EVES TIMES

` 50 January 2013

Your Voice is our Inspiration

INDIA OUTRAGED

EVES TIMES

January 2013

EVES TIMES
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edit-o-real
The Candle of Hope
The nation came together to fight and pray for the 23- year old gang rape victim of Delhi, a cause that had united the thinking minds among the youth. Despite everything, the young girls battered body could not fight anymore. While the spirit yearned to live, the body just gave up. December 29 was a Black Day for India that exposed all that is wrong with the country. I cried. For the nation. As a mother of two daughters, I could understand the shock, the benumbing fact that ones little doll for which the Indian mother gives her everything, is now no more. And for the manner in which she was butchered by lecherous barbarians on the prowl in a public transport. And the fact that she had to go through untold agony and pain, which finally came to nothing. And the even more shocking reality that politicians were trying to gain mileage out of this or were trying to ensure that they remained unscathed by the sorrowful incident. I cried because of all that is wrong about our democracy. The fact that men and women of such depraved character find their way into our houses of representatives just because they are able to buy a packet of biriyani and liquor for the masses. One innocuous winter evening of entertainment ended on such a heinous note for an innocent girl who had to face a brutality unbeknown to the human race. Just because a few discredited mortals decided to have fun not only outraging her modesty, but also brutally attacking her, leaving her to undergo the worst suffering any girl her age can bear. The 23-year old stands testimony to the dire straits in which the Indian woman is placed today. As I keep repeating often, the Indian woman is the most exploited today than ever in the history of India. And it has been proven true. This brave little girl is just one example as many more skeletons keep tumbling out of the cupboards everyday now. Today even a girl child is not spared from the suspiciously universal sexual depravities lurking in almost every man. To what greater depths can the human character plummet? As the entire world keeps watching, the so called political leaders are leaving their gender prejudices unmasked before a shocked world. This has always been the root cause of all that is wrong with India. A country that does not respect half its population can never forge ahead in any sphere. How long can men continue to thrust their warped thinking and distorted behavior on half the population? Amidst the solemn gravity around us, even as hundreds of youngsters march silently with candles in their hands, the light from the candles seems to symbolize hope. Somehow, somewhere, there is hope that the youth will realize the need for another struggle for freedom.A struggle for developing national character. a struggle for electing responsible leaders. a need to realize all the values that our Constitution stands for. And to emerge out of this darkness of mind to an enlightened world where respect, dignity and equality are ensured to all citizens. Ciao!

Eves Times Group

Volume 7 Issue 192 for the month of January 2013. Price Rs. 50/Reg Off : # 18/1 2nd Cross Street Dr.RadhakrishnanNagar, Tiruvanmiyur,Ch 41 E Mail: editoretg@gmail.com Ph: 91 44 24526739/ 91 44 24521813 Printed by K. Elumalai at Sakthi Scanners (P) Ltd., No 7 Dams Road, Chindadripet, Ch 600 002 Published by Smt. Kamala Balachandran On behalf of Eves Times Group. Editor-in-Chief Lata Amarnath.All rights reserved Reproduction in any form is prohibited Eves Times Group does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material.All views expressed in the articles are those of the authors.

Swati Amar

EVES TIMES

January 2013

Content
9|POTPOURRI
64|Entrepreneurial Experiences 66|Time for Good GovernanceRajyavardhan Rathod career

FEATURE COVER- INDIA OUTRAGED!

Celebs and citizens of India voice out their dismay, distress and outrage at the crime meted out to women.

67|Sania Mirza Speaks about her

70|KEEPING UP WITH NEIGHBORS

A peep into what people all over the country have to say about their neighbors- experience relived

TEENMAG
18|HUMOR THE INDIANS
A spate of articles by our panel of writers across the country on people who have made humor their profession and career as well as the importance of infusing humour in our lives.

47|Face lace make up for

Parties

51|Hair Mask for Healthy Hair 52|Spa Magic 53|Numerology 54|Canteen banter

UPRISING

THE RISE OF
THE NEW INDIAN

YET NOT OUT

32|THE NRIS- OUT OF HOME, 56|Jest for Laughs

61|For your eyes only

33|People living abroad share their experiences of living abroadreminiscence galore, and nostalgia
40|Ireland- Snippets

REGULARS
74|Cook n Smile Special
dishes for Makar Sankranti by renowned Chef of Mumbai

OUT OF H ME YET NOT OUT

77|Salt n Pepper Korner 78|Just Ask Brinda 79|Health File- How to

Counter cholesterol by Mallika Badrinath Vijayachamundeeswari

80|Keeping Fit by

84|Exotic Destinations- Venice 88|Citizens Voice 891|Events and Product

Launches

Disclaimer
We recommend that readers make proper enquiries and seek appropriate advice before remitting money, incurring any expenditure, acting on any medical recommendations or entering into any commitment in relation to any advertisement published herein. Eves Times will not vouch for any claims made by the advertisers of products and services.The Printer, Publisher, Editor and Owner of Eves Times shall not be held liable for any consequences , in the event such claims are not honoured by the advertisers.
4

EVES TIMES

January 2013

When Flying is a necessity

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Airport Office
Old Airport (Near Madras Flying Club),Meenambakkam, Chennai 600 027. Telefax : 044 2256 0860 Mobile : +91 90030 20061 Email: airportoffice@indraair.com

EVES TIMES

January 2013

Art Update

EVES TIMES
` 50 December 2012

Your Voice is our Inspiration

Ambika Kameshwar & RASA

Padma Shri Gayatri Shankarans musical journey

The New Sound of Music- Pathbreaking Agam

I Dance Therefore I Am Shiamak Davar

Genie at your Service- New Year Fantasies by celebs

Breaking BarriersAmar Jyoti Delhi

The Undefeatable Trio- How three brave citizens

turned around darkness

December 2012

ecember issue of Eves Times was simply amazing- very colourful and beautifully designed. The articles on art gave a comprehensive coverage of the entire performing scenario. What impressed me most was the message we got that art is not out of the reach of the differently-abled. In fact, they are more dedicated and are able to give their best. Without eliciting sympathy, they are able to bring out the true beauty of performing arts. Articles on RASA as well as Gayatri Shankaran were very positive and impactful. The innovative and all-encompassing approach to such useful features is much welcome. Raveendran, Chennai

magazines because many youngsters are interested in taking up sports seriously as a career today. I request you to continue to carry out such interviews and features about sportspersons from time to time. It will also enable many parents who insist on studies to have a change of heart. Ramesh Annadurai, Chennai

Despite Everything
In spite of telling myself that I should not cry, I could not help but shed tears as I read the article on The Undefeatable Trio. The stories about the three visually challenged individuals were indeed much inspiring. While we are still floundering how to handle differently-abled individuals, thanks to our non-inclusive society, they are going about accomplishing a lot in their lives despite everything. And to think that they harbor more values than people with all their senses intact and are fortunate enough to be comfortable in monetary terms, it is indeed disquieting to see able-bodied individuals ruin their lives indulging in trivial pleasures. Such

A Gourmets Review
I claim to be a gourmet and keep tasting different dishes whenever possible. I also like to try my hand at new recipes. I was simply enthralled to read the winter recipes and immediately got

Letters to the editor

down to trying my culinary skills with the help of the recipes given. I was amazed at the results I got when I made Spanish Hot Chocolate and herbal tea. Eves Times recipes are very different and interesting. Also coming from chefs, they are interesting for youngsters like me who are interested in cooking international dishes. I was also thrilled to see the new health column by Mallika Badrinath. I have been a fan of hers for years and it is simply wonderful that we will have a regular column from her. Thank you! Christina, Bengaluru Renuka Chandran, Chennai

individuals of Enable India are the true Indians who carry our cultural values forward and stand as sterling examples of Indianness globally. We have a lot to learn from them. Let the youngsters of today who wrench money and materials from their parents and waste their most productive years on liquor, mobile, entertainment, sex and other trivial pursuits learn a lesson or two from such progressive minds.

Living a Dream
The article Living a Dream in your December issue was quite inspiring. Such interviews with achievers in all fields, especially sports are a must for
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EVES TIMES

January 2013

EVES TIMES
Your Voice is our Inspiration

From

EVES TIMES

January 2013

UPRISING

THE RISE OF
THE NEW INDIAN

EVES TIMES

January 2013

he death of the 23 year old gang rape victim brought out the deep gender bias and discrimination against women that have been rampant for ages in India. Despite the so called modern education and developments in several fields, the bias is so deeply entrenched in the social milieu that it reached a climax as the ugly and grisly drama unfolded before the eyes of the shocked citizens of India. The death of this young girl who put up a brave fight is just one incident as countless such incidents continue to happen everywhere in the country. The brazen manner in which the crime took place in public seems to bring out the fact that anything can happen to the Indian woman anywhere in the country. Little would the sprightly young girl have realized when she ventured out to see a movie with her friend, that life was about to take a ghastly turn. The hapless girl was raped for over forty minutes by six men in a bus as it was being driven on the busy outer ring road of the capital city of the country. The girl had bite marks all over the body. Her face was damaged beyond recognition and the barbarians had used an iron rod and a broken beer bottle to assault her, inflicting grievous injuries to her private parts. Both the girl and her companion were struck with the iron rod, stripped and thrown out of the bus on the busy National Highway 8. Screams and cries for help by the brutalized duo went unheeded for more than an hour as no one stopped to help them. The traumatized young pair lay in the bone-freezing cold in dire straits before someone informed the police about them. The mutilation of the girl was very deep, permanently damaging her intestines and abdomen. The callousness of such a crime against a young Indian woman made the countries of the world sit up and take notice of the threat to the lives of the Indian women such that even the Secretary General of the United Nations made his displeasure known. After nearly two weeks of untold pain and suffering, the young girl died, leaving behind a nation of young Indians

INDIA OUTRAGED

To be truly free, we need to make the CHANGE. The uprising of the New Young Indians is sure to usher in this CHANGE. The death of the young girl will not go in vain.

EVES TIMES

January 2013

in deep sorrow, not only for the brave girls plight, but also for all other young girls in the nation who may not yet be safe in their own homeland. What is more shocking and sorrowful is the debate that arose about the incident and the unabashed politicking and mudslinging the political leaders resorted to, in the guise of trying to impress the nations citizens. In the process, many unsavoury remarks that are overt testimony to the deep lying gender bias were unraveled by some public figures, drunken with muscle and money power, in the form of their views on the incident. Women have been asked to wear purdah, stay at home, little girls were asked to stop wearing skirts and wear salwar comeez instead; some went to the extent of suggesting child marriages for women such that the sexual urges of men were satisfied, reining in their urges to violate women. The most shocking of all is the attitude of the police and some political leaders towards women who have been brutally raped. Not only are cases not registered if at all women came forward to make a police complaint, but they are subjected to character assassination, threats and are branded as commercial sex workers. Little does the Indian society realize that even a commercial sex worker has legal protection against rape? For that matter, a woman in marriage can resort to legal help if she is raped within a marriage. The behavior of the Delhi police toward the peaceful protests by the young people is in very bad taste.Water cannons and tear gas were used against peaceful protestors. Nowhere in any developed country have such incidents happened, that too by the police who are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the nations citizens. The sad truth is that we have failed to inculcate universal human values in our nation as a whole. That is why there is no tug of conscience when a man tries to ridicule a woman or taunt her in public. Eve teasing is a common occurrence. Even young boys resort to taunting girls and women. There seems to be no acknowledgement of the fact that a human being, whether a child, woman or a differently-abled person, is worthy of respect and deserves to
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live a life of dignity. A major chunk of the Indian population is still living in the past, obstinately refusing to come out of the comfortable mode of chauvinism created for the benefit of one half of the population. Despite being educated and employed, the society expects the women to run the home, take care of children, maintain her chastity by not provoking men, and obey their husbands and parents-in-law at home and bosses in their office. In short, Indian women are expected to live in tune with the chauvinistic rules laid down by men centuries ago. In many instances the sad truth is, especially in BPL families, it is the women who contribute economically, despite being abused and exploited. They are the ones who take care of their children, educate them and run their homes. This ghastly incident has brought to light the fact that there is an urgent need to develop national character. It is imperative to outline universal human values of respect, love and compassion and educate our citizenry. By subjugating one half of the population, let it be known that no country can ever move forward. More importantly, the need to change the political order has now been unmasked before the eyes of Indias young citizens. How long can we put up with political leaders who have crime records, are seen to publicly assault, insult and hurt women and the poor, or who are seen to support the cause of unworthy men and women without values? The death of the young girl has to be vindicated. As a young nation, a lot is happening in our country which seems to be in the midst of a renaissance in terms of the foray of global ways of thinking and living. The fact that the young Indians have come out in the open to support this cause and insist on certain changes is heartening. This is just a humble beginning of a changethat will be defined by young thinking Indians. As long as young Indians unite together to think, fight for justice and raise their voices against the long continuing oppression by men and women of influence, there is hope. The death of a simple, innocent girl has whipped up the slumbering conscience of the so far mute witnesses to the

innumerable injustices that have been happening so far across the country. To be truly free, we need to make the CHANGE. The uprising of the New Young Indians is sure to usher in this CHANGE. The death of the young girl will not go in vain.

EVES TIMES

January 2013

ATROCITY AT ITS WORST! THE DELHI GANG RAPE

Valsala Menon

ndias modesty has been violated in the most gruesome manner, benumbing young Indians out of their wits and homes, impelling them to fight for a cause that has long since been ignored. Even as we are limping into yet another year, mangled, hurt and angry, the incident rankles sensitive minds to seek a solution to a problem that has beset women since time immemorial! Rape and molestation of women have been going on for ages as the apathetic society looked elsewhere when the victims anguished cries rent the milieu.Women have been raped not only by hooligans, opulent and avaricious fiends, but also by custodians of law, the police and the politicians. Not only did the victims suffer in silence, but if any bold woman even decided to take hesitant steps toward seeking legal solace, she was subjected to character assassination or mauled by the police! Such has been the history of rape victims in India. Not any longer. A new era is dawning in the history of young India. The intelligent

and sensitive new Indian is no longer mute to injustice, ignominy and indignity. The new young Indian wants answers, solutions and action. Even as India is reeling under the impact of the daring gang rape of a young girl , who continues to battle for her life as we go for print, Eves Times stands by her and many other young, gullible girls who have had their life torn asunder by a few barbaric monsters . What can be done to ensure the safety of women in India? If this is the scenario in the capital city of our country, how safe are women elsewhere in the country? And what measures can be done to prevent such incidents from recurring? Is capital punishment the solution to put an end to such atrocities? We share with our readers the thoughts about this horrendous incident by a few sensitive and thinking citizens. Excerpts: bring to you the reactions a few thinking person who

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January 2013 11

Dipannitha Ghosh Biswas, Freelance journalist, Bangalore

I think mere death penalty will not solve the problem. Death penalty can be levied but with a rider attached to it. First, there should be chemical castration and then these men should be imprisoned for fourteen long years and then they should be hanged. We should make them suffer for 14 years before they die. And also the realization that they are going to die on a particular day will make them understand the agony and pain that a woman who has been raped goes through each day of her life.

Joson Manavalan, Senior Advocate, High Court, Ernakulam

Capital punishment for a rapist is for the legislature and the Parliament to decide. I agree that it has been an unfortunate incident and should not have happened in a country where women are revered. It has to be seen as an isolated incident. Most laws in our country favor women and are one sided. But that doesnt mean that such an act should be condoned. Its a brash act that deserves life imprisonment. In several places , consensual sex takes place and when driven to the wall or faced with dire situations, there have been instances when women have taken drastic steps to make the act look unfavorable or if a woman has a vendetta against a certain man with whom she has had consensual sex, she can later call it a rape. We have come across such instances. When a woman fairly or unfairly approaches the court, and a hue and cry is raised, courts always vacillate towards women, favoring them. In fact, in this unfortunate incident at Delhi, the police and the government should be accused, since the laws were not properly enforced.Even in developed nations, rape is not levied death penalty.What are we striving for? We are striving to create a society of cultured and civilized people, and not a fearful society wherein men will stay off women just because they fear the death penalty. Men should learn to respect women and thats what we must strive to achieve. People should become more cultured and civilized in the real sense.

Sunitha Krishnan, Clinical Psychologist, Chennai

I am not for death penalty for a rapist. My logic is very simple; if we equate murder and rape, then each rapist would think of silencing his victim forever and we would never get to know the identity of the rapist! But, I am all for physical castration, not the chemical one. You should hurt them the most where they can really feel it! Yes, for all the pleasure they have, they need to feel the pain as well!

Dhanya Narayanan, Social Activist, Action Aid, Chennai

The rape incident that happened in Delhi was an extremely brutal and heinous act. A womans vulnerability is exploited, her right to life and personal liberty are denied. This is a crime which is unacceptable. Strong and rigorous action should be taken against the victims immediately. Our laws should be made strict and should be put to practice. Prohibition of sexual harassment should be notified and circulated so that people become aware of the rigorous punishments that can be a strong deterrent.

Jaju Babu, Senior Advocate, High Court, Ernakulam

Rape is a crime against humanity. Apart from the trauma caused to the victim, it affects all parts of the society. Rape of a noble woman of Rome in 509 BC led to over throw of the monarchy and establishment of the Republic. Rape cases have doubled during the last two decades. Delhi gang rape is the most violent crime in recent times. It has broken the silence maintained by Indian youth towards anti rape movement. Ensuring deterrent punishment, enforcement of Rape Shield Laws, educating the youth on the evil, recovery for victims from rape trauma syndrome, etc are areas that require immediate attention. Our country should not be a dangerous place for women, but a safe haven.
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EVES TIMES

January 2013

What Price for Womens Respect?

Pratyush, Journalist
ts easy to understand the groundswell of protests in Delhi to the shocking incident last week. However, there is a need to channelize this anger into something more constructive. I feel the demands for capital punishment for rape should be well thought out and cannot be an emotional one. More than calls for changes in laws, theres a desperate need to sensitize people - the police, the law enforcement authorities on crimes against women. There is a need to move away from our patriarchal understanding of society. So, when a woman gets raped, its not

because she wore a short skirt, it is not because she was with a male friend, it is not because she has a loose character - these disgusting assumptions reflect the more fundamental malaise in our society. There is a need to challenge commonly-held views on the need for women to conform to a set moral code. And it is crucial that women dont see themselves as victims - that is the first step towards emancipation. After all, theres no dearth of legal frameworks in our country - however the schism between laws and attitudes is vast and that needs to be bridged.

Aakshi Kalra, Dentist Yet another case of rape; not new but more heinous. A woman is the one who gives birth to a man. Thats the kind of respect one owes to her. The status of the women seems to be deteriorating now. Women are treated in our country as though they have no respect. Woman is the one who makes four walls of your house a home. How can one walk over her? I am shocked out of my wits and fail to understand what drives such men to regress to such levels! Its definitely not women who draw attention; the reality seems to be much graver. We need to wake up (before humanness sleeps forever) as it is the need of the hour. Protests are on but change has to initiate from within! Hopefully such campaigns turn out to be strong deterrents which would reduce the number of such cases in future. Maitreya Buddha Samantaray, Asia intelligence specialist and Security Analyst, New Delhi There is a greater degree of legitimacy when protesters are demanding for better police, better lawyers, better leadership and above all better systems to address such a national disease. The state should take responsibility as the incident happened in the national capital, which witnesses over 400 rape incidents a year, approximately over one rape case a day and the conviction rate is as low as 26.4 per cent. I am sure, if the accused would have been from the upper strata of the society, the entire machinery would have by now been working towards rescuing them. Fine, but are we willing to take responsibility for the death of the policeman? Justice doesnt have space for violence and an eye for an eye- a sort of an extreme punishment especially that of death penalty, chemical castration, public hanging, stoned to death as have been demanded in certain quarters will not offer any tangible solution as in most likelihood, it would prompt every rapist to kill his victim in future fearing repercussion. Our typical psyche or attitude needs be changed along with processes, functions and system for any durable solution. Sayanee Halder, graphic designer, Delhi. Delhi can turn the most hopeful of women (men too) into cynics by the sheer amount of negative connotations associated with it. The constant looking over your shoulder, being on your guard, the distrust - the city is not meant for single women. The city itself functions within its comfort levels and is rather reluctant to embrace a change. Add to its already hostile behavior, a mere request for directions and youre faced with Kyun? Wahan kya khajana hai? Hame bhi leja ... Lewd comments, passing remarks, infiltrating gaze are issues of everyday. Even if someone were to genuinely help/ guide you in your hour of need a. youd think twice before taking the advice b. youd wait for the situation to gravely go wrong Shivani, Ikea, Delhi Delhi gang rape is proof of the fact that we can stoop to the lowest level possible. Is justice asleep? Following the Delhi rape, because it happened in a particular way and it happened in Delhi, it grabbed peoples attention. Fact of the matter is: violence of all sorts, people are getting away with it. Sexual violence itselfHow many incidents have we seen in the last one year or so Guwahati, Bangalore and those are the ones which are very extreme. Impunity, which is at the heart of many of the issues, is that people think they can do things and get away with it. Inputs from Kirthi Gita Jayakumar and Valsala Menon

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January 2013 13

Delhi Gang Rape-

Rishi Wadhwa

Bollywood Reacts

daughters go out of home and when they come late at night, I get very worried. I keep calling them all the time. I ask them to take our driver and not go with any stranger. So my advice to all the children of this country, especially girls, is dont take it lightly and just walk out. Anything can happen to anybody, said the actress Actress Kangana Ranaut wants the authorities to provide secure environment to women. We are praying for her (the rape victim who is critical in hospital). I hope she makes it because she has the right to live a normal life. We are going to support her in every possible way. I was traumatized... I was afraid and the incident has possibly left a lifelong impact when I knew about the details of the incident. I dont think anything could be the same again. Like any other common person, we are giving 50 percent of our income to the government and expecting them to protect us. People do expect answers and they (politicians) are answerable to us, added a traumatized Kangana. Jaya Bachchan questioned if the government had made any public apology to the victims family. First of all, whatever happened? Did the government send any condolence to the family? Im basically an artist and Im very, very disturbed by it. What is going to happen to her? Everybody will forget the incident eventually, but she will remember it for the rest of her life. It will be a scar. Its a terrible mental torture. How are you going to repay her for this? Every day, women are getting raped by their fathers, their brothers, their uncles and its a shame. We are bringing in bills for certain sections of the society which are deprived. What about women who bring you into this world? Where is their protection? Condemning the gang rape of the 23-year-old girl in the capital, Bollywood star Salman Khan said that the rapists should be hanged. In my view, there should be a death sentence for all rapists. Such things have no role in our life.

India is traumatized and angered with the savage gang rape and torture of the 23-year-old Delhi girl, who has been fighting for her life at a hospital in Delhi. The young girl, a paramedical student was brutally raped by at least six men when she and her male friend boarded a private bus, used for ferrying school children, in south Delhi after watching a movie. The shocking incident, which has resulted in widespread street protests across the country, has had its impact in Mumbai as well. Bollywood celebrities have expressed grief and anger over the brutal gang rape of a student in the national capital that has shocked the nation. A horrified Shabana Azmi says, What we really need to do is to use this shocking incident as a wake-up call to demand fast-track courts, speedy justice, and a process of investigation that is firm; there has to be the certainty of punishment for the accused. Actress Soha Ali Khan who is shocked and taken aback by this inhumane act says, I cant imagine what the victim and her family are going through my heart bleeds for her and I hope that she survives and that she fights and goes on to live a wonderful life. I am just praying for her well being at the moment. Music Composer A.R. Rahman felt doomsday had arrived when such a merciless act took place in the national capital. It is doomsday because somebody has done such a big harm to humanity. It is disrespect to humanity. If you dont fix it now, it is shame for the nation. A concerned mother of two girls, Hema Malini feels girls should not take their security lightly. When my
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I feel disgusted after hearing about such things. For me, this is a third grade crime. I also believe that there should be a norm that if a rapist goes to jail, he should be beaten till death. I think Indian society needs to be dabang (bold) in their approach. I recently read news where a girl was being molested and people standing nearby were making videos on their phones. This is not the real India and I dont think such incidents can ever happen in front of my eyes, he added. Shocked over the atrocious and unforgivable crime, the septuagenarian Amitabh Bachchan expressed his anger over twitter, Wanted to say so much of the day but so disturbed by the gang rape case in Delhi...atrocious and unforgivable, the 70-year-old tweeted. When you speak on an issue they say, you only speak but do nothing... when you do not speak on issue they say you never speak. The fear of system, of order, of conduct guided by justice, is fast disappearing. Is this the freedom that our elders fought for? he added. Big B says that if goddesses are worshiped in India, how can we treat girls so badly? Durga, Kali, Lakshmi are goddesses... we pay homage to them, respect them. Women need to be respected, and given the pride of place. On this public platform I dare not even attempt to mention the details of the rape case... even an animal would not behave so, he wrote.

EVES TIMES

January 2013

TWEET beat

Priyanka Chopra @priyankachopra

May god bless us with strength, resilience, and faith. Saying a lil prayer... For every one in pain

Prasanto K Roy @prasanto

Rape is about power, and is an act of violence, not romantic sex. Chemical castration is not a deterrent. Plus needs repeat annual injections. Chemical castration is not punishment. Nor does it always deter serial sex offenders. Rape isnt about sex drive alone
htt

Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep

Keep the faith guys. India will be a better country for our childrens generation.

Prabir Bhatt @PrabirBhatt @richaanirudh: Promise not to ignore the SMALLEST act of eve teasing. On roads, malls, buses, trains, Raise your voice and object

Azmi shabana@AzmiShabana No celebrations for New Year. Time to reflect and to solemnly affirm in Gandhis words that we will be the change we wish to see

RanganathanMadhavan@ActorMadhavan Laaton ke bhoot Batoon se Nahin Mante All laws in India can only be enforced if the punitive measures for breaking them are swift and severe. Ranjit Barot @RanjitBarot Calls for sensitizing police on dealing with rape victims - is showing basic humanity really a skill that can be taught? barkha dutt @BDUTT Think an emotionally over wrought nation can only pray that our brave heart is at peace under a small star and carry on the battle she began. For starts, can we banish eve teasing from our lexicon? Its a feeble, archaic, nausea inducing, silly euphemism for sexual abuse Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep Brave heart cremated; may her soul rest in peace. She has gone to sleep, awakened a nation

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TEENMAG

TWEET beat
Madhuri Dixit-Nene@MadhuriDixit1 Throughout my career, I have done roles which dealt with societys treatment of women . Now is the time to stand up for what we believe is right! MDsPuurrffecctFan@Mad4MadhuriNene@madhuridixit1 If rape victim can be sent to Singapore for better treatment, why cant the rapists be sent to Saudi for better punishment? Madhuri Dixit-Nene @MadhuriDixit1 Now is the time for the politicians and the people to come together on the key issue of womens welfare and work together to effect a change. Last I looked, we are a democracy! We, as a people, dictate policy. The politicians are our mouthpieces and should echo our thoughts. Madhuri Dixit-Nene @MadhuriDixit1 We must band together as a society to protect against such horrible, senseless acts.To the would be perpetrator, never forget you had a mother, perhaps a sister, perhaps a wife. Show respect to all.Mans inhumanity to man is chronicled daily. We alone can better ourselves gaurav kapur @gauravkapur Sex education in schools, Sensitize police to deal with women related crimes and effective judiciary that puts fear in a potential lawbreaker.

SHILPA SHETTY @TheShilpaShetty Damini, a brave heart is gone but her loss should never be forgotten. This atrocity is despicable n calls for immediate reforms by the Govt! There should be a moral code for Cops & politicians for sexist remarks when they make victims look like culprits! Must have female cops to take FIRs khushbusundar @khushsundar Illiteracy, alcoholism, drug influence cannot be the reason of crime for the perpetrators. Even well-educated rape. Rape is in the mind. barkha dutt @BDUTT Ex-President Patil now holding forth on rape, but rape convicts among those she pardoned without any explanation to the people. In your prayers today dont forget the girl in Patiala driven to suicide after being raped. The Delhi brave heart is Every Womans fight

Shobhaa De@DeShobhaa Justice is blind. Our parliamentarians are deaf and dumb in addition.

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Legal Insight

The Power Dynamics of Ragging

Ashok G.V
hen I first contemplated an article on ragging, I was faced with one particularly difficult proposition. How does one draw a line between ice breaking games to foster friendly relations between different batches of students from perverted sadistic humiliation inflicted upon a student by those who wield some power? It is dangerous to assume that ragging or for that matter any other social problem in our country can be resolved merely through effective legislations. I venture therefore, to examine the power dynamics behind ragging, which I suspect has contributed to this menace more than the legislative vacuum did. Firstly, as a society we are considerably opposed to hard work and talent. Respect here is governed more by factors of money, seniority, qualification, etc., as opposed to substance and character. Our society pays scant attention to credentials and hard work while prescribing guidelines to the youth on the point of who and what virtues they should respect. Typically, I gather from personal experiences that ragging is perpetrated by senior batches in educational institutions against their juniors. Now, I cant help but wonder if this attitude emanates out of the same place where parents tell their children that elders or seniors are to be respected and their words be accepted as dictates beyond question, a failure of which invites the brand of being disobedient and disrespectful. In imposing this tyranny on the youngsters, the implicit message is that if one is older, one need not make an effort to earn love or respect. Therefore kindness, love and affection become subject matters of magnanimity as opposed to fundamental obligations towards fellow human beings. One would agree that there is a certain

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unreasonableness to this demand placed on youngsters and with enough conditioning, the child would grow up to reflect this arbitrary demand for respect and where such respect is not naturally forthcoming, ragging perhaps serves as the best means to enforce the respect craved for.

a.any conduct by any student or students whether by words spoken or written or by an act which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling with rudeness a fresher or any other student;

self-confidence of a fresher or any The UGC guidelines while mirroring the directions of the Honble Supreme Court in the above case, prescribes a number of obligations on students to refrain from ragging failing which, the offending students will invite disciplinary action at the institutional level in addition to the legal action that may follow. What defines the line between sadistic power games and friendly ice breaking measures is vague, confusing and largely established contextually. However with the discussion of the above authorities on ragging, there ought to be no more confusion. But before we take the students to task for ragging, perhaps it is time to reflect upon our own attitudes which have contributed to this menace and accordingly better ourselves. Lastly I invite all educational institutions, students and teachers to really revisit their perspective on the relationships that they share. Institutions cannot become mere centres where people earn degrees to move on in life. Being centres of learning, they should learn to stand up for values and contribute to the maturing process of society. As long as we fixate ourselves on marks instead of ideas and values, we will never really find positive change in the students from within and it will have to be imposed by rules all the time. What we need is introspection and perhaps a radical revolution in the way we approach education!

b.indulging in rowdy or indisciplined Secondly, as people, we are activities by any student or students undemocratic. In my own personal which causes or is likely to cause experiences, my insights on topics of annoyance, hardship, physical or relevance in our families are seldom psychological harm or to raise fear well received by the older generations, or apprehension thereof in any except my own parents who always fresher or any other student;
encouraged us to speak up. But imagine a scenario where ones voice at home is beaten down, suppressed and battered into submission; all of which ones inherent nature as a creature of rationale refuses to put up with. The conflict creates an urge to feel in control and feel in power, if not at home, then somewhere outside. What better way than to rag some kids at college to feel mighty again? If children are to be prevented from perpetrators or becoming victims of ragging, the first step is to instigate respect for democratic practices which has to begin at home.

c.asking any student to do any act which such student will not in the ordinary course do and which has the effect of causing or generating a sense of shame, or torment or embarrassment so as to adversely affect the physique or psyche of such fresher or any other student;
d.any act by a senior student that prevents, disrupts or disturbs the regular academic activity of any other student or a fresher; e.exploiting the services of a fresher or any other student for completing the academic tasks assigned to an individual or a group of students. f.any act of financial extortion or forceful expenditure burden put on a fresher or any other student by students; g.any act of physical abuse including all variants of it: sexual abuse, homosexual assaults, stripping, forcing obscene and lewd acts, gestures, causing bodily harm or any other danger to health or person; h.any act or abuse by spoken words, emails, post, public insults which would also include deriving perverted pleasure, vicarious or sadistic thrill from actively or passively participating in the discomfiture to fresher or any other student ; i.any act that affects the mental health and

The Honble Supreme Court of India having been apprised of the serious problem of ragging in the case of University of Kerala v. Council, Principals Colleges, Kerala & others in Civil Appeal No. 887/2009, directed that the measures suggested by the Raghavan Committee on curbing the menace of ragging be implemented. The decision mandates that institutions should work with professional counsellors in generating a healthy interaction between the freshers and seniors. Additionally it mandates the setting up of anti ragging committees and squads; setting up of monitoring cells at university levels for auditing institutions in their efforts to comply with anti-ragging guidelines; penal action for institutions and people who do not comply with these measures and that all employees and vendors of institutions compulsorily report incidents of ragging, etc. Following this decision of the Apex Court, the UGC formulated guidelines which eliminated any ambiguity as to what constitutes ragging by defining it as under,

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visited a hospital today to see my colleagues three day old daughter (who if I may add looks like an absolute angel). I had a rather curious experience when a pretty nurse, who saw me walking in the corridor, said in the company of her friends, hey handsome, that t-shirt looks good on you! I was taken aback as I am not used to too much female attention and in my moment of dealing with the unknown, I politely thanked them and went on my way. But boy oh boy did I feel happy for being complimented for the first time in my life so openly by someone who I hardly knew! All that effort to exercise, eat right, wear the right clothes and subjugate my unruly hair, paying off! But what if it was someone from the hinterlands of those areas where a woman even speaking to a man unrelated to her is considered a moral falling punishable by rape? And I must protest this attitude of the hinterlands for it might just prevent some more nurses from calling me handsome.

grateful for the love of women in my life, be it my mother, my friends who are girls and recollect fondly my own stint at romance from which I learnt so much although eventually, I was not cut out for it. I am genuinely happy when a girl flirts with me and I do not infer any moral falling or reprehensibility in that. I sometimes wish I could flirt just as respectfully although I am highly deficient on that front. The ability and need for each gender to form meaningful bonds with the other is inherent to our nature as human being. Sexual assault and crimes against women, in addition to being deplorable offenses, also end up imposing burdens and strains on the interactions between the genders.

Jokes apart, in our cries for harsher punishments and expeditious justice in cases of women rights violations, which I entirely support and wholeheartedly endorse; we are also presented with a graver question of how the genders will interact with each other in this country as we go ahead, especially in light of these crimes.What will separate a flirt from attempting to charm a lady he genuinely has taken a liking for from a creep who hassles a girl? Can a guy compliment a girl for her charm without intimidating her? Will chivalry be considered chauvinistic and gentlemanly behaviour considered an anathema to equal rights for women?

What the creeps, the offenders and moral policeman who violate all morals do not understand is that their behaviour is spoiling gender interactions for the rest of us. I genuinely enjoy the company of a woman. Everything about her is a sheer delight, be it her laughter, her speech or her appearances. I enjoy talking to a woman, especially one who enjoys conversation just as much. I am sure women just as much enjoy the company of men in their lives. I am

I am now 23 years old, single and quite happily so. While I am comfortable in my solitude and hope to remain so far at least a couple of years from now, I may and perhaps would like to one day embark on the path to find love again. I am staunchly opposed to the concept of arranged marriage. Since I do not subscribe to the romantic ideals surrounding love, I will venture to say that I want a companion who is, just as independent, if not more independent than yours truly, and capable of connecting with me intellectually, emotionally and therefore sexually. But this means I have to also take initiative and start conversations with women, which will act as a precursor for me to determine if indeed she is just as independent (if not more) and if indeed she will connect with me intellectually, emotionally and therefore sexually so that we may then evolve a monogamous character to our interactions. But as these crimes force women to be cautious, justifiably so too and be wary of men even looking at them, somewhere I feel the best thing for me to do is to take a step back and go that extra mile to provide the opposite sex, the space I feel best serves the purpose of assuring them of my bona fide intentions. I am not saying my views are perfect or even justified (for I myself wonder if my reaction is disproportionate to the problem), but I am saying that these crimes have made life a little more complicated for me as well.

What I am trying to say here is that men have a stake in preventing incidents like that in Delhi. Gender based interactions, particularly in the context of romance, are to be founded on mutual respect, admiration and attraction and not suspicion, anxiety and fear. The latter emotions and dynamics are forced into these interactions when men commit or allow crimes against women to be committed. That means that our hopes for pretty nurses to compliment us stand that much diminished. We are not, therefore, just fighting for the right of a woman not to be gang raped. We are also fighting for the right of human beings to live freely, without fear, invasion of privacy and without anxiety. So please, let us do our bit so that I may receive more compliments and so that I may develop the courage to offer some to the ladies out there. Who knows, on the day I decide to tie the infamous knot, I will thank society for making it easier for me to love and be loved. Good day!

Ashok.G.V

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Do Indian Women Lack Humour?

Jayalakshmi Saroj
Do Indian women lack a sense of humour? Whats your take on Indian womens ability to laugh and make others laugh? Heres what a few from Delhi seem to think-

Adarsh Vinay, Football Journalist, New Delhi No, I do not think Indian women lack humour. There are times when they dont have the freedom to express their opinion which prevents them from being humorous. But they dont lack in humour!

Aartii Sharma, Entrepreneur, New Delhi No, women are the best humour creators. Not only do they enjoy a good joke on others but they also have the ability to laugh at themselves. Bharti [the stand-up comedian] is one of the best examples; she makes her audience speechless.

Sujata M Kapila, Healer, Noida Indian women lack humour because traditionally, they were, and still are the butt of any joke. And moreover, every other person is emotionally related, so no jokes on anyone. Humour is taken very personally and as an insult.

Deepmala Pandey,Translator, New Delhi Yes, they lack humour because the environment of Indian families is really bad. Women shoulder so many responsibilities, yet there is no appreciation.

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aughter is definitely the best medicine. There are laughter or humor rooms in the western countries, with facilities such as cartoons, funny movies, jesters and clowns specially employed to humor the patients, for quite a few years now. In a recent development, Laughter Yoga has become the latest health craze spreading all over the world with more than 6500 laughter clubs in 70 countries. It is a combination of simulated laughter and yogic breathing. Laughter Yoga was invented by Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician from Mumbai, who launched the first Laughter Club in a park on 13th March 1995, with just 5 people. Birth of Laughter Yoga While writing an article Laughter The Best Medicine for a health journal in March 1995, Dr. Madan Kataria discovered many detailed modern scientific studies, which proved the benefits of laughter on the human mind and body. Dr. Kataria was particularly awed by Norman Cousins book Anatomy of an Illness and the research work by Dr. Lee Berk. Dr. Kataria immediately started to experiment on himself and others. The bystanders were amused, when they laughed together for the first time in the park that day. However, the small group quickly increased to more than 50 participants. Initially, one person would stand in the middle of a circle of people, to tell a joke or a funny story. Everybody enjoyed and their day was made. Two weeks later they ran out of good jokes and stories. The jokes became negative, hurtful and naughty. Two offended participants suggested that they discontinue the Club instead of continuing with the bad jokes. Dr. Kataria requested them to give him just one day to resolve the crisis. That night, Dr. Kataria reviewed his research to find the answer to their problem. He recalls, Our body cannot differentiate between pretend and genuine laughter. Both produced the same Happy Chemistry. The next morning I explained this to the group

Laugh Your Way to Health

Gayatri T Rao

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and asked them to try to act out laughter with me, for one minute. Amid skepticism they agreed to try. The results were amazing. For some, the pretend laughter quickly turned into real laughter - this was contagious and in no time others followed. Soon the group was laughing like never before. The hearty laughter that followed persisted for almost ten minutes. Thus Laughter Yoga was born. Dr. Kataria realized that there are other ways to stimulate laughter than humor. Therefore, he developed a range of Laughter Exercises. He also included elements of role-play and other techniques from his amateur theater actor days. Further techniques were developed by using the importance of childlike playfulness. As Yoga practitioners, Dr. Kataria and his wife Madhuri, Co-Founder of Laughter Yoga, also realized the similarities between laughter and Pranayama exercises and integrated them into Laughter Yoga. These deep breathing exercises are now used between Laughter Exercises, to deepen the impact. Difference between normal laughter and simulated laughter Dr. Kataria first quotes Michael Madrone, Canada, whose would be the general reaction on the requirement of Laughter Yoga, I laugh a lot all throughout the day, why do I need to join a laughter club? I would rather like to laugh naturally than force myself to laugh in a Laughter Yoga club. He mentions three solid reasons for doing laughter yoga even though you might be laughing a lot. In order to get the real scientifically proven health benefits of laughter, it needs to be longer and continuous for about 10 to 15 minutes. Since laughter yoga is an exercise, we can laugh as long as we want. On the other hand, natural laughter comes for a few seconds here and there and it is not enough to bring about physiological and biochemical changes in our body. To reap the health benefits of laughter, the laughter has to be loud and deeper coming from your diaphragm. It should be a belly laugh. In real life, it might not

be socially acceptable to laugh loud while laughter yoga clubs provide a safe environment to laugh louder and heartily. The natural laughter that courses through our life depends upon so many conditions.There are not many reasons and conditions which make us laugh. That means we are leaving laughter to chance. In contrast, at laughter yoga clubs, we are not leaving laughter to chance, but doing it out of commitment. This is the guaranteed way of getting the health benefits of laughter. Health Benefits Skeptical people would ask if Laughter Yoga would really heal them. But Dr. Kataria replies, We dont know and that is not our claim. Using laughter as a form of exercise is a powerful form of complementary medicine. We do not recommend nor suggest in anyway shape or form that you discontinue your current treatment plan if you have one. Please share what you are doing with your doctor and follow his/her advice. Difference between Hasya Yoga and Laughter Therapy Late Keshav Lal Vithaldas Patel or K V Patel of Alarsin Pharmaceuticals in the 1990s started propagating Hasya Yoga. He expired 3-4 years ago. He would say, A laughter a day can keep the blues away in the same vein as An apple a day keeps the doctor away. He was most impressed by the mythological character, Narada, whom he would call Hasya Yogeshwar and considered him a psychologist and psychiatrist. K V Patels Hasya Yoga began with his search for Mullah Nasruddin and his donkey, together with his late friend S M Desai. Patel was influenced by Dr. Katarias Laughter Therapy (which Laughter Yoga was called in its initial stages), the unconventional alternative medicine. Initially, he was branded as the Don Quixote and court jester by the media, until the Hasya Yoga movement took off. Dr. Katariainsists that he does not know Mr. K V Patel. But he differentiates between Laughter Therapy and Hasya Yoga as, Laughter Therapy is the use of laughter for healing sickness and Hasya

Yoga is doing Laughter exercises to stay fit and healthy.

There was an incident that came to our notice. Some years ago in a bad incident, a small child laughed uncontrollably while playing with her sister that she actually died. Dr. Kataria insists, In my experience, I have not seen anyone dying of laughter, but I see millions who die because they dont laugh. Ha ha ha (laughs).

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Inspired by seniors
ccomplished comedy actor Paintal of Rafoo Chakkar (1975-actedwith Rishi Kapoor) fame has been around in the field of movies from the early 1970s. Born as Kawarjit Paintal into a Sikh family, he is currently teaching acting besides working in movies and the small screen. Paintal says that humor is a means of motivating people and making them happy. He adds, We also help them understand the tragedies and insecurities of life with a different perspective and in a way, we make them better human beings. For him, having fun is very important in life. He says, It means laughing. No one can deny that laughter is the best medicine. Talking about his favorites in his chosen field, Paintal becomes diplomatic. He

stride. With the proliferation of the TV Channels, she has taken to the idiot box as well with panache and also entertains

I WANNA MAKE THE WORLD LAUGH

Gayatri T Rao
Famous more as Gangubai from her act of the same name in one of the comedy reality shows, Saloni Daini studies in standard V. Her claim to fame is being not only the youngest stand-up comedian, but also having acted in comedy flicks like No Problem in 2010. Having taken a

us on the small screen. She feels that, while the genres of movies remain the same, trends keep changing. Currently TV has seen a proliferation of comedy shows like Comedy Circus, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, etc. Some of these comedy shows have been around for some time, but the percentage of female participation has increased only recently. Guddi opines, Bharati and Saloni have been there from the beginning. Anybody, who is good will stay. In a few movies based on comedy we see the heroine essaying a comedy role such as Kareena in Golmaal Returns (2008). She says, Our films are predominantly male or hero-oriented. Even the script is written with the male characters in mind. Late Tun Tun and late Manorama (Bollywood) and Manorama of Kollywood have definitely been some comedy artistes to reckon with. Their presence was always felt even in serious or romantic movies. However, today the delineation between a comedy character and other characters is obscure. If the scripts demand the hero and heroine can themselves do comedy. Action movies usually have no requirement for comedy sequences. Male comedy artistes like Johnny Lever, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and others still appear in prominent roles, while female artistes dont get a good deal. She reasons Yeah, it again depends on the script and the writers.They consider their work done once they incorporate male comedy characters. So they dont create roles for female comedy artistes. In the movies back then, there used to be specific male and female characters for the comedy track. The current trend is to only have a male comedian. With the hero and the heroine themselves doing the comedy track, the female comedian is dispensed with.

sabbatical from making people laugh, she is planning to return full-fledged Reality Shows, once her sister completes her 10th standard. Being associated with comedy shows like Chote Miyan Bade Miyan and Comedy Circus ka Mahasangram, Saloni has been trained by the writers and coordinators of the shows she has participated in. She also informs us that she was helped by her onscreen partner Rajiv Thakur. She is famous as Gangubai, the typically hilarious Maharashtrian woman character she played in one of the comedy serials. She also recalls having received a lot of applause and praises from the judges for an act about the TV camera. She says, It was about the performances of actors from the time of Raj Kapoor to todays actors. I had performed different characters played by the actors, while Rajiv became the camera. He had taught me how to perform every character. Many people are fascinated by the onscreen antics of this little girl. They are surprised that she is such a bundle of talent at such a young age. With the generation next giving some footage to female comedy artistes, she has a lot of scope to make it big in her chosen field. Often it has been seen that such talented children disappear into oblivion once they grow up. It is hoped that this would not be so in Salonis case.Till then it is a wait and watch for us.

finds inspiration from quite a few seniors and colleagues in his field. He insists, I would like to say that all the good comedians have been my inspiration. Om Prakashji, Mahmood Bhaijaan, and Kishoreda (Kishore Kumar) have inspired me a lot. All of them have inspired me because they had a good sense of timing and unique individuality as far as comedy was concerned. I have also learnt a lot from people like (late) Mukri Sahab, great performers like Keshtoda (late Keshto Mukherjee) and Asrani Sahab. I have learnt something from each one of them. Requirement of Comedians is Trendspecific Be it a romantic, action or comedy flick Guddi Maruti was almost always around as mostly the heroines obese side-kick. Remember Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), Jigarwala (1991) and Dulhe Raja (1998) and a plethora of other movies through which she made people laugh? Tahira, which is Guddis real name, took the art of making us laugh in her
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Chote Mian Subhanallah!

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ommunication is easy when you are facing the person, or talking to a group. But getting the audiences attention through just the use of your voice, and making them interested in tuning in to your station every day, is not an easy task. But Ophelia is one of the most successful RJs at Big FM and continues to rule the roost. Taking a little time off from her hectic schedule, she spared a few moments for Eves Times. Listening to her was a pleasure and it left us with no doubt as to why she continues to be witty, humorous and fascinating to her listeners. Heres Ophelia in her own words.. After my Masters in Mass Communication from MOP Vaishnav College, Chennai in 2003, I was looking around to do something creative with my life. At around the same time, I got to know that a new radio station was about to be launched the Big FM and auditions were going on for RJs. I applied and to my absolute delight, I got qualified in each round, and was selected! I had landed a job with a prestigious newspaper but I decided to risk being an RJ. Immediately after the rounds of auditions, we were sent to MICA in Ahmedabad for one and a half months of training and further rounds of auditions. It was very competitive and there were many candidates from the entire nation; I am very proud of the fact that I kept getting selected in each round and finally made it! I really enjoyed our brief stay at MICA and it was a huge learning experience for me, smiles Ophelia. Ophelia has been an RJ for Big FM for more than six years and she loves

every minute of being there. Its a nice feeling to be able to talk to people and to know that they are listening to every word that I speak. I can express myself in myriad ways, put forward news and current events, provide information to my listeners in a very creative manner; thats what gives me immense pleasure, says Ophelia, It is very interesting to be able to entertain the public using just my voice to reach out to them, as the situation warrants, I even come up with quick and witty repartees. And I know when I need to stop, even though I dont get to see my listeners, I am able to know when to stop gabbing, she discloses. Ophelia goes on air from 7 AM to 11 AM every day, on Big Vanakkam. Of course, the entire duration of my schedule is interspersed with songs, around nine to ten songs are played at intervals. Ophelia opines that she has her hands full searching for concepts regularly. Current affairs, ways to present news in a different way, movie previews, talk of the town, everything needs to be at my fingertips, and it takes a lot of effort. Sometimes we are asked to handle controversial topics and opinion polls. What makes Ophelia click among the audience? I put it down to my unique talking style. In fact, I talk in a very simple way. The manner in which I speak Tamil is very funny, I use a bit of Chennai slang too, to make it funny and to reach out to my listeners. Modulation of the voice also plays a very important role since it is only through the use of our voice are we RJs able to paint the right picture in the minds of people.

What aspects, do you think are important for an RJ? We need to be careful about not repeating words. The more creative you can be, the better, and it is very important to present your stuff in creative and innovative ways. Any anecdotes that you remember from your sessions? Something you have spoken, say, a punch dialogue? Recently, during the talks regarding Cauvery waters, I said we will be lucky if they give our Chief Minister a glass of water to drink, during the talks. Lol! And for the Olympic Association ban, I said Yarumilladha tea kadaikku tea atharanga. About Dhoni during the recently concluded cricket matches, Spin vilayadha theriyadhavangalukku spin kathukuduthathe nanga than, (it is we who taught others to spin) and now they are doing extremely well. About FDI, Thoongumbothu support panranga, ana thoongi elumbina resist panranga. (The government is supporting FDI while sleeping, and resisting it while awake). Ophelias unique wit and humor continues to stand her in good stead. Great going lady..

HUMOR AT ITS BEST

Valsala Menon

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RJ

Crossss Talkkk
Joseph Aloysius
Live your life fully and spend time for yourself so that you can enjoy each and every moment of your life. - RJ Balaji

Balaji is a stress buster for many office- goingcum- radio- listening Chennaites. He is a Radio Jockey with a popular FM channel, where he conducts the show Take it Easy every evening, followed by another show titled Cross Talk, where he makes prank calls to unsuspecting victims, nominated by a friend/cousin/co-worker or neighbor. Those tracks have been listened to by over 1 billion people around the world through the internet. But Crosstalk ended in 2012, In the wake of the tragic death of a nurse in the U.K. as a result of a prank call by an Australian RJ. He is currently the host of the dance show Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva that is being telecast in a popular Tamil TV channel. He is also the winner of the best RJ and best show awards in internationally acclaimed Indian Radio Forum Awards. He shares his news and views about humor with Eves Times.

attention with her innate sense of wit and humor.

Can your recount challenges during the course of your programs like cross talk or take it easy? After four years of working in Coimbatore radio station I planned to shift to Chennai. I wanted to do a show in a new format just to explore my skills. And I was lucky since the response was very good. We started the show Crosstalk with the motive of solving relationship problems through phone. Frankly I had no intention of getting involved in the personal lives of other people. But when I spoke to the very first caller all my colleagues enjoyed the conversation and so eventually it changed to the current format, like a friend, cousin, husband or wife can give their close contact and ask to call. It is light hearted humor and more over the cross talks got to be a great hit on the internet. Does humor serve only as an entertainment?

How did an RJ of a serious program from Coimbatore turn into a humorist? Firstly, I am not serious by nature. My show in Coimbatore dealt with social issues during morning prime time. We discussed issues which affect the society and individuals every day. The topics were not humorous but I handled them in my own style with humor. My USP is humor. What inspired you venture into this field? to

Q
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I didnt plan and get into this field. It was an accident. I didnt know much about radio earlier.All my understanding about RJs was that they speak and play songs on the radio. Once, while I was in a hair styling parlor, I got bored of waiting to have my hair cut and I started reading a newspaper; and chanced to find an announcement for an audition for RJ. I applied and prematurely announced in my entire college that I got a job. But luckily I got through. Who is your inspiration to be a humorist?

Basically any media product is for entertainment; likewise my show Cross talk was also for entertainment. But on many occasions it has helped people. Once a person asked me to do cross talk with his friend who had been suffering from diabetes and depression for years due to the death of her husband. As I did and made her laugh, I got a call from her a week later thanking me for making her laugh after several years; and there are several such incidents. So humor not only entertains but also helps people to divert from their problem and definitely laughter heals everyone! Which is more pleasurableLaughing or making others laugh?

Basically I am a humorous person. I also derive inspiration from my mom. She is very humorous. I am nothing compared to her amazing sense of humor. She is perfectly capable of holding peoples

Both are pleasurable. Only when I appreciate humor I can express it well. I enjoy both. I cant be laughing all the time and no one does. I am honest that when I am in a difficult mood its hard to make others laugh. So it important for me to keep myself happy in order to make others happy.

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January 2013

Which is the best medium of expressing humor?

If I get a chance to write humorously, definitely I would give it a try. As we enjoy the humor from TV programs, radio, magazines, we can express it in every medium. For example my grandpa was a very calm person but he used to give instant sarcastic comments which would make us laugh. Once my mom asked about the cricket scores during my public exam, and he just said, What a beautiful family.

Q Q

What can be done to revive humor in our lives?

Many of us today are preoccupied with something or the other.We hardly get any time for ourselves. But I ensure that I do things which would make me happy. Even if it is a small thing I hardly mind. Life is simple. I do things which make me feel alive in every circumstance so that I get to enjoy life to the hilt. Describe the Indian sense of humor

Q Q Q

boldly told him that I was the son of SI Alex. Following this, the second bike of ours too was caught by the police and that friend too said that he was the son of SI Alex. As we were caught by the police, friends from the third bike stopped near us and one among them said that he was the son of SI Alex and asked the police to leave us. Instantly he got a slap and the police asked us how many children did Alex father? He immediately called SI Alex and said that nine of us were saying Alex is their father. Mr. Alex said that his son was right in front of him and he didnt know us. At last we convinced the police and left. Is there a situation where you tried hard to make others laugh?

Yes once my friends close relative died and he was in a mess. So we took care of him for some time. I took him wherever I went and tried hard to console and make him forget his grief. It took one month for me to make him laugh for my jokes. Whom do you consider as all time audience for your humor?

From my observation of various radio programs broadcast from other nations western humor is more formal and sometimes more hurtful and offensive. But in our culture humor is very casual and anyone and everyone can express their sense of humor without hurting others. Which is more predominant today in our society: Clean humor or humor based on sex, discrimination? Why does such a scenario exist? Some people think that adult jokes are more humorous or making fun of others disability is funny and they keep on cracking such jokes. I do not agree with that.

My colleagues at office always enjoy my anchoring. There will be at least three or four colleagues around me to laugh or give feedback while I am anchoring. Another all- time audience is my wife. She is also very humorous and gives instant funny repartees. Can you tell us about your best Tamil RJ award and best show award from IRF

I am happy about the recognition and peoples response for my shows. Any award gives only momentary happiness - after that it is one among other things in life. I consider peoples recognition as most important. They evaluate not my awards but my last show and the last performance on radio. Lets wish him Congratulation of Kaamachipurushan! (Balaji style) for all the best in life. Keep laughing by listening to his radio tracks at
http://soundcloud.com/balajipatturaj

Can you recollect any real life humor incidents?

Once when I was studying in school, nine friends planned to go for an outing in triple on three bikes. We borrowed a bike from one of our friends whose dad was a sub inspector. We were fearless enough to go triples but we were caught. First the bike I was riding was caught by the police and I

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Funny Side Up
Jayalakshmi Saroj Stand-up comedy is an art that is perfected on stage and goof-ups are part of the package. It also involves bringing sad moments to the fore and turning them around to reveal hidden glad moments, feels Rajneesh Kapoor.

makes sense since none of us followed normal 9-5 jobs.

Rajneeshs brother, who makes movies in Mumbai, is none other than the writer-actor-director Rajat Kapoor, who has appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Bheja Fry, Mixed Doubles, Dil Chahta Hai and, more recently, 10ml Love. A celebrity in his own right, Rajneesh is modest and down to earth. Armed with his boy-next-door smile, he charms his way through our questions. Your work life before you decided that comedy was it. I make comic strips. So the idea was to make people smile, but when live comedy came to India, I jumped because live humour gives back a lot more to a performer than a comic strip ever can.

In a cosy diner at a high-end mall in Delhi, the sound of tinkling glasses mingles with the murmur of chilled-out evening banter. Soft music plays in the background. There is a palpable sense of restless anticipation in the air amid the soothing ambience.

Who inspired you to foray into comedy? It isnt long before the host takes centre stage to introduce the star of the evening. Not that Rajneesh Kapoor needs any introduction. An acclaimed stand-up comedian, he is also the creator of Rezi Vastav, a comic strip that runs in a host of newspapers including Midday, Telegraph and HT Brunch online. Nobody inspires. But you like other artists. As a kid I always liked comics of Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Charles Schulz (Peanuts). I also admired Charlie Chaplin and Dave Barry [humorist author].

Background and training, if any? Stand-up comedy is still at a relatively nascent stage in India, but Rajneesh isnt new to the scene. A well-known face in the Delhi-Mumbai humour circuit, he is received with roaring applause throughout the country (and abroad), and the audience is always left asking for more. None. In stand up comedy, you learn on stage.The only way is to write, jump up on stage and learn by bombing.

MUMBO JUMBO

Comedy, as a way of life, may seem a bit out of bounds for those of us who find ourselves juggling with stressful situations every day be it jobs, bringing up babies or driving on congested roads (weve had enough of that one!), but not so for Rajneesh, who was blessed with cool parents who surrounded us with music, movies and books. Somehow, looking back it all
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Comedians have bad days too, how do you cope? The comedy scene here is so new that the audience is forever kind and understanding. That helped. Abroad, I believe if you dont deliver the audience rips into you by heckling and insulting you. Not here, though.After a bad night, you go home and think what all you can change to make the same crowd laugh, and then you learn. Bad days are good days.

waking up to stand-up comedy or is there still a long way to go? There is a long, long way to go both for the audience and for the performers. Give us ten years and by then the scene will truly be established.

Tips for aspiring comedians? Get as much stage time as possible. That is the only way to get better. And do your own thing, not of other comedians.

Any advice on how to add humour to life? Being relaxed, helps. Take time off for friends, family, talk, and smile and make them smile.

New Year message for the masses? Please be environmentally friendly like me. I am recycling all my old jokes. No wonder the audience loves him!

Whats the serious side of the comedy business? Travelling can be a pain at times. The rest is all great. Your favourite punchline? Facebook doesnt let us work. You think Albert Einstein could have achieved anything in his life if every half an hour Madam Curie was uploading her swimming pool party pictures?

What makes your jokes stand apart from the rest besides the fact that they are clean? To be honest, I dont do comedy because I only want to make the audience laugh. Or else I would just be telling them jokes from the internet. I try to talk about things close to me, such as losing a family member or the class difference, for example, and surprisingly there is a funny side to it too.

Titular head

What makes you (as a comedian) feel content at the end of the day, after a good performance? For me its all about learning. If every week, I gain something, in writing or performance, I am happy.

Wishful thinking

Tell us something about your comic strip. Comic strip is fun too. I started it because I wanted Snoopy or Calvin to talk about cricket and Bollywood, but they were busy playing baseball and making snowmen. Rezi Vastav has been running for 15 years now and its a pleasure to see his adventures every day.

Is the Indian audience finally

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Being a Girl in India is Funny

Gayatri T Rao

Previously, I would focus my comic scenes on making people laugh. But that comedy was very common. Now I make jokes after introspecting on my own more personal experiences.

Neeti Palta

eeti Palta has the distinction of being one of the few female Stand-up Comedians in India. She has been performing at various locations like the leading Coffee Chain - Costa Coffee in the Delhi circuit. Besides being a stand-up comedian she has been an advertiser, writer of childrens comedy show Gali Gali Sim Sim and a script writer. She even wrote the theme song of the TV show. It is noteworthy that she has excelled in all the work she has taken up till now. As a comic artiste, she has been inspired by Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (stars of Whose line is it anyway?). Her every gag is clearly motivated from her environment. For her, true life incidents take on a different meaning and she highlights the funnier side. She says that ideas grow out of personal experiences. Her style includes observations of daily incidents from the female perspective. She recollects, Previously, I would focus my comic scenes on making people laugh. But that comedy was very common. Now I make jokes after introspecting on my own more personal experiences.

For her being a girl in India is funny by itself. According to her, being a girl in Delhi is even funnier. She adds, That gives me enough incentive to do comedy on. Good comedy gags are not written in movies for female comedy artistes, today. In some movies heroines perform comedy. But that is no big deal since in a comedy movie everybody is supposed to do comedy, including the villain. In other genre movies, no comic tracks are written for female artists. Comedy tracks are available for male comic artistes, though. She says, Maybe acceptability is a factor. Comediennes such as Tun Tun were popular due to their obesity. Then came comediennes like Archana Puran Singh. Today, I feel that if there is a really funny female, who is competent enough to make the audience laugh without references to her obesity, I am sure people will accept her. She continues, Tun Tun was made fun of due to her obesity. Was she given the opportunity to explore other things funny? She was just a caricature. Comedy requires one to be clever and intelligent. It is an incisive comment on society and people. Where have you

seen any of that? Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron was comedy. Amol Palekars Golmaal was good. Sai Paranjpes Khatta Meetha was a beautiful, very cleverly scripted comedy. Sai Paranjpe used to do very beautiful comedy. She concludes, As part of our Indian culture, a woman is seen as a mother or she is seen as a Devi, i.e. Durga. Even the most forward thinking men, take a moment to accept any other role for a woman. Thus it will take some time for the audience to accept funny women who are not obese and can do intelligent comedy.

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BUDDING HUMOURIST IN HYDERABAD CITY

Priyanka Sakhamuru and P. Pranay
hat do Shekhar Suman, C.K. Louis, and Russell Peters have in common? Stand-up comedy would be the right answer. These blokes get on to the stage and keep people in splits with their witty oneliners and facial expressions. Closer to home in Hyderabad, Bhavneet Singh is a budding humourist and a good one at that.This 19-year old kid never thought he had it in him. It was by accident that he signed up for the Horlicks Wiz Kids competition and reached the finals. It was then he discovered his inherent talent. Says Bhavneet about his first experience with stand-up comedy, The topic at the competition was School Cool and I was stunned by the response I received. Since then Ive anchored various college fests and things just picked up after that. A media student at Loyola Academy, he likes to pepper his performances with a little bit of everything. I feel no territory should be untouched. But I favour sarcastic and slapstick comedy the most, he adds. His friends really vouch for his skills at humour. Unfortunately they are always are at the receiving end of his jokes. You can never forget his jokes. Basically the joke is about you and it will always be about you. The best part is that he never crosses the line, except on occasions, says Pratap Pranay, a friend. Bhavneet generally mimics a close friend or imitates someone from the audience. It has been my experience that when doing stand-up, never start off with an ordinary joke. It falls flat and puts you in an awkward situation.The major task is to make the

audience feel relaxed and comfortable. I find sarcasm to be a very effective tool to start my show, he says with a straight face. Does his demeanour become serious when he is off-stage? With an evil grin he says that hes worse off stage. I unleash my talents on my friends and my long suffering girlfriend. My only qualm is that I am yet to find a person who can make me laugh as much as I make others laugh, he adds with a laugh. What are his views on the Indian sense of humour? I find it very home-like and warm. There is a feeling of attachment that its Western counterpart sadly lacks. Indian humour is spontaneous and covers social issues. That is why people are able to connect with comedians like Javed Jaffery and Veer Das, he says. Bhavneet laments that he faces a typical Hyderabadi audience, in other words dull and uninterested. He takes this in stride and replies that though it takes time to stir people up, once they are in the mood its a total blast. The important thing when facing any kind of audience is to remember to be patient and understanding. Start off slowly and then build up the tempo, he says with good sense. He feels that his performance is better received with the middle-aged audience. Those who are in their 20s are indifferent to my jokes, he adds. Is his work appreciated by the society? Bhavneet says that its not fair at all that actors, journalists, chefs etc get respect but not his lot. Its such a pain when people ask me to randomly start performing or to tell a joke or even enact a comic scene. But in the end they forget that humour is an essential

part of life and a great stress buster, he says with indignation. There are a host of successful English sitcoms, why havent the Indian shows enjoyed the same response? To this query he answers that the latter is meant for rural audiences. Since majority of Indians live in rural areas, these shows enjoy good business but fail to leave an impression on them.The urban audience prefer sitcoms because they can relate to them, he adds. Bhavneet sums up that as of now the future for humourists is rather bleak. Hyderabad can be a major hub of activity. The local slang is hilarious to listen to, especially for people from other cities. However if proper financial aid and support are given, I strongly believe Hyderabad can be the number one place for stand-up comedy, he says as we sign off.

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own the years, Bollywood had humor tracks with male and female artists. Though it used to be clean humor, much of it involved making fun of peoples obesity. Initially Indian films were screened in Indian theatres only. With the advent of technology and the internet, people from different countries were exposed to Indian movies and vice versa. The Indian humor started catering to a global audience and changes were brought into it. Thus sexual innuendos, jabs at peoples disabilities, etc. were used. And with the main leads taking to comedy, the roles for comic artists per se diminished. But there is hope. At least some of the writers belonging to the generation next are returning back to clean humor. Though Rumy Jafry has written more humorous film stories, he has also written serious stuff. He is now working on two comedies David Dhawans remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjees Chupke Chupke (1975) and a remake
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Good Humor Making In-roads into Bollywood

Gayatri T Rao
of Basu Chatterjees Shaukeen (1982), that as a creative artist, he may think of diversifying in future to other genres. He also insists that both the films that he has done are family entertainers. Indian Sense of humor: Jafry likes the humor shown in the old Hollywood movies of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. He does not like the kind of humor shown in the Hollywood movies today. He says, Indian sense of humor is very different from that of the people in other countries. Abroad, a little adult and sex-based humor works. But, I like the Indian sense of humor, which is clean.

while writer Jasvinder Singh Bath (called Jassi in Bollywood), who debuted with Yamla Pagla Deewana, is currently working on the sequel of Yamla Pagla Deewana. Though Jassi has done 2 comedies back to back, he says

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Jassi says, The common man of India, today, is burdened by many things,

squeaky clean humor at least in some sectors of Bollywood. Jafry says, I have written 20-25 comedies, like Waqt Hamara Hai, Coolie No. 1, Bade Mian Chote Mian, Maine Pyaar Kyon Kiya, Biwi No. 1, etc. I am not concerned about what others write. But I have never written anything in bad taste. There is a thin line between clean humor and that based on sex, discrimination, etc. Jafry says, One type of humor is of Hrishikesh Mukherjees Chupke Chupke (1975), very clean family entertainer. Another type is black humor like Jane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983). Then David Dhawans Eena Meena Dika (1994) had a vulgar kind of humor, where no one laughed. Jassi says, My Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) is a clean family entertainer. There are no double meaning dialogues. Making lame jokes on someones disabilities or sexual preferences is not a done thing. This kind of comedy is taking the easy way out. In the long run only clean comedies have survived. Those comedies work, where the characters themselves are serious, but the situation is funny, e.g. Jane Bhi Do Yaaron, Golmaal (1979), Chupke Chupke. None of them are trying to crack jokes. Good clean comedy stands the test of time and that is the hallmark of the film. Revival of humor in Our Lives: Jafry insists that only if the writer has a good sense of humor, can he make people laugh. Jafry says, Humor in movies should be such that it connects with the common man. In that way we can revive it. Jassi says, I feel that somewhere all of us are not accepting the hard facts of life. Accept them. If you dont come to terms, its difficult to see beyond it. Once you accept the harsh side of life, you start seeing the funnier side of life. No More Good Female Comedians: In Bollywood movies today, there are no good female comedians like late Tun Tun, late Manorama (Bollywood). Jafry says, I have made many ladies do comedy like Binduji, Guddi Maruti, etc. I am writing a script, where I am planning to take Bharati (of Comedy Circus fame). I find that every girl I meet wants to become a heroine (laughs). Some

female actors like Archana Puran Singh do a lot of comedy without any kind of complex. Jassi says, I used to love them. I think Tun Tun and Manorama were fantastic. I think there are more of them. But there are no roles being written about comical actors. Now-a-days, heroes themselves are doing a lot of comedy. Previously, the Hindi film used to be 3 hours long. Now it has been reduced to 2. The roles for peripheral characters are not being written, because the lengths have reduced. I think the comedians have vanished. But then, male comedians are very much in existence like Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav. He adds, Oh, right. Talking personally, I would still like to see a character like Tun Tunji or Manoramaji. Maybe such roles have not been written. I cannot give a definite answer. We need to write such characters and maybe we will find another Manoramaji or Tun Tunji. But most of the older generation comedy actresses played characters, who were made fun of due to their obesity. Why was this concept prevalent that a female comedian had to be fat? Other gags could be written with female comedians in view. Jafry says, Bindu has not been obese. I have made her perform in comic roles, like in Shola Aur Shabnam (1992). But Bindu could not be called predominantly a comedian. Jafry says, Previously, Tun Tun would get roles, where she is fat and is looking for a boy to get married to. Those types of roles were only written for women. It is like making fun of her being fat. But I have never written such roles. We do have female comedy artists like Archana Puran Singh, who is not exactly fat. Himani Shivpuri is not obese and has done comedy in some movies. Jassi says, In my first movie, Sucheta Khanna of TV serial Lapataganj fame, who had played the heroines sister, had a comical track. There were no double meaning jokes made on her color, obesity (shes a slim girl), etc. Shes again playing a funny character in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2. We have not made any cheap jokes. But in the movie, there is a girl, who is doing comedy.

like salary-problems, social problems, feeding his family, he is surrounded by corrupt people, there are scams, etc. The common man is looking at it in a satirical or funny way and getting on with life and doing what he does best, honestly. If it were not for his sense of humor, he would not have survived the mess in his everyday life. So, is Indian sense of humor good or bad? He insists, That is a perspective. India is a multi-cultural society. There is no culture like India. No culture in the world has so many languages. Our sense of humor is such that we cant offend anyone. Having fun and making fun of people are two separate things. Hum mazak karna pasand karte hain. Hum mazak udana pasand nahin karte. (We love to have fun, but we dont like to make fun of people). Unlike this in the West, they get offensive about anyone. Its a free for all. They might bring down the president or the queen, anybody. They can get away with anything. Each society has its own rules and sensibilities. And one should respect that. Every society has its own way of seeing things. That is because you are conditioned to look at things in a particular way. In India all the communities, religions, races, etc. live in harmony together. Difference between Fun/Entertainment and humor: Jafry says, Even crying can be an entertainment. If you are frightened after watching a movie, that is also entertainment. When you watch Sa Re Ga Ma, Comedy Circus or Crime Petrol on TV, you are being entertained. Sports can also be fun. When you sit in a giant wheel or a roller coaster, these are also fun. When humor is seen or heard, people laugh. Good humor diminishing: Last few years saw a lot of less clean humor being dished out in the name of comedy. However, speaking to these two writers, we find hopes of revival of

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OUT OF H ME YET NOT OUT

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Desi ya ViDesi L
ife in greener pastures

The

Priyanka Sakhamuru and P. Pranay

NRI tag has always had a glamourous appeal to it. We Indians are known to settle in almost any part of the world and quickly adapt to its culture. But is it as easy as it sounds? Eves Times spoke to a few desis to find out what its really like living overseas.

On living abroad
Elementary school teacher Savitha Agarwal moved to Bangkok in 1989 and still resides there. Back then interacting with people was a nightmare because of the language barrier. But like everyone, she picked up certain essential words and phrases from her hired help. To improve her vocabulary she even hired a tutor. She can now manage to speak passable Thai. But the culture was quite easy to adjust to because of the similarities in Asian culture. Even the food is hot and spicy. In the beginning it was quite difficult since even vegetarian food had fish and eggs. Now there are many Indian restaurants, so its easy, she adds. In the matter of blending in, Savitha believes that no matter how Indians try to dress up like the locals, they invariably stand out in a crowd. There is a stark difference between Indians and the Thais. We are an aggressive lot, whereas the Thai people are polite and soft spoken. Though they have crazy traffic jams, people dont lose their cool, she says with a smile. Tanuja Rao who is a Chartered Accountant in Canada says that the country is an

perception to understand how the locals live and gives you the mind set to be able to adapt. This, in turn, teaches you to adapt in any situation, anywhere in the world, and look forward to new experiences, is her prompt reply. Her daughter Sarmishta, a management student in Toronto, Canada feels that actually living abroad allows you to see how different people are at a micro level, and how similar they are at a macro level. In her opinion, one also gets exposure to the local food, entertainment, language, social norms, etc.

rekha. But at the same time, we would like our kids to be on par with the kids in this country while being comfortable to show their peers their own Indian culture, says Tanuja. Her younger daughter moved out of India when she was very young, and does not remember or relate to anything Indian. Her elder one though, lived in India for a while, and still remembers her Indian-ness, thus adding to her dilemma. Fortunately for Savitha, her sons are

On celebrating festivals
Next comes the question of carrying out Indian traditions. Sarmishta says she visits

comfortable with both cultures. They do not crib if they have to face inconveniences when they visit India. They dont mind sleeping on the mattress, Savitha says proudly. Do they teach their firangi friends Bollywood dancing? Says Tanuja, My local friends have this weird impression (propagated by some articles) that Bollywood dancing is holding up the lampshade and petting the dog and try to imitate that step. Ive been trying to teach them the dhak-dhak step. Sarmishta on the other hand is busy teaching her buddies to turn the door knob and the light bulb!

ethnic Indian events. It is for new students who have come from India, I give them advice on how to blend into Canadian culture. I watch Bollywood movies, I keep in touch with my friends from India and I eat Indian food! rattles off this 23-year old. Her mother recently attended an office party. Many came dressed in their countrys traditional clothes. It was quite colourful and lovely. We try and celebrate our own festivals with our group from India. We love to dress up and go for these occasions, she adds. Savitha says that in Bangkok, Indian festivals are celebrated on a grand scale. The Indian community here is quite large. Sindhis, Gujratis, Marwaris, Sikhs and others reside here and the whole lot go all out during Holi, Navratri (we love to play Dandiya) and Diwali.

On night life
In Bangkok, parties begin at 6 in the evening and dinner is served promptly at 6.30. The entertainment begins after that. Now when I come to India, I start getting hungry by this time, says Savitha. Says Tanuja about the parties in Toronto, They begin at 10 pm and end at 3 or 4 or even 5 am.Though comfort is the thumb rule, all of us are veering slowly towards the way the locals dress. Her daughters enjoy quite an active party life and of course have a curfew.

On Nostalgia
According to Savitha, life is very comfortable in Thailand for an expat. She says she prefers living in Bangkok, because its her home now and of course the better quality of life. I cant stay more than 15 days in India, she says sheepishly. Tanuja on the other hand does not miss anything about living in India. I chat quite frequently with my family. However I missed attending my nieces wedding because I dont live in India! she adds with regret. Sarmishta too misses out on many family events like weddings. I really wish I could have been there for them, I miss my family and friends who I grew up with, she says.

amalgamation of various cultures as it is a land of immigrants. We can find people literally from all parts of the world, and they are quite comfortable in their own skin. They usually dont try to adapt.That makes us comfortable too, and the environment our own, she says. She believes that living abroad broadens the mind to a large extent. Is it the same as visiting a place, we ask. Visiting a place and staying there for a few days does not really give you the depth of insight into the local cultures. But, living in a place for a length of time gives you the

On following Indian culture

Rao, a mother of two daughters, says it is quite difficult to incorporate Indian-ness into their lives. I dont consciously try to incorporate any Indian-ness into their lives, except listening to my Indian songs, doing my pujas once in a while, speaking in Telugu with them etc. We are so conscious of our own Indian values and are worried that the kids will step out of that lakshman

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A GLOBAL
MOTHER-IN-LAW
Chandrika Radhakrishnan

My Happiness grows in direct proportion to acceptance, and in inverse proportion to expectation, says Michael J Fox.

hat a delightful thoughtnot many of us feel that acceptance; tolerance and forgiveness are life altering lessons. The fact of the matter is most of our lives are filled with strife, unhappiness and discontentment. Saroja Viswanathan is a lady filled with poise, dressed in style and one who embraces change with lan. I would like to borrow her face book update to quote, Is there any other septuagenarian as lucky as I am ? God, keep me this way! I feel indeed proud that she is my relative and she is someone I would love to emulate. The rest of this article is in her own words as I knew that I could not improve on perfection. Sarojas narration about her family:

My family background
I was raised in a conservative family where girls have to be home by 6 in the evening, could not step out by themselves without a male member of the family escorting her. The only exception was going to school with a group of girl friends! I was the first girl to go to college amongst all my cousins, thanks to my older brother. I was the first woman in our family to drive a car which was thanks to my, a generation ahead husband ! My father was a brilliant and

versatile man who exposed me and my siblings to good reading (Shakespeare and Shaw were his favorites). He was a Gandhian and instilled strict discipline for which I am thankful to him till today. I was thrilled with the opportunity to go to college and tried my best to prove that I do deserve it. I was married when I was 19 an age which was considered too old for marriage back then. My B.Sc results were declared on the day of my marriage and thankfully I got a first rank in the university and this made the day all the more special. My husband was a very interesting person with eclectic interests. He was a chartered accountant and a lawyer by qualifications and worked as Senior Marketing Executive in some of the large business houses of that time. He was an active RSS/Jan Sangh ( as BJP was called those days ) member and a great patriot. His career took us all over India, from Calcutta to Lucknow; from Delhi to Bombay. My children and I had exposure to different languages and people, all of us could speak

Skin color is a result of the weather of a place and it is only skin-deep. Within all of us is a lovable character and I never had any problem in loving and cherishing my son-in-law and daughter-in-law the same way as I love my Indian son in-law or my own children.

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fluent Hindi and some Bengali. May be that aspect laid the foundation to accept people of other cultures too! My feelings ..and my apprehensions. Like any other Indian mother, I was not comfortable sending my first born, a daughter to the USA to study MBA. She got admission with full scholarship and assistantship.We had to spend only for her air fare and some petty cash to begin with. My husband stood by her and convinced me. There she met her future husband, who was a year senior to her in her college. Few months before her convocation, she told us about her interest in Jim and asked for our consent to marry him. She wanted us to attend her Graduation and also meet Jim. Through her, we came to know that Jim Barry is an Irish American by descent and the first son of a family of six children, the son of a Dentist. Since both of us could not afford to travel for the graduation, my husband went to the US with a promise to convince and bring our daughter back to India. He returned back converted by the thought that his daughters choice was the best. He appreciated and loved his wouldbe son-in-law for his intelligence, patience and most of all his love for our daughter! He told me to stand by him in support of our daughters happiness and to face the angry relatives. We were there for each other and would stand by our daughters choice. This is one other reason I called my husbanda generation ahead of his times. Subha and Jim have been married for 26 years and have a daughter Tara, aged 23 who is pursuing medicine and a son named Jay, an 11th grader! Jim is as brilliant, as patient as he was 26 years back, both with his family and with his extended family. I am so proud of him. My husband lived for a short 5 years after Subhas marriage. By then my second daughter too got married. I moved to the USA as all my three children were in the US. I shared my time among the three of them, though I spent more time with Subha. When living as a member of the family, I got to know my son-in-law and his

family better. I think unconsciously I believed in George Orwells philosophy that, Happiness can only exist in acceptance. Also my experience living in different parts of India and learning to love and accept people who talk different languages and have different customs has made me what I am. I never had any inhibitions about people who were any different from me and I could make friends easily enough and that helped me even more. Jim respects our culture and traditions. Subha and Jim celebrate Ganesh Chathurthi, Krishna Jayanthi,Navarathri ( with 7 steps of Golu) and Deepavali with equal gusto as they celebrate Easter and Christmas. Their children enjoy and participate in all festivals and introduced Indian festivals to their American friends. I did not have to make any special change in my lifestyle nor do they have to make any change for my sake. It is a smooth, fine and loving relationship! Sujatha, my second daughter loved and married Suresh, a Tamil Brahmin. They have two daughters Samyukta 22 and Sapna 16 and live in California. At 22, Samyukta is already a college graduate and working. She will be my first grandchild to get married to a wonderful Mukherjee boy next year. She met Shish, a PhD student at her University.We are all excited about and planning the first wedding of the next generation! My transition from a traditional background to a global one! My son, youngest of the siblings, met Anna through the Internet and dated for a year. I got to know of this only when he decided to go to Vladivostak to meet Anna, he told me about her and his intended visit to Vladi. He showed me a picture of Anna. She looked beautiful. From the picture I could gather that she is a calm person with a firm personality. I was so happy that finally he decided to meet a girl and marry her. My only concern was that it was the month of December and Russia is a very cold place. I sent him with all blessings and was waiting for his return with my fingers crossed! He returned back very happy. They got married in December 2010. For

visa and other reasons, the wedding was celebrated in Chennai, India. My children could come just for a week in time for the wedding. I went to Chennai a couple of months ahead, used all my contacts and connections, and arranged for the wedding single handedly. It was a wonderful celebration. Anna came to Chennai a week before the wedding and stayed with me. I got my first opportunity to get to know my beloved daughter in-law. She was and is (I can vouch the same after two years of knowing her) a very loving, caring and generous human being. We have a great relationship. Wherever I am, Anna calls me every single day, even for a few minutes if she is busy. I am blessed! I am proud to say that we are one big global family and do not allow petty differences to cloud or hinder our basic affection and regard for the other human being. I am a spiritual person. I believe in the Karmic cycle. I believe that good thoughts, good words and good action lead to good life. I also believe that the same Paramatma ( God ) lives as atman ( soul) in every Jeeva ( physical life). So, there is no actual difference between people of different cultures or languages. These differences are manmade. As a keen observer of geographical difference, I know that the skin color is a result of the weather of a place and it is only skin-deep. Within all of us is a lovable character and I never had any problem in loving and cherishing my son-in-law and daughterin-law the same way as I love my Indian son in-law or my own children. For me all six of them are my children. I am fortunate they reciprocate my love and trust. It is so true that one can learn a lot from the so called ordinary people who have such extraordinary depth. People generally are of the opinion that the older we grow, the more set we become in our opinions. My aunty proves all the critics wrong. For those who dont share a wonderful relationship with their loved ones and want to learn the art of unconditional love after reading this piece, I only want to quote something I had read somewhere, Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.

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THE NRI CLAN

Sailaja Jeevan
ts fun time galore when all my relatives living abroad come down to India for a brief holiday .Then its a flurry of activity getting all their favorite dishes cooked and its a pleasure unparalleled to watch them finish off all the dishes in a jiffy. Thinking back to those days, and reflecting on them, here are snippets of affectionate memorabilia that I can share about them. Asha Lata Paul and her husband have made Calgary, in Alberta their home. Asha latha, is a physician, and together with her husband is active in many of the community programs of the Rotary club there. The duo loves travelling to all parts of the world, and more interestingly, they love documenting their travels. The couple has a son Rajesh, who has also followed their footsteps and is a doctor himself; and is married to beautiful Jody. Well, Rajesh and Jody have a daughter Ria, who is married to Mark and both of them are lawyers by profession. This scenario is what we would aptly call in India as Vasudeiva Kudumbakam, meaning that the entire Universe comprises of one huge family. The kids in our family are exposed to different cultures altogether and they grow to enjoy and appreciate everything about humanity, Asha smiles. My thoughts turn to adorable Nimmy, my niece. She is an IT professional who was working at G.E. Bangalore, but on marrying Emil, opted to leave her job and join him at California. Now they have settled down at Los Angeles, California. Never wanting to remain idle, she proceeded to do her post-graduation there and is now well settled in her career. Now, Nimmy is a happy and proud Mom of a six month old baby and is doing extremely well both in her career and on the home front. Raghavan and Lakshmi, my own cousins at Oman feel very much at home there. The city is well developed and well planned as well. The slow pace of living
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here, compared to other countries is what we love very much about Oman. More over the multicultural nature of the city is also an added attraction. Here we get to sample a variety of cuisine from every nook and corner of the world. The lush green wadis a few kilometers away from the city are ideal for weekend getaways. We have temples also here and the people here too are very friendly and helpful. If you ask me frankly, I dont miss India much and moreover, it is just three hours air travel to our country. We do not have any restrictions, particularly no clothing restriction for women at all. The well-developed road infrastructure enables quick transport to every part of the country. Easy availability of Indian food, centers to learn classical music and dance, Indian schools offering C B S C, I. C. S. C and Kerala syllabus are added attractions for people like us here. There are organizations like the Indian Social club which provide ample social life for the expatriate population here. Above all, the Oman labor laws are favorable to foreigners and the Ministry of Labor too is dedicated to the welfare of foreign nationals working here, says Raghavan, an officer of high ranking with the HSBC Bank at Oman. My personal favorite among the entire clan of NRI relatives is of course Dr. Mohan George, whom we all affectionately call as Mohan Chettan. Tall, well-built and with a face that always sports a ready smile, he is everyones favorite. My sister is always in awe of the fact that he comes with an empty suitcase in tow which he stuffs with fried karimeen (fried fish) whenever its time for him to fly back. On asked what he loves about living in England, he had this to say. I had to ponder a lot since no one had asked me such a question in the last 37 years I have b e e n living in

the UK. In a nutshell, freedom to do what I want to do as long as it is legal; no one is going to give me an opinion unless I ask! Unspoiled countryside, passion about history and the living environment, the green and pleasant land.. There is no place as beautiful as the UK in summer. In winter we all live in the hope of a good summer to follow. The university cities where dreams are fulfilled or broken, Majestic London which one can never get tired of (I wont like to live in that city though, where the pace of life is supersonic), valleys of Wales which are green and beautiful, filled with choral music on Sundays, vast empty spaces of Scotland and the snowcapped mountains, I can go on and on. I am sure whoever is reading this has got the gist of what I am trying to express in too few words. After 37years, this is home to my family. We have two sons who are young independent men who, along with their families live about 200 miles from us and are a joy to have around. We have one grandchild, little 3 year old Thomas and is our treasure. Wherever I go I feel good when I return home. I love my Kerala too where I grew up. Feels good to return for a short while to meet my near and dear ones, which is the one and only thing we miss the most. But Kerala too has changed for us, the destruction of nature, and the loss of another dear one means our ties to this dear land is not as strong as before, reminisces Dr. Mohan George.

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hey have left their motherland and settled abroad at least for some time. But NRIs are still Indians at heart. However, given the foreign ambiance, it often becomes difficult for them to maintain their complete Indianness like they would do back home. However, Indians in India already have a composite and cosmopolitan make-up. Therefore, for them living elsewhere does not amount to a bad experience. It is interesting to note how they still get involved in Indian music and dance in some way, while celebrating our festivals, traditionally. The two people spoken to say that their family and lifestyle are no different from what it would have been if they had been living back home, in India. Though parenting could become a difficult job, with external influence and cultural conflicts, they all want the best for their children. Having been born, raised and spent his first 24 years of life in the hot city of Chennai, Nagarajan Gopalakrishnan (he had to shorten his name to Nag so that the people abroad would be able to pronounce his name) speaks a multitude of languages. He introduces himself, I did my Bachelors in Physics from Madras University. Without an engineering background, no matter how good you are, big IT companies dont hire you. Sounds ridiculous to me - Bill Gates or Steve Jobs as a student would never make it to an Indian IT company even today. I finally reached the US in 1999 and after a year of hard struggle and persistence I got myself well established in the US. I lived there for almost 11 years before moving to Canada. Waiting for GC exasperated I and I embraced Canada instead. Yet the US is still a country I fondly cherish in my memories as lots of milestones are linked to US including my daughters birth. He adds, On the personal front, my wife, Deepa and I met at work through common friends in India. We met at the work place and decided to make the rest of the journey of our life together. Eventually she landed in US in the same New York City where I worked too. Later we got married with the consent of our parents. She is originally from Kerala, and I had to convince my parents that she is the right one for me. Deepa too is very career oriented and I am happy to help her in whatever ways

possible. He currently lives in Mississauga (greater Toronto area), Ontario, Canada, with his family and works as a Project Manager for an IT consulting services company that specializes in the Healthcare Industry. On the other hand, Anuradha Warier hails from Kerala, but was brought up in Chennai and Bangalore. She returned to Kerala for college and went to work in Mumbai. Anuradha is a graduate in English Literature and initially worked as a primary school teacher, then as accounts executive in a garment export firm and then finally as a journalist in Mumbai. She eventually married her childhood friend and sweetheart. Then she started freelancing while her older son was still very young. Anuradha now lives with her family in Massachusetts, USA and works as a Media Consultant.

US because my engineer husband was planning to set up a company. Neither of us had any idea about living here this long. We decided to shift to the US since my husband had plans to set up a company there with his friends; we were going to be there for as long as it took to get the company established, and then we were planning to return so that he could head the Indian operations. It didnt work out, and circumstances forced us to stay longer than we planned. Nag had decided very early, when he was in 12th standard that he would work there. This was when his older brother had left for the US. Nag recollects, I certainly wanted to get out of India but landing in the US just happened due to my brothers help. When I started my career I had a chance to go to Germany or Malaysia but I preferred to wait since I wanted to go to the US. But now I live in Canada. My Indian company sponsored my H1visa to the US.

Call of the Foreign Land

Anuradha came to the US in 98, supposedly for a year and a half. She and her family did not have plans of settling there. At this point she quotes Lennon, As Lennon said, life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. Further she clarifies, I came to the

Difference in Lifestyles and Cultures

Living in India, we may feel that the life in the US is different. Nag finds differences in certain areas. He says, In some areas, things are fine, but in

Phir Bhi Dil Hai

Hindustani
Gayatri T Rao

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festival or cultural programs happen for us only on weekends here. Its nice to visit the Indian temple here during the weekends. Anuradha counter-questions, What does Indian culture and traditions mean anyway? There isnt some template for that. I have the same household I would have had, had I been in India. I celebrated Indian festivals there, I celebrate them here, but that is because I like celebrating festivals. If I didnt, then that is not something I would have done, either in India or here. Im agnostic-veering-onatheist, but I taught my children the same prayers I said in childhood, but again, that is something I would have done in India, too. I am Indian and that is not going to change (whatever my passport says). I have 2 children. The older one is 19. He has lived in the US for more years than he has in India. The younger one is 7 and was born here and has never lived in India but he visits every year. They are Americans of Indian origin. But they eat Indian food at home, they have no issues coming to India, or travelling by public transport in India.They dont think twice about walking around the place when we visit, and are not bemoaning the lack of facilities there. They are as comfortable there as they are here. Away from India but not away from Indianness! Though there are so many factors that keep you from being an Indian in a foreign land, with the development of technology, the NRIs can still follow Indian dance, music and last, but not least the movies. Anuradha and her husband love movies, music and books. Thus, they watch many movies, listen to music, which includes Indian music as well. They manage to take in concerts when they can, if it interests them. She usually returns from her annual trip in India with a lot of DVDs, CDs and books each time. For Nagarajan, watching Indian movies, going to temples, getting together with Indian friends make him feel at home, but this can happen only during weekends.

some other areas there is an ocean of difference. Here friends are your family. My daughter, Anannya, who is 4 years old, speaks mostly English at home. But living outside India widens your perspective and makes you a better human being, I guess. I am not saying this is not possible in India but here, it is a natural evolution whereas in India it would be a conscious evolution. Anuradha begs to differ. She does not find the life very different that I can see. Difference in culture might have caused conflicts, too. Anuradha negates any conflicts, Yes, the culture is different, but no, there was no conflict. And no, I didnt have any help settling down. There were people here who gave us an enormous amount of help in getting things done - shopping, setting up bank accounts (you need an introduction) and showing us different locations for our requirements, but other than that, did I have any help in bridging the cultural divide? No, not really. Both my husband and I are pretty comfortable in most situations, so it didnt really matter to us whether we were in Bombay or the US. So, no, there was no real culture shock here. The culture of the place you live in has some effect on your family and lifestyle. Does that make their family in any way different from an Indian family based in India? For Nag, it is jaisa des, vaisa bhes. He adds, Culturally, every country is different and so you need to adapt and embrace where you live. The extent to which you embrace is up to you as big cities in both Canada and the US welcome outsiders well. The place where I live now is a mixed community of Canadians, Indians, Sri Lankans and people from all over the world. Deepa wanted to go back to India when we were living in the US since even though
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she is very modern she did not like the US. However she finds Canada a better place than the US to live. So I had to coin this line Warm people in a cold country. Canada is a very cold country but peoples warmth and welcoming nature makes up for everything. Nag adds,The reason you need to adapt to where you live is that otherwise you feel very isolated. In a sense it makes you a better human being, I guess. One of the reasons, why you become a better human is that your strong identity of being an Indian fades here and your sense of humanness blossoms. Personally, I miss the joy of driving my motorbike in Chennai, having a nice Indian meal, leisurely reading newspaper with coffee, etc. You live your life only in weekends here, but having said that I see this trend in India too with at least the IT folks. Anuradha says regarding effect of the foreign culture on her family, I dont quite know how to answer that. Because all Indian families based in India are not the same, are they? There is no generic Indian family. All I can say is that my family would be like this whether we were in India or anywhere else. As far as the culture of the place affecting how we live - umm, I suppose it does? I havent thought too much about it. We have our values in place (and I dont know whether we have emphasized Indian values, whatever they are) but there is no conscious effort either to be American or remain Indian.

Following Traditions
The work schedule there seems to be more hectic than in India, with less festival holidays. Nag has it all planned. According to him, weekdays are for work and weekends are the catch up time for personal life. He says, So any

Bringing up Children
Most parents plan the bringing up of their children. Some take it in their stride. As far as Anuradha is concerned, Plan how to bring them up? In what way? Other than every parent, who has certain ideas, which fall by the wayside

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when the children grow up? Did I plan to bring them up as Indian? No, I didnt. Other than wanting them to behave well, and yes, study well (and that is not a particularly Indian trait) and grow up with some connection to their roots, I have no plans (on how to bring them up). Nag says, Anannya has a choice to be whatever she wants to be, as long as she is happy doing whatever makes her happy. Further he finds that the challenges of raising a kid are different here than that in India, which again is subjective. He adds, Its a good challenge for parents here to give a good mix of Indianness and local culture. Kids tend to sway to the local culture so it could sometimes be a challenge for parents here. Do the NRI children need different treatment from Indian children living in India? Anuradha voices the concerns of all parents, NRIs and locals, We all want the best for our children. We dont want them falling into the wrong company. We hope they will study well and do well in life. We hope they will be well-behaved doesnt all that cut across boundaries? Speaking for myself, no, I dont think I would deal with my children any differently if I were in India. These challenges are the same everywhere. That said, there are some obvious differences - my older son did not have to face the competitiveness of the Indian education system (yet I was tense when it came to college applications). A nineteen-year-old boy from a middle-class household in India would be travelling to most places by public transport - here, he is either driven or he drives himself. A car becomes a necessity here after some time, unlike in India. Our challenges as parents are also different from those of parents in India, because our children are growing up in a different environment and they are interacting with different people. It is like living in a cosmopolitan city versus a small town, just on a bigger scale. The

things that influence them are different. The whole ethos of growing up in America is different. Academic excellence and sporting excellence are treated differently here. The way children here are taught to be confident in the absence of other things is different from India. So these things make a difference as to how children view their parents and how parents view their children. But if someone wanted their child to grow up Indian even though they live abroad, I think that is a challenge in and of itself. You cannot take the effect of culture and environment away and expect your kids to grow up like you did in India. For that matter, the kids in India arent going to grow up like you did in India, either. Besides the role of an NRI mother is no different from that of an Indian living here. Anuradhas take on that, The same as that of a mother in India. Why would it be any different? Nag sighs, A mother is always a mother no matter what the dad does. Now I sound jealous of my wife (smiles)

remains theirs. Nag says, Kids in India or outside India will always choose the life they want. The only question is, whether their parents agree or not. In our case, my wife and I want to be with our daughter every step of the way.

No Frequent Trips Home

Living so far away, if your parents and siblings are located in India, making a regular trip itself is problematic, since you live in a different time zone and due to the travel distance and time required for travel. This becomes a short-coming during emergencies like bereavement of a close relative. Anuradha affirms, Truthfully? Yes. While we make it a point to come to India every year, the distance and expense do make it difficult for us to make trips frequently and why just bereavement? There are weddings we have missed. Just the opportunity of going away on vacation with siblings is impossible because the time we come down is not the time anyone can take a vacation there - so on and so forth. Nag particularly could not be here in time for his fathers funeral. He is still going through the same grief that a typical Indian, who loves his father, would go through in such a situation. It took him some time to come out of that . Nagarajan finds this a hard question to answer. He says, Emotions overwhelm me and a big void is felt. The only solace I give myself is that I got to spend some very quality time with him during the last few days. My dad is always special to my heart, every time I draw something or play a game of chess my Dads memories bubble up. May his soul rest in peace.

Childrens Education and Career

Anuradha recollects on her childhood, I am the daughter of a father who, twenty years ago, did not insist I go in for engineering or medicine; a father who allowed me to choose Literature despite the fact that I could have walked into any engineering or medical college if I had so wanted it. My husband chose engineering (after getting his degree in Physics) because he wanted to study engineering; it had nothing to do with his parents wanting him to be an engineer. Why would I not give my children the same liberty? And that has nothing to do with my staying in the US. I would allow my children to choose what they wanted to do with their life. And I put allow in quotes because I honestly think that my permission is not really necessary. It is their life. Not mine. As much as I chose my education and career, I would be happy for them to do the same thing. My husband and I are happy to guide them, to talk about the pros and cons of what they choose to do - the final decision

Future Plans
Anuradha would like to continue as a consultant, since it gives her the flexibility she needs. She adds, Im also exploring other avenues that will keep me challenged, but it is not something I want to talk about. Nag does not have big plans but prefers to take life as it unfolds. Regarding returning to India, Anuradha says, Eventually, yes. Definitely. While Nag says, Yes Id love to come back to India. Hopefully when I go back, I would like to travel to every nook and corner of India and especially visit the historic places.

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IRELAND SNIPPETSKanchana Rao

A HANDS-ON ExPERIENCE OF AN NRI

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My sister Kiran spent a pleasant and memorable ten odd years in Europes third largest island, Ireland. She recently re-located to India carrying many fond memories of what she came to consider her home away from home. Here are her jottings which she has shared with Eves Times. I wont be surprised if, after reading them, a thought of a trip to Ireland will be on the cards for most of us. When my husband received his first off-shore IT assignment in Ireland 11 years ago, I pulled out the world map to locate the place. It was one tiny country, beside UK, hardly traceable. My knowledge of Ireland was limited to the terrorist group IRA (Irish Republican Army). So you can imagine my consternation and uncertainty. But all the same, I was pretty excited as it was my first time on a plane and first time abroad. But to my delight, I discovered Ireland to be a very beautiful, scenic and untouched country. The lush greenery got Ireland the poetic name, Emerald Isle. There is so much greenery and countryside that I relived all the Enid Blyton books which I had devoured as a child. My childhood imagination blended with Blytons description of the landscapes of the English country. It has very lavish, green pastures spread far and wide like huge green soft carpets which often made me take long walks and plan regular treks. The capital city is Dublin and it has quite an ethnic mix of people. Along with the Irish, you will find lots of people from the Philippines, Eastern Europe, Mauritius, Pakistan, China, South Africa and of course India. There were many shops catering to the needs of people from different countries. We had plenty of Asian shops which sold Indian grocery and vegetables which helped me cook Indian food most of the time.There were Indian community groups which collectively planned and celebrated Indian festivals. In fact, there were different groups based on different states of India. We had an active cricket club too which would compete with different leagues and counties within Ireland. The club was not restricted to Indians. Some of them had more Irish than Indian. Along with Indian festivals, we took

great pleasure in celebrating Christmas, Halloween and Easter. The kids would look forward to these with great anticipation. Christmas is a huge festival there and the decorations would come up as early as October in the shops. There is so much colour and festivities in the air and that is the time to be there! The Irish are greatly aware of Diwali and love the idea of fireworks and lights. They participate with great enthusiasm in the festivities and enjoy all the sweets and delicacies. Most of the offices where Indians work have a small celebration during Diwali. They love Indian music and love to dance to the Bollywood beats. There are Bollywood classes held and the Irish enthusiastically participate and swing to the beats. They are great music lovers and at least one in every family is a musician. They have a very popular form of dancing called Ceili (Pronounced Kayly) which is quite a hard form of dance. But its a great pleasure to the eyes and ears. There is a very popular group called River Dance who perform all over the world and are widely acclaimed. The Irish music is mostly played in pubs and its equally enjoyable to the old and the young. Speaking of pubs, the Irish have a huge drinking culture and on an average, 19,800 pints are consumed from Friday evening to Sunday night every week. Friends and family sit together to share a drink and is a part of their culture. The Irish are the highest tea drinkers in Europe too. An average Irish family usually has three kids.The kids stay with the parents until they are 18/20 and then they mostly move out into a place of their own. They value their independence and space a lot. They normally get together on weekends, festivals or occasions. The Irish lead a very active life and get involved in a lot of outdoor sports. The weather is a big hindrance as its cold and windy and rains most of the time. But that does not stop them from doing what they want to do. Most of them are fitness freaks and work hard to stay fit.

They love to travel and they plan their holidays well in advance. Most of them love India and the Indian culture and plan to visit at some point of time. But there are so many places in Ireland, which make for interesting and enjoyable visiting. I have had the good fortune of visiting many of these places and will list out ten of them with brief descriptions to arouse sufficient interest.

Boyne Valley
Br na Binne (the Boyne Palace) in County Meath contains some of the most important historic sites and monuments in Ireland, and is a

designated World Heritage Site. It features the massive megalithic ancient passage tombs - which are graves dating back to ancient times - of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. These tombs are older than both Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Ring of Kerry
The Ring of Kerry drive encapsulates their image of Ireland: ancient monuments, romantic castles,

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spectacular gardens and colorful towns and villages. The spectacular scenery, dramatic coastline, colorful towns and villages and ancient archaeological treasures have been featured in postcards, film, poetry and song. Here, the idealized pictorial of Ireland as a land of rural greenery and stunning natural beauty springs to reality.

Inishmaan and Inisheer. The mystical, frozen-in-time islands are famous for their preservation of a rural existence largely unchanged, at least culturally, over the centuries. There may be some electricity there these days, but the ways of the past are carefully preserved among locals who make their living much the same way their ancestors did. If youd rather explore Inishmr on your own, rent a bike and make a loop around the entire island. On your one-day cycling tour, youll encounter ancient ruins, lots of livestock and even miniature houses

The Cliffs of Moher

The most famous and breathtaking parts of Irelands craggy west coastline are the Cliffs of Moher, which feature some of the most breathtaking views on the entire island. The Cliffs stretch for almost 5 miles and rise up to 702 feet over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The amazing view from the Cliffs includes the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, The Twelve Pins and the Maum Turk Mountains. The landscape and seascape of the Cliffs of Moher have, for centuries, welcomed a multitude of visitors; close to 1 million people per year now travel to this iconic location.

Guinness Storehouse
A trip to Dublins most popular tourist attraction is pretty much compulsory for any self-respecting tourist in Irelands capital. Or, at the very least, it should be. The Guinness Storehouse tells the story of how Guinness is made and how this famous drink came to be one of Irelands bestknown exports. It is in an awesome building, its core is in the shape of a giant pint glass, and consists of seven floors. After walking around for about 45 minutes and being constantly told how wonderful Guinness is, pretty soon, the subliminal messages start to kick in. Before you know it, you find yourself craving a pint of the black, delicious stuff, like your life depended on it, even if you were previously not a fan. (It is, after all, an acquired taste.) The top floor, which has the Gravity Bar, is the most fun. There you get a complimentary pint of Guinness. You also get the most spectacular view of Dublin, which is worth the admission price alone.

Giants Causeway
The Giants Causeway, a coastal area of about 40,000 basalt columns near the town of Bushmills in County Antrim, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland. Giants Causeway was created by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. The Causeway is one of the best places to walk through in the North.

Trinity College Dublin

Trinity College is Irelands most prestigious college- and although its rivals at University College Dublin might dispute this, its probably the best university in Ireland.

Aran Islands
A trip to Galway would be incomplete without a visit to the Aran Islands, the collective name for the small islands, Inishmr,

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January 2013

But one thing not up for argument is the magnificent setting of Trinity, many of its majestic buildings are hundreds of years old. (The college was founded by Englands Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1592.) Architecturally at least, Trinity is way above its nearest rivals. It was recently made popular to Indians by the Salman Khan starring blockbuster movie Ek Tha Tiger.

museum and for a tour of the grand stadium. Ive lived in Ireland for a little more than 10 years and its become my home away from home. I have made a lot of friends here and have learnt a lot from these people. They dont discriminate between people based on caste, religion or jobs. A plumber gets as much respect as a CEO of a company. They respect peoples privacy and space a lot and are very friendly and welcoming. All I can say is the years I spent in Ireland are the best years of my life so far.

The Burren
The Burren, which is formed by limestone karst plates that have been thrust to the earths surface - in other words, its a great big rocky mass - is one of Irelands most famous natural attractions. Described as a botanists paradise, the Burren has one of the most diverse and beautiful floras in Ireland, 635 different plant species (including 22 of Irelands 27 native orchids) have been recorded here.

St. Patricks Cathedral

St. Patricks Cathedral, Irelands largest Church, is also one of the biggest tourist attractions in Dublin. In a well close to the cathedral, St Patrick was believed to have baptized converts from paganism to Christianity. To commemorate his visit, a small wooden church was built on the site. Later, in 1191, the present building was constructed, and St. Patricks was raised to the status of a cathedral.

Croke Park
Croke Park is the stadium where Irelands two national sports, hurling and Gaelic football, are played. It is also the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), the sporting body responsible for these national games. Croker is something of a hidden secret for tourists. If you can get tickets, the chances are that you will be one of the few tourists there. The best time to get tickets is usually around May at the start of the season. To go and see a game of either hurling or football at Croke Park is to sample a unique slice of Irish life. While youre there, visit the GAA

EVES TIMES

January 2013 45

Pro Bono

Breaking Bonds
Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

The

slowly burgeoning trend of cross-border marriages has also sparked off a rather unfortunate trend cross-border divorces. Statistically, 225 women from metros get married to NRIs every year. Out of this, almost 25 are either deserted by husbands or want to end their marriage due to reasons of deception or hiding facts. What does one do in such situations? Where does one go should they wish for a divorce? It is significant to understand, as an NRI, the legal implications of cross-border marriages, and the wheres and whens of filing for divorce. What laws apply? Put very simply, the law governing the marriage of the couple will govern the divorce of the couple. If both the spouses are Indians and have been married under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, they can seek divorce under the many grounds provided for under the act, from an Indian Court. Accordingly, other religion driven legal provisions exist for those belonging to other streams of faith. Christians have the Christian Marriage Act, 1889, and Parsees have the Parsee Marriage Act, 1939, and Muslim Law is purely personal law of the religion. In the event that there happens to be an interreligious marriage, the Special Marriage Act comes into operation. However, if the couple resides in any foreign country, then they can seek divorce under the countrys divorce laws related to foreign marriages. Once the decree is passed therein, the parties can bring the decree to an Indian Court for enforcement. The Indian legal system will recognize the divorce only if it is in consonance with certain principles as outlined under the Civil Procedure Code, which are,
46

that the decision should have been pronounced by a Court of competent jurisdiction; that it should have been given on the merits of the case; that the proceedings were not founded on an incorrect view of International Law or a refusal to recognise law of India; that the proceedings were fair and both parties were heard, that the decision was not obtained by fraud, and that the decision does not breach any law in force in India. Divorce in general can be obtained on the grounds of adultery, cruelty, desertion for two years, conversion in religion, unsoundness of mind of either spouse, either spouse is suffering from venereal disease and/or Leprosy and either spouse has renounced the world not heard for 7 years.

who are married to NRIs. As the law stands, it applies in equal significance to those within and without the country. But there are several issues that can cause difficulties. A lot hinges on how the decree of the court protects the interests of both sides. In this respect, arriving at divorce on the grounds of mutual consent and drawing up an agreement built on equitable compromise will benefit both parties.

Supporting Interests In reality, there are not many laws that protect the interests of Indians

EVES TIMES

January 2013

When one family builds a wall, two families benefit from it. Anonymous

Face lace make up for Parties PAGE 47

Hair Mask for Healthy HairPAGE 51

Spa Magic NumerologyPAGE 52

Canteen banter
Jest for Laughs

PAGE 54

PAGE 56

For your eyes only

PAGE 61

EVES TIMES

January 2013 47

From Kirthis Desk

TEENMAG

Dodging Lifes Curveballs with a Smile

hen was the last time you threw your head back and laughed your head off? If youre searching the annals of memory to find an episode, well, I have something you should know. This is especially for all of you who sit before the computer screen with a grumpy expression and a negative attitude: but type LOL on the social network, looking terribly grouchy while doing it. Pause for a moment and consider this: Everyone has problems. For you, it may be about studying for a math test, and your teacher might be the bane of your existence. For your friend, it might be about convincing her parents to get her a cell-phone. For someone else, it could be about making a huge decision of which college to go to, and which one to say no to. And yet, for each of us, our microcosm is so preoccupied with what we think is a mountain, but someone else thinks, is only just a molehill. If it were easy to solve a problem by just grumbling about it, if it were simple enough to solve a problem by whining and crying and complaining, we could all be master solvers. But none of it can, so why make a big deal out of it, right? On the contrary, if you spend lesser time and energy on multiplying the negatives, but focused instead on the positives, you can gain so much more. Lets say you have a math test coming up in a weeks time.You know it isnt a part of the syllabus you like, and you believe it wont get into your head. So you begin berating. On Monday, you think you have enough time. On Tuesday, you hate the subject so you dont want to begin. Theres still time. On Wednesday, you look at your book and want to throw it away, which you do. On Thursday, you are scared, because there are only a few days left. So you begin panicking. On Friday, you are on a panic inferno. The whole weekend, you complain, you sit with your books with a negative mind set telling you that you cannot do it. On Monday, you take the test. And youre not happy with how you did, at all. But what if you chose to look at it with a little prudence, and a little laughter in your life? If on the first Monday, you laughed your fears away and befriended your textbook, studied a little, and tried to understand your formulae, wouldnt it have been better? Always remember that life throws you curveballs: that is lifes duty. YOU have a duty to take those curveballs and smash them back with style, or at least dodge those curveballs when you cant take them; which is done best, only, with a positive attitude. Dont approach anything with a frown because that only multiplies the difficulty and the obstinacy of the obstacle. Smile forth, let out a laugh, and you can do wonders.

Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

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EVES TIMES

January 2013

Fashion Fads

Embrace the lace with a twist this party season

Rishi Waddhwa

Get the seasons trendiest party look in a matter of minutes with these style tips shared by expert Samantha Kochhar, MD of Blossom Kochhar Beauty Products Pvt. Ltd.

EVES TIMES

January 2013 49

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NE xT
ISSUE
RELATIONSHIP SPECIAL
Get a glimpse into the various colours of Love So what does love mean to the young Indians of today? Is there something called as eternal love? What makes some couples tick forever.? News and views about relationships celebs, young Indians, first love, transient relationships, livein arrangements, gay marriages, calf love, love and aggression, when love leads to ghastly consequences, khap and love, polygamous marriages.The complexities of man-woman relationships seem to get more and more intricate with time

All you wanted to know about studying abroad

Planning to join a premier global university for higher studies? Eves Times brings to you your own handbook of the entire gamut of preparations to pursue your dreams .. opportunities, innovative courses, financial aid and scholarship, free education, documents and getting ready to fly and soar high And the usual unusual stuffs recipes from internationally renowned chefs, health and fitness, beauty, counseling, Funky articles for the young in TeenMag , new products and exciting events and a lot more

EVES TIMES

January 2013 51

Peel off slowly and keep lace flat to prevent design sticking to itself

ith New Year bashes happening everywhere, girls are always on the lookout for ways to outshine the crowd. Gone are the days when the LBD or the red/metallic shoes were the protocol - the latest fad is Face Lace!

designs available on the internet these days. Just make sure that the paint or gel over the eyelids dries up completely before you open your eyes. One can also use readymade face lace stickers available in a wide variety in the market to get the perfectly laced mask look. Made of thin vinyl with hypoallergenic adhesive backing, users simply have to peel off their desired designs and stick them onto their faces. There are no particular side effects of face lace make up, if done with eyeliners, pens and gels and removed completely before going to bed, but sticker face laces can sometimes irritate the persons skin if one is allergic to the glue on them.

Place lace above creaseline.Start from inner corner A,following above creaseline B

Easy, chic, affordable and with loads of quirk, this party season the beauty gurus swear by Face Lace. The ready-to-wear make up designs are an answer to every girls last minute make up agony. You can create various looks ranging from simple designs over the eyes or forehead to the more elaborate, daring and intricate ones that run across the forehead, eyes and cheeks as a masquerade-mask onto the face. You can also have face lace on one side of your face running from one side of your forehead down towards the end of your cheekbones covering one full or half eye. Apart from lace put on the face, one can also experiment with lace eyelashes that look very different from the normal designs and sensuous too. These eyelashes can also be made by oneself at home with paper or handmade lace, says Samantha Kochhar. Especially a blessing for women who complain they can never master the art of makeup, face lace is an instant image turnaround without the professional time and expense.An easy way to create a face lace make up look at home is to outline with a nude lip pencil as a mask over your eyes followed by a black eye liner pen or face paint/gel eyeliner. You can create your own pattern or take inspiration from a huge variety of
52

Lace should not obstruct movement of the eyelid, remove tabs and press down top section

For a safe and sure option, black in general is the color for face lace make up but one can always experiment with metallic slate grey, bronze and white to add more fun to the whole look! An amazingly unique make up solution that can be applied in under a minute and is usually re-usable, the absolute Gothic yet classy look.

Position bottom lace 1cm away from the inner corner(c).Remove tab and press down remaining section.Do not place lace design into the eye

So girls, what are you waiting for! Embrace the lace and make heads turn for good.

To remove:hold as much of the design as you can and peel off slowlyto avoid tearing.

For re-use, return lace to its backing sheet, ensuring it lies flat on the sheet.

EVES TIMES

January 2013

The Beauty Bistro

Hair Mask for Healthy Hair

Jinal Patel

two tablespoons of water. Massage the concoction into clean, damp hair. Keep it on for ten to fifteen minutes and wash it off with a wild shampoo.

treatments to get frizzy free hair days.

Mayonnaise mask
Mayonnaise is not only an accompaniment for your burger or sandwich but is also a brilliant option to remove frizzy hair locks. Take a half cup of mayonnaise and apply to your hair starting from the roots to its ends. The smell of mayo can sure be a problem, so mix about 2-3 drops of scented oil to it. After applying this, wrap your hair in a shower cap keeping it on for about fifteen minutes. Shampoo and rinse once done

Milk and honey mask

Mix a tablespoon of honey with a cup of full fat milk. Apply evenly on hair. Wash off with a mild shampoo after fifteen minutes.

air masks are easy to make and apply. All you need is a little time to be the proud owner of healthy, lustrous hair.

Honey mask Olive and egg yolk mask

Whisk five tablespoons of olive oil and two eggs to a foamy mixture. Massage it in your hair. Cover your head with a shower cap and leave it on for at least 30 minutes for the oil to penetrate into your hair. Taming frizzy hair can be one difficult task. Try the following homemade Since honey contains humectants, it is known to treat damaged hair. Moreover, thanks to its scent, after applying honey, the hair smells nice. Mix about 1/3 cup of honey along with 2 tablespoon of either olive oil or almond oil. Apply the mixture throughout your hair and then wrap your hair in a shower cap. Rinse after thirty minutes.

Here are a few remedies for damaged, frizzy hair which are simple, inexpensive and homemade

Egg mask
Beat two eggs along with yolks with

EVES TIMES

January 2013 53

TEENMAG

Spas are the latest hotspot for people in the city

Kajal Jaiswal
treatment done in a spa and they dont mind spending for it. A growing demand for spas in the city has resulted in a number of them opening up. Initially there were only working women who would come to us but now everyone from housewives to college students come to us regularly, says Ayesha the owner of Orchid Foot Spa, Alsa Mall, Chennai. It is not only women but even men take out time from their busy schedule to get a foot, head, or a body massage done, she added. Orchid specializes in foot massage, as they feel foot is the only part of the body which has points that are connected to all the organs. They think acupuncture is a way, in which one feels relaxed. There are around eight girls who work at Orchid and they are specially trained by body therapist from Bangkok. When asked about the speciality of Orchid, Ayesha says, Rates are our speciality. We offer the best rates than any other spa in the city. Around five years ago the city never witnessed a spa other than ayurvedic massage centres but today there are a dozen of well-known spas that have come up. The spas in the city have excellent customer response, says Sowndarya, the owner of La Grande Spa, Egmore. Acupuncture + massage are equal to reflexology and this is what our customers want, she added. The other spas well-known among the city crowd are Kenko Foot Reflexology and Wellness Spa (Express Avenue) who specialize in fish spa and exfoliation therapy that help stimulate blood circulation and natural exfoliation of dead skin, Sowkhya Ayurvedic Centre, Nugambakkam, an ayurvedic spa and treatment centre dedicated to providing authentic ayurvedic solutions and treatments, Naturals Spa and Salon (Adyar) the spa treatment provided by them include natural scrub and aromatherapy oil. They also provide body radiant treatment. Influence Spa (Wallace Garden Road) offer massage, signature therapies, facial, wraps, scrub and express therapies. Spa treatments and massage therapies truly help to rejuvenate and de-stress you instantly. Spa is a destination where time takes a break, where stress goes for a holiday and senses are pampered to perfection, says Avanthika a college student. The spa culture has gripped the south Indians and this is evident by the growing number of spas in the city.

spa culture has gripped the south Indians and this is evident by the growing number of spas in the city The practise of massage originated more than five thousand years ago in ancient Mesopotamia and China but today it is finding favour with more and more people, thanks to enormous health and beauty benefits it offers. A conservative and tradition bound city like Chennai today has a lot of people who love to get a massage

The

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January 2013

TEENMAG

NUMEROLOGY
Kajal Jaiswal discovers what numbers say about you... Numerology is the language of numbers and their symbolic meaning. Each letter has a numeric value that represents a certain vibration. The numbers in your name and date of birth can give a lot of information about your character, motivation, purpose, and talent. Numerology can be used to find the best time to invest, get a new job, get married, move, and travel.

adventurous. If expressed negatively: extravagant, scattered, and superficial.

unhappy, odd, leaves too much to chance, hard to reach.

This is the worker. You are on the lips of every one, as an authority, when someone wants some information. You have the power of tongue, or gift of the gab. Ruled by Uranus. Keywords: trustworthy, helpful, steady, logical, self-disciplined. If expressed negatively: contrary, stubborn, narrow.

This is the manager. Number Eight is a strong, successful, and material vibration. Though you may suffer from your early days throughout your life. Ruled by Saturn. Keywords: ambitious, business-minded, practical, authoritative, successful. If expressed negatively: tense, narrow, materialistic, and forceful.

One is the leader. You always maintain your dignity. You do not like to be lazy. You are confident and proud. You do not like to obey. You like to order around. Ruled by the Sun. Keywords: independent, creative, ambitious. If expressed negatively: arrogant, stubborn, impatient, and selfcentered.

This is the freedom lover. You consider the whole world lags behind. You are fond of new ventures and you are never afraid of failures. You are lucky and successful. You are liked by all. These are idea people with a love of variety and the ability to adapt to most situations. Ruled by Mercury. Keywords: adaptable, freedom-loving, romantic, witty, fun-loving, flexible. If expressed negatively, non-committal, irresponsible, inconsistent.

This is the teacher. You do not know what fear is. You persist in your efforts to succeed.You fight against the old and create a new order. Ruled by Mars. Keywords: jack of all trades, sympathetic, helpful, emotional, tolerant, active. If expressed negatively: financially careless, moody, bullying, overly emotional, and restless.

You are a mediator and peace-lover. The number two indicates the desire for harmony. It is a gentle, considerate, and sensitive vibration.You do not trust others. Ruled by the Moon. Keywords: diplomatic, warm, peaceful, sensitive. If expressed negatively: too dependent, manipulative, and passiveaggressive.

This is the peace lover. You love all things beautiful. You consider this life is to be fully enjoyed. The number six is a loving, stable, and harmonious vibration. Ruled by Venus. Keywords: compassionate, stable, family-loving, trustworthy. If expressed negatively, superficial, jealous, possessive, unwilling to change.

Number Three is a sociable, friendly, and outgoing vibration. You also expect punctuality, discipline and obedience from your subordinates. You enjoy life and have a good sense of humour. Ruled by Jupiter. Keywords: jovial, friendly, positive,

This is the deep thinker. Gifted with greater will power. The number seven is a spiritual vibration. You are not very attached to material things, are introspective, and generally quiet. Ruled by Neptune. Keywords: unusual, intuitive, psychic, wise, reserved. If expressed negatively:

EVES TIMES

January 2013 55

Canteen Banter

TEENMAG

Technology = 0?

Tech Support: I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.

Customer: Ok. Tech Support: Did you get a pop-up menu? Customer: No. Tech Support: Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu? Customer: No. Tech Support:: Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point? Customer: Sure, you told me to write click and I wrote click.

Customer: I typed A: SETUP. Tech Support: Maam, remove the disk and tell me what it says. Customer: It says [PC manufacturer] Restore and Recovery disk. Tech Support: Insert the MS Word setup disk. Customer: What? Tech Support: Did you buy MS word? Customer: No...

Customer: Im having trouble installing Microsoft Word. Tech Support: Tell me what youve done.

the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the OK button displayed? Customer: Wow. How can you see my screen from there?

6 7 8

Tech Support: What type of computer do you have? Customer: A white one.

Tech Support: Type A: at the prompt. Customer: How do you spell that?

2
56

Customer: I received the software update you sent, but I am still getting the same error message. Tech Support: Did you install the update? Customer: No. Oh, am I supposed to install it to get it to work?

EVES TIMES

4 5

Customer:: Do I need a computer to use your software? Tech Support: ?!%#$

Tech Support: Whats on your screen right now? Customer: A stuffed animal that my boyfriend got me at the grocery store.

Tech Support: Ok, in

January 2013

TEENMAG
Tech Support: What operating system are you running? Customer: Pentium.

12 13

Customer: Youve got to fix my computer. I urgently need to print document, but the computer wont boot properly.

15

Graffiti
Tech Support: What does the screen say now? Customer: It says, Hit ENTER when ready.

10 11

Tech Support: What does it say? Customer: My computers telling me I performed an illegal abortion. Customer: Something about an error and non-system disk. Tech Support: Look at your machine. Is there a DVD inside? Customer: No, but theres a sticker saying theres someone called Intel inside.

Tech Support: Well? Customer: How do I know when its ready?

Customer: I have Microsoft Exploder.

Tech Support: Just call us back if theres a problem. Were open 24 hours. Customer: Is that Eastern time?

What if Accountants start producing movies?

The names of the movie would be : 1. Munnabhai B.Com 2. Hamara Ledger Aapke Paas Hai 3. Kaho na Depreciation Hai 4. Journal Se Balance Sheet Tak 5. Kabhi Credit Kabhi Debit 6. Cash Balance Wale Profit Le Jayenge 7. Hum Tax de Chuke Sanam 8. Kya Yehi Credit Period Hai? 9. Mein A/cs ki Diwani Hoon 10. Kyon Tally Ho Gaya Na

EVES TIMES

January 2013 57

TEENMAG

est J 4 Laughs
Contributed by Niranjana Hariharanandan

Jest 4 Laughs
screaming hysterically. His Chevrolet, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter what the body shop did to it. When the lawyer finally wound down from his ranting and raving, the officer shook his head in disgust and disbelief. I cant believe how materialistic you lawyers are, he said. You are so focused on your possessions that you dont notice anything else. How can you say such a thing? asked the lawyer.

very successful lawyer parked his brand-new Chevrolet in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he got out, a truck passed too close

teacher, a thief and a lawyer all die in the same freak accident. So when they reach the pearly gates, St. Peter tells them that, unfortunately, heaven

and completely tore the door off of the drivers side.The counselor immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 100, and within minutes a policeman pulled up. Before the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started

The cop replied, Dont you know that your left arm is missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn off when the truck hit you. Ahhh! screamed the lawyer. Wheres my Rolex!

SOME REAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT TRANSPIRED IN COURTS

Q: What is your date of birth? A: July fifteenth. is overcrowded, so they each have to answer a question correctly for admission. The teacher is first, and St. Peter asks, Name the famous ship that was sunk by an iceberg? Phew, that ones easy, says the teacher, The Titanic. Alright, said St.Peter, you may pass. Then the thief got his question: How many died on the Titanic? The thief replied, Thats a toughy, but fortunately I just saw the movie. The answer is 1500 people. And so he passed through. Last, St. Peter gave the lawyer his question: Name them. Q: What year? A: Every year. Q: This myasthenia gravis - does it affect your memory at all? A:Yes. Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory? A: I forget. Q:You forget. Can you give us an example of something that youve forgotten? Q: All your responses must be oral, okay? What school did you go to?

58

EVES TIMES

January 2013

Get

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Jest 4 Laughs
A: Oral. Q: How old is your son - the one living with you. A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I cant remember which. Q: How long has he lived with you? A: Forty-five years. Q: Sir, what is your IQ? A: Well, I can see pretty well, I think. Q: Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in the voodoo occult? A: We both do. Q:Voodoo? A: We do. Q:You do? A:Yes, voodoo. Q: Now doctor, isnt it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesnt know about it until the next morning? Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he? Q: Were you present when your picture was taken? Q: Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war? Q: Did he kill you? Q: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision? Q:You were there until the time you left, is that true? Q: How many times have you committed suicide?

TEENMAG
Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? A:Yes. Q: And what were you doing at that time? Q:You say the stairs went down to the basement? A:Yes. Q: And these stairs, did they go up also? Q: Mr. Babu, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didnt you? A: I went to Europe, sir. Q: And you took your new wife? Q: How was your first marriage terminated? A: By death. Q: And by whose death was it terminated? Q: Can you describe the individual? A: He was about medium height and had a beard. Q: Was this a male, or a female? Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. Q: And Mr. Selvam was dead at the time? A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

am and Shyam had applied for jobs at a large company and had to take an intelligence test. They each found the test a breeze, except that they admitted to being momentarily stumped by the final question: Name a 14 letter word for someone in charge of a plant.

R
60

Yeah Write
How did you answer that last one? asked Ram, I was a bit puzzled at first, but then I thought of Superintendent. I think I got it right too, said Shyam, but I wrote down Horticulturist.

EVES TIMES

January 2013

TEENMAG

Wisecracks
Regular naps prevent old age... especially if you take them while driving. Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee.

do, youll regret it later. Ladies first. Pretty ladies sooner. You cant buy love . . . but you pay heavily for it.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

True friends stab you in the front.

Forgiveness is giving up my right to hate you for hurting me.

Youre getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them.

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is husband!

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

It doesnt matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.

I believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried - but they wanted cash!

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired. Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books. Marriage is give and take. Youd better give it to her or shell

A childs greatest period of growth is the month after youve purchased new school uniforms. Dont feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.

take it anyway.

Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

My wife and I always compromise. I admit Im wrong and she agrees with me.

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something

Dont marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you Cannot live without; but whatever you

Those who cant laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

They call our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak

2PIECES OF

ADVICE

Never laugh at your wifes choices;

you are one of them.

your wife is one of them.

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Never be proud pf your choices;

TEENMAG

For Your Eyes Only

Hello Priya, You have indeed got yourself quite a problem. I personally feel that the toughest situations are the ones that we have at ones home involving the ones whom we love most, because, although the people we are dealing with are our own, the risk of hurting somebody or the other is ever present; and who wants to hurt ones family, right? Dear friend, I know that this must be really tough on you, especially in the condition that you are in. What I mean is that this is the time that you need to be and should be pampered all day long, every day of the beautiful journey of motherhood. You deserve it as a would-be mother. The situation you are in is not exactly ideal for you. Youre at an emotional low to add to the demands of a tricky situation that requires careful decision making. All these things aside, however, you need to think logically and unfortunately in situations involving close relations logic doesnt necessarily help. Right now your comfort and your feelings should be your first priority. Therefore, I think you should be clear on what you want and what is good for you and your child. Traditions are built on requirements and circumstances. As far as I can see the tradition of being with ones family towards the end of the term was probably meant to ease the problems that a lady faces at that point in time being near ones mother. Being emotionally sensitive it is better to be near someone who understands you better i.e. ones mother than near someone who is not so close. Earlier times when communication over long distances was a problem one would have had to be in ones maternal home to seek emotional solace. Today the situation is different. Mobile phones, SKYPE and video chats have reduced distances and faster travel by air has reduced time to be ones near and dear ones. So dont let traditions that were based on archaic foundations dictate your life especially at this time. Now, coming to your problem, I understand from your letter that your husband and in-laws are sympathetic to your precarious condition. I feel that at this point the only person who can help

Alexandreena Sneha Radhish

you make a decision is your husband. So confide in him and seek his views before arriving at a decision. If the idea is to be comfortable it seems to me your mothers house should be the last place that you should go to. Since your mother has made her choice to be divorced and remarried I suppose she has to forgo the exclusive right that she has over you as a daughter and all that comes along with it. She needs to be more understanding of your predicament and be supportive rather than be adamant. Since going to fathers house is not much of a choice, I feel you should stay back at your in-laws house and let your mother know that your decision is based on a logic that your mother in-law is in a better position to look after you under the circumstances than her since you are not comfortable in your mothers house. I am sure your husband will be proud of you and will ensure that you are comfortable. Tough times require tough decisions. One needs to be strong and assess the situation with a level head and take appropriate decision not allowing our emotions get the better of us. Although the decision should be entirely your own, I hope I have been of some help to you in letting you see a dispassionate perspective. I wish you all the best.

m torn between the devil and the deep blue sea and have no idea how to deal with my situation.

Its been almost two years into my marriage and Im also seven months pregnant. According to traditions I should spend the last few months of my term at my home (maternal home). However there has been a series of events within the two years of marriage which are now causing problems in my marital home as well as maternal home. Soon after I got married, my parents received their divorce and not so long ago my mother has got remarried and the problems soon followed. According to customs and traditions I should be in my maternal home but because of the second marriage, my in-laws are not comfortable with me going there. My father stays close to my marital home and he isnt taking the idea of my mother being remarried very well and therefore even he isnt comfortable with me going there. If I dont go home, I wont only be breaking the tradition but also my mothers heart. No one has even stopped to think what I may be feeling about all this. How do I address everyone and take a decision without hurting anyone? Priya
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Legal Viewpoint

Parental Child Abductions

Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

pousal conflicts ending up in divorce are the breeding ground for inter-parental conflicts vis-a-vis the custody of a child. The custodial battle often takes the form of a massive confrontation that spills outside the courtroom, to the point that children are forced to face unwanted trauma. However, the battle transcends the realm of custody battles and becomes a case of parental child abduction when one parent decides to take affairs into his or her hands, in the process snatching away the child or children and runs away. A custody battle is not difficult to understand- the mindset of the parents is definitely in keeping with the love they have for their offspring, and their inherent desire to be with them, to watch their growing years, to make memories with them and to just continue being the childs parent. In abduction, however, there is an element of taking the law into ones hands, and deciding in pursuance of ones own interests and ones own idea of the childs interest. There are acceptable

instances of parental child abductionwhere the child faces the threat of harm from the other parent- incest, drunkenness, substance abuse, physical abuse- the list goes on. In such cases, though, the situation cannot be rightly bracketed within the nomenclature of abduction that works as an umbrella term for other instances fuelled by a desire to decide for themselves and for the children. Vis-a-vis India, there have been plenty of cases involving parents who have removed their children from countries abroad, without the consent of the other parent.These parents then refuse to allow the other parent to interact with the child, and refuse to return the child to the other parent. What they have done is nothing short of a grave crime, a felony, a misdemeanour that is not acceptable in the eyes of the law. Owing to the lack of a law dealing with PCA, the case is deemed a custody battle warranting only civil attention and does not penalize the perpetrator of the crime of abduction. The ensuing situation is hideous. As

children are completely broken away from their own lives, move into a foreign country and are separated from their other parent, their lives take a turn.The consequential damage to the child is an obvious ramification- their childhood is thrown askew, as they are dragged in tow by the abducting parent as they run from pillar to post in the process of dodging the law. Sometimes, these children bear a harsh stigma owing to the concocted attempts at bringing in a legal tinge to the abducting parents otherwise illegal and immoral act. This is particularly true in Indias case, where the state is not party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Though International Parental Child Abduction is a crime in most countries abroad, attracting an Interpol arrest warrant, India will not extradite its own citizens under such a warrant since PCA is not a crime in India.

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Entrepreneur of the month

Lifes an Adventure
Jayalakshmi Saroj

Stepping into her fathers shoes was not an easy task but she rose to the occasion when Destiny had different plans in store.The journey so far wasnt a cakewalk, but Divya Keshav loves new challenges and learns from them every day.

eet Divya Keshav, owner of Krishna Printernational, which provides customised labelling solutions to mediumand large-scale companies in different industry verticals. A certified tarot reader and a postgraduate degree holder in management, the lady (a native of Ludhiana) left a plush job in the countrys largest B2B marketplace about four years ago. Her mission: To save her fathers company from closure and breathe new life into it by turning it into a modern-day enterprise. Her younger sister holds a prestigious position in a reputed media and entertainment company and her mother is a home-maker. Speaking of her parents, Divya fondly says, I am whatever my parents have made me. They have guided me all along, lending unconditional support and have always encouraged me to follow my dreams.

Careful planning and timely implementation are keys to a successful business. As an entrepreneur, it is very important to have an objective view of your decisions.

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What was the reason behind your choice to opt for this enterprise?

Tell us about the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

My father founded this business nearly four decades ago, and over a family dinner told me of his plans to shut it down, owing to old age and the lack of a successor since my sister and I were working with other companies. Now, this was something I could not bear and volunteered to take over my fathers business. I quit my job the very next day.

The biggest challenge I faced was earning the acceptance of the male employees. It took me almost two years to work my way around them. Also fighting the stereotypes, where the customers and vendors felt, what if I took a break owing to marriage/kids? I had to convince them through my work that I meant business. I showed them that I was keen on making my company process-oriented so that my absence does not affect the operations.

An entrepreneur is like a trapeze artist without any security nets. If you choose to leave the comforts of your jobs, be ready for an adventurous journey. Be prepared; know your product, market, customers and industry well.

Looking back, Divya is proud of all that she has achieved. The hard work has paid off. I love meeting new challenges. Earlier they used to scare me, but now I find a way through them.

What were learnt?

the

lessons

Careful planning and timely implementation are keys to a successful business. As an entrepreneur, it is very important to have an objective view of your decisions. It is very easy to sway emotionally and keep believing in your decisions. Taking stock means having a bigger picture and seeing if youre on the right track. And all of this should be a monthly affair so that you may rectify your mistakes on time.

How did your presence affect the companys growth?

I have been able to turn around the longstanding family business into a modern-day enterprise. The company has grown 300 per cent in terms of sales revenue in the past four years and the profits have increased. The number of employees has risen by 33 per cent. Initially we did not employ women, but ever since I took over, the number of women has increased.

Gender issues you had to contend with.

I faced a lot of challenges, working around the male employees who were 10-15 years older than me. They made things very difficult as they perceived all the changes being made as bossiness. When I hired women as machine operators, the men refused to teach them. Finally, I had to hire a machine operator to help my women employees run the printing machine.

How do you empower women through your enterprise?

I teach them the importance of self worth, confidence, education and to be economically independent. I provide them with equal opportunities by training them to run different machines. I am also making sure that there is equal pay for equal work.

Q
Personal/professional constraining situations or people and how you faced them.

Whats your balance mantra?

work-life

Every business has different constraining situations and people every now and then. As an organisation grows, no two days are the same. Each day has its own set of unique problems. I just went ahead, with all the determination and careful planning to mitigate the risks.

Work-life balance is a must and comes naturally to me, as I have always seen my father back home by 6pm every day. I feel it is important to spend quality time with friends and family. I also encourage the same culture at my workplace.

Tips for those aspiring to start their own enterprise-

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SANIA-TIZING
Bhagya Ayyavoo
ts not easy to be a successful sportswoman in a country thats a long way to becoming a sporting nation. A decade into her career and still going strong, Sania Mirza looks to tread an unfamiliar path this New Year. The 2-time Grand Slam champion unravels her plans in an exclusive interview to Eves Times.

that is only because I dont play singles any more after my third surgery. Career-best ranking in doubles, another Grand Slam title - How do you rate 2012? I am happy with the way my career shaped up in 2012. Being ranked 7 in the world and winning the French Open apart from 2 other WTA titles this year is something I can be proud of. Tennis has been your life for nearly 20 years now. Also, its been a decade into your career and India is still searching for the next Sania! Despite a number of academies in the country, the hunt has so far not been fruitful. Do you see yourself at a stage where you may probably give the breakthrough again? Say an academy to start with, any such plans in mind? As a matter of fact, I will be starting an Academy in Hyderabad within the next few months. The construction work is nearing completion and the facilities will be world-class. This is my way of giving back to my country. There is so much my family and I have learnt over the last two decades and Im looking to produce and nurture the next generation of tennis players from my Academy. It is a huge task to produce top-100 tennis players from India but I am determined to do that in the next 5 or 10 years. You have seen through many tough phases, especially in the form of injurieswhat kept you motivated then? I am fortunate to have the backing of an amazing team. My family is the backbone and has been instrumental in keeping me going when all seemed lost. I dont think I could have achieved what I have done without their unstinted support. Of course, my passion for tennis also kept me motivated.

It is a huge task to produce top-100 tennis players from India but I am determined to do that in the next 5 or 10 years - Sania Mirza

Excerpts from the interview:

You have completed ten years on tournaments since turning a professional in 2003, how much has Sania Mirza changed as a player and as a person? Ive obviously matured as a person and as a player with time. Thats what experience is all about. In 2003 if someone had predicted I would still be around, competing amongst the best in the world after a decade, I would never have believed that person. Of course, winning 12 medals for my country at the Asian Games, Commonwealth and Afro-Asian Games during the course of my career is something that I had not even dreamed about while I was growing up! So, Im obviously happy with the way things have gone in my career despite several injuries and surgeries. At the beginning of your career, did you ever imagine that you would in fact become a greater force in doubles than singles? I was a force to reckon with in singles until 2011 and only started focusing purely on doubles since the beginning of this year. I may be a greater force in doubles today but
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One has to love the struggle in sport as well as in life - handle the ups and downs with equal felicity and ease Sania Mirza What does one need to do to be strong and successful (woman) in sports and in life? What personal qualities should a sportsperson develop to be successful? I think that the most important requirement that is needed is to have a passion for the sport. One has to love the struggle in sport as well as in life - handle the ups and downs with equal felicity and ease. One has to remain positive, believe in oneself and have the ability to turn things around when they are not going your way.

at the highest level. He knows the kind of pressure involved and the disappointments and odds one has to overcome in order to succeed internationally. Hes a soothing influence in my life and career, who inspires me with his very presence.

Finally, an Indo-Pak cricket series! Excited? India and Pakistan are cricket-crazy nations and I think everyone in both the countries is excited about a mouth-watering contest.

New Year fantasy

TO WIN MY THIRD GRAND SLAM TITLE

You will be starting a brand new partnership with World No.1 Bob Heroes in real life Bryan this season. Bob is yet to win STEFFI GRAF & ROGER FEDERER. an Aussie mixed title. Will that be an added motivation, when you guys Happiest when step out on court in Melbourne? IM WITH MY HUSBAND I think for me, just playing with someone of Bobs caliber is motivation enough! He is one of the greatest doubles players Family to Sania is ever and it is a privilege to partner him. EVERYTHING! Sports culture is growing in India, do Style to Sania is you think we are at a stage where Indian ALL ABOUT BEING COMFORTABLE parents are in a position to encourage YET ELEGANT their kids to have a career in sports? We are improving and that is a very good sign but I think there is some way to go before we can pride ourselves as being a truly sporting nation. Do you think corporate companies should come forward to develop sportspersons, adopt aspiring young sports enthusiasts and spend for their coaching? That is the only way in which we can produce top level international sportsmen and women. On the personal front, what does Shoaib Malik add to your life? How does he inspire and support you? Shoaib is a professional sportsman and understands what it takes to perform NOTHING!

Superstitious about Your oldest treasure

MY MOTHERS WEDDING DRESS

Most irresistible platter

HYDERABADI BIRYANI

Your inseparable mate

MY CELL PHONE

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January 2013 67

Time for Good Governance

Rajyavardhan Rathore

is an affiliate of the IOC) is behind the mess. Mr. Randhir has been IOC representative for the last 24 years. The Chautala group feels that Mr. Randhir was willing to contest as long as he was hoping to win, knowing fully well the court directives but withdrew sensing adverse circumstances and forced the IOC to suspend the IOA on the premise that the IOA is facing intervention from the government. Mr. Randhir on the other hand says that he being an IOC representative, has to abide by the IOC which says that the election can only be held as per the constitution of the IOA or the IOC, i.e., no government interference. To some extent, its a Catch 22 situation. If the IOA was not to abide by the court ruling, i.e., to conduct election as per the Sports Code, then it faces a contempt of court and a derecognition by the government. But if it does hold elections as per the Sports Code, then it faces suspension by the IOC. The way ahead, is for IOA, IOC and the government to find a common ground keeping the ethics of sports in the best interests of the nation and the sportspersons. A viable solution is for the IOA to voluntarily accept some of the rules of good governance as suggested in the Sports Code, bring in some of the prominent sportsmen in governance, ask sports administrators facing corruption charges to clear their names first before holding office, and then ask for re-affiliation by IOC. This situation should have been avoided and its the erstwhile officials of the IOA that are responsible. However, I do believe that there is no eminent threat to sportspersons participation as the Asian Games and the Olympic Games are a distance away. I am confident the impasse will be resolved in favour of India and its sportspersons very soon. Rajyavardhan Rathore worn Indias first Olympic medal in Shooting at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Double trap event, inspiring a generation of shooters. Twice CWG Gold medalist, 2002 and 2006, he is also the current world Record Holder, 148 targets out of 150.

viable solution is for the IOA to voluntarily accept some of the rules of good governance as suggested in the Sports Code

Sports Ministry. Now, though the Sports Code is not yet a Law, the High Court of Delhi has directed all the sports bodies to adopt it failing which the Ministry of Sports must de recognize them. So with this background, the Delhi High Court directed the IOA to hold the elections as per the Sports Code. The IOA senior officials, Mr. Randhir Singh (who was the secretary general) and Mr. VK Malhotra (who was the acting president) opposed the Sports Code in the court. However the court prevailed. Election dates were decided. And two people -- i.e., Mr. Randhir Singh, the erstwhile secretary general and Mr. Abhay Chautala, ex-boxing president put up their candidature. Both campaigned feverishly, but four days short of the election Mr. Randhir Singh withdrew his candidature. The Abhay Chautala group feels Randhir withdrew his candidature only because he had sensed that the majority of the votes were with Chautala. It also feels that Mr. Randhir being the sole IOC representative of India (There is only one representative of IOC from each country. IOA is an Indian body which

The Indian Olympic Association is an affiliate of the International Olympic Council and like any other sports body is a privately registered society. It has its own constitution which is supposed to be in consensus with the international body. This is for the first time ever that the elections of the IOA came in the public domain. Previously, for all the number of years that the IOA has existed, the officials have headed the apex body on mutual consensus. This is the first time ever the build-up to the elections had two factions come out and fight openly and thats how it has come to the knowledge of most Indians. One of the key reasons for the present crisis is the Sports Code. The sports guidelines were first introduced in 1975. It has been discussed, but never cleared by the Parliament as a Bill. However, post the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games; the Sports Code was revived by the
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KEEPING UP WITH NEIGHBOURS

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THY NEIGHBORS
Sailaja Jeevan

etting to have good neighbors is pure luck and being a good one is also equally

important. I can without any doubt state that I have had excellent support from my immediate neighbors at all times. I cannot think of my childhood days without thinking of those wonderful people who make me smile whenever I think of the splendid days I got to spend with them. Good and friendly neighbors can be an extended family too. Thinking back to those lovely days, I felt curious to know whether people these days too still value and love their neighbors. I decided to start from a nearby village, not exactly a village but now a budding-town, Vadavucode, located just a few kilometers away from Kochi. The socio-economic scene there is very different from that of the city of Kochi and so there would of course be a lot of difference in the kind of interaction among people residing there. Once I reached there, I just walked around to a newly constructed house, home to a family with little kids. I could make out from the small bicycles
70

left out in the porch of the house that children of young age resided there. Nobody was seen outside, and as I neared the gate, I heard someone calling out to me,Hey, there, did you come to see Suja? She just left for school and will be back only in the evening with her kids. I smiled at the lady and walked towards her and introduced myself. She told me Suja is my daughters friend. She is more of a daughter to me than being just my daughters bosom friend. I realized that I was speaking to Mrs. Mathen who is very fond of making cakes and was in fact in the process of starting another round of baking when I saw her. She invited me in and I had the glorious and delectable experience of tasting her freshly baked cake, reminding me of Christmas. Mrs. Mathen had already baked Sujas share, she said and I could visualize the glow in the eyes of Sujas kids when they see the cake, lovingly baked and wrapped by their neighbor granny. Good neighbors, oh! Great neighbors do exist, no doubt

about that, I said to myself. I bid her goodbye and walked towards a nearby housing colony where there were a lot of individual villas, some of which were occupied and some yet to be. The next person I spoke to was Theresiamma, an old lady, yet strong and healthy for her age and still bristling with abundant energy to run the household on her own. She was staying in her sons house, alone, with just a maid and a driver cum watchman to answer to her every beck and call. She seemed pleasant and friendly enough but not overly so, and definitely not the type to invite strangers into her house for a friendly chat over a hot cup of coffee. Moreover, she said she had loads of work to be done before the start of the holiday season. I gathered from the folks around, that in spite of her innate sternness of demeanor, she happened to be a very loving neighbor who never failed to dutifully distribute chips and bottles of wine to all her neighbors during Christmas. Moreover, kids of the locality, when

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January 2013

they come back from school and found their mothers not yet back home, would gladly walk into this Theresa mammas house and start playing; and they would be supplied tea and snacks too. I bowed down mentally to her spirit of service to humanity, if this is not service in the right sense of the word, what else is? I spot a young man in his late thirties, who was busy buying vegetables from the road side vendor.Fresh vegetables? I asked as I walked towards him, eager to start a conversation with him. He turned towards me and said, Yeah, I thought I would buy them now and keep them fresh and ready for my wife and her friends when they come back in the evening. Wow! Heres a gentleman and a good neighbor rolled into one! I have left my kids with our neighbor Lata aunty countless times, says Nishanth, an IT professional, My wife too is in the same field and she finds it convenient to leave our kids with Lata aunty whenever they are home alone during holidays or when unexpected bandhs or hartals crop up. As I walked out of Latas house after meeting her, my mind travelled back to my childhood days. Vivid memories of the days when I, as a small kid, enjoyed playing in our then- land ladys house, assailed me. Ms. Gama was a very loving and motherly lady. She was a doctor and a source of immense strength and support for my Mom. I have lost count of the innumerable times that I have gone out on shopping sprees with her in her brand new car. She was a really doting granny to me. When we lived in the small town of

Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu, I used to go to our neighbor Sabitha auntys house to learn typewriting and that too on her machine! She was a freelance journalist in those days but she was truly patience personified. Yet, I used to be more interested in the post lesson coffee breaks. Where ever you are Sabitha Aunty, I love you. As a child I had lived in more than thirteen locations with my Mom and Dad and had lots and lots of good neighbors, who have left their lasting, loving and indelible impressions on how to be a good neighbor myself. Later on after getting married and moving over to my husbands house I was fortunate enough to have some of the best neighbors around. Peethambaran chettan and Usha chechi, with their two sons and Asha, their daughter; Usha chechi was a great support during those days. She knew when to say something, when not to say, when not to interfere and when to do something without being asked. I could walk into their house any time and would be greeted by warm smiles and hugs. Asha is now an Ayurvedic Physician and along with her husband Dr. Kishore, continues to reciprocate with sincere and warm friendship. As I returned home and was searching for the keys from my bag, I heard my neighbor Nalini chechy calling out to me, Hi Saila where were you? I told her I had gone to Vadavucode and then she told me that her grandchildren had seen me the other day. I was a bit taken aback and wondered where. To this she replied, Face book where else! Next gen neighbors, they too are most welcome!

Asha and family

LOVE THY
NEIGHBOUR
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If

home is a laboratory, then your neighborhood is an experiment. Especially in the Indian context of togetherness, neighbors are an essential part of our lives. As a Danish proverb says, No one is rich enough to do without a neighbor. Padosi as they are referred to in Hindi, are actually people of great help in times of need, but can prove to be annoying at times. Teenagers would sneak peek to see who the new neighbors are with curiosity or their fingers crossed. Many feel that they even have an active walking and talking spy camera. Different people have different attitude towards their neighbours. Some may be sweet, while some may be too nosy but most times, they are the people who do come to your immediate help during hard times. At a ladies kitty party, latest gossip about the neighborhood sates hunger than any delicacy. Dimple Khanna, a housewife and a regular at kitty parties, says, We can go on talking for hours gossiping about our neighbors. But yes, there are people who specially are interested to know it all and land up creating misunderstanding and confusion in others life and relationship. It is a very bad habit. You should never indulge in such practices. Some neighbors are a walking- talking source of news. Ragini Gupta, a working woman exclaims, My neighbor gives us a daily report of the happenings in our locality, during our morning walk, leaving aside the need to catch-up on the local newspaper. At times, we approach our neighbors for most of our trivial needs, such as a small bowl of yoghurt, or using their phone, or borrowing something that they need. In spite of complaining about interference and troublesome behavior, we rush to our neighbors in times of emergency. Priya Palav, a young BPO executive, praises her neighbors, who are like family to her. She says, I stay away from my parents for my job here, and its just because of my neighbors that I never feel lonely. They invite me for meals, advice me during difficult times, and I too reciprocate in my own way. We are
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like family, neighbors only because we stay separately. At times, you can cultivate similar interests if any with your neighbors. If you enjoy listening to a certain genre of music or cinema, or any other form of art and culture you can get together and have a good time. Parth Pujari, a writer says,I have a bunch of retired people in my neighborhood who are regular readers of novels and books. We sit together very often, and I share with them concepts of my next book, or we discuss excerpts from books or articles that have caught our attention. If you dont want your neighbor to be a liability for you, ensure that you are an asset to them!

Finding Friends among Neighbours

Jinal Patel

EVES TIMES

January 2013

ecently, I happened to run into an old friend of mine, from Kerala and we had loads of catching up to do. Over a cup of coffee, we sat down to share all the news, and I told her how we had decided to make Chennai our home , bought an apartment and moved into it recently. To my utter astonishment, her face fell. How could you live in an apartment? You are so used to staying in your sprawling bungalow at Ernakulam On the way back home, my mind kept wandering to the past, to the days when we had just come down to Chennai. It was way back in 2000 and we as a family had shifted to Chennai after my husband was promoted as the Sports Editor of a national publication. Even though I was quite happy to be back in Tamil Nadu, it was a huge cultural shift for my ten year old daughter. From the happy, chirpy, girl she had been, she changed to a clingy, withdrawn girl, going into bouts of illness and depression. We had shifted into Sangam Apartments at Kilpauk, and I was surprised to see that most of the owners and tenants

there were North Indians; I too felt tongue-tied since I wasnt fluent in spoken Hindi. Putting on a brave front for my daughter, I decided to go all out and make new friends, come what may. I wanted to be a role model for my daughter and somehow bring her out of her shell. The next few days saw me braving it to the bench in the park and I stayed put with a smile pasted on my face, while several ladies around looked at me warily and continued chatting in Hindi. Finally my determination paid off, and one Ms.Singla approached me and we started speaking. She had two adorable kids, Preethi and Gaurav and she was looking around for a tutor to teach them. When she knew that I was basically an English teacher, she very nearly hugged me in delight. The next day, she sent them over to my place. Ms. Singla was indeed an angel in disguise; through her and her wonderful children, we got to be friends with a lot of people. Finally, the ice was broken and my daughter made friends with most of the apartment kids. I have made friends, I have made fiends she came running to me one evening in absolute delight. Just opposite our flat, were two adorable kids, Mehndi and Henna, and their lovely Mom Simi; as days flew past, we loved every minute of our stay at Sangam. National integration at its very best, thats what I would love to call our days at Sangam. There were people from every state in India and we united

together to celebrate Onam, Pongal, Diwali, Holi and Dassehra. During Holi, however much I tried to hide in my apartment, bells would ring incessantly and the minute I opened the door, I would be sprayed with colors of all hues. All of us used to wait for Dussehra nights and nights were spent dancing away to glory dandiya at its very best. I used to love dancing and we had a truly heavenly time. It was sad day for us when we had to shift out of Sangam; but to this day, I have managed to stay in touch with quite a few of my old apartment friends. It was from Sangam that my daughter learnt the nuances of art, from two very adorable ladies Maragadhavalli Asokan and Divya Shah who taught her Rajasthani painting, mural painting, Tanjore painting and a lot more. Once when we were about to embark on a journey, it was Maragadhavalli who lovingly packed mouthwatering fried rice and mushroom curry to have on our way. Memories abound aplenty. Years after we had moved out of Sangam, we kept going back to visit old friends; when my daughter was in the twelfth, she needed someone to coach her in Hindi, and again it was to Mrs. Jyothi at Sangam we went back to. She coached up my daughter very well and she scored 90 out of 100 in her boards. Jyothis coaching has stood her in good stead and when she shifted to Pune for her post-graduation, language was not a problem at all. When my husband suggested buying a place of our own at Chennai, both my daughter and I piped up- No independent house for us, we want to stay in an apartment complex and have a lot of friends. Thats how we decided to buy our own apartment complex at Chennai. Yes, we do have our own fair share of fun and merry making here too, and I have my own book club, my immediate neighbors are Tamilians, Andhraites, Maharashtrians, and Biharis and we celebrate Onam and Diwali and Holi together. Yet, it all started with the lovely people at Sangam and I dedicate this article to my friends there.

BRINGING TOGETHER
Valsala Menon

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January 2013 73

n Smile Easy R ecipes

Cook

Makar Sankranti Special

Rishi Wadhwa

he harvest festival, Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different ways by different states. We bring to you how the festival is celebrated in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Tamil Nadu along with a special festive fare from each state.

Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra

It is more than 5000 years that the festival is being celebrated in Maharashtra. Makar Sankranti, a Sanskrit word means the Transmigration of sun into Capricorn. There is custom of exchanging (Gur) jaggery sweets on Makar Sankranti, as the first crop of sugarcane is harvested on this day.

Maharashtrians prefer black clothes on Makar Sankranti as they consider black sesame as very auspicious. On this particular day Til Gul (Sesame-Jaggery sweet) is prepared and exchanged.

We get the exclusive recipe of Til Gur Roti prepared on Makar Sankranti by Chef Jodha Ram Maharaj, Corporate Maharaj, Khandani Rajdhani.

Til gur ki roti

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Jaggery has high iron content as it is prepared in iron utensils. In these rotis, jaggery combines with another ironrich ingredient til.
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Method
Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 30 mins Makes 6 rotis
Combine the jaggery with 2 tablespoons of water in a pan and cook over a slow flame till the jaggery dissolves. Cool completely. Combine the wheat flour, melted jaggery, sesame seeds, ghee and salt and knead well into firm dough, using enough water. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a 125 mm. (5) diameter circle. Heat a tava (griddle) and cook each roti over a medium flame till both sides are golden brown. Brush each roti with a little ghee. Serve hot.
of the very famous sweet dish prepared for Lohri is Gajar ka Halwa. Indulge in some tasty Gajar Ka Halwa, as Chef Jodha Ram Maharaj, Corporate Maharaj, Khandani Rajdhani shares an easy recipe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta) 6 tbsp grated jaggery (gur) 1 tsp sesame seeds (til) 2 tbsp melted ghee a pinch of salt

Other Ingredients
2 tsp ghee for brushing

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Uttarayan in Gujarat

14th January is celebrated as Uttarayan in Gujarat. One of the most important traditions of Uttarayan is kite flying. Each and every person, old or young, male or female fly kites from dawn to dusk. Crowded rooftops, fun-loving rivalry to outdo each other in kite flying skills and delicious traditional Gujarati delicacies are the hallmarks of the day. Vibrant, colorful kites of different forms, sizes and shapes will fill the sky. The festival also coincides with the International Kite Festival held in Ahmedabad (capital city of Gujarat), on January 14. Uttarayana is referred to as the day of new good, healthy, wealthy beginning. It does not end here, in the dark, illuminated box kites, are flown in the air in a series strung on one line. These kites are known as tukkals and they add a touch of splendor to the dark sky. The specific traditional food delicacies for Uttarayan include undhiyu (a delicacy of vegetables), jalebi (sweets), til ladoo (sweets made of sesame seeds) and chikki

and start a joyful year of harvesting. Then comes Maattu Pongal, which marks an end of the celebrations. A tradition sport `jallikattu (bull-fight) is a cynosure of all eyes. The sport tests the courage and the spirit of the youth. The main aim of the sport is to win over the bull by wresting the bounty, put in a cloth tied to the horns of the bull. The festival helps in bonding the family together.

Ingredients:
Carrots 1 kg Milk - 2 cup (boiled) (You can also use dry milk powder) Sugar to taste Cardamom Powder - tsp Butter - 3 tbsp Almond - 10 Pistachio - 10 Cashew - 10 (You can use nuts of your own choice e.g. walnuts etc.)

Lohri in Punjab

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Though Lohri and Makar Sankranti are not related in terms of religion, they both have been twinned. Lohri now is celebrated in accordance with the Bikrami calendar and thus the true origin of Lohri is lost. The main reason for celebrating Lohri is the same as Makar Sankranti, it also marks the harvesting season and they pray to the Lord Sun to give a golden yield. The most significant celebration of Lohri is the lighting of a bonfire in the evening, after sunset when people offer sweets and grains to the fire praying for a good harvest that year. The people dance around the fire and then have a family dinner together. One

Method of Preparation
Wash, peel and grate the carrots. Heat a pan with butter and place the grated carrot and cook on low flame till the raw smell disappears.Add milk and boil on low flame till thick. Once it starts thickening add sugar and stir continuously. Cook on low flame for further thickness. Add cardamom powder and nuts and stir continuously till the ghee separates from the mixture. Finally garnish with nuts and Carrot Halwa or Gajjar ka Halwa is ready. Serve hot. It may be called with different names, but Makar Sankranti is celebrated with a unique charm all over the country proving that India in one. It is just different ways of extending our gratitude to Mother Nature for a good crop.

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Pongal in Tamil Nadu

Its a three day long festival down South in Tamil Nadu, commencing on 13th January, which is celebrated as Bhogi. Bhogi is considered as a prelude to the upcoming festive days. Its a thanksgiving opportunity to Lord `Indra, the God of Heavens. Then comes Makara Pongal or Pongal where people pay respect to `Surya, the Sun God. Here also Pongal is celebrated to mark the season of harvesting. Farmers worship their cattle
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Salt n Pepper korner

Photo Credit : Chammu Is it true that rose petals are good for the skin? Are there any skin remedies using rose petals that can be easily made at home?-Aneta Pillai, Chennai Rose petals have lots of health benefits. Try using this quick and easy to make home remedy for shiny, feel-young skin. Take fresh, pink rose petals from forty to fifty roses. Wash them and spread them out on a cloth. Allow to dry in shade. Take a container, add powdered sugar candy, and place rose petals on top of it. Continue layering thus alternatively until the container is full. Now close the container using a transparent cloth, and keep this in the sun every day for two hours. Continue doing so for ten to fifteen days. Each day, before placing the container in the sun, remove the cloth, take a dry spoon and stir the contents thoroughly. Then tie the cloth back and place it in the sun. After 15 days of doing this, open the container and add pure honey to the rose and candy mix. Stir thoroughly. If you like, add some chopped nuts to it. This concoction will remain without spoiling for over a year. Take one teaspoon of this lovely rose mix early in the morning and watch your skin glow! Whenever I bake cakes of late, instead of fluffing up, they collapse. What could be the reason? - Aruna Manimaran. If the moisture content in the cake mix is more, it sinks. Frequent opening of the oven door in between also causes the cake to collapse. Even if the power goes off in between baking too, the cake will sink. The temperature needs to be maintained steadily while baking; otherwise the cake will tend to collapse. I want to prepare a soup without using any oil. Can you give me a recipe for that? Cut two onions; add two flakes of garlic and a small piece of ginger. Take two tomatoes, and one or two carrots and half a beetroot. Chop everything roughly. Put them all in a vessel, add water and pressure cook it for two whistles. Allow to cool, and juice it in a mixer; add sugar, (a pinch), salt to taste, a teaspoon of pepper and heat gently on low flame. If you want to thicken it, add little corn flour to water, add to the soup and heat on gentle flame.

Mallika Badrinath
The name Mallika Badrinath is familiar to most homemakers in South India. Till 1988 , she too was a homemaker ; now she is an internationally acknowledged culinary expert, with an eager audience latching on to every word she has to say about food and cooking in her television shows. Her books are sold like hot cakes across the world. She is a symbol of women achievers of India. Hers is a success story that has been an inspiration to many women.

Make your kitchen experience exciting using Mallika Badrinaths wise counsel. Mallika has recipes for everyone; even bachelors and children can turn out a delectable meal using her guidance. So go ahead with your kitchen queries and prepare healthy, tasty meals with the help of the Cuisine Queen of South India.

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JUS ASK BRINDA

I have a major problem with procrastination. However much I write down my goals or even pen down a time table for each day, most things get left undone. I desperately need to be able to stick to my priorities. But I am never able to stay on course. Can you please help me to stay focused and get rid of the habit of procrastination? I tend to procrastinate heavily. Please help me to be able to stick to my priorities and achieve my goals. Priya Krishnaswamy, Chennai Dont worry my friend-this is a universal problem! An analysis of why you procrastinate will probably throw some light on how to avoid it. You usually procrastinate doing tasks in which you are not interested or that are mind boggling. On a daily basis, you would be performing two types of activities-jobs that you love to do (L jobs) and jobs which you dont like, but you have to do (H jobs). It is these H jobs that get postponed to the last minute; you are yourself disgusted with the eleventh hour performance! important time matrix that would help you prioritize. Do I feel overwhelmed with the task, because I believe I am not well equipped or it is too huge a job?In that case, break the task into smaller segments and make a beginning. As you proceed you will start acquiring the necessary skills. Am I a perfectionist?If you are, you will have starting trouble! You will postpone the task until you have gathered everything. You would enthusiastically start Google searching various relevant sites, culling out the videos from You Tube and end up getting diverted into some other topic, least being aware of it! You will not only feel miserable about having wasted a chunk of time, but also lose interest in the job! Make a genuine effort to start. The task will unfold beautifully and it would be exciting to see yourself accomplishing it!

Eves Times is happy to announce that Family Therapist and Parent-Teacher educator Brinda Jayaraman will answer any query you want to ask relating to family and interpersonal interactions. Send in your questions to editorevestimes@ gmail.com or to our office directly.

Jus Ask Brinda

An irrefutable truth is that procrastination does more damages to your self esteem than to the quality of the last minute turn over! William James, a famous Psychologist of yester years, expressed this fact beautifully, Procrastination is attitudes natural assassin; there is nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task. Brian Tracy, a contemporary motivational speaker, suggests that we eat the frog (H job) first, so that we get rid of the nagging feeling and are stress free. The very thought about the pleasure to be experienced after accomplishment of the task, should be the motivating factor to commence the task!

Ask yourself some questions: Is it an unpleasant task? There is a problem with your attitude; discourage the thought, I dont like this job and tell yourself, Im going to love doing this job. Youll be surprised that this would change your attitude! Am I disorganized?-If it is a fact, get organized with the help of urgent/

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oiter used to be very much prevalent in those days, and finally the Government and health and medical department had collaborated together in conducting extensive research and came out with an idea to provide low cost iodine to people; as a result, iodized salt was made available. Here are some ideas for proper utilization of iodized salt. When adding iodized salt to dishes, reduce the quantity drastically. This is because, on reheating the dishes for later use, the salty taste becomes even more prominent. In order to get full benefit of iodized salt, make sure to add salt to the dishes only after they have been cooked. Also, do not keep iodized salt in open containers. Iodine gets oxidized when kept uncovered and the full benefits of salt will be lost. Never leave packets of iodized salt open, as soon as you open the packet of salt, make sure to transfer it to a container with a lid. Even while cooking on the microwave oven, add very little salt to the dishes. Try not to reheat the dishes several times. In order to counter high cholesterol, here is an excellent homemade remedy. Remember to add three to four pods of garlic and half an onion each day to your daily diet. This is because both garlic and onion have blood thinning properties. Its vital to include a lot of soluble fibers too in your diet. As far as possible, try to avoid animal fats. Oats, fenugreek and all ingredients that have a jelling or gumming effect are good for countering cholesterol. Legumes with skin are good too. Whole green peas, and channas cooked with skin contain soluble fibers that are excellent for reducing cholesterol and diabetes. Never make the mistake of taking date syrup mixed in milk. Its just not advisable. But several ads promote taking date syrup mixed in milk, which is just not healthy. Heres some good news for coffee lovers! Filtered coffee is good for lowering cholesterol and you can even have two cups of filtered coffee a day!

Snack on almonds and walnuts which too are excellent for lowering cholesterol. Any cooking oil, whether it be vegetable oils or olive oil or coconut oil, keep your daily use to just 4 table spoons . Eggs are supposed to be high in cholesterol, but it is any day safer to take an egg a day than using vanaspathi or dalda in dishes, since the latter are not healthy at all and have high cholesterol content. Use healthy helpings of fish, carrot, avocados, Brussels sprouts, ladies finger and broccoli in your diet. Oranges, apricots and mangoes to a certain extent are good for countering cholesterol levels. Cereals like oats, maize , ragi and millets too are excellent.

Glow of Good Health

Mallika Badrinath

Iodised Salt
Photo Credit: Chammu

Mallika Badrinath

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Health & Fitness

LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE BODY

Vijayachamundeswari

oving, giving and caring are taking a beating by smirking, grabbing and hoarding resulting in a grizzly grumpy state of affairs rather than a glad and groovy one.Why did I say this? I could have just dusted my hands off and turned the other way! No I cannot do that . If I love, it is because I love it when somebody showers the same on me. I give because I have received with joy and would like to do the same. The care that has brought me this far makes me reach out to do the same. We all live in a society which is a group of human beings and to think you can live like an island or feel like a rock is sheer abnormality and an impossibility.
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So let us learn to embrace our fellow beings into a single unit and increase our strength and joy multi fold. Imagine all that I said above as a conversation happening inside our own body among the different muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments, blood vessels and organs and all the rest of the tissues and cells. Take time to read the above again and sit back for a moment allowing your thoughts to take a form of peaceful co existence. If you have heaved a deep sigh half my battle is won for it is this very breath that we need to work on if you need to take the path of wellbeing. Breathe right and breathe fully using

the entire capacity of the lungs. The deeper your inhalation the more your chest expands making room for the air to enter with its stock of oxygen. From here begins the cycle of energy giving and purification. The air that enters the lungs goes through a whole lot of cells and vessels before it reaches the blood where the exchange of gases takes place. The heart and the lungs work as a pair, ticking and breathing together, to keep us alive and in good health. You have an entire society working in unison here. Each has a different job to do, there is no job gradation here and a block in a small blood vessel can bring the entire system to a halt. But a calamity in our neighborhood surprisingly is

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more a news exchange than a concern! Breathe deeper guys make room for more concern. Shallow breathing is not good for the body neither is shallow talk to humanity. This morning I took my steaming cup of coffee and walked into the terrace that overlooked some greenery in a back drop of the dawning sky. Parrots chirped about swinging on the tips of the coconut palms while pigeons did their circling flight before alighting on my neighbors terrace sprinkled with grains. There was a patch left free on the terrace that was otherwise painted grey with pigeons pecking at their food. Soon the free patch was green with parrots pecking away together. With a joyful smile spreading over my face I perched down on the kerb which was a mere six inch but served the purpose to stretch my back as I brought my knees up and hugged them close to my chest. My left hand held my right arm that brought the aromatic cup of brew to my lips. A sense of contentment filled my heart as the warm liquid slid down my throat and into the tummy. The warmth that I felt was more a sense of gratitude. I realized that if the muscle groups in my body had not worked in unison I would not even be sitting here enjoying my coffee. Let me get into this simple act in detail in my following paragraph.

With feet parallel, shoulders wide apart and toes pointing forward, I shifted my weight on to my heels, softened my knees and gently brought my glutes down to the kerb below but not before I tucked in my tail bone, tightened my perineum and scooped in my lower abdomen to support my lumbar vertebrae (lower back). My arms circled around my knees to give me a nice stretch at the lower back and the upper back at the shoulders which had stiffened after my nights sojourn and the misty morning chill. This is a mere superficial action and a lot more would have happened at the cellular level with the chemicals in the body being squeezed and shifted accordingly to accommodate the simple move of me sitting down to have a cup of coffee!!! If the pigeons had not accommodated the parrots I would not be smiling at the world today. It would have just been another morning. Now, what if my abs had refused to support my lower back I would have strained my lower back muscles which would not have been able to do the job of sitting me down all alone. What if my heels had refused to take the weight of my body and the fore foot had to bear it all? I would have tipped over is one possibility and another is my knees being forced to take the weight in an alignment that was not right (knee before the toes) leading to pain and over stretching of the ligaments at the knee joint. I can rattle off any number of what ifs but the main point driven is that we need to be nice to our fellow beings and not lay undue stress by negatively surpassing them leading to misery that just boomerangs. Save the world..make it a better place .for you and for me.and the entire human racethere are people dyingif you care about the living. make a better place for you and for me. Michael Jacksons voice resonates with deep meaning and desire to save this wonderful world and its beings. Let us follow his desire along with the tune and not his dress and hair do and dance alone. Cheers to a better year! HAPPY 2013

Vijayachamundeeswari
Fitness Consultant - Certified by The American Council on Exercise (ACE), Reebok, Integral Yoga Institute (IYI), Pilates Institute of America (PIA).

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XIN NIAN KUAI LE HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Geeta Canpadee

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hinese New Year is the most important of all the festivals in China. Though many a cities still tend to celebrate X-Mas and New Year on Jan 1st, owing to western influence, the actual New Year to every citizen begins on the new moon of the first month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The date changes every year but lasts for 15 days. This time it is on February 10th.The festival actually begins on the eve of the first day after witnessing the full moon in the sky. The

The colour red is very important in Chinese culture as it symbolizes wealth, fortune, abundance and prosperity.

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first five days are very important and declared as national holidays. Everyday there is a special event going on, like, on day 1, it is time to leave behind your old worries and start afresh-so, cleaning up the house and getting rid of unwanted stuff.Then on day 2, houses are decorated with paper banners which have auspicious words written on them. On day 5, since the Gods of wealth are supposed to come down from heavens, usually business men light firecrackers and offer paper money in Buddhist temples, which is supposed to bring them good fortune and prosperity-something similar to our Lakshmi puja. On the final day (day 15) is the festival of lanterns which usually marks the end of the New Year celebrations. All types of lanterns are lit throughout the streets. At junctions, usually a huge lantern symbolising the animal of that particular year is lit up. Last year it was the dragon and this year its going to be the snake. The year of Dragon started on Jan23, 2012 and will continue to Feb 9th 2013 and from Feb10th 2013 the year of Snake begins. The Chinese calendar has one particular animal attributed to each year.There are 12 animals in all, placed in the sequence of Rat,Ox,Tiger,Rabbit,Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig and every 12 year the series repeat. For e.g., those born in 2000 were the children of dragon year and 12 years later, 2012, its the dragon year again. Each animal has certain characteristics which are attributed to the person born in that year. If you are born under the zodiac sign of rat, you are supposed to be quick-witted, sharp, diligent, if born in the year of the tiger then you are aggressive,intense with strong leadership qualities, if born in the year of the horse then you are free spirited,energetic, enjoy travelling, so on and so forth. 2013 is the year of the snake and people born in 1905,1 917,1929,1941,1953,1965,1977,1989, 2001 are supposed to have some good fortune and luck awaiting them in the next twelve months to come. The colour red is very important in Chinese culture as it symbolizes wealth, fortune, abundance and prosperity. Especially during New Year, you tend

to see red everywhere-red clothes, red decorations, red balloons, red lanterns, red festoon, red fireworks and even red coloured stationery. Gifts are usually wrapped in red boxes and money is handed out in red envelopes called Hong Bao. It usually contains money in even number denomination and never the number four. Since the pronunciation of number four Si is a homonym for death, it is considered very unlucky . So while handing over the han bao,it should not contain 4, 40, 400, 4000,and so on. Han bao is usually given to children and unmarried adults who dont have a job or sometimes to dependent parents. Cooking and feasting, visiting friends and relatives and giving gifts are an integral part of the 15 day festival. The most famous dish cooked during the New Year is called the eight treasure rice which includes eight ingredients added to glutinous rice-almonds, dates, walnuts, raisins, red bean paste, jujube and brown sugar.Along with this, soups made from rice balls mixed with black sesame seeds, Won Ton soup, dishes made from duck and pork, and cakes made from coarsely ground rice are the specialities. A couple of decades ago all these items were prepared at home itself but now-a-days they are available in supermarkets, neatly packed and decorated in red coloured boxes. For a majority of the population, the New Year is the time to go back home. Thirty percent of Chinas population comprises of migrants who move from smaller villages and rural areas to bigger cities in search of labour. This migrant population that works mostly in factories and construction sites gets a paid holiday once a year for New Year. They return to their hometowns with gifts and money saved over the past 12 months to spend on their old parents and children whom they would have left behind. So, during the New Year all means of transport within the country are packed and booked well in advance. Apart from the migrant population, the rest of the population also holiday during this time. No longer do they observe the entire 15day festival. After a couple of days of rejoicing they pack their bags and go on a vacation. Usually they travel within the country from one region to another to be a part of

the celebration of a different province. The expats, Indians in particular , tend to travel out of China during this period not just to avoid the crowd but also the bitter winter. I havent yet thought of where Id be heading to but for now Im busy perfecting my greeting in Mandarin-Xin(New)+Nian(Year)+Kuai le(Happy)Happy New Year!

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Magical Venice.
The land of gondolas and more...

decorated by artist Paolo Veronese and the interiors are filled with wonderful frescoes and canvases which cover most of the ceiling and walls making it truly individual. Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a splendid building with large, white marble columns on the faade. The interior of the building is absolutely breathtaking. The Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo is a square that is full of many popular attractions of Venice. It contains many wonderful sights. It features an imposing sculpture which stands in the square. One of the most precious Christian relics, the body of St Mark was recovered by a miracle and buried beneath the Basilica di San Marco. This church is a jewel in the Venetian crown and a symbol of the power and wealth that Venice had once attained. The Palazzo Ducale is a beautiful, Gothic- style palace that was a showcase of architecture, craftsmanship

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here are some places that have a magical ring to them. Venice in Italy is one such place. It is a captivating city that attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is filled with splendid palaces and numerous churches that are replete with Renaissance art in the form of frescoes, sculptures, paintings and mosaics. The tourism sector in Venice is doing good business and the city boasts of a number of tourist attractions. The first of these is the Canal Grande. It is a wonderful stretch of water and it is often referred to as the most beautiful

street in the city. Traveling along the historic canal is a great way to see some of the citys most spectacular and extravagant architecture. The city is also known for its number of churches and exquisite buildings.The Basilica di Santa Maria is one of the most important church in Venice and its architecture is a rare combination of plain brickwork and fine detail. The church has a striking interior and contains many high quality pieces of artwork. Next comes the Chiesa di San Sebastiano or Church of St.Sebastian. This church was built in the 16th century,

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and artistry of the times. This palace in addition to living quarters also contained meeting rooms, offices, law courts etc which are all connected to the palace. Venice also has an amazing gallery, the Gallerie dellAccademia which contains the finest collection ofVenetian art. Renowned works are housed here such as the Tempest by Giorgione and Pieta by Titian. Ponte di Rialto is one of Venices most famous bridges arched over the Grand Canal. It is the citys centre for old trading area and trades such as wine, coal and iron that are still reflected in the nearby street names. To this day, shops are strung along this bridge, selling jewelry, linens and glass. The Ca dOro is a Venetian Gothic palace displaying incredible opulence with its elegant architecture and dcor. CadOro is also known as the House of gold. There is a structure in Venice known as Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schavoni which was a brotherhood devoted to charitable works. A number of works are at display here. Apart from these places mention must also be made of landmarks such as Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute which guards the entrance to the Grand Canal. This majestic church depicts serenity and grandeur through its bold architectural style. Chiesa di san Zaccaria is also a church that was built during the 15th century. Lastly there is the Correr Museum which charts the art and historical importance of Venice through its paintings and sculptures with a fascinating history of the Republic. The Correr is Venices main historical museum for documents, costumes, coins etc. In this museum the entire history of Venice and its origins can be traced. Venice is a place that is clearly steeped in its past and culture. Every monument, church, building is a living testimony to its past. However there are many places to visit in this city. So there are a number of different tours available that can be taken as per the travelers convenience. The Venetian Carnival is an event that must not be missed. Venice is a romantics place. Travelling in vaporetti or the citys water buses or taking a ride down a gondola crossing the Grand Canal is a must.The

ride will have a mesmerizing effect on your senses. As there is no car traffic in Venice, gondolas and water buses are the major mode of communication. That truly epitomizes the Venetian experience. Venice should be visited in February to attend the famous Venetian Carnival which is a major highlight. It is packed with performance, balls and pageants. Venice can be reached from the European cities of Rome. Package tours are also available. Thus, Venice is a magical city; the sights of which allure and enthrall the mind and soul. Every place sounds magical; Venice is one of the most exotic travel locations. A place for all lovers and romantics and in our heart of hearts we all are that. So, buon guorno to Venice!

TRAVEL TIPS
Light cotton clothing is preferred in Venice. Venice has no car traffic. Water buses and gondolas are the preferred mode of communication. Italian is mostly used in Venice. Even if you dont know the language a little attempt at Italian might be a good way to ease the Venetians. Since August is Italys official holiday month, it is advised to not plan a trip then because shops and businesses would be closed. Due to Venices Adriatic coast location, thunderstorms and rains are frequent in Venice.

The Basilica di Santa Maria

The Basilica di Santa Maria

Chiesa di San Sebastiano

The Palazzo Ducale

Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schavoni

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute

Scuola Grande di San Rocco

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Humor Club
comes second only to the woman who helps me with my chores and does the very important job of keeping the house clean. As a matter of fact, she is the one who makes my house a home! Whenever I shift my base, my predominant worry has always been a good house help. I dont give much importance to unimportant things like accessibility to a good hospital, market place, proximity to work place, post office and banks as much as I do about getting a good maid. Coming back to my fear of ringing telephone, particularly in the mornings has a reason. Usually a loquacious person (that includes giving and listening to lengthy explanation of any kind) I am short of patience to listen to the long drawn explanation of the various aches and pain or the manner of death of one of their relatives that the telephone call invariably leads to. I shake away the bed cover, jump off the bed, holler at my husband to make the bed and rush to the bathroom for the day to begin grumbling and nagging both husband and children to the point of absolute distress. It is my considered opinion that for the lady of the house the sight of her husband or children would not lift her spirits as much as the sight of her daily help does. The good humour of the lady of the house increases in direct proportion to the presence of the household help. Nothing is as important in her life in the mornings as much as the arrival of her cook and maid. It is almost frightening to realize the extent of dependence that one has to their daily help. It is also somewhat shameful that we are all part of taking advantage of someone who is financially deficient. It would do us good to remember that we really cant do without them and give them their due as far as respect and affection are concerned. They face a lot of odds to do such a thankless job and getting shouted at on the days they turn up late and being treated as less than human is not really easy. I also believe that one can and should take responsibility of educating the children of the help to the extent possible for the fact of the matter remains that they make the day more beautiful than it would be without their presence. God bless these wonderful souls for keeping our sanity and humour in tact! They surely do so mine!

begin the day keeping my fingers crossed. I can almost feel people saying, Naturallement! Whats new? We too keep our fingers crossed hoping that the day would go well, would be another opinion. I agree that the oft used clich is very common but I go one step further. I not only keep my fingers crossed but my toes too! The reason is simple enough. We all know that the most important person in many a womans life is the maid! The sweetest sound that one hears in the morning is either the gate creaking open, if we still live in independent houses or the bell of the apartment ringing.

Hence the fear and the reason for keeping my fingers crossed. I am almost scared to pick up my mobile phone when it rings in the early hours of the morning. I have a telephonophobia in the early hours of the mornings. I am afraid that the ringing phone portends bad news and invariably I am 100% right in this respect. The ringing phone announces that either my cook or my maid (sometimes both) is down with all kinds of dire diseases that prevents her or them from coming to my house in the mornings. They also seem to be octopusian in nature, in the sense, that the number of relatives each one of them claim to have can be correlated to the tentacles of an Octopus. The relatives also seem to die in unnatural haste and with frightening regularity. Now my husband knows that he

GOD GIVE ME MY DAILY MAID

Chandrika Radhakrishnan

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Corporate Politics

Business Etiquette
Never become a victim or allow yourself to be taken for granted. But put your foot down firmly. In practice, it is quite difficult to argue against bosses/senior management but if the situation warrants you have to do so. At the worst you may have to point out issues to them at a later stage even if it is not possible to do so during the time a problem arises.

he dictum,Boss is always right has become the order of the corporate world. Competition is intense. It only seems to suggest that we are regressing to Stone Age that advocated Survival of the fittest. As a result, during the transition phase from college to the corporate world career aspirants pick up the skill of fighting for their survival. Funny though it may sound, just as there is no society without corruption there is no office without politics and the bigger the office the worse the tittle-tattle.

Basically there are two breeds of people in an office. The first category literally works whereas those belonging to the second category project the image that they are working. Sadly the present day offices are dominated by the second category, well-equipped with communication skills, which is developed with ardor as it is an important tool in todays world for progress. A reader might start wondering if this should become a way of office life querying if those aspiring to climb up the corporate ladder should follow the trend.The answer is definitely yes but with some exceptions. Simply put you demonstrate smart work and not hard work. Secondly, learn to blow your trumpet. Nobody will give you the credit even though you deserve badly; unless you showcase yourself and ask for it! Credit here does not merely mean laurels but monetary incentives (salary hike, performance incentives, reward sharing schemes) and non monetary incentives (promotion, better function/role, and bigger responsibility).

Just like any issue, fear could be the biggest setback. Many a time employees have lost their jobs or even careers just because they did not have the courage to speak. If this is your limiting factor say to yourself that the loss of this job is not the end of life and you will be able to get over the tussle.

Politics in an office could be due to many issues. Favoritism, transparency, ethical questions, prejudice and authoritarian attitude of the superiors are some issues, to name a few. No doubt, to a certain extent, office politics could be healthy but, whatever the issue, be firm and determined not to be a part of it. After all office is a place where a person spends most of the time in his life and any mess can affect even personal happiness!

Gossip mongers are the biggest trouble makers in any set up. Hence no stringent enforcements or disciplinary measures can curb them. The best you can do to protect yourself is to know your limits when dealing with them. Similarly it is all the more important not to expose your weaknesses (be it in personal or professional areas) at least till you get accustomed to the atmosphere.

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Citizens Voice

The Drive to Death

Jinal Patel
Are late night drives on ECR really necessary for youngsters today? The East Coast Road in Chennai is witnessing a lot of accidents with 70% cases of drink and driving. Youngsters today opt to go for long drives after attending parties or just for fun, not realising the consequences. The recent news of 6 college girls who met with a tragic accident on ECR while they were on a drive after returning from a party came as a shock , especially to parents of young men and women. In this accident, one young girl lost her life and the girl who drove the vehicle is in critical condition. There are many such stories we see and hear but is the youth really learning from others mistakes?

Anshul Trivedi There is no need to go on drives if you are not sure you can drive carefully.The police are also doing strict rounds and checking but just asking the police to keep a check on people is not possible. Many youngsters today have a lot of pride in showing off which parties they go for or where they hang out late in the night. Although you may not drink and drive you can still be a victim of reckless driving. It is very important to be aware and try to get back home. House parties are safer. Rohit Jaiswal Accidents on ECR happen almost like every day. The road is so beautiful and being an express road there are no restrictions on the speed limit, thus causing a lot of accidents, especially amongst youth. Speed is like a drug, some people cant handle it. Accidents may not only lead to injuries, but can be also fatal. Fun is a factor but one should not let it over power you. Meera Jain Parties, alcohol, loud music, speed; these are the habits we can easily associate with youth today. But youngsters now days are impatient, very aggressive and want to do several things at one time leading sometimes to disastrous consequences. Reckless night driving in ECR is a major problem in Chennai city. One should understand the value of life and the fact that nothing is certain. You need to be careful. However modern you, you need to follow certain discipline or you will end up paying heavily, sometime with your life! Rinki Shetty We used to go for long drives after parties often. But after my friends met with an accident on ECR we dont drink and drive. We have reduced our visits to ECR. We hangout around the city. Police checking also is very high; so we just try to stay out of trouble. The number of accidents in ECR has increased a lot recently.

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Citizens Voice

DO WOMEN HAVE THE FUNNY BONE?

Bhagya Ayyavoo
Heres what a few citizens think about the much debated question, whether women are humorous or not:

Fathima Branding Strategist, Chennai No. We just lack understanding men. An Indian woman is plagued with, Increasing prices Possible rape in every dark alley and sometimes broad daylight Dress codes for work and the street; the market and the neighbors place; in the day & evening as well as at night Implications on society due to her every action PMS, pregnancy and lack of pregnancy And her own innate necessity to look good to feel good ...I wouldnt hold it against her if she didnt have a sense of humor. P.S. Is there a pill she can take for that? Seshan - Director, leading IT Firm ChennaiTrust me, they are funny alright! Different types - seriously funny, Bollywood funny, kid funny and hey inadvertently funny as well! But seriously, I think its all on the surface. They need to be humorous on the inside if you know what I meanso it showsnow, you see very few of them. Priya Senior Business Analyst, Chennai My personal experience is that Indian women can be very funny, but sadly the general population doesnt get their humor :)... And then there are those who are funny without really wanting to be: ... Jokes apart, most Indians take themselves very seriously and feel the need to project themselves so, because being humorous seems to undermine ones image/authority.This perhaps discourages people, both men and women from showing their funny side outside their close circle of people. Ritesh Banker, Karur On the contrary they have an unmatched sense of humoras long as you can ensure THEY arent at the receiving end of it!

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of Rajasthan

Rhythm
Jinal Patel

ahro Marwad is an event that showcases a variety of traditional folk music from the rich lands of culture, beauty and talent; Rajasthan. The RCC Platinum Trust, an association of Rajasthani Youth held a musical evening as a social arm to the needy in society on 15 December 2012. The show was a collaboration of Dhwani music group of Kolkata with Langa musicians from Rajasthan. Langa musicians main traditional instrument is the Sindhi Sarangi. They are bowed stringed instruments with skin membrane sounding boards and many sympathetic strings. Langas sing and play the dholak (double-headed barrel-drum), the kartal (wooded clappers), the morchan (jaws harp), and the harmonium. The concept of blending culture

and music creates a breathtaking amalgamation between the Langas music and the rustic flavour of Rajasthan. The Dhwani music group from Kolkata displayed a fantastic performance. The 3 Langa musicians including acclaimed singer Bundu Khan and the folk dancers swirled and sang to the music played. It was a spectacular show with music instruments, vocalist and traditional dance enhanced by lights and visual effects. I loved the musical evening. It was a complete package, a mix of music and dance. Such display of rich culture and tradition was well presented by the performers. RCC Platinum brought this show Mahro Marwad by the renowned troupe from Kolkata over here in Chennai. It was one beautiful evening wisely spent, says Nirmala Jain, a music lover.

The RCC Platinum Trust has been into a lot of charity in different forms for many years now. They have been involved in collecting and distributing old and new clothes, blanket donation etc. They have donated over 15,000 set of blankets and sleeping kits over the last few years and have set a target of donating 25,000 such blankets and sleeping kits this year. On the eve of this musical evening the RCC Platinum Trust launched Clean Drinking water project, wherein they would install and maintain RO water systems at public places such as schools, hospitals, orphanages etc.

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Events

MOP Event for Women

Payal Chhabria

On the occasion of its bi-decennial year celebrations, MOP Vaishnav College for Women is celebrating womanhood. However, this celebration is a tad different. The important component in the celebration is the process of empowering and being empowered in the bargain. Over the years, M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women has built a reputation of being socially conscious and proactive in dealing with issues that affect the community. In this bi-decennial year, the College has taken up a unique initiative to make a difference in the lives of women. As a part of the initiative, the School of Communication and Media Studies had planned an exciting campaign titled Me & You: Lets make a difference. It was the brainchild of Dr.K.Nirmala Prasad. The series of campaigns focused on five core areas: education, health, finance, physical and psychological wellness. Thousands of college girls, school girls, housewives and working women from different socio-economic groups across Chennai city were the targets for the campaign. Women achievers and celebrities were roped in to support the campaign. Finance is of course a sensitive issue. An issue that not many want to open up about nor are they open to listen to. Their main focus was to break any barriers of thought and word, and bring women together uniting them through the process of empowering and being empowered. The campaign was a mishmash of a lot of fun, tons of knowledge and a feel good factor. To begin with and to get a feel about how women from different backgrounds handle finances, a documentary was made by the team that outlines and highlights the issues that women face in handling their money and their strengths in understanding the nuances of savings and investments. The students have gone one step ahead by incorporating their own film-making and editing skills and crafting a film that touches the core of a womans life and will perhaps be remembered for a long time. Moving on, to promote and impart financial literacy amongst school students, they conducted workshops at three prominent schools of the city - C SI Bain School, Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School and Our Ladies Matriculation Higher Secondary School. The workshop targeted about 200 students and taught young girls between

class 8 and 12 the significance of saving, the various products available in the markets to invest and the importance of investments. The workshop was highly beneficial. At the end of the workshop, 100% said that they will make a conscious attempt to save money. The third and the most innovative attempt by the students was to organize a street play for the women at Badrikarai Housing Board. A wonderful show was put up on the several hurdles women from financially backward families face and how they should deal with them. The streets were flocked with people and they not only thoroughly enjoyed it but also wanted to incorporate the teachings in their own lives from that very moment. Close to 50 women were educated and empowered on the issue. The fourth and the biggest event was held in their own college premises; a seminar and interactive session by Sindhu Menon, Certified Financial Planner, The Financial Planning and Services Board of India. She snared the attention of the audience that comprised of students from MOP Vaishnav College for Women and other city-based colleges through her informative talk. She spoke on various money making strategies. She showed them the way to become millionaires through simple saving techniques. The session was very informative and instilled in the audience the importance of savings and investments. The fifth and the last event lined up was a radio call-in show with an eminent personality, Bharathi Bhaskar on Radio One. The show encouraged callers to ask financial queries. They also conducted two events exclusively for students of their own institution. The first was a best saving scheme idea contest that made students think about smart and effective saving schemes and drop in their ideas. The best idea was awarded. The second was a Treasure Hunt game that blended fun with information. The campaign does not really end with any particular event but is a continuous journey of women lending a helping hand to other women and walking through the journey of life.

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Whats New in the Market?

Colored denims are a large part of the GAS SS13 collection, starting from classic grey denims and exploring new directions. The basis of the entire range is experimentation with all the shades of indigo. Womens collection: Strong, feminine and up to date, the GAS woman chooses an innovative, wearable style in fresh, brilliant colors, like homage to spring. For her summers spend on the seashore and in glamorous beach clubs, GAS women choose liquid, smudgy dyes of yellow, pink, green and light blue -that color flowing, sensual tops, blouses and overalls or unexpectedly mixed with fluo touches on photographic prints and organic, natural graphic elements on oversize t-shirts. This fresh and summery look is completed by hot pants and mini-skirts in destroyed white denim, fluo hot pants and jeggings and two-tone or flowery print reversible jeggings.

howcasing the bright hues of its Spring Summer 2013 collection in association with Le Pain Quotidian

Latest launches by GAS The premium luxury Italian denim wear brand
Rishi Wadhwa

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Whats New in the Market?

Mens collection: GAS metropolitan summer features dusty, neutral shades of gray and light blue and pastel colors like coral, peach and aqua green. Vintage treated yet sophisticated jackets, informal shirts, unevenly-dyed t-shirts and chino are the CALIFORNIAN DANDY must haves. GAS showcases the bright hues of its Spring Summer 2013 collection In association with Le Pain Quotidian (LPQ)

Mumbai, December 52012: GAS the international premium luxury denim wear brand showcased its new range of Spring Summer 13 collection, inspired from the classics, in association with the famous Belgian artisanal boulangerie kitchen Le Pain Quotidian in Mumbai.

GAS Spring Summer 2013 collection is an incredible array of bright colors giving homage to spring and bringing alive the brands new look that is both casual and dressy. Colored denims are a large part of the GAS SS13 collection, starting from classic grey denims and exploring new directions. Denim fabrics colored inside and grey outside as a result of intense washes for the womens range and lighter ones for the mens, create chiaroscuro effects and unusual color nuances that go from acid green to teal, mauve and wisteria blue. The new collection mainly consists of medium to medium light shades treated with sandpapering and light washes to give a raw used look that is fluid and pleasing to the touch, or heavier but still discreet and sophisticated treatments with darns and mends that use tone on tone yarns, patches, color spots and dirtying.

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Whats New in the Market?

launches Travel Gear & Bags

Add style to your travel with a stylish range of Handbags, Sling-bags, Backpacks, Duffels, and Laptop Bags and Luggage ~ by Rishi WadhwaMTV, the leading youth brand in partnership with Verage announced the launch of MTV Travel Gear & Bags. The range includes stylish Handbags, Sling-bags, Backpacks, Duffels, Laptop Bags, and Fashion Bags & Luggage. The collection exudes unique MTV oomph featuring, trendy colours, striking graphics, unique prints coupled with functionality & durability. The price range starts from Rs. 999 to Rs. 7999 and will be available across India in all multi brand stores. Inspired by urbane and contemporary art, the collection has graphic prints which resonate with the likes of todays youth. It is created keeping in mind the diverse tastes and radiates a spectrum of loud, bright tones to more sober ones. Furthermore, each variant has a unique mix of style and functionality, making it a must have in your collection. The range has a robust line up of 25 SKUs with 2 colour options. Created to suit every aspect of ones travel needs, from the super cool backpacks and laptop bags for work, to the duffels for the gym sessions, the bags are made with the best quality fabric and bright colours like green, orange, red, blue, etc. The collection also has the classic blacks and beiges for the less flashy lot. Adding to the bags is a set of trolley suitcases that are designed in bold and solid colours like the electrifying red, the cool blue and the vibrant purple, available in 3 sizes small, medium and large. The strength and durability paired with ease of use make them just the perfect travel companion - be it just an overnight trip for work or a long leisure holiday!

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Whats New in the Market?

Ghana Singh Be True launches The Princess Bride Collection Uniquely crafted pieces For The Modern Bride Rishi Wadhwa The significance of jewelry made and owned in India extends beyond the realm of personal adornment to encompass social customs and craft practices as well as stylistic and technical developments. Based on our family heritage, and our life history, we choose the best way to project ourselves through our appearance. Whether we choose to wear commercial designs or original pieces, our taste in jewelry tells others a little bit about ourselves. From the most beautiful diamonds at Ghana Singh Be True to the macaroni necklaces we made in elementary school, our existence is often accessorized by the jewelry we wear. Wedding jewelry specialist Ghana Singh Be True (GBT) has unveiled an awe-inspiring The Princess Bride Collection for fulfilling the innate needs of Indian brides, who are constantly seeking to balance tradition with modernism, indulgence with elegance, and style with sophistication. This wedding season, Indian brides can strike a perfect balance and get themselves adorned in an elegant blend of both modern as well as traditional outlook for the most special occasion in their life with Ghana Singh Be Trues scintillating The Princess Bride Collection. Inspired from their unique range of diamond jewelry, GBT recreates the mystery and brilliance of one of its most exotic creations. The new and exclusive store will offer for the first time diamond necklaces in 18k gold and they comprise of fusion jewelry pieces, where they have used fancy diamonds, yellow diamonds, rose cuts, uncut diamonds and rare coffee diamonds to make each jewel a masterpiece to own. The diamond jewelry has an aura of its own and it will make you dazzle on your big day to compliment the look perfectly. Wedding specialist GBT has always understood the specific needs of brides and delivered the best possible collections time and again to build a concrete reputation in bridal wear. Diamond sets in terms of design superiority and production creates possibilities and reflects the deep rooted aspirations of Indian brides.
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La

Simply Irresistible
Chocolate,a king maker of rich, delicious chocolates and pastries has brought out a new menu for foodies in the city. a tangy taste of Mexico mixed with some spices of Italy, the restaurant has re-launched itself; promising their customers flavours they have never tried before. Some of their most sort after traditional Mexican dishes include tacos, tortillas, enchiladas, quesadillas and Mexican pizza. The Italian spinach and walnut penne pasta, cheese filled pasta, pasta with chip and orklay are the various varieties of pasta offered. You could also design your pizza toppings and enjoy the slice of pizza your way. La chocolate cafe has a cosy ambience keeping you away from the cities huzz and buzz; making them one of the finest cafes in the city. Located on casa major road, this pure vegetarian restaurant also offers a platter of chocolates. Chocolates bring smiles on our faces; mend broken hearts in a jiffy, fix a distorted mood and what more, they come with health benefits too. La chocolate Patisserie has fabulous range of chocolates, a perfect blend with three most unique flavours of milk, dark and white chocolate. Be it pastries, custards, cakes or cookies, anyone with a sweet tooth can enjoy the delight. Chocolate and mint fudge cake, fig and honey cake , Mississippi fudge chocolate cake , zebra cake and many more exotic combination are offered here. Inaugurated on 20th December 2012 , this is a promising

cafe and could be a new hang out spot for youngsters . Visit La chocolate and give your taste buds an overwhelming experience that will last you for a lifetime

La Chocolate
No 5 Casa Major Road, Madras Egmore, India 600 0080 Ph:044 4214 8183

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petmart
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a Wide Range of products for your Pet. to Maintain and Groom your Pet. our Panel of Experts,Veterinarians and Consultants HELP you.

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Choose from our complete range of branded , high quality food products, special treats, food supplements, accessories, cosmetics, confiners, equipments and specialized products. We deal with: Royal canin, Eukanuba, Pedigree, Whiskas, Canobits from Pfizer,Science diet, Droals,Me-o,Taiyo fish & turtle food ,Sun seed for hamsters, guinea pigs, Prestige premium for birds. We also distribute a range of products such as Pookie Snacks, Buxaway Mosquito Repellent, Gel insect Repellent, Starpett Silver Nano Dry Shampoo.

#64/1, W Block,3rd Street, Anna Nagar,Chennai-600040 Ph: +91 98407 66880 petmartchennai@gmail.com www.petmartchennai.com

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Comprehensive Preventive Healthcare Program

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