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Rise of the recessionistas
Managing the human resource is a tough task in times of job cuts and salary slashing. But women take on this challenge with aplomb. Says city-bred Seema Iyer, workforce planner at EDS HP, North and South America, "Women are more strategic than men. I've met homemakers whose husbands have lost their jobs, or are in danger of doing so. My advice to the women is: Start working now. This recession is not going away this year or even next year. Reducing expenses is, of course, something that we immediately turn to as well. “Professionally, my job includes planning about how many people to ‘let go’ from the company. I wish I could tell people that I ease fears among colleagues, but I am with the team that creates these fears (sigh!)." Oh dear, these cuts! "As a homemaker, I’m definitely cutting down on travel expenses, putting off changes to the home, etc. It may seem contra-intuitive but I'm paying extra into my home mortgage. My reasoning is that my money in the bank is at 1 per cent, which doesn't cover inflation or in the stock market incurring loses, while at the same time I am paying interest on my loans. So, I'm saving from everywhere and paying off my loans." GenNow to GenNext “The one thing we hope that the next Gen will learn from us women is the strive to perfection. We've had to work really hard to be perfect at home and at work. So, girls never get into that chalta hai attitude! What to imbibe from women of future? "The big change for me is how this next generation is willing to trust people over the Internet. However, we should also realise that this is a skill that is being created—seamless collaboration with people across the world."
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This is one techie who's taken the recession in a positive light. Says Anuja Lath of RedAlkemi, "Yes, there was a slackening of business, but then it made me take a hard look at things. It was a jolt for the good!" Advantage women "Women handle many situations through one-on-one communication rather than dashing off stiff, impersonal emails, like some males." "The slowdown did make us trim the flab, but wherever we had to let go of staff, I made sure the parting was not on a bad note.The meltdown had me at my innovative best. For clients who were unable to pay up on time owing to job or salary cuts, we devised 'payment milestones' spread over six months or a year." Return gift The one value that she'd like to pass on the new-age women? "Yes, the high sense of ethics and self-belief we've grown up with.” What to imbibe from the Gen Next? "Their sense of self-assurance. We didn't have even one-fourth of their self confidence." IT's testing time
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When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Says Anupama Arya, IT professional and co-founder of Mobera Systems, "The good part is that clients, colleagues and other business stakeholders are all aware of the enormous economic challenge that we are facing globally. It is not my issue versus your issue …instead it is a collective problem. "At my company, we have used technology to bring down the cost of communication and cut down on travel. We also started dialogue with our vendors to negotiate better prices. "Yes, women handle this challenge better. I believe that tough economic times bring out the best in women. They are skilled communicators and can carry open discussions with all stakeholders very well. Crash hai to cash (nahi) hai "As homemakers, we women help conserve cash…carefully consider expense on large ticket items. But the important thing is to not sacrifice long-term growth. Meaning if it is a large capital spending in travel, but it is for the purpose of education, then it needs to happen. Kal Aaj aur Kal "To be grateful for the opportunities that we have in front of us today but at the same time to anticipate the tough times and be graceful through them is what I'd like to pass on to the GenNext women. The return gift? "We run the risk of locking ourselves in old beliefs and not discovering our true talents because we are afraid to take risks. To not be afraid of risk but embrace it, this is something we can learn from the new-age girls."
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Human resources is certainly one citadel that women in India Inc have stormed and this HR professional is a visible validation of this reality. Roaming charges Says Manisha Chopra, HR head, Bharti Airtel, Mohali, “Keeping up morale of staff in these times of meltdown becomes the biggest challenge for HR teams. Though some of the fears were unfounded, it was important to keep the employees motivated. And women being good at soft skills, they can be more sensitive to staffers in these uncertain times. "On the domestic turf too, women have been cutting down on expenses. Thankfully, though we haven't been affected directly, I’ve trimmed down on frills, simply out of empathy for others around us who were impacted: No exotic vacations, no excessive eating out. " A general freeze on roaming! Give and take A legacy for the GenNext women? "They can learn from us the ability to put in hard physical labour both at work and home. Most girls today don't have to slog it out on the domestic front until much later in life, when they marry." What’s best to borrow? "Our generation needs to learn the tremendous risk-taking ability from younger girls."
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Nupur Singh, marketing and communications head, Airtel (Haryana, Punjab and HP), is a firm believer that tough times bring out women's resilience and tenacity. "In times like this meltdown, women are more alive to the situation. On the home turf too, they contribute by implementing subtle cuts without making the family feel the pinch." The one quality the GenNow women can pass on is endurance, she feels. "What we women can learn from the younger girls is a focused approach."
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Songs of spring
The annual spring festival is here again with all the rich colours of nature and culture. Rows and rows of vibrant blooms of marigolds, dahlias and roses and a huge entrance showered with yellow flowers greet the visitors, and add to it the loud thumping of dhols in the background. Amidst the patterns of flowerbeds were stalls, showcasing the best of natural and aesthetic senses. Adding cultural flavour to the entire affair were folk dance performances by school children. Dressed in their best traditional attire, the excitement of the young girls complemented the effervescence of the floral display. And so the crowd enjoyed the gidda, bhangra and Haryanvi folk performances despite of the soaring temperatures. The martial arts display or as we call it in layman’s language the gatka performance got the crowd to its lively best. The competition category included face paintings that saw faces turning into canvas, making art from waste, mehendi competition, solo and group dances. Twisting the cultural extravaganza into a laughter challenge, the fest has Hasya Kavi Sammelan and mono acting performances too. For your little one there are fun games, camel rides and the still very tempting candywala bhaiya. To whet your appetite there are golgappas and chaat and for the ones who ask for nothing more than a proper meal, here you have options galore. Wait, that’s not all day two will see more of activities as the festival welcomes summer with a thump. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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Music mantra
All musicians are same—Isn’t it? When the resume reads extremes and assortment of works as diverse as a band, films, documentaries and exhibition, the usual ‘genre question’ sounds awkward as does the staple ‘describe your music’. When a musician has been part of various bands, currently the HFT (Jazz Fusion) and Great Society (Blues Rock and Roll Reggae), run a studio in Delhi, been associated with award wining works, Khaamosh Paani, Shores of Silence, you let him do all the talking. Arjun Sen, in city for an interaction with Chitkara Institute students, speaks of music, music and well, music. Having had no formal education in the field (by his own admission!) and ‘still been a musician all my life’ and here to teach music? Irony personified. No? He says, “I can teach cooking, can’t help you become a good cook.” And adds, “Yes, somewhere it needs to be there, inherent too.” He’s sure good at one more M, that of metaphors! Which continue, “Everything you do is connective, the books you’ve read, the places you’ve seen. One needs to start filing the banks” Perhaps, teaching as an experience figure in the scheme of things. “Sometimes you are asked questions that you yourself hadn’t thought about. It’s like the table and chair, you know they existed but you need to learn what they are for, to read, to write.” Coming back to banks, he produces music for two music banks in Norway and Germany, that further lease out to clients. On a first visit to city, did he like the students? “They were fabulous,” his gradual hand movement gave a hint of sincerity. Meanwhile one of the questions from fellow journalist evokes, “I don’t keep a track of my work.” Refreshing change from who can’t stop bragging about their ‘tracks of work’. Future plans? “No plans. As long as people want my work, I’ll continue.” —TNS
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Tocommemorate the day we at Lifestyle get for you glimpses of Women’s Day celebration. Health first Ivy Hospital marked the day with a free three-day Cancer camp for women. Besides free consultation, various examinations like USG, mammography, PAP smear and stool occult blood tests are being conducted during the free cancer camp.
Game for more Vodafone Essar marked the day with special office décor and welcomed the women employees with a rose. More to the day they had a cake cutting ceremony that was followed by women cricket tournament. Home and more Maspar the Indian brand for home decor and lifestyle accessories has come up with a new range of product line for this special day. The range includes soft and cozy designer towels and is available in embroidery or prints.
Soak up the fun Making the day very special for all the women who visit Taj-17, they will be presenting a yellow rose stem to all the ladies visiting the hotel (1100 – 1500 hours and 1900 – 2300 hours). A specially prepared mocktail would be served as a welcome drink in the lobby for all the visiting ladies. Last, the very Famous Satin Evenings offers free drinks for all the ladies visiting Lava.
—TNS
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chowk Let me be a girl Sreedhara Bhasin Today is the International Women’s Day - a day to mark achievements of women around the globe. The theme of this year is “Unity in preventing violence against women and girls.” I have seen new notices sprouting up in some of the medical clinics and hospitals of our city. The notice declares that no sex determination tests are conducted in the facility and that it is an offence punishable by law. Curious as to why this sudden appearance of the circular, I went over to a receptionist at a desk in one of these clinics. I admit, my Hindi is far from superior, but what I asked was not unintelligible. He however, jumped up from his seat in total consternation and barked at me – “Aap kyoon janana chahte ho?” I still failed to understand his suspicion about my intention and repeated the question. I was spotted in no time by an eminent doctor who was entering the clinic and happened to know me. He managed to convince the receptionist that my curiosity was purely academic. I believe there are many such clinics in the city that will help you to kill a female offspring. I cannot even begin to explore the social ills that eat into the womb in this brief column, not would I dare to trivialise those. The reasons stem from an insidious nexus of social pressures, brutal expectations, fractured morality and many imperceptible complexities that have grown dense with practice. The end result is a horrifying phenomenon that has reduced all of us to reading notices that should not hang on any wall anywhere in the world. I find the Chandigarh girls to be a shining example of beauty and grace. They walk like supermodels on Madison Avenue and entice the world with their pearly smiles and luxurious hair. To think of a world without those doe-eyes is insane. Now that the shadow has lengthened, I find no meaning in celebrating a women’s day. Every day is a women’s day. It takes strength to be a homemaker, a mother, to face the balance sheet, to teach and grade miserable exams. A woman holds an ocean inside her – recycles the brackish water into sustenance, nurture, good food, purity and above all – love. This women’s day – let us pray that good will prevail over the misled, courage will prevail over giving in and equality will come from within without speeches and rallies. Elton John once sang a beautiful song, which goes like this - “Don’t let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free. But losing everything is like the sun going down on me.” Don’t let the Sun go down on our girls. matkachowk@gmail.com
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Women power
Come 8th March and, as if, the media goes into a Women’s International Day celebration frenzy. The occasion remained, but the gesture changed. This Saturday, British Library-9, was the venue for the Punjab and Chandigarh Chapter of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a not for profit organization’s latest initiative. WeConnect! — A TiE Women Entrepreneurs Special Interest Group. Post venue, occasion; the launch vehicle? Panel discussion. Messengers? Women entrepreneurs. So they were women and they were entrepreneurs and there was discussion. Anupama Arya, director, Moberra Systems; Anuja Gupta, COO, Red Alchemy; Chandandeep Kaur, managing director, Access Infotech Pvt Ltd; Poonam Batth from electronic media representing journalism had a lot in common despite the different chains and fields they handled. So while Chandandeep Kaur spoke of how she quit the job, joined a business and all this while managing six-month-old child, Anuja Gupta, recounted her experiences when she started really early in life with college to balance along with and not to forget the pleasure lying in the journey and the process. —TNS
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TIMEPASS The doors of memory opened for Punjabi singer Mika, and he enjoyed the little leisure drive through it on his Hummer. College days are fun. So, was it for Mika, who had his fill of geri sheri, and mauj masti. And then moved on to chase his dream- to sing. On Monday, sitting at Hotel Mountview, he is eager for yet another blast. For old times sake. Jhankaar, Panjab University college fest sees the singer re-live the dhol dhamaka moments. "I am performing at a youth festival for the first time," says Mika. "It is very important to connect with the youngsters. They have made my songs popular. And if they like it, so will their parents." So, you've done it. "Maalik di kirpa hai. People appreciated and accepted my work," tells Mika. “I was lucky that I could make a niche in Bollywood." One thing that many Punjabi singers haven't been able to achieve? "Probably, they haven't tried. I sing all songs with a different style, while retaining my own touch. Be it Singh is Kinng, Main Tali Ho Gayi or Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye," offers Mika. Those who couldn't make it have Punjabi cinema to fall back on. "Punjabi singers are moving towards acting," he smiles, as he gives away the news of him being a part of a Punjabi film. "It's called Mitti. There is another one, Loot with Govinda and Suneil Shetty," he adds. Mika romancing on screen. That definitely gives more grind to the rumour mill!! Laughs. "Who knows it better to deal with controversies! Punjabiyaa nu panga leyna vi aanda hai tey suljhaana vi. Popularity comes with a price. And I know how to handle it," tells Mika. jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Karmic Blues
At the outset, the concept looks cool. A bunch of friends huddled inside a room, play a popular party game to reveal their innermost secrets. A wonderful premise for an in-depth case study of humans and complicated relationships they are involved in. But sadly, Karma Aur Holi, fails to do justice to its overwhelming potential. Dev (Randeep Hooda) and Meera (Sushmita Sen) are an outwardly well-heeled NRI couple, whose relationship is losing steam. While Meera has quit her plum Wall Street job to be a yoga instructor, Dev is into publishing business. The duo throws a Holi bash for close pals and kin at their sprawling mansion in the New York suburbs. At the joy-filled evening, we see a clump of characters, including an overprotective mother (Rati Agnihotri), her troubled teenaged son, an aspiring filmmaker (Armin Amero) with his wannabe actress girlfriend (Naomi Campbell), a chauvinist doctor, his doormat wife (Suchitra Krishnamoorthy) and wild sister-in-law (Deepal Shaw). A tarot card reader (Drena Di Niro) and a ‘Vegas entertainer’ with two business associates complete the weirdo guests list. As the time passes by, the group starts getting involved in each other’s lives. One event leads to another and soon we have the entire cluster confessing their dirty secrets. As the skeletons start tumbling out of the closet, the seemingly innocent game threatens to go out of hand. There’s confusion, betrayal and shattered illusions as masks come off and characters reveal their true colours. There’s nothing much to rave about the flick, which is undone by jerky storytelling. Add to it, the stone-faced characters, which are perfect stereotypes. Barring Sush, the rest of the cast appears like a group of amateurs, who are equally unsure and unclear as the director, Manish Gupta. The score tries to lift up otherwise grim plot and is partially successful in it. mona@tribunemail.com
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TAROT TALK ARIES: The Knight of Wands reveals this is a week that would herald change and newness into your life. There would be an increase in love and affection and your energy levels will increase. You would be willing to take on new responsibilities and will give your best. Lucky colour: Purple. Tip of the week: Learn from past experience. TAURUS: The Chariot indicates that most of your money concerns would be resolved favourably. Focus on your career growth and don’t waste time in useless gossip. Investments would bring good returns. Lucky colour: Earthy brown. Tip: Get rid of negative feelings. GEMINI: This would be a good week to deal with both professional and personal goals says, the Moon card. Your good temperament will make you popular among friends and acquaintances. For those of you who are unattached this would be a good time to find someone special. Lucky colour: Brown. Tip: You need to act for yourself. CANCER: The Hermit card reveals business and professional affairs may take a backseat. Investments should be reviewed and some of you could consider investing in real estate. Wednesday would be beneficial for most of you. Lucky colour: Creamy white. Tip: Don’t let temporary setbacks affect you. LEO: The card Strength says most of you would have to depend on the decisions of other people. Work would be relatively routine, however finances would start to stabilise and you would probably, have to invest more aggressively. Lucky colour: Rainbow pastels. Tip: Overindulgence in food and alcohol may lead to health problems. VIRGO: The Prince of Cup says this week, your ability to articulate your needs, wants and wishes would be heightened and give you an extra edge. You can plan a holiday or try something adventurous. Lucky colour: White. Tip: Take things one at a time. LIBRA: You draw Seven of Swords this week, you may find that your income would fall short of the expenditure; however, you would be able to cope. Relationships will be warm and give you a sense of security. At work, office politics would have to be dealt with. Matters relating to law would be decided in your favour. Lucky colour: Bottle green. Tip: Avoid the criticising others. SCORPIO: The Hanged Man says this week your ptential will be determined by your ability to convince others. Most of you would be appreciated for what you have done so far and this would motivate you to do better. At home and at work, you would win admiration by providing what they need Lucky colour: Peacock green. Tip: Be patient . SAGITTARIUS: The Lovers inspire you with love and creativity. Professional problems and challenges may take up your time and energy this week. At home things would be peaceful. Money matters may create some tension, but they would be resolved soon, especially, if you start spending less. Lucky colour: Silver grey. Tip: Do a lot of charity. CAPRICORN: The Knight of Swords instigates you to be active and clever. The atmosphere at work would be pleasant and your peers would be co-operative. Students should work hard. Those of you looking for jobs would receive good offers while those in politics and sports would do very well. Singles may receive marriage proposals and married would spend time with family or travel Lucky colour: Red. Tip: Take care of health. AQUARIUS: Two of Pentacles says the highlight of the week would be business and chances to grow in the professional field. Some of you may have to stand up for your values and beliefs and defend them with strength and wisdom. Lucky colour: Ruby red. Tip: Avoid splurging and save money PISCES: The princes of Wands predicts there may be some changes at work and some of you may also, travel for work purpose. Businessmen should deal with labour issues with tact and wisdom while politicians may have to deal with vague feedback. In your personal life, some of you may feel inclined towards religion, spiritualism or philosophy. Lucky colour: Bottle green. Tip: Allow a sick situation blow over before you start a new project.
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