Stethoscopes to spades
What is common between operations on hospital beds and flower beds? Here’re prescriptions from docs with green fingers
For the last many years that I have been judging the gardens in the tricity, I have found that some people from the medical fraternity have one of the best gardens. Medical practice and gardening, is there any connection? Curiosity led me to talk to some of the leading prize winners of flower shows. And, yes, here is what binds doctors to gardening operations.


RISING ABOVE CALL OF DUTY: Dr Sanjay and Reeta Kalra took up the challenge of raising a garden on their terrace

Soak up the sight
Not only lip-smacking delights, these tricity restaurants offer a view too
Wish to know a person, see what’s on his dinner table ; wish to know a place, go by its restaurants...Yes! It doesn't take a Keats or Wordsworth to acknowledge the power of culinary indulgences in defining the place. And it takes way beyond food to form a fine dining experience.
CHINESE CORNER: At Shivalikview's Yangtse. Photo: S. Chandan

Combat mode
Now, that's one contrast capable of withstanding even decimal accuracy! The Panjab University campus last Thursday was host to two events belonging to totally separate school of thoughts, originating from opposite shores of the same sea, suggesting the twain shall never meet. Alas!
                       Photos: Pradeep Tewari

Ready to rock
It’s time for the biggest blast of them all. The official campus fest, the one that belongs to one and all, is here. Jhankaar is one tradition that refuses to leave the campus grounds, and is style staple of Panjab University. With four full days of inexhaustible activities and cultural events, it is very lively, very own.
Cultural extravaganza Jhankaar comes calling. Photo : S.Chandan

A step forward
The move to bring madrasa education into the mainstream infuses a new lease of life among students and teachers
Shikha Sharma won’t mind preparing her lectures a little more extensively. For, she feels her hard work will get reflected in the results. In this profession from the past couple of years, she has been witnessing a gradual change at the madrasa Eizah-Ul-Uloom Mujaddiddi in Manimajra. But now, she anticipates a big leap and a new beginning to replace the pre-conceived notions of people about this madrassas.
                           Photos: Parvesh Chauhan

i tone
Campus blues
In a recent unfortunate incident, a zoology research scholar committed suicide in the PU, citing depression as the reason in his suicide note. With stress growing everyday, is there need for professional counselling for students so that such incidents can be stopped from happening?

Hearing aides
If you thought RJs just play songs of your choice, then give it a second thought. They are also counselling people about good and bad
No promises. No one-touch solution to problems. Not even a single false assurance that things will be fine. Just a sincere effort to bring some difference to troubled lives. At times, that works too. We don't need a magic wand to turn around the lives of people, nor do we aim for the impossible; all that is required is empathy. And that is what some RJs have been doing all this while. But that too isn't easy. In a call lasting maximum up to five minutes, they have to develop a rapport with the caller, listen patiently to their woes and suggest the apposite tentative solution.

Short cut

The heat is on. And there are visible signs to prove it. Like this foreign tourist who sports shorts as a rickshaw-puller takes him around the city on Tuesday. Lifestyle photo:  Pradeep Tewari

Healthy option
Café Coffee Day has launched a whole new range of healthy foods. The new menu consists of multigrain and whole wheat, veg and non-veg sandwiches.

Spice up
Hair care
We all agree that healthy hair is basic to beauty. Yet, we see too much hair damage. Damaged hair is usually brittle and tends to break off easily, or acquire split ends. In fact, it weakens the hair and triggers off hair loss. It is therefore important to avoid hair damage as far as possible and also treat damaged hair.

The stepping stone
Slumdog’s sweep at the Oscars has opened Hollywood’s doors to Bollywood
India, home to the world’s most prolific movie industry, has long tried to draw wider audiences, including by recently forging ventures with Hollywood studios looking to offset sluggish box office sales with new markets and cheaper production costs. Now, the thumping success of Slumdog and a global financial crisis, which has pulled the plug on much Wall Street funding for movies, are bringing Hollywood and Bollywood closer together.

Long and short of it

Budding designers of Government Home Science College10 showcase their creations for their annual show Akriti-2009

Laughter challenge
After playing an aspiring singer and actor, Farhan Akhtar now tries his hand at comedy
After playing two thought provoking roles as wannabe singer and wannabe actor in Rock On and Luck By Chance, Farhan Akhtar is all set to try his hand at comedy for the first time in Kartik Calling Kartik.

Victory, at last
For Amrita Rao, the year has begun with mixed feelings
While on one hand, the lukewarm response to her film Victory has been disappointing, getting the Best Actress award at the Stardust awards for her role in Shyam Benegal’s Welcome to Sajjanpur has caused a feeling of exhilaration for the actor. ‘’I cannot believe that I have won the Best actress award and that too for a Shyam Benegal film,’’ Amrita says on getting the Stardus Searchlight awards for Best actress.

Straight talk
Actor Vinay Pathak’s upcoming film, Straight - ek tedi meri love story may be about Pinu who is confused about his sexual orientation, but the actor insists that the film is “not a gay movie.” “It is not a gay film. It is one-of-a-kind romantic comedy which has never been made in India,” Vinay said.