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Going ga ga
over gays? Film
& FASHION
Deepak make
debut with Ek Main Ek Tum Youth
NeT FUNtastic Sultry Saira Dancing her
way to glory Purple
Pencil
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No longer do we turn to badhi ma for advice on how to raise kids. Rather google grandma has elbowed her way into this corner of our life, says Chitleen K. Sethi Dr Spock is in the dock. No longer do we turn to grandma for advice on how to raise kids. Rather google grandma has elbowed her way into this corner of our life. Such is the faith reposed in the electronic word that grandma-google overrides grandma-familiar, making way for e-parenting, no less. More and more parents are logging on to the Internet to find solutions to problems they are facing raising their kids. And no one is returning back empty handed. There is plenty of advice available on every possible aspect of parenting and every possible problem a child can have. Toilet training in three days! Thirty ways to baby proof your home! Room by room list of safety tips and reminders! Six most common bathroom dangers! Toilet training, thumb sucking, aggressive behaviour, lying, sibling rivalry, you name it and the net has thousands of sites overflowing with suggestions. “It begins from the time you are carrying. There are sites, which help you monitor the growth of the fetus. How to prepare for the delivery, the breathing exercises, diet, blood pressure, it’s all there. And believe me the guidance helps,” says Poonam Tyagi, a resident of Sector 71, Mohali, who has a 10-year-old daughter Swabhi and a 7-year-old son Siddharth. “And when Swabhi was born, I was all out for the sites that told you about the child’s milestones. When to start feeding solids, when will the teething begin, how to make it comfortable for the child, when will she start walking and of course names. Frankly, my parents and in-laws are quite amused that we were already brimming with so much of information on everything,” adds her husband Sanjay. Sanjay Tyagi is right. The Internet has more information on a single topic that can be found in a thousand books or among the gathering of a thousand mothers and mothers-in-law. Toilet training for example, type in the words in google, and you get whopping 5990000 entries on the Internet on how to handle it. But does all this advice work? “Yes and no. These sites would tell you the steps, which one should follow, but it does not mean that even if you follow the steps meticulously, it would work. I looked for suggestions on how to get my younger son rid of thumb sucking. There was plenty of information available and lots of methods to try. But most did not work and finally he just grew out of the habit,” said Priyanka Trikha, a resident of Sector 8 Chandigarh, who has brought up 8-year-old Aditya. But it’s not just about common cold or nappy rash. Parents who have children with serious problems are in constant touch with the latest on that ailment across the world. “When my son was born with a hole in the heart and underwent a surgery. There was so much of information available on the net to help him cope with the trauma. He was too young to know what was happening but we were a bundle of nerves. Most importantly, we were able to get in touch with parents on the net with similar problems. It was like group therapy for us. There are discussion platforms on most of these sites, you post in your problem and someone who had been through a similar situation somewhere would be able to help,” recall Kanwal and Harpal, parents of 5-year-old Tejeshwar. The Internet is also proving to be a general information base. “Go to one of these parenting sites and you are able to get ideas about how to keep your children busy. There are activities suggested for them and even step by step learning of new languages, hobbies etc. There is an entire world out there,” says Gagan, a housewife who with husband Ravi Bir has been consulting the net to raise their two children, Isha (11) and Sabir (7). Of course there are loads of issues, which these sites deal with. Like how to make your child cope with grief or the loss of a loved one, how to defuse aggressive behaviour among children, how to help your child concentrate, best toys, three daily priorities for teens and how to discuss sexual behaviour with them. “I have teenaged children and believe me, I am at sea about what goes on in their heads. What occupies the mind of a 17- year-old? Type this in any search engine and see what you get. It just shocked me out of my wits,” said Harvir Singh, a Mohali resident. That is one exercise we would leave our readers to
do. e-parenting sites
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Woh nani ki bataon mei pariyon ka dera Woh chehre ki jhuriyu mei sadion ka phera Bhulaye nahin bhool sakta hai koi Woh chotti si ratein woh lambi kahani
So sings Jagjit Singh the poem by Sudarshan Fakir, thus portraying a picture which, maybe is already entrenched in every person’s mind. A grey-haired man or women with wrinkles on their face, looking lovingly at you with tremendous love in their eyes! Well, the image might have modified a bit with less of grey hair and wrinkles, but the love certainly stays. In present day society where the trend of having nuclear families is there, how does it affect the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren? Is the bond still there? Or have we become too engrossed in our lives to even ask them how they are? Simrat Wahi, an engineer preparing for MBA entrance exams, strongly believes that the special bond does exist. She says, “My brother and I feel blessed to have such a
nani. She is an excellent cook. She looks into the needs of every individual in very delicate manner. She realises that at times we may be busy and does not expect anything in return. Even a phone call satisfies her.” Her grandmother Prakash Kaur Likhari says, “My grandchildren mean a lot to me and of course I love them. When they were small I used to look after their smallest needs. Now they have grown up and take care of me. They are there whenever I need them whether it is for going to the doctor or helping me with my kitty parties.” She adds, “Contrary to the general opinion that grandparents indulge the children more, I made sure there was adequate discipline in their lives.”
A Mass Communication student, Navjot Kaur, feels that her grandmother completes their family and is a very special part of it. “I share a sweet-and-sour relationship with Biji. Sweet due of the love and sour because I keep troubling her. Biji loves to watch each and every saas-bahu serial that comes on every channel and she gets completely engrossed in them. So I start flipping channels till I get her attention. She always tells me that I should not try to loose any weight and maintain my health. She thinks that this way no one would dare to misbehave with me.” If grandmothers rule the popularity charts, grandfathers are not too far behind. Sadhu Singh, who has retired after working in the Punjab Civil Secretariat, says, “I share a very frank and beautiful relation with my grandchildren Harpreet and Amardeep. I have always been a friend to them more than their father. They share all their problems with me. Even when they feel that there are some things they cannot discuss with their parents they do so with me.” His grandchildren completely agree with him. One thing seems pretty clear that nothing and no one can substitute the love that grandparents give to their children. Here’s to another unending story and a meal cooked with love! — Khushboo Sandhu
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Going ga ga over gays? All this resulted when I agreed to send Sonoo, my then teenaged college
going daughter, to France on a month long scholarship trip that the local Alliance Francaise had awarded her in the mid nineties. And I, a fool, had been thinking that things have changed and the difference between a boy and a girl has ceased to exist.
Thankfully now things, at least in a city like Chandigarh, are seemingly changing. Now people are ready at least to discus even those subjects, like
single motherhood or lesbianism, which earlier were considered strict social
taboos. But one thing is for sure. Men, in this male dominant society, have contributed almost nothing in this change. Not even those loud-mouthed male-feminists like me who would worry before going for the ritualistic annual March 8 protest-march, more about making pairs that would sit on
their scooters’ rear seat than feminism. It surely has been brought by women (from Mars?), the educated ones themselves. However, I was under the impression that men, for obvious male-chauvinistic reasons, have always been conniving only against the women’s liberation. And I was wrong, as ever.
Recently, the amount of mud that many a so-called male-friend of this man slung on his ‘back’ was beyond my comprehension. The reason: unfortunately his bi-sexual gay perversion had come to light. One simply wonders at such parochial and dated behavioural patterns of our
society. A society that claims to be the most advanced one in the history of
mankind. While despising, rather blindly, the homosexual habits of both men and women the moral brigadiers often forget that these are not abnormal human acts.
For, every seemingly rare act or thought that one performs or comes to an individual’s mind is in fact an integral part of wide human nature in
general. The rarity or ignorance of such acts/thoughts does not permit one
to look or treat them in isolation or with social contempt. Let us grow a bit further! Instead of going ga ga about gays, both male and
female, accept them as normal human beings, which they undoubtedly are.
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Film & FASHION
Britney Spears’ body has bounced back into shape after the birth of her son, Sean Preston, and it seems she can’t wait to show it off, as she is reportedly in negotiations to make a post-pregnancy fitness video, where she will proudly flaunt her flat tummy. The singer, who has allegedly shed a lot of her baby weight, wants to help other mums shift the pregnancy pounds, and is said to be lining up a host of celebrity mothers to star in the video. “It’s a bit of a sparse class at the moment, so Brit’s desperately trying to find other well-known new mums to star in it,” Femalefirst quoted a source, as telling Britain’s Daily Star newspaper. Earlier this month, Britney slammed rumours that she had a tummy tuck to help her get back in shape. The pop princess, who is married to Kevin
Federline, has also dismissed speculation she is depressed. “She is not depressed, nor has she had a tummy tuck. She is a 23- year-old mum who was in amazing shape before she got pregnant and was able to get back in shape after the baby arrived,” the report quoted the pop diva’s spokeswoman, Leslie Sloane
Zelnick, as saying. — ANI Judi Dench’s no to nudity The actress said that modern society was fast turning into one where everything, including gratuitous nudity was acceptable, and added that she sometimes wants to go back to 1957, when nudity was not allowed on stage. “Sometimes nudity is gratuitous. We just live in a society where everything goes. Nudity wasn’t allowed on stage in 1957, now you can do anything. Maybe I would like to go back to that time,” Contactmusic quoted her, as saying. Dame Dench’s comments have come as a surprise to many people, especially as she has signed on to star in the movie, “Mrs Henderson Presents”, which is based on one of London’s most famous strip clubs and, in which her co-star, Bob Hoskins, and other actors appear naked. In the meantime, the actress is excitedly packing her bags because Martin Campbell, the director of the upcoming James Bond, “Casino
Royale”, has told her that she will be filming outside London’s Pinewood Studios, something she has never done before in her role as Bond’s boss, M. “I heard today that I’m not going to be in London. I’m going to get to go to Prague and The Bahamas. They’re getting me out of my box,” she was quoted as saying by
Empireonline.com. — ANI Jodie Foster plays nanny
to her kids The actress — who is a mum to Charles and Kit —doesn’t want to employ nannies to look after her children, because she hates the idea of inviting strangers into her house. She also said that she wanted her kids to enjoy a normal upbringing, and could even sacrifice movies to be with them. “If you’re asking, ‘What exactly does a Hollywood star with children do?’ then I’ll tell you. I’m nurse maid, laundry maid, cook, cleaner, playmate, you name it. Oh yeah, and I’m a chauffeur too now because school’s just started again,” Contactmusic quoted Foster as
saying. — ANI Kevin makes home a ‘tropical paradise’ Britney Spears husband Kevin Federline has put his interior decorating and landscaping skills to good effect and turned their Malibu, California home into a “tropical paradise” after installing a shark tank in their seaside property. Kevin has utilised his time in a constructive manner while his wife is busy looking after their son Sean Preston. “I designed our backyard. We’ve got a pool, a grotto, a barbecue area,” he was quoted by Ratethemusic,as saying. “But the key piece is the shark tank. It’s probably like 600 gallons. A flat-screen TV comes up in front of it. It’s like a tropical paradise,” he
added. — ANI At a time where big money is paid to actress to bare it all in front of the camera, “Buffy—The Vampire Slayer” star, Sarah Michelle Gellar has reportedly turned down major roles because it meant showing her assets to the entire world. According to the New York Post, Gellar has turned down roles that offer her “major money” because it entails baring her breasts. A representative for the actress said that the “Cruel Intentions” star had turned down roles because nudity had never been her thing. “Sarah doesn’t do nudity, period. It has never been her thing,” the New York Post quoted the representative, as
saying. — ANI
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The first multiplex in the city celebrates its second birthday bash, reports Gayatri Rajwade
As it gets ready to welcome its 10 billionth customer in December—Fun Republic (FR) in Manimajra is in the throes of its second birthday bash —and going by the number of footfalls it has notched up, this party zone hopes to continue making a feisty splash year after year. The celebrations began today with a special free screening of the Hindi animation film, ‘Hanuman’ for 986 under-privileged Anganwadi children and the inauguration of an art gallery, ‘Chitralaya’ by UT Administrator General (Retd.) S. F Rodrigues and his wife Jean Rodrigues, for budding artists to display their works free of cost. The gallery today belonged to Smriti Agnihotri, an amateur painter and housewife, whose 19 works of art sprinkled the space. “No themes for me, as they limit one’s approach and make life dull and slow,” says the artist. So horses, flowers, a work in the shade of a Mughal miniature, European images, still life and even tribal motifs span a range of styles. The medium being oils with two watercolours, the colours are bright, vibrant and that is precisely what attracts Smriti. “I use reds and pinks a lot for they signify power, enthusiasm, energy and perfect happiness.” Happiness also came in the form of a delicious cake, 8 feet by 4 feet in the shape of a ‘2’! Weighing 100 kg, this white with an orange glaze was done up with flowers—edible and natural—pineapple, fresh and cocktail fruits, chocolate and jelly—the creative ‘design’ of the Aroma Hotel bakery. FR also used this day to launch a ‘rest-room’ for the employees, a colourful niche in the basement decorated in vibrant hues, lively images and cheerful blobs of paint, shaded and decorated wholly by staff members. A blood donation camp, a variety entertainment show, ‘Khul Jao Sim Sim’ (where prizes comprising of white goods, gold and diamond jewellery even holiday packages and motorcycles were given away) the day came to a close with the promise of continuing entertainment—films, food, fiesta. E-ticketing at www.fun-republic.com, home-delivery of tickets within 5 km of the multiplex soon, international gifting of tickets on the anvil, another multiplex in the city by 2007 and even a vending machine for tickets if the permission comes through are some of FR’s new plans. What is more, continuing with the spirit of celebration, FR will play host to actors Vivek Oberoi and Mahima Chaudhary on Tuesday at 7 pm. Catch them as they take a peek.
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Deepak make debut with Ek Main Ek Tum The film is a musical suspense thriller with a love triangle and full of comedy. The film has been shot at beautiful locations in Shimla and
Nainital. The film has six romantic and melodious tracks sung by Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher, Bali
Brahmbhatt, Alka Yagnik, Shreya Ghosal, Jaspinder Narula and Sonu Kakkad. The film stars Rahul Raj, Chahat Khanna, Kiran Bhatia, Priya Arya, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Rana Jung Bahadur, Ravi
Gosai, Sumit and Aditya. The cinematography is by Harish Joshi, choreography by Ganesh Acharya, music by Bali Brahmbhatt and Rais
Bhartia, lyrics by Ravi Chopra, and story by Amit Khan. “This is our first Hindi feature film... In the next five years, we will produce six new movies. The second one is with John Abraham and Bipasha Basu. We will start shooting after the release of ‘Ek Main Ek
Tum’,” says Deepak Bengani. At a time when star-studded films are holding sway at the box office, this Delhi based producer-director Deepak Bengani has put together a crew of talented technicians and a cast led by newcomers and made ‘Ek Main Ek
Tum’ which is scheduled for release in December. — Dharam Pal
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Youth NeT Hobby is essential for
developing a well-rounded personality. However over time, the utility of a
hobby has changed. Earlier, one indulged in a hobby to take one’s mind
off from more weighty issues of life like professional and business
responsibilities or tensions. Thus numismatics, philately, gardening,
music and reading were quite popular. Today, it is not uncommon for young
persons to take to a hobby with an eye on its future commercial prospects.
So, those who take to photography, painting or carpentry, or even playing
golf or tennis, hope to turn it into a paying proposition some
day. Often, a youngster is not sure what hobby to choose. Although almost
all schools do have hobby classes and organise extra-curricular
activities, these understandably cannot meet the needs of all
students. At this stage it is always worthwhile to turn to the Internet
for information. One could, for instance, take inspiration from what the
youth in the UK’s Royal Borough of Kingston have done. They run their
own website (younglivin.org.uk) which they update regularly, for which the
relevant IT skills are imparted to them. With the local community’s
help, they have formed a “Younglivin Review Squad” that meets four
times a year to review the content of the site and suggest new ideas like
adding advice info, competitions and polls. It’s not all hard work,
it’s good fun as one gets to meet other young people. Another good
website worth visiting is www.my-india.net which gives information on a
whole range of leisure activities. Adventure racing, archery, cycling,
laser games and many other activities have been listed on this website.
One can go to its chat-room and interact with like-minded
youngsters. Thus, the Web can enable you turn your leisure time into a
rewarding experience.
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Of course one could even call it funtabulous. The colours were wild, the designs outrageous, the concepts crazy and in short it was a scream. The wacky clothing paraded was quite in sync with the general celebratory mood of the two-day trip that the city went on with everyone dropping every care, throwing caution to the winds and getting in the mood to freak out like never before. The young designers seemed to have let their imagination run wild in putting together these ensembles and the audience clapped and whistled in complete involvement with the Chandigarh Carnival fashion fiesta. In fact, this was the collection prepared as part of the passing out show. The students had been working on it for the past six months: three months for conceptulisation as well as research and another three for sourcingt and execution. With such bizarre ideas let lose the fashion world had better brace itself for the onslaught by these very young guys and gals. — TNS
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Sultry Saira She got a boost when she was adjudged Miss Punjab in October. She has done still ads for Rivaz Jewellery and has been recently hired to shoot a catalogue for leather products to be exported to Australia. Along with this Saira has also done eight music albums, her latest being Collejan dey Mundyan Ch gal ud gayi tere mere pyar di with Harpreet Singh. How did she manage so much in such a short time? “Well, the credit goes to my mentor Jeet Brar who is an excellent choreographer and model coordinator. He taught me the ABC of modelling.” On walking down the ramps, Saira says, “The thrill you get when you walk up the ramp just cannot be described. I feel I am on top of the world.”
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Dancing her way to glory “The field of dance requires lot of hardwork, dedication and patience,” said Mohsina Manrow after her Kathak dance performance at the annual general meeting-cum-get-together of the Old Students’ Association of the Chemistry Department of the Panjab University held at the English Auditorium on Friday. A native of Ludhiana and an MA in Dance, she has given remarkable performances in Kathak in the past. Presently, Mohsina is a student of the Chemistry Department. Her ideal in Kathak is Pt. Birju Maharaj. She has worked with Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma and Sitara Devi. She learnt the basics of Kathak from Shobha Koser. She was declared the best dancer of Panjab University in 2004. She was awarded the best Kathak dancer award by the President of India, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, for her superb performance in the Indian Science Congress. Mohsina has been an active member of SPIC MACAY and other cultural societies. She continues to give tips to youngsters and even impart training to them to hone their skills in dance.
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Big and bold ballpoints, sunflower shaped sharpeners (Rs 99), Harry Potter erasers (Rs 29), aeroplane shaped clocks, wood crafted motorbikes and cars (Rs 199 to 595), smiley stress-buster softballs is cheerful hues (Rs 29), piggy banks, tiffin boxes and water-bottles (Rs 99 to 300), books—fairy tales, Noddy et all—even funky 3-D jigsaw puzzles in the shape of Mammoths, Godzilla and even the Statue of Liberty (Rs 79 to 199)! And last but not the least (a personal favourite!) a Fright Juicy Mint—magic gum game where a plastic black cockroach flips out when you try and pull a gum wrapper out of its box! —G.R.
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Health and Fitness
Tea! Start your day with a hot cup of tea. Tea contains antioxidant flavonoids and is anti-ageing. Green tea (unfermented) tea, the type popular in Japan, is more potent than black (fermented) tea. — Dr Rashmi Garg is senior consultant,
Fortis, Mohali.
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TAROT TALK
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long time. Now, she has already done more than 40 ramp shows.
The medieval ‘mohalla-mentality’ was very much alive and kicking. So, eyebrows were raised, not in awe or wonder, but for getting simple sadistic pleasure. Hush-hush salacious remarks were given, again for the same reason. 
At a time where scantily clothed actors and actresses are the thing of the hour, British movie legend Dame Judi Dench has declared that she would like time-travel into the past, where unnecessary nudity was not allowed.
Jodie Foster is a maid, a cook, a chauffeur and much more, but only for her kids.
Vishal Entertainment Corporation forthcoming film ‘Ek Main Ek
Tum’ marks the debut as producer and director of Delhi-based Deepak
Bengani. He has produced and directed the film.
Well, that is how one can describe the fashion show or rather the costume
parade that the students of the local NIFD presented as a grand event in the last few hours of the Carnival on Sunday night.
For someone who started modelling only about seven months ago, Saira has a lot to show. After finishing her graduation in arts, she entered the dazzling world of modelling, something she had been dreaming about for a long time. Now, she has already done more than 40 ramp shows. 
Looking for something wacky for your child, goodies from the ‘hallowed’ portals of Thailand no less! Check out the Purple Pencil at Fun Republic, first floor. Madcap floppy pencils, pens fashioned out of wood, even dragon and crocodile shaped. 
ARIES : Meeting people can benefit your career. Students, the time is right for you to concentrate on your studies. A love relationship could improve. Lucky number: 12 Lucky colour: Silver grey.
LIBRA : You will be able to catch up with pending work. Don't panic if you are forced to take on a job or responsibility that requires an artistic touch. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: Sky blue.
TAURUS : Take advantage of every opportunities to socialise with people. Cultivate professional ties, for the outcome is likely to be quite positive. Lucky number: 6. Lucky colour: Forest green
SCORPIO:
You will find creative talents at the precise moment they are needed. It is very much a day to follow your instincts and not worry about others’ opinions. Lucky number: 7. Lucky Colour: Saffron.
GEMINI : You may be publicly embarrassed or feel uncomfortably exposed. An uneasy balance exists between family responsibilities or emotional considerations. Lucky number: 10. Lucky colour: Turquoise.
SAGITTARIUS : If you don't feel like socialising; stay home. Be patient, show tolerance and look for the good in people who rub you the wrong way. Lucky number: 4 . Lucky Colour: Burgundy.
CANCER : A need for support, sympathetic understanding and sharing on an intimate, personal level is accented now. You must rise above little disappointments and rejections. Lucky number: 16. Lucky colour: White.
CAPRICORN :
Someone you care about may not be pleased with you. Beware of deception. Consider the fact that your own mood and reactions are colouring your judgement. Lucky number: 12 Lucky colour: Lotus pink. 
LEO : The pace is very quick. You will be pulled in many directions at once and will tend to scatter your forces, jumping from one thing to the next. Lucky number: 1. Lucky colour: Ebony
AQUARIUS : Business trips might prove
productive. No matter how inflexible those around you are, you will have the stamina, emotionally and physically to cope. Lucky number: 7. Lucky colour: Fiery red
VIRGO : Money-making ideas flow like a stream in your mind. New friendships could blossom at this time. Give your mystical and spiritual aspirations a bit of extra space today. Lucky number: 4. Lucky colour: Bottle green.
PISCES: A loved one is in a generous mood and is likely to splash out an entertainment this evening. Okay, they're being extravagant but you will like their ideas all the same. Lucky number: 6 Lucky colour: Brown.