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The trump card
They say cards give words to your feelings but what if they also give visuals to your emotions? That’s exactly what the city residents are trying to do—designing their own cards with their own photos that speak much more than mere words. The intention is to make you feel like part of the family. Meet Divya Singal’s newborn son, Aadi, who makes his first photo presence on this year’s New Year greeting card, especially designed by the ‘mommy’ to make her adorable son a part of her New Year wishes to her family and friends. Personalised greeting cards with pictures of you and your loved ones come with the ‘right’ touch that we so often look for while selecting a card for our loved ones. This is why nowadays more and more people want to belong to the tribe of ‘personalised’ card, giving the Archies and Hallmarks of the world a run for their money. This was somewhat the same feeling, which motivated the Jindia family to frame their own invitation card for their parent’s golden anniversary. They designed the card with pictures of Pushpa Jindia and Raj Jindia, the couple, in different phases of their half-century-old married life. The card said much more as it celebrated their companionship with pictures of fond memories. The invitation card carried black and white pictures of the couple, a still from their wedding ceremony with a glowing Raj Jindia in a Sehra, another still of the just-married couple, the next one with their first baby, another refreshing picture of the couple in an elated moment with the backdrop of snow, yet another one that shows the complete family with their two sons and finally, a still from a Christmas celebration with the whole family in a moment of togetherness. The recent picture of the elderly couple reasserts the charisma that started with their union 50 years back, is still alive. Designing a card is a celebration of togetherness in its own right. And why not, when your loved ones decide to do something out-of-the-box for you? As Annie Charles puts it so interestingly, “Like it is always special to make a cake on your own for someone than to buy it from a bakery, the hard work and love put in the task of designing or making a card is incomparable to buying a readymade card,” says Annie. Annie Charles, who is the Vice-Principal of Mount Carmel School, has been designing personalised greeting cards to send to her friends and relatives for the occasion of Christmas and New Year for the past three years. Her colleague Sanjay Bhatnagar puts her designs to form. This Christmas time, he even went an extra mile to get handmade papers from Jaipur. A student from her school wrote the beautiful wordings of bliss on this year’s Christmas card. While the designing of a card may take a lot of creative thought, it can be comparatively easier to put to form. As a professional maker of personalised cards, Atulya Kumar from Sector 22, points out, “The customers just have to bring the pictures for scanning and give us a design or we give them the layouts to choose from. This time, the turnout for Christmas and New Year cards was much more than last year.” So, look out for the first occasion to design a personalised card for someone you love, as it will be a treasure to cherish forever for the one who gets it! So happy card making. |
Stocking up on stock
This would be the perfect opportunity for me to wish you all a prosperous, happy and harmonious 2007! May the roof over your heads never fall in, and may your dear ones and friends gathered under it, never FALL OUT! And while I plan to jabber on about soup-stock, I daresay it’s a good time for you to “take stock “of your lives?! A few of my friends who regularly read my column pointed out to me that I’d goofed up….After making a song and dance about the importance of well flavoured stock to make up a good soup, I merrily fast-forwarded to the soups themselves, bypassing the very important stock phase! Mea culpa….I plead guilty, and have arrived, ready, with a stock of useful recipes A good stock can perk up even the dullest of recipes and can also be used to add flavour to everyday foods such as rice, daal or a vegetable dish (You simply need to substitute stock for water during cooking) Court Bouillon (Vegetable Stock) 3 medium sized onions 2 thickly cut slices of ginger 4-5 carrots 400 gm lauki or pumpkin 1 cup shelled peas or corn 1 capsicum 7-8 French beans A few sprigs of parsley A handful of fresh basil (or 1 ½ tsp dried) 1 ½ tbsp whole peppercorns 2 bay leaves Method Roughly chop all the washed vegetables and put into a large, thick bottomed vessel or pressure cooker, covering them with cold water. Season lightly with salt and allow it to slow-cook for as long as 30-45 minutes. Remove from the burner, mash the contents a bit with a ladle, and strain. If you wish to maintain a more attractive, clear stock, omit the veggie-bashing stage! Chicken Stock This recipe can also be used for a mutton stock, in which case, you would use meat bones and trimmings of mutton instead of chicken. Don’t worry too much about paring off the fat around the bones. Once the stock has cooled and been chilled. You can skim it off from the surface without much effort. 750 gm Chicken bones, carcass, backbones or neck pieces 100 gm chicken pieces(leftover trimmings) 2 onions 2 carrots 4 stalks celery 10 pods of garlic 2 large tomatoes 4 bay leaves 1 tbsp whole peppercorns ½ cup of fresh herbs of your choice (or 1 tbsp of the dried variety) Method Proceed, as you did in the previous recipe- Chop the vegetables and add to the cooker along with the bits and bones, salt, herbs and whole spices. No need to peel the cumbersome garlic — just flatten with a rolling pin and throw in with the rest of the prisoners! Cook on gentle heat for upto an hour. Strain and refrigerate after cooling. Several hours later, skim off the layer of fat from the surface of the pot. Your stock is ready! If you are using meat bones, crack the bones before adding to the pot. This will release the marrow where most of the flavour hides. |
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Melody king
Once again the show that delighted millions of Indians in the country and abroad for years in the 90’s, the show that made viewers tearful with joy, the show that shifted thousands of Indians back to the times of Naushad, Majrooh, Sahir, is all set to stage a come back in February in its new all new avtaar. No prizes for any guesses as Antakshri, was perhaps the first one to start with a format that it boasts of. After successfully running on Star plus for many years and setting the TRP scale soaring, the new show has an added punch line as well that says, Antakshri-the great challenge. If there is one thing that would not be changing on the show then it’s definitely the host—Annu Kapoor (Of course neither the audience nor the producers can afford to miss him!) In a telephonic interview, Annu Kapoor shares notes on this one and more. He likes to call himself a true patriot and perhaps this can explain his inclination to sing the old patriotic numbers during the show earlier. The word ‘Bollywood’ to him is a derogatory name given to the Hindi film industry in all its existence and with lot of conviction in his voice, he claims, “The very name given to the Hindi film industry speaks of an illegitimate status and even otherwise why should we have a borrowed name that merely rhymes with Hollywood where as in terms of work, our industry has given some of the commendable movies with an incredible music score. This is like loosing our own national character”. Coming back to the show, Annu is not ready to spill any beans and all he has to say is, ‘The show itself says Antakshri-The great Challenge, so wait and watch the show for an all new format and lots of excitement”. Ask him if the viewers would still hold the show in the same light in an era of reality shows and talent hunts and he is quick enough to retaliate in his peculiar style, ‘Old is Gold’ and Being an entertainer what bothers me is my work and the TRP’s. The actor who is known for the character roles that he played in films like Hum, Chaalbaaz, Raincoat etc would be seen on the silver screen once again when his latest film The Fakir where in he along with the director Farhan Akhtar play vital roles. An actor who reads the holy books in his free time, Annu Kapoor sums up his accomplishments in life form the verses in Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta, where in Lord Krishna says, “Every step you take is bringing you closer to me”. After living a life so well guarded, I desire to die a peaceful death with no worries stalking me. Winding up, the only remorse that this actor, singer, anchor feels is, “Life didn’t give me a chance to learn music”. |
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Some singers come in, glow dazzle and disappear. Others get complacent, stagnate vocally and go into professional avroha. Finally there are those for whom evolution is a continuous process, like Atif Aslam, the latest singing sensation from Pakistan. In a short span he has stormed into Hindi film industry with three super duper hits Woh Lamhe…… song in Zeher, Aadat… in Kalyug and Tere Bin…. in Bas Ek Pal and popular all over the Asian diaspora has made this young, handsome Atif Aslam the melodious playback singer in the world today. Atif Aslam’s debut album Doorie on music company Tips is destined to become one of the biggest albums of 2007. There is something about Atif Aslam that is instantly endearing and captivating. Besides his voice, it is his face, which lights up into the sweetest of smiles. After playback singing, Atif Aslam’s debut album Doorie, which has already been released, is an attempt by him to reach out to the masses to gain wider acceptance. In a way yes, agrees, Atif Aslam. “After singing in Zeher I got a good response from Kumar Taurani — Chairman and Managing Director of Tips to cut an album as a singer and was waiting for the right moment”, reveals Atif. It is different to hear such a good voice and flawless singing too, after being bombarded with the out-of-synch singing of newcomer who one fine day decided to become singers. How came a voice like Atif Aslam who came into focus in a big way after playback singing in Zeher, Kalyug and Bas Ek Pal. “It is music company Tips that have discovered me. My album is blend of rock, fusion and soul stirrings melodies. I have composed and produced three tracks, Ehsaas.., Maahi ve…, and Yakeen…. Sachin Gupta, a young dynamic musician having traveled with his fusions band all over the world makes his debut in Doorie as a composer. The lyrics are by Sameer, Sayeed Qadri, Sachin Paul and Sachin Gupta, says Atif. Atif Aslam born in Wazirabad (Pakistan) is a graduate in Computer Science. His performance at college and others places eventually pushed into forming band Jal — which means water. He got inspiration from late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Kishore Kumar. “The three promotional videos of album Doorie have been directed by Kookie V. Gulati which features model Urvashi Sharma, Channel V-veejay Pia Trivedi. All the videos have been shot in exotic locales of Mauritius”, Atif concludes.
— D.P. |
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A NEW YEAR’S STEAL Joyshri Lobo Wrapped in a thick shawl, I dashed out to fetch the paper. A steaming mug of tea and the day’s headlines are what a retiree’s paradise is all about. The usually cluttered verandah looked as smooth and clear as a baby’s bottom. Our five aluminium garden chairs were not in sight. I missed their broad, comforting red tape and light, feather-weight tubes. They had been in our home for the past thirty years. I rushed through the rooms, checked the back lawn, scarpered off to the roof. The beloved chairs were gone. We would miss their lightness and comfort in the winter sun. I was very annoyed and decided to lodge an FIR. The Sub Inspector was tall, dark and handsome (TDH). He did not have a paunch and for that non-existing feature I give him full marks. He made us sit down, offered us tea (which we refused) and clucked sympathetically over our loss. Had we sold something to the kabari wallah? Of course we had, just three days ago, and the blighter gave us two rupees more per kilo of paper! He had even asked me to keep him in mind incase the chairs ever broke. He was interested in all brass taps and surely we would have old-fashioned ones in such an ancient house? “Aha!” said the TDH. “Big mistake! This is the fifth complaint against raadi-wallahs. Sure you won’t have tea? We seldom have intellectuals (sic!) like you in our midst. Where did you study? How do you know such good Punjabi? Does Sir speak it as well?” Ossie bleated the only sentence he knows, “Mainoo pata nahin…” The S.I. was very amused. We told him our life stories, he offered us tea again. As we were leaving we remembered the FIR. I was made to write my name and address –without a carbon. I gently reminded the SI that the five aluminium chairs of great sentimental value –were the subject of the complaint. He meticulously noted down the number and description, still without a carbon. I did not sign or put a thumb impression. The SI came to leave us at the gate. He wagged a long finger and told us never to let kabari wallahs into the house. He said he would ask the beat constable to keep an eye on our area. It was one of the pleasantest New Year mornings of my life. No news of the chairs so far. |
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Munch it light
KIT KAT, chocolaty wafers from Nestlé India has now launched KIT KAT Lite. An excellent breakthrough innovation, KIT KAT Lite is a unique product with 50 % less sugar and 100 % great taste. With technology and expertise from the Nestlé Group, KIT KAT Lite has been developed specifically for India. The product is being launched with a multi-media support campaign spanning Television, outdoor, magazines and other tailored Consumer Contact Programmes. Consumers will also be able to experience KIT KAT Lite through a specially created site www.justbite.com. Consumers can also SMS 8243 from their mobile phones and download the cool KIT KAT Lite ring-tone and also participate in a quiz that will run daily for a month. Nestle KIT KAT Lite will be sold in the classic 2-finger format with MRP (Inclusive of all taxes) of Rs 7. So don’t think, Just Bite! Mobile 4R photo printer Epson, a world leader in digital imaging, announced the launch of the EPSON PictureMate PM210 equipped with the sophisticated new EPSON Claria Photo Lab system. Visually appealing and endearing to own, the compact print box charms in every way! The PictureMate PM210’s small size means its fits snugly into any corner of your home. With print quality akin to high-end photo printers to fascinate enthusiasts, and simple enough for grandparents to enjoy advanced digital imaging without sacrificing the joy of collecting and sharing photos, there is something for everyone! With the simple portable, plug and print concept, the EPSON PictureMate PM210 is so easy to use! The new photo printer also promises brilliant and long lasting photos at your fingertips with the innovative EPSON Claria Photo Lab system. Pizzas Ka DON! Melting cheese topped with fresh tomatoes, diced onions, chopped capsicum, corn kernels, pieces of mushroom and that tangy taste of red chilies and jalapenos – all seasoned with oregano and served hot on a fresh base…are pizza’s your weakness too? Starting now, your favourite fast food chain Nirula’s will host “Pizzas Ka DON” festival celebrating India’s favourite Italian food - Pizzas! Including some very interesting combinations like Mazedaar Sweet Corn Pizza, Lots-A-Subz Pizza, Mast Cheez Tamatar Pizza and Nirula’s Khaas Veg Pizza. Chicken Nimbu Maar Ke or Chakh-Le-ChickenTikka? If you thought these were Indian curries – think again! These are some fiery pizzas available at Nirula’s outlets during the “Pizzas Ka DON” festival. Served with chilled Coke, these pizza combos promise to be tasty AND light on your pocket - attractively priced between Rs 79 to Rs 239! Go ahead and grab a lip smacking bite today – and feel like an Indian DON! The “Pizzas Ka DON” festival is now on at all Nirula’s outlets in Chandigarh till mid March ’07. Baby dry To ensure uninterrupted sleep for your new pampers has been uniquely developed for babies with three distinct features: Absorbent Gel Material technology for superior urine absorption no leakage ensuring. The survey revealed that Uninterrupted Sleep is Next Best to Breast Feeding / Balanced Diet for Babies’ Development and that 93% pediatricians believe that uninterrupted sleep helps babies develop healthier than babies who do not get uninterrupted sleep. This provides babies utmost comfort, protection from wetness. To enable mothers to choose the size that perfectly fits their babies, New Pampers is being launched in three different sizes - Small, Medium, and Large as per the weight of the baby, as well as in different pack counts – Packs of 2s (Small and Medium Rs. 20, Large Rs. 22); Pack of 5s + 1 (Small Rs. 59, Medium Rs. 60, Large Rs. 116); Pack of 10s + 2 (Small Rs. 116, Medium Rs. 120, Large Rs. 128); and, Pack of 25s + 3 (Medium Rs. 275, Large Rs. 295). These are available at general stores, super markets, and chemists across India. Pretty Secrets With chilly winters setting in, cozy evenings are on everyone’s mind. One feels like slipping into the favourite ‘pyjama’ and get lazy under the bedcover. Wait a minute. How about, turning the tables this winter and get stylish instead? How about replacing the mundane pyjamas with sensuous and stylish lingerie that would blow your beau’s mind? Pretty Secrets, new winter collection will defuse boredom from your boring nights!” If you’re looking for style with comfort, and the easy feel, here is something that will interest you more. The series is a collection of nightwear that is, luxurious and appealing. The stunning Pretty secrets winter collection is available in exotic colours like fiery red, cherry, gold, ashes of roses, fuschia black, lemon green and more. Price range : Rs 399- to Rs 3,299. Soar high With an emphasis on comfort and high quality, Egle designers have combined latest styles and premium leather to create some exclusive footwear to keep out the chill this winter. The elegant range of Egle shoes promises to set a new dress code for Indian men. All the designs and styles have been specially handpicked from the international market with a distinct objective of introducing the Winter Wear collection for Indian men. Donning these shoes will immediately up your fashion quotient. The stylish Indian men will love the unique range of Derby and Moccasins (slip ons) shoes range presented in the various shades like black, chocolate brown, reddish brown, tan, white etc. Priced between Rs 3,590 to Rs 4,990 each shoe from Egle’s winter wear collection incorporates the fitting qualities and style to celebrate the sprit of winter season.
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ANAGRAMS Harmeet Kaur
Abet — beat, beta Aboard — abroad Bad — dab Backfire — fire-back Cabaret — bear-cat Cadre — raced, cedar, cared Density — destiny Dent — tend Early — Layer, relay Earth-fed — feathered Oafs — Sofa Oil-lamp — palm oil Once — Cone Porter — report Portrayed — predatory Ramp — pram Ranger — garner Sparse — passer, spears, spares Stains — saints Zoned — dozen
Why don’t you try a few anagrams yourself?
1. Yearling 2. Wigs 3. Whoever 4. Spoons 5. Sri 6. Spores Next week ‘The Cognate Anagram’
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FILM
& FASHION American film director Kevin Patrick Smith may star in the fourth movie instalment in the popular Die Hard series, although the role he will play in Live Free or Die Hard has not been revealed. Smith, who also has to play a part in the forthcoming comedy Catch and Release, believes that the first Die Hard film was very crucial in his development. “My summer of ‘88 was wiled away watching John McClane make fists with his toes, pull glass out of those same feet, curse like a sailor while he desperately kicked the ass of a thug twice his size, and end up stumbling half-dead out of a building by flick’s end - one of the first action movie heroes to actually appear damaged by the adventure he’d just undertaken,” Moviehole quoted him as telling News Askew. Heather wants more Heather Mills says she wants four of Paul McCartney’s homes as part of their divorce settlement.
Heather reportedly told her attorney’s that she’s willing to fight for all four properties, which are located in London, New York, Sussex and Los Angeles.
Sources say Heather also expects a hell of a lot of cash as well as annual “allowance” - all because she believes her marriage to McCartney destroyed her career.
“Throughout the marriage Heather told her friends and people she worked with that nothing good has come out of marrying Paul. She says before she met him she used to earn loads of money but being with him destroyed her earning potential,” a source was quoted by the Mirror, as saying. Voting for marriage American women want George Clooney and Katie Couric to hook-up in the year 2007 and become the ‘hottest celebrity couple of the year, according to a poll conducted by Woman’s Day magazine.
The new poll conducted by the magazine with AOL found that almost half of the readers wanted the ‘sexiest man alive’ and the NBC host to get together in 2007, according to
glitteratgossip.com. The magazine’s poll, that also included nominees for other possible couples, showed that 47 per cent of the readers voted Matthew McConaughey, as the ideal partner for Jennifer Aniston, though 36 per cent felt that she has to reunite with her ‘rebound guy’ Vincent Vaughn. Brand new Britney Now that she’s decided to turn over a new leaf, Britney Spears has been hitting the recording studio with a vengeance. However, it seems that the studio execs aren’t too please about her new songs. The singer, who recently made headlines when she fainted at the popular nightspot Pure in Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, has been working till four in the morning while at label Jive Records’ studio in the Big Apple.
However, while Spears thinks that her new tracks are the making of a great album, music executives aren’t quite thinking along the same lines, with some even saying that either the album be redone, or they drop not only it, but also the
singer.—ANI |
This one is literally going to be an exposition of the sorts. It’s a matter of a few hours before the plethora of jewellery, including some rare virgin diamonds, precious stones and sapphires, is going to unveil itself at the Hotel Taj in Sector 17. This jewellery exhibition promises to be a dazzling one with over 30 participants from all over the country. So we have participants from Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Bangkok and even from apni Chandigarh. Interestingly, the only manufacturer of Theva jewellery in India, a speciality of Jaipur, is also displaying the creations in the exhibition. A unique feature of Gahan Kala remains the fact that most of the names showcasing their pieces are manufacturers themselves. So the exquisite ornaments would be available at discounted prices. Be it a jewellery piece in diamonds, gold, pearls, Kundan or the trendiest of colour stones, each one has been hand picked by a panel of jewellery experts. From bridal jewellery to fashion wear, the exhibition is going to have it all under one roof. Explaining the reason for holding this second exhibition of its kind (first one was held in August last year), Manmeet Singh, president, Showbizz India, says, “After getting a stupendous response from the people of the city which is also the nerve centre of entire North, we decided to hold the exhibition here instead of any other city.” The exhibition that houses the delicately crafted pieces ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 20,00,000. —S.S. Well ladies, are you listening? |
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Health tip of the day
Chakra Asana (Wheel Posture) improves strength and suppleness of spine, however hypertension of ligaments and muscles of spine may cause injury.— Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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7-8 mushrooms
The January 1, 2007 dawned clear, cold and cloudless. Not the wisp of a fog or the trail of smog. Just dewy window-panes, evidence of uninterrupted sleep under soft quilts and light blankets. I rubbed away a palm-sized space to look through the glass. The Tribune lay in the driveway. I am a great fan of the newspaper boy. Rain, hail, snow or sweltering summer, he comes in the dark, to give the correct sheet to the designated house. He does his job with dignity and dedication. A wrong throw is often smilingly substituted – after a phone call - the very next day. 
Anagram is a word or phrase formed by transposing the letters of another word or phrase.
The Victorian Era saw the rise of the anagram. Today anagrams are found mainly in crossword puzzles.
The following list will be useful for crossword lovers, scrabble enthusiasts and people fond of word games.
