Farewell 2014

PHOTO FINISH: 'Tourists' at the famous Lokhandwala Garden No 4 where history
was made and unmade by BIG LAAF every morning... all through 2014!

As 2014 draws to a close, it’s time once again to do our annual stocktaking. True, there’s a lot to be happy about – be it the round-the-year morning treats, the celebrations of Republic Day, Independence Day, Holi, Eid and Diwali, the trips to Lonavala, Juhu Beach, Chhota Kashmir and the mother of them all, Kerala… or the blog crossing the 300,000-hits' mark, instituting the Woman of the Year award, and the Pehchaan Kaun guessing games.

Last walk-back from the exercises of 2014

More importantly, we have all been hale and hearty and our flock remains intact.
Unlike earlier years, there were no alarm bells on the health front.
However, on the flip side we are observing a gradual ‘fade out’ of certain key members – Sandhya Narang, Qadeer Bano Khan, Najma Saiyad, Hari Narayani, Nafeesa Sayyad and Hem Chand Jain. Prakash Motwani, Ramila Mistry and Mumtaz Jahan have showed up once in a while, but not as often as we would wish.
And then there are the positives – Bihari Milwani, Angad Singh, Mallika Kagzi, Bijoy Gupta, Shiela Mirani and of course, Kiran Prakash.

Teja Singh Bhambra

They are the bright new faces of 2014 who have brought with them fresh zing and vibrancy to the Club. Let us also not forget the dozen-odd members from the yoga group who were formally inducted en-bloc into Big Laaf this year.
So how are we to remember 2014? Would it be for the comings and goings of members? Or for the picnics that did not happen? Or for Shekhawat’s non-stop antics, Yusuf Rassiwala’s Eid bash, Sitaram Hivarkar’s platinum jubilee felicitation, Mallika’s never-ending rounds of tea, Santosh Tyagi’s spirited jokes… Amid them all, the single most defining event of the year was when Srichand Arora held aloft the registration certificate of Big Laaf on November 18. History was made at that moment. Cent-percent cap compliance and Wednesday being observed as ‘Green Day’ followed as natural corollaries.
In all this, our good old friend and most venerable Teja Singh Bhambra sends his greetings from Faridabad. He enquired about everyone by name and said that despite the bone-chilling cold there he must stay put because of certain personal obligations and weddings in the family. He plans to be in Mumbai in January-end or early-February. Meanwhile, should anybody like to wish him, please call his number – 98109 66256. It will make him happy.
And here’s wishing you all a very Happy New Year!
Kiran Prakash:
Come what may, people will join and leave us. But BIG LAAF must go on, uninterrupted, with the same zeal and enthusiasm as it had started on March 14, 2003. Not only does it take care of our physical and mental health, we indirectly also address a social responsibility of reminding hundreds of people who pass by to take care of their health. I wish every member of BIG LAAF a very HEALTHY, HAPPY and PROSPEROUS 2015.
Renu Babani:
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, blessed with peace, harmony and love. Let us welcome 2015 with a positive attitude that lasts forever.