The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - The Tribune Lifestyle

	Young take on relations Sumrit Shahi, a Chandigarh-based young author, talks on how his writing connects to the readers Sabia Talwar Sumrit Shahi, an eighteen year old, Chandigarh-based author is tagged as the bestseller with his first novel Just friends and the recent one being A Lot Like Love… a li’l like chocolate. Sumrit is presently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from Symbiosis, Pune. We ask him to share his experiences as a young writer. A Lot Like Love… The story is a contemporary take on relationships and it’s not just a love story. It’s about two teenagers who fall in love, and then that relationship goes through phases of long distance to an open one, to the time they take time off each other. It does not have a happy ending as I have seen relations turning into bad experiences. Real life inspired I would say that it is part fiction and rest of the facts is picked up from my friend’s life. The situations dealt with in the novel are all from real life and every youngster can connect to it. The story is no doubt very technology supportive like that of BB, Facebook and Skye and is a commentary on love relations. A little like chocolate? I have compared love with chocolates as they are symbolic to love. A chocolate is bitter, sweet, tempting and if had too much in excess proves dangerous and that’s the same with love. It depends on to you how you place love in your life. Love struck? Though I have been into a relation and also been out of it, I feel it is difficult to write about love when you are not in it. I will always see myself writing romantic stories as I’m inspired by love stories around me always. Moving on I generally leave an open end to my story and many of my readers might hate me for this but this is my style. My friend is still dating his girl, but I’ve shown the characters parting off and moving on in life. I don’t want people to get depressed, but it is true that people won’t ever stop believing in love. Character sketch The characters named Shadab and Arnika have their own shades and are two strong-headed personalities. The story revolves around both of them being together on an equal footing. Growing phase I have literally grown in content and as a person since my first novel. I’m in college now and moved away from home to a free environment. Also, in terms of writing I have tried to use crispy language, short sentences; a lot of adjectives and refrained from using the slang. I have also cut down to the cheese and flab and my recent novel is more realistic. Future work I’m already a bestseller with Just friends crossing a sale of 50,000 copies and even A lot Like Love…and a li’l like chocolate, is a bestseller online with a sale of 10,000 copies. I have an offer from Penguin publishers to write a sequel to Just Friends and I’m working on another one which will be on lines that love is a friendship like fire, where one needs to sacrifice a lot. sabiatalwar@tribunemail.com
	Celine’s shoe fetish Celine Dion has confessed about her obsession with footwear and revealed that she owns about 3,000 pairs. The 43-year-old singer is obsessed with footwear and has admitted to being unable to resist adding to her collection when she goes out shopping, but she doesn’t feel guilty because it’s her only real vice. “If you have, let’s say, 600 pairs of shoes, you’re considered a freak? I have about 3,000 pairs. Look, some people do drugs, and I buy shoes,” she said in an interview. The My Heart Will Go On singer feels very lucky to be able to buy expensive shoes and other luxuries and admits the spending power she now has and the lavish Florida estate she lives at with her husband Rene Angelil and their children, 10-year-old son Rene-Charles and 13-month-old twins Eddy and Nelson, is very different to the house she was raised in. Dion, who has sold millions of albums worldwide, has acknowledged her fans as being responsible for giving her a great life and she is thankful that after 30 years people still want to come and see her perform. “My fans bought me my house. They bought my records … I’m very fortunate, and people have bought my albums year after year, and they come to see the shows, and it’s expensive, and they still come,” she added. —ANI
	GYAN ZONE stress buster Travel TIME Renee singh With Christmas and New Year around the corner and holidays approaching, vacations are the prime thought in everyone’s mind. Highly recommended is a family vacation as everyone in the family, whatever their age and circumstance gets an opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves. A family holiday gives parents a well earned rest and allows them adequate quality time with their kids. Family holidays Encourage kids to contribute towards planning the itinerary. This helps soothe sibling rivalry. If you have kids choose a place with adequate childcare facilities so that you can enjoy occasional time alone with your partner. Travelling abroad Preparing for a journey could be very exciting but very stressful. Culture shock Equip yourself with knowledge of customs and culture of your destination. Invest time in learning a few key words and simple phrases of the country you are visiting so that you can have a friendly interaction with local people. Flying comfortably Stay Comfortable during long flights. For that you must do the following Dress comfortably Have a good night’s sleep before embarking Eat light during flights Avoid alcohol it increases dehydration Drink lots of water Stretch your limbs even on your seat to soothe your muscles and increase your circulation. Road travel To avoid becoming irritable exhausted or tense during long distance drives, follow these tips: n Plan journey so that you miss periods of traffic or congestion on busy roads n Listen to music to soothe your nerves n Stop frequently to stretch and relax n Once you have made up your mind to holiday you must n Relax and chill and do not carry your work with you n Leave all your emotional baggage behind n Just be a new person on your vacation someone you have had no time to get in touch with n Be the man or woman you have always dreamt you will be n Enjoy yourself completely n Unwind from every possible negative thought n Come back feeling truly rejuvenated Bon voyage! (Singh is a Chandigarh based psychotherapist)
	Fabric fair All India Handicrafts and Handloom Fair on at Kisan Bhavan-35 brings a range of fabrics in cotton and silk like Saganeri, Bagru, Dabu, Gamthi, Gujari, Bagh, Kalamkari, Batik and Ajarks. Also, a variety of weaved and embroidered fabric provide for a quick wardrobe update. The ready to wear section has women kurtis, salwar kameez, dupattas, gents kurta-pajama and ethnic wear for kids. There are also home furnishing items like Kalamkari rugs, Gudari, Punja durries, table cloths, printed and weaved bed covers and curtains. — TNS (On till Monday)
	Black out Woes People often turn to unreliable sources rather than asking someone who was sober, to piece together forgotten memories of booze-fuelled blackouts, a new study has revealed. Researchers at the University of Surrey in Guildford, asked 280 college students to fill in a survey asking whether they had experienced a partial blackout, where they had some memories of the event, or a total one when they forget everything they did or saw. The survey revealed that 24 percent admitted to having had a total blackout while 37 percent said they had only experienced a partial one. Researchers identified a trend among blackout sufferers to ask people who had also been drinking for information about what happened and how they behaved, instead of possibly getting a more accurate account from a non-drinker. Three-quarters of those quizzed confessed unintentionally making up information when a friend passed out, for example claiming they had been sick or had sex with a stranger. Yet only 17 percent of blackout sufferers divulged that they later found out about the false information being told to them. The report’s lead author, psychology lecturer Robert Nash, asserted that the distinctive cause of a blackout is excessive drinking over a short period. “I was surprised at how highly motivated people were to reconstruct these forgotten alcohol-soaked experiences, despite knowing that doing so can often lead to considerable embarrassment or panic,” a website quoted Nash. —ANI
	Master Chef Tomato Tango Kandla Nijhowne Tomatoes are so self-contained I feel, that they are a perfect receptacle for flavourful stuffing and filling. You can slice the top off, fill them and bake them, topped with grated cheese to create a perfect colourful and nourishing starter. When I make a baked batch, I love putting their little ‘hats’ back on afterwards ! Tomatoes possess high antioxidant content. They also have a good amount of lycopene which is proven to promote bone health. The good news is that tomatoes may not have to be deep red in order for us to get great lycopene-related benefits. Even the orangish-yellow ones are as beneficial as the red beauties ! Cottage-Cheese stuffed Tomatoes n 4-5 similar-sized tomatoes n 1 tbsp oil n ½ tsp oil for smearing n 1 medium sized onion, chopped n 3-4 cloves garlic, minced finely n 200 gm cottage cheese(paneer) n ½ tsp dried herbs n ¼ cup boiled rice n 1 tbsp each of chopped almonds and cashew nuts n 2 tbsp raisins n Salt, pepper and chilli powder to taste n 3 tbsp grated processed cheese Method Slice off the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp. Smear the outer skin of the tomatoes with the half teaspoon of oil. Chop up the pulp and keep aside. Saute the onion and garlic in hot oil till softened. Add the chopped tomato flesh. Add the crumbled paneer, rice, dried herbs and seasoning. When cool, combine with the nuts and raisins. Fill the mixture into the tomato shells. Top with grated cheese and pop into a preheated oven(200ºC) Bake till the cheese begins to bubble. This barely takes 8-10 minutes. (Nijhowne is a Chandigarh-based culinary expert)
	Star Track King is Back Years ago his portrayal of negative characters in films like Baazigar, Darr and Anjaam had brought acclaim to Shah Rukh Khan, who is now back again with such a role in Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2: the King is Back. It started with Abbas-Mustan thriller Baazigar in which SRK played a negative role. Yash Chopra’s Darr (1993), a psychological thriller, was the story of an obsessive lover played by Shah Rukh, to get his lady love Juhi Chawla, who was already married to another man. A similar storyline in Anjaam had the actor play a bad guy opposite Madhuri Dixit in the female lead. Baazigar and Darr took his career to new heights and established him as an acclaimed actor in Bollywood. Ask him if the negative characters are liked and memorable, Shahrukh says, “Evil or devil, black or little grey characters, be it in books, stories, films or television, have some sort of an attraction. I started with theatre and there was nothing like a heroic character. There was a central character or an important character. I have played good and bad on stage. When I joined films I got a chance to play these characters again.” “Now, after 15-20 years, I got a chance to play a negative character in Don. There is a justification for the character to be negative, to be bad. I enjoy doing it. I am in no way glorifying negative characters. These are stories and characters. But as an actor, it is one of the greatest highs to play a villain,” he said. Don 2 is the squel to Farhan Akhtar’s 2006 film, Don: The Chase Begins Again, which itself was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Don. — PTI Bollywood takes a backseat She rose to fame with the item number Babuji in the film Dum but Bollywood has taken a backseat for model Yana Gupta, who is now concentrating on writing and a musical album. “My main focus is on writing and music. Bollywood is going to take a back seat now, though I will still very much be open to new projects and occasional dance performances at events as I really enjoy that,” Yana, who has become a writer with a health and wellness guide How To Love Your Body And Get The Body You Love, she said. For some years, the Czech Republic-born Yana has been suffering from chronic eating disorder, despite being a fitness freak. In her book, she reveals how she put all this behind her and evolved a unique approach to health and wellness. Eating disorders are something common to actors and artistes because of their hectic schedules. And so, Yana feels it is very important to stick to a proper eating chart. “If you are working in this industry, it is an essential part of the work really. You have to be in shape or else the job will go to someone else. That puts us all under quite a lot of pressure. At the same time, we travel all the time and eat on the sets, where the food is not the healthiest so if one is serious about maintaining their figure and eating healthy too, he/she has to ultimately set up some system of either preparing food at home in the morning and carrying it to the shoot or having someone bring it for you,” she says. Yana is working on her second book now and also recording her first album. “The subject (of her second book) is a secret for the moment and my music album will be releasing within few months so I’m preparing for that (shooting videos, planning promotion).” She says her books will always include bits and pieces of stories from her own life. “I am also planning a book that would have more detailed description of my life’s journey including the Bollywood bit amongst other things. That’s not the next project, however,” says Yana, who has modelled for Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, Toyota and Limca among others. — PTI Model preparation Before Neha Dhupia became a beauty queen and model, she used to help models to get ready backstage at fashion shows. How sweet! Looking ahead Amitabh Bachchan is happy to have his hands full with a variety of movies in 2012 and he loves his new family member. The name is not decided yet. Happy man: Amitabh Bachchan No smoking... Hrithik Roshan quit smoking because of a book he read on a topic. He has now given that book to Bobby Deol to urge him to quit smoking. Surprise visit Bipasha Basu flew down to Hyderabad to surprise her “special friend” Rana Daggubatti on his birthday last week. Caring friend: Bipasha Basu Bring divinity home Veecon Music and Entertainment Pvt Ltd launched another first of its kind devotional album with 24 different Gayatri Mantras sung by Sonu Nigam and many talented kids at Intercontinental, The Lalit in Mumbai. After a short prelude on the album by JK Srivastava, managing director, Veecon Group, one of the songs from the album featuring Sonu Nigam and kids in Leh Ladakh was played on the AV JK Srivastava then welcomed Sonu Nigam and the kids on the stage, who enthralled audiences with a live performance that was greeted with a thunderous applause. Sonu Nigam then called upon the Chief Guest of the evening – Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, who unveiled the album along with Sonu Nigam and top executives from the Veecon Group. Talking about the project, Sonu Nigam says, “This is a special collection of the choicest of Mantras which we have very carefully collected for you to bring divinity into your household. I’m thankful to Veecon Group and J K Srivastava for providing me everything that I wanted for this journey, including an exquisite video in Leh Ladakh, and a most precious ever-smiling attitude!” Vidya unplugged The bluntness and trash mouth of her character Silk in The Dirty Picture rubbed off on Vidya Balan too. Here are some statements she made at the events for the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Silk. I enjoyed being a woman like a rainbow, in all her colours. I like the strength of the character. Silk and I are very different people. I would never dress like her. Yet, while shooting the movie I had to remember to be in character and wear clothes I wouldn’t dream of wearing in real life. Siddharth and I are enjoying dating at the moment. We haven’t got time to meet in a long time. I love how supportive he is. He got divorced before we met. My parents and Siddharth are very supportive of everything I do. They are more open-minded than I am. They are my strength. I am so happy that people have loved me and my work in the movie; that they felt an emotional connect with me. I have been flooded with congratulatory phone calls and messages for the movie and my work in it. I feel blessed. Over the moon Singer Britney Spears and her beau Jason Trawick, celebrated their engagement with a private party in Las Vegas. The couple, who has been dating for two years, held a private event for family and friends at Planet Hollywood Resort Friday night. The night continued with a dance party at the Chateau nightclub. Trawick made the news of the engagement official in a text to his friend and TV anchor Billy Bush. “Yes, we are engaged,” wrote Trawick, adding that he was “over the moon”. Spears also indirectly confirmed the good news through a post on micro-blogging site Twitter. — IANS No ScarJo please Actress Scarlett Johansson detests how the paparazzi shorten her name to ‘ScarJo’. She says she finds the nickname “lazy” and “bizarre”. The blonde beauty has been referred to as ‘ScarJo’ by a few writers and bloggers since she shot to fame with Lost In Translation in 2003. But Johansson does not take kindly to people abbreviating her name. “It’s laziness. People can’t actually say the whole name? It’s just bizarre. Why is that? Why do I have to get ‘stuck’ with a mangled moniker?” said the actress. — IANS Name call: Scarlett Johansson Changed track Singer-actress Selena Gomez is planning to take a break from music career in a bid to concentrate on her acting career. Gomez released her third album, When the Sun Goes Down, mid this year and enjoyed success with her movie Monte Carlo. “I’m very happy and pleased with how well the record did and I’m so thankful that radio and everybody is still being so supportive,” she said. “Next year I’ll be starting to do more acting, I’ll be doing two films in the beginning and then I’ll probably go back to singing. I’ll balance them,” she said. — IANS
	Chatter Box No show Every year has ups and downs and so does the television world. While some shows unexpectedly zoom higher and higher, some never take off. But then there are those shows who are hyped but don’t deliver at the TRP charts. Here’s a look at the ones that promised but didn’t work. Tough times Kuch To Log Kahenge Mohnish Behl and Kritika Kamra’s fresh pairing came on the heels of yet another mature love story on Sony after Bade Achche Lagte Hain, which was an instant hit. Kuch To Log Kahenge was promoted as the remake of the Pakistani hit show Dhoop Kinare and had a melodious title song, snazzy promos with crackling chemistry but the moment the show went on air, it simply plummeted. Months after the launch, the TRPs are steady but not earth shattering while the leads field questions on why the show didn’t work that well. Big loss Bigg Boss 5 After the dhamakedar last season of Bigg Boss that had Salman Khan as a host, this year too numerous names from Hollywood to Bollywood, actors to sportsmen came but Bigg Boss which was a sure TRP garner for Colors, didn’t work at all. Salman Khan who held the show together last year is in a blink and miss role and his replacement Sanjay Dutt seems ill at ease. Unfortunately the show has got double vat though they got American Porn star Sunny Leone and controversial Aussie cricketer Andrew Symonds. Seniority game Parichay Post Bade Achche Lagte Hain, Balaji brought one yet another senior actor in a new show. Samir Soni who was last seen as a successful businessman in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin, was cast as a loser looking for meaning in life in Parichay. The promos were unique as they introduced the protagonist bit by bit through the notes of his diary. But the show settled on being an average grosser, even though they killed the lead’s brother in few episodes. Flop show Ammaji Ki Galli Rakshandha Khan and Farida Jalal promised the show would be entertaining and will also give the audiences a dose of lessons in life. But the clever Ammaji in a wheelchair pretending to be deaf and mute was a flop show. Celebrity chords Star Yaa Rockstar Zee TV’s weekend slot is reserved for singing and dancing reality shows. We saw numerous seasons of Sa Re Ga Ma Li’l Champs, DID and Sa Re Ga Ma Challenge back to back, it was refreshing to have celebrities trying their vocal chords in a competition. Though there were some scintillating performances, the show couldn’t register the TRPs. Soap drama Dharampatni This show was hailed as the comeback of Harshad Chopra and that it is be inspired by the Mahatma Gandhi’s life but the latter part turned out to be a rumour. The initial episodes with Harshad Chopra and Asiya Kazi were endearing but the newness wore off soon turning it into a saas-bahu drama. Wedding blues Ratan Ka Swayamvar Imagine TV’s big tickets are the reality shows and a successful property among them is Swayamvar. After hits in Rakhi Sawant and Rahul Mahajan ka Swayamvar, lot was expected from the Swayamvar of Ratan Rajput, who was the girl-next-door in looks and had an appeal on television due to her serials but the show wasn’t spicy or dramatic for the audiences. Dubai Calling – The Khan Sisters! In UTV Bindass’ reality show The Khan Sisters, both sisters Nigaar and Gauhar visited their family in Dubai recently and of course the cameras followed them and what it captured was the fun and crazy moments that the Khan Sisters had with their siblings. The Khan Sisters let their hair down and got down to some serious action in Dubai. Beginning from sand dune biking to belly dancing and how can shopping be ignored when you’re in Dubai! An Indya source reveals, “Amidst all this fun Nigaar had a tough time sand dune biking as she suffers from Vertigo but still wanted to try the sport and was brave enough to go ahead and do it and all the while Gauhar cheered for her. On the other hand Gauhar tried her jhatkas at belly dancing since she is so fond of dancing she couldn’t get enough of it! However, the shopping is what the sisters totally indulged in, especially Gauhar who is a brand fanatic and has huge collection of expensive shoes, sunglasses and bags; she totally splurged as she’s passionate about the most sought after brands and never thinks twice before loosening them. Secrets revealed! Handsome dude Karan Tacker has loads of fans and we reveal some secrets about the dude. He is a morning person and feels most energetic in the mornings. He loves to take long walks, if he can’t work out. While driving to work, he loves to listen to music which usually depends on his mood. Currently he is tripping on the music of Rockstar and his favourite song is Nadaan Parinde. Cool dude: Karan Tacker
	Astro Turf p Khurrana ARIES: The day starts with smiles. Business affairs are under control. Friends are pleasant but not particularly significant. Sportsmen may feel lazy. A romantic proposal might give you plenty to think about. Your self-esteem will grow. Tarot message: Take responsibility for your own action. Lucky colour: Blue Magic number: 26 TAURUS: Meeting new people will bring delightful opportunity for romance. You may be challenged for the wrong entry. Get about an early start; activity and social interaction will do you a world of good. Tarot message: You shall prevent a lot of trouble by taking timely action. Lucky colour: Violet Magic number: 54 GEMINI: The married will enjoy a pleasantly romantic phase at home. Take proper care of your health. Social life will bring recognition. Put off dicey deals. The inclination will be towards personal and business partnerships. Tarot message: Don’t reveal your plans to your competitors. Lucky colour: Rust Magic number: 40 CANCER: Don’t rush to make any hasty decisions regarding your family matters. A younger member in the family may offer you a valuable advice. Defer a short journey and instead get out and socialise. Tarot message: Don’t try to end the entire deadlock at one go. Lucky colour: Grey Magic number: 33 LEO: Dispute over small issue is possible at your working place. Women should not use harsh words or speech. Heavy expenses make you frustrated. Mixed trends will prevail through out the day. Teamwork is to your advantage. Tarot message: You gain by being practical. Lucky colour: Green Magic number: 48 VIRGO: Take proper care of your diet. Love life will be exciting. Expectant women should focus on medical check ups. A friend of same sex may be helpful to you. Financial matters may come under strains. Tarot message: Do what is right and in your best interest. Lucky colour: Yellow Magic number: 56 LIBRA: Personal relations may be neglected. Students should mind their language. Be patient till things start moving in desired direction. Express your feelings and put your talents to good use. Tarot message: Delays are the only obstacle in your way to success. Lucky colour: Black Magic number: 38 SCORPIO: The card “six of wands” will give you extra rewards. You may wish to break the routine of the day. Try to keep your schedule flexible rather than letting yourself pinned down to one spot. Tarot message: Empty promises are certain so try to put conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Red Magic number: 40 SAGITTARIUS: Your card the “judgement” gives you strength. Communication over legal matters, travel plans and education can be postponed. Relationships can suffer misunderstanding, so you should be careful. Tarot message: Be confident but do not go overboard with it. Lucky colour: Crimson Magic number: 33 CAPRICORN: Today you will have difficulty in getting along with associates. Women should avoid gossiping. Expect tremendous joy in an evening party. Work and professional responsibilities will place demands on your time. Tarot message: Use careful judgment in handling issues. Lucky colour: Orange Magic number: 44 AQUARIUS: You might be able to do yourself a bit of good with the help of some influential people. Property dealers should find a tough encounter. Just be prepared for disagreements that will need extra care. Tarot message: Plan your life to avoid delays that comes your way. Lucky colour: Beige Magic number: 59 PISCES: Today you are likely going to spend money on astrology or philosophical books. Agreements made today can be very valuable. Later in the day you should be able to get ideas for home improvement. Tarot message: You find within yourself a fountainhead of will power. Lucky colour: Teal. Magic number: 63
	The Year Ahead Madan Gupta Spatu If your birthday is December 19... It looks like your birthday could be rather a quiet one. Your women friends or associates may seem more sensitive on your day. It is possible that you will be drawn to help a loved one through a personal challenge. Set your limits and goals early. Travel plans could take an unexpected backseat thanks to a surprise visitor. Never mind; this person is bound to bring you lots of joy and happiness. Be prepared for some thrilling news. You’re in need of information early this year and you may track down quite a few sources to get it. In fact, you may spend several days satisfying your curiosity about many tangential subjects, so make sure you’ve got the time and energy to spare. Students are required to work hard to achieve their goals and objectives. Mood: A bit ‘tense’ at times. Compatible signs: Leo, Libra. Lucky colours: Blue, Grey. Lucky days: Friday and Sunday. Lucky numbers: 3, 8, 12, 16, 21. Lucky gem: Star Ruby Lucky flower: Madonna Lily Iman Ali [ December 19 ,1980 Lahore ] is a popular Pakistan-based model and actress. Fashion critics rate her among the top models of Pakistan. She has been described as bold and beautiful amongst the fashion circles. Iman Ali has a strong fan following especially among the youth of Pakistan. Iman Ali co-hosted the Lux Style Awards in 2005 and has starred in a television production Anarkali by Shoaib Mansoor.