Hi friends,
It is always a pleasure to recall the stories of Lord Krishna.
We all love his stories, as we feel connected to him. He is one of us, with all our pranks and faults.
Lord Ram was an idealistic representation of man, whom we ordinary people find difficult to emulate.
I’ll tell you the story of Krishna and Sudhama as it is connected to what I am going to say.
Sudhama was the son of a poor Brahmin.
He was a childhood friend of Krishna who went to the same ashram of Guru Sandipani.
Once when they had gone to play, the Guruma had given some Chana (gram) to share with Krishna.
While playing, it became dark and they were both sitting on the branch of a tree.
In the darkness, Sudhama felt hungry and remembered the gram.
He started eating without sharing with Krishna.
Krishna heard Sudhama eating and asked him what he was eating and asked him to share with him, as he was hungry too.
Sudhama said he was eating nothing. His teeth were chattering because of the cold.
Krishna being all knowing knew what he was doing but kept quiet.
When God asks you for anything and you say you have nothing, then God too gives you nothing.
Both grew up with time.
Krishna became King of Dwarka and Sudhama remained a poor Brahmin with many (27) children whom he could hardly feed.
Sudhama’s wife had heard that her husband and Krishna, the king of Dwarka were friends.
Many a time, she requested her husband to go and meet Krishna and ask for help.
But Sudhama’s pride came in the way. He did not want to ask his friend for a favor and destroy their friendship.
He always kept postponing.
However, the pangs of hunger of his wife and children became so strong that one-day he finally agreed to go.
But he couldn’t go his friend’s place empty handed.
From childhood days he remembered that both of them liked puffed rice.
So his wife made some puffed rice, put it in a bundle, and sent off Sudhama.
When Sudhama reached Krishna’s palace, the guards would not let him in because of his tattered clothes.
However, he convinced them to inform Krishna that his childhood friend had come to meet him.
As soon as Krishna heard that Sudhama had come, he jumped up and ran bare footed to the gate to welcome him.
All the couriers and the queen Rukmini were astonished at this love of Krishna.
Krishna made Sudhama sit on the throne and he sat on the floor. He knew Sudhama was tired and his legs ached.
Krishna himself washed Sudhama’s feet and then wiped it with his own shawl.
Then they sat and talked about old times.
Krishna asked about Bhabi (Sudhama’s wife) and children.
Sudhama couldn’t get himself to say of their plight and said they were all well and happy.
He was too shy to ask for anything.
Krishna being All Knowing understood and smiled.
But he could not give anything without asking. The bible too says, “Ask and you shall receive”
But there is another way.
If you give God anything He gives you a thousand fold.
Krishna asked Sudhama whether Bhabi had sent anything for him.
Sudhama was too shy to say anything.
He did not want to show his poverty by giving just the puffed rice.
Krishna then asked what he carried in the bundle and took the bundle.
Sudhama hung his head in shame.
Krishna opened the bundle and when he saw the puffed rice he said, “ This is what I was looking for”.
He took one fistful and put it in his mouth and ate it with relish.
Then he took a second fistful and put it in his mouth, all the time exclaiming how delicious it was. It reminded him of school.
He then extended his hand for a third mouthful but his queen took away the bundle from him, saying it was enough for one day.
Thus God had taken from Sudhama so that he could give him something in return.
They gossiped late into the night. Then they went to their rooms to sleep.
Sudhama could not sleep as he had not asked Krishna for anything and he did not want to face his wife.
When Krishna went to his room, he called Lord Vishwakarma, the architect and engineer among the gods and instructed him to go to Sudhama’s village and change his house into a palace
When Vishwakarma went to Sudhama’s village and wanted to convert his house to a palace, Sudhama’s wife asked if only their house was to be converted to a palace.
Vishwakarma replied that those were his instruction.
Sudhama’s wife then told Vishwakarma to go back.
If he would convert everybody’s house in the area into palaces then he should convert Sudhama’s,
otherwise they would live in their present state.
She did not want to live in riches, if her neighbors were poor.
How could anybody be happy if his neighbor is unhappy?
Vishwakarma went back to Krishna and informed him of this decision of Sudhama’s wife.
Krishna then smiled at the large heartedness of Sudhama’s wife and
instructed Vishwakarma to change all the houses in the area to palaces.
Sudhama stayed with Krishna for some time.
But the days soon passed and Sudhama had to leave. Both friends were sad.
On the way back Sudhama was cursing himself as to why he had not asked Krishna for anything. But Krishna was all knowing. He knew of my plight. Why did he not give me? He was feeling very sad all the way back.
When he reached his village he found everything changed.
Where his house stood previously there was now a palace.
He thought he had come to the wrong village.
He sheepishly asked a well-dressed and bejeweled lady standing there, “Madam, could you tell me where Sudhama’s house is? It used to stand here.”
The lady then touched his feet and said, ”Swami, this is your house, and I am your wife”
And they lived happily ever after.
Mr. Lobo as I informed you earlier, was with us a few days.
He had made a suggestion that we should do something for the weaker section of society.
If mother Teresa could come all the way from Europe and Steve Waugh can come all the way from Australia, could we not do something for our own people, living in India?
Do we have to depend upon the government?
We know they are a corrupt bunch of politicians who just like to feed their own fat bellies.
They will do nothing.
And when missionaries want to do anything for the poor, they put up all sorts of hurdles on the way.
I know some of the missionaries are at fault.
Why should they convert people?
Why can’t they just help the people without any strings attached?
One God creates us all and all are equal in his eyes. So why convert?
But why wait for missionaries now?
God has given us good education and above average income.
We should try to help the weaker section with our wealth.
It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.
Ranjan had recently sent an e-mail to discuss a get together.
I would request a small get together to take concrete action as how we could help society.
We are old people who can help with ideas, donations and make cheer leaders.
We look to the young boys in the age group 35 to 45 to take the lead.
I would request feedback from all boys.
Radheshyam
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Messages from Old Boys 6
Msg from N K Sircar
Dear Radheshyam
Thanks for all your messages.
I have just returned to TORONTO, CANADA from Sydney, Australia and New York USA.
Please contact me & keep me posted'
my Toronto phone #s are: 1-416-229-4913, Mo 1-647-839-0614
With Best Wishes
N.K. SIRCAR (Past out ` 1964)
Msg exchanged with Safiul Huda
Safiul,
I was just wondering where you had suddenly vanished like Jeff. Normally you are quite prompt in your replies.
I haven't yet heard from Jeff, any idea where he is?
Yes, I will give you all the help required for the blog.
First of all you will have to have a Google mail account.
I have already sent you an invitation. It will guide you. You have to just fill in some details and chose an E-mail user ID and password.
You have a 6 GB mailbox, so you can go anywhere and not worry of your mailbox overflowing and mails bouncing.
In two years I have just used 3% of my mailbox.
When you send me your G mail ID I will make you a member of our blog.
You may then access the blog account directly from your end and write to your heart's content.
I have found our views are similar; hence, I wanted you to write from the other end of the globe.
I have found that it is better to write down whatever you want to write and then copy and paste it in the blog.
For uploading any pictures, you will find in the blog, a small icon, which says, "add image".
When you click on that you will get a new window.
You click on the browse, and scroll to the file you want to upload and select it
Then you upload the picture file by clicking on the upload button at the bottom left corner.
When the upload is complete, you click on the done button, which will come up.
Your upload is complete.
I hope I have been able to explain lucidly. If you have difficulty feel free to ask.
You can edit by clicking the edit button and view what ever has been written and uploaded by clicking the preview button.
When you are satisfied with what you have posted, you can save and upload it.
Whatever you write is Auto Saved also, in case of power failure etc.
My son has taught me otherwise I too was also having little knowledge of blogs etc.
I am glad Nihar contacted you. I remembered in one of your e-mails you had asked for him and hence I asked him to contact.
We have been able to renew many friendships through the blog.
What a difference technology has made in our lives.
Bye for now as I have to go to office in the morning.
I'll wait for your g-mail ID so that we can go to the next step.
Radheshyam
Radheshyam:
I was on break. And when I am on holiday, I am totally incommunicado
and do no look at my email. Thus the delay in replying. In this
letter, I wish to quickly address 3 things:
1). I would be honored to contribute to your blog. Caveat: I am
virtually computer illiterate. So you must send me instructions as to
how to upload as though you were explaining to a 10-year old.
2.) I owe you a great deal of thanks. I received an email from NK
[N.K. Sircar] whom I have been very, very eager to contact. He said he
got my email address from you. May God bless you
3) From the emails you sent and received I was very surprised indeed
to learn that you had actually lived in Bangladesh till 1965. I am
saddened whenever I hear that a Bengali has had to leave Bangladesh
with a tinge of involuntariness [I hope there was none in your case] in
it. Oh if we could hold them to our hearts and not let them go! Oh if
we could hold them in our midst and laugh and cry together! But I know
that that is wishful thinking. Greed and poverty make people take
advantage of the minority status of our fellow beings.
For whatever it is worth, accept my regrets that you had to quit your
homeland. With apologies to Martin Luther King, I dare to dream: that
one day people will be accepted anywhere in the world for the content
of their character and the goodness of their hearts and not the creed
of their faith or the sound of their names.
Safiul
Hi Saiful,
When I started the blog sometime in September, I intentionally named it
Goethals 1907-2007 as I wanted it to represent the views of the
students of Goethals.
So far I have held the stage and given my solo views with comments
through e-mails from our other friends, which I subsequently posted..
I feel now, after 4 months, it is time to straddle the globe and give
expression to diverse views.
I propose as a start to add views from USA, UK, Middle East, Far East
and Australia.
From the USA, I could not find a better candidate than you.
You do send us your regular E-mails to which we look forward.
Instead of using E-mails, I would suggest that you start using our blog
to express yourself.
Of course, you will have to give some of your valuable time to post yourarticles.
If you agree, I shall make you a member of our blog and then you can
write
directly.
Hope you will agree.
Cheers,
Radheshyam
Msg from Shivatosh Deb re: Rachit’s enquiry
Hi Radheshyam,
Br. Walsh is now living a retired life at GMS.
Many of us had a chance to meet him during the centenary - looks to be in good health.
Incidentally, he was our class teacher for 2 years (1969 batch).
And yes, please continue to send your updates -that’s one thing I really look forward to.
It’s also nice to see what other Goats are up to - although I may not have met many of them .
All the best.
Shivatosh Deb (1969)
Msg from Ralph Reeves re: Rachit’s enquiry
Hello Radheshyam,
Inform Rachit Rai that Bro. Walsh is in GMS. At least he was when I last visited in Dec.2004. Met with Bro Beddoe as well. It was really great getting back to GMS once again and boy! it has changed a lot. Brought back old memories too.
By the way, I am trying to get a hold of Robert Wallace my class mate of '68. I sent him an email but there was no response. I know he is somewhere in Aussie. My regards to Keith Wallace too. Class of '67. Great sportsman. I still keep in touch with Niall Roberts. Nihar Sircar is here in Toronto with me. We sail for the same company in the Great Lakes.
Thanks for the good work Radheshyam
My best regards,
Ralph
Msg from Keith Hayward
Hi Keith,
Keith Wallace was from the '67 batch.
He is the brother of Ian Wallace who was with us. Keith was a very good sportsman and there still are one or two records standing in his name in Goethals. It was good to see him during the centenary.
I have attached a class VIII photo of us in taken in 1962 in my last post of Mr. Lobo
See if you recognize the boys.
I have given below the recipe for Chilly Pickle and Coriander Chutney.
Recipe for Coriander Leaves Chutney.
Items:
Coriander leaves 250 gm
Ginger 25 gm
Green Chilies 3 or 4 pcs as per hotness to taste
Cummins seed 1 tsf (teaspoon full)
Coriander powder ½ tsf
Red chilly powder ¼ tsf
Salt as per taste
Lime Juice of 1 full lime
Mix all the above, except lime in a grinder and grind to a thin paste
Add the limejuice and mix again.
Your Coriander chutney is ready to be served.
You can store it in a fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Recipe for Chilly Pickle
Items:
Green Chilly 250 gm
Mustard seed powder 100 gm
Salt as per taste
Aniseed coarsely ground 1 ½ tsf
Black cumin ½ tsf
Lime juice Juice of 2 or3 whole limes
Mix all the spices and limejuice in a bowl.
Cut all the chilly lengthwise on one side only and remove the seeds inside.
Mix the seeds in the spices, which we had mixed earlier, and fill the mixture in the chilies.
Put all this in a wide mouthed glass bottle and then squeeze another 2 or 3 limejuice over the chilly.
Close the mouth of the bottle and shake the complete bottle thoroughly.
Leave the bottle with mouth closed in the sun for 2 or 3 days.
Your chilly pickle is now ready
Try it out and let me know the result.I could give you the recipe for Soanpapri but it is very difficult to make.
If you want I can open shop in Australia selling all India sweets but they would not sell as all you people are very health conscious and our sweets contain a very high dose of sugar.
Do continue writing.
It’s always good to receive your mails.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
Hello Radheshyam,
It was good to read the new batch even messages even although I don’t know most of them. The name Keith Wallace sounds familiar is he any relation to Bruce Wallace I’m going to email Keith and see if he knows me. Is there any chance of the recipe for the chili and coriander chutney I have numerous chili trees and some of them are pure dynamite and it would be good to pickle them so they last longer. Do you have a recipe for Sompopry (I know the spelling is wrong) if you read it as I’ve spelt it I think you might know what I’m on about. Anyway that’s all for now,
Hope to hear from you soon,
Best wishes,
Keith
Msg from Dr. Santosh Agarwal
Hello RS
Nice to receive your mails, very interesting and informative, I had also enrolled for the GMS meet but unfortunately stuck in the UK and could not return in spite of all bookings etc, I have not recd the souvenir tie etc, if it can be helped through some of our concerned friends
Thanks keep it up, God Bless
Dr Santosh Agrawal
20.1.2008
Dear Radheshyam
Thanks for all your messages.
I have just returned to TORONTO, CANADA from Sydney, Australia and New York USA.
Please contact me & keep me posted'
my Toronto phone #s are: 1-416-229-4913, Mo 1-647-839-0614
With Best Wishes
N.K. SIRCAR (Past out ` 1964)
Msg exchanged with Safiul Huda
Safiul,
I was just wondering where you had suddenly vanished like Jeff. Normally you are quite prompt in your replies.
I haven't yet heard from Jeff, any idea where he is?
Yes, I will give you all the help required for the blog.
First of all you will have to have a Google mail account.
I have already sent you an invitation. It will guide you. You have to just fill in some details and chose an E-mail user ID and password.
You have a 6 GB mailbox, so you can go anywhere and not worry of your mailbox overflowing and mails bouncing.
In two years I have just used 3% of my mailbox.
When you send me your G mail ID I will make you a member of our blog.
You may then access the blog account directly from your end and write to your heart's content.
I have found our views are similar; hence, I wanted you to write from the other end of the globe.
I have found that it is better to write down whatever you want to write and then copy and paste it in the blog.
For uploading any pictures, you will find in the blog, a small icon, which says, "add image".
When you click on that you will get a new window.
You click on the browse, and scroll to the file you want to upload and select it
Then you upload the picture file by clicking on the upload button at the bottom left corner.
When the upload is complete, you click on the done button, which will come up.
Your upload is complete.
I hope I have been able to explain lucidly. If you have difficulty feel free to ask.
You can edit by clicking the edit button and view what ever has been written and uploaded by clicking the preview button.
When you are satisfied with what you have posted, you can save and upload it.
Whatever you write is Auto Saved also, in case of power failure etc.
My son has taught me otherwise I too was also having little knowledge of blogs etc.
I am glad Nihar contacted you. I remembered in one of your e-mails you had asked for him and hence I asked him to contact.
We have been able to renew many friendships through the blog.
What a difference technology has made in our lives.
Bye for now as I have to go to office in the morning.
I'll wait for your g-mail ID so that we can go to the next step.
Radheshyam
Radheshyam:
I was on break. And when I am on holiday, I am totally incommunicado
and do no look at my email. Thus the delay in replying. In this
letter, I wish to quickly address 3 things:
1). I would be honored to contribute to your blog. Caveat: I am
virtually computer illiterate. So you must send me instructions as to
how to upload as though you were explaining to a 10-year old.
2.) I owe you a great deal of thanks. I received an email from NK
[N.K. Sircar] whom I have been very, very eager to contact. He said he
got my email address from you. May God bless you
3) From the emails you sent and received I was very surprised indeed
to learn that you had actually lived in Bangladesh till 1965. I am
saddened whenever I hear that a Bengali has had to leave Bangladesh
with a tinge of involuntariness [I hope there was none in your case] in
it. Oh if we could hold them to our hearts and not let them go! Oh if
we could hold them in our midst and laugh and cry together! But I know
that that is wishful thinking. Greed and poverty make people take
advantage of the minority status of our fellow beings.
For whatever it is worth, accept my regrets that you had to quit your
homeland. With apologies to Martin Luther King, I dare to dream: that
one day people will be accepted anywhere in the world for the content
of their character and the goodness of their hearts and not the creed
of their faith or the sound of their names.
Safiul
Hi Saiful,
When I started the blog sometime in September, I intentionally named it
Goethals 1907-2007 as I wanted it to represent the views of the
students of Goethals.
So far I have held the stage and given my solo views with comments
through e-mails from our other friends, which I subsequently posted..
I feel now, after 4 months, it is time to straddle the globe and give
expression to diverse views.
I propose as a start to add views from USA, UK, Middle East, Far East
and Australia.
From the USA, I could not find a better candidate than you.
You do send us your regular E-mails to which we look forward.
Instead of using E-mails, I would suggest that you start using our blog
to express yourself.
Of course, you will have to give some of your valuable time to post yourarticles.
If you agree, I shall make you a member of our blog and then you can
write
directly.
Hope you will agree.
Cheers,
Radheshyam
Msg from Shivatosh Deb re: Rachit’s enquiry
Hi Radheshyam,
Br. Walsh is now living a retired life at GMS.
Many of us had a chance to meet him during the centenary - looks to be in good health.
Incidentally, he was our class teacher for 2 years (1969 batch).
And yes, please continue to send your updates -that’s one thing I really look forward to.
It’s also nice to see what other Goats are up to - although I may not have met many of them .
All the best.
Shivatosh Deb (1969)
Msg from Ralph Reeves re: Rachit’s enquiry
Hello Radheshyam,
Inform Rachit Rai that Bro. Walsh is in GMS. At least he was when I last visited in Dec.2004. Met with Bro Beddoe as well. It was really great getting back to GMS once again and boy! it has changed a lot. Brought back old memories too.
By the way, I am trying to get a hold of Robert Wallace my class mate of '68. I sent him an email but there was no response. I know he is somewhere in Aussie. My regards to Keith Wallace too. Class of '67. Great sportsman. I still keep in touch with Niall Roberts. Nihar Sircar is here in Toronto with me. We sail for the same company in the Great Lakes.
Thanks for the good work Radheshyam
My best regards,
Ralph
Msg from Keith Hayward
Hi Keith,
Keith Wallace was from the '67 batch.
He is the brother of Ian Wallace who was with us. Keith was a very good sportsman and there still are one or two records standing in his name in Goethals. It was good to see him during the centenary.
I have attached a class VIII photo of us in taken in 1962 in my last post of Mr. Lobo
See if you recognize the boys.
I have given below the recipe for Chilly Pickle and Coriander Chutney.
Recipe for Coriander Leaves Chutney.
Items:
Coriander leaves 250 gm
Ginger 25 gm
Green Chilies 3 or 4 pcs as per hotness to taste
Cummins seed 1 tsf (teaspoon full)
Coriander powder ½ tsf
Red chilly powder ¼ tsf
Salt as per taste
Lime Juice of 1 full lime
Mix all the above, except lime in a grinder and grind to a thin paste
Add the limejuice and mix again.
Your Coriander chutney is ready to be served.
You can store it in a fridge for 3 or 4 days.
Recipe for Chilly Pickle
Items:
Green Chilly 250 gm
Mustard seed powder 100 gm
Salt as per taste
Aniseed coarsely ground 1 ½ tsf
Black cumin ½ tsf
Lime juice Juice of 2 or3 whole limes
Mix all the spices and limejuice in a bowl.
Cut all the chilly lengthwise on one side only and remove the seeds inside.
Mix the seeds in the spices, which we had mixed earlier, and fill the mixture in the chilies.
Put all this in a wide mouthed glass bottle and then squeeze another 2 or 3 limejuice over the chilly.
Close the mouth of the bottle and shake the complete bottle thoroughly.
Leave the bottle with mouth closed in the sun for 2 or 3 days.
Your chilly pickle is now ready
Try it out and let me know the result.I could give you the recipe for Soanpapri but it is very difficult to make.
If you want I can open shop in Australia selling all India sweets but they would not sell as all you people are very health conscious and our sweets contain a very high dose of sugar.
Do continue writing.
It’s always good to receive your mails.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
Hello Radheshyam,
It was good to read the new batch even messages even although I don’t know most of them. The name Keith Wallace sounds familiar is he any relation to Bruce Wallace I’m going to email Keith and see if he knows me. Is there any chance of the recipe for the chili and coriander chutney I have numerous chili trees and some of them are pure dynamite and it would be good to pickle them so they last longer. Do you have a recipe for Sompopry (I know the spelling is wrong) if you read it as I’ve spelt it I think you might know what I’m on about. Anyway that’s all for now,
Hope to hear from you soon,
Best wishes,
Keith
Msg from Dr. Santosh Agarwal
Hello RS
Nice to receive your mails, very interesting and informative, I had also enrolled for the GMS meet but unfortunately stuck in the UK and could not return in spite of all bookings etc, I have not recd the souvenir tie etc, if it can be helped through some of our concerned friends
Thanks keep it up, God Bless
Dr Santosh Agrawal
20.1.2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Prevention of heart Attack
The following is for all boys of batch of 1980 and earlier.
Heart attack is the No 1 killer disease all over the world.
Many of us, including my self, have been on the doctor’s operation table, having our chest opened for a by-pass surgery or like myself had his groins pricked and stent/stents inserted after clearing a blockage.
We learn late, we bolt the stable door after the horses have galloped away.
This article is for all those who have not yet been affected by the disease and also for those who have been affected, so that they do not have recurrence.
I must add here that the authors have not mentioned Yoga and Pranayam.
You should watch Astha Channel in the morning for 30 to 45 minutes at any time between 5.30 am to 7.30 am and do pranayam as shown by Swami Ramdeoji.
It is also very effective in preventing heart disease.
Here, I have a request.
Many of our old boys have established themselves as reputed doctors.
I would request them to send us their articles and views on the subject of their specialization, which could help the others lead a healthier life
Radheshyam
99 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEART PUMPING
“We can no longer ignore heart disease. While awareness is important, it’s time to take action now - to love and protect our hearts while maintaining healthier lifestyles. I encourage you to take simple, everyday steps to protect your hearts.”
Heart beating- Karen Murray
Heart disease kills more people than any other disease. According to the American Heart Association, almost 33 million American men have cardiovascular disease, and over 430,000 die from it every year. Sadly, many of these deaths were preventable.
The key is to act now - don’t wait until your first heart attack to start making changes in your lifestyle. And making sure the beats go on is not quite as hard as you might think.
So here are some tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer. Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.
FOLLOW A HEART HEALTHY DIET
1. Rise and dine. In a study of 3,900 people, Harvard researchers found that men who ate breakfast every day were 44 percent less likely to be overweight and 41 percent less likely to develop insulin resistance, both risk factors for heart disease.
2. Refill the bowl. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that two servings of whole-grain cereal (Cheerios count) a day can reduce a man’s risk of dying of heart disease by nearly 20 percent.
3. Choose dark chocolate. Cocoa contains flavonoids that thin the blood and keep it from clotting (like it does just before you clutch your chest and expire). And at least a third of the fat in chocolate is oleic acid, which is the same healthy, monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Dove dark chocolate bars retain as many flavonoids as possible.
4. Go fishing for tuna. Omega-3 fats in tuna help strengthen heart muscle, lower blood pressure, and prevent clotting - as well as reduce levels of potentially deadly inflammation in the body. Plus, tuna’s high in protein. Research shows that consuming more protein may lower a man’s risk of heart disease by nearly 26 percent.
5. Add ground flaxseed to your food. It’s a natural source of omega-3s, for those who don’t like fish.
6. Grill a steak. You may think it’s bad for your heart, but you’d be wrong. Beef contains immunity-boosting selenium as well as homocysteine-lowering B vitamins. And up to 50 percent of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety.
7. Fight cholesterol with fat. A group of 17 Australian men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 percent of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by between 3 and 5 percent, while their HDL (good) cholesterol rose by nearly 8 percent. The reason: Macadamias are the best natural source of monounsaturated fat.
8. Eat grapefruit. One a day can reduce arterial narrowing by 46 percent, lower your bad-cholesterol level by more than 10 percent, and help drop your blood pressure by more than 5 points.
9. They really are good for your heart. Beans are a great source of homocysteine-lowering folate and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Tulane University researchers found that people who ate four or more servings a week had a 22 percent lower risk of developing heart disease (and 75 percent fewer camping companions) than less-than-once-a-week bean eaters.
10. Order garlic bread. In addition to lowering cholesterol and helping to fight off infection, eating garlic may help limit damage to your heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. Researchers in India found that animals who were fed garlic regularly had more heart-protecting antioxidants in their blood than animals who weren’t.
11. Top your toast. Black currant jelly is a good source of quercetin - an antioxidant that Finnish researchers believe may improve heart health by preventing the buildup of the free radicals that can damage arterial walls and allow plaque to penetrate.
12. Order take-out. Lots of Chinese and Indian foods contain ginger or turmeric - spices packed with natural anti-inflammatories. “Anything that helps keep levels of inflammation low is good for your heart,” says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Eating Well for Optimum Health.
13. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that’s at least 27 percent cranberry.
14. Swap honey for sugar. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that honey has powerful antioxidant qualities that help combat cardiovascular disease, while sugar consumption can lower your levels of HDL cholesterol, potentially increasing your risk of heart-related disorders.
15. Don’t let your tank hit empty. A study in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That’s enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.
16. Fortify with folic acid. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who consume the recommended amount each day have a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than those whose diets are lacking in this B vitamin. Good sources of folic acid: asparagus, broccoli, and fortified cereal.
17. Decaffeinate. Drinks that contain caffeine increase blood pressure by nearly 4 points, on top of speeding up your heart rate by an average of 2 beats per minute. It’s enough to push a borderline heart problem into the danger zone.
18. Scramble an egg. They’re relatively low in saturated fat, and they’re packed with betaine, a compound that helps lower homocysteine levels in the blood by as much as 75 percent. Eggs are one of the few good food sources of betaine.
19. Order a chef’s salad. Leafy greens and egg yolks are both good sources of lutein, a phytochemical that carries heart-disease-fighting antioxidants to your cells and tissues.
20. Eat oatmeal cookies. In a University of Connecticut study, men with high cholesterol who ate oat-bran cookies daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels of LDL cholesterol by more than 20 percent.
21. Pick French wine over German. According to research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, French red wine has up to four times more artery-protecting enzymes than German reds.
22. Trade the salt for Mrs. Dash. A 20-year study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that overweight men with the highest sodium intakes were 61 percent more likely to die of heart disease than those with lower intakes.
23. Have the red licorice. A compound in licorice root has been shown to spike blood pressure - especially in men who eat a lot of black licorice. Fruit-flavored licorice, however, doesn’t contain the compound.
24. Take the Concord. University of California researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
25. You don’t want fries with that. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the exercise and nutritional habits of 80,000 women were recorded for 14 years. The researchers found that the most important correlate of heart disease was the women’s dietary intake of foods containing trans fatty acids, mutated forms of fat that lower HDL and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. Some of the worst offenders are French fries.
26. Snack on pumpkin seeds. One ounce of seeds contains more than a third of your recommended intake of magnesium. According to Mildred Seeling, M.D., author of The Magnesium Factor, magnesium deficiencies have been linked to most risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and the increased buildup of plaque in the arteries.
27. Feast on potassium. Slice a banana on your cereal, then bake a sweet potato or cook up some spinach for dinner. All are loaded with potassium. Studies show that not getting your daily 3,500 milligrams of potassium can set you up for high blood pressure. Other good sources of potassium include raisins, tomatoes, and papayas.
28. Beat the heat with a handful of cold grapes. University of Connecticut researchers recently discovered that fresh grapes provide cholesterol-lowering, artery-clearing protection similar to that you get from drinking concentrated grape juice or wine.
29. Pick the can. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many canned vegetables contain up to 40 percent higher levels of heart-disease-fighting antioxidants than fresh vegetables do.
30. Toss your salad with olive oil. Men whose diets include as much as 2 ounces of olive oil a day have an 82 percent lower risk of having a fatal first heart attack than men who consume little or none. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats - known to hinder the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into its artery-clogging form.
31. Switch your spread. Buy trans fat-free margarine, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread. Researchers in Norway found that, compared with butter, no-trans margarine lowered LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.
32. Change your oil. Researchers in India found that men who replaced the corn and vegetable oils in their kitchens with sesame-seed oil lowered their blood pressure by more than 30 points in just 60 days, without making any other changes in their diets.
33. Double the tomato sauce. The lycopene in tomatoes prevents the harmful buildup of cholesterol on artery walls. So double up the sauce on your pizza and pasta.
34. Have a Mac(intosh) attack. Men who frequently eat apples have a 20 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than men who eat apples less often.
35. Use the rotisserie. Foods cooked at high temperatures produce blood compounds called advanced glycation end products, which researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital say reduce cell elasticity and increase heart disease risk. Three fixes: Steam your vegetables, add marinade to your meat before grilling to keep it moist, and cook foods longer at lower temperatures.
36. Eat fresh berries. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all loaded with salicylic acid - the same heart-disease fighter found in aspirin.
37. Snack on nuts. Harvard researchers found that men who replaced 127 calories of carbohydrates - that’s about 14 Baked Lays potato chips - with 1 ounce of nuts decreased their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
38. Slice your risk. Sure, whole-wheat bread contains cholesterol-lowering fiber, but it’s also packed with nutrients that will help keep your blood free of other deadly debris.
39. Have a fiber appetizer. Take a fiber supplement - Metamucil, for instance - 15 minutes before each meal. It’ll help slow the digestion of highly processed starches and sweets. Diets high in foods that quickly raise your blood sugar may increase heart-disease risk.
40. Be a part-time vegetarian. Researchers in Toronto found that men who added a couple of servings of vegetarian fare such as whole grains, nuts, beans, and tofu to their diets each day for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol by nearly 30 percent.
EXERCISE REGULARLY
41. Run indoors on hazy days. Researchers in Finland found that exercising outside on hot, hazy days when air pollution is at its worst can cut the supply of oxygen in the blood, making it more likely to clot.
42 Take a ride with your bike42. Take up rowing. A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that, compared with running, rowing uses more muscle and causes your heart to pump more blood through the body, resulting in greater overall gains in cardiovascular fitness.
43. Climb. Yale researchers found that men with insulin resistance - a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease - who exercised on a stair climber for 45 minutes 4 days a week improved their sensitivity to insulin by 43 percent in 6 weeks.
44. Play hard. Any regular vigorous physical activity reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, even if performed for only 5 to 10 minutes at a time, says John Yarnell, Ph.D., of Queen’s University of Belfast, who authored a study on the subject.
45. Push yourself. Harvard researchers found that men who perceived themselves to be working out vigorously were 28 percent less likely to develop heart disease than guys who felt they were slacking. An intense run should be at 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Calculate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220.)
46. Dive in the pool. U.K. researchers found that men who burn just 50 calories a day in strenuous activities like swimming and hiking are 62 percent less likely to die of heart disease than men who burn nearly seven times as many calories - 340 per day - during less active pursuits like walking and golfing.
47. Do more crunches. A study of 8,000 Canadians found that individuals who could do the most situps in 1 minute were also the least likely to die over a period of 13 years. The reason? Strong abs equal more muscle and less belly fat, and the less abdominal fat you have, the lower your risk of heart disease becomes.
48. Trim your BMI. Even if you work out and are reasonably fit, researchers at Boston University found that having a body-mass index over 25 can increase your risk of heart disease by as much as 26 percent.
49. Bike away the blues. Men who are suffering from depression are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as guys who aren’t depressed. So c’mon, get happy. In a trial of 150 men and women, Duke researchers found that after just 3 months of treatment, antidepressants and exercise were equally effective at relieving almost all symptoms of depression.
50. Take the stairs. People who walked an extra 4,000 to 5,000 steps each day lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points, according to a small study at the University of Tennessee.
51. Build an iron heart. Harvard researchers found that lifting weights 30 minutes a week is enough to reduce your risk of heart disease by 23 percent.
52. Fartlek! “Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight will reduce your visceral-fat stores by 25 to 40 percent,” says Jean-Pierre Despres, a professor of human nutrition at Laval University in Quebec City. A study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that doing fartlek - alternating speeds throughout your run - helps you lose weight faster than moving at a steady pace.
LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
53. Watch a scary movie. Anything that causes your heart to race - slasher flicks, a good book, even being in love - also makes your heart stronger, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Upsetting the rhythm once in a while is like hitting your heart’s reset button, which helps it keep on ticking.
healthy lifestyle54. Join a group. Any group. According to research from the University of Chicago, lonely people have a harder time dealing with stress and are at greater risk of heart disease than people with a wide circle of friends.
55. Tell your wife to butt out. Or you may leave her - in a hearse. Researchers in Greece found that individuals who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26 percent greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encountered secondhand smoke.
56. Check for carbon monoxide. Almost all large household appliances, including furnaces, water heaters, washers, dryers, and fireplaces, can leak carbon monoxide into your home. Large levels of the gas can kill you in hours, but long-term exposure to tiny amounts can be just as lethal, promoting the formation of blood clots and increasing the risk of heart disease. So make sure vents are clear and appliances are properly ventilated, and install a carbon monoxide detector near your bedroom.
57. Wash your hands. German researchers followed 570 people for an average of 3 years and found that those with the most antibodies (from fighting off infections) in their systems also had the most significant clogging in the arteries of their hearts, necks, and legs. Use liquid soap. Germs can live on bars.
58. Ditch the fad diet. University of Michigan researchers found that people whose weight fluctuated wildly - as it tends to do when you adopt the whack-job-diet-of-the-month - had weaker hearts and worse blood flow than people who lost weight more slowly but kept it off for good.
59. Pee in the bushes. After studying 40 people with heart disease, researchers at Taiwan University in China found that the stress of having a full bladder increases heart rate by an average of 9 beats per minute and constricts the flow of blood by 19 percent. Either could be enough to trigger a heart attack, says study author Tsai Chang-Her, M.D.
60. Root for the (grrrrr) Yankees. A study on World Cup Soccer found heart-attack rates fell among locals when the home team won. Experts believe that the euphoria of a win, plus stress reduction from leisure pursuits, may help keep heart problems at bay.
61. Meditate 20 minutes a day. According to Thomas Jefferson University researchers, this daily downtime may reduce your anxiety and depression by more than 25 percent. And that’s important, since a University of Florida study found that patients with coronary artery disease who had the most mental stress were three times more likely to die during the period of the study than those with the least stress.
62. Smile. Researchers at Harvard kept tabs on 1,300 healthy men for 10 years. At the end of the study, they found that individuals with the most positive attitudes at the start of the trial were half as likely to have experienced heart problems as men with more negative attitudes.
63. Take Monday off. The reduction in stress from missing a few days of work shrinks heart-attack and stroke risk by nearly 30 percent, according to a new study conducted at the State University of New York.
64. Cheaters never prosper. Casual extramarital sex increases your risk of a fatal heart attack. Doctors at London’s St. Thomas’s Hospital found that 75 percent of cases of sudden death during sex involved a two-timing spouse - and the death risk was greatest in men who took up with much younger women. The docs found hardly any risk of heart attack in long-term relationships.
65. Buy a punching bag. A Harvard study found that men who express their anger have half the risk of heart disease compared with men who internalize it.
66. Knock off before Nightline. A 10-year study of 70,000 women found that those who get 5 or fewer hours of sleep on a regular basis have a nearly 40 percent greater risk of heart disease than those who sleep a full 8 hours. One possible reason: Research shows that people who are exhausted have higher levels of fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein that can drastically reduce bloodflow to the heart and brain.
67. Touch her. Ten minutes of skin-to-skin contact (hand-holding, hugs) with your mate can help keep your blood pressure and pulse from spiking during stressful times, according to University of North Carolina researchers.
68. Get pricked. Acupuncture appears to trigger the endorphins that help the heart relax and fight off stress, researchers say.
69. Bundle up. In a study of half a million people, doctors at Lille University in France found that cold spells that decrease the temperature by more than 18F from one day to the next can increase heart-attack risk by as much as 13 percent.
70. Move to the sticks. Or sleep with earplugs. German researchers found that people who endured nighttime sound levels that averaged higher than 55 decibels - about the volume of a washing machine or a coffee percolator - were twice as likely to be treated for high blood pressure as those who slept with sound levels under 50 decibels.
71. Drink more tea. An American Heart Association study found that men who drank 2 cups of tea a day were 25 percent less likely to die of heart disease than guys who rarely touched the stuff. The reason: flavonoids in the tea, which not only improve blood vessels’ ability to relax, but also thin the blood, reducing clotting.
72. Be a sponge. Loma Linda University researchers found that drinking five or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day could help lower your risk of heart disease by up to 60 percent - exactly the same drop you get from stopping smoking, lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol numbers, exercising, or losing a little weight.
73. Close the car windows. Harvard researchers monitored the strength of 40 middle-aged men’s hearts and then tracked the men’s exposure to airborne pollution. “The more particles the men inhaled, the harder it was for their hearts to adjust to different types of activity,” says David C. Christiani, M.D., the study author.
74. Stop at 2 cups. Dutch researchers found that people who drank roughly 4 cups of coffee a day had 11 percent higher levels of heart-damaging homocysteine in their blood than non-coffee drinkers.
75. Stop snoring. Half of all people with sleep apnea - a condition that occurs when people quit breathing for up to a minute at a time while sleeping - also have high blood pressure, caused by unusually high levels of the hormone aldosterone. Beat the apnea and the BP drops, too. Your doctor can prescribe a Sleep Strip, an at-home sleep-apnea test.
76. Pair up. Married men are less likely to die of heart disease than bachelors. Toronto-based researchers studied 100 men and women with mild high blood pressure and found that after 3 years of marriage, the happily married men had healthier hearts than their unmarried brothers. Just choose your bride wisely, or your heart will be broken and sick.
77. Have more sex. You might think all that grunting and sweating would increase your risk of a stroke, but University of Bristol researchers say the opposite is actually true. Not only are men who have sex at least twice a week less likely to have a stroke than men who have sex less often, but all that steamy exercise may also help reduce their heart-disease risk by up to a third, compared with guys who aren’t getting any.
78. Make friends at work. Researchers at St. Johns University studied 70 New York City traffic cops and found that men with the most work friends also had the lowest heart rates and healthiest blood-pressure levels, even during times of stress.
79. Read a good book. Swiss researchers found that men who recited poetry for half an hour a day lowered their heart rates significantly, reducing their stress levels and possibly their heart-disease risk. You don’t need to go all Emily Dickinson; just try reading aloud to your wife or kids instead. Or to yourself. (But not on the subway.)
80. Pull it. By the age of 20, up to 65 percent of men have at least one misaligned wisdom tooth that will never come in properly. Leave the tooth alone and bacteria can collect around it in a pocket, increasing your risk of all kinds of infections, including periodontal disease - which has been linked to heart disease.
81. Finish your degree. California researchers found that women with 4-year or advanced degrees have a lower risk of heart disease than those who are less educated. The benefit comes from moving up the earnings ladder.
82. Tune out stress. Blood pressure surges in the morning. But listening to music instead of Howard Stern can help control it, reducing your chances of a morning coronary.
83. Buy a dog. All that love (”You’re a good boy, yes you are!”) and aggravation (”Bad dog! No eat Daddy’s crab dip!”) makes your heart more adaptable and better able to deal with the stress that can lead to heart disease.
84. Have a drink every other day. A Boston study of 38,000 men found that men who drink alcohol three or four times a week have a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack than men who drink less than once a week. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol levels and keep the blood thin, reducing the threat of artery-clogging clots. Drinking more frequently is fine (up to the limit at which your friends - or the state police - gather and confront you), but won’t provide additional heart protection, the study’s authors report.
85. Rub. Massage helps relieve stress and reduce levels of inflammation-triggering chemicals in the skin, says Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami.
86. Rinse, brush. Rinse your mouth and brush with toothpaste. They’ll reduce oral bacteria, which can decrease your risk of a heart attack by 200 to 300 percent, according to University of Buffalo researchers.
KNOW YOUR BLOOD INDICATORS
87. Measure BP after exercise. Ask your doctor to measure your blood pressure after a cardiac stress test. “The numbers will be higher, but studies show they’ll also be a better indicator of your overall health,” says Kerry Stewart, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.
check your BP88. Know what’s in your arteries. Results of a highly sensitive C-reactive protein blood test, together with your cholesterol numbers, can help give doctors a more accurate picture of your heart-disease risk. And an apo B measurement may be a more reliable indicator of heart disease than LDL cholesterol, according to a recent review of studies comparing the two.
89. Use the free blood-pressure test (wisely). Most of the free blood-pressure-monitoring machines found in pharmacies aren’t 100 percent accurate. According to a Canadian study, the machines can be off by an average of 8 points systolic and 4 points diastolic per reading. Check your BP three times, then average the readings.
90. Get your BP under 120/80. If your blood pressure is high (more than 140/90), knocking 20 points off the top number (systolic BP, the pressure when your heart is contracting) and 10 points off the bottom number (diastolic BP, the pressure when your heart is between beats) can cut your risk of dying of heart disease in half.
INCLUDE HEALTHY HEART SUPPLEMENTS
91. Take chromium. According to new research from Harvard, men with low levels of chromium in their systems are significantly more likely to develop heart problems. You need between 200 and 400 micrograms of chromium per day - more than you’re likely to get from your regular diet. “Look for a supplement labeled chromium picolinate - it’s the most easily absorbed by the body,” says Gary Evans, Ph.D., a chromium expert.
healthy supplements92. Go fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. If that’s not on your meal plan, try a fish-oil supplement instead. Besides lowering blood pressure and clearing plaque from the arteries, 1 to 2 grams of fish oil a day improves bloodflow and helps maintain a regular heartbeat.
93. Buy calcium-fortified OJ. Increasing the calcium in your diet can lower your blood pressure. You’ll derive a benefit from the vitamin C as well. According to research from England, people with the most vitamin C in their bloodstreams are 40 percent less likely to die of heart disease.
94. Get your daily B vitamins. A study at the Cleveland Clinic found that men with diets low in B vitamins were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as men with higher levels in their systems.
95. Take aspirin. Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that regular aspirin consumption cut the risk of coronary heart disease by 28 percent in people who had never had a heart attack or stroke, but were at heightened risk. For maximum impact on your blood pressure, take a low dose just before bed.
96. Don’t double dip. Heart patients who took ibuprofen along with their aspirin had a nearly 75 percent higher risk of premature death than those taking only aspirin, according to a study, conducted in Scotland, of more than 7,000 participants.
97. Schedule a flu shot. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that people who’d been vaccinated against the flu were also 19 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart disease than people who hadn’t gotten the shot.
98. Add E to aspirin. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that a combination of the antioxidant (shoot for 800 international units) and blood-thinner helped reduce levels of plaque in clogged arteries by more than 80 percent.
99. Swallow phytosterols or phytostanols. Both substances - derived from pine trees and soy - lower bad cholesterol levels by an average of 10 to 15 percent. Besides being available in supplements, the compounds are in cholesterol-lowering spreads like Benecol and Take Control.
Remember: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the dangerous norm.
Right now you have the tools to protect yourself. Work 10 tips into your lineup over the next month. When they become second nature, adopt 10 more. By year’s end, the percentages should swing around in your favor.
You can do this. It’s the only way to give your heart a beating chance.
Heart attack is the No 1 killer disease all over the world.
Many of us, including my self, have been on the doctor’s operation table, having our chest opened for a by-pass surgery or like myself had his groins pricked and stent/stents inserted after clearing a blockage.
We learn late, we bolt the stable door after the horses have galloped away.
This article is for all those who have not yet been affected by the disease and also for those who have been affected, so that they do not have recurrence.
I must add here that the authors have not mentioned Yoga and Pranayam.
You should watch Astha Channel in the morning for 30 to 45 minutes at any time between 5.30 am to 7.30 am and do pranayam as shown by Swami Ramdeoji.
It is also very effective in preventing heart disease.
Here, I have a request.
Many of our old boys have established themselves as reputed doctors.
I would request them to send us their articles and views on the subject of their specialization, which could help the others lead a healthier life
Radheshyam
99 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HEART PUMPING
“We can no longer ignore heart disease. While awareness is important, it’s time to take action now - to love and protect our hearts while maintaining healthier lifestyles. I encourage you to take simple, everyday steps to protect your hearts.”
Heart beating- Karen Murray
Heart disease kills more people than any other disease. According to the American Heart Association, almost 33 million American men have cardiovascular disease, and over 430,000 die from it every year. Sadly, many of these deaths were preventable.
The key is to act now - don’t wait until your first heart attack to start making changes in your lifestyle. And making sure the beats go on is not quite as hard as you might think.
So here are some tips, tricks, and techniques that will protect you from the number-one killer. Make them part of your life, and you may just live long enough to see the United States pay its national debt, the Cubs win the World Series, and Madonna retire.
FOLLOW A HEART HEALTHY DIET
1. Rise and dine. In a study of 3,900 people, Harvard researchers found that men who ate breakfast every day were 44 percent less likely to be overweight and 41 percent less likely to develop insulin resistance, both risk factors for heart disease.
2. Refill the bowl. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that two servings of whole-grain cereal (Cheerios count) a day can reduce a man’s risk of dying of heart disease by nearly 20 percent.
3. Choose dark chocolate. Cocoa contains flavonoids that thin the blood and keep it from clotting (like it does just before you clutch your chest and expire). And at least a third of the fat in chocolate is oleic acid, which is the same healthy, monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Dove dark chocolate bars retain as many flavonoids as possible.
4. Go fishing for tuna. Omega-3 fats in tuna help strengthen heart muscle, lower blood pressure, and prevent clotting - as well as reduce levels of potentially deadly inflammation in the body. Plus, tuna’s high in protein. Research shows that consuming more protein may lower a man’s risk of heart disease by nearly 26 percent.
5. Add ground flaxseed to your food. It’s a natural source of omega-3s, for those who don’t like fish.
6. Grill a steak. You may think it’s bad for your heart, but you’d be wrong. Beef contains immunity-boosting selenium as well as homocysteine-lowering B vitamins. And up to 50 percent of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety.
7. Fight cholesterol with fat. A group of 17 Australian men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 percent of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by between 3 and 5 percent, while their HDL (good) cholesterol rose by nearly 8 percent. The reason: Macadamias are the best natural source of monounsaturated fat.
8. Eat grapefruit. One a day can reduce arterial narrowing by 46 percent, lower your bad-cholesterol level by more than 10 percent, and help drop your blood pressure by more than 5 points.
9. They really are good for your heart. Beans are a great source of homocysteine-lowering folate and cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Tulane University researchers found that people who ate four or more servings a week had a 22 percent lower risk of developing heart disease (and 75 percent fewer camping companions) than less-than-once-a-week bean eaters.
10. Order garlic bread. In addition to lowering cholesterol and helping to fight off infection, eating garlic may help limit damage to your heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. Researchers in India found that animals who were fed garlic regularly had more heart-protecting antioxidants in their blood than animals who weren’t.
11. Top your toast. Black currant jelly is a good source of quercetin - an antioxidant that Finnish researchers believe may improve heart health by preventing the buildup of the free radicals that can damage arterial walls and allow plaque to penetrate.
12. Order take-out. Lots of Chinese and Indian foods contain ginger or turmeric - spices packed with natural anti-inflammatories. “Anything that helps keep levels of inflammation low is good for your heart,” says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Eating Well for Optimum Health.
13. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that’s at least 27 percent cranberry.
14. Swap honey for sugar. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that honey has powerful antioxidant qualities that help combat cardiovascular disease, while sugar consumption can lower your levels of HDL cholesterol, potentially increasing your risk of heart-related disorders.
15. Don’t let your tank hit empty. A study in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That’s enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.
16. Fortify with folic acid. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who consume the recommended amount each day have a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than those whose diets are lacking in this B vitamin. Good sources of folic acid: asparagus, broccoli, and fortified cereal.
17. Decaffeinate. Drinks that contain caffeine increase blood pressure by nearly 4 points, on top of speeding up your heart rate by an average of 2 beats per minute. It’s enough to push a borderline heart problem into the danger zone.
18. Scramble an egg. They’re relatively low in saturated fat, and they’re packed with betaine, a compound that helps lower homocysteine levels in the blood by as much as 75 percent. Eggs are one of the few good food sources of betaine.
19. Order a chef’s salad. Leafy greens and egg yolks are both good sources of lutein, a phytochemical that carries heart-disease-fighting antioxidants to your cells and tissues.
20. Eat oatmeal cookies. In a University of Connecticut study, men with high cholesterol who ate oat-bran cookies daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels of LDL cholesterol by more than 20 percent.
21. Pick French wine over German. According to research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, French red wine has up to four times more artery-protecting enzymes than German reds.
22. Trade the salt for Mrs. Dash. A 20-year study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that overweight men with the highest sodium intakes were 61 percent more likely to die of heart disease than those with lower intakes.
23. Have the red licorice. A compound in licorice root has been shown to spike blood pressure - especially in men who eat a lot of black licorice. Fruit-flavored licorice, however, doesn’t contain the compound.
24. Take the Concord. University of California researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
25. You don’t want fries with that. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the exercise and nutritional habits of 80,000 women were recorded for 14 years. The researchers found that the most important correlate of heart disease was the women’s dietary intake of foods containing trans fatty acids, mutated forms of fat that lower HDL and increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. Some of the worst offenders are French fries.
26. Snack on pumpkin seeds. One ounce of seeds contains more than a third of your recommended intake of magnesium. According to Mildred Seeling, M.D., author of The Magnesium Factor, magnesium deficiencies have been linked to most risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and the increased buildup of plaque in the arteries.
27. Feast on potassium. Slice a banana on your cereal, then bake a sweet potato or cook up some spinach for dinner. All are loaded with potassium. Studies show that not getting your daily 3,500 milligrams of potassium can set you up for high blood pressure. Other good sources of potassium include raisins, tomatoes, and papayas.
28. Beat the heat with a handful of cold grapes. University of Connecticut researchers recently discovered that fresh grapes provide cholesterol-lowering, artery-clearing protection similar to that you get from drinking concentrated grape juice or wine.
29. Pick the can. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many canned vegetables contain up to 40 percent higher levels of heart-disease-fighting antioxidants than fresh vegetables do.
30. Toss your salad with olive oil. Men whose diets include as much as 2 ounces of olive oil a day have an 82 percent lower risk of having a fatal first heart attack than men who consume little or none. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats - known to hinder the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into its artery-clogging form.
31. Switch your spread. Buy trans fat-free margarine, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread. Researchers in Norway found that, compared with butter, no-trans margarine lowered LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.
32. Change your oil. Researchers in India found that men who replaced the corn and vegetable oils in their kitchens with sesame-seed oil lowered their blood pressure by more than 30 points in just 60 days, without making any other changes in their diets.
33. Double the tomato sauce. The lycopene in tomatoes prevents the harmful buildup of cholesterol on artery walls. So double up the sauce on your pizza and pasta.
34. Have a Mac(intosh) attack. Men who frequently eat apples have a 20 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than men who eat apples less often.
35. Use the rotisserie. Foods cooked at high temperatures produce blood compounds called advanced glycation end products, which researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital say reduce cell elasticity and increase heart disease risk. Three fixes: Steam your vegetables, add marinade to your meat before grilling to keep it moist, and cook foods longer at lower temperatures.
36. Eat fresh berries. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all loaded with salicylic acid - the same heart-disease fighter found in aspirin.
37. Snack on nuts. Harvard researchers found that men who replaced 127 calories of carbohydrates - that’s about 14 Baked Lays potato chips - with 1 ounce of nuts decreased their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
38. Slice your risk. Sure, whole-wheat bread contains cholesterol-lowering fiber, but it’s also packed with nutrients that will help keep your blood free of other deadly debris.
39. Have a fiber appetizer. Take a fiber supplement - Metamucil, for instance - 15 minutes before each meal. It’ll help slow the digestion of highly processed starches and sweets. Diets high in foods that quickly raise your blood sugar may increase heart-disease risk.
40. Be a part-time vegetarian. Researchers in Toronto found that men who added a couple of servings of vegetarian fare such as whole grains, nuts, beans, and tofu to their diets each day for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol by nearly 30 percent.
EXERCISE REGULARLY
41. Run indoors on hazy days. Researchers in Finland found that exercising outside on hot, hazy days when air pollution is at its worst can cut the supply of oxygen in the blood, making it more likely to clot.
42 Take a ride with your bike42. Take up rowing. A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that, compared with running, rowing uses more muscle and causes your heart to pump more blood through the body, resulting in greater overall gains in cardiovascular fitness.
43. Climb. Yale researchers found that men with insulin resistance - a risk factor for diabetes and heart disease - who exercised on a stair climber for 45 minutes 4 days a week improved their sensitivity to insulin by 43 percent in 6 weeks.
44. Play hard. Any regular vigorous physical activity reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, even if performed for only 5 to 10 minutes at a time, says John Yarnell, Ph.D., of Queen’s University of Belfast, who authored a study on the subject.
45. Push yourself. Harvard researchers found that men who perceived themselves to be working out vigorously were 28 percent less likely to develop heart disease than guys who felt they were slacking. An intense run should be at 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. (Calculate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220.)
46. Dive in the pool. U.K. researchers found that men who burn just 50 calories a day in strenuous activities like swimming and hiking are 62 percent less likely to die of heart disease than men who burn nearly seven times as many calories - 340 per day - during less active pursuits like walking and golfing.
47. Do more crunches. A study of 8,000 Canadians found that individuals who could do the most situps in 1 minute were also the least likely to die over a period of 13 years. The reason? Strong abs equal more muscle and less belly fat, and the less abdominal fat you have, the lower your risk of heart disease becomes.
48. Trim your BMI. Even if you work out and are reasonably fit, researchers at Boston University found that having a body-mass index over 25 can increase your risk of heart disease by as much as 26 percent.
49. Bike away the blues. Men who are suffering from depression are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as guys who aren’t depressed. So c’mon, get happy. In a trial of 150 men and women, Duke researchers found that after just 3 months of treatment, antidepressants and exercise were equally effective at relieving almost all symptoms of depression.
50. Take the stairs. People who walked an extra 4,000 to 5,000 steps each day lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points, according to a small study at the University of Tennessee.
51. Build an iron heart. Harvard researchers found that lifting weights 30 minutes a week is enough to reduce your risk of heart disease by 23 percent.
52. Fartlek! “Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight will reduce your visceral-fat stores by 25 to 40 percent,” says Jean-Pierre Despres, a professor of human nutrition at Laval University in Quebec City. A study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that doing fartlek - alternating speeds throughout your run - helps you lose weight faster than moving at a steady pace.
LEAD A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
53. Watch a scary movie. Anything that causes your heart to race - slasher flicks, a good book, even being in love - also makes your heart stronger, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Upsetting the rhythm once in a while is like hitting your heart’s reset button, which helps it keep on ticking.
healthy lifestyle54. Join a group. Any group. According to research from the University of Chicago, lonely people have a harder time dealing with stress and are at greater risk of heart disease than people with a wide circle of friends.
55. Tell your wife to butt out. Or you may leave her - in a hearse. Researchers in Greece found that individuals who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26 percent greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encountered secondhand smoke.
56. Check for carbon monoxide. Almost all large household appliances, including furnaces, water heaters, washers, dryers, and fireplaces, can leak carbon monoxide into your home. Large levels of the gas can kill you in hours, but long-term exposure to tiny amounts can be just as lethal, promoting the formation of blood clots and increasing the risk of heart disease. So make sure vents are clear and appliances are properly ventilated, and install a carbon monoxide detector near your bedroom.
57. Wash your hands. German researchers followed 570 people for an average of 3 years and found that those with the most antibodies (from fighting off infections) in their systems also had the most significant clogging in the arteries of their hearts, necks, and legs. Use liquid soap. Germs can live on bars.
58. Ditch the fad diet. University of Michigan researchers found that people whose weight fluctuated wildly - as it tends to do when you adopt the whack-job-diet-of-the-month - had weaker hearts and worse blood flow than people who lost weight more slowly but kept it off for good.
59. Pee in the bushes. After studying 40 people with heart disease, researchers at Taiwan University in China found that the stress of having a full bladder increases heart rate by an average of 9 beats per minute and constricts the flow of blood by 19 percent. Either could be enough to trigger a heart attack, says study author Tsai Chang-Her, M.D.
60. Root for the (grrrrr) Yankees. A study on World Cup Soccer found heart-attack rates fell among locals when the home team won. Experts believe that the euphoria of a win, plus stress reduction from leisure pursuits, may help keep heart problems at bay.
61. Meditate 20 minutes a day. According to Thomas Jefferson University researchers, this daily downtime may reduce your anxiety and depression by more than 25 percent. And that’s important, since a University of Florida study found that patients with coronary artery disease who had the most mental stress were three times more likely to die during the period of the study than those with the least stress.
62. Smile. Researchers at Harvard kept tabs on 1,300 healthy men for 10 years. At the end of the study, they found that individuals with the most positive attitudes at the start of the trial were half as likely to have experienced heart problems as men with more negative attitudes.
63. Take Monday off. The reduction in stress from missing a few days of work shrinks heart-attack and stroke risk by nearly 30 percent, according to a new study conducted at the State University of New York.
64. Cheaters never prosper. Casual extramarital sex increases your risk of a fatal heart attack. Doctors at London’s St. Thomas’s Hospital found that 75 percent of cases of sudden death during sex involved a two-timing spouse - and the death risk was greatest in men who took up with much younger women. The docs found hardly any risk of heart attack in long-term relationships.
65. Buy a punching bag. A Harvard study found that men who express their anger have half the risk of heart disease compared with men who internalize it.
66. Knock off before Nightline. A 10-year study of 70,000 women found that those who get 5 or fewer hours of sleep on a regular basis have a nearly 40 percent greater risk of heart disease than those who sleep a full 8 hours. One possible reason: Research shows that people who are exhausted have higher levels of fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein that can drastically reduce bloodflow to the heart and brain.
67. Touch her. Ten minutes of skin-to-skin contact (hand-holding, hugs) with your mate can help keep your blood pressure and pulse from spiking during stressful times, according to University of North Carolina researchers.
68. Get pricked. Acupuncture appears to trigger the endorphins that help the heart relax and fight off stress, researchers say.
69. Bundle up. In a study of half a million people, doctors at Lille University in France found that cold spells that decrease the temperature by more than 18F from one day to the next can increase heart-attack risk by as much as 13 percent.
70. Move to the sticks. Or sleep with earplugs. German researchers found that people who endured nighttime sound levels that averaged higher than 55 decibels - about the volume of a washing machine or a coffee percolator - were twice as likely to be treated for high blood pressure as those who slept with sound levels under 50 decibels.
71. Drink more tea. An American Heart Association study found that men who drank 2 cups of tea a day were 25 percent less likely to die of heart disease than guys who rarely touched the stuff. The reason: flavonoids in the tea, which not only improve blood vessels’ ability to relax, but also thin the blood, reducing clotting.
72. Be a sponge. Loma Linda University researchers found that drinking five or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day could help lower your risk of heart disease by up to 60 percent - exactly the same drop you get from stopping smoking, lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol numbers, exercising, or losing a little weight.
73. Close the car windows. Harvard researchers monitored the strength of 40 middle-aged men’s hearts and then tracked the men’s exposure to airborne pollution. “The more particles the men inhaled, the harder it was for their hearts to adjust to different types of activity,” says David C. Christiani, M.D., the study author.
74. Stop at 2 cups. Dutch researchers found that people who drank roughly 4 cups of coffee a day had 11 percent higher levels of heart-damaging homocysteine in their blood than non-coffee drinkers.
75. Stop snoring. Half of all people with sleep apnea - a condition that occurs when people quit breathing for up to a minute at a time while sleeping - also have high blood pressure, caused by unusually high levels of the hormone aldosterone. Beat the apnea and the BP drops, too. Your doctor can prescribe a Sleep Strip, an at-home sleep-apnea test.
76. Pair up. Married men are less likely to die of heart disease than bachelors. Toronto-based researchers studied 100 men and women with mild high blood pressure and found that after 3 years of marriage, the happily married men had healthier hearts than their unmarried brothers. Just choose your bride wisely, or your heart will be broken and sick.
77. Have more sex. You might think all that grunting and sweating would increase your risk of a stroke, but University of Bristol researchers say the opposite is actually true. Not only are men who have sex at least twice a week less likely to have a stroke than men who have sex less often, but all that steamy exercise may also help reduce their heart-disease risk by up to a third, compared with guys who aren’t getting any.
78. Make friends at work. Researchers at St. Johns University studied 70 New York City traffic cops and found that men with the most work friends also had the lowest heart rates and healthiest blood-pressure levels, even during times of stress.
79. Read a good book. Swiss researchers found that men who recited poetry for half an hour a day lowered their heart rates significantly, reducing their stress levels and possibly their heart-disease risk. You don’t need to go all Emily Dickinson; just try reading aloud to your wife or kids instead. Or to yourself. (But not on the subway.)
80. Pull it. By the age of 20, up to 65 percent of men have at least one misaligned wisdom tooth that will never come in properly. Leave the tooth alone and bacteria can collect around it in a pocket, increasing your risk of all kinds of infections, including periodontal disease - which has been linked to heart disease.
81. Finish your degree. California researchers found that women with 4-year or advanced degrees have a lower risk of heart disease than those who are less educated. The benefit comes from moving up the earnings ladder.
82. Tune out stress. Blood pressure surges in the morning. But listening to music instead of Howard Stern can help control it, reducing your chances of a morning coronary.
83. Buy a dog. All that love (”You’re a good boy, yes you are!”) and aggravation (”Bad dog! No eat Daddy’s crab dip!”) makes your heart more adaptable and better able to deal with the stress that can lead to heart disease.
84. Have a drink every other day. A Boston study of 38,000 men found that men who drink alcohol three or four times a week have a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack than men who drink less than once a week. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol levels and keep the blood thin, reducing the threat of artery-clogging clots. Drinking more frequently is fine (up to the limit at which your friends - or the state police - gather and confront you), but won’t provide additional heart protection, the study’s authors report.
85. Rub. Massage helps relieve stress and reduce levels of inflammation-triggering chemicals in the skin, says Maria Hernandez-Reif, Ph.D., of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami.
86. Rinse, brush. Rinse your mouth and brush with toothpaste. They’ll reduce oral bacteria, which can decrease your risk of a heart attack by 200 to 300 percent, according to University of Buffalo researchers.
KNOW YOUR BLOOD INDICATORS
87. Measure BP after exercise. Ask your doctor to measure your blood pressure after a cardiac stress test. “The numbers will be higher, but studies show they’ll also be a better indicator of your overall health,” says Kerry Stewart, M.D., of Johns Hopkins University.
check your BP88. Know what’s in your arteries. Results of a highly sensitive C-reactive protein blood test, together with your cholesterol numbers, can help give doctors a more accurate picture of your heart-disease risk. And an apo B measurement may be a more reliable indicator of heart disease than LDL cholesterol, according to a recent review of studies comparing the two.
89. Use the free blood-pressure test (wisely). Most of the free blood-pressure-monitoring machines found in pharmacies aren’t 100 percent accurate. According to a Canadian study, the machines can be off by an average of 8 points systolic and 4 points diastolic per reading. Check your BP three times, then average the readings.
90. Get your BP under 120/80. If your blood pressure is high (more than 140/90), knocking 20 points off the top number (systolic BP, the pressure when your heart is contracting) and 10 points off the bottom number (diastolic BP, the pressure when your heart is between beats) can cut your risk of dying of heart disease in half.
INCLUDE HEALTHY HEART SUPPLEMENTS
91. Take chromium. According to new research from Harvard, men with low levels of chromium in their systems are significantly more likely to develop heart problems. You need between 200 and 400 micrograms of chromium per day - more than you’re likely to get from your regular diet. “Look for a supplement labeled chromium picolinate - it’s the most easily absorbed by the body,” says Gary Evans, Ph.D., a chromium expert.
healthy supplements92. Go fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week. If that’s not on your meal plan, try a fish-oil supplement instead. Besides lowering blood pressure and clearing plaque from the arteries, 1 to 2 grams of fish oil a day improves bloodflow and helps maintain a regular heartbeat.
93. Buy calcium-fortified OJ. Increasing the calcium in your diet can lower your blood pressure. You’ll derive a benefit from the vitamin C as well. According to research from England, people with the most vitamin C in their bloodstreams are 40 percent less likely to die of heart disease.
94. Get your daily B vitamins. A study at the Cleveland Clinic found that men with diets low in B vitamins were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as men with higher levels in their systems.
95. Take aspirin. Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that regular aspirin consumption cut the risk of coronary heart disease by 28 percent in people who had never had a heart attack or stroke, but were at heightened risk. For maximum impact on your blood pressure, take a low dose just before bed.
96. Don’t double dip. Heart patients who took ibuprofen along with their aspirin had a nearly 75 percent higher risk of premature death than those taking only aspirin, according to a study, conducted in Scotland, of more than 7,000 participants.
97. Schedule a flu shot. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that people who’d been vaccinated against the flu were also 19 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart disease than people who hadn’t gotten the shot.
98. Add E to aspirin. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that a combination of the antioxidant (shoot for 800 international units) and blood-thinner helped reduce levels of plaque in clogged arteries by more than 80 percent.
99. Swallow phytosterols or phytostanols. Both substances - derived from pine trees and soy - lower bad cholesterol levels by an average of 10 to 15 percent. Besides being available in supplements, the compounds are in cholesterol-lowering spreads like Benecol and Take Control.
Remember: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the dangerous norm.
Right now you have the tools to protect yourself. Work 10 tips into your lineup over the next month. When they become second nature, adopt 10 more. By year’s end, the percentages should swing around in your favor.
You can do this. It’s the only way to give your heart a beating chance.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Message from Old Boys 5
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Matt Lobo & Keith Wallace
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Jimmy Kier, Keith Wallace & Matt Lobo
Keith Wallace,Thondup Sherpa,B Mohan,S K Das,P Sengupta
B Mohan,S K Das,S B Agarwala,T Sherpa,U BiswasMsg from Keith Wallace with Photos
Hi Radheshyam
I had the wonderful pleasure to be at the Centenary Celebrations in Nov. 07, and had the most incredible experience meeting and staying with so many of my classmates of '67.
Swapan Das, of Oodlabari, did a marvelous job in the organizing of transport and accommodation for many of us.
I had the privilege of spending a few days with Binod Mohan, Partha Sengupta, S. K. Das, Thondup Sherpa, N. G. Dorje, S. B. Agarwala, SK Agarwalla, Utpal Biswas, Robin Jha, and Aswin Oberoi, all from the batch of '67.
Besides, it was also great to meet my uncle John Hart, his wife Ruth and son Andy from the UK, Matt Lobo and his charming wife Myrna, KS Liu, Sonam Dorje, Janga Basnett and many others.
The organising committee excelled in the huge task of planning and organising the Celebrations.
My heartiest congratulations go to Br. Beddoe and all the wonderful people involved.
You are doing a great job keeping us informed of events and whereabouts of many people who may or may not have attended the Celebrations, and I do appreciate and thank you for your efforts. I look forward to future emails. I have attached a few photos taken on my trip.
Once again thank you.
Keith Wallace
Msg from Kalyan Bhaduri
Hi Radheshyam,
Unfortunately i don't visit Cal regularly these days. However, whenever I come next will get in touch so that we can meet.
All the best.
Kalyan17.01.2008
Hi Kalyan,
Yes, we had all shifted apart.
The centenary gave us an opportunity to come together again and I am trying to ensure that we do not again drift apart.
I am based in Kolkata.
You will find my detailed address at the end of the message.
I am still working part time at WPIL after my retirement with them.
I go to office thrice a week. We manufacture VT pumps for industrial use.
If you have seen our centenary souvenir, you would have seen our Ad.
Nine of us of the '65 batch attended. A K Roy, D K Roy, S P Chatterjee, J K Ghosh, Ramdhari Agarwala, K K Rai, Ashok Oberoi, Bruce Wallace, Basant Lama and myself.
I also went back to school first time after passing.
It is really a pity you could not attend.
It was a great feeling we had and our love for the school was renewed.
Don't you come to Kolkata?
Do keep in contact
I'll just remind you through our blog.
Radheshyam
Hi Radheshyam
Good to hear from you after ages.
Where are you based and what are you up to.
Did you attend the Centenary celebrations?
I had made all the bookings but had to cancel at the last moment - what a pity? As I have not been able to go back since I left school.
Do write about yourself & family.
Cheers
Kalyan
Kalyan Kumar Bhaduri, Advocate, Supreme Court
Hi Kalyan,
The title on top looks really imposing.
I was really happy to see your name with the designation when the list of office bearers from the GMS Alumni came from Delhi.
So many years, we have all been wondering where each one of us is.
I still remember you from one incident in our school days.
Your breaking Dubey's leg with one kick. What a kick?
The centenary celebrations have all brought us back together.
Do write and let us know how you are doing.
Cheers,
Radheshyam
(R D Sharma then but now R S Sharma)
Msg from Gerad D’ Souza
Enjoyed the photos.... you are doing us a great service. Thanks.
Gerry
Msg from Pat Pierce
Kona is on the Big Island of Hawaii, which is also named ' Hawaii. '
It is about. 4 1/2 hrs. flying time west of Vancouver.
I have been here a few times over the last 20 yrs., as my daughter is a Realtor here.
However, now the big attraction is my new grandson, Evan, who will be 2 yrs old on the 2nd of Feb.
Lots of mumbling, as I have been 4 times in the last 2 yrs.
Good to let them know where my priorities are! Ha Ha!!
I shall be back home in BC on the 9th of Feb., so pl. ask Arjun to mail the chip to BC.
# 238 - 34313 Forrest Terrace,
Abbotsford,
BC,
V2S 7L2,
CANADA.
Will send Matt Lobo a message pdq.
Thanks for yr. help - Pat.
Radheshyam Sharma wrote:
Hi Pat,
Mr. Lobo is today with us.
Where exactly is Kona? Is it the Kona I know which is the other side
of the Hooghly river from Kolkata.
Matt was with Arjun Biswas yesterday. Arjun informs that the
photographs were given to you but the chip is still with him.
Matt gave your mailing address at BC for sending the chip.
If you would like to have the chip sent to your present address in
India, you could call up Arjun at 22284836 and give him your address.
If he has not already sent it, he could send it to you here.
Radheshyam
On 11/01/2008, pat p wrote:
Hi Radheshyam!
Can you pl. get word to Matt Lobo through Manos C. or Arjun B., and let
him know I am still in Kona. Have extended my stay for another month, so
will not be back in BC until the 9th of Feb.
Have lost their (Lobo’s) email address, so pl. forward this yahoo address.
Many thanks!
Pat Peirce.
Msg from Ralph Reeves
Hi Radheshyam,
Thank you so much for your updates. I cannot understand who could not want you to send messages concerning Goethals. You have been such a mentor in doing such good work for Goethals that we cannot be grateful enough. And then we have those who do not want to hear from you? Anyway, I am happy to hear from you so keep those emails coming buddy.
Congratulations on the 99.9% guy. Boy! he really makes us and Goethals all proud. I wish I could have had 99.9% to get into IIT. Unfortunately, I only made it to Manipal Institute of Technology and got 4th. Rank in the University. Although it is MIT, but not the same in Boston!!!!
Take care Radheshyam and keep those emails coming. I like hearing from you.
Look after yourself
Ralph
Toronto Ontario, Canada
Msg from Ranjan
Dear Radheshyam,
Some of us feel that we should galvanize the Kolkata based Ex-Goethalites and revive the Alumni; Rudra Roy Choudhury is a strong advocate of this idea. What do you feel and how do we go about it ? I was suggesting a family picnic but seems it is too late for this year. I have spoken to Piniaki for a family meeting-cum-dinner at his place but he says his place is too expensive but he has some alternative suggestions.
Our idea is to keep the expenses to the barest minimum and get in more guys with their families, possibly.
Do you come to Salt Lake? Why don't we meet (preferable earlier in the week because as the week progresses, I become busy)
Keep smiling and keep doing the good work.
Ranjan Guha Majumder
9433381303
Msg from Thondup
12th Jan 08
Chief
Thanks for the update.... and keep on writing.
Warm regards
Thondup
Class of ' 67
Msg from Karma Bhutia
Thank you for keeping us informed.
Keep up the good work.
K.P.T. Bhutia
Gangtok Sikkim
12.01.2008
Msg from Rachit Rai
Mr. Sharma,
It was a pleasure to go through your mail! Greetings
of the new season to you and your family.
I am a Goethalite from the batch of 2000, currently
based in Kolkata and am into tea.
I am reachable on 22485110 (office) and 9903296494.
Please keep me updated on everything.
Any info on Brother Shannon, Brother Walsh would be
greatly appreciated.
Warm regards
Rachit Rai
J Thomas & CO. Pvt Ltd
Kolkata
Msg from Sumit Agarwal
Hi,
good to see goats doing this well
and yes nice to see you take all the initiative.
Do all things well.
Sumit Agarwal (Batch 99)
Software Engineer,
Product Dev.
Lifetree Convergence Ltd,
Indiranagar,
Bangalore
Mob : +91 9900952046
10.01.2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
How Much is Enough?
Recently, when Sir, Mr. Lobo was at home, we had a variety of discussions. Among them was the question how much is enough?
This write up by Rex Barker of “Jokes of the Day” sums it up very nicely.
Given below is what he wrote.
“Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."
The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."
They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this forever good-bye?"
"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright
no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life
may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them. “
Thanks Rex - for sharing your experience.
Radheshyam
This write up by Rex Barker of “Jokes of the Day” sums it up very nicely.
Given below is what he wrote.
“Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."
The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."
They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this forever good-bye?"
"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them." Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright
no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life
may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them. “
Thanks Rex - for sharing your experience.
Radheshyam
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Insignificant Man
Hi friends,
In spite of knowing the inevitability of death,
man allows his pride to get the better of him.
He little realizes how insignificant he is.
The table below shows how long it would take for him to travel at
one-tenth the speed of light to the distant planets and stars.
We also know that this speed is unachievable by present man.
He may achieve it in future. Who Knows?
What is 60 or 70 or 80 years that man flays his arms and legs on this earth?
And our communist comrades say there is no GOD. Do they deserve pity?
Astronomical Distances
Suppose you left the Earth at 108108100 Kilometer(s) per Hour
or 10% the speed of light.
Radheshyam
In spite of knowing the inevitability of death,
man allows his pride to get the better of him.
He little realizes how insignificant he is.
The table below shows how long it would take for him to travel at
one-tenth the speed of light to the distant planets and stars.
We also know that this speed is unachievable by present man.
He may achieve it in future. Who Knows?
What is 60 or 70 or 80 years that man flays his arms and legs on this earth?
And our communist comrades say there is no GOD. Do they deserve pity?
Astronomical Distances
Suppose you left the Earth at 108108100 Kilometer(s) per Hour
or 10% the speed of light.
| Destination | Estimated Time of Arrival |
|---|---|
| Earth's Moon | 12.7 seconds |
| The Planet Mars | 43.5 minutes |
| The Planet Saturn | 11.8 hours |
| The Planet Pluto | 2.22 days |
| Closest star to the Sun (Proxima Centauri) | 42.9 years |
| Center of our Milky Way Galaxy | 299000 years |
| Closest large spiral galaxy (Andromeda) | 24.9 million years |
| Coma Cluster of galaxies | 3.39 billion years |
| Edge of the observable Universe | 149 billion years |
Radheshyam
Three Days at Home with Sir, Mr. Lobo
Mr. Lobo in 1962 with Class VIII and Now
Standing Back Row: L to R; R.S. Sharma, S Dasgupta, K T Liu, J K Ghosh, Wangdi, Ramdhari Agarwal, Sheane Brady, S P Chatterjee, Gurmeet Singh, Darryl Michael, N Venkataraman
Standing Middle: L to R: Glenn Miller, S K Shroff, David Ludwig,??, C P Singh, Tom Ma, K K Rai, I N Shrestha, Manos Choudhury,
Sitting L to R: V Janardhanan, P K Gupta, A K Roy, Bruce Wallace, Ashok Oberoi, Mr. Matthew Lobo, M J Patel, M Behrana, Roger Brady, M Ghoshal, P P Gupta
Not a bad memory after 46 years. I don’t remember one name. Some initials I may have got wrong.
The italicized names are those with whom we have lost contact. I would want to renew contacts with them.
Help! Help! Help!
The last three days have been unforgettable.
In school we had done a play called “Christopher Columbus”
There was a song in the play “He comes, he comes, it’s very thoughtful of him”
Well on Saturday, 12th January, 2008,
He came, He came. It was very thoughtful of him. Who?
My favourite teacher in school. Mr. Lobo.
Three memorable days with him. Just imagine?
He came by the metro to Dum Dum.
From there we paid a visit to St. Mary’s orphanage, which is near by and met
Bro. Anil who had been sending us the health reports of Bro Martin
Bro Martin was with us in our school days and was a very good sportsman.
He also came to the centenary celebrations and
even participated in the walking race for our years.
He is presently in B M Birla Hospital with heart problem.
A complete report on his illness will be posted separately.
We reached home in about 15 minutes.
The best thing about Sir (I’ll call him sir, for
I cannot get myself to call him Matt as he was my teacher
and my saying Mr. Lobo every time seems very formal)
is that he adjusts himself very well in all environments.
My wife and daughter in law are not very adept in speaking English.
It was good to see him try to speak in Hindi and
my family members trying to speak in English.
He slipped into Nepali while speaking in Hindi.
Sir had wanted to take a bit of rest for two or three days after all the hectic schedule he had been through since coming to India.
I obeyed his command and did not inform anyone during his stay here.
We went for walks in the morning, listened to devotional music and
he even did Puja with us and recited the “Hari Om” with my wife.
After dinner and lunch we went for a short walk
and sir brought pan for the whole family.
He watched Ramdeoji perform Yoga on TV and I even taught him Yoga.
I had opened a Google E mail account for him.
I helped him understand how to work with it.
This became a situation where the teacher became the pupil.
Sir also remarked, you are no more my student. You are now my brother.
I however, prefer to remain the student.
Sir, enjoyed the Marwari, pure vegetarian food we made for him.
He was surprised that dishes could be made
without onions and garlic and still taste so good.
He especially liked three items made at home. Lime and Orange Juice,
Pickled Chilies and Coriander leaf Chutney and
even took down the recipes from my wife.
He also told my wife you are not my daughter but my sister.
On Monday evening, as it always happens, all good things come to an end.
With a heavy heart, he had to leave and I again saw him off at Dum Dum metro.
He assured us that he would again visit us whenever he came to India.
We all pray for a long life for sir and his family.
Radheshyam & Manju,
Ajay & Shalini
Bro. Martin's Hospitalisation
Hi friends,
On Saturday, 12.01.2008, Mr Lobo and I visited St Mary's School, Dum Dum and met Bro. Anil who gave us an up date on Bro. Martin Fernandez's condition.
Since then , he has been giving regular updates on Bro. Fernandez's condition.
I give below the updates he sent.
I have given the complete updates so that all of us know the intricacies of these heart operations.
"Dear Brothers and Friends,
Thank you for your prayers.
My exam was good.
Greg has sent an update on Martin.
Since I have another paper to go, he looks after the daily update and I send it to all.
Keep praying and all the best.
Anil.
Martin.....January 10, Thursday !!!!!!!!!!!
Cecilia was contacted and she said Greg could visit Martin in the morning though visiting hours are only from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
Greg was able to talk to Martin from 11:00 to 12:00.
Martin was a bit quieter than yesterday and has an upset stomach.
The cough and could are still bothering him even though he is being treated for them.
A test involving sonography was scheduled for the afternoon and the results would be known in the evening.
In the evening, Martin was very happy to see Anil, Kevin Ward and Gerry Menezes and he was a lot more cheerful after their visits.
Greg met Dr Kahali for a few minutes at about 6:00 PM and asked the doctor to go ahead with the preparation for the ICD implant.
Dr Kahali mentioned that Martin would have to be moved to the ICU while the medication was being discontinued so that he could be supervised more closely.
After seeing the results of the test the doctor would be able to decide if a defibrillator would be required.
The operation was not like the by-pass and involved a smaller cut in the chest. Martin was given all the information when he was met after the meeting with Dr. Kahali.
A priest from Kidderpore came to give Martin Communion at 7:00 so Greg left.
That's the way things are at present.
Martin wants to convey his thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.
So do I – and we know you will continue.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
On Thursday Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, phoned in the morning to say it would be a good idea to be at the hospital after lunch as it would be possible to meet Dr. Kahali between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. before he started his rounds of the wards.
Anil, who came in from Dum Dum, and Greg were at the hospital at 12:30 p.m. and met the doctor at about 1:30 p.m.
He said that the operation was scheduled for Monday evening.
This operation is to put in a dual chamber pacemaker.
There was no need for the defibrillator (whatever that is) and it did not involve any deep cut in the chest.
Cecilia arranged for the two of us to see Martin, even though it was not visiting hours, so Anil went up to the 2 nd floor where Martin was and then Greg met Martin and was able to stay there till 2:30 p.m.
Martin was wearing a halter, which is a device to keep track of the heartbeats and record them so that the pacemaker could be calibrated correctly.
The medication is being reduced and tomorrow Martin will move into the ICU.
I don't know the rules for visiting him in there but we will find out tomorrow.
As the normal visiting hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PM Greg was able to see him again at 4:00 p.m.
Martin, needless to say, is in much better form, especially as he had Solly, Sabino and Mouvin in to visit him and keep him cheerful.
The Priest from Kidderpore was in at 7:00 p.m. to see Martin.
A number of Martin's ex-pupils ring, so Greg takes down their names and conveys their messages to Martin the next day.
Thank you for the prayers and support, and please continue.
God bless.
All the updates are sent thru' my e-mail account since Greg does not have all the addresses with him.
Keep well.
Anil.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
Martin was looking a lot more relaxed and comfortable yesterday.
Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, usually rings at about 9:00 AM if Martin can be visited in the morning.
There was no call so Greg stayed in St. Joseph's in case there was one.
Br Sabino very thoughtfully arranged for sandwiches and tea in case a visit to the hospital was possible.
Cecelia was contacted at 2:30 when things at the hospi are less hectic and said Martin was in good form.
The doctor was pleased with the result of the tests carried out during the previous day.
The harness, which had been put on the previous day, had been removed and that was a big relief to Martin as it was quite uncomfortable.
The operation is still scheduled for Monday night. Br Tommy Samuel and Greg left for the hospital at 3:00 as visiting hours are from 4:00 to 7:00.
Tommy kept Martin company and brought him up to date with the news till he had to leave at 5:30 as he was traveling that night to Saraitoli (?).
Martin was in good form and even wrote a note to a great friend of his, Des Murray, who is staying in St Joseph's but is unable to move around as he has a very painful injury to his leg.
Greg had to leave at the end of visiting hours but Martin had two more visitors – Priests from Kidderpore.
Martin gets a copy of all the calls made and messages received from anyone and that always cheers him up a lot.
Greg sends a prepared message to acknowledge your thoughtfulness but that is not enough to express the gratitude we feel.
Thanks once again and please continue to pray for Martin.
The Internet was not working in St Joseph's so this is being sent on Sunday.
SATURDAY: 12th Jan
I'm sorry Friday's update could not be sent as the Internet was not working the whole day.
On Saturday Greg went in at 3:00 and the trip took longer than usual because of the big fire in Burra Bazar, but he reached Birla Hospital at 4:00.
He was on the point of going up to the CCU when Anil rang him and said Cecilia had arranged for technicians to come and explain what the ICD (the pacemaker) was and did.
Greg met Cecilia and Anil but decided to go and tell Martin he had arrived and then come down to meet the technicians as they had not arrived as yet.
Martin had been taken for an X-Ray so word was left with a ward boy and Cecelia, Anil and Greg were shown what the ICD was like and how it worked.
All this was done on a laptop so it made things very clear.
This Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator regulates the heartbeat, keeps a record of what is happening in the heart; can be adjusted by an external device.
The surgery required is minimal and takes about 2 hours.
The device is inserted into a pouch of muscle and terminals are passed through a vein and attached to the right auricle and right ventricle, which is why it is called a dual chamber ICD.
The explanation was good and they cleared up a lot ignorance about what exactly the thing did.
It was now about 5:00 so Greg went up to see Martin. Jim McGinnis from Dum Dum had come and was keeping Martin company.
Martin was very cheerful and relaxed and it was hard to believe that he was a patient in the hospital!
After a while Anil came in and he chatted with Martin.
While he was there some Minister or the other came in and there was the usual commotion they create wherever they go.
Both Jim and Anil had to make the trip to Dum Dum where the ex-pupils were having a reunion so they left. Fr Saluvai, from Kidderpore parish, came in at 6:15 or so to give Martin Communion and chatted for a while. Greg left at 7:00 when visitors were "shown the door".
Martin gets a copy of all the SMSs and the gist of phone calls and that really cheers him immensely.
He conveys his thanks to all of you.
Please continue to pray for him, especially on Monday evening when the operation is to take place.
Love and God bless.
Greg Fernandez
Just finished my last exam. On my way to the hopsital. All my exams were good. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Anil.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
Martin was a bit tense when visiting was allowed at 4:00 PM but he had a string of visitors who came in despite the CPI(M) rally that was held somewhere in Cal. Br Griban, who is a Novice and a past pupil of Martin's, and Greg were there at 4:00. As only one visitor at a time is allowed in, David Fernandes, his wife, Prudence, Brs Gerry, Jayesh, and Mouvin had to take in turns go in.
While Gerry and Greg were chatting at the entrance to the hospital they met a group of 4 ex-students of St Mary's, Dum Dum.
William Barno, Peter Haley, Peter Choudhary, Ben Tully and Guy Gomes met Martin and did him a world of good. They gave him a huge Get Well card.
It was so big that it attracted the attention of all the nurses who came past! By the time visiting hours were over, Martin was definitely happier and a lot more relaxed. Anil, of course, has been in constant contact and takes on a lot of the worrying.
The operation should be at 7:00PM today, Monday, so Anil, Cecelia and Greg will be there. After the implant, Martin will be in a safer condition than he has been in for the last 10 years or so.
The ICD regulates the heartbeat and also prevents strokes. So even in the event of the heart stopping, it is programmed to restart the heart automatically.
Br Solly Morris phoned his sister in America. She is a nurse and had looked after Martin when he had his by-pass in Bombay so he has great confidence in her advice. She gave Greg a lot of advice to pass on to Martin and that will help him to relax and have more confidence in the operation and in his condition. Thanks Agnes.
Martin conveys his thanks once again for the prayers and support – and please continue to pray for him. Thank you and God bless.
Greg Fernandes
Dear Brothers and friends,
Thank you soooooooooo much for all the prayers and support from all parts of the world.
Martin's little surgery took place at 19:30 IST on Monday and lasted for an hour. He was out at 20:30 IST smiling but tired.
He had local anesthesia. Greg and self were at the hospital the whole evening and left at 21:30 IST.
Today, (Tuesday) I was there to see him after my class.
He is in good form. Jim, Mouvin, Tino and his cousin were there to visit him.
Martin taught Tino in Asansol years ago.
All these visitors brought a lot of cheer to Martin.
Greg was there the entire evening.
I hope Martin be discharged by the weekend.
Once again, on behalf of the community at St. Mary's I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have been praying for Martin's good health and to those who had special Novena prayers for him.
Keep well and all the best.
Love,
Anil.
15.01.2008 "
I am happy to say that the operation was done successfully and we could all breathe easily.
I wish Bro. Martin and long and healhy life.
Radheshyam
On Saturday, 12.01.2008, Mr Lobo and I visited St Mary's School, Dum Dum and met Bro. Anil who gave us an up date on Bro. Martin Fernandez's condition.
Since then , he has been giving regular updates on Bro. Fernandez's condition.
I give below the updates he sent.
I have given the complete updates so that all of us know the intricacies of these heart operations.
"Dear Brothers and Friends,
Thank you for your prayers.
My exam was good.
Greg has sent an update on Martin.
Since I have another paper to go, he looks after the daily update and I send it to all.
Keep praying and all the best.
Anil.
Martin.....January 10, Thursday !!!!!!!!!!!
Cecilia was contacted and she said Greg could visit Martin in the morning though visiting hours are only from 4:00 to 7:00 PM.
Greg was able to talk to Martin from 11:00 to 12:00.
Martin was a bit quieter than yesterday and has an upset stomach.
The cough and could are still bothering him even though he is being treated for them.
A test involving sonography was scheduled for the afternoon and the results would be known in the evening.
In the evening, Martin was very happy to see Anil, Kevin Ward and Gerry Menezes and he was a lot more cheerful after their visits.
Greg met Dr Kahali for a few minutes at about 6:00 PM and asked the doctor to go ahead with the preparation for the ICD implant.
Dr Kahali mentioned that Martin would have to be moved to the ICU while the medication was being discontinued so that he could be supervised more closely.
After seeing the results of the test the doctor would be able to decide if a defibrillator would be required.
The operation was not like the by-pass and involved a smaller cut in the chest. Martin was given all the information when he was met after the meeting with Dr. Kahali.
A priest from Kidderpore came to give Martin Communion at 7:00 so Greg left.
That's the way things are at present.
Martin wants to convey his thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.
So do I – and we know you will continue.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
On Thursday Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, phoned in the morning to say it would be a good idea to be at the hospital after lunch as it would be possible to meet Dr. Kahali between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. before he started his rounds of the wards.
Anil, who came in from Dum Dum, and Greg were at the hospital at 12:30 p.m. and met the doctor at about 1:30 p.m.
He said that the operation was scheduled for Monday evening.
This operation is to put in a dual chamber pacemaker.
There was no need for the defibrillator (whatever that is) and it did not involve any deep cut in the chest.
Cecilia arranged for the two of us to see Martin, even though it was not visiting hours, so Anil went up to the 2 nd floor where Martin was and then Greg met Martin and was able to stay there till 2:30 p.m.
Martin was wearing a halter, which is a device to keep track of the heartbeats and record them so that the pacemaker could be calibrated correctly.
The medication is being reduced and tomorrow Martin will move into the ICU.
I don't know the rules for visiting him in there but we will find out tomorrow.
As the normal visiting hours are from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PM Greg was able to see him again at 4:00 p.m.
Martin, needless to say, is in much better form, especially as he had Solly, Sabino and Mouvin in to visit him and keep him cheerful.
The Priest from Kidderpore was in at 7:00 p.m. to see Martin.
A number of Martin's ex-pupils ring, so Greg takes down their names and conveys their messages to Martin the next day.
Thank you for the prayers and support, and please continue.
God bless.
All the updates are sent thru' my e-mail account since Greg does not have all the addresses with him.
Keep well.
Anil.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
Martin was looking a lot more relaxed and comfortable yesterday.
Cecilia, the PRO in Birla Hospital, usually rings at about 9:00 AM if Martin can be visited in the morning.
There was no call so Greg stayed in St. Joseph's in case there was one.
Br Sabino very thoughtfully arranged for sandwiches and tea in case a visit to the hospital was possible.
Cecelia was contacted at 2:30 when things at the hospi are less hectic and said Martin was in good form.
The doctor was pleased with the result of the tests carried out during the previous day.
The harness, which had been put on the previous day, had been removed and that was a big relief to Martin as it was quite uncomfortable.
The operation is still scheduled for Monday night. Br Tommy Samuel and Greg left for the hospital at 3:00 as visiting hours are from 4:00 to 7:00.
Tommy kept Martin company and brought him up to date with the news till he had to leave at 5:30 as he was traveling that night to Saraitoli (?).
Martin was in good form and even wrote a note to a great friend of his, Des Murray, who is staying in St Joseph's but is unable to move around as he has a very painful injury to his leg.
Greg had to leave at the end of visiting hours but Martin had two more visitors – Priests from Kidderpore.
Martin gets a copy of all the calls made and messages received from anyone and that always cheers him up a lot.
Greg sends a prepared message to acknowledge your thoughtfulness but that is not enough to express the gratitude we feel.
Thanks once again and please continue to pray for Martin.
The Internet was not working in St Joseph's so this is being sent on Sunday.
SATURDAY: 12th Jan
I'm sorry Friday's update could not be sent as the Internet was not working the whole day.
On Saturday Greg went in at 3:00 and the trip took longer than usual because of the big fire in Burra Bazar, but he reached Birla Hospital at 4:00.
He was on the point of going up to the CCU when Anil rang him and said Cecilia had arranged for technicians to come and explain what the ICD (the pacemaker) was and did.
Greg met Cecilia and Anil but decided to go and tell Martin he had arrived and then come down to meet the technicians as they had not arrived as yet.
Martin had been taken for an X-Ray so word was left with a ward boy and Cecelia, Anil and Greg were shown what the ICD was like and how it worked.
All this was done on a laptop so it made things very clear.
This Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator regulates the heartbeat, keeps a record of what is happening in the heart; can be adjusted by an external device.
The surgery required is minimal and takes about 2 hours.
The device is inserted into a pouch of muscle and terminals are passed through a vein and attached to the right auricle and right ventricle, which is why it is called a dual chamber ICD.
The explanation was good and they cleared up a lot ignorance about what exactly the thing did.
It was now about 5:00 so Greg went up to see Martin. Jim McGinnis from Dum Dum had come and was keeping Martin company.
Martin was very cheerful and relaxed and it was hard to believe that he was a patient in the hospital!
After a while Anil came in and he chatted with Martin.
While he was there some Minister or the other came in and there was the usual commotion they create wherever they go.
Both Jim and Anil had to make the trip to Dum Dum where the ex-pupils were having a reunion so they left. Fr Saluvai, from Kidderpore parish, came in at 6:15 or so to give Martin Communion and chatted for a while. Greg left at 7:00 when visitors were "shown the door".
Martin gets a copy of all the SMSs and the gist of phone calls and that really cheers him immensely.
He conveys his thanks to all of you.
Please continue to pray for him, especially on Monday evening when the operation is to take place.
Love and God bless.
Greg Fernandez
Just finished my last exam. On my way to the hopsital. All my exams were good. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Anil.
Dear Brothers and Friends,
Martin was a bit tense when visiting was allowed at 4:00 PM but he had a string of visitors who came in despite the CPI(M) rally that was held somewhere in Cal. Br Griban, who is a Novice and a past pupil of Martin's, and Greg were there at 4:00. As only one visitor at a time is allowed in, David Fernandes, his wife, Prudence, Brs Gerry, Jayesh, and Mouvin had to take in turns go in.
While Gerry and Greg were chatting at the entrance to the hospital they met a group of 4 ex-students of St Mary's, Dum Dum.
William Barno, Peter Haley, Peter Choudhary, Ben Tully and Guy Gomes met Martin and did him a world of good. They gave him a huge Get Well card.
It was so big that it attracted the attention of all the nurses who came past! By the time visiting hours were over, Martin was definitely happier and a lot more relaxed. Anil, of course, has been in constant contact and takes on a lot of the worrying.
The operation should be at 7:00PM today, Monday, so Anil, Cecelia and Greg will be there. After the implant, Martin will be in a safer condition than he has been in for the last 10 years or so.
The ICD regulates the heartbeat and also prevents strokes. So even in the event of the heart stopping, it is programmed to restart the heart automatically.
Br Solly Morris phoned his sister in America. She is a nurse and had looked after Martin when he had his by-pass in Bombay so he has great confidence in her advice. She gave Greg a lot of advice to pass on to Martin and that will help him to relax and have more confidence in the operation and in his condition. Thanks Agnes.
Martin conveys his thanks once again for the prayers and support – and please continue to pray for him. Thank you and God bless.
Greg Fernandes
Dear Brothers and friends,
Thank you soooooooooo much for all the prayers and support from all parts of the world.
Martin's little surgery took place at 19:30 IST on Monday and lasted for an hour. He was out at 20:30 IST smiling but tired.
He had local anesthesia. Greg and self were at the hospital the whole evening and left at 21:30 IST.
Today, (Tuesday) I was there to see him after my class.
He is in good form. Jim, Mouvin, Tino and his cousin were there to visit him.
Martin taught Tino in Asansol years ago.
All these visitors brought a lot of cheer to Martin.
Greg was there the entire evening.
I hope Martin be discharged by the weekend.
Once again, on behalf of the community at St. Mary's I extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who have been praying for Martin's good health and to those who had special Novena prayers for him.
Keep well and all the best.
Love,
Anil.
15.01.2008 "
I am happy to say that the operation was done successfully and we could all breathe easily.
I wish Bro. Martin and long and healhy life.
Radheshyam
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Hi friends,
Last month, the Delhi boys elected a new batch of office bearers for the GMS Alumini Association.
I somehow missed to report that event.
Well. I am reporting it now. Better late than never.
I would like to congratulate all the new office bearers and all the old office bearers for a job well done during the centenary celebrations.
A special thanks for the ties and batches distributed in Goethals.
I give below,verbatim, the minutes of their meeting posted to us.
Dear All,
Merry Christmas from the newly elected Governing Body of GMS Alumni (Regd.).
Please note elections were held on 15th Dec, 2007. All life members of GMS Alumni (Regd.) were given the opportunity to nominate who so ever they wanted to nominate from the updated list of life members. Of the maximum nominations received for 11 in the General Category, elections were held with proxy forms also being allowed. We follow the parliamenatry system of elections. The elected members from amongst themselves elected the office bearers. Please find below the pariculars of the new Governing Body of GMS Alumni (Regd.) for the period 2008 - 2009. The same is also attached in the xl sheet.
Looking forward to cooperation and support from all ex-Goethalites.
--
Thanks & regards,
For and on behalf of GMS Alumni (Regd.)
Governing Body
Address for correspondence: C/O Urban India, Third Floor Satkar Building, 80 Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110019
Registered Office: B-5/6, 4257 Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070
Eastern India Chapter: 20B Nimtala Ghat Street, Kolkata - 700006
Western India Chapter: Our Lady of Salvation High School, 131 S.K. Bole Road, Dadar, Mumbai - 400028
Last month, the Delhi boys elected a new batch of office bearers for the GMS Alumini Association.
I somehow missed to report that event.
Well. I am reporting it now. Better late than never.
I would like to congratulate all the new office bearers and all the old office bearers for a job well done during the centenary celebrations.
A special thanks for the ties and batches distributed in Goethals.
I give below,verbatim, the minutes of their meeting posted to us.
Dear All,
Merry Christmas from the newly elected Governing Body of GMS Alumni (Regd.).
Please note elections were held on 15th Dec, 2007. All life members of GMS Alumni (Regd.) were given the opportunity to nominate who so ever they wanted to nominate from the updated list of life members. Of the maximum nominations received for 11 in the General Category, elections were held with proxy forms also being allowed. We follow the parliamenatry system of elections. The elected members from amongst themselves elected the office bearers. Please find below the pariculars of the new Governing Body of GMS Alumni (Regd.) for the period 2008 - 2009. The same is also attached in the xl sheet.
| DESIGNATION | NAME | BATCH YEAR | PROFESSION |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Kalyan Bhaduri | 1962 | Solicitor, Supreme court |
| Vice President | Lt. Col. Vikram Singh Verma (Retd) | 1970 | VP -Adveture Operations,VIA |
| Secretary | Deepak Kr. Saraf | 1990 | Sr. Manager, Info Vision Solutions |
| Treasurer | B N Tiwari | 1987 | AGM IDEA Cellular |
| Ex-offico | T.S.Sethi | 1973 | Properitor, T.S. Sethi & Associates |
| Member | Norbu Tshering | 1977 | ACP - Delhi Police |
| Member | Kanwar Pal Singh Bindra | 1979 | President & CEO - Commercial, GE Money |
| Member | Sandip Agarwal | 1985 | Buying Agent for Apparel |
| Member | Dr. Manish Kumar Bhagat | 1989 | Max Hospital |
| Students Rep. | Sumit Junjhunwala | 2001 | IIT - Delhi |
Looking forward to cooperation and support from all ex-Goethalites.
--
Thanks & regards,
For and on behalf of GMS Alumni (Regd.)
Governing Body
Address for correspondence: C/O Urban India, Third Floor Satkar Building, 80 Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110019
Registered Office: B-5/6, 4257 Vasant Kunj, New Delhi - 110070
Eastern India Chapter: 20B Nimtala Ghat Street, Kolkata - 700006
Western India Chapter: Our Lady of Salvation High School, 131 S.K. Bole Road, Dadar, Mumbai - 400028
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Messages from Old Boys 4
Msg from Adip Kumar Roka, 1974
Wish you and your family a very Happy New Year and thanks for sending
valuable 'sayings' and please send more valuable ideas after all you are
my Senior. Good to hear from our X-GOATS –
Adip Kumar Roka 1974
Msg from Keith Hayword
I am pleased to inform that we were finally able to communicate with each other by SMS i.e Keith & my self………..Radheshyam
Hi Keith,
Thanks for your mail.
No, I do not seem to have received your New Year message on my Cell phone.
Thanks for your good wishes.
For India you will have to enter 0091 for the country code and then my cell no i.e. 9331259878.
Similarly if you ring my residence no you will have to enter 00913325740583.
33 is Calcutta's code.
25740583 is my Tel No.
You can follow this same principle with all nos is all countries.
The country code is preceded with two zeroes.
You do not put any zero in front of area code when dialing from another country.
A zero is put in front of the area code only if you dial within a country.
I have Errol Ackoy's no.
Mails have not bounced from this ID so we must presume it is correct.
Please try it and see. It is the same as you are trying.
ess8148@westnet.com.au
I think he lives in New Zealand.
Happy memories.
Regards
Radheshyam
Hi Radheshyam,
Hope you had a happy Christmas, just a couple of queries i have sent you a couple of messages to your cell phone i was wondering if you have received them it says they have been sent but I am not too convinced of that no one here seems to know what the right code is to txt from Australia to India that was one problem. The other thing is i have sent a couple of emails to Errol Ackoy using email address ess8148@westnet.com.au but again no reply do you know if is the only email address he has i would really like to get in contact with him as we also share some great memories. Here’s hoping you might be able to help,
Best regards,
Keith
Message from Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Dear Dipak,
Thanks for the photos. I shall put them in our next post.
Upendra is now in Bangalore. He has given his details which were
posted in our earlier post about old boy's messages which he wrote to
Mr. Lobo.He retired as a big shot in WIPRO and is now doing
consultation work in Bangalore..
You are right and your memory is good.
Om was from Chuadanga.
He still lives in Bangladesh and is a big businessman there.
I understand he owns a sugar mill.
I have no idea about Arun Bharani but our blog should locate him
We left Bangladesh in 1965. At that time it was still East Pakistan.
I would request you to have a look at N K Sircar's message.
He passed in 1964.
We should try to help each other in all possible ways , especially
when away from our motherland.
Cheers and regards
Radheshyam
Dear Radheshyam:
Here's a photo taken January '07 in front of BBQ on Park Street, Kolkata. From left to right are: Tripti (my older daughter-in-law), Rajiv (my older son), Kajal, my wife, the 'boss”, myself, Rupa, (Barun's wife), & Barun (also graduated from Goethals 1962). Upendra Mehta was/is a good friend of mine - where is he these days?
Also, there was a guy named Omprakash Agarwalla from Chuadanga (now Bangladesh) who graduated at the same time I did. He used to play the I am asking this because I believe I read somewhere that you are also from Chuadanga!!! Any idea where Arun Bharani is? They used to have a curio store under the Grand Hotel arcade, if I remember. Regards.
Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Radheshyam:
Here's a photo of Barun & me in Kolkata, 2007. Regards.
I had asked Dipak to send a few recent photos of his since I could not place his face. He has sent the above photos for all of us.
Radheshyam
Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Dear Radheshyam:
My name is Dipak Roy & I graduated from Goethals in 1962. I have a brother in Kolkata (Barun Roy, Chartered Accountant) whom many of you probably know. He played all sports & was also a star athlete at Goethals. I went to Banaras Hindu University to study Civil Engineering, & have been in the USA with my wife Kajal since 1971. My classmates that I am still in touch with are Roger Storey (Stockton, USA), Willie Wu (Vancouver, Canada), & Dilip Banerjee (Singapore & USA). There is also a 1974 Goethals graduate, Dr. Soumitra Sarkar, M.D. that I am friends with. He lives in Arcadia, California.
On a recent visit to India, Mohan Shivdasani was kind enough to host a small gathering with Leslie Mascarenhas, Arun Shroff, Nelson Flavien, & M.C. Gasper. At a reception in Kolkata, I had met Samir K. Sarker, Anup Daw, N.G. Kar, Bobby Choudhury, & Joe D'Silva. I was happy to find all of them doing so well. I had some email communication with Bobby & also with Mickey Chaudhury in Muscat. I also happened to meet S.N. Bose at the Kolkata airport - luckily he had recognized me!!
I am also in communication with Errol Goves in Australia. Hugh Porter & his wife (Australia), Gordon Storey, wife, daughter, son-in-law (all from England) were also recent visitors that I met with. I was also fortunate enough to meet Andrew Clark shortly before his untimely death in the Bahamas. We had met at Audrey Hipper's (nee Parnham) in San Diego, California, who was from St. Helen's, Kurseong. She's moved to Italy & communicates occasionally.
Thanks for sharing some nice photos with Matt Lobo, Arun Shroff (he gave me a ride from Mohan's house to Maddox Square when in Kolkata), M.C. Gasper, & yourself. Too bad I could not make it to the centenary. I had sent emails to Gasper, but they were returned!! But this blog has brought back many wonderful memories. Mr. Lobo was also my teacher for a short time, but I don't remember the year. Hope to begin communicating with you & see you on our next visit to India. Regards.
Dipak Roy
Diamond Bar, California
Wish you and your family a very Happy New Year and thanks for sending
valuable 'sayings' and please send more valuable ideas after all you are
my Senior. Good to hear from our X-GOATS –
Adip Kumar Roka 1974
Msg from Keith Hayword
I am pleased to inform that we were finally able to communicate with each other by SMS i.e Keith & my self………..Radheshyam
Hi Keith,
Thanks for your mail.
No, I do not seem to have received your New Year message on my Cell phone.
Thanks for your good wishes.
For India you will have to enter 0091 for the country code and then my cell no i.e. 9331259878.
Similarly if you ring my residence no you will have to enter 00913325740583.
33 is Calcutta's code.
25740583 is my Tel No.
You can follow this same principle with all nos is all countries.
The country code is preceded with two zeroes.
You do not put any zero in front of area code when dialing from another country.
A zero is put in front of the area code only if you dial within a country.
I have Errol Ackoy's no.
Mails have not bounced from this ID so we must presume it is correct.
Please try it and see. It is the same as you are trying.
ess8148@westnet.com.au
I think he lives in New Zealand.
Happy memories.
Regards
Radheshyam
Hi Radheshyam,
Hope you had a happy Christmas, just a couple of queries i have sent you a couple of messages to your cell phone i was wondering if you have received them it says they have been sent but I am not too convinced of that no one here seems to know what the right code is to txt from Australia to India that was one problem. The other thing is i have sent a couple of emails to Errol Ackoy using email address ess8148@westnet.com.au but again no reply do you know if is the only email address he has i would really like to get in contact with him as we also share some great memories. Here’s hoping you might be able to help,
Best regards,
Keith
Message from Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Dear Dipak,
Thanks for the photos. I shall put them in our next post.
Upendra is now in Bangalore. He has given his details which were
posted in our earlier post about old boy's messages which he wrote to
Mr. Lobo.He retired as a big shot in WIPRO and is now doing
consultation work in Bangalore..
You are right and your memory is good.
Om was from Chuadanga.
He still lives in Bangladesh and is a big businessman there.
I understand he owns a sugar mill.
I have no idea about Arun Bharani but our blog should locate him
We left Bangladesh in 1965. At that time it was still East Pakistan.
I would request you to have a look at N K Sircar's message.
He passed in 1964.
We should try to help each other in all possible ways , especially
when away from our motherland.
Cheers and regards
Radheshyam
Dear Radheshyam:
Here's a photo taken January '07 in front of BBQ on Park Street, Kolkata. From left to right are: Tripti (my older daughter-in-law), Rajiv (my older son), Kajal, my wife, the 'boss”, myself, Rupa, (Barun's wife), & Barun (also graduated from Goethals 1962). Upendra Mehta was/is a good friend of mine - where is he these days?
Also, there was a guy named Omprakash Agarwalla from Chuadanga (now Bangladesh) who graduated at the same time I did. He used to play the I am asking this because I believe I read somewhere that you are also from Chuadanga!!! Any idea where Arun Bharani is? They used to have a curio store under the Grand Hotel arcade, if I remember. Regards.
Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Radheshyam:
Here's a photo of Barun & me in Kolkata, 2007. Regards.
I had asked Dipak to send a few recent photos of his since I could not place his face. He has sent the above photos for all of us.
Radheshyam
Dipak Roy
04.01.2008
Dear Radheshyam:
My name is Dipak Roy & I graduated from Goethals in 1962. I have a brother in Kolkata (Barun Roy, Chartered Accountant) whom many of you probably know. He played all sports & was also a star athlete at Goethals. I went to Banaras Hindu University to study Civil Engineering, & have been in the USA with my wife Kajal since 1971. My classmates that I am still in touch with are Roger Storey (Stockton, USA), Willie Wu (Vancouver, Canada), & Dilip Banerjee (Singapore & USA). There is also a 1974 Goethals graduate, Dr. Soumitra Sarkar, M.D. that I am friends with. He lives in Arcadia, California.
On a recent visit to India, Mohan Shivdasani was kind enough to host a small gathering with Leslie Mascarenhas, Arun Shroff, Nelson Flavien, & M.C. Gasper. At a reception in Kolkata, I had met Samir K. Sarker, Anup Daw, N.G. Kar, Bobby Choudhury, & Joe D'Silva. I was happy to find all of them doing so well. I had some email communication with Bobby & also with Mickey Chaudhury in Muscat. I also happened to meet S.N. Bose at the Kolkata airport - luckily he had recognized me!!
I am also in communication with Errol Goves in Australia. Hugh Porter & his wife (Australia), Gordon Storey, wife, daughter, son-in-law (all from England) were also recent visitors that I met with. I was also fortunate enough to meet Andrew Clark shortly before his untimely death in the Bahamas. We had met at Audrey Hipper's (nee Parnham) in San Diego, California, who was from St. Helen's, Kurseong. She's moved to Italy & communicates occasionally.
Thanks for sharing some nice photos with Matt Lobo, Arun Shroff (he gave me a ride from Mohan's house to Maddox Square when in Kolkata), M.C. Gasper, & yourself. Too bad I could not make it to the centenary. I had sent emails to Gasper, but they were returned!! But this blog has brought back many wonderful memories. Mr. Lobo was also my teacher for a short time, but I don't remember the year. Hope to begin communicating with you & see you on our next visit to India. Regards.
Dipak Roy
Diamond Bar, California
Sunday, January 6, 2008
"SOCIALISM NOT POSSIBLE NOW": JYOTI BASU
The grand old man of Bengal Politics who is protected in a fort in Salt Lake surrounded by Indo Tibetan Boarder guards now admits after 50 years “Socialism is not possible now”Portia in “Merchants of Venice” tells us the virtues of forgiveness.
In our school prayers we used to beseech God “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us”
But will the people of Bengal forgive him for the blunders he has committed in his 30 years rule in Bengal.
Industries have left Bengal in hordes. It is impossible to give a figure to the numbers.
Millions have been left jobless.
Education system has been so shattered that people passing from Bengal do not find jobs outside the state.
Now he coolly says socialism is not possible after his family members and cronies have amassed wealth in crores through nepotism and favoritism
Will the People of Bengal forgive him?
I leave it to you to answer that one.
Radheshyam
Friday, January 4, 2008
TWO TYPES OF POLICE, ONE HATED THE OTHER LOVED
Just as a leopard does not change its spot, the habits of Kolkata Police die hard.
In spite of the drubbing they received for mishandling the Rizwan / Todi episode, they are at it again.
The policeman’s job is to protect the law-abiding citizen’s from criminals. Our police have reversed their priorities.
They allow the criminals a free hand to commit their crimes and when the public protests, they threaten the public.
The above photograph is of a family where the male member is away from home (Mumbai) to earn for his family.
The landlord instead of protecting the family slaps the lady and abuses, threatens her and her kids for not allowing him and his son’s to drink on the terrace which is occupied by this family.
As usual the police take no action on the complaint lodged by the lady and instead asks them to settle matters with the landlord. Something like this also happened in Rizwan’s case, remember?
If it were not for the vigilant press who report such inaction by the police, the police would never take any action.
One dissatisfaction I have is with the judiciary.
These criminals go about freely after getting bail by the judiciary as soon as they are arrested.
And then they start again threatening the victims.
The judiciary should see that the criminals do not threaten the victims again and if any complaint comes against them, no future bail should be given to them for one year.
How much different is the ex policewoman whose photo we see above.
KIRAN BEDI.
The person who could dare to remove the car of the most powerful and dictatorial woman in India for not parking properly.
Yes, indira gandhi.
You are right; Mrs. gandhi’s character shows itself as so tiny in front of KIRAN BEDI.
Kiran Bedi was punished by posting her to the North East region.
The list of good works done by Kiran Bedi will be remembered for many years after her death.
Indira will be remembered for THE EMERGENCY. And her son Sanjay for Nasbandhi.
I just wonder what would have been the fate of India if Kiran Bedi had been selected as President instead of Pratibha Patil.
After years of battling criminals,Kiran Bedi is set to take on the police.
Complaints that have been "unattended or not acknowledged" by the police can be forwarded to her NGO, India Vision Foundation, at www.saferindia.com
At last the people of India can hope to be heard.
Radheshyam
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
MESSAGES FROM OLD BOYS 3
Hi friends,
Another week has passed since posting of all the messages received from you all.
I am pleased to note the blog is achieving the purpose it set out to achieve.
Our boys are going out to communicate with each other.
An important message has been posted by NK in the message below.
I would request our boys, who have a very wide contact circle, to see if they can be of any help.
I know we can help each other in this. Let this be a start.
I am further pleased to inform that Mr. Lobo is back in Kolkata.
If you find any of your friends among those who have posted messages, go ahead, please contact them.
If you haven’t, then post your message. Maybe they will contact you.
I am still looking for my class friends.
V Janardanan, Venkat Raghavan, Roger Brady, Sheane Brady, P Dhakwa, Clifton D’Aubney, Tony Dayton.
Anybody have any idea where they are?
Radheshyam
Msg from N K Sircar
Dear NK,
Nice hearing from you, N K.
This is how we knew you at school and your brother as SK.
If I remember right you used to play in the goal and your brother was in the forward line in football. We met your brother at the party we had at Bengal club before the centenary and at Goethals during the centenary. He seemed hale and hearty, though a bit balled
We are all very proud of all that you have achieved in life.
May you rise to even higher heights.
Saiful Huda, who was also in your class, was looking for your contact details.
I hope he may have contacted you after my recent posts where your details were given.
In case he has not you may do so. He ID is shuda@ccri.edu.and he is also in the states.
Re: Your daughter is our daughter.
We shall find her an ideal husband.
I hope she still has Indian values and not accumulated the heady values of the Western countries.
For work ethics I like western countries, but for family values and peace of mind, there is nothing to beat India.
Do keep us informed of your postings and whereabouts.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
2.1.2008
To : Dear Radesh & all our x Goethalites
It is a great pleasure to hear those voices , those were the days. Presently me & my wife are in New York with my lawyer daughter, I will be going on the 4th Jan 2008 to Sydney , Australia on personal business and be back to Toronto on the 22 nd. Jan 2008 and leaving on 28 th. Jan 2008 for Commox / Vancouver/ BC , Canada to take up new assignment.
I will keep you posted, please give my best wishes & happy new year greeting to all the Goethalites on your email list,& also they can send me their emails addresses & phone #s.
For my daughter we are looking for marriage. If you know any Indian qualified / professional boy above 26 yrs, old living with his family in USA. (Please inform us),
We will keep in touch
Good by for now.
Best wishes
N. K. Sircar (Passed out 1964).
2.1.2008
Message from Willy, 1971
Hi Willy,
I passed out from Goethals in 1965.
So if you joined before that you may have seen me. But then you must have been a small boy.
I became involved with the centenary celebrations, some time in September, when I took some pictures of our party and posted them in my blog.
The overwhelming response I received from old boys made me realize how hungry our boys were for new of GMS.
The rest is history.
I have some spare time at hand as I go for work only three times a week.
The balance days I deal in shares from home and so can devote some time for Goethals.
With IT now available at fingertips, I hope to help each one of us get wired to each other.
The giant we know as Goethals has now woken up after a hundred years, like Kumbhakaran in the Mahabharata.
We must not allow it to go back to sleep.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
2.1.2008
Hi Radheshyam,
I've been receiving emails from you every now and then. Thanks
for including me in your contact list. We may not know each other,
but this has not deterred you from reaching out to many of us. I
like to shed a little light on my identity to you.
I am also from Kolkata (Calcutta), graduated from Goethals in 1971.
My elder brother Willie Wei Kan Wu graduated in 1962.Maybe you
don't recall his name.
I left Calcutta in 1975,and I'm wondering what the city is like now.
I failed to participate in the Centenary celebration, because I could
not get hotel accommodation.
Through you I'm getting some information about my old city. Please keep
up the good work. I can safely speak for every one of us out there, that
we truly appreciate your dedication to your endeavor in keeping Goethals
Memorial School’s spirit alive and strong in all of us.
I've lived in Toronto, Canada since 1975.
Wishing you and your family a very happy, safe and prosperous 2008.
Willy Wu.
Message from Roy Joseph
Dear Radheshyam,
Thank you for your greetings.
Wishing you and your near and dear ones a very Happy and Prosperous New Year,
Roy Joseph
Coimbatore
1.1.2008.
Message from Thondup Sherpa
Dear Chief
Thank you for your wishes and a Very Happy New Year to You and your family too.
As for Benazir.... the down side of it all is that it shows how desperate those people must be - those who paid and instigated the killing. If it is Musharraf then god help Pakistan. But if it is the fundamentalists then Allah have mercy on all the Muslim womenfolk who have such a burden to bear in the name of a religion propounded by misguided zealots. I am sure the Prophet did NOT ever foresee the way his words would be twisted a few hundred years down the line.
Happy New Year
thondup tsering sherpa
Message from Bhaskar Chakravorti
I want to wish you all a awesome, cool and mindboggling 2008
.
I did some homework on urban words.
Bhaskar Chakravorti
Sudan
01.01.08
Msg from Suresh Adya
I reciprocate most heartily
Suresh Adya
01.01.08
Msg from Marc Sayce
Many thanks for your email - please pass on our best wishes to Mr Lobo and his family.
Regards,
Marc Sayce
Australia
30.12.07
Msg from Thondup Sherpa
Dear Thondup,
It was a pleasure to receive your letter.
Yes, those three days were memorable which we shall all cherish for the rest of our lives.
Tony Dayton was also a good friend of mine. He too is in Australia.
I am trying to locate him by asking Bruce Wallace to get his contact details.
Mr. Lobo is also going to help me.
His song and the tune still tinkles through my brains.
Has your daughter joined Dell?
Do let me know. If there is anything I can do to help her.
My son Jay is presently in Delhi but any help that she may require in Hyderabad can be arranged.
Don't ever feel shy to let me know.
After all what are old friends for.
Cheers.
Radheshyam
26th Dec 07
Dear Chief,
First of all thank you very much for the memories. Second - remember me ? The Class of 67 along with Keith Wallace, Partho Sengupta ... I was the one who gave you the bear hug...and I meant every muscle of it. It was wonderful meeting you. And for further reference I am the one whose daughter will be going to DELL for her summer placement.... placed me?
The Reunion was wonderful, to say the least. For those 3 days I travelled back in time and shed my post-school 40 years. They have a saying in Nepali " It is only the face that gets wrinkled. The heart remains young". I am grateful to GMS and consider myself blessed that my parents sent me there ( 1960 to 67 ). I was doubly blessed in that I had teachers like Br Morrow ( God Bless his soul ) and Mr. Lobo. In fact today, after a premature retirement I have returned to the ranks to the active Tax payer - all thanks to a small piece of metal. The GMS Alumni Badge!!!! But that is a long story...the short of it is that it all began with my trip to GMS for the Centenary.
Once again thank you for getting us all together. And yes, Tony Dayton is a name I have been trying to remember...he taught me the song " The Lightening Express " and I distinctly remember where I and NG Dorjee learn't it .....on the First Field while we were waiting for the rest of the guys to come down from the Box Room after tea. Strange how selective one's memory can be.
Take care
thondup tsering sherpa
26.12.2007
Msg from U L Mehta
Thanks a lot Radheshyam for sending Mr. Lobo's
address, so promptly. At present, I don't have any
other GMS person's address.
Thanks, I will certainly come back to you for any help
on other addresses that I may need.
Upendra Mehta
25.12.07
Msg from U L Mehta to Mr. Lobo
Hello Mr. Lobo,
It is a pleasant surprise to receive a copy of your
greetings message & for your very nice greetings card,
thanks to Radheshyam Sharma. It was also good to see
your photos at the GMS centenary event.
I also would like to wish you and your family a Merry
Christmas & a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
I've had the privilege of being taught by you at
Goethals in 1958, in standard 6 ... that being my
first year there. You were our class teacher for the
full year.
I recall with gratitude, the dedicated and interesting
manner in which you taught us, and how you had
established a friendly wavelength with all the class
students. I remember the special extra efforts you
took to teach me how to improve my handwriting.
Some of our class mates were ... Ashok Kapur; Cecil
Gibbons from Dhubri, Assam; the Storey brothers -
Gordon and Roger, Andrew Clarle, Dipak Roy, Williams
from Andaman etc. Perhaps, you may be able to place us
now.
The other class teachers we had in the following 3
years were ... Br. Forhan & Br. J B Corbett.
Our stay at Goethals was good, memorable and of great
value ... we were fortunate to have great teachers,
and a good enabling environment.
I later did my Mechanical Engineering, and spent long
work tenures at IBM , and Wipro ... large computer
companies in India. I have now retired, and do some
training work in Business Communications, Sales &
Negotiations ... for corporate executives. I am now
based at Ghaziabad, a little beyond Delhi
I wish you all the best in the years ahead.
Warm regards,
Upendra L Mehta
25.12.07
Another week has passed since posting of all the messages received from you all.
I am pleased to note the blog is achieving the purpose it set out to achieve.
Our boys are going out to communicate with each other.
An important message has been posted by NK in the message below.
I would request our boys, who have a very wide contact circle, to see if they can be of any help.
I know we can help each other in this. Let this be a start.
I am further pleased to inform that Mr. Lobo is back in Kolkata.
If you find any of your friends among those who have posted messages, go ahead, please contact them.
If you haven’t, then post your message. Maybe they will contact you.
I am still looking for my class friends.
V Janardanan, Venkat Raghavan, Roger Brady, Sheane Brady, P Dhakwa, Clifton D’Aubney, Tony Dayton.
Anybody have any idea where they are?
Radheshyam
Msg from N K Sircar
Dear NK,
Nice hearing from you, N K.
This is how we knew you at school and your brother as SK.
If I remember right you used to play in the goal and your brother was in the forward line in football. We met your brother at the party we had at Bengal club before the centenary and at Goethals during the centenary. He seemed hale and hearty, though a bit balled
We are all very proud of all that you have achieved in life.
May you rise to even higher heights.
Saiful Huda, who was also in your class, was looking for your contact details.
I hope he may have contacted you after my recent posts where your details were given.
In case he has not you may do so. He ID is shuda@ccri.edu.and he is also in the states.
Re: Your daughter is our daughter.
We shall find her an ideal husband.
I hope she still has Indian values and not accumulated the heady values of the Western countries.
For work ethics I like western countries, but for family values and peace of mind, there is nothing to beat India.
Do keep us informed of your postings and whereabouts.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
2.1.2008
To : Dear Radesh & all our x Goethalites
It is a great pleasure to hear those voices , those were the days. Presently me & my wife are in New York with my lawyer daughter, I will be going on the 4th Jan 2008 to Sydney , Australia on personal business and be back to Toronto on the 22 nd. Jan 2008 and leaving on 28 th. Jan 2008 for Commox / Vancouver/ BC , Canada to take up new assignment.
I will keep you posted, please give my best wishes & happy new year greeting to all the Goethalites on your email list,& also they can send me their emails addresses & phone #s.
For my daughter we are looking for marriage. If you know any Indian qualified / professional boy above 26 yrs, old living with his family in USA. (Please inform us),
We will keep in touch
Good by for now.
Best wishes
N. K. Sircar (Passed out 1964).
2.1.2008
Message from Willy, 1971
Hi Willy,
I passed out from Goethals in 1965.
So if you joined before that you may have seen me. But then you must have been a small boy.
I became involved with the centenary celebrations, some time in September, when I took some pictures of our party and posted them in my blog.
The overwhelming response I received from old boys made me realize how hungry our boys were for new of GMS.
The rest is history.
I have some spare time at hand as I go for work only three times a week.
The balance days I deal in shares from home and so can devote some time for Goethals.
With IT now available at fingertips, I hope to help each one of us get wired to each other.
The giant we know as Goethals has now woken up after a hundred years, like Kumbhakaran in the Mahabharata.
We must not allow it to go back to sleep.
Warm regards
Radheshyam
2.1.2008
Hi Radheshyam,
I've been receiving emails from you every now and then. Thanks
for including me in your contact list. We may not know each other,
but this has not deterred you from reaching out to many of us. I
like to shed a little light on my identity to you.
I am also from Kolkata (Calcutta), graduated from Goethals in 1971.
My elder brother Willie Wei Kan Wu graduated in 1962.Maybe you
don't recall his name.
I left Calcutta in 1975,and I'm wondering what the city is like now.
I failed to participate in the Centenary celebration, because I could
not get hotel accommodation.
Through you I'm getting some information about my old city. Please keep
up the good work. I can safely speak for every one of us out there, that
we truly appreciate your dedication to your endeavor in keeping Goethals
Memorial School’s spirit alive and strong in all of us.
I've lived in Toronto, Canada since 1975.
Wishing you and your family a very happy, safe and prosperous 2008.
Willy Wu.
Message from Roy Joseph
Dear Radheshyam,
Thank you for your greetings.
Wishing you and your near and dear ones a very Happy and Prosperous New Year,
Roy Joseph
Coimbatore
1.1.2008.
Message from Thondup Sherpa
Dear Chief
Thank you for your wishes and a Very Happy New Year to You and your family too.
As for Benazir.... the down side of it all is that it shows how desperate those people must be - those who paid and instigated the killing. If it is Musharraf then god help Pakistan. But if it is the fundamentalists then Allah have mercy on all the Muslim womenfolk who have such a burden to bear in the name of a religion propounded by misguided zealots. I am sure the Prophet did NOT ever foresee the way his words would be twisted a few hundred years down the line.
Happy New Year
thondup tsering sherpa
Message from Bhaskar Chakravorti
I want to wish you all a awesome, cool and mindboggling 2008
.
I did some homework on urban words.
Bhaskar Chakravorti
Sudan
01.01.08
Msg from Suresh Adya
I reciprocate most heartily
Suresh Adya
01.01.08
Msg from Marc Sayce
Many thanks for your email - please pass on our best wishes to Mr Lobo and his family.
Regards,
Marc Sayce
Australia
30.12.07
Msg from Thondup Sherpa
Dear Thondup,
It was a pleasure to receive your letter.
Yes, those three days were memorable which we shall all cherish for the rest of our lives.
Tony Dayton was also a good friend of mine. He too is in Australia.
I am trying to locate him by asking Bruce Wallace to get his contact details.
Mr. Lobo is also going to help me.
His song and the tune still tinkles through my brains.
Has your daughter joined Dell?
Do let me know. If there is anything I can do to help her.
My son Jay is presently in Delhi but any help that she may require in Hyderabad can be arranged.
Don't ever feel shy to let me know.
After all what are old friends for.
Cheers.
Radheshyam
26th Dec 07
Dear Chief,
First of all thank you very much for the memories. Second - remember me ? The Class of 67 along with Keith Wallace, Partho Sengupta ... I was the one who gave you the bear hug...and I meant every muscle of it. It was wonderful meeting you. And for further reference I am the one whose daughter will be going to DELL for her summer placement.... placed me?
The Reunion was wonderful, to say the least. For those 3 days I travelled back in time and shed my post-school 40 years. They have a saying in Nepali " It is only the face that gets wrinkled. The heart remains young". I am grateful to GMS and consider myself blessed that my parents sent me there ( 1960 to 67 ). I was doubly blessed in that I had teachers like Br Morrow ( God Bless his soul ) and Mr. Lobo. In fact today, after a premature retirement I have returned to the ranks to the active Tax payer - all thanks to a small piece of metal. The GMS Alumni Badge!!!! But that is a long story...the short of it is that it all began with my trip to GMS for the Centenary.
Once again thank you for getting us all together. And yes, Tony Dayton is a name I have been trying to remember...he taught me the song " The Lightening Express " and I distinctly remember where I and NG Dorjee learn't it .....on the First Field while we were waiting for the rest of the guys to come down from the Box Room after tea. Strange how selective one's memory can be.
Take care
thondup tsering sherpa
26.12.2007
Msg from U L Mehta
Thanks a lot Radheshyam for sending Mr. Lobo's
address, so promptly. At present, I don't have any
other GMS person's address.
Thanks, I will certainly come back to you for any help
on other addresses that I may need.
Upendra Mehta
25.12.07
Msg from U L Mehta to Mr. Lobo
Hello Mr. Lobo,
It is a pleasant surprise to receive a copy of your
greetings message & for your very nice greetings card,
thanks to Radheshyam Sharma. It was also good to see
your photos at the GMS centenary event.
I also would like to wish you and your family a Merry
Christmas & a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
I've had the privilege of being taught by you at
Goethals in 1958, in standard 6 ... that being my
first year there. You were our class teacher for the
full year.
I recall with gratitude, the dedicated and interesting
manner in which you taught us, and how you had
established a friendly wavelength with all the class
students. I remember the special extra efforts you
took to teach me how to improve my handwriting.
Some of our class mates were ... Ashok Kapur; Cecil
Gibbons from Dhubri, Assam; the Storey brothers -
Gordon and Roger, Andrew Clarle, Dipak Roy, Williams
from Andaman etc. Perhaps, you may be able to place us
now.
The other class teachers we had in the following 3
years were ... Br. Forhan & Br. J B Corbett.
Our stay at Goethals was good, memorable and of great
value ... we were fortunate to have great teachers,
and a good enabling environment.
I later did my Mechanical Engineering, and spent long
work tenures at IBM , and Wipro ... large computer
companies in India. I have now retired, and do some
training work in Business Communications, Sales &
Negotiations ... for corporate executives. I am now
based at Ghaziabad, a little beyond Delhi
I wish you all the best in the years ahead.
Warm regards,
Upendra L Mehta
25.12.07
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