Bala, aka 'Bala Baby', is my younger cousin who is currently finishing up his Internal Medicine residency and who is soon to embark on a year-long fellowship in sports medicine. We discuss his early beginnings in Shreveport LA, the glorious arrival of his lil' bro Vikash (who apparently learned all his dance moves from Bala), moving to Houston TX, and summers spent 'Temple Hopping' in India. In high school as part of the ROTC program, he maintained a buzzcut and participated in marching drills, but soon started running amuck after getting his driver's license. After high school, he attended medical school in Manipal India which became a home away from home and a place where he developed some very important friendships. He subsequently made his way to Atlanta GA and then onto NYC to finish his clinical rotations, and during this period he often spent the weekends with our cousin Velan watching football and movies until they had a dramatic falling out. While in residency, he discovered his love of sports medicine and his ultimate goal of practicing while wearing shades and tanktops.