CATS Chail Day Trip

CATS trying their hands at 'Helium Sticks' after a sumptuous lunch in the lawns of Chail Palace.

This particular team comprised of CAT Chat, CAT AR, CAT Arti and CAT Anu... The task was to bring the stick down to the ground, but it just kept rising!!!

CATS Chail Day Trip

Watch for yourself the silly fun CATS got upto during the Chail Day Trip...
An afternoon of tongue twisters had everyone's knickers in a twist in the lawns of the Chail Palace.. There was not a pair of eyeballs which had not zoomed onto this merry bunch of CATS, trying their tongues on various twisters!

Addition in CATS Family

A new addition to the CATS family being received with great aplomb.. Our first CATS Dulha and Dulhan are going to become the proud parents of a little kitten soon.... MEOW :)

mediCATe - Help a Kidney Patient

My dear CATS,

I am writing to you about an adventure of a different kind altogether.

An extremely poor young renal failure patient from Himachal came to Chandigarh about a month ago, for kidney transplant operation. The family had taken shelter at a temple in Mohali (opposite ph-8 bus stand), where our fellow CAT Pammi happened to meet them. The family had sold off property to raise funds for the surgery but were still short. CAT Pammi helped raise approximately Rs.30k to ensure that the surgery went through as planned.

For the ones who are scratching their heads, she is 'guide Pammi Bai' from our 2nd Nepli trek, who danced without music with CAT Rahat for a slice of plum cake! Her daughter Garima is a classmate of our CAT Amanat at YPS. Surgery was conducted at Silver Oaks Hospital, a private institute as it was taking too long to run through the processes at PGI and the patient was loosing time.

The surgery was sucessful but there is another problem. All the cash that had been raised by the family, temple donors and CAT Pammi, stands totally used in the surgery and post-op care. The patient must take medicines for 6 months to ensure minimum chances of organ rejection by the body. Medicines for each month will cost about Rs.5,000/- a month. He has medicines only for 1 month. If you all permit, then I have a suggestion to share with you.

Can we collectively raise Rs.30,000/- needed to buy the medicines for this patient? To ensure no misuse of funds, I have a copy of the prescription and we will purchase the medicines from the chemist ourselves and give them to the patient. Medicines would be purchased at a reduced market rate too since the chemist has agreed to forego certain percentage from his profits for this patient.

CATS, it is not easy to live with kidney failure and to go through dialysis 2-3 times a week. It's even more difficult to have a suitable donor, who's ready to donate one kidney to you. This patient has gone through all those hurdles. All these efforts may go to waste if he can not consume the organ saving drugs for the coming atleast 6 months. I have double checked this information with a Doctor from GH-16 also who has confirmed the details of the treatment.

You can contribute whatever amount you are comfortable with, monthly or in lumpsum. Payments can be made, as usual, as the reception of Chandigarh Beckons hotel in sector 42 in a sealed envelope with CATS mediCATe Fund written in bold, along with your name.

Kids at home have already plunged through their piggy banks. CAT Aman has given Rs.100/- and CAT Amanat Rs.130/- I think we will need to do more.

Can we work paw-to-paw to help this family CATS?

CAT Supreet

Food for Thought: Responsibility on the Roads

Dear CATS,

Since the sad state of traffic in Chandigarh is something I feel very strongly about, I had to comment of all the brouhaha about the many traffic awareness programmes the traffic police carries out and the raising of the traffic fines.

Regarding the raised amount for traffic challans alot of the Chandigarh population is of the view that it would instead be better to spread traffic awareness among the road users. May I please point out that motor vehicle licence holders are supposed to have been tested on their knowledge of traffic rules before they are granted a license by the authorities. Awareness can be spread among the users of non motorised vehicles(bicycles,rickshaws etc) but since they cannot be challaned hence no reason for them to worry about the fines.

I am of the firm view that all road users are perfectly aware of all the rules but they follow the principle of "Rules Are Made To Be Broken". Often people come up the wrong side of the road on a dual carriageway in a hurry to take shortcuts(rotary in front of the general hospital sec.16 and many other rotaries). Every child has learnt the traffic light rhyme in playschool which tells us that the red light tells us to stop,yellow to be ready and green is to go-yet grown people will zip through the red light with scant regard to their own or others safety.

It is common sense to give way to vehicles coming from the right of the rotary and wait to enter the rotary behind them, but we are so high on ego that we have to be first and push our way in causing a snarlup for no reason.Where traffic should be slowing down when approaching the rotary, cars are mostly seen hurtling down at great speed so as toget ahead of the right side traffic.Incase of indicator lights,the right side indicator is to be given only to indicate an imminent right turn to be taken by the driver and not to indicate to the vehicle behind to overtake. How do we tell the difference?!!

Parking ones vehicle in a crowded market is a matter of etiquette and regard for your fellowman. There is no thought shown for someone elses time and inconvenience.Vehicles are parked hindering the exit of cars already parked and incase you tick off the driver he will give you the"-whats the big deal"?-kind of look and drive off without any sign of contrition.

The onus of wearing a helmet is on the individual as it is for their own safety. Cyclists and rickshaws should also be fined for not riding on the cylcle tracks where available and for flouting traffic rules .They are a major cause of accidents and end up being victims..Hence punishment in the form of prohibitively heavy fines is the only answer to curb this menace and to make the city safe for all.

Any Thoughts CATS?

CAT Rima