NOEL ELLIS' GOOGLE BLOG

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   31/I/2025   ‘Garlanding’ is part of the culture of the Sun City. When a child is born, parents are garlanded. It’s a birthday, the birthday boy/girl is given one. Anniversaries are no different. People feel offended if you forget to come to their party without a garland.   Retirement is another function where there are garlands galore. That person gets buried in garlands. Death is no different, garlands signify paying your last respects to the departed soul.   On a brighter note, wedding ceremonies are a time to garland not only the groom, but also the parents, grandparents and everyone on stage. We in the Christian community here follow this ritual too. To be technically correct, so that no family member is left out, an extra garland is carried.   Garlands are of various varieties. How it is ordered is by telling the florist, “Bhaari wali dena”, that is, give a heavier one. The flowers are bigger, better and fres...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   29/I/2025   What a spectacle of colours and treat to the ears it was to enjoy this great ceremony which marks the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations at Delhi.   There was a confluence of regiments, tableau participants, bands, military equipment and of course not to mention the precise coordination of the air display where aircrafts congregated from various airfields from across the country. Time to head back home now. Thank you to each participant.   The ‘change’ at the beating the retreat ceremony was visible. From simple formations of the marching bands, it has been transformed to numerous formations. From simple marching as a contingent to diversifying the way they moved and made various symbols/formations. A remarkable achievement I must say.   Playing an instrument in itself is not an easy thing. On top of that if you are marching in quick or slow time increases the degree of difficulty. Add the ...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   26/I/2025   Let me start this article by wishing each proud Indian a very Happy Republic Day. What a grand parade it was today. My heart swells with pride when I say that in the Mechanised Contingent, my Unit 17 Mech Inf (Recce & Sp) (Tr) participated, showcasing the coveted ‘Nag’ Anti Tank Missile.   The whole parade starting from the laying of wreath at the National War memorial, to the mechanised columns, followed by the marching contingents and tableaus, to the culminating event of the fly past was all about precise timings and being in step.   The digging of heels and swinging of arms is so precise that even if one in the whole group is a little slow or fast can be picked out. The whole spectacle gets off set. Even a person who is not used to drill and parades can point that anomaly out. That is why we rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse.   In the forces and Army in particular we have a habit to be in step...

 Alexandrine Parakeet, Dil Khush ❤️

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   24/I/2025   It is after a long gap that one picked up the camera and striking my laptop keys to register one’s thoughts. The forced break was because of things beyond my control. The cold weather in the Sun City got the better of all of us. Cough, cold, running nose, watery eyes, chest congestion and the works had imprisoned us .   How does one catch a cold? This viral infection gets you down to your knees? “Sar dard, kamar dard, chaati dard…. Kuch lete kyon nahi”, is the state. You name a body part, it aches. After a little while, one fears to cough as your lungs and entrails diaphragm downwards pain like hell.   Doctors write down tests galore. You get worried that the consultation for cough and cold and may find twenty other parameters which may get highlighted in the lab reports as abnormal. The list of medicines and tonics extend into rolls of paper. You are damned if you don’t eat them and damned if you do. ...

  Their favourite joint the Hummingbird Feeder 💖Dil Khush ❤

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   15/I/2025   Having been born in Punjab, chole-bhature was part of our staple diet. One was not aware of the cuisine which existed below the Tropic of Cancer. Even if there was a choice, one would stick to what the pallet was accustomed to.   Let me share an anecdote of Kapurthala. We had a few members from the Armed Forces part of our church congregation. Major Punnoswami was a very active member. He was an Army Doctor. His wife and two bonny boys soon gelled with us. Mam didn’t understand a word of Punjabi and same was the case with the Major. However, English was the common medium of communication and Dad used to be the translator.   One day, the family insisted that we all after the church service visit their home to enjoy ‘dosha’ not ‘dosa’ mind you. We all were super excited about it.   Mrs Punnoswami called the bunch of us to the table and served us a dosha each. I must be in class seventh or eighth. I looked at my brother and he...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   10/I/2025   Winter plants are in full bloom. If watering and manuring is controlled and monitored strictly, results would be beyond expectation.   With a few years of gardening experience, our tryst to grow flowers from seeds has not made much of headway. We have decided to keep trying and to also buy seasonal flowers from local nurseries.   The other day I was ‘pinching’ the petunia plants. Pinching is the best way to get flowers in clusters. Once we leave the flowers on the plant to seed, they mature fast. However, the pinching process gives rise to multiple shoots, thus multiple flowers. Spent flowers should be removed the soonest. It hurts to snip, but is essential, which one learns with experience.   As my habit goes, instead of throwing off the pinched stems, I bury them in the adjacent pot. In due course, it turns to manure and there is no waste generated from the garden.   The other day I was adding compost to the chrysant...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   08/I/2024   In 1990, having spent five years driving around the dunes of Ja-Sale-Mer, I got posted to another battalion near Tang-tse.   Two Pinjas picked me up in a Jonga. As a Mech officer, the shine of the paint and the purr of the finely tuned Nissan engine revealed a lot about things to come. However, I was in for a surprise as my job involved moving on two legs rather than on these four tyred vehicles.   Pinjas spoke Tibetan which I did not understand. It was an opportunity for me to learn a new language, imbibe a new culture, train with them and be part of them.   After acclimatisation it was time to see the actual High Altitude. Pinjas were at ease, for me, it was a challenge.   It was my first visit to the company lines and langar. Every barrack had a wire strung across for tying mosquito nets. They used it for a different purpose, i.e. drying and stringing freshly made sausages. Pinjas were meat lovers.   My eyes li...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   04/I/2025   New Year was celebrated on 2 nd  Jan at the Army Officer’s Institute. In the fauj, we look for occasions to celebrate life. Dates do not matter.   Before entering the arena, an NCO requested me to get my hand stamped with a fauji stamp. I felt a little embarrassed, but my daughter informed me that people buy one ticket and rotate the counterfoil to get more friends in.   This gesture of stamping took me 35 years back. It was November of 1980 when I had gone through a similar procedure of stamping.   Uncle was incharge of the loco shed of NE railway section in Pilibhit, UP. I was with my favourite Aunty ‘Golden’ and ‘Massey’ Uncle.   It happened to be my birthday. For this special occasion, Aunty got a new white shirt and trouser stitched for me. Those days ‘bell bottoms’ were in vogue. ‘Mori’, the size of the bell was more than my shoe size.   Outside the railway platform near the loco shed, there was a notic...