Notes on the meeting on January 19, 2011

Dear Friends, 

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the revitalization of Wednesday Club and whether Keralites view the late Chief Minister K. Karunakaran with love, affection or contempt.

Suggestions for Wednesday Club by Nirmala: Encourage all the members to make presentations. Compulsory assignments should be given. One member should call at least three members. If a person is backing out, he should ensure that another member comes in his place. 

Venugopal: It is not a club only to improve public speaking skills. It is a place where you can develop your leadership qualities. Wednesday Club should not be positioned against Toastmasters. The secretary should be calling all the members to inform them about the meeting.  

Grilling was of Johnson who spoke on the concept of whether 'justice delayed is justice denied'. He also gave details about the new law journal he has brought out. 

 

There were soapbox contributions by Nirmala Lilly on the high turnover of professionals in the service industry. Johnson described the various ways to keep staff happy, while I spoke about spending a day in a Kochi gurudwara.

Shevlin

A New Invocation

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.


--- Max Ehrmann, 1927

Notes on the meeting of January 5, 2011

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham spoke about corruption in the first, second, third and fourth estates of the country. “The whole country is talking about corruption,” he says. Kurian also spoke about the change in global weather and how it is upsetting the calculations of all.

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the rise in the price of onions and the performance of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

The guest speaker was Sunita Rappai, a Kerala-born woman who grew up in England and now lives and works in Cairo. She spoke about life in Cairo and of the similarities between Egypt and India. “Both are ancient civilizations and have suffered from colonialism,” says Sunita. “There is a strong sense of family and male domination. Egypt, like India, is a deeply hierarchical society.”

Sunita then spoke about her life in England and her love-hate relationship with India. “I am probably a BBCD (a British-born confused desi),” she says. “I don’t belong anywhere.”

She also criticised Kerala and called it “an ideologically bankrupt state. There is a brain drain. In many families that I visited, all the children are either in America, Canada or the Gulf. There is a lack of opportunity for the youth here.”

Sunita’s mother, Mrs Mary Rappai also spoke about how she went to England many years ago and the experiences there as a newcomer.

It was a wonderful and thought-provoking evening.  

Thanks to all those who took the trouble to come. It was a full house!

New Year Resolutions: Some suggestions by Venu.

More members, training programmes, guest speakers, tours and get-togethers.  

The time to renew the annual subscription has come. Please bring a cheque next week. 

Notes on the meeting on December 22, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham spoke about his meeting with V.P. Nandakumar, one of Kerala’s most successful businessmen. He is the chairman of Manappuram Finance. If you had invested in shares worth Rs 10,000 many years ago, it would have been worth Rs 55 lakh now. Kurian said, “Nandakumar realized that in order to be successful, he had to do business differently from his competitors. He provided more services for his customers and gave better quality products.” 

But the most important reason for Nandakumar’s success is because the firm’s accounting system is transparent. “So when he wanted to expand by taking a loan, the bank asked to see his accounts and were happy at the transparency and felt confident enough to give him money,” said Kurian. “In order to be successful, it is important not to fudge the accounts.” Many people show low income in their accounts, just so that they can skim off the money and hence banks will not lend to them. In the long run, it becomes counter-productive.

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the high rate of divorce in Kerala and the plus and minus points of author Arundhati Roy.

In soapbox, Patrick Xavier, a surprise guest, spoke about his experience in handling the logistics for President Pratibha Patil’s five-day visit to Laos.   

Nirmala spoke about her encounter with Roald Hoffmann, who won the 1981 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. A multi-faceted character, Hoffman has published two collections of poetry. Hoffmann stayed at the Ramada Resort and Nirmala spoke admiringly about his humility and friendliness.  

I spoke about the many theories of success from the Malcolm Gladwell bestseller, ‘The Outliers’.

This time, the lectern and the table had been removed. It led to a marked increase in freedom of movement and vitality in the speeches.

Thanks to Nirmala for bringing a Christmas cake.

   

Notes on the meeting of December 15, 2010

Dear Friends, 

In the absence of Kurian Abraham and Venugopal, C.M. Daniel presided over the meeting. “The other day we were listening to a short-duration public speaking workshop by Dr. Venugopal Reddy, where he said that applied knowledge is power,” said Daniel. “There are two ways to acquire knowledge. One is by your basic qualifications, and the other is by reading. This will help increase knowledge and vocabulary.”

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the rise in petrol prices and whether Karunankaran was a good chief minister.

Grilling was on Nirmala Lilly who was feisty as usual.

The introduction of the main speaker, Agarwal, was by me.

Agarwal focused on the talk given by the renowned preacher of Hinduism, Prema Pandurang, who spoke about the Sreemad Bhagavatha.

There were two innovations in this meeting.

At the suggestion of Venoo, in Table Topics, strips of folded paper was put on a table. People came up, took one, and spoke on the subject.

The second innovation was to follow the suggestion given by Dr. Reddy in our public speaking workshop. He said one must speak without the use of a lectern.

So, the lectern and the main table were pushed back. Daniel and I became part of the audience. Agarwal walked sideways, back and forth, stopped, held forth, and there was a dynamism in his talk, with many gestures, smiles, and forceful statements.

It looks like Dr. Reddy was right about a lectern inhibiting a speaker’s vitality.  

Shevlin   

Notes on the meeting on December 8, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham said that after China, India is the second-most sought after manufacturing destination in the world. “The pool of talent, young men and women, the English education and scope for R&D makes all the difference,” said Kurian. “So imagine what would have happened to our country if there was no corruption.”

Table Topics was by me. The subjects included the assessment of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister and the hike in airline fares.

Introduction of the main speaker Dr. Joseph was by me.

And Dr. Joseph Chandy, who lives in Britain, gave one of the most fascinating speeches in recent times about the little known B-12 deficiency. As Johnson said perceptively in his vote of thanks, “This speech will occupy a lot of space in our heads for a long time.”

For those who want to know more, please visit Dr. Chandy’s website: www.b12d.org.

For the first time the meeting finished at 9.30 p.m.

Thanks Dr. Chandy for a wonderful evening.

Shevlin

Notes on the meeting on December 1, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Vice President Venugopal said that there is a Sanskrit shloka which brings out the power of your tongue. “The tongue brings us wealth and friends,” he said. “If your tongue is bad, people will drift away from you. The tongue brings you enemies and controversies. “This clearly shows the importance of proper communication. Those who talk well, people are willing to listen to them.”

Table Topics was by Venugopal. Subjects included the Nira Radia tapes and whether women should be given separate rooms and toilets in the offices of the municipal corporations in Kerala.

Grilling was of Harikrishnan.

The introduction of the main speaker, me, was by Malini.

I spoke about the advice that I gave a group of Class 8 to 12 students during a function at the Rajagiri Public School, Kalamaserry.

Meanwhile: the list of participants for the December 12 public speaking workshop at Deshadan Plaza has gone up. They include:

Kurian

Venoo

Nirmala

Malini

Agarwal

Baby

Babu Kurian

Shevlin

Harikrishnan

Joy Joseph.

Varghese Paul

Johny Abraham

Dr. Joseph Isaac

Others, please indicate your acceptance as soon as possible.   

Shevlin

Notes on the meeting of November 24, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham said that there was a time when people used to laugh at Bihar and Biharis. In fact, even Biharis preferred to hide their origins. But today things are changing for the better. “But, unfortunately, the rest of India is going the Bihari way,” said Kurian. “Public servants, politicians, and ministers, whether Central or State, are all looting the public exchequer.”

So, it is no wonder that in the Corruption Perception Index, India is ranked 87^th out of 187 countries. “Corruption impedes development and slows down progress,” said Kurian. “The public is also responsible for the present state of affairs, because we are all bribe-givers.”

Grilling was of Kurian Abraham, who spoke of the dilemma of writing against people who gave advertisements to his magazines.

Table Topics was handled by Baby.

Subjects included the delay in the A. Raja resignation and the comparison of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.   

The introduction of the main speaker, Malini, was by me.

Malini gave an excellent, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring talk about her recent surgery to remove a large tumour from her body.

The speech was well appreciated by everybody.

Congratulations Malini on a good job!

Notes of the meeting held on November 17, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Vice President Venugopal spoke about a public speaking training programme which is being conducted by Venugopal Reddy. For Wednesday Club members it will be held on Sunday, November 28. Those who are interested, please inform Venugopal.

Table Topics was handled by Nirmala Lilly. Subjects included the expectations from the New Corporation Mayor and the 2 G spectrum scam.

Grilling was of Advocate George Thomas, who spoke about the impact of being elevated as a senior lawyer in the high court.

The introduction of the main speaker, C.M. Daniel was by George Thomas.

Mr. Daniel began his speech with a joke. A UK Archbishop was visiting an American parish. But on the day he was supposed to give a talk, there were very few parishioners present.

The Bishop asked the parish priest, “Did you not inform the parishioners that I was coming?”

The priest replied, “I did not, but the news must have leaked.”

Daniel’s subject was: ‘How to be a good conversationalist!’

Here are some basic rules:

You should have a wealth of interesting topics and have full knowledge of it.

You should keep yourself abreast of all what is happening.

You should show interest in others.

Never show off your superior knowledge to others.

You should not monopolise the conversation.

Don’t ask any sensitive or controversial questions.

Don’t be aggressive in your talk.

Avoid interruptions.

Try to know all about the other person.

You should be a good listener.

Be sensitive to the composition of the group.

Your talk should be non-threatening.

All in all, a very good speech and it was well appreciated by the audience.

Notes on the meeting on November 3, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham wished everybody a Happy Diwali.

Table Topics was handled by Agarwal. Subjects included the Adarsh Society scam and

what is the biggest truth and lie.

Grilling was of Venugopal. He spoke about how to cope with loneliness, since his wife and son live in Mumbai. 

Introduction of the main speaker, Kurian Abraham, was by Baby.

In the speech, Kurian dwelt on the lessons that he has learnt from his life.

Here goes:  

Reading makes a man. If you read, you get a lot of information and it will change your life.

You must help others. If you donate, you will earn in multiples.

It is not your parents or relatives that will shape your life. It is your friends and neighbours who help you become a success.

It is not pleasure but pain that propels you to action. Most achievers come from poor backgrounds.

By criticizing a person you cannot change him.

For good health, eat less and do exercise.

Drink a peg of alcohol every day. It provides some relaxation.

If you observe successful people, they are always positive-minded and know how to appreciate things.

Rich people spent money judiciously.

Be focused if you want to succeed in life.

--------

In soapbox, there was a contribution by me.

Welcome guest: Venugopal’s son, Balagopal, who is doing his first year in law in Mumbai.

Thanks for sweets from Venu and Agarwal.

Happy Diwali to all!

Shevlin   

Notes of the meeting held on October 27, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham spoke about the three keys to improve one’s conversational skills. They are:

1) Pause before replying.

2) Ask questions for clarification

3) Paraphrase the speaker’s words. You demonstrate you are paying attention.

Table Topics was handled ably by Kurian Abraham. Subjects included the local body elections and the change of leadership in the Federal Bank.

Grilling was of me.

Introduction of the main speaker was by Raju Hormis.

The main speaker was Nirmala Lilly who spoke about change. “It is inevitable,” she said. “But growth is optional. One great person said, ‘I cannot bring change all the time. You must bring change yourself.’” She also quoted from best-selling self-help author Jack Canfield. It was a well-received speech.

In Soapbox, there was a nice contribution by Nirmala.

Notes on the meeting on October 20, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Table Topics was handled by Ramachandran. Subjects included the corruption in the Commonwealth Games and whether the LDF will win in the local body elections.

The grilling was of Joy Joseph.

The main speech was by Venoo. He said that to gain success, you need the help of others. “Success depends on others,” he said. “There is no self-made man.” He called the others persons in our lives as horses. “You have to ride the horses in order to be successful,” he said. “In a horse race, the jockey does not win the race, the horse does. So we have to find the right horses in our life.”

It was a very interesting speech and well-received.

In soapbox, there were contributions by Kurian, Nirmala and K.P. Joseph.  

Venu mentioned that some of the horses are a good product, idea, partners, spouses and family. 

Shevlin 

Notes on the meeting on October 13, 2010

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham said, “We are all here to improve our communication skills.” Thereafter, he read out some tips to be an effective public speaker that he came across in an article in the Harvard Business Review.

Here it is:

Focus on your audience: Pick a person and speak directly to him.

Re-label the negative as positive: You should convert stage fright into anticipation and excitement.

Avoid rigid rules: There are no set rules. Just deliver a good speech. If you remain calm and relaxed, the audience has a better chance to appreciate your speech.

There was an unexpected guest: K.P. Fabian, the former Ambassador, and the brother of K.P. Joseph. Kurian Abraham provided the introduction. Additional information has been culled from www.ambassador-fabian.com:

Ambassador KP Fabian, 68, served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1964 to 2000. His last posting was in Rome, as Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative to UN organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Even while in service, Ambassador Fabian wrote and spoke on international affairs, mainly at universities in Madagascar, Austria, Iran, Sri Lanka, Canada, Finland, Qatar and Italy. 

Table Topics was by me. Subjects included the enduring charisma of superstar Rajnikanth and the goings-on in the Karnataka Assembly.

Incidentally, in Table Topics, when Mr. Fabian was asked about the politician who made the most impact in post-Independence India, he mentioned the name of Jawaharlal Nehru for setting up the India we have today and for upholding secularism.

Grilling was of Baby. 

This time we had a discussion on a topic, suggested by Venugopal: ‘Is Emotional Quotient (EQ) more important than Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for business/professional success?’ 

Mr. Fabian began the proceedings by recounting the instance of a friend of his, a brilliant nuclear physicist, who had quarreled with most of his friends. “He is a man of high IQ, maybe more than 130, but a low EQ,” he said. “It is necessary to have both to be successful.” He also mentioned the example of Bertrand Russell. “He was a great philosopher-mathematician, but had a poor emotional life,” said Mr. Fabian.  

Ramachandran also gave an interesting example of physicist Albert Einstein, who had a low EQ. Once, there were some rats in his chamber. A friend suggested getting a cat to get rid of the rats. He bought two cats, a big and a smaller one. Interestingly, he made two holes: a big and a small hole. Asked the need for the small hole, he said, “This is for the small cat to get through.”

K.P. Joseph gave the example of two classmates of his. While one was academically brilliant, the other was a backbencher. “But it was the backbencher who went on to win the Padma Bhushan and became on top of the world,” he said.

Kurian said that toppers in college rarely become toppers in life. “To balance EQ and IQ is the big task for every person,” he said.

Alex spoke about the need to have more EQ than IQ to be successful. “Children are unable to develop their EQ because of a lack of interaction with other children,” he said.

There were contributions from Nirmala, Agarwal, Baby, Venugopal and myself.

Then Mr. Fabian spoke about the impact of the Commonwealth Games on the residents of Delhi.

In Soapbox, there were contributions by K.P. Joseph, Alex, and myself.

Vote of thanks was done very well by Nirmala.

A very intellectually stimulating evening was had by one and all.

Shevlin 

Notes on the meeting on October 6, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Vice President Venugopal said that we should take the activities of the club more seriously. “What you learn here, you should apply it outside, be it at a PTA or a Residents’ Association meeting,” he said. “Then only can you become a perfect speaker.” He also suggested that we try to get new members.

Table Topics was handled well by C.M. Daniel. Subjects included India’s gold medal haul at the Commonwealth Games as well as the rise of the Sensex.

Grilling was of Venugopal.

The introduction of the main speaker, Raju Hormis, was by Nirmala Lilly.

She said, “Raju is a simple, down-to-earth, and a peace-loving person. I am sure we will enjoy listening to him.”

Raju Hormis spoke about the automobile industry in India. “It has been my favourite subject since my childhood,” he said.

Some facts from the speech:

The first car that rolled out on Indian roads was in 1897.

Till the 80s, it was the Ambassador and the Fiat, both poor quality vehicles that dominated the market.

But ever since the economic liberation in 1991, there has been sustained growth of the industry.

Last year, one lakh cars were manufactured and sold in India. The country is the fourth largest exporter, behind China, Japan and South Korea.

Chennai is known as the Detroit of India. 60 per cent of the automobile companies are based in Chennai.

There are 147 brands of cars available in India now.

India is also importing high-end vehicles like the Audi, the Bentley, the Maybach and the Mercedes Benz. But the future belongs to electric, electronic and gas-filled cars.

Soapbox contributors were Nirmala Lilly and myself.

Here are the speakers for the next four weeks:

C.M. Daniel

Venugopal

Nirmala

Kurian Abraham

Notes on the meeting on September 29, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Long-time member Patrick Xavier was a surprise visitor. He is on a mini break from his Indian Airlines job in Kuala Lumpur. “Despite the potholes, it is good to be back,” he said. “There is no place like home.”

Patrick was invited to speak about his stay in Malaysia. “I have been there for about five months now,” he said. “It is always a good experience to go away from your own country and to work in another place. I have understood how people of different nationalities can live and work together, even though Malaysia is a Muslim country.”

Patrick praised the good roads and infrastructure and called Malaysia God’s Own Country. He said that even the people from the low income group can survive there, because the price of food is cheap. The average income is 1500 ringgit (Rs 20,000), while the mainstay of the economy is palm oil.

Patrick described a recent visit to a casino at the Genting Highlands, a resort on a peak, one hour from Kuala Lumpur. “So many people were gambling,” he said, sounding surprised.

He suggested a Wednesday Club meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The best time is in February, when the Chinese New Year will be celebrated.

Apart from Kuala Lumpur, the other places to see are the states of Penang, Malacca, and Ipoh.

Thereafter, Table Topics was handled well by Agarwal. The subjects included the survival of the printing industry in these increasingly paperless times, the Kerala Travel Mart, the Ayodhya verdict, and why there are so few fashion shows in Kerala.

The main speech was by me and it was about my impressions of Milan.

The grilling was of C.M. Daniel, who said that he discovered his vocation of public speaking later in life.

In soapbox, there were contributions by Nirmala, Agarwal and myself.

In the end it was a most rewarding evening.

Shevlin 

Notes on the meeting of September 15

Dear Friends, 

President Kurian Abraham mentioned about how the Tamil Sangha of Kochi asked the state government to improve the roads and the infrastructure of the city. “Very few business organizations have shown similar initiative,” he says. “In fact, many groups lose hope fast that they can do anything to improve the city. It is a negative scenario. We have to develop a positive attitude in order to get results.”

Table Topics was by me. Subjects: Is Pratibha Patel a good president? Why is Kashmir burning? Will the Commonwealth Games be a success? Why has US President Barack Obama not lived up to his potential? Which is the best hotel in Kochi?

Vengupal gave the introduction to the main speaker George Johnson. He spoke about the changes he would bring about if he was the president of India.

He wanted to introduce a political accountability bill, in order to regulate the behaviour of politicians. Promote agriculture. Improve the infrastructure: builds roads and bridges and upgrade the railway system. There should be compulsory military training for two years to instill discipline in the youth.

The speech was widely appreciated and there were many additional points which were suggested by members, including interlinking all the rivers in India and having a retirement age for politicians.

Thanks Johnson for a nice and vibrant speech.  

There was an interesting discussion among members on how to improve the functioning of the club.

Here are the suggestions:

The silent prayer should be of 30 seconds duration

Invocation should be done by all the members by turn

A new concept: The soapbox where you discuss any interesting incident that took place in the last one week. Or you could do a book or film review. Each person can take 3 minutes.

For the main speech, there will be two persons who will evaluate it. Questions about the content of the speech will be asked to the speaker following the conclusion of the talk.

Once a month, there will be a debate. This will be in place of the main speech.

There should be a guest speaker once a month.

A public discussion on a suitable topic. Outsiders will be welcome. Notices will be published in the media.

By the 15^th of October, every member should bring one new person to attend our meetings. The aim is to increase membership.

Letters can be sent to MPs and MLAs or the Cochin Corporation regarding the subject matter of our discussions.

There should be a letterhead and logo.  

We should try to improve our vocabulary and correct our grammar mistakes. 

Notes on the meeting on September 8

Dear Friends, 

The meeting was held at a new location, the Desadan Plaza, at Panampilly Nagar. The hall was nice and ‘cosy’ (to use Johnson’s apt description), and it was just right for our group.

President Kurian Abraham began proceedings and spoke about the need to energise the club.

Table Topics was ably handled by Malini. Some of the topics included the Kuttipuram hooch tragedy, Shashi Tharoor’s future in politics, and the lottery scam.

The main speech was by Kurian, who spoke about the ten lessons he has learned from his life:

1)      If you think you can, you can.

2)      Nobody can save you except yourself.

3)      There is no substitute for hard work.

4)      All successful people are ambitious and positive-minded.

5)      If you give, you get back in doubles or multiples.

6)      Every Malayali thinks he is right. The problem is always with others.

7)      You cannot change a person by criticizing or suggestions.

8)      The majority of Malayalis are negative-minded.

9)      95% of people have no definite aim in life.

10)   Reading may help change a person.

There were many interesting contributions by members after the speech.

Varghese: Dress well. It gives a good impression.

Joy Joseph: Face life as it comes.

Shevlin: The subconscious can be of tremendous help during one’s bid for success. 

Johnson: You should dream and do hard work.

K,P. Joseph: Know thyself. Build on your strength. We use only 10 per cent of our potential.

Ramachandran: Change the software (subconscious) of the mind.

Nirmala and Malini spoke about their personal experiences.

A guest was present. Mr. Ashok, a friend of Agarwal’s and a neighbour of Kurian, spoke about the definition of success.

There were other contributions and the summing up was done very well by C.M. Daniel.

Bonhomie followed.  

There was beautiful singing by Nirmala Lilly and Varghese.

The food was tasty and enjoyable.

All in all, a most wonderful evening.

Thanks everybody!

Notes on the meeting on August 11

Dear Friends, 

Table Topics was handled effectively by C.M. Daniel. Subjects included the Commonwealth Games corruption mess, Karunanidhi’s many wives, and Mamata Banerjee’s joint public meeting with the Maoists.

Kurian then gave 10 Onam Resolutions for Malayalis:

1)      Smile. Malayalis are very stingy with smiles. But a smile makes you healthier and confident.

2)      Start walking. Many of us avoid exercise. We eat and sleep a lot. Many diseases can be avoided by a regular physical workout.

3)      Appreciate the good things in life. Avoid criticism. Most Malyalis give negative comments when they meet each other for the first time.

4)      Think positive. Malayalis are always negative-minded. They tend to see a difficulty in every opportunity.

5)      Share your wealth and problems. The law of nature is that the more you give the more you get back. Malayalis should also learn to confide their problems to others. It will enable them to solve it.

6)      Take the good and make it the best.

7)      Have a definite aim. If you see it in the mind you can have it in the hand. Thought becomes a thing.

8)      Dream big. Malayalis think small. MG Road was supposed to be a 120 ft. street. Instead, it is a 70 ft. road.

9)      Start keeping accounts of your income and expenditure. However, one member commented that it will lead to fights with your wife every second day.

10)  Eat healthy food. Prevention is better than a cure. Most food items are poisonous, and full of pesticides.

 Shevlin 

Notes on the meeting on August 4

Dear Friends,

President Kurian Abraham, after welcoming our guest speaker, M.K. Das, the former resident editor of the New Indian Express, spoke about the need to revamp the club. “We have plans to hold a public meeting once a month, where there will be a discussion on a current topic,” said Kurian. “There will also be a monthly dinner meet, apart from our regular meetings.” 

Mr. Das spoke about the viability of alternative systems of transport, instead of the metro rail project. This included water transport and the development of a suburban train network.

He also spoke of the change of the political leadership from ‘transforming’ to ‘transactional’ methods. In transforming leadership, which was evident in the early years after Independence leaders wanted to transform society for the good. Now politicians have a transactional attitude with the electorate.

“I will give you something and in return you should give me your votes,” said Das. It was a very good speech and was much appreciated by the listeners. There was an intense discussion on the pros and cons of alternative methods of transportation.

Table Topics was handled by Venugopal. Subjects included the lack of mass protests over the rise in the fuel price and whether there is a link in the increase of terrorism due to the lack of campus politics.

 Vote of Thanks was given by George Johnson.

All in all, a very interesting evening.  

Shevlin 

Notes on the meeting on July 28, 2010

Dear Friends, 

Vice President Venugopal suggested that we should get new members. “The Club must grow and evolve,” he said. “We should broaden our mind. The late Peter Drucker, the management expert, used to learn a new subject every year. We need to do something similar. To become a better leader and speaker, you need to learn new things.”

Grilling was of Harikrishnan who spoke about what he would do if he was made major of Kochi, as well as the drawbacks of his personality. 

The main speech was by K.P. Joseph who spoke about Cochin in the Universe. “Planet Earth is a dust particle in the Universe,” he stated. “Life appeared 3 billion years ago. Humans appeared 1,00,000 years ago. If the Big Bang did not take place, the Wednesday Club could not have started.”

It was a thought-provoking speech, and much appreciated.

Table Topics was handled by Nirmala Lilly. Subject included tips on writing and the three things you like about your wife.

The question was posed to Joy Joseph, whose wife was present at the meeting.

Joy’s answer: “She takes care of me, she is meticulous, and makes food according to my taste.” 

Shevlin