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A synopsis

Could we have celebrated this Jubilee in a better way?  No way…………………………….

The night before…….

The smell of a crisp autumn evening added to the aura of the evening.  The Bishop Ryan High School auditorium and the Hamilton Malayalee Samajam kitchen were hustling and bustling with activities in preparation for the festivities.  Yes indeed, it was going to be the culmination of several months of hard work of a committed army of volunteers.  There they were, the men and women of Hamilton Malayalee Samajam, putting the finishing touches to the great silver jubilee celebrations. 

While there was a certain amount of secrecy at the auditorium for the obvious reason of not letting out the surprise element of the programs, in the Samajam kitchen, the atmosphere was entirely different.  There were members involved in onion peeling, garlic breaking, ginger chopping, chicken cleaning, fish cutting, mutton washing, egg de-shelling and above all - poking fun at each other.  Yes, that was the most important ingredient in the kitchen that night - having fun!  I am sure the team at the auditorium too, were having fun.  This merry making continued well into the night. 

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The rate at which folks were gathering, starting as early as 4:30 pm, visibly displayed the anticipation of our great community.  Let me tell you the events that followed  didn’t let anyone  down.  It was an evening filled with performances of the highest standard.  Fun and frolic galore!  And of course, tasty, mouth watering, fantastic, magnificent, gregarious ‘bhakshanam’.

Contrary to Malayalee tradition, the program started on time.  The Honorable MP, from Hamilton Mountain, Chris Charlton was the chief guest.  She was astonished and overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Malayalee community and the scale of events for the Silver Jubilee celebrations.   She delivered a nice complimentary speech on the occasion. Later in the evening, I had the opportunity to speak briefly with her and she was genuinely happy to be with us.

Unlike the general Malayalee miserliness in acknowledging and honouring our own people, the HMS took the lead to honour three of our dear friends who have made outstanding contributions in their field of excellence. They were Nirmala Thomas, Salim Yusuf and Xavier Joseph.  In their acceptance speeches, each receipients thanked the Samajam for this gesture. In his speech, Salim talked about the excellent contributions made by the Malayalee community in every possible field but challenged the second generation to spread their wings into uncharted territories, like politics.  Xavier talked about the many challenges that he faced to become what he is today but reminded us that any hard work would ultimately pay off.  Nirmala was sentimental and proud of the fraternity of Hamilton Malayalee community and their love and affection.  

Another highlight of the evening was the invitation to all the past presidents, who had devoted countless hours of dedicated service to our Samajam, to come up on stage so that they too could be acknowledged.

Next to follow, was the most talked about part of the evening; Dinner!  It was truly unbelievable. What a tasty dinner!  The food for 800 guests was prepared by our own volunteers under the stewardship of Sony and the food committee. It was simply unique.  Hats off to you, friends!

Following this gastronomical feast, the audience was treated to the last part of the evening - an awe inspiring entertainment program. This mega event was a herculean task, and believe me, they have pulled it off.  Organizing a professional event of this magnitude was like a child’s game to stalwarts like Cherian, Thomas, Deepu, Savio and their team.  Dances by our senior, junior, sub-junior and sub-sub-junior girls were flawless, entertaining and mesmerizing.  Kudos to each and every member who were in front and behind the curtain.  Cherian and team must be complimented for their fresh-breath idea of the interviews and recollections during the show.  It was nostalgia at its best.   What an innovative idea!

A special mention in dispatches to our Master of Ceremonies- Sunny; you were funny, man!

And of course, the most important announcement came in at the end from the campaign chief, Shaji, that the fund raising objective of $75,000 was exceeded courtesy, the generosity of our community.

It was indeed a memorable evening full of fun.  Everybody enjoyed it.  I was overjoyed when I heard this young fellow asking his parent, “Mummy, when are we going to have the next jubilee?” 

Very soon, young fellow.  You will be organizing the events and we will be sitting here watching you.

Jose Kudiyate

 To view the entire pictures of Silver Jubilee Celebration, click on photo tab.