Issue No. 150 I February 2014

EDITORIAL

A cold and blustery morning with rain clouds mysteriously cleared up just in time for the "On the Spot Painting Competition" to begin on 2nd February, 2014. Children and adults armed with easels, paints, brushes, crayons etc. trooped in such numbers that we ran out of art paper. Renu Garg who was volunteering, rushed to the market to get another packet. By then the sun was shining brightly and the melange of colours made for a gorgeous setting in the badminton court.

Children had to draw a beach scene and adults had a choice between a village scene and a wedding scene. I thought I had all the elements of a village scene in my painting but the judge couldn't see the merit in my work and didn't deem it worthy of a prize. What astounded me was that all the participants who painted a beach scene showed the  sun bathers clad from head to toe. There were no bikinis or bathing suits on display. This prudery ostensibly stems from our deep-seated vestiges of conservatism, albeit the wanton display of flesh in our movies. Seetha Venkataraman had brought biscuits and goodies for all the participants and Sumathi Chandrashekhar helped out with the organisation. Those who triumphed can proudly read their names below. Prizes will be distributed at the Annual Day function.

	RESULTS OF THE PAINTING COMPETITION HELD ON 2.2.14
PRIZE	AGE GROUP	NAME	ADDRESS
1ST	6-9 YEARS	DHRUV SUTTAR	H-106
2ND	6-9 YEARS	SAHANA IYER	A-004
3RD	6-9 YEARS	VANSHIKA ARORA	A-106
1ST	8-9 YEARS	SHASHVAT ARUN	G-306
2ND	8-9 YEARS	KIANA ABRAHAM	A-008
3RD	8-9 YEARS	SHIVASHREE.S	A-308
1ST	11 YEARS	SAMIKSHA NAIR	B-107
2ND	11 YEARS	APARNA VARMA	H-208
3RD	11 YEARS	AVANTIKA SHANKAR	G-306
1ST	12-14 YEARS	VEDIKA ARORA	A-106
1ST	ADULTS	POORNIMA NARAYANAN	B-101
2ND	ADULTS	KAVYA NARAYANAN	B-101

We could not have chosen a better day for the heritage walk to Humayun's Tomb. After a spell of rain the previous week, the air was crisp and fresh, the sun shone brilliantly from the azure skies and a gentle breeze wafted across our faces. The tomb, the gardens around and the ramparts have been brilliantly restored by the Aga Khan Foundation through the singular efforts of Mr. Ratish Nanda (art historian and restorer). I believe artists and craftsmen were flown in from Central Asia (from where this style of architecture and decorative work originated), to recreate the glory days of the Humayun's tomb. Our raconteur extraordinaire, Dr. Ramji Narayanan filled us on the esoteric details of the history, architecture and customs of the time - something you would not find in guide books or from commercial guides. Archival photos of the tomb and its environs are displayed in a niche within the grand entrance, Fruit trees now dot the gardens as was prevalent at the time the tomb was built. The crypt where Humayun is actually buried is not open to visitors, but you can see from the precincts of the tomb, the ornamental burial tablet, the mehrab and the exquisite trellis work. The chevron water bodies and the network of channelled streams through which milk and honey once flowed, have been very thoughtfully restored and made functional. Shekhar Nair showed his largesse by footing the bill for everybody's entrance ticket. Thanks, mate! The people who came for the walk had a jolly good time. Photos of the walk can be seen on the Yamuna Photo Album link.

Sunday, 16th February, is etched in my mind as one of the most engaging and entertaining evenings I have spent in Yamuna. "Sadhana", the performing arts school in C Block annexe put up a dance and music show of the students and their gurus for all Yamuna residents. It was really amazing to see what children could accomplish within one month of their tutelage. The Odissi group dance by the Yamuna girls, the solo dance by Dakshina and group western music performance by the boys were all a testimony to the high skills imparted by the trio of Radhika, Ramanan and Pranav who are running the school. This was followed by a brilliant sitar and tabla rendition of a Pandit Ravi Shankar composition by Radhika and Pranav. The grand finale was an impromptu fusion composition by the trio of Radhika, Ramanan and Pranav. It was ethereal. It was evident that they wear their hearts on their sleeves and their passion and dedication is infectious.

Sadhana wish to hold these evening soirees on a monthly basis. The Yamuna Sports and Cultural committee will also host them periodically at either the lawn or the Badminton Court so that a larger number of residents can benefit from the entertainment. It will also serve to add some richness to our cultural calendar which at present is devoid of classical performances.

For much of February, the nights and early mornings have been bitterly cold with lows of 6⁰ C. Most people remain indoors cocooned in quilts in placid domesticity. The irony is ere long we will be confronted with the torrid effects of a blazing sun.

The case filed by 26 housing societies, to give credence to the Lt Governor's powers of waiver of the discrepancy in the process of allotment of flats, which was scheduled for 13th February, 2014 has got deferred to July14th, 2014. A favourable disposition would have enabled even our Society to benefit from the waiver given by the LG as per the same clause. Since this case has been meandering along with no end in sight, our legal sub-committee is examining other options and hopefully, before long, a proposal will be put up before the members for consideration.

SNIPPETS

Satish Padmanabhan returns to Yamuna after a gap of two years. He has moved into A-202. He moved back from Mumbai and is currently leading a bachelor's life until wife Purnima, son Ashwin and daughter Ananya can join him after the kids' school term ends in March. They can be reached on 09819555502 and 09899455502. Welcome back Satish, Poornima, Ashwin and Ananya. We really missed you when you were away.

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Aditi Rastogi of C-004 got engaged to Antriksh in Kolkata on 8th February,2014. A ring exchange ceremony was held at her grandparents' abode in Prithviraj Road.  Aditi with her disarming smile and Antriksh with his impish demeanour made a very charming and cherubic couple. The setting was gorgeous, with the garden in full bloom and mandarin orange bushes laden with fruits. A small and intimate group of friends and relatives were treated to a visual spectacle of colourful streamers, paper lanterns, wooden wheeled parrots on tables, great food and music, all inspired by Aditi.

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Kaushik of D-001, Girija and Mohan's son at last succumbed to the charms of Sheetal, a lawyer and got engaged to her in Mumbai on 17th February, 14. The parents are thrilled that another major responsibility is off their shoulder. Little do they realise that grandparents are in great demand by their children when it comes shouldering responsibility of bringing up children. I am speaking a trifle too soon but I would like to wish Girija and Mohan happy grandparenting assignments in the none too distant future.

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The classical dancers from Yamuna are cutting their spurs on the big stage. Mallika Mahesh, Aparna Krishnan, Shreeya and Shreeja Srikant shone in poet Kalidasa's dance drama Abignanashakuntalam in Shriram Centre on 27th February, 2014. It is a pity that many from Yamuna did not have the privilege of watching the show because it was on a weekday.

MIRTH CORNER

MAKE THE WOMAN HAPPY! 

Do something she likes, and you get points. 
Do something she dislikes, and points are subtracted. 
You don't get any points for doing something she expects. 
Sorry, that's the way the game is played. 
Here is a non-exhaustive guide to the point system:

SIMPLE DUTIES 
You make the bed. (+1) 
You make the bed, but forget the decorative pillows. (-10) 
You throw the bedspread over rumpled sheets. (-3) 
You go out to buy her what she wants (+5) in the rain (+8) 
But return with a bottle of whiskey. (-5) 

PROTECTIVE DUTIES 
You check out a suspicious noise at night. (+1) 
You check out a suspicious noise, and it is nothing. (0) 
You check out a suspicious noise, and it is something. (+5) 
You pummel it with an iron rod. (+10) 
It's her pet dog. (-20) 

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS 
You stay by her side for the entire party. (+1) 
You stay by her side for a while, then leave to chat with an old school friend. (-2) 
Named Priya (-10) 
Priya is a dancer. (-10) 
Priya has a good figure and is friendly. (-40) 

HER BIRTHDAY 
You take her out to dinner. (+2) 
You take her out to dinner, and it's not a Haldiram or CCD. (+3) 
Okay, it's a Haldiram or CCD. (-2) 
And its all-you-can-eat night. (-3) 
It's a sports bar, it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted the colors of your favorite team. (-10) 

A NIGHT OUT 
You take her to a movie. (+1) 
You take her to a movie she likes. (+5) 
You take her to a movie you hate. (+6) 
You take her to a movie you like. (-2) 

YOUR PHYSIQUE 
You develop a noticeable potbelly. (-15) 
You develop a noticeable potbelly and exercise to get rid of it. (+10) 
You develop a noticeable potbelly and resort to baggy jeans and baggy Hawaiian shirts. (-30) 
You say, "It doesn't matter, you have one too." (-80) 

COMMUNICATION 
When she wants to talk about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression. (+2) 
You listen, for over 30 minutes (+50) 
You listen for more than 30 minutes without looking at the TV. (+500) 
She realizes this is because you have fallen asleep. (-4000) 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH 2014

DATE	EVENT	TIME	VENUE
15.3.14	SCREENING OF MOVIE AND POT LUCK DINNER	6.30 PM	BADMINTON COURT
17.3.14	HOLI MILAN	10.00 AM	IN THE MAIN LAWN
29.3.14	COOKING COMPETITION-ATTRACTIVE PRIZES	6.30 PM	BADMINTON COURT