Blog pic

Blog pic
S. Srinivas

06 December, 2011

Issue No. 123 I November 2011


EDITORIAL
Winter has barely begun, but at dawn, when you look out of the window there is a thick blanket of smog through which one can see shrouded figures walking down the road. The hazy picture resembles a painting. It’s not until midday that the sun is able to break through the smog and shine in all its glory. Barring the smog and rain, I love winter. Skinny people look healthier thanks to the layers of clothes shielding them from the cold. The outdoors is more inviting with the warmth of the benign sun. The colourful feast of petunias, phlox, geraniums, pansies and candytuft, when in full bloom with butterflies darting between them, will make for a pretty picture. All one craves for is a hot cup of tea and peanuts.

Matters relating to the Society is a full time job. We should not be smugly delusional that things happen on auto pilot. They need to be pursued vigorously. This is where the Jt. Secretary, Mr. P. K. K. Nair has taken on the mantle seriously. He is doing an excellent job in ensuring good housekeeping and maintenance. His no-nonsense approach is yielding results and the staff is on their toes. Please lend him full support.

‘Quiz with Sumathi’, is always full of surprises and is meant for the enlightened. Unlike the traditional quiz competitions, the quiz that Sumathi painstakingly puts together tests your general knowledge as you would possess at any given point of time. Last minute preparations from a quiz book is hardly the stuff that will equip you to handle Sumathi’s quiz. The esoteric and obscure facts culled from diverse sources and compiled in an interesting melange is what makes this event so interesting. This year, five teams had entered the fray; however, since Sumathi had prepared six sets of questions a sixth team had to be hastily put together from reluctant members of the audience. Did they surprise? They walked away with the second prize! The winner was a foregone conclusion. The team, “Delhi Belly”, comprising Kunal, Seema, Tanvi (all C-208) and Aryan (E-201) were favourites to win. Kunal being a quizzer himself and Seema, a prodigious talent, were expected to be runaway winners and did not disappoint. The “Trail Blazers”, consisting of Poornima (B-002), Venkat (A-004), Alka, Vedika (both A-106) and Riya (E-201) with 80 points (30 points shy of the winners) managed to pip the fast approaching team “Brain Waves” by 5 points. The team “Brain Waves” consisted of Sudhir Dravid, Nachiket, Shantanu (all G-001) and Jay Kay (A-302). The “Mughals” consisting of Anita, Anirudh (both H-008), Siddhant (E-302), Tejas (A-103), Vidya (A-004) and Sahana (C-208) were no push over and notched 65 points. The other teams did reasonably well and so did the audience.

Sumathi put her aunt Geetha, cousin Shalini and father Chandu through the grind over the past month and a half to come up with the goods. Kavya was the score keeper. The sweetener came from Sudha Sundaram (A-310), who brought a stock of chocolates to give to the members of the audience who answered correctly. After seeing Sumathi’s quiz over the last few years, I am of the firm belief that she has another very promising career choice of quizzing awaiting her. Watch these columns for the next move.

Piped gas in Yamuna will soon become a reality. IGL have received the consent to lay the gas pipeline in Alaknanda. Waiting for the gas delivery man after raising your indent has been an exercise in patience. Finally, the days of fulminating and letting out a lot of steam at the thought of running out of gas may soon be over. There would also be relief from under-filled cylinders that leave you wondering how the gas has run out so soon. However, I recently heard that piped gas prices have been hiked steeply and people who have piped gas are reeling under the impact.

The badminton tournament drew participants only in the junior categories, a far cry from the days of yore when the senior boys or men’s singles matches used to be the most anticipated matches of the tournament. The badminton courts used to be packed with a wildly cheering audience. At this year’s tournament the spectators at best were limited to the parents or siblings of the participants. As usual Yohaan Abraham of A-008 and Aparna Krishnan of F-103 excelled in the boys and girls singles and doubles matches. Please look up the individual results on the notice board.

The TT tournament was similarly represented. I wonder what is with the senior boys and girls and the men and women that they are so loath to participate.

The Sports Day on 13th November was again much less represented than previous years. There were no men’s individual events and neither were the senior girls or boys participating. The level of involvement of women was also far less than we are accustomed to. If this is the shape of things to come then we are coming to an era of sedentary layabouts. The tug of war between the studs and the damsels was very interesting, though. In a best of three contest, the women had the men on the knees – well almost, but they failed to land the killer punch and the men recovered to take the lead. The effort seemed to take a toll on them as they were hauled like a sack of coal by the women in the second round. The women were delirious and started celebrating but there had to be third round to break the tie. In the decider, the women ran out of steam. They caved in meekly and lay prone in front of the men.

The mother of all activities, the Society Annual Day was held on 26th November without much fanfare of having an outsider as a Chief Guest. As a consequence, the event started on time except for the minor glitch of a power breakdown. The refreshment served by SKR caterers was quite tasty. After a beautifully sung invocation song by Tejaswin and Avantika, the programme started in right earnest with the prize distribution ceremony. The honour of giving away the prizes was given to Mr.A.K. Warrier of H-203. We are very grateful to him for having consented to do so. We were fortunate that a number of good Samaritans came forward to support the society by providing scholarship money and prizes for the winners. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Warrier (ex Member), Mr. N.A. Seshadri, Ms. Shyamala Sarathi, Ms. Seetha Venkataraman, Mr. Narayanan (C-007), Mr. Manoj Subramanian and Poornima Narayanan for this largesse. Mrs. Shashi Azad, President of Godavari Apartments accepted our request to give away the painting and quiz prizes.

The variety entertainment programme kicked off with the fancy dress by the cute little Yamunaites readied and coaxed onto the stage by Renu Garg. This was followed by a Kuchipudi dance by Aditi Ganapathy. The finesse, grace and abhinaya displayed by Aditi would have done proud a more seasoned dancer and deservedly she was chosen by the judge as the best solo performer of the evening. The next item, very ably choreographed by Rajni and Vidya, was the very endearing dance staged by 3-6 year olds. The Bhumro dance done by them to a peppy beat was high in the cuteness stakes. They were awarded the second prize by the judge. Shruti’s Hindustani classical duet with her brother Sachin, accompanied by Tejas on the tabla showed the extent of talent available in the colony. The group dance, Chak Dum Dum Chamak Chalo was one of three items choreographed by Anuradha and Netra highlighting the hard work they put in over the course of the last month to make this show possible. They deserve our compliments. The Yamuna all girls band was up next with a song, Signs. By the time they moved to their next song, the band size swelled from six girls to about twenty. They seemed to have a jolly good time. I could not have imagined that the Yamuna ladies would have the grace and rhythm to perform a Rajasthani dance with such panache. Choreographed by Soumya, they really upped the ante for the performances to follow. A solo song by Sandhya Jaishankar of B-202 was greeted with calls for an encore. Way to go, girl! Jazz, a song and dance medley choreographed by Prakriti and Roli had the misfortune of a audio disaster. The song got stuck half way and the dancers froze on the stage. They didn’t lose their spirit, though and they got another track and completed the dance. Prakriti was fabulous. A dance medley by the Yamuna girls band showed that they are not one dimensional and can also dance besides sing. Anuradha Nair and Netra were not done for the evening. The next two items staged by them with small children, namely the dance numbers Aaja Nachle, Chinnama Chinnama and with another set of children, Tai Tai Phish, really struck a chord with the audience who were on their feet cheering the performers. Rightfully, both the items were declared as the best group performances of the day by the judge. While, all the items had a great deal of quality and effort, there were some individual standout performances from within the groups. Kiana, Samiksha and Aparna Varma were outstanding amongst the girls. They seem to be gifted with the dancing gene and are natural dancers. Shantanu, in Tai Tai Phish was a pocket dynamo, dancing, swirling pirouetting and flaying fists with such energy and expression that he really electrified the atmosphere. The grand finale as always was the Yamuna rock band who entertained the crowd with their own compositions.

There were a variety of dishes available in the food stalls organised by Sujata Sundaresan. Much as I would have liked to gorge on the fried delicacies, I could feel my triglycerides shoot up 100 points just scanning the laid out fare. I am very grateful to Seetha Venkataraman who spent a lot of time and effort organising the prizes and sundry other jobs. Gita Rastogi as usual took care of putting together the entertainment items. Finally, I owe it to all the choreographers and performers, who, due to paucity of space cannot be named individually, for making the Annual Day function so enjoyable. They will now be called once again to showcase their talent at the Christmas carnival.

The calendar of events features a heritage walk to Surajkund on 18th December, 2011. The venue could undergo a change. Please keep your eyes peeled to the white board under the club house, for changes if any.

SNIPPETS

Flats in Yamuna don’t stay unoccupied for long. G-202 gets a migrant from Chennai. Mr. Ganesh is VP Corporate Affairs of both Coromandel International and E.I.D. Parry (India) Ltd. He is no mean cricketer having represented his school, college and club. His physical activity now is however, limited to long walks and yoga. His wife Rajeshwari is a Yoga instructor and is a Carnatic music buff. Their elder daughter, Ayishvaryaa has done MS in Environment Science. She is married and lives in San Jose, California. I wonder how many people manage to spell her name correctly. Their second daughter, Archana is pursuing MS in Bio Process from Clemson University, South Carolina. Ganesh’s mother Mangalambal lives with them. She lives and breathes Thirupugazh. Ganesh can be reached on 8130500888 and Rajeshwari on 8826346995.

Marriages in Yamuna are great occasions to socialise and Shanti and Venkataraman’s daughter Nitya’s wedding was no exception. She and the groom, Arvind wed on the morning of 30th November in a simple but elegant ceremony with the traditional nadaswaram breaking into a fast tempo when the tali was tied. The evening reception at the lawn was a very pleasant and relaxed affair with a sea of Yamuna faces to interact with. The archway leading to the lawn and the podium where the beautiful Nitya and dapper Arvind were standing was bedecked with flowers. The ladies, who are normally heavily clad at this time of the year when the air is frigid, came in all their sartorial elegance with Kanjeevaram sarees draped over stringy blouses. The attractive baubles and pendants completed the picture. The ogling eyes (mine included) justified the need to go half monty. The food was great and the atmosphere, very friendly. A group of dancers were busy enjoying themselves to the beat of Bollywood music. Shanti and Mr. Venkataraman were great hosts.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - DECEMBER 2011

DATE TIME EVENT VENUE
4.12.11 10.30 AM COLONY CLEANLINESS AND ECO DRIVE MEET AT BADMINTON COURT
18.12.11 10.00 AM HERITAGE WALK FOLLOWED BY PICNIC-SURAJKUND FROM H BLOCK GATE
25.12.10 6.00 PM CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL-FOOD & GAMES STALLS/MUSIC/DANCE/CATWALK-WINTER COLLECTION AMIDST BONFIRE. BADMINTON COURT
31.12.10 12.00 MIDNIGHT CAKE CUTTING TO USHER IN THE NEW YEAR. COMMUNITY HALL

06 November, 2011

Issue No. 122 I October 2011


EDITORIAL

The Navratri festival had women and girls trooping in and out of houses in beautiful kanjeevarams. It made for a very pretty picture. How I wish these days would never end. Alas! one will have to wait for another year.

The dandiya dance which was moved from the earlier scheduled date of 1st October, 2011 seemed like a godsend. There was renewed enthusiasm for the event. The number of women, men and children who showed up to dance in traditional attire exceeded all expectations. A stall selling puri-chole, masala dosa and sabudana wada did brisk business. Kunal’s meagre preparation of pasta disappeared as soon as it appeared and had people asking for more. The dancers didn’t want to stop and kept going merrily, well past the curfew hour of 10 pm. It made for a fabulous evening. I would like to thank the ladies who lent their dupattas to drape the stage. Srikanth was the DJ and official photographer, when he got time off from whetting his insatiable appetite! Photos taken by Srikanth can be viewed on the Yamuna Photo Album.

The countless imploring metronomes assaulting ones eardrums suddenly ceased late last month, much to my relief, when TRAI put a stop to bulk messaging. The sheer volume of messages careening down the information superhighway often fell prey to the delete button, but their annoying frequency peddling anything from insurance policies to 3-bedroom flats must have been big business for mobile phone companies. I am so chuffed by the verdict that I am tempted to write the epitaph of bulk messaging.

Crippling inflation has only one bogeyman for the RBI. They have increased the interest rates thirteen times in the last one year, thereby dampening sentiment and demand for goods and services. That the prices of oil and commodities are not governed by domestic factors and are a consequence of historically low interest rates globally seems not to register with the wise men of RBI. Keynesian economic theory, which they seem to be applying, was relevant more than 100 years ago when the price of goods and services were determined only by local demand and supply factors. In a globalised economy this bears little or no relevance. As a consequence of low demand the collection of excise, sales tax and income tax has fallen thereby increasing deficit financing. Everybody knows deficit financing is inflationary. In the end RBI is ending up doing just the opposite of what they are intending to do. They seem to be suffering from the tyranny of anticipated consequences from the wrong assumptions.

Diwali Mela on 22nd October, 2011 was full of verve, vitality and gaiety. The milling throng was a tribute to the popularity of Yamuna’s melas. Even the flies which were attracted by the lights found the mela hard to resist, much to everybody’s annoyance. However, the bonhomie did not translate to the cash registers. The people who had taken stalls were a tad disappointed at the lack of will amongst the guests to open their purse strings. Nevertheless, everybody had a whale of a time. The irrepressible Prashant Senior and his junior namesake regaled the crowd with some nostalgic Bollywood hits. The dress competition for the retro Bollywood theme was won by Nalin Rastogi for his Pran lookalike. Sujata Sundaresan took the ladies prize. I must confess that there were several others including the aforementioned DJ’s who could have taken the bite of the cherry. Radha Mani, Deepa Rastogi, Malu, Aditi Rastogi, Shanta Varma and Sudha Easwaran amongst others, were all in contention. Mrs. Seetha Venkataraman donated gift coupons to the winners. The grand finale jam session had the crowd on their feet. There was not a body part not in motion. The sheer energy was kinetic. Alas! It had to finally come to an end. I would like to thank Thomas Abraham for the posters he made which helped spread the word about our Mela. Thanks are also due to Sujata Sundaresan, Mr. P.K. K. Nair and Srikanth Murthy who arranged for the sale of stalls. I am indebted to Deepak Varma for arranging sponsorship from Kotak Mahindra which helped defray part of the expenses. I would also like to thank all the others who did their bit to make the Mela a resounding success. Photos can be viewed in the Yamuna blog.

The result of the Diwali rangoli and illumination competition upset the applecart. A&B blocks, who were in the doldrums for a number of years, finally got their act together and in the opinion of all the judges turned out to be unanimous winners. The only reason one could fault A&B was the lack of walking space around their designs. Besides, their theme was not awe inspiring. G&H blocks, who have been a thorn in the flesh of all the other blocks, finally bit the dust. While G&H did not do enough this year to crown themselves winners for the nth time, they certainly didn’t deserve to come last. It was a blip in their glorious history of wins. I am sure they will come back strongly next year.

If one were to dissect the verdict of the judges, criteria wise, the following is what emerges. On theme and originality C&D and E&F shared the top spot with A&B following close behind and G&H bringing up the rear. On illumination, A&B were runaway winners, followed by C&D with G&H and E&F sharing the last spot. As far as rangoli was concerned A&B and G&H were joint winners with C&D and E&F following behind. On overall impact C&D came on top followed by A&B, E&F and G&H respectively.

My take on the competition is that C&D over the years have been the most innovative with both the theme and materials used. Their Optical Illusion theme one year was absolutely brilliant in both concept and execution. Their use of fruits and grains in the rangoli another year, albeit a little controversial, was again very innovative. This year their economy of colours and expense was both noticeable and admirable. E&F have always raised the bar with their innovative themes. G&H have been head and shoulders above the rest with their rangoli, but their illustrations of late have become too predictable. A&B barring this year, have been middle roaders. The good thing is that the change of baton will keep the competitive spirit alive. At the end of the day, rivalry apart, we are all friends.

We have a busy month ahead with badminton and TT tournaments, quiz competition, sports day and Annual Day. Every participant will have to hone his or her skills to take the lolly at the Annual Day prize distribution. A separate circular has been sent to inform participants whom to contact for participating in the various events. Please don’t waste time and get in touch with the respective individuals, lest you lose out on the opportunity to participate.

The grill work on the front boundary wall, the concertina wire security fence in other areas and pipeline work will get completed by the end of November 2011. The C-Block access control with smart cards will also get implemented during the month of November, 2011. Residents will then have free access through this gate any time between 6 am and 10 pm. A separate circular will be sent to residents when the same gets implemented.

SNIPPETS

I wonder how many of you know that we have a famous author in our midst. Mr. P. A. Krishnan’s new novel, Muddy River has been published by Westland Tranquebar-a very prestigious publishing house. They have also come out with a revised edition of the earlier Penguin original, Tigerclaw Tree. Please have a look at the website http://www.westlandbooks.in. Mr. Krishnan lives with his wife Revathi in H-205. The Yamuna directory lists his name as P. Ananthakrishnan.


Read the books to know him better.


M. Anand of C-001 does not believe in small measures. For his second daughter Ananditha’s marriage to Ganesh he pulled out all the stops! In wedding festivities spanning four days (from 16th to 19th October, 2011) and three different venues which brought out influences of south, north, east and west with music, cocktails, dinner, janavasam, wedding and reception, everybody got their eyeballs worth. Ganesh looked dapper and with his charming bride by his side, they seemed ‘made for each other’. May their future together bloom.

The legal fraternity in Yamuna got more heft with two more lawyers moving into G-305. Ana Chandy is a lawyer working with a law firm in Greater Kailash. Anukriti Yadav is a lawyer with ICICI Bank. Both have interests in playing basketball, TT and tennis with a bit of movie-going thrown in. Ana can be reached on 98732315 and Anukriti can be reached on 9654915208. We welcome them to Yamuna and hope that they are able to integrate into the cultural milieu of the colony soon and participate in all the events.

MIRTH CORNER

Rajnikanth Jokes – Mind it!


When Rajnikant was studying in Class III....someone stole his rough note-book....and
Now they call it .............Wikipedia
Crazy people!!!! ;)
========================================
When Rajnikant was a student, teachers use to bunk classes!!!
========================================
Rajnikant started a college. All students were confused while taking admission because the name of the college is "Rajnikant's Medical College of Engineering for Commerce".
========================================
THE MOST NEGLECTED FACT OF THE ENTIRE DECADE!!!!
Sachin Tendulkar's mother’s name is RAJNI Tendulkar.
And his coach's name is RamaKANT
Need we say more ???
========================================
Rajinikant got 150 questions in an exam paper asking - "Solve any 100 questions"
He solved all 150 and wrote, " Rascalla!, CHECK ANY 100!"
========================================

One day Rajni felt like playing cricket in the monsoon and rain stopped due to play.
========================================

Rajnikanth's next project is Titanic in Tamil. However, Rajni has twisted the climax. Both the lead actors survive. Rajni swims across the Atlantic Ocean with the heroine in one hand and... the Titanic in the other .
========================================
Who says the world will be destroyed in Dec 2012 ? Rajnikant just bought a laptop with three years warranty.
========================================
Rajni’s Law of Conservation
All scientists failed to answer this but Rajnikanth did...
Ques: Which liquid turns solid on heating?
Ans: Dosa... mind it!!!
========================================
Once a photo of Rajnikant was given for Xerox. Don't even try to guess what happened. 


We got two copies of the Xerox machine.





CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR NOVEMBER 2011

DATE TIME EVENT VENUE
6.11.11 6.30 PM QUIZ COMPETITION WITH SUMATHI BADMINTON COURT
13.11.11 9.00 AM SPORTS DAY MAIN LAWN
26.11.11 4.30 PM ANNUAL DAY-REFRESHMENTS,PRIZE MAIN LAWN
DISTRIBUTION, VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT,
FOOD STALLS

01 November, 2011

Issue No. 121 I September 2011


Editorial

The festive season is upon us and we in Yamuna know how to make the most of it. If there is one thing that stands between Yamuna and the neighbouring apartments, it is the cultural deficit around our borders. While we do not count ourselves as cultural imperialists, the rich tradition we have built over time to dot our calendar with a plethora of cultural activities is often viewed with envy by our neighbours. Although, we never began with all the cultural trappings, over time, we have assiduously built a rich cultural tapestry that even a newcomer finds himself or herself as a cultural ambassador. We may be unique in some of things we do like Rangoli and illumination competition, the likes of which many have said they haven’t seen anywhere else. Rejoice while you are here, we are history in the making!

Speaking of Rangoli and illumination competition, there has been a some calls for toning down the rigour and spread of the competition owing to burgeoning costs and the time and effort that needs to be put on a festival day at the cost of attending to guests etc. Blame it on G&H blocks. Over the years they have upped the ante to such an extent that the other blocks need to spare no expense and effort just to measure up. Even then, more often than not they end up second best. Would it be prudent to be judged on just one rangoli per set of Blocks? While many may be relieved at the thought, there are others who believe that such a unique tradition which has all the hallmarks of becoming an internet sensation or even Discovery channel coverage, should not be given short shrift. The jury is out on this.

The reluctance to abide by timelines sees no bounds. Although sufficient notice was given to residents to buy the coupons for the Onam feast by a given date, there were only three coupons sold. Seeing a lack of interest, a notice was put up that the feast was being cancelled owing to poor response. No sooner than this was done, I was deluged with phone calls requesting me to alter the decision. Eventually eighty people partook in the feast. Nobody visualises the nightmare it is for organisers who have to make last minute arrangements. As a consequence of this lackadaisical approach, the Secretary came up with a brilliant suggestion, that, whenever such events are organised, there should an early bird price for those responding within a given time and a penal rate which keeps mounting as the D day approaches.
Be that as it may, the Onam feast was enjoyed by all those who had the privilege to sample the fare. Sujata Sundaresan who made arrangements with Ayyapan the caterer, deserves kudos. Mrs. Latha Narayanan of C-007, alongwith Anjali of C-108 and Geetha of D-002 did a great a job in making a pretty pookolam outside the Community Hall.

The menace of dogs in the colony took a sinister turn on the 11th when an unsuspecting presswali rang the door bell of a flat in G Block. An alsation dog pushed the door and leapt at her and brought her down and savagely attacked her. While the bystanders froze at the ferocity of the attack, the dog would not let-go even at the command of the residents of the flat. Mr. Hariharan of G-302 had the presence of mind to put an end to the brutality by raining several blows on the dog with a truncheon. Apart from the victim herself, the attack traumatised all those who were witness to the incident including the owners of the dog. Dogs especially large ones, are not meant to be confined to the small space in a flat. They are meant to run around. They are ideal for farm houses or houses with gardens. Even human beings, if always confined to closed quarters would go crazy. Besides, alsations are single master guard dogs who take command from only one master. At that particular instance the master was not present. The presswali was rushed to the hospital by Hari and is undergoing treatment. The import of the incident cannot be overemphasised. The dog owners were profusely apologetic and promptly send the dog away to rehab.

The term of the old Managing Committee came to an end at the AGM on the 25th of September, 2011. Under very trying circumstances the committee achieved a lot during its tenure. The ground rent issue which was pending for many years with DDA was resolved by making several representations whereby the committee could get the pending dues and interest penalty substantially reduced. The underside of staircases, the beams and spouts on the facade of the apartments which were in a dilapidated and dangerous condition have been rectified and weather coat paint applied to them. The restored blocks have a new look. The work on the remaining blocks will be completed by December, 2011. Waste paper bins were installed in several places to prevent littering. In order to reduce the maintenance burden on members, the bye-laws were amended to increase the admission charge to Rs. 25,000 and shifting charges was introduced at Rs. 2,500. The money so collected helps us in reducing the impact of the increase in maintenance costs. The water pipeline work has commenced to replace the old, corroded and leaking pipes which run under the flats. This work when completed will help us conserve water and prevent further damage to the structure of the building. Substantial cost savings have been achieved by procuring the material in bulk from the manufacturers and doing the work departmentally instead of awarding a contract to an outside agency. Sponsorship money was collected for conducting events which are reflected under other income in the accounts, which again helped us contain the impacts of inflation and Delhi governments’ annual increase of minimum wages. Because of laying of the durable paver blocks on the road, instead putting another layer of bitumen the road maintenance fund could be converted to parking charges and taken under income whereby an amount of Rs. 76 per flat per month is saved in terms of maintenance charges. This has helped us contain the impact of increase in electricity charges, water charges and security charges to a very modest increase of Rs. 30 per month per flat for 2012-13. Besides, as we all have experienced bitumen roads do not survive even one monsoon without creating potholes and after two years it becomes imperative to resurface. The paver blocks on the contrary not only give a very neat look but after one monsoon it still looks as good as new. Since bitumen roads now cost almost as much as paved roads the payback is less than two years. The work on concertina wire, raising of grill on the front boundary wall among other things were approved in the SGM. The awarding of contracts has got delayed for getting lower prices from contractors and freeze on the design and scope. This will now be undertaken soon. There may have been lapses and delays in attending to various issues, but since most of the MC members have other occupations, devoting adequate time to Society work becomes very difficult. The outgoing Managing Committee wish to express their gratitude for the support they got from the residents.

The Committee also introduced lot of formal systems for applying for car parking space, booking of spaces for functions, procedure and processes for awarding contracts and in other areas which has brought about greater transparency. I would like to thank all the outgoing MC members for making this possible. I would like to express my special thanks to the outgoing secretary, Mr. Krishnamurthy who set right many lacunae in the system.

It is travesty of justice that out of the 195 members in the Society nobody wishes to take up the office bearers positions. It is not possible for the same people to sacrifice their personal time at the cost of family and their profession to do this honorary job ad-infinitum. There were no nominations for the positions of President and Vice-President. Ultimately, the same were thrust on me and Seetha Venkataraman. There is a dire need for younger people to throw their hat in the ring. This cannot go on indefinitely.

Alas! Kashu, the genial cook who served delicious idlis and vadas from the canteen had to close shop and depart to Kerala due to ill health. The Society is looking for members to undertake running of the canteen for residents.

The quiz competition earlier scheduled for the 19th of November, 2011 has now been advanced to the 5th of November, 2011as the quiz master will not be available on the 19th. This year the theme will be “Delhi”. I can visualise the contestants rub their hands in glee at the thought of narrowing down of the scope. If you think it is going to be mighty easy, you don’t know Sumathi. She is quite capable of bringing in esoteric subjects and conjuring enough twists to keep your brain ticking over.

Mr. K. V. N. Swamy has been gracious enough to offer to fund part of Society’s improvement programmes through his brokerage business. He has paid for the aluminium cover over the DJB valve pit between A & H block gate and also for installing the grill on top of the boundary wall adjoining E block and St. George’s school. The residents are grateful to Mr. Swamy.

SNIPPETS

Hyderabad has been a common ground as far as E-205 is concerned. After the departure of Ganesh Ponnuswamy to Hyderabad, Mr. V. Sivaramakrishnan has moved into the flat from Hyderabad. Mr. Sivaramakrishnan works with BHEL. His wife, Rajalakshmi, is a housewife. Their daughter Sneha is doing MS in Chicago. They can be reached on 9717888782. We welcome this couple to Yamuna.

Even 24 years cannot separate Srichand and his home in A-005. He has moved back with his wife Kirti. S. Balani. While Srichand has retired from Foreign Affairs, Kirti is still working in the same Ministry. Srichand wouldn’t mind chancing his arm at badminton and TT, Kirti is quite content reading and listening to music.

Ashwani Aggarwal of E-003 and Aman Thakur of G-305 did not trouble the scorers as they failed to open their account. They didn’t even notch one year in the colony. They have now moved out.

A-210 has seen a person with rare attributes move in. Pramod Kumar K. G. runs a firm called EKA Cultural Resources. He is a museologist. This Malayali creates archives and museums. He curates exhibitions of both historic and contemporary art. If that wasn’t enough he is the Founder and Director of Jaipur Literature Festival. For those who are familiar with the literary world, nothing comes bigger. Hail the celebrity in our midst! Visit his website www.ekaresources.com. He can be reached on 9818683040.

MIRTH CORNER

Mathematician:  How to write 4 in between 5?
China: Don’t Joke
Japan: Impossible
America: Question wrong
UK: Not found on Internet
NOW INDIA:
India: F(IV)E


CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR OCTOBER. 2011
DATE TIME EVENT VENUE
5.10.11 6.30 PM DANDIA, MUSIC AND DINNER BADMINTON COURT
22.10.11 5.30 PM DIWALI MELA BADMINTON COURT AND ADJOINING QUADRANGLE
26.10.11 7.00 PM DIWALI ILLUMINATION COMPETITION BETWEEN BLOCKS

06 September, 2011

Issue No. 120 I August 2011

EDITORIAL

The 64th anniversary of our Independence also heralds the 10th anniversary of the Yamuna Chronicle. I still recall what provoked me to start the Chronicle, which reflects my musings of events in Yamuna from a purely non controversial perspective. It is my personal view of things and does not necessarily echo the views of the Managing Committee, although it is vetted by a member of the Committee of Control before being issued, to weed out potentially damaging remarks, if any. Residents who wish to air their point of view have this platform available to voice their thoughts. We need inputs to make the colony better and more harmonious.

I have observed that the woman of the house who puts in so much sweat and toil does not get the kudos she deserves. Housewives are the most hardworking people on the planet, without any ostensible rewards. They slave from morning to night without any salary, leave or other perquisites that the husband is accustomed to. Housewives are taken for granted by both the husband and children. From the moment they wake up, they have to get the breakfast ready, make sure the children are ready for school, leave them at the bus stand if they are small and then wait over the husband until he leaves for work. If you think that with the family’s departure there is some respite, perish that thought. She has to take care of all the household needs from shopping for grocery, extracting work from the maids, answering endless rings of the doorbell for courier, delivery boys, gas cylinders, plumbers, electrician, presswalla etc. The list is endless. By the time she is through with all this, she has to prepare lunch. Somewhere, during this time she also has to have a bath, get the clothes washed among other things. When that gets done, the children return from school all messed up. They throw their shoes, bags and other accoutrements wherever they feel like and then plonk themselves on the bed and switch on the TV. She has to holler to get them to bathe and eat lunch and put away their stuff since by now the house looks like a hurricane went through it. In case she lies down to get 40 winks of sleep, she is rudely woken by a phone call either by some insurance or credit card agent or the husband calling to say that he has invited some friends over for dinner and that she should rustle up something delicious, look presentable and spruce up the house. She drags herself from the bed uncomplaining and proceeds to work herself to the bone when the husband triumphantly returns from work, takes of his shoes, puts his feet up on the sofa and proceeds to watch the telly while the wife dutifully brings him some tiffin and coffee. By the time she’s done with cooking a meal for the friends she has back spasms but she has to make the house tidy and look good. She somehow manages it and the friends drop in following which she has to attend to all their needs for drinks, snacks and finally dinner. She has to maintain a plastic smile while her back is making her head spin. After the friends leave, she has again some tidying up to do and she is left with just enough energy to make it to the bed only to wake up early the next morning when the chores repeat. While we all look forward to the weekend, a housewife dreads it as it means more work ministering to the husbands and children’s demands. This does not however, apply to working women or those with an army of servants and maids.

Can we all pause and think what we are putting our wife/mother through and plan to at least take the load off her once a month by reversing roles or taking her out? Maybe, we should plan an eat out in the Yamuna lawns once a month when food is ordered out or cooked by the husband and maybe, throw in a bit of tambola, games and entertainment.

Heavy showers on the morning of Independence Day forced us to change the venue to below the Club House. However, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the assembled crowd who sang patriotic songs with gusto. The flag was unfurled by the youngest boy and girl present at that time to signal that the future belongs to them and that they need to shape the country into a modern and dynamic republic. Anjali and Samarth who unfurled the flag were obviously oblivious of the significance of the moment. Anecdotal and photographic evidence when viewed in posterity will enable them to see it in the light it needs to be viewed. Apart from the usual band of singers was Mrs. Kalyani of C-204, who sang some patriotic Bharatiyar songs, for the very first time.

On Independence Day, the thought of having a Krishna Leela on Janmashtami was mooted. With barely a week to go, Prema took on the challenge. She roped in Hema Malini, Vidya Venkat and Mrs. Chari (Seema’s mother) to choreograph the Mukunda dance on the mini stage in the badminton court. The dancers Riya, Aparna Raju, Aparna Varma, Kiyana, Sahana, Radhika, Julie, Samyukta, Shreya, Shreeja and Samiksha portrayed the ten avatars of Maha Vishnu with Mrs. Chari enacting the dance steps with the respective mudras. The colourful pageant was compered by Tejas of A-103. Vedika, with her flawless diction, related the story of the birth of Krishna. Aparna Raju and Vinay debuted with a Carnatic rendition. Avantika with her dulcet voice and Purvaja exemplified the talent that lies ahead in Yamuna. This was followed by a dance medley in the badminton court with an exuberant bunch of boys consisting of Vinay, Vijay, Aryan, Pradyumn, Anish, Sachin, Mani, Samarth and Shantanu to the tune of Govinda ala re. The grand finale was the cutely dressed Krishna (Samarth) breaking the pot containing the goodies held aloft with a rope by Deepak and Srikanth. Aruna, Bhavani and Meera Varma lent their bit in making the programme a success. Srikanth and Deepak were at hand to set up the equipment and take photographs. Mrs. Meenakshi Thangathurai made the event even sweeter by distributing laddus to all. A fairly large gathering applauded the performers. All photos have been uploaded on the Yamuna Photo Album.

Onam is the most secular festival of India and is celebrated by all communities in Kerala and the Malayali diaspora elsewhere. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. To bring the Onam fervour to Yamuna, a Pookolam and Onam feast is planned on10thSeptember. Due to steep increase in inputs the cost of the lavish Onam feast will set you back by Rs. 180 per person. However, since it is only once a year that you can savour the finger-licking goodness of an Onam feast, it is worth the expense. Please buy the coupons from the Society Office before 5th September, 2011.

The middle-class, who have been pilloried since Independence for being totally apolitical and apathetic, finally lent their voice through Anna Hazare for his fight against rampant corruption. The surge of support from them threw the political parties off kilter. They finally acquiesced to mull on the Jan Lokpal Bill. Hurrah!



OBITUARY

Shanti Chandrashekaran’s (H-107) untimely demise on 2nd August, 2011 came as a body blow to many of us who knew her quite intimately. Not many knew that she was ill and fewer knew that the end was near and nobody including the doctor knew that it was imminent. I am reminded of the following poem by Easy Eddie:
 
“The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell
just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only
time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still."


Unfortunately, be that as it may, since I knew her from the time we were both schoolkids, the suddenness of her death was very shocking. I was overcome with grief like many of her close friends. Apart from being an extremely warm person she was very well accomplished. She was a Doctor in Genetics and one of the foremost in the field the country has produced. Ironically, she was doing research on cell signalling and cancers in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), the very ailment that felled her. She had contributed often to the Chronicle, giving her considerable knowledge about the plants and trees of Yamuna. In fact, I was going to rope her in as a guide for a nature walk this winter. Had she been alive she would have celebrated her birthday two days ago. Alas! It was not to be. May her soul rest in peace. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.


Her family is grateful to the Yamuna community for all the support they got in the hour of crisis.


SNIPPETS

Adhya Ram of C-001, daughter of Prabhu Ram and Namagiri Anand celebrated her first birthday on Monday, 1st August, amidst religious chants. She may not have known the significance of the day but she must have certainly perceived that it was a special day with everybody fussing over her. The morning ceremony was followed by a sumptuous lunch. Being a Leo, her traits are predetermined to be that of a leader and breaking the duck is just the beginning.

Ganesh Ponnuswamy of E-205, has made a great career move. Unfortunately, that has come with the unwelcome baggage of moving to Hyderabad. He has joined as All India Head of Sales and Marketing for Estello ­- a leading artificial jewellery brand. His wife, Shahin who was very active in organising the children to enact plays and dance ballets will be sorely missed. The children of Yamuna will also miss the fancy birthday parties of their prince, Shourya.



MIRTH CORNER

Okhil Babu's letter to the Railway Department in 1909:


"I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with 'lotah' in one hand and 'dhoti' in the next when I am fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.


This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report to papers."


Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office in 1909.


It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi.
It was also reproduced under the caption "Travelers' Tales" in the Far Eastern Economic Review.


*********************

1) School Interview in USA for new admission:


Teacher: Who is your Dad?
His Mom shouted: Please ask him simple questions ..!!



2) Doctor: which soap do you use?
Patient: Gopal soap, Gopal paste, Gopal brush..
Doctor: Is Gopal an international company?
Patient: No, Gopal is my room mate...



CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2011

DATE TIME EVENT VENUE
10.9.11 7.30 PM ONAM FEAST AND POOKOLAM BADMINTON COURT
17.9.11 7.00 PM
ONWARDS
LADIES OFF-DAY PICNIC WITH TAMBOLA, OTHER GAMES & DINNER PREPARED BY HUSBANDS OR OUTSOURCED(POT LUCK) MAIN LAWN
25.9.11 9.30 AM AGM COMMUNITY HALL

07 August, 2011

Issue No. 119 I July, 2011


EDITORIAL
As we hoist the National Flag on 15th August, there is not much to look back and rejoice at the progress we have made in the 64 years since Independence. We may be more in tune with what is happening around the globe due to the IT revolution. However, the comparison with the world also throws up the infirmities, in our systemic failure to address poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and population control among other things. There does not seem to be any solution to the misgovernance, given the greed of our politicians. A simmering distaste against politicians has been sloshing inside us, but choosing the right party to govern has become a Hobson’s choice. The choice is between the proverbial devil and the deep sea. I wish I had a prophetic glimpse into the future where I could see an India shining bright. Let us in our small way resolve to make the country better by assembling at the badminton court on 15th August at 9 am to unfurl the national flag, sing patriotic songs, release the balloons, fly kites and partake of some sweets.

Caught in a twilight zone between orthodoxy and modernity, we Indians are yet to come to terms with the question of how to respond to our parents and elders, as we and they grow older. Managing their emotional needs in our crowded schedule is not easy, but since we are brought up in a family-centric culture, the last thing that we want is to leave them to their own devices. For grandchildren, who are told to respect their elders, there is a dilemma. Does it mean indulging grandparents their idiosyncrasies or venerating them even though children have a hard time dealing with some of their foibles? Or remaining cheery even when grandparents insist on treating them as babies? While we are caught in a time warp, these are challenges we must handle with care and delicacy. Parents and elders are as close to God as we can get. Their deeds for their children and grandchildren have always been selfless. The least we can do is to give them the love that they so richly deserve.

The advisory issued a few months ago about pet litter does not seem to have had the desired effect. Recently I heard one resident stating that he is tempted to lace food with poison and place it at the entrance of the flat of the offending dog which was spotted defecating in the colony. I hope he does not resort to such dire actions. At the same time residents who have pets must realise how frustrated the other residents are of this nuisance.

Additionally, litter of plastic bottles, chips packets and other plastic sachets is continuing unabated even though several waste bins have been provided in the colony. It’s a shame that children who do school assignments on environment leave their learning in the classroom and merrily discard such wastes on the road, in the park and the passages between the blocks. Please make yourself and the colony proud by avoiding any form of litter.

There are some residents who are parking cars which are not roadworthy and have not been driven in years. They are thus depriving genuine car users of the privilege of parking their car in the complex. These residents may be of the view that they have squatters’ rights and can claim the slot even when they move out and rent their flat or sell the flat along with the parking slot. They could not be more wrong. The parking slots were not sold to the residents, that they could claim it to be their own. The moment a person moves out, the slot has to be vacated and the person first in the queue is allotted that slot. It is therefore, a waste of money to keep paying parking charges every month to the Society for a car which has only scrap value. It is better to vacate the slot and make it available to the person next in queue and save some money in the process, as also mitigate the hardship of the person in the queue.

The resident cat of Yamuna has delivered a litter of four kittens. They have become a source of great amusement for the children in the colony who like to pet the cute creatures. Cute they may be, but they are seen rummaging through garbage bags and leaving rat carcasses as trophies at the doorstep of some apartments, as gratitude to children feeding them milk. Children should beware against diseases they could contract by maintaining close contact with the kittens. While children look upon the kittens as play things, their arrival has not been well received by some residents. One resident was complaining to my wife that she fears the feline creatures. Of all the commonly known adjectives and attributes one associates with cats like ‘catnap’, ‘cool-cat’, ‘catwalk’, ‘feline grace’, none takes on the menace of striking fear. But this paranoia does have a moniker and it is called ailurophobia, not that one can remember such an esoteric term easily. There is also a fear among some superstitious people that a black cat crossing their path does not augur well. Fortunately, the kittens are all in shades of russet brown, except one which has patches of black on its coat. While the animal population of Yamuna is on the ascendancy, the human population is on the decline. Most of the new arrivals either don’t have any children at all or are quite content with one. Here is the dilemma. Are we going to be overrun by pets or strays as we go forward? The jury is out on that.

The spurt in crime against women is frightening. It is difficult to lay one’s finger at all the possible causes but I can’t help noticing with concern the liberal standards that has been adopted by our censor board in clearing films. Off late there has been a surfeit of films portraying women as objects of lust with obscene dances showing vertical expression of a horizontal desire. In the pursuit of showing realism, these films are also laced with profanities and choice invectives of the lowly street kind. Much as it may be so, showing it in films lends it a form of legitimacy that it was lacking. There is no dearth of cads and rakes in Delhi. The sight of young girls and women streaming out of movie theatres with a smile on their lips, after seeing such films gives these knaves an impression that they are easy game.



SNIPPETS

The reporting standards of the Chronicle touched its nadir when I failed to report on two important events concerning its members. The creation of life is an important and significant aspect of a person’s family. In the following cases it had an added significance.
Balaji and Honey of B-006 who are currently residing in Dwarka were blessed with their first child on 25th May, 2011. The baby has been named Latika. Balaji and Honey are blessed that Balaji’s parents are living with them and do the baby sitting and more importantly change the diapers! Happy mollycoddling.

Sashank Rastogi and Visakha (Fenu) of B-001, had reason to cheer when on 8th June, 2011, Fenu delivered a bonny boy and named him Aarav. The significance of a son in a business family cannot be overstated. Two older siblings are both very smart girls. Obviously, the Rastogis and the grandparents, the Govils are over the moon.

Malavika (Malu) of G-101, married her college sweetheart Joseph in Bangalore on 10th July,2011. The book by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, comes to mind. We wish the couple the very best.

Mr. R. Muralidaran, Bhanu and Abhinaya of A-210 have shifted out of Yamuna and moved to GK II. Acquisition of a house is always a strong enough reason to tear yourself away from the salubrious environs of Yamuna. We wish them all the best.

Mr. P. K. Prakasan has moved into B-303 in the month of June with his wife Shyni, daughter Abhirami and son Shreeram. Prakasan works as AVP in Citi Financial and is fond of reading and long distance running. Shyni looks after the household and keeps the home and hearth warm. She too is fond of reading. Abhirami who is 12 years old, studies in St George school and loves to play tennis. Shreeram is 4 years old and has joined a nursery school. They can be reached on 9999622755.

Mr. Aman Thakur has moved into G-305 along with his sister Aditi. Aman works for Indus Ind Bank and likes to keep his body and soul in good shape by going to the gym and listening to music. Aditi works for IBM and she too likes to listen to music and in addition loves cooking. They are probably not too fond of the outdoors as both like to trawl the net. They can be reached on 9899984477.


We welcome both the families to Yamuna and hope they are able to integrate well with the rest of us soon enough.

Why teaching is a noble profession…..

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Calendar of Events – August 2011

DATE TIME EVENT VENUE
15.8.11 9.00 AM INDEPENDENCE DAY FLAG HOISTING BADMINTON COURT
21.8.11 7.30 PM JANMASHTAMI DECORATIONS BADMINTON COURT/CLUB HOUSE

06 July, 2011

Issue No. 118 I June 2011


Editorial

The spate of burglaries in other residential colonies in Delhi, following the one in Yamuna has set off a security paranoia. Some residents have fortified their residence with grills and fancy locks, making them resemble a jail. Instead of going through so much effort, if residents keep almost all their money and jewellery in their Bank and deal in credit and debit cards for the most part, the burglar will soon realise that Yamuna is not a good hunting ground. He is unlikely to walk away with your furniture and clothes! One also does not have to live in constant dread of being robbed. Am I being too naive with my suggestion?

Four thieves, who spirited away with the goods and money from some of the Delhi burglaries, have been nabbed. It is not clear if they or their associates were part of the Yamuna decamping.

While Anna Hazare and his band of civil society members were busy thrashing out a model Lok Pal Bill with the Government, the flamboyantly hirsute yogi in saffron dhoti and little else, stole the thunder by ranting away in the Ramlila grounds. Preaching the virtues of yoga was fine but openly courting RSS members jangled the Government’s nerves and in a late night police manoeuvre, he was banished from the city. For the shaggy sage to try and disguise in women’s clothes must have been quite a hairy challenge! It was no surprise that he stuck out like a sore thumb and was hauled away.

Summer has been a little tepid this year, with showers coming as a welcome relief whenever the mercury threatened to shoot up. As such it was not such a torrid time for those of us who could not go on a vacation to cooler climes. However, when the sun comes out after the rainy interludes it does become a little muggy and the mosquitoes have a field day.

Admissions to courses and colleges of choice have been vexing and onerous for even toppers. Shriram College of Commerce, which set its cut off at a mind boggling 100% for admission to B.Com (Hons) course has set a daunting precedent. That a girl from Tamil Nadu did secure admission with 100% marks is stupendous. That she got 100% marks in English among other subjects is baffling. While it is possible to max in grammar and spelling, it is foolhardy to think that anyone can get 100% marks in English literature. While I do not wish to take anything away from the merit of the girl in question, I have reasonable cause to believe that the marking system is seriously flawed. It is a welcome relief that all the children from Yamuna have secured admission. Kudos, to you, boys and girls!

The Board exam for Class X was not mandatory this year. Ever eager to escape the trial by fire, none of the children from Yamuna appeared in the Board exam.

After strongly pursuing with the ministry and MCD, the drain outside the complex has been cleaned. But, the general populace has no civic sense and ere long it will be choked again. All the drains inside the complex have been cleaned before the onset of the monsoon. Let’s hope there is no outbreak of dengue and chickungunia this year.

Power outages had moved into the penumbra of our consciousness ever since power distribution was privatised from DESU to BSES. It came to haunt us again on the night of the 22nd. No sooner was I geared to retire for a cosy snooze in my climatised bedroom than the whirr of the inverter signalled a power outage. I figured that it might be a routine load shedding which lasts not more than an hour. I couldn’t be more wrong. It was restored the following morning after 7 am! The intervening hours were spent variously in the park, on the road and driving the kids to 24/7 outlet for a treat which did not rest light on my pocket. I did however make a discovery from my discomfiture. As I was perambulating within the confines of the colony, I was hit by a draft of strong and comforting breeze when I moved through the tunnel that connects B&C blocks. I figured that the B&C blocks’ topography was acting like a funnel for the breeze. This piece of discovery can come in handy in case of future power outages. We could all pull up chairs and settle there for a mini panchayat.

The rain dance on the 25th was very enthusiastically received by the kids. The water sprinkler was hoisted on a pole and made operational so that it could cover a wider area. But the teenagers who in the past showed eagerness to get wet and wild, seemed less enthused this time and were seen playing basketball. Two splash pools of 5ft and 12 ft diameter each were inflated and water filled in them for the children to romp in them. It was a herculean task to inflate the big splash pool and fill it with water. Attempts were made to inflate it with two air pumps belonging to Srikanth of C-003, but the nozzle was not matching the aperture. Finally, Venkatesh of A-004 came to the rescue with his pump and the job was done. Pictures taken by Srikanth of the children having a jolly good time can be viewed in the Yamuna Photo Album.

The Special General Body Meeting called on the 26th passed off without much ado. All the resolutions were passed with an overwhelming majority. We had to settle for a medium category security agency, as hiring any top class agency would have pushed the maintenance charges by more than Rs. 250 a month. There were some residents who wanted us to go for the best, but try telling that to a retired person who sees his savings disappear into an eddy of collateral debt obligation. Unfortunately, due to the absence of Kashu, tea and refreshments could not be served. Early morning rain meant that the meeting had to be moved to the Community Hall from the quadrangle outside the office.

In a democratic set-up as we have in our society, it is quite conceivable that a minority’s view may not be aligned with the majority. In such a situation one has to go with the majority view even if it militates with one’s world view of things. There are only two options available, either put up with it or move elsewhere. The same holds good with the Government. Most of the educated elite may not agree with the way the Government conducts its business. However, the educated elite constitute a minority in the total demographics of the country. In extreme cases where the dissenter is very powerful and resourceful, a dictator may emerge. But history has shown that there are no cases of benign dictatorships. Even those who start off benignly, eventually become megalomaniacs as power goes to their heads. Seldom have dictators lived their term. They are either overthrown or meet a ghastly end. The power of the ballot is supreme, dissenters notwithstanding.

Vidya Nair of A-203 is on a mission to ease the burden of commuters. She is working hard to garner support for providing feeder service from Alaknanda to the closest Metro station. She has posted a small write-up on her Facebook account highlighting the prevailing auto fares to commute to the Metro stations and as a green and convenient alternative to have a feeder service. Please click the appropriate box if you agree with her proposal. She is also taking up the matter with the other RWA’s and is planning to start a signature campaign and send a petition to the Transport Minister of Delhi. Please lend her all the support. You can access her campaign at this Facebook link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Wheels-Metro-Station-Connectivity-For-Alaknanda/156820541053874

The spectre of liquidation that was hanging over the fortunes of the Yamuna Store has been lifted as they have won the case. With this the skeletal activity that was happening in the store becomes history. They can begin to stock better and achieve higher turnover.



OBITUARY

Miny Subodh, daughter of Mr.& Mrs. Ravindran of B-004 passed away in Kerala on the 24th . It is a tragedy, that a person so young with two teenage children should meet such an untimely end. She was a very pleasant and bright person. She and her family moved to Dubai some years ago and she was teaching maths in a school there. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.




HOME TRUTHS

I am risking my life by reproducing the following Internet jokes I received:


1. Why are wives more dangerous than the Mafia? The mafia wants either your money or life... The wives want both.


2. Marriage is like a public toilet. Those waiting outside are desperate to get in and those inside are desperate to come out.


3. No man can ever be satisfied with four things in life :
(1) Mobile (2) Automobile (3) TV (4) Wife
Because there is always a better model in the neighbourhood.


4. Compromising does not mean you are wrong and your wife is right. It only means that the safety of your head is much more important than your ego!


5. Imagine living with three wives in one compound and never leaving the house for five years. Osama Bin Laden must have called the US Navy Seals himself!


6.. Whisky is a brilliant invention. One double and you start feeling single again.


7. It is said that when a woman closes her eyes, she sees the person she is in love the most; and when a man does that... the slide show begins.




A Humorous Poem

Only the English could have invented this language


We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say mothren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England .
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
And get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.
And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

And if people from Poland are called Poles
Then people from Holland should be Holes
And the Germans, Germs.

And let's not forget the Americans, who changed s to z, but that's another story....
Yet to be read !