Jumping off a 20-ft-high cliff, skirting dangerous rapids, they do it all with aplomb. Smriti Sharma returns from the star-studded ‘High on Life’ rally

Our adrenaline started pumping the moment we got an invite to take part in the Nautica Navigators-High on Life Rally. But the actual journey turned out to be a real test for the adventurous soul — for it required a lot of wit, energy and presence of mind to go through the entire rally which started on April 28.

The second leg started from Karnal, that took us to Virat Khai, a camp-site around 25 km ahead of Chakrata in Uttranchal.

Goof-ups

After doing the necessary calculations (by the navigator of course), our confidence levels went up. When we finally reached Virat Khai at around 6 pm, we were greeted with a breathtaking view. Our tents were set up in the middle of the beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. We were given luxurious tents (it had an attached loo and a shower).

The excitement was all time high which could be gauged from the fact that even before the 7 am wake up call the next morning, everyone was up and ready for the adventure part of the rally.

Around 9 am, we headed towards Yamuna bridge where adventure started in the true sense. The activities were designed by Great Indian Outdoors (GIO). Bridge Slithering was the first one. It demanded all of us to jump from the bridge, which was about (hold your breath!) 70 ft high.

Of course, we were required to wear the safety equipment, including a life jacket, a safety helmet and the harness and the bailey tied across before taking the plunge into the icy cold water. It was just the first brush with danger. There were more to come.

But before that we all needed nourishment, so headed straight to the luncheon table, laid for us by the riverside. After a little rest we started with the last lap.

From there to Khoonigarh, a stone’s throw from Mori (about 140 km from Mussorie), set amidst towering pine and deodar trees by the river Tons, it took us another about four hours to reach. Nonetheless, the drive turned out to be worth the patience when we saw our campsite right at the banks of the Tons.

Adventure galore

After catching up with some sleep in our tents (no more luxury tent— no electricity, no water, only lanterns and dry pits), we were all charged up for the next day. We were given a few directions and the participants were to reach natural pool in the river on their own. “Reach on time or else lose,” was the instruction.

Needless to say, we took up the challenge. And after trekking a few mountains and big rocks, crossed through water streams, we finally reached the place where we were to cross the neck-deep water with the help of a rope. Life jackets came handy again and after falling a few times on the moss-laden rocks, the teams reached the point where we were to jump from a 20 ft high cliff—straight into the water.

Though everyone was wet and tired, the excitement to go in for white-water rafting, kept us going. We started in a mini bus to reach the rafting point. The Tons, we learnt, is one of the most challenging rivers with high rapids. This was the point everyone’s team spirit was put to test. In all, eight rafts carried the participants.

While we paved our way through some strong rapids that have names like long horn, sharp horn, good morning and jell-o-well, the kayaks moved even faster ensuring the safety of the rafters.

Once the guide of the raft carrying the television stars, saw a big rapid and shouted at them to get down. Rajesh Khera, heard it and jumped. Following Khera, Chetan Hansraj also jumped. It was moment of panic. But we all came through it.

After rafting for about two hours, we reached our campsite. That night awards were given. Though initially there were only three categories: winning team, first and second runners up, but Sumeet Yadav, business head, Nautica, coined two new categories. A dipstick award for the silliest deed and an award for the most (mis)happening team.

Though dipstick award had two nominees, Rajesh Khera for jumping and Sumeet who mistakenly carried the car keys of another team, the award went to Sumeet. The team who bagged the award for the most (mis)happening went to Kavita Kaushik, Natasha, Deepraz and Rajiv Khandelwal.

The journey ended but the fond memories will be etched in our hearts forever.

smritisharma@tribunemail.com

This summer break, children are heading for an adventure-packed trip, writes Swati Sharma

Tied in ropes, children sporting helmets are geared up to try everything, right from rappelling to rafting. Busy erecting tents for a nap or cooking a meal they are enjoying every bit of it.

“I have been taking kids out for summer camps for the past six years and each year the response keeps getting better,” says Vipul Negi of Negi Corporation. “We have already enrolled in 250 kids for this season.” Vipul takes the kids to a site ahead of Shimla towards Mashobra where they take part in activities like rock climbing, rappelling and survival of the fittest. “ We also teach them to handle tough situations in jungles, making them both mentally and physically tough,” he adds.

Besides the fun bit, such trips and sports are a must for a child’s development. “Trips gives a boost to their confidence and they learn to deal with all kinds of situations,” feels Sunaiyna Dass, who runs Jack and Jill Hilltop in partnership with Divya Bansal. They arrange ten-days long camp at Jainti Majri, 6 kms from PGI. “ We pick up kids at 7 in the morning and drop them back around 5 pm,” says Sunaiyna. “Jainti gives the children a hint of village life too, as it has an ancient temple and lots of wells.” The kids relate it to their books where they have seen pictures of villages and fields. And, all this for Rs 3000 is definitely a good bargain.

A Delhi-based group, Great Indian Outdoors, plans to pick up children from the city next year onwards and arrange camps at foothills of the Himalayas. Sujata Soman, programme coordinator for the camp Kshitij, says, “We have clients from Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Dehradun; the mere thought of going to the Himalayas excites all.” The location for the camps would be Chakrata, Mori, Verdant Valley Kund and Jayalgarh in Himalayas. She pinpoints that such adventure activities also enhance the personality of a child.

Agreeing with her is Liti Banerjee, a resident of Sector 38, “My son Kunal has been a part of two such camps.” She is happy that her son picked up lessons on responsibility. Sanchint Goel (14), from Chaman Vatika School in Ambala, has been going for these trips for the last four years and is excited to go this year too. His mother, Vandana Goel says, “My son was always an introvert child, but after attending these camps he has become outgoing.” Interestingly, there was a time when Sanchint was even scared of jumping; but now he loves mountain biking and snow hiking.

swati@tribunemail.com

“Our choices in life make us what we are. Good or bad. Revengeful or forgiving,” says a character in Spiderman 3. How true! We also make one — to get entangled in the web of emotions that director Sam Raimi has created. If it has overpowering goodness, it also has rampaging evil.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is finally enjoying life with the stunning Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) who now knows about his real identity. Both of them lie on a giant spider’s web and watch the stars. Romance is in the air. He is a do-gooder who rescues a blonde (Bryce Dallas Howard) from a collapsing skyscraper (shades of 9/11) and poses for an upside-down kiss with her as he dangles from a thread.

But even superheroes get the blues. Parker gets infected with a symbiote from a meteor that has fallen near him. It brings out his darker side. The black suit enhances his power but stirs hidden feelings of bitterness and revenge.

Compounding his miseries are a mutant made of sand, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) — an escaped convict who murdered Parker’s uncle — a vengeful former friend Harry (James Franco) who accuses Parker of killing his father, and a cunning rival in the office, Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) who wants to get rid of Parker at any cost. It is now the red suit versus the black.

In the ensuing battle between good and evil, the world of the airborne good Samaritan turns upside down as he discovers his fears, anguish and innocence while fighting his opponents and — himself.

When you spend $250 million on making a movie, you do not compromise on anything, especially the special effects which are awesome in this sequel. The crumbling, morphing Sandman and the black suit are certainly going to be lapped up in a big way by the audience.

Swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper, Tobey Maguire weaves a net of intensity not seen in the earlier Spiderman movies. The scene in a jazz club where Tobey sings and sways with total abandon to win back the love of Kirsten is deftly picturised. Dunst looks stunning and is a perfect foil to the hero. But it is James Franco who looks dashing and gives a powerful performance as Tobey’s revenge-seeking friend.

Summer is here. So will be holidays and enjoyment. Will it be asking for too much to get started with Spiderman 3?

From friends in the campus to NRIs in Canada, city’s gen-next is now bonding via online communities, writes Purva Grover

Gizavo and Mirandon’s music is a fusion of varied genres

The Alliance Française de Chandigarh in collaboration with the French Embassy in India and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is organising a world music concert by Régis Gizavo and David Mirandon. The duo will be performing at Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Auditorium, Sector 30 on Monday.

Régis Gizavo (47), accordionist, singer, composer and lyricist from Madagascar, is a self-taught accordionist who grew up immersed in the traditions of his native land and at the same time influenced by all kinds of music he heard on the radio including rock/pop, chanson francaise and afro pop. His experience in trance music, and later performances with various variety groups made him an accomplished musician. In 1990, he was awarded Radio France International Discovery Prize. He presents himself not only as a defender of traditions and different ethnic groups of his region, but also of modern and original music.

Gizavo met David Mirandon in 1995 and the two together toured the world and have recorded two albums for the French music production company Label Bleu. Mirandon (34), a drummer-percussionist grew up in greater Paris with an amateur jazz saxophonist for a father and a mother fan of folk songs and African music. At the age of 11, Mirandon started his musical education at the Conservatoire de Paris, which he left at 17 with a first prize. His training drew from many sources, which are richly reflected in his musical path and style. — TNS

Now that the heat is scorching our eyeballs, a lot of us have turned to melons. The markets are full of melons, in many new shades. The good old, green tarbuj is outdated by a bevy of new-fangled melons. Three years ago, I used to buy tarbuj from the street-side vendors. Now, air-conditioned vegetable and fruit shops have gleaming, exotic looking melons marking the beginning of a new kind of summer in India.

The other day, a fruit wala in the bazaar tried to sell me the new melons – called them American tarbuj. When I was not suitably impressed, he called them Californian. He also started pulling out Australian Kiwis and more American strawberries from a dirty sack. An American food-inspector would have been appalled at the unsanitary resting place of the national fruit. When I shook my head vigourously at the vilayati fruits, he started pushing apples. "Apples in this heat?" I said. He smiled and said "seb to sabse badia hai."

Someone just fed me a musk melon – I knew it in the US as a canary melon – since it is canary yellow in colour. The fruit wala called it a mast melon – it was so good. Then there is a honey-dew melon that has made its appearance in the Indian market – what happened to the good old kharbuj? That too has been sidelined by the new, multi-coloured and striped varieties – some of which would look good on the dining table of Hogwart’s great halls!

At least, we still have the pleasure of scooping out the seeds. The West has conducted extensive research to ban all seeds – specially in fruits. Well, some places still have an annual watermelon spitting contest and I am not making this up. I guess, the contest melons might have to be organically harvested!

In my childhood, melons were lifted, poked, tapped and then bargained for. We often ate the juicy pieces sitting in the courtyard in sweltering heat. Now, the melons have become too civilised, worthy of being eaten, all cut up in neat pieces in an air-conditioned dining place.

Dazzle-bugs get ready for a roll in the dust. No stardust here for this is the tart pill or rather the bitter-glitter of glamour.

As the business of ‘beauty’ booms in every corner of the country and the number of wannabes swell, showbiz cuts across muddled lines of region and politics to stop right at the doorstep of the prettiest face and the fittest body, irrespective of how small the town is. Does it? Sometimes it does but then why is the glamour industry not teeming with our pretty faces from the region?

Mohini Sahota, (36), smart, attractive, self-assured and a savvy teacher to boot at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, recounts how when she decided to participate in the Gladrags Mrs India 2007, of a 100 ladies who came for the auditions, only person selected, was her. “I knew I had the confidence and also they were not looking for models but attractive women to mould,” she smiles.

While Mohini’s confidence was her trump card, many of her fellow-attempters from the region, lacked it. This pretty lady went just to prove she had the ability to do anything she set her mind to but knew her chances of winning were slim. “A 35-year-old cannot compete with 25 year old women.” So where does the dust get bitten?

According to model and fashion coordinator Noyonika Chatterjee, who visited the city last year talent-scouting for Mrs India-World 2006, “Weight and measurement are important but equally significant is presentation style and confidence. Changing a personality later is not easy,” she insists.

While pleased with the turnout, Noyonika was visibly disappointed with the ‘quality’ so no surprises then that the only girl who made it to the final selection was Frainy Ahuja, a sector 27 resident.

Frainy stood tall as second runners-up at the Mrs India-World 2006 in Mumbai but says that all this exposure amounts to nothing if one is not willing to move to Mumbai. “I have two roles to play because I am a mother and housewife too. I should get the chance to excel at both. I want to be in Chandigarh for my family but none of us have got any good assignments,” she says.

The catch, says Jeet Brar is lack of exposure. This city-based grooming ‘guru’ and fashion coordinator who has been a part of the fashion business for over 15 years now believes that models need to widen their horizons and not just stick with local assignments.

But a ‘world-view’ does not come easy.

Rajveer Kalyan (21) from Jalandhar has been in the modelling business for three months now. He dreams of a film with Tom Cruise no less but wants to start modest but firm. “I want to make it big in North India first and Chandigarh is the place to be in,” he says resolutely.

However, the story of aspiring model Ahana Gupta (23) from Shimla, says it all. She came to the city with the ubiquitous stars in her eyes a year ago. Next month she moves to Delhi to try her luck there because ‘there is nothing here to do’.

But several believe there are larger forces at work.

Several city-based participants, young boys and girls, of beauty pageants held in Mumbai, feel that there is a tendency to select the winner from Mumbai or a metro. “It perhaps makes more logistical sense to the selectors. The exposure and confidence is already there and it is probably cheaper to put them up than bring to someone in from Chandigarh and settle them in,” some reason on conditions of anonymity.

This might be a classic case of ‘sour grapes’ but Brar’s figures tell a different story.

Almost 100 to 150 young people converge to Chandigarh every year to make it big in the world of glamour. Most fizzle away into oblivion. “Several fraud agencies are taking money from these gullible youngsters and not delivering the assignments promised. What is more, even the city as a source for good models is looked down upon,” he says.

In fact, he often hears industry people outside th city saying the quality of models from here is like a five star in Chandigarh, which is only equivalent to a dhaba in Mumbai. “This despite the fact that almost 10-15 Punjabi music videos are shot in the region every day.”

However, all is not lost, insists Mohini who believes that the ‘sense of self and confidence’ that she came away with has given her ability to give wings to all her dreams and it will do the same for the others who actually go out there determined to participate.

“Though we lack grooming school, the change will not come with just that. The mindset needs to change. Live and let live and have the confidence in yourself without worrying what others around you might say.”

Words that will go a long way in making more of our regional modelling stars shine!

gayatrir@tribunemail.com

If the civic authorities have their way, certain sounds may soon not be heard at the city’s Sukhna Lake.

No, it’s not the quack-quack or the twitter of the feathered flocks that could become a thing of the past. It’s the bow-bows that may cease.

This has naturally rent the air with noises from other quarters. Strollers from different walks of life, who’re also proud owners of canines, have raised a chorus of protest over an MC proposal to ban pets at the lake.

Their reaction may not just be an outpouring of sentimentality for their furry family members. There may also be some logic to their being piqued for the pooches.

Does it make sense to clamp down upon the pets on a leash when it’s their stray brethren that have unleashed terror in various parts of the city? True, the present rules lack teeth when it comes to dealing with dog bites. But why penalise pedigreed poodles for any social misconduct on the part of their less-bred peers?

Of course, the stray elements have spared no opportunity to spoil the case for all wagging tails on the waterfront. By choosing to put the foot of a Punjab cop in his mouth at the lake recently, one of them certainly did his bit to invite the long arm of law.

Not surprising then that the entire canine fraternity is not being viewed with favour by the law-makers. That may partly explain the municipal authorities getting school marmish about dogs and discipline: crack the whip on the brats and well-behaved ones alike.

But if they look to their western counterparts, they’d find a median path that needn’t block entry to pets in public territory completely. Walkers and the woofing companions could coexist if our policy makers too could come up with leash laws.

This would necessarily presume the cooperation of all those who walk the bark. And, of course, those that bark the walk.

Undoubtedly, it would confine the social circle of the canines within the limits of the leash. This could be a bit cramping for the extra gregarious or sociable among them, but what’s a bit reining in if they don’t want to be denied a public life entirely?

Then there could be fines for dog lovers whose pets believe in relieving their constitutions in nothing less than the sprawling ambience of the lake or lush parks. Such rules could require their masters to not just stretch their limbs to further the cause of fitness. But also stoop to scoop up the poop, in the fitness of things.

The local four-legged population would also do well to take a lesson from the American counterparts and not piddle on any of the landmarks that define the cityscape. Else, they could be in trouble. As was the case with a doggie in Chicago whose piddling on a cast-iron sculpture in a park caused his entire community to be banished from the greens.

And, it wouldn’t be too bad an idea to have parks with dog runs, as in other pet-friendly nations. If nothing else, they wouldn’t take much to run.

Hope some of these ideas appeal to the city fathers so that there are no unpleasant twists in this tale of the wagging tail.

chetnabanerjee@tribunemail.com