A revolutionary soul, who has come to this world to spread the joy of music — this is Kailash Kher for you

Call him a popular Sufi singer, and he flashes his trademark dimpled smile. Call him an entertainer, and he might just hum few lines from his private album. Call him someone who is now an international figure, and he is likely to shrug it off by calling it a commercial requirement. Call him a wandering soul who has found solace in music, and see the intensity in his eyes going a shade deeper. The face change contours, and hear the ruffling in his soul— ‘That’s what I am. I am a revolutionary soul, who has come to this world to spread the message of music. This is the mission of my life. And I am nothing without it,” words cascade from the deepest layers of Kailash Kher’s heart.

The bandit guy who bagged the Best Actress award will not settle for bread-omlette kind of roles

Want to see the world? Take a journey through the pages of travelogues and please your wanderer soul

Now, traveling doesn't just mean fine looking London on the River Thames or New York's Hudson Bay. How many cities are there in the world? Don't bother finding out. How many can you see, visit, keep pace or catch up with? Given up? Travelogues will come to the rescue, take you places, transport you back at the snap of a finger, flip of a page. First person account of 'city-ites' seems to go 'something like this'.

"Honestly I don't read much, I'm preparing for my management entrances so don't even have the time to go beyond headlines in newspapers," continues Robin Arora, pass out from APJ Jallandhar, "But yeah, I do like to turn the pages of Travel magazines, and especially when there's more to see and less to read." He adds, "It instantly transports you to some unknown shore." Public lovers of The Secret Island will connect. You know what we mean.

"We have a lot of British Tourist Authority pamphlets, which are a hit irrespective of whether people wish to travel or not," says Christina Singh, deputy manager, city-based library. She adds, "Our London planners will vanish soon and so will the book on accommodation in UK and Insight guides." A huge stack lying around, of travel glossies would testify and long issue stamps at Conde Nast Traveller would exemplify.

"Escapism is their biggest plus and that in itself is a bonus," shares Robin. "That's true, a lot of them grab attention and eye balls because of the escapism factor," affirms Christina. "I recently read Cuckoo Singh's book on Leh-Ladakh," says Navneet Takhar, homemaker. Leh-Ladakh; how was it? She says, "It was really beautiful. Before this, I used to think, Lonely Planet is the ultimate guide for a wander's soul. But this has the listings on eateries, monasteries and so many other places which one wouldn't even find on a regular map."

She's yet to visit. "I'll be going there soon, I had already planned my trip before picking up the book."

All this while, Tanya Mander, lecturer, revisited Delhi for the first time! Via words of course. "I finished reading The City Of Djinns by William Dalrymple. It's not a typical travelogue, it's not even about Delhi, at least not the Red Fort kinda Delhi. It's the place and history and perspective through the eyes of a foreigner." While she swears by the book, you go take a look around of may be, East Timor? See what's happening. There's a nomad in each one of us and who hasn't been jealous of gypsies?

manpriya@tribunemail.com

The heavy rush in city libraries prove that reading is not a dying art, yet

Everything's welcome. You don't have to make choices when you have almost two months of summer vacations, ample free time and no botherations except for a little holiday homework, if at all it is. So, pick as you wish, chiclit, popcorn, romantic, mystery, history, poetry, adventure, literature, autobiographies…you have time. Spend time in libraries, update yourself, read and relax …you have time. Need more inspiration? Visit libraries, see people glued to books, reading one after another and take a look at the data, which shows libraries have witnessed a double-fold increase in the past two months. This would suffice. Seems everyone's visiting libraries and reading.

Pankaj P. Singh, owner of The Browser-8, confirms the trend, "The membership number has increased by almost 400 and the total footfall by over two and a half times in these two months."

Citing the reason for the present trend, he says, "Very few people prefer to travel in scorching summers. Also, there's lot of free time and reading has always been one the best time pass." The average daily footfall here is now 200, which earlier used to be around 90. "The massive turnout has made us keep the library open even on Sunday evenings. Reading in libraries is a hit among people who prefer indoor recreations. We have to gear ourselves up to service daily transactions."

For regular library visitors, the place is the perfect den to recuperate from the exams stress. Nitish Sharma, a second year engineering student, has already read more than 15 books in the past few weeks, "I preferred to read the light stuff like Agatha Chirstie, Erich Segal and Sidney Sheldon to get over with the exams hangover."

Prabhjot Kaur utilises her time in the best possible way by spending hours at The British library, "The ambience helps you read faster and you have plenty to choose from here."

And giving good company to Gen Y is Gen X. Not just students, grown ups are also contributing to the trend. Christina Singh, deputy manager, The British Library, says, "A lot of families are coming in together to read. Because kids are having vacations, parents too are getting enough time to spend quality time in the library."

The figures in the months of May and June suggest a huge footfall. Informs Christina "The books issued in these two months this year are 22,087 as against the average figure of any two months of this year, 12,000." Read on!

Chris Dittmann, a young German adventurer, is on a biking escapade to the Himalayas

For me this is life!", said Chris Dittmann, a young German adventurer on holiday in India. " Cycling on the long winding roads in the Himalaya I get to see the beautiful country and I get to meet the simple village people. For me it's the only way to see the country. And I love the mountains".

Chris was on the long and winding road from Dehra Dun to Shimla and on to Manali. "By the time I get to Manali, the high passes should be open and I will go Leh". That would be a demanding ride for it means crossing passes 16,000 and 17,000 feet above sea level. The days can be warm but night temperatures can be well below zero. The lack of oxygen is ever present and cycling would be a demanding exercise. I told this to Chris.

"I am in very good physical shape and my cycle is the best. I have clothes for extreme cold" said Chris. He has a German made Fahrrad bicycle with 27 gears and fat knobby tyres to deal with gravel and broken roads. The cycle has hydraulic brakes to control the bike on steep down hills. The cycle weighs a mere 15 kilo gram unloaded and with his tent and personal clothes, food and other life support material the weight goes up to 50 kilo gram.

In the plains he covers about 150 km a day and in the hills it is down to about 50 km a day depending upon the gradients. At night he finds a comfortable and safe place and pitches his tent. "But every 3-4 days I look for a small inexpensive hotel. A hot bath and bed is not a luxury, it is a necessity!"

Chris has a budget of Euro 200 per month. I could not live on that in Germany. Here I live well, eat well, travel in the mountains that I have come to love and I am having a wonderful time".

After Ladakh, Chris will head for Dharamsala by end July and it will be his last port of call. Dharamsala to Delhi and on a flight to Germany. Back to the grind of working and studying.

Angad on his fitness regime, how John Abraham redefined the word ‘fit’ for the industry, why everyone can’t be size zero and more...

Half a dozen Punjabi video albums, a couple of ramp shows and a hit TV soap, Bidaai, Angad Hasija who plays Alekh’s character in it, believes in the gradual progress of career. Yet for that, the city lad feels a fit body and a sound mind is a must. He shares with us his fitness routine and what keeps him going on the sets.

My fitness mantra: I try to strike the right balance between my diet and work out sessions. I generally don’t indulge in overeating but the day I do, I make sure to hit the gym for more hours. Also as the job of a TV actor is so very hectic, it is important to take all the necessary measures to stay fit.

Fitness regime: I am a fitness freak. No matter what, I hit the gym five times a week. Even when I am extremely busy with shoots, I make sure to gym for at least one hour and never skip the sessions. Beginning with a warm up session on treadmill, I go on to do strenuous cardio exercises. Two days a week are reserved for abs.

Diet: I take a very wholesome, nutritious diet. The breakfast comprises fruits, salads, sprouted grains and a glass of milk. Lunch and dinner is the usual Punjabi healthy cuisine- dal, roti and curd. I take a high protein diet by taking a lot of milk products and eggs. Quality protein supplements help me maintain a toned body. It is generally on weekends I indulge myself in all the delicacies but then balance it out with a few extra hours in the gym.

Fantasy food: Given the assurance that I wouldn’t gain weight, I would binge on gulab jamun, brownies and chocolates all three meals a day.

Sleeping hours: A 14 to 16 hour shooting schedule hardly leaves me with any sleeping time. All I get is just a four to five hour sleep. Since I know how important is rest for the body, I take a nap in-between even if I get half an hour break. It is only on a weekend that I get an eight-hour sleep.

Best body celeb: John Abraham changed the definition of a fit body in the industry. He is an inspiration to many. He undoubtedly has the best body among males and among females; Shilpa Shetty has the fittest body.

Weight watch: In Bollywood and television, almost everyone has a fit body. Also every actor can’t be slim or have a size zero, since they have to play characters of a certain age.

This summer, skin expert Dr Daljeet Kaur, consultant dermatologist at Fortis Hospital, Mohali reveals simple tricks to help keep your skin looking healthy and glowing!

Weight loss is so much easier for men than for women. Some women-unfriendly weight-loss factors make it much tougher for women to lose weight. And knowing that it’s not just you or your lack of willpower but actual changes within your body that are making weight loss difficult can sometimes be the motivation enough to regain control. Weight loss might be tough but never impossible. Hard work always pays and consistency is the key to successful weight loss. And, a better understanding of these factors can help women compensate for them.

Hormones: Women require a minimum of 12 per cent body fat in order for reproductive organs to function properly while men need just 4 per cent. On average women are 7-10 per cent fatter than men. The key physiological differences between men and women relate to the fact that the male hormone, testosterone, is a much more potent anabolic agent than female estrogen. Thus men tend to have larger, stronger muscles and less subcutaneous fat than women. And since muscle burns 35 to 50 calories per pound per day, while fat burns significantly less, men have the good fortune to use up more calories, even when they’re sitting still. But women can work within nature’s limits to change their body composition through exercise. Weight training is the only way to increase muscle mass. Many women are concerned of adding bulk as a result of strength training. But that’s not true. On the contrary, they will become thin and lean.

Greater mass: In general, women are smaller than men. Consequently, they burn less energy daily because they do not expend as many calories through metabolism and activity. This explains why some of your taller friends may not struggle with weight loss as much as your shorter friends do. As a rule of thumb, the larger the person, the more calories she burns at rest and the more calories she burns during activity and exercise, because she is moving a greater mass through space.

The monthly problem: The female menstrual cycle produces a myriad of physical and mental effects that can wreck a weight-loss programme. Bloating is a big one. The hormonal changes that cause women to retain extra water can be physically uncomfortable and discouraging if they are trying to lose weight. Food cravings are another stumbling block, as hormonal shifts cause women to desire foods high in salt, fat or sugar. Linked to those cravings are emotional highs and lows that can prompt overeating. And finally, some women experience lack of energy at this time of the month, and their desire to exercise diminishes. Ironically, the powerful emotional and physical benefits derived from exercise would make most women feel better during this time.

Pregnancy challenge: Women must gain weight in order to carry a healthy child. Because of that, pregnancy can be a stumbling block for those who are trying to lose weight. During pregnancy, nausea reduces interest in exercise, and big hormonal changes can lead to overeating, depression and sleep deprivation. After delivery, most women still need to lose 10 - 40 pounds but if the woman was over weight to begin with, than the weight loss becomes even more daunting. But if you’re not happy with the way you look or feel, use this post pregnancy time as your “excuse” to get in shape.

Midlife crisis: During this time, the major hurdle for weight loss is menopause. Menopause accelerates the rate at which women lose lean muscle tissue. The average adult loses 0.5 to 0.7 pounds of muscle per year, but as women get closer to menopause, their muscle depletion takes place at almost twice that rate. This causes the body composition to become higher in fat, which significantly reduces a woman’s daily calorie-burning potential. Also, at the same time, the hormonal changes of menopause, cause women’s bodies to redirect body fat to the abdominal area, resulting in a more male pattern of midsection weight gain. Many women at this stage feel that they’ve lost control over their bodies and this leaves them emotionally overwhelmed. However, this is not inevitable. Research shows that strength and resistance training significantly reduces abdominal fat in older women, while increasing lean muscle tissue in their bodies.

kalrasachin@hotmail.com

Amy Winehouse is planning to settle in the Caribbean island, St Lucia, sources say. "Amy loves St Lucia and never wants to leave. She thinks the island has done her the world of good and she's writing more than ever," a source said.

The Back to Black singer stayed in St Lucia for 71 days last year to avoid drugs she did in London. Now, Amy, apparently, is trying to get herself officially recognised as St.Lucia's citizen. However, some believe that the Grammy Award winner is trying to trick the English government from paying her taxes since Brits have to spend less than 183 days in the UK to avoid paying their taxes. "She's paid tens of thousands in tax already but she sees that she can avoid another huge bill. She'll be able to keep a larger slice of her fortune this way," an insider revealed.

However, the citizens of St. Lucia are not too keen on Winehouse settling in their island. RJ Sam Flood of St. Lucia said: "Our youths need positive role models and people who can make a meaningful contribution to our society and Amy doesn't fit into this." — ANI

The popular anti-dandruff shampoo Clinic All Clear from Hindustan Unilever Limited is now launched as Clear. Bollywood Divas Shilpa Shetty and Asin now join Bipasha Basu in the new Clear campaign. The newly launched shampoo has a unique formulation of clear-tech soft technology combined with essential oils, which not only removes dandruff but also makes your hair four times softer and shinier.

Clear shampoo has introduced five new exciting variants to make your hair look fabulous and dandruff free - Clear Radiant Black, Clear Soft Gloss, Clear Active Care, Clear Hair fall Defense and Clear Ice Cool.

Clear anti-dandruff shampoos are available in the market at the following price: Rs 134 for 200ml and Rs 69 for 100ml. — TNS