Issue No. 153 I May 2014

EDITORIAL

The Modi led BJP swept aside all opposition to win the Lok Sabha elections with a thumping majority. When BJP anointed Modi as their PM candidate, the revival of the flagging party seemed preordained. Such was the charisma, daring and can-do attitude of the man, that the people felt that only he can lift the nation from the morass the UPA had left the country in. Modi is a refreshing change from the country's tired gerontocrats. Congress was a real life petri-dish for all manner of political and economic malfeasance and had to pay for it at the hustings. The doctrinaire dinosaur like CPM lost their relevance eons ago with end of cold war. Their poor show at successive polls should have made them change their approach, but alas that would not be CPM. They have stuck to their doctrines well past their sell-by date. It's time to write their epitaph.

The axis of Sadhana (school of art, music and dance), Tattva (canteen and organic food store) and Baby steps (the school for children needing intervention) forming the hub in C block annexe is turning out to be a magnet for people to congregate in the evenings. All the three establishments are gaining traction and feeding into each other's client  profile. Whether they have reached the critical mass to overcome the rent and other overhead costs is another point. We hope people convey through word of mouth the presence of three marquee establishments in Yamuna to their friends and relatives in the neighbourhood. It would do a world of good to these budding entrepreneurs and make the place sustainable. We do not want any of these establishments to close down for want of clientele as they collectively not only enhance the social milieu of the colony but are an important source of revenue for the Society.

Eureka, the neighbourhood book store in the market opposite Don Bosco school has unfortunately downed its shutters. Unlike other book stores, there was a personalised touch to the place so well nurtured by its promoters. It didn't seem that they were in the book trade for commerce. It was a place you hung out in, browsing paperbacks and chatting with the owners and other clients. When it shut down, it seemed like a part of me was taken away. Although, I didn't frequent the place as often as my wife and daughters did, whenever I did go to the shop I felt an old world charm about it. Unfortunately, e-commerce is biting into the vitals of many a retailer who is not in a position to combat the predatorial instincts of Flipkart and Snapdeal. High rents and other establishment costs mean we are staring at a new era of shopping on the net. Very convenient, but not entirely pleasurable. Eureka have not vanished into thin air. They will be operating from a basement in Chittaranjan Park, although they will not be retailing. Their story telling workshops for children, the kind they held in Yamuna a few times, will however continue.

Shwetha Ramakrishnan of A-007, had chronicled the story of Eureka bookstore in an article in The Indian Express. It was a very charming narrative. She, and her senior journalist colleague Shalini Narayanan of H-207, who form the new tribe of journalists from the colony are maintaining a fine balance between writing on the diktat of their publishers and coming up with charming neighbourhood stories which matter to the common folk. The one Shalini wrote about a person running a dosa and vada vending establishment in the Ayyappa temple brought nostalgic memories of old world journalism long lost to the crowded and noisy blathering of politicians, courtroom battles, crime and terrorism that dominate newsprint these days. I admit, occasionally they have to succumb to the demands of their editorial bosses like the time Shalini had to dig into the nether world of the palace intrigue that culminated in the murder of Ponty Chadha. But their little gems are what warms the reader's heart. Don't give up girls, you give us a lot of pleasure with your little anecdotes.

Our public convenience adjoining the badminton court and in the Club house was a disgrace for man or beast. Apart from being in a poor state there was no provision for flushing in the toilets and the urinals emptied into an open channel thereby giving of a foul smell of the most unpleasant kind whenever one ventured within 15ft of the toilet. It has now got a makeover that even a resident will not be hesitant to use it in an emergency. This work was also done without having to approach the General Body for the sinking fund allocation, thanks mainly to the enhanced maintenance charges being received from let out spaces.

The plethora of offerings from the Yamuna ladies that would lead to a culinary zeitgeist, is the addition of ready mix sambhar powder-a creation of Aruna Krishnan, which is an answer to the working woman's dilemma of rustling up a meal in a jiffy. It is now available at the Yamuna store. Believe me, it is awesome. Not to shirk from putting her creation on the shelf, Bharti Ramakrishnan has brought the Gujarati favourite-Thepla to your doorstep. You don't have to travel to Ahmedabad to get a bite of the authentic Thepla. It is within arm's reach at the store.

The movie "School of Rock" starring Jack Black was screened in "Sadhana", the school of music, dance and art on 11th May, 2014. For a person who has not been initiated into rock music, there could be no better example. The incredible Jack Black was amazing. His wizardry with the guitar and wild acts on stage could turn any newbie into an adherent to this genre of music. Those who couldn't make it have lost a great opportunity of watching a fabulous movie.

The culmination of the first quadrant of a person's life is the XII th class board exam which completes the most challenging and perhaps the most important phase of their life. The children of Yamuna have come up trumps as usual. Srilakshmi Mani and Archit Iyer have come up with mindboggling marks in their respective streams and are nestling along with the creme de la creme of the country's brainiest. The table of marks and names of the residents of Yamuna who appeared in the Board exams and have given their consent to publish the results, is listed below. Kudos, to these kids. May their future be written in gold.

	RESULTS OF THE XII TH CLASS BOARD EXAMINATION
S.NO	NAME	ADDRESS	% MARKS	STREAM
1	SRILAKSHMI MANI	B-201	96.5	SCIENCE
2	ARCHIT. V. IYER	G-103	95.5	COMMERECE
1	MUKUL NAIR	H-002	84	COMMERCE
2	S. ABHINAV	B-307	68	COMMERCE
1	ANJALI MENON	C-108	84	HUMANITIES

Raju P Krishnan has donated three telephone instruments to the Society. These phones will come very handy in our endeavour to bolster the security of the residents. The plan is to ask the guards to call up the resident on the Centrax system who the visitor wishes to meet , to ascertain the bonafide of the visitor. We are indeed grateful to Raju.

Some of drivers employed by the residents are seen playing cards and gambling till late in the night near the garbage dump adjoining the C Block gate. They also been known to imbibe intoxicants. This habit of theirs is both a nuisance and a threat to residents. The drivers have been warned several times but to no avail. Since residents are employing them and paying their wages they are likely to pay heed to their warnings. Residents are therefore advised to inform their drivers to go home once their duty is over.

SNIPPETS

In a career move that is both lateral and vertical, B. Kumar of B-202 has moved to Black and Decker in Bangalore, within shouting distance of the top job. His wife Anusmita and daughter Devyani joined him on 10th May, 2014. They will be missed very badly as both Anusmita and Devyani used to participate in most of the cultural events of the colony. Kumar's parents will keep shuttling between Bangalore and Delhi.

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Reaching the pinnacle of one's profession is not everybody's cup of tea but for Dr. Renuka Masodkar of E-102, topping her batch in MD from Manipal University as a radiation oncologist was a walk in the park. Congratulations! Renuka, you make us very proud of being a Yamunaite.

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Mr. Arvind Rajpurohit has moved into F-004. He can be reached on 9810272825.

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It seems Netra was not alone in cracking the TISS (Tata institute of Social Stufies) examination. Harshitha from C-108 and Manasa from C-007 have also crossed the Rubicon.

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Mr. Shyam Govinda has moved into B-006 from Mumbai. He works as the Head of Corporate Banking for North India at Axis Bank. Mr. Govinda is a Kannadiga from Mysore and is fond of carnatic music. His wife Rajeshwari is an avid reader and the apple of their eye is their nineteen month old daughter, Mihika. We welcome them to Yamuna.

MIRTH CORNER

Women always wish to have the last word. In order to counter some of the jokes I have reproduced in the chronicle where the women usually end up second best, my wife forwarded me the following jokes which brings out the worst of men. Men, it's time to swallow the bitter pill!

WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

W O R D S

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...

30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can  be  so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time." The wife responded, "Allow me to explain . God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;

God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to  wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.  Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.  The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

JUNE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

DATE	EVENT	TIME	VENUE
15.6..14	RAIN DANCE	6.30 PM	MAIN LAWN

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