Golden Jubilee of SJC, Bhopal

Friday, September 15, 2006

Welcome One and All!

Dear ex-student of SJC,

Warm Welcome in here!

This is a watering hole for all of us, who are getting a chance to interact , thanks to this 50th year anniversary of our old school! Please come in here, write whatever you feel like in the comments... your memories of the school days, anecdotes, anything!

This is an informal extension to the formal site made for the occasion: www.acesbpl2006.org

I am from the '89 batch. It would be nice to meet you, if you are coming for the Golden Jubilee celebrations in November.

Warm regards,

Smita

19 Comments:

  • Once we started telling people, several emails came from around the world from our batchmates. I am excerpting some comments out of those here.

    By Blogger smilingaway, at 10:36 AM  

  • Although I won't be attending the Great celebration (I wish I could) but please keep me posted and if you can scan the group photo and e-mail that would be so nice.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:37 AM  

  • Looks like you guys are doing a lot of fun stuff....wish I could be there. I had sent all my info to Roohi. maybe it did'nt go through. Keep sending me the updates, its exciting to know what all is going on:)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:39 AM  

  • All the best! You girls have taken on a huge task and lazybones like me are happily sitting on the sides and applauding. Bravo!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:41 AM  

  • Hey Smita,

    I heard about St. Joseph's golden jubilee through
    Rana.

    Sounds like it is going to be a grand event. I wish I
    could be there to participate in the big event.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:43 AM  

  • SJC Golden jubilee event is very good effort. It sounds so much fun . I am not sure whether I would be able to attend but please take lot of pitures and do a reccording of event so that ATLEAST we would be able to see you all and the event.
    ALL THE BEST!
    Satnam (Khanuja) Gunsi

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:20 AM  

  • Hey ladies did you know SJC had boys in its ealry days? Lots of us ahve moved on inot wonderfull areas of work but yeah I hear most of you have done very well and SJC is proud of you.
    Keep the mail coming in as we would like to hear what the old students are doing now.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 12:21 PM  

  • Welcome aboard, Sir!! It is truly heart warming to read your comments. Thank you very much. Yes, I was aware that SJC had boys in the past.
    I noticed you have a blog, which I intend to study soon. Meanwhile, could you please give ideas on how to reach out to more of the alumni, Sir?
    I am trying to sign up with all alumni sites on the net and post the message pointing towards the ACES site. Apart from this, what could I do?

    Could please everybosy give their suggestions?

    Tahnks and regards,
    Smita

    By Blogger smilingaway, at 4:27 AM  

  • Hi there,
    Ms Roohi suggested that I join the SJC gang to be a part of the discussion forum created exclusively for ex-students of SJC. GR8 I thought, though initially I felt a bit out of place since I am one of the old students when the good ole school was co-ed. Blogging to a mostly lady audience seems strange but never mind theres lots to share and talk about. I am new to blogs though I do pen a line or two under various names. There is something from the early 60's I struggled to publish at this link http://o3.indiatimes.com/simba. Keep it up ladies, I find the concept super. Still trying to figure out how to link what I have written to this site. More later. We are going to have a fun time in Bhopal in Nov I hope.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 9:20 AM  

  • hi folks

    One method I suppose to locate all your old classmates is to go to as many websites and blog sites. Batchmates.com seems ok try it. Some of us are there. I have done so with a fone here and there. Most of my classmates are located in Bhopal. Us fauji types were few as it was the batch of 1963 to 65 that had some of us joing up via the NDA. I wonder how everything fizzled off. But thats one way.

    Another is get in touch with two seniour and two juniour batches. Watch how it clicks. I have already networked with places as far as Kargil, Bangalore and Delhi.

    Oh yes try out another strange peculiar method and thats the matrimonial columns. Jokes apart I have come accross some ex Convent ladies but I guess I will not mention their names. You will understand.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 9:34 AM  

  • Smita,

    Got your kind email. As for blogging, my son who is the IT wallah has his own company but is on a temporary hiatus in Melbourne on a super specialization in AI and advanced Robotics. He is 27 and generally having a ball.

    Pleeeese help me with this blogging thing. You have the links I think, so go ahead.

    An old school mate I think JAYA bahaduri's classmate who is Rani Naidoo married into the army and is now settled in Pune. She has been informed hopefully will be in Bhopal. Incidently very few know that Jaya and I were sort of bum chums in the old days. Though she was juniour to me in school she ended up in the Film Institute at Pune while I was at the NDA. Her mom used to give me a food parcel for her every time I was at Bhopal on term breaks. Rita Saluja and Paintal were FTII alumni at the time. Jaya was my guest at my passing out parade. Here is an anecdote for the school magazine or whatever that you cd pass on to your pal Roohi. You will realise how times have changed.
    Jaya was picked up from the FTII in Dads Staff Car as he was still given due honour though he had retired, and the three of them, Dad Mom and Jaya drove to my Passing Out Parade at KAHADAKVASLA. I felt she looked smart in her white churidar and kurta. Men are men, Dad felt she should have been in a formal sari, Moms said nevermind the girl is sweet and looks smart. Many years later when my son's live in girl friend walked into the home here in Devlali in what is today's so called semi formal wear I did not bat an eyelid despite her butt being partially bare etc etc. So you see times change. When we all old students meet in Bhopal this 14th Nov there is gonna be gr8 fun discussing what has happenned in the times of the 60's and now. You will find granny Kirin Awasti nee Shukul a different person to what we knew her. More next time.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 3:03 AM  

  • Smita,
    A problem has arrived. I spoke to Mrs Rita Bajpai and Mohini Rana. Seems the website of ACES gets updated every 15 days hence there is likely to very little real useful content. I suggested that they should do an upgrsde every week. Since its just 8 weeks from 14 Nov at 500 bucks per upgrade they will be shelling out 4 G. Or about 80 dollars US. Think you can help them with some upgrades, not exactly gratis but less than whats been paid out by the poor mums of senior school. My son is not around otherwise I wd have helped out. His company specializes in this kinda work but its not easy to first get the stuff properly vetted, then uploaded to melborne, again its wiser to get the job locally done.

    Next the ladies both mentioned registrations. I thought it was payments by end Oct. Are you in the picture??

    I will poke up the senior lot males that is, to shake thier livers and help out. Sarla is the website coordinator. Will speak to her tomorrow.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 8:51 AM  

  • Just got a list of the 66-67 batch. And am trying to contact the whole lot. Any further luck with spreading the word??

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 2:51 AM  

  • The webpage continues to still insufficiently filled with fotos. I am sure all the old students would love to contribute to the ACES website.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 2:54 AM  

  • Dear Sir,
    It is so heartening to note your interest and efforts at finding our alumni! thanks so very much. i am sorry I have been away from town, hence this delay.

    In response to your earlier query, registration needs to be done as soon as possible. I have sent my cheque with the downloaded form by snail mail, and it has also been received, I presume, since my name has appeared on the alumni page.

    Since they have only 1000 spaces, it would be a nice idea to send your registration as soon as possible, since after october, the fee goes up! Would you please spread the word around about this? I will get in touch you again once I reach Delhi.

    Best,

    Smita

    By Blogger smilingaway, at 12:57 AM  

  • Thanks Smita,

    Yea I managed to send the regn cheque. Shamozzle actually as I sent an enclosure for the Souvenir, than cancelled it eventually sent the correct one on one of those little CDs, plus the full page 5 G draft plus my regn money. To play safe Mohini Rana asked me to send it to her. She is incidently Mohini nee Singdeo and was Dr Sarbjeets classmate. Seems all my classmates are a wee bit slow. Nevermind its all going to be fun in Bhopal in Nov . So long and where did u dissapear incidently. Did you eventually get all the stuff I have written plus the poems??

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 9:57 AM  

  • n the early 6O's SJC was co-ed, something that is strangly rare even in 21st century India. We had arrived from Simla where my brother and I studied. Dad was in the army and all that existed on Idgah Hills was School, the tekri hill gurdwara, and the masjid with the idgah. Thats it folks. Yeah there were houses at the very bottom of the hill, where Capt Baker the then Chief Pilot of MP Govt lived. Next to his home was Mr Clive, whose lovely daughters Asha and Renu studied in our school. The TB hospital was all there was on the other side of the Hill. Sultania Lines where we lived was just old delipitated barracks. We trecked up to school and mind you that was some walk since we who were pukka Simla wallahs found the warm climes of Bhopal stiffling. Eventually mom convinced our father to let us go to school by bus. Anyway those early days were fun as we were able to enjoy the amazing view as we climbed higher and higher. Bhopal was not so huge and sprawling as it has now become. Being from the batch of 64 we were the early lot and Mother Margaret Mary was Principal. I remember one day she asked my mother if she could help out with teaching music. Mom was busy looking after us boys and could not spare time, though she incidenlty was a trained music teacher on piano from the Trinity College of music, London. I think Mrs Byrne ended teaching music. What I wanted to mention was that we ahd this lovely little upright piano that mum decided to donate to the school. She called it 'Huckellberry Finn' since like that wonderful character of Mark Twain the piano in typical waif manner had been dragged around from place to place when ever my Dad was transferred. Depite the love mums ahd for the instrument and music she felt H Finn would be put to better use in our Convent. I wonder how many of you young and not so young ex SJC ladies and alumni learnt their music to the accompaniment of that piano. H Finn ended up in Campion when Father More who was busy setting up that wonderful school needed a piano. Surpriingly the instrument survived one more move though a short one, from one end of Bhopal to another. Area Colony was just comming up then. Well thats the piano story. Boys will be boys as many of you would ahve discoverred to your chagrin. Whether its your sons, brothers or even hubbies. You know a lot of men rarely really grow up. Heh Heh, I feel all you wonderful ex students of SJC are wondering how me one of the ex boys can speak out. Well I am not like most males anyway so read on and enjoy. We were growing up in the 60's and most of us were really shy when it came to even being friendly with girls. There were about 6 to 8 of us army sons in the convent and some girls thrown in also. We were a wee bit more aware of 'life' sort of more 'girl aware'. Whatever that meant then but most of us were consider 'forward'. So yours truly who was quite shy actually mooned over who ever caught my fancy then. Age really was no bar and even someone from a seniour class sort of tickled the cockells of ones 'heart'. Tejinder Bhakshi was quite the 'cassanova' then and I recall the tensions sister stanislaus and miss attique went through shaperoning the girls. But more of this later.

    By Blogger MAGNUS, at 10:47 AM  

  • well the the most exciting news about the Ex-students Reunion day is that the oldies are going to be children again and go down the lane of memories when you will see the old photographs,and change which has occured over the years ,I on behalf of the ACES invite you all for this Mega Event ie on 14th November 06 if not registered kindly do it fast if unable to come atleast become the Life member at the @ ofRs 300 for Indian resident and for NRI at RS 500.More News in the Next

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:11 AM  

  • Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:41 PM  

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