Issue No. 108 I August, 2010

EDITORIAL

The Rain God mercifully kept his wand to himself and allowed us to celebrate Independence Day without much ado. Uttara of A-005, the youngest child in the colony unfurled the tricolour. Helium balloons in the colours of the National flag were let loose. As the balloons soared in the sky the National Anthem and other patriotic songs were sung by the assembled throng to the keyboard beat of Vedika of A-106 and Ananya of G-001. Later Ananyaa of C-106 and Shreeya of C-003 sang a duet. Gita Rastogi, as usual played her part in getting the girls to practice and sing. S. Srikanth’s photos capturing the mood of the day are displayed in the blog. To usher in the spirit of Independence, sweets were distributed. Some people were seen heading to the terrace to fly kites. It seems the practice of kite flying is on the wane as hardly half a dozen kites were seen in the sky.

I was alerted by Srikanth of C-003 that instances of galloping electricity meters were owing to the mismatch between the sanctioned load for the Apartments and the current being drawn. In other words if your sanctioned load is 1KW and you are drawing 3 KW’s of power then your meter is likely to show a very high reading and you are likely to receive a much higher electricity bill than you should. In order that you are not caught unawares please see on the reverse of your electricity bill, where your connected load and current consumption are mentioned. If there is a mismatch between the two as mentioned above, you may need to get additional load sanctioned to prevent your meter from racing. With lot of gadgets having invaded homes in recent times, it is quite possible that you have far outstripped the consumption patterns of yore.

Rain came down in buckets. As the deluge and power failure threatened to derail the Onam feast scheduled for 21^st August, the pookolam was moved to the space under the Club House and the dinner to the Community Hall from the Badminton Court. A five hour power failure in south Delhi just ended about ten minutes before the dinner was to start. Alka Arora of A-106, Anusmitha Kumar of B-202 got the flowers in pouring rain and between them, Girija of D-001 and Sridevi of G-303, made a beautiful pookolam. It had the right combination of colours and design elements. Gita Rastogi, Prema, Rekha, Meera, Mrs. PKK Nair and Anu with typical Onam saris brought visions of Kerala. One hundred and twenty-five residents and their friends partook in the feast. When a satisfied burp rang out from the Hall it spoke volumes on the quality of the feast. It was simply awesome!  I would be remiss, if I do not mention the contribution of Sujata of G-301 in bringing down the per coupon cost of the meal from the caterer.

My wife and I are a little concerned at the standard of English in supposedly reputed schools these days. Seeing the marking on the test papers of my daughters, I do a double take at the howlers that pass off as correct answers. While I always long for grammatically unimpeachable and stylishly extravagant usages, I would gladly settle for simple, well structured sentences. But, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack with today’s kids. Their lingua franca is ‘Hinglish’, a nightmare for both ends of the linguistic spectrum. Parent representatives have a crucial role to play in addressing the infirmities and gaps in the present education system and they must not shy away from it for the sake of the next generation.

The over 30-year-old pipes of Yamuna are breaking like biscuits, leading to seepage of water, dry taps and inconvenience to residents. While we are replacing portions of the pipes whenever reports of leakage are received, we are not able to fix them fast enough owing to the sheer number of complaints. Besides, this is not a permanent solution as soon enough, leaks spring elsewhere. As some of you may be aware, the pipes from the pump house traverse between the blocks and then branch off and run under the floors of the flats to reach the shaft. Leaks that spring under the floors will never get detected and hence, we may be losing a lot of water for which we are paying heavily to Delhi Jal Board. It is advised that if any ground floor resident is intending to lay a new floor, he should lay a subterranean 2-inch PVC pipe from the originating point of the feeder pipe to the shaft. In case the original pipe gives way, he may not have to break the floor. He can thread a 1 ½ inch pipe through the PVC pipe and restore his water supply. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no bends in the PVC pipes. Those who intend to replace their floors may get in touch with Srikanth of C-003 for advice, who is presently getting this job done in his flat.

We need to sooner rather than later lay completely new pipelines. Unfortunately, the Society does not have a corpus of fund large enough to undertake a work of this magnitude. We will be proposing a sinking fund payable every month in the forthcoming AGM to address issues of high capital intensive projects.

The Commonwealth Games is expected to throw everything into a tizzy. People living and commuting in Delhi will have to put up with chaos on the streets. Since the schools and colleges are closed during this period many residents are planning vacations in order to get away. We are also planning a trip to Ranthambore, famous for its tiger sanctuary and ancient fort between 8^th and 10^th of October. Those who are footloose and fancy free and yearn for the great outdoors are welcome to join the trip. We will be travelling in individual cars. It is a 7-hour journey via Jaipur with convenient halts in between. Those who do not have cars may team up with others who have spare room. Two nights will be spent in a resort in Ranthambore for which the individuals will have to pay. Please give your names and addresses to the office for coordination, latest by 7^th September.

This month onwards, we are starting a Recipe of the Month column for all gastronomes. Anybody wishing to share their culinary expertise can contribute to this column. A picture of your dish accompanying the recipe could make the salivary glands go on overdrive. Innovativeness is the key.

SNIPPETS

Mr. N. Meyyappan has moved into C-203 from Chennai. A lawyer by profession, he works as assistant to Mr. Mohan Parasaran, the Additional Solicitor General of India. An eligible bachelor, Meyyappan is a photographer and a soccer fan. He can be reached on 9971621212.

Recipe of the Month

Honey Ginger and Dry Fruit Cake

This rich fruit cake has been adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Pomeroy using locally available ingredients. The sugar-and-lemon juice icing is excellent and easy to make. 


Ingredients:
100 g butter (Amul /Vijaya Butter works fine)
200 g honey
150 ml milk
2 eggs beaten
50 g fresh ginger cut fine
200 g maida
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
Spices: 2 tsp dry ginger powder (MDH or any similar brand) , 1 tsp ground cinnamon (dalchini)powder, ½ tsp nutmeg (Jaiphal), ¼ tsp cloves (laung) powdered
Chopped dry fruit (3/4th cup) : kishmish, dates, almonds, anjeer (dry figs) {Alaknanda Dry Fruit store stocks all of this.}
Icing: Powder ¾ cup sugar and place in a katori. Add the juice of a lemon slowly and mix with a spoon till the mixture resembles “dosa batter”.
Method:
Lightly grease and flour a 7-8 inch cake tin (I use a non-stick tin that doesn’t need greasing). Preheat the oven to 150 ° C.
Heat the butter and honey in a pan till butter melts (in a microwave this takes 30-45 seconds). When cool, add 150 ml milk. Cool further and mix in beaten eggs.
Sieve together 2-3 times, the maida, soda bicarb and spices. Slowly mix melted honey, butter, eggs and milk into the flour. Do not mix vigorously.
Gently add dry fruits, mix and pour into the cake tin. Bake for 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs. Your cake is done when a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the cake and plaster with lemon icing.

 (Shanti Chandrashekaran- H-107)

(Send in your contributions to the Chronicle by e-mail. Traditional recipes not seen around much these days are very welcome. )

BLOOPERS !

If you ever feel a little bit stupid, just dig this up and read it again; you'll begin to think you're a genius..


1. Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.


2. "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life."
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.


3. "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Al Gore ( ex Vice-President, USA)


4. "Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery


5. "We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instructor.


6. "I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body" --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.

CALENDER OF EVENTS – SEPTEMBER 2010

                         02.09.2010                                                        7.30 pm.

Krishna Leela on the small stage in the Badminton Court enacted by children. Ground decorations will be put up at various places. Please come in large numbers to cheer the children.

EVENTS IN AUGUST

Saare jahan se achha, Hindustan hamara....

Pookolam artists at work 

All set for the Onam Sadhya

View more pictures at these links:

Independence Day

Pookolam & Onam Sadhya

ISSUE NO. 107 I JULY 2010

EDITORIAL

A bad monsoon is a curse but that does not make a good monsoon a blessing. Floods, water logged streets, uprooted trees, traffic snarls, collapsing walls and buildings, electrocution through snapped electric lines, potholes that become craters and caved in roads are all signs that we have had a reasonably good monsoon. But what has it done? It has brought misery to many. One would have to conclude that despite all the evidence of logic, reason and science, the desire to believe in something unseen but bigger than us has become quite enduring. Otherwise, why else are we all mute spectators to this turmoil year after year? We as a nation are not geared up to handle any eventuality even if it happens with regularity. All that is in our hands is to change the Government that is in power. But, does that help? The politicians irrespective of their party affiliations are of the same genetic stripe – ready to feather their nests at the expense of the people who elected them.

The Secretary, Bharti Ramakrishnan, has resigned. There are subtle comments being made about discordant notes among Managing Committee members. The debut of Managing Committee members may seem unharmonious, but it is not like what it is being made out to be. Youthful impetuosity may be at odds with maturity and level headedness. Fortunately, these are always transient in nature. The debut Managing Committee members will come out of this trial by fire unscathed and do well. Any change has its gestation period to settle – and settle it will, although it may not seem so at present.

On the upside, youth bring a fresh approach to dealing with problems. A lot of arbitrariness that may have been prevalent has been replaced by documented, clear and cogent guidelines for dealing with various issues. Henceforth, residents cannot complain about partiality of any kind. The rights and obligations of Managing Committee members are at par with all the residents. The honest and law abiding members may feel aggrieved when asked to meet some formalities and obligations. This is no attempt to cast aspersions on their intentions. Unfortunately, there is no other way to demonstrate a level playing field for everybody. There may be scope for further improvement, though, and we welcome suggestions.

The month you get to read this issue of the Chronicle, we will be celebrating the 63^rd year of Independence. Independence Day has seen the birth of India as we know today. From mid=eighteenth century onwards the different independent principalities were brought under British suzerainty and passed on to us at Independence as one whole, except for Pakistan. While India was formed then, has it created Indians? I think not. Empirical evidence of linguistic, casteist, religious and economic divide continue to plague our psyche. We delight in damaging public property, create chaos and call for bandhs, all of which end up debilitating the country. We have to come out of these parochial ghettos of our mind and realise the India of our dreams. We would then be proud to call ourselves Indian. Anyway, this should not stop us from celebrating Independence Day. Please assemble on the day in the badminton court for the flag hoisting ceremony.
The morning badminton group were in deep gloom for quite some time since Vichu and Geetha upped and left for Bangalore. They were the first ones to come and rig the net and knock around. With them gone, there was a lull for a few days. Anyway, the group has now got over their grief and resumed playing. They will however miss Vichu’s risqué jokes.

We have all become slaves to the plastic bag as a shopping accessory, thereby polluting the environment. These plastic covers find their way to the drains and end up clogging them. Before the advent of the dreaded plastic bags, people were accustomed to carrying cloth bags for shopping, a far more environmentally friendly option. The time has come to revive that habit. If you find cloth bags it cumbersome to carry, please consider taking a used plastic bag from home in your pocket or handbag when you visit the market. At least this way, the bag will get used several times. The use of plastic wrappers has grown dramatically as one now finds invitation cards, magazines and other sundry items wrapped in them, which is quite unnecessary. In case you have plans to print invitation cards for functions, please avoid putting them in a plastic wrapper. Say no to plastics and save the world.
Mani Shankar Aiyer recently stirred a hornets’ nest by stating that he would be happy if the Commonwealth Games end in failure. If you read the statement without the context, you would have been shocked at his unpatriotic stance. But what he was alluding to was, if the games were a success, the powers that be would then bid for the Asian games and the Olympics, thus frittering away scarce resources. The fact is that colossal sums have been spent on the Games which under no circumstance justify the quantum or quality of work done. It is obvious that most of the money has ended up lining the pockets of contractors and the organisers. The shoddy work is clear indication of poor workmanship and use of inferior materials. Delhi beats the sorry standards set by past wastrel hosts of the sporting extravaganza.

The appointment of the new security agency for the colony is a classic case of jumping from the frying pan to the fire. The negligence of the previous security agency and demand for a steep increase in charges prompted us to look for alternatives. Little did we realise that the replacement would be worse. The new agency’s credentials, of manning another society and club nearby, went up in smoke when they were shown the door recently. It is imperative that we take a similar step as warnings of negligence have not been heeded by the agency. Unfortunately, the burgeoning demand for security personnel for the Commonwealth games has pushed the charges for security services to unsustainable levels. At present any reputed security agency is quoting double the charges for the same level of manning. The Society’s budget does not permit such extravagance. We have to put up a proposal before the General Body for increased allocation of budget to necessitate the change. Please bear with us patiently till then.

SNIPPETS

Netra Sundaresan’s arangetram at the Tamil Sangam auditorium on 23rd July drew a large crowd of invitees from Yamuna and elsewhere. Having been under the tutelage of the famed Saroja Vaidyanathan, Netra’s debut was expected to have a touch of class. But one has to still deliver on the day – and deliver she did, with aplomb. Her nuanced expressions, grace and fluid movements would have done someone more advanced in age and experience proud. Everybody seemed to have a jolly good time savouring the dance, the chit-chat and the laid out spread. Sujata deserves kudos for the magnificent organisation and Anand for writing out the cheques! Netra’s performance could spur other children in the colony to take up Bharatanatyam. Unfortunately, an emergency precluded me from witnessing this event. My report is based on a unanimous appraisal from those were fortunate to be present. 

(View more pix from Netra’s arangetram photo album)

There is a lot of traffic of people moving in and out of Yamuna of late.


Abhay and Pallavi had to move to Noida from B-306 because the landlord wanted his flat back. That means separation pangs for Mr. and Mrs. Govil of B-106, who drew comfort from their daughter and son-in law’s proximity.


Sridhar Saraswathy of C-203 has moved with his family to Bangalore as India Head of Archibus, a tech company from USA.

Ms. Jayalakshmi has moved to South Extension from H-106.

Two residents did not have call in the movers.


Mr. Vishwas Dixit has moved from C-205 to C-207.


Mr. N. L. Ganapathy has changed loyalties by dumping C Block in favour of E Block. You can now find him in E-206.


Whew! I am losing track of who is staying where.

Venkatesh of E-105 got married to Jyothi in Chennai on 7th June. Jyothi is Manager Operations in Standard Chartered Bank. She must be quite indispensable as she has been allowed to work from home after moving to Delhi. We wish this couple an enchanting married life.

Letter to the editor

Through the columns of Yamuna Chronicle, my family members and I convey our deep gratitude and thanks to all Yamuna residents for their condolences and sympathy extended on Mrs Meena Krishnan’s demise. Special thanks are due to Srikanth for the timely help in rushing her to the hospital and taking care of the last rites. Thanks are due to Mrs Aruna, Mrs Bhavani and Mrs Kalyani who took care of our food requirements.
Mrs Meena Krishnan believed in sharing her resources and knowledge with others. She taught Narayaneeyam (poems in praise of Lord Guruvayurappan) to a group of ladies from Yamuna and elsewhere. These ladies chanted selected slokas of the composition after the thirteenth day ceremony (8^th July) as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Our thanks to them. Though Mrs Meena is no longer in our midst, her presence is always in our midst. According to her wish, her eyes were donated to bring vision to a blind person; through him, she continues to see the world.
Once again, thanks to all.           

N Krishnan. (E-004)

YAMUNA'S TREES

Tree of the month - Jamun ( Syzigium cumini)

When walking clockwise along the Yamuna Apartments boundary road towards the store, you might notice purple jelly blobs on the ground. The stains can look ugly …. but look up and you will see eye-catching purple jamuns dangling in bunches, plummeting to the ground every time there is a moderate breeze. Those of us used to jamun being sold at India Gate during the onset of the monsoon would be familiar with this sight. I have often waited for the season to start to get my quota of the fruit. The jamun sellers lace the fruit with “kala namak” to combat the astringent sensation that the fruit leaves on the tongue. Another little thing I remember about jamun is that as children we would wrap the leaves into a tube and blow into it to create a unique, rather tuneless sound ….an indigenous Vuvuzela! Selecting “Jamun” for this month was Mr.Masodkar’s idea and there was certainly no reason for disagreeing.

The Jamun is a highly coveted fruit tree indigenous to India. Jamun (Eugenia jambolina or Syzigium cumini) – never mind the mouthful, just call it jamun – is widely popular as an avenue and garden tree but is never grown in orchards for commercial purposes. It can grow under harsh soil and climatic conditions and is highly suited to the north, northwest and eastern regions of India. Jamun fruits are highly prized for their medicinal value, being rich in iron and useful in the treatment of diabetes. There is no conscious documented effort to improve jamun cultivars. However there are several natural variants like Raja jamun, seedless jamun, Narendra jamun. Jamun was one of the several trees chosen by British city planners to line various avenues. So Delhi has avenues lined with neem , bargad , amaltas, jamun and arjun. All of them were chosen because of their canopy and medicinal value. You may like to read Pradip Kishen’s “Trees of Delhi” for further details. 

 (Shanti Chandrashekaran)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – AUGUST 2010

15th August 9 am. Independence Day flag hoisting in the Badminton Court, with patriotic song recital by children and distribution of sweets. Kite flying competition on the lawn will follow.
21^st August 7.30 pm onwards. Onam feast and Pookolam in the Badminton Court. Please buy dinner coupons for Rs. 140/-per person from the Society Office.

Answers to Mind-Benders (published in the last issue):
(1) Ryan must like basketball since neither Alex nor Steven does. Steven does not like basketball or baseball, so he must like football, leaving Alex liking baseball.
 (2) “Lapy” means tree. From the first two phrases, “rota” must mean apple. From the third phrase, “mena” must mean large, leaving “lapy” to be tree.
 (3) 151. In each column, divide the top number by 3 to get the bottom number. Then add 3 to the sum of the top and bottom numbers to get the middle number.
(4) Life
(5) 21 4-letter words: twin wine lint kiln kilt lent wink wilt like link welt kine tine tile lien newt kite line went wile knit
(6)     TOOK


          BOOK

BOON

BORN 

BURN