Issue No. 145 I September 2013

EDITORIAL

It was a sweltering evening, quite unusual for the middle of September when the Onam sadya preparations got underway on 14th September. To embellish the entrance to the Community Hall, Seema Chari, Meera Varma, Vidya Nair, Anuradha Nair, Tanvi, Sahana Savarkar, Anoushka, Anirudh Suresan, Samiksha, Adwita, Kiana and Aaria made a very eye catching traditional pookolam flanked by two urlis with floating candles.

The residents and their guests turned up in traditional attire to partake in the feast from 7.30 pm. The bevy of Yamuna beauties in off-white traditional Onam saris comprising Seema Chari, Vidya Nair, Meera Varma, Anuradha Nair, Meghna, Asha, Sudha Easwaran, Sujata, Jayashree, Deepa Nair, Rekha, Dakshina, Manisha, Dhvani, Dr. Shwethaa, Shyni Prakasan, Abhirami, Poornima amongst others upped the heat quotient, making an already sweltering evening blistering hot.

The men not be overshadowed, cranked up their mundu to half mast to bare their legs. However, Kunal, Madhu, Srikumar and Deepak came up short in the battle of the sexes. The shutterbugs led by Sudha had a field day snapping up pictures of the vain men, to boost their dented ego. Now the stage will shift to the Sports Day "tug of war", when the men will hope to overturn the gender advantage of women with their pretty looks.

The Onam sadya was finger licking good even though it may have veered a tad from authentic Onam fare. Be that as it may, it made for a very enjoyable evening with residents congregating outside the Community Hall and indulging in idle chatter.

The candidate representing Aam Aadmi Party for the Delhi assembly elections visited the Society on 14thSeptember,2013 to talk about the Aam Aadmi Party manifesto. The nominee, Mr. Bhardwaj, is a young man and is professionally qualified. He came across as a refreshing change from the dyed in the wool traditional politicians.  There was a certain earnestness in what he said which was in stark contrast to the loud proclamations of the veteran politicians of the mainstream political parties. It would be a travesty of justice if the new brand of politicians are not given a chance to prove their worth. Since the party is coming on a platform of clean governance, it would be suicidal for their own future to veer away from their professed path. If they were to really de-corrupt the system as per their proclamations, it would genuinely make a big and positive impact on the Indian polity.

The decision to do away with the Diwali Mela this year has not gone down well with the residents. I get beseeched by children and some adults when I go on walks, to conduct the Mela. The irony is that when the Mela is planned, there is a lukewarm response from the residents to participate and make the Mela a success. Most of the residents are of the belief that Mela preparation is only a one day activity and show up in the evening decked up to enjoy themselves. Little do they know that it requires nearly a month's preparation for the show to be a success. Income from stalls, after considering the input costs and sharing of income with the stall holders, leaves barely enough to pay the tentwalla. In order to make a surplus, a lot of effort has to go into arranging sponsors. If residents can put their might in this exercise instead of depending on only one person to do it, holding of the Mela becomes feasible. Then again, we need residents to agree to man the stalls. In recent years children have expressed their wish to enjoy themselves and not stand in stalls. If that is the attitude, who will man the stalls and how could we hold a mela?

Junk food rules our heart. Have we not savoured the home grown veggie burger, the delicious  patty dripping in reused oil nestling inside a bun of indeterminate origin? It brought back  memories of my college canteen days as I snacked at my daughter's college, when I went for her admission. The Mc.Donalds of the day with their meaty avatar, sundry pizza joints and Haldirams and Bikanerwalas are all working overtime to pander to our taste buds and make us fat, unhealthy and ugly. Even our humble dosa is not above reproach. What might appear as a simple pancake made out of rice and lentil batter fried in a skillet with masala laden mashed potatoes as a filling, is packed with carbohydrate with high glycemic index and triglycerides. A walk along the perimeter of the colony, which I do religiously, throws up a treasure trove of discarded chips, chocolates and sundry savoury packets, the contents of which are guaranteed to give our youth all the lifestyle ailments during their advancing years. Gluttonously distended bellies of many Indians are the cumulative consequence of dietary wantonness. We need to balance our life style, whereby the craving for junk food does not jeopardise our long term well being.

Yamuna has its share of wild life with exotic birds like the great hornbill, blue jays, parakeets rubbing shoulders with common crows, mynahs, pigeons, feral cats, monkeys and mangy curs who occasionally stray into the colony (tell tale evidence is unfortunately left on the road). We also have some equally wild specimens of the human kind. Our teenagers also show their wild streak until they sober down in their post teen years. Yamuna has the ambience of a countryside retreat in the midst of a chaotic metropolis. This is one of the facets that make it  a joy to call Yamuna one's home.

Mr. Thangathurai of B-302 has pledged to donate Rs. 20,000 towards development of the tiny tot park adjoining the Society office into a garden for medicinal and ornamental plants. The calm and salubrious environment of a verdant and therapeutic garden could serve as a retreat for residents wishing to have a quiet area to meditate. As a consequence, the facilities for swings, slides, see-saws, jungle gym and sundry other play equipment for tiny tots would be moved to the main lawn to the right of the entrance. They will be dovetailed to the proposed machaan designed by Meghana Dubashi and Kumar Chiplunkar. Thomas Abraham has been assigned the task of coming up with a plan. Mr. Thangathurai's philanthropic acts do not seem to end. We wish to thank him for this largesse.

The AGM conducted on 22nd September, which started on a stormy note, soon settled down and all the resolutions were passed unanimously. I would like to thank the Managing Committee members, particularly the office bearers for the excellent work done during the year. Many seemingly insurmountable issues got sorted out. Outside the committee, Mr. P. Krishnamurthy, Mr. A. E. P. Suresan, Mr. Umapathi and Mr. Thomas Abraham amongst others gave their valuable time and support for the affairs of the Society. Any efforts of the Managing Committee will not give the desired results without the co-operation of the residents. When one looks at the problems confronted by the neighbouring societies, I must confess that our residents have been magnificent. This is what makes Yamuna a special place to live in.

We are approaching the active part of our festival season. A plethora of activities have been planned over the next three months. The Janmashtami programme was a resounding success. Residents have gotten used to a high standard of performance from our residents. Practice for the Ramlila and Annual Day would start earnestly in a few days. Residents who are new to the colony and have interest in dance, music, theatre or any other art form should participate and bring in their own brand of entertainment to enrich the cultural milieu of the colony.

SNIPPETS

When it comes to comes to mind games Mr. K. Krishnamoorthy of C-103 has no peers in India. At 60 years, he became the oldest player in India to win a FIDE rated Chess tournament beating the previous record by 13 years. He secured an incredible 8.5 points out of a possible 10 in the First All India FIDE rated tournament held in Wayanad, Kerala.

Kudos to Mr. Krishnamoorthy for this awesome achievement. I hope he imparts his knowledge of chess moves to the children in Yamuna.

HEALTH CAPSULE

THE TRUTH ABOUT WHITE BREAD, MAY APPLY TO WHITE RICE AS WELL

Many people around the world enjoy eating white bread. Here are some facts that may shock and surprise you. It's not only that white bread isn't good for your health, it can actually be a real danger ! The Swiss government has been aware of the dangers of eating white bread for decades and in order to get its populace to stop eating it, Switzerland has placed a tax on the purchase of white bread.

Why is the color of white bread so white when the flour taken from wheat is not? 

It’s because the flour used to make white bread is chemically bleached, just like you bleach your clothes. When you are eating white bread, you are also eating residual chemical bleach . Flour mills use different chemical bleaches, all of which are pretty bad.

Here are a few of them: Oxide of nitrogen, chlorine, chloride, nitrosyl and benzoyl peroxide mixed with various chemical salts. One bleaching agent, combines with whatever proteins that are still left in the flour and produces alloxan. Alloxon is a poison and has been used to induce diabetes in laboratory animals. This bleaching agent destroys the vital wheat germ leaving only poor quality proteins and fattening starch. But that is not the whole story as to the loss of nutrients.

Here are some statistics about the huge loss of nutrients when white bread is made:

·     About 50% of all calcium is lost

·     70% of phosphorus

·     80% of iron

·     98% of magnesium

·     75% of manganese

·     50% of potassium and

·     65% of of copper.

·     80% of thiamin, 60% of riboflavin, 75% of niacin, 50% of pantothenic acid.

·     About 50% of Pyridoxine

Whole wheat, rye and grain breads made with whole wheat flour are a better way.

-Contributed by Mahesh Eswaran A-304

MIRTH CORNER

Santa and Banta were playing chess...
 (joke doesn't end here).
 
 Santa: Chal yaar bas karte hain, sir pak raha hai.
 
 Banta: Haan yaar, waise bhi tera sirf haathi bacha hai aur mera sirf ghoda.
 
 The joke doesn't end here either...
 
 Phir wahan Viswanathan Anand aata hai.
 
 Vishy: Chalo Santa-Banta, chess khelte hain.
 
 Santa-Banta: Nahi, aap to hume aasani se hara doge.
 
 Vishy: Chalo yaar. Tum dono aur me akela.
 
 Santa-Banta: Phir bhi hum haar jayenge.
 
 Vishy: Okay, mai left hand se khelunga.
 
 Santa-Banta: Haan. Phir thik hai.
 
 The joke still doesn't end...
 
 Dono obviously haar jate hai aur Vishy chala jata hai.
 
 Santa: Badi sharmanaak baat hai, yaar. Left hand se bhi hara diya usne.
 
 Banta: Abe bewkoof bana gaya woh hume.
 
 Santa: Kaise?
 
 Banta: Saala lefty hi hoga!!!!!!!!!!! 

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR OCTOBER 2013

DATE	EVENT	TIME	VENUE
12.10.2013	DANDIA, MUSIC AND FOOD STALLS	7.00 PM	BADMINTON COURT
	PLEASE COME IN TRADITIONAL ATTIRE & BRING
	DANDIA STICKS
13.10.2013	RAMLILA AND BURNING THE EFFIGY OF RAVANA	5.00 PM	MAIN LAWN
19.10.2013	SCREENING OF MOVIE & POT LUCK DINNER	6.30 PM	BADMINTON COURT

Issue No.144 I August 2013

EDITORIAL

The Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony threatened to get derailed by dark clouds and drizzle. However, the rain stayed away and with light breeze wafting across the badminton court, it was really pleasant. At the appointed hour there were only a handful of people. The crowd soon swelled up and the flag was hoisted by Dhruv and Samarth, the youngest children capable of pulling the chord. The singing of the National Anthem was spontaneous and unanimous. This was followed by singing of patriotic songs by Devyani, Adwita, Mani, Shaswat, Tanvi, Sahana, Radhika and Sivashri who were trained by Subhada. Another round of songs was sung by Shreeya, Shreeja, Aditi and Poorvaja under the tutelage of Kalyani. After that the adults led by Gomathi, Bhavani, Seema, Radhika, Sudha, Bharti, Jayashree, Poornima, Deepak, Ram, Murali sang with gusto and joie de vivre. The balloons filled by Mr. Nathani, Aditi and Poorvaja decorated the badminton court. There was a minor scare, though, on the eve of Independence Day as the flag of previous years was missing. Mr. P. K. K. Nair stepped in and got somebody to head to Sadar Bazaar and get the flag. He showed up in the morning with the flag and sundry other tricolour articles. This was perhaps the Independence Day with the largest attendance ever and everybody had a jolly good time. Bhavani proposed a kite flying competition but there didn’t seem to be many takers. You may see the photos on the Yamuna Photo Album.

Most people fall for the faux charms of the fairness creams peddled in the marketplace. Recent clinical and empirical studies have shown that these creams have such dangerous compounds in their composition that prolonged usage could result in patchy skin, heart problems and even skin cancer.  Our obsession with fairness as a yardstick for attractiveness is what has driven cosmetic companies to up their ante to promote their brand of fairness cream, in what can be described as a multi-crore market. Woe betide, we may be seeing the demise of the dusky beauty or the swarthy male equivalent, if the claims of the cosmetic companies were true. Happily for us, that is not going to happen and we will continue to be blessed with people of different hues.

The handing over of fancy wheels to their spoilt brats by politicians and businessmen has caused a lot of accidents on the roads. One unfortunate Yamuna resident will live to tell the tale.. At three in the morning when most sane people would be resting their tired limbs and catching up on their sleep, two brothers, drunk to the gills, sped down the road in front of Yamuna as though it was a Formula 1 racetrack. One of them was driving an Audi and other a Toyota Freelander and they crashed into each other, lost control and one of the offending vehicles careened into a parked car of a resident, pushing it into the gutter in the process. The mangled mass will require serious money to make it look like a car again. The hapless resident is at her wits end while the brats get ready for their next expedition.

Janmashtami or Gokulashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna - and celebrate it we did at Yamuna, with all the enthusiasm of a child let loose at Disneyworld. The choreographers, Radhika, Subadha and Netra worked tirelessly with the children for several days to put up a fabulous show. We had record attendance, thanks to the sequences being filmed by Sandhya Kumar and her crew who flew in from Bombay for the event. It is so nice to know that even decades after leaving, Yamuna ex-residents should have such a strong and nostalgic bond with the colony to come back and make a film.

As usual, the show started late. The more than half hour delay was a new low for Yamuna. Not that it mattered, as the assembled crowd lapped it all up because the show had all the elements of a being a super hit. The colourful costumes, the professional choreographing, catchy music and great stage presence of the kids made for a fine evening of entertainment. Nachiket’s opening act was canned as he came down with a bout of laryngitis. Instead, the opening act featured Sahana Iyer, Aaria  Anirudh Verma and Radhika Venkataraman celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna based on 'Govinda jaya jaya Gopal jaya jaya' through Odissi dance composed and choreographed by Radhika Samson to some inspiring music by a British rock band. This was followed with another superb Odissi dance recital set to Pandit Ravishankar’s "Oh Krishna, where are you," by the same trio. It was amazing how Radhika Samson could mould these children to do complex classical dance in such a short time. Another Radhika choreographed item, "Jai Radhe, Jai Krishna, Jai Vrindavan" enacted by Sahana, Vanshika, Aditi, Bhavna, Anjali, Devyani, Dhanya and Anushka had the audience cheering lustily.

Subhada, a talented musician with pedigree, got her wards Advita, Devyani, Shaswath, Sahana Savarkar, Tanvi, Sivasree and Mani to sing a Meera bhajan, “Chakar rakho ji”, followed by a Guruvayurappan song (“Thechi mandaram”) and ending with another bhajan (“Nanda nandana radhe sham”). Subhada's training and the children's talent made this mellifluous rendition very pleasing. 

This paved the way to Netra choreographed "Woh Kisna hai" featuring Aparna Menon, Samiksha, Tanvi, Sahana, Anushka and Kiana followed by an adrenaline pumping all time favourite "Govinda a la re" enacted by Aryan, Shantanu,, Mani and Abhishek which had the audience clapping to the beat. The grand finale was the dandia dance done by the adults featuring Meera, Bharti, Seema, Bhavani, Anuradha Nair, Sudha, Gomathi, Deepak, Srikumar Madhu, Kunal and Abhilash It was indeed refreshing to see adults volunteer to do a dance number. It did not seem like they were making an effort as they were sporting a smile whilst dancing. The joy was infectious.

The eternal favourite, Samarth as Krishna, was hoisted on his dad's shoulder to break open the dahi handi, but his efforts went in vain. Mr. Muscle (Deepak Varma), then took on the task, but even after raining several blows on the clay handi with a coconut, the pot held on with pride. Finally, it seemed prudent to remove the shards from the cracks to prise open the pot, which yours truly did.

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening of fun and entertainment. Ramanan, with the assistance of Netra, Soumya, Medha and the children made a very interesting floor decoration. Kasu's snacks corner had its busy moments. Mr. Thangathurai and his wife Meenakshi distributed laddoos to the audience and Mrs. Govil handed over a packet of eclairs to be distributed to the children. It was very gratifying to see the support of Yamuna residents for the event.

We have received a communication from the Office of the Chairman of the Wards Committee, South Delhi Municipal Corporation stating that IGL will start the gas pipeline work in Yamuna in October 2013. Hopefully, this will put to end the speculation about if and whether we would get piped gas for cooking. This communication has been put up on the Notice Board.

Onam is celebrated in all Kerala households in the month of Chingam, when it marks the homecoming of mythical King Mahabali who ruled Kerala in a benevolent and just manner. This year, Thiruvonam falls on16th September, 2013. To usher in the spirit of Onam, a feast is being organised on Saturday, 14th September, 2013 at either the badminton court or Community Hall from 7.30 pm. Residents are requested to participate in making the pookolam. Those residents who are interested in the feast are requested to buy the coupons from the Society office for Rs. 225 per person latest by the 10^th September, 2013. Attendance in traditional attire would be desirable.

OBITUARY

Thangammal (C-003), mother of Mr. B.M.S. Murthy, B.M. Krishnan and B.M. Sundaresan (all members of Yamuna) left for her heavenly abode on 26th August, 2013 at the ripe age of 101 years. She would have turned 102 in September, 2013. She was very active for her age with a sharp intellect and was the boss of the house. Her departure has left a void in the lives of all the family members and made Yamuna poorer of sage counselling. Yamuna residents sincerely convey their condolence to the bereaved family.

SNIPPETS

After a long hiatus of nearly four years, D-001 finally has an occupant. Mr. Amit Kumar Jain has moved into the flat. Mr. Jain is in multi product business with factories in Assam. He grows aromatic grass and extracts citronella oil which keeps mosquitoes and other pests at bay. He also has a silk weaving outfit for saris and fabrics. His mother, Madhu Jain, is a designer of International fame. His wife, Nikita Jain designs and sells costume jewellery. They have two daughters named Swarashi and Prisha who are 7 years and 4 years old respectively. Interactions with Mr. Jain have revealed that he is a very gregarious person. Due to his business interests in Assam he would be shuttling between Gauhati and Delhi. He plans to move his family to Delhi at the beginning of the next academic year. He can be reached on 09864021892. This family will definitely add to the cultural diversity of the colony.

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Srilakshmi Mani of B-201 has been selected as Head Girl of Birla Vidya Niketan. She must have displayed tremendous all round talent to be chosen as the Head Girl, which is an honour given to only one girl in the school. Coming on top of her superb academic performance, Srilakshmi is sure to grow to great heights (pun intended).

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Mr. Talwelkar and family of C-206 are relocating to Mumbai after a fairly lengthy stint in Yamuna. Their children, Anish and Juilee, were enthusiastic participants in eco-drives and cultural activities in the colony. We wish them the very best in their new abode.

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Abhirami Prakasan of B-303, who has been hitting a million balls in pursuit of tennis fame got her place under the sun when she won the Girls Under-14 IATA talent series title organised by DLTA at the R. K. Stadium, a site of many Davis Cup battles. It may not be Wimbledon yet, but it certainly paves the way for the pinnacle of tennis glory.

MIRTH CORNER

‘Desi English’ ranges from outrageous to endearingly funny expressions. Some delightful examples:

Leave Applications: 
Infosys , Bangalore : An employee applied for leave as follows:
'Since I have to go to village to sell my land along with my wife, please sanction me one-week leave.'

Oracle Bangalore: From an employee who was performing the 'mundan' ceremony of his 10 year old son: “As I want to shave my son's head , please leave me for two days..'

 Another gem from CDAC: Leave letter from an employee who was performing his daughter's wedding: 'as I am marrying my daughter , please grant a week's leave..'

From H.A.L. Administration Dept: 'As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.'

 Another employee applied for half day leave as follows: 'Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 a.m. and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave'

  'I am suffering from fever, please declare one-day holiday.' 

'My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave'.

 A leave letter to the headmaster: 'As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today' 

 Another leave letter written to the headmaster: 'As my headache is paining  please grant me leave for the day.'

 Covering notes: 

'I am enclosed herewith...' 

 Another one: 'Dear Sir: with reference to the above, please refer to my below...'

                                                                                                                                                     
Letter writing: 'I am well here and hope you are also in the same well.' 

Job application: 'This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ' Typist and an Accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both with good experience , I am applying for the post.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER, 2013

DATE	EVENT	TIME	VENUE
14.9.2013	POOKOLAM AND ONAM FEAST	7.30 PM	BADMINTON COURT
22.9.2013	AGM	9.30 AM	COMMUNITY HALL