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Wheelocity!
Rough terrain, slippery roads, boulders, steep inclines, very narrow roads, gravel-filled paths and at times, no roads at all!!” gushes 26-year-old city lad Saurabh Chopra as he describes his journey on his bike to Chitkul village in Himachal Pradesh, near Indo-China border. Wow! Had I known that one day listening to the ‘types of roads’ would be so fascinating, I would have never flunked that geography exam in Class IX! Saurabh is not alone! For many youngsters in the tricity, a quest to explore has become the order of the day. So, from biking to a far-flung tucked away place with friends, to travelling and then indulging in adventure sports, the young brigade is doing it all. Supreet Dhiman, the 35-year-old founder member of CATS tells us: “People from all walks of life are part of our club named CATS: Chandigarh Adventure, Treks and Sports. We found it odd that there was no organisation catering to the adventure streak of the tricity residents even though it is situated on the foothills. We started with just trekking in 2007, and with time, camping, paragliding, rafting, fishing and much more was added to our activities” The multi-activity club boasts of having even entire families as its members! “So, from discovering a virgin sandy beach at Vyas Ghat, to going ‘paint-balling’ in a dummy guerrilla war gaming zone in Syoonk village, behind PGI, the club does it all! The only point to keep in mind is to choose one’s destination in accordance with the season.” But there are many who do not mind going solo. “I am looking for some one to go biking to Spiti valley, which is supposed to be as beautiful as Leh and Ladakh. It is the same place where the movie ‘Paap’ was shot. Good, if a find a partner, but I don’t mind going alone!” says Saurabh and adds with a wink “Anyways, the last expedition I went on meant going to a place where there was no mechanic, no network---actually nothing! So, now I am like a semi-trained mechanic who can change tyres, set right a punctured tube and what not!” A car rally enthusiast, 26-year-old Jagmeet Gill finds ways to keep alive his passion in spite of the large funds involved in the sport. “Last year, it was my dad who supported me in terms of money, but this time I have managed to find some sponsors. I took part in three rallies last year and I plan to keep up the spirit this year” Of course! One is tempted to ask about their favourite story about trips like these. “It was so cold at one uninhabited place that we had to keep our gloved hands on the bike’s silencer to keep us warm, which, in normal circumstances, would badly burn a hand. That’s when I realized the meaning of ‘kulfi jam gayi!” Saurabh laughs out loud. Listening to their tales of wonder, I don’t mind tagging along, do you?
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Cosmetic change
With the arrivals of the latest bikes like Karizma, Hayabasu, the good old motorcycle is a few years old now and according to the clock, it must be placed in a garage. Hold on a minute, if you do that how will you impress your friends and score points with your girlfriend?? You may scrape together the money to buy the bike in the first place, but can you really afford to run it? Voilà, the new generation is quite smart. They have already found a long- lasting solution: To get an old bike modified into a complete new one.
The way girls go for jewellery and clothes, modified bikes have become a craze with the boys. It is the psyche of every young guy to draw the attention of the people, especially the gals. They cannot spend a big amount on buying super bikes, so they go for modification. This is the primary reason bikes are modified into different shapes and looks. The other factor behind bike modification being that it’s comparatively cheaper to modify than buy a new one. Ankit Chopra, a student of Alliance Française –36, says, “Bikes are no longer a mean of transportation these days. They reflect one’s personal sense of style and an outlet to express oneself. That is why people go in for modifications to make them unique within their budget.” Manpreet Singh, a student of Dev Samaj School, says, “Those guys who have got super-duper looking bikes can easily attract girls. The bikes play a very important role in getting accepted by a girl.” Loveneet Kaur, a student of Dev Samaj School, says, “When a guy goes for the modification of his bike, it gives it a sporty look, making it more hip.” There are two types of bike modification: performance wise and looks wise. Look modification provides the satisfaction of riding a super bike and the decorative changes can lend a stunning look to it, whereas performance modification increases the efficiency of the bike. The alteration of these parts, such as clip-on, free-flow exhaust, air filters, spark plugs, chain sets, carburetor, tyre size, silencer, handle bar, alloy wheels and shock absorbers, sound of a bike, creates a distinction between your bikes and regular bikes. Currently, youngsters are also going in for the alteration of an entire body while keeping the engine intact. For the decoration section, bright paint jobs and flamboyant stickers are widely used in order to add glamour to the vehicle. Duplicate logos of sports bikes attract the attention of people. Sunny, who has had his bike modified, says that the cosmetic changes look great. “Now, my bike is very well balanced. I like the forward position of the handlebars. The exhaust and induction noise have also become minimal.” Geetanjali Laishram, a passout from GCG-11, says that she has a dream to ride a bike that has a modified silencer and sound. But are all youngsters game for modification? Not Gaurav K. Garg, a student of PU, who says, “I would not like to go for bike modification as the originality of the bike is manipulated. Moreover, there are heaps of constraints to get a bike modified, such as one has to shell out a lot of money and body modification usually decreases the mileage and performance.” Balwinder Singh, a dealer of Manmohan Auto Stores of Royal Enfield, says, “Our company, which is 50 years’ old, modifies bullets. Boys come for simple modification. The range of the modification varies from a part to be modified. An entire body can be modified at Rs 7000.” Well, bike modification sounds full of advantages. If not a girlfriend, it can at least get you eyeballs, guys!
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Fashion has field day
At the Bangalore's first-ever Fashion Week, conniesuers of life-style witnessed extensive glamour, style and colour. Designer Priyanka Thakur on Friday evening presented glitterati show of entire Indian collection for the ' bold and beautiful' women starting off with sari, followed by churidar suits and short-gowns."The collection is called Bold and Beautiful. It's for the women who are bold and beautiful. Fabrics that we have used are chiffons, georgettes, satins and digital prints. We have done a lot of experiment in it. We have a total Indian collection," said Thakur. Model-turned Bollywood actor Koena Mitra walked the ramp for Thakur's collection and candidly she admitted of having been excited to wear traditional bridal clothes."Normally, people see me as someone who is extremely western.
The show that I have done as showstoppers, I have always worn western clothes. I was very excited that she wanted me as Indian bride. I got chance to do something different," said Mitra.Designer Samant Chauhan presented his collection woven in silk from Bhagalpur region of Bihar. Thus he enabled promotion of fabrics of marginalised weavers."It's my signature style that I use Bhagalpur silk. This time, I have used linen, which is again, weaved in Bhaglpur. The collection name was Green Collar. Green Collar is new concept which most of designers are working now-days like, how you can use more eco-friendly fabric and eco-friendly dyes. There is no colour in my collection. So, I am not using any chemical. It's all 100 percent natural," said Chauhan.Model-turned television actor Zulfi Syed walked the ramp for Chauhan's collection.Designers Ramesh Demla showcased exquisite collection of colourful Indo-western apparels.The four-day event had thirty designers, sixty models and 11 hours of fashion. The Fashion Week comes after the success of the Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata Fashion Weeks and the organisers hope to do good business during the event. — ANI
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The event witnessed the collaboration of the exquisiteness of Indian weddings with spectacular forms of jewellery and a gorgeous line of couture. This year Bridal Asia touches new boundaries and seeks to feature some distinguished collections, highlighting the modern flavour of brides and grooms with a mixture of inseparable ethnic touch. Some of the guests present at this Bridal couture celebration included the who's who of New Delhi, including Ramola Bacchan, Devi Cherian, Tanisha Mohan, Mamta Malhotra, Swati Sood, Simar Duggal, Anjali Chawla. Riddhima Kapoor Sawhney and Nisha Singh modelled Gaurav Gupta's creations. Playing gracious host was Divya Gurwara of Bridal Asia. Fast forward
Gaurav Gupta at Bridal Asia 2009 takes couture and weddings to an all-new definition and is setting modern trends to contemporary fashion. Gaurav (through his collection) feels brides and the whole world around a wedding needs a forward push and fast. He takes the sari, the lehenga, the kurta set and turns it around so it becomes hard to classify the pieces into a genre. Alpana Gujral, a distinguished jewellery designer from New Delhi, has been arduously perfecting her craft for over twenty-five years. Charming the charms
At this Bridal Asia, Alpana creates an ambiance of symbiotic harmony through her wedding collection as she finds balance using shades of light signified with emeralds, rubies and other precious jewels. The ethereal nuances of the rainbow awaken as Alpana Gujral enthralls you with the collection, a mystical interplay of crystalline clarity and soft shadows. Giving her signature multi-hued palette a unique twist, she has used the myriad shades of emeralds, rubies and other precious jewels in symbiotic harmony. Heirloom polki stones shimmer in tones of champagne and café au lait, to create the magical effect of light and dark. It altogether a collection that will showcase lovingly handcrafted earrings, necklaces, cuffs and cocktail rings set in pure gold and silver.— TNS |
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Piety.com
If you want to touch the base with yourself, you could do it through the online spiritual sites. No wonder, you have people downloading mantas, chants, spiritual verses and stories from these sites. Who doesn’t want to get religious or spiritual once in a while? A quick search on the spiritual and religious sites open up a world that most of us are pretty unaware of. A site, www.spiritualtube.com, wherein you can turn your negative karma into spiritual gold! You can upload various religious and spiritual videos, and download them at the same time. Offers Dhruv Pandey, creator of the site, which has been selected for Webby Award Honoree in the US, “Internet surfing is an activity we all engage in. The popularity of spiritual sites is increasing in this regard. Spiritualtube is a free-of-cost site where you can see more than 10,000 videos posted by people all across the globe. “It also facilitates people to create accounts of various spiritual leaders and their sermons,” he adds. What is interesting and noticeable is that youngsters are also getting hooked on to it. Facebook and twitter accounts show posts on religion and spirituality by many youngsters. Harman Bajwa from Mohali, who works with a call centre, downloads the translations of scriptures. “Honestly, even when I want to read scriptures and follow what various spiritual leaders are saying, as I don’t have the time. Now, I download stuff, take a print and read it whenever I can.” Harman has been checking some sites like spiritualityandpractice.com and www.celextel.org. “Youngsters can understand and relate to certain aspects of spirituality in a better way. These sites also offer spiritual guidance and psychic reading which are interesting and helpful.” In addition to downloading and reading up various spiritual and religious sites, you can also apply for online degrees as per your suitability. A site, onlinegegreeshub.com, gives you detailed information on online degrees that are available. Minal Kapoor, a student of textile designing from Sector 8, shares that she is heavily dependent on these sites for her sanity. “All this chatting, twitting, Orkutting, it gets insane after sometime. This is when I fall on back on these sites looking for some wisdom and peace.” Minal downloads whatever interesting stuff she finds on spirituality and religion. “I am not religious. However, I find these sites pretty helpful in terms of spiritual guidance.” jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Nokia also announced that it will continue its association with tinsel town’s reigning queen and Nokia’s youth style icon Priyanka Chopra, who will be seen in a new print and digital campaign. Alongside the Nokia 6700 Classic and Nokia 6303 Classic launch, Priyanka also rolled out an interesting consumer engagement initiative - Pictures get us talking. The consumer contest that starts from on Monday, gives users an opportunity to upload their interesting and unique pictures on the Nokia website – www.nokia.co.in. The picture that starts the maximum conversations and is the most talked about in the virtual world will emerge as the winner. The winning entry will get a complete makeover by a well-known fashion designer. In addition, Priyanka will also talk and twitter about her favourite pictures on her twitter. Talking about her association with Nokia, Priyanka said, “I am excited to continue my association with Nokia. I’m an avid mobile user and I find that Nokia delivers a complete experience in a great looking package!” —TNS
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Solar power for your home seems to be the latest mantra for energy conservation. It can certainly help you save money on your bills each month, but there are three things that you must consider if you plan on using solar power for homes. Weather or not
Sunny spot
Finding an area to set up your solar panels is also a very critical step in the process of setting up your solar power. If you want efficient system, then you need to find the spot on your home or office that gets the maximum sunlight throughout the day. Fix it right
Environmental benefits
Helps conserve natural resources (fossil fuels) as they are a non-renewable resource. Reduces pollution
Electricity generation through consumption of fossil fuels has had an adverse effect on the environment. It has the ability to introduced dangerous levels gases into the atmosphere, which directly impact ecosystems. Reduces waste as a side-effect of energy production. The primary source of electricity is coal, which produces a large and dangerous amount of waste into our ecosystem. Now, that you know about these factors, you should make an informed decision if you want solar power or not. amitpalsinghgewal@gmail.com
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GizmOH!
Reet Singh, Head human resources, Sebiz Infotech Limited Spare the unknown Gargi Arora, Tarot card reader Nothing to miss Gunjit D Madra, Student
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Haute pick Panasonic, Lumix DMC-G1- is the world's smallest digital SLR camera with interchangeable lens. In this compact body, the Panasonic G1 is loaded with a 12.1 megapixel image sensor, 60 frames-per-second electronic viewfinder with 800x600 resolution, a 3.0-inch tilt/swivel LCD display, and three frames-per-second shooting. There's also Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction, a built-in flash, plus an external flash option, a newly developed 23-point high-speed contrast detection AF system with face detection and tracking modes, and ISO sensitivity from 100 to 3,200 equivalent. It stores images on Secure Digital, SDHC, or multimedia cards, and draws its power from a lithium-ion battery. Connectivity options include USB 2.0 High Speed, plus both standard and high-definition video. Panasonic is selling the Lumix G1 in three body colors - black, red, or blue.
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Spade work
The tree and the plants utility is well understood, and documented. They contribute to almost everything in our day-to-day life; leave aside providing the lifeline— oxygen. However, a gardener is never satisfied. That is how the interest keeps him going. His innovative ideas are for others to emulate.
The plants that we now have in the gardens were all growing in the woods and were brought to decorate our cities and homes. The selection of the plants was made as per their utility. Some were used as avenue trees, while others were fit for home gardens. Once that was done then the gardeners started thinking about the best use a plant could be put to. The plant characteristics were thoroughly understood and proper usage or placement was given. Climbers came the handiest. This was due to their ability to reach any level and take any desirable shape without interfering with the architectural lines of the premises. The curtain climber (Vernonia) has been used to give shade to the sun facing windows during summers. What is needed is only a few clips and hooks to support the vine. After developing a canopy at the lower window, it has to be extended to the upper one. It has become one of the most attracting features of the garden. In the present kind of high-rise dwelling units, such plants are the best solace for those living in upper floors. They reach any heights. The best-suited climbers for this purpose are bougainvillea, quisqualis indica (jhumka bel), climbing rose, golden shower and clerodendron splendense, especially in shade areas. The climbers are also used for providing privacy as they form thick cover to keep the peeping Toms at bay. The maintenance requirement is also the least. The trees with linear growth, the likes of Ashok (Polyalthea longifolia var pendula) are good for screening effect. However, in case of such trees, you have to head it back to 10 feet every year. As the nature has it, it takes its original shape in no time. Left to grow on its own, it grows to a great height and then bends, which does not give a good look. Myth of the week
It is generally felt that the rainy season is the time to plant and multiply plants. No doubt it is, but only for the evergreen types. The deciduous plants like peach, plum, grapes, mulberry etc are multiplied only once in a year i.e. in winter at the time when these plants are dormant and shed leaves to go to sleep. Moreover, except for mulberry and grapes that is multiplied by way of cuttings all the other are propagated through budding or grafting. The budding is carried out in summer months using specific rootstocks. It is, therefore, very important to purchase such plants from a known and established source like the nurseries of agricultural universities or the state government horticulture department. In case of plants available in private nurseries, the performance of the source, that is mother plants, is not known. You will see the effect only when the plants come into bearing after a few years. It is too late then. satishnarula@yahoo.co.in |
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How green is my balcony
Major General C.S Bewli a plant enthusiast who has more green than any other colour in his sector-36 residence tips. "Less space surely creates problem for growing a number of plants, but there are number of varieties suitable for small spaces. Bonsai and cacti are such plants that occupy less space and give a garden-like feel to the balcony or indoors of the house." Suggesting varieties, he says, "Miniature, broom and the cascading bonsai is a good idea to plant in small houses. The miniature bonsai grows up to 6 inches and the broom is bigger than that. They can be placed on windowpanes or corner of your balcony. For Maharaja Sodhi, owner Furniture Mart-22, plants add life to a house. "Though we have an artificial variety available at our store, but for plant lovers look-alike plants are also a good idea." Well, do plant lovers like to pick synthetic? "There is no comparison between real and fake, but people living in flats pick a lot of artificial plants. Maple trees, bougainvilleas, acacia are some of the varieties." He has a reason for this choice, "People in flats can grow a few plants, but not all the varieties, especially the bigger ones, so they pick these lookalikes to add greenery to their homes." "For creating a mini garden in your balcony or terrace, blend colours to provide that continuity in the whole look," says Malvika Lakhanpal, a homemaker from Manimajra. She adds, "For instance, pinks, whites, reds, yellows, and purples are nice colours and will make your mini garden look fuller and big." That's for the colour therapy, but containers are of utmost importance when it comes to planting plants in a small area. There are various kinds of containers available in the market like wood, steel, clay and stone. You can choose any one of them depending on your taste and durability. But always place plant containers in regular distance; you can place them in queues with few curves to create illusion of more distance. Adding to the tips, Maj-General Bewli says, "Make smart use of your corners. You can place medium-sized mirrors vertically, on the walls of your balcony that will surely give the illusion of more things. At last, use your imagination to convert that little place into larger one so that your mini balcony garden will look even better." That's a good idea indeed! Well, if you are thinking how can you make space for maximum, choices are galore. You can pick iron shelves that have space for more than 10 pots at a time and can be fixed on the railings of your balcony. Available in varied shapes and sizes, you can choose as per your need or even customize them. They are available in varied shops in the Industrial Area-Chandigarh and even in Mohali. jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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Modification entails the alteration of a vehicle’s engine, suspension, or body in any way, which makes it look different from the original manufacturer's specification. The vehicles are fitted with special equipment or apparatus falling under this category. The goal behind modification is to get pleasure and contentment.
To flag off Bridal Asia 2009, which will be held in September 2009 (19th-21st), founder Divya Gurwara with jewellery designer Alpana Gujral and fashion designer Gaurav Gupta hosted a hi tea get-together.
God cannot be found in noise and restlessness. And to find Him, one needs to do a little soul searching for that one needs ‘time’. Now, this is something half of the world doesn’t have. Time, to find peace, to find God and to find your inner-self. Hang on. We do have time to spend hours on surfing Internet, chatting, writing on blogs. So, be it.
Nokia has strengthened its style and imaging portfolio with the launch of the sleek and chic Nokia 6700 Classic and Nokia 6303 Classic. The devices, which were launched by Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra, are targeted at the suave and savvy Indian consumers who are looking for superior functionality with premium finish at competitive prices.
Solar power is potent enough to power any home, but the weather of the place plays a big role in your savings. Before you install any solar panels, you must first ask yourself a few basic questions like, do you get good year round sun, does your property get good sunlight or is it blocked by trees? Solar power means that you need to have a lot of sun in order to have them work efficiently for you. Your home will still get power, but trees, rain, and clouds will prevent your solar panels from working like they should. Home in a sunny area will ensure maximum benefits from solar power.
You have to make sure you hook up the solar panels correctly to the electricity grids. If you don't, then you will not get any of the benefits from the solar power for homes. Before going for such systems, learn where to properly install the solar panels so that you get the most power possible. If you don't know how to do it yourself, then you can always find someone to do it for you but try to be their while the installation is going on so you can just learn to change the panels direction if needed, you will be surprised to know how easy the job is.
Must-do thing
I avoid calling back unknown numbers. If I have many missed calls from the same number, well, then I definitely call back. Not that I don’t care about who has called, it sounds strange to call back on every number and ask who called and why. So, it is much better to revert on known numbers. All the same, it is not a practice with me, I call when I have time, primarily when I am done for the day. I never pile up the missed calls but just avoid calling everybody. 
Yes, I do revert to missed calls. The entire day, I am busy with studies. So, I don’t have time to attend calls. At the end of the day, I have a long list of unattended numbers, which I revert to. However, I don’t call back on unknown numbers. I feel uncomfortable doing it. Lastly, if it is late in the night, I don’t call back. 
For lovers of greenery, space constraint is a major drawback when it comes to planting plants. But who minds an extra effort when it comes to the love for the lush. Having found a way out, people have been doing there best to convert a small space into a big green den. Though for a city like ours, a lawn is not a distant dream, but for many who don't have the luxury of a wide open space, there are ways to bring that feel of a garden in your small space.
For cacti, its low maintenance is the best thing for small houses. One can place them on iron shelves in your balcony and plant it even in plastic pots. They are a no mess plant, so best suited for flats."