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Awaaz Punjab Di
Sip black tea
to stop cavities Learning online
Film & FASHION
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Indifferently
yours It was Happy New Year - To Whom It May Concern. Reposing on a comfy sofa in front of the intelligent box enjoying her favourite sobbing opera on the first day of the happy New Year, Tanya Vashistha took advantage of the infuriating commercial break promoting cars and toothpastes. The twenty-something went to her mobile phone’s message inbox and launched at once a major offensive — operation fast forward. In less than half a minute, she succeeded in redirecting good 40 messages, triumphantly breaking her previous record of 30. The undergrad putting up in Sector 22 could have very well scribbled “indifferently yours” at the end of the greeting. But even that would have meant taking pains. Munching cheese balls after placing her long legs on the centre table, she laughs, “Why guys! Who has the time for such trivialities here-a-days”! Oh, yes, folks. She is right, apparently! Who has the time and inclination for frivolous things like personalising good wishes before shooting them off in all directions! After all it’s a formality that has to be completed religiously on all occasions — be it Diwali, Christmas, Halloween or the New Year’s Eve. If you are having any doubts, just listen to the officials of a mobile phone company. They assert that an estimated 2.50 crore greetings were forwarded through the short message service on the New Year. The senders included young couples, professionals, public relations organisations — almost everyone. In so many cases, the messages were sent in bulk. Right, folks, they were forwarded without discrimination, in other words. No wonder, young advocate A.P.S. Shergill received at least six messages with strange names at the end. Phone calls to the senders confirmed that they had simply passed on the messages without even caring to read them. Making no attempts to hide the irritation rising in his voice, he asserts, “Even the greeting cards were impersonal. Some of them had names of the senders printed. Others had simply scrawled their names without even addressing the card to the receiver. Almost all cards had names typed on the envelopes…. There was nothing personal about them”. Raising his hands in anger, he says, “I was always in favour of receiving and sending cards through the snail mail. Even when everyone was sending electronic cards, I made it a point to post greeting cards to my chums settled in the US. For, letters and cards are concrete and personal. You can experience the warmth of relationship while feeling them in your hands. Electronic cards and messages on the mobile phones are, on the other hand, perishable. You delete them soon after the occasion…. But I guess the days of `tailored’ cards and messages are over”. Well, Shergill, you are right. In fact, you will be not-so-pleasantly surprised to know that teenyboppers nowadays are not even sending individualised cards on the St Valentines Day. They pick them up in bulk, scribble `love you’ message and dole them out without prejudice or favouritism. That’s the way it is. All the best, folks.
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KNOCK OUT If you think sports like bodybuilding and boxing are a male reserve, then think again. Sports are no longer gender biased and hence those days are long gone when girls were associated with only soft sports. Today girls are participating in sports like boxing. Thanks to the success of Laila Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who has captured the imagination of many young girls. In fact she has become the source of inspiration to them. True, boxing has always been recognised as a man’s domain and any mention of a female name would have raised quite a few eyebrows in those good old days. But look at the statistics now. Girls’ involvement in this sport has increased dramatically not only abroad but in India as well. And one has to admit that their participation has given a new look to this sport. “Boxing is not only the art of self-defense, but also a channel for developing courage, determination and self-discipline. Boxing requires the combination of skill and intelligence and this enables you to know your self, inside out. It has enabled me to face any danger and overcome all my fears,” explains Bharti an 18-years-old pugilist from the city. But isn’t she afraid of getting hurt? To that she smiles and says, “ I know this sport carries a risk of being hurt but it is minimal as we are trained for this.” “I want to represent my country at highest level and I am really grateful to my parents as they supported my decision,” adds Bharti. Suman, a student of Home Science College, says she started playing this sport just for fun but very soon she fell in love with it. “Whenever I am preparing for a fight or pounding punching bags it gives me an unbelievable buzz. Irrespective of the result, win or lose, when I come out of the ring, I feel as if I am top of this world,” says Suman. “She is a boxer. Be careful of her this is how people respond when I tell them that I am a boxer. I am lucky that my parents have been supportive. Otherwise it’s would have been difficult for me,” she confides. Vineta, another pugilist from city, says “This sports is not only an ideal tool for self-defense but have also helped me in building self-confidence. I am totally a different person now, someone who can take up any challenge in life. It has given me a sense of identity too.” J.D. Singh, boxing coach from Chandigarh, says, “Recently there has been an increase in the numbers of women boxers in the region and most of them are from the middle-class. The pool of talent is slowly growing. Like every other sportsperson they are not afraid of work really hard” Gurjeet Mander, a lecturer of physical education, Home Science College, is upbeat about girl’s participation in boxing. “There was a time when parents did not allow there girls to participate in this sport but today things have changed and the girls have started coming out. There are around 15 boxers in our college itself” says Gurjeet. So here they are challenging the stereotypes and moving ahead with life. There are many others like Bharti, Suman and Vineta in city, showing the world that girls are not only good at fixing dinner and other household work, but also good enough at delivering the knock-out punch!
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Song of the Cycle
Unusually, the place looked like a medium-sized cycle stand, the only remarkable thing being all the bicycles were brand new. "I will take that one," "No I want this Hawk", "Take that sporty one". Thus the excited group members were screaming as some of them introduced themselves. Standing quietly in bright blue T. Pramod Sharma, the young man being Yuvasutta, the NGO that is doing real good work, gently told them to pick any bike of their choice. There was a variety of cycles to choose from,but they wore the same badge: Green Tyre. And with Vikramjit leading them on his scooter with the one-man camera crew, they pedalled off on a tour of some of the ancient trees that dot the Punjab Engineering College campus. Among the cyclists were the city's well-known advocates M. L. Sareen and R. S. Bains. There was Niti Sareen, who could not help wishing the cyclists would round it off with blood donation! Young girls raced with the boys. Under the canopy of an old peepul with over six feet diameter at PEC the rallyists were told the tree had been witness to over 150 New Year days! The next destination was a tree that was even older, and so had a bigger diameter.
trees.... Chandigarh has a large number of them, and we are trying to discover and take care of them," said the organiser. Then the rally reached Open Hand monument, making its way through Kansal and Naya Gaon. Here the young cyclists had a thrilling time as they let their bikes down, down and down, and huffed and puffed as they pedalled their way up again, before leaving for the Lake Cafeteria. Over a cup of tea, environmental issues were discussed informally. But, yeh dil mange more. Can't we have such rallies more often: Every week, once a fortnight, at least once a month? Why ever not? It is good for the city's environment and everyone's health. But Yuvasatta's own New Year wish is that more and more people begin to use bicycles and the cycle tracks as Chandigarh is one city almost tailor-made for bicycles. — Photos & Text: Pramod Pushkarna
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Saif does rock ‘n’ roll Actor Saif Ali Khan is pleased as punch with his performance at a rock concert in New Delhi a fortnight ago and is planning another show with the band Parikrama. “It was an awesome experience,” Saif says but regrets his two children were not there to watch him perform with Parikrama last month. Saif also sang at the concert. He says: “I can’t say I am a great singer but I manage. I hope I didn’t make a fool of myself. I didn’t think I did. I never in my wildest dreams thought it’d be so much fun. “It was an awesome experience. I played the guitar on stage for a good 45 minutes. None of that rock-star-in-scruffy-jeans, long hair, dragging his-guitar on-to-stage act for me.”
“I think my performance was more what I wanted to express than what a rock concert is supposed to be. Would you believe, I finally sang two songs on stage. “One was ‘Roadhouse Blues’ by the Doors, the other was ‘Johnny B. Goode’ by Chuck Berry. I played ‘Highway To Hell’ and ‘Whole Lot Of Rosie’ by AC/DC and a rhythm-and-blues track by Parikrama. Yeah, I think I did well for myself.” Saif is also very pleased with Parikrama. “They’re really good. I enjoyed being on stage with them so much that I have decided to do another concert with Parkirama in Mumbai. “The best thing about the Delhi concert was the knowledgeable audience. Saif will also be pitching for a project called Live Aid for AIDS victims. “Why not? Doing things where your celebrity helps raise funds for the needy is a great feeling. It’s not about feeling superior. It’s about feeling useful. Just after his live performance in Delhi, he shot off to Goa to shoot for a potato-chips advertisement. Saif also has three films lined up for shooting in 2006. “In January I go into Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Othello’. Then there’s Sidhartha Anand’s (of ‘Salaam Namaste’ fame) film. “Finally, I have said yes to Abbas-Mastan’s new thriller where Fardeen will play my brother. It’s a crackling whodunit... quite the two directors’ forte. I have never worked with Abbas-Mastan and I am looking forward to it.” Saif’s next release is Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “Eklavya”. Earlier, the road accident in which Saif was involved too made things unpleasant for him. The actor hit a 13-year-old boy with his car in Mumbai and was dragged to court by the boy’s uncle. One of the unfortunate repercussions was the incident outside the courthouse where Saif is supposed to have called some journalists “monkeys”. Saif doesn’t deny using the term. “But it wasn’t addressed at any specific group of people. It was just an expression of my annoyance at being crowded at a time when I was under so much stress. I bear no grudges against anyone, least of all mediapersons who’ve always been extremely supportive.”
—IANS
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Awaaz Punjab Di
Rupinder Handa and Roshan Prince were adjudged the Airtel Awaaz Punjab Di in the female and male categories for their quality of voice, knowledge of music, ability to carry a tune, good presentation technique and the willingness to continue the tradition of excellence in music in Punjab. Lara Audio Video, a leading music company of India, along with the MH One TV Network, will release and promote the audio, videocassettes and CD’s of the two winners and the other finalists nationally and internationally. This was a first-of-its-kind mega talent hunt that created tremendous enthusiasm and hype among aspiring singers in the region over the past six months. The contest, Awaaz Punjab Di, was open to both, females and males in the age group of 15-30 years and was kick started with auditions in the city of Chandigarh and went through the towns of Amritsar, Ludhiana and Delhi. The search for Awaaz Punjab Di had the contestants going through quarter-finals, semi-finals, final rounds followed by a grand finale. The Jury members, in various stages of the talent hunt, included Hans Raj Hans, Anand Raj Anand, Sachin Ahuja, Jaspinder Narula and Wadali Brothers while the anchors included Kajal, Satinder Satti and the gracious Divya Dutta. Mr. Mahinder Bathla, Chairman and Managing Director, MH ONE, said: “The contest, Awaaz Punjab Di, was our sincere effort in searching for the voice of Punjab through a unique platform where the contestants were judged by both the esteemed jury members and the people of our country, through SMS voting etc. It was also our utmost endeavor to provide an equal opportunity to all the contestants and help them in building a successful career. “ He also said that “It was a dream to contribute to the music industry and nothing can be better than providing good voices to Punjab and to the nation. My dream has come true and I proudly present not only these two winners but also a whole range of singers who can become famous and known singers in future since their talent has been brought to the surface by our programme. I wish to continue my humble contribution to the nation and promise my viewers to bring more such talented people in other performing arts to the fore front and do justice to their talent by presenting them to the nation”. Jury member and legendary mystic of Punjabi folklore and Sufi songs, Hans Raj Hans said, “It was indeed the most difficult task for me to identify the winners from the best contestants. The overwhelming response of Awaaz Punjab Di is the most surprising factor at the regional level and a success story by itself; it was the best step forward in identifying, grooming and building a true gemstone in the immensely gifted Punjabi music fraternity. This mega contest has been an experience by itself to me.” Anand Raj Anand said “I feel such programmes give fresh air to Bollywood Industry and I am determined to take few voices from here to Mumbai. The time is not far off when these voices would rule the Music industry.”
—TNS
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Be a safe kid If you ask what McDonald has to do with the Chandigarh Traffic Police, the answer is the safety of children. Since both are concerned about the well being of kids, they joined hands together to organise a traffic safety workshop at the Chandigarh Traffic Park in Sector 23. The workshop is the preamble to the Traffic Safety week, which starts from January 2 and concludes on January 8. As many as 1,200 students from various schools, including Vivek High School, Delhi Public School, learnt about safety norms, right from pool safety, fire safety to road safety. Traffic safety, we are told, is one of the many social responsibilities McDonalds.
The workshop was of interactive nature, with Ronald McDonald, brand ambassador, throwing questions at the participants, along with making them take part in a series of games and tricks. Commenting on the initiative, Vikram Bakshi, Managing Director, McDonalds (North India) says: “We like to give something back to the community we operate in. Social responsibility is not a programme that begins and ends. It is an ongoing commitment and acting responsibly has always been a part of who we are and will continue to be the way McDonalds does business.”
The workshop concluded with a promise from the participants to be ‘safe kids’.
—TNS
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Sip black tea
to stop cavities Rather black tea prevents formation of dirt layer and cavity. College of Dentistry, Sweden of Goytabad University’s Institute of Orodontology and University of Illinois had joint studies and survey and they are of the opinion that green tea (black tea) has immunity to stop cavity formation. In this, layers of teeth there are 300 hundred germs. This layer covers the teeth extracts secretions, which create cavity in the teeth but black tea which carries some special organics namely pollyphanoles kills or suppresses bacteria which makes holes in the teeth and obstructs sticky material formation. Research is still going on in this matter. One cannot stop drinking till the results are out. So folks till then, take black tea but not more than one or two cups a day. (Dr
Maneel Grover is a Panchkula-based dentist)
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Learning online While surfing the net one came across this ditty by an anonymous poet: A maiden at college, named Breeze, Weighed down by B.A.s and M.D.s, Collapsed from the strain, Said her doctor, ‘It’s plain. You are killing yourself by degrees!’ This about sums up the plight of our present-day youth. Today, in order to win the rat race, one needs to be armed with the very best of academic degrees and professional skills. So, right from primary school onwards parents and teachers join forces to turn their wards into cramming machines. You gotta study at school and you gotta submit to private tuitions after school. What a plight! There was a time when only nalayaks needed tuitions. In fact, till a couple of generations ago teachers used to take it as a personal insult if any of their pupils availed of a private tutor’s services. They felt honour-bound to impart optimum knowledge to their wards. But as competition in the job market became intense private coaching became imperative even for bright students. Today, it has become a part of youths’ lifestyle. Although India boasts of teachers whose skills are sought even abroad, one sometimes feels the need for learning at one’s own convenience. This is where online tuitions come into the picture. There is any number of websites that provide lessons on assorted subjects. For example, www.Kumon.com offers after-school tutor programs across the world. From preschool to high school, the Kumon Method helps students reach their full potential, or so the website claims; www.tutor.com connects you to one of their expert tutors, teachers or professional librarians online who help you learn about applications for math, science and social studies. In case you need wider choice, click on www.web.info.com and avail of various search engines to reach the right tutor. Best of luck! —Randeep Wadehra
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When Bappi meets Daler When I went abroad to sue them for stealing my music, they stole my look, and on that I have no copyright,” smiles Bappi Lahiri at the musical recording of a Punjabi number for Sunjay Sharma’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, at the Venue Recording Studio, Juhu. The veteran music-maker and his ardent fan Daler Mehendi also exchanged gifts on that day to celebrate their yaari. While Bappi got Daler a Lucknowi kurta, Daler brought him one from Lahore. With Bappi clad in white and the bejeweled-turbaned sardar in black, it is a colourful musical experience all right. Says Daler, “I have been an ardent fan of Bappida and I think many musicians of my generation are inspired by him.” Daler’s favourite number is Pagh Ghungroo Bandh Meera Naachi Thi. Says Bappi Da of the current song, “The song has turned out to be beautiful. Daler is simply amazing.” This Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron song will mark a new beginning for Bappi and Daler Mehendi. They are looking at doing a hip-hop Bengali song next! — DP
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Film & FASHION
Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow is in love with London fashion because she believes women dress differently according to their zip code. According to contactmusic.com, Paltrow credits London with having the most diverse fashion sense in the world. She loves to browse through the neighbourhoods, watching the trends change. She says: “In Chelsea it’s very designer, and within that, you’ll have the more horsy, traditional English girl - that posh kind of dressing. In east London you have the funkiest styles, where they’ll bring back the 80s and stuff like that. You’ll see a forward kind of fashion there. Then, in Notting Hill, you’ll see Sienna Miller-style, sort of Bohemian chic and in north London it’s a mix of all of the above.—IANS Sienna to quit smoking Actress Sienna Miller, who has had a troubled year with her on-and-off affair with Jude Law, has made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking.
According to ananova.com, Miller started smoking when she was a teenager. She said: “I’m going to try to give up smoking. Other New Year’s wishes? To do good work, to learn, to travel, to have a little bit of time off - maybe to go to India. I suppose what we all as a world are hoping for is that people will stop fighting.”
—IANS
Sam Mendes to direct play Oscar winning director Sam Mendes wants to spend more time in his native Britain and is planning to direct a play in London as well as set his new movie in this city. According to contactmusic.com, Mendes, who is married to actress Kate Winslet, hates spending all his time in the USA and is now keen to direct a play. His latest movie “Jarhead” reminded him of stage life. He says: “I’d love to do a play, or rather I need to do a play and will do one in London. We rehearsed (for ‘Jarhead’) and then were stuck together in the desert for five months, so it was a bit like doing a run in the theatre - except the desert was a stage.—IANS Felicity stunned by spirit Actress Felicity Huffman was stunned by the spirit on the set of her new movie “Transamerica”, since the shoestring budget meant the cast and crew had to endure severe hardships.
According to contactmusic.com, Huffman plays a man determined to surgically become a woman in the movie. She says it was a labour of love for all involved in the project.
She says: “We were staying in Best Western hotels and getting dressed in rat-infested buildings in the middle of nowhere, and we were happy to be there. There’s a difference between doing something for money - which I certainly try to do - and something like this, where you know there’s no money and you work 24/7.”
—IANS
Tony Curtis pretend to be Jesus Movie legend Tony Curtis tested his acting skills by pretending he was Jesus Christ at parties. According to contactmusic.com, Curtis revealed that he learned to act by pretending to be characters in acting classes at the beginning of his career. He says: “That was an acting class experiment. They’d send you out of the room, and the instructor would say, ‘When he comes back, he’s Jesus Christ.—IANS
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How do we start the first day of the year that has just dawned?
That was no issue at all for close to three-dozen people who had no telltale hangover of a morning after a hectic new year's eve. They had planned it all, well ahead. Sportily dressed, they all descended at the Karuna Sadan in Sector 11..jpg)
Many worshipped the old tree as was evident from the number of red veils and hankies tied all around it. "These are our heritage.jpg)
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Good news for tea drinkers. They canwell give a medical explanation for their addiction. Tea can do a lot of good. But there is one tiny catch; it has to be black and not the usual tea with milk and sugar.
Usually we dentists, forbid our patients to take, tea, coffee and cold drinks but for trial I experimented 50 dental patients. I asked them to sip black tea instead of the normal tea. It tea worked wonder. It didn’t have any bad effects on teeth. .jpg)
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ARIES : Do not get tied down by any promises, especially regarding money matters. Someone will borrow money and not return it at all. Temptation to criticise a family member must be avoided. Lucky number: 12. Lucky Colour: Orange. 
LIBRA : Meetings and talks will go off very well. Be patient and consider all factors before making a decision. An advance payment will materialise. Loved ones may feel that fun and laughter times are missing. Lucky number: 7. Lucky colour: Fiery red 
TAURUS : You will be discussing expansion plans but try to resolve disputes, if any, amicably. Keep your mind open to ideas and new offers of work. You may be concerned about your mate. You may have to seek help. Lucky number: 6. Lucky colour: Deep crimson 
SCORPIO:
Hard work and perseverance will certainly get rewarded. Put behind the unpleasant events of the past and look forward to a nice day. Genuine appreciation and understanding will come your way. Lucky number: 7. Lucky colour: Golden yellow.
GEMINI : Take the plunge and implement new plans and schemes. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results, though you may face some criticism. In your natural exuberance to keep everyone happy you could neglect your mate or beloved. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: Pink. 
SAGITTARIUS : Whatever
plans for today might have been they are likely to undergo a change
whether you like it or not. Partnership could be a problem. Minor
tensions at home will be overcome with tact and understanding. Lucky
number: 7. Lucky colour: Royal blue. 
CANCER : Things could go against you. Try to remain calm and give your version of the situation that will be accepted. There are times in a relationship when it is wiser to be silent. Social activity will help to ease your mind. Lucky number: 3. Lucky colour: Rose pink.
CAPRICORN : Meetings and negotiations for proposals scheduled for today will yield good results. You can expect an immediate response. Family life is happy. Your mate will be in a particularly good mood this evening. Lucky number: 12. Lucky colour: Yellow. 
LEO : You will strike a good bargain getting you immediate benefits. Concentrate on your routine work. Personal relationships are disappointing. Don’t let it bother you. You can’t please everybody. At times you can feel alone and forsaken. Lucky number: 12 Lucky colour: Silver grey 
AQUARIUS : Success
is certain. Joint ventures or partnership with a close friend or
colleague has the making of a profitable alliance in the long run.
Your beloved or mate will go all out to make it up to you for past
digressions. Lucky number: 7 Lucky colour: Turquoise 
VIRGO : Financial gains are assured to the bold and courageous. The employed can look forward to an out of turn promotion. To maintain peace and harmony at home you may have to make a little extra effort. Lucky number: 4. Lucky colour: Bottle green. 
PISCES:
Significant gains through commission work or speculative trading is on the cards. Family affairs run smoothly. You will be happy to learn about the success of someone close. You will be buying an expensive gift for a loved one. Lucky number: 7 Lucky Colour: Metallic grey.