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The Hindu : Centre of care for childrenA.B. SUDHINDRAThe kids are taught to be responsible for themselves.It promises to be a make-over centre for kids. The goal of the Promise Centres being opened in Bangalore is to improve children’s academic performance and also develop their personality.Basic etiquette“On top of this, we ensure that they grow up as all-rounders. We teach them to behave well at homes. The kids are taught to be organised and even ten year olds follow daily check lists and to-do lists. Here, they also learn to handle the pressures of tests and examinations better. Hence, the promise is not only limited to academic excellence but also to give children a well-rounded personality,” explains Bharthi Ravishankar, in-charge of a centre. It is said that children develop critical study skills early in life and at Promise, they follow a system wherein these skills are brought to the fore, she says. “It is more common to see an over-burdened child trudging off to tuition classes after a long day at school, than to see him playing in the park. Clearly, something in our education system is missing,” Ms. Bharthi says. “Here we give importance to self-learning and self-directed learning. Promise centres in other cities have produced achievers and here too we promise to deliver the same. The results will speak for itself,” she adds.Besides, children are trained in public speaking and they are taught how to manage their time. “Revision and repeated practice make a child’s fundamentals clear. Through highly scientific methods we create personalised assignments for them. Hence, children display high level of confidence, self-reliance and independence,” adds B. Abhishek of Promise Centre….More

The Hindu : Arjun Maini may be all of 10, but he has created history by becoming the first Indian to have won an Asian Go-Karting Race in the under-12 category.RaceHis moment of glory came when he won the prestigious Rotax Mojo Asia Challenge 2008 that was held in Malaysia on April 6. Having raced in the Micromax/Formula cadet category, this wonder kid clocked his fastest lap in 56.82 seconds on the 1.24-km track with an average speed of 78.56 km/hour.Winning lapArjun, who started from the second position in the race, overtook race leader Brendan Seibl from Singapore to finish first. The race had nine participants from various countries including India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.The passionA student of the Indus International School, he started go-karting at the age of five. It was his father’s passion for racing that spurred Arjun’s interest in this thrilling sport. The proud father Gautam Maini has also been racing on the national circuit for over a decade.The balanceArjun is the current Indian National Go-Karting Mini Max Champion. Being trained by Akbar Ebrahim, the father of current GP2 driver Armaan Ebrahim, this young lad has a prompt reply when asked about how he balances studies and practice:“I usually confine my practise to the weekends, so that it doesn’t interfere with my studies.” He is currently studying in Std. IV and loves swimming and basketball besides racing.His dreamsWith his first international win under the belt, Arjun is determined to extend his winning streak to the second round of the Asia Challenge competition to be held in India in Coimbatore on May 3 and 4.He also plans to race in the third and the fourth rounds to be held in Thailand and Indonesia, respectively….More

The Hindu : The green cover in Bangalore has been through a lot of changes and thankfully one of the forms it has managed to survive is in the form of parks. One cannot deny the importance of parks. It is notonly an essential public space but also one of the visible signs of greenery.From people who step out early mornings for their dailyjog or a bunch of collegians whowould like to catch up at a park or a group of housewivesto senior citizens who find these parks the ideal place to unwind with or without their grandchildren and couples who look forward to get cosy ; parks are utilized by all age groups.Whether people go to a park for health or to enjoy nature; parks play an important role as critical lung spaces in the city. Many residents agree that a park is welcome space.Arun Pai of Bangalore WALKS says: “If you have noticed, most of the residential areas have had the history of housing parks from a long time. Even now you can find parks in a planned residential area as compared to a commercial area. A growing trend is also seen wherebuilders recognise the need of a park for people and have started incorporating mini private parks within residential complexes.”“The weather of Bangalore unlike most other cities is very conducive through the year for a person to spend time in parks either for a walk or jog or to chat up with friends. Moreover parks bring out that positive energy in you; I want people of Bangalore be proud of what we have in terms of greenery. It may not be what it was fifty years ago but everything is not lost. Going by the sheer numbers who throng Cubbon Park and Lalbagh we need to be satisfied with what the city has and try and improve it wherever we can.”Says Nidhi Jain, a young…More

The Hindu : Pix is screening “The Master of Disguise”, directed by Perry Andelin Blake and starring Dana Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin on April 22, 8 p.m. Pistachio Disguisey, a sweet-natured Italian server at his father Fabbrizio’s restaurant, cannot figure out why he compulsively mimics his customers and desires to change his appearance.“Jury Duty”, directed by John Fortenberry and starring Pauly Shore, Tia Carrere, Stanley Tucci, Brian Doyle-Murray will air on April 23 at 8 p.m. When jobless male stripper Tommy Collins discovers that sequestered jurors earn free room and board as well as five dollars-a-day, he gets himself assigned to a jury in a murder trial.On April 24 at 10 p.m., “I’ll do anything”, directed by James L. Brooks, starring Nick Nolte, Whittni Wright, Albert Brooks, Julie Kavner will be screened. This movie is about an actor (Nick Nolte) that has had trouble getting a job for the last two years. His wife is forcing him to take his daughter home with him, despite the fact that he has no money. Catch all these movies only on Pix….More

The Hindu : Sunday service!A. Chettur was surprised when he got a prompt response from the Lok Ayukta on a garbage problem…that too on a Sunday!For years we were plagued by residents dumping their garbage opposite our house, where once a bin did stand.Running battles with the culprits and regular baksheesh to the street-cleaners failed to alleviate the problem. I chanced upon a list of telephone numbers in a neighbourhood paper. There at the bottom was the phone number of the Lok Ayukta.I knew that the Lok Ayukta was probably busy catching bribe-takers red-handed. Still, I decided to give it a shot. Forty-odd years of being accustomed to bureaucracy and babudom, combined with my general apathy, had prepared me for indifference. Besides, it was a Sunday morning. You will understand, therefore, why I nearly fell off my perch when my call was promptly answered by a cultured voice wanting to know what my problem was.It was an exceedingly helpful official. He listened to me and asked me to call the next day at the same time. I called the next day and the phone was promptly answered by the same person who gathered relevant details and assured me of action. I was utterly dumbfounded when, within half an hour, a team comprising a medical officer, health officer, three supervisors and about eight street-cleaners were knocking on our door, most keen to solve our decades-old problem. The entire street was swept clean from end to end and every scrap of litter promptly removed. They assured us that the street would be cleaned daily and a supervisor posted to discourage habitual offenders. True to their word, a supervisor was stationed at the site from the next day onwards.Of course we have to see how long it will take before he persuades all offenders to change their habits. But it makes me hope that if others, too, decide to put aside…More

The Hindu : A time fit for fictionThey’re hot from the press and they promise to lighten up your torpid summer daysPacking your bags for summer travel? Keep a little corner for books, my friend. As you laze and slide away leisurely afternoons, novels are not a bad companion. Penguin India, Roli Books, Harper Collins, Rupa, Random House, Vitasta… name a mainstream publisher and it is ready with a fiction title. Some, like Penguin, have half a century of them on offer this summer! Nightclub launches, online chats, book reading sessions, author interviews, pre-launch excerpts, all are in the pipeline as publishers seek a piece of the fiction cake.Not often does such hype accompany the launch of the first book of an upcoming author as has been the privilege of Ameen Merchant and Aravind Adiga.Their debut novels have just hit the bookstalls this summer, but the hype surrounding them is already whetting people’s appetite.Merchant’s “The Silent Raga”, claimed to be in the literary tradition of Rohinton Mistry and Arundhati Roy, talks of two sisters growing to adulthood in a middle-class Brahmin family in Madras in the early 1990s.Chennai-based Adiga’s “The White Tiger” is said to be about the new India growing roots all around us. That Adiga is a talent to watch out for is confirmed by writer Mohsin Hamid, who calls it “compelling, angry, and darkly humorous.”Similarly, Roma Tearne’s book “Bone China” is about a family that moves from war-stricken Sri Lanka to England, carrying a memory-filled collection of fine china which is passed from a grandmother to her granddaughter. At the heart of this book is the idea that music and art can transform trauma.Following close on their heels will be Sanjay Bahadur, whose first novel “The Sound of Water” has been long-listed for the Man Booker.Why now?But why so much fiction at this time? Pramod Kapoor, CEO, Roli Books, explains, “In summers, fiction sells better…More

The Hindu : On May 2, an acrylic on canvas painting titled “The Thief of Baghdad” by the barefoot Badshah, Maqbool Fida Husain will assume a new identity as lot no. 72 and come under the hammer as part of the ‘The Indian Sale’ at New Bond Street in London.Packed with action, movement and drama but coloured with monochromatic hues except for the deep blue sky, the five year old 121 by 181 cm. diptych is estimated to fetch 100,000 – 150,000 pounds to the auctioneer. At Rs. 80 to a British pound, “The Thief of Baghdad” is not going to be a steal after all!Interestingly, this is not the priciest painting on offer at the Sotheby’s auction. Francis Newton Souza’s “The Red Road” is estimated much higher at 250,000 – 350,000 pounds. Souza, who passed away in 2002, had painted this fascinating Goan landscape of hills and paddy fields with his inimitable strokes and colours in 1962 as a gift to his wife, Maria.There are more than 120 works being presented at the Sotheby’s auction, which is expected to cumulatively rake in anywhere between 24,00,000 and 34,00,000 pounds. Prominent among the works that will come under the hammer are two untitled oil on canvas works estimated at 150,000 – 250,000 pounds each, of veteran artist Akbar Padamsee, who will, incidentally, turn 80 this year.Subodh Gupta’s Untitled Oil on canvas (70,000 – 100,000 pounds) showing tightly packed and fastened luggage on an airport trolley, and Atul Dodiya’s mixed-media installation in three sections titled “Each Father, Lost (VIII)” (70,000 – 100,000 pounds) – a homage to his deceased father – are also likely to come under spotlight.Expectedly, the auction also features paintings by customary favourites like Jamini Roy, Syed Haider Raza, Ramkumar, Shakti Burman, Laxma Goud, Krishen Khanna, and G. Prabha, among others.Two of Rabindranath Tagore’s paper works titled “Bird” and “Death Scene” would also try to find suitable…More

The Hindu : Séance on a Sunday Afternoon”, a book by Shinie Antony was launched by writer Chetan Bhagat at the Oxford Bookstore at Leela Galleria recently.The slim 182-page novel deals with a young man’s attempts to strike a balance between his solitude and his journey to redefine his need for society.A lively interaction was also held with Chetan Bhagat quizzing the author on various issues such as balancing her writing and family life, her treatment of the genders in her books, her preference for short stories over novels etc.Shinie said her career as a journalist aided and honed her writing skills to a great extent. She also drew similarities between the work of a journalist (sub-editor) and a housewife.She likened the role of a housewife in whipping up a dinner to a sub-editor’s responsibility to give structure to stories filed and dish it out to the reader.Shinie also spoke of the difficulties faced by a housewife with children, in managing a writing career. However, she said that her focus was mainly on mood pieces. She was not a disciplined writer per se, following strict schedules.She also discussed the strong female perspective in most of her stories. She preferred short stories as it is more important to express one’s feelings than be concerned with the medium involved.Bhagat said: “She has been a ‘guru’ who had helped me in my career as a writer.” Bhagat also read out some select passages from the book.Shinie said that in the final chapters of the book titled “The Blogger”, an attempt has been made to write in a style similar to a blog entry, and where she has even attempted to write in SMS lingo.Shinie has written nearly seven books, including three children’s books, the more popular being “Goddy Tales”. She is presently working on a book on Indian English. She is the author of “Barefoot and Pregnant” and “Planet Polygamous”. She…More

The Hindu : Video watchThis fortnight at indiaplaza.inDiamonds are ForeverCast: Sean Connery, Jill St John, Charles Gray, Jimmy Dean, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Desmond LlewelynDirector: Guy HamiltonScreenplay: Richard Maibaum, Tom MankiewiczNovel: Ian FlemingDVD, Rs. 599There are so many reasons to watch this movie; chief among them being this is the last time Sean Connery played the suave super spy, James Bond. He did return to the role once more in 1983’s “Never Say Never Again” but us Bond watchers know it was not the real deal from Broccoli stables.This 1971 film created quite a stir because Connery was offered a then-unheard-of sum (reportedly over a million dollars) to return as Bond after George Lazenby refused to play 007 following his only outing in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969).Due to the underperformance of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (it must have had something to do with Lazenby in a kilt), there was a plan to Americanise the franchise with an American playing the spy. American actor John Gavin was even signed on for the role. However, once Connery stepped in, the British roots were kept intact though most of the film was set in Las Vegas.The movie follows Ian Fleming’s book fairly closely — in that it is about diamond smuggling but instead of the mega villains being the Spang Brothers, doing their villainous smuggling for the Russian spy organisation SMERSH, the movie has SPECTRE chief Ernst Stavros Blofeld returning cat and all with the usual megalomaniac idea of taking over the world with diamonds to fire a laser and reduce cities to dust or some such. Nowadays it is difficult to watch a James Bond movie without stifling a giggle as you think of Austin Powers and his nemesis Dr. Evil.The psychopathic killers from the book, Mr Wint and Mr Kidd, are present in all their homosexual glory evading the moral police as well as the proponents…More