Issue No. 134 I October 2012

Editorial

We are in the midst of the festive, wedding and activity season. These occasions come so thick and fast that before you can get over one, another one is upon us. But is anyone complaining? Nah! The spirit of the season, the colours, the lights, the attire etc. gives us such an adrenaline rush that we are all flushed with excitement. In previous seasons, during the Diwali rangoli competition, residents had complained about the high cost of candles making it difficult to light up the Rangolis adequately at night. With a view to mitigate the problem, it has been decided to leave the staircase lights on at the time of judging so that the residents’ efforts don’t seem futile.

The tribute to Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna through karaoke singing which was deferred from 29^th September to 1^st October was a bit chaotic as all and sundry, whether they had music in their genes or not, wanted to have their voice heard through the loud speaker. Nevertheless, it was fun while it lasted. Deepak, brother of Radhika Nathani ( A-301), who is an acclaimed singer, regaled the audience with his repertoire of songs sung to the strains of his guitar. Unfortunately, this musical soiree did not last long as others wanted a share of the pie. Thence, it was a free for all with Ramabadhran, Srikanth, Bhavani. Seema, Gomathi, Radhika, Murali, Raju, Sudha, Umapathi, Sahana etc. all lending their voices. The irony of the show was that none of them sang Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna’s hits although it was meant to be a tribute for these matinee idols. Ramabadhran brought the karaoke gear and the projector. This was preceded by a documentary of the origins of the earth. While it was very informative and extremely well shot, it had very few takers. Food offerings from Bhavani, Aruna, Soumya and Sudha were lapped up. Kashu with his sambar vada’s also did brisk business.

The time between Navratri and Diwali is a visual delight. Women flitting from one flat to the other dressed in their best Kanjeevarams and prized jewellery are a feast for the eyes and lift the mood. The prevailing bonhomie is infectious. As we men are not invited to this ‘strictly for women’ event, I had to rely on anecdotal evidence from my wife to report on the effort put in by some residents. The imposing Kolu of Sheela at C-005 was matched with the very creative and artistic ones of Sridevi (G-303), Shanti (G-004) and Mala (D-002), amongst others.

Programming the Quiz Competition bang in the middle of Navaratri was a bad idea when ladies are busy trooping in and out of homes and men are on call to take care of sundry tasks. Wiser counsels prevailed and the competition has been moved up the calendar.

Unseasonal heavy rains threatened to ruin the Dandiya Nite. It relented just in time for us to set up the stage, the food stalls and the equipment. Just as the show was to begin, a steady drizzle almost derailed the event. Just as we were considering winding up, the rain stopped and we were cranked to start but my laptop developed a glitch. Timely aid of a laptop from Aditi Rao of C-205 and a connecting lead from Srikanth set the ball rolling. The audience found the authentic garbha music too insipid to get their feet tapping. It required Srikanth the DJ, to rely on some Bollywood kitsch to get their bodies swaying and the dandiyas flailing. Amongst the women, only Aditi Rastogi, Aditi Rao and Meghana Chiplunkar wore the traditional dandiya attire and they looked absolutely gorgeous. Many of the girls namely, Radhika, Samiksha, Kiyana, Riya, Sreeja, Vedika and Vanshika however came dressed for the occasion and amongst the boys Aryan and Shantanu were a perfect match. It was great to see several women swaying to the music and generally having a jolly good time. Deepak Varma and Rohan Nayyar were the only men to dance in the midst of the gaggle of women. To lend them moral support Kunal Savarkar and I, both with two left feet, joined the fray. Meera Varma, Anu Nair and Vidya Venkat scorched the dance floor with some nifty moves. In contrast we men were a pale shadow. The food on offer was tasty and everybody had a whale of a time until another sharp shower sent us packing home.

Ram Lila has its strong adherents in rural and urban India. India’s rich repertoire of heroic tales is largely anchored to holy shibboleths. The countless unchanged retellings of the Ramayana have not lessened the public’s love for the tale. Riya Ramabadhran’s production of the truncated and contemporary version of the Ramlila, was enacted in the lawn on 24^th October. To identify with the times, Riya very skilfully wove Bollywood lyrics into the tale. To conceptualise the mammoth epic to such brevity – nine acts fitting within a 45-minute slot – requires great intelligence and foresight. Since many amongst the female cast wanted to play Sita’s role, the script had three girls playing Sita in different acts. There is a lesson here for us adults in conflict resolution! Riya also gave the cast the freedom to choose their own costumes. Such out of the box thinking from a person so young augurs very well for her future. The hero of the episode, Aryan, had the privilege of playing the lone Ram. Shreeya as Ravan, Shreeja as Sita and the golden deer, Tanvi as Sita and Kaikeyi, Sahana as Sita and Soorpanaka, Aparna as Manthara, Samyukta as Dasarath, Samiksha as Prince, Mani as Lakshman, Anirudh as Kumbakaran, Sachin as Shatrugan, Kiana as Prince Asur and Radhika as Jatayu did a commendable job. Shantanu as Hanuman was just awesome. I have not seen the depiction of Ramayana evoke so much mirth. The choreographer, Riya, and the cast did a splendid job. The show ended with the burning of the imposing Ravana symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Our thanks to Srikanth who donated the effigy of Ravana. He and his family, Mr. Krishnaswamy, Prashant Gopal, Sri Hari, Siddhant, Mukul, Gokul, Sashwat and some members of the cast toiled for hours erecting and stuffing the Ravana with crackers and paper. Please view the pictures in the Yamuna Photo Album.

TT has become the latest fad for most youngsters in Yamuna. They can be seen crowding around the sole TT table under the club house. The competition in the TT tournament was intense. Both girls and boys competed in the same category. The results went true to form and the following children notched up victories. Kudos to the winners.

Mr. Narayanan of C-008 and Manoj Subramaniam, formerly of H-206 have been very supportive of the Society by donating some prizes for the participants of various events. We thank them immensely.

Table Tennis Singles/Doubles Tournament

S.No.	Names	Address	Prize
1	Yohaan Abraham	A-008	1st
2	Anirudh Suresan	H-008	2nd
1	Aparna/ Jai Krishnan	F-103/A-302	1st
2	Anirudh/Sachin	H-008/A-202	2nd

SNIPPETS

Mr. Kumar and family of Kumar Caterers’ fame have temporarily moved into A-308 while major renovation takes place in their own house in Alaknanda. Radha, Kumar’s wife, helps him in his business. His eldest daughter, Renuka is doing Engineering in Tanjore, his second daughter, Ramya is in Amity School in Class XII and his son Ganesh is in Class X in Frank Anthony Public School. Mr. Kumar can be reached on 9380110730 or 9711260440.


Mr. Akhil Sarda is the new tenant in A-208. He has moved in from Chandigarh and works as the State Head for United Breweries for UP and Uttarakhand. He leads a happy bachelor’s life listening to Classic Rock, reading Ayn Rand and P. G. Wodehouse and loves to watch Formula 1 races. He can be reached on 9560825666.


Another Yamuna girl, albeit currently living in Bangalore, ties the knot. Nitya Krishnamoorthy of C-103, got married in Bangalore on 18^th October, 2012. In an elegant reception held at the Air Force Officer’s Club in Subroto Park on 27^th October, Yamuna-ites, amongst others, were treated to some retro music, delectable food and spirits for those inclined to imbibe it. Nitya and her husband Suraj seemed lost in each other’s company. Romance was blooming, as they say! Rohini and Krishnamoorthy were the perfect hosts.

HEALTH CAPSULE

Goodness of Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a wonder plant, loaded with extraordinary benefits that find application across a range of health problems. It’s also an effective, natural beauty aid, one reason why cosmetics manufacturers love it!  The juice of aloe vera is the most important extract of the plant.

Benefits for skin

• Aloe vera has long been used to soothe the skin. The juice quickly helps to ease the pain and itching associated with burns, cuts, sores, blisters and bug bites. Aloe contains both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties as well as ingredients that help to encourage cell regeneration and healing. High in collagen proteins, aloe vera is increasingly used in skin products like moisturizers and anti-aging creams.
• Aloe vera juice is said to prevent/reduce under-eye wrinkles and acne, and reduces dandruff.  

Aloe vera for dental health

The International Aloe Science Council has shown that aloe can be used to reduce mouth pain and swelling after oral surgeries. Studies conducted by the Council have also suggested that aloe vera can reduce the amount of bacteria found in the mouths of denture wearers. Aloe also helps to ease the pain of cuts and sores in the mouth.

Aloe vera for general health

Aloe vera juices help to improve the general immune system. It is used to control production of stomach acids and maintain the pH balance in the stomach. Aloe vera has a minimum of three anti-inflammatory fatty acids, which help in smooth functioning of the stomach and small intestines. It has a natural property to alkalize digestive juices and prevents over-acidity,  one of the common causes of digestive ailments. Aloe vera juice helps in absorption of nutrients and neutralizes toxic elements. 

Other benefits

• Helps to regulate blood sugar
• Helps with weight loss by increasing metabolic rate to burn more calories.
• Improves circulation.
•   Aids in healing damage to internal tissues.
•   Regulates blood pressure.
• Helps to reduce inflammation

Last but not the least!

• By using gels and sprays containing aloe vera, arthritis patients have experienced quick and significant relief from joint and muscle pain.
• Aloe vera gel works as a mild anaesthetic and is useful for reducing pain, swelling and itching. It also improves blood circulation to areas of injury.

Sangeeta Srihari (E- 103)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - NOVEMBER 2012

Date	Time	Event	Venue
3.11.12	6.30 PM	Quiz Competition with Sumathi	Badminton Court
4.11.12	9.30 AM	Sports Day (for children and adults)	Main Lawn
10.11.12	5.30 PM	Diwali Mela	Badminton Court
13.11.12	6.30 PM	Judging of Illumination Competition	Between the blocks
24.11.12	4.30 PM	Annual Day - Refreshments followed by welcome of Chief Guest, Invocation song, speeches, prize distribution, variety entertainment programme. Dinner from food stalls against payment.	Main Lawn

Issue No. 133 I September 2012

EDITORIAL

Some of us are blissfully unaware of the perils we face due to the indiscriminate disposal of toxic waste. The plethora of deformed children, high incidence of cancer and other life threatening ailments can be attributed to a great extent to untreated waste disposal and high pesticide use. E-waste consisting of heavy metals, mercury and other toxic elements is one of the principal culprits. A bin has been placed in the society office to deposit all the e-waste like used batteries/cells, computer peripherals and other electronic waste. A carton has also been placed to collect fused CFL lamps. If we dispose these wastes in any other manner, it will be considered a cognisable offence. The Government has now appointed a single agency in the social sector called Chintan to collect e-waste, who in turn will segregate the waste and forward them to another agency who would either recycle the waste or dispose them off in such a manner that it does not leach into the soil or get airborne.

We have tied up with Chintan to not only remove e-waste from our colony but also other household waste. We should keep the kitchen waste consisting of vegetable peels, waste food etc in a separate bag and other dry waste such as bottles, cans, paper, plastics and polythene wrappers etc separately. Chintan’s workers are trained to handle and segregate different kinds of waste. We hope this measure by us and others will augur well for future generations. The initial stages of this switchover have worked very well. The garbage dump near the C-Block gate remains clean unlike in the past as they do not leave behind anything and also carry the garbage in a closed van as opposed to an open cycle cart used by the earlier contractor. Besides, Chintan does it for free, whereas we were paying Rs. 1,000 per month to the previous garbage remover.

We are already in October and there is very little time to prepare for the Annual Day variety entertainment programme scheduled in November. All residents who would like to take part in plays/skits, music, dance etc should give their names with details to Gita Rastogi of C-004. Likewise, those who would like to take part in the Quiz competition should give their names to Sumathi Chandrashekaran of H-107 latest by 15^th October. Residents who are going to take part in Badminton and TT tournaments may give their names to Raju P. Krishnan of F-103. Seema Chari is staging a Hindi play based on “Angur” for the Annual Day for which she has to finalise the cast. Aspiring actors may please get in touch with her. Please do not wait till D-Day to avoid disappointment.

“Sir meeting mein hain” and “Sir busy hain” are terms used by staff in Government offices to fob off callers and visitors. If the personage is particularly indispensable, bemused supplicants cannot be faulted for wondering when the big kahunas get time to do the quotidian work that keeps the wheels of Government moving. The whole scenario changes dramatically when the rusty wheels are suitably lubricated. Graft in India has come to stay. Graft is there in every country of the world but the degree varies. It seems inexorably linked to geography. It is the least in countries closer to the poles and proliferates as you approach the equator. That is why the Scandinavian countries and down south, New Zealand and Australia are least affected by graft. South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and some Latin countries are all plagued by a parallel economy of unaccounted worth. That one gets willy nilly dragged into the mire is borne out by past lapses.

Those of us who became apoplectic hearing the Government announcement that a household can be provided with only six gas cylinders in a year at the current rates and would have to pay nearly three times the rate for additional cylinders can heave a sigh of relief that succour is at hand. The handmaiden of God is going to shower blessings on Yamuna in the form of Piped Natural Gas. IGL who have laid the trunk gas pipeline across the road in front of Yamuna are awaiting Traffic Police and PWD permission to dig the road to lay the pipeline to Yamuna. I met the Marketing Head of IGL along with the Councillor to urge them to lay the gas pipeline in Yamuna Apartments and handed them a formal request letter. I was assured that they hope to get the approval from the concerned authorities in the month of October 2012 and complete the pipeline work in Yamuna by December 2012. A representative of IGL then visited Yamuna Apartments and took notes on the topography for installing the pipes. We would have to give a refundable deposit of Rs. 5,000 per gas connection and Rs. 2,000 for gas supply and if the pipe length per flat exceeds 15 metres from the node, we have to pay @ Rs. 145 per metre for the additional length. I was told by the representative that there may not be a need in most cases for the additional length of pipe. Hopefully, in the New Year we can bid goodbye to the clunky gas cylinders, the endless wait for the gas delivery boy and the nuisance of co-ordinating the supply.

In view of the scheduled tribute to Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna falling on the eve of the AGM, the programme was deferred to 1^st October, 2012 (eve of Gandhi Jayanti).

The AGM started in a stormy fashion but soon settled down thanks to an overwhelming surge of support for the actions of the Managing Committee. A few resolutions were deferred since the anticipated approval from the Registrar for regularisation of allotment of flats in favour of members got delayed. It was very gratifying that the resolutions were carried through with near unanimous approval.

SNIPPETS

Frustrated by the long and stressful daily commute to his place of work in Gurgaon, Arjun Rao of A-205 has very reluctantly decided to relocate to the Millenium City. It’s going to be hard on Sowmya and the kids, Abhimanyu and Amogh who had lots of friends and integrated very well in the colony. We will also miss Sowmya’s choreography skills in arranging dances for the Annual Day. We wish them the very best in their new abode.

With the arrival of September, the marriage season began. First off the block was A.T. Ashok, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. T. K. Raman of E-104 who wed Vindhya at Shankara Vidya Kendra, New Delhi on 12^th September. The invitation card lucidly explaining the rituals of a Hindu wedding ceremony had the traditionalists asking for more. They were not disappointed. Although only a relatively small gathering was there from Yamuna, it had all the hallmarks of a memorable wedding. We wish the couple the very best for the future.

HEALTH CAPSULE

While walking around the colony, as informed by some Yamuna’ites, I had a look at this herb known in Tamil as called Kizhanelli and  then came to know about the abundance of medicinal properties these tiny leaves carry with them.

Phyllanthus niruri, to give the herb its botanical name, is also known as Bhumyamalaki in Sanskrit  or Buin Anvalah in Hindi. Typically, it grows in lush, green areas like river banks, lakes and paddy fields. In Yamuna, you can find it growing during the rainy season along the wall we share with Godavari Apartments. It has tiny, bright green leaves, deceptively like those of gulmohar. On its underside are miniscule ‘nelli’s – berries in Tamil – that distinguish this herb from other plants. Some of its curative properties:
- Kizhanelli is known to be useful in curing anaemia, skin problems, eyesight defects etc.
- For treating jaundice and other liver problems, leaves of kizhanelli with other herbs (known in Tamil as karisalankanni and thumbai) of equal quantity are ground to a fine paste. Around 15 gm of this paste is mixed in buttermilk and taken on an empty stomach in the mornings and evenings. This not only cures jaundice but also restores the liver to its healthy, normal level within a short period.
- The whole plant and its aerial parts are used for many remedies, mostly biliary. Some examples are kidney and gallbladder stones, hepatitis, colds, flu, tuberculosis, and other viral infections.
- Phyllanthus niruri lowers blood pressure.
- Its leaves are a popular remedy against fever.
- It can be used to increase appetite, while local application relieves inflammation.
- It is also said to be useful in treating anorexia.
Unfortunately, our mali, I am told, is happily unaware of kizhanelli’s wondrous properties and removes the plants wholesale, since they look just like weeds!

Sangeetha Srihari / E-103

LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE

If Columbus had been married…..
If Columbus had been married, he might never have discovered America, because he would have had to answer all the following questions:
• Where are you going?
• With whom?
•Why?
•How are you going?
•To discover what?
•Why only you?
•What do I do when you are not here?
•Can I come with you?
•When will you be back?
•Would you have dinner at home?
•What would you bring for me?
•You deliberately made this plan without me, didn’t you?
•You seem to be making a lot of these programs lately...
•Answer me, why?
•I want to go to my mother’s house.
•I want you to drop me there.
•I don’t want to come back ever!
•What do you mean, OK?
•Why aren’t you stopping me?
•I don’t understand what this whole discovery thing is about.
•You always do things like this.
•Last time you also did the same thing!
•Nowadays you always seem to do this kind of stuff.
•I still don’t understand what else is left to be discovered!

Blonde on the Sun
A Russian, an American, and a blonde were talking one day. The Russian said, 'We were the first in space!'
The American said, 'We were the first on the moon!'
The Blonde said, 'So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!'
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads. 'You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!' said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, 'We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!'

Banta's Law of Motion Banta Singh badly wanted to be known as a great man. So after long research he made a new addition to Newton's Laws of Motion and expects to be nominated for the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics for his new "Theory of Motion" which says:
" A loose motion can never be done in a slow motion. "

CALENDAR OF EVENTS-OCTOBER 2012

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
1.10.12	6.30 PM	DOCUMENTARY SCREENING, KARAOKE SINGING-A TRIBUTE TO DEV ANAND AND RAJESH KHANNA-FOOD STALLS	AT THE BADMINTON COURT
20.10.12	6.30 PM	QUIZ COMPETITION WITH SUMATHI	AT THE BADMINTON COURT
23.10.12	6.30 PM	DANDIA WITH FOOD STALLS	AT THE BADMINTON COURT
24.10.12	6.30 PM	RAM LEELA AND BURNING OF RAVAN’S EFFIGY	AT THE MAIN LAWN