Editorial
As we bring the curtains down on another year, at a macro level, it has perhaps been one of the worst years in terms of the global meltdown and terrorist strikes. For Yamuna, however, it has been a landmark year. We achieved de jure status, as far as our legitimacy of ownership is concerned. As a consequence, many fresh faces adorn the new Managing Committee. Whether the present committee will chart a new path, as they are not saddled with the baggage of regularisation and a conservative mindset, time alone will tell. Going by the deliberations in the Managing Committee, it seems there is a lot of enthusiasm to do things, but we must guard against hubris.
The movie, A Wednesday, that was supposed to have been screened on 6th December, had to be changed to Khuda Kay Liye, owing to non-availability of the former. The movie, however, did not disappoint, although this genre of cinema has few takers, as it tackles serious social issues. The potluck dinner however, did not materialise as the audience wanted to beat the cold and eat in the warm and cosy confines of their homes.
Many children including my daughter are hooked on to a reality show on TV called Roadies. How kids line up to be interviewed by Rotweiller twins with glistening scalps, who chew them and spit them out of contention, defies logic. To cross the Rubicon only invites more derision and insults in subsequent episodes. If this is the definition of entertainment for the younger generation, where ability to scheme and con are considered virtues, then we are in for a generation of rude and uncompromising youth. The adult reality shows like Bigg Boss which draws eyeballs, are no exception to this rule. Why people are attracted to programmes that bring out the nastiness in us is something the psychologists should ponder over. I suggest parental restraint, at least for the children.
The treatment of kitchen wastewater for use in gardening, as well as to recharge the rain water harvesting wells had to be kept in abeyance, as the technical feasibility of implementing the same brought about more questions than answers. It will now require elaborate research and hard evidence of effective usage elsewhere to pursue this matter further.
The piped gas line has a lot of residents enthused by the prospects, based on the details spelt out in the forms or through anecdotal evidence. The unfortunate part is that certain actions got pre-empted and hence many never felt the need to attend the presentation given by IP Gas authorities. They dispelled the declaration in their own forms, where it was mentioned that gas will be provided for the geysers or AC’s. Another fact that has perhaps escaped the attention of residents is that IP Gas has recently hiked the price of gas, which will make it only 7% cheaper than LPG, rather than the perceived savings of over 30%. There is a strong possibility that the Government may reduce the price of LPG soon to reflect global oil prices, in which case even this difference will disappear.
Another point made by them is that the present burner cannot be used for both LPG and piped gas. They would be changing the nozzle, which would make your LPG connection redundant. In case you relocate to a place where piped gas is not available, you may have problems getting LPG connection. Besides, if there is a breakdown in supply of gas due to major power failure or damage to the pipeline along the route, as a result of road digging by MCD or other agencies, you could go without gas for a duration of anywhere between 15 minutes to 10 hours. In such an event, not only may you end up with half-cooked unpalatable food, you could also end up forking out serious money for a meal outside.
There’s also the matter of aesthetics involved in delivery of the gas. As the gas supply was not part of the original design of the buildings, it will have to run up the outer wall of each flat. This pipe, which will be painted yellow, has to be clamped at a minimum of 20 spots to take it up three floors, because of several bends that the pipe has to negotiate. As a consequence, the wall has to be punctured on that many locations. Since our exterior walls have stone grit finish the scars and patches will be visible to the naked eye. The apartments, which are already showing signs of ageing, may lose value because of their appearance. Besides, the damage and cracks that will develop on the buildings, as a consequence of these punctures, are something that we will have to live with. These may also become originating points for seepage, or cockroach roosting places. In case you have spent a fortune doing up your kitchen, you could brace yourself for another makeover. Additionally, the pipes will be brought into each of the blocks by underground pipes which will mean digging up the roads, badminton court etc. Although they will eventually be patched up, it will never look the same. In conclusion, I have reasonable cause to believe that for such a measly saving we should not make our Apartments look like warts on a toad’s back. It would make perfect sense to go for piped gas if it was a new building, where the pipeline access is planned at the design stage itself. Therefore, for the advantage of having gas at the turn of a knob at 7% saving, you might have to face several of the aforementioned problems. You may want to reconsider.
“Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”, goes the Yuletide anthem, which pretty much epitomised the mood on Christmas Eve. The stage wore a very festive look with the nativity scene of Bethlehem, reindeer pulling the sleigh and Santa from Norway, the Swiss Alps and the Christmas tree decorated with trinkets. Prema of C-205, Poornima of G-205 and Gita Rastogi of C-004 did up the stage with amazing effect. Aditi and Prakriti made the very attractive snowman and reindeer props. There were several others who worked behind the scenes, who brought to life the performance of the kids in the fairy tale setting. If it were not for a major glitch with the sound system, which compromised the performance of the artists, it was a perfect way to start the evening. If you have to produce a dance of great beauty and enchantment, with costumes, pom-poms et al in two days flat, you do not have to look beyond H-308. Sujata Sundaresan did such a commendable job of choreographing the kids that it pushed this year’s Christmas Eve show amongst the best we have had in years. The dance featured Ananya of G-205, Aradya and Ananya of G-001, Keana of A-008, Saisha of C-205, Samiksha of B-107, Aparna H-208 and Vedika of A-106. The roles of royalty fell on the able shoulders of Dinkar, Ashwin and Anish; Joseph was enacted by Srikanth, Mother Mary by Juilee, and Reindeer by Kashish.
The Christmas carols were choreographed and produced by Gita Rastogi and the singers were Prakriti, Sri Laxmi, Nikita, Nandita, Mallika and Kavya. Nandita also did a great job in rallying the kids around for practice sessions. Nalin Rastogi set up the background music. Santa, who turned out be Archit’s friend, trooped in to distribute goodies to the kids. Aditi Umapathy did a solo Miley Cyrus number with Divya on the guitar and Kavya on the keyboard. This was followed with some blues and rock numbers from Rangu and Ramanan, which unfortunately did not get the applause they deserved because of faulty sound system. Gita Rastogi deserves kudos for motivating the ladies and kids to come up with such exhilarating stage art.
The food and drinks stalls did roaring business and netted for the Society a total sum of Rs.3, 610. Following were the contributions made from the food stalls:
The movie, A Wednesday, that was supposed to have been screened on 6th December, had to be changed to Khuda Kay Liye, owing to non-availability of the former. The movie, however, did not disappoint, although this genre of cinema has few takers, as it tackles serious social issues. The potluck dinner however, did not materialise as the audience wanted to beat the cold and eat in the warm and cosy confines of their homes.
Many children including my daughter are hooked on to a reality show on TV called Roadies. How kids line up to be interviewed by Rotweiller twins with glistening scalps, who chew them and spit them out of contention, defies logic. To cross the Rubicon only invites more derision and insults in subsequent episodes. If this is the definition of entertainment for the younger generation, where ability to scheme and con are considered virtues, then we are in for a generation of rude and uncompromising youth. The adult reality shows like Bigg Boss which draws eyeballs, are no exception to this rule. Why people are attracted to programmes that bring out the nastiness in us is something the psychologists should ponder over. I suggest parental restraint, at least for the children.
The treatment of kitchen wastewater for use in gardening, as well as to recharge the rain water harvesting wells had to be kept in abeyance, as the technical feasibility of implementing the same brought about more questions than answers. It will now require elaborate research and hard evidence of effective usage elsewhere to pursue this matter further.
The piped gas line has a lot of residents enthused by the prospects, based on the details spelt out in the forms or through anecdotal evidence. The unfortunate part is that certain actions got pre-empted and hence many never felt the need to attend the presentation given by IP Gas authorities. They dispelled the declaration in their own forms, where it was mentioned that gas will be provided for the geysers or AC’s. Another fact that has perhaps escaped the attention of residents is that IP Gas has recently hiked the price of gas, which will make it only 7% cheaper than LPG, rather than the perceived savings of over 30%. There is a strong possibility that the Government may reduce the price of LPG soon to reflect global oil prices, in which case even this difference will disappear.
Another point made by them is that the present burner cannot be used for both LPG and piped gas. They would be changing the nozzle, which would make your LPG connection redundant. In case you relocate to a place where piped gas is not available, you may have problems getting LPG connection. Besides, if there is a breakdown in supply of gas due to major power failure or damage to the pipeline along the route, as a result of road digging by MCD or other agencies, you could go without gas for a duration of anywhere between 15 minutes to 10 hours. In such an event, not only may you end up with half-cooked unpalatable food, you could also end up forking out serious money for a meal outside.
There’s also the matter of aesthetics involved in delivery of the gas. As the gas supply was not part of the original design of the buildings, it will have to run up the outer wall of each flat. This pipe, which will be painted yellow, has to be clamped at a minimum of 20 spots to take it up three floors, because of several bends that the pipe has to negotiate. As a consequence, the wall has to be punctured on that many locations. Since our exterior walls have stone grit finish the scars and patches will be visible to the naked eye. The apartments, which are already showing signs of ageing, may lose value because of their appearance. Besides, the damage and cracks that will develop on the buildings, as a consequence of these punctures, are something that we will have to live with. These may also become originating points for seepage, or cockroach roosting places. In case you have spent a fortune doing up your kitchen, you could brace yourself for another makeover. Additionally, the pipes will be brought into each of the blocks by underground pipes which will mean digging up the roads, badminton court etc. Although they will eventually be patched up, it will never look the same. In conclusion, I have reasonable cause to believe that for such a measly saving we should not make our Apartments look like warts on a toad’s back. It would make perfect sense to go for piped gas if it was a new building, where the pipeline access is planned at the design stage itself. Therefore, for the advantage of having gas at the turn of a knob at 7% saving, you might have to face several of the aforementioned problems. You may want to reconsider.
“Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum”, goes the Yuletide anthem, which pretty much epitomised the mood on Christmas Eve. The stage wore a very festive look with the nativity scene of Bethlehem, reindeer pulling the sleigh and Santa from Norway, the Swiss Alps and the Christmas tree decorated with trinkets. Prema of C-205, Poornima of G-205 and Gita Rastogi of C-004 did up the stage with amazing effect. Aditi and Prakriti made the very attractive snowman and reindeer props. There were several others who worked behind the scenes, who brought to life the performance of the kids in the fairy tale setting. If it were not for a major glitch with the sound system, which compromised the performance of the artists, it was a perfect way to start the evening. If you have to produce a dance of great beauty and enchantment, with costumes, pom-poms et al in two days flat, you do not have to look beyond H-308. Sujata Sundaresan did such a commendable job of choreographing the kids that it pushed this year’s Christmas Eve show amongst the best we have had in years. The dance featured Ananya of G-205, Aradya and Ananya of G-001, Keana of A-008, Saisha of C-205, Samiksha of B-107, Aparna H-208 and Vedika of A-106. The roles of royalty fell on the able shoulders of Dinkar, Ashwin and Anish; Joseph was enacted by Srikanth, Mother Mary by Juilee, and Reindeer by Kashish.
The Christmas carols were choreographed and produced by Gita Rastogi and the singers were Prakriti, Sri Laxmi, Nikita, Nandita, Mallika and Kavya. Nandita also did a great job in rallying the kids around for practice sessions. Nalin Rastogi set up the background music. Santa, who turned out be Archit’s friend, trooped in to distribute goodies to the kids. Aditi Umapathy did a solo Miley Cyrus number with Divya on the guitar and Kavya on the keyboard. This was followed with some blues and rock numbers from Rangu and Ramanan, which unfortunately did not get the applause they deserved because of faulty sound system. Gita Rastogi deserves kudos for motivating the ladies and kids to come up with such exhilarating stage art.
The food and drinks stalls did roaring business and netted for the Society a total sum of Rs.3, 610. Following were the contributions made from the food stalls:
Mrs. Abraham of G-104, Rs. 500 from cake stall
Mrs Gita Rastogi of C-005, Rs. 500 from cake stall
Mrs. Madhavi Samson of A-201, Rs. 500 from Pav Bhaji stall
Mrs. Kanti Elasseri of H- 206, Rs. 250 from Cake stall.
Mrs. Poornima Narayanan of B002, Rs. 300 from Banana Bread and Cookie stall.
Mrs. Govil of B-106, Rs. 300 from Poori-Chole stall.
Auntie’s Rolls Rs. 400 from Egg roll stall
Anand Sundaresan of H-308 Rs. 450 for Fruit punch
.Another Rs. 410 was collected from the games stalls.
At midnight on the 31st people descended to the community hall from their respective parties, surprisingly sober, to eat cake and usher in the New Year. Although there were a decent number of people staying up to ring in the New Year, we still had a lot of cake left over.
At midnight on the 31st people descended to the community hall from their respective parties, surprisingly sober, to eat cake and usher in the New Year. Although there were a decent number of people staying up to ring in the New Year, we still had a lot of cake left over.
Snippets
The honour for the last baby born in 2008 in Yamuna goes to the daughter of Anil and Praseeda of E-002 who came into this world on a cold 22nd December morning. This child, who is born on the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn, should bring in the good fortune of both these signs. Mr.and Mrs. K.K.Nair would be having their hands full taking care of their grandchild.
Healthfile
WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS RIGHT…..IS WRONG!
*Vitamins keep you fighting fit
Danish scientists say that popping vitamins like channa is useless. If you’re in good health, supplements are unnecessary – in fact, they disrupt the body’s natural defences.
It is true that Vit.C and other vitamin-rich foods help your body fight off colds; but vitamins won’t cure a cold once you’ve got it. It’s the same with folic acid. Recent studies indicate that it does nothing to reduce mortality; sometimes, it can actually be harmful. Stick to one apple a day; better, go for the more nutritious – and cheaper – banana!
It is true that Vit.C and other vitamin-rich foods help your body fight off colds; but vitamins won’t cure a cold once you’ve got it. It’s the same with folic acid. Recent studies indicate that it does nothing to reduce mortality; sometimes, it can actually be harmful. Stick to one apple a day; better, go for the more nutritious – and cheaper – banana!
*Bread and potatoes are fattening
These are healthy carbs, low in fat. A medium sized aloo has 88 calories, a slice of bread tots up 70 calories. What ups their fat content are the add-ons like butter or mayo. (Remember a calorie is only a unit of energy. You will put on kilos only if you consume more calories than you can burn in energy and exercise). The best way to eat these foods: eat vitamin-and-fibre rich whole grain bread with low-fat fillings(Nutralite, veggies, sprouts, tofu), boiled, instead of fried potatoes.(Source: Health magazine)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS – JANUARY 2009
11th January
The deferred heritage walk to Vijay Mandal and Begumpuri Masjid (Tughlaq-era monuments near Sarvapriya Vihar)will be undertaken as per the following details:
Please assemble with your cars at H Block Gate at 9.30 am. Children not accompanied by their parents, will not be taken. Please give your names to Mohan Narayanan at B-002.
13th January
9 pm.- Lohri bonfire at the Badminton court. Please assemble in large numbers and join in the fun and gaiety.
WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL 2009!
DECEMBER 2008 - A BUSY MONTH IN YAMUNA!
ECO-DRIVE - 14 DECEMBER 2008
The hitherto terrestrial eco-drive moved terrace-wards and found a wealth of junk and rubbish. the good news is there was less rubbish on the ground. Whether it is happenstance or lessons learnt, only our next drive will tell!
CHRISTMAS EVE MASTI !!!
