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In search of independence How independent are we ?
MATKA CHOWK Designer dream FUN WITH FASHION RADIO FORMATS - I PAMMY’S BEAUTY TIPS Mickey mouse
at your doorstep WRITE TO RENEE
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Curry king These sights and smells are heady, for sure. But right now, what are turning this Harayanivi lad headier are the flavours of nostalgia. For, all at 26, Rohilla has been conferred with the title of ‘International Indian Chef of the Year.’
Kitchen has always remained Deepak’s fiercely guarded, private domain. No wonder, the only place to catch hold of this award-winning chef is in his kitchen, cooking scrumptious Indian curries with his mommie dear. ‘Since I was a seven-year-old kiddo, I was fascinated by Indian delicacies.’ But his interest in food truly kicked off when he joined Doctor Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management, Chandigarh. “After being trained as a chef, I joined hotel Oberoi at Delhi in the year 2000.Here I was given the opportunity to visit UK. Here, while working in the Spice Route, a restaurant, my friend and owner Mridula Bajleikar guided me about Tommy Miah’s International Chef of The Year competition and I applied,” he beams. And how was it battling it out in a foreign land, amidst bland-food lovers who treat Indian food as a spicy suicide? “Yes, it was tough indeed. From the 5,000 applicants, only 8 were short-listed. But once I made it in these 8, my confidence grew and I was sure I’d win.”
Besides scooping out some wonderful admiration and a whopping cash prize, what has the competition given him? “It was sheer adventure associated with the trying of new flavours and textures. In other words-to go off the eaten track,” confesses the food connoisseur. So, what’s next in his kitchen kitty? Besides opening his own restaurant, talk for a new TV show on a leading UK channel is also on the cards. And of course, the cookery classes he’s been taking in Windsor are still on. “Many of my students in UK are British. I make them realise that spices are not too be dreaded. In the right hands, these spices are taste bud dynamites, flavour neutron bombs. And in the wrong hands, spicy suicide.” But how do all that food and exorbitant tasting sessions leave him looking fitter by the day? “I exercise, dance and jive on funky music,” smiles the happy-go-lucky chef, adding, “I don’t have to look like a stuffed club sandwich to be my part,” he laughs. Just like his cooking, his personality seems like a delightful mélange of spice-laced flavours.
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In search of independence You see the Sector 35 resident is not rigid. So much so, she is even willing to forgo the “handsome” condition provided the guy is rich. No, not stinking. For, she is crazy about the whiff of freshness that floats out of Charlie and so many other imported perfumes her uncle sends from the USA. No wonder, her swaggering blue eyes stop over the NRI column in the newspapers also as she picks up a Chinese pen with an automatic hand for encircling the advertisements. Her mind wanders, along with her hand, as she dreams of loosing her blues rocking in a night club or in a casino with invigorating glass of cool Screwball. Fast track Right guys, whizzing down the roller-coaster of life, Tanya is convinced of the fact that existence in India is nothing less than “boring”, no matter what kind of job you land up with. That’s why she insists: “Na, I don’t want to spend the rest of my life standing in the kitchen before the blue flame preparing meals for the entire family. Or else, change buses to teach English in a rundown school for just Rs 3, 000.” Rubbing her hands in excitement, she whispers loudly. “I want to live life on greener pastures, not just exist. Little wonder, I am looking for winds of chance beneath my wings to help me fly across the seas to the promised land. Well folks, to the NRI — foreign to the drudgery of waiting in unending queues for their turn to pay telephone or electricity bills — India may still be a deity with a “beauteous halo around her brow”. To be worshipped. But to Tanya and so many youngsters like her Lifestyle talked to, “the country has hardly given them anything”. “Right, nothing except reproof,” grumbles young business executive with a private bank Rama Arora (name changed). “People here still say `just look at her’ every time I smoke that cigarette. They just cannot change. Even in the USA, we Indians stop and stare at kissing couples. It is so-o embarrassing”. India abroad Rama has never suffered the bumpy speedway beyond Delhi, but loves bragging about country life in Montana and Alabama, incessantly. New York and California — she knows like the back of her fair artistic hand. “Out there, it is not like this,” the taskmistress says, her eyes rolling heavenwards. “Long straight roads cut across the desert for you to zip-zap-zoom in a Mercedes at 120 km per hour.... and in New York still there are massive sky-scrappers kissing the heavens with cheerful bright neon signboards... not like in here....” Ah, that explains the glittery presence of “University of Pittsburgh ’s” sticker on her car’s rear windshield. Also, Rama’s unending love for donning sleeveless tees with messages like “Go West” neatly embroidered on the fabric. Folks; after listening to them just a few days before the Independence Day, you are sure of one thing: In their race for “comfort” — with obvious currency advantage of the West — patriotism has practically taken a backseat. It will resurface and echoes nostalgically only when they go abroad and confront the real, alien, “racial” and “more disciplined” environs. Then the NRI chant of “I love my India ” will begin.
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How independent are we ? Are we really liberated or it is a farce, which appears to be a phony notion? Do we take our freedom seriously? Or do we just take it a bit too casually? These are some of the thoughts hovering in our minds, the answers of which are hidden somewhere in the questions themselves. We are living in a free country but there is something amiss even after all these years of independence. What is the missing element? Does the youth today have the spark that is needed in free Indians? Movies like Rang De Basanti convey some message but are we able to interpret these messages? “There is something seriously wrong with our country.” This is a common thought. But that is no solution. Why not do something to correct whatever is wrong? This is what a few of the city youngsters feel about independence. Arvind Kapoor, an employee, puts forth three contemplations on India’s Independence Day.“ There have to be changes in the way we look at women, fixing the education system and actively participating in its democracy and only then we will be completely free.” Student Anuradha Maurya thinks Independence gives us pleasure of freedom, peace and happiness.“ Today people don’t give any importance to this day. This is wrong. We should all come together and celebrate this day in harmony.” Ankit Bansal believes that the country is still under a lot of foreign pressure.“ We are in a modern colonialism.” Another student Shashwat Indeevar avers, “Independence day is special as diverse people come together as one nation to sing the national anthem. I hope that everyone will adapt the motto, Pro Deo Et Patria which means for God and for Country.”
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Memorable movie This is being touted as the ‘first memory movie of the world’ and when a world record holder for memory is at the helm of affairs then it is definitely worth a dekko!
Yaad Rakhenge Aap made on a modest budget of Rs 1 crore is Guinness Book record holder Biswaroop Roy Chaudhary’s foray into the scintillating world of cinema to drive his message along. “Most people want to improve their brain power but without doing much, so this is entertainment along with learning. Also movies are the perfect medium to express one’s message in a visually colourful way,” avers Chaudhary. His world record set on July 20 this year comprised of remembering 14 dates of birth and names after seeing the details for just two minutes and beats the earlier record of 13. The record will find mention in the Guinness Book in 2008 (since the 2007 edition has already gone into print.) The movie, which was formally released in Chandigarh today by iMatrix World Wide, Chaudhary’s facility for total brain development, in association with the Tribune and CITCO promises to improve the memory of its viewers exponentially and what is more this can be tested. The film is being screened for select 100 students from different schools in and around the city on Sunday at Nirman Theatre, Sector 32 and just prior to the test these students will be given 20 random words to memorise in 5 minutes. After the film has ended they will be given another 20 words to learn and the result, Chaudhary assures us, will be a higher memory score! So how does this work? “Our brain registers those memories more which are associated with emotions. The film is a kidnapping drama with song and dance sequences and interwoven in the story memory techniques,” explains Chaudhary. Having started out in a small annexe in Sector 11, Chandigarh, in 1997 after leaving a well-paying job to teach memory enhancement and mental arithmetic, Chaudhary and his friend and iMatrix CEO Rohit Shekhar Sharma have come a long way having established 71 training centres across 25 cities in India. And with a star cast that boasts of Chaudhary himself as the main protagonist along with Ayesha Jhulkla, Sonali Goswami, Gajendra Chauhan, Paintal and Junior Dev Anand, perhaps the hidden meaning is worth the filmy peek.
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Power of plastic Sreedhara Bhasin I
am in a way glad that the furor over pesticides in soft drinks is gathering momentum. Maybe, people will all together stop drinking cold drinks and also stop throwing the bottles all over our beautiful city! It seems like plastic containers, once considered so rare, are really devalued these days and are showing up in the most extraordinary places. While watching a movie in Fun Republic, I extended my foot and touched something smooth and cold. I shuddered and recoiled my foot in horror, expecting a long snake to slither out – except, it was a rather chilled bottle of coke! On a nice windy morning, I stepped into our office elevator, feeling optimistic and hopeful about the world and there it was – an empty bottle of cold drink, right on the floor! While parking my car close to the street, I stepped onto a muddy puddle. While wading through doubtful water, I noticed that the street drain was completely blocked – by numerous plastic bottles of various shapes and sizes. On any morning, if you walk on the Lake, you will see a mountain of plastic wrappers strewn along the slope next to the paved walking track. Some of these are stuck in the blooming bougainvillea hedges and the colorful oleander bushes – an insult to the spirit of any horticulturist. The wrappers are also floating in the water along with the ducks. The squirrels are running furiously running up and down the trees with wrappers of Kit Kat in their mouth. I am sure the bird nests are crammed tight with nothing but plastic. Little birds – welcome to the world of plastic! There is an empty plot next to my house. The monsoon has helped the vegetation greatly. The dog walkers sometimes chase their animals through the undergrowth. I saw one boy collect at least ten plastic bottles, in the process. Long before I had come to Chandigarh, I had read about the Rock Garden of Chandigarh and how recycled items have been put to use so artfully there. We will need ten more such gardens to accommodate all the plastic that we are generating now. Texas is considered a rude state for their motto is: “Don’t mess with Texas.” It is a widely posted road signs on all major highways and littering is a cardinal sin. Chandigarh needs some new measures now. Maybe, we can send the offenders to a mandatory class, teaching complicated chemistry about plastic derivatives! Maybe, we can put them on a diet of cold drinks alone till they start viewing the bottle in a different light! Maybe, we can take them on free tours of Chandigarh and make them learn the Botanical name of every tree in the city! The possibilities are endless!
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Designer dream Her hottest selling design, though, remains voile with hand embroidered work in rainbow colours. “Voiles are going like hot cakes this summer as they are best for this searing and muggy weather. What is more they are also very affordable,” avers Gurinder. So check out these hand-crafted outfits with suits starting at Rs 550 and ethnic kurtis, which can be teamed up so effectively with jeans and trousers for that chic look, at an affordable Rs 350 and this in addition to a 20 per cent discount on anything you choose. The exhibition concludes today at House No. 1158, Sector-33 C.
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A date with dress-a-holics Anandita Gupta A delicious date with the snazzyly dressed city gals— the competition is being organised at Fun Republic from August 11th to August 13th (11am to 7pm), by Garnier and Seventeen. For all those hip girls who believe in the power of dressing right, this could be a window to the glamour-studded stardom. For, the 10 lucky finalists chosen on 11th and 12th August, would be walking the ramp at the finale on August 13th, Sunday at 4pm in Fun Republic. And guess what, a delicious treat awaits the winner—prizes including a cool I pod, being featured in a fashion shoot in Seventeen Magazine and an year’s free supply of Garnier products. Besides, the winner will also get a chance to be featured on Zoom Television and compete with 8 other winners from around the country in an All-India SMS Contest to be voted the Best Dressed Girl in India on Zoom. Celebrity judge Channel V’s VJ Anushka would be declaring the winner. So, all you city-gals who’ve got the look, style and confidence, besides the love of dressing, zoom into the moment. Wear some attitude, besides that jazzy dress you’re most comfortable in. Totter elegantly on threateningly high stilettos, wearing that flimsy sarong or tiptoe in those little shoes and cute-as-a-button lacy dress. Let the princess in you remain no shy wallflower; instead make it shine like a sunflower! Ooh la la A lot’s been happening in City Beautiful recently, and the dramatic flutter is unmistakable. As if the fashion shows, star-nights and music releases weren’t enough, the trend of foreign dances sizzling the city is hotfooting the city. The latest to jive into the bandwagon was the troupe called the European International Exotic Dance. Having performed in the Hindi flick, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, the group was in town to perform at Taj Hotel’s Lava Bar on Saturday evening. But more than the performance, it was the preparation, which spelled masti and mayhem. We sneak peaked in at the La Coiffure Salon, Manimajra, where these models were getting ready, to scoop out some action. Loud, colourful, noisy— was our take on the scene inside. Scissors tangoed, and tresses wafted out merrily. As we stepped into the pampering environs of the salon, the hairdressing section seemed bulging with women power. Two pretty French ladies (Torbina and Swetlana) were getting a makeover amidst giggly gaggles. No, they were not teenagers swapping the latest gossip and romance updates. These were the two ladies, whose ethereal beauty has caught the attention of Bollywood dream merchant Karan Johar.
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RADIO FORMATS - I Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and they constantly evolve. Music radio; All-news radio; Sports radio; Talk radio and Weather radio describe the operation of different genres of radio format and each format can often be sub-divided into many speciality formats. The most important or the most popular format by far and is the frequently abbreviated AC. It is a type of radio format that plays mainstream contemporary pop music, excluding hip hop and hard rock (mainly since it is geared more toward adults than teens, despite the fact that most singers are adults, yet perform music for all ages.). AC is generally divided into three groups; “Hot AC” also known as “Adult Top 40” “Soft AC”, also known as “Lite”, and “Urban AC,” also known as “Urban Contemporary”. Next on the list is AOR. Similar to the origin of the progressive rock radio format, Album-Oriented Rock took advantage of the availability of stations on the FM spectrum in the 1960s and the growth of albums as opposed to singles as rock’s main artistic vehicle for expression in the 1960s and 1970s. Indeed in many places the AOR format was a conservative evolution of the progressive rock format. Classic hits is another very popular music radio format, a variation on the classic rock theme that provides most of the playlist of classic rock with an addition of contemporary R&B and pop hits as well, striking a balance between the mostly ‘70s-focused classic rock genre and the more broad-based oldies format. A major market example is WROR in Boston, Massachusetts and the Jack FM brand and its relatives. Contemporary Hit Radio, or CHR, is a radio format that is common in the United States and Canada that focuses on playing current and recent popular music as determined by the Top 40. There are several sub-categories, dominantly focusing on rock, pop or urban music. Used alone, “CHR” most often refers to the CHR/pop format. Presently in India, where the advertising rupee rules the roost and holds radio producers by the throat, only the all-important Bollywood format is what we get to hear. But with the proliferation of new FM stations, the day is not far, when more than a few radio stations will come into being, that play music according to the more popular radio formats. (To be continued) (The writer is a renowned Radio Personality running Radio Buzz and The Take-One Academy of Broadcasting, a Radio Jockey trainer, voice expert and an international broadcaster)
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All Natural
In
the polluted world, the quest for “natural” and “pure” products
is more and more. We try to gain some measure of control over our health
by going for organic, healthy fresh food, but how many of us stop to
think what we put on our body as skin care routine. It is a well-known
fact that 60 per cent of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our
body. Beauty therapists live by the maxim, ‘If you would not eat, you
would not put it on your skin’. Can you imagine the quantity of
chemicals we apply to our skin over a lifetime? Are you aware of the
fact that almost all natural products contain chemicals or synthetics in
one way or the other, which on long-term usage can cause harm to your
body in some way. Women in the West look for organic beauty in a bottle. Most fail to recognise that many of the products that are highlighted to be organic with plant extracts actually have synthetic base ingredients. It is an easy decision to go natural but difficult to put in practice, as it is a tough job to spot natural skin care on the commercial market. Buying natural does not mean that it is free of chemicals; the product may contain some plant-based ingredients but also lists some dangerous chemicals as well. Remember, natural ingredients that are broken down chemically do not remain natural anymore! Most of the companies can’t help adding synthetic preservatives as this is the only way they can increase the shelf life of the product. Without adding these synthetics the micro organisms would multiply causing multitude of ailments. It is a tough job to figure out what items on the shelves qualify your needs. As mostly products that line the shelves are all there sitting with clever choice of wordings, label designs, packaging style, all to confuse and distract you from the choice of synthetic ingredients used in them. Read the labels and know the chemicals and their effect on your skin. You must be careful of toxins getting into your body. They can be carcinogenic causing dermatitis, skin allergies and much more. Here is an informative list of some ingredients to stay away from and avoid long-term usage on your body. Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Myreth Sulphate were designed to clean floors and engienes are now found in 95 per cent of shampoos, body wash etc. Long term usage of these industrial surfactant are linked to cancer. Make the right choice Look for these chemicals when you pick up a product. Scan the ingredient list of the product that you plan on buying. Products that carry too many toxic ingredients must be avoided at all costs, though the chemicals used in concentration are much below the toxic levels and are considered relatively safe. That does not suggest that chemicals in contact with your skin will bring bad news. It’s only the careless and excessive use for a long period of time brings doom. Your best option at any time is natural products. Wake up. Make a natural choice, use natural beauty products!
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Mr. AK Gupta, Vice-President, Hanung Toys and Textiles believes more in selling the ‘Concept’. He is confident of the products and takes care of the choice of customers. “Our products require everything and anything, which one can think of in soft toys.” The Hanung toys cost from Rs. 29 to 6000 and the Disney toys range from Rs. 249 to 3000.
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Allow your life a new perspective
Dear Renee, I am all of
53 years and have just moved to this city from Banglore. There, I was
working for an NGO and was dealing with youth-related problems. Life had
a hectic pace and there was no time to think or fret over anything. I
have always been a workaholic and enjoyed a dynamic career. Now that I
am here, I am wondering if I should find myself a job at all. My husband
and two sons are fairly settled into their new kind of life. I feel that
at this age, maybe I should give more time to my family because I feel
my body is telling me to slow down. I feel my back and knees are giving
problems. I am frightened. I can’t really make up my mind as to how I
should deal with life at the moment. Please help!
Smiti Dogra, Chandigarh Dear one, please stop fretting and just
start enjoying your life. You have just moved to a new city and probably
the whole scenario is so new to you that it has gotten you. Just calm
down and give yourself time. You need to make a mental adjustment to
your environment and a whole a new set up. Please do no rush into
anything. I suggest you sit back and savour the moment, just look at
this way ‘finally there is time to enjoy each activity in your
life’. It is not necessary to be in a job situation with a frantic
pace, sometimes peaceful moments can also bring us great joy. All your
health problems are getting to you because of your confused mental
state. Just look at this shift of place as a new lease to life. Allow
your life a new perspective, do not be project-driven. Relax; I am sure
a beautiful life is waiting for you. I am a man in my late 30’s
and somehow dreading the thought of reaching my 40th
birthday. I am an architect by profession and have a smart flamboyant
air about me. Married to a beautiful girl who is a working. We have two
small girls aged eight and three years. We have a good life but this new
approach to my age is getting to me. Is this what they call middle age
crisis? I have always been the center of attraction in parties and women
always give me that extra look, but now I feel that may be things with
change. I keep looking at the mirror and dissecting my appearance.
Professionally, I am at a point where I am satisfied but even that is
getting to me. Basically I feel very stressed out. What must I do to
feel better about life and myself. Gyanendra Singh,
Well
my dear young man, take heart. There are lots of other men sailing in
your kind of attitudinal boat. A fortieth birthday definitely is a
turning point in one’s life because you’ve come to a point where you
start thinking about all the things you still want to do. And yes, all
the dreams and aspirations you always had have been accomplished to some
extent . Also, please do not panic over looks, people who love you will
continue to feel the same way about you. Hey, it’s a process of
nature, I personally feel that men become far more attractive as they
aged and mature. So just hang on to that feeling. Every stage of life
needs to be enjoyed in its own fullness. Change your habits a little,
diet plays an important part here, exercise too. Just reassess your life
you will feel much more positive about everything. Rush in your queries to Renee at lifestyle@tribunemail.com or care of Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29-C, Chandigarh
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Health tip of the day
Heel pain is often referred to as pain in the neck as it is difficult to diagnose the exact cause. Proper treatment comprises of treating the cause, stretching exercises and changing the shoes.— Dr. Ravinder Chadha |
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A
tantalising trove of many treasures kiss and caress, as one enters the apartment of Deepak Rohilla. Some strongly appetising smells—steaming, sizzling mustard oil, aromatic spices and minced onions tossed into mashed garlic pods. Some feisty colours-lush green chillies sliced down their length, fiery red tomatoes diced into tiny bits and the fluorescent blue flame flickering on the gas stove. 
And so this young chef, armed with a balti of confidence and bundle of energy, rustled up an appetising blend of a perfect gourmet meal — Lobster Biryani and Stuffed Chicken with Aubergine Caviar and Onion Marmalade. “Not only did I win, but the judges applauded my cooking a lot,” he tells excitedly.
She travels across the world in search of a companion without leaving the comfort of her room. Logging on to a programme of excitement on the Internet, the little study-room globetrotter — out shopping for a husband — leaves no site unchecked for a “suitable” statistical sketch. By “suitable”, Tanya Sidhu (name changed to protect identity) means a handsome young non-resident Indian (NRI) running his own business in the UK, the USA or in Canada. Even New Zealand and Australia is not a bad option. 
Silver and gold tinted flowers, crystals, sequins and shiny flecks all this is what defines Gurinder Kaur’s creations and assemblage. After solo showings in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, Gurinder brings her creative wear to this city and one can choose from a wide variety of suits and kurtis, elegantly done with silk threads, festooned with beautiful flowers in colourful block prints and spray paints. What is more, she is even open to painting your fabric for you in just the way you want!
Forget
the publicity and hype surrounding the double-whammy fashion weeks at
Mumbai and Delhi. Ultimately it’s the intricacy of an exquisitely
embroidered kurti and the cut of superbly fitted jeans that counts. And
if you’re not convinced, sneak peak into ‘The Best Dressed Girl
Contest.’
Friends, we all know of popular radio stations in big cities like WPLJ New York, KIIS FM Los Angeles, 2Day FM Sydney, CJSA 101.3 FM Toronto, 98.5 Capital FM London etc. But, in the metro jungle of innumerable stations how do we identify as to which station plays what and what is it’s style. This is where radio formats come in to play and when you touch the dial on your radio set, formats play a vital role in shaping up your listening habits. Internationally, a radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. 
'The kids in town have another reason to rejoice. Hanung Toys and textiles Ltd, a Noida-based company, is now bringing a whole range of Disney toys in Chandigarh. It will make the kids happier as the soft toys are going to be at their doorstep. The company’s bringing forth its soft toys under the brand name of ‘Play-n-Pets’ and the home furnishing items under the name of ‘Splash’. Set up in 1990 with Korean collaboration, the Hanung Toys and Textiles is India’s leading manufacturer and exporter of soft toys, fancy cushions and exotic furnishings.