Yesterday Swati was reminiscing about how the event now called as foss.in began and what an amazing journey it has been for the past 10 years. Leafing thru the photos we realized that the journey has been more so for Aasim who began it as a 3 year old in ITcom 2000 and has been there every year ever since.
Subject line says it all – here they are – about 220 of them….
Yeah! It is bigger – it was always big – and FWIW size does matter
Phew! we have been at it for almost 6 hours now and probably be still here for next 2 hours.
We (myself and Swati) are in Bangalore sitting with all the old friends and faces having the first major meeting for planning foss.in/2007, Lots of discussions amazingly no one has killed anyone as yet, and we have actually got a fix on several things…
So to used a cliched phrase keep watching this space.
I could see it in his eyes as he dragged himself to get ready for school. So I had a small talk with him… his lament was he has nothing to tell to his friends.
Surprised I asked him “Why? did you not enjoy??”
“I enjoyed a lot but none of my friends at school will understand any of that, they don’t know what PHP is how can they know Rasmus, what do I tell them about Blinkenlights? Jaya Kumar tried to teach me juggling!”
I really had no answer for him other than that school is one thing he *has* to finish (he knows that). I feel his pain and it is very much akin to that girl Netra’s frustration who wants all her friends to understand FOSS instead of M$, for her several people (including myself) had answers…
Now that Aasim really contributed his bit to the event this time I feel that something more needs to be done I don’t know what as yet but now it is a pressing selfish need / itch which has to be satisfied
Pictures from my Cybershot – https://tariquesani.net/thumbnails.php?album=74
It is once again the time for our annual pilgrimage to Bangalore to participate in foss.in. This time I am more keen than ever because I will be meeting people whom I have not met for years and some whom I have known for eons but never met IRL. The who’s who of Indian FOSS community have promised to be there, though saying “who’s who” after all these years does feel a bit odd cause they have become such dear friends.
Oh yes! If I get time from pretending to be doing useful stuff or attending all the impromptu BoFs I may attend a few talks from the very impressive line up, but as an old man once said it is not so much about the talks but about all the community action which takes place around the venue!
We would also love to meet all of you (you know who you are) not yet confirmed to be there – lets meet up just for old times sake
Swati has already written all of what I had to say – so here are the 222 pictures I took at https://foss.in/2005/
Swati met some of Aasim’s teachers today and apart from offering their daughter’s hands in marriage they insisted that Aasim be taken along to Bangalore and we need not worry about his assessment etc… and as luck would have it my agent could manage tickets for Aasim in the same flight as us.
The biggest excitement for Aasim is that he will be listening to Phenom again!