I  confess to taking lots of photos but that is only when I am on holiday. I take them home and eventually get round to editing them and deleting the worst. My favourite editor was Picasa but that early Google product has been abandoned and replaced by Google Photos. If, like me, you take crooked buildings and un-parallel columns, you would have liked easy to use straightening tool. However, although my old photos are safe with Picasa, my new ones seem to be demanding a place on a cloud or asking me for money to increase my space! I noticed that most residents have smartphones so I wondered if they, like the younger generation, were 'snap happy' - meaning that they took lots of photos.  Judging to the response to the invitation to enter a photo competition, it seems not. I have come to the conclusion that smart phones are mainly used to send videos to one another on Whatsapp, accompanied by an invitation to forward them to friends near and far. Being free it is well used.    

 I would like to share my Himalayan trek experience in Awaas News. The experience I had covers the splendour of nature, the mystics I met, the courage people showed while facing obstacles, landslides, broken bridges, hailstorms, wild animals, the mind transcending the body, the angel-like people of the Garhwal region and the help we received when trapped.  Some 13 years before my retirement, in 1988, I read a book                 " Wandering in the Himalay" by Shri Tapovan Maharaj, the Guru of the great modern saint, Swami Chinmayanand.  It fascinated me so much that I decided that after retirement I will also trek extensively in Himalay.  I knew that I would have to be extremely fit to start treking at the age of 60, so I stopped smoking and drinking liquor. I learnt and practiced Yoga and took daily 10km walks. When I retired in 2001 I was raring to fulfill my dream. Luckily two of my friends were also keen. We planned the first trek of 21kms, ascending from 6000 feet to an

  She came like lightning and tomorrow she is going back. Yes! I am talking of Manya. Just as lightning brings light and electricity, she also brought light in the life of Ashram inmates. Also electrified the atmosphere. So many games and tournaments. Connect 4, Walkathon, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and Carrom. Literally single handedly she arranged decorations, 10 days were filled with excitement. Finally the evening Christmas Party was the icing on the cake. She could manage to pull everyone out of their rooms and made us participate in games, OK Manya, in India we never say bye but we say come again (aawjo) to charge our batteries.

  I have only been to church once since Covid began to infect the world. Last Christmas I went to Midnight Mass at my church in Bury St Edmunds. Everyone wears masks and they are 2 metres apart from the next person in all directions. There is no singing so that breath is not projected into the space around you. There are no books to handle and risk spreading infection either. All this means that only 100 people can fit in the church. Most churches have the same problem and so it is common for  church services to be recorded onto You Tube. Even the cathedral in Mumbai is on You tube for me to follow if I want to. I watch my church services from England because I recognise my friends who take part in the readings. On  Christmas Eve, on 24th December I watched a service for children from my church and later  I set my alarm so I could watch the Midnight Mass too. I didn't think that the Lonavala church would be very safe, as generally people are not social distancing in public places h

  Our Celebrations were unexpectedly  delayed by an accident that Ashok, the Manager, sustained. Various rumours were flying around  and the most accurate said that  he had broken his leg in three places. Ashok was whisked off to hospital by ambulance for x-rays etc.  We learned that he had broken his ankle and would need it surgically pinned and would have to spend several days in hospital.  The staff were very concerned and came to tell me that they would not be able to take part in the concert and prize giving planned for my last day, the 26th December,  because they thought that singing and dancing should not happen while Ashok was ill in hospital. All the residents were asked if they wanted to continue with the rest of Christmas celebrations and the concensus was Yes!  Prem Hirandani organised and ran the Housie (Bingo) as usual. With a jackpot of 1500/- we were able to have two games with extra bonuses. Those playing insisted that I play too and I was pleased to be able to win 1

  Our champion walkers of 2019 Christmas were absent this year and left the field open to some of our recent residents. Twenty residents signed up for the competition but on the day two of the regulars were absent and last years winner had a bad back! The competitors were not told that all the entrants would get 100 Rupees so that. and the numbers of elderly ladies, cut down the entrants too. It is amazing what the offer of money does!! I asked  Lahu, the Awaas driver-cum -handiman, to bring 25 oranges from the market and I armed myself with a register to note down the number of rounds of the jogging track completed as each person passed me sitting with the oranges. I was willing to help any entrants who were not sure if they could manage to track but this year there were no beginners needing my arm! Mr Deshpande was the first to report at the trackside and was eager to start at 4pm. He was joined by Sainath, Vilasji and Mr Panjabi.  two ladies, Leela and Pushpa joined the group.  Mr S