Hi,

Personally speaking:

> How & when you started your Sherlockian (or should I say
> Holmesian?) studies & group

In 1988, aged 15.

> what about the Canon most appeals or does not

Holmes, Holmes, and [almost!] Holmes alone!

> what your favorite & least favorite stories
> & experiences are & why,

Most Favorite - DYIN - because it is so offbeat
Least Favorite - YELL - I HATE to see Holmes standing in the
sidelines!

> what your oddest &/or most valuable piece of Sherlockiana may
> be (we all have at least a few of those!)

A small statuette of Holmes that somebody got me from London. I
have fixed it to one of my broken Parker Matt Bruyere pipes, and
crowned it off with an ancient Parker pen. It's cool, and
represents my love for Holmesian analysis and writing.

> what your friends, family & colleagues think of your interest
> in the Master & The Game (let's be frank...some do think us
> just a bit...well...odd)

You're right, many of my friends think I'm a little loony,
especially when I start quoting from SIGN - "It is of the first
importance not to allow your judgement to be biased... ...upon
the London poor."

>, what you learn about life, people, yourself, etc., from
> engaging in The Game

Almost everything. I wrote a column once, and also analyzed IT
happenings for a leading Indian dot-com company. I have also
recently picked up an affection for Vedic Astrology as a hobby.
In all these endeavours, the Holmesian quality of reasoning has
stood me in good stead. Without being a Holmesian, I wouldn't be
half complete.

Hope this helps.


=====
Balaji Narasimhan * http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/balaji.htm
Author, Sherlock Holmes: Solutions from the Sussex Downs
Editor, The Partial Art of Detection
=====



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