Good, better…best!
On World Tourism Day, Neha Walia checks out what the City Beautiful has to offer and what lies in store
Chandigarh is beautiful, clean, green, calm, relaxing and architecturally sound…the tag of City Beautiful is self-explanatory. It's a dream city for any tourist and we have definitely cashed in on our status. The fact that not many cities in the world stand a chance as heritage cities just furthers our claim. We might not be a glamourous and high-octane city, but that's what makes us serene and special. Whether a long walk at the Sukhna Lake or an inspiring observation of Nek Chand's Rock Garden, the beauty of the city lies in its simplicity. Now that we have also shed our inhibitions and have a happening nightlife as well, what's left? A lot and nothing!

Beyond space & time
Artists Monica Narula and Jeebesh Bagchi, in the city to deliver a lecture at the National Art Week of New Media, talk about their work and philosophy
Art nouveau stands true to its claim and takes us beyond the usual definition of time and space. It also doesn't limit itself to one media at a time. Illustrations, videos, images, light; many mediums together form the experimental art. As Monica Narula and Jeebesh Bagchi of Raqs Media Collective began explaining their work with the first slide, the journey into the world of contemporary art forms set in past and present times became apparent.

My voice, my era
Bollywood veteran Manoj Kumar says he has fond memories of legendary singer Mahendra Kapoor, who sang many songs for him including National Award winning number Mere desh ki dharti in Upkar. "I shared many memorable moments with Mahendra Kapoor. I remember him everyday, after all he was my voice," Manoj said. Mahendra died following cardiac arrest Sep 27, 2008. He was 73.

Mahendra Kapoor

SPEC-tacular trend
Call them farsighted, but many Bollywood actors are putting on glasses these days to be in character. Never mind if it makes them look less glamorous on screen. Heartthrob John Abraham is the latest to sport the bespectacled look for his new film and his women fans love it. He has donned the look of a geek in Jhootha Hi Sahi, directed by Abbas Tyrewala, and wears black broad-rimmed circular spectacles. "This is a side to John that no one has seen. He's painfully ordinary in speech, body language and clothes. He wears thick glasses and can't look straight into anyone's eyes," Tyrewala has said.

John Abraham

Waiting for a hat-trick
She is yet to debut in tinsel town but Narmadaa Ahuja, daughter of Bollywood veteran Govinda, has already bagged two more movies. "While two movies would be released in 2011, the third one would hit the screens in 2012, Narmadaa said. However, she refused to divulge details on the movies except their genres. "One is a love story, another one is a romantic comedy, and the third one is a comedy," she said.

Maiden innings
Rishi Kapoor is excited about son Ranbir's first global concert that will take him to 16 cities next year. The fond father says the shows, along with Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor and possibly Deepika Padukone, will offer freshness to the audience who are bored of seeing the same thing over and over again. "All I can tell you is that we have Katrina, Priyanka and Shahid Kapoor on board. Deepika is likely to be on board. She hasn't been signed on yet. No Bollywood concerts have happened abroad in the last three years."

Charity begins at breakfast!
Bollywood's original Khiladi Akshay Kumar is willing to pour you some morning tea, all for the sake of charity. The superstar is auctioning a breakfast date with himself to raise money for the cause of children with special needs. The 44-year-old actor decided to do the good deed to mark the 'Joy of Giving' week. Bollywood is celebrating it in a big way and Dabangg superstar Salman Khan had recently auctioned a gym session for the same.

Tarot TALK
ARIES: You draw Nine of Cups. Those in politics will find themselves in the limelight. Romance in your life is picking up slowly. Your career will be highlighted. Teenagers: dress in black while going out for dinner. Tip of the week: Don't do anything at the cost of health. Lucky colour: White. TAURUS: You card The Hierophant takes you through a variety of experiences to learn from. Your romantic and business life seems to be tied together very strongly. Students desirous of joining training courses will get admission on merit. Unmarried may get a proposal. Tip: Dare to accomplish those tasks, which normally take up a lot of time. Lucky colour: Brown.

Daughter dearest
As the world celebrates International Girl Child Day today, Mona catches up with some crusaders who have fought for the rights of the girl child in their own special way
A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer, they say, and many would agree. Yet, millions of girls across the world are marginalised. This Daughter's Day, we talk to those who brought a certain change in the lives of these little girls for better, in their effort to make this place an equal world.

Different notes
The music pool is getting bigger and better with each passing day. Someday a music freak pulls out electronic notes and dumps them into the Indian pool, and some day a performer like Desi Sialkoti aka Dharamvir Singh from UK, in the city performing at the recently-opened Down Gate, Restro Lounge Bar in Panchkula, culls out a few Punjabi notes, mixes them well with other voices and melodies, and creates a Hindi-Punjabi genre; enriching the pool.

Dharamvir Singh

Write take
Norwegian author Stuart Sillers shares his views on master playwright William Shakespeare
With all the controversies surrounding the Commonwealth Games, we couldn't help but pop the question - though it was absolutely out of context as we discussed Shakespeare at length. To our relief, the answer from the Norwegian author Stuart Sillers didn't match the usual slush, "When it's about such a grand event, last-minute hiccups are expected. Certain things have been blown out of proportion," Stuart Sillers, for a change, has some positive inputs to give. We graduated happily to the other questions, on Stuart's favourite topic, Shakespeare, to deliver a lecture on whom, he was at the MCM DAV College for women on Saturday.

Photo: Vinay Malik

Belly dancers perform at Kava-26 on Friday

Grand treat
Chinese food festival kicks off at Mountview
City's luxury hotel Mountview presents its first-ever Chinese Food Festival at Magic Wok, starting from Sunday. Ten-year long successful innings, but Magic Wok waited till they were finally ready to launch a food festival. "Chinese food has a very short life, making it a challenging cuisine for a food festival. We waited till we perfected the art," says Vijay Sharma, corporate executive chef who was one of the few who introduced authentic Chinese food to the city way back in 1989, with Yang Se, another CITCO restaurant Shivalikview. Twenty years on, this chef is pleased to have its set of elite diners who make regular clientele at Magic Wok. "This food festival is a treat for our clients in new flavours that we have introduced - a eclectic mix of Szechwan, Cantonese and Mandarin cuisine," says Sharma.

Hearty talk
Fortis Hospital Mohali organised a Cyclothon on the eve of world heart day today at Sector 43 Lake, Chandigarh. Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery team of Fortis led by renowned cardiac surgeon Dr TS Mahant got together with around 100 employees of Ranbaxy Ltd and participated in this cycling rally to promote this year's slogan of World Health Organization on Workplace Wellness: take responsibility for your own Heart. The home secretary, UT, Chandigarh, Ram Niwas flagged off this rally from lake at sector 42.


Participants at the Cyclothon event

Experience-wise
Tata Docomo, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited, announces the inauguration of its First 'Dive In' Experience Center in Chandigarh, Punjab. The Tata Docomo 'Dive In' Experience Center is an autonomous exploration zone designed to enable an independent and singular user experience. Tata Docomo will be showcasing the rich world of Value Added Services at its 'Dive In' Experience Centers, allowing visitors to explore the latest in telecom technology and gadgets.

One for the girl
A painting exhibition Save The Girl Child by the students of Dikshant Global School, Sector-12, Panchkula , was inaugurated on the eve of the World Daughters Day at the Punjab Kala Bhavan, Sector-16, Chandigarh. The 2 day painting exhibition by the students, welcomes you to the world of the girl child, promising yet gloomy, hopeful, yet in despair. The hand that rocks the cradle, the procreator, the mother of tomorrow; a woman shapes the destiny of civilisation. Such is the tragic irony of fate that a beautiful creation such as the girl child is today one of the gravest concerns facing humanity.
Students of Dikshant Global School, Panchkula, at the painting competition

Value for money
Hewlett-Packard India is back again to delight its consumers with the introduction of the new HP G Series consumer notebook PCs. Designed with style and portability in mind, the HP G Series offers a compelling combination of performance, looks and value for consumers' everyday use.