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The Hindu : Virtual MechanicCar and bike questions? We have the answersI want to buy a new car and my budget is between Rs 3.5 to 4.5 lakh. I have short-listed the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, the Logan and the Esteem. My priorities are fuel efficiency, comfort, safety, decent boot space and low maintenance costs. Which suits me best?JaiWe suggest you stretch your budget a little and go for the Logan diesel. It is fuel efficient, comfortable and has a big boot. The top diesel and petrol versions even come with airbags. The next recommendation is the Chevy U-VA. Decent boot, reasonably fuel efficient and comfortable.At present, I drive a Maruti 800 Deluxe 2002 model. I want to upgrade to a new car and my budget is between Rs 3.5 to 4 lakh. I drive in the city for 600km per month and my basic requirements include good manoeuvrability and service facilities. I short-listed the Wagon R, Zen Estilo, Santro Xing and Spark. I find that the Estilo isn’t hugely popular. The Xing I hear is an excellent car and that it will soon be upgraded. Will this reduce the resale value of the existing model? This leaves me with the Spark and Wagon R. I haven’t seen too many Sparks on the road so am wondering about its efficiency. Is the Wagon R my only option?RavindraThe Santro is available, but only the basic variants remain. Go for the new Hyundai i10. It is modern, fuel efficient, and manoeuvrable.We are planning to buy a new car and are confused between the Hyundai Santro Xing, Maruti Esteem and Chevrolet U-VA. We want to know which one is the best with regard to comfort, fuel efficiency, spare parts availability and service facility. The car will be used for 500km per month.SrinivasanChevrolet UV-A is the most comfortable. But the Santro Xing has the best fuel efficiency, spare parts are relatively cheap and…More

The Hindu : Uplifting musicCONCERT FOR A CAUSE Bombay Jeyashree and Shubha Mudgal (below) will perform a jugalbandhiEventspro Visions Pvt. Ltd. and Goodwill Communications is organising a Jugalbandi, an evening of music by Bombay Jeyashree and Shubha Mudgal on January 26 at 6.30 p.m. at Chowdaiah Memorial Hall.Bombay Jeyashree will be accompanied by Embar Kannan on the violin and Poongulum Subramaniam on the mridangam. Shubha Mudgal will be accompanied by Aneesh Pradhan on the tabla and Sudhir Nayak on the harmonium.The program is in aid of Give Life which provides educational support to poor, deprived children. Currently it supports over 3,000 children and it endeavours to arrest child labour, child trafficking, and institutionalisation of poverty and disintegration of families.Donor passes priced at Rs. 1,000, Rs. 500 and Rs. 250 are available at Café Coffee Day outlets in BSK-BDA Complex (64516798), Jayanagar T Block (64516790), Koramangala 100 feet (64516797), Cunningham Road (64528294), CMH Road (64541168), Ashoka Pillar (64526490), Gandhi Bazaar (64529988), Richmond Road (64516791), Calypso in Jayanagar (22452368), Crossword on Residency Road (25582411), Tanishq on Sampige Road (65983094) and World of Titan on K.G. Road (22266811).For door delivery, call 26601049….More

The Hindu : The ninth Auto Expo held recently in Delhi was the biggest and best ever with several cars and technologies unveiled for the first time. The Indian car market has experienced an onslaught of models that were not available in the country earlier but are now being produced locally. One of the biggest attractions in this year’s show was definitely the Tata one-lakh car, which has generated a lot of interest, not to mention speculation both within the industry and among customers. Listed below are some of the show’s biggest stars and attractions.AudiAt the expo, Audi displayed its brand new A4 compact executive saloon. This new car has a lot more space and better ride and handling. And what’s more, it looks stunning. But it won’t be in showrooms until the middle of this year. Also on display were the A6, the mildly face-lifted A8 and the new TT. The biggest attraction at this stall wasthe space-age, diesel-powered R10 racing car, a clear indication of how much these motors have progressed in recent years.BMWThe new V8-powered 414bhp M3 was an absolute beauty with a sculpted bonnet, massive wheel arches and an aggressive nose. The good news is that BMW is planning to introduce the M3 in India, but for a whopping Rs. 80 lakh. Not to be left out are the locally-assembled 3 and 5-Series cars, which form the core of BMW’s Indian business. The new X5 SUV and 7-series saloon werealsofeatured at the stall.Tata MotorsThe most talked about car, the Tata 1-lakh car, the Nano, was finally unveiled at the Auto Expo, It is said to be the cheapest car in the world. Also displayed at the Tata stall werethe new Tata Sumo and the X1 or the next-gen Indica.General MotorsThe best of American cutting-edge style and panache were found at the GM stall with exhibits that included the Hummer H3 and the Cadillac CTS….More

The Hindu : Jadau jewellery created by the celebrated designer Falguni Mehta and inspired by Paresh Maity will be on display at FFolio on January 24 and 25, 2008. This collection blends Maity’s art art with her gold and jadau creations.In a creative experiment to combine art with jewellery, Falguni brings an array of jewellery pieces in gold and kundan. An exclusive two-day event, Falguni will showcase her creative designs that are a blend of ethnic and tribal ideas translated into contemporary motifs using varied mediums and Basra moti.Each piece is handcrafted and self designed.For details call 080 22218142.* * *Geedee Farms is organising an overnight wildlife adventure camp on February 9 and 10 for 30 children. Through a series of activities from trekking to bird watching, children will both gain a valuable and hands-on experience as well as learn techniques in ecology and wildlife biology.Geedee is nestled along the boundary of the Bannergatta National Park and the wildlife includes elephants, gaur, bear, leopard, snakes and many others. There will be one faculty member for every five children, allowing no possibility for your child to be out of sight. They also have one wilderness medic with them at all times and a medical set up.There are large room-like Swiss tents, set up on concrete platforms and sheltered with a tin roof above them. Girls and boys have separate tents and the faculty will be with them at all times.There is a very well-structured bathroom and toilet block with separate units for girls and boys. The food is vegetarian and there will also be milk and juices served.The children will travel in buses starting and returning to St. Joseph’s Indian High School grounds. Departure is at 6 a.m. on February 9 and return at 7 p.m. on February 10. The last date for registration is January 26. Contact 9886169698/9480109467….More

The Hindu : Your body feels heavy and your thoughts are in a jumble. Simply getting up from your chair seems like a Herculean task. There is a dull ache all over your body, your eyes feel strained and you wish no one crosses your path. In short, you are tired, fatigued, exhausted.It will surprise you to know that a large percentage of people feel fatigued on a daily basis. More surprising, and worrying is the fact that they all take it for granted. In the general Indian mindset, cross 35 and you ‘gracefully’ accept losing the vitality and enthusiasm that characterises the teens and the twenties. The fact, however, is that people couldn’t be more off the track.The human body does have its biological clock, but it doesn’t have to spell doom so soon! Feeling tired is a natural response of the body to the demands placed on it. It is a signal to rest, recuperate and replenish the body’s reserves. That is what the process of sleep achieves. But feeling tired most of the time, despite rest, is abnormal and must be addressed.Dr. T.M. Perumal says, “Fatigue has the capability to completely disrupt the normal routine. It affects not just the patient, but also his family members and friends. It has a cascading effect on all the aspects of his life, even leading to depression.”In the West, there is considerable awareness of this growing phenomenon of fatigue and its consequences. For instance, in 1999, an international campaign ‘Fatigue Kills’ organised by the London based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) raised people’s awareness about consequences of tiredness on roads.In India, urbanisation and changing lifestyles have taken their toll on the health of the city dweller. Somehow, despite having washing machines, microwave ovens, refrigerators and dish washers, there is always too much to do in too little time. This leads to a feeling of being overwhelmed and the…More

The Hindu : For budding writersITC Classmate Young Author and Artist Contest, India’s most-awaited talent hunt culminated with the announcement of the Classmate Young Author of the year. Rupesh Jhabak, a class 11 student from Bal Bhavan School, Bhopal, has been awarded the title of Classmate Young Author 2007.Apart form getting the story published, Rupesh Jhabak has also won a seven-day trip to Paris, the ‘art capital’ of the world.Tanya Balakrishnan, a standard IX student from Arya Vidya Mandir and R. Sneha, a standard IX student from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan have been awarded the second and third prize respectively.The first runner-up will be awarded a laptop and the second runner-up will be gifted a handy cam. Apart from an opportunity to publish their stories, the national finalists will also receive exciting electronic gadgets.Announcing the winners Mr. Chand Das, CEO, ITC Greeting, Gifting and Stationery Business, said: “Classmate Young Author and Artist Contest encourages young budding authors and artistes to give flight to their imagination and creativity.At a time, when Indian authors are being increasingly appreciated in literary circles the world-over, Classmate Young Author Contest aims to provide a platform to help discover hidden talent and encourage students towards literary pursuits.”For further information, contact 99008 66558…More

The Hindu : Suniti Namjoshi’s first foray into children’s writing was a strictly private affair. Her target readers were no more than her two nieces. Like all good aunts she had been hunting for good reading material for them and found that most books “tended to be about little children with pink faces living in England.”So she wrote “Aditi and the One-eyed Monkey”, giving the protagonist her niece’s name and packing in some of her own childhood experiences into it. It was not meant for publication and having already established herself as a poet and a feminist writer, Suniti was not too keen to take on the tag of a children’s writer.It came to be printed a few years later in 1985, when a London-based feminist publication asked Suniti if she would write a children’s book and she sent them the manuscript of “…One-eyed Monkey”.A whole seriesAditi has since then been quite a jet-setter going on adventures to many parts of the world. An entire series of Aditi books have been brought out by Tulika, the Chennai-based children’s publisher. The six and seventh in the series – “Aditi and her Friends meet Grendel” and “Aditi and her Friends help the Budapest Changeling” – are just out and will be released in Bangalore on January 25.The stories of Aditi and her curious assortment of friends, including Siril the Ant and Beautiful Ele the Elephant, are in fantasy mode. Suniti updates the traditional mode by including elements that are sure to appeal to a tech-savvy generation, including a laser-beam spewing dragon. The trajectory of Aditi’s travels, starting out from India and going to many corners of the world, appeal to an urban, English-reading child of today who has enormous exposure through multiple media channels.But underlying all this, the stories of Aditi are still gentle tales dealing with emotions, relationships and courage. They speak of issues such as gender stereotypes, environmental…More

The Hindu : Hey, what’s she got around her neck? Is that some ultra chic pendant?” “Of course not! It’s the iPod nano. Haven’t you heard of it?”Welcome to the world where fashion ranks above function! Techno Bling gadgets are what we manufacture, desire and finally own these days. Whether it is the crystal beaded charm on your mobile phone or your mobile phone itself, say the (cutting edge!) Nokia Prism that’s been selling like hot cakes, the trend of marrying hi-fashion to technology has begun to create waves the world over. If you thought being tech savvy was all that mattered, think again. You might feel the need to recheck your fashion quotient as well.What really is the funda behind this powerfully emerging trend?Business Management student Abhimannue Srikishan says: “A gadget is an extension of one’s personality. Therefore, although personally I feel function precedes fashion, a lot of others believe that fashion has come to be a decisive factor as far as gadgets are concerned.”Consider the Bluetooth headset for instance. It is undeniably one of the biggest leaps in the field of technology. The concept of the periodically flashing blue light and the fact that the innovation is meant to be worn over the ear only confirms the immense potential of techno bling.Ezra Kanavalli, another student asserts, “It’s all about making impressions. Considering the price range of these trendy gizmos, we can conclude that the gadget itself becomes a status symbol of sorts.”He goes on to provide an example. “If we look closely at automobiles, we realise that modifying cars by adding alloys, rims, mufflers and filters enhances the looks as well as the performance of the car, a perfect case of style marrying technology!”Those were the days when we would dedicate half our living room space to the big and bulky idiot box! Now with the invention of the plasma TV, life for many seems more…More

The Hindu : Customised for styleMahindra-DC Scorpio First looks the way you want to. This Scorpio looks ordinary from the outside but inside there is a complete metamorphosisDid you ever look at your favourite celebrity or some big-shot get out of their limousine or some such state-of-the-art vehicle and wish you too could indulge in such luxury? Imagine being able to access that kind of luxury and in none other than a Scorpio.The new Scorpio First, which might look like just another Scorpio is actually a customised Scorpio from Mahindra and renowned designer Dilip Chhabria. Chhabria was called in to help to customise the Scorpio in such a way that the customer gets unlimited options and that’s exactly what the design guru did.With the new First, customers can specify any paint they like, with any colour for the side cladding and they can even get interiors in any shade. Of course, you’ll have to deal with the unwanted attention the vehicle will get. And as tinted windows are illegal, don’t be surprised to find many heads trying to peek into the First to figure out why this vehicle looks like a normal Scorpio from the outside but has space-ship like interiors!On the exterior, the only things distinguishing the First from a normal Scorpio are the redesigned front bumper, indicators on the rear-view mirrors and discreet ‘First’ and ‘DC’ badging.To give you an idea of how spacious this vehicle is on the inside, let’s just say, you can open the door, step in, take two steps in and then, you see the circular entertainment centre dominated by a Sony LCD TV. Other features include a DVD player, JBL speaker system, Playstation 2, chiller, mini-bar, coffee maker and fold-out trays. You can’t see much out through the small window, which can make you feel claustrophobic despite the acres of space. The best thing to do in this vehicle is to…More