Has any one else noticed this?
2007 - Chinese year of the Chicken .......... Bird Flu Pandemic devastated most parts of Asia ..
2008 - Chinese year of the Horse ............. Equine Influenza decimated Australian racing.
2009 - Chinese year of the Pig ................ Swine Flu Pandemic terrifying people around the globe.
It gets worse next year, 2010 - Chinese year of the Cock .......... what could possibly go wrong?
John K
Hi John,
With due respect to the original sender of this ‘Chinese New Year’ e-mail, the contents could only have been created for a laugh because in the Chinese lunar calendar, 2007 was the year of the pig; 2008 was year of the rat; 2009 is year of the cow and next year 2010 is year of the cow.
Willie Wu
Vancouver, BC
Two successive years of the cow! Last time around that happened it jumped over the moon, making it a leap year... I guess!
Minoo Avari
Hi Willie,
You’re right, it was. But thanks for bringing this up for those who may have taken this as a fact.
Perhaps the final line “Year of the cock” (rooster) would have given the reader a clue to the humorous assumptions.
John K
Msg from Viraj Thacker
Dear Mr. Sharma,
Trust this will find you and the family well; of course, the activity on our blog indicates you’re in good cheer!
So glad that you’ve enjoyed the stuff I’ve been sending and thanks for posting all of it (I love your captions, words of wisdom and deep insights into life and the state of our world).
The recent Darjeeling ‘50s shots I dug out from my Dad’s old SPS collection (1945 – 1957) – wonderful stuff and a time and circumstance that cannot be replicated. These also seem to be floating around on Facebook, posted by some Darj.Dist. old timers.
You might have guessed, by the increase in volume of material to post, that I am presently in a more relaxed mode! I have a short sabbatical until March; I’ll be in India in April – May and look forward to catching up. BTW – I hope you’re still considering a contribution for the book – I will meet the publishers in March and would like it in print before I head back to Australia in July-August.
Really look forward to meeting you in the New Year.
Warmest Regards to you and the family.
Viraj.
Dear Viraj,
I too look forward to meeting you.
This time you must come to our home also.
I was wondering what should I write about for you book?
Do you have any suggestions?
I really like the mails you send.
Makes the blog more readable because I suppose I write a bit too much on politics.
It gives a more balanced view.
Yes, I suppose, as our pictures show we are contented.
Santosh (satisfaction) with what you have is the greatest wealth aperson could have.
The mad race to keep up with the Joneses is the cause of all sorrow,
One should spend on necessities and control his spend on luxury. as there is no upper limit on luxuries.
Of course, the money so saved should not be locked in bank vaults.
Yes, do keep away something for a rainy day but use a part of your wealth to help the less fortunate.
In the respect, I appreciate what Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are doing.
Better than our own Mukesh Ambani, Laxmi Mittal and Vijaya Mallya.
Cheers for now.
Radheshyam
Msg from Ashley Milne
Hello Radheshyam,
Many thanks for your weekly newsletter, it keeps us informed of the happenings in Kolkata and elsewhere. I am always pleased to receive news as to how GMS is progressing and also information as to how previous students are faring, whichever part of the world they may have decided to live in. There are a few of us in the U.K., some in Canada and a couple in Australia and not forgetting Jimmy Keir in Hongkong. We do keep in touch either by email or phone and our association goes back almost 60 years.
I have recently been hearing about the "GJMM" and the amount of influence and power they seem to wield. Apparently they can order schools to close as and when they please, something which was not heard of during our era. Having been away from India for so many years, please excuse my ignorance but who are the "GJMM" and what are their aims ? I do feel very sad for the schools and the students and from what I hear, things seem to have deteriorated since my time ( 1950/51) and I do thank my lucky stars that I was in GMS almost 60 years ago.
I note from your latest newsletter that Devaprosad Chakravarti resides in the U.K. and although he was there a few years before my time, if he would like to have a chat about "our school days" , I would be delighted. We liked the joke about the "Polish " guy.
Look after yourselves and we send all our Good Wishes.
Ashley Milne
Hello Dev,
Ashely write quite often.
He too is one of your contemporaries.
Radheshyam
Msg from Keith Hayward
Hello Radheshyam,
I missed the Blog last week?
A few questions please!!Do you remember KK Rai?
He emailed me a 'Blast from the Past’! I will Email KK very soon.
Can you remember what year (we all had the Mumps) the Chinese boy died? Its bugging me. Was it in 1955? I hope you and your family is keeping well.
Take care,
Keith.
Hello Keith,,
Actually it was my fault.
Since quite a few mails were bouncing, I have made a group of mail IDs who are not with Gmai/Yahoo/Hotmail or Rediff because the mail boxes of the others are small.
I send mails to these without the attachments so that they don't bounce.
Last week, I missed sending those.
Sorry.
KK was with us right up to 65.
He is in Sikkim and has a Guest house by the name of Cherry Guest house.
Our Alumni association is planning to go to Sikkim sometime in February.
The Chinese boy, K W Liu, died in 1957, the year we had Asian Flu.
His elder brother K T Liu studied with us up to 1962.
After 1962 quite a few of our boys did not go back to Goethals because of the uncertainty caused by the Chinese aggression.
My family is all well.
Grand -daughter has become very naughty.
How is your family?
Australia, it seems, is becoming very unhealthy for Indian students.
Cheers for now
Radheshyam
Msg from Thondup
CHIEF
WHAT ABOUT
THE EARLY WORM GETS EATEN BY THE BIRD !
Dear Chief.
Thank you for your reply..... did you read the article I sent along with it ???? Your comments ?
warm regards
thondup
Dear Thondup,
No I did not read the article this time, I missed it. However, now that I have gone through it. I think you had sent it to me earlier and I had posted it ad verbatim.
Yes, yours and the grievance of all the people who have suffered own selfish aims.
The four castes were made on the basis of work but they converted it as a birth right.
Thus a person may be sweeping the floors but if he is born a brahmin, he remains a brahmin.
This was not the aim of Hinduism.
Every man has got the four castes within him and his body is made of the four castes.
His head is considered a Brahmin as he uses it for learning and teaching.
His arms are considered a Kshatriyas as he uses it to protect himself and his family from all problems.
The stomach is considered as Vaisya because it is used to provide energy to the rest of the body just as the Vaisyas support all the castes by trading.
The legs are considered as Sudras as it serves the whole body by carrying its load.
The human being is such that it can move up and down the ladder between the 4 castes depending upon his own efforts.
Thus by studying, a person can become a teacher or professor (brahmin), he can join the police or army (Kshatriya), become an engineer, doctor, lawyer, trader, contractor (Vaisya) or .become a government servant (sudra).
The very concept of the caste system has changed because of development and education but people still stick to the old practise of caste by birth.
Initially, the brahmins did not want to give up this priveledge and now SC,ST,OBC would not like to give up the system as it benefits them.
Seeing the benefits of reservation now everybody wants to join the bandwagon.
Even Muslims and Christians also would like the SC tags to get them reservation.
Marriage within castes was always there and is there in the new caste system also.
Thus a doctor, laawyer, engineer or software professional would like to marry a person of similar profession.
The error which the brahmins and kshatriyas made earlier is now being made by the politicians, the new kshatriya although they say they are there to serve the people, Sudras or Vaisyas but are the new Kshatriyas.
Unless, some enlightened person rises to serve the poor, irrespective of his caste, religion or language, this systematic torture of the poor will continue by the politicians.
I have said earlier and I still believe, Swami Ramdeo will provide that leadership.
He is my only hope.
The rest are all hopeless.
Cheers,
Radheshyam
Msg from Ranjan Guha for Governing Body
Dear All,
You have already been informed (by SMS) that we are meeting on Saturday (14-11-09) at 1.30 pm in K K’s office (on Park Street).
You are requested to please attend.
Meanwhile, please find attached the AGENDA for the said meeting as well as the Draft Minutes of the Governing Body Meeting held on 29-08-09. Please suggest and changes in these Minutes
Thanks
Ranjan Guha Majumder
Some of you may think that I am over partial towards my family. I agree and I would request your indulgence.
Some photographs of my grand-daughter during the last birthday celebrations with some of us.
When the cake was being cut, everybody started cheering "Happy Birthday!" atarted blowing the toy horn. She got strateled at the sudden noise and started bawling.It was a sight, the birthday baby crying.
I wonder if all babie cry at that time?
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