‘We are young, we run green. See our friends, see the sights, feel allright. We wake up, we go out, see our friends, see the sights, feel allright’ - the UK pop group Bucks Fizz released this single in 1983. Yes, a long time back when social networking sites did not exist! Otherwise, they would have had added many more connecting lines befitting the current scenario. And one connecting line that makes way is – ‘We are young, we follow spirituality on Facebook, We allright!

There you are, you needn’t run to the Himalayas, slip into a robe and hold yourself from satiating your appetite. All you need to do in the current state is to log on Facebook and you will find accounts of spiritual leaders sharing lessons. This is what we call advancement without the papers moving from one Sabha to another (read Lok Sabha to Rajya Sabha) for approval!

Many spiritual leaders have created Facebook accounts keeping in mind the social network bug. Whether it is Dalai Lama, Baba Ramdev, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, spirituality no longer requires you to find time to attend live sermons. In fact, leaders like Rajnish Osho have FB account created by the cult and have a serious following across all ages. Spiritual technological advancement for sure!

Lynne Chiang, spokesperson for Drupka lineage, is amazed at the kind of response she has received on Gyalwang Drukpa Facebook account. “Each person has a different way of looking at spirituality. Youngsters, of course, have a totally different take on it. I am talking about a generation that is hooked to technology, fast cars, movies; who have something up their mind every minute, which surprisingly is meaningful.”

Gyalwang Drukpa FB account received more than 2,800 friends requests on the first day it came online. The spiritual leader is equally surprised. He says, “The young and the restless generation has no time to sit and go through spiritual lessons. Technology is their second name and I thought this was a better way of reaching out to them,” smiles the leader who launched the Live to Love chapter in Sikkim, and is also keen on opening institutions that would help spread the message of peace and clean environment. Each day, Gyalwang Drukpa logs on to his account, answers queries, accepts friend request and spreads the message of spirituality.

Spirituality in a ‘tech avatar’ is something youngsters sure find easy to relate to or else why would Satya Sai Baba have 9300 friend requests everyday? Chetan Sikri is a regular dropper on his profile page. “Literature on the leader, current events, information on other followers, stories of miracles from all quarters, the site has loads of information.” Chetan seconds Lynne view that youngsters don’t have time to sit through teachings or pick up literature on the same. “It’s a cliché, nevertheless, Facebook is a place where the world meets, which makes it an ideal platform for sharing teachings of spiritual leaders. So much so that the leaders have also acknowledged the importance of technology and for once they are okay with it.”

As many as 39,902 followers on Ramdev’s profile, 1, 76,108 on Osho’s and a good 1,36,035 people following Pope John Paul 2 on Facebook, with another 1,200, 256 wanting to know Dalai Lama better… spirituality sure has an online following! With some doubt on the credibility of the profiles, Facebook sure is turning holy!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor has lent her voice to a book - a women’s guide to holistic health that can be both read and heard.

Westland Publishers will simultaneously launch the print and audio copies of noted nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar’s audiobook Women and The Weight Loss Tamasha next week in partnership with Bangalore-based company booksTALK.

The audiobook (available as CD and downloads) is narrated by Rujuta herself with the introduction narrated by Kareena, making her the first major Bollywood star to lend her voice to an audiobook.

The book has a first print run of one lakh copies, of which 40,000 have already been pre-ordered. According to Westland CEO Gautam Padmanabhan, Indians are in tune with oral traditions.

"We grow up listening to stories. Audio books allow us a different way of experiencing a book. It is ideally suited to the peripatetic life of the city dweller and can be heard anytime and anywhere thanks to portable devices such as MP3 players and cell phones," Padmanabhan said.

He says audio books only satisfy a need of a segment of the population that prefers listening to reading or does not have time to read. "I don’t think audio editions spell the end of their paper counterparts," Padmanabhan says. The audiobook is available in MP3 and in a special format that works on iPods and iPhones. In the plethora of diet fads and fears, Rujuta’s voice rings loud and clear, urging people to use common sense and not complicate the act of eating. With over a decade of experience working with people from all walks of life, including Kareena, Anil Ambani, Preity Zinta, Karishma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, she has fine-tuned her methods to the real issues facing urban Indians.

From puberty to marriage and pregnancy to menopause, Rujuta explains in detail the changes women go through and what to do or not during these phases. — PTI 

Vidya Balan has discovered a new side to Delhi. During her extensive shoot in the capital for No One Killed Jessica, the Bollywood star walked through crowded streets and markets, even in old Delhi, and was quite surprised to find that people did not stop to watch the shooting. Delhiwallahs are as busy as Mumbaikars, the actor said.

"I always thought Delhi was a bit more relaxed than Mumbai where nobody walks aaram se (in a relaxed way). But through my walks in Delhi during the shoot of No One Killed Jessica, I realised that people don't have time to look at you. Life is as fast-paced here as in Mumbai," Vidya said.

The 32-year-old essays the role of Sabrina Lall in the film, based on the murder case of model Jessica Lall, who was shot dead by Manu Sharma in 1999. For many scenes, Vidya had to shoot in perennially crowded areas like Connaught Place and Bhikaji Cama Place in the capital, but says she was surprised that no one waited to see the shooting, unlike earlier times. "I give complete leeway to the fact that I was dressed differently - very plain and simply. I saw a mad rush of people in CP and Bhikaji Cama, but people didn't have time to stop and look at us. I had always heard that Mumbai is more used to stars and Delhi isn't used to stars, but even here, no one cared! This is one new side of Delhi that I got to explore," she added.

Vidya spent a-month-and-a-half shooting in Delhi for the Rajkumar Gupta film, and says the experience was heart-warming. The film releases Friday.

It seems Aamir Khan is quite fascinated with the idea of using fellow actor Salman Khan's style statements in his productions. Keeping up the trend, the Bollywood perfectionist has made visible references to the star in his upcoming movie Dhobi Ghat.

It's believed that the hit song Pappu can’t dance saala in Aamir's 2008 hit production Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na was a dig at Salman and his lifestyle. Then Aamir's small-budget satirical hit Peepli Live last year had an actor sporting the star's trademark bracelet with blue stone.

Now in his wife Kiran Rao's directorial debut Dhobi Ghat, releasing January 14, Aamir strikes a hat-trick.

“Prateik Babbar’s character in Dhobi Ghat is shown to be a Salman Khan fan. Prateik is seen wearing the famous Salman Khan bracelet. He loves working out to build a body like Salman’s and he wants to become an actor like him,” read a statement from the film's publicist.

“Prateik’s character hails from a different city and is a part-time dhobi, and a wannabe actor. He is into body-building and thinks Salman is a cool dude."

Also starring Aamir, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra, Kitu Gidwani and Nafisa Khan, the movie revolves around four characters from different classes of society and how their lives are intertwined with each other. — IANS 

Bollywood director Nikhil Advani says his forthcoming Akshay Kumar-starrer Patiala House is about chasing one's dreams despite facing failures.

Inspired by the England cricket team's first Sikh player Monty Panesar, the movie stars Akshay as 34-year-old Parghat Singh Kahlon, a British citizen who sacrifices his dream of being a pace bowler for his autocratic father's ideals.

Life, however, takes a turn when he gets a second chance to see it getting fulfilled. "The essence of Patiala House is pursuing your dream when life gives you a second chance.,” Advani said in a statement.

Also starring Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor and Askhay's mother-in-law Dimple Kapadia, the movie hits the screens February 11.

“We feel that this is a film that every Indian will be able to identify with, as almost all Indians have the experience of living in a joint family,” said co-producers Mukesh Talreja and Bhushan Kumar. — IANS 

It’s the beginning of a new year and like always, you want to add a fresh flavour to your home. But how do you brighten up your room without getting the architect to knock down the walls? Or without expensive furniture or the tiring ritual of painting it all over again?

Keeping these in mind, we get tips for an instant makeover that will make your home look brighter, perkier and sassier, and at the end not cost you much!

“For a simple yet eye-catching change, add colour to your walls or change the curtains. Blinds are also in fashion, so in case you don’t want to change the curtains pick vertical blinds,” says Jaswinder Kaur, interior decorator from Prime Décor, Mohali. She adds, “If you don’t want to re-paint, you can change the tapestry or modify the existing interiors. This is one element of interiors that functions as an immediate ‘pick-me-up’ and adds colour to the décor.”

Ideas are always there, but before you change the décor remember you need to decide a theme or design elements that will gel with your personal style. Lifestyle magazines can also give you ideas on how to change the décor of your house. But if you are running short on time and want an instant makeover, Alka Chandoke, interior designer from The Furniture Store in Mohali, has some tips, “For an instant change, reshuffle your entire furniture. Add new cushions, rugs, lampshades, flowers and paintings for a brand new look. But remember, use only one colour as the theme.” For a complete makeover, she suggests, “If you want your room to look absolutely new, wallpaper can do wonders. This won’t cost much.”

Spelling some more ideas, she says, “Concept walls also make a room look alive. You can have an entire wall of family pictures, which will not only revive memories but also give a fresh look to your room. A corner of music or a bookshelf can also do wonders to the entire décor.” But remember, all your efforts to redecorate will go down the drain if your room is cluttered. This is an important step, which must not be ignored. Once you de-clutter your room, you will have lots of space to keep things.

Bed linen is the best way for maximum change in minimum amount. Choose nice vibrant colours and patterns that make your bedroom look better. Put colorful fluffy pillows on the bed. Besides, you can use beautiful picture frames and wall hangings to decorate your room. Plants, murals, posters and other showpieces can also be used. You can decorate a room in several ways but redo your room in a way that reflects your personal style.

Suggests Sukhmani Bhore, interior and landscape designer from The Finishing Touch in Sector 38 West, “Paint is the cheapest way to re-decorate your room. Texture paint on one wall can make the entire room look different, so can bright paintings on the wall. Rearrangement of furniture and moving things around can also do wonders. To make your furniture look new, polish it or add motifs. Changing light fixtures and handles can also make a huge difference.”

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

For a simple yet eye-catching change, add colour to your walls or go in for new curtains. Blinds are also in fashion, so in case you don’t want curtains pick vertical blinds

Jaswinder Kaur, interior decorator

Someone in the crowd just happens to shoot an unassuming query—‘will we know who the real Deepti is’—to which the lady smiles, wondering what to say. Of the many facets that define her—actor, photographer, poet, script-writer, director, a swashbuckler (she picks up her camera to hit mountains and pastures whenever she wants), the audience at British Library, listening to Deepti’s recital of her poems, tries to gauge the real Deepti Naval. Behind the darkness of asylum, between the lines of the script, in the dull colours of the painting, Deepti swings easy and free!

“Sometimes, I wish I could do just one thing to the best. That would keep life simple. However, I feel the need to trek, to capture pictures, to paint, I am chasing deadlines but I like doing all,” shares Deepti while reciting a selection of her poems pulled out from the book Black Wind and Other Poems. It is a chilly day, and her poems leave you even colder. They take away something, leaving behind a whirlpool of thoughts. “What started as a small note-making exercise for the movie ‘Ankahee’ in a mental asylum for women, strummed the strings of my heart and mind. A visit scheduled for three days stretched to almost 23 days, the end result were words, which followed unabashed and uninhibited,” Deepti cites the reason for those poems in case you are wondering about the personal nature of the poems.

Electric Shock, The Mask, and Stench of Sanity—her words, naked and evident, constitute a direct and honest voice of suffering, madness and pain. “I guess I find and I can see some happiness in darkness. The days I spent in the asylum left a deep impact on me. It removed the layers of fakeness; it made me shed something, something that is false. I came back and wrote a script on the same. Nobody is ready to fund a dark movie,” she smiles. Commercial cinema— the point is clear.

She adds, “I was petrified of acting on stage, nevertheless when I was seven I knew I would be a face on silver screen. I came back to act in a way that I acted and not cheated the audience. So, each time the camera is on, I am deeply into the character, living it every minute, not faking or fooling the audience.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Vallery Lokre, the national champion in the Latin American form of dances, and the nation's top dancesport choreographer Pooja Parikh, both from Mumbai, will be in Chandigarh from January 10 to 16 to hone the skills of the budding dancers of the tricity.

The two will hold a special workshop at the Pracheen Kala Kendra-35 to prepare the dancers for the third Chandigarh DanceSport Championship to be held at the Sector 10 Skating Rink on January 16.

Giving this information Ravinder Talwar, senior vice-president of the Chandiarh DanceSport Association, says the Chandigarh team for the national championship will be selected on the basis of their performance in the Chandigarh meet.

The craze for the standard and Latin American form of dances has gone up tremendously ever since it made its entry into the Asiad arena as a medal sport in the 16th Asian Games held at Guangzhou, China, in November this year.

Talwar says, "This traditional dance form has taken the shape of a captivating sport and is today recognised as DanceSport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). If all goes well this sport may be included in the Olympic Games in 2020".

He adds, “It is the floorcraft and artistic interpretation of the dance forms that make it a captivating sport. The forms comprise standard (waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and quickstep) and Latin American (samba, cha cha cha, rumba, paso doble and jive) dances. 

It’s more than the abstract jargon like ‘inner peace, internal strength, unseen force, higher one, personal awakening’…spirituality to youngsters is at the most the inspiration and the inclination towards life; as philosophical as the last religious sermon and as practical as planting more trees!

“We don’t know the definition of spirituality or the difference between devotion and religion. We neither have the time nor the patience to get into any of that,” Mrigya Samyal, 2nd year B.Com student minces no words. She adds, “It’s all about what is going on at that point of time. I joined an NGO a year back not because we wanted to introduce big changes, but because it was all about the purity of mind and soul.” For her, it’s been an eventful year as part of a non-government organisation FyvElements and working for slum children of Sector 31 side by side. “Doing social work gives me immense happiness. In fact, we got so involved that we didn’t have any events during Diwali and Children’s Day, which made me feel really bad,” Saloni Bajaj, 23, IT engineer, Infosys, is part of the organisation Youth United and is actively involved in social work. “We distributed 75 sweaters collected through individual donations to the children of Hamari Kaksha and slum children at a construction site near IT park.” When it’s about assuming social responsibility, opinions on spirituality are not hard to come by. She adds, “To me it’s about finding a deeper meaning in life and rising above petty things. I was always sensitive towards social issues around me, which made me become a part of a student organisation. Being socially responsible doesn’t mean that you cannot go out and party or lead lives like normal youngsters. Apart from spending time with the needy, I did all of that as well.”

Back to the terminology, most would rather not confuse it with religion, devotion or meditation. Says Yashika Verma, 23, counsellor at a private hospital, “Spirituality to me is about good deeds and listening to the soul’s voice. When I joined Masters in Social Work, I did it because I wanted to do something extra and special. To me somewhere all these things are interconnected.” As Mrigya adds, “I’m not inspired by any great leader or statesman. I’m not even inspired by Gandhiji. With due respect to him, he was good, he was great, he did his job and went. Now we have to do ours and I’m more inspired by a like-minded youngster because then one per cent strength becomes 50 per cent.”

Kanika Sood, 21, BSc IT student, differentiates between the concepts. “Anyone who chants mantras is at the most religious, not spiritual. I’d rather put into practice all those teachings and try and make a difference with small gestures. For example, by being polite and kind to the needy.” As far as definitions go, the evolution continues.

manpriya@tribunemail.com 

Researchers have warned that binge-drinking teenagers are more likely to have mood disorders such as anxiety and depression in adulthood. Researchers at the Loyola University Health System have found that exposing adolescent rats to binge amounts of alcohol permanently altered the system that produces hormones in response to stress.

This disruption in stress hormones ‘might lead to behavioural and/or mood disorders in adulthood,’ researchers reported.

Senior author Toni Pak said while results from animal studies don’t directly translate to people, the findings do suggest a mechanism by which teenage binge drinking could cause mental health problems in adulthood.

“Exposing young people to alcohol could permanently disrupt normal connections in the brain that need to be made to ensure healthy adult brain function,” said Pak.

The Loyola study examined the long-term effects of alcohol on the production of the stress hormone corticosterone in rats.

In the study, researchers exposed adolescent rats to an 8-day binge drinking pattern: three days of alcohol binging, two days off, then three more days of binging.

On binge days, rats were injected with enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol concentration to between 0.15 per cent and 0.2 per cent. A control group of rats received injections of saline.

One month later, when the rats were young adults, they were exposed to one of three regimens: saline injections, a one-time alcohol injection or a binge-pattern of alcohol exposure.

These findings have suggested that alcohol exposure during puberty permanently alters the system by which the brain triggers the body to produce stress hormones.
The findings were revealed at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego. — ANI

A large number of Britons believe that wearing glasses to their interviews can improve their job prospects, a new study has revealed. According to the study, based on a survey carried out by the the College of Optometrists, a third of British adults think glasses make someone look more professional and 43 per cent think that glasses make people look more intelligent. A staggering 40 per cent already wear or would consider wearing clear lenses they do not need just to look the part and improve their chances of getting a job, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported Six per cent of people would wear plain glasses for fashion purposes and nine per cent to look more attractive, the study found. 

Dr Susan Blakeney, Optometric Advisor to the College of Optometrists, said: “It’s great to see a shift in how we perceive glasses. However, it’s important to remember that regardless of fashion trends, wearing spectacles is about seeing clearly and comfortably – not just appearance. “There is huge range of spectacles on the market today so it should be easy to find something to suit everyone.” Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University, said: “It’s not surprising that businesses want to employ intelligent staff but the idea that intelligent people wear glasses is an old stereotype that has not gone away.

“In fact, glasses are a poor indication of intelligence. It is possible that some people have more self confidence and change their behaviour when they put on glasses which could in itself improve chances at interview.” Isabelle Ratinaud, from job site Monster.co.uk, said: It’s interesting to see that people believe glasses give off a more professional image.” — PTI

British adults tell on average three lies a day. An adult in Britain tells on an average three lies a day, including lying about how many people they have had sex with, a survey has found. The study of 3,000 adults by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has revealed that more than a third lie regularly about their workload.

More than one quarter have not been completely honest to their partners and do not tell them about how many people they have had sex with, a publication reported. Nearly all men said they exaggerated the number of women they had slept with, while the majority of women confessed to have decreased the actual number. The study was carried out to mark the DVD release of season two of the drama series

“Lie To Me”. “It’s quite surprising how many people purposely lie. Most of the time it appears they do so to make their lives easier - but getting caught can never be a good experience,” a spokesperson said.

While 20 percent Britons do not tell the truth about salaries, four out of 10 people regularly claim falsely to be sick in order to get a day off at work. One in ten even confessed to having lied about a relative dying to get time off. In job applications, a quarter admitted not being entirely accurate about previous experience and many exaggerated qualifications.

The tiny little ‘tweety pie’ can create a real ruckus at times. Every attention grabbing celebrity will vouch about the little birdie’s wood-pecking abilities. What’s with half-an-hour of breaking news based on some of the harmless 140 characters? Want to have more people following you on Twitter or commenting on your blog post? Well, a latest study says the more ‘negative’ your tweets the more comments you garner.

Rather the attention seizure begins right from an unusual tweet name. Opines Ivneet Singh, young entrepreneur, “Anything with a negative connotation generates more curiosity because people want to counter-attack; they’ll never be in agreement with what you are saying.” He adds, “People find some inherent satisfaction in flaming, you post anything neutral and there’s never the same level of response.”

According to the study, long conversations almost always start with ‘negative’ comments. A group of Slovenian and British researchers used something called ‘sentiment analysis’ to identify emotional content in posts on online discussion forums. Shares Puneet Tandon, student, DAV college, “It’s not about a particular psychology or negativity. You generate interest or more comments with anything that people connect to; it could be something positive also. The study is partly true because generally negative things attract attention and spread like wildfire.” But he would never resort to flaming for the heck of it. “I generally put witty tweets, so all of those at the same wavelength will follow me. When we had the 2G scam and Commonwealth fiasco, I brought the positive side of them through my tweets, even that had a lot of people commenting on it.”

Peeya Suri, English (hons) student, differs, “Somewhere, the popularity of these social networking sites lie in the platform they provide for taking potshots and throwing around sarcasm. If done in a covert way, why not? I would obviously react to it more than any ‘miss goody two shoes’ writing about all things nice.” As for the study, it also found that long conversation threads are overwhelmingly more emotionally negative than short ones, with happiness scores decreasing logarithmically with the number of messages!

Needless to say, recalling angry posts comes easier than those declaring happiness and satisfaction. Laughs Puneet, “I’m following Steve Job and I remember once he tweeted how friends do not let friends buy windows. The verbal sarcasm between Apple and Microsoft is so mutual.”

Negative emotions might accelerate the number of messages sent by the users, but somewhere a line has to be drawn. As Ivneet sums up, “People writing ill about their relatives, spouses or even ex-flames is in bad taste; everything else is acceptable.” As for the flaming or the online rage, bring it on!