EDITORIAL
The SGM
called to increase maintenance and parking charges in order to factor the drop
in sundry incomes and increase in costs, was received without much qualms.
There were however, concerns expressed on seepage and violation of exteriors by
some members. Hopefully, these concerns will be addressed shortly. The
President highlighted the contributions of the team behind the regularisation of the flats, an issue which
has tormented us for thirty-five years. A new issue of penalty at enhanced
rates for not complying with the allotment procedure has cropped up at DDA.
This matter has been taken up at the highest level and we expect the resolution
on the same soon.
A
two day spiritual soiree on 12th and 13th March, 2016, "Radha Kalyana
Mahotsavam" was conducted in the main lawn with much fanfare and feasting.
Spells of rain did not deter the enthusiasm of the devout. Ladies dressed in
nine yards saris and men in veshtis could be seen singing and dancing on Sunday
morning. It was an endearing sight. There were some residents who shut down
their kitchen for two days and feasted on breakfast, lunch and dinner. Balaji
and Sheela left no stone unturned in making the guests welcome and comfortable.
Rangu's hand was seen in the delectable meals.
The 11th,
12th and 13th of March were also the dates when the Art of Living Foundation conducted
a cultural fiesta on the flood plains of the Yamuna river. This three day
extravaganza saw artists from 155 countries perform their art. Visitors and
VIP's from all over the world thronged the site. It was veritable feast for the
eyes. The size of the stage spanning seven acres where thousands of artists
performed simultaneously was a Guinness World Record. The event on the flood
plains of Yamuna brewed a controversy with environmentalists and media baring
their fangs at the event. Dancers dressed in saris, veshtis, kanduras,
keffiyaks, cassocks etc from around the world regaled the audience for free. It
was a boon to the general public who for the most part cannot pay for such
entertainment. AOL had successfully marketed its cross-cultural potpourri from
around the world.
Holi
saw a lot of enthusiasm with adults and young alike. It took a while for people
to show up in the park but when they did it was all fun. Children took full
toll of the adults by taking pot shots at them with balloons and buckets of
coloured water. Lilting Hindi songs rent the air as the Yamuna band of singers
viz. Seema, Bhavani, Gomathi, Sujata, Sudha, Subadha, Aruna, Raju, and Vinod
Asthana amongst others opened out their lungs. Deepak's baritone was prominent
by its absence as both Deepak's family and Satish's family were off on an
exotic holiday. Colours of the rainbow, not necessarily in any order or pattern
were smeared on the faces and clothes of those present. Chhole khulche and
other small eats whetted everybody's appetite and there was liquid nourishments
to boost the spirits. A game of cricket rounded up the revelry. That was the
good part, the bad part is that you don't get newspapers the next day.
We
have all been brought up reading newspapers first thing in the morning. So much
so that on the odd National Holiday when you don't get an issue I feel
something is missing. It's like having withdrawal symptoms. This is
unfortunately all going to change. The onslaught of the Internet and reading
habits of the young these days is driving newspapers into bankruptcy. Nowhere
is this more pronounced than in the West. Many newspapers there have folded up.
The latest casualty is The Independent.
Its retreat to the Internet will occasion another bout of soul searching about
the heady aroma of a freshly printed page. For instance, my children don't read
the newspaper and to the best of my knowledge, neither do their friends. I can
foresee that many newspapers in India too will go under, if readership numbers
drop. Maybe, in ten to fifteen years we may have to get used to a life without
a newspaper. That will indeed be tragic.
Sadhana
organised their Annual Day on 20th March, 2016 with a grand performance of
their students and other invitees in the Badminton Court. The two hour long
entertainment capsule which included vocals, instruments and dances, tugged at the
heart strings with soul stirring performances. Are we not blessed that we do
not have to pay for an evening of entertainment from the convenience of our
complex? Hats off to Radhika, Ramanan and Pranav for regularly bringing these
soirees. It is also very rewarding to the students and parents to see the
fructification of their dreams of artistic accomplishments.
The
cooking competition at Yamuna on 26th March, 2016 had far fewer entries than
yesteryears. However, there was a lot of enthusiasm amongst the participants.
Fortunately, there was no dearth of on-lookers and tasters. While some of the
dishes were commonplace the others were off the beaten track. While sadly some
missed out on the prizes, all the dishes were worthy of a culinary fest.
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YAMUNA CHEF – COOKING
COMPETITION
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Name
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Address
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Dish
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Main Course-Children
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1
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Shashvath Arun
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G-306
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Paratha with peas and tomato masala
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Dessert
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1
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Sahana Iyer & Adwita Nair
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E-101 & B-107
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Summer Delight
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2
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Anjali Garg & Anoushka Nair
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G-106 & A-203
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Vanilla Beauty & Chocolate Balls
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Starters-Adults
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1
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Geetha Sundaresan
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D-002
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Paneer Kabab
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2
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Anuradha Nair
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B-107
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Honey Chilli Chicken
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Main Course
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1
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Anuradha Nair
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B-107
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White sauce pasta, Tempura fish, Sauteed mushroom & capsicum
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2
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Kavya Narayanan
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B-002
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Tortilla chicken bar-be-cue
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Dessert
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1
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Mala Sundaresan
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D-202
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Beetroot Boli
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2
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Bhavani Krishnan
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E-005
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Oats & Fig Candy
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The
impact that the TV serial MasterChef has
had on everybody was very evident. Not only were the dishes finger licking
good, they were also presented artistically. It was amazing to see Shashvath,
who barely reached the stove top, cooking an entire meal. Both sets of children
who did the desserts did a magnificent job but what probably tilted the judge's
decision in favour of Sahana and Adwita was their incredibly eye catching
presentation. Anu Nair has a passion for cooking and it showed. Her creation,
which set many a stomach churning in anticipation, has a career as a restaurant
chef waiting for her. Mala never disappoints as she always comes out with
something unique. Same applies to Bhavani who has this penchant for health
foods and low calorie sweets which are a diabetic's delight. Archit Iyer of
G-103, who is doing Hotel Management consented to be the judge. He did a very
good job and we are very thankful to him for taking up this assignment. Renu
Garg of G-106 donated Rs. 2.500 towards the prizes. We are indeed very grateful
to Renu for this largesse. All in all it made for a wonderful evening of gastronomic
delight and bonhomie.
The
Board exams are behind for most of the students, for the others, it will be
over soon. Now begins the nervous wait for the results to come out and getting
admission to the course and college of one's choice. Follow your passion and
aptitude and don't get dictated by peer
pressure.
When
the exams get over children need inexpensive places to go to. Far from the
beaten track of malls, Dilli Haat is an option. When it opened about twenty years
ago there was an earthy charm about the place. While it still remains a melting
pot, overcrowded alleyways, peddlers of toys, sweetmeats and savouries have
taken away that rustic appeal. Thankfully it has managed to keep the
philistines at bay. It still caters to the artists and artisans who can pursue
their muse free from middle men and traders. It has become a big tourist hub which offers a relatively
inexpensive shopping, eating and entertainment experience.
Delhi
may be a rude and congested city, but this cacophonous metropolis can still
offer moments of beauty and enduring memories that remind even the most jaded
Delhiite of why they love their capital. The European style buildings of
Central Delhi and the Mughal and Rajput style buildings of Chandni Chowk may be
in bad shape and often obscured by hanging wires, a coat of grime and garish
signboards but they still exude a faded charm and the observant will see
sandstone columns, intricate trellis work, plaster rosettes, wrought iron
grills and railings attesting to a time when the architects of the city were
colonial or natives with no trans-border pretensions. Much
of the beauty of Chandni Chowk may not be visible to the untrained eye, but If you scrape away the grime, there are
marvels aplenty. Despite the poor physical infrastructure like potholed roads, non-existent
pavements and a lacklustre urban aesthetic in some parts of the city, Delhi has
an endearing quality.
IGL
has completed the subterranean work but have left the colony in shambles. They
have also not followed the plans while laying the pipes. Nowhere is it more
evident than in E&F Blocks. Apparently, too many contradictory instructions
were given and the contractors' own shoddy work and non-appreciation of
aesthetics has contributed to this mess. A via media needs to be found.
In
the meanwhile, it is necessary to advise the children not to fiddle or play
with the gas pipes which have a distinct yellow colour. The children have to be
cautioned about the hazards associated with it.
Renu Garg, her mother and daughter Anjali
have vacated G-106. Renu, who works for WHO, has got a transfer to Thailand and
will be away for at least two years. Renu was one of the founders of Readers
Rendezvous, the children's library in Yamuna and put her heart, soul and much
else into it. The library is a hub to which all the children have taken a shine
to every Sunday evening. Anjali, who has a gaggle of friends, was loath to
leave but her mother's compulsions stood in her way. We are eagerly waiting for
their return to Yamuna asap. Renu has donated an adult bicycle, an oil heater
and a heater-blower to the Society. Apart from this she has pledged Rs. 10,000
to the Society to be used as it deems fit. We would like to thank her very much
for this extremely generous gesture. We will miss them.
**********************
In a transcontinental move, N. S.
Venkatachalam of G-103, has relocated to his German head-quarters. This kick
upstairs to the cooler and more sanitised environs of Europe will be a big
transition, not least of which involves his change of title from Mr. to Herr.
Krauts can be difficult to make friends with but once you endear yourselves to
them they can be great fun. Meera quit her teaching job and will be joining him
next month. Archit will stay back for a few years until he completes his
studies. We will miss you guys. Do take your vacations in October to be here
during the festive season. Auf wiedersehen!
***********************
Anukriti Yadav and her cousin Mrinali
Yadav have moved into B-104 from Gurgaon. Anukriti was living in G-305 about
three years ago. Anukriti works for ICICI Bank and does not have any interest
outside her work but Mrinali who has just completed a Masters in Computer
Science and is appearing for an exam to become a Lecturer likes to work for
NGOs, to teach children for free. She is also very fond of walking. We welcome
both of them to Yamuna. They can be reached on 9654915208 and 9873831220
respectively.
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Dr. Rohit Udaya Prasad has moved into
C-205. He is an ENT surgeon working with Dr. Hans (Padmashree awardee), pioneer
of cochlear implants. He works at the Dr. Hans Centre for Cochlear Implants.
Although it is his profession, he is doing a noble job by implanting bionic
cochlea in children born deaf which enables them to hear sounds and thus
facilitating their speech.. Dr. Rohit, an Iyengar from Mysore, has a twin
brother who is also a doctor and lives in Bangalore. An eligible bachelor, Dr.
Rohit is a concert violinist and plays Carnatic music. He has already been
enlisted to play in this year's Annual Day. He can be reached on 9717220193.
**********************
Samir Juneja who is working for Cipla
Pharmaceuticals has moved with his family to G-001 from Narmada Apartments. He
loves spending time with his family and
driving. His wife Brieta is a book lover. Their daughter Aiden is studying in
Class V and their son Aaron is in Kindergarten. Both of them go to Mother's
International School. They can be reached on 9810303363.
**********************
Shyam Satish has moved with his family
into C-108 from Pune. Shyam works with Good Year Tyres and is responsible for
International Business. He is fond of reading books on management, loves sports
and travelling. His wife Meenakshi was a producer of programmes for CNN IBN and
Bloomberg. After the arrival of her children she has become a freelance content
writer, She is very fond of cooking and writes blogs on food. They have two
sons. Raghav is five years old and Madhav is 9 months old. They can be reached
on 9987014878 and 7709001121.
We welcome all the newcomers to the
Yamuna family.
CALENDAR OF
EVENTS FOR APRIL 2016
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DATE
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EVENT
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TIME
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VENUE
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2.4.16
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MOVIE SCREENING & POT LUCK DINNER
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6.30 PM
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BADMINTON COURT
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