News

The Hindu : SUDHINDR.A.B

Kids give a free rein to their imagination at The Hindu Young World Painting Competition

PHOTO: K.BHAGYAPRAKASHElated artists: Colour all the way.

Over 400 finalists of The Hindu Young World Painting Competition displayed great energy and enthusiasm to participate in the annual event. They braved the effects of the cyclonic weather and the morning chill to be at St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School right on time. The black Bangalore skies did not cloud either their imagination or creativity.Evocative themes

It was A. J. S. Lakshmishree and Pooja. S. Kanade who won the first prize in the junior and senior categories respectively. Lakshmishree, a Std. VII student of Bethesda School, said that her “eyes lit up” when the topic was announced. The topic for the junior category was “A visit to the circus”.

She said she has vivid memories of a circus. “Clowns bring a smile on your face and my painting had about six of them, besides a lion, a trapeze artist and a couple of elephants,” she said.

Pooja, a Std. VIII student of MKET’s Lakshmanrao Kirloskar CBSE School, Harihar, said that the topic was easy and she was confident of winning a prize, “but not the first”.

The topic for the seniors was “Deforestation” and Lakshmishree said she was aware of the ill-effects of deforestation.

“My painting had two parts. In the first part, I showed what greenery means to me and in the other I depicted the ill-effects of deforestation. I know that it will lead to global warming,” she said.

Both received cash prizes of Rs. 1,250 each and certificates. Ashrith V, of Sri Aurobindo Vidya Mandir, Basaveswaranagar came second, while Madhu M, of Premier High School, Srirampuram stood third in the junior category. In the senior category, R. Vijay Kumar of Shanthiniketan Trust School, Bannerghatta Road, won the second prize, while M. Sushma of Carmel School, Padmanabha Nagar took the third…More

The Hindu : y>Celebrate the year end with a trip to Civet Creek

www.getoffurass.com is organising its year-end trip to the Civet Creek Camp. The travel includes walks to the waterfalls, exploratory walks in the surrounding wilderness, barbeques and evening campfires at a camp by the creek, say the organisers. The tour also offers you to take a detour and do your own thing like cycles at the camp to wander around. The food will be a mix of Coorg cuisine with hints of continental fare, add the organisers. The trip is on from December 25 to 27 and is priced at Rs. 4, 000 per person for a two-night and three-day camp. An additional day is priced at Rs. 1,300 “all inclusive”. Last date for registration is December 18. For details log on towww.getoffurass.com or call Robin on 9980785225 and Santosh on 9845442224.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>

Superhero Fun The Heroes take on 12 escaped criminals

New challenges and beginnings are all on the anvil with an all-new series of the popular “Heroes” series. Star World will showcase Season 3 of Heroes. The show will premiere on Star World on December 16 at 10 p.m. The new season will explore the nature of good and evil in all characters.

“Heroes” creator, Tim Kring says, “It was always built into the premise that our core group of people would be tempted by the circumstances they were in. These are ordinary people and they make decisions. If you are predisposed to be good and have a superpower, then you’ll use it for good. If you’re predisposed to be bad, then you will use it for evil.” This year, the heroes face a new challenge after 12 criminals escape from prison and unleash their powers on an unsuspecting world. With super-powered villains on the loose, the heroes unite with a shared destiny: to save the world from disaster.

Catch all the latest adventures when Season 3 of “Heroes” premieres on Tuesday at 10 p.m. only on Star World.

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

Fashion photographer Atul Kasbekar offers a sneak peek into the Kingfisher calendar

Style czar Atul Kasbekar: ‘The key is to learn to use glamour’

Pirelli, the name behind the world’s most celebrated and exclusive calendar, had discontinued the publication of its calendar after the 1974 issue as an economising cut back in response to the world recession from the oil shock. History has sure repeated itself but don’t worry: Vijay Mallya isn’t following suit. Kingfisher calendar, 2009 — an extraordinary combination of beauty, fashion and lifestyle shot by Atul Kasbekar in the very exclusive Six Senses Hideaway Resorts at Koi Samui and Yao Noi—is all set to adorn walls of the rich and famous.

The calendar that has been representative of the changing concepts of feminine beauty for six years has definitely gone bigger this time, in terms of vision, style, technique, and needless to say, budget.

Atul says he has tried to do justice to the brief given to him. “Dr. Mallya wanted the photographs to be full of sensuality, but with an understated appeal. The idea was also to revisit the 90s’ soft and minimalist look, sans bling,” says Atul.

The calendar is touted to, quite literally, have a global appeal this year. It features six models from across the globe — Tamara Moss (Holland/India), Nargis Fakhri (Czech Republic / Pakistan), Mimi Blix (Norway / Uganda), Katya Melnikova (Russia), Moni Kangana Dutta (India), and Sunisa Jongsawat (Thailand).

And they sport swimwear from Alberta Ferretti, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diane von Furstenberg with accessories from Lanvin, watches by Hamilton, and eyewear by Fendi. Atul, who has been a part of the calendar’s journey over all these years, says the team is like family to him. Dr. Mallya, he says, doesn’t like to compromise, be it food, travel or equipment. “We really had a great time and shot some good pictures in the process,” he says.

Asked what…More

The Hindu :

White Mantra offers a range of massages and treatments

All green Aparna Raghavan: ‘The products are created and mixed to compliment the body’s processes’

Aparna Raghavan is a techie who travelled extensively on work. “During my travels I would always visit a traditional spa. This triggered off the birth of White Mantra, a spa-cum-salon,” says this youngster, who took up an old house on Airport Road, renovated the structure, retaining the lush greenery surrounding the place. She has worked in such a way that nature is an essential part of the spa. Her aim, she says, “is to give Bangaloreans an international-quality spa with customised treatments using natural products.”

White Mantra, true to its name, is dominated with white. As you enter the spa, it is hard to ignore the beauty of the wood and stone building. The spa is artistically designed with straight lines and angles with simple furniture.

Aparna takes you around the massage rooms. It is refreshing to see the use of natural light in most of the massage rooms with large windows or skylights.

“Even the products used here are created and mixed in order to compliment the body’s natural processes,” says Aparna, who has added in massages like lomi lomi Hawaiian massage, Balinese Boreh, Javanese Lulur, hot stone therapy and the traditional thai massage.

“These are mostly dry massages.” Besides these, the spa offers chocolate and almond skin exfoliation, strawberry and oatmeal skin smoother to name a few.

“I also plan to include ayurvedic massages later,” she adds.

Aparna has dedicated a room exclusively for facials and one for all kinds of foot therapies. In the latter she offers pedicure too.

Then there’s a section that offers complete salon treatment. Right from haircuts, hair colouring and hair treatments, this salon at White Mantra is worth a visit.

The salon is under the care of Sahid who is trained by none other than the…More

The Hindu :

Photographer Gilles Coulon talks about the incredible journey in putting together Mad in India

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.looking in Gilles Coulon

Eleven unsure French photographers and two journalists and 14 experienced Indian writers had three weeks to put together a publication in and on India. Tendance Floue “wanted to renew the experience, one year after ‘Mad in China’, this time in India”. The collective of twelve photographers in France, worked together in China and a year later, found sponsors at the last minute to realise a similar project in India in April ’08. Photographer Gilles Coulon was at the Alliance Francaise at the launch of “Mad in India”, supported by the French Embassy, IndiaPhotoNow08 Festival, Fujifilm, HP, Monde2 and Montreuil City, in association with Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.

“It is an interesting mix of text and pictures, from Indian writers who have a mature understanding of the country and images that merely look at the surface of the country. It is a combination of two ways of seeing the country.” The French Embassy arranged for them to meet writers who were open and free to work with them in a short span of two weeks, leaving one to gather and merge the written and the visual in publication by Pragati Printers in Hyderabad. “It is neither conventional nor poetic”, says Gilles.

Gilles chose to work on the largest slum in Asia, Dharavi in Bombay. “I wanted to zoom in and get an inside view, rather than most images which tend to zoom out and capture the squalor and poverty.” He went with the idea that the people led normal lives, and were happy and found it too. “It was not meant to capture a poor and dirty vision, as they have electronic gadgets and other means which suggest development, and it is not dirty as it is made out…More

The Hindu : y>Why do many people prefer plants to animals as pets? APARNA KARTHIKEYAN lists the reasons

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABUPLANTS, THEIR PALS Encourage children to have plants

Sasha and Malia Obama are certainly very lucky young girls. They’re soon set to move into one of the most famous residences in the world, and, better still they’re going to share all that space with a puppy!

Yes, their very own First-puppy, ‘a hypoallergenic mutt’, as their charismatic dad told the world, probably from an animal shelter!

As an animal lover, it was news that warmed the cockles of my heart; as a parent, however, it made me sad; for, there’s the daughter, harping about getting a pooch for years, and all we’ve been able to do — unlike the Obamas — is fob her off callously with ‘ah, we will, sometime, but for now, here, have another plant’.Underrated

You’re probably rolling your eyes as you read this, saying ‘plants? PLANTS?’ and wondering if we’re perhaps slightly touched in the head.

Plants — and there’s no denying this — don’t immediately seem like a great idea for a pet, considering all that they do is just sit there and er, grow.

Unlike creatures slightly higher up the evolutionary ladder, houseplants don’t sigh contentedly when you stroke their tummies, they don’t madly wag their bushy tails when you come back home, and they never lick your nose when you praise them lavishly…

However, to be fair, they do produce the odd flower or two and they can easily brighten up any dingy hovel; besides, they’re terribly under-rated, poor things, as indoor gardening is only considered as a pursuit most suited to the 60+…

Plants — the practical pets. “Yes, it does seem a pity that houseplants are so greatly maligned,” agrees Susan, mum of two little boys. “I think they make brilliant ‘first pet’ options for children, any day better than some of…More

The Hindu :

Acne is a problem that affects many adolescents

Adolescence is a fragile period in an individual’s life. Unfortunately, that‘s when acne attacks. And since this is a time when youngsters have not yet established their identities, and are most conscious of their looks, acne can be traumatic for them. Get acne treated. Though a natural phenomenon in adolescence, acne is not just obnoxious pimples; it is something that can hurt the skin and the spirit.

Surveys show that adolescents affected by acne have reduced self esteem. Many fall victim to depression and retreat into their shells. They may drop out of school and social activities, and even avoid facing people. Thus, acne can stunt a child’s professional and social growth.

Acne affects more than 85 per cent of teenagers to a varying degree.For most people, the intensity of acne reduces once they cross adolescence.Preventing acne

Acne is partly hereditary. Parents, if you have had acne, gear up to prevent or tackle it in your kids. “It’s important to keep the body cool, as acne is triggered by body heat,” advises Dr. V. R. Seshadri, ayurvedic healer and superintendent, IMPCOPS Hospital.

Gently wash the face several times everyday with warm water or a non-alkaline face wash. “Dab the face dry, rather than wiping it dry. Do not use moisturisers, as you need to keep the skin dry to cure acne,” says paediatrician Dr. Betty Chacko. “The sap of the aloe vera plant when applied on the skin surface can be an external coolant, adds Dr. Seshadri. It also rejuvenates the skin.

Luckily, aloe vera is a plant that grows without much attention. You can grow it in your home, and harvest the sap by snipping off the succulent leaf tip and slitting it open to remove the sap. Turmeric and neem packs help, provided they are not overdone.

In the case of girls, acne increases during menstruation as…More

The Hindu : y>SOUND OFF! Vijaylakshmi A. feels equal opportunities is the new buzzword

These are the days of equal opportunities between genders. Women have occupied and continue to hold positions of power and position. However, one does hear of the glass ceiling and woman are not provided enough opportunities enough to rise and achieve high positions.

There is also a belief that men who matter are apparently preventing women from climbing the ladder of success. Though there might be some truth in these arguments, it cannot be denied that women themselves are also largely to blame for the stagnation of their careers.

Gone are the days when gender discrimination put paid to the hopes of many capable and aspiring women, who were almost treated as second class citizens and found many professions beyond their ambit, as they were unofficially considered to be a male bastion.

In today’s world, women have managed to virtually storm every male bastion and have managed to make their presence felt in a whole range of occupations, hitherto considered taboo for them.

Women pilots, bus drivers, train controllers are now considered perfectly in sync with societal norms.

It is evident that it is the aptitude, perseverance and capacity to acquire skills and dynamism that matter when it comes to career advancement. While running a household, rearing children and attending to professional chores still remain a tough proposition, more and more women are managing to balance both beautifully.

Those who still believe that there still is a glass ceiling should take a cue from women who had made it to the very top of the corporate world. The heartening fact is that their number is rising every day.

Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst? Pen it stylishly and you might get it published.And dash off your piece with your photograph. Email it tobangmetro@gmail.com or post it to MetroPlus,…More

The Hindu :

The globetrotting musician Benny Prasad was part of the historic concert at Kathmandu recently

Journey man Benny Prasad travels about 50 countries every year taking the message of positive change along

When musician Benny Prasad first performed in Nepal in 2001, it was a monarchy. Performing in Nepal, as part of the Christmas concert “Gloria Deo World Tour” in 2008 was a different experience.

In 240 years of its existence, it is for the first time, Nepal has declared Christmas a national holiday. Benny felt, he had much better freedom to express himself.

“I use concerts to interact with people and tell them my story. From being nothing, today I have become the most travelled musician in the world. And since it is God who has brought about change in my life, I have to talk about him. But the last time, I was given strict guidelines not to talk about such things. Not being able to share my story with thousands of Nepalese youth was disappointing,” recalls Bangalore-based Prasad. This time round, Prasad compensated for the lost opportunity.

“The concert had 12 artists performing various genres was aired live on Nepal’s national channel. Seventy per cent of the concert was in Hindi keeping in mind the popularity of Bollywood and Hindu music there,” says Bonny Andrews of LiveJam, which has been organising annual Gloria Deo Christmas concert in different cities and countries since 2005. This year the concert was held in Berlin, Kathmandu and Delhi.

Born with severe asthma, Benny took cortisone to treat it. The steroids in turn caused him rheumatoid arthritis and 60 per cent lung damage. It resulted in his immune system regularly failing him. His scientist father expected him to excel at studies but Benny disappointed them on that front as well. “Frustrated with life, I tried to commit suicide at the age of 16. And, then I had an encounter…More