VIEW PHOTOGRAPHS OF YAMUNA'S ANNUAL DAY 2010 !

Issue No. 111 November 2010

EDITORIAL

There was not much time to recover from the Diwali Mela before Diwali came and went like a breeze. The Diwali Illumination Competition held on 5^th November did not throw up any surprises, as the favourites – G&H blocks – crowned themselves yet again with the coveted trophy. There was a stiff competition between the remaining three blocks as a mere three points separated them. A&B took the second spot followed by E&F and C&D. Having said that, the competition didn’t live up to the high standards of a year or two ago. It is obvious that ennui has set in and people are running out of ideas. Residents are also complaining of the high cost of inputs and the desire to excel does not lend itself to holding back. While, the victor is seen grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat, the vanquished feel let down by the judges. After the results were announced, I was gheraoed by a large group of ladies from E&F blocks who were very much peeved with the result. I could not fathom the reason they vented their ire at me. If I had any role in the judging then A&B blocks wouldn’t have been winless in the last ten years. The fact is all the blocks put in so much effort, money and passion into the exercise that they tend to overlook the flaws in their creations and discount the efforts of the others. The judges when they view the effort dispassionately, as they do not belong to the blocks that they are judging, look at things more objectively and come up with their marking. Besides, art being so subjective to interpretation, one person’s view could differ very much from another’s.
The Sports Day held on 14^th November was much anticipated by the children. Many of them were seen warming themselves up much before the bugle sounded the start of the event. Only, in this case, the bugle was the lowly whistle. Due to lack of space I will only report those events which were a cause for mirth. To start with, the under 5 years age, “Picking the toffees” event had the children lined up at the starting line with no clue of what they were supposed to do. There was much coaxing and tutoring by parents and when the children entered the ring for picking the toffees, all hell broke loose. Parents and supporters of each child were seen yelling instructions to the children and the crescendo seemed akin to a bull or a cock fight. Finally, the person who collected more toffees than he could eat in a month was Samarth of H-208 with a whopping 61 teeth destroyers. He was followed by Abhimanyu of A-205 with a more modest 47. I cannot figure out why parents put so much pressure on their young ones. Surely, it would not be good for their psyche.
Since there were many ladies participating in the “Lemon and spoon” race and “Needle and thread’ race, some of the senior ladies didn’t want to get pitted against the younger and nimbler contestants. A person who had the temerity to ask the age of a woman to separate the younger from the older ones almost got biffed in the nose. Here is the witty part. While the desire to win is high, no lady wants to give the impression that she is older than the other. This was a dilemma some of them were confronted with. Finally, the ones who wished to win desperately ran in the seniors group.
The “tug of war” between the men and the women was the humdinger. Having been humbled by the women the previous year, the men came all braced up to extract revenge. In the best of three tries, they did win the first round. Having got the better of the ladies, Kunal wanted to break for lunch. The ladies would have none of it and came roaring back in the second round. There was much accusation that there were too many ladies and counter accusation that the centre point was skewed in favour of the men. The men did not want to go down fighting. They wanted to win it at all costs. With this resolve, in the final round, they gave such a heave that the ladies fell at their feet, hands folded in supplication as if to say “you are the lord and master, what can I do for you?”. My wife, Poornima, who was looking over my shoulder as I typed this, almost strangled me. I was delighted at the score sheet: Men: 2, Women: 1
The athletes who excelled on the day, winning multiple podium finishes are Abhimanyu Rao, Tanvi Savarkar, Avantika Shankar, Shreeya Srikant, Srilakshmi Mani, Ram Srinivas, Tejaswin Shankar, Yohaan Abraham and Parvathy Easwaran. Kudos to them! The programme concluded with Musical Chairs.
The Telecom Minister Raja finally got the heave-ho. However, since he belongs to a coalition partner there will be no JPC probe and his misdeeds will get whitewashed with embarrassing cravenness. If it’s the DMK at the Centre, it’s Congress in Maharashtra and BJP in Karnataka, who are all caught in the cleft of thievery. Probity in public life is not the watchword of Indian politicians. Both in rapacity and thickness of skin, the current set of rulers have outdone their predecessors thereby setting a new benchmark.
The Quiz competition held on 28^th November had a surfeit of participants. As a consequence, instead of four teams of four members as originally envisaged, we ended with six teams. The teams came up with esoteric names like Zingari, Xanadu, Samurai Warriors, Blue Barracudas, Clueless and Quiz Wizards, to add some zing to the competition. The Quiz Master was the redoubtable Sumathi Chandrashekaran of H-107, whose penchant for the unpredictable has now become legendary. The “pore over GK books” contestants would quake in their shoes at the unique and off beat style of quizzing that she has perfected to an art form. Yet most of the teams were not found wanting in their answers, showing thereby that we have residents who are not only well read and well informed but have true interests in fields far removed from the common fare. Sumathi was ably assisted with video projection by her cousin Shalini Narayan. Scoring was managed by Kavya Narayanan. Sumathi must have spent over a month planning, collecting and putting together the videos and other questions, thereby drawing on the resources of her father Chandu and mother Shanti. I am sure if she ventures out to start a quiz show commercially, she will be very successful. Zingari, consisting of Kunal Savarkar, Seema Chari, Sahana Savarkar and Anish were runaway winners with 105 points. This was a formidable team as Kunal Savarkar himself is a quizzer. Besides, the rub of the green went in their favour as they had easy pickings with some questions. Nevertheless, they would still have trumped the others as they could answer most of the passed-off questions from the other teams. The Blue Barracudas consisting of Tarun, Anjali, Aditi and Mansa were runner-up with 70 points, thereby pipping Xanadu by 5 points who in turn were just 5 points ahead of Clueless. Quiz Wizards brought up the rear, but to be fair to them they probably got the toughest questions. In the audience, Poornima Narayanan answered the most questions and collected a lot of Kit Kats as prizes, followed by Seetha Venkataraman and Vatsala Zutshi amongst others. All in all it was a very interesting and absorbing evening. Many thanks to Sumathi who made it happen.
I would like to thank Manoj Subramanian of G-206, Mr. Narayanan of C-007 and B. Kumar of B-202 for providing complimentary gifts for the Quiz contestants amongst others which will be given to them at the Annual Day function.
View more Sports Day pictures here)

SNIPPETS

The last of the Yamcult bachelors has bitten the dust. Kartik of H-303, after holding forth gamely all this while he has fallen for the wily charms of the fairer sex. He let go his grip on bachelorhood when he got engaged to Rashi Jain in a ceremony held in Yamuna on 21^st November. Rashi has done MCA and is working as a software executive in a company in Noida.. Parents Venkatasubramanian and Radha did not have to make an effort to find a match for either of their children. The marriage will be held next year in Saharanpur, where Rashi’s family resides.
Former President, Mr. K.V. N. Iyengar turned 80 on 27^th November.^. A small and intimate ceremony with close friends and relatives was held at D-203, followed by lunch in the Community Hall. Mr. Iyengar loves children and is very well informed about the affairs of the Society. Failing eyesight has however, restricted his activities. We are indeed very privileged to have a wise shoulder to lean on in case of any crisis. His younger son, Badri and family were here from the US to join in the celebration. We wish him long years of fulfilling life in Yamuna.
There is no dearth of relatives for Srikanth in Yamuna. Now, his wife Soumya has added to the tally. She has opened her account, as her sister Smitha and her husband Hariharan have moved into G-302 from Ganga Apartments. Smitha is a software engineer with HCL and Hariharan works for Blue Star. While not working, Smitha loves to read and listen to music. Hariharan is partial to sports and is an avid tennis and badminton player. They may be committing treason if their support for C&D blocks for the Illumination Competition continues after they have moved to G block. They can be reached on 26001636.
Another young couple has moved into A-208 from Goa. Kumar Chiplunkar is an Art Director with Entertainment Design Company. His other interests include painting with water colours and Hindustani classical music. His wife Meghna is also Art Director and Copywriter with the same company. She loves decorating homes and the effects are visible in their very tastefully designed home. The only thing incongruous is the entrance door which is not their doing. Kumar is Maharashtrian and Meghna is Kannadiga. This ethnic diversity adds flavour to Yamuna. They can be reached on 9999956992.
We welcome both these families to Yamuna.

Recipe of the Month

Frijole Mole (say “fri-ho-luh-mole” !)

Ingredients:

½ cup kabuli chana

2-4 green chillies, seeded and chopped fine

2 tablespoons olive oil (or any other veg. oil)

2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped medium

Tabasco or other chilli sauce

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons sour cream or hung curd

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped fine

4 spring onions with greens, chopped

1-2 tablespoon black olives (optional), salt to taste

This easy-to-make recipe is a simplified version of the Mexican original by one of my favourite food writers, Vasundhara Chauhan. It’s delicious and loaded with nutrients. Best of all, it’s versatile – you can use it as a party dip with nachos, potato wafers or freshly cut vegetables like carrots, cucumber and mooli. When hunger pangs strike you at an odd hour, slap it onto a slice of bread and toast lightly for a warm, crunchy snack !
Soak kabuli chana overnight. The next morning, drain chana and boil with salt in about a cupful of water till tender. Simmer for about 30 min after full pressure has been reached in a pressure cooker. Drain and keep aside the cooking liquid. Heat oil in a frying pan. Saute onions and garlic till golden. Add lime juice, onions, garlic and any oil that remains in the pan to the cooked chana. Whiz in a mixie until almost smooth (can be a little chunky). If the mixture becomes too thick, just add a tablespoon of the reserved liquid.
Transfer the mixture from blender jar to serving bowl, taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in chopped spring onions, chillies, tomatoes, Tabasco, sour cream and coriander. Garnish with pitted and halved olives, cover and refrigerate.
This keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to keep it longer, leave out the tomatoes and add them just before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

(Poornima Narayanan)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – DECEMBER 2010

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
4.12.10	4.30 PM	ANNUAL DAY-REFRESHMENTS,PRIZE	MAIN LAWN
		DISTRIBUTION, VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT,
25.12.10	6.00 PM	CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL-FOOD & GAMES STALLS/MUSIC/DANCE	BADMINTON COURT
31.12.10	12.00	MIDNIGHT CAKE CUTTING TO USHER IN THE NEW YEAR	COMMUNITY HALL

Diwali - 5 November 2010

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF DIWALI ILLUMINATION 2010

(These pictures were taken by Divya , mostly of A and B blocks preparing for the competition. Residents who have taken photographs of the other blocks are welcome to e-mail it to us for uploading on the blog.)

Issue No. 110 I October, 2010

EDITORIAL

The AGM held on 3rd October went off without much ado. Ballot papers were introduced for the first time to vote on various issues. This was specifically done, since in the previous meetings, a few people used to hijack the meeting by vociferously stating their point of view leaving very little opportunity for the others to have their say. In a democratic set up, every member should have an equal opportunity to express their choice. This is exactly what the ballot paper set out to do. By means of the ballot paper, one can also gauge the extent to which each issue finds support. What emerged from the debate at the AGM is that the present set of members wishes to have an enhanced quality of life. They are, unlike in the past, not loath to open their purse strings for increased maintenance. We should however, guard against this euphoria, as the colony has a sizable number of retired people whose means are not as robust as some of the upwardly mobile youngsters. A proposal from the members for introducing a sinking fund of Rs. 500 a month had to be scaled down to Rs. 200 a month to address their concerns.


The usually monochromatic Yamuna Apartments with its grey walls, grey hexagons and sombre dress sense got its dash of colour during Navratri when ladies dressed in beautiful saris and matching jewellery went about visiting their neighbours. Such visits are out of bounds for men generally, so I have to rely on anecdotal evidence from my wife, of very creative and tasteful kolu exhibits, some of which will get featured in the blog. With a slew of festivals and events dotting the calendar for the rest of the year, joy and gaiety should see no bounds. Watch out for the ladies. They always take my breath away with their sartorial elegance.


The Navratri celebrations culminated with Dandiya on 16^th October. Though the attendance was a little thinner than previous years, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the assembled lot. Those who had not returned from vacation and others who were tied up in the swirl of Navratri visits, surely missed something. The stage was decked up with colourful dupattas loaned by Aruna, Radha, Seema, Anu and Poornima. Food stalls put up by Sheela, Mrs. Govil, Aruna and Bhavani tickled the taste buds. Dancers in traditional attire looked very fetching. The music was more Bollywood genre than typical dandiya fare. As they say, you give people what they want and the dancers surely responded. Netra and Nandita amongst others with their nifty and gyrating moves were the cynosure of all eyes. As usual Balaji and junior Prashant as the DJ’s, handled the music with aplomb.


When I heard that the movie that people wanted screened on 23^rd October was Tere Bin Laden, I let out a groan. Although there have been several well made movies on terrorism, I like to avoid them. One sees too much of it first hand, lives them constantly and experiences the myriad subtle and overt ways it affects our lives. To see it amplified and shown on screens gives refuge in catharsis. I don’t even like the art form that magnifies human bestiality. But this one was different, a spoof which shows the naiveté of Americans in the fight against terror. Good for a laugh. However, that didn’t tempt many residents to the badminton court to watch the movie. It was too much effort for just a handful of people. What a pity!

Mr. Seshan has requested for one of the members to take over the functioning of the Yamuna Store as he would like to get relieved from its active management. Anybody with good ideas, management skills and time on hand may get in touch with him.


Those who are wondering why the roadwork has not begun, please be informed that the manufacturer of the interlock bricks will take fifteen days from the release of the purchase order to deliver the bricks. The Managing Committee were in the meanwhile busy obtaining all the clarifications on the queries that members had. In any case, the laying of the road is a very slow process and it can take up to three months to complete the works. Residents are requested to co-operate during this period as they may have to park their cars outside for upto three days as the work will take place section by section. Residents will be notified as to when they will have to move their cars. Work is likely to commence in the first week of December.

The arrival of Mr. P. Krishnamurthy as the Secretary of the Society has been a big boon for the Managing Committee and the residents. He is not only in a position to devote a lot of time to address the problems of residents but is also very efficient and capable. However, the number of problematic issues does not seem to wane. Of late, a lot of residents have been laid low with the debilitating effects of chikungunya and dengue. The probable cause is the breeding of mosquitoes in the drains, where the water is stagnating. Calls to MCD have not borne much fruit as their high pressure pump, required to unclog the drains has been out of order for the last six months. We are trying to ascertain if there is a private party that can do the job. There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our residents.


After a lull of two years, when Diwali Mela was only held on a mini scale, we conducted the event on a much larger scale albeit in the Badminton Court and quadrangle in front of the office. Although not quite the geographical size of melas of yore that were held in the main lawn, it still measured up to the vintage quality of those functions.. Everybody got into the spirit of a mela and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The Music on Request stall had an outback theme and was decked up for the occasion. Prashant and his motley crew consisting of Balaji, Kartik, Shashank, Anirudh, Netra and Saudamini did a splendid job and kept the audience in good spirits. Sujata Sundaresan, Srikanth Murthy and Renu Garg did their bit in organising the letting out of stalls. Sudha Umapathi rustled up some volunteers to man the stalls and Thomas helped with the posters. Mr. Ramabhadran was instrumental in arranging sponsorship for the mela to the extent of Rs. 7,500. Mr. Sunil Jamba contributed a bagful of complimentary Nestle products for the Hoopla stall. At the jam session, the residents let down their hair and there was unbridled excitement with many conventional and unconventional dance moves. I must also thank all the stall holders for making the Mela an unqualified success. I still had to count on my old faithful, Sudha Sundaram and Sumathi Chandrasekharan to manage the Tambola stall. They also helped me to clear up all the stalls after the mela. There was a minor scare when the lights went out for a brief while. Thankfully, the power got restored within minutes. Srikanth has posted some great photos of all the action here.

SNIPPETS

Cuteness will not remain the exclusive preserve of Abhi, son of Sowmya and Arjun Rao of A-205 as Sowmya has delivered a male sibling for Abhi. Amogh was born on 18^th September in Hyderabad. Abhi, unfortunately will have to share the mollycoddling rights with Amogh. With two brats at home, Sowmya will have handfuls of male adrenaline to deal with.

After notching up the bragging rights with her invitation to the World Mathematics Congress in August, Shantha of A-105, did not rest on her laurels. She has been awarded a PhD in mathematics from Delhi University this month. Our salute to you, Dr. K. V. Shantha.

Mrs. Syamala Shankara Iyer of C-202, who has been a regular at the temple, is moving for good, to live with her elder son in Chennai. This kind and friendly soul will be missed in Yamuna.

Accolades have come thick and fast Renu Viswanath’s (A-305) way. After having earned the best teacher award earlier this year, she has been promoted as Head Mistress of the primary section in Mother’s International School. Way to go, ma’am!


Mr. Rohit and Rinku Puri have moved out of A-208 to Mandakini Apartments.

A family that likes to live life king size has moved into G-204. Lt. Col. Pramod, after leaving the Army, has joined as director in a trading company called Paramahansa Technologies. He is a multi-dimensional person. He is a good badminton and basketballplayer and likes to party. His wife Geeta is currently looking after the house but has worked as a Maths teacher in the past. She is also a salsa dancer. Their daughter Chandana is doing B. Com (Hons) from Maitreyi College. She is a jazz dancer and dabbles in modelling. I am sure you will get to see a lot of this family either on the stage or otherwise.

Arjun Krishnan, a strapping 6-foot something lawyer has moved into H-005. With rakish good looks, he cannot and will not stay a bachelor for long. He is getting married in December this year to Swethaa.

English can be fun – II

People in other countries sometimes go out of their way to communicate with their English-speaking tourists. Here is a list of signs seen around the world :


At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT
TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.


Doctors office, Rome :
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.


Hotel, Acapulco :
THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.


In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE SHOULD WAIT AND SEE THE MANAGER.


In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.


In a Calcutta Coffee House:
PEOPLE DISCARDING CIGARETTE STUBS IN CUPS WILL BE SERVED COFFEE IN ASH TRAYS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - NOVEMBER 2010

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
1-10.10		TT & BADMINTON TOURNAMENTS
5.11.10	7.00 PM	DIWALI ILLUMINATION COMPETITION	BETWEEN BLOCKS
14.11.10	9.00 AM	SPORTS DAY	MAIN LAWN
27.11.10	4.30 PM	ANNUAL DAY-REFRESHMENTS,PRIZE	MAIN LAWN
		DISTRIBUTION, VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT,
		CONTRIBUTORY DINNER	BADMINTON COURT

Navratri at Yamuna!

Issue No. 109 I September 2010

EDITORIAL

It’s time to flee Delhi as the Commonwealth Games approaches. The security establishment is so paranoid about terrorists disrupting the games that moving around may become a nightmare. Don’t be surprised if they peek in your underwear for hidden arsenal. In any case, who wants to hear endlessly the televised wailings of those Cassandras who tell us that India should never have bid for the Commonwealth Games or the never-say-die optimists who maintain that mega sporting events are just what the masses want and everything will be tickety-boo. So, go on a holiday and ignore the television screens.

The cars in the colony are getting bigger and so are the egos. Bigger cars leave less remove to manoeuvre to slip the car into the slot. In order to leave enough room for your neighbour to conveniently park his or her car and not leave any scratches or dents, one has to consciously do some subtle aligning to get it right. But who has the time or perhaps, who cares! You could end up slipping your car between already two parked cars and find that you are not able to open either of the front doors enough, to emerge out of the car. Unless you are built like an elf you might have to do some calisthenics to make it in time for dinner! Please consider your neighbour a friend and leave enough room for him or her to park and do not park in other people’s slots. It can be very annoying.

The UPA’s second term is turning out to be nightmare. In vain did the Indian people hope that this clutch of ministers and their factotums from a confusing medley of political parties, might mature with experience. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We are tired of sloppy sentimentalism for the poor or the pompous and vacuous discourses on elimination of corruption or the pathetic inability to do anything with a team of colleagues pulling in different directions. The country is plodding along, with a loss of momentum in economic reforms that exists only in the velocity of verbiage of the garrulous ministers. Of course, the worst performing ministers are from the coalition partners and not from Congress but that does not deflect from the responsibility of the main party. The PM is mild of manner, with impeccable credentials as an honest and incorruptible politician, but he must demonstrate that coalition does not signify pusillanimity, as otherwise the next hustings could be very daunting. To add to the turmoil, the Kashmir imbroglio, food inflation, rotting foodgrain and Commonwealth games scam give enough cause to the opposition to put the Government on a sticky wicket with Muralitharan and Mendis at the bowling end.

Rain and power failures seem to be playing truant with our cultural schedules. After disrupting the Onam feast, the rain showed its fangs yet again at the Janmashtami festival. The Krishna Leela planned on the small stage in the badminton court had to be moved to the covered Community Hall on 2^nd September. The tableaux painstakingly prepared on the stage by the children got washed away. The programme scheduled for 7.30 pm had to be rescheduled to 8pm because of the power outage. This disruption did not however, dampen the enthusiasm of the participants who were at their very best. The Krishna Leela featured two dances, both choreographed by Shahin of E-205. The dance, Radha kaise na jale (of Lagaan fame) featured Pradyumn, Vinay, Vivek, Vedika, Vanshika, Devyani, Bhavna, Ananya and Aradhya. They were a picture of grace and colour in the dance ballet. The prize for best dressed Krishna and Radha had to be abandoned as it was very difficult to pick just one winner from all the beautifully turned out participants. The dance, Govinda ala re was a more peppy number done by Siddhant, Jai Krishnan, Sachin, Vinay, Vivek, Gokul, Mani, Aryan and Pradyumn. They danced with gusto and the audience clapped to the beat. Despite the rain and changed schedule, there was a fair sprinkling of residents to cheer the kids. Mr. M. Thangathurai of B-302 distributed Nestle Munch chocolates to the assembled throng. View photos of the very charming performers right here.

The festive season is upon us. People who wish to participate in cultural events should get in touch with Shahin Ponnuswamy ,Prema Manoj or Seema Chari. Those wishing to hold games and food stalls should get in touch with me and for sports with Thomas Abraham, Raju Parameswaran or Srikant Murthy.

Due to police restrictions on account of the Commonwealth Games, all hawkers have been evicted. On a plea from residents, one vegetable vendor has been given access to Yamuna for a couple of hours in the morning until the Games get over. This has provoked a person to send an anonymous diatribe about some “privileged” Managing Committee members having allowed access to this hawker by taking a hefty bribe, thereby compromising the security of the Apartments. Whosoever is making the allegations should have the courage to put his/her name to the notice. Such low form of slander is a hallmark of a coward unwilling to stand the test of propriety. It is utterly shameful and disgusting that when one attempts to mitigate the hardship faced by residents in sourcing vegetables, someone sees ulterior motives.

SNIPPETS

Felicity with numbers comes only to the chosen few. To be invited to the World Mathematics Congress, is the pinnacle of achievement even for this rare breed. This honour was bestowed upon Mrs. K. V. Shantha of A-105, who was amongst the select band of world renowned mathematicians invited to the Congress held in Hyderabad in August. Kudos to her.

Pradeep Amle, an engineer with Samsung Engineering India, has moved to H-106 from Seoul, Korea via Mumbai. His wife is a Chemical Engineer but has resigned from her job to nurse her twin children Aadi (son) and Ovi (daughter), born ten months ago. Their interests are confined to reading books on Engineering to further their intellectual heft. With their moving into the complex they would be boosting the Marathi speaking population of Yamuna.

I wonder what it is about Mumbai that almost all the influx of residents to Yamuna in recent times have been from the land of Bollywood. The latest kid on the block is Kartick Shankar. He has moved into B-306 along with his wife Madhu and his parents. Madhu got married to Kartick only this May when he popped the question. Kartick has taken a job with Godfrey Phillips as Brand Manager. Madhu who was a Fund Manager in the Treasury department of a Mumbai firm will join the ranks of the educated unemployed when she moves to Delhi. Not for long, though; with her pedigree, employers should be queuing to hire her. Both Kartick and Madhu love to listen to western music. Reading and movies are Madhu’s other interests. They can be reached on 9560399967.

We wish both these families a wonderful stay in Yamuna.

For daughters delivering babies, parents are the most valuable resource. They are the only ones who would not crib about sleepless nights, soiled nappies and wailing infants. For Smriti, Mr. and Mrs. Raghunathan’s (H-208) daughter, their visit to her home in the US could not have come at a better time as she delivered a bonny boy, Vihaan. All residents in Yamuna congratulate them and hope their chores turn out to be pleasurable as babies can also be great stress relievers.

HEALTH CAPSULE

Camphor – Nature’s mosquito repellent

Malaria and dengue are wreaking havoc in Delhi. Most of us fall back on those blue tablets sold under various names to repel mosquitoes. Do they work? Hardly. For one, mosquitoes seem to be happily resistant to the best of repellents. Also, these products are harmful to us. Many people develop allergic reactions after prolonged use. One simple alternative is camphor. In earlier times, people lit diyas and burned camphor as part of their daily worship. These helped purify the air and ward off harmful bacteria and viruses. Perhaps it’s time to bring back these ancient, time-tested remedies! Camphor or Karpur is extracted from the wood of the Camphor Laurel tree native to Asia. It has wide-ranging medicinal uses. Camphor oil relieves cough and nasal congestion when rubbed on the chest. Cough syrup and throat lozenge manufacturers use it in their products. It is used in ointments and creams to abate itching. Camphor oil relieves sore muscles and stiffness in arthritis. It is also an excellent, natural mosquito repellent that’s both cost-effective and devoid of side effects.. What’s more, you do not need to burn it. Try this: Place two tablets of camphor in different corners of the room or wherever mosquitoes seem to congregate. The tablets will evaporate in a day or so keeping the air purer and mosquito free. Dissolve two camphor tablets in a bowl or plate containing some water. Place the container in your bedroom (use a larger container and more water for a big room). As the water evaporates gradually, the room will be filled with the smell of camphor, driving away those pesky mosquitoes. A bit of hot water produces instant action! The results are amazing – try it and go tell all your friends, too! Contributed by Mahesh Eswaran (A-303). English Can Be Fun ! Spotted in a toilet of a London office: TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW. In a London laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT Outside a London second-hand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN? Spotted in a safari park: ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR Seen during a London conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR Notice in a field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES On a repair shop door: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR, THE BELL DOESN'T WORK) OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3rd October – 9.30 am. Annual General Body meeting in the quadrangle in front of the Society Office. All members are requested to attend. 16th October – 7pm. Dandiya, music, dance and dinner. 23rd October – 6.30 pm. Movie screening and pot-luck dinner. 30th October – 6.30 pm onwards .Mini Diwali Mela All the cultural events will be held at the Badminton Court.

Issue No. 108 I August, 2010

EDITORIAL

The Rain God mercifully kept his wand to himself and allowed us to celebrate Independence Day without much ado. Uttara of A-005, the youngest child in the colony unfurled the tricolour. Helium balloons in the colours of the National flag were let loose. As the balloons soared in the sky the National Anthem and other patriotic songs were sung by the assembled throng to the keyboard beat of Vedika of A-106 and Ananya of G-001. Later Ananyaa of C-106 and Shreeya of C-003 sang a duet. Gita Rastogi, as usual played her part in getting the girls to practice and sing. S. Srikanth’s photos capturing the mood of the day are displayed in the blog. To usher in the spirit of Independence, sweets were distributed. Some people were seen heading to the terrace to fly kites. It seems the practice of kite flying is on the wane as hardly half a dozen kites were seen in the sky.

I was alerted by Srikanth of C-003 that instances of galloping electricity meters were owing to the mismatch between the sanctioned load for the Apartments and the current being drawn. In other words if your sanctioned load is 1KW and you are drawing 3 KW’s of power then your meter is likely to show a very high reading and you are likely to receive a much higher electricity bill than you should. In order that you are not caught unawares please see on the reverse of your electricity bill, where your connected load and current consumption are mentioned. If there is a mismatch between the two as mentioned above, you may need to get additional load sanctioned to prevent your meter from racing. With lot of gadgets having invaded homes in recent times, it is quite possible that you have far outstripped the consumption patterns of yore.

Rain came down in buckets. As the deluge and power failure threatened to derail the Onam feast scheduled for 21^st August, the pookolam was moved to the space under the Club House and the dinner to the Community Hall from the Badminton Court. A five hour power failure in south Delhi just ended about ten minutes before the dinner was to start. Alka Arora of A-106, Anusmitha Kumar of B-202 got the flowers in pouring rain and between them, Girija of D-001 and Sridevi of G-303, made a beautiful pookolam. It had the right combination of colours and design elements. Gita Rastogi, Prema, Rekha, Meera, Mrs. PKK Nair and Anu with typical Onam saris brought visions of Kerala. One hundred and twenty-five residents and their friends partook in the feast. When a satisfied burp rang out from the Hall it spoke volumes on the quality of the feast. It was simply awesome!  I would be remiss, if I do not mention the contribution of Sujata of G-301 in bringing down the per coupon cost of the meal from the caterer.

My wife and I are a little concerned at the standard of English in supposedly reputed schools these days. Seeing the marking on the test papers of my daughters, I do a double take at the howlers that pass off as correct answers. While I always long for grammatically unimpeachable and stylishly extravagant usages, I would gladly settle for simple, well structured sentences. But, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack with today’s kids. Their lingua franca is ‘Hinglish’, a nightmare for both ends of the linguistic spectrum. Parent representatives have a crucial role to play in addressing the infirmities and gaps in the present education system and they must not shy away from it for the sake of the next generation.

The over 30-year-old pipes of Yamuna are breaking like biscuits, leading to seepage of water, dry taps and inconvenience to residents. While we are replacing portions of the pipes whenever reports of leakage are received, we are not able to fix them fast enough owing to the sheer number of complaints. Besides, this is not a permanent solution as soon enough, leaks spring elsewhere. As some of you may be aware, the pipes from the pump house traverse between the blocks and then branch off and run under the floors of the flats to reach the shaft. Leaks that spring under the floors will never get detected and hence, we may be losing a lot of water for which we are paying heavily to Delhi Jal Board. It is advised that if any ground floor resident is intending to lay a new floor, he should lay a subterranean 2-inch PVC pipe from the originating point of the feeder pipe to the shaft. In case the original pipe gives way, he may not have to break the floor. He can thread a 1 ½ inch pipe through the PVC pipe and restore his water supply. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no bends in the PVC pipes. Those who intend to replace their floors may get in touch with Srikanth of C-003 for advice, who is presently getting this job done in his flat.

We need to sooner rather than later lay completely new pipelines. Unfortunately, the Society does not have a corpus of fund large enough to undertake a work of this magnitude. We will be proposing a sinking fund payable every month in the forthcoming AGM to address issues of high capital intensive projects.

The Commonwealth Games is expected to throw everything into a tizzy. People living and commuting in Delhi will have to put up with chaos on the streets. Since the schools and colleges are closed during this period many residents are planning vacations in order to get away. We are also planning a trip to Ranthambore, famous for its tiger sanctuary and ancient fort between 8^th and 10^th of October. Those who are footloose and fancy free and yearn for the great outdoors are welcome to join the trip. We will be travelling in individual cars. It is a 7-hour journey via Jaipur with convenient halts in between. Those who do not have cars may team up with others who have spare room. Two nights will be spent in a resort in Ranthambore for which the individuals will have to pay. Please give your names and addresses to the office for coordination, latest by 7^th September.

This month onwards, we are starting a Recipe of the Month column for all gastronomes. Anybody wishing to share their culinary expertise can contribute to this column. A picture of your dish accompanying the recipe could make the salivary glands go on overdrive. Innovativeness is the key.

SNIPPETS

Mr. N. Meyyappan has moved into C-203 from Chennai. A lawyer by profession, he works as assistant to Mr. Mohan Parasaran, the Additional Solicitor General of India. An eligible bachelor, Meyyappan is a photographer and a soccer fan. He can be reached on 9971621212.

Recipe of the Month

Honey Ginger and Dry Fruit Cake

This rich fruit cake has been adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Pomeroy using locally available ingredients. The sugar-and-lemon juice icing is excellent and easy to make. 


Ingredients:
100 g butter (Amul /Vijaya Butter works fine)
200 g honey
150 ml milk
2 eggs beaten
50 g fresh ginger cut fine
200 g maida
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Spices: 2 tsp dry ginger powder (MDH or any similar brand) , 1 tsp ground cinnamon (dalchini)powder, ½ tsp nutmeg (Jaiphal), ¼ tsp cloves (laung) powdered
Chopped dry fruit (3/4th cup) : kishmish, dates, almonds, anjeer (dry figs) {Alaknanda Dry Fruit store stocks all of this.}
Icing: Powder ¾ cup sugar and place in a katori. Add the juice of a lemon slowly and mix with a spoon till the mixture resembles “dosa batter”.
Method:
Lightly grease and flour a 7-8 inch cake tin (I use a non-stick tin that doesn’t need greasing). Preheat the oven to 150 ° C.
Heat the butter and honey in a pan till butter melts (in a microwave this takes 30-45 seconds). When cool, add 150 ml milk. Cool further and mix in beaten eggs.
Sieve together 2-3 times, the maida, soda bicarb and spices. Slowly mix melted honey, butter, eggs and milk into the flour. Do not mix vigorously.
Gently add dry fruits, mix and pour into the cake tin. Bake for 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs. Your cake is done when a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the cake and plaster with lemon icing.

 (Shanti Chandrashekaran- H-107)

(Send in your contributions to the Chronicle by e-mail. Traditional recipes not seen around much these days are very welcome. )

BLOOPERS !

If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius..


1. Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.


2. "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.


3. "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Al Gore ( ex Vice-President, USA)


4. "Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery


5. "We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.


6. "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body" --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

CALENDER OF EVENTS – SEPTEMBER 2010

                         02.09.2010                                                        7.30 pm.

Krishna Leela on the small stage in the Badminton Court enacted by children. Ground decorations will be put up at various places. Please come in large numbers to cheer the children.

EVENTS IN AUGUST

Saare jahan se achha, Hindustan hamara....

Pookolam artists at work 

All set for the Onam Sadhya

View more pictures at these links:

Independence Day

Pookolam & Onam Sadhya

ISSUE NO. 107 I JULY 2010

EDITORIAL

A bad monsoon is a curse but that does not make a good monsoon a blessing. Floods, water logged streets, uprooted trees, traffic snarls, collapsing walls and buildings, electrocution through snapped electric lines, potholes that become craters and caved in roads are all signs that we have had a reasonably good monsoon. But what has it done? It has brought misery to many. One would have to conclude that despite all the evidence of logic, reason and science, the desire to believe in something unseen but bigger than us has become quite enduring. Otherwise, why else are we all mute spectators to this turmoil year after year? We as a nation are not geared up to handle any eventuality even if it happens with regularity. All that is in our hands is to change the Government that is in power. But, does that help? The politicians irrespective of their party affiliations are of the same genetic stripe – ready to feather their nests at the expense of the people who elected them.

The Secretary, Bharti Ramakrishnan, has resigned. There are subtle comments being made about discordant notes among Managing Committee members. The debut of Managing Committee members may seem unharmonious, but it is not like what it is being made out to be. Youthful impetuosity may be at odds with maturity and level headedness. Fortunately, these are always transient in nature. The debut Managing Committee members will come out of this trial by fire unscathed and do well. Any change has its gestation period to settle – and settle it will, although it may not seem so at present.

On the upside, youth bring a fresh approach to dealing with problems. A lot of arbitrariness that may have been prevalent has been replaced by documented, clear and cogent guidelines for dealing with various issues. Henceforth, residents cannot complain about partiality of any kind. The rights and obligations of Managing Committee members are at par with all the residents. The honest and law abiding members may feel aggrieved when asked to meet some formalities and obligations. This is no attempt to cast aspersions on their intentions. Unfortunately, there is no other way to demonstrate a level playing field for everybody. There may be scope for further improvement, though, and we welcome suggestions.

The month you get to read this issue of the Chronicle, we will be celebrating the 63^rd year of Independence. Independence Day has seen the birth of India as we know today. From mid=eighteenth century onwards the different independent principalities were brought under British suzerainty and passed on to us at Independence as one whole, except for Pakistan. While India was formed then, has it created Indians? I think not. Empirical evidence of linguistic, casteist, religious and economic divide continue to plague our psyche. We delight in damaging public property, create chaos and call for bandhs, all of which end up debilitating the country. We have to come out of these parochial ghettos of our mind and realise the India of our dreams. We would then be proud to call ourselves Indian. Anyway, this should not stop us from celebrating Independence Day. Please assemble on the day in the badminton court for the flag hoisting ceremony.
The morning badminton group were in deep gloom for quite some time since Vichu and Geetha upped and left for Bangalore. They were the first ones to come and rig the net and knock around. With them gone, there was a lull for a few days. Anyway, the group has now got over their grief and resumed playing. They will however miss Vichu’s risqué jokes.

We have all become slaves to the plastic bag as a shopping accessory, thereby polluting the environment. These plastic covers find their way to the drains and end up clogging them. Before the advent of the dreaded plastic bags, people were accustomed to carrying cloth bags for shopping, a far more environmentally friendly option. The time has come to revive that habit. If you find cloth bags it cumbersome to carry, please consider taking a used plastic bag from home in your pocket or handbag when you visit the market. At least this way, the bag will get used several times. The use of plastic wrappers has grown dramatically as one now finds invitation cards, magazines and other sundry items wrapped in them, which is quite unnecessary. In case you have plans to print invitation cards for functions, please avoid putting them in a plastic wrapper. Say no to plastics and save the world.
Mani Shankar Aiyer recently stirred a hornets’ nest by stating that he would be happy if the Commonwealth Games end in failure. If you read the statement without the context, you would have been shocked at his unpatriotic stance. But what he was alluding to was, if the games were a success, the powers that be would then bid for the Asian games and the Olympics, thus frittering away scarce resources. The fact is that colossal sums have been spent on the Games which under no circumstance justify the quantum or quality of work done. It is obvious that most of the money has ended up lining the pockets of contractors and the organisers. The shoddy work is clear indication of poor workmanship and use of inferior materials. Delhi beats the sorry standards set by past wastrel hosts of the sporting extravaganza.

The appointment of the new security agency for the colony is a classic case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire. The negligence of the previous security agency and demand for a steep increase in charges prompted us to look for alternatives. Little did we realise that the replacement would be worse. The new agency’s credentials, of manning another society and club nearby, went up in smoke when they were shown the door recently. It is imperative that we take a similar step as warnings of negligence have not been heeded by the agency. Unfortunately, the burgeoning demand for security personnel for the Commonwealth games has pushed the charges for security services to unsustainable levels. At present any reputed security agency is quoting double the charges for the same level of manning. The Society’s budget does not permit such extravagance. We have to put up a proposal before the General Body for increased allocation of budget to necessitate the change. Please bear with us patiently till then.

SNIPPETS

Netra Sundaresan’s arangetram at the Tamil Sangam auditorium on 23rd July drew a large crowd of invitees from Yamuna and elsewhere. Having been under the tutelage of the famed Saroja Vaidyanathan, Netra’s debut was expected to have a touch of class. But one has to still deliver on the day – and deliver she did, with aplomb. Her nuanced expressions, grace and fluid movements would have done someone more advanced in age and experience proud. Everybody seemed to have a jolly good time savouring the dance, the chit-chat and the laid out spread. Sujata deserves kudos for the magnificent organisation and Anand for writing out the cheques! Netra’s performance could spur other children in the colony to take up Bharatanatyam. Unfortunately, an emergency precluded me from witnessing this event. My report is based on a unanimous appraisal from those were fortunate to be present. 

(View more pix from Netra’s arangetram photo album)

There is a lot of traffic of people moving in and out of Yamuna of late.


Abhay and Pallavi had to move to Noida from B-306 because the landlord wanted his flat back. That means separation pangs for Mr. and Mrs. Govil of B-106, who drew comfort from their daughter and son-in law’s proximity.


Sridhar Saraswathy of C-203 has moved with his family to Bangalore as India Head of Archibus, a tech company from USA.

Ms. Jayalakshmi has moved to South Extension from H-106.

Two residents did not have call in the movers.


Mr. Vishwas Dixit has moved from C-205 to C-207.


Mr. N. L. Ganapathy has changed loyalties by dumping C Block in favour of E Block. You can now find him in E-206.


Whew! I am losing track of who is staying where.

Venkatesh of E-105 got married to Jyothi in Chennai on 7th June. Jyothi is Manager Operations in Standard Chartered Bank. She must be quite indispensable as she has been allowed to work from home after moving to Delhi. We wish this couple an enchanting married life.

Letter to the editor

Through the columns of Yamuna Chronicle, my family members and I convey our deep gratitude and thanks to all Yamuna residents for their condolences and sympathy extended on Mrs Meena Krishnan’s demise. Special thanks are due to Srikanth for the timely help in rushing her to the hospital and taking care of the last rites. Thanks are due to Mrs Aruna, Mrs Bhavani and Mrs Kalyani who took care of our food requirements.
Mrs Meena Krishnan believed in sharing her resources and knowledge with others. She taught Narayaneeyam (poems in praise of Lord Guruvayurappan) to a group of ladies from Yamuna and elsewhere. These ladies chanted selected slokas of the composition after the thirteenth day ceremony (8^th July) as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Our thanks to them. Though Mrs Meena is no longer in our midst, her presence is always in our midst. According to her wish, her eyes were donated to bring vision to a blind person; through him, she continues to see the world.
Once again, thanks to all.           

N Krishnan. (E-004)

YAMUNA'S TREES

Tree of the month - Jamun ( Syzigium cumini)

When walking clockwise along the Yamuna Apartments boundary road towards the store, you might notice purple jelly blobs on the ground. The stains can look ugly …. but look up and you will see eye-catching purple jamuns dangling in bunches, plummeting to the ground every time there is a moderate breeze. Those of us used to jamun being sold at India Gate during the onset of the monsoon would be familiar with this sight. I have often waited for the season to start to get my quota of the fruit. The jamun sellers lace the fruit with “kala namak” to combat the astringent sensation that the fruit leaves on the tongue. Another little thing I remember about jamun is that as children we would wrap the leaves into a tube and blow into it to create a unique, rather tuneless sound ….an indigenous Vuvuzela! Selecting “Jamun” for this month was Mr.Masodkar’s idea and there was certainly no reason for disagreeing.

The Jamun is a highly coveted fruit tree indigenous to India. Jamun (Eugenia jambolina or Syzigium cumini) – never mind the mouthful, just call it jamun – is widely popular as an avenue and garden tree but is never grown in orchards for commercial purposes. It can grow under harsh soil and climatic conditions and is highly suited to the north, northwest and eastern regions of India. Jamun fruits are highly prized for their medicinal value, being rich in iron and useful in the treatment of diabetes. There is no conscious documented effort to improve jamun cultivars. However there are several natural variants like Raja jamun, seedless jamun, Narendra jamun. Jamun was one of the several trees chosen by British city planners to line various avenues. So Delhi has avenues lined with neem , bargad , amaltas, jamun and arjun. All of them were chosen because of their canopy and medicinal value. You may like to read Pradip Kishen’s “Trees of Delhi” for further details. 

 (Shanti Chandrashekaran)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – AUGUST 2010

15th August 9 am. Independence Day flag hoisting in the Badminton Court, with patriotic song recital by children and distribution of sweets. Kite flying competition on the lawn will follow.
21^st August 7.30 pm onwards. Onam feast and Pookolam in the Badminton Court. Please buy dinner coupons for Rs. 140/-per person from the Society Office.

Answers to Mind-Benders (published in the last issue):
(1) Ryan must like basketball since neither Alex nor Steven does. Steven does not like basketball or baseball, so he must like football, leaving Alex liking baseball.
 (2) “Lapy” means tree. From the first two phrases, “rota” must mean apple. From the third phrase, “mena” must mean large, leaving “lapy” to be tree.
 (3) 151. In each column, divide the top number by 3 to get the bottom number. Then add 3 to the sum of the top and bottom numbers to get the middle number.
(4) Life
(5) 21 4-letter words: twin wine lint kiln kilt lent wink wilt like link welt kine tine tile lien newt kite line went wile knit
(6)     TOOK


          BOOK

BOON

BORN 

BURN