Ergo October 3

A BYTE OF LIFE

Friday, October 3, 2008

03 TEAM SPIRIT Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu audio launch FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 2

12 TREND SPOTTING A look at fashion week eye-catchers

No. 191

LOVE @CTUALLY

Internet brokers on the rise? Read on to see how Facebook and Orkut have helped to bring two people together » PAGE 04 & 05

02

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Namma Chennai SALE

SALE

Age-old weaves

FOOD

Arabian Magic Experience the mystique of Arabian cuisine with a varied range of delicacies. Menu includes: Arabic bread, Baklawa, cooked dish of pasta, rice and lenthils. When: Till October 11; 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Where: Cilantro, Le Royal Meridien For reservation, call 2231 4343

Chocolates for all

Chocolates are something that tempt every age and you don’t need an occasion to have them. Jyoti is accepting orders this festive season, where she even takes care of the packing, done to suit ones budget and taste. Contact: 98403 94354

EXHIBITION

ACTIVITY

Wild adventure The Wildlife Week is on and Madras Crocodile Bank has a night safari this Saturday and Sunday. Make sure you register in advance at 2747 2447. When: Till October 7; 7 to 8 p.m. Where: Madras Crocodile Bank, ECR

LIFESTYLE

Doll games WWF India has displayed golu on the theme ‘Wildlife’. Diversified toys from children in the neighbourhood have helped in building the golu. Where: WWF-India, No.2, Subramanya Avenue,Valmiki Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur Contact: 42110690

Shop from Anuradha Vakil’s shimmering gota, sensuous silhouettes and age-old weaves blended in a contemporary language. When: October 4 to 21; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Amethyst, No 14/30, Padmavathi Road, Jeypore Colony, Gopalapuram

FOOD

Cheers!

EXPO

Get pampered The luxury spa at The Park has introduced three special packages – Sugary Delight, Milky Way and Delicious Honey – for the season. When: Till October end Where: Aura, The Park Contact Megha @ 4267 6000

Nothing fishy If ornamental fish, aquarium plants, aquarium accessories or anything to do with starting a hobby on the same interests you, then you must go to the Chennai Aqua Show. Over 80 stalls are on display showing different products to help you boost your hobby. When: Till October 5 Where: Valluvar Kottam

Experience true German culture with traditional food, beer and a Bavarian band. When: October 3; 7 p.m. Where: Poolside, Taj Coromandel

03

Friday, October 3, 2008

(from left) Directors Susindran and Gowtham Menon, IGP Ramesh Kudwala, actor Viishnu, music directors V.Selvaganesh , A.R.Rahman, Tamil Nadu Film Producers Assn President Ramanarayanan, actor Vikram and producer Anand Chakravarthy. PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN

Docker Rocker

Team spirit A host of debutants and their respective fathers, along with celebs like ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, marked the audio launch of Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu V.HARIPRIYA [email protected]

W

hen two techies join hands, what can they do? Coding, testing and debugging? For a change, these techies turned to films and they released the audio of their debut movie at Sathyam Cinemas on Thursday. Anand Chakravarthy, a post graduate in Management Information Systems, and Viishnu, a software Engineer from namma Chennai, make their entry into tinsel town with Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu, a film set against a rural background. The

film also has V. Selvaganesh, son of ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram, making his debut as music director. The audio launch saw the fathers of the producer, hero, music director, cinematographer and director respectively receiving the copies of the CD from the chief guests. The producer, Anand, who said that he owes everything to his parents, wanted his father to collect the audio CD. Others followed suit. The film has Yaaradi Nee Mohini fame Saranya Mohan playing the female lead. Apart from 43 new faces onscreen, even the director Susindran and cinematographer J. Laxman

Kumar are marking their debut with this movie. The lyrics for the songs are written by Na. Muthukumar, Snehan, debutants J. Francis Kriba and Karthik Netha. The songs are sung by Shankar Mahadevan, Karthik, Haricharan and Chinmayi. The film is nearing completion and will hit theatres by December. Prominent faces like A.R. Rahman, ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram, director Gowtham Menon, Vikku Vinayakram, Rama Narayanan and director Ezhil made their presence felt at the audio launch. ■

Dockers has launched a new range of timewear, eyewear and fragrances for men and its Fall/ Holiday ’08 collection. Timewear is classified into three categories – Khakis, Mobile and Collection. The range is priced between Rs. 3999 and Rs. 6999. The Fall/ Holiday ’08 collection delivers an overall look of classic casual style. The Dockers Mobile is infused with innovative features that guarantee utmost comfort, practicality and durability including the Never Iron technology, anti-bacterial quality, extra secure/hidden pockets and even embroidered eyelet at armpit for better ventilation. The range for apparel starts from Rs.899. The Dockers women’s line comes in two categories – Essential and Liberty and includes a complete wardrobe of woven and knitted tops, denim and non-denim bottoms. The range is priced between Rs. 399 and Rs 3,999.

04

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Big Story Crushtimes in

the

‘‘

The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect.

of

Internet

“W

hen Cupid strikes, never let the arrow show,” or so some cubicle romantic had written. Expressing feelings for a person face-to-face has always been a scary endeavour, but some swear by Facebook, Orkut, MSN Messenger and other online mediums to flirt subtly, without fearing rejection. Facebook and its numerous applications, of course, provide a platform for pending love. Manpreet Kaur, a foreign language services consultant, says, “A friend of mine had a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder and she would often wear halter necks to show them off. She liked this guy who used to go to a partic-

ular Subway outlet almost every day. I was his housemate at the time and he called me excitedly one day to show me his graffiti wall – she had drawn a Subway sandwich with a butterfly fluttering above. They went out for a few months after that.” In some ways, Karthik M. is similar, except he used iLike. The application allows Facebook users to add music clips to their profiles and also send favourite songs to friends. “Very stupidly I used to send this girl I liked very ‘direct’ songs. Once I sent her N’Sync’s ‘Girlfriend’ and she replied with Jennifer Paige’s ‘Crush’ which basically says I should not over-analyse her actions.”

Dictionary.com says Crush /kruhsh/ (formal): to smooth or flatten

by pressure; (informal): an intense but usually short-lived infatuation. Delhi-based lecturer Susan Thomas says the two synonyms are connected. “I have a brainwasher for a colleague who would bombard her crush with forwards everyday, so that he would remember her name. Her methods were a little ‘forward’ but mine were a little more oblique. In my blog I made vague references to a man I liked in the possibility he would read it. He did read it, but never commented, although my friends were shocked and asked me to remove the particular posts.”

Drinking buddies When gifts are too expensive to send across states, resort to free gifts – online. Dhanya K. says, “My ex-boyfriend used to

Esther Dyson

Paint some graffiti, dedicate a song, send over a drink…all while hiding behind a computer screen. Who says expressing interest is difficult?

send me virtual drinks on Facebook. He once sent me a Teddy Bear with ‘Be Mine’ written on a heart, and then kittens, deliberately, because he knew how much I disliked cats. This was all when we were still friends. Also, once we broke up, I remember changing my status message on Orkut to show I was nonchalant about the break-up – like mine would read ‘Dhanya K is smiling again after a very long time’ or something.

He called me excitedly one day to show me his graffiti wall – the girl had drawn a Subway sandwich with a butterfly fluttering above

05

Friday, October 3, 2008

We had mentioned this week’s Big Story topic as ‘Internet love’. However, before that the topic had been published as ‘A crush you would like to forget’. Since our contributors have been heart-warmingly honest with the latter topic, we have decided to print the responses to both. Thanks again for keeping it real.

T

hanks for giving us this topic at the right time, as Ammu and Sandy will be celebrating their first love anniversary on October 2. September 2007 was the time when Ammu got free access to browse and surf the Web during her office hours. Generally a person’s first online crush happens through Facebook or Orkut but for Ammu it was Netlog. She had received many friend requests and two out of the many became her close friends. Out of that, this one guy was very impressive. You know why? First, Ammu shot a message to him, asking for a good reason to accept him as a friend, to which he had a cute reply. The next reason is that because his hometown is Salem, which is Ammu’s favourite place in the whole world. The guy, Sandy, was in Trivandrum then, working as a software professional, while Ammu was in Chennai employed in a software concern. Initially, they started off as friends and then they became best friends. It was at this time she hesitated because anything further than this relationship was going to be a commitment. All she could ponder on was, “How will Sandy react if I told him how I felt since we have known each other for not more than 45 days.” She did not want to make a snap decision, yet she decided to open up to him in the blind faith that he would not step away from a commitment. And on October 2, they celebrated the day they put aside their tantrums for love. It has been exactly a year. They still have their fights, but nothing serious, and funfilled always. On this first anniversary, they decided to open up to their parents about each other. I wish them all success and dedicate this article to all those wonderful and lively couples out there.

I

had about three crushes during my school days. All were very silly and interesting when I think about it. I keep wondering how I could have been so stupid. Although these days, I can laugh it off, they are still memorable incidents in my life. The worst crush was during my school days when I was in standard 12. My story falls in the times I used to go for tuition classes. I liked a boy who was very calm and quiet but was not academically inclined. Enthusiastically, I used to look out for him, amongst 50 students. I would break out into a beaming smile whenever I saw him. I still don’t know what I saw in him. However, one of my close friends said she would get me his phone number through her friend in the school the guy studied in. When we did get his number, we devised a game plan to approach this guy. My friend then called him and narrated a false story that even a small kid would not have believed. The story was that, my friend was being ragged by her friends to pick up a random number and make conversation with whoever picked up the call. She introduced herself as a student doing her B.Sc final year.

That guy also believed it and they both started to talk on the phone often. They became good friends, and she even started introduced me to him, but I never had the guts to converse freely. My friend started to talk a little more about me to him so that he would show some interest. One fine day he woke up and understood the game both of us had been playing, which he would have guessed earlier if he had been using his brain. Then this guy managed to find out my friend’s residential address using her phone number, which was disturbing to say the least. Thank god, all these conversations were telephonic. That was the last call made by my friend to that guy. My friend and I never forgot that incident. We were very frightened that he would come to both of our houses and threaten us in front of our parents and tuition teachers. Thank god he showed some mercy because after that we stopped all our games. To explain, it had become a little ugly and made me feel indecent. I felt bad that I had bothered a person who was not at all interested in me. I hope I will never see him during my life time. Chitra Subramanian

Vidya Mohan

I

smiled at her. Before she could reciprocate, her husband came out of nowhere – in a nutshell, this describes my feelings for a particular girl. It started in school and memories keep flashing as I pen this down. She and I had known each other since kindergarten. The bond that we as children developed became weaker as we grew up, and she became conscious of how people spoke about us. No one in my class would call her an angel, save me. She had such a homely face, her little forehead almost hidden behind a huge bindhi. She was one of my strongest competitors in studies. It was her, along with another girl who consistently gave me a run for the first rank. When she did beat me to the first rank, I did not mind as it gave me an opportunity to congratulate her. There was never a dearth of cute girls in class, but I could never take my eyes of this particular girl. When a teacher lifted his hand to beat me (any boy for that matter) she would close her eye

and make a ‘ssss’ sound as if the blow had landed on her. Her handwriting was the most beautiful and she was talented, perhaps weaker than me in Maths but generally good. Her voice was soft. You cannot imagine such a girl scolding anyone. In fact she never did. She was silent, and my happiest moment was when she wished me all the best for my Physics public exam. I got a centum and afterwards returned to my town. After getting busy with preparations for college, I lost track of her. A friend called me once to inform she was married right after school. Her education was cut off and she became the typical household village wife. That was how I saw her when her husband came between us. She did not speak. As she crossed me, she turned to me and smiled. That had never changed – the warmth we shared since childhood. I still cherish that. But life went on and I had forgotten this, before Ergo brought this out - my first and last ‘crushed’ crush. Snehnath S (name changed)

06

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Village

Pig banned Children’s programme The Muppet Show was banned from TV in Saudi Arabia because one of its stars was a pig.

World’s fattest man to wed after massive diet

M

exican Manuel Uribe, the world’s fattest man in the 2007 Guinness Book of Records, said on Wednesday that he would wed this month, after losing nearly half his original weight. “It will be a hefty wedding, on a large scale, but with a low-calorie banquet,” the 43-year-old said. Uribe, who lives in his bed, in February said he had dropped 230 kilograms (570 pounds) from

Manuel dropped 230 kilograms (570 pounds) from 590 kilograms (1,300 pounds) after massive diet

590 kilograms (1,300 pounds). He said he would marry a widow named Claudia, to whom he has been engaged for two years, on October 26 at home in Monterrey, northern Mexico. The media-friendly Mexican expanded his wedding plans after offers of sponsorship from international magazines, television stations and local mayors who offered a cake for 400 guests. Uribe has also asked a Mexican band called ‘Pesado,’ or ‘Heavy,’ to provide the music. He thanked God for the “miracles he gave to a man who was on the edge of suicide and who today knows love.” ■ AFP

German pensioner swings machete in parking row A German pensioner became so angry in a row with a taxi driver over parking that he struck him on the head with a machete and chopped off the man’s finger. The 70-year-old man stormed off after remonstrating with the cab driver about his parking early on Wednesday morning, said police in Limburg-Weilburg in western Germany. Soon afterwards, the pensioner reappeared at the driver’s office armed with a 60-cm (24-inch) machete and attacked the 60-year-old, who was taken to hospital with head injuries. The assailant fled the scene, but later gave himself up. He is likely to be charged with attempted homicide, police said. Reuters

Head-shrinking belts: Japanese women’s latest fad! Fashion conscious women in Japan are increasingly taking to cosmetic belts to shrink their heads. The five-pound belt can be worn around the head while sleeping. The makers of the ‘Small Face Make Belt’, called as the Kogao Meiku Beruto, claim that it will help in shrinking the size of the heads over time. Meanwhile, the men have also opted to go for a shrinking change and have been buying a gadget to make their mouths smaller. The machine, which costs 4 pounds and is called a Tex Mex Slim Mouth, looks like an extendable gum shield. The machine is said to train mouth muscles if used for three minutes a day. ANI

Woman slapped with fine for taking too long to eat at KFC! A British woman was left dumfounded when she was hit with a 150 pound fine for taking too long to eat at fast food giant KFC. A regular at KFC, Natalie Jackson had ordered a huge family bucket, which contained 14 chicken pieces, 6 French fry bags and large cokes. Jackson and a pal took an hour to scoff the 5,456calorie feast. Days later Jackson was fined for breaking KFC’s 75-minute car parking limit. “I spend a lot of money in there. Now I’m never going back,” said Jackson. Natalie - who eats at KFC three times a week complained that she was unaware of signs warning of the time limit in Huddersfield, West Yorks. ANI

Mexican thieves steal five small planes Armed men stole five small planes from a private airstrip in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa on Tuesday by overpowering a police officer and flying away, security forces said. The group of around 20 men stormed the small airstrip at dawn, seized the officer’s gun, tied him up, filled the planes with fuel and flew off, said Emma Quiroz, spokeswoman for the government’s anti-organised crime operations in Sinaloa. It was not clear if there was a link to drug gangs who use small aircraft to spirit cocaine through northern Mexico toward the United States. Quiroz’s office said it was investigating whether any authorities had been complicit in the theft. Reuters

07

Friday, October 3, 2008

Opera stop

This day, that year

Stars of the Zurich Opera in Switzerland have put on a show in a train station in a bid to connect with a wider audience. Travellers looked on during a rehearsal as the singers went up and down escalators.

It was in October 3, 1977 that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was arrested on corruption charges.

Japanese hooked to Indian ‘CURRY AND NAAN’ I

n Japan, India is virtually synonymous years ago. There are others like the Mahwith ‘curry’. araja which has 25 restaurants, Khana (3), Indian food has now got the JapaSapla (1), Great India, Bombay, Ali Baba, nese hooked and is gradually replacJantar Mantar and Agra. ing Chinese and Thai, their other There is also a restaurant named favourites, with hundreds of restaurants ‘Gandhi’ in Washington Hotel in Shinzumushrooming across its isku that was set up 25 years lands and an unprecedenago by a Japanese. ted rise in food imports Potahar, in Shinzuku, ToRestaurants from the country. kyo, is owned by a Pakistani In fact, the Japanese are but the Indian flag hangs owned by so fascinated with the ‘Indioutside. A small eatery with Pakistanis, an’ food that even restauhardly a sitting place for a Bangladeshis rants owned by Pakistanis, dozen people, it caters to Bangladeshis and Sri Lanover 100 people, mostly Jaand Sri kans display the Indian tripanese, who queue up for Lankans colour and add the prefix ‘curry and naan’ in just two ‘Indian’ to the names of the hours during lunch time. display the eateries. Indian restaurants Indian tricolour areThe So you have restaurant thriving on Japanese cliand add the chains like the Siddique’s ents as only a minuscule ‘Indian Pakistani’, which 30,000 Indians stay in the prefix ‘Indian’ has over 20 outlets and ‘Incountry. Indian food is now to the names dian Sri Lankan’. almost figuring regularly at “The Japanese identify parties. of the eateries ‘Indian’ with good and deliDespite the numerous recious food. If a restaurant strictions and stiff stanserving any South Asian dards, major importers of fare does not have the Indian tag, the JaIndian food products say they are witpanese will not go to it,” says Mohammad nessing an annual growth of 10 to 25 per Sageer, a chef working for Potahar who cent per annum. ■ PTI came from Islamabad, Pakistan, eight

Financial crisis hits ‘Words of the Year’

Your mop vs mine

I

t seems that the global financial longer make payments on their crisis has been finally been house, are also a sign of the brought to book. times, according to Susie Dent Yes, the credit crunch has pro- who compiled the book. pelled popular business jargon However, the ‘Words of the like stagflation, ninja loans and Year’ book also includes phrases even funt onto a list of 100 new like nomophobia, the fear of beterms and phrases compiled in ing out of mobile phone contact; the latest edition of the ‘Words of nonebrity, a person who enjoys the Year’ book. status without anyone really unStagflation is the economic derstanding why; and social netterm for stagnant growth and ris- working to describe using ing inflation, Ninja websites such as Faceloans comes from the book. abbreviation of No In- Ninja loans Boytox is a way to come, No Job, No As- comes from for describe cosmetic sursets, and Funt means abbreviation of gery for men and the financially unmomnesia is the term No Income, No for a pattern of mental touchable. Other phrases such Job, No Assets confusion and forgetas jingle mail, which fulness ‘that characmeans sending back and funt is terises a mother’s first the keys to the mort- financially year after giving birth’, gage company when untouchable the book says. ■ PTI the occupants can no

쒀 Italian 250cc rider Marco Simoncelli gets up close with a highland cow during a visit by riders to the Churchill Island historical farm on Phillip Island some 150 kilometres south-east of Melbourne on Thursday. Riders are arriving on Phillip Island in preparation for the Australian MotoGP to be run Sunday. AFP PHOTO

08

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Happiness index

Technorama

Sex and Internet surfing tops the list of Australian men in their happiness index, while women enjoy when dining with friends and petting their pooches, according to Australian Happiness Index 2008.

Snippets sourced from T3 Magazine of Infomedia Group Wired, yet free No need to get tangled in the cords Desperately need to clear your desk of clutter? Turn to BlueLounge SpaceStation - an extended desk organiser for laptop users. It comes with internal coiling pins to conceal all the cords that usually sprawl over the desk. An internal 4-port USB 2.0 hub keeps all peripherals connected. You can place the laptop on the rubber pad, raising the back to create an ergonomic keyboard angle and allowing air flow underneath. The pad can also be used to rest your mobile phone and daily accessories for easy access. A rear accessory rail acts as a great business card slot and sports a handy page holder to keep all the paper you want standing upright next to your laptop for easy reference. Isn’t that something now? Rs 5,500, www.bluelounge.com, www.jseindia.com

Pressing charges Rising to the need of the hour Most of the business users are constantly looking out for means to recharge. Their gadgetry, we mean. So the Uniross Li-ion Power Pack could be a good bet to invest in. It charges portable digital devices and is light and portable. You can charge mobile phones, iPods, PDAs and portable game devices. Its power and capacity light show the charging status and battery condition, so you know exactly when to pull the plug and get going. Rs 1,695, www.uniross.com

The ZZ watch IWC’s time-teller in honour of Zinedine Zidane The Ingenieur Automatic Edition Zinédine Zidane, in short, the Ingenieur timepiece, sports an engraved portrait and the autograph of the sportsman on its solid stainless steel back. Available in a globally limited edition comprising 1000 watches, this IWC Schaffhausen has the French national colours on the dial and a blue crocodile leather strap with red decorative stitching. The Arabic numeral 10 - regarded as a magical number by footballers - is highlighted in red. The watch has an antireflective glass and is water-resistant up to 12 bar. Your very own ZZ security then. Price on request, www.iwc.com

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ure c e s r Supe

Wheels: Green. Price: Steep Scoot arahhhnd for less than a lakh Electric scooters have been great for Mother Nature and fun for Uncle BankBalance as well. This, the “tad” expensive eco-friendly scooter, changes the rules. The Ego Street Scoota is chargeable from the mains, so no nasty petrol fumes to make bunnies cough. With a top speed of 30mph and about 40-mins run-time between recharges you’re not going to be travelling too far too fast, but it’s perfect for urbanites. Rs 82,000*, www.firebox.com

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Friday, October 3, 2008

Working in multiple time zones? Windows Vista can display up to three different clocks when the taskbar time is clicked. Go to the Start menu to Control Panel, open the Date and Time control panel and click on the Additional Clocks tab. Pick out the desired time zones and check the box to show each new clock, then click the OK button.

Stealth mode for Web surfers The private browsing feature helps you erase your history files

H

ow is using a private browsing mode in a Web browser any different than just clearing out the temporary Internet files in a computer? Certain Web browsers – including Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s coming Internet Explorer 8 – have a private browsing feature that is intended to let you surf the Internet without leaving any evidence of your travels on the computer. Although it has already been nicknamed “porn mode” by some, using the private browsing feature can help protect your personal information when, say, checking Web mail at a pub-

users: Hold down the Option key when selecting private browsing to bypass the warning box.) Private browsing takes care of dumping these Internet files for you – or it doesn’t save the information to begin with. Manually dumping the browser’s cache, cookies and other data clears out much of the same material, but you have to remember to do it. You can also configure your browser to do it for you when you close the program. These settings can usually be configured in the browser’s options or preferences area. For example, Firefox has a Clear Private Data item under its Tools menu. You select the items you wish to erase in the program’s privacy settings. One thing to remember if you’re really focused on privacy: In theory, if the Web page bits and other data are downloaded to the computer in the first place, it could be possible for someone to snag the information using a file recovery program – even if the temporary Internet files have been deleted.■

It has already been nicknamed “porn mode” by some

lic computer. Typically, when this feature is turned on, visited Web pages are not added to the browser’s history file, text from auto filled forms

Game on

is not retained and keywords are wiped from the menu in the browser’s search box. Cookies and passwords are erased as well. With Safari, you have to

manually turn on the private browsing mode under the Safari or Edit menu and click through a warning box each time you start it. (A quick tip for Mac OS X 10.5

NYT News Service

A car computer for you The Clarion mini PC has an 800megahertz Intel Atom processor and 512 megabytes of memory

W 쒀 Japanese video game giant Nintendo unveils the company’s new software "Wii Music" for the company’s video game console "Wii" in Tokyo on Thursday. The new software allows users to play music in the video game with a remote control and plans to compete with other music performance games like Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero. Nintendo will put it on the market on October 16. AFP PHOTO

here haven’t PCs gone? They’re common in dens and living rooms and are even creeping into beds and onto park benches. But until the ClarionMind from Clarion, they have never colonised the automobile. The Clarion mini PC has an 800-megahertz Intel Atom processor and 512 megabytes of memory. It has a 5-inch touch screen and 4 gigabytes of storage for programs and media. The device can be connected to the Internet

via Wi-Fi or by pairing it with a compatible cell phone over Bluetooth. The device uses a special version of Linux and includes software for Global Positioning System mapping, along with a Firefox-based browser for visiting Web sites on the go. The Mind can play audio and offer driving directions over the car’s speaker system. Video and

music can be stored on a microSD card, and quick keys allow instant access to MySpace and YouTube. Clarion has not announced a price but the device should be available next month. Obviously the ClarionMind’s more complex functions are best suited for passenger – not driver – entertainment.■ NYT News Service

10

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

BackPackers

F

LIGHTS OF

ANTASY

PHOTOS: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

A two-hour drive from Chennai leads to a paradise for visitors, winged and otherwise

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

T

he Vedanthangal bird sanctuary was an out-of-theworld experience. A rich land of 73 acres under the Wildlife Board of Chennai. I knew at once I was somewhere I had never been before and realised that a place so close to a metropolis could be so different. With the dimming light of the setting sun we saw across a short expanse of green water, small clumps of grass and rows of green trees. There were herons, grey blue with long pink legs, bunched together in some of the nearer trees, and flocks of whitewinged, long-necked storks in the trees a little further. There

were also egrets, ibis and other varieties of heron and stork turning the trees almost white under the pure numbers of them in some places. Near the banks one could see small brownbacked paddy or pond herons. Fishing or standing very still and watching for any faint movement. Standing on a concrete ledge we spotted a smirking frog, head barely out of the water, not moving at all, with one radiant yellow eye in a brilliant green head gazing up – another watcher and waiter. We saw one bird of prey, a fish hawk of some kind, soaring through the sky, and small coveys of ducks dabbling. I had great trouble at first seeing the birds even though they

were not far away. Nevertheless, I was dreaming about coming back, with my own binoculars, and staying at the nearby hotel so as to be able to come out to the watch towers early morning and again at sunset. Knowing what I now know of South India’s sunrises and sunsets, I am sure the sight of birds coming in and out of the roosting places at the break and close of day would be spectacular. The place is well looked after by two forest officials and eight labourers from the nearby village. The labourers earn a paltry sum of less than Rs. 50 per day for all the hard work they put up. On the other side of the “land of the birds” the plain land was

divided into small moderately regular rectangles for paddy cultivation. I am told they can do two harvests a year, so presumably the men I saw ploughing were preparing a harvested paddy for a second crop. Running across the grid of small fields were the main irrigation ditches. Water was let in as needed from the sanctuary side, which, the labourers in the forest explained, was made so rich by the bird droppings that no other fertilizer is needed. The farmers, understanding this, have refrained from the usual practice of killing birds, and have actually promoted and supported the sanctuary. Nothing like enlightened self-interest. ■

How to get there It is about a 100-km drive from Chennai, most of it on the well-maintained National Highway 45. The nearest railhead is Chengalpattu (26 km). ●

When to visit

The best season to visit is from November to January.

Where to stay Accommodation is available at the Forest Department Rest House or Hotel Tamil Nadu of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. Reservations for the latter could be made at the Chennai office, through money order or bank drafts. There are also a few private hotels near the sanctuary.

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Friday, October 3, 2008

Wow! I touched the dolphin!: Ankith’s day out

We are a happy family: At Jurong Bird Park

Whale of a time N.V. Yogesh Gupta recalls an unforgettable trip to Singapore with his family

T

here was excitement in our house and it was dominated by Ankith, my five-yearold son, about our trip to Singapore. We were welcomed at the airport by the beauty and cleanliness of the city. We started our tour the next morning. Our first stop was the Singapore Flyer, which is the largest observation wheel in the

world. This was followed by Duck Tour, an amphibious vehicle used during World War II, which is used on the river and road. In fact, it is also the race track for ‘first night F1 race’. Post-lunch we proceeded to the zoo, which is also one of the best night safaris in the world. Ankith was thrilled seeing the animals this close. The day end-

ed with a shopping spree. Jurong Bird Park (the world’s tallest manmade waterfall) and an evening in China Town were equally memorable. Our trip to Sentosa Island in the cable car was thrilling – 4D Magix, Luge Ride, Dolphin Lagoon, Under Water World and the magnificent Songs of the Sea.

Ankith was thrilled and got the chance of his life to touch and take snaps with a dolphin and penguin. Later, we stopped at Clark Quay to view the night life. Our last day in the city started with a visit to the Singapore Science Centre, where the most memorable part was to see the space and F1 exhibits. Our trip

On a sensual treat of Kerala festival. Disappointed, we drove back to the resort late set out on my trip to Kerala with a lot of excitenoon, only to be greeted by waiters clad in dhotis. ment and expectations, as I was looking forward They served us the traditional sadhya in banana to the long weekend before Onam. Work had leaf. After lunch we headed to the wildlife sanctuary taken a good toil of me the past couple of weeks in Thekkadi. We rushed just in time for the last and this outing seemed just the perfect boating tour for the day in the lake wagetaway. ters which are surrounded by forest arMy first destination was Kumili, ea. We were not lucky to catch the We enjoyed the where we checked into Cardamon glimpse of many animals, only bison two-hour boat ride and deer. We enjoyed the two-hour County at night. It was Onam the next day and we decided to start our holiboat ride more for the pleasant weathmore for the day on a religious note. So we skipped er and chill breeze which was a templeasant weather, porary relief from the sweltering the complimentary breakfast at the resort and headed to Mahadevan Shakof Chennai. Not to mention chill breeze which weather thra Temple in Changanur. It was a the beauty of the greenery, sun set and two-and-half-hour drive from Kumili. still waters, which was an absolute was a temporary Quite content that we paid darshan treat to the eyes and in a way to the relief from the at a temple in Kerala, we were anticiinner senses as well. pating an authentic breakfast and The sensual treat of Kerala is sure to sweltering weather stay looked for roadside eat-outs. To our in my mind. ■ of Chennai (The writer is an employee of Infosys) dismay, all shops were closed for the ARCHANA MURUGESH

I

Animal spotting at Thekkadi.

PHOTOS: ARCHANA MURUGESH

concluded with a chilling experience at Snow City. ■ (The writer is an employee of Financial Software Systems, Tidel Park)

12

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Portfolio

The n

Mariella Burani

Origami with fabric

Vivienne Westwood

Ferre

Lips don’t lie Black lips and a shade of maroon that’s almost black made a regular appearance, be it at the ready-to-wear Spring/ Summer 2009 show by Italian stylist Mariella Burani in Milan or British designer Vivienne Westwood’s show in Paris. Sometime goth, sometimes punk, dark lips are making a statement.

Strategic tucks and folds, as opposed to straight stitches, were something several fashion houses resorted to. Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi made a striking debut for Gianfranco Ferre at the ready-to-wear fashion week in Milan. Calvin Klein, during the New York Fashion Week, made Karl use of clever folds Lagerfeld and tucks. So did Mila Schon as part of the women’s Spring/Summer 2009 ready-to-wear collections of the fashion week in Milan. Karl Lagerfeld, too, belted the folds together.

Mila Schon

BI

THIN

The Spring/ Summer 2009 show London to Milan and Paris, saw pick out what we thought will it Jean-Paul Gaultier’s versatile fabric origami at Calvin Klein a colour overkill at Manish Arora

Jean-Paul Gaultier Roberto Cavalli

Swimsuit sursrise The ramps also saw an unlikely multi-tasker – the swimsuit. Jean-Paul Gaultier, at his danceinspired ready-to-wear show in Paris, paired the swimsuit with yards of chiffon which transformed it into a jersey dress. Earlier, Duyos did the same at the Spring Summer 2009 collection show at Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week in Madrid.

Rule of the jungle Animal prints roared. Be it Julien MacDonald’s safariinspired collection that showcased at the Spring Summer 2009 fashion week in London or Roberto Cavalli’s trademark animal prints and Krizia’s tiger-striped dress that showed at the Spring/Summer 2009 ready-towear section in Milan, it was the rule of the jungle. Duyos

Krizia

Julien MacDonald

13

Friday, October 3, 2008

William Matthewson

next

IG

NGS

ws, from New York to w a host of surprises. We be big the next season, be e swimsuits, the clever and Gianfranco Ferre or the a’s circus-inspired collection.

Pocket this Yes, we have spoken about pockets on dresses in these columns. Just that later shows have reinforced our belief that the chic pocket is here to stay. Ask Versace, Matthew

John Galliano

DKNY

Bootie-licious! We’ve also noticed some pretty interesting sole partners. While the bootie, the season’s new must-have, got a sporty twist at DKNY during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, at Emilio Pucci netted booties strutted the ramp in Milan. On the other hand, super-high gold-edged platforms ruled at Dolce & Gabbana. John Galliano, as always, surprised us with heels that looked like sculpted porcelain dolls at the ready-to-wear section in Milan.

D&G

Etro

Emilio Pucci Versace

Williamson and Etro.

Colour, colour, what colour? Spring/Summer 2009 will be colourful, sometimes eye-hurting colourful, if the fashion weeks are anything to go by. While at Marni fluorescents ruled, our Manish Arora recreated the circus in Paris. British designer John Galliano for Christian Dior played with colour and transparency.

AFP PHOTO

Jean-Paul Gaultier

John Galliano

Manish Arora

Suspender surrender The quirky Jean-Paul Gaultier, at the readyto-wear fashion week in Paris, brought back the men’s suspenders on women’s wear. Way to go!

Marni

Compiled by Shalini Shah with inputs from Agencies

14

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Obese Kids

Wellness

South Korea plans to help obese children pay for health club membership and other activities that can help them lose weight.

Stop Dreaming, Start Living SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

A

ll dreams come from your mind. Today, much importance has been given to dreams. In the West, especially in the process of psychoanalysis, Freud and Jung gave too much importance to dreams. In the East, the enlightened have always ignored dreams because they are just another outcome of the madness that you call “mind.” Your mind is just a garbage bin that gathers things from people around you. This mind is of appropriate significance as a good survival tool. That is all. To survive in the world, you need this stuff, but in terms of life itself, it is of no real significance. Generally, most people live their lives like in a dream and they even have investments in their dreams. All your dreams originate from your mind. So it doesn’t matter what kind of dreams you have. Whether you see a god or you see a demon in your dream, it doesn’t matter. Whatever stuff is utmost in your consciousness reflects itself. Generally, 90 per cent of dreams are just an expression of unfulfilled desire. There are certain other

Kids who spend time with their dads have higher IQs K

ids whose fathers spend more time with them have a higher IQ and are more socially mobile, than children who receive little attention, according to a new research. The research shows that strong fatherly involvement in children’s early life can improve their child’s future career prospects. The study was carried out by academics at the University of Newcastle. The scientists also found that men tended to pay more attention to their sons than their daughters. The researchers warned that it was not enough for parents to live together, but that a father should be actively involved in a child’s life to benefit their development. The study looked at more than 11,000 British men and women, born in 1958.

The scientists asked their mothers how often the father of their child took part in activities with them, including reading, organising outings and general “quality time”. The study has been published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour. The analysis revealed that those children whose fathers

More than the parents staying together, a father should be actively involved in a child’s life to benefit their development

spent more time with them had a higher IQ and were more socially mobile than those who had received little attention. The differences were still detectable by the age of 42. “What was surprising about this research was the real sizeable difference in the progress of children who benefited from paternal interest and how thirty years later, people whose dads were involved are more upwardly mobile,” Telegraph quoted Dr Daniel Nettle, who led the research, as saying. “The data suggest that having a second adult involved during childhood produces benefits in terms of skills and abilities that endure throughout adult life,” he added. ■ ANI

dreams that happen at a different level that could be intuitive. There could be some amount of intuitiveness in your dreams. In dream states, accidentally sometimes, you can touch your subconscious mind. When you touch your subconscious mind, you transcend the limitations of both time and space. Time and space are creations of your conscious mind. When you transcend these, maybe you have a dream like this: it is early in the morning and you just saw yourself sitting in a garden, your friend came and said something to you, he just said something, just an ordinary situation. Tomorrow morning you were sitting in the garden and the same friend comes by and says the same thing to you - things like this happen. You dreamt something and then it happened. These things happen simply because you have transcended the limitations of time and space when you touch the subconscious. It has got nothing to do with the deeper dimensions of who you are. Do not attach too much importance to a dream. Stop dreaming and start living. It is time!■

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Friday, October 3, 2008

Cancer and baby’s birth weight Birth size, or the birth length, of a person can act as an indicator of subsequent risk of breast cancer in adulthood, cites a new study by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Available, NOT BUSY Status messages tend to play relationship brokers MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

I

recently wrote, ‘I am not in love, I am in lurve or luff!’ as my status message. It made the right man respond, and query the identity of this mysterious lover, who may or may not exist. Status messages tend to play relationship brokers. What you may not be able to convey directly, for example by saying or doing, can be effectively communicated through these online teasers. What Bindya Mahesh, a space advertiser, said about her experience is that she used to tease a man she liked with little hints about her personality. “We worked in the same office, so my status messages read, ‘Even though I don’t pray, give me a sign’ or ‘Guess who decided to wear a tie in this weather’ or some such thing.” What it helped to say in Bindya’s case is that she could be flirtatious and naughty, with-

Indian couple still shy to openly discuss sex: survey N

oting that Indians still find sex a behind-the-doors topic, a new survey shows that one out of two men in the country do not have optimal erection hardness and over 60 per cent of women feel their partner’s erections are inadequate. According to the ‘Asia Pacific Sexual Health and Overall Wellbeing study’, two-thirds of men over 40 are unhappy with their erections. The study revealed that in India, discussions about sexual experience is still a major concern among couples. Sex ranks seventh out of the 17 life priorities for men, while for women it ranks near the bottom 14.

Sex ranks seventh out of the 17 life priorities for men, while for women it ranks near the bottom 14 Family life is clearly the most important aspect of life for both men and women. Other life priorities include being a spouse, work or career, being a parent, financial well-being and physical health.

The same priorities appear on top of the women’s list. The survey revealed that sexual satisfaction is strongly associated with satisfaction in overall physical health, love and romance. “In India, the survey showed that adults who are less than satisfied with sex are less likely to be satisfied with life overall,” said Rupin Shah, andrologist at Mumbai’s Lilawati hospital. There is also a clear link between satisfaction with erection hardness and satisfaction with sex for people in India. The sample size for the survey was 400 which concentrated mostly in urban areas. ■ PTI

out being overt. Ramya Jayachandran, a wellspoken supporter of web-based relationships says, “Many a time, even potentially disastrous alliances can be averted through our very own gTalk or the yesteryear’s Yahoo! Messenger. Parents these days want their ‘marriageable’ daughters to hold elaborate discussions with likely grooms. Status messages not only elicit responses, they also help in preliminary elimination of unsavoury candidates. Plus, there is no need for a broker to convey the rejection; just a simple click on ‘block this person’.” For me, status messages always carry YouTube or Last.Fm links of music tracks that my friends or a particular person might enjoy. When it comes to guessing games, there is no end to innovation. Readers, if you have any witty or inventive status messages, mail them to me and we will carry a ticker tape of the ones we like. ■

16

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Irked captian

Sport

India’s Test captain Anil Kumble on Thursday lashed out at the media for speculation about an “honourable exit” being worked out for the seniors. “You need to be a bit more respectful. When people discuss cricketers, they need to be handled respectfully,” said an angry skipper.

No points but Fisichella happy with Singapore GP He couldn’t get the elusive first points for Force India yet again despite running as high as second at one stage but far from being disappointed, Giancarlo Fisichella says he is thrilled to have at least made a mark at the Formula One’s first-ever night race – the Singapore Grand Prix. “It was good to be third, especially starting from the pit-lane. I was able to keep guys who were much quicker than me behind me. We were a little better than we showed in the qualifying session,” Fisichella said. “I was quite confident; I was pushing like crazy to do my best. It was good, so I’m happy about how it went,”’ he added. After his single planned stop he dropped down the order, but the anticipated break with another safety car didn’t come in the chaotic race that saw was marred by a couple of crashes. By the time it did – ironically after teammate Adrian Sutil crashed the other Force India – other drivers had pitted and felled to the flag, so there was no benefit for Fisichella. He also struggled with low tyre temperatures after the restart, which cost some time, and eventually crossed the line in 14th place.

Once beaten, twice try Come November, at the Rotax Max World finals in Italy, Raymond Banaji hopes to erase the memory of his first world championship

PTI

Bhajji ineligible to play for Oz T20 team in Champions League Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was interested in playing for one of the two Australian sides that will take part in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League later this year, will be ineligible to play under the competition’s rules. India’s leading off-spinner, with 291 Test wickets, was keen to play for Western Australia or Victoria in the eight-team competition to be staged in India in the first week of December, Fox Sports News reported. But Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday ruled out that prospect, saying he was ineligible to play for either state under the competition’s rules. The fact that Harbhajan had not played for either side during last summer’s Australian domestic Twenty20 competition, when the Bushrangers and Warriors qualified for the tournament in India, meant he could not now be included. “It’s an interesting prospect when you think about it because he’s a champion player, but it’s my understanding from the management here that he would not be eligible,” a CA spokesman said. Victorian batsman David Hussey said despite Harbhajan’s history of volatility, he could have fitted in with the Bushrangers side. “I’ve actually met him and he’s a really nice guy one-on-one. He’s a great cricketer and a great bloke to just talk cricket with,” Hussey said. But he said the Bushrangers were confident of their chances in the 6 million dollar event with the players that have won them all three domestic Twenty20 competitions staged in Australia. ANI

AYON SENGUPTA [email protected]

R

aymond Banaji will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Rotax Max World finals in Italy this November. Banaji, who topped the senior category in the national karting championship, will be vying for the top honours against 160-plus kart drivers from 37 countries. “The competition is going to be very tough. You have to go through a series of heats to qualify for the main round. Only 34 drivers will race in the final and my immediate goal is to be one amongst those 34,” Banaji says. This will be Banaji’s second world championship and he hopes to do better

than his unforgettable first experience in 2004. “Another driver bumped into me very early in the first heat and I broke my steering wheel and there was also some damage to the oil compartment. I felt miserable but fortunately I got over it quickly. I have honed my skills in the last four years and I hope the experience is much better this time,” he says. “It would have been very helpful if I had a few days’ training in Europe but it depends on how many

sponsors I can get on board.” Banaji feels the system in India is not suited to produce quality drivers. But with the recent success in A1 GP and also Vijay Mallya’s involvement with F1, he feels things are looking much brighter. “Our drivers have proved their mettle in the toughest of conditions. And with an Indian Formula One team in the grid we can only look into the positives. The top four or five Indian drivers in the karting circuit are good but then the competition just falls flat. But in Europe and Asia you will find the top 20 to 30 drivers very competitive. We just need more exposure and for that we need more money,” the two-time national champion says. Parth Ghorpade from Kolhapur will be the other Indian in fray in Italy. ■

17

Friday, October 3, 2008

‘‘

He (Lalit Modi) told me the other night he wants me to play. Lalit was saying there was another auction coming up. I have always said I definitely want to be part of the IPL. "It’s just about timing for me. I think we have some onedayers in Pakistan, but the following year we are available for the whole time. Michael Clarke

Looks like the global economic crisis has cast a shadow on Formula One, too

F1

targets costs as credit crunch bites

F

ormula One looked in fine fettle at Sunday’s stunning night-time grand prix in Singapore but the worry lines are always more apparent in the cold light of day. Money is the lifeblood of the billion-dollar sport and, with the credit crunch biting deep into the global economy, those involved know they cannot continue to spend like there is no tomorrow. “Formula One is in rude good health...and I think that it can stay in great health provided that we take action,” said Williams team chief executive Adam Parr. “Formula One is marketing itself very well in terms of establishing new races in key areas but we need to do more. "Costs have grown exponentially in the last 10 years and it’s time to put an end to that.” International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley warned in July that Formula One was “becoming unsustainable” and the global economic climate has only deteriorated since then. Honda-backed Super Aguri folded in May, leaving Formula

One with 10 teams and no prospect of anyone new coming in. Some insiders fear others could also head for the exit unless changes are made. Toro Rosso, co-owned by Red Bull energy drink billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, have a guaranteed budget for 2009 but their future remains uncertain beyond that. Red Bull Technology currently design the cars for both Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing but in 2010 each team will be required to design and make their own, a huge burden for the smaller, Italy-based outfit. “I would struggle to carry on alone,” Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport last month. “I need the backing of a car manufacturer. Which isn’t there.”

Dwindling sales Red Bull use their two teams to promote and sell their product while Force India are bankrolled by aviation and drinks billionaire Vijay Mallya, who says he is in for the long haul. Williams, the only team without a manufacturer or billionaire behind them, reported

losses of 21.4 million pounds ($38.17 million) for 2007 on Tuesday but said they were well-funded for the future. In a sport where sponsorship contracts are generally negotiated to run for three and sometimes five years, and spaced out to ensure they do not all expire at once, the former champions can expect to weather the immediate storm. However big-spending manufacturer teams may be more vulnerable to the parent company’s board looking at the bottom line and deciding enough is enough. “It’s a lot of money that can be addressed with one swish of the red pen,” said Parr. BMW, Fiat (Ferrari), Honda, Mercedes (McLaren), Renault and Toyota all either wholly or part own teams – some with budgets of more than $400 million a year – against a backdrop of dwindling sales and sinking share prices. Some, such as Toyota, have pumped billions of dollars into the sport with little to show for their investment. Honda, whose car promotes environmental awareness rather than any ma-

jor external sponsor, have also spent hugely.

More pressure “Those teams that are very dependent on car manufacturers for funding and don’t have commercial sponsors might be under more pressure," said former Benetton and BAR team boss David Richards. “But there is unlikely to be any knee-jerk reaction. It (withdrawal) is such a high-profile decision to make.” To try to bring down the costs, the teams have formed an association to work with the FIA and commercial rights holders. “I think it is absolutely urgent,” Parr said of the need for cost-cutting. “Whatever measures we take must be in place for 2010. Anything beyond that is too late, both the teams and the FIA recognise that.” “The car manufacturers could halve their spending in Formula One tomorrow,” he added. “I know that because, guess what, I know what we are spending. Why does anyone have to spend more than Williams spend on going racing? “If the board of another team

says we want to stay in F1 because it’s a fantastic platform for our business but we are only prepared to spend what Williams spends – is that the end of the world? “Some of these teams could save 100 or 200 million euros by doing that.” On the plus side, the money is pouring in from new venues such as Singapore and Abu Dhabi, which will make its debut in 2009, and there is no immediate sign of sponsors running for cover. “I think we had 900 guests over the Singapore weekend. Our sponsors were enormously active,” said Parr, who added that three or four partners had renewed or extended contracts in the last few weeks. “Businesses still have to achieve their key objective and Formula One is still a unique platform for doing that,” he said. “For a company worth let’s say 40 billion pounds, to invest 20 million a year in a Formula One partnership is not a major undertaking. It’s significant but not major.” ■ Reuters

18

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Flick

Spike Lee film angers Italy’s surviving partisans Film director Spike Lee has set off a storm in Italy with a movie about black American soldiers fighting alongside Italian partisans in World War Two. Surviving members of the resistance to the Nazi occupation of Italy have taken issue with Miracle at St. Anna ahead of the film’s Italian release on Friday, distributing protest flyers and accusing Lee of distorting history.

‘I found my debut project myself’ After his debut in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, Imran Khan has become the new icon of Gen Y. Moving from the former’s chocolate boy image, the 24-year-old plays the bad man in his second film, ‘Kidnap’. An interview:

SREYA BASU

Are you all set to be seen as the angry bad young man in Kidnap? Yes. Bollywood is maturing…now we have refreshing storylines as well as experiment-loving producers who are ready to risk new subjects with newcomers.

But can you deny that being Aamir Khan’s nephew has made things easier for you? Let me make an honest confession. I found my debut project myself. Abbas Tyrewala, the director of Jaane Tu… saw me in a party and we jelled well. He narrated me the script of his new film that Jhamu Sughand was supposed to produce. I said I was interested in doing the film and was selected at the screen test. But, for some reason, Sughand backed out. Aamir Khan was looking for a good film to invest his money. He liked the script and produced the film. But, of course, I will always remain grateful to him for my break.

Did you always want to be a part of Bollywood? I wanted to make my career in Bollywood, but not as an actor. I wanted to be a filmmaker. I am trained in script-writing and film direction from New York Film Academy. In fact, my family even said Aamir

was wasting his money on the film because Imran can’t act.

Tell us something about your character in your second film, Kidnap. As you said in the beginning of the interview, I play the ‘angry bad young man’ with an edgy look. In fact, my character in the film is not as grey as it looks…after all, I am the hero!

There is a rumour that after Jaane Tu… your signing amount has hiked to Rs. 7 crore, which makes you the highestpaid newcomer in Bollywood. Is that true? I don’t know about the ‘highest paid newcomer’ tag because I don’t have time for a market survey. If someone is making a good small-budget film, I will definitely ask for a small amount.

It is also said that you were not the producers’ choice for

Kidnap. True? Yes, and the full credit goes to director Sanjay Gadhvi. There was an entire list of actors suggested for the role by the producers at Ashtavinayak Films. But I was Gadhvi’s choice and after a few meetings with the producers I became their choice, too.

You seem to be quite open to discuss your girlfriend Avantika Malik. Is it a new trend of neo-Bollywood? During the promotion of Jaane Tu… a journalist in Mumbai asked me that since Aamir Khan hid his marriage during his debut in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, do I too have such plans. I gave her a detailed history of my six-year relationship with Avantika and said that if my personal life is the yardstick that determines the success of my professional life, I won’t have to showcase my talent. The film would sell like hotcakes anyway since I am a bachelor. As in mamu’s (Aamir) case, there were reasons behind his decision. ■ Trans World Features

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Friday, October 3, 2008

Come again! Madonna once said: “I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and John Lennon... but I want to stay alive.” Beyonce Knowles said: “When people find out that I’m just a human being I guess I disappoint them.” These are some of A-listers’ famous ludicrous utterings, which have now been compiled in a new book, Dim Wit: The Funniest, Stupidest Things Ever Said, by Rosemarie Jarski, reports the Daily Star.

Knowles knows best GETTY IMAGES

BEYONCE CAN’T FINISH NEW ALBUM IN TIME

B

eyonce Knowles’ new album was due at her label this week, but it looks as if the 27-year-old rhythm and blues star won’t make her deadline to ensure a mid-November release. “It’s not going to be completed,” an inside source told the New York Daily News. “She’s got to get it out early in the fourth quarter, when there’s so much competition among artistes.” But Beyonce is not lazing around. Part of the delay is due to the large number of projects she’s working on. She spent three months filming Cadillac Records, where she plays gospel singer Etta James, and is deep into the thriller Obsessed. Another delay stems from a duet with Justin Timberlake recorded for the album. The two did not like the initial outcome and kept reworking the song until they got it right, the paper said. The first two single releases will be ‘If I Were a Boy’ and ‘Single Ladies’. ■ DPA

Veteran actor passes away Veteran actor Poornam Viswanathan breathed his last on Wednesday afternoon around 3.30 p.m. at a city hospital. The actor started off as a newsreader for All India Radio before stepping into films. Some of his best performances were in movies like Mahanadhi with Kamal Haasan and Aasai with Prakash Raj and Ajith Kumar. He was also well-known for films like Anjali, Puthu Puthu Arthangal, Keladi Kanmani, Varumayin Niram Sivappu, Moondram Pirai and Aann Paavam. www.cinesnacks.com

Cine City Prithviraj, Srikanth join hands Prithviraj and Srikanth will be teaming up again for Idam Valam after Kana Kandein. While Kamalini Mukherjee is paired with Srikanth, Prithviraj will romance Kanchana. Idam Valam is said to revolve around the differences of opinion between two police officers. The film is produced by Selva Chandru and directed by Manmohan.

20

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Naresh from TCS nominated ‘Team Enthu’ as partners in crime. They clicked this pic at Blue Lagoon resort.

Wednesday’s question: Your Gandhigiri solution for workplace woes? ■ PRINCIPLE-1: Be the change you want to see, so don’t wait to see your company’s appraisal policies change, you better change to another company. PRINCIPLE-2: An for an eye will only leave the world blind, so next time while fighting with your boss, hit him anywhere but his eyes.

Yashwanth from TCS nominated his friends as partners in crime. They clicked this pic at Valparai.

Padma Vijayan.S, HCL

■ Eat well, sleep well, expect appraisal

9600033396

■ Bring thadi (stick) to office in Gandhi’s style. It will avoid others from interfering in your work or overload you.

Vasan from TCS nominated his team for partners in crime. They clicked this pic at Fairy Falls in Kodaikanal.

Maran.

■ Keeping quiet or following ahimsa as our ji...

9790609693

■ Late night work, follow sathyagraha! Heavy work, follow ahimsa!

9840123368

■ If appraisal slaps you in one year, try waiting till next year...

9884024133

■ Gold ornaments cannot be moulded without beating and over heating. So, whenever we r overheated in workplace, we are moulded so that we shine like gold..

9940321321

■ Preach others by repeating the same trouble what they gave you.

Mahesh R of Perot Systems, Base Camp has made this Tanjore Brahadeshwara Temple model with thermocol. Apart from thermocol carving, he claims to be good at painting. He took two days to make this model. In future he plans to make models like these with a protected glass cover and sell the same.

Raja

■ Stay away from work (violence)

Surya, TCS

■ Bole to workplace me sabko Jadu ki Jhhappi (hug) dene ka, pyar se samjhane ka aur bindas rehne ka. Ladki log thoda late se samajh ta hai, is liye unko double jhhappi dene ka.. Samjha kya mamu?

Subhransu, Hexaware

■ Don’t look into the code, Don’t speak in the client call, don’t listen to your lead’s word. ■ U see dhushtan, u keep distance :-).

Sangeetha Poornima, Infosys

Ergo pick ■ 1. If superiors scold you for one mistake in coding, show the other mistake and ask them to scold. 2. Don’t wear shirt in workplace.. 9840338437

Today’s Query: What is the first thought on your mind when you wake up on a Monday morning ?

Sindhu T.V. of Wipro Technologies doodled this to us.

Send us your favourite clicks of your office colleagues/ gang and get it featured in my.ergo pages. Email us at [email protected] with the subjectline: "Partners in Crime"

21

Friday, October 3, 2008

Muthangam – Office assistant has been nominated as Office Angel by Vinod Philip of Change Pond Technologies. Muthangam is our office assistant. Whether it is a pin or pencil, a packed dinner, printer paper or potty (toilet) paper, he is our never failing store of provisions. When it comes to fixes and improvisations - electrical, mechanical, plumbing, telephone lines, bikes or such, he is always there to get it fixed and does it with perfection. He is an M.A. in Tamil Literature and has a heart of gold. Very often, he’s the first one to come to office and the last one to step out. - Vinod Philip

■ Dear Usha, Iniya Piranthanal NalValthukkal. Indru Pol Endrum Nalamai Vazhga. Let All your wish come true. Have a wonderful year. Yendrum Anbudan,Annan(M.G.Muthu Velayutham), Wipro Tech, Arun Kumar, Infosys Tech, Ram Kumar, LM Tech, Vijayalakshmi, Wipro Tech, Irfana Thasnim, Wipro Tech".

■ Dear Vijai & Sasi, Many more happy returns of the day. "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

With best wishes,PAE Mechanical, TCS

■ Dear Swarna, Wishes from each one of us for a fantabulous and great year ahead. Happy Birthday.

From: UST Global, Chennai

Is there an angel in your office - ideally it could be a behind the scenes staff an office attender or a cleaner. Some one who is there all the time, helping, but their presence is taken for granted. Feature them here, and give them their due. Send your emails to [email protected] with subject line: "Office Angel"

Evening light a tiffin sapdanum na enna panna num? Electronic Stores ku poi tube-light vangi sapdanum!!! Maran from Wipro

Why does blood come out when u prick someone with a pin? Simple, to see who did that. Karthik Subramanian from Infosys

■ Hi Vasu, Wish you many more happy returns of the day. Belated birthday wishes!

Wishes from Harini, HCL

■ Dear Praveen, May this day be the beginning of another special year.Let this unfold many joys and happy moments for you to cherish!!!May the gift of blessings fill your birthday and the year ahead with everlasting joys! Wishing you a day as special and beautiful as you. Happy Bday!!! Belated B’day Wishes.

From, Sivakami(CTS), Uthra & Rama (Wipro Technologies)

■ Dear Manish.G Many more Happy returns of the day!!Mayeach hour and minute be filled with delight and your birthday be Perfect for you.Have a Blast!! Dazzling Birthday.

Love, Jennifer(Wipro)

Hi Ergo’ers, First of all A big Kudos to you! I have been reading ergo for the past 3 weeks. Wonderful. A short and snaggy which wins all hearts. I would like to give a small suggestion which will add a bit flavour to your newspaper. That is Can we have some IT professions talk about "Ergo". We can send in some opinions what we feel about Ergo and you can put it in newspaper na?? Venkatesh, EDS

(Sounds like a good idea)

■ Dear Kamraj, Many many happy returns of the day. May all your wishes come true this year. God bless you. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

With LUVTeam EDS, Hexaware Technologies

■Dear Prabha, Count your life by smiles, not tears, Count your age by friends, not years. Wishing you a very happy birthday dear.

With lots & lots of luv, SPARKLAS(TCS)

Hi, My name is Nirupama and I’m a regular reader of your magazine Ergo. I’ve a query. While all the other routes get the paper in their buses, the route which I come in does not get the paper. I travel by the 7A route which starts from Anagaputtur and reaches our Sholinganallur office. Kindly look into this and make sure the paper is available to all of us. Otherwise you guys are doing a great job. Please keep up the good work.

■ Dear Pavan Wishing you a very Happy Birthday.May God Bless you in all your endeavours you’re such a special friend to me it’s pleasure to remember you anytime especially on your birthday.

Nirupama, Wipro

Regards, Shalini R

(We will look into the matter)

■ Dear Mohammed Gowdh, Wish U many more happy returns of the day.Lets this Birthdaymay bringyou all sort ofhappiness and joy in your life Insha Allah. With Warm Regards, Syed M FirdousofWipro Technologiesand family.

■ Dear Sudarkodi, It’s your birthday!Take it easy! Relax!Just pretendyou’re at work! Many more happy returns of the day!!

Hearty wishes from T-Hub team (BoA), TATA Consultancy Services (Siruseri)

■ Dear Arvi, Wish u a very “Happy Birthday” dear. What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

With lots of love, Ammu, Excelacom Technologies Pvt Ltd.,

■ Dear Sujatha, On your birthday, like a garden of flowers unfolding in the morning sun… may your special day unfold into happiness, joy and success. Many more Happy Returns of the day.

From: MAG CORP CMR, Satyam computers

■ Hi Sridevi, There can be only one soul that cares for me. I mean that no one can fill Ur space in my life. Wish u very HAPPY & SPLENDID BIRTHDAY. Long love with peaceful life and sparkling smile. This is the day to thank god for giving a cute gift [U only] to the earth. I give my words to be with u forever...

With love & Care, Muthaiah Mohanraj K.E. CGSL, Chennai

■ Hi JHANANI MAMI, U might have received cards,emails,flowers and gifts as a birthday greeting .But this special greeting comes from special lovable hearts wishing u very happy birthday .. Get married this year and have child(ren) next birthday ... advanced Birthday wishes

Wishing you always ... T-50 FRIENDS, TCS

■ Dear Balakrishnan Rajagopal Wishing you the best on a special day. Have fun and enjoy your day. Our wishes go with you.

CSS Corp Business Development team.

■ Dear Revathy, Wishing you a very joyful birthday and have a wonderful year ahead with lot of surprises!!!! J

Lots of Love, YogaGayathri and Gayathry Devi

22

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

Fishy diet

Traffic Jam

Zoo keepers at a Japanese aquarium are putting their dolphins on a diet after the creatures became too heavy to perform water tricks. The mammals eat too much mackerel, which has high-fat content. They now eat fish with less fat and less mackerel.

sudoku

R. Dharanidhar of Kumaran Systems spotted this deer quenching thirst in the chilling temperature and golden sunshine at Bronx Zoo in New York.

Click Pick is celebrating Wildlife Week till October 15. Make sure you send your best nature photographs for the coming issues, and also tell us why the spotted fauna is special. 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 Head of Advertising: Sriya Narayanan [email protected]

Head of Circulation: M.G.M. Sharief [email protected]

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

FAX 2857 6691 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Call our Advertisement Manager at 2857 6695. email: [email protected] Website: www.goergo.in

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

23

Friday, October 3, 2008

Blinging bike Designers Aurumania have created the Gold Bike Crystal Edition, a 24-carat gold-plated, blinged-up bike exclusively handcrafted with more than 600 dazzling Swarovski crystals. At US $1,11,000 a-piece, these dazzling rides are believed to be the most expensive bikes ever made.

Word’s worth "Abnormous" (ab-nor-mus) a word that looks recently and slangily made up, but was in fact slangily made up in about 1742. It means ’misshapen.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 The day may begin at a very dull note. However, as the day progresses, you may start feeling charged up and will participate in all routine work. Day may end at a positive note. This includes a good news or a sweet conversation with beloved one.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 At the beginning of the day, you may find many adverse circumstances hampering your progress. In the second half, you will be more targeted. Nothing may bother you then after. You will spend a wonderful time in the company of your spouse.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20 You may feel like heading in wrong direction. As the day progresses, you will find the right direction to move on. Confusions will be sorted out. In meetings, you may remain target-oriented. Ganesha finds you paying more attention love relationship.

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 At the beginning of the day, you may remain very sentimental. In the second half, you may be less sentimental and more practical. Love life may be kept aside for the day, as you may be more concerned about career progress, feels Ganesha.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 In the first half of the day, you can be little inflexible in your views, specifically in meetings. However, in the later half, you may change your views and will be more motivating and mood to inspire someone or even take responsibility.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

At the beginning of the day you may be feeling little uncomfortable at workplace. However, post lunch time, you will feel much at ease. Ganesha doesn’t find you in mood to take up challenges. You may spend quite time with family.

LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20 You may be in search of success on the career front. You will be able to accomplish everything only in the second part of the day. Not be overconfident. Love life may remain full of grace and encouraging dialogues, and you will feel better.

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 You will remain optimistic throughout the day. In first half of the day, you may seek attention. In the second half you will be in the limelight. You may rush to meet your beloved with a surprise. If you are not in love, you may try to woo someone.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 At the beginning of the day, you may feel that you are slogging for some project or work, endlessly. However, you will be able to look at things with a different angle after the noon time. Love life may see a positive turning point.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 Even if the day begins very positively, later you may realise that you were working in a wrong direction. Ganesha’s foresight says that you might have to depend a bit on others. Once office work is over, you may wish to spend time with someone special.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You will be working very hard till noon. Ganesha suggests you to practice patience at workplace and also remain fully focussed on work. Time may be spent with group of friends or in company of someone close to your heart, in the evening.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 You are sensitive and touchy throughout the day. You may be more concerned about work and related matters. Lovers can expect their partners to understand their problems and stand by them. You will get good moral support from your lover. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

24

ERGO Friday, October 3, 2008

!

Naked hold-up A Florida teenager claims he was attacked and mugged by four topless blonde women while riding his bike to work. The 18-year-old was forced to hand over US$ 100 to the criminals.

America, LET’S ALL VOTE Google teams with actors to register U.S. voters

F

ilm stars including Forest Whitaker, Leonardo DiCaprio and Dustin Hoffman joined forces with Google on Wednesday in a campaign to get US citizens to vote in the coming presidential election. The celebrities make rapid-fire appearances in a “5 Friends” YouTube video that warns people their rights and futures are at stake and implores them to wield power over the outcome by voting. In keeping with the video title, the movie stars urge people to send “5 Friends” so it spreads, as one actress comically put it, “rampant like herpes

but for a positive.” “If you’re not going to vote I don’t even know what to say to you anymore,” DiCaprio says after the video turns serious. “You know you have to vote.” Celebrities in the sometimes humorous, sometimes foreboding video direct viewers to www.maps.google.com/vote for geographically-tailored information about voting and voter registration. “There’s a lot of buzz about turnout this year, but one in four Americans still aren’t registered to vote,” Google said on its website, citing US Census data. ■

Forest Whitaker and Leonardo DiCaprio.

AFP

PHOTOS: GETTY AND AFP

Husband takes half the house on divorce, literally A Cambodian couple decided to circumvent the country’s notoriously corrupt and expensive court system in their divorce case by dividing their house in half, literally, local media reported on Thursday. The Khmer-language Koh Santepheap newspaper featured a front-page photo of a precariously perched half of the stilted former home of Meuon Rima and his ex-wife Nhang, both 40, which Rima sawed with surgical precision down the middle. Rima, who sought a divorce on the grounds that his wife refused to nurse him during a recent illness, was last seen driving away from the village in south-eastern Prey Veng province with his half of the home, the daily reported. It was not known where he had gone with his very detached portion, it said, adding that Rima had not felt the same need to divvy up the couple’s two teenaged children, both of whom he left with Nhang. Under Cambodian law, assets are divided equally between husband and wife in the event of a divorce. ■ DPA

Here we go! 쑸 The Nissan Nuvu concept vehicle is presented during a press conference at the Paris Motor Show on Thursday. From Saturday until October 19 the show will be open to the public. AFP PHOTO