SFVian of the Year

An aura of vacation fills the air what with Christmas and New Year round the corner. Person of the Year in various walks of life is what the newspapers and TV channels are replete with. That leads one to think why we in SFV should not introspect, be it in a lighter vein, and identify some who might qualify for being the SFVian of the year – for his/her contribution to the community. With my limited knowledge of the happenings in SFV, I would pick the following individuals randomly with the proviso that residents’ voice will rule the roost.   

Capt. Suresh Padmanabhan of Oak: Perhaps his name is making the maximum rounds these days – for a good reason. Chairing the last two or three AGMs or EGMs he averted what many feared might have turned into a World War 3. Knowledgeable, and bestowed with tremendous wisdom, he ‘intercepted’ at right moments to prevent calamities. No wonder he was in Indian Air Force. On occasions if one wondered whether he exceeded his terms of reference, one has to concede that aside from donning Chairman’s robe, he is a resident as well and is fully entitled to his own opinions.    

Taruvai Subramaniam, the Judge Mama of Maple. Like a witness swears by the Holy Book to speak nothing but the Truth, Subramaniam ji speaks only three things - fact, Fact and FACT. If any point is to be explained, say, in 232 words, he utters just that many words, not a word more, not a word less. Precise and pointed. Just one example, while addressing SFVians the other day on the nuances of writing a Will, he clarified that a nominee in a bank account (‘Movable’ property) becomes the owner upon the demise of the account holder, whereas in an immovable property, his status is reduced to just a custodian.

Shri Vaidya of Alder. If there is one individual in SFV who moves around attracting the minimum of attention, I would pick Shri Vaidya. Calm and composed, the best description of Vaidya is, to borrow the Tamil expression, ‘Udhavum Karangal’ the hands that reach out to help. Many a time I have watched him walk up from Alder to Oak to be with Chandrashekar, our tall, handsome, erstwhile SFV President, to give him a helping hand to walk when C suffered mobility restrictions. You can be sure to see Vaidya’s name in the core list of any religious, cultural, social or sports activities. A man for all seasons, in short.  

Dr Sudarshan Acharya of Maple. No number of words will be too much to describe Sudarshan Acharya, the most unassuming man around. Hold any religious function in SFV and ask him to erect a structure befitting the event, he will do it to perfection. Be it Kailash Parbat, Meru mountain, a replica of Tirupati, or a structure for the Rudra Abhisheka, he is sure to make it to perfection. So much so, in a lighter vein, if only he had enlisted his name for making Lord Rama’s statue for Ayodhya, the renowned sculptor from Mysore would have been on his guard. 

Feel free to declare NOTA (None of the Above) and propose fresh names, but do  justify. More aptly, you can choose from among the host of others relevant to the day – the cakemakers (and no less newsmakers): Jessica Rao, Anu Mathew, Anu of Cedar or the award-winning Kiran madam. Or, highlight Shanthy Vaidya, Panindra or Naveen Kashyap, the persons who take you on a wonderful spiritual journey. 

Or, you can go further and spot Mrs Vijaya who has been offering us, short of actual Dosa and Idly, ready-made batter; or, Mrs Nandini Balaji who gives breakfast, lunch and dinner where variety is the name of the game, not to speak of Neha and others who fulfil the needs of your tastebuds with different varieties of snacks from across India.  

My sports friends will not spare me if I fail to mention their annual contribution in bringing alive many sports activities where if the decibel of the enthusiasts is any yardstick, it is no less than a State-level event.  

The list is endless. Why not? We have 889 flats. In SFV sky is the limit for talent. Feel free to add what I might have omitted. 

(If you have any comments, please write them NOT in Telegram, WhatsApp or ADDA, but in the Post a Comment column of the Blog.  It then stays with the blog. Thanks.) 

Elders - All the Way

“Oh, that problem? It’s Age-related…Anything else…?”  Chances are, that is the response an elderly patient might get if he goes all the way to the physician with a complaint that he thought he might as well get examined. 

This response might be a statement of fact.  But the cryptic way it is delivered does not augur well for the patient in terms of value for money; more so after having made it to the Clinic in Uber and waited for long for one’s turn. To overcome the inevitable wait, you even try to browse through the half a dozen medical journals on the table to make something out of the contents but find yourself no wiser at the end.

You resort to the next option - count the average number of minutes the doctor spends with each patient and multiply by the number of patients ahead to arrive at the approximate time it will take for your turn. More often these calculations go haywire because sometimes the person accompanying a patient also is a patient thus taking double the time. You begin to wonder if this happens only in your case despite your selecting a mid-week like Wednesday for consultation.

These said, such minor setbacks don’t dampen us, the joie de vivre elders. We know how to take these in the stride and move on in life – with gusto. Don’t believe me? Satisfy yourself. 

One of my co-residents is all set to celebrate his milestone birthday soon performing homas chanting hymns to shower health, long life, and happiness. Rather than leaving everything to God to take care of him, he does his half to keep fit – yoga, gym, cycling for shopping, singing for pleasure and writing technical books. I had an opportunity to browse through one book and I wished I were able to write more than one para on that subject, let alone bring out a 293 or so page book under the banner of a renowned publisher. We salute you, Sir.

Then there is my friend, philosopher and guide – the 92-year old VNR, a epitome of discipline in all walks of life. It would be safe to say he knows the bye-laws governing Apartments in Bangalore way more than those who framed them. No doubt he was the go-to man in the previous apartment we lived together, and now in the Retirement home in Devanahalli. He too is celebrating his Kanakabhishekam the week after next with a host of renowned priests. As a pre-curser he and his 85-year old wife went to Goa on a week’s holiday. If one is keen on getting tips on fitness, one should go to him. I see no change in him these last 12 or 13 years except for sporting hearing aids.

Back to SFV, we have our learned judge – the ‘intellectual property’ judge to some and ‘judge mama’ to many.  He will enlighten us on how to write a Will, things to incorporate and things to avoid, so that instead of a valid Will we don’t end up leaving a legacy of problems for the beneficiaries. He will also share the steps involved in the execution of a Will. The talk will be followed by a Question-Answer session.  I myself plan to get some doubts clarified – whether I can bequeath padosi’s property as well so that both boys are happy. If not, I will authorize one son to divide my assets and liabilities and give the first choice to the other.

(If you have any comments, please write them NOT in Telegram, WhatsApp or ADDA, but in the Post a Comment column of the Blog.  It then stays with the blog. Thanks.)