Thursday, May 11, 2017

Summer planner for this Kodambakkam apartment

By Sahil Hussain

As summer peaks and water supply is a challenge, people living in apartments are looking at the water issue.

Take the case of Shera Square Apartments in Kodambakkam. Three bore wells which are about 200-300 feet deep provide its residents with ground water.

But this season, one of the bore well has failed to provide water. And the team which manages the affairs of this apartment is working out ways to address the water supply issue.

The campus also has an old water pump which is used during an emergency; it has come in handy when power is off for long hours or when the area is flooded and civic problems arise.

Residents in the apartments are now asked to fix  the leaks  in their taps as soon as possible.

Wherever necessary, they are asked to  use water from a jug or bucket and rather not from running the water in the taps.

This complex has implemented rain water harvesting system and people here say this has helped.

They have put up circulars in the notice boards urging  people not to waste water and use water judiciously .


Saturday, May 6, 2017

May Day celebrations in Royapettah zone


By Deepthi Parthasarathy 





May Day celebrations were held in different areas of the city.
In Srinivasapuram , the celebrations were by the auto drivers at a local stand; they hoisted their union flag at 7:00 am and distributed buttermilk and Rasna. 
Driver M. Karunakaran (59) said that May Day has been celebrated for 10 years in that stand. 7 members of the auto stand gather every year for the celebrations.
The situation was not too different on Besant Road's auto stand .
Driver Umar (50) said that May Day has been celebrated for the  past 20 years and the automen do not take a holiday but work hard.
He also complained that business was bad due to companies like 'Ola' cropping up in this age.
On Avvai Shanmugham Road, United Commercial Bank (UCO)  Employees Union held its 45th state level  annual  general council meeting.
The association was started in 1953.
250 members from all over the state attended the meeting .
Vijayan, the president of this Union said that a few resolutions were passed including  protest against the central government's move for privatisation of public sector banks and the move for merger of banks

Friday, May 5, 2017

Final classroom lecture for Group of 2017

Day 10 was the final day of the 2017 Journalism Course.
The group looked at the assignments they had enjoyed doing, new lessons learnt.
A number of students said that they had learnt how to better observe things around them and take down notes mentally or physically.
There were others who said that they learnt skills at meeting strangers in the public, seeking interviews and having useful conversations and getting information.

The team was encouraged to continue reporting over the next few days. And those in Mylapore could work alongside the Mylapore Times newspaper team.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Day 9: summertime stories, issues of water supply and civic sense. And on making short videos.

Day 9 at the Journalism Course led from one topic to another. First based on looking at photos the class had clicked over the past 24 hours. Teacher Vincent D Souza showed a photo shared by Mylapore Times photographer Madhan - jackfruits on a tree in Alwarpet.
The discussion turned to Katri season and agninatchatram; photos and stories that can be based on the season.
Then the topic turned to water and civic issues that all of us need to understand and learn about.
Classmate Ananth read a story in the Hindu about chromium pollution in the groundwater in Pallavaram area. The class discussed issues on this subject that could prevail in their own areas.

Finally, the class watched a short video done by Mylapore Times on the state of the drying tank of Sri Kapali Temple in Mylapore. ( here is the video at www.youtube.com/mylaporetv )

We were told how the class could try making such newsy multi-media products and launch on their own.

Apartment residents set up badminton court and play every morning

By Sahil Hussain

Its something new for everyone in this Kodambakkam apartment.
Playing badminton early every morning to keep fit.

Of late, the residents of Shera Square apartment have been waking up early in the morning at 5:00am to start off their day with a game of badminton before leaving for work. 

This game seems to have brought together everyone in the apartment block. People of all ages play the game.


They say the game is a stress buster as it helps them focus a lot and they are learning  how to control their emotions too.

Customised wedding cards made here

By Sahil Hussain

If you are looking for something different among wedding cards, you may want to go to Menaka Card in Kodambakkam.

This business was established in 1980 and is now a leading manufacturer and supplier of invitation cards in India.

Nehelan, manager of Menaka Cards showed us cards made through laser cutting. These cards are made through machines which are of high quality and made using metallic boards.
Laser cards' price starts from Rs.50 and goes ago Rs.100 per card  

Foils on wedding cards can even be made with gold foils - those are not really .gold but in gold color. 

Customised wedding cards take at least 15 days to prepare 


Nehelan says that 80% of the sales are from the standard wedding

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The beggars outside Sai Baba Temple, Mylapore







By Vyjayanthi Sriram

Beggars dot the road where the Sai Baba Temple stands in Venkateswara Agraharam in Mylapore.

They sit here in a row. Unperturbed by the police threats and the harsh weather they remain on the road in wait for devotees who offer food and money.

“We have been often relocated to a government run Home, but we come back here for the food and the freedom”, says Taj(58), who claims to be a destitute.

On any day, there are some 15 beggars seeking alms: only 3 or 4 are women. 

The temple provides annadhaanam 3 times a day and they have their full here.

The owner of the eatery opposite the temple also provides food.

We saw a man limping by on crutches; he said he was a carpenter from Madhya Pradesh who lost his legs in an accident. 

One beggar claimed to be an engineer who once owned a workshop and was now on the streets when business went downhill. 

If we go by their stories, these beggars are a bizarre collection.
“We get about 100 rupees on normal days and more on Thursdays. But people distribute more food than money,” says a beggar. We saw devotees distributing many kinds of food items from biscuits to mangoes.

When the day ends, some of them walk to the Marina sands to sleep to the sound of the waves.



Day 8; On printing and marketing. On multi-media content

By Ananth Ram

The session on Day 8 of this course started off with the reading of a few reports from a couple of newspaper reports and critically analysing them. Both were on city crimes.

We then got to know about other departments in a newspaper - pre-press and post press, production and circulation, marketing and advertising.

After that, we were told about the importance of technology in journalism and how to be a multi-media person in whatever content or stories we did.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Day 6: On sub-editors and designers

By Deepthi Parthasarathy 

In today's class, we covered the following : 

- Newspaper sub-editors who work at the desk.

- The skills required for this job and the work they do.

- We also learnt about the jobs of photographers and designers

Three books on Sri Ramanuja released


   
  

By K. Shree Varshini

A book release function took place at Sri Vedantha Desigar Temple, Mylapore on Monday evening (May 1), the occasion of the 1000th birthday of saint-philosopher Ramanujar. 

Three books, which included 'Sri Ramanuja Divyanagan' and 'Ramanuja Nutranthathi Matrum Pillaiyanthathi' were released by senior advocate and former Solicitor General of India, K. Parasaran  and received by Maha Shrinivasa Achari, both aged 90 and patrons of the temple. 

A talk on theme discussed by the books was given by Dr. K. Dayanidhi, HoD at the Dept. of Vaishanavism at Madras University. 

The attendance for the books release event was good; this was followed an all-night special puja for the deity