकमल दलस्पर्धिनेत्रं प्रसन्नम् ।..." Me: "Maa, I was thinking..." Misbah: "Shhhh!!! अरे, सब्र! माँ दुआ पढ़ रही हैं..." Me: "दुआ...? Oh!" I just realised how a secular Indian home can be, even with an atheist who mocks religion, a devout Hindu, and a practising Muslim coexisting happily, as long as there is love and tolerance, even if the two believers have no clue about each others' religions and the atheist knows more about them both (which is why he is an atheist in the first place). As a young man, I used to mock the Indian version of secularism (which is totally different from actual, original secularism, where the state and church are entirely divorced), where we treat all religions as versions of truth and respect them equally. I don't anymore. I am older. And probably wiser. Happy Diwali everyone. P.S.: No, I am still not back online in full force, though I may share the evening's photos later...maybe. Just that I thought this was something I must share in today's India. Especially in today's India. #Diwali2024 #IndianFamily #IndianSecularism
Instagram post 18323495275176639 Instagram post 18323495275176639
Just another video of us, the BattleCat, Indian mo Just another video of us, the BattleCat, Indian monsoons, and the beautiful interior roads of Southern Maharashtra. #TwoWheelsForever #MonsoonRiding #MotorcycleFiles #RideToLive #CoupleInLove
Khambatki crossing en route to Radhanagari on Satu Khambatki crossing en route to Radhanagari on Saturday. At one point, @thebaconbaba (the lead on that ride) just waved us ahead. It was fun. As usual. P.S.: Don't miss the ending! #TwoWheelsForever #RideToLive #FastAsFuck #ThreeSixtyLife #MotorcycleFiles #MonsoonRiding
Does Madhabi Puri Buch look uncannily like that ot Does Madhabi Puri Buch look uncannily like that other encircled leader, Sheikh Hasina, without her head cover (pallu) or am I reading too many RW conspiracies about the 'Deep State'?
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