Questions Answered With Ella B, also With Devika Goud at HUA Hindu University of America, and more, see below

[Thirumala Raya Halemane]

Questions Answered With Ella B, also With Devika Goud at HUA Hindu University of America, and more, see below 

(1) With Ella B.  (She/Her). Principal, Private Family Office | Strategic Investor | Board Advisor | Former BlackRock & Goldman Sachs on 2026 June 27 to 29

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(2) With Devika Goud at HUA Hindu University of America, on 2026 June 11 to 13, on Subject: Re: Follow up on : Exploring Geography and History of the Bharata Civilization - Roots of the Hindus 

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(1) With Ella B.  (She/Her). Principal, Private Family Office | Strategic Investor | Board Advisor | Former BlackRock & Goldman Sachs on 2026 June 27 to 29

2026 June 27

Saturday 

Ella B.  (She/Her)  3:53 PM 

Hi Thirumala， this is Ella. I saw your profile on LinkedIn and have a small question I'd like to ask you. I hope you don't mind contacting you here  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  4:50 PM 

Me:

Sure, no problem  

Please go ahead, will be happy to answer any questions you may have for me  

Ella B.  (She/Her)  8:42 PM 

I’ve been thinking recently about how people rebuild their lives after going through difficult transitions Many people only talk about success after everything becomes stable but the harder part seems to be staying hopeful and responsible during the years when life is uncertain 

From your experience what helped you keep moving forward during difficult periods Was it family responsibility faith education or simply the belief that things could still improve over time  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  10:03 PM 

Me:

Very interesting question. It is all of these you listed, and more, we can say.   

Above all, it is perhaps the belief in ourselves, including myself, my wife, our two sons, also our extended families & our friends.   Our past experiences, education, accomplishments etc, also contributed to that belief and confidence.   

This enabled better understanding, higher awareness, about the difficulties, challenges being faced, and how to go about navigating the difficulties, what to do, what not to do, including past advice from earlier managers, jobs etc.   

In terms of faith education, for me it is what is inculcated into my personality starting from young age, with stories from epics told to us by (especially) grandfather, etc, and family traditions with grandparents etc contributing much into it I think, in our native village in southern India, living there with grandparents etc on our farm, cows, dogs, farming, food materials preparation etc going on around us, relatives visiting, we visiting relatives etc, all included.  That was very much of a down-to-earth type life experience as a village boy from there. My wife also has a similar background, So, we were well-grounded type, We did know where milk comes from more exactly than just saying it comes from the supermarket, taking only the simple practical view of things in life.   

Depth of experiences enables a deeper view or insights into our understanding and outlook, less rashness, perhaps. Of course, everybody is unique in their own ways, so generalization is not always possible.   

Communication also plays a key role, the facts and how you say it etc. Truth is always important, high priority, but there can be good or better ways to say it, timings, what needs to be said etc Misunderstandings usually are not good.  

2026 June 28

Sunday 

Ella B.  (She/Her)  12:33 AM 

I appreciate your thoughtful answer 

What stood out to me is that resilience does not seem to come from only one place 

It comes from self belief family responsibility education past experiences and the people around us who help shape how we see life 

I also agree with your point about communication Many misunderstandings happen not because people have bad intentions but because things are not explained clearly or heard properly 

Your point about life experience giving people a deeper and less rushed view of things also resonates with me When you look back at difficult periods in your life do you feel family responsibility or education shaped your strength more   

(my reaction 👍 1 ) 

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  10:31 AM 

Me:

Well, Ella, Thank You for your response, and the supportive kind words.  and it is a very relevant question you have asked at the end. And, I have to pick the family responsibility as the more important, especially at that point in my life. I already had lots of education, and we can even say that it failed me, as I was not able to get a job, and was not even in a state where i could recommend my choices of fields of study to my sons and others. Physics, Math etc had actually failed me and my career, and I then decided not to pursue those, do it less, no point in spending time and effort to keep up to date with advances etc, those fields could perhaps get me some smaller jobs, like school teaching or part-time college faculty or in India, but nothing major anymore in the USA, even my friends and family were not able to utilize their contacts for me to be placed successfully somewhere, to the most part.  applying directly also not successful. My education was not a strength at the time, it was a drawback, in fact a big handicap in the USA socio-cultural environment including in the general job market. It was like that throughout my career also. Having Physics or Math degree was a huge disqualification for most general type jobs, they preferred graduates from other fields of study. There was much discrimination against physics or math etc degree holders. It was only my good academic performance in the past in those fields which contributed to my feeling of confidence in myself, not the general perceptions about my education till then. It was not easy that some "slotting" type view was there about being a physics graduate, we were in that untouchable unwanted status type "box", ... and one could even sense it chatting in a bar, with girls etc ... very common. Things have now improved, I think. This bad perception did not exist in India when I was student there, but was very strong in USA. And, there is more answer to your great question, .. later, ..  

Ella B.  (She/Her)  10:47 AM 

Thank you for sharing that Thirumala 

I understand what you mean 

Education may give a person knowledge and confidence, but responsibility often gives a person the strength to keep moving when life is not giving easy options What you said about physics and mathematics also makes sense 

Sometimes society does not immediately recognize the value of certain fields, even when the thinking and discipline behind them are very stron 

It must have been difficult to carry that pressure while also trying to provide for your family and children 

I respect that you kept going despite those circumstances In some ways, that kind of persistence says more about a person than any title or degree   

(my reaction ❤️ 1)  

2026 June 29

Monday 

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  10:37 AM 

Me:

Yes, Thanks for your feedback. You have said it well.  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  10:39 AM 

Me:

Another way of saying it, our beliefs and approach,  is from the point of view of my / our relationships, within the family, with friends and community, with bosses, with colleagues, with others, and generally with people. One can say that we believed in them, our relationships, we had some needed understanding about their nature, needs, attitudes, trends etc, coming from and about what had happened in the past, what might happen in the future etc, the pluses and minuses, so we will not be too overwhelmed unexpectedly in ways we could not manage or adjust despite some possible damaging or undesirable effects or implications. 

At some point I heard the message said to me that I should have friends (including from my last supervisor Dr T K Srinivas at AT&T Bell Labs, that is why I was not successful, not moving forward, in my jobs and career etc. 

And, later on the "messaging feedback" was that my view could be that I have lots of friends, and that is GREAT of course, and it was in-line with my thinking and feeling. So, we can say that we believed in our various relationships, between ourselves, with others, and in general with people (USA, India, everywhere).  

Ella B.  (She/Her)  11:17 AM 

I understand what you mean 

Life is not shaped by only one thing but by many relationships, experiences, beliefs and difficult moments that slowly teach us what to keep, what to improve and what to let go of 

I also like what you said about being good to oneself and to others 

Sometimes after going through many pressures in life, that simple idea becomes more meaningful than it sounds To live with self belief, to treat others well and to keep a good heart even after difficult experiences is not always easy 

But I think it says a lot about a person’s inner strength I appreciate you sharing this with me   

(my reaction ❤️ 1)

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  11:26 AM 

Me:

Thank You, Ella. Happy to read your feedback and comments.  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  11:28 AM 

Me:

I had also heard that I did not know how to ask for what I wanted in my profession, say like promotion to managerial Supervisor or to technical level DMTS Distinguished Member of Technical Staff. While some uncertainty may have been there, it is of course incorrect of managers to think that their employees wish to be treated unfairly because they are not fully sure about what their next career aspiration would be best.  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  2:59 PM 

Me:

The management view of things in Bell Labs at the time was, from what I saw around me, "It is always your fault", and "it does not matter how hard we managers work to push you down, and that is our prerogative". In other words, there are no bad managers, there are only bad employees. Of course, we have to adopt and adapt it to our own situations, and take full responsibility for ourselves. It turned out that full became more emphatic FULL when I was in the company, and then it became MORE FULL, MORE and MORE FULL, MORE, MORE, MORE FULL ... (TRULY FULL) .. like that  

Thirumala Raya Halemane (He/Him)  3:12 PM 

Me:

And, of course, all this "navigation" also requires some understanding about how money, power, position, fame etc can affect people and how manipulations (visible and invisible) can have an impact on them and on us, things that are better said "Yes" to and things that are better said "No" to, things that are better ignored or kept a distance from, including recognition of our own limitations, especially when exploring issues or factors or people that are new or not known to us with possible pitfalls in there etc. Of course, this is all not easy, and good luck, divine grace, help from others may be needed along the way. So, it kind of involves the Belief in our own Destiny.  

Ella B.  (She/Her)  3:22 PM 

I understand what you mean 

Life is not only about working hard or making plans 

There are also people, systems, positions, power, money and circumstances around us that can influence the direction of our life, sometimes in ways we do not fully see at the time 

I agree with you that a person needs both effort and awareness 

We have to do our part, but also learn what to stay close to, what to keep distance from, and what is not worth losing peace over 

Your point about believing in our own destiny also makes sense to me 

Not in a passive way, but as a way of accepting that life has many forces beyond our control, while still trying to act with honesty, patience and good judgment 

I appreciate you sharing these reflections with me   

(my reaction ❤️ 1)  

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(2) With Devika Goud at HUA Hindu University of America, on 2026 June 11 to 13, on Subject: Re: Follow up on : Exploring Geography and History of the Bharata Civilization - Roots of the Hindus 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Thirumala Raya Halemane <trhal...@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jun 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: Follow up on : Exploring Geography and History of the Bharata Civilization - Roots of the Hindus 
To: <devik...@hua.edu>, HUA Info <in...@hua.edu>
Cc: Shilpi Halemane <shi...@gmail.com>, Kavi Halemane <khal...@gmail.com>, Usha Halemane <uhal...@gmail.com>, Halemane Usha <usha.h...@diag.bracco.com>, Keshava PRASAD Halemane <K.Pra...@gmail.com>, Udaya Bhanu Halemane <Udaya.Bhan...@gmail.com>, Usha Ammankallu <ushaamm...@gmail.com>, Rajendra Halemane <hale...@gmail.com>, Ravi Bhat Halemane <ravibh...@gmail.com>, Ravi Bhat Halemane <madhur...@gmail.com>, Vijaya Subrahmanya <vijikar...@gmail.com>, keshavaprasad s <mithaja...@gmail.com>, Thirumala Halemane <raya...@yahoo.com>, Thirumala Halemane <trhal...@outlook.com>

Dear Devika,

Thanks for your email and reminder. 

I watched the video Exploring Hinduism - Geography and History by Dr D.K. Hema Hari and Dr D.K. Hari you indicated, 

https://gcwsfh-zgph.maillist-manage.com/click/114bd44877b7fbf7d/114bd44877b7abe5f 

and the HUA course listings  Best Vedic Studies Online Courses - HUA 

GREAT WORK, very happy and very pleased.

The video is very interesting and I learned something new also, about ancient India's connection to Croatia / Eastern Europe, and Iran / Persia. 

That's an excellent piece of research work.

I think that it also gives the germ of an idea as well for possibly several PhD theses in Hindu heritage connection topics, to explore the possibilities of such connections to various lands, all over the world, all countries, in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas. Australia etc, culturally, linguistically, religious practices and so on, 

The answers, whether, yes, no, possible or whatever, examining similarities and differences would be interesting, and will make good scholarship. Hindu  University of America can work in co-operation with other willing universities to assist and co-operate to make such PhDs possible. It is a workable idea, worth exploring, I feel.

HUA can also work with other universities to make some of these courses available to students in their colleges, and for earning credits in their institutions. Some formula for splitting the tuition cost of the courses can be amicably found, I think, and this will benefit both HUA as well as the other colleges.

And, as stated there,  it is a good idea for parents and grandparents to attend along with the youth and children in your courses. Again some incentives to make this more attractive are possible, I think, and this willl GREATLY benefit the HUA in the future, in huge, important ways, in my opinion. It is worth thinking about how to make the idea more attractive with incentives.

Thanks for your patience with my email and suggestions, and for your excellent work, also of others there at HUA.

Our Many Thanks, Regards and Best Wishes. 

Please Keep Up the Good Work.

dr thirumala raya halemane

13 eagles pass, princeton, nj 08540

ps =

EXCELLENT bestWISHES verySIMPLEfor ALL SPREADthe WORD DO YOUR SHARETELL YOUR FRIENDS PLEASEHELP YESoursons future POTUS sufferedtargeted world dramastage meFIRED jobsBLOCKED bigshock forALL,Shilpi inweddedbliss  seekingSUITABLEbridefor Kaviraj

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On Thu, Jun 11, 2026 at 4:26 AM Devika Goud <devik...@hua.edu> wrote:

Namaste Thirumala ji, Hope you are doing well. I am following up on the email we sent you with the recording of the "Exploring Geography and History of the Bharata Civilization - Roots of the Hindus" webinar. Registration Link: Exploring Hinduism - Geography and History Date: July 12, 2026 - September 20, 2026 I hope you found time to review the webinar recording and the program/course structure details. Our admissions team will be happy to help you with any questions or concerns that you may have about the same and assist you in registering. We invite you to explore other enriching courses in Summer 2026. Please visit the link: Summer 2026 Call us: +1 407 205 2118. Book a meeting with us here: HUA course counseling WhatsApp: +1 407-205-2828 (Message only) Regards, Devika Goud You are receiving this email as you signed up for our newsletters. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can Unsubscribe or Update your preferences

 

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in the several old photos here, from mid 1980s, (likely from 1985 ?), we see us (our son little Kaviraj, my wife Usha and me), with our friends Mrs & Mr Lalitha & Dhruva Kanjarpane & their son Devesh, our friends Chakrakodi Viroopaksha Shastri & his wife & their little son, our friend-schoolmate-classmate Dinesh Nettar, my elder brother Keshava Prasad Halemane & his wife Vijayalakshmi. Photo taken at the Kanjarpane home in Mountainside, New Jersey, we all were invited.

[Thirumala Raya Halemane]