Cathedralite 67er Reunion Report

"Dear Jacob,

Lovely to know that sitting there on top of the world, 'midst the
polars and snow, you know of the heat and fire generated at
the Reunion of the '67ers.

37 years after leaving School, the bonding still remains. The head
is short of a few hair, the waist is thicker by a few inches, the eyes
are a wee bit dimmer, but the sparkle in them still remains bright.

The girls ofcourse looked young and well turned out. Age had only
matured them like good wine. The boys with salt and pepper manes,
looked dapper. Old school flames looked at each other and giggled
and blushed, The spouse was then introduced to the their youthful
paramour. Lots of back slapping, lots of jokes, lots of oooohs and
aaaahs, and the general feeling of bon hommie all around.

Spirits flowed as spirits soared. The boys school song, 'Prima in
Indus, Gateway of India....' was belted out with great enthusiasm.
I had taken xerox copies to be shared, among the 50 of us
gathered in the room. The girls school song, was sung with more
piety than we ever gave it in school!

An evening of nostalgia and magic. Where CEO's and Captains of
Industry rubbed shoulders with housewives and those leading a life
of leisure, living off old family fortunes, spouted forth on the
importance of industry.

The spouses smiled at our idiocyncracies, our excitement, our
shouts of glee. The old headgirl Zarine Kotval, spoke a
few words of praise, and her husband an old headboy,
Homi Bhedwar, applauded with enthusiasm.

An assorted gathering of men and women in various fields of Life,
bonded by the tag Cathedral - Class of '67.

I promise to post some photos on the website, as soon as they
are loaded. But for now let it suffice, that meeting after so many years,
never lessens any of the camaradie. We just picked up from where we
had let off. And had a blast

I had made out a Class Directory for our '67 batch, and we could
source out 50 kids from our batch of 88 girls and boys who
graduated that year. I had done a detailed report on each person,
with date of birth, Wedd Ann, spouse, children, tel nos, mobiles,
emails, line of work listed against each person. It was tough work,
but the result, encapsuled in a small purple covered book
(school colours) with a page on each person, to make future
networking possible.

Everyone was thrilled with the effort, and that was the end to a great
evening.

Will keep you posted

Shobha Jhunjhunwala (née Agarwal)"

Shobha must have also won the Ookerjee Memorial Essay Prize, so obviously also holds the nickname "Ooky 66".

Thank you, Shobha, for the rapid update and I look forward to receiving some group photo's from the Reunion along with identification name labels to post on the blog. Maybe one of your kindergarten teachers will recognise one of you!! :-)

67er Reunion TODAY

Cathedralites, especially 67ers

News has just reached me that in a few hours 67ers will be having their reunion at "Starter's and More*" (near Eros Theatre) in Mumbai, starting at 19:30 Indian Standard Time.

I believe about 15 Ladies and 10 Gentlemen are already registered to attend.

You should contact Shobha Jhunjhunwala (née Agarwal) for further details if you happen to be in Mumbai.

I have sent them greetings from all Cathedralites worldwide.

Recognise this "Birthday Boy" en route his wedding ceremony?

I wonder how many will recognise this nervous handsome young man and his helpers on his wedding day?

Rajen, Mathukuttychayan, late Kunjumonchayan, Senchayan and Suresh prepare to go to the church for Sen's wedding. Copyright: My father, the late Kuriyan Matthan.

Senchayan (Mammen Philip), a brilliant Cambridge economist, and part of a family of renowned economists comprising of his father, K. M. Philip (Peelukuttychayan) and Dr. Peter Philip (Suresh) finished his college from Madras Christian College, Tambaram before joining Cambridge University, UK.

Didn't he look smart? Today, he still remains cool and smart as he celebrates his 67th birthday.

I am sure all you 53er Cathedralites and Kandathils will join Annikki and me in wishing him a very happy birthday.

Sen now lives in Chennai. His two kids, Kavitha and Karun, both absolutely brilliant minds but truly humble human beings, take after their dad on both counts.

Senchayan's home used to be our Saturday or Sunday afternoon relaxation centre for a few of us who wanted to play a few rounds of friendly bridge in Chennai in the early seventies. We downed many a bottle of cold beer during those sessions. (That was well before I stopped imbibing!!)

Thanks for all the great times and pleasant memories, Senchayan!!

I had to laugh to myself...

I do get a lot of email from all corners of the globe. It has not reached the enormous proportions of early last year. I had to laugh to myself when I got this one:

"Dear Jacob,

I was surprised to see my name in your newsletter. I am
Neelam Lakhani, and I have no recollection of playing
football, cricket or table tennis with you, as I read on
your Cathedral Newsletter. Incidentally I'm not from
Cathedral.

In fact, I don't even recall the names Jangoo Moos,
Percy Mistry, Amin Choksi. Care to jog my memory?
Or is this another Neelam?

Regards,

Neelam Lakhani"

It prompted me to reply with some wit:

Dear Neelam,

If you go to my blog at

http://jmatthan.blogspot.com

and look at the picture for the blog entry in the archives
for December 13th 2004, the shorty in the top row
extreme right, standing, with glasses is NEELAM LAKHANI!!

School Prefects 1969

Neelam was in my House of which I was House Captain.
I am the guy with the head circled in the seated row.

Does it look like you in your younger days, or has
dementia set in?

Regards

Jacob

Actually, sometime about 3 years ago, the correct Neelam did contact me by email, but I lost his email address. If anyone knows where he is, I would love to get back in contact with him!!

Kindness, friendships and more

This morning I went early to take grandson Samuel to school as his dad, Tony, had driven up to Rovaniemi (200 km north of Oulu), famous as a tourist city called the home of Santa Claus. Tony was not going to see Santa Claus!

After dropping Samuel at school, I went to my car mechanic as there were some small problems with my ancient rally jallopy. He fixed them and charged me just Euro 25 for almost an hour and a half's work. The usual rate is about Euro 50 per hour!!

I thought that I would check my car battery as a late cold winter spell is expected. I drove to friend's shop, a family business which specialises in batteries.

Mika did not ask many questions. He installed a new battery, the very best - a Varta heavy duty. I waited to pay at the cash counter as there were several customers. Mika came from the yard and told me, loudly, it would cost Euro 70, which I duly handed over. He took the money, bent over the cash machine for a couple of seconds. I thought he was preparing the bill. He then took some money out of the cash machine and handed it to me, telling me it was "my change"!!

There was Euro 70 being returned. I could not understand what this meant, but before I could protest, he insisted it was "my change" and asked me politely to leave!!

I did not know what to do, as I am used to paying for whatever I buy. Here was, for no apparent reason, my friend of long standing, no doubt, insisting that I do not pay for a brand new battery, and one of the best in the market which costs well over Euro 100!!

I got home to find a couple of emails. The first was an excited one from Gracie Hayeem. She enclosed an email she had received from another 69er:

"Dear Miss Hayeem:

Barbara shared your e-mail address with me, and your warm note.

I do remember you most fondly -- vivid images of a beautiful teacher with long shapely legs (we often sat on the floor so legs were eye-level) and gorgeous skirts who would lead us in song and reciting our alphabets. I remember our reader with you -- "Sing Mother sing, Mother shall sing..." I think I was in Miss Lely's class, but it is all one big happy blur.

I am now in New Orleans with my husband and two daughters (19 and 14). I did a Ph.D. at UCLA, finishing in 1983 and have been teaching at universities since (at Penn State, on sabbatical at UCLA and now at Tulane).

I meet Shyla (Boga) and Sheba (Eapen) on my visits back to Bombay which are often , and recently have started e-mailing Barbara. I call Zarine on the phone. I left Catherdral in 1966, and finished the last three years of school from Delhi.

It's Mardi Gras here and soon it will be Jazz Fest. New Orleans is always good for music and food. Having you and your family visit would be a joy. We live in a 130 year old house close to the beautiful Audobon Park and walking distance to the historic tram line which would take us down to to French Quarter.

Warm regards,

Mita (Chatterji) Sujan"

Now. wasn't that nice.

Sheba is the younger sister of one of us 59ers, the late Jacob Eapen. Jacob came to St. Stephen's College with me and we both got called for IIT Karagphur. He decided to join while I stayed on in St. Stephen's.

And then there was an email from New Delhi from Cathedralite 57er (as well as 61er Stephanian), Ashok (Tony) Jaitly, retired from his stint as Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir. He had just spent last evening with his old classmate, Abe Hayeem, Gracie's younger brother, who is an architect, lives in London and is touring India with the folk group (see earlier blog entry for details).

I was glad that Tony is well as I had not heard from him for a few months. He is enjoying his retirement. Tony was extremely helpful to me in the 70's when he was George Fernandes's IAS Personal Secretary when George was the Industries Minister!! I always think of Tony and the kindness he showed me.

And then the snail mail arrived. It contained a cover from my foster daughter, Gopa Haikkonen, who is 54er Sadhana (née Shah) Madhusadan's daughter who is married to a Finn and lives in South Finland. The cover contained a CD which was the 50 year reunion celebrations of the 1954 Cathedralite Group.

I was deeply touched when in the introduction Suhas Phadke mentioned how I had played a (tiny) role in getting this gig together. Thank you all for remembering me!!

California, New Orleans in the US, Oulu and Tampere in Finland, New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune in India and Londn, U.K. - the world is just a very small oyster and there are lovely kind people existing everywhere. For that I thank God and hope that all of you will keep in touch with me and help share your kindness and good cheer all around the world.

What is a true reunion?

Us 59ers have got together on various occasions, and many of our Mumbai crowd try to get together a couple of times a year. 49ers have been getting together, thanks to the organising skill of New Delhite Yezad Kapadia. 54ers had a historic reunion in Mumbai last year. The 69ers also had their 35 year reunion at the same time.

Just last week I had this email from Gracie Hayeem in California:

"Dear Jacob,

Thanks for e. mail. I also noted the name of Barbara Rossi. I was wondering if she was in class 69, like it was noted and if anyone has her contact. E. mail or Phone number?

I remember teaching a Barbara Rossi in Kindergarten and counted the years and it could be the same Young lady!!

Veronica Lely and myself had two Kindergarten classes in One Room and we held our concerts together and Art classes, etc.:

Barbara was in my class and everyone was crazy about this little girl who was so smart and so very cute and sweet. I have a picture of her in our Christmas Concert.

Would love to know if it is really her. Miss Hayeem was my name then!!!!

You are the best detective and people connector.

Bless you and your family,

Gracie."

The "people connector" got to work and located a Barbara Rossi within 5 minutes, to whom I sent an email. Within another 5 minutes I got this reply:

"Dear Jacob,

miss Heym... followed by miss Hyn in first standard

yes! how could I forget my first teacher! (I knew the pronunciations... it was the spelling I didn't know... but then how would I have known if she was the first one to teach me to draw neat little letters in Cathedral & John Connon School exercise books...)

my memories are not THAT good, but a bit of refreshing this year at the 35 year reunion did help remember that wonderful period of our life that was attending Junior school!

I am most touched she remembers me!!!!!

and do please give her my e-mail or address, whatever is easier

Barbara Rossi Montevecchi
Milano, Italy

e-mail : supplied

and before I close, to you an enormous thank you for finding me!"

Attached with this email was this:

Barbara Rossi's kindergarten drawing book where Gracie Hayeem has written Barbara's name on the cover.

Poor Barbara, as the emails that have followed have been that she has been totally distracted and her "work" has gone to pieces!! Sorry Barbara.

It has been such a pleasure to put people, fellow alma maters, teachers and students, together again.

Many of you will remember an email I sent out a long time ago under Newsy Notes mailings about why I do this job on the web.

This work, done in memory of our dear 59er classmate, the late Bala Parasuraman, gives me the thrill and excitement that no other activity (other than playing with my grandchildren) can!!!

Both Barbara and Gracie have sent me lovely emails since. Barbara has sent me her link to a site where she has scanned in images of the 1958 School Prospectus. I will, in later issues of this blog, put up a couple of the photographs, and maybe some of you can help me identify some of the faces!!

And finally, I have news of a group of fabulous musicians who will be touring 7 Indian cities, and there are 3 famous Cathedralites in the group - Sara Manasseh (director, vocals, dumbuk: drum), Abe Hayeem (vocals, tambourine) and Pamela Solomon (vocals). Abe sent me the CD of theirs called "Rivers of Babylon" and it is really a wonderful piece of music.

I hope all of you will make it a point to see them when they are in your vicinity.

"Remembered Rhythms": A festival of diaspora and the music of India
2-22 February 2005
Lecture-concert tour of 7 cities in India

Sara Manasseh and Rivers of Babylon have been invited by The Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology and the American Institute of Indian Studies, New Delhi, to participate in an amazing three-week tour of seven Indian University cities. The event is supported by the Ford Foundation. The concert performances are preceded by a short, introductory lecture and are open to University students and the general public. Admission free.

Here are details of the lecture-performance dates and venues:
Delhi: Sunday 6 February, Pearey Lal Bhavan, 7pm
Kolkata (Calcutta): Tuesday 8 February, Birla Hall, 6:30pm
Hyderabad: Thursday 10 February, University of Hyderabad: D S T Auditorium, 7pm
Chennai (Madras): Monday 14 February, Music Academy, 7pm
Bangalore: Thursday 17 February, A D A Ranga Mandira, 6:30pm
Pune (Poona): Sunday 20 February, Symbiosis: Vishwabhavan Auditorium, 6:30pm
Mumbai (Bombay): Tuesday 22 February, Patkar Hall, 8pm

For the full programme, including details of an introductory Seminar and other participating groups, please check out the website dedicated to the festival:

http://www.musicdiaspora.org

which will have up to date information, including any changes.

Please pass on this information to anyone who may be interested.

If you are in India during this period, we would be delighted to see you at one or more of our concerts. Do let us know - via our website, or email us:

info@riversofbabylon.com

If you would prefer not to receive information about forthcoming events by Sara Manasseh and the Rivers of Babylon, please let us know.

With our very best wishes,

Rivers of Babylon
Sara Manasseh (director, vocals, dumbuk: drum), Ahmed Abd Alrahman ('oud: Arab lute ), Abe Hayeem (vocals, tambourine), Saeed Nathan (Druze and Indian flutes, sba'ten: speciality finger clicks), Peter Shade (accordion), Barry Solomon (oboe, cor anglais, vocals), Edward Solomon (vocals), Pamela Solomon (vocals), Solly Solomon (vocals), Susan Verney (violin).

Delightful Colaco family

Many thanks to my classmate, David Colaco, for sharing details of his delightful family with me.

David has now retired having had a 30 year stint with BT. Wife Jane married David in 1971.

The Colaco family is another, like the Hayeem family, that contributed so much to the cultural and sporting traditions of Cathedral. Michael, David's elder brother, was one of the finest soprano's that the school has ever seen. David was also a great singer. Both were always in lead positions in the school musicals.

David's real excellence was his boxing talent. He was probably the youngest Cathedralite to win the Western India Championship at his age and weight. David also won the School Cross Country Champioship at Jogeshwari a couple of times in his group. It was this stamina that led him excel in boxing. David was the shortest prefect and so, he says, was given charge of the juniors in school.

Alex, the third brother, sadly passed away of a heart attack on 7th June 2003. Basil, the fourth, was probably the youngest Colaco in school at that time. And there was one more brother, whose name skips me at the moment, who had probably not yet got to school when I was there. A cousin of the Colaco's, Maurice Belacourt, was a fine hockey and football player, making the First Eleven even while he was in the 9th standard.