SONARANG SANDESH

A NEWSLETTER OF THE SEN CLAN

 AMALTASH – TIME MMVIII

GENERAL

 1.         Pardon the silence.  The problem is – as they say in the Army – the grease in the knees (and elbows and wrist) is drying!

 2.         Much gratitude for this edition to Lil OO and Shirin.

OBITUARIES

 3.         Raju

 Cyril Rajendra Nath Scott was raised in Dhariwal, Punjab, in Dr. Scott’s – a well respected doctor – home.  It was a large family and Raju was the youngest.  In the 1950’s he came to Delhi and graduated from St Stephen’s College.  He then joined Burmah Shell – now called Bharat Petroleum – as a Depot Manager.  Among other places, he served in Meerut, Ferozepur, Kanpur, Jodhpur and Varanasi.  He was a devout Christian who could recite all 150 Psalms (Zabur) in Punjabi.  He retired in 1989 and the family moved to Gurgaon.  There he immersed himself in the activities of the Church of Ephiphany.  Thanks to his sister, Kunti Joeph, he met Sheila in the middle of the Jamuna in 1956.  They got married in April 1957 and had Shobhana, Jyotsna (Chimpu), Shailendra (Babey) and Ronen, who all now live within a stone’s throw of him.  Early in 2008 he took ill and before it could be identified correctly, it developed into a galloping form of cancer.  He met his Lord on 9 April, 2008.

 4.         Aunty Romola

 She was a Singha and married Eric Benjamin.  She was born in Batala.  Her schooling was in Murree (now in Pakistan) where her class-fellow was Mabel (my mother) with whom she was friends throughout her life.  She married Eric Benjamin, who was a PCS officer before joining the box-wallah brigade in Calcutta, where they settled down.  They had two daughters – Mira (Pu) and Zarina (Roma, Pom).  After Eric passed away she made her home with Pom, first in Calcutta then in Dehra Dun.  She was always the heart throb of the crowd.  After living for  century, she met her Maker in March 2008.

 5.                  Vinita Shivdasani

 She was the youngest child of Corrie and Priti Singha.  She marred Mohan Shivdasani, settled down in Calcutta and had two boys.  She made quite a name for herself in designing clothes, event management, theatre and making ISCOB floats.  She had a remarkable career.  She succumbed to a heart condition on 9 April 2008.

INLAWS

(The Inner Circuit)

 6.         Arthur

             He came to Delhi in Spring 2007.  He looks well and a lot like Uncle Theo, as I remember him in 1946.  He lives a fully retired life in a.home in Calcutta.  He does some coaching in games of the neighbourhood children, rewarding them like the Lemon Drop kid.  His sisters live nearby – remarkably, he manages to stay out of their hair.

 7.         Michael, the Tinkerer

             The family are in Delhi.  He continues to write while Hazel seems to be in sort of a job.  He made a trip to Calcutta in January – just check on Arther’s mischiefs.

 8.         Debbie

 She married Arun last winter who, it seems, has a nautical background.  His father is Admiral Shaw.  It turned out that if you can have a ‘Jarnail Singh’ why not and ‘Admiral’ Shaw!!  They – Debbie, Arun and Chip – now live in Vikaspuri.  She was working in the corporate office of M/s. Stryker India in Sector 54, Gurgaon, but in June left her job to join another firm, the name of which is not known.

 9.         Santha

             There is ‘bikini’ news from her as such.  She was meant to have come for Yuletide this winter but ---------------!  She is still in Oxford and is the senior tutor in St. Bennet’s Hall.

 10.       Ajit and Mira

             They play ‘cox and box’ about going to hospital.  Mira has problem with her thorax – if it is not her heart (Aji?), it’s the lungs.  If its not the blood pressure, it’s the breathing that drags her to hospital.  Not to be outdone, Aji plays hide and seek with his neurons!  When he is bad he is depressed.  When that happens clouds come over his being.  When things look up he is a changed man – goes for walks, smiles, sings and goes with a group of walkers who he keeps in splits.

 11.       Sunanda

             She has been tormented by bad health.  She had a lung problem that arose from her smoking.  She had to change two hospitals before she got to Apollo Hospital.  There her saviour – the lung specialist – was Adoo’s class fellow in Modern School.  Initially Adoo battled with the caretaking alone – and what a great job he did – before Suman could join him.  The two of them did a truly remarkable job, particularly as Su was alone and helpless.  She came back home to Oxford Apartments in Spring 2008.  She is particularly vulnerable to infections and is now often in hospital to get rid of  bouts with bugs.

 12.       Adoo and Tista

 They are immersed in academia.  Adoo is a sort-after speaker and a participant on economic fora.  In the past year or so he had gone on these trips to Switzerland, Stanford University, China and Singapore.  Tista does similar things.  She recently published a book on language in America.  They usually visit Calcutta for a week in December.  They have just shifted house from one end of the north campus to the other.

 13.       Suman and Jorge

             She has been on some extended trips to India.  The prime purpose was to care for Su -- which she did admirably.  In between she did manage to make some professional trips – which paid for her ‘holiday’ – studying the schooling systems in the country.  She has returned with the monsoons to Delhi with Adnan, who has got his admission into Woodstock School, Mussoorie.

 14.       Shirinbaba

             R is well.  The secret of his success and life is playing tiddly-winks and twiddling toes to her tune.  Shirin is now a member of the Alzheimer’s Society – do you think R’s condition has prompted her to do this?

 15.       OOObaba (‘Ooo’ means small!!)

             He is, by and large, well.  He continues to be his usual self – dapper, sense of humour, paints, et al.  He is immersed in his church but has reduced his travel assignments to about one a year.  He is mainly involved in producing their literature.  It seems his chief interest is compiling books on Christianity and publishing them on the internet.  He remains a recluse from the family.  The plans to visit the girls are only in the distant future.  He is now under the spell of His Presence and believes he is happiest being a submarine – i.e., not being seen.

 16.       Juni and Ash

             They were in town last winter but had to rush back to Stamford for her birthday – they had to share it with Emma!  Her streettheatre grows and becomes more exciting.  I think she is well on the way to become an established, living authority on it.  Ash was doing well till the sub-prime crises.  His company was bought out and he was given a golden handshake.  He could not be resting on his laurels – but it is all a secret.  He continues to blow his trumpet when his Pilani band meets to let their hair down.

 17.       Koko and Louis

             Koko, after denying herself for many years, has married Louis, a French policeman.  The process of marrying was hard on Koko: she ran up against the official position of deterring non-whites from settling down in France.  It will probably be years before she gets a French passport after she passes a French exam.  In the meantime she continues to paint and hold exhibitions in France and Canada, among other places.  She well may hold one in India in the coming winter/spring.  Koko and Louis live in the Pyrenees near the sunshine coast.  They have just found that their village lies on an ancient pilgrim route.  They have a dog, Wahya (sounds like a Pakistani dog?) who keeps them in trim!  She is expanding her work in paint and sculpture and it certainly fills her home. 

 18.       Jaya and Thiri (Choon)

             They continue to life in Calcutta.  Jaya’s life is defined by bridge and the stock market, her two passions, and she knows a lot about both.  .She does take active interest in club life and is on the finance, house maintenance and entertainment sub-committees.  She keeps well except for bone and joint pains.  Choon is busy with the Calcutta School of Music where he sings baritone.  In the recent past, the School celebrated its centenary by staging ’My Fair Lady’ where Choon sang.  Daughter Leila has earned a master’s degree in public health from John Hopkins University.  She is now on the way to become an American citizen.  Her other interest is in jewelry designing.  Daughter Premika is into graphic designing and import/export and lives in Singapore.

 19.       Romola and Amarjit

             Are well, even though they seem not to be in circulation.  Romola has just come back after spending six months baby sitting her grandchildren.  The elder girl and husband are in London and the younger.one, Beea, is teaching in Syracruse University.

 20.       Pradip and Nooni

             Are in Delhi.  Arundatti continues to write and does author a book every now and then.  Daughter Pia is a counselor in a school in Vasant Kunj and teaches English in the same school.  Daughter Mithun is forever on the move as part of a films technical crew.

 21.       Sheila

             She is well –but misses Raju’s natter!  She is the proverbial granny keeping her eye on Sanya and Sanaya.  She lives with Babey and Supriya and has now handed over the keys of her kingdom to them.

 22.       Shobhana and Ken

             Continue to live in DLF City, Gurgaon.  They both continue to work – she in a school and he in the commercial world as a security expert.  Nina has finished college and has gone to do an MBA in Pune.

 23.       Rachel

             Continues to work for Citi Bank, Gurgaon.  Everyone has their eyes peeled to find a suitable boy for her.  Keep her informed.

 24.       Chimpu and Rajiv

             Are on the up and up.

 25.       Nikhil

             Is now working with his father.  He is assigned to fields of fabrication and marketing.  When we met I couldn’t quite figure out who fills his eyes and heart.

 26.       Siddhu

             Is also on his own two feet.  He works for an MNC consultant.

 27.       Babey and Supriya

             Are in DLF City.  Their garment business continues to grow, judging from the constant trips visiting Europe.  They have given solid support to Raju and Sheila in the crisis.

 28.       Ronen and Madhavi

             He is posted to Army HQ and should be enjoying it, seeing that he has got good accommodation.  Dicky Bird said that he is seeking to leave the Army.

 29.       Honey

             Look at her and you can see that she is pining!!  Every other day she is in Delhi, presumably doing something or the other for the YWCA.  Right now she is with Boban in Avignon.   Koko is there with her and its lovely for her to spend time with the family. On Sunday, 3 August they went back to Perpignon (Koko’s home), and will be leaving finally for the USA on 23 August.  Honey was most worried about her baggage because within France she was allowed only 20 kgs: however everything went off all right.  She is keeping well and eating plenty of chocolates, cheese, fruit, sea foods -- even fresh uncooked -- out of the sea - for which one really has to acquire a taste!!!  She has had the opportunity to meet Koko`s friends and says Koko is truly blessed to have such wonderful friends: they are a great support and help to her.

 30.       Boban

             He is now managing a hotel in Avignon, which has recently re-opened.  He is also helping out a friend in running a restaurant.  He sure has a full plate.

 31.       Shalini and Alexi

             She is now an expert in specialized teaching for little children.  She had a bad winter and was down with bronchitis so much so that medics had to be called in.  Alexie conducts music camps all year round and has a full calendar.  Son Matisse is now in a more senior class which he tops in English.

 32.       Eric and Karima

             Are working hard, presumably in music.  They are on the scrounge for a flat in Avignon.

 33.       Swaran and Anita

             He retired as Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh, in January.  Ever since then he has been on the prowl for re-employment.  Many openings had suggested themselves – governorship, politics, security – but nothing, somehow, has gelled.  He continues to wait and watch.  Anita is immersed in her old interests – of being a mother hen.

 34        Sharon and Rakesh

             Continue to be in Chandigarh and in the finance side of operations of the Post & Telegraphs.  There now have two children to keep them on their toes.  She has two novels to her credit – just shows how hard she works at her job!

 35.       Kareena and Greg

             Are in Spokane, Washington, where he deals with commercial real estate along with his family.  He does find time for church and pre-school activities as also for coaching a basketball team.  Their home is a registered historical house.  Kareena has no dearth of activities to keep her on the move – she is treasurer of the Spokane College Women’s Association, member of the Spokane City Board of Ethics and member of the Committee of St. Aloysius Church.  She also coaches the track and cross country teams of the school as also helps the 4th graders with their literacy program.  Shefali is now in the 4th grade, mad keen on maths, art, reading and sports.  Her basketball team is the Best in the West.  She also plays volleyball and is a track star – she was second in the 8000 m run, fourth in long jump and javelin in the Spokane All City Track Meet.  Sheadon is in the 1st grade in a multi-age school.  He loves maths and sports.  He is a good basketball player and also plays soccer and is a track star (he was first in 100 m, 200 m and 400 m runs in the Spokane All City Track Meet).  Sitara follows her sibling and is a sports star in her own right.  Shanaya is the extrovert in the family and consequently is the drama queen, singing and dancing at the drop of a hat.

 36.       Monty

             He is now in Delhi.  He is working in a micro-finance non-banking company.  And remains somewhat obscure!

 37.       Stephen and Ligia

             Have been blessed with their second child – Gabriella Malsawmkimi Ronita – on 25 April, 2007.  Son Zach (5 years) has begun his scholastic career and is now in class 1.  Stephen is a lawyer.  He has just formed an NGO – ‘Hand of Hope Legal Services’ – in Hyderabad.  They reach out to children in conflict with the law.  They also have a program to prevent and protect victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse.

 38.       Vicky and Malti

            Are absorbed in living a bureaucratic court life, to the full, in the capital.

 39.       Manvi and Rohit

             Now live and work in the millennium city of Gurgaon – he is with Microsoft and she with Pepsi.  They have a son, Aarav now, who will be almost two years old.

 40.       Sonali

             She is working out of her father’s house.

 41      . Mini and Satya

             They have just re-located to Delhi.  Right now they are not dabbling in anything but are looking around.

 42.       Lola

             She is getting on in her ninth decade.  She is relishing her retirement.  She travels around, primarily to meet old colleagues.  She now edits, reviews books and is still peripherally involved with Yatrik, an amateur theatre group.  Recently she had the three children over and they went for a ten day holiday to Manali – she enjoyed that immensely.

 43.       Bobo

             He is the Dean at DA-IICT (a tongue twister) in Gandhigram.  Apart from mathematics, he is running and trekking which keeps him occupied (his other love is music).  In June 2007 he went to Unto Jharo Pass (17,500 ft) in Kumaon and close to the Tibet border.  In August 2007 he accompanied Raj and Galia visiting the tourist spots of Gujarat.  He is now in the midst of climbing some remote Himalayan peak.

 44.       Keli and Rich

             They now live a retired life in St. Louis (Mo) in USA.  Rich lectures on leadership while Keli is involved with the History Museum and Botanical Gardens.

 45.       Rajan Buck

             Now works for the US State Department.  In August 2008 he will be posted to Guatemala.

 46.       Ravi Buck

             Having learned Mandarin Chinese is now working for a Chinese commercial company in China.  He has gone back home because his visa was not renewed due to the Olympic Games but is hopeful of getting it once the Games are over.

 47.       Bardu and Sharon

             He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Commonwealth of Virginia University in Richmond.  Sharon enjoys her community hospital work there.  Daughter Nikki is now in the 11th grade while daughter Leah is in the 8th.  The parents are kept in a whirl with the children involved in soccer, swimming and piano, apart from the social life of the teenagers.

 48.       Raj and Galia

             Are still consultants in antiquity and do visit the old country on a regular basis.  Son Edouard should be graduating from London as an anthropologist one of these days.  They have bought a house in Goa where they plan to retire.

 49.       Tao

             There is only an indirect contact.  She continues to live in London.

 50.       Deepika and George

             They continue to live in Chennai.  Every summer she has a two-week vacation in the frying pan with sister Rekha.  Her passion, apart from George, is cricket.

 51.       Nikhil

             Is in the box-wallah world.

 52.       Rekha and Som

             They are in his ancestral home in Defence Colony, Delhi.  Som continues to manage the PBX in the US Embassy.  Rekha is a much-in-demand counselor.

 53.       Daughter Sonali and Upkar

             What is she up to in Gurgaon?

 54.       Dilip and Tuti

             Tuti continues to work in her job of a quarter century.  While she is out, he minds the home fires.  He has not kept too well which has limited his moving around.

 55.       Supriya

             She works for an event management company.  Her specialization appears to be managing the launch of cars and the like.  That has kept her on the move touring the nation.  I haven’t heard any throbs from her heart.

 56.       Anil and Sunil Nayyar

             Absolutely no news.  Hope all’s well – or is it that no news is good news?

 57.       Anita

             She continues to create -- havoc?!! – in Bombay where her platter is full.  This summer she organized an elaborate ‘do’ for Ashit’s 75th birthday.

 58.       Ashit

             His platinum day was rather wonderful – particularly as Anita and Vivek were at hand to make it special.  He was feeling not too well but Vivek put an end to that.

 59.       Vivek and Ratna

             They are now re-located in Houston where he heads the computer sciences faculty of Rice University.  I suppose Ratna is still not beyond the long arm of Harvard Business School.  The elder daughter is pursuing a college career in Stanford and has connections with management classes conducted in IIT Mumbai.

 60.       Rina

             She is, as usual, in a whirl.  She had programmed a recital for the summer and we are sure it went well.

 61.       Sunita

             No news is good news.  

 62.       Rekha and Viney

             Rekha has retired from the National YWCA where she was the General Secretary.  They are now living a fully retired life in Palam Vihar.  One would think that that meant sitting at home with their legs up – but no.  They are busy as never before visiting friends (thanks to the generosity of the Railways) and with a hectic social life (thanks to the fab food Rekha makes).

 63.       Damini and Vivek

             He is still on the IAF rolls but is doing his MBA which he finishes, probably, in MMIX.  She was working in Gurgaon but has recently moved to NOIDA.  The biggest asset in this job will be that she will not have to work in shifts and will get transport to and from office.  Recently Rekha and Viney took her and her kids, Akash and Pritika, on a trip to the Kasauli and Shimla to give them their first experiences of the Himalayas

 64.       Ranjit and Miho

             Now live in Los Angeles where both work.  Their life has recently been enriched with the coming of son Aiki in March 2008.  In the crucial days after his birth, Miho’s father came over to care for mother and child.

 65,       Aarati and Rohit

 They are steadily climbing the corporate ladder.  To make life more exciting, Aayush now has brother, Aayan, to play with.  They recently acquired their own flat in a condominium ‘Gurgaon One’ near Palam Vihar.  They have moved into it and are settled in comfortably.

 66.       Roy Senior

           Is in Adelaide.  We now have a contact with his watering hole in Delhi – may be soonwe’ll get more dope.

 67.       Chloe and Nina

             They are in Melbourne.  We believe she does visit her sister Buddhi every once in a while.

 68.       Roy Junior

             He is meant to be in Delhi but has not been sighted for quite a while.

 69.       Noel

             Was in St. John’s Church Calcutta.  He passed away in 2007.

 70.       Ranjit and Ratna

            They make occasional forays to Montreal visiting their grandchild.  They came back a year ago but are so embroiled with the Metro that one never sees them.

 71.       Shankar Sengupta

             He has retired from UNDP.  His swinging life is so full of sitting on his hands that he can never move his two feet.

OUTLAWS

 72.       Meena

             She continues to work in St. Thomas’ Junior School.  She commutes from NOIDA, often by public transport.  Her days are full caring for grandson Ishan, who is now in class X.

 73.       Kumud

             She is an elusive figure.  Earlier it was flitting in and out of Delhi; now it’s a job.   She is busy working in Jindals Intellicom as a Voice & Accent and Soft Skills Trainer.  She is now getting trained in the Process and eventually would also become a Process Trainer.   It’s very taxing as she has to take interviews too.  She enjoys her job but of course not without cribbing about it!  She works a 9 hour shift and spends 4 hrs in travelling up and down from Vasundhra Enclave to Moti Nagar.  She lives with mother Meena.

 74.       Chinku and Fino

             They continue to live in Palam Vihar.  He recently has entered the managerial cadre of Cathay Pacific airline and looks after selling cargo space.  Fino is doing much the same in an international logistic firm dealing in world-wide cargo:  she is now a Vice President there.  Chinkus is the Secretary of the local Catholic church which is growing.  Son Adrian is a delight to be with:  his interests are computers, chess, football and the guitar.

 75.       Teddy and Dagrun

             Are in Norway.  She has just got her doctorate from the University in Tromso.  Her thesis was on breast cancer and fish.  This called for one right, royal celebration, which Teddy laid on.  There were all the wines, cognacs and Bristol Cream which accompanied a three course dinner.  There was plenty of music – classical (the claver and the guitar) and rounded off with Spanish music.  It was great that Twinkle, Harald, Paddy and Monica could join them.  Son William got a double promotion into class 2.  Son Oliver has no intention to follow suit.

 76.       Kitty and Ron

             He now looks after the operations of JetAir from Bombay.  After a life time in IAC he is sweating hard in the private sector: that, however, does not deter him from spending weekends with Kitty in Delhi.  Now that his mother, Mrs. Nagar, has passed away, his share of the empire has still to come into his hands.  Their sons, Shawn, the teenager, and Kevin are computer whiz kids and maestros on the piano.

 77.       Twinkle and Harald

             She has become a red head while he diets to grow thin.  Son Robin is still improving his skills and may soon be in the work force.  He went to Venezuela for his summer vacation.  Daughter Ruby has gone for her vacation to Florida to be with her ex BF.  Nina joined the exodus by traveling to Berlin.  Twinkle and Harald went on a holiday to Venice but are now alone in their chalet in Oslo and don’t know what to do or talk about!

 78.       Paddy and Monica

             They were in town last winter.  They are immersed in looking after their waistline, particularly as they have a new kitchen installed and they love to spend time in it.  Daughter Roselin has now begun singing in a choir and is full of it.  Son Nikhil is always an armful, more so now that he has a cast on his foot. (??)

79.       Sandy and Romy

             Continue to increase their girths.  Romy is in the export trade of leather (for sure) and continues to be on the move.  Seeing them putting on inches, one is assured that they are doing well.  Son Neil is also on the move: if its not tae kwon do (in which he holds a black belt), its tennis and piano lessons.  Son Raemon is quite a high-pitched, hyperactive armful.