The Club Elitemadrasboatclub.com/sites/default/files/June.pdf · The Dhaba nite at the club was...

Bo at Cl u B Ne w s IN Ho u s e Ma g a z I N e | Ju N e 2018

The

Club Elite

June 2018 | Club ElitE | 3

45

810

12

PresidentMr. K.K. Arun Krishnan

Immediate Past PresidentMr. M.R. Ravindra

Captain of BoatsMr. James Joseph

Honorary SecretaryMr. Farid A. Husain

Honorary TreasurerMr. C.A. Theagarajan

MIC - House & New ProjectsMr. Pravin Aiana

MIC - Corporate Affairs & Employee RelationsMr. S.N. Eisenhower

MIC - SportsMr. S. Srinivasan

MIC - Bar & CateringMr. D. Krishnan

MIC - EntertainmentMr. S. Sriram

MBC Management Committee & Portfolios 2017- 19

Editor's Note

Focus

Dhaba Nite at the club

Elaneer Payasam

Mahadevan

Publisher: Rays Publications Pvt. Ltd.

MADRAS BOAT CLUBNo. 2. 3rd Avenue, R.A. Puram, Chennai - 600 028

2435 3190 / 2435 4751/ 2433 [email protected]@[email protected]. Anban - 9840175947K.L. ThadaniMahadevan Jayaram, Sumana Narayanan

Contact NosWebsite

General EmailChambers

Party BookingGeneral ManagerManaging Editor

Editorial Team

::::::::

BriNgiNg uP chilDrEN

S.Srinivasan

Cover photo: BRC Crew on Adyar waters during the 75th ARAE-FEARA Regatta. Photo courtesy: M.K Rajiv

4 | Club ElitE | June 2018

Editor’s Note

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be produced in the electronic, print or other media, in whole or part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct. However they can accept no respon-sibility for errors and omissions. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and the publisher cannot take responsibility for those.

Dear friends,

Welcome to the latest edition of Oarspeak, the one and only magazine exclusively produced for our club members and their families.

This month, as always we have tried to put together a variety of content that hopefully would be relevant and engaging for all of you. We have had more members contributing with articles ranging from life experiences to interesting recipes to review of a local diner. Nothing is more gratifying to the editorial team than seeing enthusiastic participation from members. Having said that we would like to see more members contributing to make this magazine a monthly habit.

Heartiest congratulations to the winners of the photo competition held for our members. The winning entries have been showcased in the current issue.

We thank Mr. D. Krishnan, Mr. Sharad Haksar, and Ms. Nandita Nair for their valuable time and expertise and for readily agreeing to judge the photo competition. The Editorial Team approached the 3 of them as between them they represent a nice mix of age and experience (professional and amateur photographers) and therefore bringing different perspectives to the competition. The little note on each of the winning photographs is from the judges, giving an idea of the thought process and criteria behind their choices. We would like to reassure members that the editorial team ensured this was a double blind review, where the names and membership codes of the participants were not revealed to the judges.

The photo competition saw a respectable response with 16 members sending in entries. Thank you for your interest and we hope to see more members participate in such competitions!

We also take this opportunity to congratulate the medal winners and their families of the recently held Sub-Junior Nationals in Chennai.

Warm Regards

MahadevanOn behalf of the Editorial team


While the mobile phone is a wonderful empowering tool; it can fill your day with distractions, a million little “productive” tasks that matter little, constant interruptions from messages and status updates.

Who doesn’t fall victim to this?We are frittering our lives away.

So how do we beat this? How do we make best use of the awesomeness of the Internet without succumbing to its powers of distraction?

I have good news. There is a way. It’s not always easy, but I’ve done it, and if I can do it, anyone can.

it takes three little habits:

1. set a time limit. Pick something important to do, and set a limited time to do it. That might be one hour, or 20 minutes, or even just 10 if you’re having a hard time getting into it. The time limit helps sharpen your focus. If you have limited time to do something, you’ll be forced to decide what’s important. It also means you’re not doing some unlimited task that could take hours, but a

We all live in the digital age and I’ll be the first to admit that I fall victim to the trap of the tap and swipe — new research according to western Psychologists says we check our

mobile phones anywhere between 80-100 times a day. Moreover an average person maybe spending upto 5 hours a day on their devices

very specific one that will be over in X minutes. Setting a limit is good too for when you decide to process your email — only 20 minutes to get as many emails processed as you can, for example.

2. close everything. This

means everything possible on your computer and phone that isn’t absolutely necessary for the task at hand. If you don’t need the Internet to write something, close it. Close email, all notifications and reminders, all programs not needed for your task. If you need your

browser open, close all tabs — bookmark them, or save them to a read-later. You can always go back to these sites when you’re done.

3. Pause before sWitching. So you’ve closed everything else, you’ve set a time limit for your task at hand, and you’re getting started … but then you get the urge to check email or Facebook or Twitter. You want to see what’s happening on Instagram or Pinterest or Youtube. Stop. Make yourself pause for 5-10 seconds. This is the key habit that makes the other two work. Take a deep breath. Think about whether you really want to fritter your life away doing those things all day, every day, or if you want to do something great. Choose great, most of the time.

These are little habits, and you can do them. When your time is up, you can give yourself a few minutes’ break to check your favorite sites, and then close them again. But when you’re trying to focus, practice these habits. They’re a small price to pay for a life not frittered away by distractions.

‘There is no tuition for having no ambition.’ ~buddha

~editorial team member


Key elements of this edition:

21 States 400+ Rowers between Sub-Junior and Challengers category Sprint Races - 500 meters / 3 lane 17 Events Category include: Sub-Junior (Under 15) – Boys & Girls: Single Scull, Double Scull, Coxless Pairs and Coxless Fours Under 13 – Boys & Girls: Single Scull, Double Scull Challenger Men Open: Single Scull, Double Scull, Coxless Pairs and Coxless Fours Challenger Women Open: Single Scull, Double Scull, Coxless Pairs

event Highlights:

The Overall Championships is for Sub-Junior category and this was bagged by Telangana State with 13 points (2 Gold / 3 Silver / 1 Bronze)followed by Kerala (7 Points with 2 Gold and 1 Bronze) and Tamilnadu (7 points – 3 Silver and 1 Bronze) respectively.

The Key Medal Winners from Tamilnadu Team:

U-13 Sub-Junior Boys Double Scull: Silver - 1:49.30 - Adiv Philip / Aarush R Sub-Junior Boys Double Scull: Silver - 1:36:79 - Naresh Y D / V S Devanathan Sub-Junior Girls Double Scull: Silver – 1:53:50 – Neha S / B Jothika Sub-Junior Boys Coxless Four: Bronze – Ashwin R / Varun S / S Mahinth / Tarun S Challenger Women Double Scull: Bronze – 1:52.53 – Tulsi Sriram / Sanjana S

event Dates – 04th June – 09th June 2018Venue – SriRamachandra Water Sports Centre (SWSC), Porur, Chennai

21st Sub – Junior & Inter-State Challenger Sprint National Rowing Championship

The 21st All India Sub-Junior and Inter-State Challenger Sprint National Rowing Championship was held at SriRamachandra Water Sports Centre (SWSC), Chennai inside the SRMC campus from 04th June to 09th June 2018. The national event was organized by Rowing Federation of India (RFI) and hosted by Tamilnadu Amateur Rowing Association (TARA) at SWSC, Chennai. The entire contingent comprising rowers and officials were stationed in-house at the campus with one stop shop facilities (boarding, lodging and rowing) made available inside the campus, which is one of its kind in India.

Congratulations to all the medallists from Tamil Nadu

Contributor : sivasubramanyam T s - regatta secretary


The Dhaba nite at the club was organized on 23rd June 2018

It was a very well attended programme with around 300 persons including members and their guests enjoying the lavish spread.

The food and the arrangements came in for a lot of praise and appreciation from the members and their guests.

We are happy to state that all the food was made in-house by our cooks and nothing was outsourced.

The arrangements were all made by our stewards and bearers.

Even though the warn-in was around 160 the entire kitchen team rose to the occassion to serve around 300.

You can look forward to more such evenings.



Runner up 1

Runner up 2

winner

Chander Seetharaman (LC 022)

Advaith Ram Ravichandran (PUC 572)

Pankaj Daga (TLM 669)

Photograph of a

pod of dolphin swimming against

the tide. A difficult

photograph to shoot. It also drives

home the message

that water is necessary for life.

From a host of such pictures, this stood

out for its composition, colour and tonal

quality.

Underwater photography has always been a challenge. The photograph of an empty beer can in water is a complete contrast to the earlier photograph which emphasises life on water. This shows our degradation of our water resources.

Bringing up children in today’s world is a humongous task for parents. Thanks to the information explosion due to television and internet, they are more smart and knowledgeable about everything. They seem to be clear about what they want and seem to have strong views on every subject. Especially when it comes to the brands of household products that are bought, whether it is a toothpaste or a two wheeler or even a four wheeler. It is called `kids pester power` in the advertising world.

When my son-in-law wanted to buy a new car, my 9 year old grand son had done a thorough study of selected cars and announced that his choice was Honda Jazz. His father had no option but to go for it.

A nephew of mine who is appearing for his 12th Board exam is very clear that he is going to study ‘Mechatronics’ – a new subject in the Engineering field which allows him to specialize in Robotics when he goes for his Masters degree. He has set his future in Robotics.

Thanks to the internet the children do a thorough research on any subject that they are interested in and go through all the processes involved – all online – to get what they want. Very often what they want may be contrary to what their parents want them to have – leading to conflicts and tensions in the family. The Parents`own inadequate knowledge on the subjects may add to the tension. My advice to such parents would be, if your children are clear about what they want and are passionate

Bringing Up Childrenabout something, encourage them to pursue their passion. Instead of forcing them to do what you think is right for them.

If you perceive certain pitfalls in their approach, you are duty bound to advise them and warn them but allow them to take a well considered decision so that they take ownership for such decisions and are prepared to face the consequences, if any. If you try this approach your children will surely shape into confident and focused individuals in life.

More than fifty five years ago, I decided to pursue a career in advertising – when it was a seller’s market and advertising was not even considered a career option. My father allowed me to have my way. A friend had rightly advised him that if your children are clear about what they want, do not interfere. He followed the same strategy with my younger brothers. All of us have done well in life, thoroughly enjoying the careers that each of us chose. We made our parents proud of us, during their lifetime.Recently I was with a cousin with two teenage children – a

boy and a girl. I was amazed to find the excellent rapport that the cousin and his wife had with their children. During the couple of hours I spent in their house, not once did I find them having a shouting match with their kids, for anything. Talking to the cousin, I found that one of the contributing factors for their bonhomie with the kids was the absence of a television set in the house – a major distraction for kids in any home. My cousin and his wife had taken a conscious decision that they would set an example by not doing what they did not want their children to do – so both the parents do not watch the TV at home. If at all they want to watch a movie or a video, they borrow it from a local video library and watch the same with the children on their PC/Laptop . This gives them enough quality time to spend with the kids, interacting with them as friends, rather than as bullying parents. Please remember that bullying parents are greatly responsible for their children becoming rebels.A quote from an article on the subject by Farida Raj in the Hindu, is relevant

here. It reinforces the point I have tried to make on bringing up children. "She says, The parent's level of emotional acceptance of the child and their resulting attitude towards him/her play a leading role in laying the foundation for the type of personality the child will develop. The attitude of the parents is the most potent conditioning factor in the life of the child”.

The message I got was that the days of children blindly obeying the parents are gone! If you show enough understanding of their problems, be available to them whenever they want you and learn to trust them, children will respond positively. In other words be a trusted friend to your kids. At least one of the parents should assume that role! If that happens, bringing up children will really be a joy!


R.V.Rajan (LR33) is a VeteRan adman & RuRaL maRketing speciaList who has tuRned wRiteR/authoR

post RetiRement. apaRt fRom being a coLumnist

and bLoggeR, he has pubLished 8 books

in 8 yeaRs.


Chennai had always been conservative in terms of the food scene. It has class

restaurants for the traditional South Indian fare but draws a blank in international quality food and menu. "The other metropolitan cities were all way too ahead with their pubs, their cafes., the styles, the brands. What does Chennai have!?" is a statement I have heard so often from my friends.

And then I had a chance to visit Pumpkin tales at Alwarpet! The class of the restaurant beat everything that I thought was superior in other cities.

The soothing jazz that played in the background, the uniquely delicious Asian, Vietnamese and continental menu, the aesthetics of European decor, the courteous women who ran the place were all just perfect and proclaimed that Chennai has truly arrived on

NEW LOCAL DINER - REVIEW M N SESHIAHRS098

the scene of International standard restaurants.

We do have other Asian cafes in Chennai but Pumpkin Tales offers a whole new experience to the taste buds and privacy! The other restaurants seem way too cramped once you have experienced the spacious seating in pumpkin tales.

I am having a hard time recommending any specific dish as everything seems very unique. Their hollandaise sauce for Egg's Benedict for example cannot be tasted anywhere else in Chennai with the same sinful creamy texture. The Bibimbup has such a unique flavour that the visitor is sure to return within a week to have some more. The pumpkin soup makes me drool just thinking of it. The bakery and desserts are a to-die-for dishes and delicacies.

I am super glad that Chennai has a Restaurant like Pumpkin Tales now.. a crown jewel for its restaurants.


Boil full cream milk and let it thicken

Grind the tender coconut pulp (malai) into a smooth paste. The thick tender coconut should be cut into tiny pieces to be used in the payasam.

Now mix the pulp, full cream milk and add sugar

Add a pinch of salt (salt will enhance the flavour of sweet)

Let it cook for 5 minutes in low flame

Now add tender coconut pieces

Add coconut milk (Once coconut milk is added it should be cooked in high flame)

Cook for another 3 minutes in low flame add elaichi powder

Garnish with cashew and pumpkin seeds fried in ghee.

This Payasam is very tasty when served cold.

ElanEEr Payasam

Full cream milk – 1 litre

Thick Coconut Milk – 250 ml

Tender Coconut pulp (malai) – 150 gms (three coconut malai will be sufficient)

Tender coconut pieces – 50 gms

mEthod

ingrEdiEnts

Sugar – 200 gms

Elaichi – 4 pods

Cashew - 4-5

Pumpkin Seeds - a few

Ghee – 1 teaspoon

Sridevi Balasubramanian (RS141) is a finance professional who moonlights as a chef. Her forte is South Indian cuisine. She conducts food festivals in top hotels , trains chefs, and hosts a food show on Pudhuyugam TV. Visit her FB page Shribala's Kitchen, or catch her on Instagram @shri_bala or Twitter @_shribala

Sridevi Balasubramanian PUC 559


Madras is blessed to have a wonderful variety of fruits available all round the year and I am forever puzzled that Clubs and hotels seem to ignore this abundance when serving desserts. Bread Pudding, Caramel Custard, Ice-cream and Chocolate Sauce are all fine but there is a lack of imagination that, to me, seems inexcusable.

For example, in May, June and July, apart from the incomparable mango, you can find plums from Kodaikanal in every fruit store as well as on street carts - inexpensive, flavourful and the main ingredient in two very easy desserts-Plum Crumble and Plum Fool - not to mention Plum Jam. Homemade Plum Jam is far superior to the commercial products, including so-called "imported" jams that are available in your local store. The economics itself makes it a better bargain. With just one kilo of plums you can make four jars of plum jam.

The Joys of seasonal DesserTs

1 kilo of Kodai Plums.

¾ kilo sugar.

5 ounces water.

Juice of two limes.Wash the plums and chop the fruit, do not discard the seeds, they add flavour to the jam. Place in a thick bottomed large pan (I use the pressure Cooker) , add the water and lime juice and place over heat. Boil until the skins of the plums are soft , it takes about 20 minutes , stir occasionally to prevent the fruit sticking to the pan . Lower the heat and slowly add the sugar, stirring all the time till it dissolves, then turn up the heat and let the mixture boil quite fiercely for 20 minutes ...stirring often. Turn the heat down, take a spoonful of the jam, place on a small stainless steel plate and place in the freezer. After five minutes take the plate out and skim your finger over the surface of the jam and if the jam “wrinkles” it is ready. If it needs a little more time, turn the heat up again and boil for another five minutes..repeat the test. When ready, allow to cool completely then place in jars (along with the seeds) and keep in the refrigerator. I make enough to last almost a year.....till the next plum season! Makes great gifts also.

Plum JamPlum fool.½ kilo plums.3 ounces water.1/4kilo sugar.juice of ½ lime.200 grms fresh cream.

Wash and chop the plums, (count the number of seeds but let them boilalong with the plums) . In a thick-bottomed pan boil the plums, water and lime juice. When thoroughly cooked, remove from heat and stir in the sugar till dissolved. Cool and then remove the seeds...that is why you count them. Place in a blender and puree...keeping a large spoonful aside. In a large bowl add the cream to the puree and stir well. Place in small glass bowls.....decorate with a blob of the reserved puree and keep in the refrigerator till ready to serve. Plum Crumble4 ounces maida.2 ounces Amul Butter2 ounces sugar.Handful of oats (optional)

Mix the maida and butter until it looks like breadcrumbs, add oats if usingmix and then add sugar and stir

together. Keep aside.¼ plums.2 ounces water.3 ounces sugar.Teaspoon lime juice.

Chop the plums, count the seeds , add water and lime juice and place in a thick bottomed pan. Cook till very soft, add sugar. Cool and remove seeds, discard. Place the cooked plums in a round glass baking dish ( the plums should come to the ¾ level). Sprinkle the flour /butter mixture on top of the plums, place in a moderate heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. The mixture should begin to brown a little on top and the juice of the plums ooze from the edges. Serve hot or cold with ice-cream or custard.

To vary this recipe is you can add slices of peeled green apples to the plums in the baking dish before covering with maida/butter.

The pudding can be frozen prior to baking or after baking.

Both desserts make a refreshing end to an Indian meal.

radha Gopalakrishnan is the parent of unni Narayanan (ru 006) a rowing member based in Canada.


Crossword 1 Bears (7)5 Steed (5)8 Nonconformist (5)9 Recount (7)10 Scottish emblem (7)11 Frequently (5)12 Breathe out (6)14 Of teeth (6)17 Women's quarters (5)19 Hug (7)22 Steal the show from (7)23 To narrow (5)24 Trunk; body (5)25 Bids (7)

1 Unit of gold (5)2 Nonsense (7)3 Creek (5)4 Nightfall (6)5 Growth secretion (7)6 Cook joint (5)7 Timeless (7)12 Deplete (7)13 Back problem (7)15 Tread down (7)16 Bind firmly (6)18 Vertical pipe (5)20 Truncheon (5)21 Merits (5)

Across

Down

SudokuThe objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9.

A cell is the smallest block in the game. A row , column and region consists of 9 cells and the whole game consists of 81 cells. A region has thicker lines surrounding it. This simply makes it easier to play the game.



Ask any seasoned sportsperson and they will tell you, mental toughness is what makes a difference

between winning and losing. It can help you compensate for a lack of strength, skill, or natural ability. Anil Kumble showed us this spirit of mental toughness when he had a broken jaw when hit by a Mervyn Dillon bouncer but continued to bat till he was dismissed.The return of Kumble to bowl with bandages wrapped around his face was surely heartwarming for every cricket lover of that age. It’s what a triathlete needs to survive the last mile of an Ironman contest, and it often means the ultimate difference between

How to trAin Yourselffor Mental toughness

success and failure.

We all know what it is—whether you call it guts, will, or balls. It’s mental toughness.

In the broadest sense, mental toughness can be defined as the ability to maintain the focus and determination to complete a course of action despite difficulty or consequences—to never quit, period. To many athletes and coaches, it’s an innate quality that can’t be trained. Still, it’s fair to assume that anyone can improve his tolerance, patience, and concentration, just as anyone can get bigger, leaner, or better educated.

Be a self-starterThe root of mental toughness lies in motivation. Those who are deemed mentally tough typically exhibit what sports psychologists call “intrinsic motivation.” A study featured in Psychology of Motor Behavior and Sport defines this as the desire to be self-determining. People who are intrinsically motivated are self-starters, willing to push themselves to the brink for the love of their sport or activity. They need little encouragement to give their best effort, and they often do well setting goals for themselves. Needless to say, this doesn’t describe all of us. Some guys can only get their head in a game when the pressure of competition is on. They revel in the chance to compare themselves with others. These guys have what’s called “achievement motivation.” Mostly, all things being equal between two competitors, whoever is higher in achievement motivation will be the better athlete, hands down.

2. find your “zone”Consider this: “World-class endurance athletes respond to the stress of a race with a reduction in brain-wave activity that’s similar to meditation,” says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., a strength and conditioning coach and triathlete. “The average person responds to race stress with an increase in brain-wave activity that borders on panic.” This is a prime example of how getting into the “zone” athletes talk about—the cool-headed state that allows a person to perform optimally even under high-pressure conditions—can make all the difference in your performance. Achieving this state and holding on to it despite distractions, pain, and your own instincts to give in for the sake of self-preservation is the essence of mental toughness.

The best athletes train their brains to be as tough as their bodies, using certain techniques.


Be positive“Every day, there is a dialogue going on in your mind,” says Cosgrove. “These thoughts are usually a mixture of outside stimuli and your own beliefs about yourself.” Some will be negative, but to be successful, you must focus on the ones that make you feel better about yourself. It sounds like corny advice, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a successful person who doesn’t practice it. “If you even think you can’t finish a marathon,” says Cosgrove, “You can’t.”

4. talk to yourselfYou should be your own coach. “Speak to yourself in the second person with statements such as, ‘You are going to give this everything you have,’” says Cosgrove. It can simulate the extra bit of motivation a real coach would provide. It also allows you to control what kind of encouragement your “coach” gives—as discussed above, you may respond better to one kind of advice than another.

5. visualize“Before you even step under the bar for a squat or pick up a dumbbell,” says Joe Stankowski, C.P.T., a former powerlifting and strongman competitor, “your set should be mentally done.” Imagine the steps you’ll take to get into position and the way your body will look performing the movement, and rehearse each repetition in your mind.

Think about how all that will feel to you. “Because it’s already been done in your mind,” says Stankowski, “all you have to do is repeat it with your body.”

6. MeditateVarious forms of meditation have been used for thousands of years for almost any purpose you can fathom, including reduction of stress, enhanced mental clarity, and simple relaxation. As a sportsperson focus on clearing your mind of extraneous thoughts and mentally preparing yourself for the upcoming contest. “One of the biggest challenges guys have when they start meditating is knowing if they’re doing it correctly,” says Stankowski. There are many guided meditations availabale on the internet, choose one that suits you best and start practising.

7. get uncoMfortaBleYou can’t settle into a routine and expect to make progress. If you’re trying to be a tougher oarsperson, then a couple of times a month you need to row a little longer or faster than you’re used to. These workouts should be at random— just take your boat out on one day and decide you’re going to take it to the limit. The same logic applies to the weight room and life in general. “Take acting lessons, go skydiving, or learn the tango,” says Stankowski. “Just as progression is an important part of training, applying any challenging

stimulus to your life will give you a greater ability to handle stress of all kinds.” It teaches you problem-solving skills and critical thinking, both of which can help you tough out any number of situations.

8. Be preparedEndurance athletes have a saying: “Nothing new on race day.” Meaning if you’ve prepared yourself for everything, you’ll be ready for anything. You should know well ahead of a race what you are going to eat, wear, and even think about that day. Naturally, you can’t be prepared for every eventuality, but try to be anyway. Anticipate any problems that could arise, and have a solution in mind. During a triathlon, these could include flat bicycle tires, getting your goggles knocked off during the swim, or getting blisters on your feet. “Knowing you have done everything possible to get to your goal will help you mentally,” says Cosgrove. “When it comes to the event you are training for, you can go into it with peace of mind.” Once you have that, you’ll be surprised by just how far you can go.

You can use the Mental Toughness Questionnaire called SMTQ48 to assess your level of toughness.

Weblink - https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PLGH8Q5


To begin with it was the SLV-3 rockets sent into orbit by ISRO at Sriharikota (SHAR).

I was assigned to cover the launch of the SLV -3 in the early 1980s.

Since photographers were not allowed inside the campus, they had to position themselves around 2 Kms from the SHAR gate and shoot as they spot the rocket in the sky.

Very few photographers attempted the shoot.

Armed with an FM transistor, which was capable of picking up the countdown commentary on a certain frequency, I left for Sulurpet, the nearest town from Sriharikota, the previous evening and stayed in a lodge.

The rockeT ThaT Failed To Take oFF

There I met a senior photographer there, who had covered the previous launch and he offered to guide me and that put me at ease.

Next morning, we positioned ourselves in an open field outside the SHAR complex and were scanning the horizon in the rough direction of where the launch pad could be located.

My friend, the senior photographer, was all excited as he pointed out to me the tail of the rocket, and said he had shot the picture last time and he was sure of it.

I then decided to mount my camera on a tripod because identifying the target or subject was done. Focussing the camera on the tail of the rocket, I did a few vertical pans as if to follow the rocket once it takes off and was

satisfied with my trials.

I now switched on the transistor and tuned to the FM frequency and drew a blank.I then requested an office colleague who had accompanied me for the launch to position himself at the SHAR gate where the countdown would be audible and he was to race back to our spot in the taxi which we had hired once the countdown started. We had positioned another person on the road within visible distance between us and the SHAR gate to signal to us once the taxi starts from the gate.

With a smug of satisfaction that we had all the ground covered ,we waited and even indulged in small talk to ease our tension. The only factor we were afraid of was a sudden cloud cover which the rocket could get into.

I was shooting with a 400MM lens and as it was positioned against the sky, I decided to shoot at one stop over the exposure meter reading to get some detail on the rocket.Then there was the signal , the person on the road waved his white handkerchief to indicate that the countdown had started, we waited and nothing happened. There was a snag and the launch was put off by 30 minutes.

The process was repeated after 30 minutes. And this time it was a perfect take off, and I began to shoot using a motor drive, but the object at which we had fixed our focus did not take off.It was the shaven head of a coconut or palymera tree that looked like the tail of the rocket from a distance that we had fixed our focus!

As the camera was fixed on to the tripod, I could not shift it around to track the rocket in a hurry .I came back, looking crestfallen and feeling sheepish but with a story to tell.

After long stints as a photographer for The Hindu and the Associated Press, D. Krishnan currently teaches at the Asian

College of Journalism, conducts photography workshops across India, and is exploring documentation photography.Desikan Krishnan

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