Ergo January 7

A BYTE OF LIFE

FREE CIRCULATION

10

Rahman

LAUNCHES NOKIA 5800

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irthday boy Allah Rakha Rahman on Tuesday launched Nokia’s muchadvertised phone 5800, the mobile manufacturer’s addition to their Xpress Music series, at a function held at Park Sheraton. The handset comes with pre-loaded tracks from his new album ‘Connections’ that he has composed exclusively for the manufacturer. Speaking at the tracks available on the handset, Rahman said: “It is very close to my heart as we have taken inspiration from different walks of life to create nine soundtracks that establish the diversity of music. My personal favourite is ‘Kural,’ which I did with Blaaze. It is a song on respect and honour.” ‘Jiya se Jiya’, the popular and lead soundtrack of the album was screened and ‘Kural’ was also played for the first time in public. Nokia, who were keen to get maximum mileage from the event, had even asked the journalists to restrict their questions to the maestro about the phone itself. No fair, we would like to add here that the occasion was special considering the fact that it was Rahman’s 43rd birthday. The Nokia 5800 Express Music phone is not just a music phone but comes as a complete package with GPS technology (Nokia maps) and a 3.2 mega-pixel camera. The phone has a 3.2 inch display with a unique set of features including an expandable memory of up to 16 GB and a contacts bar that lets consumers highlight four favourite contacts on their home-screen and through a single touch, track a digital history of recent messages, phone logs, blog updates and e-mails. T. Sridhar, the Regional General Manager South, Nokia India said in a line, “Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is all about turning ‘user interface’ into ‘human interface’ by truly putting people first.” Nokia 5800, which is already out in other markets, is currently priced at Rs. 21,839. ■

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Vol. 3

No. 4

04

B’day Babe

PINA COLADA

Bipasha Basu turns 30

The magic with pineapple

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Grab this sale Westside has started its bi-annual sale where it is offering discount of up to 50 per cent on its collection. Check out the wide range of casuals, formals and classy ethnic wear for both men and women. The sale is on till January 26 at all Westside stores.

Warm up to this Any queries on running? Have them answered at ‘Running Plus’

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re sneakers the perfect shoe for a run? Should I run fast? I feel awkward running at this age with shorts?… Have inhibitions like these prevented you from running? If that’s the case, ‘Running Plus’ could help instil all your lost confidence. Chennai Runners, an informal assembly of people who share a passion for running, is organising a free running clinic on January 10 on Elliots Beach. The aim of the event is to promote the sport of running, break a number of preconceived notions about running and help experienced and novice runners with the right medical help. “People have so many inhibitions which are putting them off the road. The workshop will answer all their queries as well as address concerns of experienced runners,” says Karthik Vijayakumar, one of the founding members of Chennai Runners. There will be two stages at the event: Seasoned marathon runners will tell people why they started running and what keeps them going; and the second session will have a sports doctor talk about injury and other pointers to be kept in mind. ■ Ergo Correspondent

What, when, where What: Running clinic When: January 10; 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. Where: Elliots Beach, near the police outpost in the centre of the beach For any queries email [email protected]

On a tea break! Bogged down attending those long calls and meetings? It’s time you stop by this stall on Club House Road near Spencer Plaza for some hot tea varieties LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

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ea is refreshing, usually good and sometimes healthy. And, if you want to see what a cup of hot tea from this roadside stall can do you after a hectic day at work, we say come here for a tea break. Tucked inside Club House Road, perched on the footpath, is this pushcart which draws all the stressed souls working in L&T, CitiBank and the small offices around. B. Rajendran, A.R. Nagarajan and B. Bhaskar (Boski for the regulars) are the three cousins running the stall for the last 30 years. While Rajendran charms you with his Hindi and Boski with his hospitality, Nagarajan takes the cake for making the hot beverage for the milling crowd.

To a Tea It’s only after sipping a glass of coffee, ginger or lime tea along with a puff that most office-goers enter their cubicles. This is besides the many breaks they take for hot vadais and other eats the place prepares. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – the busiest hours – you will see executives alighting from cars and autorickshaws, labourers and sales executives standing with pamphlets, all for recharging their batteries. The stall is shut on Sundays. “Our stall is better known as ginger and lime tea kada,” says Nagarajan. “Not many tea stalls serve lime tea as it’s an expensive process. One lemon and four tbsp of sugar is sometimes required for a strong cup and if the lime is bitter more sugar has to be added to neutralise the taste.”

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

How to get there: The stall stands outside CitiBank, L&T and Taj Mount Road on Club House Road.

Health check For others ailing with cough, common cold or a bad stomach, the tea shop is where they obtain relief with ginger milk, chuku kasayam or some strong black tea. Off late, the tea kadai’s business has taken a backseat, with the construction still on for the upcoming Express Avenue mall and Taj Mount Road (which opened only recently) not bringing much footfall to Club House

Road. But, looking at the motley group sipping tea in animated talk, seems like it will not be far when one of those business travellers from the hotel comes down for his hot cuppa. ■ (Too Good for Critics is a weekly column to celebrate Namma Chennai’s ‘Kaiyendi Bhavans’ and small eateries. If you can think of a similar place, mail us at [email protected])

When to go: It is comparatively free on Saturdays. So if you are planning to shop at Spencer’s, stop by. Price: Most of the tea varieties are priced at Rs. 4 each My favourite: Lime tea/ ginger tea, with vadais and murukkus

03

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Software as a service TiE Chennai will host a talk on ‘Software as a Service: Opportunity or fad?’ today. Boughton Canton, director of New Market Development at New Lease Pty Ltd., an Australian distributor of software for companies such as Microsoft, VMWare and Trend Micro, will speak at the event. Drop in at The Rain Tree Hotel, St. Mary’s Hall, at 6.30 p.m. For details call 98842 84578 / 6515 4900

Soon, email your police complaint The online system to be in place in a month’s time PETLEE PETER [email protected]

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pprehensive about walking into a police station and lodging a complaint? You don’t have to worry anymore. Police assistance is also going online in a matter of a month, wherein complainants can lodge their complaints via e-mail at their respective police stations or with the top cops. The Tamil Nadu Police Department will soon allocate 2,000 email IDs to various police officers in the city, starting from the Director General of Police himself to the City Police Commissioner and Inspectors of all stations in the city and suburbs. The e-mail IDs will be circulated among the public soon via media. The laying of the broadband cables and instalment of the facility is in progress and the system will be in place by next month. Recently, all police stations in the city and suburbs had received computers and as per re-

Oh, Boy!

쒀 Indian Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj watches his son Prakash Amritraj’s practice session from outside Court 1 at the SDAT Stadium at Nungambakkam in Chennai on Monday, where the Chennai Open 2009 is on. Prakash later lost to German opponent Rainer Schuettler in the first round match. Schuetteler won 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

cent orders a BSNL broadband connection will be provided to all police stations. Police sources say that each station will have an email ID to which the public can email their complaints from their email IDs and even send in evidence clips. One person at each police station will be in charge of receiving the emails, recording the complaints and passing it on to the Inspector of the station, polices sources add. The email facility will be made available throughout the state and in all the departments that come under the Tamil Nadu Police, including Vigilance and Anti-Corruption. There will be 93 email IDs in the DGP office, including that of the top officers and the DGP himself. For the city and suburban police limits, there will be a total of 222 email IDs, through which the public can write in directly to the City Police Commissioner, Suburban Commissioner, Additional Commissioner and other officers in the ranks of Joint Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and local Inspector. ■

04 KALEIDOSCOPE

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Intoxication for the feet VIPASHA SINHA

PHOTOS: R.RAVINDRAN

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Let those tired feet get drunk on a Pina Colada pedicure at Limelite

ina Colada, a popular cocktail of light rum, coconut cream and pineapple, is bliss and blessing for the taste buds, but a Pina Colada pedicure to clean feet sounds whimsical if nothing else. But if you were to believe the experts, this treatment is indeed useful for the feet. Limelite, a popular salon with branches across the city, claims that its specialist treatment, the Pina Colada pedicure, has a lot of patrons in Chennai. As I wait for the concerned person at the lobby of Limelite on Chamiers Road, I draw strategies to pour the all-time favourite drink down my throat instead of shelling out the Rs. 500 - 700 for cocktail to clean my feet. My thoughts were interrupted by a pleasant-looking Sonal, who was to do the treatment for me.

Inquisitively, I ask her about the treatment, wanting to know the ingredients. She explains, “The content includes fresh pure pineapple juice mixed with lukewarm water.” And? “That’s it!” Only then I realise it’s a virgin Pina Colada – minus the alcohol.

The procedure The speciality of the Pina Colada pedicure is the extra 15minute soak in the mixture of pineapple and warm water. “Pineapple has a high content of vitamin C and acts as an excellent cleanser. It is an anti-oxidant and natural bleach. The real fruit juice naturally removes the dead skin and, as a result, the tan is reduced. The deep cleansing makes the feet softer and brighter,” explains Sonal. I realise that the pineapple juice indeed softens the rough-

ness of the feet, especially around the toes. After the feet are dipped in the juice, the normal pedicure process follows. This includes scrubbing, massaging and nailcleansing. Generally, a pedicure is done in 45 minutes. This takes an hour. There’s not much difference in the cost of the Pina Colada you drink and the one you apply to your feet, as either way you’d be spending Rs. 500. One hour of princess-fit treatment and shiny feet is worth the money though. ■

Metrosexual

05

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

MATCH THE FOLLOWING There are few shades that aren’t available on the shelves of Reena’s Matching Centre

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he walls here look like some colour palette. Between orange and yellow alone, you might find about 50 shades... canary, lime, chrome, burnt sienna, sunset, etc., etc. Similarly, between navy blue and sky, you might find five dozen. At some point, you might have experienced hunting for some exotic (and exact) shade of blouse material for a favourite saree that someone’s gifted, and returned disappointed. You’ve probably made up your mind that the next time you would first buy the blouse and find a matching saree instead of vice-versa. Understandably, most saree-wearers are fastidious about matching fabric. Reena’s Matching Centre is for the finicky sorts. The 1,000 sqft shop in Fountain Plaza is perhaps one of the largest stores in the city to cater to nothing but matching cloth. From blouse pieces to lining to dupattas in every shade possible, it’s here. “The shop opened the day Fountain Plaza opened (in 1976). If you don’t get it here, don’t even look somewhere else,” says proprietor Tulsi Ramchandani proudly. “Fountain Plaza was the first shopping complex in the city with ample parking space. Plus, it was situated close to colleges and residential areas.” Reena, by the way, is Ramchandani’s daughter. Blouse material in silk cotton, lizzy-dizzy, crepe silk, 2x2 and poplin is available here. This, along with all varieties of dupattas imaginable. The store claims to stock only branded mill cloth. “I keep telling people, ‘If you don’t get it, you don’t need it,’” reiterates Ramchandani. Ramchandani was specialising in textile colour in the U.S. before he came to India and visited Bombay. A visit to a cloth store with an unimpressive stock prompted him to come to quiet Madras and start his own. “You should either stock everything or nothing” is his mantra. Diwali and Ramzan are the days when the store does most business. Besides, Reena’s Matching Centre also undertakes saree fall stitching. ■ Address: Reena’s Matching Centre No. 116, Fountain Plaza, Pantheon Road, Chennai – 600 008 Ph: 98407 89449 Store timings: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Closed on Sundays)

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Plane baby A Ugandan woman has given birth to a healthy baby girl on a plane from Amsterdam to Boston while flying over Canadian airspace, making the child eligible for Canadian citizenship.

Police foil German children’s dash to Africa

No lifetime Secret Service security detail for Bush

Three German children aged five, six and seven who said they were fed up with cold weather at home set off on a voyage to Africa but only got as far as the local train station, police said on Monday. The boy and the older girl were planning to get married in Africa and brought the girl’s five-year-old sister along as a witness. They left their home in the city of Hanover, which they shared with the boy’s father and the girls’ mother, early on New Year’s Day as their parents slept.

President George W. Bush will be the first president in history not to receive lifetime Secret Service protection, according to the New York Daily News. Instead, he will only receive the protection for only 10 years due to a law that states that any president elected after January 1, 1997 and/or his or her spouse will only get Secret Service protection for 10 years. “He’ll be the first one to receive it for 10 years,” Malcolm Wiley, Secret Service spokesman told McClatchey. The Bushes life post-White House seems pretty cushy despite the shortened security detail. They plan to move to Dallas to a roughly two million dollar, 8,500-square-foot home. They will also receive a Dallas office, staffers, a travel budget, medical coverage and a 196, 700 dollars as annual pension.

Reuters

Berlin zookeeper’s son tries to cash in on Knut The son of the late German zookeeper who nurtured celebrity polar bear cub Knut at Berlin zoo has raised nearly 7,000 euros ($9,748) by selling off his father’s belongings on internet auction site eBay. The 18-year old son of Thomas Doerflein, who died unexpectedly last September, set up the online auction saying he needed the money to look after his father’s grave. German media reported he aimed to use the money to buy a headstone. Reuters

ANI

Milky Way has become a faster spinner In a new research, a team of scientists has determined that the Milky Way Galaxy is rotating about 100,000 miles per hour faster than previously understood, making it more massive with time. According to Mark Reid, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, that increase in speed increases the Milky Way’s mass by 50 percent, bringing it even with the Andromeda Galaxy. “No longer will we think of the Milky Way as the little sister of the Andromeda Galaxy in our Local Group family,” he said. ANI

Virgin Mobile ties up with MySpace

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outh-focussed mobile service provider Virgin Mobile has tied up with MySpace for providing social networking services. Under the agreement, MySpace would provide its social networking services on Virgin Mobile’s WAP-enabld phones, a press release said on Tuesday. “The partnership will enthuse Virgin Mobile’s youth customers by providing them instant access to world’s largest social networking site at no extra-cost on handsets starting at Rs 2,999,” the release said. MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, is a premier lifestyle portal connecting global

MySpace would provide its social networking services on Virgin Mobile’s WAP-enabld phones community by integrating web profiles, instant messaging, blogs etc. With the access to the online community, Virgin Mobile users can now actively meet/add their friends on the fly as well as share photos, journals and interests with their growing network of mutual friends, it said. ■ PTI

07

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

This day, that year

Rude streets

The first day of transatlantic telephone service began between New York and London on January 7, 1927. 31 calls were made from the service.

A British council is set to ban ’rude’ street names, with examples including Hoare Road and Cracknuts Lane.

Apple to unveil ’big screen’ iPod touch? R

umours are abuzz that Apple may launch a ’big screen’ version of its popular iPod touch device to make it even easier to surf the Internet and watch movies. A report from Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, a popular technology industry blog, says Apple has developed an iPod touch device with a 7- or 9-inch display. Sources have told that blog that prototypes of the device are already being shown to Apple’s manufacturing partners in Asia, reports the Telegraph. The gadget would enable users to listen to music, watch films and surf the Internet on a more comfortably sized screen than the 3.5in display currently used. TechCrunch claims that Apple has been experimenting internally with large form tablet devices for year.

TechCrunch, a popular technology industry blog, says Apple has developed an iPod touch device with a 7- or 9-inch display.

Mills & Boon turns to rugby to make novels racier

“But there was concern that users wouldn’t like the device,” said Arrington, who now argues the time is right for such a gadget. He says this is due in part to the success of the iTunes App Store, an online marketplace that allows people to download games and software for their iPhone or iPod touch. Arrington said that a larger touch-screen would make the new iPod would be ‘one heck of a device’. The prospect of a larger iPod touch has also been welcomed by analysts, who believe a more substantial gadget would allow Apple to compete directly with manufacturers of ultra-portable laptops, such as Acer. Arrington’s sources suggest that the larger iPod touch won’t be officially unveiled until later this year. ANI

Chill pill

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ills & Boon, the world’s most prolific romance publisher, has teamed up with Rugby Football Union to create a series of rugby themed romance novels. The books will feature handsome rugby heroes and their glamorous love interests. “Our mission statement is to do for rugby what Jilly Cooper did for polo - to give it an air of sexiness and glitz and glamour,” said Guardian.co.uk quoted series editor Jenny Hutton as saying. Clare Somerville, Mills & Boon’s sales and marketing director said: “You don’t have to like rugby to like the books.” “They’ve got all the elements of a quintessential Mills & Boon romance: jet-set locations, hunky alpha male heroes and hot sex, but in a rugby context,” she added. The first novel to be published is by Sarah Morgan titled The Prince’s Waitress Wife. It will be launched just before the start of the RBS Six Nations Championships. ■ ANI

쒀 Bulgarian men perform the traditional Bulgarian “Horo" dance in the icy winter waters of the river Tundzha in the town of Kalofer, some 200 kms east of the capital Sofia, during the Epiphany Day celebrations on Tuesday. Traditionally, an Eastern Orthodox priest throws a cross in the river and it is believed that the one who retreives it will be healthy through the year as well as all those who dance in the icy waters. AFP PHOTO / BORYANA KATSAROVA

08 SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Djokovic crashes out Novak Djokovic’s preparations for the defence of his Australian Open title suffered an unexpected setback on Tuesday when the Serb was knocked out of the Brisbane International in the first round. The 21year-old world number three lost his debut match at the brand new Pat Rafter Arena to former training partner Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-4. 6-4

OUT OF THE BIRD’S NEST INTO THE LION CAGE

Saina aiming higher Saina Nehwal brushed aside her disappointment about missing an Olympic medal to become the first Indian woman to crack the top 10 in the world badminton rankings in December and the teenager is aiming even higher in 2009. Nehwal became the first Indian to reach the quarter-finals in Olympic badminton in August but missed a semi-final spot when she blew an 11-5 lead in the decider to go down to eventual bronze medallist Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia. “It was a big disappointment but I told myself I’d have one or two more Olympics if I play well and to do that I have to win against top players and I’ve been trying to do that,” the 18-year-old said. Nehwal, the Indian national champion who trains under former allEngland Open winner Pullela Gopichand, rose from 33rd in the world at the start of 2008 to 10th and was also adjudged the most promising player of the year by the sport’s governing body, the Badminton World Federation (BWF). “The lesson I learnt was never to take anything easy and also to be focused at every point, whether you are leading or you are down, and not to get too excited,” she said referring to her quarterfinal defeat to Yulianti. “When I got the big lead, I was already thinking of the semifinals.”

French Paralympics bronze medallist Mastouri has traded his wheelchair for a stick to tame the lions at a Paris circus

Reuters

Taking a dig at cricket Cricket should first fetch eight World Cup before it replaces hockey as India’s national sport, according to the Olympians. “Make cricket India’s national sport, but first they should win eight World Cups because it is not an Olympic sport,” said two-time Olympian Baljeet Singh Saini. Three-time Olympian Baljeet Singh Dhillon echoed his view and said though the cricket team has been doing well but hockey’s glorious past should not be forgotten either. “The Indian cricket team is doing well these days and deserve to be called the number one team but one should not forget that hockey has won eight gold medals in the Olympics despite lack of facilities,” he said. Player-turned-coach Vasudev Bhaskaran, who led India to its eighth Olympic gold in 1980 Moscow Games, said it hardly makes a difference whether hockey remains the national sport considering the abysmal state of affairs. “Hockey might be the national sport but it has never got its due that goes with this status. I don’t think it makes a difference to hockey,” he said. PTI

F Djamel Mastouri performs with Starsky the lion during a rehearsal of his circus show at the Cirque Pinder in Paris.

rench athlete Djamel Mastouri, who won an 800 metres bronze medal at last year’s Paralympics, is now far from Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium, taming lions at a Paris circus. Mastouri, who has been training for weeks, will replace well-known lion tamer Frederic Edelstein for a special show at the Pinder circus on Thursday. Eight acts will be performed by French disabled athletes during the show, called Handicircus Gala and also featuring French artists and celebrities. Finding acrobats and trapeze artists was not too hard but picking a volunteer lion tamer was a different story. “They (the show promoters) had six athletes in mind but when they saw the show with 18 lions, all the others stood down,”

Mastouri said. The 36-year-old athlete suffers from hemiplegia – partial paralysis of one side of the body. When racing he does not use a wheelchair and he performs his circus act standing, though he cannot use his right leg or arm. The idea of facing the big cats appealed to him straight away. “I saw it as a unique occasion to live something truly exceptional,” he said. “And if the lions eat a part of me, I’ll do the next Paralympics as an amputee.”

Adrenaline rush While Edelstein normally faces 18 animals, Mastouri has to deal with just three, two lions called Clarence and Starsky and a tiger, Dixie. Edelstein will watch from a distance, ready to intervene in case of a problem. “When I first entered the cage, the animals felt

immediately that I had a handicap,” Mastouri said. “I had to go in there on my own to make sure they would not take advantage of my weakness. The adrenaline rush was similar to the one you get when you enter a packed stadium for a final,” he added. “I felt suddenly very small. I had been told I should not be afraid but I was scared because they kept staring at me.” Mastouri uses a stick, which he can manipulate only with his hand because of numbness in his arm, to make the animals raise their front paws and jump through a hoop. “I must be careful because they could cut my arm off with their paws,” he said. “I must never turn my back on them.”

Simulating roar At first Mastouri stroked the animals to congratulate them after their acts but he soon stopped. “They reacted by hitting me with their tails and it was painful,” he said. “In fact they don’t like being stroked.” Now he speaks to them, calling them “good boy” or “good girl”, or even simulates a roar. “That’s the best way I found to make them understand I’m proud of them,” he said. The fear, he said, had vanished. “Now I’m so focused that I don’t see anything around me. I even forget about my disability.” ■ Reuters

09

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

‘‘

I was here three years ago and really liked the tournament. I had good experience here. I was basically looking for a change of scene and atmosphere. I played in Doha for three years and wanted something else this year. Janko Tipsarevic

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

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ver the years, Russia has produced a steady stream of world class tennis players, especially since the early 90s. Though Russian women have surpassed their male counterparts in gaining instant glory amongst the tennis fraternity with their beauty and athleticism, there have been a few volatile and gifted players life Marat Safin and Mikhail Youzhny who have won hearts the world over. But away from this pomp are a few others like Yevgeny Kafelnikov and now Nikolay Davydenko who have achieved a lot in terms of professional success but never really had the fanfare or media frenzy associated with a top tennis star. Since turning pro in 2000, 27-year-old Davydenko has improved leaps and bounds and his terrier-like no-nonsense play has won him few admirers but many titles. The Russian who had reached a career high ranking of 3 during the 2006 season and was seen as a genuine contender to cross swords with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafel Nadal has since then been overshadowed by a match-fixing scandal in 2007 and the arrival of Serbian Novak Djokovic and British sensation Andy Murray. But proven notguilty of match-fixing after an independent ATP investigation and still ranked highly at the No. 5 slot, Davydenko feels this is the make-orbreak year for him. “I want to prove something and not just stay among the top five. It’s the big ones that count and they’re going to be my top priority this year,” he says. The Russian who has made the Grand Slam semi-finals twice at the French Open and US Open feels the need to win a slam to leave a more lasting legacy. “I’ll continue to chase wins on the circuit and boost my point tally, but am hoping to make a bigger impact in the Grand Slams,” the Russian says. “It’s nice to figure among the top five, but it’s more important to do well in the Grand Slams.” And with a determination to change his fortunes this year, he has travelled down to Chennai, missing the Doha ATP event where he has been a regular for the past six years. Speaking about his change of heart, he adds: “From 2002, every year I played in Doha. Now I tried to change something. I decided to come to Chennai because I had won in Adelaide, too. I do not want to spend one month in Australia (as the Australian Open starts on January 19).” He also feels the time has at last come when other players would challenge the sheer dominance of Federer and Nadal. “The top four guys are finishing all Grand Slams coming to the semi-final and final and also winning a few tournaments. Djokovic has started playing much better after winning Australian Open and Murray was in the final of US Open. (Jo-Wilfred) Tsonga is also coming on well. It is a case of younger players playing better tennis and trying to beat both Federer and Nadal. I know I have not beaten Federer but I did beat Nadal a few times. If I play Nadal again, I do not think I would lose to him,” he says. “If I win Chennai and a few more tournaments, it is enough for me to get good ranking positions. Every week there are different situations. Some guys are skipping one tournament and playing in another next week. You do not know what is happening. It’s hard to make a call now.” Davydenko last played in Chennai Open in 2001 when he lost in the first round to fourth seeded Byron Black after coming through the qualifiers. ■

Davydenko says 2009 could be the year that changes everything • Davydenko started playing tennis at the age of 7. • His favourite players are Ivan Lendl and Yannick Noah. • Pastimes include fishing, soccer and hockey (Once while out fishing at the age of six, Davydenko accidentally caught his father, Vladimir’s, nose with his hook.) • He is a self-proclaimed Guns N’ Roses fan. • He is called “Iron Man” because he plays more tournaments every year than any other ATP player. • Davydenko doesn’t like using credit cards. He says: “It’s just the Russian mentality with cash. When you’ve got a big group with you like I do this week I need to keep some extra cash on hand for dinner because I don’t like using credit cards.” • He is a big fan of social networking websites and stays in touch with his fellow Russian players such as Marat Safin, Igor Andreev and Dmitry Tursunov.

‘My make-or-break year’

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sexiest Man alive’s secret Aussie actor Hugh Jackman, voted People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in November last year, has revealed that he sticks to a very strict diet of protein and vegetables, and exercises six times a week to keep his body in shape. )

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he came into the limelight with her coffee bean complexion in Ajnabee and was called a scorcher for her skin show in Jism. Bollywood beauty Bipasha Basu, who turns 30 Wednesday, has now moved on from being just a sex icon and is signing on mature roles. But voted the Sexiest Asian Woman in 2007 by the British weekly newspaper Eastern Eye, the starlet of films like Rudraksh, No Entry, Omkara and Dhoom 2 is taking steps towards signing on for serious roles. “If I don’t like what’s being offered, I won’t sign anything (any more),” Bipasha says. Her stint with art house movie started with Prakash Jha’s 2005 political drama Apaharan. He presented her in a deglamourised role, but it was Ajay Devgan who had an author-backed role. Bipasha’s first meatier role was in Madhur Bhandarkar’s critically acclaimed 2006 film Corporate. She proved her mettle and both critics and audiences applauded her performance. She was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress award. Last year she did Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film Shob Charitro Kalponik and is currently doing Sudipto Chattopadhyaya’s Pankh and Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa. Despite churning out fewer hits and more misses, the actress, who entered filmdom in 2001, constantly hogged the limelight, thanks to her oomph factor. Her long-awaited share of fame came in 2008 with hits like Race and Bachna Ae Haseeno. She is

now breaking from convention and taking on new challenges. For Lamhaa, Bipasha is all set to change the dynamics of physical appearances of a Kashmiri girl. “When you think of a Kashmiri girl in our movies, what comes to mind is a fair-skinned, light-eyed girl. But I want to disprove that myth. The pre-conceived notions have to be overcome,” said Bipasha. The actress is bent on looking convincing in the role and had even invited a Kashmiri woman to Mumbai in order to study her body language, speech patterns and mannerisms to get into the character. “I think I’m going to be keen on getting it right than the director. I’ve never done a film like this before. The role requires me to be someone else altogether. And for this I needed help. I wanted to play the character the way girls really are today in Kashmir. Very basic,” explained the actress, who is dating Bollywood hunk John Abraham. Unlike other actors, Bipasha is not very keen to try her luck in Hollywood. “No filmmakers of Hollywood are willing to sign any Bollywood actor without a screen test apart from Aishwarya Rai. They seem to know no Hindi film actors, not even Amitabh Bachchan. I found out that I will have to start again (there) from scratch like screen tests and other tantrums. They treat you like a newcomer. So I’ve decided to stay in Mumbai and be the ’queen’ here,” she had said. “India is a very comfortable place for us because we have already made a niche here. So why would anyone want to go and struggle there? I don’t want to go and struggle. I have gone through my struggle.” Her other future projects include Aa Dekhen Zara and Freeze. ■

Bollywood beauty Bipasha Basu, who turns 30 today, has now moved on from being just a sex icon and is signing on mature roles.

IANS

11

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sarath croons in Russian In Sarath Kumar’s upcoming movie 1977, the actor has rendered his voice for a song. Interestingly, the song is in Russian.

Cine City e m a f h

t o n Craig

t i w y happ

B

ond actor Daniel Craig shot to prominence with his much heralded role as James Bond in Casino Royale but he is not completely comfortable with his fame. According to mirror.co.uk, Craig spent some time in the Caribbean soaking in the sun. He said: “I can’t go out without being recognised. I don’t do acting to be recognised.” But he added: “I’m not moaning.” Craig most recently starred in the critically acclaimed The Defiance. ■

Priyamani to pair up with Maddy If Internet buzz is to be believed, National Award winning actress Priyamani has been roped in to act in Thangar Bachchan’s next film, Tholaindhuponavargal. The movie has Madhavan playing the lead role. Thangar Bachchan, who has directed films like Azhagi, Solla Marandha Kathai and Onbathu Roobai Nottu among others, will direct Sathyaraj and Madhavan together for the first time. His other project featuring Prabhu Deva in the lead role has reportedly been shelved.

IANS

Kanika in Sathyan Anthikkad’s next

Madonna

returns in shocking green

P

op-diva Madonna certainly knows how to shock. The singer donned her by now infamous green Louis Vuitton feather dress for the second time in a new TV ad. The shocking attire worn by the 50-year-old singer at a glitzy party in New York last year was termed one of the worst fashion disasters. But Madonna apparently feels that wearing it once was not enough; the singer has now committed a further faux pas by repeating it again, the Daily Mail reported. This time the pop-singer wore the shocking green feather dress as part of a new advertising campaign for a fashion house. The last time Madonna wore the dress was in November when she turned up at the Gucci UNICEF dinner in New York. ■ PTI

Director Sathyan Anthikkad, whose is known for making family entertainers, has finalised the heroine for his upcoming flick. Kanika, who made her debut in Five Stars and was later seen in Ajith-starrer Varalaru, will be sharing the screen with actor Jayaram in the yet-to-be named flick. The actress who tied the knot recently is concentrating more in Malayalam films from 2006. She is currently doing Mammooty-starrer Pazhassi Raja. The latest hit of Sathyan Anthikkad is Mohanlalstarrer Innathe Chinthavishayam.

12

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Praveen, CGSL

Tuesday’s Question: John Abraham has been chosen as the sexiest man in Asia. If you could choose the sexiest person, who would it be and why? ■ T.Rajendar for his cute face and beard.

■ Jackie Chan for being macho and being tough even at this age. Vinay, Slash Support

■ Amitabh Bachchan for his style and confidence. Divakar, Patni Computers

■ Michael Jackson - black or white, he has the most sexiest voice and sizzling moves ever. Senthil Kumar P, RR Donnelley

■ Sam Anderson as he rocks South India.

Suresh (Wipro), Arun (DR Systems)

■ Vaaranam Aayiram Surya because he only loved three girls. Prasanna, Sangu (Wipro)

■ My teammate Sandeep Tripathy who has a pot belly. Edwin, HCL

■ M.S.Dhoni. He is the storm of India which defeats all other countries. Anees Ahmed, HCL

■ Ilayathalapathy Vijay for his excellent dance movements and his style. Satish, Ramco Systems

■ J.K.Rithish for his impeccable heroic performances in Kaanal Neer and Nayagan

Sofiya Ambrose, Wipro

■ MGR the sexiest person and smart ex-CM of Tamil Nadu. Gunasekar and evergreen friends, PMC

■ Salman Khan for is his excellent body structure, his sexy eyes and his beauty smile. Prabahar Raj P, Perot Systems

■ Priyanka Chopra. For her spectacular sexiest acting in Fashion, Dostana. Megha, CTS

■ Keanu Reeves because he has the sexiest eyes. Sripradha Chakravarthy, Infosys

Divya V ,Polaris

■ Hrithik Roshan. He looked really sexy in his latest film Jhodha Akbar, and he acted fabulously. Suresh, HCL

■ Comedy actor Senthil because in most of his films he wore only 1/2 trouser.

Sundar of CSS Corp has nominated his team members as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Mayajaal.

■ Actor Kamal. Still he is acting as a hero with youth heroines.

Mukund SCB, Scope International

■ Amir Khan for his eight pack abs in ’Ghajini’

Lakshmi Prakash of HCL Technologies has nominated her team mates as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at Ooty.

Seenivasan, Technip

Today’s Query: If you were to direct a movie what would be the theme and name of your movie?

Suresh.D.V of Polaris Software Labs has nominated his friends as Partners in Crime. This photo was clicked at a Museum in Pudhucherry.

13

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Velmurugan of Cognizant has been nominated as Office Angel by Thivya and Chitra. He is a very nice and jovial person. We all like his attitude and character very much. He is enthusiastic in his work. It is his helping nature which we all like in him the most.

■ Dear Sudha, We’ll be missing you. We wish you very good luck. Take good care and do intimate when your child is born. Team Worldsource Tata Consultancy Services

■ Dear Naveena, Wish you a very happy birthday. I hope you enjoy your birthday, All the pleasures it has in store, And because I appreciate you, I hope you have many more! Swathi B Tata Consultancy Services

■ Dear Murali Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary in advance!! Enjoy and have a great time with ur lovely kid… Sending you warmest wishes on the upcoming special day!! Tons of Luv Sri Infosys

1. Teacher: Yenda un answer paperla question paperla ulla yella question-yum yeludhi vachurukkae? Student: Neengadhaan sonneengalae teacher, therinchadha mattum yeludhunnu.... 2. Interviewer: What do you expect from us? Candidate : 5 Lakhs monthly salary, 1 car and 1 house Interviewer: We will give you 10 Lakhs monthly salary, 2 cars and 2 houses Candidate : Are you joking? Interviewer: Who started the joke first? Thanks & Regards, Mohamed Yusufdeen J Boeing FTCS AS HCL Technologies Ltd.

■ Hi Kamesh, Welcome to CGSL, after ur training. Hope ur new career gives you Success and Happiness always. ALL THE BEST. With regards Ramya.

■ Dear Akshai Instead of counting candles, Or tallying the years, Contemplate your blessings, As your birthday nears. Consider special peopleWho love you, and who care, And others who’ve enriched your life Just by being there. Think about the memories Passing years can never mar, Experiences great and small That have made you who you are. Another year is a happy gift, So cut your cake, and say,"Instead of counting birthdays, I count blessings every day!" I attribute this poem by Joanna Fuchs to you my friend!!! With Lots of Love Piya

Uma Bhuwaneshwari R of Tata Consultancy Services doodled this.

Sushmita Viswanathan from UST Global doodled this.

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Tube birth A Polish woman has become the second person ever to give birth in London’s underground rail network since it opened 146 years ago.

sudoku Vijayakumar of IBM clicked this picture of the Waynad Lake with his Canon camera. The harvest season is round the corner and it’s time we made the Click Pick column a little more interesting. Photographs of the harvest festival, rural India and littleknown rituals will be given preference this month. Please send us fresh photographs, preferably those clicked by you on a recent trip, to [email protected] Starting today till the end of the month, all photos selected for clickpick will receive a gift voucher worth Rs.1,000, courtesy Kantilal Diamonds (Ph: 2828 1700). Readers are requested to send their addresses with their entries.

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

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KAKURO

15

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Big bread

Word’s worth

A massive 11-tonne (11,000 kilogram) loaf has been prepared for the traditional Magi party which will see thousands of Mexican families coming together to celebrate with food and gifts for children. The bread, unveiled in Mexico City, is about 1.6 kilometres (5 249 feet) long.

"Gegge" (geg) an obsolete word of obscure origin, which seems to be an equal-opportunity term of insult for both men and women.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It’s going to be a busy day for you. You may be dealing with lot of hard work at office but will be rewarded with appreciation from superiors too. Even while you are with your beloved or spouse, you may be talking about work and related matters.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may get a stroke of luck today by the Grace of Ganesha. Expect good news from distant place or abroad. You may be dealing with authority figures for your day to day activities. You may need to put in more efforts to woo your beloved one.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may remain a bit confused at workplace. Strong determination is necessary to handle office work successfully. In personal life, generally you would talk more and partner may listen but today you might have to listen to your beloved.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 It’s a low energy day for you. If you try to react to someone aggressively, you might have to accept defeat. Personal life may help you balance stress that you might have had during the day so there is nothing much to worry about.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 Whether you are enthusiastic about your work or not, you might have to work harder today. If you don’t try to put yourself in other people’s shoes, you may not understand their problems. You may be least concerned about love life today.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha finds you doing lot of R & D today. You may not be interested in handling simple and routine or mundane tasks. You may wish to spend more time with your beloved one, for your desire for the companionship is intensified today.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 It is going to be a stressful day. At workplace, you might have to deal with something that you would generally not prefer to handle. Relations with superiors may also need to be handled with care. In love life you may experience undue stress.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha foresees you handling lot of mental hard work. It is best day to put new plans on paper. You may try to please your partner by taking him or her to an entertainment programme but you may have more practical approach towards expenses.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will try to be punctual today. To achieve precision you might have to work hard and the pace of your work may slow down so you might have to stay back at office till late. On the other hand family may also demand your attention.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You are filled with thrill at the beginning of the day. You may wish to achieve too much but you may not be able to be patient for achievements, so you may take yourself and others for a ride. Your life partner may find you self-centred.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You might have to deal with bigger problems at work, which may be negligible for others. In love life, you may have a feeling that you are sacrificing far way too much for your beloved. Ganesha advises you not to continue with such a feeling.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you getting carried away by others today. Your decision power may be weak so you are advised not to take important decisions regarding work. You may be able to devote time to your love life, which will fill your day with joy. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Websites of the day Songs, styles and history of the pop music girl groups of the early 1960s: www.girl-groups.com Information on the past, present and future of electro music. Includes artist profiles, discographies, audio samples, lyrics, articles and photos: www.electroempire.com

"I was ‘sold’ after fi firrst date with Barack"

“B

y the end of that date, it was over. I was sold.” This is how Michelle, now wife of US President-elect Barack Obama, described her first date some 20 years back with her husband. Even after hearing a lot of buzz about a “hot-shot, young, firstyear law student from Harvard” in the Sidley and Austin law firm in Chicago, where she was an intern then, Michelle hesitated to go on a date with Barack as she was assigned to be his mentor. “I was taking my job (as Barack’s advisor) very seriously.

That was my first responsibility as an associate. So, my mind was not focused on dating. I thought this guy is going to be a good friend of mine. I liked him. We hung out but I just did not see a relationship coming out of that,” Michelle told CNN during an interview while describing her initial sentiments towards Barack. After refusing to go out with Barack for a month, finally, Michelle agreed to spend a day with him. “We had spent a month in the firm together and we were developing a very good friendship. I

liked him but he insisted that we should go out on a date. So, I said okay,” she said. “We went to art institute, had lunch at an outdoor cafe with jazz playing in the background, walked and talked, saw the movie Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee and had a drink on the 99th floor of the John Hancock building, which had a beautiful view of the city,” she said. “Probably, by the end of that date, it was over. I was sold," she said. ■ PTI