Congratulations Obaid, on your birthday. I am sorry that I could not be there to toast it! I feel fortunate to have been at the TIFR and to have had you as an advisor. Thinking back to where I was – a naïve incoming student, the powerful formative effect of your mentorship and my experiences at TIFR come into sharp relief. There were so many things about graduate school that were special, that it would be difficult to list them all – good friends, the intellectually stimulating environment, and ‘akoori on toast’ at the West canteen – to mention a few. However, for me, chief among them was the unquestioned belief that doing good science is important, something we should strive for, and even as students, could achieve. Visitors from all over the world helped set benchmarks, and underscored the international nature of science. You helped foster an intellectually vibrant community where we were encouraged to think for ourselves – such a different attitude from the regular university experience then, and perhaps even now. Personally, your love of genetics and belief in the power of Drosophila as an experimental system strongly influenced my own research direction. The point of graduate school is to learn through experience, and you made sure we did that. I remember lamenting about my frequent problems with the electrophysiology rig, and your stock answer was – think about it, you’ll figure it out! And even now, when writing papers I am reminded of your advice that I should ‘be pithy’. Looking at NCBS and TIFR today, it is clear that the ideals and attitudes that were so important to a beginning student decades ago still permeate both institutions and have helped them flourish. Congratulations again – and thank you.