A little about me...

I was born in Calcutta - the city put forever on the global map by a tiny woman who had an enormous heart: Mother Teresa. She made her world headquarters, of her organization "Missionaries of Charity" in Calcutta, now Kolkata. And I am blessed enough to have volunteered for her, been blessed by her, sat at her feet. A blessing I had no idea of how huge it was, until I traveled to the USA, halfway across the world, to pursue my second Masters degree.

I grew up as a tomgirl, climbing trees, and playing in the hot India sun, more interested in the next sports day than exam day. Grades were less important that the next competition. I grew up in a convent school, with a set of strict rules which never broke my spirit. I thank every one of my teachers who handled my abundant spirit and enthusiasm with love and patience. And let me grow.

I enrolled in an all-girls' college where my fellow students were young ladies, who paid attention to grooming and being polished. And I still thought my nails were part of a food group. It took a few well-aimed and well-meant slaps on my fingers, as well as nail-bitter painted on my nails, to train me out of the habit.

Creatures...and my empathy towards them, drove me. Even now, as a grown woman, my empathy continues to be my Achilles heel, however, I am learning to rule it, rather than allow it to rule me.

From kittens, owls, vultures, snakes, and of course dogs and birds - the long-suffering neighborhood vet learned to either avoid me, or scold me. But most of the time, succumbed to treating my "patients" for free. I do not blame him: I had no money, and I had no issues with his scathing scolding - as long as he treated the hurt creature I brought to him. Later in life, he wrote a recommendation letter that helped me get a position as a Research Scholar on a World Bank Project.

Somewhere along the line, I aligned my studies with my passion for creatures, especially, wild, endangered creatures - and spent some time in the Himalayan foothills, studying the behavior and ecology of an endangered Himalayan mammal - the Red Panda. While I worked at the Darjeeling Zoo - the zoo staff found I had an otherwise useless talent - I could "recognize" the wolves in the zoo by face. I have no idea where this talent might be useful in the real world - or if I even still have it.

Two black bear cubs who adopted me as their mama - because their mama had been killed by hunters. A Bengal tiger who knew I was a little scared of him, and never lost a chance to growl at me, unnerving me, at close quarters. Tiny Snow Leopard babies - I was so awed by the sight of them, I was afraid to breathe. And their mama - Rambha - a lady who taught me how the words wild and elegant could reside within the same being. Such are my memories of the small Himalayan town I made "home" for some time.

Thinking back - participating in the Tiger Census created a turning point in my life.

At that time - I was writing for The Statesman - India's national English newspaper. And I did both - volunteer as a census worker, as well as cover the census and write its story.

The Tiger Census - and Gopal Tanti, deserves a tribute of its own. A story of its own. But here and now, I must state that my participation in the tiger census, and another personal tragedy, led me to the United States, and a second Masters degree in a more "tame" field - of Management.

I took all of that education, and my love for everything wild and beautiful, and channeled my energies to becoming a businesswoman, a leader.