News

The Hindu : y>

Like every year, ASSET is conducted during school hours for students in the months of August and December under the supervision of the school. Since it is a diagnostic test, it is meant to be low-stake and no preparation is recommended before attempting it.This year the dates are August 3-6, 2009 and December 7-10. ASSET stands for ‘Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing’ and is taken by Std. III-X in English, Maths, Science and Social Studies.

After the test, each student is given his/her report (after about a month) that contains feedback your strengths and weaknesses in each subject.

*Do not prepare for the test Get familiar with multiple-choice questions – if not, see sample ASSET papers (your school orwww.ei-india.com). Check this out http://testtakingtips.com/test/

multiple.htm

*Take the test seriously but don’t be tense. Asset won’t have direct questions, but will call for thinking.

*Improve your learning

Carry out all the specific recommendations given for each subject in your report. Do small experiments with friends to understand concepts better.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : STAFF REPORTER

Making up stories, costumes and puppets at a workshop.

The Katputli Karnival is an opportunity for young children to be introduced to a small part of india’s rich cultural heritage.

Introduction to heritage: A colourful start!

Early learning centre Kara4Kids organised an interactive entertainment programme for children with Rajasthani puppets last week at the Crossword book store. Theme based

Called Katputli Karnival, the story-based learning initiative included music, dance and storytelling, but the prime attractions were theme-based activities that included an opportunity to make costumes, puppets and build a story around the toys.

The two-hour integrated thematic event involved a puppet show with a learning objective. The children were given a chance to experiment with the Rajasthani costume and puppets.

There were separate sessions on drama and dance. Katherine Rustumji, CEO, Kara4Kids ,said: “The Katputli Karnival is an opportunity for children to be introduced to a small part of India’s rich cultural heritage, to begin to appreciate the country’s true diversity.”

<FONT …More

The Hindu :

U.S.-based Brinda Charry’s short stories deal with the complex and layered identities of people at a crucial stage in their life

PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR G.P.seekingBrinda Charry

Brinda Charry says that as a teacher of Renaissance literature, only the literary sensibility of the period and writers have influenced her writing. The author of the short story collection “First Love”, published by HarperCollins and twoearlier novels “The Hottest Day of the Year” and “Naked in the Wind”, Brinda Charry was in her home city to launch the former. “The best writers from Shakespeare and Marlowe to Donne came from that era. But I have tried to move away from the sentimental and conceit connection.”

Though she has broadly engaged with gender roles in her stories, Brinda feels that she is not underlining a politically feminist theme. “I was interested in the place and emergence of the role of women of a certain class. Also, I was interested in bringing the coming of age in boys as well, as seen in the stories ‘The Russians’ and ‘Searching for Suresh’. If femininity is a gender construct, so is masculinity.” Teaching young men and being with her nephews has helped her explore the constructs of masculinity. She chooses children as her narrators because they belong to the ambiguous phase, before gender identities are solidly defined.

She says there is not much of a difference between the roles of a woman in the U.S. and India. “Women still worry about getting married and playing superwoman and perfect mom, with most of the domestic chores done by them.” Patriarchy and traditional forms of Brahminism were explored earlier. “Patriarchy operates in South India in a very different brand. Between expectant roles of marriage and motherhood, there are spaces in Brahmin households for women to remain unmarried.” Though she dealt with caste in her novel “The Hottest Day of the Year”, Brinda does…More

The Hindu : y>Hariharan and Leslie Lewis talk toChitra Swaminathan about their upcoming album Colonial Cousins Once More, and composing for films

Photo: V. GanesanTwo good Hariharan and Leslie Lewis

When you are in the company of the Colonial Cousins you are tempted to twist Tina Turner’s powerhouse number “What’s love got to do with it” a little and hum “What’s age got to do with it”.

The singer, composer and performer duo’s zest for life and work, infectious humour, refreshing repartees and funky clothes and hairdo — all draw you in.

The photo-shoot is quite a riot. Hariharan drags Leslie close by putting an arm around his shoulders for a warm, friendly pose, but suddenly pulls away. “Leslie, don’t you think it’s better to go for straight shots. We are just partners in music,” he quips.

Thirteen years ago (when they came together), the two took the kutcheri staple “Krishna nee begane baro” to a cool crowd with unarguably one of the finest mixes of Indian classical and western notes, infusing impeccably the messages of peace and non-violence.

Hariharan and Leslie Lewis are now working on their next album “Colonial Cousins Once More”, which will have the flavour of the super-successful debut album. “But definitely it will be different,” Hariharan makes it clear. He continues, “Every album should have something new to offer. There’s so much to explore. It’s exciting when you can influence and draw inspiration from musical genres across the world. There’s no place for contentment in creativity.”

“Give him any song, he will embellish it his way. He has the technique. And he does it subtly and instinctively,” says Leslie looking at his band-mate. “Technique and discipline are crucial to musicians but they should take care not to fall into a pattern. What’s the fun if your work gets predictable?”Film forays

Recently, the Cousins took to music direction. The soon-to-be-released Tamil film “Modhi Vilayadu” is their debut…More

The Hindu :

In conversation with Roopa Ganguly

Still shining Roopa Ganguly

Though she has some impressive roles in Bengali cinema , Roopa Ganguly, even after 20 years, is in public memory for the role of Draupadi in B.R. Chopra’s popular tele-serial “Mahabharat”. Roopa can still be seen on telly. Her latest role is that of a thakurain in “Agle Jam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo” on Zee TV.

“Mine is a subdued role as I play an obedient wife who carries her husband’s (Sudesh Berry) orders,” Roopa says. About her long break from telly, Roopa says: “In my 24-year career, I have taken four deliberate breaks. I took a break to get married and then I took a year-long maternity break.”

Television, she finds, “more strenuous than films. The preparation time for TV is very little, but if an actor wants he / she can put that extra effort in a character.” One other difference she finds between TV and films “is the lens. Otherwise, everything is the same, the concentration, the energy…”.

Post “Mahabharat”, though Roopa featured in a few films such as “Bahar Aane Tak”, and “Meena Bazaar”, she gradually faded from Bollywood. She responds: “The last decade of Hindi films was not ideal for heroines. Many of the roles demanded skin show, I was not comfortable with that. That is why I preferred concentrating on Bengali cinema where no film was delayed for release or remained in the cans. My films have not gone to the greater part of the audience, but I feel good that I returned to Kolkata.”

Besides acting, Roopa has other plans: “I want to do different things, now I intend to do script-writing for Bengali cinema.” She is keen on scripts that deal with day-to-day issues. “There are so many hidden emotions and beauties that are not taken up. Now, I am going to take them up in my films. I…More

The Hindu : y>

Does it have four legs and a tail? Or feathers and a beak? If yes, here’s why we need to remember that gifting a pet to someone is not advisable. A pet is a long-term decision and a family commitment. It’s a decision that should never be taken on behalf of anyone else, especially if it’s on the spur of the moment. If the potential owners don’t give enough thought to whether they have the time, inclination and money to spend on bringing up the pet, chances are they’ll regret it later. Further, the adopted animal suffers untold misery, especially when it is gifted to someone who isn’t ready for the commitment. Such pets usually wind up in the streets or back in shelters where they miss their families and struggle to cope with the abrupt change in environment.

Before embarking on an adoption, the points to consider are — feeding, sleeping spots, toilet areas, who in the family will be the primary caregiver and who will be responsible for taking it to the vet. Special food is needed for pets and this may be either prepared at home or bought.Last and certainly not the least, family members should have space in their homes and hearts for a new pet.

If you know people who seem to be ready for a pet, discuss it with them and take them along for the adoption. Former pet-owners who have recently been bereaved are not always ready for another one as they might mourn their beloved pets for a while before embarking on this journey once again. It helps to keep in mind that there will be a lot of stress and discomfort for the person and the pet in question if it is thrust into the arms of an ill-prepared owner.* * *

BOW WOW

“A home without a cat—and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat—may…More

The Hindu : y>

Resplendent hues A range of ethnic block prints

Usha Sridhar, from Chennai has launched her latest collection of silk saris. The saris comprise traditional and contemporary single-thread embroidery, with kundan work in pure korva silk saris. It also comprises a range of ethnic block prints, warli,madhubani paintings in simple pattu and cotton. The collection also comprises a range of silk saris in resplendent hues with embellishments that create a wavy pattern along the border. The collection is available in a range of colours such as crimson red, mehendi green, oil mustard, half whites etc.

There is an exhibition and sale of the saris at Canara Union, (Main Hall), 8th Main, 13th Cross, Malleswaram from 16 to 19 July. Call 9972450000 for details.

<FONT …More

The Hindu : y>Sound off! Soimanti Biswas talks about the need to treat children with love and compassion

When I say I love children, I know I am not alone. There are millions of people across the planet, who share similar sentiments. However, loving children, and being responsible for them are totally different. Seeing an unwilling face and tired handsof a nine-year-old, rubbing dried stains of tomato sauce from the table mats in a restaurant makes me feel sad. It forces me to think, what would his future be? What would he aspire to be, once he grows up?

The fourteen-year-boy delivering groceries and water gazes entranced at a painting on the drawing room wall, while waiting to be paid. He takes the money, picks up the empty container and rushes to the shop, scared of being scolded by his employer for the delay. He may appreciate art. Will he appreciate beautiful things when he grows older? In spite of being half fed, in torn clothes, will he still foster hope of making it big in life?

These are not the only reports of cruelty towards children. Recently, a factory worker killed his six-month-old daughter because her incessant wailing disturbed his sleep. Children are also constantly beaten up at homes across the country, as punishment for some activity that may have infuriated an adult.Children are scolded, beaten, neglected and emotionally traumatised by parents and elders, many of who are tired, frustrated or emotionally challenged. These acts sow the seeds of negative emotions like fear, cruelty, emotional breakdown, greed, sense of injustice etc. Just as we adopt zero tolerance towards terrorism, we should also adopt zero intolerance towards violence against children. We are responsible for the future of our families, nation and the planet at large.

Do you have anything to say? About the state of the world, the city, your angst? Pen it stylishly and you might get…More

The Hindu :

Adhyayan Suman finally plays a character he can completely identify with

Photo: Murali Kumar K.IN SEARCH OF SUCCESS Adhyayan Suman

“I want to reach the pinnacle of success through my own efforts, not only on account of being Shekhar Suman’s son,” says Adhyayan Suman, whose second movie, “Jashnn – The Music Within” is slated for release this week.As real as it can get

Adhyayan, who was at Inox in Bangalore with his co-stars to promote the film, said: “I relate to the character a lot, as he also wants to achieve success based on his own skills and talent. The story deals with a 22-year-old who arrives in Mumbai from Ajmer to pursue his dreams. It follows the trajectory and showcases his trials and tribulations before he achieves success. In fact, I feel that it is one of the few cases where my character in a movie draws so many parallels to my real life persona.”

“I hope that by putting in hard work and sincere effort, I can reach the top in the industry.” He adds: “My relationships have often been talked about and written about too much, which has resulted in a break in my concentration levels and has created lack of focus. I hope my performance in this movie has been much better than ‘Raaz-2’.”

On Mahesh Bhatt’s claim that the trio of Shahana Goswami, Anjana Sukhani and Adhyayan himself are potential star material and superb actors, he quips, “I owe a lot to him, as far as my performance in the movie goes. He manages to get the best out of you, be it your acting skills or the ability to emote well. I have enjoyed working in both movies with him and hope that I get the opportunity to work in many other movies alongside Bhatt saab.”

Like co-stars Shahana and Anjana, he dismisses any similarity between “Jashnn” and “Rock…More

The Hindu :

This fortnight at seventymm.com

JFK (1991)

Cast: Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Bacon, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Oldman, Michael Rooker, Jay O. Sanders, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Jack Lemmon, Sally Kirkland, Edward Asner, Brian Doyle Murray, Walter Matthau, John Candy, Donald Sutherland

Director: Oliver Stone

Screenwriter: Oliver Stone, Zachary Sklar (from the books “On the Trail of the Assassins” by Jim Garrison “Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy” by Jim Marrs

Composer: John Williams

Cinematographer: Robert Richardson

After being stunned for over three hours (206 minutes to be precise) by Oliver Stone’s masterful recreation of that fateful November afternoon in Dallas in 1963, the one thing that stood out was the American obsession with famous people’sdeaths. While we Indians seem to believe that the dead should stay dead, the Americans seem to be consumed by the desire to find out what exactly happened. We have seen it in the death of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison and of course the king of pop, Michael Jackson.

The assassination of the American President, John F. Kennedy, is way up there on the conspiracy stakes. How many shooters were there? Who shot from the famous grassy knoll? Who shot from the Texas School Book Depository? Who was Lee Harvey Oswald? Arrested for the assassination, Oswald was shot dead as well. Who was behind the assassination? Was it the KGB, the Mafia, Cuba or was it a deeper plot involving the United States of America?

The movie is fascinating because it tries to answer these questions in the best tradition of a legal thriller. However, what the makes “JFK” extraordinary is the exceptional camera work by Robert Richardson and Joe Hutshing and Pietro Scalia’s absolutely out-of-this-world editing. Both the Oscars were well deserved.

Mingling black-and-white footage and colour in an eye-popping montage, Stone delivers a heart-stopping story of a man possessed by a desire to find the truth. Jim Garrison is…More