Ergo October 7

A BYTE OF LIFE

FREE CIRCULATION

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Vol. 2

WINDOW SHOPPER Get into the festive mood with Dreams Come True.

No. 193

This shop in Prince Plaza on Pantheon Road, Egmore, is haven for those looking for bangles of any type, colour and size. From 1-gm gold bangles to the trendy plastic ones for college-goers, this place stocks everything.

» PAGE 03

Know of unique destinations of interest?

PTI PHOTO

Friday’s Big Story will feature a Pondicherrybased musical instruments store with a difference. If you know of lesser-known places to visit in Pondicherry, write to us at [email protected] about your trip and send us an accompanying picture. Space is a constraint, so please keep the word limit to 200 words. Entries should reach us by Wednesday noon.

Ergo wishes its readers a very happy Ayudha Puja. Lots of ghee sweets, sparkling vehicles and a day off from work. Also, there will be no issue of Ergo on October 8 and 9 (Wednesday and Thursday). See you on Friday.

02 NAMMA CHENNAI

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Attention foodies! The Rain Tree is hosting a Gujarati food festival at Rainbow, the 24-hour multi-cuisine restaurant, from 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. The festival is on till October 12.

Ice Cream, I Scream & more I

f all the movie halls have run house-full and you are wondering what to do the next two days, here’s how you can, otherwise, unwind. Watch some Turkish movies. The South Indian Film Chamber Theatre is hosting a festival of Turkish films on October 7 and 8. The festival is being organised by the Turkish Embassy, New Delhi, Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Chennai and the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation. My Father And My Son (6.15 p.m.), Ice Cream, I Scream (8.10 p.m.), and Istanbul Tales (6 p.m.) and Who Killed Shadows (7.45 p.m.) will be screened on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Ice Cream, I Scream is the A scene from Ice Cream, story of Ali, I Scream an ice cream salesman in Mugla, who tries to survive in the face of fierce competition from bigger brands. The movie has won five awards. Istanbul Tales, on the other hand, has five stories set in the Turkish metropolis, all dealing with the city’s underworld. For details, call 98401 51956.

Touchwood, THIS BAND IS ORIGINAL They see themselves as a jam band, and that’s why they say it is hard to classify their music

W

hat is a rock band without an electric guitar? But Touchwood from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has proven it can be more, having played at a number of college competitions since their inception in January 2008, including AmRock, IIM-Bangalore’s annual rock competition for amateurs. “That competition was crazy. There was a Motherjane and Zero concert happening, before which was AmRock. There were about 30 death metal bands, with names like Chronic Zombie. Audience and band members alike had long hair and were wearing black t-shirts.” When they first started playing, the band recollects confusion amongst the crowd. “Easily, that was one of the best concerts we played because these hardcore metal fans told us they liked our sound,” says Arjun. As for the sound, the band comprises Arjun (bass), Vishal (vocals, acoustic guitar), Cherian (keyboard) and Avinash (drums), and they are all about acoustic jazz rock. Their music has a retro lilt, blues riffs and a great light-hearted rock ‘n’ roll feel. The song, ‘Don’t let me down’ (available on YouTube) is crafted with ample

Their music has a retro lilt, blues riffs and a great light-hearted rock ‘n’ roll feel

(From top) Arjun, Avinash, Cherian and Vishal of Touchwood PHOTO: S. R. RAGHUNATHAN

snares, revealing their love for jazz music and especially Steely Dan. Amongst their favourite bands, the Bangalore-based rock / jam outfit Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ), Skinny Alley from Calcutta and Something Relevant from Mumbai figure on their list. And that is primarily how they see themselves – as a jam band. Cherian says, “Our casual get-togethers are where the music is born. We just jam and that’s how we make music. That’s why we can’t really classify the sound.” The band is not averse to adding

an electric guitarist to the band. “If there is someone who can get on board with our music, of course the addition would be great. But also, the advantage of going acoustic is that setting up sound (at live performances) does not take time,” says Vishal. ‘Don’t let me Down’ alone is testimony to the thunderous applause awaiting this six-monthold band from Vellore. They are yet to release an album, and they do play covers but check out their Facebook page to listen to some original Touchwood music. ■

03

PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR

PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Bangles all the way Dreams Come True at Prince Plaza is the place to be for bangles of any kind, size and colour V. LOKPRIA

I

magine walking in between curtains of bangles. You can, at Dreams Come True in Prince Plaza. What started off as a time pass business with just one shop has now grown to 14 shops, supplying bangles to all parts of Tamil Nadu. Rashmikanth Davey started this shop 10 years ago, having a small section for accessories in the shop which dealt primarily in clothes. Word-of-mouth publicity, the response he got from customers and the quality of bangles he sold made him shift from clothes to bangles. Don’t be surprised if it takes you an entire day just to do window shopping. Glass, metal, stone, plastic, Hyderabadi and Kolkata bangles – you name it and it’s available. The shop’s speciality is the 1-gram gold bangle, wherein you can mix a bangle of your choice with a gram of gold. And what’s more, it comes with a six-month guarantee. One can also return it within two years to get 50 per cent cash back. The shop has a loyal clientele, which includes Kollywood stars like Kushboo, Meena, Jyothika, Sneha, Sridevi and also NRIs. “One can find more than 5,000 varieties of bangles in different colours and sizes,” says Davey. Available in sizes ranging from 1.02 to 2.12, you are sure to get a

Address: Dreams Come True, Shop # 3,6,9,11,17, ground floor, 46 Pantheon Road, Prince Plaza, Egmore, Chennai – 60008 Ph: 044 - 28553594 Store Timings: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sunday holiday) perfect fit. The latest addition to the store are the lac bangles. A pair comes at Rs. 1,500. The unique custom followed by the shop is that they do not allow more than 10 customers in at a time, as they believe shopping should be done hassle-free. A pair of bangles is available from Rs. 10 to Rs. 1,500. Besides the regular metal and glass bangle, one can find a variety of bangles like the colour kundan, multistone bangle with enamel coating, bangles made out of Polki stone, and embroidered bangles. Another important facet to this shop is the customer service. Bangle matching is done for clothes according to one’s budget. And they also make bangles for customers if designs are given to them beforehand. “Apart form the traditional bangles, we also have wooden bangles and kadas to suit the taste of college girls,” says Lavanya, a salesperson at the store. ■ If you know of a place (big or small, well-known or not-so-wellknown) that stocks something of interest, or even a good sale happening somewhere, do write to us at [email protected] with the subject line WINDOW SHOPPER).

04 VILLAGE

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Food habit The crocodile does not chew its food, but swallows it whole. It carries several pounds of small stones in its stomach to aid in grinding up and digesting its nourishment.

Brits can’t stand work colleagues!

Whirlwind marriage ends in death An Australian millionaire died two days after his wedding and one day after changing his will to the benefit of his new wife, a court in Melbourne was told on Monday. Margaret Vandergulik, 61, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her 60-yearold husband but not to his murder. Patrick Plumbe’s charred body was found behind the wheel of his burnt-out car. At his funeral, Vandergulik is alleged to have confided to a former lover that she killed Plumbe.

50 per cent declared that they did not socialise outside work

T

wo million Brits dislike going to work because they cannot tolerate their colleagues, according to a new study. Eight per cent confessed that they hated people at work, and nearly a third have quit jobs because of it. While 25 per cent admitted that they put up with their workmates only because they were paid to, a 29 per cent said they hated them for licking their bosses’ feet. Around 50 per cent declared that they did not socialise outside work, with 25 per cent saying that they did only if they were forced to.

DPA

According to British tabloid The Sun, an interesting two third thought how their colleagues managed to reach the level that they did despite being awful with what they do. In the meantime, it’s ’warring egos’ between employees that cost their recruiters billions in a year in lost production, a report from the ’Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’ claimed. Amusingly, a study from women’s campaign group, the ’Fawcett Society’ said UK workplaces were "awash" with sexism. ■ ANI

Now, a km-high tower in Dubai Even before the formal inauguration of the world’s tallest building, ‘Burj Dubai’ the city called the jewel of the Emirates is all set to break its own record, by building a tower with a dizzying height of more than one kilometre. The new tower with more than 200 floors would be two to three times the size of the tallest skyscrapers now dotting the skylines of major US cities like New York and Chicago. It is coming up on the sea-front in a 270-hectare area, will be the centre-piece of the sprawling waterfront projects in the city and be build in next 10 years, announced the Dubai-based master developer Nakheel. “From our perspective, we’re building a tower over one-kilometre high. It’s the tallest by current comparisons,” Nakheel Chief Executive Chris O’Donnell said. PTI

Racism in London police force British black police officers launched a campaign on Monday to discourage people from the black and ethnic minority communities from joining the London force, claiming promotion is being hampered by racism. The Metropolitan Black Police Association (MBPA) said it was boycotting all drives to attract black and minority recruits because they were finding it harder to climb the career ladder than a decade ago. The MBPA’s chairman, Alfred John, said it was “inherently dangerous for us to be encouraging people to join into what we consider to be a hostile environment. They will face racism -- we have seen over the past few weeks what can happen to managers who speak out about racism and discrimination,” he told BBC radio. AFP

Half of mammals ‘in decline’ Half the world’s mammals are declining in population and more than a third probably face extinction, said an update Monday of the ‘Red List,’ the most respected inventory of biodiversity. A comprehensive survey of mammals included in the annual report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which covers more than 44,000 animal and plant species, shows that a quarter of the planet’s 5,487 known mammals are clearly at risk of disappearing forever. But the actual situation may be even grimmer because researchers have been unable to classify the threat level for another 836 mammals due to lack of data. “In reality, the number of threatened mammals could be as high as 36 percent,” said IUCN scientist Jan Schipper. AFP

05

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Golden God Kate

This day, that year

A life-size statue of model Kate Moss worth US$ 2.78 million has been unveiled at the British Museum in London. The piece, which features the beauty with her legs tucked behind her head, is said to be the largest gold sculpture created since the time of Ancient Egypt.

It was on October 7, 1806 that carbon paper was patented in London by inventor Ralph Wedgewood.

‘US consumer spending shrinks 3 % on financial woes’ A

merican consumers have been cutting back on their spending by over 3 per cent in the last quarter in response to the ongoing financial crisis, media reports from New York said. That, said the New York Times, would be the first quarterly decline since 1990 ahead of the 1991 recession and steepest since 1981. Consumer spending, which accounts for nearly two-third of the economy, grew modestly earlier in the year but fell in July and August on an annualised rate. Recent figures from companies, and interviews across the country, show that automobile sales are plummeting, airline traffic dropping, restaurant chains struggling to fill tables, customers are sparse in stores, the paper said. Many economists, who began the third quarter expecting modest growth, now believe the cutbacks are so severe that the overall economy did not expand either, and they warn that a consumer-led recession could be more severe than the relatively mild one earlier this decade, the Times added.

For some Americans, the Times said, the pain is already acute: jobs disappeared at a faster clip in September. For many others, day-to-day finances are fine for now, but the finanConsumer cial outlook is uncerspending, tain: 401(k) accounts which accounts are dwindling, loans are hard to get and for nearly twohouse prices continthirds of the ue to fall. The paper says the economy, grew impact of the finanmodestly cial news of the last earlier in the two weeks has been palpable in many year but fell in parts of the country. July and From car dealerships, which enAugust on an dured the worst annualised rate month for sales in 15 years, to the flashy casinos of Las Vegas, where spending at luxury restaurants and stores and at gambling tables has gone from bad to worse. ■ PTI

Royal cremation

How to boil an egg H

ard boiling an egg is perhaps one of the easiest things to do. But, two-thirds of Britons do not know how to do it, a survey has revealed. Researchers in Britain have carried out the poll and found that 69 per cent of those they questioned admitted that they struggle to cook a soft-boiled egg correctly. What’s more shocking is that 22 per cent said they do not know how long it takes to boil an egg, the survey found. Even of those who claimed to know, 37 per cent still got it wrong, with almost one in ten reckoning an egg needs to be cooked for six minutes or more for a soft yolk. Amazingly, 3 per cent thought it takes less than a minute to cook, the British media reported. And, 22 per cent of those questioned for the survey admitted they struggle just to get the egg in the pan without the shell cracking – often because they drop it in

boiling water. The survey of 1,500 people was carried out by British Lion eggs to mark the final of Eggs Factor competition, which is being held in London to decide the champion egg chef. “It’s worrying so many still haven’t mastered the technique. A soft boiled yolk will take three minutes, for a slightly set yolk aim for four and a firm one will take five,”a spokesman for British Lion eggs was quoted as saying. ■ PTI

쒀 A Thai traditional dancer poses in front of the royal funeral chariot ahead of Thai Princess Galyani Vadhana’s cremation in Bangkok on Monday. Princess Galyani, the only sister of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on January 2, 2008 from a cancer at the age of 84 will be cremated on November 16. AFP PHOTO

06 SPORT

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Master Blaster is No. 1 Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne has ranked Sachin Tendulkar as No. 1 in his list of best players included in his new book “Shane Warne’s Century”, to be launched in London on Tuesday. The top Australian in his list is his first captain Allan Border (No. 4), Curtly Ambrose (No. 3) and Brian Lara (No. 2).

Gilchrist to return to play against Australia Retired Test cricketer Adam Gilchrist will return to the field to play in an ‘All-Stars’ Twenty20 match against Australia, officials said on Monday. The big-hitting Gilchrist will be part of the Australian Cricketers’ Association’ (ACA) All-Stars team to play against the national side in Brisbane on November 14, Cricket Australia said. Organisers refused to comment on the make-up of the rest of the All-Stars team, saying only it would include “returning icon players.” “Adam Gilchrist, will play as part of the ACA All-Stars, a team selected by their peers at the end of last season,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said. It has been suggested that the recently retired fast bowler Glenn McGrath and ACA president Darren Lehmann will form part of Gilchrist’s team. ■ AFP

The Wall gets stronger

HOPE AGAINST

DESPAIR Scolari expects Terry to play through pain barrier for England

L

uiz Felipe Scolari expects John Terry to play through the pain barrier in England’s World Cup qualifiers as the Chelsea defender struggles to shake off a back injury. England captain Terry played in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa despite feeling pain from the back problem he suffered in Chelsea’s Champions League draw with CFR Cluj in the midweek. He completed 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge and will meet England’s doctors before joining up with Fabio Capello’s squad, but Scolari has no doubts that the steely centre-back will feature in Saturday’s match against Kazakhstan and Belarus the following Wednesday. While Terry should feature for England, his Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole may miss out with a foot problem. Nicolas Anelka is a doubt for France’s upcoming World Cup 2010 match with Romania after the striker was taken off at halftime with a leg problem.

Doctors to the rescue “I also think John will be fit after two or three days rest,” Scolari said. “He will see the international doctors and then decide but I think he will play. Joe Cole has a little problem but I think he will be fine after two or three days of rest. As for Anelka, I don’t know.” Deco, Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho, Alex and Didier Drogba are already in the treatment room, but Scolari heads into the international break hoping a rest from domestic action should give some of those players time to recover. Cole and Anelka scored the goals to ensure Chelsea stay on top of the Premier League but there is only one thing on Scolari’s mind at the moment.

쑸 Sachin Tendulkar unveiled The Wall – a massive 27 feet X 15 feet structure, with 10,000 bricks erected at Chinnaswamy Stadium in honour of Rahul Dravid in Bangalore on Monday. PHOTO: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.

Aston Villa still leads “It is the most important game of the season for me because we won and now we have more days to recuperate our players,” he said. “Some of them will go into

Luiz Felipe; (below) John Terry discusses a point with a team mate. AFP PHOTO

their international teams, but others injured have time to recuperate with us. In 10 to 15 days we hope most of our players are in a good position.” Chelsea completely dominated this encounter in West London and would have won by more but for the impressive display by Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel. ■ AFP

07

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

‘‘

Chetan brings honours

Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. Muhammad Ali, American Boxer

Chetan Anand became the first Indian to win the men’s singles title in a Grand Prix event, and the pair of V. Diju and Jwala Gutta claimed the honours in the mixed doubles event in the USD Bitburger Open in Germany

Revv it up for

Hamilton

Giancarlo Fisichella PHOTO: GETTY IIMAGES

MCLAREN ACE TO DRIVE FOR POINTS IN JAPAN GRAND PRIX

“Rain and safety cars will come to our rescue”

L

Keeping fingers crossed: Lewis Hamilton AFP PHOTO

ewis Hamilton goes into the Japan Grand Prix on Sunday with a seven-point lead over championship rival Felipe Massa having learned a valuable lesson at the last race in Singapore. The McLaren ace was stuck behind David Coulthard on the tricky street circuit but curbed his natural instinct to overtake the Scotsman, knowing that Massa was outside the points and the risk wasn’t worth taking. It proved to be a good decision, with Coulthard pitting and Hamilton eventually finishing third while Massa laboured home in 13th. “I actually think Singapore was a good learning experience: there was less pressure to achieve a victory because of the unusual circumstances, which meant I was actually able to start thinking of the world championship,” he said. “I hate driving for points, but I think we can all see the benefit of that approach at the moment.” With just three races left this season, Hamilton is wellplaced to claim the world title that eluded him in 2007. The Briton vividly remembers the victory here last year in torrential rain, and is ready for whatever the elements throw at him again this weekend. “Last year was probably difficult because of the wet weather and the poor visibility, but I really enjoyed that weekend,” he said. “The Japanese fans are some of my favourite in the world: so passionate, but really polite, charming and respectful. “As for the race, one of the questions I get asked most is whether I prefer to drive in the rain: my answer is always the same, I’ll race in the wet or dry, I don’t mind,” he says. “But it’s always easier for us drivers to race in the dry; I’d always prefer a dry race.” “This weekend, I’ll be hoping for dry weather for another reason – I want the fans at the track to have the best weekend possible and to enjoy the atmosphere of one of the season’s best races.” ■ AFP

Experienced Italian Giancarlo Fisichella has denied rookie outfit Force India is going backwards, insisting their improvements have been overshadowed by other teams also getting better. Force India, owned by billionaire Vijay Mallya, has had a sobering introduction to Formula One in its inaugural season and is the only team yet to score a point this year. But Fisichella, who made his Grand Prix debut with Minardi in 1996 and has competed in 211 races, said it was unfair to say the car’s development was not going to plan. “No, that’s not correct,” he told the official www.Formula1.com. “We are always moving forward and we have kept up with the field with honour. But every other team has done the same and this is why our progress is so little noticed.” Fisichella, though, knows that the car is not fast enough to be competitive and he will need something special in Japan this week to finally notch Force India’s first points. “To score we need special conditions, as the car this year does not have enough speed for us to do it in any other way,” he said. “Maybe rain and safety cars will come to our rescue. Let’s see.” Despite routinely having to start from the back of the grid, the Italian is not disillusioned and plans to stay with the team next year. “I only know that my boss, Vijay Mallya, has promised me a good car in 2009 and I trust him one hundred percent,” he said. ■ AFP

08 ROADSTER

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

New SUV

Personal license plates

Hindustan Motors has launched Mitsubishi Outlander in India. The new SUV was unveiled in New Delhi on Friday.

China’s capital city readopted a program on Monday allowing car owners to have personalized license plates, but clamping down on the flashy and crude picks such as "UFO", "SEX 001" and "FBI 007" produced by some people six years ago.

LET THEE ENGINEES ROAR! The FFE kit letts your car breathe exhaust gasses freely and efficiently while improving performance and pick-u up of the car. You will get betterr mileage as well if you are not the type with a heavy foot on the gas pedal. o imported e it a NASCAR, the great F1 There are plenty of motor or the regular Sa- and locally fabricatted mufflers loon GT racing car, the first available in the marrket for your thing you hear at the race car. The header make es it easier for track is the sweet note of a race the engine to push the combuscar engine exhaust sound. en compared Many a times we have the tion gases out whe blood rush for speed and want to the manifold. The engine to hear the exhaust sound of a pumps out power through the ed during the race car in our car and back to back pressure create exhaust stroke. silent mode during a The valves open normal drive. The redurin ng the exality is that our regFFE is a simple haustt strokes and ular engines are not and easy-tothe pistons p thrust capable of producthe exhaust out upgrade part ing that mega BHP of the cylinder. If which race cars genthat will there e is any resiserate. increase the tance e to the pisBut we can install there is loss ton, an FFE (Free Flow Exhorse power of of poower. Having haust) to improve your car to an a header h uplow-end torque and grade e removes also have the exextent and it manifold’s the haust sound of a comes with a pressure. back race car in our car. The header is a sports muffler The Free Flow Exlinkage to each haust system is a simcylind der indepenple and es are fabrieasy-to-upgrade part that will dently and the pipe d the same as increase the horse power of your cated and measured es join at the car to an extent and it comes each other. The pipe e too, with a sports muffler at the end collector and the exhaust, to compose that grunt of a race collects at the same place and there is no back pre essure genercar. The FFE consist of headers, ex- ated anymore. Hence, making an n upgrade at pansion chamber and the interou sports car mediate pipes that flow to the this level will get yo b perforrear of the car and a custom sound and slightly better y currently sports muffler configured to mance than what you have. ■ sound just the way you want.

B

Your car, too, can have the sports car’s growl. And improved performance

09

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

SNIPPETS Recaro Racing seats These replica racing seats are very comfortable; it has all the adjustments of a regular car seat. The decrease in vibration provides that extra comfort you need and the race car ambience inside the car. Available colours: Red & Black, Black&Blue (both combos), Red and Black Price: Rs.13,000 to Rs.14,000.

Titanium Finish Imported muffler Imported muffler tuned for performance and free flow exhaust. Comes in various configurations depending on the type of the car. Finish: Stainless Steel, Titanium Tip Price: Rs.7,000 to Rs.10,000.

Projector Headlights for CIVIC & SWIFT Halo rings and projector lens setup for the cars Civic and Swift. This can be a cool upgrade for both vehicles. Once installed, it could give a totally different outlook to your car. Price: Rs.17,000 to Rs.18,000 (for Civic) Price: Rs.14,000 (for Swift). Compiled by: Vikram Sunderraj

Students’ solar car to represent India in SA competition The car has been developed by a group of 20 students from Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) in New Delhi

L

ow on cost and high on mobility, a solar car has been designed by a group of students of a city-based institute who are representing India at The South Africa Solar Challenge, a unique competition in solarpowered cars. The car has been developed by a group of 20 students from Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology (NSIT) in New Delhi. The NSIT car is the cheapest model in the competition, in which teams from all over the world participate. The car boasts of an inverted tail dragon design with two front and a rear tyre. It has been designed as per the parameters of the competition that aims at collaboration among students, industry and government in designing solar cars, sources said. The car can run a top speed of 50 km per hour and can run for about four to five hours at a stretch on fully charged batteries, they said. Solar cars are powered by sun’s energy and help immensely in energy conservation. The main component of the car is the solar panel which collects energy from the sun and converts it into usable electricity energy. Among the students who have designed the car are Shriram Narayanan, a third year Mechanical Engineering student, Abhisekh Monga, Ankur Gupta, Pankaj Chopra, Shikhar Mathur, Apnesh Chawhan, Gulshan Buswala and Arun Kumar. Such solar cars from different countries are participating at the international event started last week in South Africa. The competition will continue till October 8. As per the norms of the competition, teams will have to build their own cars, design their own engineering systems and race those machines. ■ PTI

10 FLICK

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Spielberg leaves Paramount pictures Hollywood directing legend Steven Spielberg is leaving his long-time partner Paramount Pictures to form a new Hollywood-based film venture worth 1.5 billion dollars with India’s Reliance ADA Group.

g n i ak

M

i a R e th

Rai a y r a w

on p

Aish

SREYA BASU

Abhishek is playing a superman in his recent release, Drona. Don’t you too want to play a superwoman in the future? Why in future? I am already a superwoman in real life. Ask any married woman and she will agree to my answer.

You are just back from The Unforgettable tour. As far as we know, you have been the initiator of this entire idea. True? Not the only but one of the initiators. Actually, way back when Abhishek and I were just co-actors, I kept telling him “let’s be part of a troupe and go on a world tour”. And he kept on saying “It’s not the right time”. But I never thought that my wish will be fulfilled in such a grand way and that we will be part of the team as man and wife.

You two are married for over a year. Are you more a ‘Bachchan bahu’ or Abhishek’s wife? (laughs) Both are the same.

But has marriage affected you male fan following, and in Abhishek’s case, his female fan following? For this, you should have come with us to the world tour. Girls went mad screaming for Abhishek. And, well…ask Abhishek to comment on my fans on my behalf.

Coming back to Drona, what do you have to say about Shah Rukh Khan attending the premiere in Mumbai? It’s for the media to say and scribble. Jokes apart, despite all our differences we are part of the film fraternity and it’s our courtesy to welcome all fellow members. It’s not just being good to one person but the entire industry.

Has marriage changed you? Not at all. I am what I was. We are not married for changing ourselves. But, of course, when two people settle down to-

and mily,

t film x e n r

w

he

n fa

hcha c a B e

’, th oman

erw

‘sup g n i y la

e c i cho

hek

his ith Ab

WAY BACK WHEN ABHISHEK AND I WERE JUST CO-ACTORS, I KEPT TELLING HIM “LET’S BE PART OF A TROUPE AND GO ON A WORLD TOUR”. AND HE KEPT ON SAYING “IT’S NOT THE RIGHT TIME”. BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT MY WISH WILL BE FULFILLED IN SUCH A GRAND WAY

gether there are little adjustments to be made on both sides. Other than that, we make sure to give each other enough breathing space.

When will the audience see you romancing each other on screen again? In Maniratnam’s next. Right now, the film is called Ravan but the title may change.

Is there no professional competition in the family? Competing with Amitabh Bachchan in acting! And Abhishek is my hubby and I, like any Indian wife, can only be proud of his achievements.

Are you planning a family right now? I already have a family. I know what you exactly mean. Do you think I will be able to hide it under my drapes if there is really something right now! And trust me, I won’t even try to hide it.

Amitabh Bachchan is into blogging. Do you have any such plans in future? Blogging is the best way to communicate with our well-wishers. It’s just like sharing your happiness, worries and achievements will all our fans who make us ‘stars’. I have seen Pa’s (Amitabh) blog…how people interact with him with so much ease, as if they are just sitting beside him. Both Abhishek and I would love to blog but don’t have enough time to dedicate to it. So, for the time being, we will have the media as our communicator. ■ Trans World Features

11

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Winehouse to embrace Scientology? Troubled English singer Amy Winehouse has reportedly given the Church of Scientology a thought after she received a call from them. Winehouse’s drug use has left her leading a very erratic and unhealthy life, and she is considering turning to the controversial religion in a bid to straighten her life out.

Cine City

Film: Kidnap Director: Sanjay Gadhvi Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Imran Khan, Minissha Lamba, Vidya Malvade

Rajiv Menon to remake Abhimaan

Being held at ransom MITHRA SURESH [email protected]

K

idnap is a film with little to offer and what does excel are sporadic bursts of borrowed originality, as shown through the stunt scenes and the opening credits of the film. The story is of a mind game plotted by stone-faced kidnapper Kabir Sharma (Imran Khan) who wants vengeance. Enter the childish and skimpily-clad brat Sonia (Minissha Lamba), who stomps out of her house because her divorcee mother Mallika (Vidya Malvade) has been protecting her from her work-before-family billionaire father, Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt). When Sonia decides to cool off with a swim in the pristine blue waters of…Mumbai (or Mauritius), she is kidnapped. Vikrant is sought out by Mallika, who helps, rather does most of the investigative work himself. What follows is a sadistic treasure hunt with some lame limericks thrown in as clues to explain

why Kabir wants to teach Vikrant a lesson. What works for the film is one of the most thrilling stunt sequences ever seen, where Vikrant chases after Kabir through a construction site. Scaling barbed fences, jumping through adjacent windows, leaping on to a moving elevator and climbing steel frames all required incredible energy and fitness from Khan, who did admit to using a stunt double, but only when absolutely required. Sadly, the film’s attempts at parental love are diabetic, in fact laughable at the most. There is a scene where Vikrant and Sonia are handcuffed at the same place. The dialogue that ensues is disturbingly funny, considering they are meeting each other after six years. The acting is stiff, and the need to acquit Dutt of his real-life trials still exist in his films: “Guns lie in the hands of either police or criminals. But we will not keep guns at home.” If unintended humour and buttered popcorn is your scene, this film might just work for you. ■

Rajiv Menon is planning to remake Abhimaan, the super hit Hindi film of yesteryears. Released 35 years ago, Abhimaan had Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan romancing onscreen. Rajiv has reworked the script and has roped in the young Bachchans, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai, for the remake. A.R. Rahman is expected to score the music. www.cinesnacks.com

Silambattam not for Diwali release Disappointing news for Silambarasan’s fans. We hear that the actor’s next flick, Silambattam, will not be released for Diwali. The reason is Ajith. Silambarasan, a fan of Ajith does not want to open his movie along with Aegan. Earlier Manmathan came along with Attakasam and Vallavan came along with God Father. Now the srace will be between Ajith’s Aegan and Surya’s Vaaranam Aayiram.

12

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

place for a min before taking their seats. They stand n watch the movie !

Monday’s Question: The most irritating behaviour of movie goers in movie halls?

9940321321

■ Often goin outta de cinema hall with their mobiles as if they were de busiest being in de world. MANIVANNAN P CGSL

■ Spitting over the floors and smoking at Nø smoking areas.

■ Telling aloud the dialogues even before the movie star could say it. Bringing infants to d movie and not bothered to take the infant out when they wail.

Anu, FSS

■ Throwing the empty packets or empty water bottles inside the movie hall itself, as it affects the sanitation of the theatre as a whole.

Jegathiesh. P, TCS

SASIREKA ARUMUGAM-COGNIZANT

■ No Tension. I am with my girl friend.

■ whistlin .. It really gets on ur nerves.. Makes u miss out on de dialogues

Jo, Hexaware

Francis, TCS

■ They dont keep their mobiles in silent mode once they enter the cinema hall and speak on phone without moving out of the movie hall.

■ People at back or aside describing the story and the forth coming sequence

9442090646

Rahul Bhatia, TCS

■ The person sitting right behind u starts narrating the story to a stupidly curious friend sitting next to him. Surender, TCS

■ Moving here and there while watching the interesting part of the movie. Nirmala ARS TEAM Perot systems

■ It’s when you find the feet of the person behind, close enough to scratch your ears. Dilip (Infosys)

■ Friend you come across in the theatre during intermission asks "ennappa cinemavukkaa??"

■ Some movie goers used to keep their cell phones on full sound, it ll b ringing beyond the RR of the movie. .Keep on annoying others in the theatre.

Sajini Ramachandran of TCS

■ Two n half hrs movie parka vandhutu, adhu mudiyarudhukulla edho flight pudika pora madhiri climax la ye endhirichi nadaka arambichiduvanga, Mathavangaluku screen maraikum nu kooda nenaikama. Venga payalunga .

Manikandan E, Infosys

■ Not switching the cell to silence... And keep getting status updates! Come on! Go home!

Ram N J, Hexaware

■ Who ever come with their girl friend when i ’m single

■ People at the back, asking us to go down a little for their little child to have a clear view at the screen 9894369726

■ Booking all the tickets in advance Nithyaalangaran HCL Tech

■ when its ="intersting movie they disturb by shouting & boring movie they disturb by sleeping"

Sri

■ Vigiling and Mass Dance near the Screen

Jags, Polaris

■ My problem is Big Queue in Popcorn and ice cream stall when i want to buy at cinema hall.

■ Placing their legs in the front seat.

Prasanna, Wipro

■ Laughing loudly for Mokkai comedy

R.K, FSS

■ When some one comes late after the movie started and searching for their seat also hiding others.

Lavanya, TCS

■ Shooting the movie with mobile phones. Talking very loudly in mobile phones

Ram Hexaware Technologies

■ "hei, cinema paaka vandhiyaa?" when one of ur friend ask this question to u on seeing u in the theatre.

B.Srikanth

■ Whistling and littering around.

SIVANATH - PEROT SYSTEMS

■ No air-conditioner.. Though they mentioned in ticket as A/C theatre

Karthikeyan.R

Vaidhyanathan Natarajan of CSS Corp has nominated his teammates in Partners in Crime. The pic was clicked during the recent inauguration of their new property at MEPZ.

Satheesh from HCL Technologies has nominated his team members in Partners in Crime. The pic was shot at Munnar.

Sivaa.G, Birlasoft

■ If they dont like the movie, tearing seats, showing laser light on the screen

9884093005

9790935162

■ when they come as a group late to cinema, they just stand in their

Aravind Bala of Cybernet SlashSupport, Ambattur Branch has sent his team’s pic and they call themselves Nocturnal Creatures of Ambattur.

Sree hari, TCS

Today’s Query: How will you tackle irritating guests during festivals?

Sudarsan VijayaKumar.S of Wipro Technologies doodled this

13

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Hi, I agree with Vijay’s statement that the tabloid should not carry issues like sex even though it is circulated among office-goers who are mature enough. I guess people are aware of the way employees are harassed (mentally & sexually) nowadays, and the kind of tips provided in some articles would make people think wrongly. I agree that the magazine reaches the hands of adults who have relationships but no one can gauge their maturity level. So it would be great if that can be taken care of. A useful magazine like ERGO should never mislead a person by any chance. And also I would like to add a few words about the other pages.... The tabloid is really interesting with all kinda contents mixed in, I like to read ‘Ripley’s believe it or not’, ‘Namma Chennai’ and thanks for the information on roadside eateries (Kai Yendhi Bahavans). Rajiv Quoted : From Vijay Mathews, "Hi, I would highly appreciate if you can brand your news paper in a better way. we could see a lot and lot amount of tips which are related to sex and adultery. It would be great and appreciated if these articles could be avoided."

■ Dearest Ukku alias Sudha Viswanath, Wishing u a very Happy Birthday.This greeting in Ergo is jus a reminder for a treat at Le Royal Meridian. With luv, Aagi alias Rajimaha & Sunskutty alias Sundari Vasu(Wipro-Sholinganallur)

■ My Dear MINI, It must have been a rainy day when you were born because the heavens were crying because it lost its most beautiful angel. Wish you happy birthday to you dear Yours Loving MICKEY

■ Dear Soundari Bhaskar Wishing you a wonderful year of happiness and joy. Happy Birthday. We hope all your birthday dreams come true in this year. Deepa , Sridevi, Sivasangari & Prakash HCL Technologies Ltd, Sidco Industrial Estate, Ambattur

Kuppan has been nominated as Office Angel by Ramya.R of Congruent Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Guindy. A very tolerant and easy going guy. He works as an office assistant here and made friends as soon as he joined and won all our hearts. His responsibility towards work is what we like the most in him. He knows to smile and say ’No’ for any work which he can’t do so that we are not disappointed later. According to him, his principles are: “Learn to smile at every situation, see it as an opportunity to prove your strength and ability." “Highest form of grace is silence."

■ Dear Sasi, May your day be filled with laughter, On this your special day And may the finest things in life Always come your way.Belated birthday wishes! Heart ywishes from UST Global, Chennai.

■ Dear Subin, The day you were born the day of paradise, when bloom smiles charmingly Says happy birthday to you, fragrant blossom of spring. Wish you many more happy returns of the day. God Bless you. Warm Birthday wishes from Team BI. Wishes, FunClub Business Implementation, Software Solutions, Scope International, Karapakkam

■ Dear Priya, Hearty Birthday Wishes on your Birthday! Wishing you a day as special as you are dear… With Love, Shaki. Satyam Computer Services Limited

■ Dear Amit (KAKUUUUUUU) and the Saviour of Front Ends "Wish you many more happy returns of the day" Have a great day and Wonderful year ahead. What will a Chinese, Japanese and Chennaiite say when they see The Leaning Tower of Pisa: Chinese – Saimo Sayadho Japanese – Nikumo Nikadho Chennaiite – Uimo Uiyadho ( Vizhumo Vizhadho – In Chennai Tamil) Karthik Subramanian, Infosys

Regards, Ur dear parents, Friends - Insurance Team - CGSL

■ Dear Jeshind "We wish you a very Happy

BirthdayWe are expecting more treat compared to last year" Best Wishes Ca7 Team Satyam – Ford

■ Dear Freeta, Many more happy returns of the day. Have fun filled and adventurous year ahead with the little bundle of joy(Kevin) that you have. we hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true

Cheers, CAT Mfgpro Team

■ Dear Pinky, Belated Happy birthday. We all wish you the best for your days ahead. Actually saturday ko ergo nai aata hai, so late ho gaya. Paras kaushik Company: TCS

■ Dearest Sangeet, Satyam la work panum “Sathyamangalathu Sangeethavae..” Unnoda intha Happie Birthday ku, Unna naanga OTTUKKA wish panrom. “HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!” May you live long Happily blessed with love and happiness.. May all your dreams come true Maranthuratha…. “A--D---S” inaiku namba porom.. Love, Ottukka wish pannum OTTUKA TEAM.. Uma, Divya, Raji, Jayu

■ Hi Mubarak, Wish you Many more happy returns of the day. Let all your dreams come true on this wonderful day and May the coming years be the best in your life . Hearty wishes from Ramesh Kumar

■ Hi Jagan, Wish you a very Happy Birthday !! May you have all the joy your heart can hold, All the smiles a day can bring, All the blessings a life can unfold. May u have God’s best in everything. Best wishes from Sudha, MphasiS Sathyabama and Prem, Tata Consultancy Services

Hello Gang, Send your greetings to [email protected], with the word ‘greeting’ and the preferred date of publication in the subject line. Example: “greeting: October 10”. This will help us organise the column. Also, those who want to dedicate greetings, please send your full name, company name and contact number for verification. Cheers, Team Ergo

14 TRAFFIC JAM

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Odourless undergarments A clothing firm in the U.S. is selling an underwear fabric called Subtle Butt that absorbs all smells. The ‘gas neutralising’ material, made of carbon fabric, is fitted with self-adhesive strips and can be inserted into undergarments to take away any offensive odours.

sudoku

Latika Vaid of Satyam Computers spotted this python right in front of her car at Nagarhole forest in Karnataka. Not bewildered? Then, go into the wild, she says. Hobbies: photography and travelling 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 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

15

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Broke broker becomes monk

Word’s worth

A Wall Street broker has left New York to become a monk in a monastery in Bulgaria after feeling shattered by the ongoing global financial crisis. Hristo Mishkov was a broker on the Nasdaq stock exchange but now attends to a herd of buffalo.

"Camstairy" (kam-stair-ee) a Scots adjective meaning ’perverse, willful, orobstinate.’ Possibly related to cam, ’crooked.’

B.C ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 It’s going to be a busy day for you. Superiors will reward your hardworking nature. It’s best day for redesigning technical work that you have done in the past. Even while you are with your beloved, you may be talking about work and related matters.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You may get a stroke of luck today. Expect good news from distant place or abroad. You may be dealing with authority figures. Exchange emails carefully as there are chances of some faux pas. Put more efforts to woo your beloved one.

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

BORN LOSER

CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20 It’s a low energy day for you. It is not a very favourable day for you hence you are advised to keep low profile at office. If you try to react to someone aggressively, you might have to accept defeat. Personal life may help you to balance stress.

LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20 You have to work hard today. If you don’t try to put yourself in other people’s shoes, you may not understand their problems, so look at the situation objectively. You may be least concerned about love life today, although you carry the ’heart of Gold’.

VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20

FREE RANGE

WORKING IT OUT

Ganesha finds you doing lot of R & D today. You may not be interested in handling routine tasks. You are in a mood to develop something new. Ganesha notes that you may wish to spend more time with your beloved one.

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

SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20 Ganesha foresees you handling lot of mental hard work. It’s also favourable day to communicate with important people. You may take your partner to an entertainment programme but you may have more practical approach towards expenses.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20 You will try to be precise. To achieve precision you might have to work hard and the pace of your work may slow down so you might have to stay back to finish your work. Family may also demand your attention, due to which you may feel stressed out.

CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 You are filled with zeal and thrill at the beginning of the day. You may wish to achieve too much but you may not be able to be patient for achievements. Ganesha advises you to cultivate patience. Your life partner may find you self-centred.

PREVIOUS ISSUE’S SOLUTIONS

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20 You might have to deal with bigger problems at work. This may put you off but you will then think to give it a chance and try your best to sort out issues. In love life, you may have a feeling that you are sacrificing far way too much for beloved.

PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20 Ganesha finds you getting carried away by others. Your decision power may be weak so avoid taking important decisions, instead postpone them for three-four days. You may be able to devote time to your love life, which will fill your day with joy. Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni

16 !

ERGO Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Pick the best There are 17 recognised species of walnuts - all are edible. ‘Persians’ are considered the tastiest.

METROSEXUAL

Ban the tan

Learner dunks car in pool An Australian learner driver showing off his skills to a friend reversed through a fence and into his Adelaide neighbour’s swimming pool, news reports said on Monday. Police issued him with a ticket for failing to maintain control of the car and for not being accompanied by a licensed driver, national broadcaster ABC reported.

Amrit Ayush, an ayurvedic therapy centre, has a seven-day cure for sun tan

DPA

A US woman sentenced to life in jail in Hong Kong for bludgeoning her banker husband to death after lacing his milkshake with sedatives lost her appeal against conviction on Monday. Nancy Kissel, dubbed the ‘Milkshake Murderer’, was found guilty of killing her husband in 2003 after drugging him with a cocktail of sedatives in their luxury apartment in one of Hong Kong’s most sensational cases. In turning down Kissel’s appeal against her conviction and life sentence, Michael StuartMoore, the Court of Appeal judge who presided over the case, said there was “no merit” in any of her grounds for appeal. “This was as cogent a case of murder as might be imagined,” said the written ruling of three judges, handed down by StuartMoore. AFP

Aniston and Norman Jennifer Aniston has recruited a therapist – for her ageing dog. The former Friends star is spending 250 dollars a week on massage, Reiki and acupuncture treatments for her corgi-terrier Norman, reports China Daily. “Norman has been Jennifer’s constant companion during all her emotional upheavals, but he suffers from aching joints and stiffness,” a source said. And the therapy sessions at Aniston’s Malibu home seem to have already been effective. “Norman has more spring in his step these days,” the source said. ANI

FILE PHOTO: AFP

‘Milkshake Murderer’ loses appeal in Hong Kong court

VIPASHA SINHA

T

hat they tell you in advertisements that you can play in the sun using their sunscreen doesn’t mean that you do what they say. Various sun-protection products available in the market promise protection but in reality turn out to be of no use under the harsh rays. Skin tanning is something you cannot totally prevent but definitely minimise. The more your skin is exposed to the sun, the more it is damaged. Personal care is needed to pre-

vent tanning and if you already suffer from the pigmentation caused due to it, Amrit Ayush, an ayurvedic therapy centre, can come to your rescue. Amrit Ayush on No. 31, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, is a renowned ayurvedic therapy centre that specialises in various skin treatments using ayurvedic methods. Dr. Sreemathy, an ayurveda expert who has been associated with Amrit Ayush for the past two years, explains us the tanning therapy in detail. The general tanning therapy is

Home remedies

A paste of turmeric (haridra) and sandalwood powder (chandan) can be useful if applied on the damaged skin. A paste of mint leaves is an excellent natural bleaching agent that brightens the skin. The best way to prevent tanning is to cover up whenever needed. Apart from this, consume lots of water, fresh fruits and vegetables.

external, which removes pigmentation. The first step involves giving the body an oil massage using herbal oils like eladi thailam, nalpamaradi and kumkumadithailam (medicated herbal oil). This helps in rejuvenating the skin and is also a cure for various other skin disorders. The next is the ancient method of Shirodhara, a therapeutic massage where herbal oil and medicated milk are poured gently and steadily over the forehead in a continuous stream using a special rhythmic swaying movement. Following this is the bodyscrubbing process using a mix of medicated rice, rice herbs and milk. The treatment is done over seven days and claims to give 70 per cent relief from the effects of skin tanning. For each of the seven sessions you will have to pay Rs. 1,000 for the whole body. ■