This could well be called the fashion week for the tricity. For, in a span of a few days, it had two big names from the fashion fraternity flying in.

Only, they were here not for the sake of couture but for their classmates.

If last week saw style guru J.J. Valaya coming for the OYA reunion, this week it was the turn of Rina Dhaka to arrive for the bash of Carmel Convent's 1983 batch.

And when a gang of girls gets together, giggles and gupshup are bound to run high.

Don't we all love comedies? Slapstick, mimicry, mimes, stand-up or for that matter even the silly home videos that come every night at 11. Our daily dose of easing out the job, home, parental, spouse and even studies pressure; comedy is sure a great way to live life the king's way. And in times of global terror and recession what better than a good hearty laugh.

With an impressive list of stand-up acts to his credit, Monday saw Vir Saran Das at St Johns High School-26.

The man behind comedy shows like Son of Switch, VIRagra, Who let the Das out, Is Route Ki Sabhin Linein Masst Hain, Ek Rahin Vir, Lo Kal Lo Baat, News on the Loose etc etc, Vir deems the city to be his good luck charm. "My first ever paid show was in Chandigarh, and the city is definitely blessed to me."

Having started his career in April 2003, the man since then has performed over hundred shows in various cities. Talking latest he says, "It was just 20 days back that I wrapped my latest comedy show, Walking on broken Das. In this show I have a spiritual character, named Ravi Darshan-who gives you all the gyan, a British lord-Nasa David who's USP is drinking and a rock band named Alien Chutney. All in all it is an act that would see humour in varied shades." Multi-talented, Vir is the lead vocalist of the band.

Ask him about the brigade of comedians and a swarm of comedy shows, "I don't relate to them, unless it's my television show. Other than that I am 16 hours on the film sets, so have no time to watch television."

And what according to him is stand-up comedy? ''It is about saying what people think and will never admit to in the open. You don't need to be exceptionally funny to be a stand-up comedian, but yes, you have to be exceptionally observant of things around especially of human behaviour. You have to have a demented state of mind. It is like being the only one in a room who saw the ghost. And then give it a twist. You have to win the audience in first five minutes if you have done it, you have won the battle otherwise lost it all-in-all."

What difference does he find in performing then and now, " First 30 seconds have become easier for me as people recognise me now. Rest, I still feel the same." Is there any connection between Theatre and comedy, "There's none. One need not be an actor to be a stand-up comedian. It's all in the mind. To be a comedian all one needs is to look around and speak the truth, but in a humourous way." Vir also nurtures Bollywood dreams. Having debuted with Mumbai Salsa, he is all for running around trees and singing songs. ''I haven't set any high ideals for myself, but to be a part of the bandwagon you have to be open."

On his latest projects he says, "I am doing a movie with Imtiaz Ali. In this movie I play a funny guy along with Saif, Deepika and Rishi Kapoor. Other than this I am doing Delhi Belly for Aamir Khan productions."

Last what is he feeding the audience tonight, "Right from first kiss to first crush, writing love letters to talking about old people-90 plus, I would speak at length about drinking (USP of Punjab) and every day life incidences."

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

If 2008, by any account, can be termed as progressive then it has to be in the virtual world. Well, literally, this year if one thing that we all were busy doing religiously was blogging, blogging and blogging. From anything to everything, the whining neighbour, the sexy colleague, India's economic future, Deepika Padukone and her love triangles or squares, kids dying from hunger in Orissa…boy we had so much to comment about. And blogs made our lives easier by turning into our thought bearers.

Now, we had quite a lot happening this year that made it to the news and then views section of blogsphere. These creative outlets of socialising improvised into effective discussion forums and social activism. They started a wave of citizen participation in everything that triggered our thoughts. And guess who joined in…Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and who's who of tinsel town.

And so we shared an opinion on almost every possible happening this year. Like what? Lets start with the most recent and offending terror attack on Mumbai. It was one event that had people blogging live 24/7, while some were glued to their TV sets and newspapers for info, the others were glued to their laptops, updating their blogs with news faster than any news channel. It was a tool to show our solidarity towards one cause.

Taking things on a little lighter side, another issue that created ripples in the blog world was Kareena' s size zero. Now, she must have had a tough time zeroing on it but it opened floodgates for discussions on anorexia, bikinis and well, beau Saif Ali Khan. Then came Fashion and the big bad world of glamour was taken to the surgical table and cut open.

Everybody, in their blogs, was talking about how hot Piggy Chops looked or whether Kangana reminded them of Geetanjali Nagpal or the wardrobe malfunctions being a strategic part of fashion shows.

But like always, the talk of the B-town blogging circle was none other than the bigger than anything Big B. His active blogging was enough an endorsement for all the other bloggers of the world.

The drama was here as well, with SRK quickly catching up with his senior competitor. As interesting as any 'catfight', the blog world saw a dogfight of sorts when Aamir Khan wrote on his blog that he has named his dog, Shahrukh. Pure bollywood masala online!

We also saw some sporting drama as well. The mega show of Indian cricket, IPL, generated some serious blogging. Some were awestruck by the maha moolahs and some hailed the supremacy of Indian cricket. But then came the scandal, the Slapgate, Harbhajan's stinging slap across Sreesanth's face became the hot topic of dialogue on blogs. Another thing that was as big a topic of discussion was the Cheerleaders' skirts.

Even in politics, we had a major issue to settle online. Rahul Gandhi as our next PM? And the opinions had quite a mix of everything like calling him a misfit, his Gandhi name being the sufficient qualification for a PM, and even calling this statement the biggest joke of this year. And as if sticking to our own country wasn't enough, we almost went crazy for Barack Obama and Sarah Palin, for obvious reasons of course.

Social activism through blogs went a step ahead with global warming and homosexuality issues being the most actively discussed.

Phew…so this year we were almost drained out of things to discuss on our blogs. But then on a second thought, it also gave a common platform to the common man.

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

This is a problem faced by all music lovers. To select the speakers that will do justice to the room you are going to place them into. At present, there are all types of speakers available to choose from. There are floor speakers, tower speakers, surround speakers, in-ceiling speakers, bookshelf speakers and outdoor speakers etc to choose from while deciding on the right pair. However, which is the correct speaker for your room would largely depend on the size and placement of other objects in your room.

To a beginner, the general idea would be, the larger the room, the larger should be the speakers. However, with the advancement in technology, more and more is being offered in small packages. Therefore, it's not true that if you have a large room, you would also need to buy a larger pair of speakers.

However, there are a certain points that will help if considered while choosing speakers that are ideal for your room. The sense of hearing of your room plays a very important role in the performance of the speakers. If you have room with upholstered furnishings and heavy drapes then it will be more sound absorbent. You would need speakers with higher amplifiers. However, if your room is with hard finishes like metal, brick or glass etc then it reflects sound very well. You can look for speakers with other music qualities like a good treble and bass for such rooms.

Other than that, the type and design of the speakers also matters while selecting the right enhancement for your music system. Other than that there are different types of speakers that are available in the market.

Floor Speakers: These are designed to stand on the floor and ideally need quite a bit of clearance space for good reflection of music. These should be placed at least 6 to 15 ft apart and they should be at least 10 inches away from the walls. The rear of these speakers should not be blocked. This means they are suitable for a medium to large size room. Also, they are a very good design component and can add to the décor of your room. They should thus be placed in a less cluttered, open space.

Direct/Reflecting speakers: These speakers need to be placed around 4 to 12 ft apart and 1 ½ - 4 ft away from the side walls. They should also be placed approximately 2 ft away from any sound absorbent material. They can be ideal for an average sized room.

Bookshelf Speakers: These can be ideal for a small room as they are specifically designed for mounting on bookshelves, brackets and foot stands. They consume less of floor space and can be placed on existing furniture. The clearance spaces needed by them are also less than other speaker types.

Selecting the right kind of speakers that enhance your music system can be a boring job. Especially if you are looking for a pair that gives a good sound quality according to your room it can get very difficult. However, keeping the above things in mind, you can get just the right pair for your room.

amitpalsinghgrewal@gmail.com

It is Christmas spirit everywhere. The most important feature however remains the Christmas tree and its decoration. Not many people know that there are a few plants that are exclusively associated with the Christ and Christianity.

In this region normally the tree used for Christmas decoration is Araucaria Cooki also called the Christmas tree. The beauty of the tree lies in its vertical growth and horizontal braches growing at right angle from the main axis. The top terminates into a 'cross'. The glossy green needle like leaves are soft in nature and hold the decoration material in place. The tree can easily be grown in pots for many years where it becomes pot bound. It makes an excellent indoor plant too. However, its pot needs to be rolled or else the plant bends on one side to take the maximum benefit from the light source.

The plant commands excellent price in the market and those engaged in this business know when to do it. It is because of the fact that demand exceeds supply due to limited stock with the nurseries. This plant is not multiplied in this region and every piece of it comes from Banglore where it is propagated from seed. Taller the tree, costlier it is. Most of the time when the plant overgrows, it is planted out in the garden. The tree is bound to bend on one side as is its nature. It should therefore not be planted anywhere near the gate etceteras. In the later life, the plant bends dangerously to break any time posing danger to both life and property.

Passion flower vine is the other plant that is revered by Christians. The plant is also called 'Ghari plant' or 'Rakhi Plant' due to the shape of its bloom that is round. It is very attractive and immensely beautiful. There are five protrudences in the flower, the 'five angels' and at the base of the flower you will find a pink spot, the 'Jesus's blood', giving the plant its name, the passionflower.

Poinsettia is true Christmas plant as it puts forth deep red brackets exactly during the Christmas season. More the plant is exposed to sun better is the pigment development. Euphorbia, a trailing succulent is another plant that is revered by Christians as it is supposed to be the 'Crown of Thorns'. The terminal bears deep red flowers, the blood drops of Jesus Christ.

There is another cactus type, the zygocactus also called the Star of Bethlehem that is a much sought after plant by Christians. It bears very bold white, red or different hues of red or pink fragrant flowers from the dead of the night to breaking of the dawn. The detail of the flower shows the features like the 'manger', the 'angels' and the 'Bed of Christ'. To see this plant bloom at midnight is divine.

satishnarula@yahoo.co.in

This is the time of the year when you feel like painting the town red and the hallelujah spirit is at its peak. And guess who's the busiest person around. Our very own cute, potbellied, chubby man with a sparkling white beard and a bagful of goodies. And don't we all just love Santa Claus, well, for obvious reasons. For he is the one person that we trust blindly with our wishlist and like every year he too is ready with his red-nosed reindeer to do the annual delivery job.

Now, we know that there is no age factor where wishes are concerned but then Christmas is the time when kids take control. Running high on wishing spree, if you thought that they still wish for toys trains, chocolates, pets, books, Barbies and fancy clothes (even this makes for a long list), then that was some other century ago. With the time, their appetite and greed for a Christmas delight has grown by leaps and bounds. And their riches include latest gizmos and gadgets, the flashiest of cars and well, designer accessories, may be a foreign holiday. Anything but a modest offering, finds place in their list.

Ask Amogh Sharma, a class VII student from St. John's-26 and he might give Santa Claus some sleepless nights with his demands. "I wish for an Apple I-pod and Apple notebook. I think that's all for this year," says this self-confessed gizmo freak. And he follows this holiday tradition of Christmas gifts very seriously every year. "I prepare my wishlist every year and last year I got a digicam. I don't mind if it's small or big, but there should be a gift," he says casually. Not too casual for the parents, we say.

And if its not I-pods or laptops, then he has some other bargains to settle for with Mr. Claus. "Since I am crazy for cars, the perfect gift would be a Porshe or may be a Rolls Royce," says he, oh-very-modestly. Hmm…we hope Santa's listening.

One among the lot of the multimillion-dollar wish kids is Diwakar Kapil. While everybody is busy demanding something or the other, this 13-year-old says he is a content man or…a content kid. "There is nothing exactly I would like to wish for this year and so I'll let it pass this time," he says. Surprised? No, as he already has his kitty full of Nintendos and I-pods. But then who minds a gift or two? "Though I don't wish for anything but then one always looks forward for some surprises.

Something unexpected is always welcomed," he clears. He recalls how last year he got this awesome pair of football studs just before his football match as a Christmas gift. His younger sister, Neha, 10, though is quite traditional when it comes to wishing for a gift. "I wish for many chocolates, ten to be exact, and a pair of badminton racquets," she says. Now that's a relief for Santa.

While boys have taken the geeky track, girls still stick to their glam show, though more expensive now. Esha Bagga, 12, wants Santa to turn her into a diva. And how? "I want those stylish high heels that models wear. I want a pair in red," she says. And she wants to wear them with a long, pretty gown, which of course, will be Santa's headache too. Cinderella dreams for gift sure sounds good to us too.

Whether it's Santa or the unsung effort of the parents that brings these kids their Christmas joy, but one thing remains, no recession respite for Santa Claus this year.

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

While many in Bollywood feel New Year celebrations should be scaled down in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai, a number of actors are readying to perform at bashes in other cities.

Sophie Chowdhary: I hope to perform in Delhi this New Year's eve. Although the general mood is gloomy I truly feel that we should not allow fear to overpower us. Recession and then 26/11...we need to regain our strength and power. Of course, we must not forget the lessons of 26/11. At the same time we mustn't be afraid to live our normal lives. We need to begin 2009 on a happy and positive note.

Malaika Arora: I'll be performing for New Year's eve in Singapore. Performing at a tacky event is a definite no-no. If I'm uncomfortable with the milieu, then the answer is no.

Celina Jaitley: Yes. I'll go on stage on New Year's eve in London at the City Pavilion. People ask if it's proper to head to London for New Year's eve revelry when Mumbai is mourning and most actors have cancelled their gigs. (Actually) It's not the actors who have cancelled their performances but the luxury hotels in Mumbai that have done away with their New Year's eve shows. In London, I'll just be making an appearance.

Priyanka Chopra: It's a matter of personal choice. I'm not comfortable dancing at a New Year's event. But then I don't want to be judgemental about those who do. This year I've said no. But if some other year I'm presented with an interesting option and a concept, then why not? I did perform at the Nelly Furtado New Year's eve concert two years ago.

Shilpa Shetty: I'm not against dancing in a hotel for New Year's. After all, what's the difference between dancing at an awards nite or at a New Year's eve event? I've danced on December 31 in the past, but this time ... no thank you.I've got five offers to dance this New Year's ... and at unheard-of prices. The fee was tempting, but this year I'm going on a family holiday to Spain. I'd any day sacrifice any kind of money for the family. Today, being in a serious relationship and contemplating marriage, I'm in a different mindspace.

Dia Mirza: I've been getting offers to perform on New Year's eve for years. But I've never been tempted. Honestly the remuneration offered for such performances can weaken your resolve. But I've stuck to my ground. So the answer to the offer of dancing at these year-end affairs remains a firm no. I'd prefer to ring in the new year with family and friends.

Kareena Kapoor is on a high. She is getting one film offer every day and receives more than 300 SMSes daily. The actor says her career has started looking up ever since Saif Ali Khan entered her life.

"Saif is extremely loving and supportive. In fact, the best phase of my career started when Saif came into my life. Now he's enjoying this phase in my life along with me. That makes this phase even more special," Kareena said.

Many people gave her relationship with Saif no more than six months.

Reacting to that, Kareena said: "There's absolutely no room for such negativity in my life. I only have place for people who are positive and who make me happy by sharing in my happiness. This is the best phase in my life. And I feel I'm in a place where I've never been before." Commenting upon her career, she said: "I'm a lucky girl. I'm being offered one film every day. Normally a Bollywood actor does about 40 days' work. My directors are taking about 100 days with me. I've already given Karan (Johar) 100 days for his film directed by Rensil D'Silva."

On what she is doing in guy-oriented cast of Rajkumar Hirani's Three Idiots she says, "I've an effective role. And no power on this earth would've made me miss the chance of working with Hirani."

Looking back, has it been a turbulent year for you, "I wouldn't call it turbulent. It was an exciting phase in my life when so many things rushed down on me at the same time. The last year was a turning-point in my life. But the end result is happy. Both, professionally and emotionally, I think I've come out a winner. I've tried to be as dignified about my personal life as possible. As for my work, God has been kind."

Do you think you're lucky, "It's not just luck. I've worked really hard to get here. It's my perseverance that has got me where I am. And I owe my success to no one else but myself." Perseverance? You've begun to sound like Saif. "Yes, my vocabulary has increased. He makes me memorise some pages of the Oxford dictionary every day, ha ha. That's a joke. But seriously, he does speak very well. So I'm trying to catch up."

Who's your favourite Khan, "Ah-ha. Do I have to spell it out."

Is there anything you want, "I have it all. For me, the journey as an actor has just begun. And I'm not going to shift focus from it for four-five years." No marriage for four-five years, "I know, I definitely want to. But not at least for three years. The work I'm doing is giving me so much satisfaction. No 28-year-old can ask for more.

Are you and Saif doing a lot of endorsements together, "We're offered a lot of endorsements. But we are not doing any except a shampoo brand (Head & Shoulders). But we'll soon be signing on for endorsements. And we're doing another film for Asthvinayak. That starts in April 2009. We want it to be a fast and furious action film. Something larger-than-life. Saif is working very closely with the producers. He's trying to lock in on the script and director.

Popular south Indian actor Asin, who starred in 17 films before making her debut in Hindi films with Ghajini, says that it has been a smooth transition for her in Bollywood.

"I have been warmly welcomed in Mumbai and it has been a smooth transition for me from South Indian films to Hindi, the actor said.

The Cochin born actor says she is amused when she is referred to as a debutante in the film. "The Hindi Ghajini is my 18th film. I have already acted in 17 films in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages," she says. "Compared to my contemporaries, I have been selective and even took a break some years ago to appear for my HSC examinations." Asin, who is paired opposite actor-producer Aamir Khan in the film, which will release later this week, is eagerly awaiting the audience's verdict.

The Tamil version of Ghajini, on which the film is based, released on October 2005 and people down South are waiting for the Hindi film with tremendous excitement and anticipation, she says.

On her character in the film, Asin, says Kalpana is a simple, ordinary girl from a lower middle class family struggling to make it big in the advertising world. "If the makers of the film worked hard on the look of Aamir's character Sanjay Singhania, there was equal effort to keep my look very ordinary and simple, she adds.

In the Hindi version, except director A R Murugadoss and myself, the rest of the team is new. There have been changes in the action sequences as well as the climax. However, my character has been left untouched, she says. "I feel blessed to performed the same character twice," Asin adds.

Aamir was the highlight of the film, she said.

"I was not a ramp or fashion model but worked in television commercials and print ads. I debuted in Malyalam movies at the age of 16," says Asin, who began her career in the glamour world as a model at the age of 14.

The actor, who moved to Mumbai a year ago, says that she was offered London Dreams while shooting for Ghajini.

The diva will continue to do films in South despite her entry in Bollywood. "I have not bid adieu to southern movies and will definitely take them up if good offers come my way," Asin says adding "But right now, I am busy promoting Ghajini and with my second Hindi film London Dreams."

Her father a former world no. 1 in badminton, sister a Bollywood heartthrob, but 17-year-old Anisha Padukone does not have any inclination to take up the shuttle cork or dance around trees typical of a sequence in a Hindi film.

Inspired by the Tiger Woods phenomenon, the youngest Padukone however aspires to be the world's numero uno ladies golfer and wants her family to be recognised through her as Anisha's family not Deepika or Prakash Padukone's.

"I want to reach a place where people would know me as my name. But not as Prakash Padukone's daughter or Deepika Padukone's sister. Obviously, it will be nice if they are known as from Anisha Padukone's family. Besides, it's an advantage to have both of them in the family. It makes me work even more harder with more passion," Anisha said in an interview.

"Everyone's idol is Tiger Woods. Woods is a lot like (Roger) Federer at the top of his game. There definitely can only be one Tiger Woods. People may get close to it but I don't think anybody can match up to him. In ladies golf, Annika Sorenstam is one of the best the circuit has ever seen. She dominated over 10 years. It's easy to win but to be consistent and keep winning is really tough and she has done that." She is also a big fan of ‘captain cool’Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "I like his calm temperament a lot. He is my favourite cricketer at the moment." PTI, IANS

Frustration with hi-tech gifts peaks at 11.48am on Christmas Day, according to a study. The precise moment when people's frustration with high-tech gifts peaks is 11.48am on Christmas Day, says a new UK research. The study, which identified the exact time that consumers go into gadget meltdown, analysed the calls it received last Christmas to see when consumer frustration reached the highest levels.

Conducted by TechGuys, one of the largest technical support providers in the UK, the study found that its helplines were busiest between 11.40am and 11.56am on Christmas morning, with the most calls logged at around 11.48am.

The majority of customers were calling about problems with setting up new computers and laptops and connecting to wireless networks, said the company.

"Once the excitement of opening presents is over, and everyone is waiting for the turkey to crisp up, they turn their attention to trying to get their new gadgets to work," said Tim Fairs, head of marketing for TechGuys.

"On Christmas Day, more than any other time of the year, people are incredibly impatient when it comes to their new gizmos," Tim added.

The TechGuys survey has revealed that fifteen per cent of people who have received a gadget as a Christmas gift have been so frustrated by the process of getting it to work that they have either thrown the device away, sold it, or passed it on to a friend.

The language used by major technology companies can be completely baffling even for the most technically gifted of us," said linguistics expert David Crystal, author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. — ANI

Santa has arrived, bringing cheer and joy with him! This Christmas season think beyond the ordinary, Maspar a contemporary home furnishing and lifestyle Indian brand also known as designs for living ushers in happy tidings with several unique gifting options for Christmas and New Year. Maspar offers various gifting options that will save your time and effort of looking for customized gifts for your loved ones. The options encompass an array of items starting from bottle collars, cushion covers, tea cozys, napkins, wine bags, treat bags, throws, placemat, runner, table cover, stocking and tree skirt. For those who choose to make their own gifting decision, Maspar also allows you to mix-and-match gifts across categories for the desired home segments. — TNS

This digital watch comes with the wireless Bluetooth technology and a cell phone with GSM 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz tri-band functionality.

They've also managed to squeeze in a 1.3 megapixel camera, support for MP3 and MP4 files and a place for a microSD card up to 2GB in size.

Specifications:

• Screen: 1.3 inch, 128 x 160 pixels, 262K color TFT LCD
• Network: GSM 900/1800/1900MHz Tri-band
• Interface language: English, Chinese
• SIM card: Unlocked
• Touch screen with handwriting
• Camera: 1.3MP
• Audio format support: MP3
• Video format support: MP4
• Memory extension: microSD card up to 2GB
• Data transfer: GPRS, Bluetooth A2DP (headset included)
• Color: black
• Dimensions: 64 x 45 x 18mm

Package Includes:

• Cell phone watch x 1
• Touch pen x 1
• Battery x 2 (700mAh Lithium)
• microSD card x 1
• Earbuds x 1
• USB connector cable x 1
• Bluetooth headset x 1
• Bluetooth charger cable x 1
• Charger x 1

This Cell Phone watch is available for Global sale on the net for about Rs 8000 to 9000.