My childhood friend is now blogging

There have been many people that were my friends when I was a child. Most of them were of my age group. I do not have contact with many if those who were my friends in Bangalore - the Wilsons, the Ealings, Om Prakash, Sahadev, Darius Sagar, Gerald Samuel, the Ferdinands (Peter, Leo), and many more.

In Bangalore, we lived across the road from a College Hostel. The sports ground of the college was also across the road. Besides the large cricket cum football pitch, the basketball court, and the tennis courts, there was also a gravel hockey pitch.

There I watched a great hockey goalkeeper. He fascinated me. I befriended this young college student, 9 years older than me, when I was just 9 years. I became his good friend.

In 1954, after we moved from Bangalore to Bombay, I lost touch with this young man. Many times I thought about him. I blogged about him quite recently.

I was surprised one day last year when I got an email from him. Someone had told him that he was mentioned on my blog.

Our friendship of over 52 years was renewed, as if it had not ended for a day.

Today, I went to read his new blog:Blog of Parayil A. Tharakan (Abe).

That he is an accomplished and published writer is evident from his blog. I enjoyed going through the 8 entries or so he has made so far. From it I learnt about his background, things I never asked when we were friends 52 years ago.

I am glad that he has started blogging. I have linked to his blog from all my pages under the list of blogs of my relatives and friends.

Great to have you on board, Abe. I can now enjoy your writings at the click of a button!

Attending a funeral

(Cross-posted on the CHAFF Blog.)

Raija Pojhanpalo

Today at 12 noon we attended the funeral of Raija Pohjanpalo at the Old Chapel in Oulu.

We took flowers and a card with us from Bill, Tingting, Unnop and Pailin and from the two of us.

Jacob read the message which said:

"The sun sets on a golden personality,
But the brightness will linger in our hearts forever."


The photograph was a beautiful sunset in Oulu, Finland
recorded by our elder daughter Susanna in 1990.

After the service, which was very emotional for all of us who attended, we joined the family and friends at the Kaukovainio Chapel for a get-together to celebrate the life of Raija.


Patrick and Leena.
Nephew Jari, who lived with Raija,
can be seen between the two.

Patrick Dickson, the South African priest in Oulu who has known Raija from 1976, organised the event.

His wife, Leena read a message from Pirkko Böhm, who ran the English Club as Secretary for many years with Raija as Treasurer, also when Annikki was Chairperson for the Club.

It is difficult in one's heart to let go of someone whom one loves very much. And it was evident that from the emotions we saw displayed, every single person present expressed their love and admiration with tears for the gentle personality of Raija.

Mallu CD Salesman on the phone

Mallus (Malayalees from Kerala) are everywhere.

The saying goes that if you reach the top of Mouut Everest, you will find Mallu with a tea shop waiting there with a hot cup of tea to greet you!

Of course, if you are nearing the Arctic Circle, you will certainly find one Mallu there ready to offer you a cup of tea!

This Audio Clip has been sent to me by several people. I found many of you have not heard it. (Click on the arrow to listen to the clip.)

The best part of life is to laugh at oneself. This is a good laugh at us enterprising Mallus.

malluphone.mp3

The ownership of this Clip is unknown, so copyright is acknowledged to whomever who owns the clip.

Another demise, another friend gone

As I put away my tears on hearing of the demise of one good friend from Oulu, the tears flowed yet again as I just received news of the demise of the man I most admired in the world.

K. R. Raghavan, blacksmith from Kottayam, Kerala.

Raghavan had been my friend for the last 58 years. He was the blacksmith at the Malayala Manorama newspaper when it restarted publication in 1947. He was a young man of around 22 years and I was just 6. He worked as the blacksmith in a small room just above the main house kitchen window.

I was fascinated by the bellows and the red hot blacksmith furnace where he melted lead and poured the new types for use by the newspaper.

As I stood by the doorway, he called me in. Within a few minutes he had me pumping the bellows, followed by pouring the molten lead. Soon I poured the lead for the letters that made up my name.

He then took me to the type-setting room and with friends I set the type for my own letter head. From there we went to the treadle press and he taught me to print the letter heads.

I ran excitedly to my grandfather to show him my handiwork.

Valliappachen asked that Raghavan be called. He told the young man that whatever I did, my safety was in his hands. From that day, Raghavan was my guardian angel, teaching me everything he knew, but never letting me wander out of his sight. He loved my grandfather so much that he could never violate the trust placed in him.

A couple of years later, Valliappachen called Raghavan, who hardly knew how to read or write. He asked this young man whether he could get together a few people to erect a rotary printing press.

Raghavan had never seen a rotary printing press. But the confidence he oozed was infectious. Together with four other workers, they unpacked a series of boxes received from Bombay. I watched this group of "illiterates" erect a printing press.

The way they did it was based on logic, common sense and a tremendous three dimensional vision where they looked at each part and put them aside to be linked to the next one they found which linked to it - without a single engineering drawing to refer to!

The press was set up and running in record time, and as the first pages rolled off the press, no one was more surprised than Raghavan himself.

During the next 57 years Raghavan has erected and commissioned innumerable state of the art machines, and did trouble shooting on the round-the-clock basis on any machine he was called upon to attend to.

Raghavan told me in one instance he was called by the biggest English newspaper in Bombay, put in a 5-star hotel and given full powers to erect a printing machine he had only a photograph of! And he did it in record time, although, he told me, he had never felt so much luxury in his life at the hotel, he was tempted to make the experience last as long as possible. But he was so worried about what was happening with "his" equipment at home base, he could not stay for a minute longer than it took him to put it together.

What I know about printing equipment, paper, inks, and anything else in printing was driven by the interest created in me by my friend. However, the amount I know would be about what would fit on a pinhead compared to the whole world of knowledge of this "blacksmith".

As I received a message from my cousin today, telling me about the passing of Raghavan, I wrote to his son, K. R. Ravi, sharing the grief with him.

I will miss you, my dear friend.

My first Audio Blog Entry

I received this from regular readers of Jacob's Blog, a great couple, Yakub & Shilpa Mathew, in the USA.

All Mallus should greatly enjoy this!

The song, "KeralaFonia" was written and sung by Shilpa's cousin, Dr. Yohan Chacko.

Listen to KeralaFonia.

Copyright belongs exclusively to Dr. Yohan Chacko and permission has been granted to me to put it on this blog! Copying and downloading is strictly prohibited without obtaining permission from Dr. Chacko.

Tears to shed

(Cross-posted on the Oulu CHAFF Blog.)

In 1984, when we moved to Finland, Annikki was looking for something to do. She saw an advertisement in the local newspaper calling on children of Finns who had lived abroad who wanted to continue to study English to register with the English Club of Oulu.

Two of our oldest friends in Oulu,
Pirkko Böhm and Raija Pohjanpalo.

Annikki contacted the Club and volunteered her services to teach English to the children. She met two people, Pirkko Böhm, the Secretary and Raija Pohjanpalo, the Treasurer.

A few months later, we were asked to give a lecture about India by the English Club. Annikki prepared some beautiful paintings of Indian birds and scenery and one of Mother Teressa for an exhibition of India. Jacob, dressed in a "mundu and jubba" and Annikki in a sari, presented a well attended lecture. Also present were many members of the English Club, including Raija.

Our friendship with Raija has lasted these 22 years.

When Annikki was the Chairperson of the English Club, Raija was at her side through quite difficult days as we tried to make the Club a really active entity.

Raija had a difficult life as she had to care for her invalid mother till she had died. Raija lived with her nephew, Jari, and they had some rough times. (Raija was the sister of Jari's father.)

But Raija was always smiling.

A couple of years ago, when she was really in financial trouble because of her illness, cancer, she asked Jacob for help. This was rendered. There was no consideration of it having to be repaid. But Raija, despite her ill health, worked and repaid that amount in full.

Raija helped many many foreigners including a few CHAFF participants with their accounts. Her ill health made it difficult, but she wanted to help all those who came to her.

A couple of months ago, Patrick Dickson sent a message to all English Club members through its Chairperson, Anna-Liisa Hirvenoja, saying that Raija was very seriously ill and advising those who knew her to pay her a visit to say their goodbyes.

Jacob had met Raija just a few days before this. Raija had been so optimistic that she did not give him any inkling of the terrible pain and suffering she was going through.

This week, Jacob received a call from Jari telling him that Raija had passed away on Wednesday, the 20th December 2006. Jacob broke down and cried, for this was someone that both of us loved very much.

Today, Annikki spoke to Jari when we visited him in their home where they had lived, two invalids taking care of each other.

Jari was very bitter with the medical system. He had advised Raija not to take the new medication that she was being offered. On the Wednesday, Raija had rung Jari from the hospital where she had admitted herself saying that she was feeling much better and she hoped to be home by Thursday.

On Thursday, Jari had a call from the hospital saying that Raija had passed away.

Medical malpractice in Finland cost Jari his leg which had been amputated. The treatment on his back by Finnish doctors has made him an invalid.

Jari is no stranger to the incompetence of the Finnish medical profession and the depth to which they cover up the mistakes of their brotherhood in the profession. In one instance the lawyer had told him that his compensation file would vanish - which it had!

Jari had begged Raija not to follow what the doctors advised her in the treatment of her cancer.

But Raija was the trusting type, and today, Raija is no more.

There was never a time when we met that Raija would not ask after all our children and grandschildren. And we knew that it was not just social chit chat, as she was really interested to know about them.

When she had a problem installing her new computer, it was our son-in-law, Tony, that went to help her out.

Raija was one of our family.

We are going to miss her very much.

The funeral service will take place at the Old Chapel in the Oulu Cemetery Grounds at 12 noon on Saturday 13th January 2007. There will be a gathering of the family and friends to pay tributes to the wonderful personality, at the Kaukkovainio Parish Premises immediately thereafter.

The cremation of the body will take place privately next Monday, as that was what Raija wanted.

May her tired loving soul rest in peace.

Delighted grandparents

It was the 1st of January 2007 when my Skype phone on my eMac rang. And behold, there were two of our grandkids waiting to talk to us.

However, we could not get the sound working, so we shifted to Gizmo and we talked and talked.



Today, I lifted this picture off Susanna's Blog - Asha and Samuel sitting in front of Susanna's new Mac PowerBook talking to us, the grandparents.

Glad to note that daughter Susanna is following her dad's example by sticking to the Mac.

Asha is now back in Billinghay with her busy schedule of ballet, gymnastics, violin practice, piano lessons. Samuel is back in Newcastle, football mad as ever, and back to regular school tomorrow.

Nobel Laureate attends Oulu CHAFF meeting

(Cross-posted from the Oulu CHAFF Blog.)

The first meeting CHAFF for 2007 was an event which showed that we are going to have an outstandingly great year. This first meeting was attended by persons from Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, Liberia, Poland, Thailand, Zambia, and many many Finns.

The Restaurant Pailin went to no end to make sure the even was a success. Unnop is a master carver, but this time he allowed Pailin to carve her first water melon.

Carving in progress

Completed work of fruit art

An admirer


As is said, behind every successful man is a lady. In this case there are two ladies, mother and daughter. The watermelon was made as a gift to two of them behind the Nobel Laureate, Julista and her daughter Ildiko, who is one of our earliest CHAFF participants.


Ildiko and Pailin

Unnop, Nobel Laureate Arpad Hamos and Pailin


Unnop, Ilari, Arpad, Ildiko, Julista and Pailin

The meeting celebrated not only the visit of Nobel Laureate Arpad Hamos and his wife, Julista, to CHAFF, but also the marriage of Ilari Sohlo to Ildiko, the daughter of the Nobel Laureate, week before last. Ildiko and Ilari are the celebrated authors of the book "Culture Shock Finland" which has been published in German.

Arpad is an expert on the safe transportation of hazardous materials, especially nuclear stuff. Although now just retired from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he is so young at heart and is eager to continue his work as a Consultant. With enormous projects like the Olkiluoto expansion of the nuclear power plant, there will be no shortage of takers for his knowledge!

The meeting was very much a family affair as besides Leena (Poland) and her husband, and two children, we had Ville and his wife, Fumi (Japan) and her baby daughter, Mari, at the meeting.


Prasad from Chennai, India, and
Ilari gets two thumbs up from me.

Besides Leena and her family, who were attending for the first time, we had three new Indian engineers working in Oulu also attending their first CHAFF meeting. Two are from Chennai and the third from Bihar.


Japanese formula soap - Made in Finland.
(Photograph from Ville's site.)

Fumi has just started an experimental project to make soap which is based on olive oil, palm oil and coconut oil. As was described by her, it is matured in the cold process, which lets the saponification reaction go slowly at room temperature. As a side product, the soap contains glycerol, which is good to keep the moisture in the skin and which is usually removed in commercial soap. The reason why Fumi has started this soap making project is this point.

This soap is good for the skin and also good for shampooing. After washing the hair with this soap, simply rinse the hair with vinegar water. (Approximately 2-3 shot glasses of any kind of vinegar for eating in a bucket of water).

Let us hope Fumi gets this soap into a production scale fast, as having tested her soap last night, I can say it certainly was a great experience as my dry skin was tingling with freshness!


Fumi, daughter Mari and Pailin.
Fumi is a biochemist doing research at Oulu University. But at the moment she is enjoying her first throes of motherhood looking after her beautiful daughter, Mari.

There was much work executed at the meeting behind the scenes. Connections were made to help those in trouble, and contributions were received to the CHAFF Help Fund.

We especially missed those who were ill, still away of holiday, those who were out of town, or those who could not make it to the meeting for reasons beyond their control! But the spirit of Tero, although feeling sick, made it to the meeting. Those who missed this meeting certainly missed an event which truly represents the enormous people power of CHAFF.

See you, as usual, next week on Sunday 14th January 2007 at 1300 hours at the Pailin Restaurant, Kenttätie 9, Kasarmi Area.

2007 vs 2006

(Cross-posted on all our major blogs.)

2006 was a wonderful year, better than 2005; 2005 was a wonderful year, better than 2004, and.......

So what lies ahead in 2007?

Our Symbol for 2007 - The White Orchid.

Judging by the first 6 days, it is going to be a hectic year ahead, far more exciting than the previous few years.

We can see several changes ahead.

Already, the blogging world has changed. We have started something different in that we have, besides the blogs, started our own Google Groups.

The first two Groups that we started are the Oulu CHAFF Group and the Seventh Heaven for Cathedralite 59ers.

In a matter of just a few hours, the 40+ people of the Class of 1959 from the Cathedral and John Connon School, both the Boys and Girls, were aboard the Group. In a matter of a couple of days the list of persons grew by over 10 so that we have now identified over 70 members of our years at school. All our Group members are scouring the world to locate the missing persons so that we can hold a great 50th year reunion in November 2009.

This 3-year project which has excited everyone from the Arctic (Jacob) across the globe!

The Oulu CHAFF Group is only slowly taking off the ground. But the restart of the meetings in 2007 have started with a real coup with a 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Arpad Hamos and his wonderful wife, from Hungary, gracing the first meeting on Sunday.

It is obvious that the Oulu CHAFF Group will have its work cut out for it during this coming year as there are literally hundreds of issues hanging over the fire. The amazing part is that those that once received help are now making significant contributions in helping others, taking the burden off the few that were origially involved in setting up this Assistance Forum. Much more ways of helping those in distress are becoming available and it is going to be an exciting year as CHAFF consolidates itself.

The main Jacob's Blog will remain intact and present a more focused look at the lives of two individuals, Annikki and Jacob, as it takes another major direction during 2007.

Important changes are just being discussed. But they are causing huge waves across the city of Oulu.

Several, we are sure, who will be quite happy to see the likes of us out of this City. But, there are an equal number who are appalled that we may make some move away from Oulu after the 23 years we have been here.

What is important to understand is that with the new power to the people of the internet, wherever we may be, in Oulu or in Newcastle, England or in Kerala, India, we will still be able to handle the problems, be parts of Groups, take part in the action in different parts of the world, without the need of the physical presence in any location.

In the computer world it is probably refered to as "virtual reality". Annikki and Jacob will be part of that virtual reality not only in Oulu, but in several locations around the world, throughout the year.

With that, both of us would like to wish each and every one of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year and let good health and vitality follow you wherever you are.

In that we share a greeting which was sent to us by Thomas Grorge from Helsinki:

May this 2007,
Blessings harrass you,
Happiness attack you wherever you go,
May misery be hijacked from you, and
May thieves pickpocket all your worries.

Busy day, yet

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

I had a very busy schedule yesterday. Even so, just before noon, I had a sudden urge to ring Ilari and Ildiko.



I chose Ildi's number. She answered immediately, her voice bubbling with excitement.

She told me that she and Ilari were waiting outside the Oulu Magistrate's Court room so that they could be married according to Finnish Civil Law. Her family from Hungary and Ilari's family from Oulu were present at this very private occasion.

I conveyed all the best from Annikki and me.

Later in the evening Ildi rang me to tell me all the details. Both Annikki and I were so happy that they have tied that knot which says the union is "for better or for worse" and "till death do them part". We wish them a happy comfortable journey.

Both Ildi and Ilari have become a loved part of our famiy. They are respected members of CHAFF. Ildi, in particular, has taken a large part of my load in helping Finns and foreigners in Oulu.

We will restart of CHAFF meetings on January 7th 2007 as most of the participants who have gone out for Christmas will be back.

This meeting is a special one asd it will be attended by Ildi's family, including her Nobel Peace Prize winning father - a wonderful personality, and her truly beautiful mother.

I am sure that many of you will want to attend to meet this wonderful couple who have raised such a fine character as Ildi.

Let me know, by return, if you are attending. The Pailin Restaurant may be too small for this event.

We may have to organise the location as soon as I know exactly how many of you intend to join us for the restart of CHAFF next Sunday, 7th January 2007 at 13:00 hours.

She is back, 2 months on

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Politics Blog.)

One of the most watched blogs is Baghdad Burning by the Girl Blogger from Iraq. On the eve of the execution of Saddam, she has posted a powerful piece End of another year.

Our heart bleeds for Iraqis like her, who are facing all the hardships that are thrown at them by the war criminals Bush, Cheney and Blair and their cabal of sycophants.

Today morning, after I listened to the news that Saddam had been executed at 6:00 am, I went to the local wholesale market. I met with an old friend, a Christian refugee from Iraq who has a couple of pizzerias here in Oulu. I sat down to talk with him. He shook his head in disbelief of what his fellow countryman had done. He now waits for the reaction.

As has been clearly outlined by the Iraqi Girl Blogger, the Americans deliberately polarised the issue to further promote the chaos in that country.

As she poignantly asks - the only people who benefit from all that has taken place has been Iran.

If Iran is apart of the axis of evil as defined by the US, why are they working so furiously to give them more leverage everywhere? Is it that they need to promote the confrontation between Sunni Saudi Arabia with the Shiite Iran? Further chaos and bloodshed?

I hope that Bush's trial in front of the International Court of Justice will as swift as that they held for Saddam. Luckily, in his case, there will not be any need to "fix" the evidence, as millions of Iraqis will be ready to volunteer evidence and also pull the lever to exterminate this vermin.

But I pray that they do not execute the psychotic madman but that they let him suffer a slow languishing painful death, just as that he has willed on several of his countrymen and millions of Iraqis!

I would to love to hear the ghastly cowardly laugh, not as a smirk but in pain, that he offers up everytime he hears of the death of one of his fellow countrymen or those who oppose him.

Thanks to blogging

Annikki and I greatly missed our girls, their husbands and grandkids this Christmas. They were holidaying in Florida at a place known as Kissimmee on the top end of a very Finnish sounding named lake, Lake Topopekaliga. It is about 50 km inland from Cape Canaveral.

We had a chance to speak to Joanna, Tony and Samuel on Christmas Day using Skype.

Joy and Jaakko in Birminghan

We also spoke to Jaakko and Joy on Christmas day.


Nirupa, Suchi, daughter Susanna, Chitra, daughter Joanna, Nandini. Grandson Daniel looks up at them!


Son-in-law Chris, Dipak, son-in-law Tony, Sajit, Michael


Granddaughter Asha, grandson Danny, Rohan, Anisha, grandson Samuel, Nikhil

But Susanna brought us right up to date with these three pictures from Florida. Thank you dear girl. And Joanna, congratulations - you are looking extremely trim.

Some odd issues of today

Yesterday was a day of waiting, as, despite it being a holiday for their department, the Office of Equipment Loan for Invalids, delivered, and then sent their technician to set up the motorised bed for Annikki's mother.



This is an electrically operated hospital style bed. It will make life much easier for both Annikki and me, and also much more comfortable for Hilja.



As I woke up this morning, I caught site of this glass display set up by Annikki of the beautiful glass objects given to us as presents by several of our Thai friends.

I remember the wonderful collection of glass objects given to her by skilled artists from north Karnataka, at the Mysore Exhibition. Sadly, those objects were destroyed when we left them with our belongings in India in 1984.



This last snap is one which is the cover of Annikki's book, "...for the hour of His judgement is come:...".

This was one of the first books published on the internet, way back in 1995-6.

On Christmas day, I had an email from a young Bangladeshi boy in Bangalore who is suffering the same trauma that Annikki went through over 25 years ago.

The young boy is being played like a violin by unscrupulous lawyers and others as he lives in fear of deportation which will affect his entire life.

He wrote to me a few days ago saying that the lawyer who is handling his case has already decided that there is no hope for him. She is prolonging his agony in Court so that he can complete his studies before being deported.

This, in my mind is criminal behaviour by the lawyer. Justice delayed is justice denied.

I told this youngster that when I was fighting Annikki's case, I did not depend on one strategy. I had at least six different lines of attack to fight for my wife's innocence. Only one depended on the lawyers, who fought the issues based on some of the aspects. I took up the matter with strongly worded petitions which clearly laid out all the facts, to several levels of people, including the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of the State, the Chief of Police, the Finnish Embassy in New Delhi and the Finnish Government in Helsinki, the Indian Central Government Home Ministry, plus the conscience of the Judges involved with the matters. In addition I had high profile individuals who believed in my wife's innocence to help with my petitions. This included well known industrialists, respected persons of the judiciary, and leading politicians who knew us intimately.

Those were not the days of computers. I can still remember sitting many nights penning each petition in a manner that was powerful with words that would move the minds of the strongest of men. I did not depend on typists to write those words. They had to flow from my mind through my veins to the paper to be truly moving. Each powerful stroke of the pen was filled with the innermost emotions of only a man who was possessed with the devotion to justice could put on paper.

It was only this combination of high profiled attacks that ensured that there was no miscarriage of justice. Too many people knew the entire background of the case to make a move which would result in the miscarriage of justice. I did not depend on the media - I was the media as I carried the message to every place that it had to reach!

If one depends on just one line of attack to prove one's innocence, it is just not going to happen.

But, above all, trust in one's Lord and Master of this Universe is required.

That was from where Annikki, with her deep faith, fought her battle from. That was why she received true justice after so much anguish.

Her book, even as I read it for the hundredth time, is truly gripping right till the last chapter!

And every word of that is the true reflection of her faith in a Superior Being.

My heart bleeds for this youngster in Bangalore, but it is impossible for me to fight his case from 7000 km away! But what I can do is pray for him.

Great greetings

Annikki and I got some outstandingly beautiful, some really deeply emotional, and many other types of greetings this year. Each one was viewed and appreciated.

As a tradition as of today, every year we intend to pick out the most unusual one for the blog.

Here, in our legally non-binding, uniquely humble and completely personal opinion, is our choice of the possible winner for this year, which choice may be modified if anything seemingly more unusual is received during the following days of the year, or even during any subsequent period, if it can been shown that it was dispatched during this current year, 2006 and relates to the current year:

Holiday Greetings to everyone !

I wanted to send some sort of holiday greetings, but it is so difficult in today's world to know what exactly to say without offending someone. So I met with my lawyer yesterday and on his advice I wish to say the following:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter/summer solstice holiday, practised with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or other traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great (not to imply that it is necessarily greater than any other country) and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms...

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawals. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Yours in spirit.

--
____________ _________ _________ _________ _____
Cosma Papouis

Thank you Catherdralite 54er Zarin Aga for sending us this!

Merry Christmas to all our friends

(Cross-posted on the CHAFF Blog.)

It is Christmas morn. Annikki and my email Inboxes are filled with greetings from all corners of the globe.

63er Stephanian Ajay called me on a Skype video link from his farmhouse in Lund, Sweden. (I was able to see him, but as I am still having a problem finding an economic web camera for my Apple Mac, he could not see me!)

Chaff participant Kannan, who is taking his mother on a pilgrimage called us from Kashi, Varnasi, India.

Chaff participant Tingting checked in from her home town in Northeast China where she reported all the shops were open and brimming with customers.

63er Stephanian Aftab Seth (the twin brother of Roshan Seth who acted as Nehru in the movie "Gandhi") from Japan, 66er NCRTer Christie Robert from Malaysia, 60er Cathedralite Mehfooz Ahmed from Saudi Arabia, 62er Ranko Ivancevic from Cerbia, 95er Oulu University Ramesh Devu from Silicone Valley, California, USA; from India - 57er Cathedralite and 61er Stephanian Ashok (Tony) Jaitly (retired Chief Commissioner in Kashmir) from New Delhi, Cathedralite 59ers Viney Sethi and Vijay Shivdasani from Mumbai, cousin Satish Abraham from Kerala, Catheralites 43er Naval and 54er Armaity Patel from Mysore, etc...., from Finland Rotarian Ville Suomi, Women's Empowerist Ildiko Hamos, Chaff participant Pekka Keranen and family, on and on.... were among those who shared their greetings with both Annikki and me.

This made us feel profoundly humble that so many hundreds of you, of every age group, took the time to share your thoughts of the season with us.

On our part, we have made it a tradition to ask a couple of young foreigners who have no family here in Oulu, to join us for our very simple Christmas meal.

Year-before-last it was a young Tanzanian lady, Christine. Last year it was Kannan. This year we called two youngsters, Benjamen Hayes and Kanchan Gupta.



Benjamin is from Australia. He has been here for a few months. He is all what I call Australian, friendly, outgoing, understanding and a lovely human being.

We have a rule in our home that no gifts are exchanged at Christmas. For us, the time for giving is not one day, but the whole year.

Despite this, Benjamin brought me a CD which he cut of some of really best jazz tunes he has collected. Even as I write this I am listening to the CD "Jazz for Jacob". Forever-lasting melodiies, oldies rendered by many great artistes, as George Benson (Eternally) and Diana Krall's "Cry Me A River".

There is beautiful message on the back cover:

"And promise will come
To those whose kindness,
Leaves you without debt,
And bends the shape
Of things to come,
That haven't happened yet."

These are words of the New Zealand pop star Neil Finn, whose career from 1976 till today has been an inspiration to many, including me.

We had also asked Indian newcomer to Oulu, Bihari Kanchan Gupta, to join us. Unfortunately, he went for a walk on the previous day, fell and hurt his hand. He obviously consumed an overdose of pain-killers, which put him to sleep.

When I rang his doorbell to pick him up, and also rang his mobile several times during the course of the evening, he was in deep sleep and dead to the world.

He woke up after our meal was over, just about midnight, telephoned us, apologetic, but sadly, he missed a feast!



Annikki's mother, now 86, was also in a festive mood wearing the elf's hat, as she enjoyed what delicacies that were on offer.

I prepared the turkey. As I was thinking what filling to make, Annikki, as usual, came up with a most humourous and unusal suggestion. We had a box of chicken wings on the shelf. She suggested I stuff the turkey with that.

We laughed our guts out.

I had fun making a new Christmas dish, roast turkey stuffed with chicken wings beautifully flavoured with herbs and light spices carried in plenty of onions!

The meal was fully traditional Finnish in other ways.

The menu: Apple juice and orange juice to accompany Christmas brown bread made with a trace of molasses syrup, pickled herring, salted salmon slices, freshly tossed salad, potato salad, mushroom salad, turnip casserole, carrot casserole, roast potatoes, and, of course, the roast turkey stuffed with chicken wings! Afters were whipped cream with chocolate swiss roll and Annikki's own Christmas cake, full of all the rich dry fruits. Coffee to end the evening.

Mika, had his fill as well. Annikki's brother, who lives as a hermit in the forest, also landed up on the doorstep. Annikki put him to sleep in the cellar. He slept through the meal but enjoyed it later!

It was a true Christmas spirit as Benjamin had a tour around Annikki's garden and enjoyed the humour and simplistic creativity and beauty of what makes us so happy, day-in and day-out!

We finally thanked our Creator and Maker for all the simple things in life which make us so happy.

But, this year we dearly missed our grandchildren, Daniel, Asha and Samuel, who are holidaying in Florida with their parents!

Welcome to a new Indian in Oulu

Fazila was the first AISEC trainee that came here during our time. She became a fast family friend. Tanya was the next. She seems to have vanished into the billion plus in India.

Now we have a new arrival, Kanchan Gupta.

I met up with him a few weeks ago at the International Festival. But I lost his contact and was hoping he would check in.

I was happy when he called me. We met up a couple of times during the last week as he settles in to life in Oulu.

Kanchan is from Bihar and has also lived in Bangalore.



Welcome Kanchan and have a great time in Oulu.

Annikki and I had a chuckle today morning

The main headline in today's local newspaper was how Finland expects to get 100,000 tourists from India next year.

Knowing how the Finnish Embassy has been handling genuine business visitors from India in issuing them visas, asking them for all sorts of guarantees, banks statements, and other proof that they are not trying to come in settle in their "land of milk and honey", I think the Finnish Embassy will have to increase its staff a hundred fold if they hope to achieve even a tenth of this projection.

Quoting from the first page of our (authored by Annikki and me) book "Handbook for Survival in Finland" published in 1994:

The half-witted comment by a TV announcer describing the Ambassadors attending the reception at the Presidential Palace in December 1992 to celebrate 75 years of Finnish Independence typifies the ignoramus attitude prevailing among some sections of the population. The proud Finn had the audacity to say the Ambassadors must count themselves to be "Lotto Winners" to be posted to this great land. He would be shocked if he had heard what some Ambassadors have said about their experiences in his country.

Further, one Indian like me has been more than enough for the Finns. What if another 100 like me turn up and start asking embarrassing questions?

The Finns will go crazy!

It was only a few years ago that the Finns were talking disparagingly about the "poverty-ridden" India. India was depicted in all the school text books in Finnish schools with cows wandering aimlessly on the streets of big cities!

Former Finnish President Matti Ahtisaari was most insulting about India and its intention not to sign up to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty during one of his visits to India.

Isn't it interesting that just now the US has withdrawn its restrictions on transfer of nuclear technology to India!

The wheel has spun, and spun far from where the Finns thought it would end. They desperately want to be liked by the Chinese and the Indians as they try to get into their bulging pocketbooks!

Another intersting news item from Finland today was about Heikki Kovalainen being chosen to drive for Renault in the next season's Formula 1.

Short Biography of Heikki Kovalainen (from the BBC website)
Born: Suomussalmi, Finland, 19/10/81
Started racing: 1987
2000: Elf Masters karting champion
2001: Formula Renault UK, fourth overall, two wins
2002: Joins Renault driver development programme; five wins in British Formula Three
2004: Nissan World Series champion
2005: GP2 runner-up
2006: Renault F1 test and reserve driver

With Kimi Raikkonen driving for Ferrari, the arrival of this exciting young Finnish driver on the Formula 1 scene is going to be a great boost to race driving in Finland, already one of the most followed sports here.

Absent for almost 11 days

Thanks for all the concern - Annikki and I are quite well.

Both of us have been extremely busy.

I was helping my former school friends, the Mumbai Cathedral School Class of 56 (I am from the Class of 59) to put up their report about their 50th Year Reunion and processed close to 200 photographs and created a 2 hour online slide show for them.

Annikki and me strolling through a park in Rauma.
(Photo by Kannan.)

Oulu is sizzling at the moment. One wonders where winter has vanished. temperatures are in the +3 to +5 C range and with just 12 days to Christmas there is no snow on the ground. The days are dark as without snow the whole landscape becomes dark in the early evening. But just think, in 10 days the days will start getting longer!

Annikki's mother is in the Old People's Home for the interval care. Annikki is enjoying a much needed rest (if she can!). She has also been doing some spring cleaning and we are reducing the junk at home. I have taken a lot of stuff to the Flea Market and every day we have a few loads to put there. Today I will put a lot of old magazines up for sale.

More in a couple of days. Some exciting news may be in the pipeline.

How do they get your money?

After I posted my last blog entry, many of you have asked how these fraudsters get the money out of you when they are offering you money.

Over the years I have researched this very carefully.

I found that they use several techniques.

But, you have to be a real idiot, filled with greed, be in so serious financial difficulties, or believe that God has magically appeared in your life, to be tricked into parting with your money.

And I have met all these types during my time of investigating these fraudsters.

I give below one typical example which the fraudsters use.

These fraudsters work in groups. Sometimes they operate from several locations around the world. The most used method is to string you along with correspondence so as get your confidence you are working with very very senior officers in companies, politicians relatives, banks, lawyers. They show you offices and access in different parts of the world (all bogus).

As they continue the correspondence, they finally offer you several alternatives to get the golden jackpot. To get it, they say that they can transfer the money to any place that you want or that they can send someone with the money to a suitable location, etc.

In each of these cases there are expenses, such as filling out a particular authorisation form that will allow them to transfer the money or providing the money to cover the travel costs of the individual who will carry the money to you, cover the insurance, etc.

Most often used is the need to complete a specific FORM. This FORM X will only be available when you purchase it from the "BANK" which is a bogus BANK. You will be dealing with te "Financial Controller" of this BANK.

The FORM may cost anywhere between Euro 5000 to Euro 20000, depending on how much of a sucker they think you are.

Or the travel bill is usually upto about Euro 10000 to bring you the money.

Once you part with this money, the whole operation vanishes into THIN AIR.

There are several other techniques used by the fraudstaers, and if you are interested, do email me and I can let you have them by return.

But above all, it is GREED that drives people to continue cooperation with these fraudsters. And I think it is best to let those who lose money to suffer their loss!

These fraudsters are dangerous people. Do not fool around with them as they usually have all your sensitive information. You can be compromised in several ways.

BE WARNED.

Watch out! Now angle by fraudsters

I was one of the very first to expose the work of the Nigerian Fraudsters who used to contact people by phone and fax.

See my article of 1996 Missile of Black Gold.

They then spread their tentacles to the internet and email.

There have been many new angles used by them, but this is the first time I came across this one:

Barrister Peter Morgan (Esq.)
Of Peter & Morgan Chambers
16 Norman Williams Street Ikoyi
Lagos Nigeria.
Email Address: peter_morgan1@hotmail.com
Tell +234-1-819-7854
From: Barr. Peter Morgan.

ATTN: Jacob Matthan

I am Barr. Peter Morgan An Attorney at Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. I am the personal Attorney to Engr. James E. Matthan, An American by Birth, who used to work with Shell Development Company in Nigeria. Here in after shall be referred to as my Client. On the 21st of April 2001, my client, his wife and their three Children were involved in a fatal car Accident along Shagamu Express Road. All occupants of the vehicle Unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several inquires to your Embassy to locate any of my clients extended Relatives this has also proved unsuccessful.

After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last Name over the Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where these huge deposits were lodged. Particularly, the Security Company Where the deceased had an account valued at about (US$10.5m) Ten Million Five Hundred United States Dollars.

The Bank Has issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin or have the Account confiscated within the next 21 working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 8 months now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name so That the proceeds of this account valued at (US$10.5M) Ten Million Five Hundred United States Dollars.can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money, all Necessary legal documents will be in place that can be used to back up any Claim we may make.

All I require is your honest Cooperation to enable us seeing this deal through.I Guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please do get in touch with me through this mailbox: peter_morgan1@hotmail.com for more details, once I have your consent and trust then we can proceed immediately.

Call me on my Telephone number if you have any question regarding this transaction. Tell +234-1-819-7854.

Your anticipated response is urgently needed.

Yours Truly,

Barrister Peter Morgan (Esq.)

The special reference to someone with the same surname is a completely new approach. SO BE WARNED.