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The Hindu : SUBHA J RAO

Can sap all strength if you’re not prepared.Here’s how to make the journey more pleasant.

Bonding on air

Seek guidance

The first time on a long-distance flight can be quite disconcerting. Some advice before you board the flight can be of great help. Approach your colleagues or friends who have made a trip before.

Spending time vs. killing time

Time to decide — DVDs of movies you’ve seen many times over, a book you’ve been wanting to read, but put off due to lack of time, or some great music?Family vacation?

Catch up on all the things you’ve missed out on due to work pressures. Spend time together during the journey.

Avoid

Drinking on board. Drinks are sparingly served, but alcohol on a long-distance journey dehydrates the body.

If you are a teetotaller planning to turn social drinker, a flight is the worst place to start. You may be allergic to alcohol, and land in trouble.Dos

Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.

Before the journey, dab anti-fungal powder on folds. It takes care of itching.

Walk frequently, and in the direction of the flight. You will feel less disoriented, and this also prevents deep vein thrombosis (blood clots that can be fatal).

Be careful while opening the screen of your window. If it is daytime, and you are facing East, the sunlight can be really sharp.

Set your watch to the place you are headed to and pretend you are already there. This is a great way to beat jet lag.

One for the cabin

Carry photocopies of all documents. You’ll never know when the authorities will ask for them.

This one’s time-tested. Carry a spare set of clothes to bail you out in case your baggage gets misplaced. Your hand baggage should be able to sustain you for at least for a day.

Keep some…More

The Hindu :

Here are the most popular rock albums of 2008. Some of them may continue to rule the charts this year too

Crescendo! James Hetfield of Metallica (above), members of Nickelback (top left) and AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson

The year 2008 was especially fruitful for rock fans across the globe, as no less than 10 well-known rock bands released albums. The melodic death metal band, In Flames, was the first to get off the mark with their ninth studio album, “A Sense of Purpose.”

There is still a lot of controversy over the genre of music to which “A Sense of Purpose” belongs. Critics feel it is a combination of melodic death metal, alternative metal, metal core and even classic metal.

However, according to Bjorn Gelotte, on guitars and backing vocals, this album is “pretty much in the same vein as the others… it’s just a matter of small experiments tried out in different songs.”

The period September toNovember was entertaining for rock enthusiasts worldwide with six bands releasing albums, starting with Metallica which released their eagerly-awaited “Death Magnetic.”

The album, Metallica’s ninth, somewhat makes up for the previous album “St. Anger” which was not too much of a success. The latest album has critically acclaimed numbers such as “The Day that Never Comes” and “Unforgiven III.” The actual date of release was scheduled for September 12, but a store in France began selling the album 10days ahead of this date, which prompted the band’s U.K. distributor to release the album two days ahead of schedule. However, far from being upset, drummer Lars Ulrich was ecstatic about the early release, calling it “by 2008 standards, a victory”.The topper

AC/DC released their 16th album, “Black Ice”, their first album since 2000, on October 17.This was also the Australian band’s longest album ever. The origin of the name “Black Ice”, according to guitarist Angus Young, comes from…More

The Hindu :

A trip to this rustic fishing village off Mumbai can relax and rejuvenate you like never before

PHOTO: BY AUTHORAWAY FROM THE BUSTLE OF MUMBAI CITY Alibaug, you will never regret the trip

It had just got to a point where getting to work was becoming like morning sickness. Added to that was the stress of getting some work done before the New Year sailed in. So I decided to renew and recharge and sailed out.

We woke up one morning and decided to play hooky from work. So we packed an overnighter and drove to the Gateway of India, boarded a ferry and alighted at Alibaug. It was just an hour by sea, but the hustle bustle of Mumbaiseemed a whole world away. The tangy salty scent of the sea laced with that of drying fish immediately suggested that fishing was the mainstay of this coastal community.

We were fortunate to find a room in the spanking new Radisson at Alibaug and our ground floor room’s rear terrace was against the pool. This meant we could step off the terrace into the pool. Within the first five minutes of lazing in the pool, my stress and stiffness started to melt away. And while the barman of the sunken bar within the pool was making me a nice tall one, he conspiratorialy whispered to me that I should get a Thai massage at the in-house Mandara Spa.

After an hour of languid lazing, we did abit of exploring. Our driver-cum-guide Rakesh, a local lad immaculately dressed in white,suggested we head to Murud, even more rustic than Alibaug. “Alibaug has almost caught up with Bombay,” he said. “In fact, even the fisherwomen have mobile phones and you can ask them for home delivery.” But, Murud, he explained, “still retained that old-world feel.”

If fishy smells are anything to go by, there was no doubt whatsoever that Murud…More

The Hindu :

Chandni Chowk to China

T-Series, Rs.160

First things first. The film is an action comedy. So don’t expect any serious, cerebral stuff. Once you accept the situation, the tracks begin to appeal. Director Nikhil Advani has roped in a host of composers — Kailash Kher, Naresh, Paresh, Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy, Bappi Lahiri and Bohemia. The title track is a strange combination of Chinese and Indian tunes with a hip hop tinge here and there. As always Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have managed to blend the different flavours well. It’s Rajat Aroraa’s juvenile words that check the musical appeal of the song. There is a thin line between being fun and frivolous and Rajat seems to have slipped. However, the rendition by Neeraj Sridhar, Anushka Manchanda and Shankar is up to the mark.

“Chak Lein De” by Kailash Kher, who has composed this number along with Naresh and Paresh has lots of power and Kailash deserves credit for writing some inspiring lyrics. “India Se Aaya Tera Dost” is based on the 1970s popular number “Bombay Se Aaya Mera Dost” from “Aap Ki Khatir”, which was composed by Bappi Lahiri. The new version stands nowhere in comparison to the older piece, despite the fact that Bappi Lahiri has composed the tunes and sung it as well.

Kailash returns with “S.I.D.H.U.”, a narrative about the protagonist, Sidhu.

Though Kailash has tried hard, it is a highly situational number, and its fate will depend on the film. Melody makes its presence felt in “Tere Naina” composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The pairing of Shankar and Shreya Ghoshal suits the music and one would love to hear it again and again. Here Rajat is in form.

Finally, there is “CC2C” by Bohemia. Here Akshay Kumar has rapped with Bohemia. Good for publicity with a spectacular music video, but difficult to stand on its own.

All in all, it is a masala album with very little shelf life.

ANUJ KUMAR

Gayatri Mantra

Pandit…More

The Hindu : y>Bubbles Sabharwal on what inspires her to explore different domains

PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUMMultifaceted Bubbles Sabharwal believes in education through storytelling

She is known tobreak rules and go ahead with what she wants. She is known to be forgiving, not forgetting though. It is not easy to spot the pain behind her chirpy personality and animated laughter, but if you ask her something personal, she politely parries the question. She doesn’t like to be sympathised with, yet she is brazenly honestin her writings.

Her debut novel “Tomorrow’s Promise” just published by Penguin is a case in point. She is admired for her spirit to live life in full, by compromising withsituations, by giving herself to kids —her own and others’ — and by trying everything that adds meaning to life,her own, and others.

“Strength lies in compromise and not aggression,” sheavers. You don’t mindtaking it from a multifaceted woman. She was an air hostess with British Airways in the 1970s,and is one of the pioneers of children’s theatre in Delhi.She runs a book club at India Habitat Centreand is among the first designers of western wear in Delhi.She began in 1978, sold her garments under her own label “Girl”, andtook it to Kolkata later.

Meet Bubbles Sabharwal, too well preserved tobe 50-plus. “There is no age to tread the less-travelled path. Age doesn’t defy passion. Rather passion restricts age,” she flashes a captivating smile.

Very bubbly, she lives up to her name, which ironically, she never liked to be addressed by. “My actual name is Angela Hingorani. And I loved my name,” she says, recounting that it was after her marriage into a conservative Punjabi family that her pet name Bubbles came into circulation.How Bubbles started her children’s theatre is aninteresting story too.

Eighteen years ago when her daughter turned four, she wanted to give her a special present. She decided to tell her a story “in a real…More

The Hindu :

Good Earth stocks a range of products made from pure and natural material

FROM VARIOUS PLACES Striking and colourful

The first thing that strikes you about Good Earth is its striking and intricate display. A lifestyle store, Good Earth by Anita Lal is a luxury destination, stocking products made from pure and natural material.

Displaying a range from woven and hand-printed textiles, décor accessories, hand-decorated bone china, tableware, barware, home spa, aromatherapy, furniture and gifts, the products are exquisite and collector’s items. The furniture, both Indian and imported, is heavy, antique and has contemporary touches — from upholstered couches, sofa sets, dining tables, bedside tables to beds ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 1 lakh.

The bed linen — from bedcovers, cushions, tablecloths and curtains to tea-cozies and quilts in silk, cotton and cotton-silk, focus heavily on handlooms, embroidery and textiles sourced from North India. There is the gumrock section for children with bed linen — pyjamas, quilts, pillows and more in cotton and soft toys in lovely Indian designs and colours. This section entitled “Forest Friends” is categorised into ‘Jiraf’, ‘Crocodyle’ and others with tiny silver and copper cups and plates for new born babies. The ceramic section has pots, cups and saucers, teapots and more in earthy tones designed by Anita and a colourful range by Tracy Porter.

The hand-decorated bone china and tableware are classified into Kansa, Indus, Khyber, Rajah, Periyar, Raw Mango, Rasa and more, with the tales of ancient civilisations, customs and vegetation finding its way to everyday products of plates and dining sets ranging from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 1,800.

Mugs in the same classification range from Rs. 350 to Rs. 475. Napkins and runners find space under the tableware section.

The barware has a range of breakable glassware by Raindrop, Riedel from Alexandria with ice buckets and pitchers.

For plant lovers and green thumbs, there are plant holders and vases. In…More

The Hindu : y>

Reel time Sculler and Mulder are on the trail in the film X Files: I want to believe

In the Nineties (September 10, 1993 to be precise), there was a series, “The X Files”, about two FBI special agents, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) who investigate cases called “X-Files,” involving paranormal, unexplained phenomena, monsters and extraterrestrial life, from the bizarre to the commonplace.

The series was super success and the taglines, “I want to believe,” and the “Truth is Out There” become iconic.

The series that defines the science fiction genre like none other, also had two feature film avatars in 1998 and a strange sequel last year set in the blistering cold of Vancouver.

Produced by Chris Carter in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television, “The X-Files”, which concluded on May 19 2002, was a success for many reasons including the crackling chemistry between the sceptical Scully and the believer Mulder.

For all who want their daily fix of paranormal high jinx, they just need to tune into AXN at 7 p.m. Monday to Friday

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The Hindu :

Don’t we all make New Year resolutions? And don’t we all break them?Fret not, it’s a free world, but try we must!

Are New Year Resolutions promises meant to be kept or merely castles-in-the air?

Another New Year has come upon us, with its promise of good things, like New Year Resolutions. Let’s call them NYR for short. The question is, are they meant to be faithfully kept or swept under the carpet? True, these do ensure a nice, clean beginning. Did you say, well-begun is half done? Yes, it’s all about noble intentions to start with…Yup, I’ll give up smoking, I won’t have that midnight snack, I’ll lose weight, I’ll remember my wife’s birthday, even my Mom-in-law’s, this time… I’ll literally burn the midnight oil….

The wish-lists vary each time; some amusing, others naïve, others impossible…or so one learns in the course of the year.

As the euphoria of New Year dies down, with its little gifts and cards, we know we’re onto something good. The ambitious make note of small triumphs in brand-new diaries and they most likely have a good laugh at the end of the year at their attempts. Even before January ends, the by-now famous determination wanes a bit. Then like the battle-of-the-bulge, one makes occasional victories but then untimely indulgences do extract their pound of flesh. As the year drones on with its rather humdrum grind, its hardly about “New Year”, let alone “resolutions”. The mid-months have a benumbing effect on NYR, like anaesthesia. As the year draws to a close, one gets ideas, for… hold your breath… brand new.

One can identify distinct categories of NYR keepers: The excited – all agog at the stupendous feat of the future, the wary – Ask them and you’ll be given a wide berth, the boastful – all tall talk, the doubtful – whether to join the bandwagon or not, the…More

The Hindu : y>Live the high life with Discovery Travel & Living’s new series

in the fast laneKnow more about Sir Mick Jagger

Welcome to the world of opulence where money is no barrier and every whim is indulged. From mind-blowing yachts, luxurious spa resorts and palatial hotels to magnificent homes and swanky vehicles, live the high life with Discovery Travel & Living’s new series ‘Super Swank.’

The eight-part series is slated to premiere on Discovery Travel & Living every Thursday at 9 p.m. starting January 22. Get up close and personal with people who ride high-end recreational vehicles, step aboard multi-million dollar yachts, live in seven-star super luxurious hotels, holiday on the most exclusive beaches and enjoy the most sumptuous gourmet meals that money can buy.

“Super Swank” is a glimpse into the world of flowing cash and unlimited credit.

Here, you will meet the people who design yachts and the people who buy them, experience the luxury treatments given at upscale spa resorts, gamble in Vegas care to the winds attitude, walk on the most secluded beaches and travel to your destination in motorized mansions.

Step into a world that only the super wealthy will ever know, as “Super Swank” opens the doors to the lifestyles of the über rich (and not necessarily famous).

The Rolling Stones kick off Rio de Janeiro’s annual carnival.

Get a rare peek, behind the curtains to share a few moments with rock legends. Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts are some of the rock legends.

The self-proclaimed ‘World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band’ gives the performance of their lives on the sun-drenched shores of Brazil’s most famous beach.

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The Hindu : y>More than ever before, grandparents have become central to our lives. They provide children the much-needed emotional anchor, writes NEETI SARKAR

Photo: S. SIVA SARAVANANGODSEND Today’s grandparents fully understand the kind of role they are expected to play

While the concept of joint families is slowly fading into oblivion, an Australian study says grandparents play a critical role in their grandchildren’s lives, helping boost their development even through simple activities such as reading to them or going shopping together. There wouldn’t be too many people who differ on that even back home.

The study measured children’s physical, learning and cognitive development, in addition to social and emotional functioning. It showed that children aged from three to 19 months had higher learning scores if they were cared for by family and friends – including grandparents.

Hita Anand, a corporate employee says: “Young working mothers most often rely on either their parents or their in-laws to take care of their little ones while they’re away at work.”

Hita feels it is safer to leave children in the care of the elderly. “Entrusting your child in the hands of the elderly most often also implies the child will imbibe the right values in life, learn more about his roots and respect family traditions.

Grandparents are usually known to be less strict and more lenient than the primary caregivers themselves. This is yet another reason why kids today like being in the company of their grandparents.

More often than not, elders shield the kids from the parents’ anger and harsh punishments in case of a lapse on the part of the child,” she adds. Although not all of today’s youth live with their grandparents, many are emotionally attached to them for different reasons.

And most of these youngsters affirm that their grandparents have played a huge role in their personal lives and have been a source of inspiration.

UNSTOPPABLE Balraj, Josephine and…More