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Oprah Winfrey is Finally In India

2012-01-18T11:05:00.008+05:30

Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh...OPRAH!

Well, media mogul Oprah Winfrey is finally in India. She arrived here on January 16th for the shooting of her new show ‘Next Chapter’, during which she will interview celebrities from around the world.

On the evening of January 16th, she attended a party hosted by Mumbai socialite Parmeshwar Godrej, held at Godrej’s Juhu residence, during which leading Bollywood celebrities lined up to meet her. Some of them included Hrithik Roshan, Kangna Ranaut, Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Shilpa Shetty, Imran Khan, Lara Dutta, and of course the Bachchans. Oprah wore an orange and gold sari, with gold bangles, for the occasion. Lara Dutta was extremely happy about meeting Oprah, and posted this photo on her Twitter page.

In fact, Oprah Winfrey arrived at the party in one of the Bachchan’s cars, sitting in the back seat with Aishwaria, while Amitabh drove and Abhishek sat up front. Prior to that, she had visited the Bachchan residence Jalsa, to meet the latest addition to the Bachchan family, Aishwarya’s two-month-old daughter ‘Beti B’ who was born on November 14th 2011. Well, it is now expected that the first glimpse of the Bachchan baby will be shown on Oprah's ‘Next Chapter’, when it finally airs. Will you be watching?

Oprah Winfrey also visited fashion designer Manish Malhotra’s store in Juhu to pick up a few Indian designer outfits. According to Malhotra, she picked up two churidar kurtas (emerald and red) and one sari. The emerald kurta has chikankari and kashmiri work, with a velvet finish, while the deep-red chiffon kurta has antique gold embroidery. The sari is wine chiffon, with black lace appliqué and a corset. Let’s see when she wears them...

Oprah Winfrey is expected to stay in India till January 22nd, during which she is scheduled to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival. She is also expected to shoot a portion of her show at the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.

There was a time when I never used to miss Oprah Winfrey's shows. Later on, when Oprah began using her show to try and sell stuff, I grew wise to Oprah's promotional gimmicks and freebies, and stopped watching. However, I have caught my dad watching re-runs of her show many times - especially those soppy ones in which guests cry...Do you still watch Oprah?

How much do you think Oprah Winfrey has paid Aishwariya, Abhishek and the rest of the Bachchans to display the first glimpse of Baby B on her talk show?

Also read about Aishwarya Rai on Oprah Winfrey's Talk Show 'Oprah'.

iSkate Ice Skating Rink in Delhi

2012-01-02T15:17:00.003+05:30

Wanting to try something new this New Year, we decided to go ice-skating. I had recently come across a newspaper ad for a new ice-skating rink in the Delhi area, and wanted to give it a try.

Well, this ice-skating rink turned out to be much bigger and better than I had expected. It was located on the sixth floor of the Ambiance Mall in Gurgaon, and was spread out over 15,000 square feet. I thought it would be quite cold in the ice-rink, and had brought lots of woolens along. However, it wasn’t; and as I skated I began to feel hotter and hotter, and finally took off my jacket.

Tickets were expensive, but that was expected as maintenance costs are sure to be high. As we went on a weekend, we had to pay Rs.400 for a one hour 15 minute session. We were allowed to enter about 15 minutes before our scheduled time, so that we could put on ice-skates. These grey-coloured figure skates were provided by the ice-rink, and were available in all sizes. As we had booked tickets for a disco session, there was DJ music and strobe lights throughout our session, as well

Below is the price list of iSkate in Ambi Mall:

Weekdays: Rs.300 per session, and Rs.200 for spectators. There is no disco session, except on Wednesday nights.
Weekends (Fri-Sun): Rs.400 per session, and Rs.300 for spectators. Disco sessions are held once in the afternoon, and once in the night.
Penguin skating aid for kids costs Rs.150.
Locker rental costs Rs.100. To save on locker rental charges, we left our bags in the security check-in of one of the flagship retail stores in Ambience Mall.

There were lots of coaches and trainers around (some foreign) to guide you about ice-skating, and give tips. There were also marshals to pick up fallen people, ensure that everyone skates in an anti-clockwise direction, and do not stare.

According to Bird Group, the company that owns this ice-skating rink in Delhi, iSkate has a capacity for 200 people. At the beginning of the session, there were more than 150 people on the rink, but this number soon lessened as people began walking off due to various reasons, like tiredness, injury, embarrassment or soaking pants. I fell down about six-seven times, and so did my friends. A useful tip: Tie your jacket around your waist to minimise the impact of falling on your behind. Also ensure that there is nothing sharp in your jacket, or else…

iSkate is open from 10am to 10pm. This ice-skating rink in Delhi also has a café, where you can order snacks and drinks. It also has an upper level for spectators and parents to watch.

It is not easy to get here if you don’t have your own transport. The closest metro station is at IFFCO Chowk. You can also take a bus from Karol Bagh or Dhaula Kuan, get off at the toll bridge or at the mall, and walk.

Another ice-skating rink is believed to have opened in Kirti Nagar, for which I will write a review later. Have you ever tried ice-skating? What was your experience like?

Michael Schumacher at Indian Grand Prix

2011-10-31T10:03:00.000+05:30

I finally fulfilled my long time dream of watching Michael Schumacher race. This happened at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, held at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida, in October 2011.

This is a photo of Michael Schumacher in the pre-race driver's parade, held about 30 minutes before the start of the race!

You rock Schumee!!

Paul Cezanne - Post Impressionist Artist

2011-09-07T16:38:00.004+05:30

Paul Cézanne was an 18th century Post-Impressionist painter, who was often referred to as “the father of us all” by artists like Matisse and Picasso. Cézanne was born on January 19th 1839 in the town of Aix-en-Provence, in southern France. While his father Louis-Auguste was the co-founder of a prosperous banking firm, his mother Anne-Elisabeth was a vivacious romantic. He also had two younger sisters Marie and Rose.

The Blue Vase, 1885-87

Paul Cézanne began studying drawing from the age of ten, when he entered the Saint Joseph boarding-school in Aix. When he was 20 years old, he began to attend the Law School of the University of Aix, according to his father’s wishes. He later dropped out of the University, and went on to pursue his artistic ambitions. In this, he was strongly encouraged by Emile Zola, his childhood friend.

Cézanne later went to Paris, where he met other Impressionists, such as Camille Pissarro, with whom he developed a working relationship. He had a mistress named Marie-Hortense Fiquet, whom he married in 1886. They had a son Paul, who was born in 1872. Soon after his marriage, his father passed away leaving him a vast estate.

The Bay From L'Estaque - 1886

In his early career, Cezanne concentrated on painting pictures with large figures in the landscape. Later on, he developed a more light and airy style that had a great influence on other Impressionist painters. Cézanne was interested in simplifying naturally occurring forms to their geometric shapes, such as a cylinder, sphere or cone. Additionally, he began recording his observations of nature through binocular vision, enabling viewers to see two different views at the same time. He also painted many still-lifes and nudes.

Rideau, Cruchon et Compotier, 1893 - Sold for $60.5 million in 1999.

Paul Cézanne died of pneumonia on October 22nd 1906 at the age of 67 years, a few days after he was caught in a storm while working in a field. After his death, his paintings were exhibited in Paris in a large scale museum-like retrospective.

Celina Jaitley - Peter Haag Wedding Photos

2011-08-30T10:13:00.004+05:30

If you want to know what Celina Jaitley and her husband Peter Haag were wearing for their wedding, then here it is. We have excellent photos of the couple after their wedding ceremony in Austria.

Celina Jaitley – Peter Haag Wedding Ceremony:

Celina Jaitley married Peter Haag in a hush-hush wedding ceremony on 23rd July, 2011. The venue for the wedding was a 1000-year old monastery in Austria. It was a low-key affair, which was attended only by a few close friends and family. According to Celina, their wedding announcement was delayed due to a family tragedy. Celina Jaitley was dressed in an off-white floral sari, while Peter Haag wore a black suit and red tie. The bride wore minimum jewellery, which consisted of an elegant string of pearls and a single gold bracelet.

Celina Jaitley has been dating Peter Haag, for a little over a year. They had previously announced their engagement last year.

Profile Of The Couple:

Celina Jaitley is a 29 year old Bollywood actress, who was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her father is a Punjabi Hindu Army Colonel V.K. Jaitley, and her mother Meeta is an Afghan Hindu, who was a nurse in the Indian Army. She has one brother, who is also in the Indian Army. She won the title of Miss India in 2001.

Peter Haag is a Dubai-based Austrian businessman, who is into the hotel and marketing business.

We hoped you liked the wedding photographs we have uploaded. We all wish Celina Jaitley and Peter Haag a very happy married life!

Natural Cure For Colds and Coughs

2011-08-09T17:01:00.004+05:30

Here are some Indian natural cures for colds and coughs:

Colds: Mix a gram of dalchini (cinnamon) powder with a teaspoon of honey to cure cold. Another natural cure for cold is to prepare a cup of tea, before adding ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper to it. Consume this twice a day, and reduce the intake as the cold disappears.
Runny Nose: Ginger tea is very good natural remedy for cold. Prepare the tea by cutting ginger into small pieces and boiling it with water. Add sugar and milk according to taste, and drink it while it is hot.
Dry coughs: Add a gram of turmeric (haldi) powder to a teaspoon of honey, and swallow it. You can also cure a dry cough by chewing cardamom (elaichi) for a long time.
Blocked Nose: A natural cure for relieving congestion is to crush a tablespoon of carom seeds (ajwain), tie it in a cloth and inhale it.
Sore throat: Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds (jeera) and a few small pieces of dry ginger to a glass of boiling water. Let it simmer it for a few minutes, before letting it cool. Drink this natural remedy twice daily. This will not only cure cold, but also heal a sore throat.

Have you tried any of these natural Indian remedies for cold/cough? Have they worked or not? Do you have any other natural remedies for coughs and colds, which you can recommend to us?

Vijender Singh - Archana Singh Marriage Photos

2011-05-27T15:39:00.006+05:30

If you want to know what Vijender Singh and his bride Archana Singh were wearing for their wedding, then you have come to the right place. We have photos of the couple after their marriage ceremony, and at their wedding reception. We also have pics of their controversial invitation card!

First: Here is the infamous wedding invitation card. Notice the Indian National Emblem in the dead centre!

Vijender Singh – Archana Singh Marriage Ceremony:

The wedding was held on the 17th of May, 2011 at Vijender Singh’s village called Kaluwas, in Bhiwani, in Haryana. It was a low-key affair, which was attended only by close friends and family. Vijender was dressed in a cream coloured Sherwani designed by Manav Gangwani, while Archana Singh was wore a red lehenga-choli designed by Tarun Tahilani.

Vijender Singh – Archana Singh Reception:

The reception was held on the 18th of May, 2011, at The Delhi Flying Club. Some of the prominent guests who attended were politicians Rahul Gandhi, Shahnawaz Hussain and Captain Satish Sharma, and sportspersons Jai Bhagwan and Dinesh Kumar. Both Vijender and Archana wore outfits created by the same designers, mentioned above. Check out Archana’s traditional gold jewellery, worn on both occasions!

Profile Of The Couple:

Vijender Singh is a 25 year old pugilist (boxer) who has won medals at the Olympics (bronze) and Commonwealth Games.

Archana Singh is a 23 year old software engineer with an MBA degree, and she currently works with the British High Commission in New Delhi. She hails from Muzaffarnagar, in Uttar Pradesh, and is the daughter of a local Congress party worker, in Haryana. Archana Singh is Vijender Singh’s long-time girlfriend.

We hoped you liked the wedding photographs of the lucky couple. We all wish Vijender Singh and Archana Singh a very happy married life!

Congrats Team India - World Cup 2011

2011-04-03T14:11:00.005+05:30

Congratulations to the Indian Cricket Team for winning the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup!! Mahendra Singh Dhoni, you're the best! I always knew we could depend on you!

Gautam Gambhir (93) and MS Dhoni (91) coolly sculpt India's run chase to claim victory in the 2011 ICC World Cup finals held at Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai. I had to mute my television during this phase because commentators on all channels (DD National, Star Cricket and Star Sports) were very negative about the performance of the Indian batsmen/team, when it was obvious that India were comfortably cruising, and there was nothing to get tense about!

Team India with the 2011 World Cup.

I really enjoyed the match - You guys rock!! Zaheer Khan, MS Dhoni (Captain Cool), Munaf Patel and Gautam 'dirty shirt' Gambhir are on the left. Sreesanth, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla are hogging the World Cup. Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ashwin and Yusuf 'strongman' Pathan

Indian cricket coach, Gary Kirsten of South Africa being carried around the Wankhade Stadium by Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli. His hard work and training helped ensure that the Indian team performed to their optimum best during the World Cup.

Sachin Tendulkar sharing the 2011 World Cup with his crazy fan Gautam. I once saw Sachin's No.1 fan at the abandoned India-Sri Lanka one-dayer in Delhi last year. I thought I'd take a photo of myself with him, but then decided against it as I noticed he was not wearing any clothes, except for really tiny briefs.

This photo is for all those cynical commentators out there who keep saying that the Indian team rests on the laurels of Tendulkar. Here is Sachin Tendulkar resting on the shoulders and achievements of the Indian cricket team! He didn't do too well in the finals, but the rest of the Indian team ensured that India still won the cup!

Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were the main cricketers who scripted India's victory, but they just sort of blended into the background after the match. I could not find any photos of them holding the World Cup or celebrating after the match, even though I looked really hard. If you find any photos of them, please let me know.

Did you watch the match? What did you think of India's performance?

Mughal Gardens Rashtrapati Bhavan Visit

2011-03-22T09:44:00.010+05:30

My dad has been promising to take me to the Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan every year, for years, but we finally managed to go only this year. I had visited the place as part of an excursion in the third grade once before, and have memories of it being really beautiful - especially the round garden. On this visit I was truly able to recognize the value of the work put in by the malis (gardeners) and landscapers to make the President's Garden look like a paradise on earth (guarded by angels dressed as cops...ha ha ha).

The Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi consist of seven gardens. They are the Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden, Musical Garden, Main Mughal Gardens, Rose Garden, Circular Garden and Spiritual Garden.

Citronella Plant

1. Herbal Garden: This is the first garden you enter after passing through security. This garden showcases plants that are used in the manufacture of various products. Some of the plants in this garden were lemon grass and citronella (mosquito repellents), Damask rose (used in perfumes and soap making), aloevera (skin creams), garlic and some other medicinal herbs.

Jade Plant

2. Bonsai Garden: This garden displayed about two hundred bonsai versions of trees, some of them being the Chinese orange, jade plant, banyan tree, bouganvilla, mango tree and tamarind tree. I feel sad for these trees as they are not being allowed to grow to their full size, and are being stuffed in a small pot all their life. Here, I discovered that a plant I call 'round-round' because of its round leaves, is actually named the 'jade plant'.

Giant Chrysanthemums

3. Musical Garden: After coming out of the bonsai garden, we passed a huge musical fountain that danced to the tune of patriotic songs like 'meri desh ki dharti sona ugle' (the earth of my country grows gold). The fountain was surrounded with a charming garden of coloured giant chrysanthemums, dahlias, giant pansies and lots of security. Surprisingly, I noticed a cage about 100 metres away with deer and turkeys.

Flower Wall

4. Main Garden: After climbing a flight of red sandstone steps, we entered the beautiful Mughal Gardens with the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan as the backdrop. The sky was bright blue, the sun rays reflected of the sparkling fountains and the air was filled with a heavenly fragrance. The garden looked truly magnificent with the wide variety of vibrant flowers blooming in the warm spring sunshine. Some of the flowers included giant chrysantamums, giant marigolds, dogflowers, giant pansies in all colours of the rainbow, red and white lilies, different types of roses, tulips and much more.

Green Rose

Of special interest was the 'Green Rose', which was camouflaged in its bush. People were crowding and craning their necks to see it, making the cops nervous. Another flower called the 'Kiss of Fire', was attracting glances and silly comments. There was also the flower wall, which consisted of a small patchwork of plant beds, which were displayed vertically (see photo above).

Oklahoma Rose

5. Rose Garden: After exiting the main Mughal Gardens, we entered the small rose garden, also known as the Pardha Garden. It is surrounded by high sandstone walls, on which golden begonias and sweet pea were growing. The rose garden consists of around 16 rose beds, on each side of a long path. Some of the varieties of rose growing here were the Louisiana, Christian Dior, Oklahoma, Pasadena, Montezuma, and Summer Snow. Along the path, were hanging baskets of really small multi coloured pansies. I felt really cozy and comfortable in this garden.

Dog Flower (Snapdragon)

6. Circular Garden: The rose garden opened into the circular garden, also known as the Butterfly Garden. It was built like a bowl on several levels, and had a giant fountain bubbling in the centre. Some of the flowers planted here were giant marigolds (gainda), giant chrysanthemums, giant pansies, dogflowers, roses and lilies; in almost every colour imaginable. The borders of the circular garden were planted with sweet pea and dahlias, and had butterflies and honeybees flitting among the lush green leaves. Even the grass on the pathways seemed like silky green cushions. This garden was truly magnificent, and is one of the main reasons I wish I could be the President of India some day.

Mehendi Plant

7. Spiritual Garden: This garden had trees and plants which are of use in daily life, or which are mentioned in ancient Indian religious texts. Some of them were henna (mehendi), amla, shikakai, ritha, tulsi, haldi (tumeric), mirch (red chillies), pudina (mint), methi, dhania, jasmine (motia/mogra), Ashoka tree, Peepal tree, Tamarind tree, Banyan tree, and many more.

Before leaving, I purchased one bag of general compost (35) and half a bag of vermi-compost (Rs.20) for my plants at home. I also bought one Rashtrapati Bhavan bookmark (Rs.5), and a wooden clock souvenir(220). The arrangements at Rashtrapati Bhavan were pretty decent, considering the fact that no entry fee was charged. Bottled drinking water was also free.

I wished I could have taken some photos though...but this was not permitted. I suppose this would be because a massive crowd posing for photos would have damaged the beautiful flowers and landscaping. Have you been to the Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi? Which is most beautiful garden you have seen?

Varun Gandhi - Yamini Roy Wedding Photos

2011-03-07T14:07:00.004+05:30

Do you want to check out the latest pics of the Varun Gandhi- Yamini Roy marriage? If yes, then you have come to the right place. We also have pictures of the wedding card, haldi rasm, sangeet ceremony pix, and reception images of many other celebrities who have recently tied the knot.

Haldi Rasm of Varun Gandhi – Yamini Roy

The haldi rasm of the Varun Gandhi – Yamin Roy wedding was performed on Saturday, March 5th 2011, at a simple function in the temple complex. During this function Varun Gandhi wore a creamish-beige kurta pajama, while Yamini Roy was dressed in a pink sari.

Wedding Ceremony of Varun Gandhi – Yamini Roy

The Varun Gandhi – Yamini Roy wedding took place at 6.30 am on March 6th in Varanasi. The marriage ceremony was held at the Kashi Kamkotishwar Mutt at Hanuman Ghat, and was supervised by the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswati. Yamini Roy wore a pink silk sari that was gifted to Maneka Gandhi by Indira Gandhi during her marriage with Sanjay Gandhi in 1974. Varun Gandhi wore a white dhoti-kurta designed by Rohit Bal, and an orange angavastram.

For the occasion the venue was decorated with marigolds and tube-roses, by 14 artists brought from Bengal and Baroda. The venue for the Varun Gandhi – Yamini Roy marriage was also adorned with paintings showing the Chhota Udaipur tribals of Gujarat.

Around 300 guests attended the pheras function. Nobody from Sonia Gandhi’s family attended the wedding, as Priyanka was down with viral fever, Rahul had a fractured leg, and Sonia was mourning the death of party leader Arjun Singh.

Reception of Varun Gandhi – Yamini Roy

The Varun Gandhi – Yamin Roy reception scheduled to be held in New Delhi has been cancelled due to the death of Maneka Gandhi’s mother Amteshwar Anand.

Profile of the Couple:

Twenty-eight year old Yamini Roy is a trained graphic designer. She is a Bengali Brahmin.

Thirty year old Varun Gandhi is a politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party. His mother Maneka Gandhi is a Sikh, while his father Sanjay Gandhi is a mixture (Hindu+Parsi).

We hope you liked these wedding photos of the lucky couple. We all wish Varun Gandhi and Yamini Roy a very happy married life.

Mahesh Bhupathi - Lara Dutta Wedding Photos

2011-03-04T14:29:00.006+05:30

Searching for the latest photographs of the Mahesh Bhupathi - Lara Dutta marriage functions? Well, you will find them all here. We also have images of the registered marriage, Goan sangeet ceremony, the Christian sea side ceremony and much much more.

Registered Wedding
Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi registered their marriage in a simple civil ceremony in Mumbai on the 16th of February, 2011. Instead of visiting the registrar’s office for the wedding, the couple invited the marriage registrar to Mahesh Bhupathi’s residence in Bandra, where the marriage ceremony was solemnized. It was attended only by parents, siblings and other members of Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupati’s family.

Sangeet Ceremony
The sangeet ceremony for the Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi wedding was held on the 18th of February 2011, at Club Fresh in Candolim, in North Goa. The theme of the wedding was ‘white’, and the venue was decorated in white, including white flowers and white curtains. Lara Dutta was dressed in a white outfit designed by Manav Gangwani, with white jasmine flowers in her hair. Some of the people who attended Lara Dutta’s sangeeet were Raveena Tandon, Anil Thadani, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sheetal Malhar and Suchitra Pillai. During the sangeet, music was played by DJ Hussein, while 'Lucent Dossier', a troupe from Los Angeles performed various aerial acts.

Goa Wedding
Unlike reports published elsewhere, Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupathi did not have a ‘church’ wedding in Goa. Instead, on the 20th of February 2011, they had a Christian blessing ceremony at Sunset Place, the garden facing the front of the sea, at Taj Aguada hotel. During this ceremony they exchanged vows. Lara Dutta wore a white lacy Elie Saab gown for her wedding, while Mahesh Bhupathi was dressed in a simple black suit. She wore no jewellery except for a pair of diamond dangler earrings. The Mahesh Bhupathi - Lara Dutta wedding was attended by only about 50 to 100 people. Food served on the occasion included Goan seafood, as well as Thai and Japanese specialties.

Profile of the Couple

Lara Dutta is a 32 year old Aries, who is a former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress. She was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh and did her schooling and college in Bangalore. Her father is a Punjabi Air Force officer, while her mother is an Anglo-Indian social worker. She has two sisters of which one serves in the Indian Air Force. She once dated New York Yankees star Derek Jeter when she lived in New York City, and has never been married before.

Mahesh Bhupathi is a 36 year old Gemini, who is a professional tennis player who has won 11 grand slam doubles titles. He was born in Chennai, and completed his education at the University of Mississippi in the United States. Mahesh Bhupathi’s mother tongue is Telugu, and he is a Christian. He was married to model Shvetha Jaishankar for seven years, but is now divorced. He does not have any children from his previous marriage.

Vivek Oberoi - Priyanka Alva Marriage Photos

2010-10-29T12:25:00.011+05:30

Looking for the latest photos of the Vivek Oberoi - Priyanka Alva marriage? Well, here they are. We also have pictures of the wedding card, mehendi pics, reception images and much more.

Vivek Oberoi's Wedding Card

The wedding card for the Vivek Oberoi Priyanka Alva marriage is made from eco-friendly paper, with handmade herbs and other natural materials. It is in the shape of a red satin jewellery box, and has two compartments when opened.

The photos of the card show it has two segments. The first compartment has chocolates, while the second compartments has separate invites for different marriage functions like mehendi, sangeet, pheras, baarat and reception. It also includes directions to the various venues and a car pass. Selected guests have also received a Ganjifa painting.

Pre Marriage Functions - Music, Sangeet and Mehendi

A music ceremony was held at a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city of Bangalore on the 27th of October, 2010. It was attended by a few family friends and close relatives. The mehendi and sangeet function for the Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva wedding was held on the 28th of October, 2010.

Priyanka was wearing an orange ghagra choli. The menu for the mehendi and sangeet was a fusion of Punjabi and South Indian cuisine. DJ Jasmeet and drummer Sivamani performed at the Vivek Oberoi's Sangeet function. View these photographs of the bride and groom at this event.

Vivek Oberoi's Marriage Ceremony

The marriage of Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva was held on the 29th October, 2010 in Bangalore. The wedding began with a haldi ceremony and a chura ceremony for the bride. It was followed by sehra bandhi, milni and jaymala. The ceremonies started at the Alva house, before moving to the Chancery Pavilion for other marriage events.

The wedding attire of the bride and groom was designed by Tarun Tahilani. More photos and videos will be uploaded as soon as they are available.

Vivek Oberoi's Reception

The reception and party for the Vivek Oberoi Priyanka Alva wedding held at a five star hotel on the 31st of October, 2010 in Mumbai. Here are some photos of the event. Vivek Oberoi's reception outfit was designed by Rohit Bal, while his bride Priyanka wore a blue green lehenga designed by Sushma Vaid-Sonia Sahaney. The venue was decorated with over 1,800 candles and 30,000 'rajnigandha' flowers.

Lots of politicians and film stars attended Vivek Oberoi's wedding. Some of the politicians were LK Advani (BJP), Sushma Swaraj (BJP), Praful Patel (Congress) and Sanjay Nirupam (Congress). The people from the film industry present at the wedding reception were Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Tabu, Gulshan Grover, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sajid Khan, Salim Khan (Salman's dad), Genelia D'Souza, Fardeen Khan, Ram Gopal Verma and Vishal Bharadwaj.

Profile of the Couple

Vivek Oberoi is a 34 year old Bollywood actor. He is the son of Punjabi Khatri actor Suresh Oberoi and Tamilian Yashodhara. He studied at Mayo College in Ajmer and can speak a variety of languages including Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Marathi. He is involved with various charities, like Project Hope for tsunami victims.

Priyanka Alva is a 28 year old business management graduate from London. She was born and brought up in Bangalore. She studied at the Mallya Aditi International School. She is the daughter of former Karnataka minister late Jeevaraj Alva. Her mother Nandini Alva is a social worker and Indian dancer. Priyanka has a younger brother, Aditya. She likes doing charity, and helps her mother with social work at the Artistes Foundation for Arts in Bangalore.

Vivek Oberoi met Priyanka Alva on the recommendation of his parents. The Alvas have been family friends of the Oberoi's, since Vivek’s childhood years. Theirs is an arranged marriage.

I hoped you liked these wedding photos of the lucky couple. We all wish Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva a very happy married life.

Other Celebrity Marriages

Commonwealth Games Road Cycle Race in Connaught Place

2010-10-10T18:30:00.004+05:30

Of all the Commonwealth Games events that I have attended, the most interesting was the Cycle Race, held on the streets of New Delhi...the thrill of dodging the security cordon made it even more fun.

Well, it was Sunday morning and we set out early, so as not to miss a thing. The women's 120 kilometre cycle race was set to begin at 8.30 am. The race was totally free of cost. Hearing about the strict security cordon on the roads, we took the metro train to Rajiv Chowk. The public could exit through only two metro gates - one near Mcdonalds, the other near A-block.

We exited near McDonald's in Connaught Place and were surprised that there was hardly anyone about. There wasn't even a Commonwealth games volunteer. There were loads of cops and security guys around, and roads to the inner circle were blocked by old DTC buses.

Thinking that the crowd, volunteers, television crew and officials were in a section from where there was a better view, we began roaming around CP searching for the perfect viewing spot. That's when we made a mistake. As soon as we exited from the Outer Circle, the cops did not allow us to re-enter. We walked around the outer circle of Connaught Place a bit, and realized all routes to watch the cycle race were blocked.

The Brainwave

Yeah, we crossed the road towards New Delhi Railway Station, and took a cycle rickshaw to Ramakrishna Ashram Metro Station. As the roads were blocked by the police, the cycle rickshaw driver took us through small winding streets and inclines in Paharganj to reach the metro station. From then on it was easy - we just caught the metro train from RK Ashram back to Rajiv Chowk, entered the Connaught Place Inner Circle and watched the Commonwealth Games Cycle race.

There were no food and drink stalls in Connaught Place, but we could buy reasonably priced food and water in the metro station. Entering and coming out of the metro station was allowed by the cops. So to beat the heat during the 20 minute gap between laps, we just chilled out in the air conditioned metro station. When we heard the helicopter with the camera hovering above, we would come out to catch the cyclists going past.

The crowd was too little. I suppose if more people knew about the technique to beat security in Connaught Place, more people would have been able to enjoy the cycle race. The road cycle race for women was won by Australian Rochelle Gilmore, while the one for men was won by another Australian. Cyclists from New Zealand and England picked up the other medals.

However, for us, the real winner was the cycle rickshaw driver, who in his filthy torn shorts, exerted all his energy to drive us at top speed to the metro station, so that we could catch every single moment of the Commonwealth Games road cycle race!!!

Have you been watching the 2010 Commonwealth Games events? What do you think of the arrangements?

Volkswagen Talking Newspaper Ad in Times of India

2010-09-22T15:42:00.001+05:30

My sister had already told me about the shocking audio that leapt out of the pages of the Times of India when she opened it, so I knew what to expect. But even so, I was quite amazed. Well, yesterday, Volkswagen placed a ‘Talking Newspaper Ad’ in the Times of India. As soon as you opened the newspaper, a recorded voice reading out the benefits of the newly launched Volkswagen Vento, began playing.

I found myself more interested in the technology used to make the ‘Talking Newspaper Ad’, than the high-tech German engineering advertised for the Volkswagen Vento. The Volkswagen newspaper ad works on simple solar technology, using a PhotoDiode. A PhotoDiode is a small photodetector tool that can convert light energy into electrical energy, like those present in solar calculators. This electrical energy is then converted into sound energy, when the audio speaker in the little gadget begins saying its lines. When a person opens the newspaper, the natural light activates the PhotoDiode, which begins playing the sound clip.

At a time when newspapers are losing out to the Internet, this gimmick serves to bring back interest. The idea was truly innovative and very soon, I expect to see more companies joining the bandwagon, and flooding newspapers with such audio advertisements. Oh…the cacophony of technically dead voices greeting you every morning….

I suppose, an audio newspaper advertisement would work best for films and music companies. They can send clips of their music or movie dialogues, which people would actually like to hear repeatedly. They could also put a colorful sticker on their gadget, with a bit of information about the product. The black plastic audio player for Volkswagen looked quite ordinary. No one would guess it was given out by Volkswagen, unless one saw the actual printed advertisement.

What was your reaction when you first saw the Volkswagen PhotoDiode ‘talking newspaper ad’? What do you think it harbours for the future of newspaper advertising?

Dabangg - Movie Review

2010-09-19T11:38:00.005+05:30

I have found time to write a movie review after a long time. Many were asking me if my blog has become a wedding blog, because of the celebrity wedding photos I have posted. Well, it's not. I just posted them coz there is a lot of demand for celebrity wedding photos. There's nothing much happening in my life right now, so I don't know what else to write about.

Well, I watched Dabangg yesterday, at PVR Rivoli in Connaught Place. So here is my movie review:

Dabangg - 7/10 - Action Comedy - starring Salman Khan (Chulbul Pandey), Arbaaz Khan (Makhi Pandey), Sonu Sood (Cheddi Singh), Sonakshi Sinha (Rajo), Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. A film produced by and credited to the Salman Khan family.

Salman Khan plays a fearless (Dabangg) cop Chulbul Pandey, who steals from criminals and gives to the poor. For this he is also called Robinhood Pandey. Chulbul is jealous of his half brother Makhi and hates his step dad (played by Vinod Khanna). He later takes a fancy to Rajo, a pottery maker in his village, whom he wishes to marry. Rajo is more interested in caring for her habitually drunk father, and does not give in to his idiotic advances.

Meanwhile, half brother Makki steals Chulbul's crime money so he can marry his girlfriend. There is also a mix of local politics and terrorism. Cheddi Singh is a local strongman and youth leader who puts the brothers against each other, to recover his crime money.

Salman Khan is on yet another ego trip in this film. He does not get into character, does a lot of overacting and basically, plays himself - albeit in a police uniform. The movie is very violent, though in a funny way. I liked the scene where Salman Khan's muscles burst from his shirt and his shirt comes off, leaving him shirtless.

Some scenes, like the end tractor smoke choking scene were unwatchable. I actually covered my eyes to avoid watching it - no idea why parents bring their kids along to watch such movies.

Positives of Dabangg:

New actors, both in main and supporting roles have been given a chance to show their potential. I was getting real tired of watching faces like Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav in almost every weekly release.
Good to see some robust Indian village scenes. The movie was based in Lalganj, Uttar Pradesh and has a true local appeal. We also got to see a bit of Dubai, in one of the songs. I was a bit bored of watching scenes featuring Times Square, London Bridge and Opera House, inserted in almost every Bollywood film. Costumes and sets were quite realistic.
Action sequences and songs were well choreographed.
Great story and screenplay. Punchlines were delivered with style.

Negatives of Dabangg:

Salman Khan can't act like he loves a girl (except for Preity Zinta, whom he may actually like..wink). He comes across as too egoistic and should stay away from doing such romantic scenes.
Some jokes were quite crude and vulgar.
Promotes suicide: This was uncalled for. You don't need to wish for a girl's father to die, to marry her.
Promotes crime, stealing, revenge, violence and physical aggression to sort out situations.

Did you watch Dabangg? What do you think of this film? Did you like my Dabangg movie review?

More Celebrity Wedding Photos

2010-08-30T10:28:00.007+05:30

We have the best photos and wedding information of all the celebrity marriages happening in the country. If you are searching for great photographs of marriage ceremonies, as well as mehendi, sangeet, phera, nikah, reception and other wedding function pictures, you are sure to will find them here.

This blog has stunning marriage pics and wedding details of the various celebrity weddings, as they happened. Click on the celebrity name to learn more about their wedding and view the photos! The weddings are arranged in date order, with the latest celebrity marriage listed first.

Shashi Tharoor - Sunanda Pushkar Wedding Photos

2010-08-24T10:14:00.009+05:30

If you are searching for great photos of the Shashi Tharoor Sunanda Pushkar marriage together with reception pictures and other marriage ceremony pictures, you have just found them. This blog has the clearest marriage pics and wedding details of the ceremony, as it happened.

Before the marriage ceremony, Sashi Tharoor and Sunanda Pushkar went for darshan at Ajmer Dargah, Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir, Shani Shingnapur Mandir and other religious places for blessings.

The marriage ceremony of Shashi Tharoor was held on Sunday, August 22nd 2010 at 8.30 am according to traditional Hindu Nair customs at his ancestral home at Elavenchery, Kollengode village, 40 km from Palakkad. The wedding was held in the presence of his 94-year-old maternal grandmother.

For the marriage, Sunanda Pushkar wore a traditional Kerala ’kasavu’ sari in white with a gold border. Shashi Tharoor was wearing a white kurta and white lungi (mundu) with gold border. She was wearing some nice gold jewellery, but not enough for a South Indian marriage.

Guests at the Wedding

There were around 100 people present for the wedding, mostly women relatives. The kids of both Sashi (twin boys)and Sunanda (one son) from their previous marriages, were also present for the marriage ceremony. A ’Niraputhiri’ function was held at the house and he tied the ’thali’ (mangalsutra) around her neck. They also exchanged garlands and Sashi gave Sunanda a ’podava’ or a new set of clothes.

They will be going for their honeymoon to Dubai and Spain. They have planned a reception in Dubai for Sunanda’s friends. There will also be a reception in Delhi at the India Habitat Centre for Sashi’s friends and politicians.

Profile of the Couple

Shashi Tharoor, 54 years old, was born in London but originally hails from Palakkad in Kerala. He has been educated in Mumbai, Kolkata, Massachusetts and has done History Honours from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in 2009. Sunanda Pushkar, 48 years of age, is a Dubai based beautician and socialite, originally from Kashmir. Both are long time friends. This is the third marriage for both of them.

I hoped you liked these photos of their wedding. We all know they are an odd couple. Sunanda looks like a dayan and Shashi Tharoor must be really rich to have married thrice. But, we all wish them a very happy married life.

Other Celebrity Marriages

MS Dhoni - Sakshi Rawat Wedding Photos

2010-07-05T11:55:00.002+05:30

If you are looking for the best MS Dhoni - Sakshi Rawat wedding photos, reception pictures and other marriage ceremony pictures, you have come to the right place. This blog has been updated with the clearest non fake wedding pics and marriage information of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's wedding, as it happened.

MS Dhoni first met Sakshi Singh Rawat when they were schooling at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali in Ranchi. They are family friends and their fathers have worked together in Ranchi. Both of them are originally from Uttaranchal and of the same caste and community. Sakshi Rawat is a hotel management graduate and is working as a trainee at Taj Bengal in Calcutta.

The Sagan ceremony (engagement) of Dhoni and Sakshi was held at Hotel Competant in Dehradun on Saturday the 3rd of July, 2010. There are no public Dhoni sagan photos.

The marriage function of the Dhoni marriage was held on Sunday, the 4th of July 2010 at Vishranti Resort, near Dehradun. The wedding was attended by guests like politicians and filmwallas like Sharad Pawar, Vasundhara Raje, John Abraham and Farah Khan. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's teammates and cricketers RP Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra and Suresh Raina also attended the wedding ceremony and can be seen in Dhoni's wedding photos.

The Dhoni wedding photos show Dhoni wearing a blue sherwani, while Sakshi is wearing a red sari with green border and lots of heavy gold jewellery. More than 100 police personnel were posted outside the gates of Vishranti Resort to make sure that only cars whose numbers were already given were allowed to enter to attend Dhoni's wedding.

I hoped you liked these Dhoni wedding photos. We all wish Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sakshi Singh Rawat a very happy married life.

Other Celebrity Marriages

Manisha Koirala - Samrat Dahal Wedding Photos

2010-06-19T20:16:00.012+05:30

If you are searching for the best Manisha Koirala - Samrat Dahal wedding photos, mehendi pictures, swayamwar pics, reception images and other marriage ceremony pictures, keep visiting this blog. This blog will be updated with the latest wedding pics and marriage information, as they happen.

Manisha Koirala first met Samrat Dahal on Facebook and they have been going around for the past one year. The wedding date had been fixed a few months ago by an astrologer, after recieving the consent of both families.

Manisha Koirala's Marriage Swayamwar

The Swayamwar pre wedding ceremony of the Manisha Koirala - Samrat Dahal marriage was held on the 18th of June 2010 at 2 pm, at the Le Meridian Gokarna Resort about eight kilometers from Kathmandu in Nepal.

This wedding ceremony is an elaborate engagement and mehendi function in which Manisha garlanded her groom Samrat and exchanged wedding rings, as the pandits recited Vedic mantras. Manisha was dressed in a golden yellow sari while Samrat wore a black suit.

Manisha Koirala Wedding and Kanyaadaan

The main wedding function of Manisha Koirala and Samrat Dahal was held on the 19th of June at the Le Meredien Gokarna Resort. It was a traditional Nepali wedding lasting more than 8 hours with customary Nepali rituals. Both Manisha Koirala and Samrat Dahal were wearing traditional Nepali attire in the wedding photographs. Here is one of the Manisha Koirala marriage pictures, where the happy couple is posing with Bollywood villain Gulshan Grover.

The Manisha Koirala wedding ceremony was attended by politicians, diplomats and royals from around the world as well as some of Manisha's filmy friends like Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Dipti Naval, Vivek Mushran and Govinda’s wife Sunita.

In the Kanyadaan, Manisha's father Prakash Koirala gave away his daughter to Samrat amidst the chanting of mantras. Samrat then took Manisha to his home at Maharajgunj in a doli procession with a wedding band that played popular Bollywood wedding music.

Manisha Koirala Reception by the Koirala Family

The wedding reception of Manisha Koirala and Samrat Dahal was held on the 20th of June at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza. The party began at around 6.00 pm and was attended by well known Nepali politicians, people from the Nepali film industry as well as a few Bollywood celebrities.

The Bollywood stars present in Manisha Koiras wedding reception photos include Jackie Shroff, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, Gulshan Grover and Vivek Mushran. The wedding outfit for Manisha Koirala's reception was a blue sari and diamond jewellery.

Reception by the Groom
This marriage event is scheduled to be held on the 21st of June at the Everest Hotel.

About the Bride and Groom

Manisha Koirala is a 39 year old Bollywood actress. Granddaughter of former Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, this Leo actress is also a social activist. She did her schooling in Delhi and has a younger brother Siddharth, who is also married. She was earlier engaged to the then Australian ambassador to Nepal, Crispin Conroy and later lived in with American author-speaker Christopher Dorris.

Samrat Dahal is a 34 year old Nepali businessman. He is the son of Surendra Dahal, who owns Leather Wings, a company that has leather shop branches in Bentinck Street of Kolkata, Chennai, New Delhi, Kanpur and Agra. Samrat is the youngest of three siblings, has done his education in USA and now plans to set up a bio gas plant in the tourist city of Pokhara in Nepal.

The wedding saris, trousseau and jewellery for Manisha Koirala's marriage were traditional Nepali wedding wear and very simple. Manisha was not wearing much gold jewellery as shown in the wedding kanyadan photos, swayamwar pictures and wedding reception photographs.

All the best to Manisha Koirala and Samrat Dahal !! What do you think of the bride Manisha's wedding outfits and jewellery? There was not much media coverage and sensationalism for the Manisha Koirala wedding. Why?

Other Celebrity Marriages

Best Gifts for Fathers Day

2010-06-17T20:39:00.009+05:30

It is tough to select the best gifts for Father's Day. This occassion is just around the corner. Every year Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June, in many countries around the world. Similar to how Mother's Day is meant for mothers, this day is meant to honour fathers, celebrate fatherhood and revive paternal bonds. This year Father's Day falls on the 20th of June.

Selecting the Best Gifts for Fathers Day

It is always difficult to choose gifts for a guy, especially so your dad. If you ask your dad what he wants for Father's Day, he will most probably say 'Nothing'. So, here are some things that are sure to make this Fathers Day real special for your Dad.

1. Spend some time with your dad by going to a pub, restaurant or sports event that he enjoys. This should be quality time, where you actually have a conversation. Ask him for some advice. There's no need to take it, but at least try to listen and understand.

2. Make him something to eat. Dad's love to eat and would rarely deny food. Just make sure the food is not something that has been forbidden by his doctors, like too oily, salty or sweet food. You can add healthy substitute products to the recipe to show that you care.

3. Make him something useful to wear or use. This includes sweaters, scarfs, caps or home goods like shelves, desktop stationery and garden decorations. What you make depends on your talent and creativity. You know your dad best, so make something he really needs or wants!

4. Call your dad. If you live really far away from your dad and cannot visit him for Father's Day, it would be nice if you could call him and wish him. The very fact that you remembered would mean a lot to him. You could also send a card, e-greeting or e-mail forward. Though these are not too personal, they sometimes have good wordings that express what you've been meaning to say.

5. Food and Drink - It would be great if you could present food hampers to your dad yourself and spend some time sharing the food. However, if you can't then you could just order online to have it delivered to his doorstep in time for Father's Day. Some things your dad would like are packed meat, alcohol, wines and Fathers Day Cakes.

6. Comfortable Clothing. Dad's love recieving and using comfortable clothing accessories such as driving gloves, socks, slippers, sandals and other comfortable footwear. Buy something contemporary that never goes out of style. As these are everyday items, they will be forever needed as the old ones will soon wear out.

Do you have any more ideas for great Father's Day gifts? When and how do you celebrate Father's Day in your country? Which of these 'Best Gifts for Father's Day' would you be most likely to give your Dad for the occassion?

Raajneeti - Political Resemblance and Movie Review

2010-06-07T20:32:00.005+05:30

Here is my movie review of Raajneeti, the most awaited film of the year, which released this Friday. After all the pre-release hype likening Katrina Kaif's role to the life of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, I was quite relieved to see that her role was more similar to the life of Sonia's sister-in-law Maneka Gandhi. Katrina's look and personality is just not foreign or posh enough to be Sonia Gandhi. Well, here is my complete movie review of Raajneeti.

Raajneeti - 7/10 - Political Drama

The film is about the struggle for political power between the family members of the Pratap political dynasty. This struggle begins after the oldest member of the Pratap family and the President of the Rashtriya Party suffers a paralytic stroke and hands over more power to his younger brother and nephew against his son. The movie continues with its story of political debauchery, assassinations, power, money and revenge.

The script and direction was very good. The film moved at a fast pace and had a strong screenplay. Raajneeti was well cast and performances by the lead actors were decent with even actors in bit parts doing a good job. Manoj Bajpai really shone in the role of Veerendra Pratap, the angry son who was left almost powerless by the decision of his father. Costumes and dialogue were quite realistic. Everyone's going to remember 'Karara Jawab Milega' for a long time now!

Resemblance to Real Life Politicians in Raajneeti

The characters in the Rajneeti movie bore quite a lot of resemblance to contemporary politicians in India. Some were but obvious, can you guess the rest??

Ranbir Kapoor's young, foreign returned, political novice Samar Pratap - Rajiv Gandhi
Sarah Thompson's beautiful, innocent, anti-politics, Samar's Irish classmate Sarah Collins - Sonia Gandhi
Arjun Rampal's impulsive, brash, political Prithviraj Pratap - Sanjay Gandhi
Katrina Kaif's politically ambitious, model looking young widow Indu Pratap - Maneka Gandhi
Manoj Bajpai's angry, politically wronged Veerendra Pratap - Varun Gandhi
Ajay Devgan's local sports background, ruthless Dalit leader Sooraj Kumar - ?
Nana Patekar's power-behind-the scenes Brij Gopal -Bal Thackeray
Naseeruddin Shah's firebrand leftist leader 'Bhaskar Sanyal' who became a sanyas - George Fernandes
The paralysed Party President, Veerendra Pratap's father - Sharad Pawar

Did you see Raajneeti? How would you rate the film? Which real life politicians/people do you think the characters resemble the most?

Schumacher Sneaks Past Alonso at Monaco

2010-05-16T19:43:00.006+05:30

Just finished watching the Monaco Grand Prix and was overjoyed to see Michael Schumacher overtake Fernando Alonso on the final corner of the final lap.

On the 75th of 78 laps lap, the safety car was called in after an accident between Jarno Trulli and Karan Chandok. The safety car lead the cars through the remaining laps. As it pulled into the pits on the last corner of the 78th lap, everyone expected the race positions to stay as they were, as there were only a hundred metres or so left till the chequered flag.

However, Michael Schumacher was waiting like a hawk ready to pounce on a rabbit. In a classic Schumacherish move, he caught Fernando Alonso napping and raced him in the final moments of the race to snatch 6th place.

I just wish I could see the face of Fernando Alonso - he must be seething with rage behind his helmet. Michael Schumacher must be grinning and winking as usual. I wonder what they have to say in the post race interviews.

Well, I feel this Monaco Grand Prix is the true 'Return of the King' of motorsports - King Schumee!! Schumacher has finally got his groove back after coming out of retirement this season, and I am looking forward to see such racing performances in the remaining races of the 2010 season.

Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik Wedding Pics

2010-04-13T13:21:00.014+05:30

If you are looking for Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik wedding photos, mehendi pictures, sangeet pics, reception images and other marriage ceremony pictures, keep visiting this blog. This blog will be updated with the latest wedding pics and marriage information, as they happen.

Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik Walima Reception - Lahore, Pakistan

The walima reception for the Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik wedding was held on the 27th of April at the Hotel Pearl Continental in Lahore, Pakistan. There was a grand red carpet from the gate and thousands of roses were used for decorating the Crystal Hall.

Sania Mirza was wearing a light green and silver lehenga type of gown, while Shoaib Malik was dressed in a simple black suit. Sania did not wear any gold jewellery. Most of her wedding jewellery comprised artificial stones studded in necklaces and bangles that matched the colour of her wedding outfit.

More than 1,000 guests comprising sportspersons, politicians, celebrities and businessmen attended the valima reception party of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik. Some of the guests were Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, Federal Minister for Population Welfare Firdous Ashiq Awan and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son Qadir.

In accordance with a law recently passed by the provincial governments, only one dish - chicken 'korma' with rice was served at the wedding. This was accompanied by naans and a dessert sweet dish. This one-dish law states that there should be no ostentation at weddings and marriages should be austere and keep in mind the present tough situation in the country. The walima celebrations of the Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik wedding ended sharp at 10 pm, according to city regulations.

Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik Sialkot Pakistan Reception

The Sialkot Pakistan reception party of the Shoaib Malik Sania Mirza marriage was held on the 25th of April, 2010 at a hockey stadium in the home town of the cricketer. More than 2,000 people turned up against the 1,000 people to whom invitation cards had been given.

For the Sialkot reception party, Sania Mirza wore a gold brocaded beige and red sari like the bengali sari Aishwarya Rai wore in the Dola Re Dola song in the film Devdas and lots of wedding jewellery. This reception was organized by J&S, a Pakistani wedding management company owned by Jalal Salahuddin and Omar Satti.

The venue for the Sialkot reception of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik was decorated with a gold and tobacco coloured ambience, imported flowers and hand painted murals inspired by Italian frescoes. The entire hockey stadium was transformed into a grand ballroom with lounge seating on the sides, hanging chandeliers and Italian crystal torchieres.

The catering for the Sialkot reception of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik was done by a catering company called Zaffron. The menu was traditional Punjabi dishes. These dishes were made by special cooks brought in from the old city of Lahore. There was also a live jazz band from Lahore that performed at the Sialkot reception.

Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik Reception, India

The India reception of the Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik wedding was held on April 15th 2010 at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The venue was decorated with flowers and golden light by the famous Hyderabadi florist and decorator, Bal Krishna.

From the Pakistani side, the Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik Reception was attended by Shoaib Malik’s mother Sultana, Pakistani cricketer Sohail Tanveer and Firdous Ashiq Awan, Pakistan’s federal minister for population welfare. The Pakistani delegates gifted Sania Mirza a golden crown studded with semi-precious stones.

There were around 1000 guests from the Indian side at the Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik reception in India, but not many of them were famous. Some known names are Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief Chandrababu Naidu, southie actor Nagarjuna, Bollywood villain Raza Murad, actresses Neha Dhupia and Rakshanda Khan, fashion designers Shantanu and Nikhil with their families and tennis professionals like Jaideep Mukherjee and Enrico Piperno.

Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik Sangeet Ceremony

The sangeet function for the Shoaib-Sania wedding was held on April 14th 2010 at the Taj Krishna hotel in Hyderabad. For the sangeet function of the Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik wedding, Sania wore a pink salwar suit designed by Shantanu and Nikhil. Shoaib, on the other hand, wore an outfit gifted by the members of Sania's family.

The sangeet show was put together by city-based choreographer Aryan Rajput, who had been conducting rehearsals for an hour every day at Sania Mirza's house for the past one week. More than 20 close friends and family members danced to Bollywood hits like Maa Ka Laadla Bigad Gaya, Kajra Re, Desi Girl, Oof Teri Ada, Apni To Jaise Taise and much more.

Other than the bollywoood hits, Sania Mirza's uncle Talat Aziz sang a special ghazal at the Sania - Shoaib sangeet function. He had specially composed this ghazal for the couple, which also had a special shayari section.

The menu for the Sania Shoaib sangeet function included a lavish spread of about seven starters, a salad counter, a kebab corner, 10 main course dishes and six deserts.

Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik Mehendi Ceremony

The mehendi ceremony of Sania Mirza was held on April 13th 2010 at her residence in Hyderabad. Sandhya and Bhavna Parekh were called to apply the mehendi designs. Mehendi was applied in the Mughal style for Sania Mirza, by these ladies who claim to know Sania since she was a child.

Six mehendi experts from the older parts of Hyderabad were called in for mehendi ceremony and they applied mehendi on the hands of the other ladies in the family.

Later on, a small musical programme was organized by Sania's aunt for the mehendi ceremony. Also, her friends organized a Marfa band or an Arabic band to play music for the occasion.

Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik Nikaah Ceremony Photos

The marriage ceremony of Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik was held at the Hotel Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Monday the 12th of April, 2009. It was held at around 1:00 in the afternoon as per Muslim religious traditions. This date was considered auspicious for the wedding. Here is a photograph of the happy couple after the wedding ceremony was performed.

The Sania Mirza Shoaib Malik nikah ceremony was conducted in the presence of presence of some selected friends and family members, numbering only seventy people. This included Sania's immediate family and Shoaib Malik's sisters and brothers-in-law. Everyone was looking good in the photos, except Sania's mother Nasima, who was looking very simple in her nightie like salwar suit.

For the wedding ceremony, Sania Mirza wore her mother’s red wedding sari with gold embroidery work. This was the same sari her mother wore 25 years ago at her wedding with Sania's father Imran. Shoaib Malik was looking handsome in the wedding pictures wearing his black sherwani suit and black topi.

Parents of both Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik are said to be very happy with the match. The photos of the nikah came out quite good and were released to the media for posting on news channels, newspapers and websites.

The wedding jewellery, trousseau and outfits for Sania Mirza's wedding were quite simple. There was not much of gold jewellery as shown in the mehendi photos, sangeet pictures and wedding reception photographs.

All the best to Shoania!! What do you think of the bride Sania Mirza's wedding outfits and jewellery? Do you think the groom Shoaib Malik's clothes complimented her marriage dresses?

Other Celebrity Marriages

Movie Reviews

2010-04-01T13:18:00.004+05:30

Well, here are movie reviews of some 2010 bollywood films that I watched over the last three months-

3 Idiots - 3/10 - Comedy - starring Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani. The story was good but all the cheap humour really spoilt this film. The songs were boring and the nonsense pregnancy scene was way too much to digest. Another 'running away from marriage' movie.

Jail - 5/10 - Drama - Starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse - This story about the problems of a young man falsely implicated in a drug case was quite good. Acting by the lead characters was also OK. However, towards the end the movie got quite boring and I lost interest.

Chance Pe Dance - 4/10 - Romance - starring Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D'zouza. A slow romantic comedy about a guy being encouraged in his career by his girlfriend. Recently, we have had too many films about pop singers/ dancers, which is why this film flopped. Songs were not good enough for the choreography.

Veer - 3/10 - Period/Action - starring Salman Khan, Zarine Khan and Sohail Khan. This story was about the 'Pindaris', a group of thuggish plunderers in colonial India being raised to the status of freedom fighters. A confusing mish mash with no character development and a lot of stereotypes. Only costumes and songs were good.

Rann - 1/10 - Drama - starring Amitabh Bachchan, Gul Panag and Ritesh Deshmukh. Anyone who has worked in the media will tell you the story is total crap. I realized that the movie was going to be a lot of drivel, when Amitabh Bachchan's news anchor character, started mouthing some Hindu-Muslim bullshit in the opening scene. The rest of the movie progressed too slowly and I did not have enough patience to continue watching it.

Striker - 2/10 - Drama - starring Siddharth. This is a dark film about a poor kid who is good at playing carrom and his dealings with the dark Mumbai crime nexus. The acting of all the actors was good, but this movie is not something I would recommend, as it was too crude, dark and violent.

My Name Is Khan - 5/10 - Comedy - starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. This Shahrukh attempt at a 'I am Sam/ Forrest Gump' type of film had me in splits from scene one. Like a typical Karan Johar film, this movie had lots of scenes that did not make sense to a normal Indian and a storyline with no purpose. Made exclusively for the NRI market, focusing on issues central over there, this film had few takers in India. The kid who played the young autistic Rizwan was seriously good, Shahrukh was just plain funny.Dialogue was good.

Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think of them?

Dandi March - Remove Ban on Sea Salt

2010-03-10T12:26:00.006+05:30

When I asked my mother why my grandmother’s cooking tasted better, even though they both used the same recipes, she told me that my grandmother used sea salt instead of refined salt for cooking. Since sea salt is not available in the area where I am residing, I asked my uncle to send me some non iodized sea salt from my hometown, on the coast of India. I was really surprised when he told me that he managed to get sea salt with great difficulty because sea salt is banned in the State. He also said that ‘people say’ that sea salt is not good for the health, that it ‘causes’ goiter and should be used only for religious/ agricultural purposes.

I was really shocked at the misinformation being spread in the name of health benefits. That too in the land where the production of sea salt was the foundation of our freedom struggle against the monopolistic business policies of the British colonial government. On the 80th Anniversary of the Dandi March, I bring you this critique of the post – freedom ban on sea salt promoted by salt manufacturers, multinationals and PR organs of the United Nations.

Gandhi's Dandi March to Make Salt

On March 12th 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began his salt march to Dandi to protest against the oppressive British salt tax. The British had monopolized the production of salt and were charging a high rate of tax for sale and distribution. The production of salt by ordinary people and small companies had been banned. As salt is a dietary necessity, this arbitrary salt tax affected everyone. Gandhi wrote in a letter to Lord Irwin, ‘I regard this tax to be the most iniquitous of all from the poor man's standpoint’.

Thousands of people joined him on his march to Dandi. The march concluded on April 6th, 1930, when Mahatma Gandhi defied the salt laws by raising a lump of salty mud on the Dandi seashore. He then boiled it in seawater, producing illegal salt. He implored thousands of his followers to likewise begin making salt along the seashore, "wherever it is convenient" and to instruct villagers in making illegal, but necessary, salt.

The Salt Misinformation Campaign

Things changed after independence. The paper generating organs of the United Nations, funded by MNC’s, began publishing ‘research’ and ‘reports’ about the advantages of iodized salt in preventing Iodine Deficiency Disorders. The refined salt industry caught on and began citing ‘sponsored’ scientific studies stating natural salts like raw sea salt and rock salts do not contain enough iodine salts to prevent iodine deficiency disorders. Their lobbies worked strongly to ‘influence’ the Government in favour of making iodized salt compulsory for all. It was ironic that they succeeded. In the land of Gandhi’s Dandi March, sea salt was banned for edible purposes in most States of the country.

Currently, most homes in India use iodized salt for cooking. Iodized salt is 97 – 99 per cent sodium chloride and includes substances that make it free-flowing such as sodium silicoaluminate. It is also mixed with a tiny amount of potassium iodide or similar chemicals. Since potassium iodide evaporates when the packet is opened in tropical countries such as India, a compound called potassium Iodate, is used. This compound is known to be toxic and cause thyrotoxicosis. It has been banned in some countries.

Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), which iodized salt is said to prevent, include goitre, cretinism, developmental delays and related health problems. Other than iodized salt, iodine is also present in its natural form in seafood, cereals, fruits, eggs, green leafy vegetables and dairy products. Hence, Iodine Deficiency Disorders are endemic only to remote inland areas where no marine foods are eaten or in mountainous areas where food is grown in soil with low iodine content.

Ban on Iodized Salt in India

The current ban on non iodized salt forces the whole of India to consume the unhealthy iodized salt manufactured by salt companies. As salt is a basic dietary necessity, this ban ensures that salt companies can continue to reap stable profits for a long time to come.

Why should 98 per cent of the population be forced to take iodized salt for a disorder that affects only 2 per cent of the population? The cost of iodized salt is more than five times the price of non iodized salt. This money difference is the reason why salt companies have a vested interest in promoting iodized salt and encouraging a ban on sea salt.

In foreign countries, natural sea salt harvested by hand is called ‘Fleur de sel’ and is used in gourmet cooking. It is known to have a unique flavor varying from region to region and is generally more expensive than iodized salt. It is also known to be healthier than iodized salts. Gourmets often believe sea salt to be better than ordinary table salt in taste and texture. Sea salt has also proven to be beneficial to people with high blood pressure and heart disease.

Nowhere in western countries such as the USA, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Mauritius or Turkey is the consumption of iodized salt mandatory.

Solution to the Ban on Iodized Salt

A better solution to this issue would be to create awareness about the foods that naturally contain iodine and advocate a balanced diet. Also, since milling and polishing of rice and other grains removes the iodine content, people should be encouraged to consume non-milled rice.

Natural Salt is the birthright of every Indian citizen. Every consumer has the right to select a product of their choice and we should also be able to choose what kind of salt we eat. Iodization of salt should be properly checked and salt packets should clearly mention the type of salt it contains. In areas where there is low iodine content in the soil, such as Uttar Pradesh and the North East States, iodized salts may be provided to the citizens at a subsidized cost by the Government.

In the days of Gandhi, salt was made at home by the women of the house in coastal areas. It was easy to make, healthy and totally free. Ancestors have been eating sea salt since the beginning of time. No one ever got sick from consuming ‘sea salt’. It is time that we put this social fallacy that sea salt ‘causes’ iodine deficiency disorders to rest.

We must work to revoke the ban on sea salt. We can make a start by 'Non Cooperating' like Gandhiji and beginning to use sea salt at home!!

Reasons Couples Fight and Solutions

2010-03-06T11:20:00.004+05:30

Recently, I have seen many of my friends break up for really simple stupid reasons. These situations could easily have been solved by a little conversation and understanding. I am writing this post with the hope that any couple facing such relationship problems may read it and work to save their relationship. Here are some of the reasons couples fight, how to solve them and mend your relationship.

1. Different Expectations
Each partner may have different expectations from the other partner in a relationship. Various expectations are one of the reasons couples fight. Making your expectations clear and detailed to your partner helps create a positive and constructive relationship. The expectations should be balanced and both partners should know what is expected of them and what they should expect in return. A conversation should take place, don't expect your partner to know what you are thinking.

2. Personality Differences
People usually assume that their partner is the same as them and think exactly the same. We sometimes fail to realize that the other person may be thinking completely differently from us and we fail to understand their behavior. One of the most common personality differences is extroversion - introversion. Personality differences are one of the main reasons couples fight.

Opposites attract but this basic difference also creates frequent misunderstandings between couples as communication styles and lifestyle preferences are quite different. As being an introvert/extrovert is part of your natural character, it is very difficult to change. Understanding, accepting and valuing each others differences can make any relationship much stronger and balanced.

3. Attachment Style
A secure attachment in childhood leads to healthy emotional and psychological behavior in adults. Our connections with other people helps build our self esteem and emotional security. People with a secure childhood and stable parents are able to enjoy stable and secure relationships as adults. An insecure childhood, missing parents or harsh parents contribute to the reasons couples fight.

A persons attachment style depends on their experiences as a child, their family attachment patterns, personality and preferences. There are four main types of attachment - secure, anxious, avoidant and mixed feelings. If at least one of the partners is secure, the relationship has the chance to be more stable and have greater security. Understanding and tolerance are the keywords.

4. Transference
This is what happens when we think/relate to a person in the present based on what someone else did/said to us in the past. This means that sometimes you don't hear what a person says, but what you think they have said, which is subtly different - and based on what someone else had said/done to you in the past.

Expectations built on the past are a cause of general negativity. You were let down in the past, therefore you believe that the future would be lonely too...and you can't believe anyone who says that they will always be there for you.

It is very difficult to forget the past and see things in a fresh new light. We all have a history of experiences and relationships that helped form our personalities. Sometimes, the past gets in the way of enjoying the present. This is a habit that is quite difficult to change and one of the reasons couples fight. This problem can be solved by talking about it with close friends who know about your past or explaining the situation to your partner.

Well, this is a list of some of the main reasons couples fight. Do you know of any other reasons why couples fight? What are the main issues for which you fight with your partner??

Cyberkitty Bollywood Movie Awards 2010

2010-03-01T13:22:00.003+05:30

The Times Group recently announced the 2010 Filmfare Awards. The best part of the evening was the part where Neil Nitin Mukesh told hosts Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan to shut up twice. Well, we all know about the lobbying by public relations agencies and the money that changes hands while deciding who gets what film award. Leaving that aside, here are my choices for the 2010 film industry awards, which I have named - The Cyberkitty Bollywood Movie Awards 2010.

Best Film ........................ Kaminey

Best Director .................... Vishal Bharadwaj for Kaminey

Best Actor ....................... Shahid Kapoor for Kaminey

Best Actress ..................... Kangana Ranaut for Raaz

Best Supporting Actor ............ Chandan Roy Sanyal for Kaminey

Best Supporting Actress .......... Giselle Monteiro for Love Aaj Kal

Best Villain ..................... Mahesh Manjrekar for Wanted

Best Comedian..................... Johnny Lever for Aao Wish Karein

Best Debut Director .............. Glenn Baretto for Aao Wish Karein

Best Music Director............... Pritam

Best Action ...................... Wanted

Best Art Direction................ Aao Wish Karein

Best Background Score............. Kaminey

Best Cinematography............... Blue

Best Editing ..................... Kaminey

Best Choreography................. De Dana Dhan (Paisa)

Best Story ....................... Three Idiots

Best Screenplay .................. Shortcut - The Con is On

Best Dialogue .................... Kaminey

Best Special Effects.............. Avatar (dubbed version)

Best Costumes..................... Chandni Chowk to China

Did you watch the 2010 Filmfare Awards? What did you think of them? Who would you have given the awards to??

Stages Of A Relationship

2010-02-12T13:43:00.004+05:30

I recently read a book, 'The 1000 most important questions you will ever ask yourself', by Alyss Thomas. I thought the part about 'Stages of a Relationship' was quite true, so I posted a bit of it on my blog!! Happy Valentines Day !!!

Stage 1 - Falling in Love

This relationship stage involves lots of phone calls, gifts, sms, email forwards and dating. The couple cannot get enough of each other and hold hands everywhere they go. Neither makes any demands on the other person or displays behaviour that may not be accepted. Similarities are emphasized. The main purpose of this stage is to make a firm bond or attachment and build a foundation for the relationship.

Stage 2 - Learning About Differences

This stage of the relationship happens when a person realises that thier lover is quite different from them. They may also start disliking some of these differences. It can be dissappointing and depressing. If the relationship is to succeed, the couple needs to start discussing things and decide who needs to do what. Many relationships don't survive this stage, as the differences between the couple may seem too big. The main purpose of this relationship stage is for each individual to find themselves again and reestablish themselves as an independent person.

Stage 3 - Independence

During this stage of the relationship, a person starts rediscovering themselves as separate people. They engage in separate activities and develop exciting new interests and opportunities. This may be confusing because each partner is fighting for freedom but at the same time wants the other to be there when things go bad and they need them. A person needs space and may be unconciously giving off the message - I don't need you. The main purpose of this stage of a relationship is for each person to achieve more things than they could have achieved alone. The couple learns the values of trust, forgiveness and tolerance.

Stage 4 - Coming Back Together

After each person establishes thier personal identity in the world, the couple comes back together again with more appreciation and understanding for each others individual differences and needs. The couple fluctuates between periods of great intimacy and separation for independence. The partners may test out whether the other person will really be there for them in times of trouble. The main purpose of this stage of a relationship is to find out whether the other person can be trusted for a lifetime. Lots of conflicting issues relating to a person's childhood and past may develop. If these issues are successfully discussed, over time, the relationship will become more deep and stronger.

Stage 5 - Maturity and Compromise

The couple is now in a stronger relationship, knowing that they love each other and have individual lives and interests too. They are equally committed to both. The partners become realistic and let's go of thier hope for an ideal perfect person who fulfills all thier needs. A lot of patience is needed during this stage. Each person encourages thier partner to grow and openness increases. They recognize the value of the relationship and stop feeling resentment about the compromises involved. The couple is now in a solidly strong relationship and is ready to meet the future together.

Have you gone through these stages in your relationship? If you are in a relationship, which stage are you in now??

Consumer Durable Commercials and Breakdown of Families

2010-02-09T21:21:00.004+05:30

Sample this,

1984 – A commercial for a television set shows a family comprising grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and kids sitting in the family drawing room watching TV together.

1989 – The family watching television in the drawing room becomes smaller, featuring only the grandparents, parents and around 3 kids.

1994 – A commercial for the same product shows a nuclear family comprising parents and children watching television together. The children are of varied ages , 18 - 6 years old.

1999 – The family grows smaller. The advertisement for the same television shows a young couple with their two small kids watching television together in the drawing room.

2004 – The television commercial shows a newly married couple with no children watching television together.

2009 – Well, this is the ultimate in family breakdown. You must have seen the advertisements on TV. Today, we see a single guy, staying away from his parents, watching television alone in a small flat.

The effectiveness of good advertising lies in its capability to maintain or encourage new sales. Consumer durables usually have a life span of between 5 – 10 years depending on how much it is used and the maintenance and repair facilities available. Some consumer durable goods are household appliances, electronic equipment, home furnishings, recreational goods, toys and cars.

Because of the long life span of consumer durables, the companies that manufacture consumer durables can only hope for new sales, if,

They develop a new improved technology and advertise it.
The standard of living of the people increases enabling them to purchase goods like computers, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions and so on.
The availability of loans increases making purchase of consumer durables easier.

As part of a long term brand building process, many consumer durable companies try to increase the demand for their products by bringing out commercials that show a new type of smaller family/society to encourage purchases.

Say, for example, there is a country with 1,00,000 people and no competition in the television sector. In 1984, if a family of 14 owned a TV set each, the company had the capacity to sell only around 7,143 televisions. However, in 2009, if each person lives separately, the company has the potential to sell a maximum of 1,00,000 televisions.

This process, though very gradual, works in the minds of individuals who watch television commercials and programmes every day. Things are worse in foreign countries, where single mothers, divorced couples, late marriages and living away from home are promoted both in advertisements and television programmes sponsored by these commercials.

As people are fed this information daily on every television channel, over a period of time they begin to believe that the concept of the family and society is changing. Not wanting to be left behind in the scheme of things, they indulge in the very behavior being promoted by the advertisements of consumer durable companies. People leave their parents to start nuclear families of their own. Divorces and single motherhood lead to fragmented families. Finally, people start living alone. The breakup of the family is complete.

Is single living and the breakdown of the family being promoted by manufacturers of television sets, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and other consumer durables in your country? What do you have to say about this issue?

Conspiracy Theories - The Emperor's New Clothes

2010-02-06T13:15:00.006+05:30

When I was a kid, my Dad gifted me the Hans Christian Anderson story book, 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. I used to think the story was really funny, but as I grew up, I realized that 'The Emperor's New Clothes' had a profound moral. You can read the full story here.

The story was about an Emperor who cares only about his looks. One day, two scoundrels pretending to be weavers promise to make him a suit from a beautiful fabric that happens to be invisible to anyone who is stupid or incompetent. The Emperor is so impressed by the weavers 'sales talk' that he hires them to make the suit. Though the Emperor cannot see the cloth himself, he pretends that he can because he does not want to appear stupid. All his ministers and court staff do the same.

When the swindlers report that the suit is finished, he pays them in gold and they pretend to dress him using mime. The Emperor then marches in procession before his subjects. A child in the crowd sees the Emperor in his underwear and shouts that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all. The child's father tells him to shut up but many others in the crowd also notice. The Emperor realizes the truth but thinks it better to continue with the procession. He thinks it is better that the public appear stupid for not being able to see the special cloth than for him to appear stupid for appearing in his underwear.

The moral of this story is:
If something does not look right, sound right or feel right to you, no matter how many authority figures claim that is is true, research the issue and think for yourself.

When applied to real life -

The Emperor = Government.
Swindler 1 = Scientists and Researchers.
Swindler 2 = Big Corporate Entities like pharmaceutical companies, seed manufacturers, military equipment makers, construction majors, oil companies and so on.
Ministers = Media.
Court Staff = Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Pressure Groups.
The Child = Me and other people who see the truth.
The Father = My family, colleagues and close friends who disbelieve.
The Public = Everyone else.

Well, here is a list of some world issues/events that did not seem right to me. Some people would consider my writings as 'conspiracy theories'. For me, these posts are just a way of thinking differently and seeing facts in a different light. I would just like you to read through them and give me your feedback -

Poisonous BT Brinjal - Genetically modified seed manufacturers are bent on getting Government approval for this badly tested product to increase their monopoly in the agricultural sector and further subjugate the Indian farmer.
Swine Flu or H1N1 Influenza Hoax - Another disease conspiracy perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies and the United Nations to generate business and bring the world out of recession.
Fake Beggars in India - Professional beggar gangs are out to cheat foreign tourists and philanthropists. Most voluntary organizations and NGO's are just an eyewash.
HIV AIDS Scam - Pharmaceutical companies have done a huge 'public relations' job to promote this fake disease with a hope to make big bucks on the sale of contraceptives, medical tests, ARV drugs and medicines to treat HIV related illnesses like Tuberculosis.
Job Advertisements - Private companies routinely advertise job vacancies in newspapers or websites to collect resumes and conduct interviews. However, they actually fill in these positions with recommended people only.
Narmada Dam - The Gujarat government is spending a lot of money on a redundant technology that has few advantages and only seeks to benefit the rich. Why?
Bird Flu or Avian Influenza Hoax - A fake disease perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies to make big profits.

Stop the BT Brinjal Poison

2010-01-30T11:45:00.007+05:30

A few years ago, I was hanging around in the newsroom of one of India's top television news channels when a senior journalist handed me a ball of what looked like dirty cotton. As I chucked the cotton away in disgust, he said that the cotton was a 'special gift' and that it was the start of a revolutionary change that would sweep the agricultural sector.

Well, that piece of dirty cotton was 'BT Cotton'. This genetically modified crop later proved disastrous to the farming community in India and was soon swept away to the farming archives. BT Cotton not only lead to lower yields, decreased soil fertility and dependence on multinational companies but also resulted in the suicides of thousands of farmers who were unable to cope with the burden of loans and crop failure.

BT Brinjal

Well, history seems to be repeating itself with government approval being given for the production of BT Brinjal. This has resulted in strong protests by farmers, environmentalists, students and so on.

BT Brinjal is a genetically modified type of brinjal. It is a strain created by India's number one seeds company Mahyco in collaboration with American multinational Monsanto. The company claims that BT Brinjal or Bacillus Thuringiensis Brinjal will be resistant to certain pests and improve yields for the farming community. However, these claims are not fully proven and the danger of introducing genetically modified food is way too great.

According to environment activists, experiments with genetically modified crops on rats have shown to be fatal for lungs and kidneys. Consumption of such foods are poisonous and it is dangerous to introduce such experimental foods into the market.
A study by French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini says the tests conducted by Mahyco, the company producing Bt brinjal, were simply not valid and raised serious health concerns.
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has shown a bias towards multinational corporations like Monsanto. Lots of money seems to have changed hands to get approval for BT Brinjal.
Indian agriculture would be threatened when such multinational corporations create a monopoly and start charging exorbitant amounts for seeds. The increased dependence on seeds on such MNC's would again lead to farmer debt and suicides.

How Do Multinational Seed Companies Really Work?

Decades ago, before the advent of multinational companies, farmers had a different system of cultivating crops. After harvest, some of the vegetable seeds or grain would be kept aside, so that they could be replanted the next season. Cow dung, vegetable waste matter and so on were used as fertilizers to provide nourishment to the crops.

For pesticides, the farmers relied on the animal food chain of insects, frogs, snakes and other farm animals. Though the yield was not very high, the whole ecosystem benefited from the hard work of the farmer. The farmer was also self sufficient and did not have to depend on big multinationals for seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.

Well, the main aim of any profitable business is to first create a unique product and then create dependence on that product and related products. With good marketing strategies and timely government approvals, this maximizes profits. In the case of multinational seed manufactures this process includes creation of a new type of genetically modified seed to ensure that their business continues to flourish.

Monsanto and Mahyco are currently in the news for their new type of genetically engineered eggplant - BT Brinjal. Though the companies claim through their marketing departments that the new type of Brinjal plant will be resistant to some pests and increase agricultural productivity, the risks seem to far outweigh the benefits -

The seeds can be used only once. The farmers cannot save seeds from the previous harvest for later use and will be dependent on Mahyco and Monsanto for more seeds in the coming years.
The fact that BT Cotton is 'pest resistant' means that small animals that comprise the food chain in agricultural areas will either die of poisoning or starvation. Many organisms that depend on each other in the food chain will become extinct. This will have an adverse environmental impact and destroy the farm ecosystem.
The production of genetically manufactured crops is known to reduce soil fertility. The amount of actinomycetes, bacteria and vital soil enzymes, necessary for healthy growth of the plant are lessened. Multinational companies hope to solve this problem of soil fertility by selling some of their related products like fertilizers and other chemicals to farmers. This will, of course, be at a high cost and only serve to increase their monopoly.
Even though the company says that the crop is 'pest resistant', it still recommends 'one or two sprays' against insect attack, which may increase depending on the intensity of pest infestation. No prizes for guessing who manufactures the recommended pesticide...
Around 2000 sheep were reported dead in India and New Zealand after grazing on post harvest BT-Cotton crops. Since humans don't consume cotton as a foodcrop, we were saved from experiencing adverse side effects to our health and long term poisoning deaths.
As BT Brinjal is an edible foodstuff consumed by poor people all over India, it is necessary to make sure that the food is safe. This will stop health problems from happening and reduce dependence on pharma companies for medicines.

The advantages of genetically modified crops trumpeted by multinational companies is today an outdated concept. Organic farming is the new buzzword. This type of farming relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests. It excludes or strictly limits the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives and genetically modified organisms.

Organic farming is downright cheap when it comes to agricultural inputs, healthy and protects the farm biodiversity. Farmers are also not dependent on multinational seeds, pesticide and fertilizer companies and their monopolies. Instead of giving approval to 'faltu' improperly tested genetically modified crops such as BT Brinjal, the Government should concentrate on promoting environmentally safe and healthy techniques of cultivating crops such as Organic Farming.

Have you read about the BT Brinjal controversy? What are your views on this issue?

Job and Office Tips

2010-01-29T20:16:00.004+05:30

Over the years, I have written a number of posts offering tips to people about jobs and office issues. Here is a handy list of these articles.

Income Tax

Job Hunting

Other Issues

Income Tax Slabs India - 2010

2010-01-21T18:54:00.004+05:30

When the Interim Budget for India was announced last year on February 28th, 2009, the Finance Minister had stated that the Income Tax slabs in India remained unchanged. However, after the Lok Sabha Elections, a new Budget was presented in July, 2009 by the Finance Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. According to this budget, the new income tax slabs India were raised by Rs. 10,000 for men and women and by Rs. 15,000 for Senior Citizens.

Here are some more details about the TDS rates in India, with special reference to the tax slab for women and the tax slab for senior citizens.

Income Tax Slab 1 - Zero Tax
Male salaried individuals have to pay zero tax if their net taxable income is Rs.1,60,000 and below. For women the limit is Rs. 1,90,000 while for senior citizens the zero taxation limit is Rs. 2,40,000. According to the income tax dept, only men and women who are 65 years of age and above are considered to be senior citizens. By investing in the most optimum tax saving schemes and using salary allowances, it is possible to bring down both high incomes and tds rates.

Income Tax Slab 2 - Ten Percent Tax
People earning between Rs. 1,60,001 to 3,00,000 fall in this category. Men have to pay 10 percent of the amount greater than Rs. 1,60,000 while women have to pay 10 percent of the amount between Rs. 1,90,001 and Rs. 3,00,000. Senior Citizens pay income tax TDS rates at 10 percent of the amount between 2,40,000 and Rs. 3 lakhs.

Income Tax Slab 3 - Twenty Percent Tax
Indian Citizens earning between Rs. 3,00,001 to 5,00,000 have to pay this income tax rate TDS. In this bracket, salaried men have to pay Rs 14,000 plus 20 percent of the amount between Rs. 3,00,000 and Rs. 5,00,000. The tax slab for women says that women pay Rs. 11,000 + 20 percent of the amount between Rs. 3 - 5 lakhs while senior citizens pay Rs. 6,000 plus 20 percent of the amount between Rs. 3 - 5 lakhs.

Income Tax Slab 4 - Thirty Percent Tax
All TDS India citizens who earn a salary of above Rs. 5,00,000 fall in this category. Men have to pay Rs.54,000 plus 30 percent of the amount greater than Rs. 5,00,000. Women salaried taxpayers have to pay Rs. 51,000 + 30 % of the income more than Rs. 5,00,000 while for senior citizens, the TDS rate is Rs. 46,000 plus 30 percent of the income above Rs.5 lakhs.

Education Cess - In addition to the income tax calculated according to the above income tax TDS rates, a 3% Education Cess will also be charged on the total Income tax paid (not on the total taxable income). If your taxable income exceeds Rs. 10 lacs, a 10% surcharge on the total income tax (not on the total taxable income) is also charged.

These are the current income tax slabs and rates for the financial year April 2009 - March 2010. This year the Annual Budget is expected to be announced a bit earlier than usual on 26th February, because the 27th and 28th are the National Holidays of Eid-e-Milad and Holi.

What with the recession and no increments, it is hoped that the Income Tax Dept and the Finance Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee makes our tax burden lighter by introducing a new system of tds rates, tax slabs, investment and expense deductions that reduces the income tax payable for salaried individuals in India even further.

Some More Articles about Saving Income Tax in India -

- Calculating Taxable Income for Saving Tax
- Best Tax Saving Investments For Deduction
- Your Family As A Tax Saving Strategy
- Filing Late Income Tax Returns

Cold Delhi Weather

2010-01-18T19:49:00.005+05:30

This year we are facing a really harsh winter in New Delhi. I don't remember it ever being this cold in New Delhi. For the past three weeks we have been having icy cold day temperatures, with a maximum of around 12 to 18 degrees Celsius per day and an average daytime temperature of 10 degrees Celsius.

On checking the weather report given out by the Regional Meteorological Centre of Delhi, I have seen that the Delhi area is divided into 6 sections - Delhi Ridge, Safdarjung Airport, Lodhi Road, Palam Airport, Gurgaon and Ayanagar. There are also two additional areas - Hindon and Rohtak. Through the Delhi temperature maps available on their website, I have noticed two things -

The maximum temperature is usually the highest in the South Delhi area of Ayanagar. It grows colder the more north you travel.
The minimum temperature is usually the highest in the North Delhi area of Rohini. It grows positively colder in the nights the more south you travel.

Adding to the discomfort caused by the Delhi cold is the fog and icy cold winds. The fog causes clothes to get damp and the icy cold winds blow through this dampness creating an unbelievably cold effect.

It is really great that the Shiela Dixit Government announced that schools would be closed during this cold Delhi winter. I remember when I was in school, how we used to suffer coming to school in the extreme cold conditions. We had to reach school at 7.30 am. Today, when I wake up everyday at around 9.30, I can't imagine how we managed through the cold back then.

When I think of the homeless people out in the cold, I feel really bad I can't do anything. I have really no idea what to do or what can be done, other than contributing cash to my local religious charity. Lots of people have lost their lives in the current cold wave running in North India. I was really saddened to read in the newspaper that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi demolished some night shelters for some faltu bureaucratic reason.

On the other hand, some schools of New Delhi have opened their doors to homeless people during the nights. It is good of the Principals of these schools to make use of their facilities to help out the homeless people who have nowhere to go. The homeless people have a cup of tea and leave in the mornings by around 7.00 am. The classrooms or sports halls where the homeless have rested are then cleaned before the school kids arrive, in case it is a school day.

Well, this is how cold the Delhi weather was this winter. How is the weather where you are? Do you think these weather changes could have anything to do with environmental reasons?

Main Attractions at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010

2010-01-10T19:23:00.001+05:30

Like all Delhiites, I simply had to check out the 10th Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan. The Auto Expo is an exhibition of automobiles, machines and auto accessories held in New Delhi, India once every two years. This year, the entry ticket was priced at Rs. 200 per head. Well, here is a list of some of the main attractions at the Delhi Auto Expo, 2010.

1. Valentino Rossi - Yeah, he visited the Yamaha Pavillion at the Auto Expo. We were circling the place, trying to get a glimpse of the nine time MotoGP World Champion, but were not lucky enough.

2. Suzuki Hayabusa - The Suzuki Hayabusa was displayed in the Maruti Suzuki stall, away from the thronging crowds.The blue and white Suzuki Hayabusa, though not as cool looking as the red Hayabusa, was still quite dazzling.

3. Water Fountain at Honda Stall - The water fountain at the Honda Stall that formed pictures of people and logos as water droplets fell, was one of the most talked about items seen at the Delhi Auto Expo 2010. Have never seen anything like it before.

4. BMW Stall - Yeah it looked cool, but what was cooler still was the free 2010 wallet calendars that were being distributed by the Sales staff. BMW was perhaps the only foreign car stall where ladies and kids were allowed to walk in the car display area for a closer look at the car. Plus, I liked the blue BMW convertible priced at Rs. 64 lakhs.

5. Jaguar - This sleek black Jaguar car was really sexy. I'd love to own one of these. The Jaguar logo looks like my cat's reaction when he sees a pigeon at the window. I really like stuff related to cats and I really liked this black Jaguar car too.

6. Tiranga Bike - This orange, white and green coloured Harley Davidson Fatboy bike was something all bike enthusiasts found very eye catching. The tiranga Harley Davidson motorcycle was priced at Rs.18 lakhs.

7. Cycle Rickshaw - Yeah, after walking around for ages in Pragati Maidan, these cycle rickshaws were the cleanest and most comfortable thing to sit on. One of the few vehicles in which people were allowed and located away from the freezing cold winds, these cycle rickshaws provided much needed relief to my aching feet.

8. Continental Car - Located far back in a pavillion filled with stalls displaying boring car interior parts, chassis, wheels and so on, was the Continental Idol car. This car was the only car that you could calmly touch without being chased off by security, plus it looked cool too!!

Did you go for the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo? Which cars did you like the best?

Happy New Year 2010

2009-12-31T18:54:00.003+05:30

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day".

Hi Everybody,

This year has passed real fast!!

I wish to thank all my blog readers for their comments and well wishes. I hope to write more informative and interesting posts in the coming year ahead!!

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous 2010!!

Bollywood Movie Reviews of 2009

2009-12-30T19:31:00.001+05:30

Well, this year I watched many Bollywood films but did not find time to post detailed reviews of all of them. Here are reviews of the movies I've seen and haven't posted as yet.

Paa - 0.5/10 - Drama - Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Abhishek Bachchan. This movie was real boring from the time the opening credits rolled. I kept fast forwarding to get to the 'good' parts, but there were'nt any. No amount of film promotion could make this dud, promoted by the Bachchan family even a reasonable hit. The story of the film was long drawn and filled with holes. Just how can a 12 year old boy with progeria be more than 6 feet tall??

De Dana Dan - 1/10 - Romantic Comedy - starring Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Sunil Shetty. This movie was total crap. From a simple story of dognapping, the script changed to a confusing mishmash of unrelated scenes and songs. Also, those pregnant - arranged marriage - dahej dowry scenes were so low and uncouth...typical Akshay Kumar flick!!

Aao Wish Karein - 7/10 - Fantasy - starring Aftab Shivdasani and Aamna Sharief. This film had a simple but genuine story and was actually quite funny. The character actors complimented the main actors and the overall performance was quite good. The film moved at a good pace and was well directed. If 'Aao Wish Karein' had been promoted by the producers, it would have actually done well at the box office.

Tum Mile - 3/10 - Disaster Drama - starring Emraan Hashmi and Soha Ali Khan - This movie is a slow paced movie about the Mumbai floods and how it brings together a couple that had once broken up. The songs were good...the rest was too slow paced and filled with confusing flashbacks.

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani - 5/10 - Romantic Comedy - starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. This was an OK film, good timepass, but nothing great about this romantic comedy. Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif really suit each other and make a good pair...sorry Salman!! Songs were good. However, the stereotypical references to the Christian community were in bad taste.

London Dreams - 4/10 - Musical Drama - starring Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Asin. This movie is about the competition between two lead singers in a rock band. The story resembled the life of Robbie Williams of Take That fame, a popular music star who got tied down by drugs and almost ruined his career. 'London Dreams' was very badly cast - neither Salman Khan nor Ajay Devgan suited the role of singers. Being a musical, I expected the songs to be much better, but none of the tunes were even remotely hummable. Script was also poor and Salman was doing too much overacting.

Wake Up Sid - 2/10 - Drama Romance - starring Konkona 'Ugly' Sen Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor. The film is about a young handsome guy in love with an older ugly woman. The movie was too boring for me to watch till the end, I just could not get the script. Ranbir's acting was good. Tell me, if a younger guy falls in love with an older woman, why do they always have to show her as being so unattractive??

Wanted - 5/10 - Action - starring Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia. Salman plays an undercover cop, Radhey, masquerading as a hitman. He is attracted to a local call centre executive who is being stalked by a high ranking police officer. The movie is fast paced and the action sequences are unbelievable. The songs are good, but the jokes suck and the script has lots of holes. The most irritating part was Vinod Khanna's outburst in the end that blew his son's cover. Anyway, undercover or not, only dirty cops go around shooting so many people!!

Life Partner - 1/10 - Drama Comedy - starring Govinda, Fardeen Khan and Genelia D'souza. Oh, this movie was so irritating...too much shouting and screaming!! It is all about the drama of love marriage vs arranged marriage vs divorce. Somehow, I can't believe people actually divorce or even think of divorce for such flimsy reasons...but maybe I am too naive!! Genelia is full of helium and the wrong expressions and the 'Kuke Kuke' song is like nails being scratched on a blackboard!

Love Aaj Kal - 3/10- Romance - starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Giselle Monteiro. This is a fall in love and elope movie. Saif Ali Khan continues showcasing his two expressions in this film - Saif with fake smile and Saif with no smile!! They had to cast a foreigner in the role of the shy Punjabi girl Harleen, because, hey, there are no shy demure Punjabi girls !! This movie is another of those lame movies that show that stalking or following a girl is good and that girls like it...oh so untrue...a real Punjabi girl would have slapped the shit out of Saif Ali Khan's Sardar character for doing something like that!!

Kambakkth Ishq - 0.5/10 - Comedy - starring Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Amrita Arora and Aftab Shivdasani. This was a really cheap, raunchy, characterless romantic comedy that showed that neither the hero nor the heroine had any ethics...plus there was too much screaming and shouting...I am giving it a 0.5 out of pure pity!! The moral of the story is - You are cool if you have numerous affairs with girls from other communities, but for marriage, choose someone of your own community, even if she is a raving bitch!! Akshay Kumar is such a sleazeball...mistreating women!! Really, when I watch such films, with Punjabi's/North Indians as lead characters, I begin to feel that they have no morals, manners, character or chivalry... else why do these films become a hit!!

Luck by Chance - 1/10 - Drama - starring Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma. A very boring, slow paced movie about a struggling actor, Luck by Chance was simply not watchable. Farhan 'Acne' Akhtar should just stay away from acting...he just does not have it in him.

This year there were a lot of films, in which a person changes their mind on their wedding day and marries someone else. I, for one, can never think of ever doing such a thing. Do people really consider eloping with someone else on their wedding day romantic?? Also, the theme of divorce was quite common. What is happening to our society? Are the values of Indians really changing?

Did you watch any of these films?? How would you rate them??

Delhi Match of India and Sri Lanka Abandoned

2009-12-28T12:52:00.000+05:30

Well, it was a nice sunny day and we had managed to get Club house passes for the last one day match between India and Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi. The match was scheduled to start at 9.00 am and spectators were requested to take their seats starting from 8.00 am. Since it was a bit cold in the morning, we arrived at around 10.00 am at the gates of the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds.

Security was really strict at the entry gates. The female security staff at the gates did not allow us to take our purses inside. They told us that we could keep only our mobiles and cash, but had to leave our handbags in the car. They said that there was a very strict security threat from some terrorists and that the orders had come from the highest level.

At first, we thought that they would allow us with our purses in after some begging and excuses, since purses were allowed at the India - Australia match, held around one month ago. However, they were too strict and all women with purses were turned away. Soon we saw Ajay Jadeja and his 5 year old son being frisked by the security. Realizing that the security was way too strict, we called our Dad and had him pick up our purses. We were also told by the security that exit and re-entry would not be allowed during this match.

Well, we managed to enter the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium at around 10.30 am. Half the seats in our section were empty and we easily got seats. We cheered when a couple of wickets fell and I was lucky to be looking at the ground when India got an amazing run out. The score at that time was around 60/3. I saw Zaheer Khan fielding at the boundary, Dhoni with his No.7 shirt, Harbhajan Singh with his turban, Jayasuriya coming in to bat and Sehwag with his white hat. The other players could not be made out from the distance.

The food in the stands was quite expensive. A packet of chips with an MRP of Rs. 20 was being sold for Rs. 40. When we questioned the chips seller, he gave a flimsy excuse of ' rent having to be paid for his stall'. Momos cost Rs. 80 for a plate of 6 momos. Well, just as we ordered the food and settled in to watch the match, we realized that something was up.

The players were sitting about on the field, some of them doing stretches. At first we thought that maybe there was a tea break for refreshments. Seeing no refreshment cart on the field and it being only the 23rd over, we guessed that something was wrong. We phoned home and Dad told us that it was on TV that the match was abandoned due to 'unfit playing conditions' and that media persons were saying that the pitch was bad.

At the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium no announcement was made of that sort. Members of both teams and the umpires walked off the field. A message flashed on the big action replay screen that 'play had been suspended'. Many people expected that play would soon be resumed. We decided to wait around for some time. A message informing not to indulge in racist, ethnic or religious comments against players or spectators kept scrolling on the big action replay screen.

Very soon, people lost their patience and the first few bottles of water were hurled on to the ground. Confetti of torn 6 and 4 signs began falling from the higher stands. Chants of 'haay haay' went up. Next to go were the white seat covers from the stands that had cushions. People twirled the white seat covers around their heads a-la Saurav Ganguly at the Oval Test match. Then, people began hurling the red cushions from the Club house seats. Lastly, people in the cheap yellow seats became so angry that they had nothing to throw on the pitch that they tore off the yellow seats and began throwing the dangerous missiles. Corporate signs were also torn down. All hell broke loose and the cops charged soon charged the unruly crowd with lathis.

We decided to wait a few minutes till the disturbing scene cleared up and then exit the stadium. After nearly an hour, an announcement was made saying that the tickets would be refunded. I don't think this would have made much difference to the unruly crowd as most of them have bought complimentary passes in black. As these complimentary passes are non refundable, they will not recover any money. Also, many have been betting, so they must have lost a lot of cash there too. Outside, the spectators caused a traffic nightmare, picketing on the road and shouting slogans. No one was sure why the match was canceled and people suspected the official reason of the 'pitch being bad' was untrue.

We took an auto rickshaw back home. The auto driver told us that the official reason being given was 'bad pitch' but the real reason at the ground level was something quite different. He said the police had received a serious threat of 'Philistini' terrorists wanting to attack the crowds at the cricket match in Delhi. It had also been reported in the newspaper that the police had some information about a planned 26/11 style terrorist attack in some crowded place. As the Sri Lankan team had already been seriously attacked in Lahore earlier this year, the venue was deemed to be 'unsafe' and it was decided not to take the risk of continuing to play the match.

Well, I have no idea why terrorists could be after the Sri Lankan team or what are the relations between Sri Lanka and Palestine, but here are some thoughts to mull over -

1. The match was called off after the 23rd over. If the pitch was really unplayable or dangerous, it would have been noticed in the first two overs itself and the match abandoned. The other match that was abandoned in India - the Indore match between India and Sri Lanka was called off after the second over, after Sri Lanka complained.

2. If the pitch was really bad, it could have been discovered a week ago, a day ago or earlier in the morning. Why was it's 'unplayable condition' suddenly discovered in the middle of the match. Surely, it was tested after being relaid ???

3. There was no rainy weather or dew to spoil the conditions of the ground. It was bright and sunny.

4. It is a fact that matches at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds are low scoring and the ball keeps low. In most matches, it is expected that some balls bounce extra high and some keep really low.

5. Chetan Chauhan said, "Sri Lanka were at 83 for five and that's why they backed out, it was the Sri Lankans who chickened out. I agree this was not ideal for international matches but this was neither unplayable or dangerous."

6. Why was there such strict security checks?

7. Why did it take the umpires and match referees so long to declare that the match was abandoned? Why was no immediate specific reason given?

8. Match referee Alan Hurst labelled the Feroz Shah Kotla ground 'unfit' in his post-match report. He made no mention of dangerous pitch conditions.

Well, what do you think???

Avatar - Movie Review

2009-12-27T19:59:00.000+05:30

I heard really great Avatar movie reviews from my friends and decided to watch it in a movie theatre. I had seen movie posters of blue characters from the film and though I really dislike blue characters, especially if they are in a main role, there was nothing better to watch or do. Well, here is my Avatar movie review.

Avatar - 6.5/10 - Science Fiction - starring Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana and other blue people. Other than Sigourney Weaver, the names of the other actors were totally unfamiliar.

Avatar is about the people of earth wanting to exploit the mineral resources of a far away alien moon called Pandora. In the movie, a lame soldier, Jake, is sent to Pandora to help the 'Corporation' tame and relocate the blue indigenous tribe called the Na'vi. Through a new technology, they are able to transfer Jake's soul into the body of a member of the blue indigenous tribe, so that he can make friends with them. The Corporation actually wishes to mine the natural resources of this planet. Unfortunately, the natural resources rest under a 'sacred tree' that the Na'vi worship and will never destroy. This leads to war and strife.

The Avatar animation and special effects were too good. I also liked the locales where the movie was filmed. The script was a bit too common and predictable. Acting was OK.

Avatar was banned in some cities of China as some commentators found a political resonance in the film's story, comparing them to Chinese citizens fighting to protect their property from the government and developers. I also found the Avatar story a bit political, comparing it to the exploitative policies and wars of the East India Company's colonial government in India or the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan for oil.

Did you watch the Avatar movie? Did you feel that the movie had political undertones?

Isha Koppikar Timmy Narang Wedding

2009-11-27T14:51:00.004+05:30

The bride is Isha Koppikar (spelt Ishaa, Eesha, Eisha, Esha and Koppikhar on different occasions). She is a model and Bollywood actress. Her family is of Mangalorean origin and her mother tongue is Konkani. Eesha Koppikhar was born and educated in Mumbai, India and has one younger brother.

The groom is restaurateur Timmy Narang who owns Lush Grill and Lounge in the Phoenix Mills Compound of Lowel Parel. He once dated Aussie model Tania Zaetta. Isha Koppikar was introduced to Timmy Narang by common friends Preity Zinta and Lina Mogre.

Both Isha Koppikar's parents and Jimmy Narang's family are said to be very happy with the match. After the marriage ceremony, the couple is expected to fly to California or Australia for their honeymoon.

Isha Koppikar Engagement

The Isha Koppikar Timmy Narang engagement was held on the 24th of November, 2009, when they exchanged rings at the Narang House in Mumbai.

Isha Koppikar is wearing a lehenga choli designed by fashion designer Anita Dongre. The wedding is scheduled to take place on November 29th.

Isha Koppikar Pre Wedding Party

The celebrations for the Isha Koppikar -Timmy Narang wedding began with a pre-wedding party thrown by the Timmy’s sister, Ramona. The party was themed on the popular doll couple, Ken and Barbie, with guests dressed like the dolls characters.

The pre wedding bash was held at the Narang Bungalow at Pali hill in Mumbai. Eesha Koppikhar was dressed in a cream gown designed by Ashley Rebello. Some of the guests were Gul Panag, Shehnaz Treasurywala and other socialites.

Isha Koppikar Sangeet

The sangeet for the Isha Koppikar Timmy Narang wedding was held at posh Mayfair Rooms located in Worli, Mumbai.

Isha Koppikar Marriage

The marriage ceremony held in a simple manner at the ISKCON temple in Juhu. It was held in the traditional Maharashtra style and was attended only by close friends and family.

The marriage ceremony reportedly lasted for about four hours. and since the auspicious time scheduled for the wedding was 11am, it was a daytime wedding. A temple official has said “They brought their own priest and we just provided the hall and the food. They had a booking here from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

Isha Koppikar Reception

The reception party was held on the night of 29th November at Timmy Narang's Hill House.

Actors such as Prem Chopra, Manoj Kumar, Chunky Pandey, Tulip Joshi and Celina Jaitley attended the reception of Isha Koppikar. The couple then headed to the Caribbean for their honeymoon.

Other Celebrity Marriages

India International Trade Fair, Delhi - 2009

2009-11-26T15:49:00.002+05:30

The India International Trade Fair or IITF is an annual business exhibition in Delhi where various Foreign Countries, Indian States and Government Departments showcase their products, achievements and services. In 2009, the 29th edition of the Trade Fair is being held from 14th to 27th November at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. After hearing about the mouth watering kababs available at the Pakistani food stall, I took a day off from work to check out the Trade Fair. Well, here is a list of the stalls which I visited, the things I saw and the items I bought (after bargaining).

We took an autorickshaw to Pragati Maidan because we did not want to risk our pockets being picked by the large crowds thronging the metro trains. After getting off, we walked a bit to Gate No.2 near Purana Quila to purchase the tickets. On weekdays the ticket price is Rs.30 for adults. Security was cool - no long lines or such hassles here.

Uttaranchal - After entering from Gate No.2, the first pavillion we saw at the India International Trade Fair was that of Uttaranchal State. Here, some figures dressed in skisuits and skis were displayed by the Toursim Department. Other things being sold were some shawls, sweaters and some awful local looking clothes. We quickly disappeared from here.

Consumer Goods Stall - Well, this is the stall that sells cleaning equipment, home furnishings, home appliances and so on. Here we bought a plastic broom for Rs. 90 and a carpet cleaner for Rs. 40. We did not bargain, coz my friend was in dreamland at that moment. I also checked the prices of some goods I had bought recently to see if they were less expensive at the Trade Fair or more. I was amazed to find that the price difference was shocking. Just last week I had bought some branded pillows from Paharganj for Rs.100 each, which were priced at Rs.300 here.

Khadi and Rural Industries Stall - I like to wear khadi stuff, so a visit here was definite. We saw lots of khadi sarees, suit pieces, bags etc. There were also rural footwear, pickles, honey and other cottage industry products on sale. I had a Buran drink for Rs.10. Buran is a drink made from the red Rhododendron flower in Himachal Pradesh. I really liked the taste of the Buran drink and bought a bottle of Burani squash for Rs. 70.

Indian Food Court - We searched all over for the Pakistani food stall at the India International Trade Fair. Unable to find it and tired after all that walking, we settled for the Hyderabadi Biryani at the Andhra Pradesh stall in the Indian Food Court. It was just not worth it. At the cost of Rs. 140 per plate, the rice was really salty, chicken was tasteless and the chutney was watery. The portions were also small - A definite embarrassment to the real Hyderabadi Biryani.

The International Pavillion is the main draw at the India International Trade Fair in Delhi. With something in our stomachs, we walked on to the foreign stalls at the International Pavillion 12 A and 12 B at Pragati Maidan. There was a really long line to enter it. Breaking the line like normal Delhiites, we were caught in a large crowd of line breakers trying to push through a police rope and steel barricades. Escaping from a stampede like situation, we rejoined the queue, now fast moving and entered the foreign pavillion, which was less crowded owing to the police restrictions on entry. My budget was to buy one thing from each country, spending not more than Rs.1000 in total.

Malaysia - There were many stalls selling precious stones, jewellery and flowers, just like Thailand. I bought one paper folding fan for Rs.50 from one of the stalls here and also a fruity smelling soap for Rs.10.

Vietnam - I happened to find some of the cute Qipao dresses I was always looking for here. Also known as cheongsam, these Qipao dresses are traditional Chinese dresses made popular by Hollywood movies. I bargained and bought one Qipao blouse for only Rs.350. The material was good and the fit was exact - now this is what you call a good bargain.

Pakistan - There was lots of choice in women's clothing here. The saris and suit materials at the Trade Fair were really beautiful. There was also a stall of chappals that looked really nice. However, each pair of chappals was priced at Rs.500, so I had to let it go. I finally bought Shan Biryani Masala, which was available at Rs.100 for three packets.

Indonesia - The Indonesia stall was relatively empty. I bought one colourful wooden cat for Rs.50 from here.

Thailand - There was a large number of stalls from Thailand. Even more than that of Pakistan. Most were selling jewellery, plastic flowers and handicrafts. I bought a packet of scented elephant candles and incense sticks for Rs.50.

Turkey - The stalls from Turkey were selling crystal artifacts, jewellery and nazar keychains, bracelets and wall hangings. I bought one blue nazar (evil eye) keychain for my brother and one nazar bracelet for myself. The total cost was Rs.200.

Of the other stalls that I noticed - The Afghanistan stalls had items such as saffron, dry fruits, nuts, carpets, embroidered purses and kurtas. The United Kingdom stall had silver cutlery and tea sets. The Egypt stall had leather wallets, items and papyrus paintings. Bangladesh had lots of sarees, embroidered artifacts and cloth dolls. I still had Rs.190 left, but could not find anything suitable to buy in that price range.

After exiting the foreign pavillion at IITF, we managed to find the Pakistani Food Court. It was called Warsi Foods and was right opposite the Defence Pavillion. We had a plate of Chicken Malai Tikka (6 pieces for Rs.90). It was really delicious, especially the pudina chutney, and worth spending the time searching for.

The last stall we visited at the India International Trade Fair, 2009 was Maharashtra. Just as we entered the pavilion, we realized that we had to climb a large flight of stairs to view the displays. Already tired, we quickly exited and decided to go home. It was a good day of shopping and I managed to get some great bargains. Did you visit the 2009 Trade Fair in Delhi? How was your experience and what did you purchase?

Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra Wedding

2009-11-14T18:07:00.006+05:30

Another celebrity has tied the knot. For all those who wish to know more about the Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra wedding and view the latest photos, please read on. Here are the latest photographs, information and images of the various marriage ceremonies...

About the Bride and Groom

The bride is Shilpa Shetty, a 34 year old Bollywood actress and model. This Cancerian was born in the Konkan town of Mangalore, Karnataka and hails from the traditional Bunt community. She was educated in Mumbai and stands at 5'9"in height. Her parents are Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, who have a medicine bottle cap manufacturing business. Shilpa Shetty has one younger sister, Shamita, 29 years, who is also a Bollywood actress.

The groom is Raj Kundra, a 30 year old millionaire businessman from the United Kingdom. He is supposedly divorced from his first wife Kavita and has a two year old daughter. Raj is a dropout who started a fashion company called RK Collections Ltd at the age of 21 years. He is an associate owner of London based company UK Tradecorp and is also a film financier. He has said that he was introduced to Shilpa in April 2007, by her manager Farhath Hussain, with a proposal to launch a perfume with her. Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra are also co-owners of the Indian Premier League cricket team 'Rajasthan Royals' and a food chain in the United Kingdom.

Here are some Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra wedding photos and information about the various Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra marriage ceremonies.

Shilpa Shetty Reception

Shilpa Shetty’s wedding reception was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai on the 24th of November, 2009. She was wearing a sexy lehenga choli in gold, designed by Tarun Tahiliani for the occasion. Her inlaws were present at the reception. Some of the invitees at Shilpa Shetty's reception were Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Rekha, Karan Johar, Sameera Reddy, Kangana Ranaut, Rani Mukherjee, Juhi Chawla and Raveena Tandon.

Others who attended were businessman Vijay Mallya, Ness Wadia, cricketer Shane Warne and popstar Jermaine Jackson. Her ex boyfriend Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle were not invited for obvious reasons. Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra will now be flying to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

Shilpa Shetty Wedding Ceremony

Shilpa Shetty married Raj Kundra in a lavish ceremony in Khandala on November 22. The function was held at as a traditional Mangalorean ceremony at businesswoman Kiran Bawa's villa in Khandala, located about 100 kms from Mumbai. Only close friends and family were invited for the Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra marriage function. This included guests such as Sunny Deol, Suneil Shetty, Jackky Bhagnani and his father film producer Vasu Bhagnani.

Raj Kundra arrived at the wedding venue in a silver chariot drawn by two horses. He was dressed like a traditional Punjabi groom, wearing a turban and carrying a sword. Raj Kundra's sherwani was maroon with golden embroidery designed by Shantanu and Nikhil. His sehra was a string of pearls. Shilpa Shetty was dressed like a traditional Manglorean bride in a burgundy and red saree, embellished with Swarovsky crystals, designed by Tarun Tahiliani. However, she was wearing chuda bangles like a Punjabi bride.

The Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra marriage rituals was a combination of Mangalorean and Punjabi traditions, with the wedding vows being exchanged according to South Indian tradition while the pre-wedding rituals like mehendi and sangeet were conducted as per Punjabi tradition. The reception is scheduled to be held in Mumbai on November 24 with another reception in London.

Shilpa Shetty Mehendi and Sangeet

Shilpa Shetty's Mehendi and Sangeet ceremony for her wedding were held at Bawa Cottage in Khandala on Saturday, the 21st of November, 2009. The Sangeet ceremony of Shilpa Shetty was choreographed by Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Hegde. It was attended by the groom Raj Kundra, Shilpa's sister Shamita Shetty, mother Sunanda Shetty, hostess Kiran Bawa, punjabi singer Daler Mahendi, newcomer Jackie Bhagnani and others. The Mehendi ceremony was held in the morning of the same day. This photograph shows Shilpa showing off her Mehendi design as she arrives to attend the Sangeet ceremony with her mom Sunanda.

Shilpa Shetty Wedding Card

The wedding card for the Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra marriage was designed by Delhi Designer Ravish Kapoor and is estimated to cost around Rs. 500 each.

Only close family members and friends have been invited for the Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra wedding, scheduled to be held on 22nd November. Around 1000 invitations have been sent for the reception. The envelope is in gold with Shilpa and Raj's initials entwined with a gold crest and ribbon. The front panel of the card, covered with images of Ganesha, has a compartment of sweets for the invitee.

Shilpa Shetty Engagement

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty got engaged on Saturday, October 24th 2009. The venue was Raj Kundra's apartment in Juhu, Mumbai.

The Shilpa Shetty Raj Kundra engagement ceremony was attended by Shilpa's parents and Raj Kundra's parents, who had flown down to Mumbai from England. Her sister Shamita could not attend as she was locked up in the 'Big Boss' reality show house. Shilpa Shetty's engagement saree was designed by Manish Malhotra. Check out her huge diamond ring in the above photo.

Other Celebrity Marriages

Moti Mahal Daryaganj - Restaurant Review

2009-09-28T15:54:00.000+05:30

Last week, while I was searching for coins for my coin collection hobby in Daryaganj, I came across the legendary Moti Mahal Restaurant. This restaurant is located near Golcha Cinema on Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg in Daryaganj. It was established soon after India's Independence in 1947 and has been frequented by many political leaders of that time such as Jawaharlal Nehru.

The original owners of Moti Mahal Daryaganj are supposed to have introduced Peshawari tandoori cuisine to India, when they arrived during Partition with a group of tandoori cooks. This restaurant is also known to have invented 'Butter Chicken'. I have heard a lot about Moti Mahal Daryaganj from my father, so I thought I'd give it a try. Here is my review -

Moti Mahal Restaurant, Daryaganj

Food - 4/5 - The food was rich and lip smacking. Portions were medium sized and the cost was reasonable. We ordered for Chicken Nargesi, Punjabi Murg, 3 Nans and 3 Parathas and the bill came to about Rs.670.

Service - 3/5 - The waiters at Moti Mahal Daryaganj were dressed in peach pathani kurta pajamas and coffee waistcoats.Tables were set with salmon pink serviettes in the western style. The service was quick and the waiters were polite and non-intrusive.

Decor - 1/5 - Since we had arrived for an early lunch, the garden courtyard section was closed and we were seated in the inside AC section. This section has tables for more than 70 customers. The interior of the restaurant took us back to 1947. The pink painted walls and the glass lamps fitted with brash florescent bulbs gave the restaurant a dull look. I noticed pictures/symbols of all religions except Christianity on the sinking wall behind the reception area.

Ambiance - 3/5 - A stereo system was playing Hindi film songs such as 'Tujme Rab Dikhta He' from Shahrukh Khan starrer 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' softly. Customers were having quiet polite conversation and there was not much noise in the restaurant, which is great for having a good conversation.

Clientele - As I had visited the place for an early lunch on a Sunday, the restaurant was only just beginning to fill up. Most of the people seated were upper middle class folks in the age group of 50 years and older. The few young people at the restaurant were accompanying their parents.

I have visited other Moti Mahal Restaurants in Delhi and thought that these restaurants may be branches or franchisees of this restaurant. However, the menu offered by the waiter clearly mentioned that this restaurant had 'no branches'. If you are looking for amazing food at a reasonable price and are not bothered about what the restaurant looks like, then Moti Mahal Daryaganj is the place to dine.

Have you eaten out at Moti Mahal, Daryaganj? What was your experience like?

Difficult Wife and Domestic Quarrels - Advice on Relationships

2009-08-30T18:45:00.005+05:30

In recent years, many Indian men and women, who have traditionally had arranged marriages, have decided to pursue their dreams and marry the person they love. Like arranged marriages, love marriages also have their set of joys and problems.

Most of my friends have said that I am a pretty good advice giver on such issues, so I have decided to post my experiences and advice on this blog, so that others may also benefit. Anyone who wishes to add other advice and solutions to the discussed marital problems, may post their views in the comment section.

Difficult Wife

Mr.X married Miss.Y two years ago. After marriage, domestic fights began with her in laws and the wife could not manage with the husband's family. The wife wanted to live separately and soon after the couple shifted to a separate house in the same neighborhood. The wife does not like the husband to visit or speak to his family and continues to squabble if he does so. She also objects to the amount of money he gives his family. He says he fulfills every need of this wife and there is no 'money problem' from his side.

Mr.X admits his wife has no contact with her family since she married him. He also says that his family members, mostly his mother, have said 'bitter' words to her on some occasions. Both are well educated. The quarrels are intolerable and he needs help. What should he do?

My Solution

The main reason for such a marital situation is the fact that the wife is missing her family members and is not able to express it in the right way. Even though both the husband and wife may have initially married against their family's wishes - right now, the husband still has contact with his family while the wife has not spoken to her family for two years. This must be making the wife slightly jealous and sad that she got the worse off deal, family-wise, from the love marriage.

It may be noticed that these marital squabbles usually happen around major festivals or birthdays of the wife's family members. This is when Miss Y may reminisce about the happy times she had with her parents and siblings. She may miss them a lot and be unable to tell her husband of her feelings.

The solution to this marital problem is for the husband to somehow get her to contact her family. This can be done through email, ecards, sms, phone calls, letters and so on. The husband should either tell her to contact them or if she is too scared, he should contact them himself. Her family must be missing her too and not phoning her because they may be scared of her reaction. However, someone has to make a start and be the first person to call. If her family is rude and hangs up, don't worry.... call them again after two or three weeks...and don't give up.

In such a marital scenario, both husband and wife must forget their ego. Remember, you are much greater if you make relationships than if you break them.

Dealing with Money Issues and the 'Mother'

The things the wife wants most from her husband, is his TIME, CARE and SUPPORT. If a husband is unable to offer quality time during which regular conversation takes place and he appreciates and compliments her, then the wife will demand material thing like movie tickets, restaurant dinner, jewellery, money etc. In reality, she just wants her husband's attention and not his money. Example: She does not really want to see a movie, she wants her husband to spend time with her by taking her out for a movie and have a conversation with her, like when they were dating.

The wife needs her husbands support. She left everything for her husband when she chose to marry him, so he must remember that he is the only person she has and trusts. A husband can show his support by coming to her aid when his family says 'bitter' things about her. Don't ever tell her to ignore it, saying that your family has always been like this and to bear the 'bitter' comments in silence. Mr.X may have known his family since childhood and may have developed a certain immunity to their behaviour, but Miss Y cannot be expected to do the same in a short span of time.

If the husband is unable to support her in times of such 'trouble', the wife will begin to believe that he has stopped caring and does not love her anymore. As a result, she may either become very possessive or she may leave the husband.

Getting Rid of the 'Bitter' Comments

The simplest way of getting rid of negative comments and bitter feelings, is to never spread the comments around. Never tell her or her friends about anything negative your family has said about her when she was not around. Also do not tell your family members of anything negative she says about them. This will only add fuel to the fire and cause more marital discord.

When it comes to positive comments, please spread them around freely. If no one has said anything positive, make up some imaginary positive comments/compliments. The husband should tell his family that his wife keeps saying positive things about them. This will create a sense of goodwill and they will begin to act positive towards her. He should do the same with his wife also.

The usual squabbles of wife with mother-in-law and sister-in law may still be there - but at a much lower level. This is because women usually interact and squabble only with other women. They keep away from male relatives. All things get better with time. All the couple needs to remember is to give each other the same love, care and support that they gave before the marriage.

Kaminey - Movie Review

2009-08-16T15:31:00.000+05:30

Kaminey - 8/10 - Action/Drama - starring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, watched at 3C's Lajpat Nagar.

Basically, Kaminey is a movie about gangsters, drugs, local politics and forbidden love. Shahid Kapoor plays a double role as twin brothers Guddu, a stutterer who works in an NGO and Charlie, a lisper who is a small time crook. Charlie finds a stash of cocaine and is on the run from the police, drug lords and mafia while Guddu marries Sweety, the sister of a local politician and is on the run from his party workers.

Kaminey is a very well written and perfectly cast movie. The screenplay is realistic and every scene, onscreen action, dialogue and background music has a deep meaning, which adds to the story. A good job by movie director Vishal Bharadwaj. The actors, right from Shahid Kapoor to the character actors in bit roles, fit the part perfectly and did justice to the roles given to them.

There were some inconsistencies in the film, like Shahid sometimes forgetting to say 'f' for 's' while lisping as part of the character of Charlie. For example, when he threatens to shoot the cop in the head and starts counting to 10, he says 'dus' instead of 'duf'. The dialogue in Kaminey was very realistic. Only a person who has loved a person of another community could understand the fear brought on by a simple line like 'Tyacha nao kaay' (what is his name), spoken by Sweety's brother's goons when they barge into her secret wedding venue.

I liked the songs especially 'Dhan Ta Nan' and 'Pehli Baar Mohabbat'. Though a bit violent, the movie manages to capture the city of Mumbai in its full essence. After a long time, Bollywood has come up with something both sensible and entertaining. Plus, Kaminey has a happy ending. I certainly recommend this movie for a watch.

Have you watched Kaminey? What did you think of it?

Filing Late Income Tax Returns in India

2009-08-06T12:25:00.003+05:30

The deadline for filing Income Tax Returns for salaried individuals has recently passed. If you are one of those people who have missed the 31st July deadline for filing taxes, then don’t fret, you may still be able to file your late IT returns with zero penalties.

The website of the Income Tax Department of India says that, ‘a tax return may be furnished any time before the expiry of two years from the end of the financial year in which the income was earned’. This means that if you earned your income during FY 2008-09, you may file a belated return anytime before 31st March, 2011. Of course, you may lose certain benefits available to those who file their returns on time, but it is better to file them late than never...

All late income tax returns filed after 31st July, 2009 are termed as a ‘belated return’. People who have zero net tax payable are lucky. If you file your late income tax return before the end of the current financial year, that is, 31st March, 2010 and all your taxes are paid, then no penalty or interest will be imposed on you. However, you may forego some of your rights as a taxpayer, such as:

- You will not be able to carry forward your losses.
- You cannot claim a tax refund.
- You cannot revise your return.

If you still have some tax dues, while filing the delayed income tax return, then you will be charged one per cent interest per month on the outstanding tax payable amount from March 2009. Partial months are considered to be full months.

Those who miss the 31st March, 2010 deadline may still file their belated tax returns within the next financial year. The Income Tax Department will accept late returns till 31st March, 2011 with a late filing penalty of Rs.5000. This means you would have to pay one percent interest per month on the outstanding tax payable amount plus a penalty of Rs.5000.

One of the main advantages of filing Income Tax Returns is that it is useful while applying for loans. Whether you need a housing loan, vehicle loan or a loan for any other purpose, most loan managers at banks will always ask for the Income Tax Returns of the past 2 years, as proof of your financial ability. If you are planning to take a loan in the future, either for yourself or your loved ones, then filing of income tax returns, even belated, is a necessity.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince - Movie Review

2009-08-04T12:07:00.002+05:30

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince - 8/10 - Fantasy - starring Daniel Radcliff, Emma Thompson and Rupert Grint.

The movie was much better than the book, which I had found to be quite long and boring. It was good to see the repetitive bits cut off, like Albus Dumbledore's long speeeches, repeated pensieve sessions, long fights and funeral. Well, Daniel Radcliff hasn't grown as tall as the fictional Harry Potter - it takes some of the realism away but he still looks quite adorable.

The movie direction and screenplay were great. They should get rid of that blue filter - it is used a bit too much in a bit too many movies. The acting was awesome, especially of the two kids who played the young Tom Riddle and Professor Slughorn. Good character development of the main protagonists as they mature from teenagers to young adults.

Interesting question - During the movie, Harry never tells anyone other than Hermione, Ron and Ginny that he has the Potions textbook belonging to the Half Blood Prince. In the end, Severus Snape tells Harry that he is the 'Half Blood Prince'. How did Severus Snape know that Harry had his old textbook or that Harry was interested in knowing his identity?

Have you watched Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince? What did you think of it?

The Return of Michael Schumacher - Schumee is Back

2009-07-31T15:44:00.003+05:30

When Michael Schumacher retired at the end of the 2006 season, I knew I was not going to be watching much Formula One. I haven’t watched a single race since then and was not quite sure who won the Drivers or Constructers Championships in the following years. I never really expected Schumi to come back unless something drastic happened and even then I was doubtful.

Well, on Saturday evening, I was flipping channels when I stumbled upon news that Ferrari driver, Filipe Massa, had been hit by flying debris during qualifying and was badly injured. Later, three time Formula One Champion Niki Lauda offered hope of Schumacher’s return by saying that Schumee was the best possible option for Ferrari. Well, I was not so sure Schumi would reciprocate, but, now that it’s happened, I can’t wait to watch the European Grand Prix at Valencia on the 23rd of August. Here are some quotes -

Michael Schumacher, “It is true that the Formula One chapter has long been closed for me but for team loyalty reasons I can't ignore this unfortunate situation…As the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge.”

Niki Lauda, the 60 year old Austrian Formula One driver who came out of a five year retirement to win the Drivers Championship in 1984, said, “He will be the saviour of Formula One after what we've gone through this year with all the politics… Michael is aware of the dangers…He is a clever guy and a grown-up man…He would not return unless he felt he was fit and felt he could make an impact on the track”.

Lewis Hamilton, 2008 World Champion said, “Michael is a legend in his own right and it would be great to compete against him… I was once asked which former driver I would most like to drive against and I went for Michael. I don't agree with all his controversial moves but as a competitor there's nobody better.”

Jenson Button, the leader of the current Driver’s Championship, said “He won't be getting into the car in Valencia thinking 'Oh God, I hope Felipe comes back soon'…It will take a bit of the limelight away from us at the front, and maybe that's a good thing because we can get on with it and fight it out”.

Kimi Raikkonen, 2007 World Champion and Ferrari teammate, said “If it really happens I will be happy to partner him, even though it may not have much effect on my own performance”.

Schumacher’s return is also expected to boost the business aspect of Formula One. More Formula One tickets will be sold, television ratings are expected to soar and merchandise sales will increase. Even I am thinking of going abroad for a Formula One race. I have always wished to see Michael Schumacher race, but hadn’t enough cash saved up at the time. Well, now that Schumee is returning to F1, I have a second chance at fulfilling my desire.

Well, I wish Schumi all the best for his return to Formula One. He should easily pass the fitness examination. I will surely be watching the races from now on. I hope he does well and does not injure himself. The contest between Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton is sure to be interesting. I am expecting Schumee to get a few podiums or maybe win a few races. Let’s see how he takes to the new Ferrari car…

What do you have to say about Michael Schumacher’s return to Formula One?

X-Men Origins Wolverine - Movie Review

2009-06-23T10:47:00.000+05:30

X-Men Origins - Wolverine - 6/10 - Sci Fi Thriller - starring Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber.

Since Hugh Jackman happens to be my favourite Hollywood actor, I simply had to watch X Men Origins - Wolverine. I have seen all 3 previous X-men movies and they were really awesome. I wasn't expecting this to be better than them, since most sequels are never as good as the original movie, but I had to have a look anyway.

The movie theatre was only less than 1/3rd full. This, I suppose was majorly due to the fact that the X-Men Origins - Wolverine torrent was available for download weeks before the film was even released in the United States. It was also available on youtube and through streaming on several video websites. Well anyway, here is my movie review of the film.

The movie 'X Men Origins - Wolverine' begins with the young Logan, then called James, unwell at home in bed during the winter. His friend Victor and father are by his side. Suddenly there is a commotion caused by an intruder, who turns out to be his friend's father Logan. When his Dad goes to deal with the situation, he is killed by the intruder. The death of his father angers the young James, who extends his animal claws and kills his friend's father, only to discover later that the intruder was actually his real father and his friend is actually his brother. Both brothers run away from home and using their regenerative capabilities, make a living from fighting in various wars over hundreds of years.

Later on in X-Men Origins - Wolverine, both brothers join a special mutant team formed by William Stryker. James Logan's brother Victor (Liev Schreiber), also known as Sabretooth turns bad and Logan leaves the team. He becomes a lumberjack and begins living in the woods with his teacher girlfriend Silverfox. One day, his brother traces him down and kills his girlfriend. Now begins the saga of fury, as Logan looks for vengeance. He goes back to Striker and gets his entire bone structure bonded with admantium, the strongest metal on the planet. The rest of the movie is filled with Wolverine's fury and destruction.

X Men Origins - Wolverine was quite good. It answered most questions, except the fact about how both brothers had the same Wolverine mutant abilities and from whom or how they got it. Special effects were good, but I'm tired of watching special effects movies, even though they look quite spectacular. I'd rather watch some real fighting, like Jackie Chan movies. Acting was good and Hugh Jackman had done some serious bodybuilding to play the Wolverine character. He was looking amazing. Costumes were also realistic, especially the bikers jacket and the retro Yamaha motorbike.

Funniest part of X Men Origins - Wolverine - It actually wasn't supposed to be humourous, but well....This happened after the scene in which the naked Wolverine runs away from the adamantium laboratory and hides in the barn. Shocked at seeing a nude person, a small kid in the audience kept questioning his parents about the 'nanga banda' (naked guy) in a very loud innocent voice. As his parents tried to shush him, most people in the cinema had a hard time controlling their laughter, including me...

Did you see X Men Origins - Wolverine? What did you think of it?

Samarkand Noida - Restaurant Review

2009-06-20T18:57:00.001+05:30

I recently visited my brother who lives in Noida and he took me for lunch at Samarkand, a posh restaurant near his flat. This restaurant is located in Ganga Shopping Complex, at Sector 29 in Noida. Samarkand is fully air conditioned and is open from 11.00 am to 11.00 pm. The name of the restaurant sounded familiar, so I did a quick search on Google and learned that Samarkand is the name of a city in Uzbekistan. It is one of the oldest inhabitated cities of the world and is the same city from where Babar, the founder of the Mughal Empire in India hailed from. Well anyway, here is my review of this restaurant -

Samarkand, Noida - 6/10 - Samarkand is located on the first floor and has two separate seating areas, both of which are air conditioned. The first thing you notice about the restaurant is the glass windows carved with figures of royalty in romantic poses. The warmth of the rich red upholstery, polished wood interiors and mirrors all worked to emphasize a regal ambiance, which was somehow ruined by the appearance of modern table fans placed about at random. Samarkand specializes in Mughlai cuisine and also serves standard North Indian fare, Chinese food and Continental grub. The restaurant also has a bar and serves alcoholic drinks.

The clientèle at Samarkand is mostly senior male office executives who were grouped over tables discussing business over glasses of beer. Occasionally, one or two guys went out on to the balcony for a smoke. The place is quite clean and comfortable though a bit dark. The rates are quite moderate. An order of chilly paneer, aloo jeera, six rotis and 3 lime sodas came up to around Rs.670. The food is well cooked, fresh and not too oily or rich. The lime juice, though, is not mixed well. The first sip had a strong sourness that went right to my nose while the last slurp was just plain water.

The classical music being played is soft and soothing. When it comes to service, the waiters are not too intrusive and the food did not take long to be served. Portions are quite large and we packed up the remaining food to have for dinner at home. The food experience was good. However, I would not recommend eating out at Samarkhand with your family, as the loud men drinking at nearby tables may make them feel uncomfortable.

Have you eaten out at Samarkand Noida? What was your experience there?

Yeats - Four Time Royal Ascot Gold Cup Winner

2009-06-19T16:29:00.004+05:30

Royal Ascot 2009

Last evening, I was watching the Royal Ascot 2009, one of Britain's most stylish horse racing events on television. They are held every June at the Ascot racecourse in the village of Ascot, Berkshire close to the Surrey border. Apart from the beautiful dresses and hats worn by the ladies, I was also looking to see if Yeats, the bay horse that won the previous three Gold Cup races would win the fourth time.

The Gold Cup is a Group 1 Flat horse race in Great Britain for thoroughbred horses who are four years or older. It is run at the Ascot racecourse over a distance of 4,023 metres and is one of Britain's most prestigious event for 'stayers' or those horses which specialize in racing over long distances. Traditionally, this event is held on the third day of the Royal Ascot meeting, which is known locally as Ladies' Day.

Well anyway, Yeats pulled off a Michael Schumacher by rewriting history with his fourth straight Gold Cup win. At eight years old, Yeats is at a stage when most horses are retired to stud farms, but this horse was simply unstoppable at yesterday's Royal Ascot race. Yeats beat the second place finisher, the youthful Patkai, by almost three and a half lengths. The triumph and joy on the faces of Yeats' jockey Johnny Murtagh, owner John Magnier and trainer Aiden O'Brien told the story like it was.

The Royal Ascot races were established in 1807 and is Ascot's oldest surviving race.Yeats is an Irish thoroughbred racehorse, which was foaled on April 23, 2001 at Derrinstown Stud. Unbothered by his years, Yeats raced to glory, getting a standing ovation for his performance from the watching crowd. The Gold Cup trophy was later presented to his owners by the Queen. This trophy is currently one of three at Royal Ascot that are traditionally presented by the Queen.

Congratulations to this handsome stallion!! Hope Yeats gets a chance to display his extraordinary prowess at next year's Royal Ascot Gold Cup race too!!

My Vote - 2009 Lok Sabha Elections

2009-05-10T22:37:00.002+05:30

Look Everybody - I Voted

This vote was really special for me as it was the first time I have voted in any Lok Sabha Election. I got my Voter's ID card around two years ago, and had cast my first vote during the Delhi Vidhan Sabha Elections, 2008. I hope to continue to do so, cause it was real fun!!

Did you vote in the elections? Who do you think will win?

Swine Flu Treatment and Pharma Companies

2009-04-28T21:00:00.007+05:30

Just like popular fake illnesses such as mad cow disease, anthrax, bird flu and the HIV/AIDS conspiracy, the pharmaceutical lobby is now trying to sell 'Swine Flu' as a 'pandemic' and 'global threat' to governments, media and the gullible public, the world over.

According to the World Health Organization: "Every winter, tens of millions of people get the flu. Most are only ill and out of work for a week, yet the elderly are at a higher risk of death from the illness. We know the worldwide death toll exceeds a few hundred thousand people a year, but even in developed countries the numbers are uncertain, because medical authorities don't usually verify who actually died of influenza and who died of a flu-like illness".

Even healthy people can be affected by flu, and serious problems from influenza can happen at any age. People over 50 years old, very young children and people of any age with chronic medical conditions are more likely to get complications from influenza, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus and ear infections. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people die every year from flu related complications in the USA, itself. The symptoms of this regular human flu include body aches, fever, cold, cough, shivering and teary eyes and reddened face. Strangely, these symptoms are exactly the same as defined for Swine Flu.

What is the Swine Flu Hoax?

Varying media reports have stated that around 80 - 150 people are 'suspected' to have died of Swine Flu in Mexico while a total of 1000 - 1500 people are 'suspected' to be affected by Swine Flu in Mexico, USA, Canada and Europe. Use of words such as 'alarmed, deadly, pandemic, scare, global concern, worry' and so on are being liberally used in television reports, online articles and newspapers. These words are actually designed to create interesting stories, increase viewership/ readership and keep the audience hooked to increase revenues out of advertising. However, in actuality, it only serves only to create a false sense of hysteria over nothing and fatten the coffers of pharmaceutical companies.

Top Scientists such as Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, have admitted to the Associate Press that -

- Scientists don't know for sure how Swine Flu is spread.
- It is a mystery why people are dying in Mexico. No one really knows just how many people in Mexico are dying of the Swine Flu strain, or how many have it.
- Only a fraction of the suspected deaths have been tested and confirmed as Swine Flu, and some initially suspected cases were caused by something else.

Treatment of Swine Flu

According to various media reports, Swine Flu, just like Bird Flu can be treated by two drugs - Tamiflu and Relenza. As the symptoms of Swine Flu, just like Avian Flu, are similar to regular human influenza, it is quite easy to bracket many cases of regular flu as being that of the dangerous 'Swine Flu' disease. Pharmaceutical company lobbies continuously work with health officials, the media and government officials to influence public opinion about the seriousness of this 'disease' . This is done to increase public spending on their so called special 'drugs' for combating the 'virus'.

Tamiflu, the commercial name of Oseltamivir, is an antiretroviral drug used to treat common flu (Influenza Virus A and B). It is an oral treatment developed by Gilead and manufactured by Hoffman-La-Roche (Roche). The company estimates that more than 50 million people around the world have been treated with this drug. The media attention, mass publicity and lobbying that follows reports of diseases such as Avian Flu and Swine Flu have also resulted in governments, corporations and private individuals stockpiling Tamiflu in different parts of the world.

Relenza is the commercial name and only type of Zanamivir, a neuraminidase inhibitor developed for the treatment of Influenza A and B. It is an inhalable drug currently marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. After some media reports of this having greater effectiveness in combating 'Bird Flu' compared to its main competitor Tamiflu, Germany purchased 1.7 million doses of the drug. The total sale of Relenza comprises only one percent of the growing flu drug market, basically due to faulty marketing policies. It is promoted by the medical fraternity as a drug that 'relieves' Swine Flu.

India had purchased a stockpile of one million doses of Tamiflu, when the Bird Flu Hoax was at its zenith. The Health Secretary of India, Mr. Naresh Dayal has said, ``These drugs have a shelf live of five years. So we may increase our buffer stock''. This means that after every five years, the old medicines have to be discarded and new ones need to be purchased in its place.

To promote their 'newly improved formulas', pharma companies often engineer fake 'epidemics' to scare the public and ensure strong sale of their drugs in the panic that follows. They are also able to charge unreasonably higher prices than before, because of the staged lack of availability of the drug and the increased public demand arising out of the 'fearful' reports in the media. This is exactly what is happening in the case of Swine Flu.

The current share prices of companies that manufacture drugs and testing kits to treat Swine Flu such as Gilead and Glaxo Smithkline have seen a sharp increase. The companies have been quick to claim that Swine Flu is 'sensitive' to their drugs, to spur further demand. Top financial analysts have said that assuming the stockpile of drugs will be replenished by most countries, it is estimated that Tamiflu will make up to $388 million in sales and Gilead will make around $70 million in royalties. If the outbreak escalates into a pandemic, a further increase in pharmaceutical stock prices, driven by retail demand for the drug is expected.

Feeding on fear to make big bucks....unfortunately, this is how the big pharmaceutical companies really work!

Movie Reviews - March and April

2009-04-27T20:27:00.000+05:30

It has been an unbelievably long time since I have posted a movie review of a Bollywood film, even though I have seen quite a few of them. Today, I sneaked out some quality keyboard time in office while my colleagues were attending a training programme and wrote out movie reviews of some films that I have watched over the past two months.

Movie Reviews of Films

Raaz - The Mystery Continues - Horror - 6/10 - Starring Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut and Jackie Shroff. Emraan Hashmi plays Prithvi, an artist with a gift for making paintings about the future of Nandini, a model played by Kangana Ranaut. He attempts to warn her about some 'horror' paintings that he has made about her.....and from here on starts the saga of dark lobbies, hidden lighting, gothic decor, sharp instruments, blood and screaming.

The songs of 'Raaz - The Mystery Continues' were good. Acting was better than most acting shown in Bollywood movies nowadays. Storyline was action packed and interesting while direction was not bad. The line, 'Tum Ashudh Ho, Sadh Chuke Ho', from the movie, which was written on the walls by possessed characters before they kill themselves, is something that will stick in the minds of viewers for some time to come.

Aa Dekhen Zara - Action/ Paranormal - 2/10 - Starring Neil Nitish Mukesh and Bipasha Basu. The movie is about a photographer who inherits a camera that takes futuristic photographs of the subject or person photographed. The movie was quite slow paced and the director was unable to capitalize on making moments of suspense and action look exciting. Neil Nitin Mukesh has a cunningly sharp look and was badly cast as the innocent photographer. I watched it up to the scene where the magic camera starts taking black photos of the subject. Later, the movie was unable to hold my attention.

Golmaal Returns - Comedy - 4/10 - Starring Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Celina Jaitley, Tusshar Kapoor and Amrita Arora. I don't remember just how bad 'Golmaal 1' sucked, but this installment seemed to be a wee bit better, basically because of Shreyas Talpade's expressions. The movie is a slapstick sort of cheap comedy with lots of gay jokes about the life of four guys. The story revolves around Kareena Kapoor's character of a soap watching wife who suspects her husband (Ajay Devgan) of infidelity. He in turn attempts to prove her wrong, with the help of his friends. Golmaal Returns was mostly irritating, but won some laughs in certain parts - like the Anthony Gonsalves Scene. It is an ok timepass sort of film to watch on a hot, boring, lonely Sunday afternoon...if you have absolutely nothing to do.

Delhi 6 - Drama - 1/10 - Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor. Just like all Abhishek Bachchan films minus John Abraham, this too was a damp squib. The story is about the visit of an NRI to his ancestral home in India.The narrative was snail paced, unrealistic and boring. Abhishek Bachchan's fake foreign accent and 'strolling on sets' acting sucked big time. The music, sets and look of the film were very old fashioned. Costumes especially, were totally wrong - eg. Delhi women usually wear salwar kameez and not saris, Abhishek Bachan's clothes didn't look 'Made in USA' whereas Sonam Kapoor's hippie look was just so not Delhi-ish. Those scenes about the cow giving birth, monkey man and ramlila were so lame.... it's a shame they were included in the film. Gosh, what was the director smoking???

Billu Barber - Drama - 2/10 - Starring Irfan Khan, Lara Dutta and Shahrukh Khan. The story is about a village barber's attempts to attract the attention of a filmstar - who was once his childhood friend, when the movie star visits his village for the shooting of a film. The village part of the movie and Irfan Khan's acting was realistic. However, the movie soon moved into avoidable melodrama, and reached it's peak when Shah Rukh Khan gave a tearful boring speech about his friend 'Billu' at the end. Songs were hummable. King Khan should have stayed out of this bit part role of a movie.

DevD - Drama - 2/10 - Starring Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin. This remake of the Bengali classic Devdas was really vulgar and crass. True, it may reflect a certain type of reality which, to my good fortune I have never experienced. However, I was so embarrassed watching the scenes and abusive dialogue in the first 10 minutes, that I just gave up watching this film. Songs, however, were refreshingly different. I forwarded the movie to the end, and saw that 'Dev' does not die, but rides merrily into the sunset on his bike with Chanda, his Chandramukhi. I was really disappointed coz I really wanted to see a loser guy like Devdas suffer and tragically meet his end...

Have you watched any of these movies? What did you think of them??

Accupressure Chart and Diagrams for Feet and Hands

2009-04-16T11:48:00.005+05:30

If you are not sure how to use an accupressure chart or accupressure diagrams for you feet and hands, then this blog post shows you exactly how.

According to the ancient science of accupressure, the main organs of your body have pressure points on the bottom of your feet and palms. These pressure points are sensitive to sensory touch, and if massaged can lead to relief from various ailments affecting these organs. For example, the accupressure sensory pressure point for the heart is located on the left foot. This means that soft massage at this acupressure point can help cure ailments and treat diseases of the heart without the use of modern medicine.

The full theory of accupressure may be found in detailed accupressure charts, diagrams, studies or textbooks. The following accupressure chart and diagrams display the pressure points with pictures of organs which they are connected to. The nerves connected to these organs terminate here and so the use of soft massage pressure at these points help to cure ailments of the respective organ.

These pressure points should be pressed regularly to keep your organs activated at all times. Hence, it is important that we spend at least part of the day walking barefoot so that these pressure points are naturally massaged. We should also try doing some manual labour with our hands, such as washing the car or polishing a table top so that the pressure points in our hands are naturally massaged. This helps ensure a healthy and strong body. It also reduces stress and helps build up muscles naturally.

So, keep walking...it is the best workout!!

The Fast And The Furious Part 4 - Movie Review

2009-04-12T18:58:00.000+05:30

The Fast And The Furious Part 4

Action - 6/10 Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Paul Walker.

I saw this movie at Plaza Cinema, Connaught Place. I had last been here sometime in the 90's with my mom and siblings to see 'Chamatkar', the SRK starrer. The cinema looks quite posh after it's revamp, with deep red carpets and a medium sized stage for movie premieres to be held. The only negative was the number of stairs that had to be climbed to reach the Plaza Cinema lounge on the second floor. The cinema was houseful.

The Fast And The Furious Part4 begins slickly, with Vin Diesel's character Dominic Toretto, his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodrigues) and some pals, now international criminals, stealing oil tankers on the highways of the Dominican Republic. Later in the movie, Dominic's sister informs him that his girlfriend Letty has been killed in Los Angeles, California. Basically, the movie is all about Vin Diesel's character finding her killer and seeking revenge.

I thought the action scenes in the movie were too cool, especially the car chases, coz I'm a big fan of car racing games such as 'Need For Speed'. I couldn't understand the Spanish bits in The Fast And The Furious - Part 4, and without subtitles it was a bit irritating. Also, the pub scenes in which they show girls kissing each other - was risque. It totally put me off. I had to work hard to erase the disgusting images from my mind so that I could continue to enjoy the remaining car chase scenes in the movie.

Compared to the previous films, The Fast And The Furious - Part 4 was much better, especially over Part 2 and 3. However, Vin Diesel seems to have lost some of his cool...and is looking quite bulky, sort of like Dr.Evil from the Austin Powers movies.

Tackling Obscene Crank Callers

2009-04-02T18:31:00.003+05:30

Tring Tring....Tring Tring....Usually, I would have excitedly picked up the phone to speak to the voice on the other end, even if that person was just a wrong number or a telecaller. This time I was terrified.

I recognized the number flashing on my mobile phone screen. It was the number of the same person who had been bothering me over the past few weeks. I had threatened to call the police, but he was quite brash and unconcerned about it. My father had spoken to him, my brother had yelled at him and my boyfriend had threatened him, all to no avail.

I was too scared to pick up the phone. Earlier, when I had answered it, this psycho kept asking me questions in a threatening voice and spooking me out. I had put the phone in silent mode, so that the ringing would not disturb my colleagues in office. I quietly watched the screen light of the phone flash. This psycho crank caller was just not giving up. That evening, he called me fourteen times.

How To Deal With Obscene Psycho Crank Callers

I asked for advice on how to handle and stop these obscene crank phone calls. Most people told me to ignore it, they said the harassing caller would just stop calling after some time.

My mother warned me not to call the cops. She said that if a case is filed, it can drag on forever. Also, some psychos just want you to file a case, just so they get a chance to meet you and see you regularly.
My friends advised me to change my number, but I did not want to lose all my contacts on my mobile phone.
I decided to wait a bit. However, the harassing crank caller simply refused to stop calling me, even after nearly three weeks of ignoring his calls. I was really confused and stressed out.
Then my sister encouraged me to call the police, as it was the last and only option available.

The next time the psycho crank caller rang, I answered the phone, but kept silent. There was silence at the other end for around 5 minutes, after which the psycho caller hung up the phone in frustration.

Getting The Police To Help Tackle Harassing Phone Calls

I mustered the courage and dialed 100. The lady at the police call center was very helpful and seemed to have received many calls from stressed out women like me. She gave me a special number of the Delhi Crime Branch - 27894455. This is a 24 hour helpline of a cell specifically constituted to deal with obscene callers who regularly try various numbers to harass women. Women may also forward obscene test messages (SMS) and multimedia messages (MMS) to 9911135446 or email details to acp-sit-dl@nic.in.

With a bit more confidence, I dialled 27894455. A male police officer picked up and I told him about the problem caller. He asked for information such as the phone numbers called from, duration of calls, type of conversation spoken, my reaction to the calls and some personal details.

The Delhi Police officer told me he would call the psycho caller and speak to him. Within 5 minutes, the police officer called back. He told me he had spoken to the psycho caller and told him that stringent action would be taken if he repeated this behavior. The cop also gave me a complaint number and asked me to call back if the psycho caller ever bothered me again.

I am very relieved to say that I didn't have to call Delhi Police Crime Branch again. The best thing about this system is that my identity was kept secret and not revealed to the obscene caller. Also, I did not have to visit the Police Station to file a complaint and answer weird questions about what exactly was said, which would have been quite embarrassing. Learning from this experience, I would advise all women bothered by lewd and obscene calls to use this as the first rather than the last option. It certainly helps avoid a lot of stress and unnecessary bother.

Have you received obscene crank phone calls, text messages or email? How did you handle the situation?

Other Useful Articles

Tips On Dealing With A Psycho Stalker (How I handled the situation)

Termination vs Resignation for Layoffs

2009-03-17T15:22:00.004+05:30

Resignation or Termination for Layoffs

The current state of the economy and recession has led to many companies laying off their employees. Top companies such as HP, AOL, Sun, Microsoft, Satyam, Google, Ebay, Sify Technologies, Spectranet and CNN have been downsizing staff through corporate layoffs. This is prevalent across the world, right from USA, Europe and Australia to India, Dubai, the Middle East and South East Asia.

So, what is the right way to go about employee downsizing and cost cutting? In some corporate layoffs, employees are provided pink slips, termination letter and their dues are fully settled by cheque. In other employee layoffs, they are asked to submit their resignation and are convinced that job termination will not help them at getting a new job. This blog post aims to compare the merits and demerits of resignation vs termination for layoffs from both the employers and employees perspective.

Resignation Letter for Laying Off Staff -

This sort of employee termination for mass layoffs benefits the company management the most. The Human Resources manager calls the employee to be laid-off to a meeting, where he/she is told that their services are no longer required. The laid off staff person is then asked to submit their resignation citing some personal problem or other issue. He/she is told that if they ask for the rightful termination letter, they will not be provided a relieving letter and will have difficulty getting a job later. The senior management works to convince the 'laid off employee' that termination is 'shameful' and that it is better to submit a resignation letter and leave gracefully. Similarly, this process is repeated for laying off other employees. This system of employee layoff benefits the company management the most -

The management does not fear legal action for staff layoffs as they have resignation letters to prove the employee 'resigned of his own accord.'
The media does not have basis to report in the news that 'mass layoffs' have occurred in xyz company as the concerned staff has actually 'resigned'.
The government cannot force the company to reinstate these laid off staff members or re-employ them with reduced salaries because the resignation letters prove that no one was terminated - everyone resigned of their own free will.
The company need not pay the terminated employees the required notice period amount specified in the appointment letter/ contact in case of termination, as the employees have actually 'resigned' and have not been legally 'terminated'.
The management of some companies may also deduct accrued leave for resigning without giving notice, even though they themselves asked the laid off employee for their resignation letter. This deduction is shown in the final settlement, which the employee gets around 2 months after leaving the company. Victims of such corporate layoffs are shocked but can actually do nothing, as they have 'resigned' in writing.

Termination Letter for Laying Off Staff

The management of most businesses prefer not to give termination letters to the employees in cases of corporate downsizing and cost cutting, as this could result in unnecessary hassles for the company. If incidents of ' mass layoffs' are reported in the media, the company may have to answer and pay heavily. The price of company stocks may fall, investors may become vary of the company and the government may intervene to reinstate the laid off employees. However, termination letters for staff layoffs is the most beneficial to employees and something those facing downsizing layoffs really need to know about.

During employee layoffs, when the staff is confronted by the HR team/ management to submit their resignation letters, they should resist. Termination for layoffs, downsizing or cost cutting is completely different from termination due to bad behavior. Legally and ethically, the management has to provide relieving letters/ certificates of good conduct to the employee if they serve termination letters due to corporate layoffs for reasons such as offshoring, recession, downsizing or cost cutting. Termination letters help the employee in the following ways-

The company has to compulsorily give the terminated employees all their dues. These layoff benefits include notice period, cash in lieu of notice period, encashable leave and severance pay if any.
The laid off employee has the right to file a case of wrongful termination against the company at any time in the future, if he/she is not satisfied with the reasons given for job cuts.
If the government asks the company to reinstate the workers or employ them with lesser salary, the company has to comply, as least in part. Example- the air hostesses airline layoffs case.
If the government offers compensation to terminated employees in the future, they may apply for it on showing their termination letter.
If the government launches a loan/credit scheme for terminated employees in the future, they may apply for it on displaying their termination letter.

While asking an employee for his resignation letter, the company management may promise to re-employ him when things get better, but that is most certainly not going to happen. When it comes to corporate layoffs and recruiting, the management would rather hire a new employee with less salary and train him for the job than employ a highly paid terminated person who most probably harbors bad blood towards the company.

P.S. If you are really worried about not getting a relieving letter, then just pick up a few company letter heads from your office before the process of terminating staff for mass layoffs begins. Later, you can make your own relieving letter in the future.

Have you faced termination or submitted your resignation during a mass job layoff? Do you have any other tips or advice for people facing the threat of job loss during these times of recession and downsizing? All feedback is gladly welcome!!!

Todd Lawrence - Crane Operator

2009-03-17T11:33:00.001+05:30

Last night I had a dream about something dreadful happening to a person called Todd Lawrence who was a Crane Operator. In the dream, my dead uncle (mother's brother) told me that something horrible was going to happen to this person and he/she should be informed. Since many of my dreams do translate into reality, I felt really worried about this person. I searched Google and found many people called Todd Lawrence, but none who was operating a crane or something sounding like a crane operator. If anyone knows anyone called Todd Lawrence - who has something to do with a crane business, please inform him/ her of this message. I am praying for this person, but I would feel more at peace, if he/she could at least be warned...and saved...

Amrita Arora - Shakeel Ladakh Wedding Photos

2009-03-03T13:52:00.011+05:30

Amrita Arora's wedding sangeet was held on 2nd March 2009. She is marrying Shakeel Ladakh, a divorced businessman from the construction industry in two wedding ceremonies - a Christian wedding on March 4th followed by Mehendi on the 5th of March and a Muslim Nikaah ceremony on the 6th of March, 2009. Amrita Arora was born to a Christian Malyali mother and a Punjabi father while Shakeel is a Bohri Muslim.

Amrita Arora's Christian wedding was held as per Catholic rituals at Olive Restaurant in Mumbai. She was wearing an off-white, body fitting vintage wedding gown of lace and satin. Amrita Arora's wedding gown was embellished with diamonds and rice pearls and included a long white trail flowing behind her. Here she is posing with her new husband Shakeel -

Amrita Arora chose Kareena Kapoor, her sister Malaika Arora Khan, Salman Khan's adopted sister Arpita and close friend Mallika to be her four bridesmaids. They were wearing flair vintage gowns in shades of peach and chocolate embellished with copper diamonds. All the wedding gowns were designed by Ashley Rebello. Here in the bridesmaids photograph is Arpita, Mallika, a flowergirl, Malaika and Kareena Kapoor.

Some of the top Bollywood celebrities who attended the Amrita Arora Shakeel Ladakh wedding were Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor & Saif Ali Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Malaika Arora & Arbaaz Khan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Farhan Akhtar, Gul Panag, Karishma Kapoor, Kim Sharma and Raveena Tandon.
The nikaah ceremony of Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladak was held on March 6th. Here is a pic of what they both wore for the occassion.

Wishing the happy couple - Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladakh a happy married life.

Other Celebrity Marriages

10 Hand Mudras for Better Health and Fitness

2009-03-02T15:52:00.005+05:30

Practicing hand mudra positions can help improve your wellbeing, fitness and strength immensely. Mudras are powerful centres of energy. The regular practice of these hand mudra positions can result in wonderous health benefits and a strong body.

1. Gyan Mudra (Mudra of Knowledge): This hand mudra requires you to touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger, with the other three fingers stretched out. This hand mudra helps enhance your knowledge. The tip of the thumb connects to the centers of the pituitary and endocrine glands. When we press these centers with our index finger, the two glands get stimulated and work actively to increase and retain knowledge. There is no particular time duration to practice this hand mudra. It can be done sitting, standing or lying on bed at whatever time and place you wish.

Benefits:
- Increases memory power and sharpens the brain
- Enhances concentration and prevents Insomnia
- Regular practice ensures the cure of psychological disorders such as hysteria, anger, depression and other mental problems.

2. Prithvi Mudra (Mudra of Earth): This hand mudra requires you to touch the tip of the ring finger with the tip of the thumb, while stretching out the other three fingers. It is known to reduce all physical weakness and can be practiced at any time, place or duration.

Benefits:
- It helps to increase the weight of weak people.
- It improves the complexion of skin by making it glow.
- It makes the body healthy and active.

3. Varuna Mudra (Mudra of Water): Touch the tip of the little finger with the tip of thumb, with the other three fingers stretched out to practice this hand mudra. Regular practice of this hand mudra balances the water content in your body and prevents diseases that occur due to lack of water from happening. Varuna Mudra has no specific time duration and can be practiced at one's leisure.

Benefits:
- It helps retain the clarity in blood by balancing the water content in your body.
- Prevents the pain of diseases such as gastroenteritis and muscle shrinkage.

4. Vayu Mudra (Mudra of Air): This hand mudra requires you to keep the index finger on the base of the thumb and the thumb pressing over the bent index finger. The other three fingers should be held straight. The Vayu Mudra helps prevent all illnesses that occur due to imbalances prevalent in the air. The practice of this mudra for 45 minutes daily reduces the severity of the disease in 12 to 24 hours. It should be continously practiced for two months for better results.

Benefits:
- It cures diseases of old age such as rheumatism, arthritis, gout, parkinson's disease and paralysis without the use of any medicine.
- It is useful for Cervical Spondilytis, paralysis to face and catching of nerve in neck.
- It helps get rid of the disorder of gas in the stomach.

5. Shunya Mudra (Mudra of Emptiness): This hand mudra requires you to keep the middle finger at the mount of Venus and press it with your thumb. The Shunya Mudra helps reduce the dullness in our body. It should be practiced for around 40 to 60 minutes daily until you are cured from the disease.

Benefits:
- It relieves an earache within 4 or 5 minutes.
- It is useful for deaf and mentally challenged people who were not born with the condition.

6. Surya Mudra (Mudra of Sun): This hand mudra for better health requires you to bend the ring finger and press it with your thumb. The main specialty of the Surya Mudra is that it sharpens the center in your thyroid gland. It should be practices twice a day for around 5 to 15 minutes.

Benefits:
- It brings down cholesterol in your body and helps in reducing weight.
- It decreases anxiety.
- It corrects indigestion problems.

7. Prana Mudra (Mudra of Life): The practice of this hand mudra requires you to bend the ring finger and little finger and touch the tip of your thumb with their tips, while keeping the remaining two fingers stretched out. This mudra is special as it is the mudra of life. The Prana Mudra is known to make weak people become strong. It decreases the clamps in blood vessels and helps make you more active. It can be practiced at any time for any duration.

Benefits:
- It helps immunity get better.
- It increases the power of eyes and brings down the incidence of eye related diseases.
- It removes vitamin deficiency and the feeling of fatigue.

8. Apana Mudra (Mudra of Digestion): This hand mudra requires the tips of your middle finger and ring finger to touch the tip of your thumb while the other two fingers are stretched out. The Apana Mudra plays an important role in health and fitness, as it helps regulate the excretory system of our body. It should be practiced daily for around 45 minutes. If you practice this hand mudra position longer, you will benefit more.

Benefits:
- It regulates diabetes.
- It cures constipation and piles.
- It helps in regular excretion of normal waste.

9. Apana Vayu Mudra (Mudra of Heart): In this mudra, the tips of your middle finger and ring finger need to touch the tip of your thumb, while the index finger touches the base of the thumb and the little finger is stretched out. The main speciality of the Heart mudra position is that it benefits your heart. It works like an injection to reduce the effects of a heart attack and is just as strong as a sorbitate tablet. It also helps in bringing down the gas content in your body. The Apana Vayu Mudra should be practiced as many times as you can. Heart patients and people with blood pressure problems may practice it for 15 minutes twice a day for better results.

Benefits:
- It strengthens the heart and regularizes palpitation.
- It regulates the excretory system.
- It reduces gastric trouble.

10. Linga Mudra (Mudra of Heat): This hand mudra requires one to interlock the fingers of both hands and keep the thumb of the left hand vertically straight. This thumb needs to be encircled with the thumb and index finger of the right hand. The Linga mudra helps generate heat in our body. In addition to practicing this hand position, one may also have milk, ghee, more water and fruit juices to reap extra health benefits. It can be practiced at any time and place. Practicing this hand mudra for a long time produces a large amount of heat in the body and may also cause sweating in winter.

Benefits:
- It stops the production of phlegm and gives power to lungs.
- It cures severe cold and bronchial infections.
- It invigorates and strenghtens the body.

These 10 hand mudra positions greatly benefit health and physical fitness of the body, without the use of expensive modern medicines. It is amazing but true. If you want to see the results, try these hand mudra positions today!

Ayesha Takia - Farhan Azmi Wedding Photos

2009-03-02T14:10:00.006+05:30

Here is Ayesha Takia's wedding card for her marriage with long time boyfriend Farhan Azmi. Farhan Azmi has his own hotel business and owns two famous restaurants in Mumbai - Cafe Basilico and Koyla. He is the son of Samajwadi Party politicial leader Abu Asim Azmi.

The Nikaah Ceremony of Ayesha Takia and Farhan Azmi was held at a private ceremony at the Koyla Restaurant located in Colaba, Mumbai at 9.30 pm on 1st March 2009.

Ayesha was wearing a golden sharara and golden embellished dupatta. The marriage had a white theme with white curtains, lamps, mandap and stage.

The wedding reception was held the next day at the Cricket Club of India lawns, Brabourne Stadium in Churchgate. It was attended by celebrities such as Abhishek Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Dino Morea, Sanjay Dutt and Manyata, Ritesh Deshmukh, Suneil Shetty and Nagesh Kuknoor.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures of the nikaah and wedding reception of Ayesha Takia and Farhan Azmi. Here is wishing the newly wedded couple a very happy married life!!

Other Celebrity Marriages

Mumbai Local Train Map

2009-02-27T14:05:00.006+05:30

Mumbai Local Train Map

This is a map of the Mumbai local train system, which is used by millions of Mumbaikars to commute around the city daily. Bombay basically has three lines for local train services -

The Western Line that starts from Churchgate station and ends at Borivali.
The Central Line that starts from Mumbai Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST Victoria Terminus VT) and ends at Kalyan Station.
The Harbour Line that moves along the eastern coast of Mumbai city from Mumbai CST to Andheri and Mumbai CST to Panvel.

Click on the map to view a larger map of the routes of Mumbai local trains.

If you are a person who has recently shifted to the city of Bombay, then this map of the local train system is a useful tool to help you with rail routes. Local trains together with the efficient railway system are by far, the cheapest and fastest way to commute to your destination in Mumbai. The fares of local train tickets are quite low and the timings schedule ensures that there are trains almost every 15 minutes. The mumbai local train timetable is available at all city railway stations.

Indian Kitchen Tips and Healthy Cooking

2009-02-25T14:44:00.000+05:30

Here is the A-Z of Indian Kitchen Tips and other healthy cooking home remedies for your daily kitchen needs.

Almonds: To remove the skin of almonds easily, soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes.
Apples: Apply some lemon juice on the cut surface of the apple to avoid browning. They will look fresh for a longer time.
Biscuits: If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the biscuit container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time.
Butter: Avoid the use of butter. If it is essential to use, use butter containing low saturated fat or with plant stanols (which avoid absorption of cholesterol by our body) or similar substitutes.
Banana: Apply mashed banana over a burn on your body for a cooling effect.
Bee and Scorpion Sting Relief: Apply a mixture of 1 pinch of chewing tobacco and 1 drop of water. Mix and apply directly and immediately to the sting. Cover with band aid to hold in place. The pain will go away in a few minutes.
Bitter Gourd (Karela): Slit Karelas inthe middle and apply a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd all round. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook. This will take away some of the bitterness.
Celery: To keep celery fresh for a long time, wrap it in aluminium foil and place it in the refrigerator.
Burnt Food: Place some chopped onion in the vessel having burnt food, pour boiling water in it, keep for 5 minutes and then clean.
Chilli Powder: Keeping a small piece of hing (asafoetida) in the same container will store chilli powder for a long time.
Chopping: Use a wooden board to chop. It will not blunt the knife. Don't use a plastic board, small plastic pieces may be cut with the vegetables which is harmful for health.
Coriander/Mint: You can use dried coriander and mint leaves in coarse powder form in vegetable curry or chutney, if fresh ones are not available. To keep them fresh for a longer time, wrap them in a muslin cloth and keep in a fridge.
Cockroaches: Another useful kitchen tip. This requires you to put some boric powder in the corners of your kitchen and in other places where you notices cockroaches entering your home. Cockroaches will soon leave your house.
Coconut: Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its husk.
Dry Fruits: To chop dry fruits, place them in the fridge for half an hour before cutting. Take the fruits out and cut them with a hot knife (dip it in hot water before cutting). This helpful kitchen tip helps the process of cutting dry fruits easier and faster.
Dough/Rolling pin: If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes.
Egg peeling off: Make a small hole in the egg by piercing a pin before boiling it. You will be able to remove its skin very easily.
Egg fresh: This healthy cooking tip is quite helpful. Immerse the egg in a pan of cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it rises to the surface, it is old and should not be cooked.
Garlic: Garlic skin comes off easily if the garlic cloves are slightly warmed before peeling.
Ghee: Avoid the use of ghee. If it is necessary for a certain dish, substitute it with canola oil or some other healthy vegetable oil. Even for making halwa, you can partly substitute it with oil. This healthy cooking tip helps prevent heart disease and other health problems.
Green Chillies: To keep the chillies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing.
Green Peas: To preserve green peas, keep them in a polythene bag in the freezer.
Idlies and Dosas: Here are some of the best kitchen tips for South Indian specialities. Place a betel (paan) leaf over the leftover idli and dosa batter to prevent them from turning sour. Do not beat idli batter too much, as the air which has collected during fermentation will escape. If you add half a tsp of fenugreek seeds to the lentil and rice mixture while soaking, dosas will be more crisp.
Fruits: To ripen fruits, wrap them in newspaper and put in a warm place for 2-3 days. The ethylene gas they emit will make them ripe.
Frying: Avoid deep frying. Substitute deep frying with stir frying or oven bake. Don't pour the oil, but make a habit of spraying the oil in the utensil for cooking. Heat the utensil first, then add oil. This way oil spreads well. You will need to use less oil this way. Not only will your family be healthy though these healthy cooking tips, but you will also save a lot of money.
Left Overs: Don't throw away the foods left over. Store them in the fridge. Use them in making tasty dishes like paranthas the next morning. You may also feed them to the birds and other stray animals.
Lemon/Lime: If the lemon or lime is hard, put it in warm water for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to squeeze.
Lizards: Hang a peacock feather, lizards will leave your house.
Milk: Moisten the base of the vessel with water to reduce the chances of milk sticking at the bottom. Keep a spoon in the vessel while boiling milk at medium heat. This will stop the milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel. Adding half a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate to the milk while boiling ensures that the milk will not get spoilt even if you don't put it in the fridge.
Mixer/Grinder: Grind some common salt in your mixer/grinder for some time every month. This will keep your mixer blades sharp.
Mosquitoes: Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will soon dissappear.
Noodles: When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and add cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated.
Onions: To avoid tears, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for 15 minutes before chopping them. Wrap the onions individually in a newspaper and store in a cool and dark place to keep them fresh for long time.
Oven: Look through the oven window to conserve energy, as the oven temperature drops by 25 degrees every time its door is opened. To clean the oven, apply a paste of sodium bicarbonate and water on the walls and floor of the oven and keep the oven on low heat for about half an hour. Dried food can then be easily removed.
Paneer: To keep paneer fresh for several days, wrap it in blotting paper while storing in the refrigerator. Do not fry paneer, immerse it in boiling water to make it soft and spongy.
Papad: Papads should be bake in a microwave oven to save oil and kitches gas. The best kitchen tip to store papads is to wrap the papads in polythene sheet and place them in the dal or rice containers. This will prevent them from drying and breaking.
Pickles: To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar over it for some time. Only then, put the pickle in the jar.
Popcorn: Keep the maize/corn seeds in the freezer and pop while still frozen to get more fluffy, bigger popcorn.
Potato: To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking. Use the skin of boiled potatoes to wipe mirrors sparkling clean. Don't store potatoes and onions together. Potatoes will rot quickly if stored with onions.
Refrigerator: To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt on the insides of your freezer.
Rice: Add a few drops of lemon juice in the water before boiling the rice to make rice whiter. Add a teaspoon of canola oil to the water before boiling the rice to separate each grain after cooking. Don't throw away the rice water after cooking. Use it to make soup or add it in making dal (lentils). Add 5 grams of dried powdered mint leaves to 1kg of rice. This kitchen tip will help keep insects at bay. You may also put a small paper packet of boric powder in the container of rice to keep insects at bay.
Samosa: Bake them instead of deep frying to make them fat free. Don't fry the filling of potato masala. Preserve the samosas in the freezer. Before eating, take them out of the freezer two hours in advance and bake them over low temperature in the oven.
Sugar: Put 2-3 cloves in the sugar container to keep ants at bay.
Tadka: Use sprouted mustard seeds (rayee) and fenugreek (methi) seeds for your tadkas. Both of them when sprouted have more nutritional value. Also this will add flavour to the dish and is more beneficial to health, besides giving a decorative look to the dish.
Tomato: To remove the skin of tomatoes, place them in warm water for 5-10 minutes. The skin can then be easily peeled off. When tomatoes are not available or too costly, substitute with tomato puree or tomato ketchup/sauce. Place overripe tomatoes in cold water and add some salt. Overnight they will become firm and fresh.
Tamarind: Tamarind is an excellent polish for brass and copper items. Rub a slab of wet tamarind with some salt sprinkled on it on the object to be polished.
Gargling with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat.
Utensils: Use nonstick utensils. Thick bottomed utensils are better as they get uniformly heated. For electric stoves, use flat bottom utensils. Add a little bit of common salt to the washing powder for better cleaning of utensils.
Vegetables: Don't discard the water in which the vegetables are soaked or cooked. Use it to make soup or gravy. To keep the vegetables fresh for a longer time, wrap them in newspaper before putting them in the fridge. Another healthy cooking kitchen tip is to chop vegetables only when you are ready to use them. Don't cut them too early as it would spoil their nutritional value.
Sink (Blocked): To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, mix 1/2 cup sodium bicarbonate in 1 cup vinegar and pour it into the sink, and pour about 1 cup water. In an hour the drain pipe will open.
Soup Salty: Place a raw peeled potato in the bowl, it will absorb the extra salt.
Yoghurt (Home Made): To set yogurt or curd in winter, place the container in a warm place like over the oven or voltage stabliser.
Yogurt: If the yogurt or curd has become sour, put it in a muslin cloth and drain all the water. Then add milk to make it as good as fresh in taste. Use the drained water in making tasty gravy for vegetables or for basen curry. To keep the yogurt fresh for many days, fill the vessel containing yogurt with water to the brim and refrigerate. Change the water daily.

These Indian kitchen tips and healthy cooking tips are sure to make the process of cooking and taking care of your kitchen and home much easier. Do you have any other useful kitchen tips to offer??

Who Is President Barack Hussein Obama II

2009-01-23T12:19:00.014+05:30

Barack Obama Biography Profile

President Barack Hussein Obama II is the first President with dark colored skin to be elected as President of the United States of America. He was a junior Senator from the State of Illinois from January 3, 2005 until his resigned in November 16, 2008, after he got elected to the presidency.

Barack Obama's Parents
Barack Obama's parents met in 1960 while they were both studying at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. At that time, Obama's father was already married to a Kenyan woman named Kezia Obama. His mother was not aware of this relationship.

Obama's mother was a white American named Stanley Ann Dunham, who hailed from Wichita, Kansas. According to Obama, she was a non practicing Protestant Christian who called herself an atheist. Obama's grandparents from his mother's side were non practicing Methodist and Baptist Protestant Christians of English and Irish descent. During her later career, she worked as an anthropologist doing social welfare work.

Barack Obama's father was a black African named Barack Obama, Sr. who worked as a goatherd in Nyanza Province in Kenya. According to Barack Obama, his father was raised a Muslim who later became an atheist.

Barack Obama's parents married each other on February 2, 1961 and Barack Obama was born six months later on August 4th, 1961 at a medical center on the island of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Barack Obama's Religion
According to Obama, he was not taught much about religion when he was a child. Barack Obama's religious views began to develop only when he became an adult and were influenced by the views of his Christian grandparents who raised him. This is picture of Obama with his grandparents when he graduated from high school.

Today, Barack Obama's religion is Protestant Christianity. He was baptized at the Trinity United Church of Christ at the age of 27 in 1988. Since then, Obama has been an active member of that Church.

Barack Obama's Kenyan Family
Barack Obama's parents separated when Obama was two years old and divorced in 1964. His father went to Harward. There he met an American teacher called Ruth, whom he took to Kenya and married. Their marriage ended in divorce. Then Obama's father returned to his first wife in Kenya, a local Muslim woman called Kezia Obama. She has four children - one daughter called Auma and three sons. One of her sons, Roy studied in a Madrasa.

In total, Barack Obama's father had seven other children of which six are still alive. In Kenya, he worked as a government geologist. He met his son only once, before he died in a car accident in 1982, when Obama was 21 years old. In the picture, bottom row from left is half sister Auma, Kezia and step grandmother Sarah. Roy is the guy standing behind with the unknown woman in his arms. Obama's step mother Kezia currently lives in Britain.

Barack Obama's Indonesian Family
After divorcing Barack Obama's father, Obama's mother Ann Dunham married an Indonesian foreign student Lolo Soetoro, who was studying at a college in Hawaii. He was also a Muslim. In 1967, they moved to Indonesia.

They had a daughter named Maya Soetoro-Ng, who was Barack Obama's half sister. In Indonesia, Obama attended local schools in Jakarta such as Besuki Public School and St. Francis of Assisi School. Here he picked up the Indonesian language. His mother lived mostly in Indonesia, visiting Hawaii only for five years from 1971 - 1977. She divorced Soetoro in 1980. Later Soetoro married Erna Kustina, with whom he had two children - Yusuf and Ruhayu, who were both Muslim. Soetoro died in 1987 due to a liver ailment while Ann Dunham, Obama's mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995, when she returned to Hawaii.

Barack Obama's Grandparents
When Barack Obama was 10 years old, he returned to Honolulu and began to live with his white Christian maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Armour Dunham. They were non practicing Methodist and Baptist Protestant Christians of English and Irish descent.

His grandfather had joined the US Army during the Second World War while Obama's grandmother worked at the Boeing factory in thier hometown of Wichita, Kansas. After the war, Obama's grandfather worked as a furniture salesman while his grandmother was vice president of a bank.

Stanley died in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1992. His grandmother Madelyn passed away on November 2nd, 2008, just before Barack Obama won the presidential election.

Barack Obama's Education
The young Barack was known to use alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years. During this time, he was known as Barry to his friends.

After finishing high school in 1979, Barack Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) in 1983. He shifted to Chicago and began working as a Director in a church based NGO called Development Communities Project. In 1988, Obama joined the Harvard Law School. In the summer of 1989, he worked as a summer associate at the law firm of Sidley and Austin.

Barack Obama's Marriage
It was here, at the Sidley and Austin law firm that Obama met his future wife - Michelle Robinson. Michelle Obama was born on January 17th, 1964 and was brought up in Chicago, Illinois. She was a Christian who belonged to the same Church as Obama. Her father Frazer Robinson worked at the city water plant while her mother Marian Shields Robinson was a secretary at Spiegels Catalog Store. Michelle Obama lived in a normal two parent family with her younger brother Craig. Both siblings did well at school and completed college.

At the law firm, Michelle Robinson was assigned for three months as Barack Obama's advisor. After three months they began dating and finally got engaged in 1991. Michelle and Barack Obama were married on October 3, 1992 by Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first marriage for both of them.

Barack Obama's, first daughter, Malia Ann, was born seven years later in 1998. In 2001, a second daughter, Natasha also known as Sasha were born to the couple.

Barack Obama's Book
Barack Obama later got a fellowship and a publishing contract from the University of Chicago Law School to write a book about race relations. He travelled to Bali with his wife Michelle to complete writing this book. Obama's autobiography book was published in 1995 and was titled, 'Dreams From My Father'.

President Barack Obama
When he returned to Chicago, Barack Obama began working as a Professor at the University of Chicago Law School, teaching constitutional law for twelve years. He later got elected to the Senate in the State of Illnois before winning the Presidential Election in 2008.

Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review

2009-01-19T12:29:00.004+05:30

Slumdog Millionaire - 9/10 - Romance - starring Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irffan Khan and Madhur Mittal.

With a scheduled release of 23rd January, this movie was taking way too long to play at the movie theaters in India. After Slumdog Millionaire won four Golden Globes, I just couldn't wait any longer. This weekend I watched the downloaded version of Slumdog Millionaire on my laptop. Here is the movie review.

Story of Slumdog Millionaire

Though serious in some parts, Slumdog Millionaire is a refreshing tale of hope amidst the poverty and despair seen by outside folk in the slums of Mumbai. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a young peon who serves tea in a modern call centre in Mumbai. He gets selected to take part in 'Kaun Banega Crorepati', the Indian Version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire', hosted by Anil Kapoor. Surprisingly, he knows the answers to all the questions. How? Did he cheat? is he a genius ?, is he plain lucky? or is it just written in his destiny??

The host of the Millionaire Show suspects that Jamal cheated and has him arrested. While in jail he is being tortured by an Inspector (Irfan Khan) to confess to his crime. As the interrogation proceeds, Jamal tells the Inspector how he knew the answers to various questions asked in the show, through flashbacks of various incidents that happened in his life.

Here, Slumdog Millionaire the movie explores life in the slums of Mumbai, communal violence, street children, child trafficking, mafia and police excesses. Jamal Malik tells about life with his renegade brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and his search for his childhood love Latika (Frieda Pinto).

Amitabh Bachchan on Slumdog Millionaire

Amitabh Bachchan talks about Slumdog Millionaire showing the 'murky under belly' of India on his blog. Yes, the film shows the slums, corruption and sleaze of Mumbai as it is. It is the truth which millions of Mumbaikars live daily and is something which citizens should work to change. Amitabh Bachchan says that 'this thrives in Western nations too' - this is bullshit. Even small villages in India or even unsafe Delhi are not as bad as Mumbai when it comes to poverty, slums and crime swept under the carpet.

Seems to me that he is just bugged that a lookalike plays him in a scene from the movie. Big B seems to have very low self esteem when it comes to Hollywood movies - he should cheer up, he was shown as a caring star who visits the slums and is not afraid to sign an autograph for a very very dirty little child.

I mean, look at Shah Rukh Khan who also hosted like Kaun Banega Crorepati like Amitabh Bachchan - he looked so smart when he went on stage to introduce 'Slumdog Millionaire' as a nomination for Best Picture at the Golden Globes.

Slumdog Millionaire - Analysis

The movie was excellently cast. Actors did a good job, especially the six child stars playing Jamal, Salim and Latika when they were young. The direction by Danny Boyle and photography were very good. I also liked the 'Ringa Ringa' song and the background music composed by AR Rehman for Slumdog Millionaire and the choreography for the dance sequence at the end. The story, screenplay and dialogues were superb.

Of courses, there were a few inconsistencies in Slumdog Millionaire, like the blue Lord Rama in the communal riot scene and the cash levels in the Millionaire Show. Of course, it may be taken as cinematic extravagances for a foreign audience, but somehow seem like glaring mistakes to an Indian.

The best thing about this movie is that it has a happy ending...which I really loved. I have a feeling that it is going to turn out to be a big hit in India, especially if it is dubbed in local languages.

Have you watched Slumdog Millionaire? What did you think of it?

Tax Slabs in India - 2009

2009-01-08T15:14:00.006+05:30

Well, last year Finance Minister P.Chidambaram reduced the tax burden on people paying income tax by changing the tax slabs in India. This article offers information about the income tax rates in India for different categories of income tax payers such as men, women and senior citizens. It also provides details about final tax calculation, best deductible investments and other tax saving strategies for Indians. Here are the Income Tax Rates for the year 2008-2009.

Income Tax Slab 1 - Zero Tax
Male salaried individuals pay zero tax if their net taxable income is Rs.1,50,000 and below. For women the zero tax limit is Rs. 1,80,000 while for senior citizens it is Rs. 2,25,000. According to the income tax department, only individuals (both men and women) who are of the age of 65 years and above are considered to be senior citizens. By investing prudently and using salary allowances, it is possible to bring down incomes which are much larger than this to this level.

Income Tax Slab 2 - Ten Percent Tax
People earning between Rs. 1,50,001 to 3,00,000 fall in this category. Men have to pay 10 percent of the amount greater than Rs. 1,50,000 while women have to pay 10 percent of the amount between Rs. 1,80,001 and Rs. 3,00,000. Senior Citizens pay a rate of 10 percent of the amount between 2,25,000 and Rs. 3 lakhs as income tax in India.

Income Tax Slab 3 - Twenty Percent Tax
Indian Citizens earning between Rs. 3,00,001 to 5,00,000 have to pay this income tax rate. In this bracket, salaried men have to pay Rs 15,000 plus 20 percent of the amount between Rs. 3,00,000 and Rs. 5,00,000. Women pay Rs. 12,000 + 20 percent of the amount between Rs. 3 - 5 lakhs while senior citizens pay Rs. 7,500 plus 20 percent of the amount between Rs. three - five lakhs.

Income Tax Slab 4 - Thirty Percent Tax
All Indians earning a salary of above Rs. 5,00,000 fall in this category. Men have to pay Rs.55,000 plus 30 percent of the amount greater than Rs. 5,00,000. Women salaried taxpayers have to pay Rs. 52,000 + 30 % of the income more than Rs. 5,00,000 while for senior citizens it is it Rs. 47,500 plus 30 percent of the income above Rs.5 lakhs.

Income Tax Surcharge - In addition to the above income tax rates, a 10 percent surcharge (tax on tax) is applicable if the taxable income after taking into consideration all the deductions is above Rs. 10 lakh.

Education Cess - All taxes in India are subject to an education cess, which is 2 percent of the total tax payable. With effect from the assessment year 2008-09, Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Cess of 1% is applicable on the subtotal of taxable income.

These are the current income tax slabs and rates for the financial year April 2008 - March 2009. The Annual Budget is expected to be announced at the end of this month, and it is hoped that the Finance Minister Mr.P.Chidambaram introduces a new system of taxation, tax
slabs, investment and expense deductions that reduces the tax rate in India even further for next year.

Some More Articles about Saving Income Tax in India -

- Income Tax Slabs in India - 2010
- Calculating Taxable Income for Saving Tax
- Best Tax Saving Investments For Deduction
- Your Family As A Tax Saving Strategy

Ghajini Movie Review - Hindi Version

2009-01-05T13:15:00.000+05:30

Ghajini Movie - Hindi Version - Drama - 4/10

This weekend, I saw Ghajini - the movie starring Aamir Khan, southie newcomer Asin and Jiah Khan.The meaning of Ghajini is actually 'female elephant' in Hindi/Sanskrit but in the movie, Ghajini is the name of the main villain played by Pradeep Rawat. Well, here is the synopsis of Ghajini - the Hindi language film.

Ghajini Story

The story of the Ghajini movie is a copy of the English language Hollywood film, Memento. It was first made in Telugu and Tamil starring Surya in the lead role with the same heroine and villain. In the Ghajini Hindi movie remake, Aamir Khan plays Sanjay Singhania, the rich owner of a fictional telecom company called Air Voice. Asin is Kalpana, a small time model who acts in low grade commercials, while Jiah Khan is a dumb medical student. Ghajini - the movie begins with Aamir Khan's character Sanjay, killing and photographing a man. Sanjay suffers from short term memory loss and cannot remember names, people or places after 15 minutes, so he keeps a record of his life by writing notes, making tatoos on his body and taking photos with a polaroid camera at regular intervals.

Soon, a cop investigating the death of the murdered man, lands up at Sanjay's apartment. As he opens a diary dated in 2006, the film moves into flashback mode, where the love story between Sanjay and Kalpana is narrated. Here the Ghajini story becomes quite lame. Kalpana pretends to be having an affair with a rich industrialist - Sanjay Singhania to further her career. When Sanjay hears of it, he decides to meet her and is charmed by her beauty, charitable nature and bindaas attitude. He does not reveal his identity and chooses instead to become her friend, the struggling male model, Sachin. They fall in love.

One day, Sanjay goes on a business trip to London. Kalpana is supposed to go to Goa for a photo shoot. While in the general compartment of the train to Goa, she rescues some girls who are victims of a kidney racket and female trafficking. Soon, the bad guys, lead by the villain Ghajini come after her. She is murdered in front of her boyfriend Sanjay Singhania, who is hit on the head with a crowbar and loses his memory. She was still not aware of Aamir's real identity. The movie Ghajini then continues with Sanjay Singhania's struggle to avenge his love Kalpana's death.

Movie Review of Ghajini

Ghajini was an average sort of movie. There were many holes in the script and implausible scenes with no logic. The violence in the Ghajini film was way too much and Aamir Khan's look just did not suit the character. It is hard to believe that a mentally ill former industrialist visits a gym regularly enough to build a body like that.

However, the Ghajini Songs were good. The music was hummable and many of my friends have downloaded Ghajini ringtones and Ghajini wallpapers. Direction was commendable and the acting of newbie Kerala girl Asin was refreshing. Aamir's acting was as good as usual, but he looks more creepy than cute, nowadays !! Direction and photography was the best, with a posh look and feel being given to the movie.

Haven't seen the Telugu version of Ghajini but the English original film, Memento was definitely better scripted than this loser remake.

Watching Ghajini in Other Countries

Ghajini is also available dubbed in English or with English subtitles. Last I saw, Ghajini video was also available online on youtube, other videosharing websites as well as on blogs. I'd recommend the movie Ghajini as a one time watch....but remember to cover your eyes during those gory violent killing scenes.

Have you seen the Ghajini movie? What did you think of it?

Tax Saving Strategy - Family and Interest on Investments

2009-01-02T19:51:00.009+05:30

How To Avoid Paying Taxes On Interest On Investments

The interest on some investments such as Bank Fixed Deposits and National Savings Certificates is taxable. This reduces the initial rate offered by banks from around 10 per cent to about 6 percent, leaving you with hardly any earnings from this type of investment.

One loophole out is Section 56 of the Income Tax Act. This section basically exempts cash gifts between relatives. This includes relatives such as parents, spouse, siblings and adult children. As you know, the basic threshold for paying income tax is Rs. 1.50 lakh for men, Rs. 1.80 lakh for women and Rs. 2.25 lakh for Senior Citizens above the age of 65 years. For this tax loophole to work, it is necessary that your relatives have zero income or income which is much less than the basic income tax threshold for their age/sex.

Now here comes the tricky bit - All you have to do to save tax on fixed deposits is to gift large sums of money to your wife, parents or adult children and invest this cash in fixed deposits or some other investment of your choice. The resulting interest on the fixed deposit, if below the basic threshold limit is completely free of tax. Let's take an example -

Mr. Singh is a Senior Manager in an IT firm. His wife and 80 year old mother are housewives, while his 19 year old son is a college student with no earnings. After using up all the tax saving investment and expense options, Mr.Singh has Rs. 30 lakh spare for investing. As the share market is down, he decides to avoid shares, mutual funds and life insurance. The next best thing is fixed deposits, the only negative point being that the interest on such an investment is taxable.

Hence, he makes use of the above income tax loophole. He gifts Rs. 10 lakh each to this wife, mother and son. This is in turn invested in fixed deposits that earn 10 percent per year in his wife, mother and son's name. Each relative earns around Rs 1 lakh as interest from this investment. However, this interest is not taxable as it is below the basic threshold taxable limit of Rs. 1.80 lakh for wife, Rs. 2.25 lakh for mother and Rs 1.50 lakh for son respectively.

If Mr.Singh had invested the above funds himself, he would have to pay full tax on the Rs.3 lakh interest earned, which would have been a straight loss. Since, he had relatives he could trust, he saved a lot of cash for the family and also gave them financial security.

Of course, you might not have Rs. 30 lakh to spare after household expenses and tax, but whatever savings you have, you can put this tax saving strategy to good use to avoid paying taxes on various investments such as fixed deposits and national savings certificates that have taxable interest.

Read More:
- Tax Slabs in 2009
- Best Tax Saving Investments
- Calculating Taxable Income for Salaried Individuals

Happy New Year, 2009

2009-01-01T08:22:00.000+05:30

New Year - 2009

Wishing All My Blog Readers A Happy and Prosperous New Year, 2009.

This New Year, I resolve to work hard at writing more useful posts for you all !! My other resolution is to visit other blogs more often and post comments.

Hope you continue to visit and read my blog this year!!

warm regards,
Cyberkitty.

Movie Reviews For December

2008-12-30T11:06:00.002+05:30

Here are reviews of the movies which I watched over the last two months -

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi - 6/10 - Romantic Comedy - I liked the dialogues and Shah Rukh Khan's comic acting as Surinder Sahni. I found the character of Surinder's alter ego - Raj quite irritating. He seemed like a jerk whom very few girls would fall for. The arranged marriage part was a bit boring. I just can't understand this funda of parents forcing their kids to marry weirdos just because they fear their own death. Songs were good.

Transporter 3 - 7/10 - Action - Jason Statham is back as Frank Martin, the Transporter in the third installment of the series.This time he is forced to transport the kidnapped daughter of a Russian politician to Odessa. His Audi is refitted by the bad guys and he is forced to wear a bracelet bomb that will explode if he moves beyond 75 feet of his car. The action sequences and car chase scenes were amazing. The direction, photography and locales are also very good. Refreshing
film.

Quantum of Solace - 1/10 - Action - Oh, this movie was so boring, I can't even remember the story. James Bond movies are supposed to have a posh, slick look where 007 is the smart dashing hero. However, in this 007 movie, James Bond is a loser who drives uncool mini cars, broken down boats and 'khatara' planes. I am still trying to erase the image out of my mind.

Dostana - 6/10 - Comedy - A relatively good Hindi movie after a long time. The movie is about two guys living in the USA, who pretend to be gay just to get a rented apartment. Inspired by the Hollywood film, 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry', this desi movie with it's local flavour was quite funny. I liked all the songs, especially 'Munda Bigad Gaya' and John Abraham.

Yuvvraaj - 4/10 - Romance Drama - Salman Khan does not suit the role of a western classical singer nor does he look like the heir of some millionaire. I also did not like the part of the story where the cruel father who mistreats and throws his middle son out of his house is glorified in the end as a person who always made the right decision. The music was simply amazing. Locales of Austria were beautiful.

Dasvidaniya - 1/10 - Drama - A very very boring film with uninspiring acting by Vinay Pathak. The story is about a boring man who learns he has very little time left to live and makes a list of boring tasks he must do before he dies. I watched only the first 15 minutes before switching to something else.

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye - 3/10 - Comedy - The movie is a half baked plot about a charming conman based on the character of real life jailbird Charles Sobhraj. Initially, the movie was quite slow paced, while towards the end, much to my dismay, it glorified conmen and crime. Abhay Deol acts well as Bunty, the conman. Paresh Rawal, as usual managed to snag a role..he is in almost every film these days. Anyway, I've just about had enough of Paresh Rawal- and having to see him eating up so much screen space in a double role was way too much to bear...

Hello - 1/ 10 - Drama - I haven't read the book it is based on, so I did not know what to expect from the movie. All I knew was that Salman Khan was in it. However, he only had a bit part and I lost interest soon after his scene was over. 'Hello' started off at a slow boring pace and I just did'nt have the energy to sit through it to the end.

Fashion - 2/10 - Drama - This movie was more like a documentary about the life of Priyanka Chopra's character Meghna Mathur - a small town girl aspiring to be a model. There was almost no scene without Priyanka Chopra in it. Songs were good..and that was about all there was to it. The movie displayed many harsh truths about the fashion and glamour industry...but it was not something that I was unaware about.

Have you seen any of these movies? What did you think of them?

How To Tackle Terrorism

2008-12-20T15:38:00.005+05:30

Fighting Against Terrorism

Around two weeks ago, I was standing at the Krishi Bhavan Central Secretariat bus stop in the late evening, waiting for the bus to go home. The bus stop is always crowded with people waiting for buses, or waiting for their friends to accompany them in the metro. Usually, there is quite a lot of security but today, I saw none. Looking around, I saw an unnoticeable man wearing dark clothes, standing in the shadows near the flowerpots who was looking out of place in the picture. He was tall, well built, stood straight (like he had military training) and his features resembled Rahul Dev (that bollywood villain). He was looking about carefully, taking in the surroundings. I just got a feeling that he was a terrorist scouting the place...

I stared back at him. His reaction astounded me. As soon as he realized that he was being watched, he panicked and decided to leave. Looking back at me, he started walking towards the metro station. Noticing the tension from his side, I followed him a couple of steps just to see what he'd do. There was a crowd at the metro station entrance, blocking his way. I was really shocked when instead of weaving through the crowd and walking down the metro steps, like a normal person, he ran down the wrong way of the metro station escalator, which was moving upwards.

I told my family and friends about this incident. I tried to call a terror hotline number mentioned in the newspaper, but it did not work. Thinking that I had scared the 'terrorist' off anyway, I got busy with routine tasks and this incident slipped out of my mind. Two days ago, while I was standing at the bus stop again, I noticed strong police presence in the area. There was a Police Gypsy Jeep and at least three tall khaki policemen armed with automatic guns. That's when I decided to write this article. Police can't be at all places at all times and it is the responsibility of citizens who are at the scene to keep an eye out and work against terrorist attacks before they can happen. Here is my advice to citizens on how to fight terrorism -

1. Wherever you are, keep an eye out for people behaving in a bizarre manner. Terrorists are people with some sort of military training, so they will usually look like a physically fit military person in plainclothes. They are quite ordinary looking and usually stand about watching their surroundings keenly, instead of waiting for a bus, dreaming, eating, walking or talking. They will not be identifiable as a person of a certain community or religion.

2. If you see such a person, you should show some reaction towards him. Stare back at him or walk up to him and ask him some sort of inane question, just to see his reaction. If he reacts negatively in a strange suspicious way, then you know what you are up against. If you see a policeman nearby, inform him/her that the person is behaving suspiciously and should be questioned.

3. Don't be a bozo like me and just give up, hoping nature will fix it. Call up the police at 100 and complain about the incident. They will take the required action. Why waste precious time waiting for 'translation and decoding of intelligence reports' to filter down to the police level, for security to increase in the area ?? If you have first hand information, share it, before it is too late. You can save hundreds of lives.

4. All citizens must be vigilant and brave enough to stand up for the truth and report it. We cannot keep saying 'It is the police department's fault or the politicians fault'. They were never at the scene of the incident and were not informed by the few who saw something suspicious. If you are at a scene where you can prevent a terrorist incident before it can happen, take action !!

5. Like my school principal used to say, don't have that 'Sab Chalta Hain' attitude. Terrorists don't care a damn about bindaas people who participate in protests, light candles and send sms's to news channels after an attack saying that 'You will not break our spirit', 'We will not be terrorized', "We will bounce back' and all that other nonsense. They are more scared of the person who stares at them while they are surveying a place and walks over and asks them questions such as 'Which bus goes to Tihar Jail?' or 'Where is the police station located?'

This is a short term measure to tackle terrorism. I will soon be writing about long term measures to tackle terrorism.Until then, keep your eyes open for suspicious characters and react immediately. It is the only way you can do your bit to tackle and stop terrorism, as it happens.

How Placement Consultants Really Work

2008-12-18T20:08:00.005+05:30

How Placement Consultants Really Work

Have you ever been sent by a placement consultant for a job interview, done well in the test, but have never heard from the company again. Well, placement companies are also businesses and their main aim is to make a profit, even if a bit cunningly.

Recruitment companies and employment agencies play many tricks on unsuspecting job applicants. Some are easy to guess. Here are some of the most common games played by placement agencies and consultancies -

1. Some clients pay placement agencies an amount for every shortlisted candidate who turns up for their interview. This leads to placement consultants lying to job applicants about the position, qualifications needed, salary and other terms of service offered by a company, just so that you agree to go for the interview. Once you find out that the job is not what you desired, you naturally walk off...but the recruiter has already made their few bucks.

2. In such cases, Placement Agencies may also unscrupulously deal with the Human Resource Managers of companies. All companies have a certain budget for hiring people. Since they 'know' the HR Manager, placement consultants send a large amount of candidates for a position that can be easily filled. Many 'fake' interviews are conducted. The HR person and the recruitment company then share the amount paid for by the company for all shortlisted candidates who attend the job interview.

3. They may tell you about an extremely tempting job offer and ask you to send over your CV. Listening to the sales talk, you are so interested in the job that you email your resume immediately. In reality, there is no job - basically they are just trying to collect a database of resumes. You will never hear from them in connection with that particular job again.

4. They ask you for references of superiors or the name of your previous boss in connection with a very 'lucrative' job offer. They are actually just looking for names and contact details of people who are in the position to hire people, so that they can make contracts and other deals with them for jobs and interviews.

5. They ask you for references of colleagues and friends if you say that you are not interested in a particular job. This means they are trying to build up their database of resumes or trying to get a 'murga' to attend one of the paid shortlisted candidate interviews. If they say they will pay you if your friend gets the job through them, they usually pretend they do not remember your recommendation, after your friend gets hired.

6. If you ask them how much the company is paying, they will ask you what range you are looking for. If you say around Rs. 20000 - 25000 per month, then get ready to work for only around Rs.20,000 or a bit less. They will negotiate with the company for as much as they can get, give you excuses that the job market is down and keep the rest of the profit for themselves.

7. If you get a job through a placement consultant, they will put up unfavorable clauses in your work contract such as termination with little notice, a bond, a compulsory two year contract and so on. You may find you have fewer non-taxable benefits and a large 'basic' salary from which the job agency gains commission.

8. If you don't get shortlisted for an interview, don't turn up for an interview or don't get hired by a contractor client, chances are the recruitment agency will never phone you again. They just don't like candidates who don't make them money.

Of course, there are a few good recruitment agencies that play by the rules. Dealing with them may prove real beneficial for your future. Even they dislike the fraudulent placement agencies that shake both the confidence of candidates and that of companies. Research the recruitment market well to find a honest recruiter.

Wish you all the best as you go job hunting!!

Conjunction of Crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter

2008-12-02T11:42:00.000+05:30

I was waiting for the bus, when I glanced up at the sky and saw two stars above the Crescent Moon glowing in the sky. It looked really beautiful, but I was not aware, at the time that it was a rare celestial event.

The two stars were the planets Venus and Jupiter, which are the brightest planets in the solar system. This phenomenon will be visible again after four years in 2012. It looked like a giant smile from God, to tell us that he still loves the world and to reassure us about the future.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2008-11-30T20:19:00.001+05:30

My Best Friends Wedding

Yes, this is the same friend who 'broke up' with me around two weeks ago. We later caught up for wedding shopping again...and she re-invited me for her wedding. I have always wanted to attend a Sikh wedding and as she is a very close friend, she told me to come for all functions - Roka, Sagan, Mehendi, Anand Karaj and Reception, which I was very happy to attend. This time, the mehendi applied on my hands came out much darker than ever before.

Mehendi on my hands

I was really looking forward to the wedding function at the Gurudwara, as I have never been to a Gurudwara before. We had to keep our shoes outside, cover our heads with a dupatta and wash our hands and feet before entering. The Sikh Granthi said the prayers in Punjabi, the couple took four pheras (rounds) of the Guru Granth Sahib and we were given sooji halwa as prasad. It was a really great experience.

I wish a happy married life to my friend and her husband, who happens to be my colleague.

ING Renault Roadshow - Formula One Car in Delhi

2008-11-10T19:16:00.008+05:30

This Sunday, I headed for India Gate with my Dad to watch the Renault Formula 1 Roadshow. Being a hardcore Formula One enthusiast, at least until Michael Schumacher retired, I have always wished to see a Formula One car being driven in real life. However, I haven't been able to do this, as it is very costly to go abroad to watch F1, and I haven't saved enough. I never thought there was a chance that I could get to see this happening, especially in India, until I opened the newspapers this morning and saw the advertisement.

Rajpath wore a festive atmosphere. The 'track' was bordered with ING Renault signboards and flags. The foreign marshals waving flags and security personnel moving around in official gear gave the place a feel of 'Raceday'. It was quite a cool day and I wore my new Rayban shades to look posh.

We waited some time for the show to get underway. It finally started at around 1.30 pm as three Indian Army parachutes with fans flew over the tarmac at Rajpath, whirring like little bees. This was followed by the Indian Army Band which led rows of Renault Logan cars in different colors. Next, a variety of Renault cars drove by in various formations to sexy music. Later, came the two Renault Megane Trophy cars followed by the tiger striped Cartoon Cars.

Video of Formula One ING Renault Roadshow at India Gate, New Delhi, India.

Soon, the moment that everyone was eagerly waiting for arrived. From behind India Gate, entered the white Renault Formula One R-27 flanked by the two yellow Megane Trophy cars. The vroom of the high-powered engines reverberated all through Rajpath as the cars sped down the tarmac. Everyone was excited. Street urchins and lower middle class folk who usually hang about the India Gate laws were all eyes agog. Many started imitating the sound of the Formula one cars ditto – which I found real funny and cute.

The F1 car was being driven by Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet Jr., the number two driver of the Renault Formula One team after World Champion Fernando Alonso. This season, Nelson Piquet Jr. finished 12th in the Drivers Standings with 19 points. He has one podium finish to his credit, gained when he finished second at the race in Germany. Nelson Piquet Jr. is the son of three time world champion Nelson Piquet.

The Formula One car went back and we were entertained by stunts performed by Hollywood stunt car diver Terry Grant. Later, the Formula One Renault R-27 returned with Renault test driver Lucas Di Grazzi of Brazil at the wheel. The cars zoomed along Rajpath and did lots of spins and turns on the piece of road in front of India Gate and near Central Secretariat.

It was truly an awesome sight. I have seen Formula One cars before such as the McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Renault displayed at the Auto Expo, but they were stationary and I doubt that there was an engine in the body. However, never in my wildest dreams did I expect to ever see a Formula One car zooming down Rajpath.

All I can say is the ING Renault Formula 1 Roadshow was an awesome start to the 2010 Commonwealth Games which was being promoted. I hope the government continues with such ventures and one day organizes a Formula One race in Delhi.