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Eve’s Times June 2012


EVE’S TIMES June 2012 1

Can I hug you and give you a kiss?’ I was a little surprised when my maid’s granddaughter asked me. I threw my hands around her and gave her a bear hug. Rukmini has passed Plus 2 with 73 % in the commerce stream. For many, it may not be a big deal. But for her, it is an achievement that has come about after untold sufferings

and intolerable burden on her fragile young shoulders. You guessed right…. She is just like any other girl child from a poor family. Brought up by her grandmother who married off her daughters as second wives with much older widowers whose children were older than their step mothers, Meenakshi is in a hurry to marry off Rukmini the minute her roving eyes can spy a rich, eligible bachelor/widower no matter what his age. Rukmini was given away by her mother because she was a twin and it was too much for her mother to handle, especially since her husband had passed away due to old age health issues!

Rukmini does all the household chores, including cooking, washing, cleaning and helps her grandmother work in a couple of households before rushing off to school. Soon after her board exams, the old lady took her to a grocery shop to start earning. Today ‘job options’ are aplenty for young girls like Rukmini who have completed their Plus 2. They get ‘placed’ in small retail stores, grocery stores, retail chains, doctor’s clinics and hospitals and countless garment and saree shops, jewellery shops and whatever small and big business one can think of. It is a different matter whether these girls have the knowledge to handle customers and merchandize or not. Well, Rukmini is earning a ‘handsome’ salary of Rs. 4000/- per month which the grandmother wants to use for their upkeep. If possible she plans to buy little pieces of gold jewellery for her marriage, which will come in handy for her future alcoholic husband who can snatch it to pledge in a pawn shop.

Despite every effort by the government as well as multitudes of NGOs and social activists, this is the plight of thousands of girls across the country who will be tormented to continue the tradition of ignorance, superstitions, taboos and social evils, languishing in poor homes, abused by alcoholic husbands, toiling arduously to feed and educate their young ones while they go to bed battered and hungry. The television is playing a huge role in perpetuating poverty, alcoholism, gender bias, domestic abuse, personality disorders, crime and violence and social evils through the never ending serials and shockingly benumbing reality shows where every possible kind of dirty linen is washed in public, gleefully setting the TRP rates soaring. There are no media laws to moderate such abominable programmes which bridle any attempt by the society to inch forward.

Amidst such a bleak scenario, I continue to battle with the grandmother, knocking at every possible avenue of support to enroll her in a college. Despite my offer to pay her fees, the grandmother is adamant about not sending her to college. The reality show she watches every night in a popular channel shows real life stories where young girls, married or unmarried are wooed by rogues with sinister motives. Rukmini continues to be starved of love and lives with the hope that her dream of becoming a simple graduate will come true. Of course, there’s no let up on her back breaking schedules. The girl child smiles back at me from a calendar on the wall of my living room!

Ciao!

Swati Amar

edit-o-real Eve’s Times www.evestimesonline.comCEO (Global Operations) : NischintaEditor-in-Chief : Swat AmarDeputy Editor : Namrata AmarnathAssociate Editor : Malini ShankarEditor Graphics & Design : Ashwini RajePhoto & Design Coordination : SivaProduction Executive : B.SabithaMarketing Coordination : SivakumarAdvertising & Marketing :R.Ravichandran : Prashant : KirthivasanCirculation : Jaganathan : JamesExpert Panel : Karti Chidambaram : Padmashri Dr.V.Mohan : M.R.Venkatesh : Mallika Badrinath : Brinda Jayaraman : Dr. Priya Selvaraj : Vijaya Chamundeeswari : Usha SubramaniamWriter’s Panel : Nischinta (New York) : Namrata (Jodhpur) : Sumati Ramkumar (Holland) : Gayatri T.Rao (Mumbai) : Chandrika Radhakrishnan (Bengaluru) : Anuradha Ganesan (Bengaluru) : Priyanka Sakhamuru ( Hyderabad) : Prof. N.Natarajan : Padmini Natarajan : Malini Shankar : Kanchana Rao : Kirthi Gita Jayakumar : Valsala Menon : Nirmala Subramanian : Geeta Canpadee (China) : Radha Chandrasekar (Singapore) : Nikita Nevgi ( Singapore) : Nagamani ( Malaysia) : Shailaja Mehta (Delhi) : Kshitij ( London) : Amit Desai ( London)Eve’s Times GroupVolume 7 Issue 185 for the month ofJune 2012. Price Rs. 50/-

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An ode to the Girl child

EVE’S TIMES June 20124

Content

COVER STORY 7

BONDS OF LOVE Parenthood is a wonderful journey of unconditional love, care and nurturing. When a man or a woman becomes a parent, a sudden transformation occurs. The tiny little replica which has just emerged into the world has suddenly become the most important cause for the parent to live and breathe.

parenthood, which is so much different from the austere upbringing of the earlier generations. Today parents’ dream for their children is that their children should pursue their own dreams. They strive to provide

their dreams.

Is parenting a major challenge today? Or are the parents more than compensated for their tough grind

How are new era moms and dads bonding with their scions?

20|All Truth is Actionable- A thought provoking article on the travails of the girl child.

27| Power cuts have become the order of the day. All that remains for the apathetic citizens is to grin and bear as we always do. What is the present situation?

37 |Teen Mag

Everybody’s on a Summer Holiday! Well, it’s time to put up your legs and revel in the carefree hours when you can do whatever

you want or not do anything at all. Time to watch friends and the wonkiest serial that you want, eat and drink whenever and whatever, try your hands at cooking (imagine making your own desserts) or

our expert counsel seriously. It is time to go out with your friends, taste the most exotic ice creams, juices and milk shakes and dessert and have fun in the sun!

46| Do you live in a hostel? Are you broke? But do you want to go out looking great? Look for great tips from this young girl who promises will add a new look to your wardrobe and personality.

Teen Mag Regulars

Jest 4 Laughs 39

Canteen Banter 49

Teen Kooks 40

Teen Fitness 42

Sudoku 48

53| Do you feel like opening out your heart to someone? Sort out your dilemmas and confusions by reaching out to your young friends who are ready to lend you a helping hand to put things in the right perspective. But remember, this is 4 UR EYES ONLY!

Regulars

Jus Ask Brinda 57

Health Clinic 77

Salt ‘n’ Pepper Korner 76

Art Nook 79

Start Smart Investment 82

Story Club 90

61| Fun in the Sun

There’s a lot you can do in summer. It is the best time to take to water sports or pamper your taste buds with the coolest cuisines available in the swanky eating joints in your city. Or you can turn out delectable drinks and desserts from the

fun will be a summer holiday. And there’s

always a huge repertoire of summer activities available in your city for you too revel in .

64 Newer Avenues of education are sought by some students who choose to stray away from the oft trodden path.

85 Chasing a Mirage

Today, the world is witnessing gender inequality at its worst.Unfortunately, the learned and the so-called elite women are the victims. Today’s narcissistic culture is breeding such a fervent passion among teenagers that sadomasochism is at its peak! Even women like Aiswarya Rai who have become global icons are not spared by skewed minds! 85

94 IPL - Riddled with scams and scandals, this is the most commercialized game event that sets the Indian cricket fans’

96 Petrol Crisis- How much more can our wallets tolerate the constantly soaring fuel prices? Citizens vent their anger. But the grim situation also brings out the best of humour!

We Did It!

We are the brains behind the concept and editorial coordination of the summer features and TeenMag this issue! Thanks for reading! Do send us your feedback to [email protected]

DisclaimerWe recommend that readers make proper enquiries and seek appropriate advice before remitting money, incurring any expenditure, acting on any medical recommendations or entering into any commitment in relation to any advertisement published herein. Eve’s Times will not vouch for any claims made by the advertisers of products and services. The Printer, Publisher, Editor and Owner of Eve’s Times shall not be held liable for any consequences , in the event such claims are not honoured by the advertisers.

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My Bundle of

What does being a mother mean to you?

I’m not sure yet, it means so many things. It is the scariest and

same kind of passion for my work – that all-consuming love. But my work can never really put its arms around me and kiss me goodnight. Motherhood is unique in so many ways!

Do you believe that mothers back then had it easier than mothers now? Why?

I don’t think mothers ever had/have/will have it easy. Especially mothers back then - it is like their identities were tied to their motherhood and that can be extremely painful if not confusing. Children eventually go on to have their own lives and I’ve seen many mothers from that generation who found it impossible to cope with that.

How has your own upbringing shaped your way of bringing up your little one?

For starters, I’m not raising Kiara alone. At least not right now. My folks give me more than a hand at it. But yes, I try not to

beat myself for not being able to model my mother’s parenting style. She really was and still is the model parent in my head and I sometimes feel bad for my daughter - because I know she’ll never get that from me. But then I tell myself that if God picked me to be this particular child’s parent, He must have had his reasons and as long as I’m doing my best, I have nothing to worry about.

As a mother, what has the biggest lesson you have wanted to/always do teach Kiara?

I want for her to know God and begin her own adventure with Him. That’s really the key, because my lessons needn’t necessarily be her lessons. Oh, and I’d want to tell her never to buy a bigger

doesn’t happen.

Do you believe in the principle that a mother must be a

a mother’s role is that of a mother, and being a friend is just a part of the package?

I honestly don’t know. I’m very new to this and I learn something

Bonds of Love

Wspunk and strength. A strong individual, Judy has donned many hats – right from author and celebrated writer to single mother. Her little

the truest sense of the term. So what keeps Judy going? What brings the mother and daughter close? Here’s everything Judy has to say on motherhood, unplugged!

Joy


new almost every day, only to go right ahead and unlearn it the very next day. I don’t see myself as a mother or a writer. They are all just roles, really. I believe that if I can be and function as a whole person,

seen moms who are great at being friends with their kids and while that’s worked for some kids, while the same thing has not worked for others. Every child and every parent is unique. That’s really all I know. But I think it’s a decent starting point, eh?

There is a saying that being a Mother is a thankless job - do you think so? What has the most rewarding aspect of being a mother, been for you?

Heh, for starters, I don’t think I expect anything from my daughter. She’s my child. I love her. That’s all there is. Maybe it is because my mum never expected anything from us - WHILE putting up with all our crap and loving us unconditionally. This is how I’m wired. I love her and corny as it sounds, just the thought that I was picked to be this child’s parent is fascinating, humbling and rewarding in itself.

Take us through one memorable moment in your trajectory as a mother.

I’m an extremely paranoid parent. If I could child-proof all of Madras just for Kiara, I would. And this high level of anxiety often gets in the way of just enjoying her - because she’s a hyper-active child who can’t stop climbing things and sticking her head inside things. Every day,

her head or her knees scraped. I’ve also had my share of epic saves - I’ve caught her mid-air several times when she was younger and I’ve seen and prevented many accidents before they happened. But of course, none of this is fun for me, so I always yell. When she was younger, she cried or threw something at me or ran to her grandparents for comfort. But recently, when I screamed at her for bending (only a little bit) over the terrace wall, she just looked at me and gave me a knowing smile. And said ‘It’s okay, mamma. Don’t be scared.’ I teared up immediately. Suddenly, she was all big and she wasn’t responding to the screaming anymore. She was responding to the emotion behind the screaming. I thought that was fascinating - to have her tell me what I should have

been telling her.

As a single mother who juggles many balls - how do you ensure that Kiara gets the necessary “dose” of her mother?

balance. I’m known to be on extremes and I throw myself into everything I do. So when I start working, I tend to forget everything around me and I beat myself

asleep without me. It goes on for a few days before I stop myself and decide to do things in moderation, only to get thoroughly excited by the next big project and repeat the cycle.

Where do you see Kiara ten years from now? What are your dreams

for her?

I don’t dream for her. That’s her job. And if you ask me, that is the hardest part - knowing what you want. And unfortunately, no one else can do it for you. I think my unhappiest times were when I tried to live off someone else’s dreams.

Kiara is every bit the individual person that she rightfully should be - something that very few achieve, being self-actualized and forthright while being very young is something amazing. How did you prune Kiara towards that?

I honestly don’t think I have anything to do with that. It’s just who she is. I try not to get in the way.

Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

“When she was younger, she cried or threw something at me or ran to her grandparents for comfort. But recently, when I screamed at her for bending (only a little bit) over the terrace wall, she just looked at me and gave me a knowing smile. And said ‘It’s okay, mamma. Don’t be scared.’


A French Proverb goes, A Father is a Banker Provided by Nature. A recent advertisement on television shows a father scuttling

behind a thoughtless son, holding a draw in hand while spitting out currency notes

Is that what a father is all about? Is a father dispensable? Is there any sense in saying that a child needs a mother’s touch in its upbringing, but not so much a father’s touch?

Exploding all myths, Rex Arul speaks about his relationship with his beautiful, cherubic little daughter, Rhea. A left-behind-

of memory in his mind, a series of court battles and a painful separation from his daughter, after she was abducted by her own mother to India, from the United States. Besides being a stellar example of why the laws in India need to conform to international standards, Rex’s situation is a poignant story of love, fatherhood and a bond with his daughter that no

What does fatherhood mean to you?

Fatherhood to me is a wonderful journey of love, care, and nurturing. Although Fatherhood in its very essence is a fundamental, ontological state, where a carefree man becomes a Father of a child, I tend to view it as a lifelong journey, to be there unconditionally for my daughter Rhea all through her life. I view Fatherhood as God’s bestowal of responsibility on His little one -- that is me -- to take care of His little one -- that is my daughter.

If you could put it in words, what does Rhea mean to you?

Rhea is that little lamb that Jesus holds close to his bosom in every depiction of the ubiquitous “Good Shepherd” rendering. Despite the numerous other sheep that follow Him by foot, this one small, innocent-looking lamb will always be close to his

Bonds of Luv My My lodestar

Bonds of Lovechest. That image always gives me the succour and

and meaning of Rhea to me. Besides, Rhea is my life. When I say that, I am unabashedly genuine. She is behind everything that is me. People, who know me personally, on social-media, professionally often question where I muster so much of energy and passion. The answer is simple: Rhea. While many live for millions of other reasons, I live for only one reason: my daughter Rhea. She is my lodestar, soul-force,

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daughterheartthrob of innocence, love and absolute resilience. In anything and everything that I do, think, or say, Rhea occupies my imagination. In a time and age, where we have forgotten to be what it is to be like a child, she constantly reminds me of what I like the most in myself: of just being a child with love, innocence, and ever refreshing inquisitiveness. In a time and age, where we have forgotten to be what it is to be like a child, she constantly reminds me of what I like the most in myself:


mydaughtermy lodestar

of just being a child with love, innocence, and ever refreshing inquisitiveness. That, I think, is what makes me endearing to not only Rhea, but, all my friends’ children, nieces and nephews. It always looks like a crèche, when I am amidst children

If there is just one thing you wish for Rhea to know, in your role as her father, what would it be?

“Know that your Father loves you unconditionally whatever, whenever and wherever you need him, because he will

always be constantly dreaming, thinking, and praying for you to cheer, hold, and lift you up.” Despite the heavy odds against him, with no lawyers within his family or friends’ circle, money and clout, he still never gave up his pursuit because he took his Fatherhood very seriously and

daughter Rhea always mattered more than anything to him. Although, many offered stale advices to just look the other way and make life easy for himself with frolic and merriment, he stood ground for his daughter Rhea. So, the one thing I want

principles, by simply being faithful to the calling, whatever that may be in life.

Do you think fatherhood in the present generation is tougher than fatherhood in the earlier generation?

Absolutely, Yes! While different generations are fraught with unique challenges, none stand apart as in the present generation

First, let me turn to the positive side. Today’s Fathers are greater stakeholders in their children’s lives than earlier generations, where Fathers primarily

Today, Fathers change their child’s diapers, feed them, clothe them, bathe them, walk them and take part in almost every other chore traditionally provided by the Mothers. For example, I was there in the Atlanta Hospital, assisting a Team of Doctors and Nurses, when Rhea was

affection in the open, thereby creating an impression as though Fathers are frosty and cold, which certainly need not be the case in many involved Fathers’ cases. Even many legal systems have a tendency to objectify Fathers as dispensable commodities. I am also a Volunteer Court-

the Juvenile Court System in Georgia. As a Judicial Citizen Panel Member, I get to see the devastating effects of Fatherless children, who end up with serious problems, including drug addictions, juvenile delinquencies and other major problems. We get to see repeated psychological evaluations by experts that underscore the point of the problematic child not having had a positive, male role-model in its life. The proof is clearly out there and we will be ignoring it to our own peril. The social experimentation of liberal mores is very new in India and reminds one of the «sexual revolutions» of the 1960s in USA. Naturally, we have more studies and corpus of materials to understand the unintended consequences of such social experimentation, which we do not currently have in India. Some of the children, bereft of their Fathers during their childhood have started to speak out as adults. Fathers are not to be used and tossed for experimentation, although, it happens in broad daylight often to the peril of children›s future. Every child deserves both a Father and a Mother. This

singular threat I would identify as one of

the current generation.

A father is usually seen as a disciplinarian, the breadwinner who gets to spend little time with his children, the “law enforcer” and the Financial Minister of the Household. Do you agree? Why?

I do not agree with that stereotype at all. And let me quote from my own experience. In 2008, when Rhea was hardly 7 months old, her Mother badly wanted all of us to move from Atlanta to a cold, upper, mid-west City of Pittsburgh. It was not a good move for me, personally, given the fact I had always worked for my employer since my graduation in 1999 in Atlanta. Yet, I wanted to support her career move and was concerned about my young child of 7 months. I was able to work with my Manager, who was kind enough to allow me to work from home

Pittsburgh. During those 7 months, I was practically a “stay-at-home-Dad”, taking care of Rhea when she wasn’t at the Day-care and was able to work remotely, because my wife then was too busy as a Vice-President for Investments into India for a major American Commercial Real-Estate Company. I also personally know of Fathers, who had temporarily given-up their jobs for their children, to stay at home to take care of their children, due to extraordinary circumstances. So, no, I do not agree with this traditional view

born; was there when she was taken for every Doctor’s visit including the only Emergency Room Visit she had; day-care; sleepovers; diaper-changes and you name it.

Now onto the negative side: Today, Fatherhood is under constant attack from different directions. Those with extreme ideologies have started to permeate an impression as though Fathers are vestiges and hence are dispensable. Compounding the problem is also that many Fathers may see it as a taboo to display their genuine


of frosty-fathers, which has changed for the better in the modern times. Unlike adults, children do not subscribe to any ideologies or partisan brinkmanship. Like a bee that goes after honey, they know how to go after love that is genuine without any Barbie-doll caparisons.

What are your dreams for Rhea?

My dream for Rhea is very simple: Be good to yourself and others. The simple dream I have for her is to be able to rise-up on her own, should she ever fall, and then walk with head held high. If this alone she can do on her own, whether she does it as a Scientist, Engineer, or an Astronomer,

the capacity in which she does it is just icing on the cake. Trust me, today, many can become Scientists and Engineers easily, but, very few can dust themselves up in light of adversity and walk with their heads held high. No wonder, we are seeing a suicide pandemic around us.

How has your own upbringing shaped up your relationship with Rhea?

I will say, my upbringing is the singular reason behind my relationship with Rhea. I must thank my parents and my grandparents and teachers for who I am. I was born into a poor family and so I did not have the luxury of Godfathers and patronisers to place me in positions of power and clout. Be it respect or acclaim, I had to earn it and had to earn it the right way. I never had a lot and so had a lot to be grateful for the little things I had. My parents had big hearts and through them I learned the art of being simple and tenacious. Later in life, it helped me wither every adversity, even in light of persistent threats and bullying by a family that had all the legal power and clout that ordinary people like me can never buy or possess. My Faith always taught me that one can only possess either Love or Fear and not both. I chose “love” always and that “love” illumines my path towards Rhea all the time. My Tamil teacher always used to mentor me and say that anybody who

and richest in every sense, because he will never land himself into any problem of his own making and will always own the “moral-compass”. I recollect that wisdom all the time, when I see fragile characters, who due to their very poor upbringing can

risk everything to abduct children and lead fugitive lifestyles by perpetrating criminal offenses in one country and taking refuge in another country. If only they had a healthy upbringing and values-system I had, they would have possessed “history”; instead all they possess is “criminal history”. It is also from my Mom that I learned that

of expansion to “Love”. It is from my Dad that I learned that you courageously stand-up and take the bull by its horns. A healthy upbringing is absolutely quintessential to have better adults of tomorrow.

8. Take us through one of your most memorable moments with Rhea.

Last May 2011, I met Rhea in Chennai after 10 months of her abduction out of the USA, thanks to the interim orders passed by the Madras High Court. On the day, I was to return to Atlanta, Rhea understood I was leaving. Before I could console her, she reached out to a frock that used to be her and my favourite, folded it and she

handed it over to me saying, «Appa, when you leave tonight by Lufthansa, have this dress on your chest, close your eyes and then think of Rhea. You will see Rhea seated next to

.” I was just plain dumbfounded. Adults have a tendency to trivialize a child’s utterances. Just look at the pejorative references we have: “baby talk” “blabber”, “child-speak” etc. Here is Rhea, who was 4 years old then, trying to console me to palliate the pain of separation, before I, her Father, could do that to her. I wish, the World, sheds its

shebang and just starts to view matters of a child as that of a child and nothing more. For, there is an inner-child within each of us, as we all were once a child. Isn’t it? Until then, many memorable moments I had with Rhea, may look very distant, syrupy, and schmaltzy to those who may have distanced themselves from their innocent, inner-child within themselves.



Bonds of Luv

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Gender equality is taking on a new meaning with fathers taking an active interest in bringing up and moulding their children. A decade ago, it was the mom who sped around cooking cleaning, preparing the kids and getting them ready for school, while the dads took a leisurely view of things and hid behind the inevitable newspapers. But with career orientation of

women these days, they are no longer willing to compromise on their dreams, aspirations and achievements. Hence, there are welcome winds of change blowing and fathers nurse a totally and refreshingly different take on parenthood.

Fathers are increasingly involved in bringing up their kids. Modern men are more appreciated by their spouses and are looked upon as sensitive, caring individuals and most importantly, as doting fathers. The dads have become increasingly aware that there

that bringing up children is a 24/7 job and both parents should contribute in equal measure so that their child’s happiness is not compromised in any way. More dads now come forward to help their spouses with the kids, not as a favor, but totally out of love and affection for the child. Welcome change indeed!

The younger generation dads want to be more connected to their daughters too. They are keen and eager to see their daughters pursuing their dreams and getting well settled in their chosen careers.

Bonds of Love


Yes, the new caring dad has emerged. He happens to be more progressive in his thinking and cares not for the ‘established’ norms in society. As women rub shoulders with their men and match them stride for stride in every walk of life, men too have

with their off spring as a ‘chore’. In fact, they are well aware that the quality time they spend with their kids helps to strengthen the parent –child bonds.

The younger generation dads want to be more connected to their daughters too. They are keen and eager to see their daughters pursuing their dreams and getting well settled in their chosen careers. Gone are the days when dads just wanted to get their daughters married off early, in order to be shorn of all responsibility.

Dad – son bonding goes a long way in helping to mould the kid in positive ways. Mr. Joson Manavalan, an advocate by profession at Kochi, takes time off work and spends quality time with his son Naveen Joson- plays with him, watches classic movie, helps him to select good books to read and lots more besides- as a result, Naveen tops the class in studies and also excels in all extracurricular activities at school . Joson takes immense pains to mould his son to be a great achiever as well as a good human being.

Coming back to girls, psychologist Aneta Miriam opines thus on father – daughter bonding-“Girls who feel connected and respected by their fathers will look for the same healthy relationships with their boyfriends.” The nurturing instinct in men is manifested most obviously in their feelings for their children. In fact, most sons and daughters opine that fathers too make for excellent parents.

“Men have always felt the need to feel emotional, sensitive and be

actively involved in parenting. But societal pressures pushed them into stereo type roles of just decision makers and bread winners in the family. Only of late has he mustered up the courage to break away from the myth and be a sensitive and caring father to his children,’ opines Mr. Balachandran, a business man based at Coimbatore. He continues, “My dad has been my role model. He taught us the importance of being friends with our children. Right through, he has been a good friend to all of us. He taught us to appreciate good literature, art and architecture. In fact, I even learnt a lot of culinary skills from him. When my mom used to have bouts of asthma, it was my dad who ventured into the kitchen and cooked up delectable dishes for us, “he reminisces fondly.

Balachandran has a daughter Dhanya, whom he dotes upon. When she wanted to go in for production engineering, he stood by her decision and searched high and low for a good college and got her admitted to the discipline of her choice.

“My dad used to quote Khalil Gibran, “ Our children are not our children but life’s longing for itself…..” those verses have stayed in our minds and I have given ample freedom to my daughter,” smiles Balachandran.

Parenting these days is not a gender role, but an individual decision. Both moms and dads can be sensitive care givers and loving parents. Dads are very much involved in the process of a child’s growing up- right from playing with building blocks, doing jigsaws, reading bed time stories and giving them ample guidance in choosing careers when the time comes….fathers are in the process of discovering new joys with each new day . The father enjoys the unfolding of the wonder of life through his child’s eyes….

Valsala Menon

Dads no longer view time spent with their off spring as a ‘chore’. In fact, they are well aware that the quality time they spend with their kids helps to strengthen the parent –child bonds.


Bonds of Love

VELCROIt’s quite ironical that we have come a long way from Freud’s time,

where relationships could be sorted, led and put into cute little jars labeled “what’s proved right” and “what’s not”. Delving into this study literally from the grass roots level, we begin, as charity demands, from home. Relationships between mom and daughter,

father and son have changed by leaps and bounds from what they used to be back then. Freud could do well to write a sequel to his age old theories because, today, relationships have come to a point where they are no longer controlled or mastered by norms.

Be it the generation gap or the makeover of the new age parents, the rapport and ease shared by the members of a typical Indian nuclear family is sure to shock our forefathers and make them turn in their graves. Gone are the ropes holding back the son from discussing

his myriad relationship issues with his father, or the daughter‘s ease in inviting her mom on a double

to the narrower cities in the country,

ca l led- considered –washed-in-milk-line , and boy exiting the room shutting himself out from his family.

Where and how do we strike a balance between these extremes, and where exactly is our country headed

to with regard to relationships at home? A little chat with a few moms and daughters alike is sure to throw some light on where we stand.Vanaja, a young -at-heart mom of a sprightly, talented girl in her early twenties, reminisces about her childhood, “I

daughter’s best buddy. I remember I never shared a good rapport with my mom. An elder sister’s love marriage made her suspicious of our every move and she forced us to abide by her rules and regulations to the T. I could never open up to her or share with my mom my childhood girly dreams, crushes or apprehensions. But that’s not the case with my girl and me. We are the best of friends and we have no secrets. My daughter knows that whatever the situation might be, whatever troubles her, she can always count on me. Times have changed. You lose out when you decide to alienate your own children,” smiles Vanaja. Sarika Jeevan, a young IT professional from Bangalore had t h i s to say about the mom - daughter

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relationship. “Well, my mom has always been there for us and has been lenient and supportive at all times. But I used to think that she was wasting away her time and energy by just being a home maker. She opted out of a good career as an advocate to look after us. In fact, I was slowly losing all regard for her, but all this changed once I got married. Only then did I realize that looking after a family and managing a career is a herculean task; it needs all the capabilities, dedication and commitment to keep things going smoothly. At work, we have our perks and other fringe

most rewarding and satisfying endeavor in the world’.

Naga, a young girl of sixteen from Rajahmundry lost her mom at a very

accident. “I lost

my mom when I was very young. It was an accident..As long as she was alive, I took her so much for granted, for which I know I would regret always. I feel sad that I did not bond better with her when she

was alive. Recently, I made a cup of tea for myself and by mistake, some of it spilled on to my knee. It was so painful and hurt a lot. I wanted my mom so much then... if she had been there, I would not have got hurt. I have two doting brothers and a kind caring dad, but the void that my mom ‘s absence has left behind can never be bridged,” sobbed the little girl.

Niveditha, a bubbly, vivacious media student from Symbiosis waxes eloquent about her mom, “My momma is easily my best buddy. She used to never keep tabs on me or restrain me unnecessarily. She had the utmost trust in me and she knew that it would never ever be misplaced. In fact, she used to urge me on to follow my dreams. I can discuss anything under the sun with her, be it my studies, work, friends, relationship issues and

what not. Even if I got discouraged at times, she was the one who gave me the required boost to keep going. Right from going to movies together, hanging out with each other at Landmark, and all our favorite places, shopping, eating out, mom and I were truly best buddies. I know it broke her heart to let me go away to

copiously she encouraged me to reach for the skies. Love you Mom. ” Niveditha‘s eyes shone brightly with unshed tears.

Sujatha V. Menon has two beautiful daughters- Priyanka and Vidya. She had made her daughters the focal point of her life and once both of them were married off, she was literally in tears. As most moms do, she too had centered her life solely on her kids and once they parted ways, in pursuit of their life and career, she was forced to face a huge chasm in her life. Listless, depressed, and with days stretching endlessly before her, she has no clue as to how to make her days purposeful and useful. She relies heavily on her best buddy Vandana to keep her company.

Vandana has a different take on this issue altogether. With her kids too away pursuing their higher studies, she hugs Sujatha fondly and assures her that life is still yet to be lived and savored. Times may change but yet, the bonding between the mother and daughter remains strong and binding. Daughters would always remain a mother’s best buddies but we as moms need

our lives as well.

“The unconditional love of a mom and her strength lies in letting go; letting go of her children with trust and faith and feeling happy for them. We have done our best for our children and now is the perfect time to catch up on our dreams and aspirations. Our daughters too would be proud of us one day, and they would love to think of us with pride rather than as clingy parents,” Vandana concluded with a twinkle in her eye.

In each of us, there reside vestiges of a daughter and that of a mom. Most importantly, we realize that we too are individuals with goals, dreams and aspirations and need to love ourselves unconditionally. Just like how we love our daughters- timeless, unconditional in our love.

Valsala Menon


Bonds of Love Kirthi Gita Jayakumar

Mother’s Day – The day that to me, meant making handmade cards, quietly slipping out to buy presents, and trying to

make the day a less burdensome occasion for my hardworking mother. But this time, along with that, Mother’s Day was a day of realization for me - a day of realization of the plight of several mothers in this country. Mothers are beaten, blamed, chastised, hated, abhorred, tortured, killed- sometimes, brutally silenced and even separated from their children because they gave birth to girl children. The malaise of female foeticide – the bane of India’s existence.

There was a time when I was an idealist. I used to believe that the world was capable of change. And that I could be an instrument of it, helping change happen. Maybe I can – I don’t know, but how tangible a difference I can make is a very, very big question that only time could answer. But that idealist in me is long dead. What world is this that we live in, when all you do to help people, as a friend of mine rightly said, are just putting bandages over wounds instead of actually tackling the cause of the wounds themselves?

Actionable

SaveGirl Child (let me play with my toys)

A show on Star World today really shocked me out of my wits. Satyameva Jayate, it was called, the buzz word of India’s national “motto” if you will, which stands to mean that the “Only the truth will win”.

The pilot episode showed the stories of women who’ve suffered at the hands of families that did not want daughters, and forced them through series of abortions. One was forced into six abortions in eight years, not even having known she was taken for the purpose of an abortion each time, since she was hoodwinked into believing it was a general check-up. Don’t judge her for not evaluating each situation based on the previous one – hope and faith in humanity made her vulnerable. The seventh time, she ran away to her parents’ house and had her daughter. Another lady was bitten most savagely by her husband. Yes, Bitten! And the state of her face immediately after is not something words could describe. The savage, brutish coward of her husband did it to her because she only gave birth to two daughters and never had a son. This - after he forced her to abort two girls and beat her with a hockey stick when she was pregnant with her second surviving daughter. A third was


Can the world go on without

the story of a Doctor who had twin girls – her husband’s family had the gall to throw one of the twins off the second storey in the hope of killing the girl – because she was a girl. Luckily, the child was strapped and wrapped so thickly that she survived the fall.

What kind of a world are we living in, really? How much more should it be written, shouted and painted on the wall that a girl-child is not a curse? How much longer before these warped mindsets would realize that it is the Father that determines the sex of the child with the XY chromosomes? How much longer before the world opens its eyes to hear the silent screams of the unborn girl, and put a stop to it?

of doctors, midwives, families, police

does one change this mentality? Where

does one begin? I’m not denying the fact that there is an equal and possibly worse degree of impunity globally. I’m not even asserting the fact that India is the only place that needs attention – but is certainly one of the places that does. India was the country where the brutal gang-rape of a social worker who tried to stop a child marriage from happening, took place. India was, is, and sadly, will remain for a while, the country where girls are killed because they are girls. And it is not a culture of silence, at all, but a culture of inaction that proves to be a hotbed for breeding of this culture of impunity. Everyone knows it’s happening. Everyone knows where it is happening. But no one does a thing. I don’t know if blaming people is the right thing

you complain to shrugs and laughs at you, and sends you packing? What can you do if the doctors and midwives themselves are telling people that they’ll wipe an embryo out without even considering the Hippocratic (or should it be Hypocritical?)

Oath they take?

Foeticide is Murder. And why not? The foetus is as much a corpus as a full grown person is. If an unborn child has rights under succession law, contractual law and even tortious law, why not criminal law? When and if the judiciary realizes it, they can actually book these families and doctors under the offence of Murder.

The issue of foetal and infantile murder on gender grounds disturbs and bothers me. But here’s what bothers me more. Today, a nation watched that show. Today, a nation heard those women. Today, a nation cried with those women. Today, a nation resolved to act. Today, a nation saw the truth and heard the silent cries of the unborn dead. But tomorrow, will they remain steadfast in their promise? All truth is actionable, she’s taught me. And just for that, I want to be an instrument of change.



Bonds of Love Gayatri T Rao

‘R’s of a Mother’s Teachings3

The

amother, not just retains her child in her womb for nine months, but also is responsible for its initial

education. Though the loving father is mostly around to supervise its growth, she is the

traits in her baby. Does her child exhibit friendliness? Is the child good as sketching and is not just scribbling on the wall? It is she who

baby can paint in drippy water colours not going off the borders of the sketch. But, for any trait, recollection and retention power need to be reinforced.


However busy she is the mother makes it a point to give her child enough time.

Here’s what Mumbai moms do for their children. A mother her baby. Shilpa Maheshwari was a full-time HR professional . But since she had a baby, she is working part-time from home. Her 15 month old Gia has a very friendly nature. She is happy to play with everyone. She is very active and learns fast.

etention ecollection einforcementR

While Shaurya, Shilpa Pal’s 2 ½ years old son has a very good memory. She reveals, “I introduced someone to him recently and when he returned to our home after a few days, Shaurya recognized him very easily. When I introduce things to him, he remembers them later. Even if it is a hard word, he manages to do it well. That I think is a special trait.”

Kavitha Rai, who looks after Training and Development in the HR department of a company, insists that you need to spend time with your child to identify special traits in it. She says, “In the course of playing and talking with him, you see many new things your child does, particularly when he learns a new word or learns to identify a new object. So when you spend

and learn a lot about your child.”

It is important to nurture these traits. Also repetition is crucial. Kavitha opines, “If I want to teach him the name of a new object or want him to identify it, I will keep repeating it so that he gets familiar with it. A lot of reinforcement, much repetition

is required until he starts recognizing the object and co-relates it with the name. That’s how he’ll learn. But the point is it should be done consistently. I mean if you do it one day and forget the next 3 days and then suddenly ask him about it then it won’t work.”

important to “expose them to the outside world as well. As parents we might have this fear that when we take them out they might get hurt. I think the important thing is to let them explore and experience new things. We should take them to different places like the park, the super market and

Kavita Rai

the vegetable market. Obviously when they see new things and people around, it will provide impetus to their curiosity and learning.”

And Shaurya’s Mom feels, “Today’s parents are into mall culture, where both of them are working and the moment they have time they go shopping. But we make it a point to take our son to a place like the museum, where he learns something. If we take him to the mall he is not going to learn much. A lot of time is spent on

Gayatri T Rao


Bonds of Love

Strongest!

My

Mumbai dads take their responsibilities as fathers seriously. Here’s the back to back story about how Mumbai dads revel in their fatherhood!

his baby, but also for the education of the child after the mother’s initiative. Charity begins at home, likewise education begins at home. So the father not only pays for the classroom education, but also inculcates the quality of responsibility in his baby. With his strictness he also instills discipline in his baby. Though in most homes the father is busy with his job till his retirement, he lends support to his wife in bringing up their baby during the

that he is there when needed.


discuss the happenings of the day. Going for movies is a problem, since my baby, Gia, is still 1 ½ years old. While in the weekends, normally we go to our friends place and have a get-together.”

Gayatri T Rao

Vivaan, the 15 month old son of Atul Rai,

his manpower consultancy company. He reveals, “I also support my wife in taking care of my kid. My son is just 15 months old. Every day I take him out and show him interesting objects. He is learning to speak now. Spending time with him is very crucial especially at this stage, when he is growing and learning new things every day.”

down to spending time with him. By now I know what he likes and what he dislikes. He likes to listen to music. I play music for him. Spending more time helps develop the relationship and helps to strengthen the bond.”

Daddy Strongest!

My

Santosh Pal, bonds with his son, Shaurya, by communicating with him. He says, “I try to understand him. I see to it that there is good anger management for my child. As I am an architect, I travel a lot. But I see to it that I give quality time to my child, rather than quantity time. I just don’t give what he wants but I explain to him what is important and what is urgent.”

child’s education, a father plays an active role in imparting knowledge to it. Atul says, “More than anything, education is not only about books. After he is back from school, we have to check with him on what he and his friends are doing and what his teacher told him. Even if you ask general things, it will help in his development.”

Santosh agrees that one need not keep educating only through books. According to him, “Learning can happen through computer, TV or any kind of medium, the important thing is how the knowledge is presented to the child.”

Before marriage, a man, usually, goes out with his friends. Generally, home is not his priority. After marriage and kids, responsibility hits him. He takes time off from work to be with his family. Fathers like Atul make sure, “we go out on 2 vacations every year, even if it is a short trip or close by. We go out on Sundays, may be for shopping. Right now going for a movie is a luxury because my kid is a little young. We don’t get to go for movies often. But, yeah, we go out for dinner. We organize dinner at home for my friends.”

For entertainment, people like Rohit Maheshwari, software engineer, “At the end of the day after dinner, watch TV and

Santosh Pal

Atul Rai

Rohit Maheshwari


The father-daughter bond is inexplicable. We bring to you fond reminisces of a perceptive daughter as a tribute to fathers who shape the destinies of their scions.

My father used to say tongue in cheek, “Your mother and I were asked to recite a chapter from Ramayana to

beget a son, and I always wondered if instead of Ram what if I got one of the demons tormenting Sita........but then, you were born!”

My father’s devil-may-care attitude took a beating when I, his third daughter, was born to my parents nearly four decades ago. A man, who spent the better part of his youth in eating joints and theatres, was forced to sit up and take notice of his predicament when he realized that he hardly had any savings. Maybe, it was God’s quaint ways of making my father realize his responsibilities. He opted for a touring job to make ends meet with the help of my thriftier mother.

My father is a man of great contradictions. He allowed us much more independence when compare to our friends. He gave great importance to our education but surprisingly never asked us about our performance. He expected us to be well-versed in banking matters, booking train tickets and other similar chores but expected us to return home before dark.

He had his own brand of humor. One day, he came to know that our neighbour’s thrifty wife had given the same day’s newspaper to the “old paper mart”. A few days later he commented, “Mr. S. I was so worried, particularly after I came across a man carrying away a huge sack from your house!”

All of us had arranged marriage despite the fact that our father had told us to approach him if we ever happened to meet the man of our dreams! I still chuckle when I remember a conversation I had with him when I was in my college. We were walking back home, when he asked if I had noticed the girl in a green dress. I replied cheekily that I don’t notice girls! After some time he drew my attention to a man pushing his cart! When I reproached him, it was his turn to be cheeky and said, “Who knows he might be an eccentric millionaire!”

He is a great grandfather too. Whenever we visited our parental home when our kids were young, he enjoyed playing with his grandchildren. He did not consider any game silly. He allowed his granddaughters to dress him up with a complete ponytail! He did not mind even if his friends dropped in at that time much to our

his prosperous girth in a small niche.

problem is his temper! He loses it frequently and at the least expected moments.

He was a man who had his share of old fashioned views, but he spent his time outside the labour ward at the time of our delivery. It is all the more appreciable because fathers of that generation were never the ‘hands-on kind’ like the present. He is an octogenarian now, yet he was a great deal of support to my eldest sister when she was diagnosed with cancer and he was with her through her chemotherapy, radiation and surgery despite her husband’s presence. He gave us all a hard time harping about the unfairness of it all when people like him were still surviving. But not once did he think of staying back despite his bad knee.

Today, he has lost much of his humour and he is most times lost in thought. He repeats himself and makes a fuss of trivial things yet never makes us feel guilty that we give priority to our own family.

I end this with an incident that is still fresh in mind. When I was around eleven, I noticed that he was placing some money in his father’s wallet. When I asked him the reason, my father told me

in money so he always replenished the purse leaving the old man’s dignity intact!

As his daughters we stand testimony to the values he tried to inculcate in us. That and his love for books make us what we are

today. Chandrika R. Krishnan

Bonds of Love

DAD! “My father is a man of great contradictions. He allowed us much more independence when compare to our friends. He gave great importance to our education but surprisingly never asked us about our performance.”

W b i t H i

wg

p

thank you


Power Play

Play

Info Box

steps must be taken to reduce over-use of decorative lights etc.

strike making various demands, which affects thermal power generation.

of 8,000 MW.

There were days when the only source of light was the

electricity was discovered, and then everything changed

for good. We started to discover the use of electricity gradually, however now we are in a state in which we feel handicapped without it. We are surrounded with the power of electricity; we need it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. From a small hut in a slum to a huge industry, everyone and everything requires electricity to survive. Power cuts were earlier just an occasional occurrence, but now it has become a part of our daily life.

The scenario today is different, power cuts has become an addition to our day-to-day routine in Tamil Nadu. There is a two-hour cut in and around Chennai city, while the suburban areas face a four hour power shortage. Some areas have also reported a shortage of power for as long as eight hours. “Places which don’t have power cuts are extremely lucky,” says lakshmi, a resident of Annanagar, “I have to plan my entire day around the time when the power goes off, work becomes so

of the public and the shortage of 4,000 MW of electricity, the Tamil Nadu power utility has slapped 40 per cent power cut for all industrial and commercial users which means the industries are subjected to an entire day’s power shut down once a week. The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Ltd (Tangedco) announced restriction for power usage for commercial consumers between 6-10 p.m.

Nothing seems to help, especially with the increasing temperature, one can’t even think of venturing out during the day, under the killer sun. To add to our troubles, the electricity charges have been increased. People are checking all the daily newspapers for information regarding the ever increasing prices and whether the locality they live in has been a target of this surge in prices or not. “The government instead of giving free TVs and Grinders should give free inverters, as we don’t have electricity to use them,” said a retired Postmaster from Coimbatore.

At times like these it makes one wonder if it would have been better, if we had

place. Would it have saved us from all the trouble that we are enduring right now because of the electricity shortage? The power cuts have affected everybody in

different ways, the farmers are suffering with their irrigation systems, hospitals are unable to use equipment for treatment, and households are putting their daily life on hold for two to four hours every single day. For now we will have to learn to live with the power cuts but the question is for how long are we willing to accept these conditions of living?

K.T Sowmya Bharathi


Bonds of Love

Fcould not be a moment more joyous, a period so precious. But I was wrong. I turned the same

emotional cartwheel when I discovered I was pregnant with our second baby.

Girl!

BABIES God’s blessing to parents

was, ‘Tell me it’s not twins!’

questions and …..the same advice! CT scans, blood tests, weight and BP check-ups became a monthly routine. These were a picnic compared to the questions and advice I had to deal with. Do you have nausea? Does it occur in the mornings or during the day? Every aspect gets commented on. Sleep, food, pallor, hair growth, hands, face, feet and then some! And of course the suggestive comments! You are throwing up a lot, then it’s a girl. Another person thinks otherwise. You have not changed much, you look the same, no weight increase, no change in complexion,

prediction, ‘if you deliver early, it will be a boy, but if it is late, then it will be a girl!’ So the baby will decide to change its sex at the eleventh hour, science be darned! This time my hubby’s practical side came to my rescue. All he said was, ‘Boy or girl, we only want a healthy baby.’

The pregnancy progressed and the much awaited baby movements began and how! My little girl was as much a drama queen then, as she is now. In the wee hours of the morning, I felt an insistent poking in my tummy. When I came awake, I realized to my delight that the poking was being done by my baby! A small stick like

at it. I lay still, afraid that the movement would stop if I moved. I imagined the bump to be my baby’s tiny foot and the other foot

making small kicks, hence the poking.

When I described this wonder to my husband and son the next morning, there were excited questions, mostly from my son. He was annoyed that I had not awoken him to feel the movements and warned me strictly to do so the next time the baby moved.

When the movements began in earnest, my son would always rush to touch and talk to the baby. He had a string of pet names to call her and made a rhyme of them. He was torn between wanting a brother or a sister. He would keep talking of the things he could do when his sibling was born. When she did arrive, he was such a proud brother. He called all his friends in school to announce he now had a baby sister. As the months progressed, she responded to his voice the most. It’s a delight to see her excitement when her brother returns from school. My heart always warms, when I see them together.

And her daddy? He lost that practical side of his, the moment his new born daughter was placed in his hands. He is in love! He always claimed that he would treat his son like a friend, they even

aside. And that step I take with a leap and with a smile on my lips.

Kanchana Rao

king ssmamallllllll kkk kiiicickkksks, hhhehhencncee hhthththee popokiikkikingng.

en I described this wonder to my husband and son the nexi th it d ti tl f H


“Mother”a lifetime role

Bonds of Love

A modern mother is not only a homemaker but also a wage earner in many homes today. She manages to blend the old and the new, the outside world and the traditional family environment and maintains multiple roles in both her and her husband’s family structure.


All scriptures and religions give a position of primacy to the mother. ‘Mother, father, teacher then God is

Creation is depicted as a mother. Nature is referred to as `Mother Nature’. Mother earth, motherland,

of life; she nurtures and protects her child in her womb from conception, and brings a human being out into the world after a painful and traumatic ‘labour process’. The patience that is needed

motherhood.

Women, whether rich or poor, were primarily the source of warmth, food, comfort and by association the one source of unconditional love. In patriarchal societies, women were secondary sources of authority. Their control in the family was strong though not overt but subtle and behind the scenes. They exhibited multiple skills of a homemaker, administrator and organiser.

The traditional mother was strictly cast in the role of a person

in-law was the head of the family after the matriarch and took the latter’s place automatically. “Ma-ji” was a name given to the eldest woman in charge of the house. Others were called by the relationship nomenclature. Most women worked hard and many lost their lives in childbirth or tuberculosis and other diseases due to malnutrition. These women generated a subsidiary income by using the sources under their control like selling milk, hay etc. in the rural milieu. This money was either stashed away for emergencies or used to make jewelry and start the collection of a trousseau for the daughters of the family. It was the mother’s duty to maintain the traditions and unfailingly perform the rituals and religious festivals of the family to preserve and pass on the cultural heritage.

Migration to cities changed the role of the mother in the family. The archetypal mother was depicted as slaving away at the sewing machine, or cleaning vessels and houses for the rich. Other types like the teacher in a primary school, a typist, clerk

etc who worked hard to feed and educate their children soon appeared in the urban environment. Many of them were single mothers or married to abusive men desperately seeking to protect their children.

This type of mother has been portrayed repeatedly in Indian movies. The automatic choice of actresses like Nirupa Roy, Sulochana, Durga Khote and in recent times Waheeda Rehman, Rakhee, Sowcar Janaki, Pandaribhai etc has established a stereotype «MAA». Of course, Nargis became the icon of a mother who goes through hell without compromising herself to bring up her sons in «Mother India». She did not hesitate to gun down her rebel son when he proved to be a menace to society.

The mother known to the Asian mind is categorised as two types.

world is centered round her children. This mother forgoes a lot, even food for the sake of her children. When she needs care and

comfort in her old age, she is ill treated by her grown up children and is rejected and traumatised by the family. The other type of mother is shown to be the extremely ambitious, domineering, extravagant, reckless character who instigates her children to bad

a mother who has abandoned or neglected her child. In such cases it is by a quirk of fate, a trick by the family or due to social demands and fear of calumny that makes her abandon a child. Kunti and Karna in the Mahabaratham are the typical examples of this variety.

two. A modern mother is not only a homemaker but also a wage earner in many homes today. She manages to blend the old and the new, the outside world and the traditional family environment and maintains multiple roles in both her and her husband›s family structure. The nuclear family however is putting a great deal of pressure on the mother with no ‹Ma-ji› to share or take on the responsibilities of the family life.

One strange fact about mothers, especially the Asian woman must be noted. She tends to support the weaker child, either economically or emotionally. This seeming partiality, even exploiting one child to support another, is often mistaken. Her heart tends to restore the balance between her various offspring.

Again, a mother, longs for the child who is physically, even emotionally distanced from her. So the ‹ma› in India will think and pine for the child who is in ‹foreign lands.› The food she cooks and eats, the things she buys, remind her constantly about the child who is far away. When she meets that child, she tends

attention oppressive and suffocating without realising that the clock is ticking for the mother for she will again be parted from her child.

Another feature of motherhood is the mis-calling of a child. It is not that she is unaware of the child›s name. She only tends to call all the names of absent children before she comes to the correct name of the person she is actually addressing. This can be very annoying to a child. It takes them time or their own experiences as a mother to understand this phenomenon.

A mother becomes a mother-in-law. Her role changes, so do her attitudes, expectations and demands. Her tolerance and her patience are greatly reduced when she dons this role.

Padmini Natarajan


Bonds of Loveo be a parent requires no formal training—at least not yet. You take on the role and the responsibility by imitating other experienced

models like your parents who also started out like you.

You may not want to go on the same path as that of your parents as you may be convinced that they were not the ideal model to imitate. You may choose other role models or evolve your own methodology. You may convince yourself that yours is a unique approach. The truth is, beginning with Adam and Eve who were not really ideal parents if you factor in the deadly sibling rivalry between their sons Cain and Abel; every parenting technique has been implemented, tested, dumped as archaic or ineffective and reinvented under new terminology.

times that they are living through. The urban Indian woman is a multi-tasker. She is trying to balance her life between the old values and customs and the new world where she is trying to forge an identity for herself. Housewife versus career, joint family or nucleus family, single parenting

parenting by adoption or not having kids are the choices in front of her.

The role of a mother is that of a nurturer and she passes on all that is an integral part of values and behaviour to her children. It is important for women to understand

they want to have a career, a marriage and a family. The joint family has been a wonderful learning ground for children to observe the success of its members, to imbibe moral standards of behaviour and to feel secure in an atmosphere of sustained love and care. The disintegration of the joint family system has led to the

without constant parental supervision and involvement.

However, women are learning to accept in-laws as the presence of a responsible grandparent in helping in the growth and development of a child›s character. Men too are getting to be more and more involved in the upbringing of children from the nappy routine to play and teach

COMMUNICATION &

PARENTING“

The role of a mother is that of a nurturer and she passes on all that is an integral part of values and behaviour to her children. It is important for women to understand that they have to make


activities.

Parents are willing to give up personal socialising and interests and adult entertainment for the sake of the quality time needed to make the family a contented one. It is vital to maintain peace and harmony in the family to avoid behavioural problems. The

that causes deep sorrow in a child.

Parenting concerns are about food, behaviour, learning and social skills. It all begins with communication.

It begins when the child is in the womb and when the mother is happy during pregnancy, her contentment is absorbed by the foetus.

It is important to communicate when the child wants to talk and not when you have the time and the inclination. Tell a story when the child wants to hear it. Tell him or her things that they want to hear. Do not classify a question posed by the child as ‘silly’. He/she has a genuine need to know the answer to a doubt in their

of information, he/she may be forced to look elsewhere to satisfy their curiosity.

At every stage of the child’s development, it is important to renegotiate the relationship from nurturer to carer and then

Value systems cannot be taught. These can be observed from role

see that the parent is following a set of principles, the child will automatically absorb and assimilate the concept.

Quality time spent with the child is not to be calculated in hours and days. The time spent responding to the child’s needs is at the moment when the child calls you and not when you are free to devote time.

Any conversation that most parents have is a series of instructions or orders-Come to eat, Do your Homework, Go to Bed etc.

Make time to sit down and chat with your child for a few minutes about trivial or important issues like right and wrong, politics, environment, religion, beliefs etc.

The stress on accomplishment in studies, sports, arts etc is

of achieving these ambitions, we forget to be happy.

future. Parents are responsible for their children’s future success. However, if they get obsessed with what their kids are going to be in the future and how you are going to make their lives secure through a great lifestyle, education and wealth, it will affect the present.

Padmini Natarajan


like the happiest person by my identity as a mother, as opposed to being anything else!” Having lived in a joint family, Kalai has had the opportunity to see different

generations of mothers at work. Does she believe

that motherhood was an easier prospect back then than now? “In some ways, it was easier then than

now. Bringing up

Bonds of Love

Kalaivani, Shrileka and Ashwin make a pretty picture – a sweet portrait of a mother with her two

resplendence of love. The unmistakeable imprint of tradition combined with the perfect hint of modernity just proves that Kalai has brought up her son and daughter with the very values that were instilled in her. Hailing from a Joint Family that stays together, loves and laughs together, Kalai’s children are proud scions of the values that

the family stands for.

Motherhood, for Kalai, is a matter of pride. “To be a mother, makes me feel very proud. I feel

children in a world that is rife with so much exposure, with so much information being available so readily - motherhood is

a great challenge indeed.”

The family, the basic social unit, is the fulcrum of any social set-up. The famed institution of the Joint Family, now, arguably lost in the annals of history, has

life. “Being in a joint family has its own merits and demerits. My children grow up in an environment where they know, grow and love their relatives – a gift that not many have. They are exposed to so many situations which shows them both merits and demerits, and helps them in making

right decisions.”

For Kalai, being a mother is the most rewarding and most precious aspect of her life. “Once, my daughter was out of my sight for few minutes while we

were shopping. Though they were just about three or four minutes, I felt that everything in my life had gone. Even now, when I think of that situation I am

frightened to the core.”

At every turn, Kalai has made sure to instil one simple lesson in her children. “That they should always have a positive attitude

something may be, they should say I CAN DO THIS at any and every time, and try to succeed, giving their best in the process.”

mother. “It helps in eliminating the gap of fear between the mother and the child in expressing

the feelings.”

Kalai’s hopes for her children are simple. She hopes to just give them a life full of happiness

will help them in keeping the people around them happier thereby building

a healthy family, a healthy society and a healthy nation.


The Pride of


# 38,North Usman Road,T.Nagar,Chennai-17

Ph:044 28143093

www.sundarisilks.com

TraditionalCelebration

DeepavaliCollections

Chennai I Mumbai


Bonds of Love

Life never comes with a set curriculum, a syllabus, or even a guide

to tell you how to live it. Life doesn’t come with a map bearing a little red dot and a tiny one-liner “You are Here!” appended to it. But life comes with one brilliant thing – adventure. And along with it, is the best teacher – experience. Along the journey, though, there are some guiding stars in the form of mothers, and still more, in the form of life coaches. Puja Gupta is a life coach, and a young mother, and bridles the art of living by design, with bringing up her children.

Some

Have it in Them


Q How do your view your role of a mother?

A For me being a mother is way more than just being a provider,

the question that if my children were in my place what choice would I like them to make in their place ‘Therefore for me being a mother is pretty much me being a Role Model, and living by example.

Q Sometimes mothers of today feel that their mothers had it easier. Do you agree with this view? Why?

A For me mothers have always had a challenging role. No matter what generation it is it has always been a challenge. The challenges are just different then and now. These days there is so much happening around , children are exposed to so much that mothers have to help them make the right choices .Then it was more about getting your child to study and guide them .

Q life. How has it shaped your way of bringing up your little ones?

A way my family functions. The more you understand concepts of life the more you realise their importance in the life of your kids. My kids at the age of 8 and 11 are already setting goals for the week, writing gratitude realising the importance of commitment giving away 10% of their pocket money in charity and saving 20% of it.

Q As a mother, what has been the biggest lesson you have wanted to teach your children?

A The biggest lesson I want to teach my children is that really live your PASSION. Passion gives you energy, passion gives you joy, passion gives you purpose and it improves the quality of everything that you do. It doesn’t matter what it is, whatever you decide to do be the best at it. Don’t be ordinary that’s what I tell them. Even if you are a plumber be such an amazing plumber that any person who meets you should wonder if there are any leaks in the house.

Q Do you believe in the principle that a mother must be

a mother’s role is that of a mother, and being a friend is just a part of the package?

A I believe a mother should be a mother .You may have numerous friends but you just have one mother. For me a mother’s role

somebody who has faith in your crazy ideas, somebody who creates an environment for your true potential to come out. Somebody who supports you when our doubtful. So being a friend is a very small portion of being a mother. Because being friendly is more an attitude than really a role play of a mother.

Q Is being a Mother is a thankless job? What has the most rewarding aspect of being a mother, been for you?

A Mothers don’t look for gratitude. I don’t think any mother is raising her children expecting something in return. Motherhood is all about unconditional love, so you don’t ask for anything. This is the only relationship which doesn’t ask for anything in return and that’s the beauty of the relationship.Every time I see my children being compassionate by serving others, it gives me great joy. Such young children making a difference by giving people, feeling for others and caring about strangers.

Q Take me through one memorable moment in your trajectory as a mother.

A There is no one memorable moment; every moment has been special and memorable. Like when they respect the maids at home ,when the care and share , family time together ,when I sit and paint with them together and the list can go on forever. As every moment is adding to the person they are becoming. It’s not what they do but what they are becoming that is memorable for me.

Q Where do you see your children ten years from now? What are your dreams for them?

A My only dream for my children is that they should pursue their own dreams. It’s not what I want from their life but what they want from their life. I hope I am able to give them the environment, the support and everything they need to pursue their dreams. Just like I’m living a complete life I hope they live their complete life too. Being a mother is a role and not an identity. Mothers should be a role model; I truly believe that live life that your children can emulate.



Vishwanathan Anand has done it again! He has outperformed himself, winning a nerve-wracking tie-breaker to beat his Israeli

title and fourth in a row in Moscow on Wednesday, 30 May 2012.

When Vishy added yet another world title to his name on 30 May, Sachin Tendulkar doffed his cap.

Highlights of his chessing career

No of games in database from 1984 to 2012: 2,586

He learnt chess from his mother at age 6

Became the youngest Indian to earn the title of IM at 15 in 1984.

Youngest ever Indian champion at 16

not originate from one of the countries of the erstwhile Soviet bloc.

Anand is one of six players in history to crack the 2800 mark.

First player to win the putative world championship via knockout tournament, round robin tournament and traditional match play.

MASTER OF THE GAME


Mag

BlurbFitness in the beach 42

A new wardrobe with minimal cost! 44

Kreative Korner 52

For your Eyes only! 55

Life began with waking up & loving my mother’s face.George Eliot, English novelist

model Karan khattar


you are in the world, what your cultural upbringing is, or what your family teaches you to say in the nascent years of your existence, is Ma? The simple juxtaposition of one consonant and one vowel encapsulates within it, a universe. What is a mother? Some say that a mother is the being that god created because he couldn’t be everywhere. Some say a mother is the soul that gives life – the only being to be able to do so. But I’m not really sure we’re right on that one – how

for such a n o t h e r

a meaning – but no language will ever be enough.

From Punyakoti, the gentle cow who refused to give up her child to a tiger, and begged for her to be eaten instead, and even returned to the tiger after feeding her child one last time, honouring her word, to brave

wi th her life, history has a repertoire of women who have put their maternal instincts before anything else. A n d this is not just true of them, but true of your mother and mine. The bond with a mother is like nothing e l s e that is unparalleled in kind – no matter the age, the designation or the gender, to everyone in the world, Mother means home. Think about it – when I say “Home”, what comes to mind? Brick, mud, walls, wood? Or the image of your mother’s warm smile, ever welcoming hands and a warm, heartfelt and lovingly prepared hot meal?

The latter, isn’t it?

The bond between you and your mother is forged in heaven – there is a belief that a mother summons a soul from the beyond with a call from her heart, and thus, that soul becomes her child. How strong a bond is that, right? How wonderful and profound that relationship is, right? There are a thousand relations you might have – friends, enemies, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters – but not

to exist. Treasure that bond, cherish it and allow it to nurture. As a youngster, many a thing your mother tells you to do might seem unfair, boring or “wrong”. But walk a mile longer, and you’ll see how much sense they really made.


MA

From Kirthi’s Desk .....


Mag

Mandu Mohan writes to Bill Gates about problems associatedwith PC & Windows

1. My child learned MS WORD now he wants MS SENTENCE.

RE-CYCLE BIN but no RE-MOTORCYCLE BIN

3. I see MS OFFICE but I want to use this software @ home so I need MS HOME.

4. Finally, how is that your name is GATES but u r selling WINDOWS?

est 4 Laughs

J

The Requirements for this Job Employer: “In this job we need someone who is responsible.” Applicant: “I’m the one you want. On my last job, every time anything went wrong, they said I was responsible.”

Why is Facebook so successful?

The secret of its success – it works

people’s lives more interesting than their own.

Before he was killed, Osama Bin Laden was known to believe in astrology and went to an astrologer to ask him when he will die.

The astrologer told him that he will die on an American holiday

Osama asked him, “How could you be sure of that?”

“Well, any day you die will be most certainly be an American holiday.”

Jokes Contributed by Kajal Jaiswal

Quizzeria?Q: I’m the beginning of the end. You can see me twice in a decade, But once in a year & not in day, But once in June & twice in a week. Only geniuses can answer…

What am I?

Q: I am 10 letter word, My 1234 has power to rule, U eat my 5678. My 89 & 10 means of a lady,

• • ••

• •• • •

••

••

••

•

••

•• •

••

••• AB

D

E

C

I

JF

G

H

Answer = E

Answer: KINGFISHER


Teen Kooks

Teen Kook is back with a big bang. We bring to you easy to turn out recipes from

youngsters. Do you have a recipe? Do send in your recipe, a candid snap and a little about yourself to us at [email protected] and win a surprise gift. This issue we bring Sruti to you who will introduce you to the world of desserts!

Chocolate Fudge

Traditional Indian sweets are usually too heavy and sweet. After dinner desserts should be light on the stomach. Countless varieties of desserts give us a light choice to pamper our taste buds. What started out as curiosity and fun following cookery and baking shows in channels like TLC and YouTube developed into an enterprise for Shanta Sruti Bhaskar.



Mag

Chocolate Mousse

The eureka moment, was an entrepreneurial bazaar, a business test run for a career. Not following the conventional ideas of ordinary

pure vegetarian family, all the cakes and

a big hit and a challenge . Completing her graduation in Journalism from MOP Vaishnav College last year and a Diploma in executive MBA from LIBA , experimenting

brownies, mousse, éclairs, etc became her passion. Appreciation and support from

. She put up small notices on Facebook and other social media sites and was pleasantly surprised to get orders from friends and acquaintances. Soon she started baking from home and converted her love for baking into a professional set up.

Chocolate MousseIngredients

150g mini marshmallows

50g soft butter

250g good dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped into small pieces

60ml hot water

500 gm cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Place the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.

Place the saucepan on the hob over keeping the heat fairly gentle, to melt the contents, stirring every now and again. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick, and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.

Pour or scrape into 4 glasses or ramekins, about 175ml each in capacity, or 6 smaller (125ml) ones, and chill until you want to eat. The sooner the better!

Serves: 4-6

5 Minute FudgeIngredients

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Combine butter, milk, salt in a medium size pot on medium heat. Bring to a boil. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, chocolate, vanilla.

Stir vigorously for 1 minute until marshmallows and chocolate melt and blend.

Pour into 8 inch square buttered pan. Cool. Cut into squares.

Compiled by Jinal Patel


Come on girls! Out with your cycles and off to the beach. Pack your foot ball, Frisbee, towel, water bottle into a

back pack and peddle away. It is summer time. The sun is up by 5 and the day is long enough for some fun activities. Cool cottons, bright colours, shorts, salwar, pants of different lengths, anything is cool as long as it is comfortable. Style it up and protect your hair with a cap or a scarf or a bandana. Here comes the sun and

that perks up your cheeks and giggle and

In the

on the bank ... .

Teen Fitness


peddle along on your bicycles. Ahoy! Summer holidays…….here we come.

Lock your cycles and run along towards the water. Watch the beauty of the shimmering gold on the sea…..and look at the waves trying to bring them to you. Just lap it all up - this pretty moment is for every one of you. Sit down for a moment and just observe the water, the little ripples turning into a wave pushing one after the other and gushing onto the shore only to go back and start all over again. Follow the wave with your eyes as they move back and forth and gently close your eyes. Feel the air breeze over your skin. Listen to the sound of the sea and how it is unaffected by whatever is happening around. So constant, so consistent, with a rhythm of its own!

String all your chappals into a rope, any rope if you brought a skipping rope just use it and make a line on the sand with it. This can be your net to play Frisbee or ball. Jump up to reach and run in all directions to catch what is speeding in the air. Do not wait for somebody to pick up and hand over the ball, you pick it up yourself. Once you are warmed up after some play, we will do some feet art on the sand.

Smoothen out an area to be used as a drawing board or just allow the wave to do it for you by the shore. Those of you who have an artistic leaning can draw mehendi patterns in the sand others just do word art and write your name or just a jumble of alphabets\numbers in different directions using your creative sense. You know what? You are actually toning your entire legs from hip to toe so balance it out and use the other leg too. Your mind is calm and alert and the creative energy boosts up your strength and endurance. Suck in your tummy to support your spine and get that balance while you draw with one leg and stand on the other. Beach Pilates ….just give it a name, after all Shakespeare himself has said

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

What we need to know is that we have worked our core which is the tummy, for having eating all that yummy stuff that mommy made.

Now, time to tone up your shoulders, arms and the entire upper torso. Down on your knees in vajrasana, pull in your

hands-it is just sand so forget the mess and let us play. Shovel out as much as you can and make a tunnel or a well. Model out the metro tunneling and name your destinations. Panting? Good, so you have worked up your heart and lung system taking in maximum oxygen and boosting up your metabolism, improving your immunity and getting ready for that pretty pink sleeveless top that you saw on the mannequin at the mall.

Roll on the sand and allow it to stick on to you. Get up and wash, we have enough water and more with every wave that slaps you for being sandy. Roll on sand again and get slapped again fun

shore and let the sea breeze dry you up. Time to go home and breakfast is ready on the table. Satiate your rumbling tummy and chat away to glory.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS…….START YOUR DAY WITH THE SUN AND WATCH YOUR ENERGY FLOW ENDLESSLY CHEERS!

Vijaya Chamundeswari

by The American Council on Exercise (ACE),Reebok, Integral Yoga Institute (IYI),Pilates Institute of America (PIA).

Mag


Fashion Diaries

FashionFabulous

On a Shoe’ String BudgetEVE’S TIMES June 201244


The tips and tricks to a fabluous wardrobe within your budget.

Being a college girl is not easy. Keeping

same is even more tedious; especially for those with holed wallets. Here is a guide put together for Chennaiites who call ‘fashion’ their middle name and defend it, no matter what.

Let us begin with stuff we already own.

wardrobes sections, trunks or drawers that you may think contain ancient artifacts. But believe me,

jewellery, bags, clothes that did not

baggy jeans. Just a little alteration or add-ons like sequins, glitter, buttons or thread-work can transform old into new and funky.

Sisters, so I heard, share nothing, but if you have brothers you are lucky. Old t-shirts, shorts, caps and sports watches can add to your already fabulous wardrobe.

This is one place you should not leave untouched, though it might be the end of you- your mother’s wardrobe. Every mother has the habit of storing and safe-keeping. What you might not know is that their wardrobes contain breath-taking dupattas or sarees that could be worn just as they are or be stitched into ethnic salwar suits or kurtis.

Own clothes that have odd or funny looking sleeves? Cut them off. You can give them a rugged or jagged look or a neat cut. Wear them with stoles or shrugs if sleeveless makes you uncomfortable.

The easiest and most common form of home-made fashion- Cut offs. Take out your oldest and most worn out jeans and cut the legs off at the suitable length of your choice. You can either stitch the edges or leave them as they are for a rugged look. Cut offs can also be made from trousers and unusually long three-fourths.

The next on the list is a blessing in

disguise. You might curse yourself (for being the youngest in the family) or your countless cousins, but hand-me-downs are what generously expand your wardrobe. If you search through the ‘already worn and owned’, you

would last you at least a few weeks (without repetition!). Remember

transform the drab to damsel-like!

Chant this as your new personal mantra- mend and re-use. Be it slippers or bags; a tear or a snapped strap does not necessarily put them in the trash list. This is why you must keep a look-out for cobblers in your neighbourhood. They can mend anything and make it look (almost) as good as new.

not try heading to Fountain Plaza instead? Situated at Egmore, this is the heavenly abode of footwear. You

that come in a multitude of colours. Low on underwear? The shop next door owned by a mother-son duo has everything you need.

Corner. The basement offers you a mind-blowing set of shops that sell t-shirts, shorts and slippers for just a few hundred rupees.

Good old Spencer’s is famous for its 100 bucks t-shirts. If you hunt

comfortably over-sized graphic t-shirts at one of the numerous shops.

Jute Shop at Spencer Plaza sells some very affordable eco-friendly bags in different sizes and colours.

Trust me when I say Big Bazaar is not uncool. It is one of the best hyper

unbelievable prizes. Western, Indian ethnic wear, sportswear, underwear- name it. True, they may not be labeled like some of our brand-conscious peers think (with repulsion). But


Lifestyle kurtis which a billion other girls own.

Make sure to have standard coloured bottoms, dupattas or kurtis. Black, white, off-white, beige and maroon are must-haves. This can effortlessly enhance and expand your wardrobe. So when you go shopping, you can pick a kurti that would go with some dupatta-bottom sets. Or you can get a patiala-dupatta set which would go with a couple of your kurtis.

Hunting for accessories? Well, hunt for gypsy women instead! The kind who sell

at Besant Nagar, if not any other place, sitting by the roads with myriad colours of beaded earrings, necklaces and anklets. Bargain a little (don’t forget to be nice) and you’d be on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

As the cherry on top, we have Pondy Bazaar; which has been ever-famous for its affordability and availability of goods. Things are cheap or can be mercilessly bargained for.

Happy Shopping!

Liya Roy



Brain Grain

Across3 Come summer and its time for a?

6 Protects your skin from the sum

7 ”I want to jump into a..........”

9 Gucci, Prada,Rayban

12 Building................... in the sand

13 Refereshing summer drink

Down1 Hot summer breeze

2 Summer shoes

4 I scream,you scream,we all scream for?

5 A cool summer

6 There is a calm before every.............

10 21 June is the summer.............

11 Sand, sea-shore and sunshine


4 8 2 6 11 6 45 8

5 77 4 1 2

5 32 6

93 8 4 9

2 9 4 1 8 7 5 3 6

6 5 3 2 4 9 8 1 7

8 1 7 3 6 5 4 2 9

7 3 9 8 1 6 2 4 5

5 2 1 4 9 3 7 6 8

4 8 6 7 5 2 1 9 3

9 4 8 6 7 1 3 5 2

3 7 5 9 2 4 6 8 1

1 6 2 5 3 8 9 7 4

Solution

D k u u oS


Mag

‘Stewardesses’ is the longest word typed with only the left hand and ‘lollipop’ is the longest word typed with your right hand..

No word in the English language rhymes with

month, orange, silver, or purple.

‘Dreamt’ is the only English word that ends in the letters ‘mt’.

Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ear never stop growing.

The sentence,

‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’

uses every letter of the alphabet.

The words ‘racecar’ ‘kayak’ and ‘level’ are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).

There are only four words in the English

language which end in ‘dous’:

tremendous, horrendous, stupendous,

and hazardous.

There are two words in the English language

‘abstemious’ and ‘facetious’.

TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

seconds.

A ‘jiffy’ is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

(I know some people that could do this, too!)

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

(I know some people like that, also.)

Babies are born without kneecaps.

They don’t appear until the child

reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you,

8 abreast, the line would never end because

of the rate of reproduction.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

The average person’s left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE 2,

moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

(Good thing he did that.)

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies’ room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Now you know more than you did before!

Canteen BanterDid you know…?


Changing the face of IndiaMeet young business minds and innovative entrepreneurs bursting with ideas to redefine the business and corporate scenario.

EVE’S TIMESYour Voice is our Inspiration

Next Issue


Mag

Kajal Jaiswal

“Quality is what I give and is what I want,” says young entrepreneur Gunjan Parekh, whose love and passion for art have made her the owner of ‘Dzine studio’. Her classes offer a range of activities for children and adults, helping them learn different kinds of painting, paper craft and various other art forms. Those interested in learning 3D Acrylic painting (wall clock, name plates, jewellery box, fancy trays), Madhubani painting, oil and glass painting,

and 3D origami must join Dzine studio. Today Gunjan has a minimum of 40 students learning art every day, with age being no bar.

From Gunjan’s treasure chest: Let’s learn, easy to make - gift envelopes

Things needed: Readily available plain envelope

Craft sheet/colour A4 sheet

Design punch machine

Punch craft pad

Colourful quilling strips

Crimper

3mm sheets

Glue

Scissors

Embossing tool

Pearl or any other decorative stone

Steps:1. Take any colour craft sheet/ A4 sheet and using a design punching machine

punch the sheets to

per requirement.

2. Once the punching is done use the

embossing tool to

reative orner K


and leaves placing them on a punch craft pad and then keep them aside.

3. Next, take any colour quilling strip that is in

contrast to the

envelope and add a corrugated effect to it using the crimper as shown in the image.

4. Cut the corrugated quilling strips according to the length and breadth of the envelope and stick them horizontally and vertically on the

readymade

envelope using

glue as shown in

the image.

5. Pick any colour 3mm sheets and cut

them into thin strips.

6. With the help of glue stick

the 3mm strips to form a bouquet as shown in the image.

7. Place some glue at the edges of the

3mm sheet strips

and stick the

and leaves to make it look like a bouquet.

8. Use the left over quilling strip to make a bow

and

place it over the bouquet using glue.

9. Place fancy stone using glue, on the bow for decorative purpose and set aside to dry.

10. Gift envelope is ready for use.


Chinmayi Sripada via Twitter

Chinmayi RT @govindethiraj : For the party this evening, we are serving petrol shots of 30 ml each. You don’t even need a Liquor Permit.

Bill Gates @BillGates

All kids deserve to get vaccines. This is a huge victory to protect children worldwide. http://b-gat.es/

Chetan Bhagat @chetan_bhagat

Some people need to take a bowl of rasam and drown in it.

Barack Obama @BarackObama

“Middle-class families like mine need to have a leader like you standing up for the issues that matter most.” http://OFA.BO/JuZRj1

Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep

india at 9: what really happened to the sibal promise of low cost tablets for students?

Amitabh Bachchan @SrBachchan

T 755 - Googlisdictionpedia .. !! Ha !! Attribute this to early morning before the

coffee, hallucinatory aberrations !!


T 755 - Social networking is so relieving

untraceable in any Googlisdictionpedia .. !!

Deepika Padukone @deepikapadukone

COCKTAIL 13th JULY!!!

Genelia D’souza @geneliad

Thank u soo much sk @shahidkapoor A huge shoutout to@mubinaratsey N @geneliad for the tamil release of URUMI.Congrats on the super reviews

Shahid Kapoor @shahidkapoor

A huge shoutout to @mubinarattonsey. N @geneliad for the tamil release of URUMI ....... Congrats on the super reviews


T 754 - You can get ‘lucky’ all the time, but when you get ‘unlucky’ only once, that once has the capacity to either make or break you ...

Priyanka Chopra @priyankachopra

the cabin..no one to disturb ur thoughts..nothing to think of..just me n my book..till u land....

Mast MOGLI @Mast_MOGLI

be problem after all how many will ne able

Retweeted by Ranganathan Madhavan

Chinmayi / Chinmayee@Chinmayi

Well done girls. You rule!! :D RT @ndtv: CBSE results 2012: Once again, girls outshine boys in class X exams

24 May

Chinmayi / Chinmayee @Chinmayi

24 May

A.R.Rahman@arrahman

24 May

Ranganathan Madhavan @ActorMadhavan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-29Kl2ktc .. WOW.. Hard hitting I am told.. All the best folks.

24 May

Bipasha Basu@bipsluvurself

Get Motivated now! And form a habit of Loving Yourself!

Tweet Beat


For Your Eyes Only

Alexandreena Sneha Radhish


This is a fun column, a friendly exchange between you and your friends. If you feel like opening out your heart to someone, our young friends will to lend you a helping hand to put things in the right perspective. This may help sort out confusions and you may be able to take decisions boldly. Remember, this is not professional help but just a little bit of sharing and caring among the youth commune. Those of you who are interested in offering solutions or those who seek the support of their young friends to sort out their issues can dash a mail to [email protected]. Friends offering their time and thought to help out must also send in their pix.

You can ask her anything under the sun… but this column is meant only for the teens…ADULT ALERT!

My maid servant is a 70-year old lady who has been working for me for quite a while. Having been abused by and alcoholic husband who later died, she got all three of her daughter married to older men hoping to avoid dowry. Now she wants to get her 17 year old granddaughter married to an old man. The girl is a very bright student and has got decent marks in Plus 2. She is very keen to do her higher education however, her grandmother is not willing to let her continue, as she is now working and earning. I have offered to fund her for her college education. But the old lady is adamant that she should not go to college, partly because she is worried that the girl may have an affair and partly because she things that if the girl gets educated, she will become arrogant. Moreover she wants to relinquish her responsibilities by marrying her off to

whether he has children older than the girl of not. I want to help the girl without seeming to interfere in their family affairs. I need some suggestions on how to go about this. I cannot see the life of a young and bright girl wasted away due to a mind steeped in superstitions, ignorance and avarice.

Umme Aiman Zakir

Hello Umme Aiman,

understand that it is against the law to get her 17 year old granddaughter married off. The legal age for marriage in our country is 18 years for a girl and 21 for a boy. If the girl or boy is underage while entering into matrimony, either forcefully or with consent, it will be treated as an offense.

Your maid needs to understand that instead of trying to get rid of her granddaughter, she should encourage her granddaughter to continue her higher studies. By doing so she would be empowering the little girl with the knowledge that she requires to survive in this dog-eat-dog world. The wisdom that she gains would help her to choose the right path when faced with

bring the entire family out of poverty and illiteracy which, according to me are the root causes of all problems. Since the granddaughter is keen to pursue her studies, by not getting her married

after studies instead, the grandmother would be helping herself and the whole family. In today’s world with so much of opportunity for anyone who is willing to work hard, specialised understanding

of interest, will give her the necessary edge for getting a good job. If your maid is keen to earn some money by making her granddaughter work, you could even suggest that the little girl takes tuitions for younger children of her community without wasting much of her time while continuing to concentrate on her studies.

such as DTP, typing work etc.

Today, there are many educational institutions that offer courses in many different disciplines which she could choose from. There are courses in Commerce, Business Management, Psychology, Sociology, Literature, History and Tamil that are quite reasonably priced, from Rupees 2000 to 5000 (prices as per

survey from 2008 – 2012). Depending on

could choose the course and the college. I recommend a girl’s college, as she will have fewer distractions and will be given proper attention by the faculty. Knowing that she is at a very impressionable age, it is better that she be informed about the adolescent age, and be trusted to do the right thing and stay on the right path. I hope that your maid understands and allows her granddaughter to continue her education. It has been said many times before, ‘educating a man will educate an individual, but educating a girl will educate a family’ and in today’s fast paced world; education is the only weapon against poverty. Millions of people are falling prey to exploitation due to illiteracy.

You may impress upon your maid that all of us have argued with our parents at some point of time in our childhood regarding studies, not knowing how it will affect us later; throwing tantrums on how we don’t want to study anymore; and how it is such a waste of time. However, she needs to know that what we are today is because of what we have learnt. For that we need to thank God for the wonderful gift called parents that he blessed us with. She needs to know that as a parent and family it’s her job to guide her granddaughter, mould her and make her strong; and give her a strong foundation to face the world of tomorrow.

Today, I am in my early 20s and am ready to take on the world. I sometimes however, wonder whether I have gained enough knowledge to succeed in the big bad world out there. But with reassurance from my family I know now that, ‘knowing tomato is a fruit is knowledge, not using it in a fruit salad is wisdom’. It’s just gaining wisdom that the grandmother needs to focus on.


For Your Eyes Only


get out of their house. Her sister left their home. Now, though her husband is nice to her and her son, she cannot forget his betrayal and wants to leave him. She is asking me if she can come to Chennai with her little son and try for a job. She is just Plus 2 with a short course in computers. Though she can stay with me, I am a workingwoman myself, with my parents in the same village as hers.

baby. Shall I ask her to continue to stay with her husband? I feel Chennai is too big and dangerous for an innocent woman like her, with a child and no education. I am also on the verge of getting married.

The stereotypical image of Indian women

friend has tried to glorify herself in ‹giving life› to the sister-a life that proved to be a disaster. But the sister was courageous

Jus’Ask Brinda

I have a friend in Madurai. Her husband owns

delivery, she had left her sister ( unmarried ) who was studying in a college in Madurai ( their parents are in a village) to take care of her husband. On her return she was

and sister were having an affair and her sister had conceived. Out of sheer disgust, she got them married them in a temple. Her husband started abusing her sister and wanted her to

enough to make her way out of this muddle. Nothing in the past can be undone because it has become history now. Please be sure that you cannot decide for your friend. You can only give suggestions and offer to stand by her in her decision. What happened seems like an act of lust which unfortunately resulted in pregnancy with no emotional bonding with the sister. That is why he was rude to her. Quitting this life is an uphill task for a woman who is not equipped. What does your friend want? If she loves him a lot, is she ready to pardon this one slip? If she cannot pardon, is she prepared to face life alone? She is unable to decide because none of the two solutions are ideal to her. If she is ready to pardon him this time and give him one more chance, there is a possibility that they may get closer. Mistakes are opportunities to learn. It is her choice, anyway

Branches: Saligramam Anna Nagar Numbambakkam ( Ooty Pazhamudir Nilaiyam)

KOVAI PAZHAMUDIR CHOLAIFresh Vegetables Fruits Fresh Juice


SummerLive it up this


FOOD TANGO

the Slice of LifeMango

Apart from being the “King of fruits” mango is rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Encounter some amazingly surprising facts and unique, easy to cook, mango recipes.



With ‘Mangilera Indica’ being its botanical name; mango is an ancient topical fruit heavily consumed

in many parts of the world. Mango is said to be originated in Southeast Asia and has been grown for over 4,000 years. Today there are over 1,000 different varieties of mangos throughout the world. Mango being the National fruit of India makes the country one of its largest exporters.In India alone, there are over 500 varieties, but only about 35 varieties are extensively cultivated. Alphonso, Benishaan and Kesar mango varieties are the most popular varieties in India’s southern states, while Chausa, Dasheri and Langra varieties are most popular in the northern states. Malgova, Peethar, Rumani, Bangalura, Rasalu, Tthothapari, Neelam, Sindhoora, and Salem are other varieties available in India.

There are various traditional myths about the mango tree. In the Hindu mythology mango is known as “Food of the Gods”. Every part of the mango tree is used for multiple purposes; Indian houses, during auspicious occasions and celebrations, are decorated with mango leaves , especially in archways and doors. The Mango tree plays a sacred role in India; as they are believed to grant wishes. A certain shade of yellow dye is attained by feeding cattle small amounts of mango leaves and harvesting their urine. The Tahis (Spanish singer) like to munch mango buds, with Sanskrit poets believing they lend sweetness to the voice.

Though the mango is a fruit that is greatly consumed in many parts of the world, little has been known about its health

unripe condition; both are well known for their medicinal properties. Every part of the mango is useful and has been utilized in folk remedies in some form or the other. Whether the bark, leaves, skin or pit; all have been used for various types of treatments or preventatives through the centuries.

Beyond being delicious they are rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. They also contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas.

Mango, both in its green and ripe form is a very good tenderising agent due to the enzymes present in them, therefore ideal to include in any marinade. In India they use a sour mango powder containing ground up green mangos called Amchur, both as a seasoning and tenderizing aid.

An average sized mango can contain up

a protective effect against degenerative diseases, especially with regards to the heart; may help prevent certain types of cancer (breast and colon/colorectal cancer), as well as lowering blood cholesterol levels.

For those of you who are physically active, whether working out or constantly on the go, mangos are also a great way to replenish that lost potassium.

Heat strokes lead to extreme exhaustion and weakness, which can be treated with raw mango drink. You need to cook raw mango in hot ashes and mix the pulp with sugar. Drinking raw mango juice provides amazing energy and helps in preventing the extreme loss of sodium chloride.

Dried raw mango powder that is prepared by drying them in sunlight is highly useful for the treatment of scurvy ( a disease

C )

The fresh green mango is highly valued for its ability to cure blood disorder. It increases the elasticity of blood vessels and helps in the formation of new blood cells.

It increases body’s resistance against tuberculosis, cholera, anaemia and dysentery

Unripe mango is an excellent fruit remedy for bilious or liver disorder. The acid contained in unripe, green mango trigger the secretion of bile and act as an intestinal antiseptic.

Consumption of green mangos with honey and pepper alleviates biliousness, and thereby diseases like jaundice and urticaria.

Kajal Jaiswal


FOOD TANGO

Thumbs up forMangoIn our country, people welcome the summer season despite the scorching heat just to enjoy the delicious summer fruit- mango. Mango, is used as a prominent ingredient in various Indian recipes. Today even renowned chefs and restaurants are using mangoes to make their menus more exotic. Here are a few unique and easy to cook mango recipes that ensure to increase your appetite for the season.

MANGO BREAD2 loaves

Ingredients1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups diced mangos

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup chopped nuts

DirectionsCream together butter and sugar. Add eggs. Stir in dry ingredients, mangos and lemon juice. Pour into 2 8” loaf pans. Bake at 350’ for 1 hour or until loaf tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly. For best results, wrap in foil and serve the following day.

Kajal Jaiswal


Ingredients1/2 cup raspberries

2 cups milk

whipped cream

1 mango, cubed

DirectionsIn blender, combine mango, raspberries and milk. Whip until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses. Top with whipped cream.

Mango-Raspberry Frost

Lime Mango Mousse In Chocolate CupsIngredients6 oz. white or bittersweet chocolate2 cups prepared whipped cream1 tsp. grated lime rind1 tbsp. lime juice1/2 cup powdered sugar1 peeled & pureed mango1 (250g.) pkg. cream cheese

DirectionsIn an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat 1 pkg.(250g) Cream Cheese with 1 peeled, pureed mango,1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice and 1 tsp. grated lime rind until smooth. Fold in 2 cups prepared DREAM WHIP. Spoon into chocolate cups and refrigerate. To make chocolate cups: melt 6 oz. white or bittersweet chocolate. Using a small spoon, lightly coat the inside of 8 foil-lined baking cups. Freeze for 10 minutes. Recoat any thin spots and freeze 1 hour.

Ingredients1/3 cup oil1/4 cup soy sauce1/4 cup white wine1/2 cup green pepper, diced1 clove garlic, crushed1 cup mango slices2 lbs. chicken pieces

DirectionsIn oil, brown chicken on all sides. Place in baking dish. Season with soy sauce, wine, garlic, salt and peppers. Cover and bake at 350’ until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Add mangos and bake 10 minutes longer.

Mango Chicken (With White Wine)


Edu Talk

RoadChoosing the

Less Travelled

Everybody wants to be different; everyone wants to have an identity of their own that makes them stand out amidst the crowd. So what is GEN X doing to create their own place in a world of over 7 billion?



Educating ourselves helps us build a foundation for a better life tomorrow. But how much does education help when every other person seems to be learning the same subjects and doing the same things?

The world is full of doctors, engineers, lawyers and other such conventional professions. So how it is that people are able to stand distinguished amongst the crowd? The answer lies in the new avenues and vistas of education. The universe of education is one which is ever changing with improvements and changes in various courses and the dimension they offer. New

catching the eye of a number of people. Today, people are in search of unique courses that offer in depth knowledge

Hacking. The course has made quite an

people are enrolling for this course to

Hacking is penetrating into networks and

important information which cannot be reached by normal procedures. On the other hand, ethical hacking involves a

own network or computer to search for vulnerabilities and loop holes that other

hacking at Appine Knowledge solutions. “I wanted to this course after watching a show on MTV about ethical hacking and security. They would give tips to protect oneself from hacking and also some ethical hacking tricks,” she said. Ethical hackers are hired by many organisations to help protect their systems from hacking. Task forces also hire ethical hackers to help them during missions

and research. “I would love t o work for a special task force, the j o b

Special task forces and police forces are also in need of forensic science experts. The job that deals with identifying DNA and evidence through which people can be tracked and traced, is a new course which is catching up with a lot of people.

It’s hard work and involves a lot of studies but the end result is totally worth it,” says

forensic science. “I have always wanted to

liking for forensic sciences after watching so many American detective serials. After I

for the police,” added Manisha who is a graduate in visual communication.

Visual communication, journalism and electronic media are also much sought after courses today. However, people

Rather than getting just an overview of all the aspects of the media, multimedia institutions and some colleges are bringing out specialisation courses such as graphic designing in all software, animation with the latest software that are used in Pixar and Disney studios and many more courses that produce specialists in those

work from home as freelancers. “All you

need is a PC and l the requisite software and a lot of patience and dedication,” says Sheetal, a graphic designer. “I was very much interested in graphic designing, so after doing my graduation in computer applications, I did a course to specialise in graphic designing and animation. But my interest lies more in graphic designing,” she added. After movies like Avatar and Inception, more people are joining graphic designing, animation and audio engineering courses. “One of my favourite animation movies has to be, How to train your Dragon, apart from of course Avatar which was a masterpiece,” said Sheetal.

There is an abundance of courses and new vistas of education today. We are surrounded by a million options and it is left to us to decide which direction we would like take. Choosing the right avenue and working hard towards achieving our goals will guarantee success.



Summer Beverages

Smile Easy Recipes

When its summer, it’s time to cool your heels wishing the heat to go away. There’s also a smart way to beat the heat. Wash the heat down with some cool summer beverages.

Aam pannaThis age old mango drink is the ideal way to tackle hot sultry summers. To make this delicious drink, you will need

Ingredients

Raw mangos 1kg

Caster sugar ½ cup

Jaggery ½ cup

Ground roasted cumin 2tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Chopped mint leaves ½ cup

Black salt to taste

Water

Method:Cover the mangoes in water and pressure- cook them for one whistle. Take them out of the cooker and check; they should be soft and ready to be peeled.

Drain out the water from the pressure-cooker, peel the mangoes and extract all the pulp into a container. Dispose the peels and the seeds.

Add water to get the pulp to a running consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix properly.

Add water to dilute the mixture, transfer into a bottle or jug and chill.

While serving add ice cubes and garnish with mint leaves.

Chill the serving glass in the freezer before serving for added effect.

Serves up to 10 glasses


that replenishes your body. To make this pretty pink drink, you will need:

IngredientsDeseeded pieces of watermelon

50 ml of cranberry juice

Ice cubes

Honey or sugar (for added sweetness)

Method:According to the serving

ice. Place the ice and watermelon in the blender.

Pulse-blend the watermelon and ice. Add the cranberry juice and honey and pulse-blend twice.

Place a few watermelon cubes inside the serving glass. Pour the mixture on top of the watermelon in the glass. The drink is ready to be served.

Serves based on the size of

the fruit.

will hit the bull’s eye on your taste buds. To make this delicious drink, you will need

Orange juice (pulpy) 50 ml

Cranberry juice 50 ml

A squeeze of lime

Honey or sugar (for sweetness)

Ice cubes

MethodPulse-blend ½ serving glass of ice. Add the orange juice and lime juice.

Add honey or sugar to taste and blend once.

Pour the mixture into the serving glass and top it off slowly with the cranberry juice.

Garnish with orange peel

A fresh and light drink, which refreshes all your senses this drink is best prepared on per person basis or in small quantities. To make this refreshing drink, you will need the following

IngredientsMint leaves 10-15

1 tsp sugar 1 tsp

Juice of half a lime (freshly squeezed)

Soda or sprite or 7 up

Ice

MethodMuddle the mint leaves, lime juice sugar in a glass with a pestle.

Add ice to the glass, cover the glass and shake it thoroughly till you feel that the glass is chilled.

Top up with soda or sprite or 7 up. (Add sugar if required)

Served chilled and garnish with lime wedge and mint leaves.

Serves one

Virg

in mo

jito

Wate

rmelo

n cr

unch

Sunrise



Travelogue

Getaway

The horrid heat of the summer makes triggers in us a desire to escape from our homes to a more peaceful and

pleasant destination. From beaches to hill stations, we search for the ideal location to beat the summer months. However, even after much planning, there are always

planning our summer holiday. Some avid travellers share their unique experiences they had during their holiday trips that can whip up nostalgia in every one of us about our jaunts to exotic locales.

Summer means a much needed vacation for most of us. But what is the ideal summer destination? Here are a few places that have won the people’s vote as their favourite summer destination.


Like the saying goes “We wander for

a couple of youngsters were headed for a bike trip from Kochi to Munnar.

A road trip which was going to have some fascinating turn of events. “It was pretty impulsive,” says Lakshmi, one of the members of the 7- member gang that went on the bike expedition, “the whole idea came up a day before we rode up the hills.”

“After a six-hour long bike journey, we

but we were still a long way off from the hilltop guest house which was 12kms away from the main township,” said Lakshmi enthusiastically, “We had to make our own arrangement for food, so we decided to head back into town for dinner. We were advised by the care-taker of the guest house to be back early, as there were wild elephants roaming around at night,” she added. After

headed back by 9:30pm. “There was a right turn, off on the main road which led to the guest house. The

the turn, leaving the last bike to follow. As the last bike was approaching the turn, they stopped in shock

standing in front of them,” said Lakshmi “we were all

didn’t know what to do or how to help out our friends who were stuck with an elephant to tackle,” she added.

One of the friends who was on the other side of the elephant tried to help the people who were stuck by throwing stones near the elephant to distract it, giving the people in front of the giant, enough time to move to safety. “ The shower of stones from either side made the elephant go around in circles which was hilarious to watch and it seemed like the elephant started to feel dizzy after a while as it lost its balance and slid down the slope,” said Lakshmi. After the elephant slid down, we checked to see if it was alright. The elephant was back on its feet and we continued to discuss our

funny yet scary incident during the rest of the trip. It’s an incident I’ll never forget, however our trip to Munnar was lovely and memorable. The place is beautiful and scenic and an ideal getaway,” she added.

Situated on the Western Ghats is the lovely hill station of Munnar. Munnar means ‘three rivers’ and therefore is a

Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers. It is 140kms away from the nearest airport, Kochi International airport and the nearest major railway stations are Cochin and Aluva. There are many places nearby to see and explore while in Munnar. The Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Manjapatti valley, echo point, Anamudi peak, Kundala Lake, Mattupetti dam and the Indukki arch dam. Munnar

spots.

From the beautiful hills of the Malabar Coast we move to the islands of Indonesia.

Slyvian Patrick shares his experience in Bali, Indonesia with us. “Our main idea of planning the weekend in Bali was to party hard,” says Patrick, “the party usually starts at around 10.30 with the real fun beginning at 12 am and goes on till 5 in the morning. We were all set for a fun and unforgettable weekend, but we forgot to about plan money exchange,” he added. The group of guys that ventured on the holiday was carrying enough money for a smashing weekend however the only glitch was that it was not in the native currency. “We had 100s of dollars but no place to

convert them to Indonesian rupiah and you can’t party without the money,” recounts Patrick, “In fact we didn’t even have money to pay the advance for the hotel but being Indians who are naturally endowed with negotiation skills, we coerced the hotel manager, a pretty Indonesian lady to lend us almost - 2.3 Million Indonesian Rupiahs which is around 250 US dollars; and do you know what we gave as security? Two passports, we were so crazy to enjoy the night life out there that we mortgaged our passports in a foreign land that’s quite known for passport theft,” chuckles Patrick.

After enjoying three long days in the tropical paradise, Patrick says, “ our group made a pact, to keep the experiences of this trip to ourselves. After all what

happens in Bali stays in Bali,” shrugs Patrick with a smrik.

The country has a group

includes Bali, Java and Sumatra and 30 other small group islands. Indonesia is known for its nature tourism especially in Java, Sumatra, Bintan and other places on the island with a variety of activities such as nature walks, volcano tours, visits to rock temples and adventure sports for the outdoorsey tourists. Indonesia offers two completely different worlds of tourist attractions. The

mystic island which is scenic and peaceful by day, is fun and exciting by night. The night life in Bali is ‘crazy’ , as described by most people who have visited the country for a thrilling vacation.

From the thrilling islands of Indonesia to the serene Himalayan hills, here is an encounter of a road trip to Leh, Jammu and Kashmir. Four guys set out from Delhi to Leh on their bullets. Described as a trip that every biker must take, these bikers were in for a laugh. “We set out from Delhi with a seven-day trip planned through the valleys of the mighty Himalayas,” says Shyam, one of the four bikers. “We decided to camp all along the trip to Leh, so on our third day, 600kms from our destination we reached a small


receptionist went on to say, if you want a place to stay, I will provide you with rooms at a very cheap rate but don’t camp outside and fall prey to those immortal beings,” Shyam quoted the very concerned hotel receptionist. “We thanked the receptionist and continued to set up camp that night. Although, after listening to the receptionist, we were a little worried, we managed to sleep well and woke up the next morning, ready to take on the next leg of the ride,” he said. After completing another 200kms they decided to check into a hotel this time instead of camping outside as there were no proper camp sites around this village. “We checked with the hotel staff regarding the facts that the previous hotel receptionist had told us. The staff laughed at our story and said that it is one of the famous stories told around these areas to attract people into staying at the hotel,” says Shyam with a hearty laugh. “The experience was amazing! Reaching Khardungla pass on the seventh day was so satisfying and the beauty was simply breath-taking,” he added.

The warmth of the people of Leh and the scenic beauty of the landscape in and around the Himalayan valleys makes Leh, one of the best places to visit any time of the year. Leh is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in south Asia. Home to many Buddhist monasteries, it is the ideal place to visit if you are looking for spiritual peace and enlightenment. The Henis Monastry, Physang Gompa and Thickse Monastry are some which can be visited on the way to Leh. Apart from spiritual bliss, Leh also gives you breath-taking sceneries, some of which has been seen as beautiful backdrops for movies like – 3 idiots… the Pang ong tso and Pso moriri lakes are a must see on

journey at the highest motor-able pass at Khardungla. Visiting Leh will be an experience of a life time.

Choose a place every summer and revel in your own unique experiences. There are innumerable beautiful places in our country which many of us have not even heard of. Research in the Internet and unearth such exotic havens where you can put up your feet and relax after long and leisurely walks in beaches, sun bathing, adventure or water sports, trekking and everything else you want to do. With the countless travel offers, contemplating on visiting places abroad is also not a big deal. Set your travel bug free and determine yourself to be a global nomad. The experiences will make you enriched!


receptionist went on to say, if you want a place to stay, I will provide i h h b d ’ id d f ll

village called Tabo. We decided to set-up camp for the night,” he recalled. Like any other tourist group, they decided to ask the locals about areas where it was safe to camp. “ We stopped at a hotel asked the reception if there were any camp sites nearby, as these areas receive many hitchhikers and backpacking travellers who rest at camp sites,” says Shyam. “The receptionist gave us directions to a barren farm nearby but warned us not to camp outside as there are witches and ghosts lurking around past 12 o’clock,” he added. “The

EVE’S TIMES June 2012 71EEVE’SS TIMMESSSEE JJuuunne 2012 71

water every day.” Says the dermatologist, “The more the water in-take , the better it is for the body to be replenished with

to constant sun exposure especially in our country, as it is situated in the tropical belt where the sun is a permanent and persistent resident. However, we are exceptional where our skin is concerned, because Asians possess skin that absorbs

which causes skin damage. Europeans and Americans are more susceptible to sun damage. Most of us would think this is because of their fair skin. This is not true, fair skinned Asians also absorb the sun’s rays which cause less damage to the skin. But to prevent sun damage, lotions and creams are readily available in the market. We need to u n d e r s t a n d how to choose the right protector for our skin.

S u n s c r e e n lotions are made with an SPF or Sun P r o t e c t i n g Factor which when applied, acts as a thin

the skin below it. Choosing the right

avoid perspiration and the greasiness of the sunscreen, avoid buying an oil based lotion, the oil coats the skin, making the pores sweat,” advices Dr. Shantaram, “a thin application of the sunscreen lotion is to be applied 30 minutes before heading out into the sun, over all the exposed part of the skin.” Since our skin is already protected innately, an SPF 10 TO 40 caring lotion is the most that we require to keep our skin away from sun damage.

However sun burn and sun tan are not the only concern during the summer. Infections, rashes, prickle-heat and dandruff cause a lot of irritation and problem for most of us. The markets are inundated with all kinds of products to relieve us from such problems but are

they really offering us any visible relief? Dr. Shantaram says, “ There are many products in the market which will give you an

and powders are available in all different shapes and forms in the market today but these will not help get rid of such problems.” Although we use more natural solutions like putting oil on our head, the dandruff doesn’t seem to go. Also sitting in an air conditioned room sometimes doesn’t help. So what is the solution The doctor responds, “Well, having a bath and washing your head regularly will keep the dandruff away; oil only masks the dandruff it doesn’t take it away.”

Our skin needs to breathe just like we do; it consists of a million pores which

breathe and keep the skin alive. They also take in the moisture and secrete sweat. We often use wet tissues or dry tissues to wipe away the sweat and give our skin a cool sensation. However using wet tissues is not always a good idea. Alcohol based wet tissues have the tendency to remove the

skin’s natural oils from the surface, leaving it prone to dryness and irritation. We need to ensure we use the right product to avoid irritating the skin. “Keeping oneself cool and dry will keep the infections, rashes and prickle-heat away and maintaining a healthy diet will keep you at bay from any diseases during the summer,” says Dr.Shantaram. Eating a well-balanced meal helps us gain all the nutrients we need.

Learning to keep our skin cool and clean helps us stay away from all kinds of unwanted problems and facing the summer heat, with a fresh and cool mind, body and soul is the ‘in’ thing to do! So with the right advice from the doctor’s desk, drink plenty of juices and eat the brightest foods and beat the heat this summer.


Summer Smartness

Tackling those summer irritations and itches with the doctor’s advice

Many of us know that our skin is the largest and the most important organ of our body, but most of us don’t realise just how important it is to protect it and take proper care of our skin especially during the summer. To know just how important our skin is, we approached Dr. Shantaram, MA Dermatologist, Apollo clinic, T.Nagar, Chennai for his counsel on how to maintain the skin during summer.

“Our skin acts as a physical barrier to infections and cushions minor injuries,” says Dr. Shantaram. “It takes in all the required nutrients and acts as a shield for our other vital organs and that’s why it is very important to take good care of our skin.” We know that our skin is important but how much do we actually do to take good care of it? Particularly during the harsh summer months?

“The skin absorbs and secretes most of the water that we consume, therefore it is essential to consume at least three litres of


RISE AND SHINE

oday, summer camps are not only about art and craft but their primary agenda is to work toward building a child’s personality and IQ and teach

them to be eco-friendly.

The summer season marks the beginning of the activity season for kids as their parents hunt for the best summer camp in the city to enrol their kids. Handwriting, calligraphy, art and craft, origami, painting, drawing, building blocks, dancing, singing, vegetable printing, building sand castles,

common activities that are offered by most summer camps. But today every other summer camp is trying to provide us with a huge range of unusual activities and exclusive activity packages that result in a number of couples enrolling their children in such camps.

“Our summer camp, not only provides art and craft but the primary aim is to improve a child’s personality, IQ, and general knowledge.” says Lajwanthi, a psychologist and a consultant in Chennai, who handles nursery two of the ALPS (pre-school), Gopalapuram. Their summer camp period extends from March – May every year where they offer a huge range

kids which involves, making snacks like sandwiches, juice, chat items etc. They also conduct speech therapy classes and organize general knowledge sessions for kids depending on their age, as the classes are divided according to the age group. They also have something called ‘Splash Pool’ through which they introduce kids to the concept of water. In addition to the above she says, “We teach kids to be eco-friendly, they are made to water plants every day and all the materials used by them for craft are eco-friendly in nature. We believe in the ‘go green’ concept.”

Mrs. Abirami Vivek, the owner of the Little Millennium (play school), Anna Nagar, Chennai says, “We focus on the total involvement of students in every activity conducted by us during the camp.” The highlights of this summer camp include karate – something that kids enjoy, yoga and meditation which help kids to concentrate, photography which provides them with hands-on experience in handling digital camera and training on how to use a laptop. The camp also has a movie club that screens movies once in a week for entertainment. “One of the other unique features is that our camp extends for six weeks and we enrol kids

between the age group of 2 -12years,

camp.” says Abirami.

“I have a minimum of two kids joining my camp every day,” says 30 year old Revathi Ganesh who owns G.R Art and Craft, R.A Puram. Her classes offer a wonderful experience to all the art loving kids as the camp specializes in various types of paintings like oil, acrylic, Tanjore, fabric, pot, aluminium embossing, imported murals, Kerala murals, charcoal, lamasa, 3D clay, wall hangings etc. The art pieces are priced from Rs.15 – 15,000. “I handle kids between the age group of 3 – 16, ”says Revathi, “There is a high demand for glass painting and sitorex painting that is done using stones and cement bar,” she added.

As the growing demand for summer camps has led to a burgeoning of several camps in the metros and even small towns. Thee is a pressure on the organizers of such camps to provide some unique and unusual activities to prove themselves to be a better option for parents to enrol their kids. As more and more innovative ideas are churned out by the summer camps, kids are having all the fun!

Kajal Jaiswal

‘Summer camps’in their new avatar


Here’s a place that can tempt you to visit away from the hot and grimy metros we live in. Delve into the cool and breathtaking environs of our own Mother

Earth, tucked away in different parts of the country which many of us are not aware of. The North East has several unexplored locales. Among the tourist spots, Shillong is a popular place with easy access you can look out to spend your summer. Do your research on when the rains will commence and plan your trip.

The North East India constitutes of eight states .Meghalaya is one among the eight sisters, also known as the abode of clouds .Shillong is a beautiful hill station and the capital of Meghalaya .It is situated at the 1496 m above sea level. It is known as ‘The Scotland of the East ‘ due to its striking similarity with the Scottish highlands.

The city has a bracing climate throughout the year.It is located in East Khasi Hills district around 100 kms away from Guwahati(Assam).The temperature varies from 23 C in summer and 3 C in winters .

Cherrapunjee one of the wettest places on earth and located at an attitude of 1300 meters is also situated just 56 kms from Shillong.

Reema Chettri Sesh

ere’s a place that can tempt you

Scotland of the East, Shillong


Health and Fitness Clinic

Fitness For Holiday


Gone are the days when holidays were like welcome showers. Exams over and picnics and tours were smiling at the family with open arms. Now! The

expressions have turned all topsy -turvy. Mothers dread holidays. There is a whole list of classes that the kids are to be taken to – be it pertaining to studies or art or some sport. Sadly the reason is more to get them occupied in something or the other so they do not sit on your heads as an impediment to your (drab) routine or it is just to keep up with the Joneses! Free time has come to be thought of as the devil’s play time. Mothers who chat away to glory about their needing their own space fail to realize that these pressurized kids too need their own space, so just give it to them and relax.

Results expected will never happen if you were to be jogging on the treadmill wondering what the kids are up to. The stress created releases hormones that give wrong signals. The body recognizes any stress as hunger and famine, so the body starts storing up in the adipose tissue to feel secure. It is the feeling of

an emergency. Most of this fat is stored around the abdomen. So now you know why sometimes we wonder how the results are not in proportion to our

enjoy the moment without clouding your mind with a clutter of thoughts.

A swim in the pool need not always be doing different strokes that many times. Try clapping your hands in water for toning your arms. Walk on the shallow side for core stability and add a challenge by carrying your little one over your shoulders. She will be thrilled by this mamma ride. Why only forwards? Step back and ask your kid to steer you safely. Act like a crab step sideways. Hmmm… what a work out for your outer and inner hips too! Add a dance step if you love that. Walk sideways with a cross-legged step added and end with a jumping jack in the water – laugh your hearts out to glory as you lose balance and probably go splash into the water, both of you will love this.

Take a break from your usual gym, cross

training work out or whatever you do as

fun and functional stuff. Let the kids just be themselves for a change. You step into their shoes and enjoy a second childhood. Have fun watering the plants if you are an avid gardener. Play jumping the rope with the hose with the water stringing out into a rope. Get wet never mind. Get the body immune to fever and cold by giving it a dose of water vaccine. Fill a squeezy with water and play the guessing game by squirting out shapes, numbers or alphabets on the back. Throw water balloons on the

the face plump up gleefully. Wipe dry and get back inside for a hot cup of beverage and relax on the couch with a book. Your work out for the day is done.

You cannot obviously do this every day so plan a trip to the beach and play Frisbee. Fly a kite. Let the kids play by themselves while you walk bare foot around them on the sand. Take a trip to a nearby picnic spot. Preparation will be your work out while relaxing after food will be your chill pill. Take some pains

to make an interesting array of goodies. Let us not always take the short cut and depend on vendors and restaurants. Take friends along and socialize the healthy way. Set an example for the children to mingle with all kinds of people and still maintain their individuality. There is a lesson to be learnt in all that we do.

nothing but staying active. We are so used to doing what we are used to and never attempt anything out of the normal routine. By the way, after a break the body responds better to work outs. Create

and challenge the plateau that shows no results. Our body is very clever and intelligent. It adapts quickly to whatever challenges you throw before it. So cheat your body into no challenge but just fun and later catch it by the neck when you get back to your workout routine after the holidays. Your results will be ever so rewarding.

The apple of our eye – our little ones need us to pamper them, play with them, feed them, bathe them and chide them whenever necessary. The time you spend with them will stay in their minds and heart throughout their lives and yours too. The grumpy face that sulked with your every admonition will follow you to the T in the upbringing of their kids. Have you not oft repeated with pride yourself about how your parents treated you?

There was not much exercise that our forefathers did. Their life style had it all. We are comfortably placed to our disadvantage of losing health so we need

the best of their young years mothers; kids grow up very fast. It is just a matter of how well you use the recipe to cook a delicious meal with what you have in hand. Ingredients needed –you, your children, their interests, your time, some play, some talk, some cleaning and some resting and your home sweet home. Add a pinch of creativity to your taste and slurp up the summer holidays with abundant love.

Vijaya Chamundeswari

by The American Council on Exercise (ACE),

Reebok, Integral Yoga Institute (IYI),Pilates Institute of America (PIA).


Salt ‘n’ Pepper KornerY

es it does help in reducing weight but it always depends on the method in which it is made and consumed. Cereals

are gluten free. Intake of such cereals helps you reduce

either milk or water makes the difference. If you have it with milk and sugar then it really does not help you reduce any weight but if you have with water it does help in weight reduction. People who cannot have

in order to lose weight.

What is the recipe for Idli molaga podi- without too much spice please? Can we add til to it? Is it necessary to add oil or can we roast the ingredients without oil? Which oil tastes best while preparing this podi?

Archana Ram, Chennai

Take a pan and dry roast some red chillies, urad dal, Bengal gram, some sesame seeds and very little turmeric powder and add salt to taste. Roast them for a few minutes and then remove the pan off the heat. Leave it

Idli podi is ready for use.

I am a 21 year old girl having severe hair fall issues. What kind of food intake will help me get rid of this problem?

Sakina Gheewala, Chennai

Lack of protein in human body is the major cause for hair fall, dry scalp and dandruff. Intake of iron and protein rich food like spinach, cod liver oil, kidney beans (rajma), meat, dairy products will help reduce health problems such as hair fall. I personally suggest to people with hair fall problems to take 3 – 4 almonds with 1tsp of honey or 1tsp fenugreek once daily. This will help reduce or get rid of this problem.

My mom says that people with stomach ulcers should not drink fruit juice or eat fruits in the morning. Is it true? Why?

Janaki Shivshankar, Chennai

No, this is just a myth. Stomach ulcers are the result of excess intake of medicines such as pain killers; they are the real culprit for people who already have gastric problems. Having fruit juice of any kind, neither leads to the formation of ulcer nor worsen it. However milk on the other hand is something that is meant to be avoided during stomach ulcers as it contains bacteria which aggravate stomach problems.

When the salt added to a dish is more, what is the remedy to correct it ?

Renu Agarwal, Bengaluru

When a curry becomes really very salty, due to addition of excess salt during preparation, you should add a piece(or a few, depending on the amount of curry) of potato or banana stem to the gravy. The potato or banana stem helps by absorbing the excess salt from the dish. Remove the pieces of potato or banana stem from the curry before serving.

Compiled by Kajal Jaiswal

According to advertisements breakfast cereals like

Priya Jaiswal, Kolkata


“A major aspect of orthopaedic practice today is obviously trauma based

of fractures due to road accidents that occur because of poor

that our country has,” says Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Shailendra S Telang, Mumbai. The majority of casualty cases today are trauma related. Trauma l translates to fractures. Broken bones are included in it. Women in particular are affected by trauma due to osteoporosis.

Dr. Telang explains, “A common fracture that we see in the older population is the hip fracture. This usually happens after a trivial fall. They could get a hip fracture sometimes even while turning in bed. Again the culprit is osteoporosis. Usually the calcium in our body is maintained by many mechanisms, one of them being the hormonal regulation. In a female after menopause, there is an alteration in the hormonal level. The hormone production suddenly stops. This causes demineralization or the calcium in the bones comes out into the blood. The bones become soft because they become devoid of calcium. They become like hollow shells. Any stress in this condition causes a fracture. For the older population the commonest area of fall is the bathroom. There should be metal bars on the walls of the bathroom for them to hold on to in case they slip.”

Osteoporosis is seen in women as early as 35 years of age. The problem with osteoporosis is that it often does not present any symptoms until bones fracture. Also sometimes osteoporotic fractures go undetected until they cause symptoms. Pain and disability form the symptoms of fracture. This depends very much on the location of the fracture. The aging process in a woman includes the loss of 0.3-0.5% bone density per year. In women, estrogen hormone maintains the bone density. After menopause, with the drop in estrogen levels, there is increased loss of bone density. An important cause of osteoporosis in women is the increased bone loss after menopause. Hormone replacement therapy may help after menopause. However, it may not make much difference once the post-menopause 6 year window period is over.

Health and Fitness ClinicBolster up your Bones


The risk factors for osteoporosis include female gender, Asian race, thin and small body frame, family history of osteoporosis, cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Osteoporosis also occurs in women due to poor diet, lack of calcium supplementation, repeated pregnancies, poor exposure to sunlight, poor amount of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, etc. Dr. Telang insists, “Every woman after menopause should get her Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD) done to evaluate osteoporosis. It is a very simple test. It is the scan of the leg. It shows the amount of calcium that is present in the body. It gives the orthopaedic surgeon a basic guideline to treat the patient. If the patient has normal calcium levels we don’t have to do anything. If diagnosed, osteoporosis can be treated with plain calcium. If it is of a higher degree, we add Vitamin D3. Depending on the severity, we also use steroids and other drugs. It is an irreversible degenerative disease, which is also one of the aging changes. You can only decrease the amount of damage.”

Daily walking, sunlight exposure and good calcium rich food can delay the onset of osteoporosis.

By Gayatri T Rao


Art Nook

Tagore And MeInspiredThe Woman Who

From Shantiniketan to Shanghai the world has just completed celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Indian Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, also known as Bengal’s Shakespeare. This feature is dedicated to the memory of

social and cultural scenario.

Kadambari riding a horse, and Sudhakshina would even ride an elephant and wield a

Indira who married the writer, Pramatha Chaudhuri. The one who was enigmatic and aroused my interest was Kadambari Devi who was the woman who played a very important role in Tagore’s life.

Kadambari Devi was the wife of Jyotirindranath Tagore and daughter-in-law of Debendranath Tagore. She was thirteen years younger than her husband, but nearly the same age as Tagore. She inspired young Rabindranath Tagore to compose many of his poems with her creative feedback and comments. Her relationship with Tagore was controversial and has been a recurrent topic of discussion for many generations. She was an inspiration to young Tagore, as well as a good friend and playmate, even after her marriage. Kadamabari, the mystery lady, loved poetry, music and literature. She read a lot, something not taken easily by the other women in the

in the Bengali literature, musicdrama and cinema. It was but natural to be drawn towards Rabindranath Tagore, the

Born 150 years ago, Rabindranath Tagore shone as a writer, musician and activist to become the Bengali icon.

The names of Tagore’s women keep coming like the jingling of anklet bells when a dance is going on. Saudamini, Hiranmoyee, Manisha (who corresponded with Max Muller), Digambari, Madhurilata. We have one hundred pages of genealogical in the web which is mindboggling to. I had the good fortune of going to Kolkata once again when my husband was posted there and made a visit to Thakur Baari at “Joroshonko.” The Tagore family space, with Jorosanko as its centre, seems to have been a vast nest of beautiful and talented women. Naturally, women’s liberation sprang from here including the epoch-making move for the marriage of widows. Even in the 19th century we have

Literature for me is food for the soul. A Tamilian by birth but one who has lived in many different places in India during my childhood

and teens, I have been intrigued by Bengali and Malayalam Literature. Kolkata in the early eighties, drew me towards the culture of West Bengal which has its roots


with Kadambari, caught the nuances of this bond;

Kadambari was affectionate to Rabindranath from the very beginning

respect to her which was revealed in “Pushpanjali,” written by Rabindranath. Moreover he wrote many songs and dedicated many books in remembrance to Kadambari. However, due to unrevealed reasons, she committed suicide after four months of Rabindrantah’s marriage to Mrinalini. The Tagore Family always remained silent about her suicide. Rumors of family problems having led to her suicide have circulated. After Kadambari Devi’s death, Rabindranath was completely broken. He took what is known as “Chuti”. For long after her death, Tagore wrote many songs and poems in her memory. Tagore recovered and continued to write and started Shantiniketan, and got deeply involved in his own world. Kadambari was forgotten at Jorasanko, but Tagore continued to include her in his writings. He had dreams and nightmares frequently of her and sketched faceless women, many alluding to memories of Kadambari. In fact Tagore even admitted to the artist Nandalal Bose when he was in his late seventies that it was Kadambari’s eyes which lay behind the hundreds of haunting portraits of women he painted during old age. After the death of Kadambari, many gossips and speculations erupted in and around Kolakata which still persist. The relationship between Rabindranath and Kadambari is still a mystery. Some say it was just friendship but others say that it

was a tragic love affair because Kadambari Devi killed herself after Tagore got married to Mrinalini Devi. They loved each other but this love was forbidden and could cause a scandal. So it was kept a secret.

Reading a book called, ‘Thakur Barir Antar Mahal,’ by Chitra Deva opened my eyes to the great changes brought in the society by the women of the Tagore family. With the support of the Tagore men, these women traveled, got educated, participated in performances and changed many customs of the Bengali women.

women in the works of Tagore. Tagore portrays women as the inspirational force of change. I admire Tagore’s vision of free women and men. A visionary par excellence who believed in respecting humanity, Tagore’s forward thinking years ago has laid the strong foundation for the respectable status Indian women received in the Constitution.

Malini Shankar

household and she cooked well, from what we know, bringing many new dishes to the household. The young Rabi was intensely jealous if she went away to visit relatives, but Kadambari handled him with

it was she who converted the terrace to a garden and she who incessantly criticized him always, except his slicing of the betel nut by doing it she perhaps kept his vanity in check as his poems brought him fame, little by little… Convention permitted an intimacy not allowed between other in-laws, with an element of danger, ‘the possibility that a relationship of a rather deep in nature might develop,’ in the

based on Rabindranath’s own relationship


keep it safe and so deposited it with the bank in a savings account. Banks were implicitly trusted as they were regulated by the Reserve Bank. Depositors could freely draw any amount from their savings account whenever they wanted. Banks kept an inventory of liquid cash as prescribed by the RBI. Moreover the savers got a small interest from the bank on their yearly savings.

At all times, Banks had a pool of saved money from the savings account, which they lent at a higher rate of interest to those in need of it for business. Banks thus became middlemen or intermediaries, collecting money at a lower interest from depositors with one hand and lending it at a higher interest to borrowers with the other hand, and in the process earning a

Start Smart Investment

History, Art and Science of

There was a time when ordinary people never thought about investment. They only knew about saving for the rainy day. They worked hard, lived frugally, spending only for their basic necessities of life and putting away their surplus cash safely.

Traditionally the family savings were simply stored in boxes in the puja rooms. Well-to-do people saved gold coins and buried them in pots in their hearth or backyards for safety. Often, they used their hard earned savings to buy a piece of land to till, to perform marriages or to buy some silver or gold ornaments. They did overspend on such festivities and borrowed money from the sowkar (pawn broker) by pledging their belongings and paying exorbitant interests. Eventually some of them retrieved their property while many others lost it to the sowkar or other lenders.

pawn brokers were already doing. Crudely put, in a sense Banks robbed Peter to pay Paul. This was the basic business revenue model. People, who saved money, needed to


of borrowers described as ‘credit worthiness’ to ensure prudent lending. As businesses grew and demand for loans increased, banks introduced more attractive terms for depositors like Fixed Deposits, Recurring Deposits, Cumulative Deposits etc. These instruments carried much higher interests, with the disadvantage that a penalty would have to be paid if you broke your deposit before the maturity period.

Till date, bank deposits constitute the safest investment for depositors. A deposit up to Rs 1 lakh, in any scheduled bank, is protected by insurance by the Reserve bank of India. Taking cue from Banks, borrowing businesses are also taking deposits from savers directly and offering slightly higher rate of interest, thereby cutting out the middleman banker. By this process the lender gets a slightly higher interest, while the borrowing company incurs a slightly lower interest that it would otherwise have to pay to the Bank. Such a win –win arrangement has its snags. There is a serious risk that the company taking deposits may go bankrupt or fail to return your money on time. To minimise the risk, rating agencies like CRISIL rate companies as AAA, AA, A, BBB etc, to indicate the soundness of their business and their creditworthiness. This is a psychological comfort to the depositor, who can have some clue while choosing the company. Yet there is still no assurance that his money is safe.

Most people invest for their children. It is also

responsibility, budgeting and balancing income and expenditures. This is a life skill that many usually fail to inculcate in their children. We should catch children even when they are small and educate them on the need to reduce waste and conserve resources. Piggy banks will teach them the habit of saving and show how small savings can grow big. Gradually they should

ostentation.

More about investments next month......

Prof N Natarajan

EVE’S TIMES June 2012 85EEEEEVEVE’S’S TTTIMES June 2012 85

WOMENTALK

‘CHASING A

MIRAGE’Emaciated hands stretch out expectantly

For a tiny morsel that would appease

The torment of rumblings emanating

From the pits of the little girl’s stomach,

While the fair young damsel empties her plate

Into the innocuous looking dustbin and

Struts about like a coquettish peacock,

‘Cause it satiates her cravings for self-love.


As a mother of two girls, I am often assailed by terrifying dreams. I am sure most urban Indian women would be subjected to the onslaught

of such traumatic eruptions form the subconscious every now and then. I got up with a jerk, as cold sweat broke out despite the chilliness of the Margazhi breeze in Chennai! The plight of Indian mothers in today’s era of globalization is indeed pathetic.

A mother’s nightmare brings to light one of the greatest tragedies that mankind has ever known. The irony of it all is that, it is happening in the global era, to the most educated and elite sections of the fairer sex, which have the responsibility of ensuring the empowerment of their unfortunate sisters. Yet, the world at large has shut its eyes to the consequences that

vociferous clamors by the so-called women activists and socialists on all issues affecting women, this is one issue, which is permeating stealthily like cancer, and while the world sleeps on, will erupt one day

like a tempest, maiming future generations physically and intellectually.

Do we realize that today, the world is witnessing gender inequality at its worst? And unfortunately, the learned and the so-called elite women are the victims? Today’s narcissistic culture is breeding such a fervent passion among teenagers that sadomasochism is at its peak! Never before has an entire generation of school and college going young and healthy girls deprived their growing bodies of the nourishing morsels that will nurture future generations. It is an undeniable fact that nature has entrusted women with the responsibility of not only creating new generations, but also nurturing them so that they can carry the societies forward. The world seems to have forgotten the paramount truth that overrides all other concerns- its own existence and continuity is at stake!

The era of myriad beauty pageants has brought about a drastic mutation in the mindset of the younger generations. While one cannot blame the impressionable

young age that is enamored by the inundation of opulence, global jaunts, innumerable gifts and adulation aplenty that go with success in such ventures that reek of vanity, it is deplorable that the entire world has paid the slightest attention to a matter that needs to be addressed on an urgent basis.

Depriving essential nutrients to the body at a growing age, especially by those who can afford, is an unpardonable sin. What kind of future generations can these girls, who have wreaked havoc on their constitutions and hence stunted the growth of their bodies, nurture? I am sure there are no serious studies on the appalling consequences of these so called

pursuits. Yet, the irony of it all is that the path to the hedonistic pursuit commences with self-denial. Remember what one of the winners of the Miss World title blurted out after her success? The young

she would do after the event was to have a hearty meal! This single sentence offers a disquieting insight into the travails of


a beauty pageant aspirant. And to think that this trend may eventually lead to the starvation of almost half the world’s population, even if all the countries of the world somehow manage to make food available in abundance, makes us wonder where we have gone wrong. While it is not an offense if people go to bed without two square meals a day during times of drought and famine that often plague several underdeveloped countries, the peccadilloes of vanity cannot be pardoned.

It is true that the passion for anything foreign courses through the Indian blood ever since days back then when women maneuvered astutely to lay their hands on crimson, succulent tomatoes from the British, to turn out delectable fares. It is also true that even as the windows of the world have been thrown wide open today, urban women have been emancipated from many a shackle that had chained them for centuries. While our own culture had accorded a place of dignity to women who were central to families, we needed western culture to instill in

transformed many an urban woman into a thinking individual who is well on her way to realizing her potential to the fullest.

anorexia nervosa and bulimia were alien to our country. Today, while some young girls who are traversing the path of self-

these disorders, which at best could have been kept at bay had they refurbished their bodies with a balanced diet, the day is not far off when others will follow suit. I was shell-shocked when my twelve- year old daughter told me some that her e-mail friend from London, Jenny, aged twelve, died due to anorexia! She was a model! Can you imagine the plight of her distraught parents? The anguish of a mother who witnesses her daughter wilting away under her eyes for an unfathomable cause is inexplicable. The angst that strikes the womb that bore her child is unendurable. The excruciating torment that assaults the bosom that fed manna to her tender infant even surpasses the pains that strike her when she brings a life into the world! A mother’s grief? God forbid if a woman has to ever undergo the trauma of losing her child! If this trend

Aiswarya Rai is a classic example of a woman under national pressure to lose weight! The gross atrociousness of it all is that she is a feeding mother who is out of her pregnancy just six months back. Aiswarya is being criticized by many in

insensitive citizens for her post-baby weight gain. It is to her credit that she has appeared at the Cannes 2012 premiere looking stunning, despite the weight gain.

What is tragic is that detractors fail to understand the intrinsic desire of this woman to feed her baby and take care of her personally. Can’t a star choose to be like any other mother? Doesn’t she have

the choice to decide when she wants to wean the baby and get back to shape? It is not only insensitive but also inhuman to put pressure on a woman who would like to take a sabbatical and savour the experience of motherhood that she has chosen to embrace. What Aiswarya does about her life, her family and her appearance is nobody’s business. Whether those who criticize her hail from the media industry or not, none has the right to interfere in the personal life of another citizen. In a country which is conscious of Human Rights such objectionable disparagement will never arise. It is time our citizens realized that they must leave women alone to their own devices!


continues ceaselessly, the end of the world may not be a fatuous thinking any more because it may be submerged by the torrent of downpour from the eyes of the innumerable, hapless mothers of the world!

Constant inundation from the west has managed to sustain India as a land of paradoxes. While on the one hand, the girl child in the rural and semi urban areas is languishing in misery, shouldering the burden of running a household, taking care of her siblings, deprived of education, or even basic human rights like appeasing her hunger or living with dignity, westernized girls in the urban areas are on the road to self-destruction, and in the process, jeopardizing the bright future of entire societies which might eventually end up being populated by stymied, crippled generations.

The incongruity of the

by the fact that hordes of professionals from

the fragile shoulders of the petite damsels, who they are grooming as ‘glamorous champions of social issues’. Whirlwinds of activities are swirling around at a frenzied pace in the world of glamour. The corporate world too has jumped into the fray with multinationals competing aggressively to sponsor ostentatious beauty pageants. The

the beauty trade out to make a fast buck makes impressive reading: fashion designers, model coordinators, event managers, choreographers, gym and aerobics professionals, dentists, skin specialists, plastic surgeons and various others from the medical profession etc. How long would the dainty damsels be able to haul the encumbrance of these multitudes of predaceous populace? It is only sagacious that a corrective move towards emphasizing healthier looks be made that would not only save the world from future disaster, but also ensure that these professions continue uninterrupted.

It is imperative that this issue is addressed by the nation on a priority basis. While

on the one hand, we are battling poverty and ill health that hamper our country’s progress, we cannot afford to lose a substantial percentage of our learned and otherwise healthy population to such grossness of mind that precludes delicacy and discrimination.

The government as well as social activists and advocates for the rights of women must take up the issue along with other pressing concerns. Through the media, the medical fraternity should bombard the younger generations with facts about the ill effects of intense dieting. Instead of extolling emaciated women as harbingers of fashion, the print media should make a concerted effort to initiate propaganda about beauty, brains a n d

h e a l t h . The media must

be banned from exhibiting scrawny models, movie stars and stars

of the small screen, who look gaunt, but otherwise stuffed up at the right places! (What an irony! While Indian women were known to be buxom beauties, today’s generations have taken to saline sachets and sponges to give them the right curves at the right places. ) Our nation can take the bull by the horns and be a forerunner in campaigning for the alteration of guidelines that are the fundamental criteria for selection in international beauty pageants.

After all, India has the legitimacy to convince the world at large, given its

priceless culture and heritage. Indian mythology and ancient history are replete with stories about the generosity and compassion that underlie the act of feeding hungry mouths. Indian kings were known for their magnanimity of feeding thousands of subjects. Every victory, every festival was an occasion for a huge banquet.

Who can forget the humility with which

to his bosom friend Lord Krishna as a present? Or the anecdote about how Draupadi got out of a dicey situation with Lord Krishna’s help? The story goes like this- once a bevy of sanyasis descended upon hapless Draupadi at her ashram in the forest with rumbling stomachs. Unfortunately she had completed her morning chores and washed up the kitchen. Apprehensive of incurring the wrath of the sages, Draupadi appealed to Lord Krishna for help. In a trice, the mystical Lord appeared before Draupadi. He spotted a grain of rice sticking to the pot and ate it with gusto. This act of Lord

stomachs of all the sanyasis who took leave of Draupadi, fully sated and happy. The compassionate gesture of feeding a hungry mouth was considered the most sublime act of man and earned him punya, the

goodwill of the Providence.

Another story goes that once Parvati, surprised that her husband, the Protector, took care of every tiny being on Earth, decided to launch into an inquest. She challenged Lord Shiva that he could not take care of all the beings, all the time. After all, it is probable that there could occasionally be a slip or two in one’s endeavours. Parvati then stealthily picked up a busy little ant that was hunting for food in an obscure corner of the Earth. She put it in a small box and tied it into a tight knot at the edge of her saree, tucking it into her slender waist. When Lord Shiva returned after his tour around the Universe, she enquired if he was sure that he had fed each and every being on Earth. Lord Shiva had never been more


maintained by the genteel male population. May be, the sturdy and brawny populace has one more ammunition up the sleeve to undermine the steely determination with which the women of the millennium are surging forward. No wonder, many young men with ‘modern thoughts’ are party to this transgression that goes in the name of infusing a new wave in the realm of fashion. No new idea can be considered modern if it is detrimental to any section of the world’s population. It is surprising that the astute world of men has failed to realize that this trend will ultimately affect not only women and their babies but will shake the foundations of whatever is left of the cohesive family systems in our country.

Time was when nations used to tether under the stranglehold of a different kind of ‘Food Problem’ that wiped out millions of lives from the face of the earth. What a blasphemy that the world has forgotten the dreaded famines and droughts that assailed the world, once too often during

and that was not even a few decades ago. What then mars our minds with utter callousness that we shun the once scarce commodity, the dearth of which ‘ate’ away many lives? Mankind has diverted all its endeavours toward vanquishing the travails of hunger pangs. When man eventually did overpower the solicitude of food scarcity, how much did he gloat over his astuteness and success? While many nations are still grappling with the problem of paucity of comestible, how can the world let itself be steered by

the apathy of a few chauvinistic nations which are dominated by avarice and whose only philosophy of life seems

to be “I, Me, Myself ’. It is true that mankind has witnessed the highest order of intellectual advancement today. Yet the irony is that man is blinded by the dazzle of a few unseemly green papers!

While little mermaids are frolicking in the aquamarine seas or busy chasing a mirage, the world looks on apathetically, and

nights, traumatized by horrendous thoughts of entrusting the future of the world to feeble hands that will one day clasp the bridle!

Swati Amar

she caught a glimpse of the diminutive creature feeding merrily upon a few grains of sugar, which she had never placed in the box. Lord Shiva’s smile said it all. Well, that is the power of the Protector!

And here we are, going against the laws of nature, defying the pandects of the Protector, trying to prove…. What?

The bodies of renowned champions for women’s cause, Clara Zetkin and

Alexandra Kollontai might be writhing in their graves. Having taken up the concerns of exploited women as their lives’ passions, they would never have dreamed that a day would dawn on the universe, when women would willingly give up their basic needs, if only to capture

counterparts.

The most painful thought that crosses one’s mind is the staunch silence


Yes, oh hello Naina, how are you? How was your weekend?’ she asked on answering the phone.

‘Only the usual, Sunitha. Akhil has some revision tests this week, and I had to pester him to study. Making him solve maths has become such a Herculean task,’ sighed Naina, Sunitha’s friend of seven years. They had met when their children joined pre-school and had eventually become fast friends. Now even after both their children were studying in

Story Club

different schools, they continued to be in touch, calling each other at least thrice or four times a week. Akhil was Naina’s son and Dhanush was the name of Sunitha’s son.

‘What, more revision tests? Akhil’s school seems to revolve around tests Naina. The poor thing always has to have his nose in the grindstone!’

‘That poor thing is me Sunitha, to make

and writing his tests myself!’

Laughing, Sunitha said, ‘By now you are so used to making him prepare for tests Naina, so the job should seem like a cake walk for you’.

Naina sighed and said, ‘When does Dhanush start his term exams?’

‘Next month on 25th’, said Sunitha, ‘but the portions are not over yet and whatever they have been taught, they make them revise in the school. What remains of the revision, they are asked to complete as home work. He completes that in a jiffy and when I ask him to study Social

Tring tring…….. the telephone rang in Sunitha’s house on a Monday morning.


in the mornings of week days, so imagine having to get him up on a Saturday!’

Naina said, ‘yesterday Akhil woke up at 6a.m. He does this on all Saturdays and Sundays. I ask him to go back to sleep as I long for the weekends when I can sleep late and not have to go through the mad rush of weekdays, but he simply refuses to do so’.

‘So what does he do then? asked Sunitha.

‘Oh, he goes and brushes his teeth and either switches on the TV or the computer. It amazes me that he is so wide awake and active, while on a week day; he can hardly open his eyes even at 7 a.m. Even after he is awake, he goes about as if in a slumber while my husband and I together have to help him dress, one of us feeding him breakfast and the other tying his shoelaces. Really, Sunitha, if any one sees these morning scenes, they might think that we are bringing up such a spoilt boy’

‘Do you think it is any different in our house Naina? And not only the two of us; so many parents have to say the same thing’, said Sunitha when her door bell rang.

Naina asked, ‘Is that your doorbell Sunitha? Ok bye then, I’ll call you another day’.

Sunitha also said a hurried bye and went to answer the door.

Two days later Naina called Sunitha.

Sunitha answered and asked, ‘Hello? Hi Naina. How are you?’

‘Yes, Naina. My neighbours are vacating as I told you last month and moving to their newly constructed house, today. So I cooked some food for them while they are busy packing and shifting. I am going over to give them the food and also see if I could lend a hand in packing.’

‘You must be feeling sad to see them leave. You have known them for six years now, isn’t it Sunitha?’

‘Yes, but they are just moving two streets away. So I don’t mind. My neighbor on the contrary is very upset and has been close to

tears the whole morning. We women get attached to everything very soon be it a rented house, neighbors or jobs.’

‘That’s right. Anyway I will call up next week then, you go give the food, ok bye Sunitha,’ said Naina and she hung up.

Two days later the phone rang in Naina’s house.

‘Hello, oh hi Sunitha,’ said Naina.

asked Sunitha.

‘No I just started cooking.’

‘Oh then I’ll call a little later ok?’

work holding the cordless; I can talk when I am cutting vegetables’.

‘Yes, I always wonder at this ability of yours. I prefer sitting in one place while talking. Hey I keep forgetting to ask you, how is your neighbor doing now Naina? Is there any improvement in her condition?’

‘No Sunitha, she is the same. God knows when she is going to recover. It has been a year now.’

‘Yes, it’s really very tragic. It scares me to know that a minor procedure of merely removing a cyst on the neck can end in

fault of an anesthetist’

‘The girl’s mother said that the anesthesia was administered before the reaction of the test dose was found out. She said oxygen supply to the brain stopped for a minute and that was all it took to reduce her to this state.’

‘Is she still being fed through tubes?’

‘Yes, she has

or Science, he says he knows everything. Sometimes I feel they do not give them much work at all’, complained Sunitha.

Now it was Naina’s turn to laugh, ‘Why don’t we exchange our problems? We seem to have exactly opposite things to worry about.’

Sunitha laughed too, ‘As I told you last week they had some fun fest in the school, so they had three days of holidays and now they are having school on Saturday too to make up for those holidays. As it is, Dhanush makes such a fuss to wake up


been on a liquid diet for a year now. She is all skin and bones. She cannot recognize anyone and we cannot make out if she hears or understands. My stomach churns every time I visit her and my heart goes out to her, such a young girl, she was always so bubbly and cheerful. God knows when she is going to recover,’ Sunitha said sadly.

‘I feel shocked and sympathetic too. The other day my aunt had to go in for a minor surgery and I warned her repeatedly not to go in for general but spinal anesthesia,’ said Naina.

‘You are correct Naina, such experiences make us aware and cautious.’ ‘Ok Naina, I have to go now, I will call you after the festival. Happy Vinayaka Chaturthi to you. I am greeting you in advance as we will not be able to call each other on that day being busy with the festivities’, said Sunitha.

‘That’s true Sunitha. Happy Chaturthi to you too’.

The next week Sunitha called Naina.

‘Hi Naina. How did your festival go?’

‘We had a good time Sunitha. I made modaks for the puja in the morning and then we went to my mother’s place for lunch. What about you?’

‘I made idlis which are a bit different from the usual ones. These idlis are made with raw rice and urud dhal and not boiled rice’.

‘Oh yes I remember yout telling me about this last year for Vinayaka Chaturthi’.

‘I might have told you the previous year too,’ laughed Sunitha.

Naina laughed too, ‘What else did you make?’

‘Oh, the usual kozakottai, rasam, sambhar, kootu, poriyal, payasam….’and she reeled off a list of names.

‘Wow,’ said Naina, ‘that’s quite a spread Sunitha, you always make so many things. Did you go to the temple as usual?’

‘Yes, we went in the evening, but before we left our ex- neighbors came to greet us’.

‘Oh, so have they settled down in their

new house?’

‘Yes, they have, only a few more odd jobs have to be completed. But, that’s expected in any construction work. It will take a few more months to be completely done. They said they were thinking about the years we had celebrated all these festivals together, exchanging goodies, so they decided to spend some time with us.’

‘You said their daughter is going abroad to study. Did she get into the university?’

‘Yes, she did. She is leaving for UK next month’.

‘Her parents must be thrilled. A few more years and we will be discussing about our children’s careers!’ began Naina.

‘Oh, Naina, don’t let’s talk about such scary things right now, we’ll do that worrying when we come to it,’ Sunitha immediately retorted.

‘Not that such a time is too far away, another ten years only,’ said the ever worrying Naina.

‘Stop being such a worrywart Naina, trust you to seize any opportunity to worry. I remember when you worried about every single ache or pain you suffered, always connecting it with a big ailment, reading about it on the net and worrying some more!’

Naina laughed and said, ‘Yes, I worried my husband so much with my anxieties that he threatened to cut off the net connection!’

Both of them laughed and after chatting for some more minutes, hung up.

occupying both Naina and Sunitha. After

Sunitha called Naina.

‘Hello Naina, what were you doing?’

‘Oh hello Sunitha, I was packing, we are going to Palani this night.’

‘What? Another pilgrimage?’ laughed Sunitha. ‘You really have turned into a religious freak Naina’.

‘No Sunitha,’ protested Naina, ‘I haven’t gone on a pilgrimage for sometime now’.

‘Ya, right!’ said Sunitha, ‘who went to Guruvayur four months back?’

Sunitha burst out laughing. Then she asked, ‘Are you taking Akhil also?’

‘Yes, we are.’

‘Has he agreed to come? Usually he refuses when you go on your ‘temple’ visits, doesn’t he?’

‘No, this time he is excited, but all for the wrong reasons! He will miss a maths revision test which is tomorrow!’ laughed Naina.

‘Oh, that explains it,’ laughed Sunitha too, ‘if he did not have the test, then he might have said no to the trip’.

‘That he would have,’ said Naina. ‘Even now he is accompanying us with many conditions. He said we have to stay in a hotel that has a TV with cartoon network. Another condition is that he wants to stay put in the taxi and not come inside the temples!’

‘My God, these children, how particular they can be! The excitement of a trip is lost on them with all these distractions. As children we would wait for opportunities to travel by train or bus, the journey itself was awaited with excitement and joy.’

‘You are right Sunitha,’ sighed Naina. ‘Children today are having too much, too soon.’

‘Ok then Naina you have a nice trip and do one pranam to God from me also!’

‘That I will Sunitha,’ laughed Naina, ‘I’ll call you after I return’.

The next week Sunitha answered the phone when it rang and found it was Naina.

‘Hello Naina, how was your trip?’

‘Good Sunitha, we had a wonderful darshan.’

‘I’m glad,’ said Sunitha. ‘So did Akhil accompany you to the temple or did he just sit in the taxi?

‘No, no he did not sit in the taxi. Thankfully


he came with us to the temple without a fuss. We even had his head tonsured.’

‘Wow,’ said Sunitha, ‘how did you get him to consent?’

‘You know how big a fan he is of Rajnikanth. So he felt he can sport Rajnikanth’s bald look in the movie ‘Sivaji’ and he insisted that we have his head tonsured, when he saw many devotees doing the same there.’

‘Of course, that had to be the reason!

Does he wear sun glasses behind his head as Rajnikanth did in the movie?’

‘Oh yes, he struts around now with those glasses behind his head and keeps looking at the mirror every now and then.’

Sunitha laughed uncontrollably trying to imagine Akhil with a tonsured head and sun glasses.

‘So,’ asked Naina, ‘how is Dhanush’s school work?’

‘Going on Naina. They have been given a project for this term for both Science and Social. For Science they have to show the various stages of germination of seeds and for Social they have to stick pictures of

‘They, meaning their moms,’ piped in Naina

‘Yes, that’s right. I have soaked the seeds to plant tomorrow and have to be on the watch out for their various stages after that!’ said Sunitha.

‘The multitasking mothers, yep, that’s us! Three cheers to us!’ exclaimed Naina and hung up after saying bye.

Another time Sunitha picked up the phone to call Naina immediately after seeing off Dhanush to school and her husband to work. Before she could dial, her husband came back as he had forgotten some papers.

When he saw the phone in her hand, he asked her ‘Were you going to call Naina?’

Sunitha nodded.

‘You two speak to each other so regularly for hours on the phone but haven’t met in years though you stay just around ten kilometers from each other’s place. So why don’t you meet up?’

Pat came Sunitha’s retort, ‘Who has the time for that?’

Her amused husband collected his papers and walked out smiling and thinking about his dear wife who did not have time to go out of the house to meet her friend but had all the time to chat with that friend within the house. The two friends were indeed true patrons of BSNL!

Kanchana.Rao


However, the involvement of stars and the resultant increased popularity have helped the growth of IPL immensely. IPL has showcased unknown performers who helped bring victory to their team. This League recognized potential players who now contribute and play for their country,” says Pratap Jadon, a cricket fan.

The Indian Premier League has currently nine existing teams that perform in different cities. But it has been racked by controversies which are ruining its image and reputation. A number of allegations

betting have led to an increase of crime

The Indian Premier League (IPL), a game of fame, glamour and money is a league based on Twenty 20 cricket .This league has

made a unique mark in the minds of the people and world cricket. Lalit Modi, with the help of BCCI in 2008 started this sensation, making India a proud organizer of this mega event. The league has gained a lot of popularity over the years. The IPL has given a platform for rising stars and hopes for a bright future in their cricket career. It has also sailed over tweets,

charges for over 5 years now, raising a

question about the authenticity of the game.

Cricket is a gentleman’s game known for chivalry, values and integrity. But this has now been reduced to gross commercialization in the name of entertainment. “With celebrity owners and a star studded opening ceremony with eminent Bollywood and Hollywood stars, IPL has gained a lot of attention. Since the inception of IPL celebrity owners, stars and politicians associated with IPL and international and national players have been in the news due to scams, scandals and other attention-getting gimmicks.


and other unsavoury incidents as a result of which the value of the game is plummeting with every match.

During the course of this season the unnecessary fracas between the star, who is also a team owner with cricket

have been avoided. The unsavory language used and threats meted out by the star brought no credit to anyone making it a clear publicity stunt. By now, cricket fans

were so immune that it came as no shock when the news erupted that an IPL player of Royal Challenger attempted to molest a US citizen during a post-match party. Following immediately was the scandal when two IPL members were nabbed at a rave party in Mumbai where the police found drugs. The nation was amused when the chief minister of the winning team had to intervene to discipline the crowd in the stadium. IPL has ushered in a culture hitherto alien to a country not

mature enough to handle the associated commercialization and publicity of a huge magnitude. The culture of cheer leading, association of stars, politicians and industrialists, mega events , stars dancing in the venue and the huge media publicity have not enhanced the dignity of this game which is a part and parcel of the life of many Indians.

Despite these developments, the country unites during IPL matches to cheer and support their favorite teams. The sales of ticket have always been high despite the inclusion of a special entertainment tax on every ticket bought this season.

“I do online shopping and buy a new jersey every year for the team I support. There are other products like caps, key chains, miniature bats etc sold too. The price is a little expensive but it is better to buy authentic products than go for fake ones available at half the price. IPL

Reebok, Adidas and also small retailers who sell T-shirts, Flags, and bands outside

platform for branding and sales” says Swetha Jain, an MBA student.

Socially IPL has however plays a role in bonding. Families enjoy watching the matches together. Some even host house parties. Youngsters share a cuppa of coffee or a snack, watching live action in a big screen at pubs and cafes amidst cheering and reveling with their friends.

“We friends usually watch matches on a projector, organize pot-luck and enjoy the IPL experience at affordable expenses. It is a good way to be together as we know that the men of the house will grab the TV remove well in advance,” says homemaker, Savitha Raman.

Irrespective of scams and scandals, IPL for the cricket fans is a delightful experience. The level of entertainment is high. The real excitement or anxiety emerges when you see your personal favorite player hit a sixer or a boundary or when you see your favorite captain hold the Cup of Joy aloft! Replete with endless emotions and priceless moments, the IPL is enjoyed and much awaited by Indian cricket lovers.

-Jinal Patel from Pune


It is known that a huge chunk of our money comes from Indian Companies in the US. With the US Economy showing no signs of improvement and the Indian Rupee

falling in value each day, the common man feels the pinch. Every rupee saved is a rupee earned.

The recent petrol price hike, the steepest ever, generated a lot of buzz on social networking sites. Though hilarious, there certainly was a lot of angst hidden in each of those updates. Here are a selected few tweets, if you missed out on them: @Pm0India: Please note: now guv employees are accepting bribe in form

@AartiMadan: The Monk Who Sold His

@abdullah_omar: (Omar Abdullah’s

Attendant: Saab, Kitne ka daaloon? Customer: 2-4 Rupye ka car ke upar

Attendant: Saab, for how much? Customer: Spray Petrol worth 2 or 4 Rupees on my

Facebook was not left far behind. Here are a few updates doing the rounds:

“Guys, I Just Bought A New House With A LUXURIOUS VIEW. It’s PETROL PUMP FACING!”

Online social networks aside, we asked few people who depend heavily on their two or four-wheelers to commute, about their opinion on the price hike:

“The government despite knowing that it will be an unpopular move has gone ahead with the hike. This time, instead of being

furious, I am apprehensive of my country’s, this world’s and my future. This hike has only reiterated the fact that we are staring at a huge, irreparable crisis in the face and we have to act NOW, conserve NOW and think of alternative sources of energy right away. This hike should be looked at as a warning signal for the catastrophe we may have to suffer if we fail to contribute to conserving this precious source of energy.” ~Aarti, Independent Design Professional

“One way or another, the Government has to pay off the bill for importing oil. It is better that it collects it directly from the users of petrol than subsidize it and pass it on to everybody, including the poor who can’t even afford a vehicle, through indirect taxes.” ~Sourabh, Lawyer

“The recent hike in petrol price has had a huge impact on my personal budget and I’ve had to restructure it and use the public transport instead of a car for the long distance that I have to cover every day to get to work and back! With the rise in petrol price having a cascading effect and the price of other everyday commodities going up, impulsive buys are passé. I can still manage with a few cuts in my budget, but what about people who cannot afford a decent living? The Government should work on subsidizing costs. It will bring a huge relief to the middle-class Indian!” ~Aradhana, Project Management Executive

“The hike in petrol prices is merely another

unsettling of course and worry about how

But all things said and done, life without

my vehicle usage to beat the fuel price hike. It is ultimately an adjustment issue. The economy is not doing well on an international scale and we might as well

volunteer to implement a few austerity measures as citizens.” ~Ashok, Lawyer

India. The import taxes seem to be quite high for a country that is still developing. Without dwelling into corruption and politics, mass confusion and hysteria seem to be affecting every sector in this country. And with transportation being an important part of the economy, the fuel

that the country is already suffering from. From a labourer to an IT professional, petrol vehicles seem to be the most common mode of transport. With the increase in fuel prices, every household item will increase in value and with the dropping value of the rupee the country

the day. Lack of political infrastructure and a very low GDP score seem to be upsetting the already unclear state of the country. With increasing taxes, people will not be able to take care of their daily needs. Although reducing taxes seems to be the rational choice, the increasing debt of the country certainly won’t allow this. If not petrol prices, the price of other everyday household items should be

burden of the common man.” ~Vinoth, Independent IT Consultant

Well, it is not the ideal situation. Whether we like it or not, the Government has to compensate for the import of oil and there is no better generator of income than the millions of people who commute on petrol vehicles every day. However, how about cutting down on the quantity of oil imported by switching to CNG en massé starting with all the Government vehicles that are used to chauffer Ministers from one part of the city to another? Though it will not bring down the prices by a huge margin, a small reduction in prices once in a while will be a much appreciated effort.

For now, all those women who dreamt of the man of their dreams coming for them in a white horse can rejoice! Your man will not have much of a choice if petrol prices keep sky-rocketing!

By Anuradha Ganesan Designer at Ananyah, Bangalore

Citizens’ Voice

Fuelling People’s Fury


Just as the temperature keeps soaring, so too does the price of petrol; the price hikes have added to the grim and sweaty situation prevailing in the country. There is general disgruntlement among the public. Yet, all is not lost. People are still able to laugh and be merry and make light of the current scenario.

Social networking sites and SMS buddies strive to make light of the spiraling petrol price hikes by posting on the net or sending one-liners, cartoons and light hearted conversation pieces to friends and colleagues, thereby striving to bring forth lightheartedness in these hard times.

All over the city, at various petrol pumps, people can be seen waiting patiently in

long winding queues in order to get their vehicles fuelled. This is indeed the steepest ever price hike in petrol rates and this has freaked out a major section of the society. The Government has become the target of sharp and blunt criticism from the common man.

Chennai opines that current hike in petrol prices is a sure killer for the middle class that stands to lose the most. “This steep increase in price of petrol would have a

Aruna Manimaran, a housewife based in Nolambur, Chennai is totally agitated- “The Government has lost all concern for middle class families. With the increase in fuel prices, rate of food products too would shoot up. Managing the monthly home budget is going to be a Herculean endeavor”!

Praveen Dubey, an IT consultant based at Chennai waxes eloquent on the subject- “The market forces are controlling petroleum rates; and so the rate of crude oil has soared up in the international markets. Hence, it inevitably impacts rates of petrol in our country. The Government

is helpless when it comes to subsidizing petrol rates in India. It is indeed bad news for the common man, but as far as the market is concerned, the price hikes were expected. “

Kavya Ramdass, a student at St Xavier’s Mumbai states thus, “Frequent hikes in petrol prices are really tough for us since

expenses with limited pocket money. All that we get is spent on commuting and we are left with nothing to even get us some lunch!”

Yes, netizens and sms buddies are having

making light of a grim situation. Let us hope that people strive to maintain a positive attitude throughout and that petrol prices would be reduced in the near future.

Meanwhile, professionals from all walks of life are worried about the salary hikes which just cannot compete with that of the fuel prices. Here’s what a can of petrol was overheard telling a soft ware guy, ‘this is my fourth hike this year. What about you? How many have you got?’ Lol….

Keeping your cool despite soaring fuel prices and rising temperatures is the sole need of the hour- otherwise, there would be general mayhem and chaos. Stay positive, to arrive at positive solutions.

Valsala Menon

Spiralling Price Hikes


Jeevan Vaibhav

Jeevan VaibhavJeevan Vaibhav is the new fare from

the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched on 21 May 2012 in a function at the LIC premises in

Anna Salai, Chennai. Releasing the new product, the Chief Guest R.Arumugam, Inspector General of Police (Economic Offenses Wing) lauded the organization for its exemplary role as the single most leading insurance organization that catered to a huge network of customers across the country. He entreated the public to take advantage of this new

The Zonal Manager, LIC of India, D.D.Singh, K.Kishore Kumar, Sr. Divisional Manager and P.R.Shankara Raju, Sr. Divisional Manager were the other members on the dais.

Jeevan Vaibhav is a single premium non linked insurance plan where the risk cover is the Sum Assured which is almost double the premium chosen by the customer and offers guaranteed returns at Maturity. The plan, which is an ideal combination of Insurance and Returns, would be available for a limited period only up to a maximum of 120 days. A major highlight

customer:

Security –Almost double the single premium is being offered as the risk cover.

Growth – Maturity Sum Assured along with Loyalty additions, if any (based on the Corporation’s experience)

Convenience – Onetime payment only.

Freedom – There is no upper limit on investment for eligible lives.

Liquidity – Policy loan is available after just one year.

In the event of the unfortunate death of the Life assured during the currency of the policy, the Basic Sum Assured shall be payable which is almost double the Single Premium. (Depending on the age) excluding extra premium, if any. On Maturity, the Maturity Sum Assured (which will depend on the single premium payable and the age at entry of the life to be assured) along with Loyalty Addition, if any shall be payable. Eligibility for Loyalty Addition would be considered during the last year of the policy depending upon the Corporation’s experience and the rates and terms would be as declared by the Corporation.

The Minimum age at entry for the plan is eight years (completed) while he maximum is 65 years (nearer birthday). The term under the

at 10 years. The minimum Sum Assured is Rs.2 lakhs while there is no upper limit. The minimum premium under the policy is Rs 95,210 with no upper limit.

This is an ideal plan for all age groups of people

including youngsters looking at a nest-egg when they need to pursue their goals and chase their dreams or for parents who want to save money for funding their child/grandchild’s higher education or

have grown up. The policy offers high liquidity through policy loan after just one year.

on-line product. It is an immediate annuity which, on payment of a lump sum, entitles to an annuity from the very next month. Jeevan Akshay is available under any one of the 7 annuity options listed by the LIC and is available for ages 30- 85.

For details visit www.licindia.in

LIC of India launches a new product-


State Bank of India, Chennai Circle donated an Ambulance Van and medical equipment to the Paediatric Centre of Cancer Institute, Adyar valued at Rs. 52.00 lacs on 29 May 2012. Pratip Chaudhuri, Chairman, State Bank of India handed over the keys of the ambulance van to Dr. Shantha, Chairman, Cancer Institute.

ranks third highest in the country recording this magnitude of

taking the total number of branches to 862 in Tamil Nadu.

crores in 2011 to Rs. 31,574 crores in 2012, and an increase of net interest from Rs. 32,526 crores to Rs. 43,291 crores. The net interest margin increased from 3.32% to 3.85%. Dividend of Rs. 35 per share has been proposed for the year ended 31st March 2012.

CSR Initiative By State Bank Of India

For millions of underprivileged children in India, higher education is a distant reality. Disha, a social endeavour by The Ma Foi

children, provides them the necessary support to nurture their dreams and accomplish their goals. This year, their students

colours in the Plus 2 board examinations.

Of the 302 students from Chennai and Virudhunagar who wrote the examination this year, 9 of them have scored more than 1100 marks and 45 have scored above 1000 marks; the overall pass percentage being 97%. Maheshwari from Virudhunagar has scored

1187 marks out of 1200 and stands 3rd in the State and 1st among Disha scholars. Radhika, studying in Velammal Matriculation School, Chennai has scored 1161 and Yaswanth from Kanada Sanga School, Chennai has scored 1160 marks.

generation college goer in her family. Her father S. Palanisamy and mother P. Bhagyalakshmi run a small eatery in Tiruchengode where she studies in Vidyaa Girls Higher Secondary School. Maheshwari stood third in the Tamil Nadu State in the Class X exams. She repeated her feat this time scoring centum in all the four major papers. She aspires to be a neurologist.

Educating Underprivileged Children


June 1st to 30th Amaara presents an exhibition entitled “Crepe Splendours,” a collection of elegant, crease free crepe salwar kurtas for all occasions – casuals, formals block prints and kamalkari with varied coordinates of dupattas and churidaars available fromRs.2,500/- onwards, from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm at 27 / 14 CV Raman Road, Alwarpet Chennai. Phone 45000020.

Events for You

August 2nd 2012Raksha Bandhan 2012 at Amethyst :

What better way to acknowledge and thank the special little woman, who has stood by you through thick and thin, than by presenting her a piece of beautiful Amrapali jewellery from Amethyst, namely

chattaiwork (Rs.4,190/-), gold earrings

worked in with emerald (Rs.98,350/-). And of course, there is a beautiful and extended range of beautiful Rakhis of silver, with threads and beads in aprice range of Rs.500/- to Rs.1500/-. A selection that will undoubtedly appeal to and appease the sister on the special occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Amethyst products available at: · Amethyst entrance, next to Corporation Bank, Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai – 600 014;Ph : 044 – 45991630 /31 /32

June 2012 at Dakshina Chitra

Children’s workshop:

Photography workshop for children : 16th June 2012 - Rs. 750

Adult workshop:

Kalamkari workshop : 9th - 11th June 2012 - Rs. 3500

Puppet door hanging :21st & 22nd June 2012 - Rs. 1500

Lamp shade making: 23rd & 24th June 2012- Rs. 1500

Art Gallery

Art exhibition : Paintings and metal works by S. Shanthi :1st - 17th June 2012

Puppet Exhibition :An exhibition of traditional puppets from Dakshina Chitra’s collection :20th - 30th June 2012

Retrospective of Sakti Burman at Ambur Art Gallery - till July 2012.


June 2012 Eve’s Times


Eve’s Times June 2012Registrar of Newspapers for IndiaRegistration Number TNENG/2005/16719 Regn. No: TN/ CC (S) Dn 354/ 11-13


june 2012 new et

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