News

The Hindu : y>Go on a trekking expeditionto the Himalayas

International Academy of Mountaineering and Allied Sports and Rotary Mysore Midtown Adventure Foundation will take a girls team for National Himalayan Trekking Expedition 2009 in Himachal Pradesh from May 2 to 20. Himachal Pradesh is considered the ultimate destination for adventure.

Follow the Saurkundi Pass Trail that covers the Kullu Valley. Base camp Babeli is known for its cool climate and pine trees, and River Beas flows right in front of it. At Doura, the summit camp, one can experience extremely cold nights. Longa Thatch and Lekhni offer beautiful meadows, wild flowers, ferns and a variety of birds.

The team will leave Mysore on May 2 to reach Manali on May 5, then visit the Taj Mahal, Rohtang Pass and Vashist hot springs, apart from trying their hand at rock climbing, rappelling and paragliding at Solang Valley.

The expedition is open for those aged between 14 and 25. As only 10 can take part, the registration will be on a first-come first-served basis.

The last date to register is February 10.

For details, call 98451-16835 or 98802-73405.

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The Hindu :

Billu Barber

T-Series Rs.160 (CD)

Pritam has done it again! Of late, there hasn’t been any film with too many captivating songs. “Billu Barber” is likely to fill this void. Each of the eight songs has reasons to hold you with its euphonic, soft and at times foot tapping music.

“Marjaani” that uses a popular Punjabi invective ‘khasmanukahni’ with quite some audacity, keeps you on your toes with its fast beats. Same goes for “Love Mera Hit”. It’s a speedy number with faster beats — a party song.

Singer Neeraj Shridhar keeps you swaying with “Mere Khwabon Mein Rahti Hai” with this Sayeed Quadri song. What makes it hummable is his effortless shift from a Hindi line to English with the same beat, rhythm and tune.

“Jaoon Kahan” to which Rahat Fateh Ali Khan lends his soulful voice is good company during a solitary journey. “Khudaya Khair”, penned by Gulzar and sung by Soham, Akriti Kakkar and Monali, has the ability to draw your attention even if you are in a crowd, with its sonority.

“Billu Bhayankar”, sung by Ajay Jhingra, caricatures the character of Billu Barber. It has a typical ‘semi urban’ feel with its music and beat and might remind you of the famous yesteryear number “Pinjre Wali Munia”.

RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN

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The Hindu : SUBHA J RAO

A one-day trip needs as much planning as a week-long one. Here’s how to make it a hassle-free experience

Journey-wise

Plan according to the nature of the trip

Are you visiting a relative or friend? Or attending a wedding? Pack your gifts well in time. Preferably, your bags too.

Is this a trip to get away from it all? Then, leave at the crack of dawn, taking in the sights and sounds of a world that is yet to awaken.

Are you taking your child along? Take in enough to keep them entertained through the trip.

Transport

How are you travelling?

If you are flying, book in advance to get the best deals.

If taking the car, leave early to beat the traffic, and also enjoy the early morning chill.

Train journeys can be fun — keep a ready stock of things to do and, of course, eat.

As for the bus, catch up on reading and plug into some music!

The essentials

Pack finger food

Sandwiches, stuffed rotis… anything that is non-messy. If travelling by car, pack a picnic lunch. Pull over near a water body or a shade-giving tree and indulge in nature’s midst.

Train trip?

Leave by a train that reaches your destination after dawn. You don’t want to feel lost in a new town. For the return trip, ensure you reach early. That way, you catch up on rest before heading to work.

Time for leisure

You can pack some activity into a day-long trip too.

Are you at a hill station or place by the beach? Check out horse-riding. The world looks different sitting on a horse.

Any good parks around? Take a stroll, something you rarely do in your own city.

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The Hindu : y>

FitnessOne has taken an initiative to raise awareness on how misuse of technology can be a health hazard. For this it has invited children aged between 12 and 16 years to participate in an essay contest titled “Mobile phones — a health hazard for school children.”

The word limit for the essay is 250 words. Interested participants can mail their entries tofitness.a@gmail.com or post it to Ameeta Agnihotri, Fitness One, No 1, De Silva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Last date for sending your essay is February 5.

Prizes, sponsored by Odyssey India Ltd., includes gift vouchers of Rs. 3,000, Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 1,000 for the winners.

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The Hindu : y>Discovery Channel has a line-up of fascinating adventure stories

NOVEL Television infused with a unique sense of passion

Ever wondered if Noah’s Ark really existed? Or if Timbuktu was really a city of gold and if life on earth commenced on Mars? Find out for yourself by tuning into Discovery Channel’s series, “Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein”.

This is a “thrill ride filled with adventure and mystery, ancient riddles and modern-day issues,” say the makers. Josh journeys on an epic quest in this eight-part series that premiers tonight at 9 p.m.

Josh is an explorer and educator with a “voracious appetite for knowledge and a strong desire to do whatever it takes to unravel mysteries and explore natural wonders”. In each episode he delves into some of the greatest mysteries on earth and investigates most fascinating stories — how did the Anga tribe of Papua New Guinea mummify their dead, why is the conflict between elephants and humans escalating in Africa and did the flood of Genesis really happen?

Bernstein has infused the television with a unique sense of passion, curiosity and adventure. In the past few years, Bernstein has travelled over 500,000 miles by train, plane, bus, bike and camel to over 40 countries, exploring the tombs of Egypt, the ice floes of the Arctic and the jungles of the Amazon in pursuit of knowledge and discovery.

The series begins with “Search for Noah’s Ark”. Was there an actual ark or a man called Noah? Josh travels throughout Armenia, Israel, Sicily and Cyprus to investigate a compelling new theory about the truth behind this extraordinary story.

On February 9, watch “Secret Life of Gladiators”, which takes you to the place where the gladiators participated in history’s most deadly sport, but does the Hollywood portrayal of gladiators bear any resemblance to the truth? Were they slaves or celebrities? What was their training and everyday home life like?…More

The Hindu : y>

For Mohanlal, “Karnabharam” was once-in-a-lifetime experience, speaking those Sanskrit dialogues before experts in the language ‘sitting in the front row’ of the show. “Chayamukhi” came next as a stage production.

Now, Mohanlal, chairman of JT pac, will play Prospero, the protagonist in “The Tempest” (Malayalam) to be directed by T.K. Rajeevkumar, its artistic director. Gopinath Muthukad will play the spirit Ariel. “The magical parts will be handled by Muthukad and it will be a very different interpretation of the Bard’s play,” Mohanlal says, gung ho about the possibilities of a high tech theatre like JT pac.

“It will be a visual treat, watching a performance here. We will have an altogether new culture here. There are good plays and audiences who lap them up in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. But here in Kerala, we do not have a proper theatre for it. JT pac will be a beginning.If a 100-piece orchestra wants to perform, where is the space? Tagore theatre was there when I was in school. There has been no change evenwhen technology has developed so much.”

To what extent will his involvement be in the project? “It’s our baby and I will spend energy, time and work for it wholeheartedly,” says Mohanlal, who feels the Government must encourage such a venture.

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The Hindu :

Badminton ace Saina Nehwal is confident of her game plan

Photo: Murali Kumar K.FLUKE SHOT Badminton was not Saina Nehwal’s first choice

Saina Nehwal appears confident as she divulges her ambition to be crowned world number one in badminton one day.

“It may take some time to reach the top, since the other players are also talented and much more experienced than me,” says Saina, currently the world number 10 in the sport.

Badminton was not her first choice of sport. “I took up badminton fairly late, when my family moved to Hyderabad. I was undergoing training in karate, but was bored soon. My dad then asked me to try my hand at badminton. I started coaching sessions and felt very comfortable playing the game.”

It was not a cakewalk initially. “When I had started playing at the junior level in 1998-99, I had to manage my school and practice hours. I would wake at four in the morning, head for practice at the stadium nearly 25 kilometres from home, return and get ready for school. I would head back to the stadium again after school.”

Badminton is fast emerging as a popular sport in the country, feels Saina.

“It is great that many youngsters are taking to the sport, thanks to the facilities provided by academies in Bangalore and Hyderabad. The academies are churning out the best available talent into world class players.”

She is thankful to her coaches, especially Pullela Gopichand.

“He was a source of inspiration for me. He has been a great coach and helped me in formulating a fitness regime and adjusting my practice schedule. The foreign trainers and coaches have also been a great help. They help me relax, on the eve of major tournaments, so that I can retain my focus.”

“I hope to break into the top five in the world this year. It’s going to be tough, but I am confident…More

The Hindu :

Kimaya will give you a chance to flaunt the best from the designer world

LOOKS COULD KILL Be dazzled by the store and its offerings

Does one pick the seven-kilo baby-pink bridal lehenga studded with glittering stones, pearls, filled in with intricate zari embroidery and bulwarked with buckram or does one go in for a slinkier, flaming orange lehenga layered with an airy-fairy waif of paisley embroidered golden netting with lesser stones weighing it down? That is the essential question the bride has to ask herself in Kimaya while assembling up her trousseau.

And oh yes, one has to remember to pick up something for the bride’s younger sister — maybe an oh-so-deep-back green salwar kurta held together by a criss-cross of shimmering beads on strings — for the mehendi ceremony — to begin with?

Then there’s a sari that’s needed for mamma, sister-in-law and so on and so forth. Kimaya will make sure everyone goes back with a designer number to stun the eyeballs out of wedding guests (who will in turn be back at the store to buy that little something for the next party).

At UB City’s The Collection mall, Kimaya is 10,000 square feet of sheer luxury, indulgence and couture… mostly for women, a little for the men too. And no, the bridal salon (with its comfy sofas and seating for the family) is only a part of this vast sprawl of designer wear and accessories for all occasions from an evening out, dinner, clubbing, Page 3 party, or just casual wear, Indian and western.

The must-have little black number for next week’s party, that strappy bright dress for the Goa trip, or that clingy white little strapless classic you can zip all the way up, that naughty little pair of black shorts or the black net swimsuit that leaves nothing to the imagination, the fluttering Empire cut crepe kurta with…More

The Hindu : y>Fill yourself on Greek food and soak in the awe of the Acropolis, or trek up a volcanic mountain

Awesome The Parthenon atop the Acropolis

Women On Wanderlust Club is organising a seven nights, eight days tour of Greece from Delhi, from April 4 to 12.

The tour takes you first to Athens with a visit to the Acropolis, Olympic Stadium, the Archaeological Museum, Hadrian’s Arch, the National Garden, The Presidential Palace, The Tomb of Unknown Soldier, and the Parliament with the changing of the guard. Typical Greek meals at taverns and restaurants are also on the travel menu, with bouzouki music and Greek folk dances.

A ferry to Santorini, the volcano island with its town perched high above the ocean is next on the tour. This is one of the most spectacular islands in the world. There will be a full day tour to Caldera and Oia. The sea filled the great crater when a volcano blew out the centre of the island thousands of years ago and the last major earthquake in Santorini was in the year1956. There are more than 350 churches on Santorini. At Caldera, there’s a volcano climb. Oia offers a stroll through a typical Greek village.

Mykonos, a rocky, scrub-strewn piece of land, bang in the midst of the Aegean Sea is next on the travel map. Though also a part of the Cyclades group of islands, like Santorini, it has quite a buzz and is referred to as the ‘party capital’ of Greece. The trip comes with a guided tour of Delos.

The island is an open-air archaeological museum with ruins dating back 5,000 years and said to be the birth place of Apollo. One gets to wander amidst ruins of temples, shrines, the agora, the theatre, the gymnasium and houses.

The package costs Rs. 1,12,000 per person on twin share with a single occupancy surcharge of Rs. 20,160. To reserve…More

The Hindu : y>Wear your heart on your sleeve or wear your attitude. Or just wear a puffed sleeve, writes NEETI SARKAR

FOREVER IN FASHION The puffed sleeve never really went away

The baby-doll fashion has surfaced yet again and the puffed sleeve is stealing the limelight! Adding volume to the sleeves, the puff is making its presence felt even on international ramps and runways. It is a simple and wearable fashion so all you need to do is get your basics right before you embrace this trend.

According to fashion designer Ameetha Mathew, “Puff sleeves have made a huge comeback. They look great on formal blouses. What matters most is what you team these pretty puff sleeves blouses with. Flared pants and pencil skirts are a smart choice.”

Puff sleeves are ultra feminine and add that air of sophistication.

They come in many varieties, be it the traditional capacious sleeves that are gathered heavily at the crown and at the hem or the more casual and deflated puff. Again, the length of the sleeve can vary from mega to three fourths without looking revolting.

Fashion designing student Karuna Rampal is also a fan of the puff sleeve. “The style is a classic, very 40s and they suit almost every woman. Those with narrow shoulders and petite frames can look absolutely stunning in puff sleeves.”

However, age does play spoilsport when it comes wearing puffed sleeves. This doesn’t mean older women should completely ignore the upcoming trend.

It only calls for being vigilant. Make sure you pick up clothes that don’t make you look like your daughter’s sister.

Shikha Subramnya, a college student says, “Those who are on the heavier side or have broad shoulders must be extra careful while experimenting with the trend. Wearing puffed sleeves could add more volume to the top half of your body. But the good thing is that puff sleeves also do a great job at concealing…More