Issue No. 128 I April 2012

Editorial

To bring a bit of novelty to our cultural calendar, a cooking competition was organised on 1^st April. We got the date of our novel experiment wrong on two counts. April 1^st is associated with fooling others into believing an event is going to happen when it actually doesn’t happen and secondly it was Ram Navami, an occasion to go to a temple rather than indulge in some inane cooking competition. To be honest it wasn’t a deliberate ploy but lack of foresight. As a consequence of our blunder, the attendance from the audience was not up to expectations. However, all the participants walked off with attractive cash prizes, courtesy Raghav of A-001 who gave Rs. 5,000 and Venkat of A-004 who also gave Rs. 5,000 and aprons to all the participants.

PRIZE	CATEGORY	NAME	ADDRESS	NAME OF THE DISH
	STARTERS
1ST		SHEKAR NAIR	B-107	MALABAR MEEN PORICHADU
2ND		ARUNA KRISHNAN	F-103	KUZHI PANIHARAM
3RD		MEGHNA AND KUMAR	A-208	AUBERGINE PARMAZIANI
		CHIPLUNKAR		WITH ROSEMARY POTATOES
4TH		ANURADHA NAIR	B-107	CHINESE DRY NOODLE SALAD
	MAIN COURSE
1ST		RAGHAV	A-001	BURRITO BOWL
2ND		P.K.K. NAIR	H-308	CHETTINAD CHICKEN CURRY
				MANGO CHUTNEY
3RD		ANURADHA NAIR	B-107	MUTTON SAGWALA WITH
				AJWAIN WALI PARANTHA
4TH		POORNIMA NARAYANAN	B-002	PASTA FRANCESCA
	DESSERT
1ST		NIHARIKA ABRAHAM	A-008	DATE CRUMBLE WITH ICE CREAM
2ND		VIDYA VENKAT	A-004	FROZEN FRUIT FANTASY
3RD		MALA SUNDARESAN	D-002	POHA FRUIT KESAR

We had our share of amateur cooks displaying their culinary skills and producing what the judge termed as works of art which could put even professional chefs to shame. There were esoteric dishes, all of which were polished off by the audience no sooner than the judge had sampled them to make the judgement. The judge Mr. Manish Malhotra, among other things was a chef at Intercontinental Eros and also Assistant Professor at Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management. He came through the reference of Gita Rastogi. Residents who found the dishes to be, ‘finger licking good’ are yearning for recipes from the participants.

At the insistence of Sahana Savarkar, a summer catwalk was arranged for the children on the sidelines of the chefs’ competition. She was obviously cocky about her catwalking skills as she walked off with the first prize. There was a lot of panache and attitude in her walk and the final twirl and fling of the hat showed that she had rehearsed the act to perfection. Samiksha Nair who has always won a prize in catwalks, had to be content with the second prize this time, although, she had lost none of her flair walking up and down like a professional model. Kiana Abraham and Shreeja Srikant were declared joint third prize winners. Photos of the cooking competition and the catwalk taken by Srikant have been loaded on the Yamuna Photo Album for your viewing pleasure.

It is never easy to decide which movie to screen. We ran through at least four options before settling to screen “Adventures of Tin Tin” on the 7^th of April. Some were clearly disappointed that their choice of movie was overruled by the kids. It is a fast paced movie about the much loved comic character Tin Tin and his dog, who unwittingly plunge into a quest for treasure. That Sacharine, the villain is also after the same treasure makes for a very engaging, violent chase through some very contrived situations. It is clearly a kids genre movie which though brisk seemed a trifle too long, that, by the end of it I was stifling a yawn.

The Delhi Government’s twice a year increase in minimum wages has placed a heavy burden on the Society and consequently its residents. The percentage of increase is not commensurate with the increase the pensioners and others who are employed get. Increase in minimum wages directly impacts our staff costs, security services costs and all hired services for maintenance. This, coming on top of frequent and crippling increase in electricity and water charges is a sure shot recipe for increase in maintenance charges. This should be avoided as many people in the colony are not in a position to bear this burden and are already seeing a severe erosion of their savings. We need to find ways to augment our revenues. We have some areas available like where Sanatan Das used to stay and the basement which could be given on rent for purposes aligned with Master Plan for Delhi 2021. Ideally, we should give it on rent to somebody living in the complex. In case somebody could suggest other ways of raising revenue, such suggestions would always be welcome.

Due to the heat in summer we are approaching a barren phase for social activities which would last until August. The holiday season will be here anon, when schools and colleges close for the summer recess. The best place to be at these times is anywhere but Delhi, unless children who have appeared for their XII th class board exams are appearing for entrance examinations for professional courses or preparing for admission to colleges. For the others staying in Delhi is going to be an onerous task as the intense summer heat could melt faces!

Thomas Abraham inspired the children to devote some time every Sunday morning from 6.30 am to do some cleaning and greening. The flower beds are the unfortunate receptacles for all the litter of plastic sachets and sundry other waste. Cleaning of the beds is not normally done by the sweepers and hence the need for volunteers to roll up their sleeve, don gloves and sift through manure to take out the undesirable waste. Many children and some adults came out, sacrificing their early Sunday morning snooze to work earnestly on the patch of garden and flower beds opposite the office on 8^th April. I was particularly impressed with Mr. Padmanabhan who worked very earnestly on the patch he was tending to. There were others who worked and chatted and still some others who were there to watch others work. The fact they all came out for the noble cause is commendable. Thomas had also brought some seasonal plants and taught the children how to plant and take care of them. Names of the plants dotting the said area, their provenance etc was explained in detail. I have reasonable cause to believe that such indoctrination will hold them in good stead in the future in taking care of the environment.

OBITUARY

April 20^th turned out to be the final punctuation mark in the life of Mr. N. V. Seshan of H-103, when he breathed his last in a Delhi hospital. Mr. Seshan was the life and soul of the co-operative store. He had also held office bearer position in the Society at some point in his illustrious innings in Yamuna. I saw him just a few days before, presiding over the Upanayanam function of his grandsons. He seemed to be in good cheer. This very kindred soul with a beatific smile on his face at all times, spent his last years in frail health. It was a far cry from his halcyon days when he used to break the land speed record walking around the complex. His life and good deeds will not be forgotten in a hurry. May his soul rest in peace! Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to his family.

SNIPPETS

A native’s return is always cause for cheer. Subhada who spent much of her growing years in Yamuna returned this month from Bangalore along with her husband Arun and son Shashwat. They have moved into G-302. Arun works for Intercontinental Hotels. Subhada is fondly remembered by her ex-students who learned Carnatic music and were tutored by her on a range of subjects for school. She is keen to resume her music and tuition classes. They can be reached on 26001590 or 9871747028.


Archit V. Iyer of G-103 attained Brahminhood on 16^th April. In an elaborate ritual held at the Guruvayuraappan temple in Mayur Vihar, Archit the soccer playing, net surfing dude recited the vows that may be very alien to what he does. Not that this ceremony is going to change any of that, except for the added appendage slung between his shoulder and waist. That is the irony of carrying on a tradition which actually militates with the belief and practices of modern living. The Upanayanam ceremony had all the hallmarks of a traditional thread ceremony. While Archit looked lost, Meera made the most of it with fancy saris and hairdo for the occasion. Venkat was also nattily dressed. In spite of the distance and being a working day, the function was well represented by Yamuna residents. The breakfast and lunch were sumptuous. The Seshans and Venkatachalams were gracious hosts.




S. Venkataramanan aka Venkat, son of Mr. and Mrs. Sankaran of A-307 took his holy vows on the 19^th of April to stay wedded to Shridevi forever. A few days after the smoke had cleared from the pulpit where the sacred fire was lit, a reception was held on April 22^nd at the charming Regenta Hotel near the airport. The dapper Venkat and heavily bedecked Shridevi sat on a gilded throne in a hall with wrought iron chandeliers and shimmering stage, to welcome the guests. The dinner spread which had elements of Andhra food amongst other cuisines lived up to the billing and was expectedly high on the Scoville scale. The Sankarans were great hosts.




Mr. Prashant, his wife Rajni, and the apple of their eye, their cherubic son Aarush, have moved to Gangotri from G-002. Unavailability of another suitable flat on rent in Yamuna prompted this move. They are keen on returning to the colony as soon as a flat comes up for rent. We wish them well.

FACTS TO PONDER OVER

The Cost of Oxygen: Very interesting!!!

• In one day a human being breathes oxygen equivalent to three cylinders.
• Each oxygen cylinder on an average costs Rs 700, without subsidy.
• So in a day, one uses oxygen worth Rs 2100 and for a full year it is Rs 7,66,500.
• If we consider an average life span of 65 years; the cost of oxygen we use becomes a staggering Rs 500, 00,000 (Rs. 50 million).
• All this oxygen is derived free of cost from the surrounding trees..
• Very few people look at trees as a resource and there is rampant tree cutting going on everywhere which should stop.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR MAY 2012

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
SUNDAYS	6.30 AM	CLEANLINESS AND ECODRIVE	DIFFERENT LOCATIONS

Issue No. 127 I March 2012

EDITORIAL

Rats and bandicoots are having a field day in Yamuna making burrows and digging up dirt. They are mocking the resident cats, who being fed by the residents, have lost their instinct and need to hunt them. Alas! It has fallen upon us to install rodent control pads to eradicate the menace.

Some of the drivers of residents do not go home after their duty is over and loiter in the colony, gambling or drinking. The agent provocateur is the cobbler who sits outside our complex and supplies these drivers with liquor or other stimulants. Residents are advised to ask their drivers to go home after their duty is over. Further, any resident who finds any of the drivers indulging in illegal activities inside the complex should ascertain their names and report to the Society Office so that the resident who has employed the driver could be suitably informed.

The drivers and other contract workers are often seen relaxing in the park, thereby making it awkward for ladies and children to go there. These people also litter the park with Pan Bahar and gutka sachets. The park is meant strictly for use by the residents. Residents who have employed drivers should advise their drivers not to wait in the park.

We have a system of deducting wages of negligent guards from the security agency’s bill. If any resident finds any of the security guards sleeping or not doing his job properly, he or she should report the incident to the Office with the name of the guard and date and time of occurrence.

Late last year a YouTube rage started around a vapid ditty called ‘Kolaveri di’ I am not entirely sure of the social context or the etymology of the word Kolaveri but it probably has its provenance in Tamil Nadu and concerns high passion to the point of committing murder. Be that as it may, the song has caught the imagination of all and sundry. Political parties fell over each other to offer rake full of money to the composer Dhanush, to make it their anthem for the polls by tweaking the lyrics. Several accomplished singers have begun singing their own versions of the song. So was it at the Holi festival in Yamuna when our acclaimed singing duo of Bhavani and Seema were joined by everybody else to belt out this number. It is amazing how a single song can change the fame and fortune of a person whose claim to fame until then was limited to being the son-in-law of Rajnikanth.

This year’s Holi celebration topped all in recent memory. The colony was well represented, although there were some notable absentees. Early morning chill meant that residents stepped out a tad late. Eager revellers were prowling in the lawn and between the blocks to plant their imprint of colours and douse the residents in coloured water. The feel of cold water against the skin sent shivers down one’s spine. But once the initial dunking was over it was pretty smooth sailing. Plenty of sweets, savouries and music ensured that everybody had a jolly good time. The crooners amongst us like Bhavani, Seema and Deepak were joined by others who could sing off key. Meera Varma showed some nifty moves while dancing, showing her pedigree as a dancer. They were joined by Anu, Prema, Sudha, Seema, Poornima, Jayashree, Vidya, Murali, Deepak, Kunal, Tanvi, Shahana, Shreeya, Shreeja, Aparna, Samiksha amongst others.

A more insipid budget I have not seen. There were no reform measures; it was just a cautious, dour and unexciting accounting exercise, totally devoid of vision and direction. With the State elections behind them and the general elections more than a year away, the Finance Minister who is an erudite person with a wealth of experience should have presented a bold non-populist budget with cut in wasteful subsidies and announced roll out plan for GST and DTC. This one step forward, two steps backward flip-flop brought about on account of coalition compulsions, is going to cost this government dear. There is not going to be any fillip to the economy. Don’t rejoice too much because of marginal cut in income tax. You will have to pay all that back and perhaps more because all manufactured goods and services are going to be dearer due to the increase in Excise Duty and service tax. In other words, what you gain on the swings you lose in the roundabouts. Dinesh Trivedi’s Railway Budget was more prudent, path breaking and forward looking, but the lady of Writer’s Building, Kolkata emasculated him for not toeing her line. Wither, economics oriented budgets, hail political shenanigans!

The pruning of trees in the colony has kicked up a storm. There are strong views on either side of the pruning debate. While pruning of trees is necessary, it would have been more prudent had it been carried out before the onset of winter rather than when the summer is beginning. The people in favour of pruning, argue for the need for more light and as a preventive measure to ensure branches do not snap in a storm and fall on unsuspecting human beings and cars. On the other side of the debate are those who say that not all species of trees are vulnerable to snapping in storms and that pruning should be aesthetically done and before the advent of winter. According to them, trees have a cooling influence in summer, attract birds which feed on insects and pests and cut out noise and dust from the main road, besides providing us the oxygen to breathe. It is advised that henceforth pruning of trees in the common areas should be undertaken only with the consent of the horticulture sub-committee headed by Mr. Thomas Abraham. Differences, if any can be sorted out by the sub-committee members.

Movie screening becomes quite an exercise, as no two people see eye to eye on the choice of movie to be screened. After much dithering, as no consensus was reached, it was decided to show the English movie, “Hugo” which had won several Academy Awards. The movie recreated very authentically the scenes of early 20^th century Paris and brings out the struggles of its protagonist, a young boy who tries to come to terms with the loss of his father. He follows his father’s passion to crack the working of an automaton while being constantly challenged by his two bêtes noires, the station inspector and the toy shop owner. Childlike fantasy and adult yearning are beautifully interwoven in this period fable built around a Paris railway station, where Hugo ekes out a living by filching food from the food stalls and spending his time in the drainage ducts and roof spaces. I wonder whether this slow paced movie warmed the cockles of everybody’s heart but it served to offer a different palette than the usual Hindi movie kitsch. The pot luck dinner had three families tucking into all the goodies.

We are perhaps at the most exciting culinary crossroads with alien culture making itself visible in the form of exotic dishes coming out of Indian homes. In order for residents to display their culinary skills and pass on the art to other residents, a chef’s day was planned in the badminton court on 31^st March. However, in order to accommodate the contestants who work on Saturdays, the event was moved to Sunday, 1^st April. Culinary kings, queens and mavericks will be reported upon in the next issue.

In a continued effort to improve the aesthetics and functionality of our apartments, the block and flat numbering of blocks and flats which were not visible at night have been given a bright yellow paint, thus making identification easier for visitors. Besides, the main lawn on the opposite side of the entrance was being used as a dumping ground for leaves and branches. This had made the whole area unkempt and an eye sore. Residents had also reported having sighted snakes there. The area has since been cleared and landscaped with Phoenix palms.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Anita Suresan, Seema Jhamba and Mr. E. Parameswaran for spending three weeks doing stock taking of Yamuna Store inventory. Such voluntary work is highly appreciated.

OBITUARY

It is with great sorrow that we report the sad demise of the very affable Mr. Chandrakant Lele in Pune on 6^th March. Mr. Lele was a member of the Society and used to live in A-209. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.

SNIPPETS

Mr. Hariharan and Smitha of G-302 after a brief sojourn of about a year and a half in Yamuna have moved back to Bangalore. Hariharan and Smitha will be taking up their assignments with Blue Star and IBM respectively. We wish them their very best in their new assignments.

Mr. Venkatachalam, Vidya, Vinay and Vivek of F-003 have moved to Mumbai, necessitated by a job change for Venkatachalam. In the short duration that they were in Yamuna, they built strong friendships with a number of people. The children participated in all the sporting and cultural activities and were podium finishers more often than not. We wish them good luck.

VALUE JUDGEMENTS

Question 1:
If you knew a woman who was pregnant, who had 8 kids already, three who were deaf, two who were blind, one mentally retarded, and she had syphilis, would you recommend that she have an abortion?
Read the next question before looking at the response for this one.
Question 2:
It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts.
Here are the facts about the three candidates.
Candidate A:
Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologers. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes and drinks 8 to 10 whiskeys a day.
Candidate B:
He was kicked out of office twice, sleeps until noon, used opium in college and drinks a quart of whiskey every evening.
Candidate C:
He is a decorated war hero. He's a vegetarian, doesn't smoke, drinks an occasional beer and never committed adultery.
Which of these candidates would be our choice?
Decide first... No peeking and then look further down for the response.
Answers:
Candidate A is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Candidate B is Winston Churchill.
Candidate C is Adolf Hitler.
And, by the way, on your answer to the abortion question:
If you said YES, you just killed Beethoven. Pretty interesting isn't it? Think before judging someone.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR APRIL, 2012

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
1.4.12	6.30 PM	MASTER CHEF – SHOW YOUR CULINARY SKILLS IN PREPARING EXOTIC DISHES. WINNERS WILL GET FABULOUS PRIZES.	BADMINTON COURT
7.4.12	6.30 PM	SCREENING OF MOVIE	BADMINTON COURT