GymOctober -M Novembera 2018 g | Kanchipuram | Vellore www.pachaiyappas.in 044-28155455 COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONTENTS & PORTFOLIOS

From the President’s Desk 4 PATRON: Lt.General ST UPASANI, SM., VSM All the President’s Men 6 PRESIDENT: MR. C. VENUGOPAL** [email protected] / 99520-07711 Snapshots of the 1st General Golf, Legal, Gym Mag & Website Committee Meeting 8 VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. SANJAY SHROFF** From the Hon. Secretary’s Desk 10 Library & Gym 3S

Green Is The Way To Go 11 VICE PRESIDENT: BRIG. V.N. SAWANT**# [email protected] / 96380-38800 How To Get Into Green Living and 12 HONORARY SECRETARY: DR. T. GUNASAGARAN** Self Sustaining Homes By Spending Less [email protected] / 94421-26998

Honeymoon Capital Of The World 13 HONORARY TREASURER: MR. K. PARTHASARATHY** [email protected] / 98845-90999 Shifting Sands 14 Finance & Accounts and Software N. KUMAR** The Emperor of All Mind Sports 15 [email protected] / 98410-31562 Cricket & Gymnasium Events 16 M. FAZAL MOHAMMED** [email protected] / Benefits of Swimming 21 98410-21234 House, Residential Quarters, Garden and Environment Reena's Recipes 22 ARVIND C. MEHTA [email protected] / 98410-19475 Chess, Table Tennis & Darts Andaman and Nicobar Islands Unraveled 25 K. MANIKANDAN News Round-up 26 [email protected] / 94442-42671 Catering Capt. S. SESHADRI (Retd.) [email protected] / 99403-00006 Entertainment SURENDRA KUMAR CHORDIA [email protected] / 98844-36000 Bar The Island, , Chennai 600002 email: [email protected] | [email protected] VIGNESH BHASKER www.madrasgymkhana.com [email protected] / 94887-60003 Tennis GOLF ANNEXE, : VIKRAM JALAN Phone: 22350319, 22300093 | mgcgolfl[email protected] [email protected] / 98403-72929 ** Swimming, Billiards & Snooker and Children’s Park General Manager: Mr. R. Manoharan | Ph: 9962072788 VINAY KUMAR SYAL Enquiries: Office, Party booking, Catering and Accomodation [email protected] / 98410-10747 Bridge 25364320, 25368160/8/9 ** COL. S. KARTIK# Published by Dr. T. Gunasagaran, Honorary Secretary [email protected] / 83008-28137 Managing Editor: Mr. C. Venugopal, President COL. GAUTAM ROY# GYM MAG is a bi-monthly magazine exclusively for circulation [email protected] / 98009-97474 among the members of the Madras Gymkhana Club.

** MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE # MEMBERS NOMINATED BY GOC 3 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

My Dear Fellow Members,

Compliments of the Season!

First of all, I wish to very sincerely & whole heartedly ‘THANK YOU’ for electing me as the President of our prestigious Club. Your confidence in me has me deeply humbled, doubly motivated and all the more committed to uphold the pride and prestige of this great institution. I thank all the Past Presidents and Committee Members with whom I have worked. They played a very vital role in preparing me for taking up the responsibilities of this coveted post.

I am fortunate to have a very dedicated and dynamic Team of Committee Members who have already formed their Sub-Committees and are in the process of bringing you various activities and improvements in their respective portfolios to keep you entertained all through the operational year.

Being my first communication as President to all our Members, I wish to share with you some aspects of my larger vision for improving your experience at our Club:

1. You will see a fully restored and renovated Main Lobby by the end of February 2019.

2. The fully renovated kitchen is almost ready and will be operational in about two months’ time.

3. The process to appoint an experienced Executive Chef who will be overall in-charge of procurement, catering and service is already underway. This practice of having an experienced Executive Chef is in keeping with International Hospitality Standards and will go a very long way in changing your dining experience at our Club.

4. The long-time demand by the Members to have place for Indoor Games like Chess, Darts and Table Tennis and Courts for the Badminton & Squash also will be met with shortly.

5. The renovation of the Family Dining Room (RENDEZVOUS) will commence in January 2019 and will be available for use by June 2019.

6. An ‘All Day Dining Facility (PATIO)’ facing our expansive beautiful Main Lawn and renovation of the Island Lounge are also under planning and will try to have these operational by September / October 2019.

7. You will also see a face lift for the Children’s Park very soon.

8. At the MGC Golf Annexe, the planning for renovation & up-gradation of the facilities for Golfers at the 11th Hole has already started and will be ready for inauguration by March 2019.

9. On the Staff Welfare front, the work for a Staff & Workers Dining Room with attached toilet is also to be taken up shortly.

The above improvements are being facilitated by ensuring smart usage of space available. I am also taking steps to ensure that all the above improvements are carried out under the expert advice of an Experienced Honorary Panel of Professionals drawn from our own Club Members to ensure the aesthetic & technical correctness with transparency while facilitating.

4 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

I strongly believe that we need to preserve our Club for our future generations and will take all steps for the same.

Improvement is a continuous process which can be brought in only by hard work and sustained efforts. Members are our strength and their cooperation is absolutely necessary to complete each project successfully. Some minor inconveniences are bound to occur during the course of improvement works and I look forward to the cooperation of all Members to enable us to complete these projects in a time bound manner.

With the festive season fast approaching, the Entertainment Sub-Committee along with the Catering Sub-Committee is actively planning to bring you a range of programmes like Kids Carnival, Carols Night, Boxing Day, New Year Celebrations, Pongal & Republic Day Celebrations. The Bar Sub-Committee has already successfully conducted Nadisha Thomas Barnite and pepped up the Friday & Saturday DJ nites with special offers on all the premium brands. A Karaoke night every alternate Wednesday at the Mixed Bar is also scheduled from December 2018. The screening of an average two feature films every month is going on uninterruptedly. GYM 3S has conducted two “Talks” by eminent speakers. The Library Sub-Committee had organised a story telling and Cupcake decorating session by Children to celebrate the Children’s Day in memory of Cha-Cha Nehru. The Cricket Sub-Committee conducted the annual ‘6 A Side Tournament’ on Saturday, 24th November 2018. ‘Madras Gymkhana Club Inter Club Cricket Tournament for Singaram Trophy’ will commence on 5th January 2019. The Sub-Committees for Tennis, Chess, Darts & Table Tennis have drawn up their plans for the year 2018-2019 and promises to be a very competitive year for our players. Tennis has conducted the ‘Vasanth Chari Memorial Tournament’ in October 2018. You may be, perhaps, aware that the oldest Tournament (since 1878) continues to be played in the world is the Inter Club Golf Tournament played between the Bangalore Golf Club, Bengaluru and the Madras Gymkhana Club, Chennai. This time, this Tournament will be played in our Golf Courses in Chennai on 1st, 2nd & 3rd February 2019. The Gymnasium Sub-Committee introduced ‘YOGA CLASSESS’ and it has proved to be extremely popular. Hamsa Dorai Kannu Memorial Tournament was successfully conducted by the Bridge Sub-Committee in November 2018.

Memberships are open to bring in new quality Members though only with thorough scrutiny and checks.

On the demand by large number of Members, the GYM MAG which was being published in Digital Form for last two years is reverting back to its original Paperback Form. Hence forth, GYM MAG will be a bi-monthly publication. Members who wish to advertise in the GYM MAG may please contact the Club Office.

As you can see, we have lined up so many improvements and activities for the year ahead and I shall keep you posted on the progress periodically through the pages of this Magazine and also through other communications.

Let me conclude for the time being by wishing each one of you & your family members ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS & A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR’

Best regards,

C.VENUGOPAL President

5 ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (Know your committee members for 2018 - 2019)

Mr. C. Venugopal President

Mr. Sanjay Shroff Brig. V.N. Sawant Vice President Vice President

Dr. T. Gunasagaran Mr. K. Parthasarathy Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer

Mr. N. Kumar Mr. M. Fazal Mohamed Committee Member Committee Member

All the above are members of the Executive Committee

6 ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (Know your committee members for 2018 - 2019)

Mr. Arvind C. Mehta K. Manikandan Capt. S. Seshadri Committee Committee Committee Member Member Member

Surendra Kumar Vignesh Bhaskar Vikram Jalan Chordia Committee Committee Committee Member Member Member

Vinay Kumar Syal Col. S. Kartik Col. Gautam Roy Committee Committee Committee Member Member Member

Managing Committee: 2018 - 2019

7 FIRST GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING of 2018 - 2019

SNAPSHOTS Glimpses of the first General Committee Meeting of 2018 - 2019

Language has a silent impact... Those who speak rudely cannot sell honey, those who speak sweetly can even sell chillies.

8 PRESIDENT’S SHIELD

On the evening of 16th September 2018, the outgoing President, Mr. S.B.P Anand Mohan SNAPSHOTS hosted a high tea/cocktail for the members of the MGC Golf fraternity and presented the traditional ‘President’s Shield.’ GYM MAG brings to you pictures from this celebrated event.

Members of the Managing Committee for the year 2017-2018 gave a fitting farewell to the outgoing President Mr. S.B.P. Anand Mohan in a glittering function. Picture here shows the incoming President Mr. C. Venugopal presenting a memento to Mr. S.B.P. Anand Mohan while others look on.

9 FROM THE SECRETARY’S DESK

Dear Member,

Greetings from “The Island”

I deem it a privilege and honour to be the Honorary Secretary of our Club of “The Madras Gymkhana”.

It is a pleasure to send this missive to all of you on having assumed office a little over two months ago.

The Club has made giant strides by enhancing the quality of infrastructure, the financial strength and the number of Resident Members without compromising the traditional high quality of its membership.

All this was not achieved in a few days or weeks but by hard work, perseverance and single minded devotion of several General Committees.

Perceptible changes in the infrastructure include the Mixed Bar, improved lighting of the Tennis Courts, the lush green Lawn, the Men’s & Ladies Dressing Rooms and the Ball Room floor.

The Kitchen and Lobby renovations will be completed in the near future adding to the quality of service and ambience.

The General Body thought it fit about two years ago to increase the number of Resident Members. This was aimed at creating a salubrious effect on the finances, footfalls and fellowship of the Club. As a direct result several Invitation Members were converted to Resident Members and there has been an increase of new Resident Members of the Club.

The balance sheet had necessitated the enhancement of prices of food and services and I would request our members to appreciate the circumstances that had resulted in these decisions.

The computerized billing system has been not satisfactory for several reasons and your Committee will be revamping the system. I sincerely believe that we would make palpable changes in the weeks to come. We may be slow but we are sure to make progress. We ensure that we will have a transparent, verifiable and credible billing system in the future.

I endeavour to work tirelessly for the betterment of the members in particular and the Club in general.

I sincerely believe that, if all of us work together we will have a better Club that we will be proud of and that which will be cherishable in the years to come.

“There are no strangers here, but, only members we have not met” - Anon

With Regards

Yours sincerely,

Dr. T. GUNASAGARAN, HONORARY SECRETARY.

10 GREEN IS THE WAY TO GO

SUDHA UMASHANKER ECO-TALK Back in the day, when we ran out of things to immediate goal is to prevent temperatures say in a conversation we turned to the weather from rising beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius. If we – how hot it was or how unpredictable. Now overshoot that by even 5 degrees more, all of the weather dominates conversations the world’s coral reefs will be gone. There regularly what with floods (who can forget the would be loss of ecosystems and to keep cool December ‘15 floods in Chennai?) heatwaves, in an increasingly hot environment we would earthquakes and droughts becoming use more cooling systems resulting in more standard fixtures in our lives. Part of the carbon emissions which is the bane of our ravaging effects of the December floods was lives. Add to this certain industries - glass, man-made but it had never rained that heavily asbestos and the problem is compounded. for a century and with the rain coming down in torrents for three days without a break and the Vast reservoirs of carbon stored underground lakes largely converted into housing, the water (twice as much as the Earth’s atmosphere) are had no where to go. entering the Earth’s atmosphere due to warming temperatures and the microbes This was preceded by three years of drought reacting to the higher temperatures. The and scarce rainfall. This year too the monsoon microbes convert the store house of carbon has played truant. Red alerts issued twice into carbon di oxide. The carbon being turned out to be a false alarm and luckily for released at a higher clip is not absorbed by Chennai, Cyclone Gaja weakened but left us plants fast enough and pushes up the amount with deficit rainfall. If weather bloggers prove of carbon emissions. to be right, as I write this, Nov 20- Nov 22 should bring in the rains and make good the So what is it that we can do? Here are steps shortfall. Incidentally weather bloggers are the you might like to consider to make a new stars and have a keen fan following on difference. social media. People now check their posts along with what the Indian Met Department 1 Plant more trees. Take inspiration from puts out. Jadhav Molai Payeng who single-handedly created an entire forest on the sandbar of the I am not sure if you have noticed the new Brahmaputra patterns of rainfall – short spells of rain after the skies darken and the clouds loom large, 2 Consume less. Adopt a minimalist lifestyle. rain in one part of Chennai for instance in and and nothing 3 Reduce, reuse, recycle and upcycle. in and Chetput. Temperatures have been rising in our city, summers are 4 Avoid plastic and buy products with less hotter and sea levels are going up. packaging. We need to go back to buying milk in glass bottles and using eco- friendly Recently there was some heartening news containers for packing food. about the damage to the ozone layer being contained and signs of healing being noticed in 5 Set the aircon at a higher temperature, car the areas of the Antarctic but other studies pool, use the metro, switch off electronic find this is not the case in heavily populated appliances when not in use. parts of the world. Whether healing is due to reduction in CFCs is not proven conclusively. 6 Load the washing machine only when the soiled laundry adds up to a full load. The UN climate change panel which met recently in Korea has observed that Remember the earth provides enough for unprecedented action is needed to prevent everyman’s need and not for everyman’s apid global warming. If we fail to do this the greed. Treat nature with respect and save her consequences could prove to be catastrophic. for future generations .Every single action of Greater sea level rise, drought, extreme ours has a bearing on the climate, the weather weather events and species extinction. The and our eco-systems. Go green now. 11 GREEN LIVING - A TALK BY SOLAR SURESH

GYM 3S GYM HOW TO GET INTO GREEN LIVING AND SELF SUSTAINING HOMES BY SPENDING LESS?

On Saturday, 27th October 2018, our own member Mr. D. Suresh, popularly known as SOLAR SURESH,delivered an interesting talk on how to get into GREEN LIVING and SELF SUSTAINING HOMES by spending less. This talk organised by GYM 3S was well attended. GYM MAG brings to you the visuals of this programme.

12 HONEYMOON CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

DR A. SUMITHRA SHANMUGHAM TRAVEL

What pyramids are to Egypt, Mt Vesuvius to British travel writer Ethal Tweedie in her book, Naples, Battle of Waterloo to Brussels, so is America As I Saw It, writes, “the falls teach a Niagara to North America. What better way to sermon far deeper and lasting than the best of get in touch with nature and its wonders? sermons, but devoutly hope materialistic industrial gains do not destroy this Caused by tectonic movement 12000 years masterpiece.” ago and melting of Ice Age, the Niagara river falls some 200 feet down into lake Ontario The falls set stage for many movie like Marshal from lake Erie with some 100000 cubic feet of 2016, Superman 2, and Tammy 2014. In the water traversing per second in the shape of a Alfred Hitchcock movie, To catch a thief, Cary horse shoe. It is believed that mist from Grant tells Grace Kelly “what you need is ten Niagara falls generates negative ions creating minutes with a good man in Niagara falls.” natural endorphins and making people either Marilyn Monroe and the falls were depicted as fall in love or externalize. Whatever it is, you a raging torrent of emotions that even nature cannot escape the roar of the falls all around cannot control in the movie Niagara. you like deep rumbling that synchronises with Even in popular music “Lets go away from it your own heart beat, so powerful that you just all, Lets take a trip to Niagara and this time we want to answer with a loud roar of you own. will look at the falls” “As long as Niagara falls I will be your man” Wonder terror and delight completely overwhelmed me. To describe it is impossible There are people unimpressed with the falls as as words when applied to describe their well. Toronto Globe columnist Laura Bradshaw grandeur lose half of the beauty. It has to be was totallty blasé and wrote, ’What else could seen and seen only. water do but go over” Oscar Wilde the Irish playwright known for For seniors like me there is boat ride to witness his wit and cutting quotes noted “every the cascading water. The colourful American bride is taken there and this illumination with fireworks is a sight to behold. stupendous sight must be the second For youngsters there is enough to fuel an epic greatest disappointment in American married adventure like ziplining, jetboats and Nuclear life” Power Vista where you become an electron riding a virtual tour of transmission lines or an But as you stand on the edge of the falls you engineer discovering how to power a city with find out why it is the honeymoon capital of the water or a geologist excavating rock to world and why love birds from across the support a project. globe come here to fall in love over and over again. It is really worth travelling hundreds of Abraham Lincoln succinctly summed up the miles to witness this awe-inspiring spectacle. sight as a ‘world’s wonder’. This majestic beauty. Who can behold this Nathaniel Hawthorne compared it to an ocean mighty Niagara and say there is no GOD? tumbling out of sky. Helen Keller, both deaf and blind, wrote, “fearful and irrestible plunge of waters over the brow of precipice.” Charles Dickens was emotionally affected and wrote “Niagara was at once stamped upon my heart, an image of beauty to remain there, until its pulses cease to beat forever” even though his wife dismissed it as, “Its nothing but water and too much of it.” Sir Winston Churchill visited it many times, saying, “even though the basic principle remains the same, the prodigious cadence of water is truly a spectacle.” 13 SHIFTING SANDS

S. SUNDARRAM BRIDGE

From my previous articles, I may have left readers with the impression that to play bridge well you need only think the right thoughts and get into the opponents’ minds. While this is true in general, this is a game of probabilities. Very little is certain and very often you need to take your best chance. Many believe that by memorizing the probability table of various breaks they are experts at the mathematics that govern this game.

Give such people this simple problem. You are playing in 3NT and have two stoppers in a suit, say AX opposite KX. The opening lead knocks out one stopper. Now you have 8 tricks and need one more, the choice is straightforward. You have KJX in one suit opposite XXX. Another suit has A1087 opposite K96.

So the “erudite” amongst the fraternity would say “Play the ace and king of the second suit. If the queen or jack drops, your problem is over. If it does not, then take your 50% chance with KJX opposite XXX, as the probability of a 42 break is around 48% while that of a 33 break is only around 37%”.

However what this fails to consider is that the odds have shifted. QJ5432 are missing. There are 15 different ways that 4 cards can be drawn out of 6 (Try it. For those interested, it can be done with a formula). Of these 15, QJXX can be drawn in only 6 ways. So 9 of the 15 possible 4-2 combinations have been ruled out.

This means that of the 48%, only 6/15 ie 2/5 remains ie 19.2%. in the case of a 3-3 break, 3 cards can be drawn from 6 in 20 different ways (Try it). Of these 20, QJX represents only 4 possibilities. So 16/20 of the other possibilities still remain or four fifth. Now even if 37% and 48% are very approximate numbers, it requires no mental gymnastics to determine that four fifth of 37 is far higher than two fifth of 48. In fact your probability of getting a third trick by “playing for the 33 break “ is 3:2 or around 60%. Therefore go against what the erudite probability table experts say and play a third round of the 43 suit expecting it to divide 33.

If your eyes are beginning to glaze over, be warned. It’s not going to get easier. What happened here? It’s simple. The original odds predicted probabilities of different lies of the cards. Once some of these lies were ruled out we compared what remained and concluded.

Let me give another example of shifting odds. Your LHO opens one heart and rebids hearts several times before you reach 4 spades on AJ10XX in hand opposite KXXX in dummy. When you cash the spade king, LHO follows. Do you then finesse the jack or play to drop the queen.

Now the “erudite” would say “eight ever, nine never” and say play for the drop. But then let’s say we have still more information. We’ve seen LHO following to 3 clubs and a diamond, ie twelve of his cards are known. Now finesse or drop? That’s a dumb question you’d say. LHO cannot have the spade queen unless he started with 14 cards, so finesse. What if not 12, but only 11 of LHO’s cards were known? The odds of playing for the drop are still above 50%? And by knowing one more card, the odds in favor of the drop became 0%?

No the odds, kept changing as more of his cards became known. This is because he had fewer and fewer places to hold the spade queen, until in the example above, he had no space at all. This called the theory of vacant spaces and simplifies probabilities significantly.

14 BRIDGE

Let’s now take a few examples. Hands with 2 vacant places with LHO & 9 vacant places with RHO. Three possibilities- to catch 10xxxx with a first round finesse, jxxx or qxx with a second round finesse. Again the odds overwhelmingly favour finessing.

Let me give some commonplace examples which are very likely in practice. One of your opponents has opened a weak 2. Your trump suit is AJ10XX opposite KXXX. If the distribution of the other suits is not known or not significant (meaning his partner showing up with say a 5 card suit), then finesse ie play his partner for QXX. What if the trump suit is AQ109XX opposite KX? After cashing the king, finesse ie play his partner for JXXX. In general, when one player has shown 6 or more cards in the bidding or play, finesse his partner for everything!

Do not try to memorize probability tables to the last decimal point. Of greater importance is to know how those odds shift as the play proceeds.

BRIDGE: THE EMPEROR OF ALL MIND SPORTS DR. RAJESHKUMAR SHAH

To me, Bridge is not just any other card game, it is the emperor of all mind sports. Those with an analytical mind and card sense will take an instant liking to Bridge. To be an accomplished Bridge player, you need both talent and temperament. Right attitude will help you do your best. Bridge is also an insurance again Cognitive dysfunction.

What fascinates me is the similarity between life and Bridge. In both you are dealt a hand. A life lived to its full potential is a life well lived! A Hand Bid / Played / Defended to its full potential is a statement of the players talent and temperament.

In both life and Bridge, you are as good as your partner! At the end of every deal, ask yourself: Could I have Bid / Played / Defended better and also compliment your partner on his / her Bidding, Play and Defence. This will carry your partnership a long way.

Often at the bridge table you may be a victim / witness of a rough situation. Deal with it in a dignified way. Always remember that even when you reach the top, you will still be a beginner. You are always a student!

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N ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING

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V E GYM MAG brings to you the glimpses from the Annual General Body Meeting of our club held on Friday, 28th September 2018.

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N ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING

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V E

WISDOM QUOTE

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.

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E GOLF CAPTAIN’S DAY & PRIZE DISTRIBUTION V

E A look at the Golf Captain’s Day & the prize distribution function, 2018.

The outgoing Captain, Mr. G. Suresh receiving Trophies displayed for distribution President, Mr. C. Venugopal while Mr. S. K. Chordia, M-I-C, Bar looks on

A warm handshake. Ace Film Director & our golf member, Mr Mani Ratnam with President, Mr. C. Venugopal

A view of the party

Past Captain Mr. Nagaraj receiving his trophy from The trio - President, Mr. C. Venugopal, President Mr. C. Venugopal while others look on. 18 Outgoing Captain, Mr. G. Suresh and Incoming Captain, Mr. R. Sanjay.

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E GOLF CAPTAIN’S DAY & PRIZE DISTRIBUTION V

E And the winners are...... Prize Distribution goes on.

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E VASANTH CHARI MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT 2018

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Moments from the MGC Vasanth Chari Memorial Intra-Club Tennis Doubles Tournament

An exciting moment! Mr. Mohammed Riyaz, Mr. Murali Padmanabhan, President Mr. C. Venugopal, Mr. Ganesh Amarnath, Mr. P.J. Ravi & Mr. A.P. Suresh Kumar Immediate Past President M-I-C Tennis Mr. Vignesh Bhasker watching the Tournament eagerly Mr. S.B.P. Anand Mohan, & Mr. Sundeep Bathija VP Mr. Sanjay Shroff & Hon. Treasurer Mr. K. Parthasarathy

Players in action

Trophies for MGC VASANTH President Mr. C. Venugopal President Mr. C. Venugopal CHARI INTRA-CLUB presenting the trophy presenting the trophy TENNIS DOUBLES MEMORIAL to Runners Up Mr. Mohamed Riyaz to winners Mr. Sundeep Bathija & TOURNAMENT 2018 and Mr. Ganesh Amarnath M-I-C, Tennis Mr. Vignesh Bhasker. Mr. Surendra Kumar Chordia, M-I-C, Bar also seen in the picture.

20 BENEFITS OF SWIMMING

VINAY KUMAR SYAL HEALTH

Our prestigious Madras Gymkhana Club is Swimming keeps your heart rate up and takes blessed with one of the largest and most impact stress off your body, in addition to beautiful swimming pools in South . The building endurance and cardio vascular waters are always blue and crystal clear, fitness. tempting members and their children to take their daily swim. Swimming helps to maintain weight, develop muscles and build strength. As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit and make friends. Swimming provides great exercise and overall body workout, as nearly all your muscles are Those who start swimming in their childhood used in swimming. or teens may well continue swimming into their senior years. It is a low impact activity Getting started is easy – all you need to do is that has physical and mental health benefits. purchase a set of swimming gear consisting of swimsuit, goggles and cap. Come to our Swimming refreshes the tired mind and swimming pool. We have a qualified National muscles, in addition to helping shed calories. Swimming Coach who conducts classes for Swimming burns 600 calories per hour while basic and advanced swimmers. walking burns only 240 calories per hour. You will be surprised to know that whether you jog Please contact us if you need any help. or swim, the calorie burn is nearly identical.

21 FESTIVE TREATS

REENA CHANDRASEKAR

RECIPES REENA’S

After a brief hiatus, the Gym Mag is back in print and it's a pleasure to share recipes once again . With Thanksgiving and Christmas to celebrate, there's much in the offing and I bring to you seasonal recipes I am sure you will enjoy.

I believe in simple methods of cooking and minimum ingredients . Try these traditional recipes, you can't go wrong with, delight your guests and discover the chef in you.

ROAST TURKEY WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Turkey 1 kg Onion 1 med chopped Celery 2 stalks Carrot 1 chopped Salt To taste Pepper 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 tsp Butter / olive oil 3 tbsps Rosemary A few sprigs Sage and parsley A bunch each

Place onions in a large shallow roasting pan. Add the carrots. Wash and pat dry the turkey and rub the insides with herbs and peppers. Rub butter on the outside and bind legs with twine. Place the bird breast side up on the vegetables along with celery and remaining herbs . Bake at 180 deg for 1 1/2 hours uncovered then cover and bake for another hour. Check if cooked through.

NON BAKING OPTION: Follow the same procedure in a large frying pan or pressure and cook till the meat is tender. Carve when cool and serve with cranberry sauce

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Cranberries fresh or frozen 4 cups Water 1 cup Sugar 1 cup Optional: Orange rind 2 tsps Raisins 1/4 cup Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 tsp

Clean and rinse the cranberries. Discard damaged fruits Heat water and sugar. When it boils, add cranberries and cook till the fruits are mushy and broken. Add orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins (if you want).

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FESTIVE TREATS

RECIPES REENA’S

MUSHROOM SAUCE

Button mushrooms 150 gms chopped tiny Butter / olive oil 1 tsp Onions 1/4 cup diced Cream 150 ml Garlic 2 cloves Pepper 1 tsp

Sauté garlic and add onions in butter/ghee Add mushrooms and fry till lightly browned Add cream and pepper and cook for another minute Add salt to taste. Serve with your favourite steaks veg and non veg.

PARMESAN BAKED POTATO WEDGES AND CARROTS

Potatoes 4 nos cut with skin into wedges Carrots 6 to 8. Keep them whole if medium sized Sea salt To taste Garlic powder 2 tsps Italian seasoning 1 tsp Olive oil or butter 3 tsps to drizzle over the veggies Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup shredded or powder

Place potato wedges and carrots on a baking try. Potatoes skin side down . Drizzle oil or butter over it and season with salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40 mins at 180 deg C until golden. Serve with mushroom sauce

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FESTIVE TREATS

RECIPES REENA’S

SPICY VEGETABLE BAKE WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Carrots 1 cup diced Beans 1 inch long pieces Potatoes 2 cut into large cubes Brussels sprouts 1 cup Broccoli 1 cupful of florets Butter / olive oil 3 tbsps Onions 1/2 cup chopped Green chillies 2 chopped Garlic flakes 2 chopped Hot and sour soup mix 1 packet

Butter / olive oil sauté garlic and onions. When the onions turn transparent add the green chillies. Sauté for 1 min Add all the vegetables and fry for 2 minutes. Make up 2 cups of soup with the Hot and Sour soup mixture and pour over the vegetables, Cook for a few minutes till the vegetables are partially cooked. Add grated cheddar cheese Turn into a baking pan and bake for 20 mins and serve with Mushroom sauce and garlic bread.

FIGS POACHED IN RED WINE AND TEA. (Karen Anand)

300 g. Dried figs 150 ml. Brandy 150 ml. Dry red wine 100 ml Honey 2 tbsp. Orange Marmalade Zest of I lemon 1 star anise 5 cm piece of cinnamon Few drops vanilla essence 200 ml. Strong tea - unsweetened without milk Whipped cream

Wash figs, drain and cover in brandy. Leave overnight. Next morning put the brandied figs into a saucepan with all other ingredients except cream and simmer for 30 mins until the fruit is soft and the syrup reaches a saucy consistency. Serve figs with a dollop of cream.

24 ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS UNRAVELED

GYM 3S GYM Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria, a renowned journalist, researcher and photographer delivered an excellent talk on geological, ecological and socio-cultural tapestry of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday, 18th November 2018 at our club under the Gym 3S programme. Here are some of the highlights of the event.

A hearty welcome by Mrs. Zarin Mistry Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria delivering his talk

Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria interacting with participants President Mr. C. Venugopal congratulates Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria for his excellent talk

Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria and Honorary Secretary Mr. Pankaj Sekhsaria receiving a memento Dr. T. Gunasagaran shaking hands. from President Mr. C. Venugopal while Mr. Sanjay Shroff, Vice President & M-I-C, Gym 3S looks on 25 News R nd-up

IMPORTANT CLUB EVENTS DEC 2018 /JAN 2019

21st December - KIDS CARNIVAL

23rd December - CAROLS NIGHT

25th December - CHRISTMAS LUNCH

26th December - BOXING DAY CONGRATULATIONS!

31st December - NEW YEAR’S EVE Mrs. Soumini Srinvas w/o. our Resident CELEBRATIONS Member Mr. Srinivasa Naidu was unanimously elected as the first Lady 5th January - COMMENCEMENT OF MGC President of the Billiards & INTER-CLUB CRICKET Snooker Association for the year 2018-19. TOURNAMENT FOR SINGARAM TROPHY GYM MAG congratulates and wishes her all the very best for a successful tenure of 12th January - PONGAL CELEBRATIONS Presidentship. 26th January - REPUBLIC DAY FLAG-HOISTING & CULTURAL PROGRAMMES. (8:00 am Mini breakfast for members onwards) and dependents

DJ NITE

A look at our weekend DJ Nite (Fridays & Saturdays) at THE MIXED BAR

DJ Sophia in action

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THE WINNERS

Madras Gymkhana Club emerged as the Champions at the ‘MERCHANTS, BANKERS & CLUBS REGATTA’ (Rowing Competition) conducted by the . Mr. N. Srinivasan, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, India Cement, Mr. S.B.P, Anand Mohan, then President of MGC and Mr. C. Venugopal, President of MGC with TEAM MGC while receiving the Trophy. This is the 2nd consecutive year that the Team MGC is emerging as the Champions by winning this prestigious Trophy.

RENOVATION OF THE UPPER DECK

"THE UPPER DECK", the newly renovated hall on the first floor of the Main Building was inaugurated by Mrs. Vimala Singaram. The Upper Deck was subsequently allotted for playing cards.

A view of the "THE UPPER DECK"

Mrs. Vimala Singaram being received by the From L to R: Mr. Cawas Mistry, Mr. Vijaya Reddy, President Mr. C. Venugopal while the M-I-C for President, Mr. C. Venugopal, Mrs. Vimala Singaram, Bridge Mr. Vinay Kumar Syal looks on Mrs. Zarin Mistry & Mrs. Raghavan

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RENOVATED LADIES & GENTS DRESSING ROOMS On Monday, 24th September 2018, our Senior Member Mr. H.B.N. Shetty IAS (Retd.) inaugurated the most modern and, perhaps, the best among all city Clubs’ Ladies & Gents Changing Rooms. GYM MAG brings to you a few snapshots taken at the time of the inauguration.

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YOGA CLASSES MGC has started Yoga Training Classes for its members. Classes will be held between 6:30 AM & 7.30 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. GYM MAG brings to you the visuals of the yoga training classes.

29 News R nd-upAYUTHA POOJA CELEBRATIONS AT MAIN CLUB

Immediate Past-President, Mr. S.B.P. Anand Mohan Deeply involved in praying, is Mr. K. Parthsarathy, and President, Mr. C. Venugopal seen in the picture. Honorary Treasurer.

STAFF WELFARE ACTIVITIES DIWALI SWEETS & CRACKERS DISTRIBUTION TO STAFF & WORKERS

30 ADVERTISE IN GYM MAG

ADVERTISEMENT RATES FOR GYM MAG EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 2018

Position Contract rate for a full page Casual rate for a full page advertisement advertisement (minimum 6 full pages in a 12 month period)

Back cover 10,000/- 12,000/- Back/Front Inner cover 10,000/- 12,000/- Centre Spread 15,000/- 18,000/- Inside Full Page Colour 5,000/- 7,000/-

Inserts (leaflets, invitations etc., are to be provided by the advertisers) will be charged at Rs 12,000/-.

Those who wish to advertise in Gym Mag may please contact the Club office on: 044-25362712, 9025133309 / 9962072788 during working hours.

WORD OF THE MONTH

PORTMANTEAU noun [pawrt-man-toh, pohrt-; pawrt-man-toh, pohrt-] a word made by putting together parts of other words, such as brunch, made from breakfast and lunch

Obituary

Mr. M.M.Karunakaran (ERK-221)

Mr. Shekar Alagappan (RS-526)

Mr. C.V. Sreeramkumar (RS-432)

Mr. K.T. Kerala Varma (ERK-227) May their souls rest in peace.

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