The abbreviated teen speak of textlish, social networking sites and Internet chat rooms can be amazing and confusing at the same time. While it’s not the only ‘new’ language taking over teens today, it is having a significant impact on the vocabulary of youngsters.

And proving this as a problem, professor of linguistics at Lancaster University, Tony McEnery, found in his research that the top 20 words used by teenagers include “yeah”, “no” and “but”, and these account for about a third of all the words used.

Albeit it’s a fact that abbreviated form of communication has become very common among teenagers, one wonders whether is it posing a serious problem?

Says Mona Rajwade, teacher at St Johns, “Children are very smart these days and are aware of where and when to use certain expressions. In school we lay a lot of stress on diction and vocabulary, so it’s hardly that we see students using any textlish kind of vocabulary. But yes, we cannot deny that the use of abbreviated forms of language has increased in all these years and it’s on a daily basis that we overhear youngsters using these sentences. But they are smart enough not to use it in their examinations or in front of their teachers.”

And has this short form of words affected writing in any way? “There has been a definite impact on creative writing, but in overall academics I don’t think this has caused any problem. In fact, my 14 year-old son when conversing with his friends uses slang, but when I see him talking to my in-laws or their friends he talks in proper tenses. This shows their smartness and command in both the languages (read correct English and slang),” she adds.

Mitul Dixit, director, Dikshant International School, says: “Slang and condensed sentences are certainly a problem, but isn’t language about communication? And any form of communication is correct as long as we are able to reach audience and make them understand what we want to say.”

What about grammar then? “Grammar is very structural. Although youngsters have to be taught the right usage, speaking and writing are different things. I don’t think speaking in slang and at the same time writing grammatically correct sentences should be a problem. And how many people can speak fluently in correct English for more than five minutes,” he adds. Well that’s a point to ponder about!

And what about the youngsters? “Yes, we may be using a lot of slang and flouting rules, but when it comes to examination or interviews we know these are not acceptable,” says Vibhu Ghulati, second-year UIET student at Panjab University.

What about kids, one wonders?

Says Moon Sandhu, teacher at Strawberry, “Kids are much influenced by what they see around them and as elders we do not realise that they pick whatever they hear. Usage of slang is ok for teenagers as they are aware it is not the right syntax, but kids need to be taught correct English so that it does not get difficult for them to learn grammar later in their lives.”

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who first used the onscreen name Vijay in 1973 film Zanjeer, said he wanted the lucky name in his forthcoming Rann as well. The actor added that the much-hyped movie was not aimed at media bashing. “Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) wanted my character to be called Harshvardhan Malik. 

But I told him naam se pehle Vijay laga do, shayad picture chal jaayegi (Prefix the name with Vijay, the movie might work)’,” Amitabh told reporters at a press conference. The actor was named Vijay in Zanjeer and then subsequently in many of his popular films like Deewaar, Agneepath, Don, Shahenshah and Shaan among others. In fact, the product launched under Amitabh’s tie-up with Max New York Life Insurance was also called Max Vijay. 

Looking charming in a formal black suit, crisp white shirt and a fluorescent green tie, Amitabh was here to promote Rann. He said the media would be proud of the way his character has been etched out in the film, which is an attempt by Ram Gopal Varma to expose the electronic media.“You (the media) would be proud of Vijay Harshvardhan Malik. He takes media’s side. The nation listens to him. He is a man of integrity and respect. “Personally, I really respect media. Being in the media means great responsibility, it is a very impressive job and needs tough work. I got a chance to visit TV channels and they are all like pythons - need to be fed 24 hours to be alive,” he said. The thespian clarified that Rann is not a media bashing film. “The film shows that in the media there is often a conflict between business sensibilities and a person’s conscience. Now does a person compromise on his conscience for the survival of his business or vice-versa is what has been highlighted in the movie,” he said. Rann, which releases January 29, also features Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal. —IANS

“If you are not going to compare me to him (Amitabh), whom are you going to compare me to? I have never had a problem being compared to him and, like I said, who doesn’t want to be compared to Amitabh Bachchan? He is the best we have and the best that we ever will have. It’s a matter of great honour for me,” Abhishek said in an interview. The 33-year-old has faced comparisons with his father ever since his Bollywood debut with Refugee a decade ago. Now he says he doesn’t want to be weighed on the same scale. 

“He (Amitabh) has been on TV and he created history on the medium. Do I hope to be able to outdo that? No, because that’s not possible. Nobody is going to be a better actor than him, nobody is going to be able to make a bigger mark than him on Indian cinema and on world cinema and the same goes for TV. Do I have aspirations of outdoing him? No, I don’t compete with my father,” he said.“You can’t allow comparisons to deter you. You still have to do what you believe in. I am his son, I love him very much and I am his biggest fan. I want him to be around forever and I want him to be the best. I don’t think any son competes with his father. In fact, they are very happy to stand behind and support their father - just as I do, and I am proud of that,” he said. The actor, who has shown his acting skills in films like Yuva, Sarkar, Guru, Delhi-6 and Paa, is excited about his newfound role as a TV show host. He says he made an instant decision to host National Bingo Night, which will have celebrities as well as common people playing two fast-paced rounds of the popular game Bingo.“When the concept was explained to me and when I saw the Australian version of the show, it was right there that I knew that it is something that I want to do. The fact that it was interactive and would give me an opportunity to interact with the common man was a major draw for me,” said Abhishek. “I have called dad just to make sure the show’s TRPs are good,” Abhishek remarked.After shooting for “National Bingo Night”, the actor says he will be back to his film schedules. —IANS 

It is a film that has been in the making for more than two decades and cost a whopping Rs 40 crores, but actor Salman Khan is unfazed while announcing that he is ready to take the blame if Veer fails. The period drama is the brainchild of the Bollywood heartthrob, who also turned scriptwriter for his dream project. 

“I have been told plenty of times that period dramas are not a safe genre and there are many flops to prove the point. I have left it for the audiences to decide if Veer works or not. If it does, the credit will be everybody’s and if it doesn’t, then I will take the blame,” said Khan during a press conference in the city to promote the film, which releases on January 22. 

The 44-year-old actor plays a Pindari soldier leading a revolt against the British in the film set in 1857 and the project in the actor’s own words has been a “long and hard journey.” “The idea has stayed with me for the past two decades and back then there was no scope for an ambitious project like Veer, not the budget, neither the audience. But that has changed now and after a long time, the film finally materialised,” said Khan. The actor went the whole hog for his pet project. He spent months learning horse riding and also started blogging to promote the film. — PTI 

Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar unveiled the music album of his upcoming flick Karthik Calling Karthik in Mumbai. Directed by Vijay Lalwani and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, this romantic-thriller stars Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.Bollywood’s renowned composer trio: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have given a melodious touch to the music album.

The lyrics have been penned down by Farhan’s father and renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar. Launching the music album, Akhtar termed the film’s music as a complete album. Farhan said, “The music of the film has been done of course by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy with whom I have always enjoyed working. They are absolute geniuses. Every song of this film is truly outstanding for me.” “It is a complete album. There are happy songs, there are sad songs, and there is a song that can be played in a nightclub,” he added. Comparing the music of this film with Bollywood Superstar Shaharukh Khan’s upcoming flick My Name is Khan, composer Shankar Mahadevan said the music of Karthik Calling Karthik is youth oriented. Mahadevan said, “The music has been done according to the way Vijay Lalwani has made this film, according to the characters and according to the promos.” “Unlike the music of My Name is Khan, which is very traditional, very Sufi and Indian, the music of Karthik Calling Karthik is very western and youth oriented. It is today’s music,” he added. Karthik Calling Karthik revolves around a lovable loser Karthik, whose life changes with the help of someone who also claims to be Karthik.

The film is a thrilling, soulful and romantic journey of Karthik’s victory against all odds. The film is slated to release on February 26. —ANI

Where there’s a will, there’s a way; where there’s a way, she’ll go…so there she goes, to Scandinavia, to the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Austria, France…comes back and pens down the ‘been there, seen that’ experiences into a first person account, Adrift: A Junket Junkie in Europe. The self-confessed ‘have or no money, will travel’ philosopher Puneetinder Kaur Sidhu, talks her escapes and the escapades across Europe.

“I feel so much at home in Europe, it is really my favourite continent and everything about it is wonderful, its culture, food, customs…” she answers the initial questions on subject of her first book. She travelled solo, with strangers, little money, tons of time, whatever; it’s all there and in bound cover now. “The book is a first person narration, very wittily written that talks about the entire exercise of travelling and also the mode of travelling, which is very interesting,” adds the independent travel writing professional.

Drifting exactly to the most interesting part, the mode of travel, the carpool facility. An initiative of the German government, the organised car pool facility is currently the favoured and cheapest mode of transport where car owners register with the official website offering contact and destination details. “It made it all the more easier, fun, interesting and Europe is like one borderless travel.” With the logistics and the economics taken care of, the next four months it was doing what she does best, travel. “I’ve always been passionate about travelling, ever since the school days treks and tours,” she attributes part of the passion to Chelsea, Shimla and YPS, Patiala days.

No wonder, the hard-core travel enthusiast likes it solo. “Travelling with other people takes away from you what you really wanted to do.”

And the experiences aren’t restricted to just one continent. “I’ve been to the US, to Africa as well but this book deals with four months of experiences in just the Europe.”

Aren’t there two kinds of people in the world, the ones who travel and others who don’t! So where is she heading next? “Well, my book on Himachal Pradesh is on the cards. It’s going to be a nostalgic book on the state, I’m documenting certain heritage in Himachal.”

Beg, borrow, steal, have money, no money, will travel, go wherever the imagination takes, wherever there’s a place, no two ways about it! The journey continues.

Cinema and chemistry, they have no link as far as we can think. But for Surinder Sharma, a retired professor of chemistry from Panjab University, a veteran comedian of Punjabi films and now advisor to the vice-chancellor for culture and academics, this is one combination that has been a passion throughout life.

At present he is shooting for an upcoming Punjabi film Ek Kudi Punjab Di, produced and directed by Manmohan Singh and starring Amrinder Gill, Jaspinder Cheema, Ghuggu Gill and Navneet Nishan, which is based on theatre and problems that students face.

Playing the role of a canteen contractor, he says, “I play a comic role in this movie too. Though I never thought of acting as a career, but destiny had decided it for me and today I have 70 Punjabi films as a comedian, nine Hindi films that include Karam with Rajesh Khanna, Khel Mquadar Ka, Bhakti Mein Shakti and number of plays to my credit.”

This versatile man has written scripts for Punjabi films, has penned a book, Samajdhar Log and has directed almost 100 plays. His first comic break came with Punjabi movie Sat Sri Akal.

Every state of India has its traditional cuisines unique to that place only. Though it’s traditional recipes that score high even today, but who can deny the new experiments with food. And, for an Indian cuisine that includes an array of delicacies, both hot and spicy, cold and mild, cultural influences have added a lot of variety to the Indian cuisine, be it Mughlai, Portuguese or British influences. 

ut with the advent of coffee culture and mushrooming of fast-food joints, we are slowly losing on what we call the traditional Indian cuisine. And, to top it all we are getting into an easy mode of cooking or should we say, microwave cooking. 

Though all of us would like to have something traditional, but who wants to cook or to be precise has time and patience to invest in food? Makar Sankranti has just gone by and how many of us know this is one of those festivals when a lot of special dishes used to be prepared. Since Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrating the harvesting season, so most of the delicacies were made of the new rice coming out of the paddy. 

In the eastern parts of the country, a popular delicacy is pitha or, home made cake. It’s a traditional food item, particularly prepared during the festival of Makar Sankrant. Ingredients necessary for making pithas are powdered rice, coconut, banana, oil etc. The procedure is slightly elaborate and time-consuming but can be easily prepared. Kathichda, a rice dish made out of new rice and kulth (a variety of pulse) is another popular dish that is made on Makar Sakrant in the hills. 

Starting from hills, delicacies like siddu (dumplings of wheat that either have khus-khus, afeem dana or urad dal as filing) askaliyan, chawal ki kachori (rice flour kachori that has a filling of urad dal and masalas) are no more or we would say rarely made in Himachali homes. 

Coming to apna Punjab, when was it that you had gur churi or hooblo (a drink made of milk, sugarcane juice and gur that is boiled for one-two hours). Gone with the wind these dishes are a thing of the past. 

When talking about dishes that are loosing their identity, how many of us know there is a delicacy in Rajasthan made of haldi and a wild vegetable called Kaer Sangri. It is called gatte ki sabzi, chunks of haldi or turmeric are cooked with tomatoes in desi ghee and for kaer sangri it is cooked in mustard oil. 

Sikkim has its particular and unique food culture with specific cuisine and food recipes. Some of the common traditional cuisine with their food recipes are, Gya Thuk or Thukpa, Ningro with Churpi, Gundruk, Phagshapa and Sael Roti. 

Going south all of us know of idli, sambar and dosa but Skenkaran Sundaram from Sundarams- 26 and Mohali says, “Vadas and uthapam are the known dishes around the globe but Adai Aviyal is one dish that is rarely cooked.” Reason. “Difficult to make. This dish takes three pulses. First one has to soak bengal gram, arhar and urad dal for two hours and then ground it into a paste. Then lal mirch and parmal rice are added and the dish is made of out.” Definitely tiresome, but we must not forget tradition is where our heart lies and these special recipes not only provide a opportunity to discover and taste the delicacies but also bind us to our roots.
jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

Drinking wine is more fun than reading about it unless you have a book in one hand and a glass in the other.Wine can be complex or simple but several books can help clear any confusion. The global market for wine is similar to a waterbed – when sales go down in one area, such as bottles costing over $30, they go up in another such as sales of $15 bottles.For consumers looking for popular wines under $15, the latest edition of Robin Goldstein’s and Alexis Herschkowitsch’s “The Wine Trials for 2010” may help.

Cooks eager to know which wine to serve with a particular dish, and who prefer books to apps and the Internet, can read “What to Drink with What you Eat” by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Their coffee-table sized book also suggests the appropriate beers, spirits, coffee and tea for various meals.

But if learning about how wine is made, where it is produced, and the difference between Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris or Pinotage is of more interest, Kevin Zraly’s “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course” can provide some answers. Now in its 25th edition, Zraly said he wrote the book because when he started teaching at Windows, there were few books on wine.

“Alexis Lichine had a book on French wines, as did Robert Parker. But there was no one book on wines of Spain or Italy or California. And everything seemed to be written not for the beginner, but for the expert. So I ended doing it.” Other books can also be useful for the next visit to the wine store.

“Wine for Dummies,” by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, contains some tips on vintages. Ewing-Mulligan, who founded and runs the International Wine Center in New York and is the U.S. director of the London-based Wine & Spirit Education Trust, demystifies what’s in a bottle.

The married couple has also expanded the franchise with “French Wines for Dummies” and “Italian Wines for Dummies”.

The Great Wall never looked so tasty: a team of Chinese confectioners have built a 10 metre (33 ft) long replica of the structure entirely out of chocolate in a bid to entice Chinese to eat more of the sweet stuff.The chocolate wall is made from solid dark chocolate bricks stuck together with white chocolate and is one of the attractions at the World Chocolate Wonderland exhibition and trade show which will open to the public later this month. Chocolatier Wang Qilu said his version of the ancient wall was a feat of engineering in itself, with a carefullyconstructed crumbling section at one end to resemble the real thing. He also had to make sure his materials did not melt.

“You have higher and lower levels and you have to fit each brick into place, one by one, to build it up, it’s difficult,” he said Up to 80 tonnes of chocolate were used in making the displays, which include a mini-army of 560 chocolate replicas of the famous Terracotta Warriors standing to attention on a layer of chocolate flakes. The show’s general manager, Tina Zheng, said she hoped the displays would give chocolate a boost in the Chinese market and its billion-plus consumers.

“Chocolate has not been around in China that long, it doesn’t have that several-thousand-year history that it does in the West which has made chocolate as common as milk or fruit,” she said. “While in China, chocolate is a speciality or something given to children, in general, it is not widely known.” Local and foreign chocolate manufacturers will take part in the show, she added. — Reuters

Have you had the honour of meeting the gorgeous red chillies that are in season now? They are plump, glistening, and a glorious fire-engine red in colour, but beware…for a fire engine is just what you will need to summon, if you were to as much as nibble at one! I admit to being a complete coward when it comes to chillies, having a very poor threshold for teekha. But pickled chillies, once they are tamed by the acid do not threaten me as much! My son, as a two year old, adamantly demanded to be fed this inviting looking pickle beckoning him from a jar in the shelf! So after wasted attempts at persuasion, and tantrums galore, I finally resigned to feed him a tiny lethal piece! Needless to say, I was armed with a cupful of sugar to later revive a bawling banshee! Almost every region of India boasts a chilli variety with its own unique qualities in terms of flavour, colour, and heat. I rely on the rule of thumb that the smaller a chilli, the hotter it is. For these pickles, you could select chillies that are medium hot or mild. While the green chilli pickle is almost instant, the stuffed red beauties should be given 7-10 days to mellow. Then you shall be spared a full sensory onslaught! So let them bask in the sun and wait with patience while they ‘get pickled ‘! 

Stuffed red chilli pickle
15-20 fresh red chilies 
10 tsp salt 
15 tbsp rai 
20 tbsp amchoor powder 
5 tbsp saunf 
2 tbsp jeera 
1 tbsp peppercorn 
1 tbsp cloves 
20 black cardamoms 
1-cup mustard oil

Method 
Remove the stem of the chilies and make a lengthwise slit in each of them. Scoop out their insides, removing seeds and pulp with the stem side of a spoon. Save the seeds and pulp. Grind all the spices in a dry grinder and mix with salt and the seeds. Heat half of the oil and quickly stir fry the mixed masala. Cool and stuff into the waiting chilies. Place chillies in a clean, dry jar and pour rest of the oil over them. Keep the pickle in sunlight for 6-7 days.

Instant green chilli pickle
1 cup chopped green chillies (medium hot variety)
3 tsp coarsely ground yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp coarsely ground methi (fenugreek) seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt
1/8th -1/4th cup refined peanut oil
Juice of 2 limes 

Method
In a bowl first place the ground mustard seeds. Top with ground methi seeds. Place the turmeric powder to a side. Heat the oil in a pan till very hot. Pour over the methi seeds; it will gradually soak into the mustard as it spreads. This method of tempering partially cooks the spices, allowing for just a hint of sharpness. Wash, pat dry, and chop the green chillies. Once the spices have cooled, add the chopped chillies, salt and the lime juice. You may even choose to slit whole chillies and stuff them with this masala. Mix. Store in a clean dry jar. Let sit 24 hours before consuming. Use the lower amount of oil specified if planning to refrigerate the pickle and consume within a few weeks. Use the larger amount of oil if you need longer shelf life. It does not need refrigeration This pickle is best made in small quantities to enjoy the chillies in their crispy state.

Dj Switch. The name is pretty okay for a deejay. What more, every second a deejay has a name tweaked and turned with affects to make it catchy and jazzy. So, Sarabjot Singh becomes DJ Switch, and justifies his work too. Anyways this is not where the buck stops. As Shakespeare said, What’s in name. Switch aka Savi or Sarabjot is better known for his work. His genre? “Progessive, tech and minimal,” says Dj Switch, performing in Crystal, Sector-26 on a Saturday night. “Me and my band member Dj Bhabuk play an interesting mix of all.” Bollywood music doesn’t figure on the list? “Sure it does, puts in the deejay. “Commercial music always goes down well with the partygoers. There are discotheques in Delhi, which have a dedicated fan following for commercial music. These places are not very gung ho on techno or progressive.”

It is the clubbing culture that is witnessing a change. “Clubbing necessarily does not mean dancing and jumping,” says Switch, “It also means relaxing and enjoying some good music. This is what clubbing is and people are opening to the idea as well. Chandigarh too is seeing a change in the clubbing culture.”

From change in the clubbing scenario to what makes a good deejay. Switch shares, “Technical training is important. After this is it is the passion that takes a deejay forward. A deejay needs to understand music and work on the passion. Deejaying too is a competitive job, so a deejay needs to be different if he or she wants to carve a niche. Lastly, the more time a deejay spends with music, the more are chances on understanding, experimentation and creativity.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Metal, Funk, Progressive House, Tech House, Techno, Electro or Minimal House. What makes you let loose and tear apart the dance floor? And mind it, when that happens you’ll not be alone. Three of a kind, Leon Russell, Doktor Daniel and DJ Knightvision along with DJ Divij K from the UK, will provide the required energy flash with their music.

In the city to perform at Black Magic, the trio will hit your senses hard with their electronic sounds, combined with charged up percussions and visual synchronisation. Electronic dance music never got better. “It’s something new that we try to make our music interactive, irrespective of what we play. We change gears in between by going solo, so for the crowd it becomes more than just dancing,” says Leon Russell.

While Leon is into making music since he was 14, Doktor Daniel is the star percussionist of the band and DJ Knightvision, the visual artiste. The three sharing the same musical sensibilities came together a year back after a series of solo gigs at the most happening clubs in the country to form a band. Well, the one without a name, surprisingly.

“It’s like having three individuals playing together. We do our solo acts as well.” The band that majors in underground music has had successful stints at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta and boasts of something that every DJ in this region probably dreams about. “No requests to play Bollywood, to be precise. So far, every club that we have played at, we got no requests to switch on to something else,” says Leon. And why such luck? “The act itself is good in its glory. Though electronic music is not to everybody’s taste, but with continuous percussions and visual effects along with our music, it is enjoyed. We mostly play during the peak hours at clubs and make sure that people don’t go home unhappy.”

Though he does believe that solo acts sometimes come with problems. Now, you might expect a few results if you started Deejaying at the age of 15 as Leon did, but then comes the experience. “Deejaying can be learnt in straight six months. But it takes you at least three years to learn how the masters do it. With us, it is just not about playing the music but getting it across too, even to the ones who don’t understand it.” After all the trial and error, they are ready to go digital with their single ready for release in another two months.

nehawalia@tribunemail.com

It’s the same social cause that inspired lectures, researches, books, seminars and drives. This initiative is just one of them, the only difference being the activists who promoted the cause. It isn’t the usual NGOs but students of various schools of UT who has tried to spread awareness about drug abuse through photographs and posters.

Organised by the Chandigarh chapter of National Population Cell (NPEC), a Government of India initiative, the exhibition has pictures of smoking, tobacco, alcohol and drug consumption. R.P.Verma, the coordinator says, “The NPEC funds schools to perform such tasks annually, which are usually held on a very small scale inside the school premises. A photography exhibition rather has provided a common platform to school representatives to indulge in some constructive work.”

The first prize is bagged by Puneet Virk, whose photograph shows a man smoking a cigarette at a public place. The photographs also convey the message that poverty is no impediment for people to do drug abuse. A photograph of a man from the underprivileged section of society who doesn’t even have any shelter to protect himself from the cold, smoking cigarette shows how no section of the society is unaffected by drug abuse.

Another issue that is evident in the photographs is, menace of drugs is rife among all age groups. There are pictures of kids, school students, adolescents, women and men addicted to some or the other kinds of drugs. A photograph that just has a child’s hand picking cigarette butts shows how addiction in kids can lead to dire consequences.

Ashima Sehajpal

Warm wraps, fine linen and comfy quits — if that’s on your mind, check out ‘n & n’ exhibition at Hotel Aroma-22. A dream project of two young, enterprising friends, Preetinder Kaur and Fatima Khanam, this kids’ designer brand gives you an option to customise apparel and linen.

Out with their range, the duo is all excited about the launch, “It took us three moths to create our first range,” shares Preetinder. “We also offer to do up theme based kids’ room,” says Fatima.

You can your tiny tots name imprinted on the apparels/linen, in colour of your choice. Check out wraps, linen, quilts in cotton and flannel. — Mona

On till Saturday