I was his colleague for about 5 months at Mid-Day. We used to ride home together at about 2 or 3 every morning after the late shift. He was a really cool guy, always smiling and witty. He used to talk about this road project all the time. Last met him at the Jethro Tull concert in Bangalore in November '08, I think. He told me he'd yet to start on the project...

Arun was a good friend of mine and of The Tribal Moons. He always treated us with so much love and respect. When he helped organize the music festival in Dali last April he worked hard for all of us and patiently took care all of the details to make the weekend a success, and to make all of the musicians, helpers and friends feel comfortable.

He never got uptight about anything, but rather, Arun really knew how to work with and communicate with people.
This Saturday night Nov. 14th The Tribal Moons will be playing at The Hump in Kunming. Arun was working with us to plan and organize this gig. He knew that it was drummer Ma Tu's birthday party, and also that guitartist J.P.'s mom and uncle are visiting from Quebec and would be attending the show. He was working hard to make it a special night for everyone.

Arun will be with us in our hearts and in spirit, and we will be dedicating a couple of our original songs that he liked best, "Steel Blues", which he liked to boogie to, written by bassist Da Ma Ke and "Forever" written by me.
I remember him telling me in a very animated conversation how wonderful he thought my song "Forever " was. I wrote it and usually dedicate it to my lovely wife Cas when we play it. He said something like this to me and I'd like to pass it along for everyone as I think it sums up who Arun was and who Arun is to all of us:
"Nevada, you're right. Forever. How long is forever? Love is forever. Love never stops, never ends. Love always is..."
Nevada

Veembs as we all came to know him eventually was one buddy who I can't imagine spending my college days without! From scamming half the priest-lecturers to getting our 'hall-tickets' to write our examinations to going for a wee shot of rum or two between classes to scamming dad to buy us beer the night before Psychology examinations, he was the man with plans!

His cherubic smile and the banter with that crooked 'thought' finger, don't think I would come across someone like again.
Despite what people say, and my dad's thought's on "THis is how things go wrong son" thought, a Kudos to the man who had the balls to do what he wanted to best! Cheers Mate! Happy Days as the Irish would say :D

I last saw Arun about five months ago when he was telling me how excited he was to be going to Dali to his new job there.I wish I had the words to express my sorrow at the passing of a wonderful human being,he was such a nice guy,always full of life and a ready smile for one and all.A candle was blown out on that mountain and we who new him are poorer for that.
God Bless you Arun and Your Family

Dell

Interesting. I didn't know that Kunming was the capital of the world. I would love to be a part of this program, with setting up an online learning feature to the program to helping bridge the limited resource gap between the China and US facility, etc.

Warm Regards,
Doug

Doug Hall, MA
www.WeBridge.org
www.e-Intention.com
408.355.8368

I distrusted my own ears, he's gone. When i came to Kunming, i knew Arun from my friend. He was a nice guy and fun, he told me he enjoyed to stay in Kunming but he would move to Dali to live, this is also a nice place. God bless him. He'll be alive in our heart. Deepest sympathize to his family.

I know Arun Veembur as an oddball with soiled pants folded half way up to his knees, smiling a full metal brace smile, riding his beloved RD350, with his school bag trailing behind him, half open and revealing a tiffin box filled with lemon rice, his mum had made so lovingly for him. He could practically strike a conversation with anybody he met. And had a famous appetite for adventure and misadventure alike. It's terribly sad... all that has happened. But I'm sure he's in some happy place, writing another instant classic limerick or two.

Arun Veembur was full of passion for life and all it had to offer, the Ledo-Kunming road and the Flying Tigers was part of this passion, to tell the story of unknown heros and a part of history forgoten.

Arun and I flew tandem at Xi Shan, actualy the first passenger ever to soar along the sheer cliffs, it was peaceful.

This was a very special moment for us and I will never forget it
To me Arun is imortalized within Xi Shan ....I miss you already Arun..bye.

Please forgive me if I've said anything that might cause further grief or pain to people. It's been hard getting the news but I am fully aware that I am not the only one grieving but I feel I had to be honest about how I feel. As much as it might hurt we will have to face the facts to avoid anyone else going through this pain.

Arun was one of my best friends. I came to China because Arun had made it his home. To say Arun loved Yunnan was putting it mildly. He tried his best to convince me to stay and I nearly relented. While I know the rescue team tried their best I can't help but feel a little frustrated at the way things worked out.

He was alive till (around 10am I believe) the next day on his phone but they couldn't locate him. I and a friend of ours had told him plenty about the path as we have both done the trek solo before. But Arun tried a short cut on his way back. I guess it was inevitable but I can't help but wish things worked out differently. Also people who did know that Arun was going for the trek and knew the path he could have taken weren't contacted. To be fair no one knew and Arun didn't mention the friend either while trying to guide rescuers to where he was.

My point being,

Chris and others, if you ever work in/around Dali or anywhere else please do try and get people to train and think more about rescue work. There needs to be a community of people who have the physical stamina and intelligence to get involved in rescue work.

Arun's accident came at a time no one was prepared, communication was poorly handled (I understand only 8 people went on the first rescue team) and no one really knew what to do. We owe it to Arun to make sure this never happens again.

Having said that I still do believe everyone tried their best and no one should feel any sort of overriding guilt or blame for what happened. But to prepare to make sure it doesn't happen again. We all loved our little oddball of a friend and we will miss him much.

Can't believe he's gone. He was my junior in college in Bangalore.

One fine summer holiday, without much persuasion, he came with me to my place in Assam. And just pass my house, ran the Ledo-Kunming road. He saw a road sign saying Kunming, i forget how many kilometers. Think my mom gave him a book about its construction during the IInd World War. And the idea of going to Kunming was something he fell in love with more than 2 years before he finally managed to make a move. He talked about it constantly.

In the meantime, to gather money etc he picked up a job and I saw him getting thoroughly bored.

But he finally did manage to reach Kunming. And I am so glad that he did.

I knew he loved that place, and even though so far from here, for so long, he will still be sorely missed by all of us here.

And my regards and gratitudes to everybody in China who took him to heart.

I had the honor and the pleasure to know Arun Veembur and I was very sorry to hear about his passing away. I had the greatest respect for him and will miss him.

I met Arun when he first arrived in Kunming, telling stories of his overland trip across Burma on the roof terrace of the Hump. He said he didn't know how long he'd stay in Kunming - probably a few weeks. We became fairly close, and I watched him fall in love with Yunnan. He stayed long after I left. The happenstance of him even being in Yunnan - and his willingness, like the best travelers, to accept unplanned serendipity - is why his death seems so cruel to me. All those chance encounters that seemed so fundamentally right have led to this. Senseless.

I take heart in the fact that he was extremely happy in Yunnan, at least when I knew him. That's something.

Someone should bury a Tigers' propeller blade on that mountain.

Will miss your wit, Arun.

I won't say any more that danmairen, I feel the same way. Arun was so full of life, I can't believe he's gone. I will miss him very much.

Please keep us updated on any arrangements or events that we can participate in to say our goodbyes and remember the good times we had with Arun.

Condolences to all his friends and family

I used to hang out with Arun often at the KM Hump bar. I was looking forward to seeing him again in Dali in a couple of weeks when I go back to get my visa renewed. He was a super cool guy and will surely be missed by all who knew him.

Namaste Brother Arun.