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More of mean "This time round, we haven't changed the show by just a few notches, rather we've gone straightaway from level one to level 10 and it's a claim no other adventure show would be able to stand up to," Akash Beri, the host of the show, in the city to announce the arrival, begins with the USP. He adds, "This time we've taken the location from studios to a boot camp in Manali where the temperatures run as low as minus four degrees celsius." A complete Army set-up. What's more? The guys roughing it out don't check into hotels at the end of the day, rather are kept in bare minimum survival conditions. Continuing with the changes, the 12 contestants, six boys and six girls were chosen after auditions of 500 aspirants. How much can you stretch yourself? What's important is to try." Spell contestants and she says, "All of them as you see on the show, will be without make-up. None of them have been allowed to put on make-up, but, yes, it's good to see lovely people on television. We cannot have glamour on the show." But what they ought to have is security on the show. Says Kanika, "Whatever tasks have been given, they were first thoroughly tested, there's the presence of a doctor, and all the stunts were performed under the supervision of a professional Bollywood stuntman Williams." After all, they're talking about 30-feet-long cold bed, barbed wires, et
al. manpriya@tribunemail.com
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Treats, taste-ticklers & traffic Lazy noons of Chandigarh
"I miss those long naps in the afternoon. That one fan, that sweat, that long deep sleep and then waking in the evening fresh and bright air. That's was the ideal weekend, something I haven't done in ages. Pity party
"I don't party on weekends, and neither do I go out in the evenings. It is always so crowded on a weekend in Mumbai. I wouldn't waste time driving through the labyrinth packed with traffic. I'd rather go to a friend's place nearby and just laze around. Cook me something
"I am a good cook, and I like to whip up something new, especially when I am home with friends. I can cook just about anything for anyone. Pastas, soup, curries… tell me what you want. I find it a therapeutic exercise. Café day
"Well, there is nothing like a weekend for us in tinsel town, but, yes on a Saturday or a Sunday, I usually step out with my friends in the afternoon for lunch at the newly opened Indigo Café at Lokhandwala. Otherwise, I prefer to be home and do nothing. Movie magic
"This is yet another thing which I love to indulge in. Movies for me are good refreshment that end up teaching me something about relationships, love, hate, work, and acting. Mostly, I end up watching the latest flick every weekend. Action, drama, comedy, I like to watch movies irrespective of the genre. Dying to…
"I have been wanting to learn horse riding, and every weekend I remind myself that I have to do it. But, the thought of a 40-km drive to that place sets me thinking whether it is worth it." jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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Calculated moves Here's a story…a cute, smarty was dating three girls at the same time. The girls, unaware of his 'multitasking skills' were head over heels for him, till one day the truth comes out. Now, all three, heart-broken but not defeated, decided to teach him a lesson. They turn a plain Jane into a diva, set her as bait and wait for the guy to fall prey. The motive, break his heart, just when it is love struck. What do you think must have happened? Well, the point of focus is not that, but the moral of the story. When it comes to settle scores, nobody does it better than a girl. The so-crowned physically weaker sex doesn't need muscle to get even. All it needs is a little patience or may be small but accurate verbal exercise. While girls are always raised and perceived as non-aggressive, sweet, nice and well-behaved beings, when it comes to expressing their aggression, it doesn't come with some fist-fights or wrestling bouts. But calculated mean behavior. Now, don't draw inspiration from the umpteen television vamps who are shown to be masters in plotting, but the stereotype seems to be working well. While being rough and tumble is important part of being a guy, girls have other virtues. Like gossiping, bullying, spreading rumours, backstabbing and being mean. "Lets not use the word mean exclusively for girls here. Men are also mean; it's just that with girls it tends to get a little better. Being mean is a must, especially when it's about protecting your own interest," believes a young teacher from city. Ask her how she settles her pangas and she says, "I believe in the power of words. I prove my point in a subdued manner; it always works well for me. The bottomline is either confront or better keep quiet." For Amy Kaur, a functional English MCM student, she believes it's all about negotiating power and feminity. "You don't get mean unnecessarily, but then you are not here for public service either. If a person deserves your considerations then so be it. But being considerate on the cost of your own comfort is just not done." Her modus operendi is planned destruction. "One can get back by spreading rumours about the other person, or calling names and that'll be harmless," she says. So, what would hurt? "Think about this, getting a guy to like me and then asking him to get himself waxed." Ouch…now, that would really hurt. When it comes to expressing aggression, gender bender is hard to fight. "Generally, boys tend to be physically aggressive, but girls' aggression is indirect. They spread rumors, betray secrets, ruin relationships, and exclude others. Girl-on-girl aggression is even difficult to spot because so much of it happens under the radar or happens without an easily identifiable aggressor," says Zareen, a city-based councilor. Puneeta Singh too agrees, "Hitting hard emotionally is more devastating than physical injury. While a girl-on-girl aggression is more dangerous, girl-on-guy aggression can be equally ruining." Though she feels that even guys resort to politics and mind games, but the new found freedom and competitive spirit in girls is responsible for this confident aggression. "Girls have been brought up listening to you-are-not-less-than-boys mantra. So, they don't need fist fights, but can do much more," she says. Well, at least the trend proves one point. Men must be proudly displaying their brawn, but in the matters of brain, women rule. lifestyletribune@gamil.com |
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In the study, the researchers asked participants with low self-esteem and high self-esteem to repeat the self-help book phrase "I am a lovable person." Then the psychologists measured the participants' moods, and their momentary feelings about themselves. It was found that the individuals with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating the positive self-statement, compared to another low self-esteem group who did not repeat the self-statement. The individuals with high self-esteem felt better after repeating the positive self-statement, but only slightly. In a follow-up study, the psychologists allowed the participants to list negative self-thoughts along with positive self-thoughts. Surprisingly, they found that moods of the participants with low self-esteem fared better when they were allowed to have negative thoughts than when they were asked to focus exclusively on affirmative thoughts. The psychologists suggested that, like overly positive praise, unreasonably positive self-statements, such as "I accept myself completely," could provoke contradictory thoughts in individuals with low self-esteem. Such negative thoughts can overwhelm the positive thoughts, and if people are instructed to focus exclusively on positive thoughts, they may find negative thoughts to be especially discouraging. The authors concluded, "Repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people [such as individuals with high self-esteem] but backfire for the very people who need them the most." — ANI
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Always end up making one faux pas or another, even after trying your best not to make any social gaffe? Well, researchers have now found why it happens. Harvard University scientists have claimed that the very act of trying to avoid saying or doing something can sometimes cause it to happen. "When these things do happen we sort of smile and look the other way. The curious thing is it's the desire not to do those things that seems to increase the likelihood of doing them," Live Science quoted Daniel Wegner, a psychologist at the university, as saying. Many of the embarrassing moments are the result of miscommunications between conscious and unconscious mental processes. He explained that the first line of defence in such situations is conscious, in which people intentionally try to avoid thinking about, say, an inappropriate sexual act. And distracting oneself by thinking about other things is one way to avoid the thought. The second part involves our unconscious minds, in which people try to distract themselves, while a covert search is underway, monitoring their heads for any inkling of that unwanted thought. If it rears its ugly head, the unwanted thought gets flagged so their conscious minds can squash it. But Wegner said that the unconscious control system is vulnerable to blips, particularly when people are stressed or have lots of things on their minds. Such stressors can interfere with a person's conscious effort to avoid a thought or action. And thus, the unconscious mind that's been looking for such a thought takes over and leads to a blunder. "The conscious process of trying to do the right thing is hampered, and the unconscious process is free then to increase its sway over your behavior and mind," said Wegner. He advised, "You can avoid being in performance situations when you're under mental load or stress. In addition, you could practice, practice, practice." By practicing a way of thinking or an action it becomes automatic (not a conscious effort), and so it is more immune to the brain lapses. — ANI
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A new study has found that taking a lot of stress can cause people to pack on pounds. The study looked at the relationship between weight gain and multiple types of stress-job-related demands, difficulty paying bills, strained family relationships, depression or anxiety disorder-in the U.S. population. "Today's economy is stressing people out, and stress has been linked to a number of illnesses -such as heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk for cancer. This study shows that stress is also linked to weight gain,'' according to Jason Block, M.D., M.P.H., who conducted the research as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar(r) at Harvard University. Women waistlines are affected by more types of stress. In addition to weight gain associated with financial problems or a difficult job, women also added pounds when grappling with strained family relationships and feeling limited by life's circumstances. For men, the numbers on the scale did not go up when facing difficult family relationships or feeling constrained by life circumstances. Among men, lack of decision authority at work and lack of skill discretion was associated with greater weight gain. Overall, this study found that people who reported increased psychological stress gained more weight if they already had higher body mass indexes (BMI). — ANI
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Purple passion For once, let's take away the limelight from the King of fruits, Mango to the lesser popular fruit Black berries or better known as jamun. The purple fruit hardly has any variety to boast unlike more than 2000 of mango. Yet, the fruit calls for some attention, courtesy its medicinal qualities, which were propagated rightly by the Environmental Society of Chandigarh on the Jamun Day, under the shade of jamun laden jamun trees on Wednesday in the city. Celebrating the occasion for the past ten years with students of different schools and colleges, S.K.Sharma, director of the society says, "The fruit is not easily available in the market and its price is as high as Rs100 per Kg. The occasion is being celebrated to inspire people to plant more Jamun trees." But what makes this fruit a must have, is its umpteen benefits, "Nearly 30 per cent of India's population suffers from diabetes and Jamun is the best cure for it. Also its consumption helps cure many abdomen related diseases. Its astringent qualities make the blood thicker and thus controls bleeding," informs Dr. Madan Lal Gulati, (retd) deputy director, Ayurveda, Chandigarh. The event saw huge participation from the many school and college students. Abbas Abbasi, an Iranian who's pursuing P.hd at Panjab University, talks about his love for the fruit, "In Iran, it is known as a Jumbo. It's believed that the fruit has its origin in India and was brought to Iran by sailors. It is one of the many things common between India and Iran." Another Iranian student in the city, Vagih Ollu says, "Jamun is considered almost an exotic fruit in Iran as its production is very limited unlike in India where you get to see a Jamun tree in people's garden". — Ashima Sehajpal
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Striking a foreign chord India's religion, magic and music have been of vital interest in the foreign lands, but out of all these music has been the prime interest. Having travelled faster to other countries through medium of religious and cultural missionary activities, it was during globalization that Indian performing art musicians besides being real beneficiaries paved way for artists to win teaching assignments in almost all countries. But Heritage Mohali, an NGO in art education has a mission- to propagate the Indian classical and folk arts at the grass root level and have envisaged a regular cultural exchange programme with counties in UK over a decade. Led by Prof. Rajpal Singh, six prominent artiste from region taught and performed in the Summerset County Music Services programmes. In their just concluded Heritage music workshop for North Summerset Lucky Malhotra, a senior lecturer in music at Guru Gobind Singh College for Girls-26 shares her experiences and impressions of the art education in UK. Do people show craze for Indian music in countries you taught and performed? Not really a craze, but by and large people in all age groups in UK take more than a passing interest in Indian musical arts than others. As a member of Heritage group I taught at the Summerset County Government sponsored workshops held at Wells Music School, Herons Moor Primary School, Castle Batch, Mead Vale and other places before visiting Bristol, Portishead and Bath there. The student prodigies made astonishing enquires after my lecture demonstration in sitar. Could they imbibe the otherwise complex classicism of Indian music? Luckily sitar is one of best-known Indian music instruments there, which eased my apprehensions. More over unlike here the participants in advanced workshops are given elementary knowledge of the syllabus, but I had to opt for spontaneous actions and reactions from the budding, inquisitive and sweet learners. Teaching them was interesting than adult students back home at Guru Gobind Singh College for Girls. I have taught them simple compositions based on raga Bhairav, raga Bhimpalasi and Mian ki Toti, which they were able to learn and play on violin. These would be included in our Indian compositions in their orchestra band too. How was the Anglo-Indian Exchange Culmination musical function at the Winter Gardens? Exciting and inspiring indeed. It was a dream come true for me to give a sitar recital, along with Avirbhav Verma at a largely attended concert. They have kept my sitar with a promise to visit again, says Lucky. lifestyle@tribunemail.com |
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NY to nappies Bollywood filmmaker Kabir Khan, who is currently basking in the success of his recently released film New York, is busy taking care of his kids while his wife, popular host Mini Mathur, is shooting for a new TV show in Malaysia. Mini is shooting in the jungles of Malaysia for Sony TV's soon-to-begin adventure reality show Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao. And Khan is taking care of their five-year-old son and less than a-year-old daughter. "The jungle is not for kids and now that the film has released and received a fabulous response, Kabir has promised he will take care of the kids and will be shuttling over the weekends to catch up with me. I will definitely go crazy here after two months," Mini said in a press release. The Indian version of the British adventure show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! will go on air July 13. In the show, celebrities will be left in a jungle with the bare essentials needed to survive under adverse conditions. Mini will be hosting the show with VJ Yudhishtir, popularly known as Yudi.
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After New York, nude talk
Metropolitan Magistrate Ashish Aggarwal directed the station house officer (SHO) of the Moti Nagar police station to submit the report to the court within two weeks. "Since the complaint alleges commission of cognisable offences under Section 292 and 294 (relating to spread of obscene material) of the Indian Penal Code, the SHO is directed to file his report within two weeks," the court said.
He said he was appalled to find the magazine supplement of the daily dated June 11, 2009, carrying a "nude photograph" of Abraham at the study desk of his children. Dua said police had not taken any action on his complaint, prompting him to approach the court. — IANS
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Couple of causes Bollywood's popular couple, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, has been approached by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to create awareness about the plight of lovebirds through a special photo shoot. "As India's most famous 'lovebirds', we believe that you are uniquely suited to help bring attention to the plight of these smart and sensitive birds. We would like to arrange a photo shoot with you for a 'Love Birds in Cages' ad to raise awareness about the issue," Anuradha Sawhney, PETA India chief functionary, wrote in a letter to Abhishek and Aishwarya . Lovebirds are small members of the parrot family and the most commonly sold birds for domestic as well as display caging, which is a punishable offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. — IANS
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Spice up
Apart from tanning and moisture depletion, there are other affects of sun-exposure too. The skin is exposed to harmful ultraviolet radiation, which has several long-term effects. It leads to oxidation damage, resulting in premature ageing signs on the skin. There can be other problems too. Sometimes, the uneven transfer of melanin to the skin surface can lead to dark spots (freckles), patches and blotches on the skin. So, what is the answer? At the moment, physical protection from the sun’s rays is the only answer, by applying sunscreens, wearing a hat or carrying a parasol. Also, try to avoid sun-exposure between noon and 3 p.m, when the sun is directly overhead. Most sun-block products have built-in moisturisers. If the skin is very dry, a sunscreen cream should be used, otherwise a sunscreen lotion may be quite adequate. It is essential to apply sun-block products, not only on the face, but on all exposed areas. The back of the neck and arms are extremely vulnerable to sun damage too. The sunscreen should be applied about 20 minutes before sun-exposure. If you happen to be in the sun for more than an hour, you should re-apply the sunscreen. If the skin is more sensitive and tends to burn easily, one should use a sunscreen with a high SPF. The SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, denoted by a number, which is usually mentioned on the label of the sunscreen product. It is related to duration of sun-exposure and also to individual skin-sensitivity. For sensitive skins that are prone to dark spots and patches, a sunscreen of SPF 40 and above should be used. If the skin is oily, use an “oil-free” product. This may also be mentioned on the label. Remember to take your sunscreen while playing outdoors, or holidaying by the sea or in the hills. Reflective surfaces, like water and snow actually increase the effects of UV radiation. After what causes tanning, the question of removing tan is of immediate concern for those who suffer tan. Using a facial scrub is useful. You can buy a facial scrub according to skin type. If the skin is dry, a scrub should be used only once a week, but for oily skins, it may be used more often. The scrub should be applied and rubbed gently on the skin with small circular movements. Then wash it off with plain water. This helps to remove dead skin cells, along with their contained pigment. The skin becomes brighter and the tan is gradually removed. You can also make a scrub at home with kitchen ingredients. In fact, many such ingredients can be applied on the skin to gradually remove tan. Here are some home remedies to remove tan: w Ground almonds (badaam) make a good facial scrub. Soak the almonds in hot water till the skin comes out easily. Then allow them to become totally dry. Grind them into a powder, making sure to follow absolute hygiene and cleanliness. Keep this powder in an airtight jar. Every morning, add a little curd or cold milk to two teaspoons of the powder and rub the mixture gently on the skin. Wash it off with water. Mixing rice powder with curd and using it as a scrub helps oily skins. To remove tan: Add a pinch of turmeric (haldi) to curd and apply daily. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes or mix one-teaspoon honey with two teaspoons lemon juice and apply daily on the face, washing it off with plain water after 20 minutes. Mix tomato pulp with one teaspoon honey and apply daily for 20 minutes. For sunburn: Cold milk applied daily, using cotton wool, not only helps to soothe the skin, but also keeps it soft.
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Renee
writes Love hurts
Rohit Kamra Young man, there is only one person who can bring back the excitement in your life and that is you yourself. This is too young an age to have this very couldn't care less and listless attitude. After all what's wrong with your life? It's just the way you are looking at it. You seem to have delved into a rather depressive state just by your wrong perception. Inner contentment is of course what we all seek, but that comes from the little acts of goodness that we do. All levels of satisfaction come to us when we act from within. Once you've arrived here, your job will seem to be the greatest and your girlfriend will seem the best. Go ahead reach out for the joy and feel the throb of life. Take your call
I am 32 years of age and after 12 years of marriage I'm going through divorce. Ours was an arranged marriage. I come from an orthodox family and was married off soon after college. I have two wonderful kids, but I am extremely unhappy in marriage. My husband was emotionally abusive and has completely shattered me as a person. Now I have met somebody who is a great friend. He is few years younger, we met at a party and somehow ever since I have started feeling that life is worth living once again. Over the last few months, I regained some confidence and felt better about myself. Now my husband is back, looking for forgiveness and doesn't want the divorce. Though I am tempted to go back, but this is the third time he has done the same thing. I am guilty and confused. Please help. Mona Shrivastava Dear one, I can understand your predicament. In India, marriage is a very different concept from the West. But now with the western system of education and higher exposure levels, girls are going through a major state of confusion regarding their personal lives, especially the emotional aspect. Have the courage to weigh the positive and negative aspects of your situation and take the right decision accordingly. Each individual's circumstances are unique and their emotional maturity depends on that. It is good that you have regained your confidence and this will help you think more clearly. If your husband has a pattern of playing the losers game, he is really not a very worthwhile man. Give your situation a serious thought and take a firm decision and then stick by it. We have to be our
own healers. |
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READERS WRITE
Lifestyle invites responses from readers on the following issue: How would you cope socially if your child was gay? Please email the responses to
lifestyletribune@gmail.com or post along with your photo and contact number to ‘Relatively Speaking’, Lifestyle, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh. The best few responses will be published. |
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Alright folks, please don't throw up, but someone's got to mention this. How far will they go? From holding a cockroach to eating some eight-legged insect alive to what next? Probably, drink a houseflies' shake? One need not even hold the remote as much as their cell phone, to know what's being talked about. Given the spurt of reality shows, daredevil dramas, so what's next? Just as we battle the question, UTV Bindass proudly announces the second season of its mean reality show
Dadagiri.
Though the 'mean factor' remains intact, as the highlight. As Kanika Saxena, marketing head, UTV, before taking over, claims, "Yes, we are the meanest show on television and that remains our USP, but the idea is not to insult or abuse anybody, nor be nasty to them, but about overcoming one's fears. 
Of course, I love to walk to down memory lane, almost all the time because it is reminds me of the time when I had way too many good weekends. Today, the word weekend is almost like someone saying, 'Here, Jatin take this blank cheque. I haven't tasted a good weekend for ages and I so desperately look forward to one," says city-bred actor-model Jatin Grewal, who is working on the under-production flick Yogi. Nevertheless, on a slightly easy day, like Sunday or Saturday, there are a number of things, which this actor does. And a number of things he wants to do.
While self-help books are considered to boost a person's morale, a piece of research now suggests that positive self-statements in such books may actually leave people with low self-esteem and feeling worse about themselves. Psychologists Joanne V. Wood and John W. Lee from the University of Waterloo, and W.Q. Elaine Perunovic from the University of New Brunswick, found that individuals with low self-esteem actually felt worse about themselves after repeating positive self-statements.
Bollywood star John Abraham could be in trouble as a city court Tuesday asked Delhi police to file a report on a complaint seeking registration of a criminal case against him for posing allegedly nude in a photograph published in a daily.
C.M. Dua, who runs an NGO, sought registration of a first information report (FIR) against the model-turned-actor as well as the publisher and the editor of the daily.
Tanning is one of the immediate effects of sun-exposure and the affect of sun-damage on the skin is much more profound than we realise. Infact recent studies show that sun-exposure is responsible for many skin problems, including pre-mature ageing. And to what causes tanning? It is the exposure to sun that increases the production of melanin, which is the skin’s pigment, or colouring matter. Melanin actually protects the skin from the sun’s harmful ultra violet radiation. In fact, the production of melanin on sun-exposure is a protective mechanism of the skin. Once melanin is produced in the lower layers of the skin, it moves up to the skin surface. Since it is dark in colour, the skin also becomes tanned. In the West, fair skinned people chase the sun, in order to acquire a tan. But here, in India, a high premium is placed on fair skins, so sun tanning causes much despair! 
I am a 28 year-old guy, working as a software engineer with a Government organisation. I am really not happy with my life and I don't even have job satisfaction. I have a nice girlfriend who wants to marry me, but because I am confused about my work I can't think of marriage. I feel my life is passing me by, and I am having no fun at all. How can I come to a sensible conclusion and feel better about life.