February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 1

The Unofficial Publication of The 1979 Batch Engineer Trainees Of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Tiruchirapalli, India

PPPuuulllssseee February 2013 Issue No. 134

February 2013

Page 2

Viswa-roopam unleashed

Page 6

Chandra on Valentine’s Day

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Inside This Issue Page

ET79indeed: -Viswa-roopam 2

Lady ET79: -Mrs Meena Asokkumar 4

Reflections: - Sridhar 5

Valentine’s Day: - Chandra 6

In The News: - Easwaran 3,8,10

Health & Longevity: - Mohan 9

Guest Column: - Andrew Hudson 11

Your Feedback - All 12

Dear ET79

Feb 13 issue has 12 pages, with many contributions. Vichu and Mrs Meena Asokkumar are featured this time.

‘Trumpet’ column has been renamed as ‘ET79indeed’, to reflect on the seriousness of the topic.

We welcome your feedback on this issue.

Happy reading!

Radha

31 Jan 13, Dubai

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 2

With his expertise in design

engineering, Viswanathan

(Vichu) was destined to

achieve many accolades in his

career. His outward

appearance of a seemingly

frail structure has been a

contrast to his strong will and

single mindedness in pursuit

of excellence in the chosen

field.

We tracked to find it out,

‘where’ has Vichu reached and

how successful his

‘experiments with agni’ have

been. Let us have a chat with the noble-atma:

Q: You have achieved many laurels in your career

and you were the youngest to achieve some of them.

What do you consider as your top achievements?

A: “My trip to USA in June 1986 comes to my mind.

Those were the days when going to CE for something

like 3-months on-the-job training was considered an

achievement. Mine was a short trip, but for an

important assignment of getting CE’s approval for

the design of Trombay, Unit-6, 500 MW boiler in

which I was involved as the designer. You are right

on the age aspect. May be, I was one of the youngest

engineers from BHEL to be sent to CE during our

time”

“I would rank my elevation to the corporate position

of Divisional Manager in Thermax in 1996 among

my top achievements. Here too, I was one of the

youngest engineers in Thermax to reach this level.”

“I would also like to consider among my top

achievements, the active role I played in booking the

first order of the new product line for which I was

recruited in a couple of private organizations at

different points of time in my career.”

Q: What are these orders for and for which

companies?

A: “One of them was the first order for the company

for Bidrum boiler with Fluid Bed Combustion for a

paper manufacturing plant in 1993 while in Thermax.

The other was for the first PF fired Boiler for the

company for a 180 MW power plant in 2012 while in

ISGEC.”

Q: What propelled you to the corporate position in

Thermax, pretty early in your career with them?

A: “I played a very active role in the first export

order of large value for 3 boilers to burn sludge from

Effluent Treatment Plant in Fluid Bed Combustion in

1995. I was leading from the front, a cross-functional

team with members from R&D, Design, Procurement

and Exports-commercial. We worked single-

mindedly for the order without functional boundaries

or time limits. I remember working on several

holidays for this prestigious order. The successful

securing of this order made headlines within

Thermax. This was a turning point in my career,

which, I believe, led to my elevation to the corporate

position in 1996”.

A team building exercise in Thermax.

Vichu is in the forefront of this picture, as well.

Q: We remember your love for teaching thermal

engineering and spending significant evening time in

your BHEL days. What was your motivation?

A: “I was teaching Thermodynamics and Thermal

Engineering to AMIE students in BHEL Training

Centre during the evening hours. This meant a lot of

sacrifice of my personal time. But, this gave me good

recognition among the students as they could

understand and clear these subjects easily, and I

Viswa-roopam ET79indeed

Vichu’s Career Trail

1979-90: BHEL, Trichy (Last position: Dy. Manager-BPP)

1990-93: Ergodyne, Chennai (Last position: Manager-Engg)

1993-08: Thermax, Pune (Last position: DGM)

2008-10: Alstom, Noida (Last position: Head-Engg, Boilers)

2010-todate: ISGEC, Noida as Head-Engg Utility Boilers

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 3

became a preferred teacher, which obviously meant

more sacrifice for me personally. The real benefit for

me was the satisfaction I got for educating someone,

and I sort of discovered my passion, i.e. teaching.”

Q: Can you elaborate on how teaching helped in your

career?

A: “Of course, this has helped in sharpening my

presentation skills, and given the fact that I am

continuing in my Thermal Engineering profession, it

also comes handy while analyzing any related

problems in work, or while training others.”

Q: How will you compare your learning experiences

in BHEL and in Thermax?

A: “I believe that BHEL has taught me a large chunk

of what I know in Boiler technology, and Thermax

has taught me a similar extent in management of

human resources, business operations and customer

relations. These have helped me to get adapted to

whatever organization I have shifted to subsequently

in my career”.

Q: What are your passions and hobby?

A: “Teaching is my passion. Watching TV and

reading newspaper are my hobbies. Reading ‘Pulse’

regularly every month is part of my hobby too”.

Q: About the support you received from your family,

particularly, your wife.

A: “Tremendous! I think she has sacrificed a lot in

allowing me to pursue my office work totally, with

her taking care of children and home, and

undertaking outstation travel to attend important

functions & works on my behalf. Her sacrifice can be

summarized by saying that I have hardly ever had to

think about home while in office, but could still

afford to think about office at home, especially with

office emails hitting Blackberry regularly”.

Q: One last question, about Sandhyavandanam.. Are

you still practicing it without fail?

A: “No; nowadays, I perform it only on the days of

religious ceremonies.”

We have always anticipated that Vichu will scale

greater heights; time has validated our expectations.

Our best wishes to Vichu to achieve many more

laurels!

In the News

Guru’s son’s marriage: Easwaran writes, “ET79 – have you made note? The next congregation is at Bengaluru. Our ever-smiling Guru’s son’s marriage is all set to be a grand event. For details, please note that the marriage will be at Krishna Choultry at 9th Block,

Jayanagar. The Reception is on 19.02.13 starting at 6.30 p.m. and the marriage on 20th, Muhurtham at 11.30 a.m”. “When I contacted Guru and told him that we are yet to see the invitation, Guru was quick to state that he will be sending the invitations by courier during Feb first week (followed up with a reminder version by e-mail). He is happy with the progress of the preparations (groom’s dad has it cool!). What if we land up on 19th Feb evening and are stranded at Bengaluru? Guru says if prior intimation is given, arrangements can be made for accommodation”. “So ET79, please note all roads lead to Bengaluru on Feb 19/20”.

Parthiban back in action: Easwaran reaches to Prathiban ”How is Parthiban these days?” Parthiban responded to my query thus, “I have returned back to field in December itself. That is after 60 days of the by-pass surgery. Now I am travelling as usual. I have a grandson now (75 days old). Son in law is practising on his own at Palani - his native place. However, I have bought a house at Coimbatore thinking he would shift someday as Palani cannot fill his pocket. Second daughter is in final year civil. I pray she gets married before she completes her studies.”

How is business going? Factory at Bangalore is having enough business from cement industries across the country. Parthiban’s only complaint is he does not get engineers to build second line for consultancy.

For those passing by Pollachi, do make a call and drop in at K.K.Parthiban’s home. For completeness, the address is Venus Energy Audit System, 181, Somasundaram layout, Udumalai road, Pollachi 642001 (Cell:098431 13111; Land: 04259 234405;

Mail: parthi2006@gmail.com / venus.energy@gmail.com; Web: www.venus-boiler.com

About Vichu, S Sridhar says, “I have had

an almost unbroken association on a

personal level with Vichu even after both

of us left BHEL. I am very fortunate on

this count.”

“I can readily tell 3 key personal qualities of

Vichu. The genuineness he shows to your

concerns, which I have personally experienced.

Keeping commitments is very close to his heart.

His attention to details, to-date amazes me!”

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 4

Meena Asokkumar and Asokkumar have been

married for 30 years. Asok looks back and

gratefully reflects on the impact Mrs Meena has

had on his life.

Let us listen to what Asok has to say about Mrs

Meena Asokkumar:

On support received during his MS and PhD

studies:

“I was already a family man, when I decided to

do advanced studies sponsored by BHEL.

During my studies, Meena took complete care

of Vaishnavi and Hariesh so that I could give

my fullest attention to the studies. I owe it to

Meena for successfully getting through my

Masters as well as PhD degrees from the Indian

Institute of Science.”

On maintaining family coffers:

“In addition to being an excellent home maker,

Meena actively contributes to managing our

family finances and investments. She ensures

that I make appropriate investments and takes

adequate care of them too. In some ways,

Meena is our Home Minister as well as the

Finance Minister.”

On the self-actualisation journey:

“I am a known hyper-tension personality with a

short fuse. To manage my emotions better,

Meena convinced me to take the spiritual path.

She encouraged me to take to Isha yoga classes

and ensures that I practice yoga regularly.”

On three best personal qualities of Mrs Meena,

Asok lists:

Empathising with

people

Commitment to

family members,

to their health and

wellbeing.

Sense of humour

to tide over

difficult situations.

Asok continues with

amazement, “After

taking care of all aspects of the family

management, Meena finds time for Tanjore

painting. This form of paining is painstaking

and takes a lot of time. Without doubt, she is an

exponent in Tanjore painting”:

We asked the question, “Asok, at this stage in

life, what message you would like to give your

wife, which you have not given so far?”

An indebted Asok says,

“Meena, I am fortunate to have you as my life

partner. You have effectively maintained peace

and harmony in the family, in spite of me! I

would readily nominate you for the Nobel peace

prize, in the family category, if there was one.”

Asoks cool off in Coorg

Asok, Meena Asok, Vaishnavi, Hariesh Asok and Hareesh Easwaran found the Pongal holidays ideal for taking a four day trip to Coorg. Travelling by road in Asok’s car, they were at Dubera Forest Camp, braving a cool boating, all set to splash into the waters.

They were also at Bengaluru, Mysore seeing places. There were also visits to quite a few temples including Gunaseelam and Bannari Amman temple on the way. The younger participants however felt fun shouldn’t be mixed with religion! But Asok has his way!

Mrs Meena Asokkumar Lady ET79

No doubt, Asok feels like a free bird

with his wife taking full care of the family

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 5

Question: Do you think our life is governed by our actions and the consequences of our

actions or is it a predetermined course of events? Can we write the script of our future, break

free from the shackles of destiny or is everything about life already pre-planned and are we

just walking into the future that is already set for us.

T T Rangarajan (Voice of Love): Every moment

of life offers innumerable choices. For every choice

I execute, I invite a consequence. While I have

control over my choices, I can only have

expectations over the consequences. While I have a

choice over choice, I am actually choiceless about

the consequence. While

choices are born out of my

intelligence, consequences are

a feedback from Existential

intelligence - the

conglomeration of infinite

forces - known, unknown and

unknowable. My microscopic

intelligence operates out of the

data at my disposal, while the macrocosmic

intelligence operates out of universal data.

Life progresses in the framework of choice-

consequence-choice cycle. I execute a choice (I lead

my life). Of course, the consequence of my choice

is not in my control (I am being led). But again,

how I respond to these consequences is once again

my choice and that is in my control. My choices are

my self-effort (X-axis). The consequences are my

destiny (Y-axis). My future is neither completely

controlled by consequences nor is it independent of

my choices, but it is a resultant diagonal in the XY

graph. Life is not Self-Effort Vs Destiny, but it is

Self-Effort plus Destiny.

So, I will use my intelligence to execute choices.

Surrender the same intelligence to the Existential

intelligence by faithfully accepting the

consequences. And again use my intelligence to

execute counter-choices to those consequences. On

a yellow wall when I paint the blue, I will neither

find the yellow nor get the

blue, but a resultant green.

However, if I continue my

self-effort of painting the blue

long enough, the wall will

eventually turn blue.

So, if I don’t get what I want

in life, which I sometimes

won’t; if after all my efforts

the results don’t turn out to be what I aspired for,

which they sometimes won’t; if the consequences of

my choices aren’t what I intended, as they

sometimes won’t... I will not lose my heart.

Unintended consequences are life’s way of showing

me the possibilities I haven’t thought about.

Unintended consequences are Existence’s way of

telling me that it has a different plan for me… a plan

larger than what I intended.

I will use the framework of choice-consequence-

choice and keep progressing in life. Life is, ‘I’ plus

‘Him’ project, and not ‘I’ versus ‘Him’ project.

Courtesy: ‘Clarity is power’ column of FROZEN THOUGHTS.

“Who writes the script of my life?” Reflections Sourced by S Sridhar

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 6

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine's Day--and the story of its

patron saint--is shrouded in mystery. It contains

vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman

tradition. One legend contends that Valentine was a

priest who served during the third century in Rome.

When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men

made better soldiers than those with wives and

families, he outlawed marriage for young men.

Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree,

defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages

for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions

were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to

death. Other stories suggest that

Valentine may have been killed

for attempting to help Christians

escape harsh Roman prisons,

where they were often beaten

and tortured. According to one

legend, an imprisoned Valentine

actually sent the first "valentine"

greeting himself after he fell in

love with a young girl--possibly

his jailor's daughter--who visited him during his

confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he

wrote her a letter signed "From your Valentine," an

expression that is still in use today. Although the

truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the

stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic,

heroic and--most importantly--romantic figure.

Origins of Valentine's Day

While some believe that Valentine's Day is

celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of

Valentine's death or burial, others claim that the

church might have decided to place St. Valentine's

feast day in the middle of February in an effort to

"Christianize" the pagan celebration of Lupercalia, a

fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god

of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders

Romulus and Remus. Apart from some rituals on

that day, all the young women in the city would

place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors

would each choose a name and become paired for

the year with his chosen woman. These matches

often ended in marriage. Lupercalia survived the

initial rise of Christianity but was outlawed—as it

was deemed “un-Christian”--at the end of the 5th

century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14

St. Valentine's Day. It was not until much later,

however, that the day became definitively associated

with love. During the Middle Ages, it was

commonly believed in France and England that

February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating

season, which added to the idea that the middle of

Valentine's Day should be a day for romance. By the

15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in

which lovers expressed their love for each other by

presenting flowers and

sending greeting cards

(known as "valentines").

Since the 19th century,

handwritten valentines have

given way to mass-produced

greeting cards

Modern times

Today, it is entirely driven by

commercial interests. According to the Greeting

Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s

Day cards are sent each year in the US alone,

prompting some to call it a “Hallmark holiday”. It

includes cards that are given to family members and

Teachers. Other Valentines include the heart-shaped

outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid.

In the second half of the 20th century, the practice of

exchanging cards was extended to all manner of

gifts such as roses and chocolates packed in a red

satin, heart-shaped box. In the 1980s, the diamond

industry began to promote Valentine's Day as an

occasion for giving jewelry. Globalisation and the

influence of US culture has taken this to many parts

of the world. Local commercial interests have given

rise to various regional customs. In some European

and Latin American countries, this day is promoted

more as a Love and Friendship day increasing the

business potential. In Japan, a translation error of a

chocolate-company during the initial campaign in

1960s led to the custom of only women giving

Valentine’s Day – 14 February Culture By Chandra

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 7

To My Unknown Daughter

She died yesterday in a land far away,

From the rapacious wolves: a fatally wounded prey.

Animals with no love, shame or pity,

Just claws of lust and fangs of fury.

She died yesterday in an antiseptic city.

Whilst our celebrities mouthed inanities.

They termed her a brave-heart, India’s daughter,

Knowing their own was safe, in a secured quarter.

She died yesterday and she died today.

She will die again tomorrow and every day.

Because that’s her fate and that’s our will.

Nothing ever changes here and nothing ever will.

So sleep my dear girl, sleep the sleep of the just.

Sleep in a place better than the one you were born in.

And while you are asleep, dream a better dream,

Than the one that was so brutally torn.

By An Unknown Author

Sourced by Easwaran

chocolates to men. In the 1980s the Japanese

National Confectionery Industry Association

launched a successful campaign to make March 14 a

"reply day", where men are expected to return at

least two or three times more valuable than the gifts

received on Valentine's Day. Japanese chocolate

companies make half their annual sales during this

time of the year. South Korea has extended this

further by marking 14th of every month a love-

related day with different names like candle day,

kiss day, etc. In China, 14th Feb is not that popular as

it is close to Chinese New year. But they have a

tradition of celebrating similar day on the 7th day of

the 7th month of Chinese calendar.

India

In India, Valentine's Day celebrations started

catching up in the 1990s with the economic

liberalization. At times, there are protests from the

Hindu and Islamic traditionalists who consider it to

be cultural contamination from the West. However

driven by commercial interests, the mainstream

media attacks such protests as cultural policing.

Studies have shown that Valentine's Day promotes

and exacerbates income inequality in India, and aids

in the creation of a pseudo-westernized middle class.

As a result, the working classes and rural poor

become more disconnected. Many countries in the

Middle east and Far east are also taking steps to stop

this commercialist and Western cultural invasion.

In Feb 2006, I was in Bangkok as a tourist. The Thai

tour guide was explaining the special Valentine day

programs at the Hotel and many American tourists

were enthused. When she asked about my plans, I

told that for Indians every day is a Valentine day.

While Love is Universal phenomenon and a very

potent force, should it be expressed in such a

superficial way? I am sure even St.Valentine would

not have liked the way the day is celebrated now.

Hope Gen Next will think and act without blindly

aping the west.

T R I B U T E

Nataraj’s father-in-law is

no more Nataraj’s father-in-law expired on 4th Jan 2013. He was 83. Though he had some heart problems, he was keeping himself agile and active. He had a fall in the bathroom, and the injury on the head did not show up immediately in all the scans, but the internal bleeding seems to have increased with time. He went into a comma and then expired.

Condolences from ET79 family.

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 8

The silent ET79: He is known to only murmur,

but these days he doesn’t even do that. He does

not respond to e-mails, doesn’t attend ET79

events? Why is he so silent? How is he getting

along? Many have these questions in their lips,

but have not ventured to ask? So I took courage

and phoned this fellow. The cell phone gave a

weird ringtone with an undecipherable lingo.

While I was guessing where in the hell this fellow

was, I could hear the murmur at the other end?

Which part of the Universe are you in? – I ask

Mohanty. It looks like ages to get the response

and then the line gets cut. I instantaneously

realize Mohanty is there at the other end, and is

possibly at Bubaneshwar!

Thankfully, Mohanty comes back on line, before I

call it quits. He tells me he is in Bubaneshwar,

attending his wife’s elder sister’s daughter’s

marriage? He is on leave for 15 days. How do

they give such long leave for a senior person in

BAP?! He will get back only by 28th Jan. How is

Mrs Mohanty? He immediately gives the phone

to her. Madam is running around in the post

marriage events, but has a smile and greetings to

offer. She feels Mohanty is overworked and

hence it is good that he has got this 15 days

vacation!

About Sidharth, I am informed that he is at

Mudra Communications. With all his talents as a

caricaturist, I am sure he will be an asset there.

When the phone is back with Mohanty, I ask him

whether he would attend Guru’s son’s marriage

at Bengaluru? Which Guru? When I tell him

about the ‘smiling Md. Rafi’ Guru, he asks me

where the invitation is! I tell him that it will come

by e-mail and the last Pulse had carried this

news. Mohanty feels he receives hundreds of e-

mails and where in the heaven can he find time

for reading all that! (Guru, are you listening?)

About life in Ranipet, Mohanty is happy.

So if you need to communicate something to

Mohanty, pick your phone and dial M. Never

send an e-mail.

Gopi getting geared up for

Interviews: Our Gopinath

attended a training programme

which trains senior executives

of PSUs to attend Board Level

interviews. The questions are

blasted right from the word go… What are the

blue ocean and red ocean research that you are

doing? What would be the effect of diesel prices

in new coal based power projects (remember

coal has to be transported by rail!) and so on.

The mentors told that usually rapport building

questions would be asked to make the

participants at ease. But when that did not

happen in the mock interview, the interviewers

were asked. Their response was sometimes we

do that at the end of the interview, so that the

participants do not go back cursing us! The

general performance of BHEL participants was

good, that is a good way to sum up.

BHEL to declare entire

factory no-smoking zone:

Murux is in trouble. The

entire factory would shortly

be declared as no smoking

zone. He always likes to have

a smoke after tea. And a tea after smoking!!

It is also in the plan of BHEL to install more

CCTV cameras, so Murux will be left with few

escape routes.

ET79 looks forward to the day when

smoking will be banned in BHEL Township

also!

ET 79 News Makers News By Easwaran

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 9

The past year in fitness has been alternately

inspiring, vexing and diverting, as my revisiting of

all of the Phys Ed columns published in 2012 makes

clear. Taken as a whole, the latest exercise-related

science tells us that the right types and amounts of

exercise will almost certainly lengthen your life,

strengthen your brain, affect your waistline and even

clear debris from inside your body's cells. But too

much exercise, other 2012 science intimates, might

have undesirable effects on your heart, while

popping painkillers, donning stilettos and sitting and

reading this column likewise have their costs.

With New Year's exercise resolutions still fresh and

hopefully unbroken on this, day two of 2013, it now

seems like the perfect time to review these and other

lessons of the past year in fitness science.

First, since I am habitually both overscheduled and

indolent, I was delighted to report, as I did in June,

that the "sweet sport" for health benefits seems to

come from jogging or working out for only a brief

period a few times a week.

Specifically, an encouraging 2012 study of 52,656

American adults found that those who ran 1 to 20

miles per week at an average pace of about 10 or 11

minutes per mile - my leisurely jogging speed, in

fact - lived longer, on average, than sedentary adults.

They also lived longer than the group (admittedly

small) who ran more than 20 miles per week.

"These data certainly support the idea that more

running is not needed to produce extra health and

mortality benefits," Dr. Carl J. Lavie, a cardiologist

in New Orleans and co-author of the study told me.

"If anything," he said, "it appears that less running is

associated with the best protection from mortality

risk."

Similarly, in a study from Denmark that I wrote

about in September, a group of pudgy young men

lost more weight after 13 weeks of exercising

moderately for about 30 minutes several times a

week than a separate group who worked out twice as

much.

The men who exercised the most, the study authors

discovered, also subsequently ate more than the

moderate exercisers.

Even more striking, however, the vigorous

exercisers subsequently sat around more each day

than did the men who had exercised less, motion

sensors worn by all of the volunteers showed.

"They were fatigued," said Mads Rosenkilde, a

Ph.D. candidate at the University of Copenhagen

and the study's co-author.

Meanwhile, the men who had worked out for only

about 30 minutes seemed to be energized by their

new routines. They stood up, walked, stretched and

even bounced in place more than they once had. "It

looks like they were taking the stairs now, not the

elevators, and just moving around more," Mr.

Rosenkilde said. "It was little things, but they add

up."

And that idea was, in fact, perhaps the most

dominant exercise-science theme of 2012: that little

things add up, with both positive and pernicious

effects. Another of my favorite studies of 2012

found that a mere 10 minutes of daily physical

activity increased life spans in adults by almost two

years, even if the adults remained significantly

overweight.

But the inverse of that finding proved to be equally

true: not fitting periods of activity into a person's

daily life also affected life span. Perhaps the most

chilling sentence that I wrote all year reported that,

according to a large study of Western adults, "Every

single hour of television watched after the age of 25

reduces the viewer's life expectancy by 21.8

minutes."

I am watching much less television these days.

But not all of the new fitness science I covered this

year was quite so sobering or, to be honest,

Good and Bad, the Little Things Add Up in Fitness By Gretchen Reynolds; New York Times, 2 Jan 2013

Health & Longevity

Sourced by Mohan

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 10

consequential. Some of the more practical studies

simply validated common sense, including reports

that to succeed in ball sports, keep your eye on the

ball; during hot-weather exercise, pour cold water

over your head; and, finally, on the day before a

marathon, eat a lot.

But when I think about the science that has most

affected how I plan my life, I return again and again

to those studies showing that physical activity alters

how long and how well we live. My days of heedless

youth are behind me. So I won't soon forget the

study I wrote about in September detailing how

moderate, frequent physical activity in midlife can

delay the onset of illness and frailty in old age.

Exercise won't prevent you from aging, of course.

Only death does that. But this study and others from

this year underscore that staying active, even in

moderate doses, dramatically improves how your

aging body feels and responds.

Aging also inspired my favorite reader comment of

2012, which was posted in response to a research

scientist's name. "'Dr. Head,'" the reader wrote.

"That shall be the name of my all-senior-citizen

metal band," which, if its members gyrate and

vigorously bound about like Mick Jagger on his

recent tour, should ensure themselves decades in

which to robustly perform.

Stay well, Enjoy Life, & Be Nice to your spouse!

Ravichandran getting

set for daughter’s marriage

Dr. G Ravichandran is very busy these days, what

with having to make everything ready for his

daughter’s marriage. His daughter was also in

India on a short leave.

There are many things to be bought – dresses,

gold, silver and all that life needs. The event has

to be seen in its entirety. The groom’s side has to

be consulted on several things.

Who said it is fun getting daughter married off?

In between, he had to go to Delhi to receive the

BHEL’s Excel Award (see picture below) on the

coldest day reported in 40 odd years. Solving a

complex Finite Element Analysis is fun, he

concludes!

Viswanathan’s son’s engagement

Vichu writes, “I am very glad to inform ET &9

friends & their families about my son Raghavan's

engagement held on 17th January in Chennai”.

Raghavan, who has done Management in Finance

Stream from SP Jain, Mumbai, after his

Engineering graduation from College of

Engineering, Pune. He is currently working as a

Senior Consultant in Avalon Consulting, Mumbai.

Saranya, who hails from Chennai is a Commerce

graduate from Stella Mary's college and has done

M.A. in H.R. from Madras School of Social Work

and is currently working in HR of TCS, Chennai.

The wedding will be held on 12th July in Chennai;

an invite will follow in due course to all ET-79.

Please block your calendar for the wedding.

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 11

Dubai creek is a natural waterway that runs in the middle of the city before ending in the Arabian Gulf. This creek has elegant curvatures, fine-tuned by human-touch. Andrew Hudson highlights three distinctive ‘worlds’ that exists along the creek.

Wooden dhows returning from destinations

across the Arabian Gulf and elsewhere chug,

creak and sway as they cross the home stretch to

weigh anchor at the loading wharf close to the

mouth of the Dubai Creek. Other dhows are

already alongside, flanked by piles of wares,

crated machines, bales of materials and cardboard

boxes as pondering stevedores attempt to load as

much as possible onto these ancient, yet efficient

modes of local maritime trade. And, just as the

heart of this ancient section of Dubai Creek

beats to the deep rhythmic sound of maritime

engines, so the nimble abras or water taxis

dart, thrust and parry across the river with

their human passengers. Somewhere in the

distance the call to prayer echoes across the

busy passage and it rebounds off tan and

beige riverside buildings, teeming souqs

and large neon lights that reflect the world’s

major brand names. Here and there

industrious sailors in an assortment of robes

and garbs rearrange ropes and cables, while

others lean and rest against cargoes of tyres,

electronic goods and foodstuffs.

Further upstream a second world of coolness,

modernity and designer living emerges from

under the Maktoum Bridge. This wider stretch

of flat, more peaceful waters is flanked by the

greens of a golf club and cooled by the deep

shade of nodding palms as a seaplane flutters

and lands on the reflecting waters adjacent

to an elegant marina. Here Dubai Creek’s

floating bridge reverberates to the sound of

many tyres as busy vehicles cross to and

from their various destinations. Further

upstream the magnificent Garhoud Bridge,

garlanded with flags advertising the latest

event in the city, opens its arms to the visitor

and introduces the alluring modern glass-

fronted buildings of a vast shopping mall,

complete with hotels, another marina,

designer shops to die for and even a

Ferrari outlet. Laughter and chatter float

across the placid waters from the

restaurants and fast food outlets, leaving

the shopper spoilt for choice as the upriver

journey continues.

Once again a bridge, the Business Bay

Crossing, defines the Creek’s transition from

modernity, consumer goods and entertainment

to yet another world of serene river flats,

tangled mangroves and a peaceful sanctuary

for local and migratory birds. Seagulls,

waders and other waterfowl swirl and stream

low over the dark waters before setting course

for their daily feeding grounds and pink

flamingos pace the shallow waters with

upturned beaks and long spindly legs as

they feed. The world is at peace here and

the circle of life rotates to a slower, more

sedate heartbeat than downstream as the

water birds raise their beaks from their

feeding activity to view the world-

renowned skyscrapers of Downtown

Dubai in the far distance.

Are we as residents of Dubai perhaps not

mere reflections of the three worlds of Dubai

Creek? Are we not paying lip service to the

virtues of industriousness and the simple

rewards gained from honest hard work, while

clearly demonstrating a predilection for the

glitter and glint of cold glass consumerism and

ignoring the virtues to be derived from the

simpler, slower, healthy heartbeat of a

balanced natural environment?

1. Traditional dhows (mini ships) at the

wharf 2. Modern yacht and buildings 3. Flamingos ‘warming’ their feet after a

long flight from Siberia

Dubai Creek – Three Worlds in One Guest Column By Andrw Hudson

February 2013 Pulse ...feel the beat! Page | 12

Celebrating Birthdays

Name Feb

Dr Vaishali Somaiah 1

Mrs Kamalavathi JP 5

Siddharth Mohanty 8

Pradeep Thanakodi 9

Akileshkumar Radha 10

Ramesh Easwaran 11

Miss Swati Muthukumaran 12

Makesh Soundarajan

23

Miss Sineiha Lata Balraj 26

Ramkumar Nagesh Babu

28

Happy Birthday to You

Hi Radha

A very colorful Pulse & what a way to

start 2013! Since most of our batch

mates will be retiring in few years or

semi retired or have already retired, can

we start a section on "Retirement Plans"?

Regs

Pandian

(Radha: A valid suggestion; will be actively considered.)

You Said It Feedback

Dear Easwaran and Radha

The new innovative Pulse; output of both of

your collaborative efforts is simply superb.

Ya, we are feeling the beat of the pulse of

Fusion (music).

Thanks once again for your untiring efforts

in keeping the ET79 flock together.

Regards

S Sridhar

Dear Radha

Very good work and this issue

is colourful. I find literary

touch in the articles. Keep it up.

Regards

V Balraj

Radha

Reading in New format is a

great experience. Quantum leap

in publishing Pulse.

Thanks for your great editorial

effort.

Best regards

Chandra

Dear Radha I would like to compliment you for a colourful publication of the PULSE in the last two issues. The new format is really refreshing. I have just one feedback for improvement: try to avoid spelling errors, so that it does not take away the greatness brought in by your innovative format & design I like your persuasive & innovative approach in getting contributions from even silent readers like me. Best wishes for your initiatives in making the PULSE really vibrant. Regards K. Viswanathan (Radha: Regret the errors. Will take a better care.)

.

Regards

S Sridhar

Dear Radha

Great effort. Really a bumper issue, with eminent readability.

Excellently edited in two choice formats.

There is not a better way to start a great New Year 2013 than by

reading Pulse.

I am sure your mailbox deserves to be flooded with feedback. So

watch out! Have a great New Year with many gems of Pulse.

R. Easwaran

Celebrations

M Nataraj and Sumathi Nataraj complete

28 years of marriage on Feb 1. They got

married in 1985.

S S Ananthan and Revathy Ananthan

celebrate 23 years of their wedded bliss on

5th

February, having got married in1990.

Happy wedding anniversary to you!

Celebrating Wedding Days

Pulse Desk

R Easwaran

K S Radhakrishnan