Newsy Notes 012 - Back Again

Dear Cathedralites,

1. 143rd Founders? Day

Never believe that a few caring people can't change
the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.
Margaret Mead

November 14th is drawing nigh bringing us to the 143rd (I think)
Founders? Day). I have been out of circulation for a variety of
reasons, so I thought it fitting to renew our contact on this
auspicious day.

2. Apologies- My hard luck / good luck story

Patience is waiting for the right time to do something; it is not
a time of testing or strife, rather, it is a time to allow the spirit
of love to enter our hearts to prepare us for whatever decision
is waiting to be made.
Author Unknown (to me)

Thanks to all of you for keeping in touch with me regardless. I
received all your emails. Because of a massive problem caused
by the burning out of the motherboard on my main computer
and the simultaneous collapse of one of my main backup hard
disks, I was unable to access my main hard disk and hence lost
contact with all my 140,000 email correspondents. I was only able
to email back to those who emailed me.

Sorry to be such a disappointment to so many of you who
believe that I have such a fabulous memory to retain all my
contact email addresses at the back of my head.

On top of this calamity, there were these spate of Microsoft /
Windows related virus emails. Both my Internet Service Providers
were choked and at one point some mail from one of my ISP?s
actually bounced. All I had time to do was keep shoving all
those many tens of thousands of emails (coming from all those
who had been infected) in the trashcan, removing any possibility
of handling anything except the absolutely essential email.

However, all your genuine emails (except for a few which had
doubtful subject lines as "Hi", "Hello", "Hi Loverboy",
"How about a date", "When can we meet", and several related to
my weathered "male member"), were preserved on my servers,
both in Canada and here at Oulu, Finland.

Having got my new sleek ultrafast, fabulous replacement
computer, (an equivalent of 3000 MHz on the PC scale with
1 GB of RAM) all for Euro 126, I have downloaded all the emails
to my computer and have been replying personally to all those
I lost touch with for the last four months.

How did I get this fabulous computer for just Euro 126?
The secret lay in having a good home insurance policy and
good relations with the insurance company. Just after the US
Northeast electricity blackout, we had a similar one here in
Oulu. That burnt out the motherboard in my old computer.
Luckily I had just backed up all the data on that computer,
added a large amount of RAM and also a new large 60 Gb
hard disk to that computer and it had been serviced and
given a new lease of life by my servicing company. So
when the motherboard burnt out my insurance company
generously told me to get a new computer rather than try
to repair the old one.

The new computer, plus my three other older ones (including
my trusted 1991 laptop), form part of my local network and
they are a real dream to work with.

3. Class Reunions

Making the simple complicated is commonplace;
making the complicated simple, awesomely simple,
that's creativity.
Charles Mingus

Several year groups have been after me to organise their
reunions. Sitting at this remote Arctic location, that has
been a bit difficult. Hopefully the 52ers, 53ers, 54ers
and 57ers will be able to look after themselves now that I
have put some of you in touch.

From: Ashok Jaitly
Subject: Re: FW: Re: message from sunil sahni - 1957

Hi all,

Wonderful that the '57 network is widening rapidly.
God bless Jacob Matthan ! Even the Mallus have their
utility or is it their calling !

Some more '57 contacts:

Charu Shah:
Fleur (Ezekiel) Madnani:
Dharni Anand:

Fleur suggests we get together in March 2004 in Mumbai.
Who will organise? Come on Mumbaikars,volunteers needed.

Tony.

A message from 52er Vispy Banaji

From: Vispy Banaji
Subject: RE: Any plans?

Dear Jacob

I have only just checked my emails and seen this mail. My name is
Vispy Banaji and I was at Cathedral until 1952. I live in London but
am planning a trip to India in Dec 2003/Jan 2004 and I would be
interested in any reunion that is happening.

Please keep in touch with all the latest and forward me any
contact numbers.

All the best

Vispy Banaji

And a message from a 54er, Rumy Kapadia:

From: Rumy Kapadia
Subject: Our Class of 1954 50-year reunion

Dear Jacob (and Anthony),

Do either of you know how plans to arrange this
reunion are shaping? Earlier, Jacob had hinted that
Anthony might be arranging it. If so, can you be more
precise? Where and when?

I want to know because I have been asked if I would
like to go to Wagner's "Ring" cycle in Adelaide in
November 2004 - and the 2 events might clash.

Rumy

Do send me the names of your classmates. I do have a
large number of you (in my Cathedralites database of
around 1300) who are not identified by the year of leaving
Cathedral. With a little bit of help from all of you I could
sort my database reasonably accurately into a year-based
one which would then be useful when you plan your reunions.

I have to cry off the 59er reunion which is taking place in
Mumbai in December this year around the celebration of
the 60th birthday of one of our group as the responsibility
of looking after two patients is far too great for us to hand
over to anyone else. Both my daughters and their families
are going to Kerala, Chennai and Bangalore for our family
reunion and a couple of weddings. That has meant that
Annikki and I have to remain at home base.

Sorry Viney - would have loved to be there for the
"Roast & Toast".

It also means that the paper that 69er Prof. Ajeet Mathur
and I have prepared for the eGovernance Conference in
New Delhi in December will have to be delivered by him
in my absence.

4. Catcall

The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.
Author Unknown

I am sure that the editors of Catcall do not mean any insult
to me, but after having asked me to contribute 3 articles
for the last issue in July, the editors did not even send me a
complimentary copy.

My three articles were

a. SEVENTH HEAVEN
b. Diversity
c. June 2003 Report from Finland

I am sure that not many Cathedralites would be prepared to
write for Catcall when they are not even sent a gratis copy
for their efforts. Among the three stories I submitted was
one of a Cathedralite related wedding in South Finland
which has been covered by me on the internet and you
can see the pictures at

Gopa & Timo's Wedding

5. Birthday Reminder Centre

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.
Confucius

Thanks to 61er Kishore (and Rekha) Shivdasani, I have a
place where you can all go to online and let me know your
birthdays - no need to specify the year of birth for those
shy of that information.

I would like to be reminded of your birthday each year
using this excellent service offered by BirthdayAlarm.com.

Please click on the following link for me and enter your name
and birthday. It only takes a few seconds:

Set Your Birthday Alarm

6. The unnecessary killing and destruction goes on and on

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and
the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under
the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and
democracy?
Mahatma Gandhi

No weapons of mass destruction (quoting David Kay), no imminent
threat to anyone, not even the neighbouring countries (quoting Powell
and Rice), no connection to 9 /11 (quoting Bush whose family funded
the Nazis),.

Saddam, the man who used chemical weapons supplied by the US
on his own people, has been removed from power but the killing
goes on and on as the US gouges out the Middle East Oil after
Operation Iraq Liberation (OIL) .

Will it stop, or will it be another Palestine where all sides do
everything to outwit the other - with what result, death of the innocents?

I thank Willie (Staff - Physics) for forwarding me John Billington?s
(Staff - English) email. Dear John, I could not have expressed it better
- thank you.

From:John Billington
To:William & Pushpa Shiri
Subject: Iraq

Dear Willie,

Thanks for your various items on this. I entirely agree with them.
This is THE most disastrous and damaging war in my lifetime --
even more idiotic than Suez, which was relatively minor.

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Independent
in the U.K. by the US Ambassador to Canada, complaining
that Canada was not supporting the US when threatened
as the US would have supported Canada. This in itself is
a ludicrous argument since support depends on the merit of
the cause, not on blind loyalty. Anyhow, the ambasaador's
complaint ended with these words:

"We [USA] are at war to liberate Iraq, to protect the people
of the US and other countries from the devastating impact
of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction being used by terrorists
or the Iraqi government to kill thousands of innocent civilians.
This is a direct security threat to the people of the United States.
That is why we feel so strongly about this and why we are so
disappointed that Canada is not fully supporting us."
Paul Cellucci, US Ambassador to Canada.
[Canada has let down its old friend.]

Well, I'm glad Canada is not supporting the US on this issue.
The ambassador's arguments in justification of the war are feeble.
There is no evidence that Iraq wants the US to 'liberate' it so on
whose authority does the US act? There is no evidence that the
US is threatened by Iraq or that Iraq has made any WMD
available to any other terrorist groups. In any case, Iraq is hugely
enfeebled militarily compared with how it was ten years ago.
And as for the old argument about the Iraqi regime killing thousands
of its own innocent civilians, that happened twelve years ago and
the US showed no interest then, any more than it showed interest
when thousands of innocent civilians were killed in Rwanda or
China in previous years. Instead, the US now kills thousands
of innocent Iraqi civilians in pursuit of its own self interests --
which are (in my opinion) to gain control over important oil
resources and (with Israel) to have complete control over the
Middle East.?The US's alleged concerns with 'human rights' and
'democracy' are fig leaves to conceal naked self interest. I'm sorry
that our government is giving to a support to a war that at least
half the people in the U.K. don't support.

Mustn't rant on!

All the best,

John B

7. We are growing older

When you wake up in the morning, NOW that's a bonus.
Unknown Author (to me)

I was sadly reminded that many of us are growing older when news
of the sad demise of some of our older friends was sent to me.

From: Naval Patel
Subject: Dear departed

Dear Jacob,

Some information which could be of interest to your data base:
Two classmates of our 1949 group passed away recently -
Kali Cawasji in Bangalore in May, and
Sarosh Wadia in Mumbai on 5 Aug.

One more bereavement has been discovered for the Class of 1949 -
Arvind "Aroo" Moolgaoker passed away in UK in late July.

Regards

Naval Patel

My regular 49er correspondent, Yesh, gave me the background of these
three "dear departed". May their souls rest in peace.

From: "Yezad Sam Kapadia"
Subject: 49ers who left us

Thanks for your mail, Jacob,

Aroo was my Vice-Captain in Palmer House and a good
badminton player. He wasthe only one in our class to have
got a distinction in English Language inSenior Cambridge,
a rare feat. After School he went to Elphinstone College
and later became a gynaecologist. Worked with his uncle
(his father was Sumant Moolgaker, of ACC and Tatas),
Dr. Shirodkar, and developed a special type of forcep which
goes by his name. Lived in England for many years. Was
also active in the legal-medical profession.

Kali Cawasji was in Barham House, captain, and a wicket -keeper
in the cricket team. Used to live on Marine Drive. Subsequently
went to Bangaloreand was in the liquor trade. Was President of the
Parsi Anjuman in
Bangalore.

Sarosh Wadia, Palmer House, came from the famous Wadia family
which soldjewelry. They had outlets, amongst other places, at the
Taj Hotel in Mumbai. A quiet person.

Regards.

Yesh.

7. Tony joins me in retirement

Be mindful that happiness is not based on possessions,
power, or prestige, but on relationships with people you
love and respect.
Lucille Ball

Tony (57er), like (Dr.) Ranjit Matthan (56er), (Dr,) Peter Tubby
Philip (58er), Sujit Bhattacharaya (59er), (Prof.) Ajeet Mathur (69er)
and me (59er) are both Cathedralites and Stephanians.

From: Ashok Jaitly
Subject: Touching Base !

Dear Jacob,

Stumbled on your website some weeks ago. Have been out of touch
with school classmates and friends for many years. Living in the
turbulent mountains of Kashmir made it that much more difficult.
Nevertheless, I used to meet Tara Malkani on my rare trips to
Mumbai- also Uberoi (Ubi) and Rutton Batlivala (Batli) married to
Renuka Dhanrajgir. Now thanks to your initiative have established
contact with Saleem Ahmedullah and Sunil Sahni of my class
(1957-Senior Cambridge).

Also with Yezad Kapadia who lives across the road from us in DLF
City, Gurgaon-extraordinary ! He passed on your message when we
met for the first time yesterday.

Delhi being closer to Kashmir, one's contacts with Stephanians is
frequent and fairly wide - Noni Handa, Bogey & Bambi Rao, Arun Som
Dutt, Naresh Dayal,Murad Baig, Ashok & Dalip Mehta, Sushil Dubey,
Ranjit Chib, Sayeed Rizvi, Hindal Tyabji to name some who get together
often. There's also the annual dinner for the over 50s which is always fun.

Jyotsna (Ed: Tony?s sister who was School Captain in 1960) and
Siddhartha (Ed: a Doscoite and my yearmate friom St. Stephen?s)
have also retired in Delhi and so has my brother Ravi (Ed: 55er?) -
incidentally how could you have remembered him in quad soccer -
it was me in fact - what a let down you are! (Ed: My apologies!!)

I see from catalumni that Ranjit (Ed: 56er) is in Chennai - will get
in touch with him too.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Ashok (Tony) Jaitly


8. Happy Divali (just passed, I know), Merry Christmas and a
Very Very Happy New Year (just coming, I know)!!

Our plans miscarry if they have no aim. When a man does not know
what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.
Seneca

Annikki and I would like to wish all of you the Season?s Greetings and
hope that all of you have a wonderful New Year.

Please do not stop emailing me.

I will try to get my house in order and be more regular with
Newsy Notes. Now that a night heating system has been
installed, I do not have that much work collecting and cutting
wood to heating the house. They are starting to put a new roof
to the house today which will be nice as it will be on before
the really cold winter which lies ahead.

Take care

Regards

Jacob Matthan
Savage House Captain 1959
Oulu, Finland