Funny Exercise

DIFFERENT STROKES: Awakening the 'sleepy brain' early morning 

The other day Banoo Apa cracked an unintended joke which got everyone reeling in laughter: “Knock your heads harder and more numbers would tumble out!”
We were in the midst of the Chinese exercises – at a point when we had to drub our heads with our fingers to the count of 36. That this was needed to be done in three stages of 9 + 1 each with an additional six at the end had prompted Banoo to make the remark. It simply proved that our brains were incapable of keeping count beyond nine and we had to repeat ourselves again and again!
But then, that’s how the Chinese have devised all their exercises and we are not to question why.

Mumtaz Jahan drops by
with her father

What makes for an amusing spectacle though is the manner we have been going about drubbing our heads every morning. From delicate taps to hard knocks and mindless hammering and pounding, everyone has a way of activating the brain. In fact, no two people treat their heads the same way.

Happy Birthday and a long,
healthy life, Neelam Choudhary

Each has a style of his own.
Shekhawat hits his head with his finger tips as if it is some kind of tabla (rather ghatam) while Srichand Arora gently taps on like it is a fragile object about to break or burst. Lt Col Angad Singh vigorously drums his fingers front and back, Tara Chand beats the hell all around while Sardar Teja Singh daintily feels the sides of his turban and Bihari Milwani plays around his scalp as though he’s adjusting a wig. (By the way, he is enormously blessed with natural hair on his head, and elsewhere!)
The ladies are no less innovative. Mallika Kagzi will rarely be seen letting go of her head – she’d hold it so hard lest it fly off. Qadir Bano is even more careful, as she pulls her cap down to eye level as an added precaution. But Razia Khan is carefree and like Shekhawat, enjoys thumping and tapping about on rhythm. Bhaswati Bose couldn’t care less whether her head remains in one piece or turns 360 degrees, whereas for Santosh Tyagi, this is more of a meditative exercise, done at her own pace and pleasure.
In all this, one thing has become eminently clear: Nobody really knows how to correctly drum the head.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
* It was nice to see Mumtaz Jahan's father -- an octogenarian in good health. He does not have any ailment, not even high blood pressure, which is quite common these days. One certainly admires how the older generation is keeping healthy and fit. Mumtaz is certainly proud of her parents. May God keep them healthy for a long time.
* We celebrated the birthday of Mrs Choudhary in absentia. The family has not been coming for quite sometime. Perhaps they feel injured. Every day we start the morning session on a positive note. It keeps everyone happy and stimulated through the day. The Choudhary family should be forgiving and forgetting some odd incident which has kept them away. This will bring them more joy and spread happiness, compassion and love among other members of the club. Spreading happiness makes you feel contented in life.

Day 1882

Pic(s) of the Week

January 23, 2016: 

HIGH TEA AT PRESIDENT'S HOUSE!

Hero’s Welcome

Shekhawat is congratulated for returning from hospital, fit and fine

The garlands were missing. So were the bugles and the drums. But everybody stood to attention, eyes blinking in disbelief as Hari Singh Shekhawat weaved his way across the Garden in the early morning mist to take his position for today’s exercises.
Many instantly executed a silent salute for this man who, less than 72 hours back, had undergone a life-threatening surgery for removing blockages from the carotid artery of his neck (ref post of January 21).
“He is not human,” remarked Srichand Arora, watching Shekhawat at his usual pranks, jovial as ever. “Who will say he has just been discharged from hospital? This must be the only specimen on earth. Nowhere will you find another such character!”
“Be careful,” Banoo Apa cautioned Shekhawat as he pranced around in the course of the exercises. “You are not supposed to exert yourself so soon after an operation. Who told you to come to the Garden today?

Mallika treats us to morning tea

You should be resting at home now.”
“I had already spoken to the doctor,” retorted Shekhawat.
“Before discharge at 2:30pm yesterday, I told the doctor that I go for laughing exercises every morning.

Parting treat: Prabha Kapoor is relocating
to Delhi this month-end 

He said no problem, do what you like. There are no restrictions on my life style, food or daily routine. It doesn’t even feel I’ve just had an operation.”
Later, Shekhawat was to explain in detail the procedure – as well as the hospital food, the two young nurses assigned to him in ICU, the fact that the surgeon holds a near 100% success record, how supportive everyone was… “I have been told to go for a follow-up on the 25th and once every three months thereafter,” he added.
This is the same Shekhawat who, in 2013, had plunged into severe depression following a heart stroke and bypass surgery at Asian Heart Institute. The depression lasted for nearly a year during which he had turned inconsolably desolate, confused and crestfallen. This time around, he has become the polar opposite, brimming with confidence and positivity. “I am a fauji aadmi (solider), don’t forget,” he boasted, a look of triumph writ large on his face.
“It’s nothing but willpower that has taken him through,” observed Tara Chand Seth. After all, before being admitted to hospital, Shekhawat had promised (ref post of January 18) to “return in time to unfurl the tricolor on Republic Day”. He has kept his word.
Lt Col Angad Singh:
Shekhawat is back, hale and hearty. It shows his 'will power', as also the WILL of the Almighty. Everyone was overjoyed to have Shekhawat back in the Big Laaf club.

Platinum Celebration

Tara Chand presents club calendar

Karishma gifts a memento 

Angad Singh presents bouquet of flowers

It was a day that comes but once in a lifetime. And blessed are those who live to see it and are able to celebrate with close family and friends. After all, how many of us get to live for 75 years, and beyond?

Srichand Arora gets floral shower

Srichand Arora garlands his wife

More than that, it had to be a rare privilege to usher in this landmark moment in the Garden and be part of Srichand Arora’s platinum jubilee celebration this morning.
However, it wasn’t much of a birthday bash as birthday bashes go -- just cake slices, crispies and tea. Restrictions on food and drinks in the Garden forced us to keep it small. But it was BIG in heart – what with so many friends, fans and followers joining in to wish the grand old man of Big Laaf many happy returns of the day.

Arora's OMG moment!!!

H.C.Jain presents the crystalware memento

Most importantly, his wife and co-traveler in life, Kiran Arora was present on the occasion.
Bihari Milwani’s daughter, Karishma was there to present him a memento, the numerals 75 standing out prominently in electric blue. Lt Col Angad Singh greeted Arora with a handsome bouquet while Tara Chand Seth gifted him a personalized desk calendar. Yet another octogenarian and Arora’s bosom pal, Hem Chand Jain presented him with the Big Laaf keepsake –

BIRTHDAY BOY AND HIS BETTER HALF

a specially crafted crystal glass artifact reserved for those reaching the ripe age of 75 years. Earlier recipients of this memento have been Ved Prakash Grover, Ram Shankar Shukla and Sitaram Hivarkar.
Before these presentations, Arora was accorded a floral shower, some ladies mischievously pelting rock-hard marigold flowers (instead of petals) on his bald pate. It must have hurt real bad on the cold, wintry morning. But then, who told Arora to be born in January?
Kiran Arora thoughtfully offset the rude impact by lovingly garlanding her husband and quickly giving him a playful peck on his cheek. Arora graciously returned the favour by garlanding her back, but did not dare to proceed beyond. That’s something he’ll presumably square up in the privacy of his home!
Once again, here’s wishing Arora sah'b so many more years of good health, joy and of course, lots and lots of laughter.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
It is a day of reckoning when you turn sweet 75. Big Laaf members eagerly wait for this day. It is not the eats that matter. It is the relaxed and hilarious manner in which all of us join together to celebrate this eventful day. Wishing Arora-ji a long and healthy life.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Wishing you a remarkable and memorable 75th birthday, Arora-ji. May your birthday bring all the happiness and love you deserve.

Relieved!

Hari Singh Shekhawat

The Club today collectively heaved a sigh of relief as word trickled in on Shekhawat’s operation proving a success yesterday (see post). However, no direct confirmation could be obtained as all the phone numbers of Shekhawat and his family members were switched off/ out of reach since yesterday morning.
Later, after the exercises, Swati Punjabi was to show up and inform that she could speak to Shekhawat’s wife last evening (upon her returning home from hospital) and that indeed the operation has been successful.

Swati Punjabi (l) informs on success of Shekhawat's operation 

“He is out of danger,” Swati said quoting Mrs Shekhawat. “He has not lost his memory and can recognize everybody. Initially though, he felt a little woozy and had vomited. But that has been taken care of and he is able to eat normally now.

Srichand Arora (rt) invites the Club  home to his
75th birthday celebration on January 23 

Today he will be shifted out of ICU and by the day after, he should be discharged from hospital.”
Shekhawat was to call later around noon from the hospital, his voice sounding a little strained, but upbeat. “I have just been wheeled out of the ICU,” he exclaimed, jubilantly. “Everything has gone off first-class. The surgeon said he would make me senseless during the operation, but I could hear and feel everything. After the operation, when they asked me my name, age and so on, I could reply correctly. I vomited a lot afterwards, but the doctor said it was the effect of anesthesia and was only to be expected. Now I am eating well, feeling fine. More than anything else, I feel completely relieved.”
Shekhawat was all praise for the surgeon, known to have notched 140 such carotid artery surgeries so far. “All the operations have been 100 per cent successful, barring just four,” Shekhawat narrated. “I must also thank everybody in the Garden who prayed for me. It is because of your prayers and good wishes and my luck in getting a good doctor that I am able to be back on my feet now.”
Shekhawat should be home by Saturday, January 23.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
This only proves that the Almighty grants the collective prayers which come from people's hearts. It substantiates the old proverb: 'Awaaz e khalaq naqaare khuda'.