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The Hindu : y>Leading Villas offers great deals

The Leading Hotels of the World launches ‘Leading Villas’, a package that brings everyone together, miles from home.

TillDecember 31, 2010, Leading Villas offers groups of travellers of four or more, 20 per cent off when they stay a minimum of three nights at a number of participating hotels.

Visitwww.lhw.com/villas.

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The Hindu : y>Age is but a number and nature offsets any artificial modifications, says Bindu Tobby. So just age gracefully

Photo: APMadame madhuri Making age seem like a superhit at the box office

The fig leaf called hair dye to cover those sneaky grey tresses, baggy T’s to hide the layers, comfortable ‘hit-me-and-you-die’ shoes — all in perfect sync with the wrinkles, crows feet, aching joints…Hardly surprising then, that every candle added to your birthday cake after 30 is a burning reminder that seems to unrelentingly, unsympathetically pit your youthfulness against its age-old enemy — aging.

With thinly-veiled cynicism you hear people chant that each passing year means that the zest, the enthusiasm to know, to experience and to experiment can only keep multiplying. And of course you hear chorus after chorus that age is just a number, that each summer only means more wisdom and maturity…Reduce it to a number

Sai Balakrishnan, 30, currently pursuing her PHd in Harvard, Boston, says: “I turned 30 this year, and though I’d like to think of age as just a number, we do have some socially-constructed age milestones, and 30 is definitely one of them! I kept thinking that this will be the last time I can check myself into the 20-30 age box in questionnaires, and that was a traumatizing thought!”

She however quickly adds, “But you have to reduce age to a number, so you can live life to the fullest! And to me, the best example of aging gracefully is my mother, who at 52, has just joined a Shiamak Davar dance troupe with 20-year-olds, and is giving her first stage performance this month!”

“Success is when one plans and enjoys each age with grace instead of trying to fight what is a natural process”, says Ravi Raman, a 1963 ‘product’.

He also adds that he feels that “each age has a beauty and it requires…More

The Hindu :

Gulmarg is where you can take mirthful tumbles in the snow in winter and pick peonies in summer

Photos: By AuthorALPINE BEAUTY The Affarwat mountain,

Mughal Emperor Jahangir was passionately obsessed with Kashmir. With his court, wives and concubines in tow, he is said to have journeyed to Kashmir eight times creating the pleasure gardens of Acchbal, Shalimar and Vernag. And, when asked what he wanted as he lay dying on a hot summer day in 1627, he is said to have murmured, “Kashmir, only Kashmir.”

That is how the story is told, and I believe it all the more as I journey from Srinagar to Gulmarg, 52 km away, on a clear day. There is a nip in the air as we refuel at Tanmarg at the foot of the ridge and tick off a checklist that includes tea, batteries and flavoured milk. The Scorpio hums a melody as the easy gradient on the ridge offers superb views — of the shimmering green fields of rice, of the darker foothills sloping down to the Valley, the greater pickets of the Himalayas, clusters of walnut, apple and cherry, and, in the far distance, Srinagar glinting in the sun. The smoke of evening fires mingles with the sharp scent of the pine and deodar, and settles like a soft haze with the dying rays of the sun — a smell and sight that is Kashmir, only Kashmir.Fit for a king

Buttercups run riot

Gulmarg is rather like the Taj Mahal lost in an avalanche of tourist clichés that proclaim its beauty and yet, exactly like the mausoleum, reality far transcends expectations and you are quite unprepared for the enchantment of the place. A resort fit for a king and founded by one (Yusuf Shah Chak), Gulmarg lies at the base of the Affarwat mountains and up until the month of February, everything here is…More

The Hindu :

The Mizoram CM’s remarks of being made to feel like a foreigner in India has sparked a debate

Photo: P.V SivakumarStriving for an identity Students from North-East States say their lifestyle, food, and culture are often misinterpreted

“In India I’m asked if I’m Indian. When I go South, people ask me such questions. They ask me if I am from Nepal or elsewhere. They forget that the North East is part of India. I have told many ‘see, I am an Indian like you’.”

— Pu Lalthanhawla, Mizoram Chief Minister, speaking at a seminar.

The Mizoram Chief Minister’s statement came in the wake of allegations of racial discrimination against Indians in Australia. Lalthanhawla’s statement turned the focus on racism closer home.

Ask your friends from any of the seven North-Eastern states who’ve moved to the South and they’ll recall being asked — ‘Are you from Nepal or China?’ ‘Are people from Northeast short in stature?’ ‘Is Guwahati in Darjeeling?’ ‘What language do you speak?’ While these can be attributed to sheer ignorance, other incidents amount to discrimination. “I have seen instances where, on spotting a group of young women from Northeast, autowallahs snigger and call them ‘Chinese chowmein’,” says Kaberi Gogoi, a marketing professional . ‘Chinese’, ‘chinkys’ are barbs they are left to deal with.Nagaland? Where’s that?

The difference between Assamese, Nagas, Manipuris and Mizos blurs into ‘those from the hills’. “There is a marked difference in our lifestyle, food and culture and that is often misinterpreted. For example, young women in the North-Eastern states are comfortable in short skirts, shorts or strappy clothes; it’s their way of life. But girls who dress up similarly here draw curious glances and are considered easy going,” says Salome Takka, a public relations professional.Remember the scene in “Chak De! India” when the two women hockey players — Molly Zimik (Chon Chon Zimik from Manipur) and Mary (Lahlming Kimi…More

The Hindu : y>Max Mueller Bhavan is conducting a photography workshop from July 25

Max Mueller Bhavan is having “Places I like”, a photography workshop conducted by German photographer Stefan Koppelkamm. He will be in Bangalore to inaugurate an exhibition of posters of his own project: Ortszeit/Local. The workshop is from July 25 to August 14 and is open to 15 participants who are both professional and non-professional photographers. The cost is Rs.1,000.The workshop will result in an exhibition at the Bhavan. Applicants should send in a resumé with reasons for wanting to participate, suggestions for the workshop project if available, and samples of their work, before July 10 todirector@bangalore.goethe.org not exceeding 2 MB.

Selected participants will be informed by July 15. For further details, call 2520 5305-8 or visitwww.goethe.de /Bangalore

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The Hindu : y>

The ‘repeal’ of certain sections of Article 377 that prohibits same-sex relationships by the Delhi High Court has lead to a nationwide debate on the issue.

Metroplus asks city residents for their take . Many felt that the judgement was indeed historic and managed to plug a loophole, in a constitution that prescribes freedom and equality of all citizens, irrespective of sex, class and caste.

They felt that such archaic laws had no place in a democratic country and was against the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens across the country. Many felt that this was just the first battle won to provide sexual minorities their legal rights.

Many felt that the repeal of the law was illegal and felt that the government must take steps to file an appeal against the order.

They sayit could lead to a clutch of such demands that may result in the destruction of the family system. Some felt that a decision must be taken after conducting a referendum on the issue across the country.

They felt that religious groups must also be taken into consideration before such a law is enacted. We sample some responses

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It is not a very positive decision. Such orders may result in problems for our family system and is not needed in India. Such situations may result in more divorces and other socio-legal problems. It must be opposed by the government.

Krishnan

Civil engineer

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It is a positive development. The rights of same sex couples must also be protected.

I do not feel it will affect the family system in any way.

The judgement is a culmination of a major battle, fought for 30 years.

Siddharth

Self employed

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It is a fair judgement. Everyone should have equal rights and must not face discrimination, on the basis of their sexual orientation. It is not against Indian culture and ethos. We should stop being paranoid about any change in the system.

Nadhin

Self employed

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The decision by…More

The Hindu :

Out and about A trek in the fabled land of Uttarkashi

Photo: Sandeep SaxenaTumbling down River Bhagirathi

Standing at the edge of the narrow, wild grass-carpeted pathway, I looked down into the valley. I searched for the bottom; a vagabond cloud had thinly veiled it, and the valley appeared like a gateway to the inner world. An evening ago, we arrived in Uttarkashi, nestled in the lower Himalayas and the stepping stone to awe-inspiring glaciers Gangotri and Yamunotri.

For years, Uttarkashi, enveloped in mysticism similar to that of the fabled Shangri-La, has stirred the traveller in me. The years and a bike journey therehave done little to fade the charm. And so, when we decided to go on a trek, Uttarkashi was the most natural choice.

On reaching, we decided to rest for an evening and experience the earthiness of the town before heading to the woods. We spent the night at the GMVN guesthouse. From our room, the sound of the river hardly trickled in.

We stepped out, and discovered it was just a few metres from the guesthouse. For the next hour, we sat on the steps, watching the Bhagirathi, fraught with monsoon water, bump and gasp, slash and turn, and flow past.

The Bhagirathi blends with the Alakhnanda at DevPrayag to form the Ganges. Further down, it turns into a catchment to feed the Tehri Dam.Trekking on

Early next morning, we left for Sangam Chatti, 10 km from the town, and the base for various treks. We were to trek to Dhotital, at an altitude of 3,000 mt, 21 km from Sangam Chatti.

The major halts on the route are Agoda, Bebra and Manjhi.The hike was steep but the route was well-defined and marked, almost throughout, with views of the valley. Soon, we were walking among the clouds that came in from nowhere, leaving behind a mild, misty shower.Waterfalls and streams

Numerous small waterfalls…More

The Hindu :

Love is the running theme in Brinda Charry’s short story collection titled First Love

Photo: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.An entry point The short stories reflect the crossing over from innocence to knowledge. (Right) Author Brinda Charry

Brinda Charry wrote “First Love” over many years. The U.S. based writer who teaches Renaissance literature and fiction writing at Keene State College, New Hampshire, was in Reliance TimeOut to launch her collection of short stories, published by HarperCollins. “The first stories were written early in my career, and the last, in the last couple of years.” Lavanya Sankaran, author of “The Red Carpet” was in conversation with Brinda.

Brindawent on to read from “Mallika”, the first story written in the voice of a girl, before proceeding to the voice of a boy. Lavanya said the writer was particularly interested in gender roles and issues.

Says Brinda, “The last stories in the collection were written in New England, the place I have lived and grown to love over the years.” Lavanya commented that “First Love”, the title of one of the short stories is also the running theme of almost all the stories. “From young love, sexuality, obsession, awareness of others to the coming of age, love is explored in all her stories.”A fresh perspective

Brinda sayslike her first novel “The Hottest Day of the Year”, it is important to see the world through the eyes of a child. “The childlike view in my collection gives the artistic sensibility required. It gives a freshness of perspective.”

Another point of discussion at the launch was the crossing over to other cultures and how the novel becomes an embodiment of the same.Brinda expressed her concern about the demarcation between writers from the North and South of India. “They always mention that s/he is a writer from South India, but never is the North Indian writer a regional writer.”

The collection…More

The Hindu :

Sunil Robert’s I Will Survive is a memoir of his experiences in the corporate world

Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.Fun and tiresome Sunil Robert says leadership is a function of time and does not happen overnight

Sunil Robert, recipient of many awards for corporate communications and the author of the book, “I Will Survive,” started his career in Journalism. “ Journalism gave me a great amount of space. I used to freelance a great deal and even wrote for some international magazines.”

However, he says, “I was facing a financial crunch and needed more money. When I started off, journalism was not a well-paid career option. I decided to take up communications, since it offered me the scope to earn more money and work satisfaction as well. Sunil is nervous and excited about his book “I will survive”. He says, “This book is basically a memoir, where I have talked about my experiences in the corporate setup. It cannot be classified as a self-help book.”Autobiographical

He contends, “The book is autobiographical in a way, since I have narrated my experiences —good and bad . I feel that leadership skills are acquired over a period of time. I hopeyoungsters read this book and are inspired to achieve great heights in leadership.” Sunil feels that self help and management books written by foreign authors are not feasible, since the Indian work culture and atmosphere is very different. “Their books may be suited forprofessionals working in the U.S. and Europe. India has a very different work culture .”

He adds, “The books by many Indian authors also try to sell a similar philosophy. This could mislead the youngsters. .” Sunil hopes that the book finds favour with ambitious youngsters, the target audience for the book. “Leadership is a function of time and does not happen overnight. I hope that this book will give them insights on acquiring the…More

The Hindu : y>

Photo: V. Sreenivasa MurthySound selection Nikhil Chinnappa will be one of the judges

Kurkure Desi Beats Rock On with MTV is a reality series that captures the entire process of a band hunt, and what goes into the making of the desi rock band. Talented musicians and composers such as Kailash Kher, Ram Sampath and MTV VJ Nikhil Chinappa will be the judges in the show.The grand prize includes an album deal with T-series, a music video produced by MTV and a mega concert, apart from a State-of-the-art instrument set. The show is not limited to singers alone… so if you can sing in Hindi or play any instrument, head for the auditions.

Competitions are based on performance, skill and the ‘Desipann Quotient’. The auditions will be held at the Jnana Jyothi stadium in Bangalore on July 12 from 9 a.m. onwards.

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