Ergo March 25

A BYTE OF LIFE

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

02 FREE CIRCULATION

Tennis takes centrestage at the Cetennis residential academy in the outskirts of Chennai. With a keen eye on the basics and also on education, this academy is sure to send out a few winners in the coming years. » PAGE 08

Vol. 3

No. 56

03

TOO GOOD FOR CRITICS

WINDOW SHOPPER

Sri Saibaba Mess, Mootakanchavadi

Cinderella and Cute

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

New and fresh Christian Dior has launched its latest fragrance ‘Escale a’ Pondichery’ at The Dune Eco Beach Hotel recently. The new fragrance is a tribute to the erstwhile French colony, inspired by the fragrance from Pondicherry and Kerala.

Senior auditor arrested for car theft A brand new car belonging to a senior executive of HCL Technologies at Kandanchavadi on Rajiv Gandhi Salai was stolen on Monday morning. The car thief, who police say is a senior auditor with the AGS office in Teynampet, was arrested within three hours of the crime. The victim A.V. N. Prasad (54) found his new Honda City car missing from his office car park on Monday afternoon. Following this, he lodged a complaint with the Thoraipakkam police, who launched a search for the missing vehicle. Reliable police sources revealed that Prasad’s mobile phone that he accidentally left behind in his car was vital in tracking the vehicle, which was found parked on the AGS office premises sans the registration plates. Further investigations led the police team to the accused Andrew Rajkumar (35) of 12th Main Road, Anna Nagar, who was employed as a senior auditor. Upon questioning, Andrew confessed to have committed the crime after closely following the victim to his office and work. He even managed to obtain an impression of the victim’s car key and a false parking ticket before committing the theft, police added. Andrew was arrested and remanded to custody and sent to Puzhal Prison on Tuesday.

One for the ROAD This retired couple running Sri Saibaba Mess on OMR are sure to win you with their warmth and homely food

: Wholesome lunch: Sri Saibaba Mess at Mootakaranchavadi.

PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN

Ergo Correspondent

LIFFY THOMAS [email protected]

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estled in the IT companies on OMR, one wouldn’t easily give this small eatery opposite ASV Tech Park in Thoraipakkam a miss. Sri Saibaba Mess stands out as a humble place, with acrylic sheet as roof and an artistically done door giving it a visual luxury. Couple P. Lakshman Rao and Hemavathi Lakshman have been running this mess since July 2007, catering to those on the move for some inexpensive lunch and dinner option.

Fulfilling a dream It has been 25 years since Lakshman Rao has been chasing a wish – a dream to start a restaurant on wheels. But the idea was shot down by Hemavathi as it was “below their dignity” to quit her well-paying job at State Bank of Hyderabad and Rao’s job as marketing manager at a pharmaceutical company to run a restau-

rant. The mess was opened to fulfil Rao’s long-cherished desire to serve customers with his culinary abilities, and this time Hemavathi played the dutiful business partner. “I did not want to sit idle after retirement. That’s when we decided to take the business idea forward,” says Hemavathi. “Initially, I was a bit reluctant…but now I enjoy serving food to customers who are as old as my children.” IT professionals bored of the food served in their cafeteria and construction workers employed on the site are their major clientele. Seeing Hemavathi dotingly listen to your request for gravies and serve them on to the plantain leaf is a delight. Interestingly, the leased place where the restaurant runs on a meagre rent is a goodwill gesture Chinna Thambi, whom the Lakshmans know for the last four decades, wanted to shower on the couple. The Lakshmans say that whatever concession they received on the rental they are returning by offering reasonable and homely food at Rs. 30 (after-

noon meals).

Homely food “We call it is a mess as we are not experienced in the food business and it is a modest start,” says Hemavathi. Everyday the couple come from Besant Nagar to open the place at 8.30 a.m. and return at 11.30 p.m. (They go home after the afternoon rush for a few hours of rest to again open the mess for dinner). The popularity of the restaurant is quite evident from the milling crowds – from 75 meals a day, today they serve over 150 meals. For lunch (noon to 3 p.m.) there is homely South Indian food. They again open for dinner (6.30 p.m.) with tiffins like roti, sabzi, idli and dosa. “Everyday we have one variety of dosa served,” they add. ■ Address: 5/397, Mootakaranchavadi, Old Mahabalipuram Road (diagonally opposite Cognizant). (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])

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

C for Cute, C FOR CINDERELLA For lounge wear in funky prints and pretty casuals for a day out, these two shops in Cisons Complex are a good idea

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hat is your idea of lounge or night wear? If it’s polka-dotted, heart-print, star-spangled or Tweety bird pyjamas, cute tops and housecoats with Hello Kitty motifs and the like, Cute in Cisons Complex is the place to go. And if your choice in casual wear extends to dainty tops with crochet work and pin-stripe detailing, pretty wraparounds in unusual and colourful prints and smart check shirts, Cute’s sister concern, Cinderella, located just two doors away, is a good bet. Run by brothers-in-law A.J. Mohammad Sajid (Cute) and Mohammad Asif (Cinderella), the two stores have most of the clothes

sourced from Tirupur. Mohammad Sajid tells you how Jackie Shroff once visited Cute way back in the late 1980s. The more regular and day-today customers mostly comprise college students from Ethiraj, Women’s Christian College and M.O.P. Vaishnav. While wraparounds cost Rs. 150, t-shirts cost Rs. 50, Rs. 100 and Rs. 150. That’s it. “We sell the clothes at a very small profit margin. That doesn’t mean the clothes are such that the colour starts fading from the first wash. Quality is our USP,” says Mohammad Sajid. Sizes range from S to XXL. Plus, there’s new stock every month. At Cinderella, you can lay your hands on some very interesting pieces, like the pleated plaid skirt we spotted. At Cute, we loved the oversized (knee-length or longer) cartoonprint t-shirts that are any comfortloving home worm’s delight. ■

Cute No. 13 & 14, Basement, Cisons Complex, No. 150, Montieth Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008

Cinderella No. 10, Basement, Cisons Complex, No. 150, Montieth Road Egmore, Chennai – 600 008 Ph: 044 – 42145242 Store timings: 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

04

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

BACKPACKERS

Anandamide at 10,000 feet In this – the second and final part of how things can go wrong while travelling – the author finds himself a little under two hours to go to reach Hong Kong International Airport after a series of miscalculations. And he finds himself running helter skelter to board the bus that would take him to Hong Kong International Airport to somehow catch his flight to Singapore. And then Murphy’s Law set it. KARTHIK SUBRAMANIAN [email protected]

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y longest morning ever was to pave way for my longest afternoon ever. I found myself puffing and panting as I climbed up all seven stories of my cousin’s apartment in Tung Chung to reach the apartment on the eighth floor. Stumped? See Chinese people fear the number four because it’s phonetic is eerily similar to the word for death: “Si”. So they don’t have a floor numbered four in any of their buildings. My faith in mathematics and numbers, though I was never strong at it, was taken a beating on the day I would remember really well for

the rest of my life. My cousin’s wife, who had earlier in the day made me a perfect South Indian brunch, was thankfully there. For some odd reason I figured things would continue to go wrong and she would be not be there. I was thinking maybe she went out shopping for some Indian curry. Thankfully, she did not. She handed me my bags and asked me to head as quickly as I could to the airport. “There is a remote chance that you might still make it. Don’t give up,” she said. The good thing was Tung Chung terminal was nearby and the International airport was a stone’s throw away. Of course, that’s a metaphor. You would

have to be Superman to throw even a small stone from there to the airport. And armed with comedy and ‘kadi’ triggered by a good dose of Anandamide, I headed for the bus terminal. The public transport system at Hong Kong should rank amongst the best in the world. Efficient and affordable, the bus and underground train networks crisscross through the island and are also the most comfortable way to commute. For a city that is choca-bloc with skyscrapers, the roads can be notoriously narrow. Hence there are different kinds of buses for the routes – the double deckers for the main roads and the mini buses for the narrower roads that not necessarily mean the lanes. I found myself a mini-bus with the signage that showed the aircraft and was quick to find the word ‘terminal’. I could not control my joy. Less than two hours to go, and there it was – the golden chariot that would take me within ten minutes to the airport. And so I reeled into thought again, breaking up the two hours ahead into bits and pieces: 10 minutes to airport, 10 minutes to check in the luggage and get the boarding pass, 20 minutes for immigration and customs clearance, 20 minutes for security check … and that would still leave me with an entire hour to gape at all the stores at the fantabulous airport. March 15, 2006 was after all going to turn out to be a great day.

Change please There was one minor hitch though. Despite its great facilities and efficiency, I overlooked the fact that the buses in Hong Kong required the passengers to tender exact change. The buses run on a fixed fare. For example, this mini bus required 5 Hong Kong dollars, and it does not matter if you are getting off the very next stop or are planning to go on a merry-go-round.

And a five dollar coin was just the one I did not have. I offered the driver (the buses don’t have conductors by the way) a Hong Kong 10 dollar bill. He glanced at me and nodded as if in a manner saying: “Bro, I don’t have time for this.” And as I tried to tell him in the right earnest that he could keep the change, he stared at me once more as if to say: “Bro, please get off.” I have never believed in random acts of kindness to strangers. But that day an old Chinese lady, with probably the most roundest face on a Chinese person possible, who was seated next to the driver’s cabin laughed and nodded at my plight and handed me two Hong Kong five dollar coins. I did the most appropriate Chinese bow I could possibly do, summoning images of disciples bowing to masters in the kitschy Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. And as I dropped the coin in the ticket receptacle, the driver for once did not bother to turn and gesture to me. Instead he just hit a button in front of the steering wheel and a ticket popped out. The doors automatically shut and I was on my way to the airport.

Confusion strikes And as I was heading to the airport, I started counting the minutes. I pulled out my wrist watch from my pant pocket and wore it right back. I was hoping that at least from now on things would be like clockwork. I had close to an hour and fifty minutes to my flight. But there was a small problem. I could not read the digital Chinese signage that was running in the bus on the upcoming destination. And the friendly Chinese lady probably could not talk any English. That’s when I noticed the three beautiful Cathay Pacific air-hostesses. (Alright, alright … I was ogling at them from the beginning.) But the point is, I drew a master plan. Just follow the air

hostesses and they would lead you to the airport. Piece of cake. The route to the airport was unusually deserted. Tung Chung is a suburb of Hong Kong and kind of leads to the airport through a non-descript route. So there is no big sign of things to come. Which is why I thought the plan to trail the air hostesses was fool-proof.

“Idiot, idiot, idiot” So I got off at the stop that the airhostesses got off and followed them into a building that looked quite hip as the airport but was strangely deserted. I followed the air hostesses two storeys up and still there was no security, no reception, not nothing … That was when I summoned enough courage to walk ahead of one of the air hostesses, stop her and ask just where the heck I was. “This is the Cathay Pacific headquarters. Airport is just 15 minutes away on foot.” Gulp. My mind went hyper. All the Anandamide had evaporated and it was screaming: “Idiot, idiot, idiot.” As I rushed to the bus stop, I tried to decipher the signage there. And I figured out that the mini-bus service was once every half-hour. I wanted to pull my hair out. I did a few strands but stopped short. The pamphlet of the Ngong Ping ride I took earlier in the day fell out of my shirt pocket. As I bent down to pick it up, the glare of a bus windshield blinded my eye. And from afar, I could see a mini-bus approaching. Wow. It was my lucky day after all. And as I bus stopped and the door opened, I dug my hand into my pant pocket to retrieve that second Five Dollar coin that the lady gave me. And that point, the driver let a voice out: “Don’t bother”. It was the same bus, the same driver and the old lady was seated right behind him. She was laugh-

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

ing out of control. Remember? All buses in Hong Kong follow circular routes. The bus had completed its run to airport and was on its way back. So that meant me going back to Tung Chung? Hell, no. I gestured to the driver that I wanted to the airport. “Airport … airport,” I told him, making a cone sign with my hands. “Why did you not ask me,” he said. The bastard knew to speak in English. And he was kind enough to take me back and drop me at the departure lounge.

Last ticket I ran as fast as I could to the Singapore Airline counter. Thankfully there was just one European traveller ahead of me, and he was enquiring with the counter assistant if any tickets were available on the business class. He ap-

parently did not want the economy class. I was finally breathing. And as I stepped forward – the touchy European decided to take the next flight – the flight attendant took my email printout and smiled. “You are lucky. This is the last ticket and he nearly took it,” she said gesturing to the man, with wild Italian or French looks. I would like to forget just how smart he was. It is good for my self-esteem. And as I heaved a sigh of relief, I looked at my watch. Just over an hour to go and I was set. Or so I thought as I gently trudged to the biggest queue ever for customs check. And though there were several queues for EU members, Americans and other nationalities, they decided to have one queue only for Asians. Now correct me if I am wrong, but are we Asians not the biggest group there is.

Last minute entry For the first time in my life, I was actually able to hear my heart beat. I was able to realise exactly how long a minute really is. And I knew for a fact that Japanese, Chinese and Korean kids in a queue are such brats you want to just sock them hard. As I went past the customs and security check, I looked at my boarding pass and went in search of the gate where the Singapore Airlines flight was parked. I still had a good 20 minutes. The new International Hong Kong airport is one of the biggest in the world and in 20 minutes, you can only get lost there. And I ran, not for the first time on that day. I ran helter skelter. And by the time I reached my gate, the clock there ticket just two minutes close to take-off time. The Singapore Airlines personnel

gesticulated madly and thrust me to the aircraft. I was the last passenger to board it, quite literally. And as I settled down, the captain was already reading out the day’s weather and other customary greetings. I closed my eyes for the next 15 minutes as the aircraft descended and settled down in flight. I opened my eyes with a start because of the smell of pork lunch that the Japanese passenger in the next seat started taking. It had been one hell of a day. And at that moment, I dug the pamphlet of Nnong Ping Village cable car trip from my shirt and read the text: “Journey of Enlightenment,” it said. I never make promises to God. But that day I made an exception. “Dear Big Buddha, no matter what, I promise one day I will return to see you.” Concluded

06 VILLAGE

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Daddy’s double trouble A Spanish transsexual man is pregnant with twins boys and is due to give birth this September.

Astronauts finish final spacewalk Two Discovery space shuttle astronauts completed maintenance work on the International Space Station during the final spacewalk of the ongoing mission in orbit. During the six-and-a-half hour spacewalk, astronauts Joseph Acaba and Richard Arnold repositioned an equipment cart, deployed an external cargo mounting mechanism, lubricated the space station’s robotic arm and reconfigured cables that power the station’s gyroscopes. DPA

Internet users are pelting AIG with virtual tomatoes in a MoveOn.org campaign to express outrage over huge bonuses awarded to executives at the bailed-out financial giant. MoveOn’s stated mission is to splatter an image of an entrance to American International Group offices with 6.4 million cyber tomatoes to symbolise the number of dollars one executive received as a bonus at the failing firm. Tomato hurlers target portions of an AIG entrance photo with a curser and then fire with computer mouse clicks. Visitors to the website are also prompted to sign an online petition demanding that Congress retrieve the more than USD 200 million in bonuses given to AIG executives while US tax money was being pumped into the company.

Dutch city to reward motorists who avoid rush hour A Dutch city is planning to offer bonuses next year to encourage people to avoid driving during rush hours, Radio Netherlands has reported. In an experiment to reduce the number of traffic jams around the central Dutch city of Utrecht, 1,000 people will be eligible for a bonus of up to 1,200 euros if they stay away from motorways during rush hours. Participants’ cars will be installed with electronic devices, which will check how often the driver is using the motorways in the Utrecht area. The lower the use, the higher the bonus will be. The premium is paid for by the road user’s employer, who in turn is granted a tax reduction and a subsidy by the authorities.

AIG protest goes online

AFP

Malaysian army wives urged to join slimming programme The wives of Malaysian Armed Forces’ officers were urged to join a slimming programme to draw the attention of their husbands, a news report said on Tuesday. The recently launched programme, which roughly translates to “From fat, frumpy and lumpy to slim, fashionable and glamorous”, was aimed at giving makeovers to the women, organiser Rositah Mohamad Mawi was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

Xinhua

DPA

Ronaldo

turns to watch collection P

ortuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has found a new hobby in collecting luxury watches of every kind, and he is said to already own several of them. Ronaldo, 24, is reportedly the proud owner of 70,000 pounds Franck Muller timepiece, and he is now looking at investing in Rolex and Cartier watches, and timepieces from Breitling and club sponsor Hublot. “Ronnie is becoming more ma-

ture with his money and, although he loves cars, he now wants items which hold value,” the Sun quoted an Old Trafford source as saying. “He has been told how some watches increase in value over time and he has developed a great eye for these things. “A few of the United lads compete over cars and watches, but Ronnie always seems to be one step ahead,” the source added. ■ ANI

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Websites of the day

Search for elephant angel

Keep your home and belongings safe with these easy steps: http://www.studentnow.com/features/burglerproofing.html Share your bad boss experiences: http://www.employeesurveys.com/bosses/badboss.htm

Belfast Zoo is searching for an unidentified woman who looked after one of its elephants in her backyard to save it from German bombs during the Second World War.

Tipu’s throne to go under the hammer The golden throne was broken up so quickly - much to the disapproval of the then Governor General Lord Wellesley

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fter Mahatma Gandhi’s personal belongings, some more of India’s heritage is to go under the hammer this time, a gem-set gold finial from the throne of Tipu Sultan will be auctioned in London next week. The recently discovered gemencrusted gold finial plundered from Tipu Sultan’s huge golden throne is being put up for sale in the British capital on April 2, ten years after it was found lying in the vaults of an English bank. The object, found by the Bonhams Islamic Department during a routine valuation, is one of three surviving tiger head finials

A Bonhams auction house employee holds a recently discovered gem-encrusted gold finial from the octagonal golden throne of Tipu Sultan in central London.AFP PHOTO/Shaun Curry

Facebook users revolt against site’s redesign

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ore than 1.7 million Facebook users have joined a protest against another redesign of the popular social networking site, in one of the biggest consumer revolts seen in the online world. As of midday on Monday, the Facebook group called Petition Against the New Facebook had 1,727,394 disgruntled members, while a Facebook-sponsored poll on the redesign had received more than 1.2 million votes, with just 75,000 approving the new look. The redesign was foisted on

that adorned Tipu’s elaborate throne. It had lain at Featherstone Castle, Northumberland, where it was listed in an 1843 inventory of the late Baron Wallace of Knarsdale (1768-1844), who oversaw the East India Company, and afterwards was hidden away in a bank. However, a large gold tiger head from the front of the throne platform now resides at Windsor Castle, while another surviving finial lies at Powis Castle, acquired by the second Lady Clive in India. Auctioneers Bonhams, who have described the finial as actually “one of the most important Tipu items ever to appear for sale”, valued it at 800,000 pounds, the British media has reported. “It holds huge fascination for both India and Britain as it is part of our shared history. It is, without a doubt, of the greatest historical significance as it belongs to the most important symbolic object in Tipu’s kingdom, his throne, which he refused to mount until he had defeated the British,” Claire Penhallurick of Bonhams was quoted as saying. ■

Love All

the site’s 175 million worldwide users late last week in a bid by Facebook to better compete with micro-blogging sites such as Twitter while also making its pages more advertiser-friendly. Opponents of the new design say it clutters their home page with updates from people they don’t care about, while also limiting the number of features available to users. “The new Facebook home page is one step in the continued evolution of the site, designed to give people more ways to share and filter all types of content, such as status updates, photos, videos, notes and more,” the company said in a statement. ■ DPA

쒀 Andy Murray of Britain and Venus Williams of the USA play an impromptu game of traffic tennis on Ocean Drive in Miami. PHOTO: CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES FOR SONY ERICSSON/AFP

PTI

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SPORT

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

SA leads the race While uncertainty over the offshore venue of this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) continues, Cricket South Africa and the government there have moved swiftly and taken steps to host the Twenty20 championship. CSA has got in touch with the South African government and intimated them of the urgent requirements to host the event. CSA has already told various provincial unions around South Africa to keep their venues in prime condition to host one of the eight teams.

Ace

it up Cetennis the only residential tennis academy in India will see two more courts in its premises by April and calls for tennis enthusiasts from the corporate world to enjoy the sport (Left) Coach Meenakshi Sundaram shows a few tricks as his wards watch in awe. Students strike a pose at the Competitive Edge Tennis Academy in Navalur. PHOTO: S.S. KUMAR

DEEPA VENKATARAMAN

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ho said that the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) belt has only software companies? Explore the serene Navalur area along the Thambalur road, and you will reach a tennis academy – Cetennis at Meenakshi Gardens, with a difference. At 5.30 a.m. the lights of the hostel rooms at the academy are switched on and in half an hour, one can see eight kids between the age of 11 and 16 years practicing vigorously on the two clay courts. What was started by professional tennis trainer Meenakshi Sundaram as a summer camp in 2002 has turned into a one-year-tennis residential school in 2004, where not only the nuances of the sport but also education is taken care of. The threeacre academy amidst a green lawn has thirty six rooms, a mini gym with weights, an internet facility, swings and a small mess area. Giving equal importance to sports and education, the academy has got tie-ups with two schools – Sacred Heart and Gateway International. Unlike other kids of her age who run from pillar to post for classes during HSC, Susita Das (17) from Orissa, who has

just completed two years in the academy says: “Every day our study time is from 8 pm to 10 pm. I had a personal tutor who took care of my educational curriculum at the academy and hence my studies were never affected.” Forty-year-old Sundaram’s childhood dream came true when his brainchild churned out national champion in the Under-14 category few years back. “When I did my four year training at the age of eight from John Newcombe’s Tennis Ranch at Texas, I didn’t get any personal attention and hence I decided to start one with private coaching in India for talented, young tennis enthusiasts. I enrol students who already know the basics of the game and further train them to take part in tournaments conducted by the All-India Tennis Association (AITA).” For eleven-year-old Ramya Natrajan, who started to learn tennis in her native at Chidambaram at the age of nine, the academy has made a lot of difference to her game. “It was only here, I got the right training and confidence,” says the state champion who won the AITA Under-14 tournament last December. Medals and accolades from the institute have even helped the earlier stu-

dents get scholarships at colleges abroad. The kids are also exposed to international training and tennis culture once in a year. Sharadh Ramesh (14) says: “I got to interact with foreign players and exchange notes of the game at Texas.” Sundaram plans to make it a corporate affair. Appealing to companies located on the OMR for financial support, he says, “It is a good source of recreation which is close to their work place. They can also get some tips on tennis and have a good game after work.” ■

Various programmes in Cetennis 1 year programme for interested students 2 Weekend programme 3 Expats welcome to come with family to enjoy the game on hourly basis ● Address 2/191 Competitive Edge, Meenakshi Gardens, Thalambur Road, Navalur, Chennai 603103.

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

‘‘ Locked & Loaded I wouldn’t like to comment. It is sensitive issue. The decisions have been taken by the powers that be. I am just a player and will have to play wherever I am asked to.

Sourav Ganguly

The scene now moves to Napier where the Kiwis would look towards a seaming wicket to restore parity AKSHAY RAMASESHAN

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alk what you want about the young blood infusing new life into Team India, but it still took the oldest workhorse (at least in terms of the matches played) in the team to mastermind a victory over the Black Caps in the first Test played at Hamilton last week. This is ‘The Curious Case of Sachin Tendulkar,’ who it appears to be aging in reverse all of a sudden, showcasing his prodigal days. The Mumbai Maestro has only set the die. Now it is for the others to cast the series.

Scene 2: Napier The tour party now proceeds to Napier, the port city of the Northern Islands, which is the fifth largest populated urban dwelling in New Zealand, with a count of hundred thou-

sand odd people. The last outing India had in Napier was during the 1989-90 tour, when the match ended in a draw after rain washed out more than two days of play. Sachin, in his first tour of New Zealand then, had scored a cautious 88. The Kiwis are expected to go in for a more seamer-friendly strip. Coach Andy Moles was heard saying: “We need a typical New Zealand wicket where it nips for about a couple of days so it brings our seamers into the game against their batting attack which is used to the ball being true and turning a bit.” Phil Stoyanoff, the chief curator at McLean Park, has promised a similar deal. However, he ruled out a green-top, in the interest of witnessing a five-day contest.

Team Composition New Zealand and Daniel Vettori will have to get their combination right. Vettori will obviously be disappointed with Jacob Oram’s unavailability. The Kiwis have roped in Jeetan Patel (in place of un-

capped bowler Brent Arnel) and Jamie How as a cover for the injured Daniel Flynn. The bruised seamers have however been retained, that goes on to suggest the captain’s confidence in them. Jeetan Patel will certainly get a look into the XI, as hinted by the coach. Ian O’Brien would most likely pave way. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on the other hand, would not think twice on fielding the same eleven. He would like to go for an instant kill and seal matters off before heading down to Basin Reserve for a final word. He must be relatively happy with everybody’s perfomances albeit he would like to see Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman among the runs. In-form Sehwag missed out on a good chance to bat, after being runout by his partner. The bowling department too showed signs of commitment and took wickets at crucial junctures. The weak-link before the first test Munaf Patel has also managed to remain in Captain Cool’s good books. ■

Sachin Tendulkar tests his football skills along with teammate Ishant Sharma at the Eden Park stadium in Auckland on Tuesday. PHOTO: AFP

10 FLICK

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Robin Williams recovering from heart surgery Oscar winner Robin Williams is expected to make a complete recovery from his recent heart surgery in the next two months and plans to resume his comedy tour afterward, according to his representatives.

‘Preity has done a splendid job’ Director Deepa Mehta on her next film Videsh- Heaven on Earth and the leading lady Preity Zinta

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eepa Mehta is the person of the moment. She is ready with her next film Videsh — Heaven On Earth, a yet another poignant story about the tale of an Indian woman married and settled abroad. The ace director speaks to TWF correspondent Ritesh Sharma on her film and more You have once again chosen a very interesting subject and the protagonist in your film is a female. It’s not about the protagonist

but the subject. It’s a very topical issue and very delicate. I have given my best and hopefully people will like it. Tell us something more about the story As I said it’s a very delicate subject and needed to be handled with care. It’s about the life of an Indian woman, Chand, who leaves her homeland to go to Canada and settle with her husband Rocky. It’s about how her life changes and the turbulent situations she has to over-

come. The film, apparently deals with how this woman is tortured by her husband after she gets married and goes abroad. It’s not only that. It’s not about the tyranny a married Indian woman is subjected to. It’s only one side of it. It’s about a fight within oneself and how one overcomes it. It’s also about life and hope and there is a bright side to it also. Videsh is a subject that is very close to my heart. Why did you choose Preity

Zinta? I think she was the perfect one who could have done justice to the film and she lived up to the expectations. In fact she has given a power packed performance and exceeded my expectations. I think this is one of her best performances till date and I must compliment her for doing such a splendid job. What about your next project, Midnight’s Children? We are yet to start on that. I have had a word with Salman

Rushdie and we will soon sit down together. It’s a long process and the script has to be written. But I hope that won’t take much time. So what do we expect from Videsh once it releases? Expect a good story that will be entertaining at the same time though provoking. I think Preity needs to be applauded for her effort and after this film she will be held in high esteem. ■ Trans World Features

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Jacko’s invite to Harry Potter stars King of pop Michael Jackson is such a big fan of the Harry Potter films that he has reportedly invited its young stars to be his guests at the opening night of his Live 8 gig. Actors Daniel Radcliffe, 19, Emma Watson, 18, and Rupert Grint, 20, have been invited to the show, and they will even be able to go backstage at the O2 on July 8.

Aniston dumped Mayer because of twitter A

ctress Jennifer Aniston dumped her boyfriend rocker John Mayer as he was apparently twittering too much. Thesun.co.uk reports that Mayer said he was too busy to call Aniston back while she was promoting her new film. But she could see that he was regularly updating his page on the social networking site. A friend said: “Jen was fuming. There he was, telling her he didn’t have time for her and yet his page was filled with updates!

Every few hours, sometimes minutes, he’d update with some stupid line. She was like, ‘He has time for all this Twittering, but he can’t send me a text, an email, make a call?’ He didn’t deny it. He knew he was avoiding her. So when she ended things, he just said OK, and he was sorry it didn’t work out.” The two had started dating in 2008 and have been on and off. ■ IANS

Diaz asks for a Moss hairstyle in salon

H

ollywood actress Cameron Diaz walked into a hair salon in California with a picture of British model Kate Moss. According to dailymail.co.uk, the picture was a headshot of Moss with blonde hair. A source said: “Cameron is obviously a fan of Kate’s hair do. She took the photograph with her and showed the stylist exactly what she wanted. Kate must be very flattered that someone like Cameron wants to copy her look.” After Diaz asked for a particular cut, a stylist got ready to work on the hair. Diaz spent close to three hours in the salon with her hair covered in foil. She spoke on her phone, sent messages and read magazines. ■ IANS

Pazhassi Raja to hit the theatres on Aug 15

Cine City

Gopika’s sister to debut Actress Gopika’s sister Glini is all set to enter the Malayalam film industry. She will be playing actor Mukesh’s daughter in a new film to be directed by Binu Kumar. Glini is at present doing a hospital management course. Meanwhile her sister Gopika, who is on a sabbatical after her marriage, has restarted her studies. She is currently pursuing a course in Sociology in Ireland, where she is settled with her husband Dr. Ajilesh.

Mammootty’s magnum opus historical Pazhassi Raja will finally hit the theatres on this Independence Day. The movie scripted by M T Vasudevan Nair and directed by Hariharan, has Tamil star Sarath Kumar playing a prominent role. The movie to be released simultaneously in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi also has actors Suman, Kanika and Padmapriya.

12

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Writers Club

Hello folks, Look out for this space every Wednesday for short stories and poems you have penned during your free hours. Short stories should be original and not exceed 600 words. Send them to [email protected] with your contact details.

The globe is warming and humans are responsible

T

he Arctic: Rudolph, the seal is lazing on the bed of ice next to the ocean enjoying the cold breeze. All of a sudden he hears an unusual crash and opens his eyes to a huge chunk of ice running down the glacier next to him. He immediately flips and falls into the ocean just in time to escape the chunk and watches it crash into his bed. Before he recovers Rudolph starts swimming incessantly to escape another block about to crush him. In a frenzied run, he swims to the shore while watching huge chunks of ice break down from the top of the glaciers around him. Amidst all the rumbling, the seal frantically moves to the city and heads to the master seal’s cave. The master seal, the oldest in the community, opens his eyes disturbed from his meditation by the agitated Rudolph. Confused at the master’s amusement, Rudolph begs him to explain what’s going on. The master seal says: “Rudolph, the polar ice caps are melting!” Again confused, Rudolph questions the master why the ice caps are melting and who is responsible for it. “The globe is warming and humans are responsible for it. Humans are the most intelligent and youngest species of evolution who have taken over the world for 10,000 years!”

approaches Rudolph the forest, she replies: “If Deforestation destroys trees. These later results is perplexed the humans in hurricanes that destroy the earth including by the abare so intel- the humans. Energy resources are then used up sence of ligent, which some of the makes them for selfish corporate greed, which will render trees that certainly the planet barren in a few years. housed her smarter than friends. Wonus, why are they destroying our home? upon a window sill. An old man dering what’s going on, she Don’t they know that we won’t sitting inside was explaining to a lands on one of trees and sees be able to survive in any other bunch of students about some humans cutting down the trees. “greenhouse” gases in the atmoAs they start cutting the tree place?” The master grins and replies, sphere that was creating so- that she is perched upon, Sally called “global flies now both confused and “Rudolph. No one has even mething been able to answer that ques- warming”. Intrigued by the dis- frustrated with what humans tion!” Rudolph goes back to his cussion, Sally starts paying at- are doing. Lost in thought and home, staring into the vast tention and hears the horrific aggravated about humans deocean reflecting the full moon consequences of this phenome- stroying her friends’ abode, Salright above it. His thought gets non. Sally then decides to go ly is flying, when the sight of distracted by a blurred figure around the world to see what’s something awfully familiar capactually going on. She rises into tures her attention. It’s her across the moon. A sea gull flying in a haphaz- the air, but this time making friend, dead and floating in waard way comes towards him and sure she doesn’t get into the ob- ter with the current that just deperches right in front of him. noxious gaseous clouds. Howev- stroyed an entire city – a Worn out, with soot all over and er, to her surprise she sees hurricane. Sally lands down next droopy eyes, the sea gull intro- clouds beneath her originating to a rescue worker with a red duces herself as Sally. Rudolph out of tall pipes. Surprised by cross on his back, who looks at asks Sally what happened to her. these new clouds, she goes her dead friend and says, “AnSally then looks at Rudolph, down to explore them and real- other victim that would’ve been coughs and then starts narrating ises that they’re made out of the saved if it wasn’t for the damn same gases that were in the deforestation!” her recent travel experiences. clouds above. Greenhouse gases That’s the moment when it all Sally’s encounter polluting the atmosphere. dawned upon Sally. She conA week ago, Sally decided to Sally decides to keep away nected the dots and realised that travel around the world. As soon from these gases and carefully everything is inter-related and as it rose in the air, it started flies right in between them. everything is exactly what the flying into the thick clouds that However, she is caught choking professor in the class said. Dewere definitely not made of wa- and coughing. As she flies by, forestation destroys trees that ter vapour. Choked by these she decides to meet her friends have high amounts of water. weird clouds, Sally flew down in a nearby rainforest and dis- These later results in hurricanes into buildings and perched cuss this new revelation. As she that destroy the earth including

the humans. Energy resources are then used up for selfish corporate greed, which will render the planet barren in a few years.

Who is destroying whom! Rudolph is flabbergasted with this new realisation and abhorred by humans who he realises are stupid enough to destroy their own home and others’ too. He looks at Sally and sees her eyes drooping uttering her last words with a grin before she drops down dead! “The humans are too delusional to understand that mother earth is destroying them one by one in the pretext of cleaning up the culprits that have vandalized her!” Rudolph crashes down next to Sally’s body with tears in his eyes and desperation in his mind to make the humans understand what Sally could. The sight of dead Sally petrifies him and also jolts a little kid in whose dream Rudolph and Sally existed. Perplexed and confused himself, the little kid walks down the stairs to his mom who is fixing breakfast and asks her, “Mom, why is global warming bad and how can we fix it?” Hearing the kid’s question, his dad, sipping coffee answers “Son, we don’t believe in global warming! It’s a false concept!” ■ Richard Kodamanchili, Cognizant Technology Solutions

13

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

■ Villu because the movie is full of comedy in the name of romance Lokeswaran Allsec, Vijayachakravarthy Infosys

■ Narasimma, for the chemistry between captain and Isha Gopikar

Pari Cognizant

■ Jab We Met. I like the story and characterisation of both Shahid and Kareena

Thivyanathan, Nagesh TCS

■ Minnale, for Maddy’s romance and Vivek’s comedy both at its peak

wonder if such a film comes up in the future. Best of luck directors Deena Wipro

■ Micheal Madana Kama Rajan acted by Padmashri Kamal Hassan

Sripradha Chakravarthy Infosys

■ Siva Manasula Sakthi. It’s full of comedy

Thirumalai RBS

■ Panchathanthiram. Romance can also be shown in such a lighter effect is something amazing

Anuradha Prakash TCS

Sabarish.JM Cognizant

■ Kadhalikka Neramillai. The movie suits for all generations and it had the flavour of both romance and comedy. After that movies either had romance or comedy but not both. I

■ Fifty First Dates because the way Adam Sandler does things to win short term memory loss Barrymore heart again with every new day with his unique sense of humour

Senthil Arjunan Calsoft Ltd

Art featured in this column will receive gift coupons from Fruit Shop on Greams Road. Send in your addresses so that we can post the coupons.

■ Dear Srini, Happy Birthday SRINI Smart Robust Intelligent Nasty Intellect. Nothing more..We all wish that all the troubles around you get vanished and you to get into the new ’interesting’ , fun-filled’ trouble of marriage...! ! Urs Everloving Friends werone (Kannan,Mugi,Jai,Magi,Jaggu,Hari)

■ Dear Sreevas, May all your hopes and dreams come true, and may the memory of this day become dearer with each passing year. Happy Marriage Anniversary!!! Best Regards, Panasonic Team. R Systems International Ltd.

■ Happy Birthday Venkat ! Whatever Dream u r Dreaming , may each one of them come true . Whatever plans u r making may they all work out for u . Wish You all Happiness, Health and Prosperity with many more returns of the Day....! Regards, Rajkumar , Krishna , Raghu , Saba, Bala ,Sudalai e Services Mainframe - iNuatix Technologies

Gayathri AD from Cognizant Technology Solutions doodled this.

■ Dear Sampath, May your day be filled with laughter On this your special day And may the finest things in life Always come your way. Regards, PrabhuMohan V

■Dear Jayapriya, This is our wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, confidence for when you doubt and Love to complete your life. Have a wonderful birthday!!! 1) Innaiku thoonguna nalaiku enthirikalam.aana naalaiku thoonguna inaiku enthirika mudiyuma???? 2) Bus la collector-yae erinalum.. mudhal seetu driveruku than...... Saravanan.V, HCL Technologies Ltd.

What happens when an amplifier is thrown into the ocean??? Tsunami would come, because amplifier amplifies smaller waves into bigger waves. Selva, Srini, Tata Consultancy Services

Ur lovable sisters, Sowdha(HCL), Vaishu

■Dearest Ragini, It’s your birthday...and we are thinking how glad we are that you were born. You have given us so much - supported us, encouraged us, cared for us; I didn’t even need to ask. We celebrate your

wonderful self! We are in awe of your boundless generosity, your infinite kindness— that gentle inner glow that you so freely use to warm our life. Your birthday is as much a celebration for us as it is for you, maybe more, and We wish for you the best of birthdays, the best one ever. May each birthday be better than the last. Most of all, We hope you will always be As happy as you have made us. With love, Vinesh, Prathap, Sangith, Muthu, Revathy, Reena, Divya.

■Happy Birthday Deepa ! Whatever Dream u r dreaming, may each one of them come true . Whatever plans u r making may they all work out for u. Wish You all Happiness, Health and Prosperity with many more returns of the Day....! Regards, Chennai Pat 2008 - Batch 1, iNautix Technologies. ■Dear Kannan, Our heart is filled with wishes For a very special day, One that brings a world of joy And happiness your wayIt’s also filled with loving thoughts Especially meant for you, For you’re the kind of person Happy things should happen to! Best Wishes, S. Jayaprakash Wipro, and Nalini IBM, and all IBM Banking friends

■Dear Manager Sir (Paul), Hope all that you do, Turns out happy for you, And all that you wish, Comes your way, Like warm and loving wishes, And happiness and cheer,And everything you need to start Another happy year Hv a wonderful Birthday!!! inimelavadhu Alavoda sight adi pls :) Treat maranthudadha!! Cheers, RDS,SD

■Hi Deepan, We have no choice of what

color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.YOU HAD THE CHOICE N U CHOSE US. Regards Bhavna , Deepa , Abirami ,Sweety

■ Hi Anbu, Wish You a Many More Happy Returns of the Day Saran Anna. Let Your Dreams become true. Have a Beautiful and Joy full Year ahead Anna. Enniya pirthanal naal valthugal anna.

Best Wishes & Regards from, Your Friends & Team mates.

■Dear Tiju, Today you are blessed with another beautiful year. Wish you all happiness, health and success on your Day.

Happy Birthday... With Love, Sudhagar & Josny

■Wish you Many more Happy Returns of the Day, Doctor.Subathra. "There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents ... and only one for birthday presents, you remember...25’March"

Anbudan, Vijay.G, i|Nautix

■Dear Krishna (Krishnaveni), Some things are left undone, Some words are left unsaid, Some feelings are left unexpressed, But some ones as nice you could Never be left wished. Happy birthday my friend

Logesh, Infosys

■Dear Paramesh (CPW), Belated B’day Wishes da Palam,Have a great ’nd fun year ahead.

Cheers, Nandha & Karthi Motorola,TCS Sakthimurugan -TEG,TCS

■Hi Iniyava Iniyavarukku Iniya Pirandha Naal Nal Valthukkal. Wish u Many Many More Happy returns of the day !!!

Priyamudan, Jayapriya Rajasekaran, Infosys

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Alien encounter The U.K.’s Ministry Of Defence has released a document detailing a British woman’s encounter with an "alien" who had a Scandinavian accent.

sudoku

Vasanth Dandapani of iNautix Technologies captured this insect on his Canon G6. Hobbies: Photography, Animation

Preference this month is being given to photographs that talk about ‘happiness’, which you need to tell us in a line or two. Please do not repeat any of your previous pictures and also make sure that the photograph is people-oriented. Happiness is not always a smile, so put on your thinking caps and keep clicking! Winners can collect their gift vouchers on Sundays, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Ergo office

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit. E-mail: [email protected]

TEAM Editor: Karthik Subramanian [email protected]

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan Illustrator: R. Venugopal Technical Support: V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Contact: 2857 5757 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

SNAIL MAIL 859/860, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002 mail your feedback to [email protected]

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Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7, CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar, Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin: 603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik (Editor responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553

KAKURO

15

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Watch out! Swiss watch-makers have teamed up with Indian psychics to design a watch they claim predicts the future - turning brown when trouble is about to strike.

Word’s worth “Ichthyoallyeinotoxism” (ick-thee-oh-al-ee-ayn-oh-toks-izm) a kind of food poisoning, which causes vivid and terrifying hallucinations in people who eat fish that have themselves eaten certain algae containing indoles, chemicals similar to LSD.

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 Routine activities may take up a lot of time today, feels Ganesha. Hence you need to be more attentive. This might dissolver your interest for important tasks. Initiations from your end will be seen only after lunch, feels Ganesha.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 Your mind might go for a ‘world tour’ today. Ganesha warns you against thinking in too many directions. Probably it would be better to handle one thing at a time. You might be over expressive or over enthusiastic in approaching your beloved.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 Logical thinking is fine, but incessant brooding or pondering might not prove to be useful. Ganesha suggests that you should not try to push yourself for something which is practically impossible. Try to streamline your thoughts in a proper direction.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 Luck will favour you in the second part of the day. The first part of the day might be eaten up by impractical thoughts or actions. Ganesha warns you against such thoughts. Ganesha further insists you to not react impulsively in meetings. E

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 The so-called dull and slow paced day will seem active only when the evening is closer. Obviously, the later part of the day will keep you busy. Since you are a true romantic at heart, you might feel like expressing your love in a very dramatic manner.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

You will be doing a variety of work in the first part of the day. This might agitate you and might affect your tone or way of talking. In such circumstances. However personal life is hassle free. On the whole, the day seems to be average day.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 Today your work will be heavy from the moment you step into the office. Important activities or communication might take up yor time, feels Ganesha. This might take a toll on your energy levels.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You might feel like conquering the North Pole today. In other words, you may have a strong urge to take up challenging and invincible tasks today. Unfortunately, you might not be able to spare much time as your schedule at office will be very tight.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 Ganesha finds you composed today. You will be able to handle office work very smoothly and on time. Old creative projects may now start coming to conclusion. Thankfully you will be able to spare time for family and close friends.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You will feel very brave today as you won’t mind taking up challenges. Ganesha thinks you will be able to handle difficult tasks very easily. The good thing about the day is that you strengths and plus points will be highlighted in front of your superiors.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 Progress is on the cards today. Before lunch, you will be involved in important communication regarding work. Post lunch, you may deal in some other important work and decide to finish it off quickly.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You will be able to clear your confusions at work with positive and firm decisions. Ganesha thinks persistent hard work will help you gain clarity at work place. You might spend a wonderful evening with your sweetheart. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Primate keepers Louise Grossfeldt (L) and Mandy McLellan (R) display an infant Francois Langur (Trachypithecus francoisi) named ’Elke’ through the window of Taronga Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital in Sydney on March 24, 2009. There are only around 1,000 of the critically endangered leaf-eating monkeys still in the limestone karst region of northeast Vietnam. AFP PHOTO/TORSTEN BLACKWOOD

Rescuers prepare to herd a pod of long-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins back out to sea from Hamelin Bay, south of the city of Perth, on Tuesday. Rescuers used trucks and cranes fitted with giant slings in a bid to transport 11 surviving whales from a mass beaching on Australia’s west coast to a safe harbour for release. AFP PHOTO/TONY ASHBY

British actor Gemma Arterton arrives in London’s Leicester Square on Monday to attend the world premiere of her latest film, The Boat That Rocked, directed by British film director Richard Curtis. AFP PHOTO/MAX NASH