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Footfalls echo in the memory Banners at roundabouts remind you time and again that the R-Day (no, not Republic Day!) is here and you are expected to visit Zakir Rose Garden-16 at least once during these three days. And why not? It’s an event of the city that encompasses a host of competitions, authentic Punjabi cuisines and of course the roses. This is the event for the dudes to indulge in little bird watching (you know the species we are talking about) and eve teasing, and for those newly-weds, an occasion to flaunt their churas and click memorable pictures in the backdrop of rosebuds. Now if you think that the organisers (Chandigarh Tourism under the aegis of Chandigarh Administration) are the only ones who are working day and night to add new attractions to the 36th annual Rose Festival, you are far from the truth. There are individuals who are taking equal pain to contribute their bits. For instance Anil Malhotra who went to Delhi on Thursday only to pick up some exotic flowers so that his wife and children could take part in the flower show on Friday. And he is a proud man, clicking away the bouquets of dry and fresh flowers made by his family members that occupy a premier place in the show. Then there is Navneet Saxena, president of Chandigarh Photography Society, who has not just co-ordinated the photo exhibition that captures Chandigarh in the Month of February but also went all the way to put up a guest panel that comprised shots by homegrown photographers like Pankaj Sharma and Pawan Singh, who are now settled abroad. And the administration’s endeavour to decommercialise the festival by not allowing private parties to put up food stalls have paid well. For now we have our own CITCO di Rasoi where one can gorge on Amritsari Kulche Cholle or Kadi Chawal, Gur ka Halwa and gulp it down with a huge glass of Lassi, served in la Punjabi ishtyle. And to keep your other senses occupied, there are non-stop cultural shows and ten police bands showcasing their creative side. If we got your interest hooked then let us tell about the things to come – a vintage car show at Government Museum and Art Gallery, a kite flying competition on Saturday and Sunidhi Chauhan nite at Leisure Valley on Sunday – all added attraction of the festival. And all these, to quote director tourism Vivek Atrey, is to fill up the void created by the commercial stalls, which had been once an integral part of the festival. Good thinking. Who wants to look at potato peelers or microwaves when there are so many interesting things to appease your senses? Right? parbina@tribunemail.com
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Bitter Sweets It may leave a sour taste in your mouth, but sweets business in the city is apparently turning bitter. Nothing else can explain the gobbling up of so many conventional sweet shops in the city by multinational and other fast-food chains, even coffee bars. Commercial forces and time have simply consumed at least four sweet shops in sectors 11 and 10 alone; the latest to go is Prima-10. You have a coffee bar steaming with style in its place now. So, if are living in a northern sector and still wish to treat your guests at home with time-tested freshly fried samosas, you have to go all the way to a kiosk in Sector 9 or even beyond. Well fellows, the original Kaku Shah-11, offering you a taste of tradition in besan laddoos and matthis, has completely been devoured. In place of the open corridor, you have impressive glass doors leading you to a flamboyant joint with dazzling lights tempting you to savour modernity in pizza buns and veg-rolls. You actually have Kaku Shah management offering you “Swiss Pie” on a platter. “Just in case you do not remember, Kaku Shah is the second sweet shop to have pulled down the shutters on long-established and time-honoured sugary trade in the Sector,” says Chetan Kumar, running a gift shop in the area. “The first one to go was the sweets shop in the beginning of the Sector — the one where Barista stands now”. Think hard and you will recall a customary stop blending the ingredients of scrumptiousness with affordability to give you the recipe for a perfect after-college chat. The shop was known for displaying telling words like “welcome” written dexterously with jalebis. “You may find it hard to digest the fact, but the management would actually deep fry the word written in hot oil with jalebi dough before hanging it for all to read as they entered the shop. Every noon, you had a creativity in the form of a new word,” says business executive Rahul Verma. “I am talking of the late 80s when I was still a student”. Heaving a deep sigh, he adds, “The element of ostentation was just not added to the environs for enhancing the flavour and it was nothing but simplicity in complete pureness. You had tea coming in time-stained glasses and your conversation revolved around plates of channa-topped samosas. And even after heart-full of tête-à-tête laced with chutney, the wallet was still not empty. Well, you can call it evolution and adaptation with changing times and tastes, or just another attempt made by the local businessmen to stay among the fittest for survival, the fact remains apple-pies have now replaced gulab-jamuns; and you get croissants in place of samosas. Explaining the trend, young socio-psychologist Neeta Verma says, “Calories are not the only factor. It’s taste of style and desire to savour something different that the residents now crave for. And of course, when you are taking your gal out for a treat, nothing less than potato chunks, fried and spiced Texan style, with bell pepper and barbeque sauce, will suffice. Otherwise also, even in kid birthday parties, you do not have samosas, but croissants”. Eat it, guys. Go with the change!
saurabh@tribunemail.com |
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STEP OUT THERE are a lot of people who would like to do some form of adventure activity, if not a proper adventure sport, but hesitate because they feel they are not fit enough. The most common reason they feel not up to it is because they have more body fat than they should be having. Also, many people with sedentary jobs – and that includes most of us (!) – have weak muscles because they are not being exercised regularly. Both problems can be tackled easily. The solution is to incorporate some simple physical activity into your daily routine. And it need not be a hardcore exercise regimen, though you can work up to that slowly. However, if you are above 40 (or even if you are in your late thirties but are overweight), please consult a doctor before starting any activity apart from walking. Walking – even brisk or very fast walking – is the only exercise you do not need to see a doctor about. Walking is also the best exercise to begin with in the vast majority of cases. Not only is it easy to do, the best thing is that you will stick with it because it involves a pleasant change of scene and it takes you outdoors to enjoy the weather. Too often, it is the boring repetitiveness of gym work that makes people quit after initial enthusiasm – unless you are highly motivated. However, walking for exercise is to be done alone or with a companion who walks at a similar pace – and certainly not with your dog. Your footfalls must be regular to strengthen lower body muscles and skeleton, and hike aerobic capacity – and this cannot be achieved if you have a dog pulling you in the direction of interesting smells. For the walking to benefit you, you must walk for an hour three days a week. If you plan to train harder in future, you must walk for an hour five days a week. Increase the pace gradually. Your breathing must quicken, but you should be able to hold a conversation. However, if you are heading for hardcore adventure sports, you will have to aim for even faster respiration – and sustain it for 30 minutes at least. Each time, warm up to this peak respiratory rate and cool down. This is done by adjusting the pace of walking. It is during the period of peak respiratory rate that your body will burn the most fat. To step up the intensity of exercise in the next stage, include stair climbing in your exercise regimen. During training for mountaineering expeditions, my friends and I used to carry 15-20 kg rucksacks on our backs and try to run up and down staircases as fast as possible. But that is hardcore training, which I will talk about another time. After walking or jogging, do some freehand exercises on grass or on a mat indoors. They will go a long way in exercising unused muscles. A tip: If you are doing easy or moderate intensity walking, always start these exercises from the feet and move upwards, exercising each body part. This is because the blood circulation takes time to speed up throughout the body and reaches the head later. Do as many repetitions of each exercise as you enjoy doing. The trick is not to let it become a tedious chore. Breathe deeply in-between. If you are outdoors, enjoy the scenery. If you are indoors, use music to enhance your mood. If you don’t have the time to walk but would still like to do the freehand exercises for about 20 minutes daily, start by jumping up and down 50 times to warm up. To cool down, do this overall stretch: Lie on your back with your arms straightened above your head, placed on the floor parallel to your ears. Gently stretch the right leg downwards and the right arm upwards at the same time. Repeat with the left leg and arm. Hold each stretch for 4-5 seconds. (This column appears fortnightly) The writer has authored India’s first handbook of adventure sports and is available at
y.bey@excite.com
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Health-Peg MODERATE but not excessive aerobic exercise can lower the risk of stroke for both men and women, a new study has found. Researchers at the University of South Carolina came to this conclusion after analysing data on more than 60,000 people - 46,405 men and 15,282 women - who participated in a study between 1970 and 2001 in Dallas. Stroke is a major killer worldwide, claiming about 1,50,000 lives in the US alone. In India, during the last decade, the age-adjusted prevalence rate of stroke has been found to be between 250-350 per 100,000 people. The participants, aged between 18 and 100 and free of cardiovascular disease when they entered the study, were followed for an average of 18 years. During that time, 863 people - 692 men and 171 women - had strokes. "Fitness has a protective effect regardless of the presence or absence of other factors, including family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels," said Steven Hooker, the study’s lead author. This study is the first to link cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and fatal and nonfatal stroke in men and nonfatal stroke in women. Each participant took a test to measure CRF in which they walked on a treadmill at increasing grade and/or speed until they reached their maximal aerobic capacity. One of the study’s limitations is that most of the participants were white, well-educated and middle-upper income. — IANS
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Cool Stuff THE grey takes over the Dior Christal collection for a very glamorous spring. Designed by John Galliano, the Dior Christal makes it an owners pride and envy of the gang, girls and the ladies. Ideal for women who wish to celebrate their femininity. The 28 mm watch is sublime with its silver sun-brushed dial whose elegance is enhanced by the bezel set with 44 diamonds and 21 sapphire crystal inserts. As a highly refined final touch on the watch, the bracelet sports three rows of ice white tinted sapphire crystal set into the polished steel links. The sapphire crystal watch is yet another collector deisgner piece from the brand and is priced at Rs.1,75,000. Skin Care: Beautiful You WANT to stop the ageing clock and make a difference to your skin? Avon’s Youth Extending Cream under its Anew Retroactive portfolio is the solution. It helps repair your skin’s hidden damage today so you have nothing to hide tomorrow. The Anew Retroactive Day and Night Range is a glossy, opaque and white coloured soft cream. It prevents protein damage and stimulates the production of your skin’s own defensive enzymes that seek out and neutralise age accelerating radicals and micro damage before it shows. The Youth Extending cream works beneath your skin and help repair-hidden damage while stimulating your skin’s natural healing ability to renew and revitalise it. Technology: Get Grooving INCREDIBLY reliable and amazingly affordable, Motorola’s Motoyuva W230 offers a total entertaining experience with onboard MP3 player, stereo FM radio and quick access to music control with dedicated music keys. With up to 2GB expandable memory, you can store up to 500 songs. Rock with your phone and get free music and news with integrated stereo FM radio, as well record short FM radio clips in mono for use as the phone’s alarm, share favourite FM stations via SMS with your friends and transfer music at a fast speed. It helps you stay connected with longer talk times and has a superior battery life. It is priced at Rs 3,050. Fast Track: Sporty & Stylish SPORT biking becomes more accessible with Yamaha’s Gladiator Type SS and Type RS. This full size dynamic sporty machine is one of the best in the fiercely competitive 125 cc segment. Power packed with 28 new features, this four-stroke, 11 bhp and 5-speed bike is a unique combination of sports biking and style. Developed with the true Yamaha DNA, the Gladiator will kick start a new sports biking lifestyle in the Indian market. Its 28 newly developed features, add values of superb performance, new styling, greater handling and comfort. The Gladiator Type SS will be offered in two colours, yellow and red, and Type RS in blue colour. The bike will be priced at Rs.46, 350 onwards. Kids Zone: Fun & Health AFTER receiving an overwhelming response from elders for hi-end massage equipments, Osim has launched a fever band and a toothbrush for kids – uKids Fever Band and uKids Sparkle. A cute and practical gift that will come in handy for relieving fever discomfort, the band is long and wide enough to cover the temple areas and helps in cooling the forehead. The uKids Sparkle cheery electronic toothbrush set makes brushing time extra fun. Designed with a 360 degree oscillating head, it offers a gentle yet effective brushing for your child. UKids Sparkle is priced at Rs 1,000 and uKids Fever Band at Rs 600. — TNS
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Telly Tales
Of course, it’s his wife/daughter/daughter-in-law, who does all the talking (oops bitching) or pooja and lecturebazzi, besides making rangolis and watering the tulsi plant in the backyard, but then, it’s our oldie, goldie who technically has the reigns of the parivaar. Doesn’t matter friends, if this oldie’s status is more like that of the President. While the PM (his woman counterpart) enjoys the real powers, our President’s (oldie’s) content with the ceremonial powers. So, we’ve got these poor men attaching fancy tags to their barely-there existence by calling meetings in the circular courtyard (think Mansukh Lal in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam, Ji Kaka in Teen Bahuranian and Baldev Kapoor in Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai), signing documents and shouting incessantly at their victims – younger men . And how can we ever forget a ritual these demure daadas and pardadas so religiously follow – sinking into that age-old rocking chair, or their ornate (always Over The Top) beds (these too were probably brought into their houses by their not-so-demure wives), falling prey to (what else silly?) a massive heart attack or a paralytic stroke! But here too, our oldies don’t seem to have much luck smiling upon them. For, they (remember Anurag’s dad in Kasauti and ba’s hubby darling in Kyunki either pop out (for their going wouldn’t necessarily affect TRP’s!), or here too, their over-smart bahus (remember Sneha in Sony’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) ruthlessly expose their sickness as sham. And well, while designers rustle up nth number of exotic creations for our women characters, these men are hardly seen changing their white/cr me clothes. So, how about men forced to work in painful acting jobs in soaps? Sure, they get paid well, but isn’t it still exploitive to force them do something no one in their right mind would find pleasure in? Laments Shekhar Suman, who’s played lead roles in soaps Andaaz (Zee) and Main (Star Plus), "Soaps cater to women, because they spend more time watching TV." Well oldie-goldies, our sympathies and condolences are fully with you! (This column appears weekly)
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Window with a view Do up your Plain Jane windows with haute Roman blinds
Think vibrancy of Indian colourscape, a blazing panorama of fabrics (from regal to sheer and opaque) and the romance of nostalgia (that classic Roman touch!). A heady cocktail of all this and what flashes across the eye is the Roman blinds. The Plain Jane window/shade accessories, that have donned a haute avatar. We take a round of the local furnishing boutiques to help you pick your ‘shades’ of luxury! Enter Floor&Furnishings-9-Pkl, and you’re greeted with a cheerful array of blind fabrics. Stacked here are designer blinds, in fabrics ranging from polyester (Rs 175-750/ mt) and cotton (Rs 195-600/ mt) to the more regal velvets (Rs 275-1,195/mt) and silks (Rs 495-4,000/mt). And well, if silks aren’t sinuous enough, there are sheer fabrics like organza and tissue (Rs 195- 8,000/mt) to woo windows! You can grab these fabrics at the above rates and get them custom-made into blinds by the store’s in-house tailor (by paying an extra amount of Rs 50-200/ square feet). In case, you’re already snorting at the price tag of these blinds, take heart. For, these fabric blinds come not just in a riot of lovely hues (ranging from onion pinks, mauves and muddy browns to wine reds) but in pretty prints too! "While blind-fabrics are flaunting everything from checks and stripes to paisleys, flowers, leaves (ambis) and geometrical motifs, polkas and eyelights (spiral-like pattern) remain hot," smiles store in charge Rajan Singla. And yes, there are quite a few patterns for the kids’ rooms. "Ranging from animals and cartoons to games, numbers and alphabets, it’s all there on the blinds," informs the salesperson at Sharma D’cor-33, adding that while plain fabrics (beginning at Rs 60/ square feet) are preferred for offices, blinds in jazzy prints do well for kids’ rooms. Those looking for the traditional bamboo chiks can get them at the store (Rs 100-250/square feet). However, if you want the comfort of chic blinds minus the jazz, check out Floor Square-8. The store has just launched its range of trendy blinds by Hunter Douglas. Available in a medley of pleasant pastels, (ranging from ochre and muddy brown to battleship grey and white), the brands collection Jubilance Roman Shades offers 21 distinct fabric choices, from smooth, semi-sheer polyesters to highly textured semi-opaque polyester/rayon blinds (Rs 400/square feet to Rs 2,200/square feet). Informs Rachhpal Singh Kanwar, manager, Paradise Decorator-8, "Hunter Douglas blinds come with a dust-repelling coating and an aluminum headrail with fabric insert. These shades feature an exclusive gravity-feed cord lock and pulley system (with decorative pulls) to ensure your shades open smoothly. "Most of these fabric blinds are being used for window dressing besides being planked as a partition between two rooms. A must pick is our Duette range (Rs 600/sq ft) helps regulate room temperature. Another hot pick is wooden blinds, crafted out of Malaysian wood (Rs 900/ sq ft)." While all of these blinds provide superior light control, privacy and year-round energy efficiency, they perk up your window-style as well. So go ahead and splurge on them! anandita@tribunemail.com
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Beauty studio:
Q&A Steps to a young, healthy & sun damage-free skin Did you know the skin never forgets and a lifetime of neglect is cumulative? Even if your last sunburn or tan was in your teens, the cumulative damage will manifest itself as age spots, far into your adulthood. Even environmental exposure that occurs from smog on cloudy days and even indoor light fixtures all affect the skin. To cut the long story short, sun damage and hyper pigmentation can take years before showing up on the skin. That is why it is so important to not step out without wearing sunscreen, failing to do will lead to damaging sunburns. Pearls of wisdom to handle sun damage
I’m in my early twenties. My problem is my dark knees and elbows. I’ve tried a lot of creams including those containing Clobetasol or Salicylic Acid, but nothing has worked. Could you please suggest me some measures, either home based or cosmetic or surgical even? — Shruti,
via e-mail Melanin is responsible for the browning of the skin and can occur on different layers of the skin. Though mostly epidermal, hyper pigmentation can occasionally be dermal. Epidermal sits on the upper layers of the skin while dermal pigmentation is underneath the skin and topical creams are of no use, as they cannot penetrate below the epidermis to rectify the problem. To combat it however, I suggest you go to a dermatologist to determine the kind of pigmentation you have. I also recommend the use of SPF 30 to be used on the area. Also you must dedicate enough time and patience to the entire treatment process. Results are always dependant on the type of skin condition you have and also on the sun exposure the area receives. Look for products that do not carry any mercury, steroids or other harmful bleaching substances. Use exfoliants along with weekly peel, this will help dissolve dead, flaky skin cells and stimulate collagen production. Your skin if exfoliated regularly will be forced to create new cells. For daily exfoliation an acid concentration of 2.5% is best. A weekly chemical peel with a concentration of 30% is perfect. It could be glycolic, lactic, salicylic, fruit acid or any combination. A word of caution is that chemical peels with a concentration of 30% should be performed by a professional only. However, hyper pigmentation can also be triggered by Vitamin B12 deficiency; genetics can also be a factor. The medication will balance the melanin production and your skin will have to balance, renew itself and shed the over pigmented cells. Combination of Tretinoin and Cortisone is recommended in severe cases. You have to allow six months of time before you decide to seek alternate methods of removal. The new treatment for hyper pigmentation is the laser treatment, it does not work for everyone, and it may work in reverse, making it worse for you. So beware! As for a home remedy, rub buttermilk on the affected areas and castor oil twice a day, it will take 4 weeks before you see the difference. (This column appears fortnightly) Pammy Kaul is a UK-based beauty therapist. E-mail queries to
lifestyletribune@gmail.com or write to The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh
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This evening will see 100 poets reciting their couplets in front of an august audience at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi. Organised by Delhi Poetree, this second venture of the organisation is said to be the largest congregation of poets, ever since the time of the last Mughal Emperor, under the same roof and on a single day. The session will comprise poets between seven to 94 years of age. All participants would have to read out their poems within one minute. The organisation will honour five poets as Champions for Poetry in Delhi and two poets will be elevated to the Poetry Hall of Fame. For two years now, DelhiPoetree has been promoting poetry in the Capital. — TNS
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Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony became the parents of twins early on Friday. The People magazine paid $6 million for the photo rights of the baby boy and girl. Lopez’s efforts to become pregnant have filled tabloid pages in the past few years. — Reuters
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Hi readers! Welcome to the ‘slippery,’
world of tellyville, yet again. In case, you’re already wondering why we
decided to call your TV-centric universe ‘slippery,’ let’s recall
that we’d talked about our good ol’ widowed women (read ba, dadi,
aayi, bua, mausi) on telly soaps last week. And since we’re planning
to talk about our brigade of old men in these soaps, their topsy-turvy
worlds can’t be anything but slippery! After all, when sari-clad women
are hopping on TRP bandwagon faster than the speed of light, can their patis
be far behind? So, tune in to any of your fave soaps and your ‘daily
dose of pathos’ has yet another ingredient – oldie, goldie men.
Now, soap addicts can forget
obsessing over that conniving, sexy, backstabbing bahu, envying
that saas-in-strapless or looking upto that ideal,
almost-illiterate beti (she’d easily make Rani Lakshmi Bai feel
like a loser) who saves her father’s life, family’s izzat, dada’s
mansion (that’s being auctioned, thanks to the efforts of an evil bahu)
and earns millions the day she steps out of her house for the first time.
And well, fall in love with this stout, be-speckled, silver-haired (every
strand in place, thanks to the good quality gel he uses daily), dhoti or
kurta-clad man (depending on his fashion sense, of course), who’s
the family’s pillar-of-strength.
Ever experienced an, unabashed love for
colour? Felt fetish for some truly exuberant, unrestrained flush of paint?
Or simply enjoyed watching how everything in our lifestyle (read weddings,
festivals, trucks, fabrics, kitsch) were getting awashed in rich hues?
Well, if you’ve ever experienced a passion for a strong palette, here’s
some good news. Window fashion’s creeping into the ‘colour-me-happy’
list , with Roman blinds in wild riots of colours, flooding the market.