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Blog pic
S. Srinivas

05 December, 2014

Issue No. 159 I November 2014

EDITORIAL

I look forward to the Quiz Competition very keenly as it provides fodder for the brain cells. Sumathi's Quiz never fails to break the mould, which is why it is a raging hit. I always marvel at her ability to conjure up disparate elements and find a unifying thread to make a puzzle. While I am seldom in a position to answer her questions, I get fascinated when the answer unfolds. This year, there were five teams in contention and it was extremely well contested with just a few marks separating the teams. Finally, the team "Sitting Ducks" consisting of Aparna Varma, Aryan Ramabadhran, Sudhir Dravid and Poornima Narayanan with 160 marks took the honours and "Coma'' comprising Kiana Abraham, Shantanu Dravid, Anirudh Suresan and Dr. Shwethaa came a close second. They proved that their moniker was in stark contrast with their performance. Dakshina Raghavendra got her numbers correct and was flawless as the scorer.

The time of the year when all the sinews and muscles are put to use is on the Annual Sports Day.  Like always the item that draws the loudest cheers and encouragement is 'Picking the Toffees' for the tiny tots. The residents wildly cheering and backing their favourite tot to haul the maximum catch of toffees reminds one of a wagered cock fight! Prashant Jr's son Lakshay drew the maximum applause for his tally of 60 toffees. He also picked the first prize for the sprint. The multiple first prize winners for other events were Lakshay, Kiana, Avantika Shankar and Vidhya Nair. The only family where all the members notched up prizes were the Savarkars. Kunal Savarkar and Vidhya Nair won their respective sprints by a country mile! They set off the blocks like a hare on steroids and showed a clean pair of heels to the chasing mob. The 'Tug of War' was a contest fought in earnest by both sides. In the first round the ladies hauled the men in like a sack of coals. The men, who were hopelessly outnumbered, called in some reinforcements and huffed and puffed their way to victory in the next two rounds. They now owe a treat to the ladies. The boys were no match for the girls and gave in without a fight, even though some girls assisted the boys for their lack of numbers. The Yamuna marathon which is  basically one round of the perimeter road concluded the Sports Day.

An impromptu art competition was organised in the badminton court on 23rd November, 2014 under the auspices of Delhi Tourism, as part of an initiative called Discover Delhi. It was conducted by Kunal Savarkar and Seema Chari. Considering such a short notice it was amazing to see forty participants vying with each other for the coveted prize. It called for colouring any one of three Delhi monuments – Qutab Minar, Jantar Mantar or Cathedral Church of the Redemption ­ – as one option or free hand drawing of an object of interest in Delhi. All the art works adjudged as winners will be displayed publicly by Delhi Tourism. The weather was gorgeous and the enthusiasm infectious. Even those who were not entitled to be considered for a prize took part in the competition. In the view of the judge from Yamuna, the following children secured the prizes. The adults who took part were excluded from the consideration of the prizes.


Cathedral Church 
1. S. Aruna A-308 

Qutab Minar
1. Ananya Satish A-202
2. Anjali Garg G-106 & Vanshika Arora A-105

Jantar Mantar
1. Tanvi Savarkar C-208
2..Kiana Abraham A-008

Free hand ​Drawing Competition
1. Kavya Narayanan B-002


The Annual Day originally scheduled for 22nd November, 2014 had to be deferred to 6th December, 2014  owing to lack of preparation by the various groups putting up the variety entertainment programme. It will be a trifle colder in December but we will partially cover the sides of the pandal to control the draft of cold air wafting through the lawn. The timing for the start of the programme has also been advanced by half an hour as reflected in the invitation card to mitigate the effects of the cold.

We do not know whether it is for real this time. The latest of IGL's assurances is that the gas pipeline will be laid on January 2015. I was informed by Nitin Singh of IGL that they will be sending a person to the Society on 6th December, 2014 to discuss the routing and other relevant details. Please keep your fingers crossed and pray that it happens.


SNIPPETS

C-001 Member, Anand Mahadevan and Hemalatha's youngest daughter Dr. Advaitha tied the knot with Sivakumar, a Marine Engineer, on 9th November, 2014 at the Moti Bagh barat ghar. Like all of Anand's do's, every detail was meticulously planned and it had all the elements you would associate with traditional and contemporary weddings including Sangeet on 7th November at Surya Hotel, Janavasam on 8th November at Moti Bagh barat ghar and a reception on 9th evening at BSF Officers Mess. The Sangeet at Surya Hotel had the venue bedecked in white chrysanthemums and Swarovski crystals. Anand and family members danced in tandem to choreographed Bollywood music and Advaitha's growing years were captured in still and video footage and beamed on the big screen.

The wedding venue, embellished with bells and marigold flowers in the archway, roses and jasmine on the pandal made for a pretty sight. The traditional nadaswaram was given a metamorphosis with the protagonist playing the saxophone instead, albeit very well. The meals were sumptuous. The functions had a fair sprinkling of Yamuna residents. The bride and groom looked radiant and well matched. We wish them a jolly good wedded life.

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We are glad to announce the arrival into the colony of two families from the legal fraternity.
V.E. Gayathri has moved into E-003 with her father Mr. V. S. Mohan. After completing her law degree from Patna she did a four month stint at The International Court of Justice at Hague. Upon returning to India, she has been attached to the former Chief Justice Mr. P. Sathasivam. She is now assisting the former Attorney General, Mr. Parasaran and his son, the former Solicitor General of India, Mr. Mohan Parasaran. When she has the time, she enjoys swimming and range shooting. She plays the guitar and is keen on learning the veena. Her father Mr. Mohan runs petrol pumps in his native Kancheepuram. Gayathri can be reached on 09654632265.

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Mr. Nikhil Swamy has moved into C-205 with his wife Kruthika Shankar Swamy. Nikhil is a practising Supreme Court lawyer. Both his parents are lawyers and live in GK 1. Nikhil has flown the coop and is now relocated in Yamuna. Nikhil is fond of writing, reading non-fiction and gaming. His wife Kruthika works as a lawyer at PRA Law Offices. She shares Nikhil's interest in reading and enjoys watching cricket. Nikhil can be reached on 08800788985.
The influx of legal eagles into the complex is reaching epidemic proportions. The good thing about this is that we would have good counsels, should we be in the unfortunate situation of getting caught up in a legal wrangle. The possible reason for the proliferation of lawyers could be either that India is a very litigious society or that the system of legal redress does not ensure a finite closure time. Much to our discomfiture, we are witness to adjournments ad infinitum, in the case involving regularisation.


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Anand and Sujata Sundaresan’s cup of woes overflowed when their pet dog, Dhana died prematurely. Dhana was just middle aged in dog life terms. She sauntered off from home one morning and seemed to have foraged in the rubbish heap near the main lawn and probably ingested something toxic. She died later that night. We commiserate with them for this tragic loss.


MIRTH CORNER
Homily from the pulpit
When without money, he rides a bicycle;
When he has money,
 he rides an exercise machine.

When without money,
 he walks to earn food;
When he has money,
 he walks to lose the fat.

When without money,
 he wishes to get married;
When he has money,
 he wishes to get divorced.

When without money,
 his wife becomes his secretary;
When he has money,
 his secretary becomes his wife.

When without money, he acts like a rich man;
When he has money, he acts like a poor man.

Man O man!
 Never means what he says and never says what he means...!!! 


💫Pearl of the day💫

When you are in ANGER, you are just one letter short of DANGER.

While you are GOOD to others, you are one letter more than GOD.
 

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There comes a time when a woman just has to trust her husband...

For example...
 A wife comes home late at night, and quietly opens the door to her bedroom.
 From under the blanket she sees four legs instead of two.
 She grabs one of her husband's golf clubs and starts hitting the blanket as hard as she can.
 Leaving the covered bodies groaning, she goes to the kitchen.
Her husband is there reading a magazine.
 "Hi darling," he says, "Your parents have come to visit us, so I let them stay in our bedroom. Did you say "hello"?

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Not so long ago, a rich Parsi went to Australia to watch the cricket series there.

The Aussie at passport control sat fingering through his passport for a long time. Unable to find any thing objectionable, he growled:

'Have you got a criminal record?’

The Parsi smiled and replied, 'I am terribly sorry, sir; unfortunately, I don't have one.
Nobody told me that it was still a requirement to get into your country'...! 


CALENDAR OF EVENTS - DECEMBER 2014

DATE
EVENT
TIME
VENUE
6.12.2014
ANNUAL DAY-REFRESHMENT, PRIZE DISTRIBUTION
4.00 PM
MAIN LAWN

VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT AND DINNER
ONWARDS 

21.12.2014
NATURE WALK TO ASOLA SANCTUARY
7.15 AM
FROM A BLOCK GATE



24.12.2014
CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL, VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT, WINTER RAMP WALK AND DINNER
6.30 PM
BADMINTON COURT
31.12.2014
MIDNIGHT CAKE CUTTING TO USHER IN THE NEW YEAR
12 MID NIGHT
COMMUNITY HALL