The strength within
How often do we crib about silly things in life? Rarely, everyday, most of the time or all the time? Whenever possible. Yes, we do crib. Stuck in a traffic jam or flunked an exam or got a mouthful from the boss, self-pity comes so easily to us. If you too have been indulging in it, then it's time to come out of it. And, these are the people who can be perfect role models for us.
'Special people', that's how society addresses them, but they decline any special treatment. Yet, undoubtedly special they are and what makes them so is not their certain disabilities, but their will to lead a normal life. Spirited and determined to compete with the privileged ones, here they talk about what all it takes to just live like others, and again, more importantly without cribbing. Meet Jai Singh, jovial and full of life, this second-year sociology student of Panjab University learns his lessons by listening to cassettes that his friends and parents record for him. He beams at the fact that he probably is the only one from his batch to pass out from the Institute of Blind-26 to pursue post-graduation as a regular student. "I don't say that there aren't many problems, but I also believe that challenges are meant to be accepted." He feels that any individual first has to overcome internal inhibitions. "I was willing to live life amidst normal people and didn't get scared of the problems that came my way. For me, studying in the university was a training ground to walk with the world around." Jai is looking forward to sit for the UGC Net exam and also volunteer for NGOs. Rahul Mahajan scored 79 per cent in his matriculation exams. Well, one could say it's not that big an achievement, but we would say it is. Hearing impaired, instead of going to a school meant for such students, he studied with those who had a natural advantage over him. This tough decision came from his parents, "Though he cannot hear and speak, he has the right to do everything that a normal child does," says Asha Mahajan, his mother. Needless to mention that the journey had its share of roadblocks too, "At times, simple things like teaching him how to say 'K' become a problem. A certain chapter that takes normal students one hour to grasp, it takes him at least five hours." Rahul is now confident and loves the exposure he has got in his school. And his ambition? "I want to become a professional artist and earn lots of money through my art," avers he, in his own language. Way to go! Sitting on the wheel chair, Anjali Gulati did graduation and then went on to do M.Sc IT from Kurukshetra University. Even the fact that she suffers from cerebral palsy did not hold her back from achieving her ambition. An alumnus of MCMDAV College, she says it was her will to go beyond the limit. "I wanted to prove that more than physical ability, what matters is the will to do something." Once determined to do post-graduation, support from her parents did the rest. The young lady is still adding to her qualifications and is doing a course in web designing these days. And, as she says, "You don't need legs to work in the IT sector, only brains and capability." After knowing their unusual achievements, they so much deserve to be our role models. So, how about replacing those posters of Bollywood biggies and cricket stars in your room with these real time heroes? ashima@tribunemail.com |
Starting from Scratch
Chandigarh is on a roll. And the pessimist predictors of recession can either reconsider or leave out the beauty industry. What else explains the opening of 'Scratch'?
The academy and nail bar cum salon was thrown open to people on Monday by Jacqui Jefford, a name synonymous with designer nails and nail techniques. We get going.
Tips and toes
Scratch, too canine a name for a female salon. Says Pammy Kaul, the CEO, "The first thing that you think of when 'scratch' is the nails, hence the name." Apart from nail extensions, nail art and nail care, the salon will also deal with air brushing, where they paint your nails like they paint cars! The
USP? She says, "The health, safety and hygiene standards that will be adopted." She would not like to leave even a single soul. She says, "My target audience is the entire India. Even my maid back home has beautiful nails." Having written four books on nails, Encyclopedia of Nails, The Art of Nails and Nail Artistry among others, certainly there needs to be present some inherent penchant for the subject. She smiles, "While really young I used to bite my nails a lot. And when I was sixteen, I got nail extensions done and thought to myself, how just one hour can make nails look really beautiful." The rest, as they say, is history, with result that the lady runs a salon in Salisbury, U.K apart from a training academy. So what trends will rule this fall? She says, "In colours, it will be deep burgundy, deep purple, blue and black." She also has a few nails and hand care tips to share. "It's very important to use a hand cream to increase the blood circulation and also massage with a cuticle cream. I do it six times a day but it should be done at least 2-3 times a day," she says and adds, "It's also important to use Pasacoat underneath your nail paint as colour tends to stain the nails." Apart from of course, the monthly manicure. No wonder, hers divert your attention every now and then. She senses and explains, "I've used five colour glitters and done hand painting with acrylic. Nails are your accessories and you can match them with your necklace, ring or anything." But aren't these therapies, techniques and extensions, harmful for the nails. She says, "I've been wearing them for thirty four years." We get the point. One just needs to be careful and go to certified technicians. What's in future? She answers, "Right now I'm making a DVD, will come up with another book soon and since education is my love, so I'm into training." One more thing, she'd like to do Shilpa Shetty's
nails. Fashion fundamentals "Fashion is nothing but attitude. Whether you're seventy or seventeen, if you love it, go for it," says Jacqui
Jefford, when asked if any style is targeted at particular age-group. She makes a case in point, "Look at me, I'm fifty! And mother of four children and three grandchildren." Err…umm…fifties certainly are the new twenties. Her maiden visit to India, a statistic enough for us to ask dozen more questions. About the city, she says, "It's really beautiful, very clean and pretty and with extremely lovely roundabouts. In a lot of ways, it's like Europe." She hopes to be back soon and in the meanwhile has a comment to make, "Women here are very adventurous. They experiment a lot and are not afraid of colours like their European counterpart. If you look at fashion globally, a lot of designers are looking at India." |
Lage raho, bhai
Bollywood film Sorry Bhai is all set for a release across India. The director of the film, Onir spoke in length about his unconventional film that tells a bold story revolving around the concept of forbidden love with a man falling in love with his brother's fiancé. Director Onir who has films like My Brother Nikhil and Bas Ek pal to his credit said that he believes in taking up challenges. "I think what excites me, as a director is not to walk the path that everyone else walks. I want to do something new, something through which I can discover more about life, more about people and something which is not the usual, is more challenging as a director and I like to take this challenge," said Onir. Onir also produces the film along with Vashu Bhagnani. Sorry Bhai stars Sanjay Suri, Sharman Joshi, Chitrangda Singh, Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani. Actor Sanjay Suri who essays the role of Harshvardhan in the film said that the film is a story of one brother falling in love with other brother's fiancée. "Sorry Bhai is a story of a family where a brother falls in love with other brother's fiancée and after that what happens in this Mathur family that you will get to see in the film," said Suri. Chitrangda Singh who made her debut with the film Hazaaron Khwaishen Aisi hoped that the women across India would relate to the film. "These days we are managing to stretch our boundaries and I think movies do that to an extent. They force you to think about somethings differently, like Rang De Basanti and My brother Nikhil did. They changed the mind set of people and they were accepted well. I'm sure that this is also a fact of life and it happens to people and it is not a situation, which we have only imagined. I'm sure that people will relate to it and I'm sure that a lot of women are going to relate to this situation," said Chitrangda. Gaurav Dayal and Vivek Philip have scored the music of the movie, while Amitabh Varma and Nanette Natal have penned the lyrics of the film. The film is slated for a November 28 release. |
He kick started his career 16 years ago and the only opportunity he then got was Bollywood. But designer Rocky S does not regret this decision and believes the platform has worked wonders for his career. Unlike most other Indian designers who started their career by showcasing their collections at fashion shows, Rocky began his stint by designing for Bollywood stars. "Bollywood has given me a fantastic platform to display my creative skills and I do not regret my decision of starting off my career from there," Rocky said in an interview. "The time I entered the film industry, designing was in its nascent stage and not much attention was given to the clothes but we, a bunch of young designers (Manish Malhotra, Vikram Phadnis) have changed the whole scenario. I feel good that I have contributed my bit in this change," he added. Rocky also feels that the trends that people follow are inspired by Bollywood and every time he designs for a movie he has to come up with something creative that can be a trendsetter among masses. "Bollywood fashion sells and people ape it and try to look like their favorite stars. We really have to be on our toes all the time to come up with something that is creative, wearable and different," Rocky explained. Rocky's Bollywood clientele includes John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Shilpa Shetty. Elaborating on the new metrosexual image of Abraham in Dostana Rocky stated: "John is a very stylish actor and he knows what looks good on him. He has a fantastic dress sense." Rocky's most recent Bollywood project was the hit flick Singh Is Kinng. He dressed Katrina in the film and is also working with her in Yuvraj. Apart from that he has designed Bipasha's clothes for Pankh, Kangana Ranaut's for Raaz - The Mystery Continues and John Abraham's for New York. Apart from designing for movies and launching his own label Rocky S, he has also dabbled in various markets like homeline, kids wear, perfumes and bags and hopes that some day he will design for a hotel too. "I call myself a creative person and creativity does not bind you to do just one thing,” sums Rocky. |
Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty's mantra for success is 'do what you love'. Shilpa says it is important to be satisfied in life, and that will affect how successful an individual is. "If you're unhappy at home it will affect you in your workplace and that will affect how successful you are," Shilpa said. "We need to strike a better home/work balance," she added. Shilpa also revealed that mediation helps her to visualise what she wants. "The process of meditating is a great way of making sure I have my priorities sorted," she added. She says her mantra is "you should do what you love and the money will follow." |
Shahid Kapur's role as teacher in upcoming film Paathshaala is very different from Aamir Khan's in Taare Zameen Par, says choreographer-turned-producer Ahmed Khan. "There is no similarity between Shahid's role in the film and Aamir's character in Taare Zameen Par. In his film, Aamir was dealing with one child who was dyslexic, but Shahid deals with many kids and basically with the whole education system in Paathshaala," Khan said. Directed by Milind Ukey, is Khan's production debut and revolves around a group of troubled young students. And Shahid has not charged any fee. "Shahid and I are very good friends. We share a great rapport. When I told him about the film, he said he wanted to be a part of it even though the role wasn't long enough. He treats my wife like his sister; so as a goodwill gesture he decided not to charge any money for the role," Khan said. Along with Shahid, the film also stars Nana Patekar and Ayesha Takia in pivotal roles. Child actors Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Ali Haji and Balika Vadhu star Avika Gor are also part of the cast. Paathshaala is primarily a children's film, said Khan, adding that working with children was a great experience. "Shooting with these kids was not difficult at all since they are natural actors and thorough professionals. Shooting with them was a great experience as I never thought that children could be such serious actors," said Khan, who was in the capital for the Nickelodeon channel's Nick Toon Jockey Hunt. Khan, known for his choreography in films like Rangeela, Ghulam, Taal, Salaam Namaste and Jab We Met, has tried his hand at direction as well. He wielded the megaphone for Lakeer and Fool N Final, both the ventures bombed, but Khan is optimistic about this movie. |
Take ten
He might be a public figure, yet there are many things about Prince Charles that are still unknown. Now there is a list of 10 not very well known facts about the 60-year-old royal. 1. When he was born, the fountains in Trafalgar Square ran blue 'for a boy'. 2. It was the first royal birth since the 17th century that wasn't witnessed by a government minister. 3. Charles was christened using water from the River Jordan, a royal tradition thought to stretch back to the Crusades. 4. A video on YouTube claims to offer proof that Prince Charles is the Antichrist. 5. He is the only member of the royal family to have appeared nude in a magazine. Paris Match once printed a picture of him standing naked at the window of a French chateau. 6. He was voted one of the 11 best-dressed men in Europe - at the age of five 7. During a trip to Fiji as a young man, he was entertained by topless women who performed a fertility dance for him. 8. While he was studying at Cambridge, a detective was assigned to look after his laundry in case a student prankster was tempted to steal the royal underpants. 9. On a visit to Manchester in 1983, somebody threw a custard pie in the prince's face, having first asked permission. 10. He was caught drinking underage at 14 when he ordered a cherry brandy at the Crown hotel in Stornaway. He didn't realize a freelance reporter was in the same bar. —IANS, ANI |
Brush with fame
The desire to know what happens behind the scenes of tele life and a casual audition bagged Surilie Gautam, 17 year-old, class XII student a meaty role in Sony’s Meet Mila De Rabba. Having auditioned for the role this July, it’s just a few months and this city girl is breathing life to Geet, a vivacious and spirited character and the main lead of the serial Meet mila... “I have been incredibly lucky to get a chance to play the protagonist of the serial. And above all, working with established names like Raza Murad, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Kunika Lal and Asha Sharma is a dream come true,” gushes Surilie. Though the journey from Chandigarh to tinsel town was not an easy one she says, “I had to think long and hard before I took the final plunge. As when I got the offer, I was busy with studies and was looking forward to do law in PU. But then it’s not everyday that one gets an offer like this. My family showed faith in me and I went ahead with the offer.” With almost no experience in acting, was it intimidating facing the camera? “No, I am pretty comfortable with the camera. But then it takes a lot of effort to get into the skin of the character, to walk and talk like Geet.” This pretty girl who enjoys working is holding on to studies as well, “I always carry two books on my sets. And I am trying to be regular with studies for And who are her role models in the field? “Well, I am just following my sister’s footsteps. She did law and that’s what I planned to do. Now, I have followed Yamani (my sister) to Mumbai. She has been a support all through,” she says. And this Western Cine Employees strike? Is it demoralising that right in the beginning of a career, there comes a snag, “Not at all”, says the chirpy girl. “On the contrary it gives me much needed time to groom myself. Also, I get to spend time with my sister. Though we share an apartment, during shootings we hardly get to see each other,” says Surilie. Getting a little nostalgic she adds, “Mumbai is a great place to work but then life in Chandigarh is so much comfortable, you’ve got time for yourself, family and everything else which is missing there.” How about future projects? “Right now I am concentrating on Meet Mila De Rabba. And since I have chosen this field, I am here to stay,” Way to go girl…good luck. mona@tribunemail.com |
Song of success
Irony, reality or a whim, but there are umpteen examples to validate this. There is one singer waiting to be discovered by an MNC, a guru, or a television channel at just about every Sector in the city. So, when ‘Samsung BeaT270 Karaoke Contest came calling in the city on Monday, enabling wannabe singers a chance to participate in the music reality show Chak De on INX, they lined up everywhere — crowded market places, college campus, or lonely streets. They don’t mind as long as they just had a chance to sing. As many as 35 enthusiastic singers crooned away to glory to make it to the final rounds of the contest, which will be carried for a one month in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Surat, Kanpur, Jaipur, Nagpur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Indore, Pune, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar. Chips in Rashmi Bakshi from Sector-11, who is also preparing for civil services, “Despite the fact that television is flooded with musical reality shows, but when one such opportunity comes my way, that too in my own city, I wouldn’t miss it for anything. See, it is the simplest route to fame.” Having said this, Rashmi adds, “That is possible if you have talent, passion and dedication.” Sameer Aggarwal, who stopped his bike seeing a crowd of gathering around a mobile van. “I saw a girl singing and I just stopped to get more information on what was happening. A musical reality show, and I couldn’t resist.” Sameer has auditioned earlier for Indian Idol and Roadies. “Just about any reality show that has come to town,” Sameer fills up the gap. So, is the rage. Take it from Sunil Dutt, country head, Samsung Telecom Business. “This event is all about the search for a talented singer. Samsung BeaT270 Karaoke Contest will provide a platform for budding music talent.” The inter-city winner of the Samsung Beat 270 Karaoke Contest gets a wild card entry on the popular Chak De Show. “The BeaT270 is a treat for music lovers since the phone packs together karaoke content and world-class sound quality for users,” says Dutt. The winner of the contest in each city gets a Samsung BeaT270 mobile phone and other participants get exciting prizes. |
Transcending boundaries
As a writer, Jasvinder Sharma is already an established name in the Hindi literary circle. And the recent years have specially been good for his writing career; specially after his Main hi Makhan Khayo won the first prize from Haryana Sahitya Akademi in 2005 and subsequently another award, Sahara Katha, in 2006. Now, the author has turned to English to capture a wider segment of readership and his first offering is a short story collection called A River on Fire. The book that comes with a tag line — ‘Stories of pain, passion, trust and betrayal’ — has about 25 short stories, which are based on relationship, not those mushy-mushy love stories but relationships in the political and social context, to quote Jasvinder. The book is yet to be officially released, but the response he received from his publisher, has enthused Jasvinder to pen down more. And as the conversation progresses we find out that Jasvinder’s flexibility extends not just towards adopting a new medium of expression but the subject matter too. His new venture is based on the city youngster’s approach to marriages and it will not just tackle the topic arrange marriage versus love marriage but also living-in relationship and gay marriages. “Change is the sign of growth and one must grow with time. We cannot keep writing about the past but reflect things the way it is now,” says Jasvinder. And to capture the right essence of time, Jasvinder is learning a thing or two from his two sons, Abhishek and Abhinav. “Well, having written in Hindi all my life, my expressions in English come a little laboured. But, I am working hard on it,” says Jasvinder. Well, modesty and resolution — he sure has what it takes to be successful. parbina@tribunemail.com |
Launch pad Numero Uno, unveils its Autumn-Winter Collection 2008. From chic and trendy flat knit sweaters to funky stylised denims for both men and women, this season Numero Uno launches its eyewear collection in sassy and contemporary styles. Crafted from avant-garde materials in elegant and bold lines with sophisticated details, the eyewear collection is bound to rock this season. Numero Uno has extended its clothing line with a collection of cool and fashionable flat knit sweaters for both men and women. Perfect for the season, these sweaters are lightweight, soft and made in cotton. Flat knit sweaters for men are designed in polo, crew and v necks and are embellished with prints, badges, and appliqué techniques. The Numero Uno hunk can flaunt them in stripes and solid colours like rich red, black, charcoal, black coffee and mud olive. For woman— flat knit sweaters come in long slim silhouettes, with scoop neck, cowl neck, & v neck variations. Jazz up your wardrobe with these sweaters in basic solids to bright stripes in mind-blowing colours like plum, golden oil, royal lilac, rich red, coffee and black. In denims there are slim and straight fits, designed with drop waistbands, button fly, metal and leather trims there is contrast thick stitching with print & embroidery enhancements. Hitting the fashion charts, clean denims with dark trims & sharp contrast detailing alternated with sun faded, vintage denims with aggressive wash treatment and worn out trims make the Autumn-winter denim range a well balanced mix. So go ahead and make a bold, fashion statement with these freaky denims. Also on offer this season are heavy cargos, full sleeves tees and shirts, sweatshirts, lambs wool sweaters and denim and non-denim jackets, all of which are bound to hit the popularity charts this season. —TNS |
Geek Speak The new media carrier which might flood the tech market in the coming year is Blu-ray. It is an optical storage format which has been developed by Sony and Phillips to store data, high-definition audios and videos in large capacity. This new technology is called blue ray because of the use of blue laser, to be precise a violet-coloured laser which it uses to read and write data from and to the disc, instead of the red laser which is used by CDs and DVDs. Blu-Ray disc is of the same size as a normal CD, DVD but it is capable of storing a much larger amount of data in the same space. Blu-ray discs are currently capable of storing approximately 24 GB to 50 GB on a single disc. After the introduction of CDs and DVDs, Blu-ray might just be the new form of media for the years to come. The obvious benefit of Blu-Ray discs is that they are able to hold more data on one disc, therefore, allowing high-definition audio and video files to be stored with ease. You don’t have to worry about space any more. But that’s not all, its enhanced interactivity features are another step forward compared to the DVD, the new blu-ray players can have dynamically changing interactive menus that can be updated via an Internet connection built into the player. These updates can include extra subtitles, tracks and promotional features not available at the time of purchase. This could effectively eliminate the special editions studios tend to use as users could simply download all the extra features they wanted. The enhanced copy protection is one aspect you won’t notice as much but is very important. Blu-ray utilises a variety of copy protection methods such as Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Advanced Access Content System (AACS). The method used on Blu-ray discs will work in such a way that it will dynamically change keys to protect the discs. This means that if a key is cracked, only a select portion of the discs are compromised. The AACS can effectively disable players that are deemed ‘bad’ i.e. if copied discs are used frequently, the AACS can disable the player for the user and stop it working even if bought by someone else. The final copy protection which may affect you is the Mandatory Managed Copy System (MMCS) which limits users to a set number of copies of discs by making the user register the ‘right’ to copy the disc. Finally, the Blu-ray disc has been designed to be future proof. This means that by buying all the new equipment needed, you will not need an upgrade in the near future, say for about 5 yrs as these next-gen formats evolve. Some companies have even announced that they are working on a 200 GB to 500 GB blu-ray disc with 6 x 33 GB layers which will future-proof the format even more. A couple of years back, we used to discuss where to get the storage space for all the information we had. Now, we’ll have to think of where to get the information for storing.
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The Singh who drove the Ferrari
“Life is a box of chocolates.You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well, we all love this classic line from Forrest Gump and some even live by it. But what about those who are not fimiliar with the taste of chocolate? No, we are not talking about Martians here, but Harjinder Singh from the city, who got the biggest surprise of his life but did not have a clue about its significance. Champ chat
Michael Schumacher talked his way around a lap of twisty test track before jumping into a Ferrari F430 to show the winners exactly how records are made. And that’s what he said, “Driving a Ferrari is a dream and I am lucky to have lived that dream. It’s great to join winners here today and watch them enjoy as they get faster and faster with each lap. The F430 is a special car, very powerful.” Well, all that he loves! Let me clear the confusion. He was one of the 20 lucky winners of the Shell Helix competition from all over the world and got the chance to meet the zip-zap-zoom god Michael Schumacher and won a trip to Italy. For most of us meeting the seven-time Formula One world champ and king of the track is like a dream, but well, for Harjinder, he was just a name, that time. “I had no clue who Michael Schumacher was until I was told that he was some big hasti. And later, I felt glad that I was meeting somebody that popular,” says Harjinder. One among the four Indian winners, Harjinder had three days of unlimited fun and tried his hands at the Ferrari F430 with a test drive around the team’s private test track in Fiorano. “We were given training before going out on the track and Schumacher gave us tips and showed us how to drive the Ferrari,” he says. So, how was his experience with speed? “Out of the world. One could not make out if it was a car of a jet plane. The speed would cross the 300kmp mark in a minute,” he says spellbound. Two of the winners were also treated to some hot laps alongside the German champion, one from Russia and other an Indian, Drupad Mehta. Apart from the racing, there were other things to take up Harjinder’s time and attention. “It was my first trip abroad and it was amazing to meet people from different cultures,” he says. He was impressed by their punctuality and food. And what has he brought back? “A Formula One fan in myself. Now I make sure that I know all about the sport and keep a track of the latest happenings,” he says. |
Creditable work
Expectations were aplenty. The performance pressure was nerve wracking. Failure was simply out of question. Under such conditions, there has to be some source of inspiration to perform. So, what was theirs? “Our seniors have been winning this competition since the past three years, so bringing back the winning baton was all we wanted,” says Manish Kumar who led the team that shared the third position at the Business Development Competition - 08 organised at Oxford University, UK. One of the participating 33 teams, for this team from Punjab Engineering College, success certainly didn’t come easy. “It required six months of hard work. There were no holidays for us and other than course studies, life centered around this project,” he says. Titled the Internet Payment Gateway, the project was commended for its practical application. “We devised the system that would help people shop online even if they don’t own a debit or a credit card. They can make payments for the same at the nearest STD booth, which is so much convenient.” avers Manish. He feels that such a system would reduce the number of defaulters, as here the payment has to be made personally. “We kept a pragmatic approach while making this project which can be implemented within a budget of Rs 1.2 crore.” About their course of action. “We began working on it from January this year. Once our blueprint was approved for the competition in August, the Oxford delegated a mentor for us who guided us further on it.” And, what followed was hours of online chatting and designing with their guide. “That was the only way it was feasible. Our mentor, Anil Aggarwal, was in London and as we had different work timings, it took a lot of effort to streamline everything.” But then the applause they got compensated for all the hard work, “We were given a prize money of 250 pounds but the real reward for us is that now our project will be funded by industries,” says the aspiring engineer. Any advice? “The keenness to learn and experiment is the key,” he sums up. |
Star Signs It is difficult to get across Punjabi singer Amrinder Gill. People, who know him, say that he’s a shy boy and not much of a talker. Well, all the more reason why he needs to be featured in this column. As for those who speak less, generally rely on some secondary source to get themselves heard. This could be their personal blog, website or music album. And for Amrinder, who has gone in for a makeover for his album Dildaariyan has all the three. We take it from the top. My site, the best place in the world: “I am not shy, but yes a wee reserved. I take time to open up with people and share whatever is on my mind and heart. So, a personal website was the best thing that I could do for myself. amrindergill.co.uk is a small world for me, wherein I interact with people who live music and fans who have some suggestions to offer. And now blogging has become an addiction with me. I can miss calling my friends, but I cannot miss logging on to the site and religiously going through all the mails.” Tech send “A blog for me is a blessing in disguise. Infact, the best gift of technology. I see it as a forum wherein I can share my music with my fans, especially with those with whom personal contact is not possible. Yes, I do check other blogs as well. I quiet like Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgan’s blog. I feel every performer must have a blog as it allows them to remain in touch with their fans and critics, as well. And its through blogs that I come across fans who give valuable suggestions that are of great help in my career. Not only this, blogging helps me know what people want, and I can give them the music of their choice.” Orkut hurray! “I know about Orkut, but I never had the time to create my profile. Thanks to my fans who have created an Amrinder Gill fan club on Orkut. (Trying to sound modest) This is a must check out on Orkut. And to my surprise the club members know more about me than I do (Laughs). But for singers like us, this is an encouraging gesture. Not only this, people who know nothing about Punjabi music check out the site, and are interested to know about music. Isn’t that good.” The gadget collector “What else can a recluse be fond of,” smiles Amrinder. “More than a passion it is an addiction to collect gadgets. I think I spend the maximum on gadgets. I like to keep myself abreast with whatever new is happening in technology. A new Dell laptop, an Apple I-pod, a state of art Sony music system, which I keep elaborating with newer attachments, musical glasses to name a few are some gadgets that I am surrounded with all the time.” jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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