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The Shaw goes on
At the roundabout near PGI, Frederick drives his car through heavy traffic. He senses our surprise at his near perfect driving. "I have been driving for over 61 years. I was 19 when I started it," Frederick Shaw, who belongs to Ireland and now working with Developing Indigenous Resources in India as CEO, clears the air. His age comes as another surprise. A kilometer further, Frederick takes a right turn and meanders through the lanes of Janta colony. To save a few precious minutes he talks as he drives about the cause that brought us to the colony. "There are precisely 220 malnourished children in here," he explains. The cause doesn't end at discovering the problem; only work on solution has begun. Inside a room at the DIR building in the Janta colony, Gurpreet Singh is busy supervising three volunteers who handle the children of the area. The children divided in the group of 15, have to answer questions like, 'How do you prepare ORS at home? Or, what are the immediate sources of protein and essential minerals? Or, what is a doctor's recommended immunisation schedule for children etc'. It is in these questions that the solution lies. Conceptualised by Gurpreet, the programme Goal-Eradication Malnutrition (GEM) has an involvement of 121 children between the age group 9-14 from the colony who are being educated on how they can help improve the health condition of the malnutritioned infants. "Children are being taught the basics of hygiene and nutritional diets. They will then be visiting houses in the colony to impart the same education to parents and siblings," informs Gurpreet. Assisting him in the cause is Marta Mateos from the US. She gives us some vital inputs as well. "The children will check the weight of malnutrition kids on a regular basis and keep a record of it," she says. Frederick decides to play with human nature. "That is, always craving for appreciation. The best performer will win a bicycle," he says. The students at the DIT aren't taught through the conventional means of lectures or books. "We wanted our students to develop interest in the activity. It is through puppet shows, street plays, games and painting competitions that we educated them about the cause," he says. However, Gurpreet, Marta and Frederick are also aware of the ground reality that the children can't be expected to be the experts when it comes to health. As Marta puts in, "The programme works on the principle that out of a 100 odd facts we teach our students about the health, they will retain at least 50 per cent, which is better than knowing nothing." As we continue with our talk, work is in the process to educate the children. Sarita, a volunteer brings in a dish of rice flakes and jaggery to teach students how to make ladoos out of it. She says hello and says, "Rice flakes and jaggery are rich in iron that will help increase their hemoglobin." Frederick believes the exercise will serve another purpose, "Besides helping the malnutritioned kids to improve their health, these volunteers will be able to take good care of themselves and their family. The programme thus has wider reach that is not limited to just 220 kids." The prime concern though remains the same. "Remember these kids are categorised as grossly malnutritioned, who can die any moment and it's important to save them." On our way back, Frederick tells us that he plans to retire 'soon' at 94. We ask how he manages the funds. He answers, "We arrange funds for the oragnisation. It's a registered NGO but we haven't got funds yet from foreign bodies." He adds that the situation was a little better till last year as his friends used to donate. "But then recession hit the US and we too suffered," he says. The contribution to funds hardly comes from the government. His next sentence pinches us even more, 'Somebody in the neighbourhood just spent in crores for his daughter's marriage'. And somebody's daughter is grossly malnutritioned just a few kilometers away from his neighbourhood! ashima@tribunemail.com
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An enigma called Tagore
Believing and getting inspired from these words of wisdom that Rabindranath Tagore offered to the world is Arnab Bandhopadhyay. The renowned artiste who has been learning and performing Rabindra nritya natyas or the Tagore dance for the past 20 years will be presenting his Tagore Maya at Tagore Theatre.
"Rabindranath Tagore transformed his short stories into dance drama. I perform Tagore dance in a ballet form with a mix of odissi and bharatnatyam," he says. The act will be peformed by a team of 10 dancers and choreographed by Arnab. Having received pretigiuos awards like Sanget Vibhakar, Sangeet Ratna by Bangiya Sangeet Parishad for his style of dancing, Arnab has had comprehensive training in bharatnatyam under Anita Mallick and specialised in odissi under Sutapa Talukdar and Padmabibhushan Sri Kelucharan Mahapatra. With his pure, clasiscal background, he says, Tagore dance is contemprory and versatile in its fusion form. "Tagore dance brings in the elements of classical and contemprory dance forms. There is no hard and fast rules to define it as it not distinct but very mixed in its style." Though the contemprory styles are very different from the western style dancing. "The only diffrence between Tagore ballet and a French ballet is that the music is live and not playback in the former. Even this is an opera changed into dance drama form by Tagore." The reason his perfomances in Montreal, Canada were received tremendously by the french community. "Tagore's music and dance forms transcend the language and cultural barriers. It serves the senses, irrespective of the fact which part of the universe you belong to." Well, anybody who has seen Chandalika and Chitrangadha, the famous nritya natya's by Tagore, would vouch for the visual, intellectual and emotional experience it provides.
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Wedding plans
Marriage may not be on her list of priorities for now but Sameera Reddy has already decided on the jewellery and look for her big day.
The actor will sport a traditional South Indian look on her wedding day complete with her mother's old
jewellery.
"My mum has kept Mangalore style jewellery with coins, ruby chains, coral jewellery sets especially for my marriage," said Reddy, who was in the Capital to inaugurate MMTC Festival of Gold 2010. The actor, however, refrained from divulging her plans of settling down. "There is nobody in the zone for me to get married to, so let us not talk about it," she said. Asked about her personal style statement, the celebrity said, "Few pieces give you the look...I do not wear too much, if it is a necklace then that should stand out. I go for one piece which is enough to make a style statement." Reddy, who has starred in Bollywood films like Musafir, Race and Taxi No 9211, will next be seen in Nagesh Kukknoor's Yeh Hosla and Suneil Shetty starrer Red Alert. Apart from Bollywood, Reddy has also worked in Telugu films Jai Chiranjeeva and Narasimhudu and Tamil film Varanam Aayiram. —
PTI |
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Nothing cool about it
Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan on Saturday lost his temper after being mobbed by the media on a visit to the shrine of Sai Baba in Shirdi town but later said he should have acted with restraint in dealing with the throng of
mediapersons.
"Visited Shirdi this morning, a family tradition before each release since decades. Dad, mom, Su (wife Sussane) and me. But today was different... it took effort to pray with 30 media cameras feeding off every private moment... tried to feel peace... couldn't," Hrithik posted on his Twitter page. The actor says he lost his patience -- after a point. "Can't believe they can now enter god's shrine for TRPs. Polite words requesting (privacy) were ignored. Right now I'm trying to forgive myself for losing my cool. But I guess when it comes to family, any man would do the same," he said. Hrithik, who stars opposite Mexican actor Barbara Mori for Kites, is known for his calm nature. He said he reacted strongly because he felt his privacy with his family was being invaded. "For d (the) first time in 10 years as an actor, today I felt my privacy being invaded. What they did was wrong. But I wish I could've risen above and given them all a big hug. We're all human, we're all the same. Only love can heal...," the 36-year-old said. Kites is produced by his father Rakesh Roshan and is distributed by Reliance Big Pictures. It will release May 21 in over 60 countries. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has wished Hrithik success for the movie. "I send you peace my friend. A piece of love... a piece of success and a large piece of life, love and light to you in abundance," Shah Rukh posted to Hrithik. —
IANS
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She cares!
She is known for her 'devil-may-care' attitude and is not one to mince words, but reality show star Sambhavna Seth wonders whether being more manipulative would have helped her showbiz career. "I sometimes regret being so straightforward and non-manipulative. I wonder - if I knew how to be sweet to people and sugarcoat my words, then maybe I would have been more likeable and things would have been easier for me in this industry," Sambhavna said.The star, who is considered the next favourite drama queen on the small screen after Rakhi Sawant, is known face in Bhojpuri cinema and shot to fame in Bollywood with the reality show Bigg Boss 2."I have done 60 films in the language and was called the Helen of Bhojpuri films. The fame got me entry into the house of Bigg Boss," said Sambhavna.The actor will next be seen donning the hat of a village belle in upcoming reality show Desi Girl on Imagine TV.The show has a total of eight Mumbai-bred television and film stars living in a Punjab village. Braving the heat without air conditioners or refrigerators, Sambhavna also has to do daily chores like milking the cows and making cow-dung cakes."In real life, I wouldn't have been able to live like this in a village. I got scratched and bruised while trying to do the task where we had to catch hens," she said.
Apart from starring in reality shows herself, Sambhavna was also seen making guest appearances in Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega, the show where Rahul Mahajan chose a bride for himself. And Sambhavna doesn't mind doing a Sawaymvar of her own either."I will get married, if I get a good guy. I can also conduct a Swayamvar of my own, lets see," she said. Sambhavna is not afraid of being typecast as a reality show star as she admits that the fame she is enjoying now is all due to shows like Bigg Boss."I have struggled a lot to establish myself in life and have got luxury after a long time. I am surviving because of these reality shows, they have given me a place in the Hindi industry. It doesn't matter to me if people attach the reality show tag," said Sambhavna. —
PTI |
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Ian's Bollywood innings
The movie in Hindi, is about a young Sikh who battles to repair his dad's reputation after meeting a girl who gives him courage.It is reported that the cricketing legends make an 'amusing' guest appearance. —
ANI |
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Mama Mia
"Going to be my 1st Mother's Day...funny how the roles reverse...lovely feeling though...Happy mom's day," Amrita posted on her Twitter page. — IANS |
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In the Hot list
Zeenat Aman has beaten off tough competition from some of the greatest film icons in the history of Indian cinema to top Eastern Eye's list of the 50 Sexiest Bollywood Stars of all time. The first leading lady to truly and fully express her sexuality, Zeenat lit up the 1970s with her beautiful face and near perfect body. The fashion icon laid the blueprint for the sexier heroines who dominate Bollywood today and inspired a number of incredibly attractive clones.
The unique countdown of male and female film stars encompasses different eras of Bollywood and gives an interesting insight into the glamorous side of the Hindi film industry from different generations. The first-of-its-kind countdown is dominated by the sexy leading ladies, who occupy 29 out of the top 50 spots. The highest placed men were Dharmendra, who came in at No 3 and Shammi Kapoor at No 5. The highest stars from the current generation were Hrithik Roshan at No 7 and Bipasha Basu at No 12. The non-Asians in the list are silent screen goddess Sulochana (19) and 1930s action woman Fearless Nadia (34). Other stars in the list include Madhubala (2), Parveen Babi (6), Salman Khan (13), Rekha (20), Feroz Khan (25), Shah Rukh Khan (30), Suraiya (32), Katrina Kaif (39) and Akshay Kumar (46). —
ANI
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Unsavoury truth
"It's really hot here...but I quite like India. People are very warm. (But) I don't really like Indian food. I had tried some things in my past visits, but I found it to be too spicy and complicated." "So when I am here, I eat white rice and plain chicken or cakes and pastries," Barbara said. Kites is slated to hit screens May 21. |
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Remembering Batalvi
Songs that immortalised literary genius Shiv Kumar Batalvi, like Mainu tera shabaab lei baitha", Ki puchh deo hall faqiran da, were the titles of musical tributes paid to legendary Punjabi poet on his 37th death anniversary by various cultural associations in the city.
The State Bank of India, the employers of Shiv Batalvi, organised a function to commemorate the anniversary of their former colleague at the main bank hall. SK Sehgal, chief general manager, honoured Aruna Batalvi wife of the poet. A group of amateur singers led by senior bank executive NK Talwar presented songs written by Shiv Batalvi. During the NZCC-sponsored main programme at Kalagram and later for the senior citizens chapter 6, artistes like SD Sharma, Vetrika Bhatnagar, Prem Vij, Gurbachan Nanada, Atul Sharma and others regaled the audience with ghazals penned by Shiv Batalvi. Earlier, a special musical tribute function was held at Kalagram under the direction of Varinder Bachan wherein differently-abled Tejawani, Naval Mehta, Pammi Hanspal, Muktesh, Pushpinder and others participated. The Kayanat Arts president Gobradhan Gabbi held a seminar and screened rare songs sung live by Shiv and others. The Punjab Arts council is planning to hold a tribute function at Batala at the site of Shiv Batalvi memorial by the end of May. |
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Different strokes
An effort by the Institute of Fine Arts-8, the exhibition had 80 works by 40 students. The exhibition takes one through the experience of the students, right from learning water colour separation to drawings, painting, graphic design, photography and digital art. The class projects on themes like man and machine, buttons and social issues make for interesting artwork. Buttons become part of a nest in a drawing, eyes in photoshoped photograph and headline of a newspaper. Renderings on the theme of man and machine, students have come out with beautiful pencil sketches. Portraits in traditional attires is another interesting section. Also, some window displays for jewellery find place in the exhibition. Woman sitting on the floor is a beautiful collage and some caricatures, including one of Lalu Prasad Yadav, are also on display. "Our annual exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for the students to get a feedback on their work," shares a teacher present at the venue. "This is our institute's fifth exhibition and like always, we got a good response. We also invite companies to the exhibit who place our students from second year onwards," says Balbinder Basson, director of the institute. |
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Happy feet
Featuring in just two dance sequences Aan milo sajna in Gaddar with Sunny Deol and Amisha Patel and Garba Lagaye.. in Devdas with Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit have made me immensely popular," says kathak dancer Mahua Shanker. "But instead of riding on this popularity wave I wish to sincerely devote myself to kathak," adds Mahua.
"True, that all the fine arts like music, dance or painting really awaken one's aesthetic sense but only when one delves deep to learn and appreciate the finer nuances. It is imperative to create awareness about art and styles of imparting knowledge under the guru-shishya tradtion " opines Mahua. "In fact, I grew up teaching when I was still learning under the blessed tutelage of Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj. I had been going with guruji for dance workshops in many countries where we hold annual sessions," she recalls. Asked how the rudiments of art could be instilled in a limited time during a workshop or demonstration, she reiterates that interest and knowledge create awakening, inspiring one to be inquisitive and a learner. Such workshops have made Indian classical arts well known in foreign lands. "Though every dance form has its own aura, kathak is endowed with more versatility and improvisations with compositions weaved around themes relating to the common men," she avers. Rightfully awarded with the Shringar Mani-2007, she as a young dancer has the distinction of performing in Rashtrapati Bhavan and all major festivals and productions of Pandit Birju
Maharaj. |
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Spice up
Many natural ingredients help to cool and refresh the skin during summers. Most fruits can be used for face packs. In fact, fruits like cucumber, papaya, melons, et al. have a cooling effect. These can be used as face masks. They also soothe the skin, while many of them help to remove sweat deposits and reduce oiliness.
Here are some ways to use natural ingredients for summer skin care:
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Pulling a fast one?
We seldom bother about the means that lead to a certain end. What matters to us is just the final result. Especially so, if we are talking about weight loss. Who cares how we lose it as long as we lose it?
There have been enough debates on the right mode to lose weight, but not much has been discussed about the right time required to lose specific pounds. A recent study at the University of Florida gave importance to the means as well. It suggested, 'Shedding weight quickly is the best way to achieve lasting results'. The opinion when discussed with the fitness trainers and experts, however, was not seconded. The general belief here is, losing weight at a faster rate means gaining weight at the same pace. Also, there are several apprehensions related to losing weight in less time. Says Jasvir Kaur, owner, Oceanic, "The normal healthier practice is to lose not more than 2 kgs in a month." Losing a lot of weight is medically not recommended as it might affect the body's internal organs. As Jasvir puts in, "It's common sense that losing weight at a faster rate than usual is an indication of something wrong with the body system. People do begin to work out in the gym with enthusiasm but fails to sustain it." The result is you gain as soon as the strenuous workout is stopped. Balwinder Singh Saini, fitness trainer, Planet Fitness, feels only if weight loss is proportionate to the work out and diet, then it is justified. "One can shed weight faster only by crash dieting and extreme gymming, and both are unhealthy." The fat percentage in the body decreases with workout but skin takes time to tighten. "The biggest disadvantage of losing weight fast is that skin begins to sag. People give a lot of importance to cardio exercises as it helps lose weight as compared to weight training. In fact, weight training is equally important as it helps tighten up the skin by toning," informs Jasvir. Sudden weight loss can later on lead to sudden weight gain, which leads to stretching of skin. "The outcome of sudden weight gain is stretch marks. It is thus the gradual weight loss that is preferred," says Anil Juneja, a city-based yoga expert. Anil is, however, not against weight loss in lesser time as long as it done the healthier way and suits the body type. "It shouldn't be a temporary weight loss. Also, diet and exercising regime should be in accordance with the metabolic rate of the person. In case of a faster metabolism, lighter exercise should be done to make sure that weight loss is not sudden," he says. The idea to speed up the weight loss through fat burners is also condemned by the fitness experts. "People go in for easier options like fat burners, which amounts to temporary weight loss and can even lead to sagging of skin," adds Balwinder. Slow and steady still wins the race! ashima@tribunemail.com |
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BODY wise
A vacation is a time to unwind, celebrate, rejuvenate, see new places and try new things. But it can lead to inconvenience when it comes to eating out especially if you are trying to diet healthy and maintain or lose weight. It's very easy to fall off the healthy eating wagon when you're on a vacation. An irregular routine - not to mention all of the temptations - can make you opt for poor choices. While you're on vacation, don't take a vacation from your healthy eating habits. It is tough to eat healthy when you're not preparing your own food but with a little common sense and hard work, you can eat healthy and still manage to have fun. Eating healthy on vacation is possible if you plan accordingly. Everyone who leaves home can/should make health concerns part of their planning. Here are some ways to stay on a healthy eating plan while on a vacation and still enjoy:
kalrasachin@hotmail.com |
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Recap
Life for most recipients of a joint/knee replacement is vastly improved after healing from the procedure. Pain that was once always present is often eradicated, allowing normal activity levels during the day and sound sleep at night. However patient related factors besides surgical precision are equally important in ensuring long term survival of artificial knee. The main problem of joint replacements is loosening and infection.
With time and stress, fixation of cement to bone can fail. It is hoped that in time cementless replacements will prove more able to withstand vigorous activities. Both cemented and cementless knees should be treated with the same care. One should minimize activities which can cause loosening. In case of loosening of the implant, movement between it and the bone can cause pain and discomfort leading to revision-operation. Exercise is possible. Running, jogging, tennis, Basketball, racquetball, badminton, football, baseball, horseback riding are available options. Also go for swimming, walking and biking. Activities like weight-lifting and jumping from heights are dangerous for the recipient. One should never lift or carry more than twenty kilograms of weight. It is utmost important that you don't become overweight, since excess weight increases the stress on the knee replacement, and can cause loosening. The possibility of infection occurring around the replacement is another concern. For the rest of your life if you develop an infection elsewhere in your body (for example bladder infection, infected cuts, boils, dental abscesses) this infection can travel via bloodstream to the replacement. Therefore, if the recipient of knee replacement develops an infection he or she should consult the physician or surgeon and have him treat it promptly. Viral infections, such as colds and most sore throats are not a problem. Dental work can release bacteria and push bacteria into the bloodstream causing an infection in the recipients' joint replacement. It is recommended that the recipient of the knee replacement should take antibiotics if undergoing dental treatments (other than simple cleaning of your teeth.) Patients with immunosupression, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosis, insulin-dependent diabetes, hemophilia, or who have had previous prosthetic joint infections are especially at risk and should take these precautions. The writer is a city based Orthopaedic Surgeon. |
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Matters of heart
Women are twice as likely to suffer from heart diseases caused by stress at work places as compared to their male counterparts, a new study has found. The finding suggests that the well-known damaging effects of job stress on men cause more harm to women's heart. During the study, among female nurses in Denmark, researchers observed for 15 years the impact of having a demanding job on the hearts of 12,000 women aged 45 to 64. Those who complained of excessive pressure were at least 50 percent more likely to have heart disease than those who said the pressure was manageable or appropriate. This figure was reduced to 35 percent when lifestyle factors such as smoking were taken into account.
The effect was greatest among nurses aged under 50, who ran twice the risk if they had a high pressure job, The Independent reported. The researchers from the Glostrup University Hospital in Denmark say heart disease is more common in older people and so causes such as stress are harder to distinguish from other lifestyle factors. During the observation period 1993-2008, 580 women had been admitted to hospital with heart disease, of whom 138 had suffered a heart attack. The results were published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The researchers also analysed the results for the first five years of the study, when the nurses were younger. This showed the effects of stress were greater, relatively, with up to a doubling in the risk of heart disease for those under the greatest pressure. June Davison, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Feeling under pressure at work means stressed employees may pick up some unhealthy bad habits and add to their risk of developing heart problems. "Pressurised workers may reach for cigarettes, snack foods and alcohol to make themselves feel better. If you feel under pressure, you should try and tackle it in a positive way and get active during work hours". He said using the stairs and walking some of the way to work could help act as a stress buster and boost heart health. —
IANS
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Sweet truth
A compound in dark chocolate is likely to protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage. Scientists found that a single modest dose of epicatechin, a compound found naturally in dark chocolate, helps in less brain damage in mice induced with ischemic stroke. While most treatments against stroke in humans have to be given within a two to three-hour time window to be effective, epicatechin appeared to limit further neuronal damage when given to mice 3.5 hours after a stroke. Given six hours after a stroke, however, the compound offered no protection to brain cells. Sylvain Doré, associate professor of anaesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says his study suggests that epicatechin stimulates two previously well-established pathways known to shield nerve cells in the brain from damage.
When the stroke hits, the brain is ready to protect itself because these pathways are activated. In mice that selectively lacked activity in those pathways, the study found that epicatechin had no significant protective effect and their brain cells died after a stroke. Eventually, Doré says, he hopes his research into these pathways could lead to insights into limiting acute stroke damage and possibly protecting against chronic neurological degenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and other age-related cognitive disorders. The amount of dark chocolate people would need to consume to benefit from its protective effects remains unclear, since Doré has not studied it in clinical trials. People shouldn't take this research as a free pass to go out and consume large amounts of chocolate, which is high in calories and fat. Not all dark chocolates are created equally, he cautions. Some have more bioactive epicatechin than others, says a Johns Hopkins release. —
IANS
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"I will don a complete South Indian look on my wedding day, Mangalore style...," said the 27-year-old actor.
Hrithik went with his family to Shirdi to pray at the Sai Baba shrine for the success of his forthcoming film Kites but left disappointed from there after an altercation with the mediapersons.
Legendary cricketer-turned-fundraiser Ian Botham will be starring in a Bollywood movie, it has emerged. The 54-year-old will play a role in the new film Patiala House. Botham, aka Beefy, will be accompanied by fellow England players Graham Gooch and David Gower on set. They will be filming for the movie in the coming few weeks in London.
Bollywood actress Amrita Arora, who gave birth to a baby boy February 5 this year, is excited about her first Mothers' Day, Sunday.
Mexican actor Barbara Mori, who will be seen opposite Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan in the forthcoming film Kites, likes being in India but dislikes the Indian food.
encil sketches, water colour drawings for sari borders, portraits, storyboards, animations, advertisements, package designs to other publicity material like posters, diaries and calendars - budding artists have left no stone unturned to showcase their creative talent which are on display at the Government Museum and Art Gallery-10.
She is on a noble mission of conducting classical dance workshops in urban and rural areas of Himachal Pardesh. During a brief stay en route, at the residence of Dr S Lavasa of Spic-Macay, she shares her views on preservation and propagation of Indian classical dance heritage. 
Clays like fuller's earth (multani mitti) have a cooling effect. To reduce oiliness, mix one tablespoon fuller's earth with rose water. Apply the paste on the face and wash it off after 15 to 20 minutes.