Doodles
NEW BEGINNINGS
Hi Friends!
New Year and
Pongal for Eve’s
Times Group team
and all our readers
have commenced on
an optimistic note.
There’s great news for
our readers even as we
keep embracing newer
readers nationally and
internationally. We are
entering into the fiĞh year
of publication and we
have learned and understood
a lot during these years. We
have grown much stronger. Five
years back we were among the
few publications that enlisted
the participation of our readers
as citizen journalists, a much-
hyped catch phrase in the media
today. We have encouraged
many women and youth to
write, express their opinions
on burning issues, and consult
our medical, legal, educational,
health experts and counselors
on various issues. While we
continue this mission, we are
also expanding our endeavours
and are planning to bring out
more exciting features, human
interest stories, social issues,
youth and women related issues
and of course an immense
repertoire of entertaining and
exciting stuě for our readers to
get hooked on to us. So don’t
hesitate and continue to pen
your thoughts and feelings as
January 16-31, 2010
of enlightenment. Unless
we take all the citizens
along with us to create a
more conducive society
where living in harmony
is a possibility, where
dignity of living and survival
are not compromised, where
always in English, Tamil or everyone of us is able to go to
Hindi. bed with a sated stomach and a
satisfied mind, the turmoil will
As the new Pongal aura continue in various horrendous
envelopes all of us, let us put forms and we will be leĞ
by the painful memories of the helpless watching shocking live
last year and look forward to happenings such as the death of
a year of productivity, success
and propitious occurrences. In
certain quarters the awareness
about several social concerns is
palpable. People have started
talking about issues such as
global warming, the green earth,
unity, harmony, gender equality,
human rights and innumerable
other subjects that aěect all of
us as citizens of a unified
world. Let us, who
have the ability to think
and contemplate,
join hands and
communicate
to the rest of
us who have
been leĞ behind
in education and
awareness and light the lamp
1
 UNVEILING
THE NEW
YEAR FASHION
5
MANTRA

THE MUSIC SEASON

THAT WAS
a policeman in front of a convoy
of ministers and bureaucrats, the
smirking police oĜcial who gets
Let this Pongal be a festival of
hope for all of us. Let the sweet
taste of the delectable Pongal
permeate the entire milieu
Page 12
oě with a light punishment aĞer
and let us march toward the
almost two decades for ruining
vision we have carved out for
a family and causing the death ourselves. Happy Pongal and
of a young girl… brothers who Happy New Year!
have been living in harmony
for centuries clamoring for Ciao
diěerent states leading to the
fragmentation of our country
and of course innumerable other
Swati Amar
injustices happening to those
who are indigent or weak.
January 16-31, 2010
2
 CONTENTS

The Dark Side of teen mag

Beauty
CONTENTS

Page 16

Page 33 You (th) Are the Master of the Game

Page 25
STETHOSCOPE
LIVE WITH THE
Our Regular Features
Beauty Bistro ................................................. 10
MOODS OF INDIA
Beauty Speak.................................................. 11 Our Regular Features
Breaking News ............................................. 15 Editorial ........................................................ 22

Just Ask Brinda ............................................. 31

Quizzeria ...................................................... 23
Soul’s Core ..................................................... 31
Canteen Banter ............................................ 24
Health and Fitness Clinic ........................... 34
For your Eyes Only ..................................... 26
Salt ‘n’ Pepper Corner ................................. 38
Jest for Laughs .............................................30
Jaggi Vasudev .............................................. 46
January 16-31, 2010
3
 Published by Smt. Kamala
Balachandran on behalf of
Eve’s Times Group from
18/1, 2nd Cross Street,
Dr.Radhakrishnan Nagar,
Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai - 600 041.
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Printed by : K.Elumalai at
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No.7, Dams Road, Chindadripet,
Chennai - 600 002.

Editor : Lata Amarnath

January 16-31, 2010

4
 Star Light, Star Bright
Chennai Twinkles
with
Fashion Events

C hennai, perceived to be
a cauldron of tradition
and culture is now ready
to embrace the trendiest
fads in the global fashion
scenario. In a five day
event extravaganza, the
city witnessed that fashion
is not how much skin you
show, but how you feel
about yourself. Read on and
get dazzled!

January 16-31, 2010

5
C hennai’s spring commences
with the melody of music
and the chimes of anklets as
the music and drama festival
unfolds for culture connoisseurs
across the world. Adding to
the mystical aura of the cultural
ambience was a totally diěerent
event that took Chennai by the
storm. The first ever Chennai
International Fashion Week
Spring-Summer 2010 unveiled
at the Le Royal Meridien gave
the people a rare glimpse
into the national fashion
scenario. Spanning over five
days from the 16- 20 December,
designers from all over the
country including international
designers showcased their
UNVEILING THE
YEAR FASHION M
6
exclusive creations. In many
ways, Chennai came of age in
the realm of fashion .
Making the best of the South’s
conservative nature, the
designers went all out with
their creations be it the demure,
white coĴon salwar kameezes
to the preĴy, yet rich black
dresses. The world famous
Kanjeevaram sari lit the ramp in
varied splendor with its elegance
and brilliance. A number of
innovations too were showcased
on the star studded ramp.
Designer greats like Neeta
JJanuary
Ja
an
annu
uar
a y 16-31,
1166-3
31,
1, 2010
2010
00110
 Lulla, Satya Paul, Sidney Sladen,
Pria Kataaria Puri, Ishita Singh,
Nishka Lulla et al inaugurated
Chennai’s first ever glamourous
event. The fashion week also
brought with it the foray of
Bollywood stars like handsome
hunk Neil Nitin Mukesh, doe
eyed beauty Koena Mitra, the
dazzling Genelia D’Souza,
timeless beauty Jacqueline
Fernandez etc, who looked
stunning in exquisite creations.
Says tutor and
NEW
MANTRA
January 16-31, 2010
homemaker A. Leelavathi, “The
dresses that are worn in the
fashion shows cannot be worn
by ordinary women. They are
not suitable for conservative
weddings or oĜcial meetings
nor can they be worn to
parties. The clothes should be
fashionable and aěordable at
that same.” Others argue that
these designs should not
be exclusive only for the elite.
The cost of a salwar-kameez and
a sari should not be the same
they conclude.
Neeraja Prabhakaran, a mass
communication student thinks
it’s great that Chennai has
been a part of a major fashion
event. “This will help draw the
country’s fashion market’s
aĴention to a so-
called “conservative”
city. It is high time
we emerged out of
that label. It will also help
young, aspiring designers in the
city to seek out opportunities
here itself.” However, she feels
that it would have helped to
have it organized beĴer with
gretaer publicity and with
the involvement of the entire
Chennai’s fashion brigade --
designers, celebs, stylists etc.
Most youngsters are now
becoming brand conscious,
but not to the extent of brands
becoming an obsession. Apart
from following ongoing trends,
they are quite happy wearing
what looks best on them.
Neeraja’s friend Madhu owns
a few of the foreign brands
like Bebe, CK, Burberry and
H&M. “I would love to buy a
Ritu Kumar, Manish Malhotra
or Sabyasachi someday. A few
designers’ prêt lines are not too
expensive like Rohit Gandhi
& Rahul Khanna. But most of
the other designers’ clothes
cost a bomb. Sometimes I feel
they aren’t worth spending
your money on,” adds Madhu.
Despite people’s beliefs that
fashion shows constitute
vulgarity, designers played the
conservative card at the CIFW.
7
“One cannot blame them too
because it’s the first time here
and they needed to check the
response,” adds Madhu.
Chennai, the cultural capital
of the South has now become
a part of the international
fashion scene. In the aspect
of shopping, maybe now the
city will be known more for
its fashion than its saris and
jewelry. Chennaites who looked
to Bangalore, Mumbai and
New Delhi for trendy clothes’
shopping can now hope to find a
more advanced and fashionable
version of their favourite
shopping addas.
The Fashion week was also an
opportunity to chat up with
a few designers and unearth
the trends that are going to
emerge in the fashion industry
in the coming years. Priyanka
Sakhamuru had a whale of a
time meeting a few fashion
brahmas up close.

Chirag Joshi, Fashion white is worn oě, he throws

Designer
Chirag Joshi personifies subtlety
and at the same time will leave
you guessing. To confirm this
testimonial is his clothing line
showcased at the first ever
Chennai International Fashion
Week held at the Le Royal
Meridian.
Where one would expect simple
designs with a neutral shade
like white, the Delhi based
designer has given it a dramatic
eěect. CoĴon couture has to do
with Indian summer. “Crystal
and threadwork on white is
dramatic,” says Chirag. When
the eěect of bold colours on
unexpectedly the black dress.
Kama Sutra as the line is known
as surely comes as a surprise.
“It is not vulgar as the name
suggests, but seductive in a
very subtle manner,” he adds.
Bold use of colours on black has
only enhanced the subtleness
with which women wearing
his clothes will be demure
temptresses. Then there is the
‘Flora and Fauna’, says Chirag,
“Since there is a lot of concern
about global warming, ‘Flora
and Fauna’ depicts Mother
Nature.”
I would also like to design for
About Chennai, Chirag says
Vidya Balan because she has a
the city is very conservative
lot of potential. Another star on
and that the south is mostly
my list is Rani Mukherjee,” adds
associated with
Chirag.
Kancheepuram
saris. “It is a Among the super stars of
highly cultural Bollywood, Chirag feels that
place and they Malaika Arora Khan has an
should look amazing fashion sense. He adds,
to evolve with “Even if her clothes are low
the times,” he cut, they do not look vulgar.
suggests. She carries herself really well.
Rekha’s saris and jewellery are
Not surprisingly
stunning.”
Sridevi turns
out to be his hot
favourite, “Even Ishita Singh, Fashion
though she has Designer
a great designer The chirpy lady from Hyderabad
I would love to was bowled over by Chennai.
design for her. Her Spring Summer 2010

January 16-31, 2010

8
collection at the CIFW was ‘a
jugalbandi of oomph and being
connected with reality’. “My
shows at Delhi and Mumbai
were very subtle and earthy. But
in Chennai I have used bright
colours and I’ve received an
overwhelming response,” says
Ishita. Her work is stated to
fulfill every woman’s dream of
being a true diva.
So what does it take to be a
diva? “AĴitude and confidence
in yourself is all you need, to
be a diva. However, if you have
bright pinks, yellows with bling
and large bangles to go with,
you will look stunning. A diva
must always have black and
white shirts in her wardrobe,”
she aĜrms. Continuity in the
outfit and highlighting of the
makeup go a long way. “Mix
and matching of colours in
your clothes and accessories will
make you look ravishing,” she
adds.
Working with showstopper
Genelia D’Souza was a
cakewalk for her. “We have been
associated with her for the past
five years. She was more than
happy to be a part of the event.
Our comfort level is very good
and in fact she had not tried on
the outfit until just before the
show! I know what she wants
and she trusts me completely,”
she says contentedly.
Pria Kataaria Puri,
Fashion Designer
Internationally renowned
fashion designer, Pria Kataaria
Puri leĞ no stone unturned at
the CIFW. Bright yellow teamed
with black, purple with gold,
metallic prints and chunky
January 16-31, 2010
beaded necklines leave you tunics and the chiěon gown will
speechless. Her showstopper, never go out of fashion as they
the doe eyed beauty Koena are the classic ever green,” adds
Mitra looked dazzling in a cream Pria.
and sequined dress.
In her clothing line she makes
“I was honored to be invited sure that she uses black, oě
to open the cifw. The people white, turquoise, oranges and
of Chennai are very friendly vintage colours. Says Pria,
and hospitable. My over all “Gold, beige, olive greens,
experience has been very good burgundy are a few of my
and a pleasant one,” says Pria. favourites.”
Pria feels that even though
Chennai lacks the glamour
quotient it is fashionable from
a classic point of view. “The
fashion in Chennai needs to
be more stylish and should be
wearable and aěordable at the
same time. People here are a
trifle too old fashioned and need PRIYANKA SAKHAMURU
to be introduced
to classic,
elegant, yet
modern fashion
which blends
with their
traditions,” she
adds.
Fashions may
come and
go as that is
the nature of
haute couture
industry. But
there are a few
that will never
be too old.
“Jeans, white
shirt -blouses
and the classic
black jacket
are here to stay
always, The
Nehru jacket,
plain chiěon
saris, liĴle black
dress, black
gowns, printed
9
Teething Troubles
A visit to the dentist is the
most dreaded experience
in one’s life. But this is one
reality we cannot wish
away. Especially today, it is
important to include a dentist
in your list of people who
would help you to groom
yourselves. In fact, dentists are
not only medical professionals
who take care of your health,
but they also add that extra dash
of aesthetics on you so that your
winning smile puts you on the track
to success.

Most of us first visit our dentist when

a cavity starts forming. Ideally, it
would be great if you start visiting
a dentist when you are a child. All
corrections can be made then and you
can also learn to maintain the health
of your mouth. If a cavity is formed, a
cycle starts. The cavity traps food debris,
which combines with bacteria to produce
the acid that digs even deeper into the
tooth. Like most dental diseases, the
process can be slow, insidious and
painless. People get a false sense of
security if they feel no pain. In fact, as
the cavity is stealthily progressing in
your mouth and you go about happily
doing your daily chores, suddenly
disaster strikes you, most probably
during the middle of the night in the
form of excruciating pain. It is as
though a thunder and lightening
has struck you on your face.
When you experience your first
toothache you would know how
a small tooth can ruin your lives!

A regular visit to a dentist

THE BEAUTY BISTRO

detect cavities early
can dete
an
and avoid complex
an
and expensive dental
p
procedures. If you

January 16-31, 2010

10
experience any tooth sensitivity
or discomfort, seek dental care
immediately.
The simplest tooth repair is a
filling of silver amalgam or,
of tooth-colored plastic that is
used for the most visible teeth.
The traditional silver filling
is the most common and may
have a life span of many years,
but nothing can replace natural
teeth.
Beauty’
S Peak
E ve’s Times is happy to carry
out a column on beauty care
by cosmetologist and aesthetician
Vasundhra, Chennai’s renowned
woman of beauty and influence.
Vasundhra’s tips will help the busy
women of today to maintain their
health and appearance without
much ado.
Winter Care
It is important to take care of
your arms and legs during the
winter. The main problem you
will have to contend with is
dryness and chapped skin. To
prevent dryness of the arms
and legs, try using Vaseline and
petroleum jelly. Some people
develop cracks in the feet which
will cause pain and distress.
You can buy an anti-fungal
ointment with salicylic acid and
apply over cracked feet or use.
Whitefield ointment can also be
used.
January 16-31, 2010
Good Mouthkeeping
Brush and floss. To clean teeth,
angle a soĞ-bristle brush at
about 45 degrees and jiggle or
vibrate in a circular motion. It
should intrude into the gum
slightly. Scrub chewing surfaces
and sides of each tooth. Also
brush the tongue where bacteria
lurk
Break oě about 18 inches of
floss and wind it around your
When you have a bath, rub a
pumice stone over the cracks,
which will help a lot. This is
an inexpensive way of keeping
cracks at bay. Regular use of
pumice stone will help prevent
formation of corns in the feet
too.
Cracks are formed in the feet
because dead cells become more
and the skin loses it ability to
breath. It is important to keep
your legs clean always. Those
who believe in conventional
methods can try mixing turmeric
powder in pure castor oil and
applying over the cracks.
middle fingers. Guide it in
between teeth with your thumbs
and forefingers. Don’t snap it
between, teeth, or you’ll damage
soĞ tissues. Use a gentle sawing
motion instead
Wrap it around one tooth and
slide it in the space between the
gum and the tooth. Hold the
floss tightly and scrape the side
of the tooth, moving away from
the gum.
During winters, moisturizing
creams and lotions play a major
role. You cannot do with these.
Otherwise your skin will go dry
and cause itching. Use a good
moisturizing lotion or winter
care lotion over your body.
Moisturizing lotion should be
applied immediately aĞer bath
aĞer wiping your body with a
soĞ towel and some moisture is
still leĞ on the skin. If you apply
the moisturizing lotion much
later, it will not be beneficial.
If we take proper care of our
body during the winter, you
can keep several beauty, health
and hygiene problems from
hampering your body. Hence,
make a wise choice, select
appropriate cosmetics and home
care tips and maintain your
beauty and health.
To be continued…..
11
 Art Nook

THE
MUSIC
SEASON
THAT WAS
T he
History
of Chennai
by many organizers, may be, no
claim is being staked that it is
considered inauspicious for
weddings, as a result of which
many wedding halls in the
the largest cultural festival in the
music festival world. city are available as venues to
dates back to organizers of the festivals. The
1928, which was the Nowadays with the city climate in the city of Chennai,
first anniversary of the growing geographically, and which is otherwise hot and
“Madras Music Academy”, demographically,
demographically
which was formed in the year and the number
1927, by promoters of art to of talented artistes
mark the first anniversary of increasing, the
the academy, they had a series festival is ushered
of music concerts presented in by some sabhas
by stalwarts of Carnatic music as early as end
those days. This small beginning November, and
has grown into the grandiose it goes on till the
music and dance season enticing second week of
rasikas from world over to January, which
Chennai. The music festival equates to the
showcases more than 1200 end of Margazhi
concerts hosted by over 60 month, over a
sabhas in Chennai and suburbs period of 50 days.
featuring more than 800 artistes
who are established as well as One interesting
upcoming. Clearly Chennai question that
music festival can be regarded arises is why the
as the largest cultural festival in festival is being
the whole world. This will easily hosted during
be larger than the Woodstock December. One
festival of Edinburgh. Since the reason could be
organization of Chennai festival that the month
is fragmented and put together of Margazhi is

January 16-31, 2010

12
humid, is pleasant during the
month of Margazhi, which is
considered as the winter season
in Chennai. Since it follows
the monsoon, the city is cool
and pleasant around this time.
During December even schools
get their winter break aĞer the
second term. School premises
too are available for organizing
concerts for organizers of music
festival.
This Tamil month, too coincides
with the Christmas break of
the West, and many of the
connoisseurs/followers from
western countries are able to
plan their trip to Chennai in
time for the music festival.
What beĴer time can be sloĴed
for such a grand event than
December?
Music Festival 2009
Chennai city witnessed the
hustle bustle of the young and
old who hopped from one sabha
to another with meticulously
worked out schedules, featuring
the concerts of their favorite
artistes. Young and old leĞ
their homes as early as 7-8
AM in the morning, clad in
January 16-31, 2010
traditional aĴire, with men in
the traditional, ash (vibuthi) or
sandal paste on their forehead,
and women with famous
Madurai/Chennai jasmine,
wearing the choicest of the silk
sarees.
They had with them the season’s
guide brought out by sabhas and
some voluntary organizations,
which gives the details of the
concerts of the entire festival.
Many of them carried a small
dairy to note down the songs
and ragas presented in the
concerts,
Another interesting observation
is most of them do not carry
their food. Many of the sabhas
had contract catering in the
halls, and there were numerous
jokes during the rounds in the
sabhas, canteens and the fans. In
a lighter vein many jokes float
around that the largest catalyst
for crowd pulling is not even the
artist but the quality of the food
in the canteens. I bumped into
a relative who coolly said that
she has closed down her kitchen
till the season is over. She had a
long list of what to aĴend where,
from dawn to dusk.
I had decided on daily ticket
purchases as I did not want to
confine myself to any one sabha
by taking a season ticket. Gosh!
Even the daily tickets were
priced very high this year. Many
sabhas had no place for Rs 100
ticketers like me. Nevertheless I
purchased a 100 rupee ticket and
happily perched myself on a seat
in one of the sabhas to listen to
my favourite TM Krishna. My
neighbour was a middle aged
lady who was busy making a
note each time a song began.
I was curious and asked her
what she was doing. She replied
that she was working for the
Canadian government and had
come with her husband only to
aĴend the December festival. She
narrated about her experiences
such as her reaction to the huge
traĜc in Chennai and also the
crowds and how she fell down
at the step. She expressed
surprise about how diĜcult it
was to get a ticket for Krishna’s
performance. Mind you the
ticket was only for one concert
during the 430- 7.00 time slot.
For the 7.30 slot we had to buy
another ticket. So much for
recessions and inflations and the
13
impact on art! I was
amazed at this lady’s
knowledge of ragas
and classical music for
some one had been
living in Canada for
the last 40 years!

My next visit was to

another sabha. Here I
dished out Rs 200 for
a seat in the ground
floor. One had to pay
Rs 1000 to be seated
in the gallery upstairs.
Wow! Sabhas indeed
know how to make
money! This time I sat
next to a young lady
who was making a
note of the songs sung
by the musician that
day and also gave me
concerts in diěerent sabhas and the list followed by Nityasree
some extra piece of information.
sadly commented,” This season and Aruna Sairam. Bombay
She was a fan of that particular
he has become repetitive. He Jaishree is a simpleton compared
singer and would not miss out
sang these two songs (she named to all others. I saw a number
on his performance. She had
them!) in the other kutcheries of people from the audience
already aĴended his two other
too.” I was shocked. I clicking snaps with their
began visualizing what mobiles and a couple of them
amount of prep work had religiously brought in their
each artist should to do digital cameras too.
every season to avoid
such comments from This year it has not been as
rasikas. eventful as expected. Wait
with bated breathe for the real
I also had the privilege kutcheri experiences and all
of siĴing next to an about the concerts I aĴended this
LIC agent during one year in the next issue!
of the concerts and she
tried to persuade me
into becoming a policy
holder. Looks like there
is immense scope for
business in the sabhas.

I also happened to
overhear women
commenting on the
dress sense of women
musicians. Sudha
Raghunathan topped Malini Shankar

January 16-31, 2010

14

WILLIAM SPENDS NIGHT
ON STREETS IN FREEZING
TEMPERATURES
P rince William, the second-
in-line to the British throne,
has spent a night sleeping rough
on the streets of London in
freezing temperatures as part
of work supporting a charity
for the homeless. ‘I cannot, aĞer
one night, even begin to imagine
what it must be like to sleep
rough on London’s streets, night
aĞer night’, he said.
Can we see our own politicians
geĴing such a notion, roughing
it out in the street, sleeping in
freezing or sultry conditions
just to get upfront with reality?
Alright already! There is no
January 16-31, 2010
The Lighter
Side
need to get so wired up at
such ponderings. You all know severe that the host starves to
as well as I do that it is just death!
a dream, or maybe wishful
thinking on the part of the less What bad luck for the dinosaurs
fortunate. Well, on the flip side, that dentists weren’t around in
we just have to accept that our their times. But, they definitely
hopes and politicians do not get are around now! So those of you
along. who have been postponing that
visit to the dentist rush over! Or
you will find that you are extinct
BAR SHOOTING: too! Besides, if that parasite can
LEGISLATOR’S SON destroy a dinosaur, imagine
JAILED what it will do to you!
A court in New Delhi on
Thursday, jailed the son of a SOON BOOKS ON TIGER
Bahujan Samaj party legislator WOOD’S SAGA
from UP for 14 days aĞer he was
arrested for allegedly opening
fire in an upscale Delhi bar.
Shooting in bars has become a
trend of sorts. Maybe these sons
of various political leaders think
that it is an exemplary action on
their part, or fancy themselves
as protectors of the nation just
because they are armed with
a gun! Who will bring them ‘Editors at major publishing
to their senses? Their political houses are frantically trying
fathers? Another area where to find a writer to write books
there is no hope at all! about Tiger’, a news daily
quoted.
DENTISTS MIGHT HAVE
How about that, a book on
SAVED DINOSAURS! Tiger? What golf couldn’t do to
If dinosaurs had dentists to take him the recent scandal has!
care of their teeth, they would
have been probably alive today.
Research by scientists led to
deduce that a protozoan parasite
living in the jaw, may have been
passed from one dinosaur to
another during head biting. This
parasite eats away at the jaw
Kanchana. Rao
bone and can cause ulcers so
15
teen mag

THE DARK
SIDE OF
Emaciated hands stretch out
BEAUTY that mankind has ever known.
– S.A.

expectantly The irony of it all is that, it is

For a tiny morsel that would
appease
The torment of rumblings
emanating
From the pits of the liĴle girl’s
stomach,
While the fair young damsel
empties her plate
Into the innocuous looking dustbin
and
Struts about like a coqueĴish
peacock,
‘Cause it satiates her cravings for
self-love.
happening in the global era,
to the most educated and
elite sections of the fairer sex,
which have the responsibility
of ensuring the empowerment
of their unfortunate sisters. Yet,
the world at large has shut its
eyes to the consequences that
might aĝict future generations.
Despite vociferous clamors by
the so-called women activists
and socialists on all issues
aěecting women, this is one
issue, which is permeating

A
stealthily like cancer, and while
s a mother of two
the world sleeps on, will erupt
teenage girls, I am oĞen
one day like a tempest, maiming
assailed by terrifying dreams.
future generations physically
I am sure most urban Indian
and intellectually.
women would be subjected
to the onslaught of such Do we realize that today, the
traumatic eruptions world is witnessing gender
form the subconscious inequality at its worst? And
every now and then. unfortunately, the learned and
I got up with a jerk, the so-called elite women are
as cold sweat broke the victims? Today’s narcissistic
out despite the culture is breeding such a
chilliness of the fervent passion among teenagers
Margazhi breeze that sadomasochism is at its
in Chennai! The peak! Never before has an entire
plight of Indian generation of school and college
mothers in going young and healthy girls
today’s era of deprived their growing bodies of
globalization is the nourishing morsels that will
indeed pathetic. nurture future generations. It is
an undeniable fact that nature
A mother’s
has entrusted women with
nightmare brings
the responsibility of not only
to light one of the
creating new generations, but
greatest tragedies
January 16-31, 2010
16

also nurturing them so that they
can carry the societies forward.
The world seems to have
forgoĴen the paramount truth
that overrides all other concerns-
its own existence and continuity
is at stake!
The era of myriad beauty
pageants has brought about a
drastic mutation in the mindset
of the younger generations.
While one cannot blame the
impressionable young age that
is enamored by the inundation
of opulence, global jaunts,
innumerable giĞs and adulation
aplenty that go with success in
such ventures that reek of vanity,
it is deplorable that the entire
world has paid the slightest
aĴention to a maĴer that needs
to be addressed on an urgent
basis.
Depriving essential nutrients
to the body at a growing age,
especially by those who can
aěord, is an unpardonable
sin. What kind of future
generations can these girls, who
have wreaked havoc on their
constitutions and hence stunted
the growth of their bodies,
nurture? I am sure there are no
serious studies on the appalling
consequences of these hedonistic
pursuits. Yet, the irony of it all
is that the path to the hedonistic
pursuit commences with self-
denial. Remember what one
of the winners of the Miss
World title blurted out aĞer
her success? The young Indian
woman declared that the first
thing she would do aĞer the
event was to have a hearty
meal! This single sentence oěers
January 16-31, 2010
a disquieting insight into the
travails of a beauty pageant
aspirant. And to think that this
trend may eventually lead to
the starvation of almost half
the world’s population, even if
all the countries of the world
somehow manage to make food
available in abundance, makes
us wonder where we have gone
wrong. While it is not an oěense
if people go to bed without two
square meals a day during times
of drought and famine that oĞen
plague several underdeveloped
countries, the peccadilloes of
vanity cannot be pardoned.
teen mag
It is true that the passion for
anything foreign courses
through the Indian blood ever
since the days when women
maneuvered astutely to lay their
hands on crimson, succulent
tomatoes from the British, to
turn out delectable fares. It
is also true that even as the
windows of the world have been
thrown wide open today, urban
women have been emancipated
from many a shackle that had
chained them for centuries.
While our own culture had
accorded a place of dignity to
women who were central to
families, we needed western
culture to instill in us concepts
of financial and emotional
independence. Western
influences have transformed
many an urban woman into
a thinking individual who is
well on her way to realizing her
potential to the fullest.
Yet, time was when aĝictions
such as anorexia nervosa and
bulimia were alien to our
country. Today, while some
young girls who are traversing
the path of self-destruction are
severely aĝicted with these
disorders, which at best could
have been kept at bay had
they refurbished their bodies
with a balanced diet. The day
is not far oě when others will
follow suit. I was shell-shocked
when my twelve- year old
daughter told me recently that
her e-mail friend from London,
Jenny, aged twelve, died due to
anorexia! She was a model! Can
you imagine the plight of her
distraught parents? The anguish
17
teen mag
of a mother who witnesses her
daughter wilting away under
her eyes for an unfathomable
cause is inexplicable. The angst
that strikes the womb that
bore her child is unendurable.
The excruciating torment that
assaults the bosom that fed
manna to her tender infant
even surpasses the pains that
strike her when she brings a
life into the world! A mother’s
grief? God forbid if a woman
has to ever undergo the trauma
of losing her child! If this trend
continues ceaselessly, the end of
the world may not be a fatuous
thinking any more because
it may be submerged by the
torrent of downpour from the
eyes of the innumerable, hapless
mothers of the world!
Constant inundation from the
west has managed to sustain
India as a land of paradoxes.
While on the one hand, the
girl child in the rural and semi
urban areas is languishing in
misery, shouldering the burden
of running a household, taking
care of her siblings, deprived
of education, or even basic
human rights like appeasing
her hunger or living with
dignity, westernized girls in
18
the urban areas are on the road
to self-destruction, and in the
process, jeopardizing the bright
future of entire societies which
might eventually end up being
populated by stymied, crippled
generations.
The incongruity of the situation
is magnified by the fact that
hordes of professionals from
various fields are thriving
magnificently, riding on the
fragile shoulders of the petite
damsels, who they are grooming
as ‘glamorous champions of
social issues’. Whirlwinds of
activities are swirling around at
a frenzied pace in the world of
glamour. The corporate world
too has jumped into the fray
with multinationals competing
aggressively to sponsor
ostentatious beauty pageants.
The catalog of the flourishing
gaggle in the beauty trade out
to make a fast buck makes
impressive reading: fashion
designers, model coordinators,
event managers, choreographers,
gym and aerobics professionals,
dentists, skin specialists, plastic
surgeons ( known today as
reconstructive or cosmetic
surgeons!) and various others
from the medical profession
etc. How long would the dainty
damsels be able to haul the
encumbrance of these multitudes
of predaceous populace? It is
only sagacious that a corrective
move towards emphasizing
healthier looks be made that
would not only save the world
from future disaster, but also
ensure that these professions
continue uninterrupted.
It is imperative that this issue
is addressed by the nation on a
priority basis. While on the one
hand, we are baĴling poverty
and ill health that hamper our
country’s progress, we cannot
aěord to lose a substantial
percentage of our learned and
otherwise healthy population
to such grossness of mind
that precludes delicacy and
discrimination.
The government as well as
social activists and advocates for
the rights of women must take
up the issue along with other
pressing concerns. Through the
media, the medical fraternity
should bombard the younger
generations with facts about
the ill eěects of intense dieting.
Instead of extolling emaciated
women as harbingers of fashion,
the print media should make
a concerted eěort to initiate
propaganda about beauty, brains
and health. The media must be
banned from exhibiting scrawny
models, movie stars and stars
of the small screen, who look
gaunt, but otherwise stuěed
up at the right places! (What an
irony! While Indian women were
known to be buxom beauties,
today’s generations have taken
to saline sachets and sponges to
give them the right curves at the
right places. ) Our nation can
take the bull by the horns and be
a forerunner in campaigning for
the alteration of guidelines that
are the fundamental criteria for
January 16-31, 2010
 teen mag

selection in international beauty the world has forgoĴen the which are dominated by avarice
pageants. dreaded famines and droughts and whose only philosophy of
that assailed the world, once life seems to be “I, Me, Myself’.
And here we are, going against too oĞen during the first half of It is true that mankind has
the laws of nature, defying the the twentieth century and that witnessed the highest order of
pandects of the Protector, trying was not even a few decades intellectual advancement today.
to prove…. What? ago. What then mars our Yet the irony is that man is
minds with uĴer callousness blinded by the dazzle of a few
The bodies of renowned
that we shun the once scarce unseemly green papers!
champions for women’s cause,
commodity, the dearth of which
Clara Zetkin and Alexandra While liĴle mermaids are
‘ate’ away many lives? Mankind
Kollontai might be writhing frolicking in the aquamarine seas
has diverted all its endeavours
in their graves. Having taken or busy chasing a mirage, the
toward vanquishing the travails
up the concerns of exploited world looks on apathetically, and
of hunger pangs. When man
women as their life’s mission, terrified mothers are spending
eventually did overpower the
they would never have dreamed sleepless nights, traumatized
concern of food scarcity, how
that a day would dawn on the by horrendous thoughts of
much did he gloat over his
universe, when women would entrusting the future of the
astuteness and success? While
willingly give up their basic world to feeble hands that will
many nations are still grappling
needs, if only to capture fleeting, one day clasp the bridle! Zero
with the problem of paucity of
covetous glances from their male waistlines, come again?
comestible, how can the world
counterparts.
let itself be steered by the apathy
The most painful thought of a few chauvinistic nations
that crosses one’s mind is the
staunch silence maintained by
the genteel male population.
May be, the sturdy and
brawny populace has one
more ammunition up the
sleeve to undermine the steely
determination with which the
women of the millennium are
surging forward. No wonder,
many young men with ‘modern
thoughts’ are party to this
transgression that goes in the
name of infusing a new wave
in the realm of fashion. No new
idea can be considered modern
if it is detrimental to any section
of the world’s population. It is
surprising that the astute world
of men has failed to realize that
this trend will ultimately aěect
not only women and their babies
but will shake the foundations of
whatever is leĞ of the cohesive
family systems in our country.

Time was when nations used to

tether under the stranglehold
of a diěerent kind of ‘Food
Problem’ that wiped out millions
of lives from the face of the
earth. What a blasphemy that
January 16-31, 2010
19
 n Plate
Fashio

20
 teen mag

teen mag

“Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those

who could not hear the music.” – Angela Monet
January 16-31, 2010
21
teen mag
TIME—AND AGE
Hi Friends!
I t took most of us by surprise,
even amusement, when
2009 ended. Time seems
to fly faster than ever, and
the transition from child to
adolescent, adolescent to a
woman is overwhelming. With
every passing year, a new gray
strand crops up in the head of
a wizened mother, a wrinkle
soĞening her skin aged with
experience, a young child
blossoms into adulthood, a
toddler uĴers its first word
and walks its first step, and we
continue to observe and learn.
The quest for knowledge and
learning is never-ending, and
extends beyond thick hard-
bound covers and college
classes. The learning process is,
in fact, the liĴle things we garner
from around us and incorporate
into our lives. It is about
appreciating time, relishing
and savouring every moment,
22
and hauling away the cloud
of foreboding that threatens to
loom over us and suck the joy
out of the happiness. Time is
one of the few things we can
never get back, and as we grow
older every year, we suddenly
realize that we can no longer
buy balloons at the beach, or fly
a kite, or enjoy a roller-coaster
ride or even devour a popsicle
with the juice trickling down our
chins. We’re confronted with the
bigger picture that we had been
shielded from, for so long. The
tiny squabbles with friends and
tiěs with parents over pocket-
money and curfew extensions,
that seemed to miě us out so
much, seem so trivial, all of a
sudden, when we deal with
crisis situations that confound
us more than we had ever
imagined.
So that’s what growing up is all
about. It’s the transition from
pig-tails-to-oily hair-to funky
layered cut- to the austere,
messy bun. It’s the
transition from frocks
and rompers to a coat
and suit.
When we’re young,
most of us look at our
mothers in awe, and we
want to dress-up, look
grown-up and drink
wine. We even try on
our mothers’ clothes
and make-up. We
crave for freedom, we
yearn to do what we
want to do. However,
the downside of being
grown up is the mountain
of responsibility you have to
shoulder, the accountability, the
work-load. However grown up
we may be, we ought to keep
the child alive in us, or soon,
we’ll find ourselves siĴing
by a window decades later,
regreĴing the things we had
always wanted to do, but had
never done ultimately, owing to
the stereotypes associated with
age. This, I perhaps learned,
when I saw an excited, beaming
grandmother accompany her
eight-year-old grandchild on a
merry-go-round ride at a local
fair near university. I learned
this, when my own mother
accompanied me to the theatre
to watch what she would have
ordinarily considered a ‘trashy,
teenage-romance movie’.
We still haven’t grown up too
much. It’s not too late to eat
candy-floss and jump on that
roller-coaster and scream our
lungs out.
Until next fortnight
Namrata
Editor, TeenMag
January 16-31, 2010
 teen mag

Quizzeria?
W hich cartoon character do
you resemble most? Take
this lil’ quiz and find out for
What do you do
when you don’t
get your favourite
yourself. item?

What animal babies do you 1. Cry followed

simply adore? by a lot of
hiccups
1. Dogs What do you love to eat?
2. Turn everything upside down
2. Ducks 3. Look cute and make sad 1. Non-vegetarian
eyes 2. Tiny tidbits
3. Human
4. Make the earth shake till you 3. Only chocolate
4. Elephants get it 4. Healthy food like spinach
What is your favourite pastime?
Brain Teaser 1. playing with pups

T easing and tickling your gray cells is said to improve your brain
power. So go ahead and play with the numbers and check for
yourself if you have it in you to vanquish number puzzles with ease!
2. exploring the wild
3. visiting the zoo
4. playing with tiny tots
Happy Sudokuing!
What are your parents like?

7 5 3 1. body builder physique

showing u how to be strong
2. health conscious making you
9 6 2 eat good food
3. treat you like a king/queen,
2 1 4. treat you like a fragile baby
Answer page on 32

9 7

8 2 3

6 1

8 1

4 7 2

3 4 6
Answer page on 32

January 16-31, 2010

23
teen mag
Canteen Banter
Doubting Thomases
W hy do we press harder on
a remote control when we
know the baĴeries are geĴing
dead?
Why do banks charge a fee
on “insuĜcient funds” when
they know there Is not enough
money?
Why does someone believe you
when you say there are four
billion stars, but check when you
say the paint is wet?
24
Why doesn’t glue stick to the
boĴle?
Why do they use sterilized
needles for death by lethal
injection?
Why doesn’t Tarzan have a
beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets
with his chest, but ducks when
you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear
helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an “S”
in the word “lisp”?
If people evolved from apes,
why are there still apes?
Why is it that no maĴer what
color bubble bath you use the
bubbles are always white?
Is there ever a day that
maĴresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return
to the refrigerator with hopes
that something new to eat will
have materialized?
Why do people keep running
over a string a dozen times
with their vacuum cleaner, then
reach down, pick it up, examine
it, then put it down to give the
vacuum one more chance?
Why is it that no plastic bag will
open from the end on your first
try?
How do those dead bugs get into
those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket
and someone rams our ankle
with a shopping cart then
apologizes for doing so, why
do we say, “It’s all right?” Well,
it isn’t all right, so why don’t
we say, “That hurt, you stupid
idiot?”
Why is it that whenever you
aĴempt to catch something that’s
falling oě the table you always
manage to knock something else
over?
In winter why do we try to keep
the house as warm as it was in
summer when we complained
about the heat?
How come you never hear
father-in-law jokes?
And my FAVORITE.... ..
The statistics on sanity are that
one out of every four persons
is suěering from some sort of
mental illness. Think of your
three best friends -- if they’re
okay, then it’s you.
Contributed by Shanta
Shivakumar
January 16-31, 2010

You (th) Are the Master of the Game
W e are stepping into another
New Year. It is time we
launched into an introspection
about certain issues that need to
be resolved if we were to think
of marching ahead with hope
and optimism. Here’s Karti’s take
on a few burning concerns.
How free are we?
We are as free as free can be.
‘Free’ is a relative term. I am a
believer of individual liberty.
But individual liberty is always
contextual. What is free which
is accepted in a certain context
is not necessarily accepted in
another context. Freedom for
the sake of freedom at the cost
of discipline or order is not
necessarily freedom. I don’t
think we can have an absolute
definition of freedom. Freedom
is always relative; relative in the
context of the environment in
which we are operating.
Can we say that if we are
watching a cricket match then all
the spectators have the freedom
to rush into the cricket ground
because we are a free country
and stand around the pitch? Or
we are watching a tennis match
and we keep yelling when the
point is being played? Because
we are a free country and we
have freedom of speech can you
speak in your mobile phone
when a movie is being shown or
January 16-31, 2010
THE MASTER OF THE GAME
LIVE WITH THE MOODS OF INDIA
when you are in a concert hall
watching a play or theatre?
There will always be curbs to
individual freedom.
But what those curbs are and
how much the curbs will be
exercised depends on the
context. Of course we are a
free country; let us not have
a debate about that. How
much freedom we have,
where we have and what we
have always depends on the
situation.
The common man is not able
to get what he wants because
he is bound by the manacles of
a corrupt system. What is your
take on that?
It is high time that the
common man stopped playing
the role of a victim. Self pity
must stop. Somehow or the
other there is a widespread
impression about the honest
common man geĴing
completely feĴered and
abused by the system. The
common mans has the power
within himself. Common
people collectively have a
great amount of power. They
must harness that power and
stop lamenting that they are
victims of the system.
What about corruption, which
makes it diĜcult for the
common people to aĴain what
they want?
Corruption is a diěerent
problem. As there is a taker,
there is also a giver. Every
teen mag
problem is a two-way street.
While we must condemn
people who are abusing their
positions, if people collectively
refuse to entertain any modes of
corruption, it can be contained.
I am not saying that this is the
only solution but there is also a
duty amongst us to do that. But
because of the environment we
live in and we all want to get
things done we are more than
happy to cut corners when it
suits our needs.
A free country should also
ensure that the basic necessities
of people are met. The fact that
the power lies in the hands of
a few people combined with
corruption makes life diĜcult
for people who are denied
not only the right to live with
dignity but also are not able to
achieve what they want and
can.
You are talking about economic
disparity, which cannot be done
away with overnight unless we
have great economic progress.
But I don’t think that in India
today power is concentrated in
a few people. Economic, social
and political power is diěused.
There are many political parties.
Economic disparity is there in
every country. The disparity is
glaring in our country because
in totalitarian regimes such as
China, the disparity is hidden
where as in our country it is not
hidden. Disparities are there
even in the most advanced
countries including the United
States.
25
teen mag
»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»Reema Sen
T his is a fun column, a
friendly exchange between
you and your favourite stars. If
you feel like opening out your
heart to someone, lithe and
smart Reema Sen who is actually
a great pal to be with, despite
her portrayal of anti-heroine
characters in the silver screen,
is willing to lend you a helping
hand. You can ask her anything
under the sun… but this column
is meant only for the teens…
ADULT ALERT!!!!
My friend is a very good-
looking, smart and confident
girl. Oě-lately, she has become
obsessed with her body, and is
starving herself to remain thin.
She skips all her meals, and eats
only a few slices of fruit, and
drinks juice and water all day.
As a result, she has lost a lot of
weight, looks very skinny and
has become very shot-tempered
26
ONLY
and snappy. Even though I have
tried advising her, she refuses
to admit that she has an eating
cannot really do much to help
your friend, unless she is willing
to accept that she has a problem.
disorder, and get herself treated. Try and make her see that she
What do I do? has a problem, and stay with
her, and help her get over it.
Being an actor, depriving
Meanwhile, boost her up by
yourself of basic food and
nutrition, is the worst thing I can
imagine. The modeling and film
world is not only about being
glamorous and beautiful, but
also about being an individual. If
you starve yourself skinny, then
you end up removing all that
beauty. An Indian woman is best
appreciated for her curves. What
is the point in killing yourself
and ultimately losing those
curves that define your beauty?
Vigorous dieting is a problem
faced by many teenagers,
especially aĞer geĴing
influenced by the reed-thin,
long-limbed models seen on
TV. I am sorry to say that you
January 16-31, 2010

complimenting her looks. Good
luck!
I am a sixteen year-old girl, in
a relationship with a twenty-
year-old guy. We love each
other a lot. But recently, I’ve
noticed that he gets into a lot
of mood-swings. Moreover,
he seems to be incredibly
possessive of me. I feel that he
is dominating me too much,
and always has an upper-hand
in any conversation. I am very
unhappy, as I am an outgoing
and an extremely ambitious
girl and I can’t stand him
January 16-31, 2010
bossing over me. I love him a
lot and don’t want to break up
with him. What do I do?
It is not the question of
having an upper-hand in a
relationship. Before geĴing into
a relationship, you should’ve
been able to realize what kind
of commitment it is. Now that
you have goĴen into one, you
cannot back out, but simply
face it boldly. Be mature and
try to be more understanding.
Make him feel secure, melt him
with your love and aěection,
and win his heart. Make him
fall for you, and then explain
teen mag
your feelings to him and see
how he reacts. Be patient with
him. Whenever you feel that he
tends to get ‘bossy’, be firm in
your decisions, but gentle. Do
a bit of introspection. Maybe
you have to look into your
own behavior towards him.
Only if two hands clap, will
there be a noise. Keeping that
in mind, you have to decide
what is best for you. While
making any decision, analyze
the consequences, and don’t be
impulsive. Good luck!
27
teen mag

ALL TIME CELEBRIT

D id your heart
ever go flip
flop when you
is considered the most successful
entertainers of all time. Known
for his ‘moonwalk’ and other
first caught a light-footed trademark dance
glimpse of your steps, his album Thriller turns
hearĴhrob? Did out to be the largest selling
you ever write album ever. Watch out for his
their name all equally fascinating dance moves
over your books in Ghosts, Blood on the Dance
and cover your Floor, JAM, Smooth Criminal et
walls with their al. Not only was he a legend
posters? Have of pop music, he was a notable
you ever tried philanthropist too.
dressing up like
them? Do you Leonardo di Caprio: Best
swoon as they known for his role in the Titanic
croon in their as a small time artist, Jack
ballads? Well, Dawson he captured the hearts
boys and girls, of females from six to sixty.
you’ve been hit He came back to stun his lady
by a sensation audiences twice over with The
called a celebrity Man In The Iron Mask by playing
crush. Here are a King Louis XIV and his twin,
few celebs who Philippe. With his baby boy
have wooed features and sea-green eyes still
millions of teens intact, he has come a long way
just like you, the in his acting career. Watch out
world over. for his movies like What’s Eating
Gilbert Grape, The Beach, Romeo
Michael Jackson: and Juliet, The Aviator, Catch Me If
The King of Pop You Can.
January 16-31, 2010
28
 teen mag

TY CRUSHES
Backstreet Boys: Three young
men and two boys traveling
all across the US performing at
gigs to get a record deal. BSB as
they are known in short are now
men and have 7 albums to their
credit. According to US Billboard
200, the Backstreet Boys are the
first artist since Sade to have
their first seven albums reach
top 10 on the chart. Each in his
voice reached out to young girls
with their heart-stirring ballads.
Every true BSB fan knows that
‘Once a BSB fan, Always a BSB
fan’. Songs like Show Me The
Meaning, Everybody, I Want It
That Way, Anywhere For You, will
never be outdated. And, who
doesn’t like good ol’ love songs
by a group of hoĴies?
they sang along with Sometimes.
She is the top-selling female
artist and is ranked as the 13th
most powerful celebrity of 2009.
Friends: No one can decide
who their favourite character is
from this adorable TV sitcom.
The dumb but cute Joey (MaĴ
LeBlanc), Chandler (MaĴhew
Perry), geeky Ross (David
Schwimmer), the eccentric
Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Monica
(Courtney Cox) the control freak
and the very fashionable Rachel
(Jennifer Aniston) set an epitome
for comedies. Running for ten
seasons, the series had people
going, “How’re you doing?”
and humming ‘I’ll Be There For
You,” the title track of the series.

Britney Spears: Girls copied

her danced moves with every
step and boys were in frenzy
with her baby girl looks. Her
first single Baby One More Time
had girls revamping their
wardrobe. She turned out to be
girl of every boy’s dreams as

January 16-31, 2010

29
teen mag

JEST FOR LAUGHS

Dad: Son, what do you want for Dad: Have you read
your 18th birthday? Shakespeare?

Son: Just a radio, dad... With a
sports car around it
Son: No. Who wrote it?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Sari. He was found squashed under
Sari who? a shop.
Sari wrong number.
An old gentleman had an
Why is it if you send a package appointment to see the
by Ship it is called Cargo, and if urologist who shared oĜces
you send it by Car it is called a with several other doctors. The
Shipment? waiting room was filled with
Oxymorons that confuse teens: patients. As he approached the
Exact estimate receptionist’s desk, he noticed
Act naturally that the receptionist was a
Rap music large unfriendly woman. The
PreĴy ugly gentleman gave her his name.
Good grief In a very loud voice, the
Did you hear about the stupid receptionist said, “ Yes, I have
shopliĞer? your name here. You want to
see the doctor about impotence,
right?”

8 9 Brain
6 1 Teaser
2 7 4 3 5
Answer
All the patients in the waiting
room snapped their heads
around to look at the very
5 4 1 6 9 3 2 7 8 embarrassed man. He
recovered quickly, and in an
equally loud voice replied, “
3 2 7 8 4 5 1 6 9 No. I’ve come to inquiare about
a sex change operation, but I
don’t want the same doctor that
9 7 2 3 5 4 8 1 6 did yours.’

Moral : Don’t mess with old

6 8 5 9 7 1 3 2 4 folks.

Contributed by Shanta
1 3 4 2 8 6 9 5 7 Shivakumar

Answers
4 1 8 5 6 2 7 9 3 Mostly A’s- Tike the bulldog from
Tom and Jerry
7 6 3 4 1 9 5 8 2 B’s -Sweetpea of Popeye

C’s- Pebbles of The Flintsones

2 5 9 7 3 8 6 4 1
D’s- Peaches of Ice Age 3

January 16-31, 2010

30
 JUS’
ASK
BRINDA
I am a 24 year old girl from a
well to do family. I am in a
profession which requires me
to go out quite oĞen meeting
people all the time. Every
where I see women who are
put together so well that I feel
conscious. I am not what you call
“conventionally preĴy”, but Ican
carry myself well in any kind of
clothes. But when compared to
other women, I look unfinished.
My parents do not believe in
H umans think that they are
responsible for everything
in the world. Is it because we
are on the top of the food chain?
Instead of changing nature,
trying to develop systems to
prevent natural disasters, saving
animals from extinction &
many other things in the world,
I wish humans would look at
themselves, stick together as
one pack, one species, protect
one-another & together on one
side look at the threats on the
other. Would it wipe out social
January 16-31, 2010
E ve’s Times is happy to announce that Family therapist and Parent-Teacher
Educator Brinda Jayaraman will answer any query you want to ask
relating to interpersonal interactions. Send in your questions to askbrinda@
evestimesonline.com or to our oĜce directly.
grooming as they say it is the
inside that maĴers more. If I visit
the parlour for anything more
than the usual, she does not talk
to me. How do i convince them
that sometimes it is necessary to
make an impression?
I
see two issues here. One
is that you do not seem
confident and feel that you
are unfinished. It would be
worthwhile to find out from a
grooming expert as to where
you are lacking, instead of
brooding about it. Being
“conventionally preĴy” is not
enough to impress others in
today’s world. The way you
dress up and the way you carry
and speak are more important
than looks. Undergoing training
in grooming will make you more
confident. Second issue is the
classes, racism, power hunger
or poverty? What is the point in
being a human being when one
cannot be humane?
-C.M. Swetha
I P
ndian politics is a thorn in the
flesh for development. True
development would happen
only when the government is
run in a progressive manner. The
most disrupting aspect of our
system is the third estate or our
judicial system. The Indian law
and order has to change the way
it works as it hampers progress
on a great scale. I wish they
would speed up the process in
meting out justice. They should
fact that you have to remind
yourself that you are a twenty
four year old adult, who should
be able to make your decisions
independently. You are looking
for parental approval and if you
don’t get it you are upset. No
need to fight with your mother;
but explain to her what you
think is appropriate for you.
If she stops talking to you, she
will get back to you later. Her
values and your values will
diěer in some issues. If you
observe participants of the star
singing shows in Television,
as the number of the episode
increases the participants are
groomed beĴer and their level of
confidence increases. A saying in
Tamil goes, “Appearance is 50%
and adornment is 50%.” So set
out with a new (out) look!
also provide
proper protection
to witnesses in
cases.
-Abhimanyu
eople today seem to have
lost the sense of garbage
disposal. Even though there
are a lot of places for disposing
garbage, people do not want
to take it seriously. The sense
of proper waste disposal needs
to be inculcated in all people,
young and old and proper
education needs to be imparted
for the same.
Punkit Jain
31
teen mag

W hen you have planned

to start a family and
have not conceived for a year STETHOSCOPE
or more, it is time to look into
the maĴer. Our new feature
on frequently asked questions
in infertility will help dispel
many myths and clarify doubts
regarding conception among
many couples aspiring for a
baby.

A part from special features

on health , our regular
health column, Stethoscope
will have experts from diěerent
fields answering your queries.
W are happy to announce Dr.
I have recently delivered a baby
and I am breast feeding her. In
fact she is currently only being
Priya Selvaraj, MD MNAMS
breast fed. I am not using any
MCE, Assistant Director,
contraceptive these days. My
G.G. Hospital, Chennai will
sister, even though she was breast
answer queries on obstetrics
feeding her child conceived in a
& gynecology and assisted
couple of months aĞer delivery. I
reproductive technology.
am worried the same will happen
Send your questions to
to me too. Is there a possibility
eitoretg@gmail.com or editor@
of conceiving when one is breast
evestimesonline.com or to our
feeding?
oĜce address.

Y es there is a possibility of
conceiving when one is
breastfeeding and it depends
on the hormonal milieu and
how soon you resume your
periods post pregnancy.
Although when one is solely
breastfeeding, that is, the baby
is being exclusively breast fed
with no formula feeds even
at night then your chances
of eěective contraception
would be close to 95-98%.
The hormone prolactin which
enables secretion of milk
prevents ovulation and hence
conception and is found
in high levels postpartum.
But this form of a natural
contraception can be eěective
only if you have not resumed
your periods too early and
Dr. Priya
January 16-31, 2010
32

if your baby is less than 6-7
months of age and if your
feed is the only feed that
the baby gets. It is always
wiser to get an advice for
contraception that would best
suit your body and introduce
your baby to recommended
food from 4-5 months
onwards with advice from a
pediatrician.
My wife and I have been
married for 15 years now. I
am a physiotherapist and come
from a poor family. I am a self-
made man with means to only
provide for my wife and parents.
Despite this, we underwent
tests in government hospitals
and were informed that both
my sperm count and my wife’s
physical condition are normal
and conducive for child birth.
My wife was found to have an
Hb count of 10 and she was
given vitamins. I am also taking
vitamins and nutritive food.
Despite everything she has still
not conceived. Both of us do not
have thyroid problems. What
could be the reason? Is there
some hospital where we may
undergo tests and treatment,
where it will not be expensive?
January 16-31, 2010
teen mag
It is worrisome that you have
not been able to conceive
despite tests being normal.
I must say that at this point
fertility experts are “so
called” because of their
diligent diagnosis and line
of treatment and the proof of
results! Although it may not
be possible to recommend
any hospital which I can say
may oěer subsidized rates, I
want you to understand that
fertility treatment is exclusive
and does require one to incur
expenses at some point during
the course of treatment. I can
perhaps advise you to recheck
your semen parameters and
your wife’s tubal status at a
reliable centre. You have also
not mentioned yours and
your spouse’s age as it is an
important criteria to evaluate
the ovarian response status
and fertility prospects. We
have people from all walks of
life who come for treatment
and I admire them because
they are well prepared and
feel the urge to conceive. I am
sure if you feel the same then
you would definitely take the
eěort to visit a centre.
33
 FITNESS
GRAB THE BABY AND WORK OUT MOM!
J ust as mothers wish their
babies to be healthy and
happy, children too feel good
when their parents are active
and free from aches and
ailments. Babies should not be
an excuse for not exercising. In
fact they create an opportunity
to work out through the day. You
can massage them before bath
while you do your cool down
stretches; burp them aĞer a feed
while you do your squats; rock
34
them to sleep while you twist
and turn to trim your waist line.
Exercises like the spinal roll, the
pelvic liĞ, shoulder work out , ab
crunch and leg extension done
with the li’l one elicits gurgles of
laughter- filling our souls with
joy.. The main points to be borne
in mind while working out with
baby are.....
Baby’s safety comes first, so be
very careful while handling
them during exercise.
Slow and controlled movements
give beĴer results than
fast repetitions done with
misalignment.
Keep the spine lengthened and
tall to maintain posture and
the tummy tucked in not to be
forgoĴen.
Shoulders down and relaxed
during movement.
Easy dressing that does not
hinder movement.
January 16-31, 2010
 Shoulder and arm strength
Keep shoulders relaxed and
down while liĞing the baby up
Do not shrug shoulders
Wrist to be firm and neutral
Tummy tucked in

Ab Crunch to strengthen the

abdominal muscles
Suck in the abdomen and try to
liĞ the shoulder blades oě the
floor
Chin over the chest but not
touching it
Knees right above your hips and
calf facing the floor

January 16-31, 2010

35
Pelvic liĞs to tone and
strengthen the back of your
thighs and boĴoms
Keep the tummy tucked in
throughout the move
No pressure on the shoulders
36
Feet fully and firmly on the floor
Twisting and turning at the waist
Firm the abdomen and move
back with feet tucked into any
furniture
Avoid stooping or rounding the
shoulders
You can even move just forward
and back without the twist.
If twisting make sure you lean
back first into a’ V ‘ angle.
Spinal Rolls to massage the back
Never roll beyond the shoulders,
head and neck never touch the
ground
Avoid jerking and make the roll
smooth and controlled
Maintain the angle of the knee
joint through the roll
Cool Down Stretches
Stretches the back of the legs and
inner thigh
The widening of the legs should
be stopped at a point when the
knee begins to liĞ
Bend forward to stretch the
lower back with one knee flexed
and without hunching.
January 16-31, 2010
Forward bending is
always done with
tummy tucked in

Knee extension to
strengthen the top of
your thigh [quads]
Avoid if you have any
existing knee pain
Hold the torso upright
while extending the
leg, if you need to
bend - flex at the hips.
Baby can even be
strapped on to your
legs safely

So the next time your

baby cries for you
while you are trying
hard to exercise ,do
not sulk or despair....
just grab the baby
as an opportunity
to work out with

pleasure. The touch

of a mother and the
warmth of her embrace
makes the child
develop a feeling of
love and security all
through her growing
years and there aĞer
too. Cheers baby!
Cheers mom!.

Vħaya Chamundeswari
Photo Model -
Courtesy : Maya
Ganesh
Fitness consultant \
trainer
Certified by;
American Council on
Exercise
Reebok & Integral
Yoga Institute
e-mail: vħaya.
chamundeswari@
gmail.com

January 16-31, 2010

37
 SALT ‘N’ PEPPER KORNER
M ake your kitchen experience exciting using Mallika Badrinath’s wise counsel. Mallika has
recipes for everyone; even bachelors and children can turn out a delectable meal using her
guidance. So go ahead with your kitchen queries and prepare healthy, tasty meals with the help of the
Cuisine Queen of South India.

M y friend makes kalakand using milk powder. Some make

this sweet dish by curdling milk or by using milk, curd
and sugar. What is the best way to make kalakand? Can you
give me the recipe?

Mohini Menon, Chennai

There are two methods to make kalakand.

Take one tin of condensed milk, add half a cup of milk,
two tablespoons of curd and mix. Pour this mixture into
a non stick pan, reduce heat and stir once or twice till it
curdles. Do not over stir.

Kalakand can also be prepared in the microwave. Place

the mixture in a microwave- proof vessel, and cook on
High/Medium High for 3-4 minutes till it curdles.

Carrot kalakand is an interesting variation. Grate carrots

and cook in a liĴle water. Fry in ghee, cool and grind
coarsely. Add to the kalakand mixture in the end. If you

are using milk powder, add a liĴle water and knead into a ball. Refrigerate for two hours. Then grate it,
add a liĴle more milk, curd and sugar, and cook it in a pan.

You can also add cashew powder if you want. Finally add one teaspoon of ghee and cook for a further
3-4 minutes.

The Best Query of the month will win a masala hamper from
Mallika Home Product Pvt. Ltd. Cooking has never been a
Spicier Experience!

Eve’s Times readers have exciting news! Watch out for

competitions on cookery tips and recipes. Dig out exotic
recipes and innovative tips and win prizes! Send your recipes/
tips with your colour pix to Eve’s Times #18/1 Second Cross St
Dr.Radhakrishnan Nagar, Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai 600 041 or
by e-mail to editor@evestimesonline.com

January 16-31, 2010

38
 SIMMERING SENSATIONS
F rom our cook book we bring to you a delectable
and aromatic dish which will rekindle our
nostalgia of the royal maharajas of yesteryears.
Ingredients
Large pinch of saěron strands,
about 30 strands
50 ml/2 fl oz/4 tbsp boiling
Saffron Chicken water
4 chicken supremes
Method 3 tbsp ghee
Combine the saěron with the boiling water, and leave ½ tsp coriander seeds, ground
to steep for 10 minutes. 1 dried bay leaf

Season the chicken pieces well. 2.5cm/1” piece cinnamon sticks

30g/oz/1 ½ tbsp sultanas
Heat the ghee in a large frying pan, add the chicken
pieces and brown on both sides. Cook in batches if 300 ml/1/2 pint/1 ¼ cups natural
necessary. Remove the chicken from the pan. yogurt
15 g/ ½ oz/ 2 tbsp slivered
Reduce the heat to medium and add the coriander almonds toasted
to the pan, stir once and add the bay leaf, cinnamon
stick, sultanas and the saěron with the soaking water Salt and pepper to taste
all at once

Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer

gently for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken
juices run clear when the thickest part of each
piece is pierced with a sharp knife. Remove
the pan from the heat and gently stir
the yogurt into the sauce.

Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon

stick. ScaĴer over the toasted
almonds and serve.

January 16-31, 2010

39
teen mag
Gen Now and their Tomorrows
T he popular saying is that
the youth are the future. I
look at it diěerently. The youth
are the present and need to work
from today for a beĴer future. It
does not maĴer what age they
are. Each one has to work to
potential and parents have a big
role in this endeavour.
That does not mean that
parents have to turn into ‘Old
men/women and the sea’
and ride piggyback on their
kids shoulders. Dreams are
individual visions that can be
fulfilled or let to fall by the
wayside.
My greatest grief is that kids
are not allowed to dream their
own dreams. They are chosen to
fulfil family, school and college
managements’ and society’s
dreams. Have you recently
seen a kid just standing and
40
Wandering Mahila
watching the world go by? Have
you seen a child pick up a shell,
a stone, a piece of something
or the other and just look at it
with wonder? Have you seen
a youngster look at a rainbow
in the sky with wonderment or
think whether the thick bank of
clouds will bring rain or weave
myriad paĴerns in the sky? (It is
another maĴer that their hands
and mouth are busy interacting
with their mobiles and their
vision is concentrated elsewhere
with alarming consequences like
accidents sometimes!)
My daughter used to think that
in Paris every other child was
called ‘Huit’. She observed that
mothers used to drag their kid
walking rapidly ahead and say
‘huit huit’. She later found out
that it meant ‘hurry up’ and
not the given name of the child.
– Padmini Natarajan
How many adults have the
patience to measure their strides
to the shorter ones of children
when they walk holding hands?
Older people expect children
to walk at their speed. Another
sight that scandalised my
daughter was the leash that
Moms used on main streets in
London to control and rein in
their children. Leashes were
something associated with dogs
and not children in her mind.
When we match strides with
our kids then we know where
they are going. They need
not necessarily stride on the
path that you have been used
to walking on. Yes!
They can walk some
distance with you, but
soon they must take
the ‘road less travelled’
or ‘not taken’ as Robert
Frost spoke of so
beautifully. Years later our roads
will meet but it will be the older
one who follows the child trying
to match his/her strides. At that
time it is for the younger one to
adjust their stride to the parent’s
slower one.
Let our children dream. It is not
necessary for them to add every
kind of skill and craĞ to their
CV’s. If they are truly interested
in something they will evince an
interest. Then we can encourage
them to follow it. I see parents
applying so much pressure on
their kids....look at them on
the reality shows on TV where
they sing, dance, joke like liĴle
puppets under the stern gaze
of their parents. The threat of
losing is reflected more on the
parent’s face than the child.
January 16-31, 2010
 teen mag

Are parents puĴing their

children on sale? I had
a co-traveller who was
going to Mumbai to shop
for clothes and accessories
because her ten year old
daughter had been given her
first chance to model for a
health drink! You can see in
shops the kind of clothes that
are being sold and bought for
under- nubile kids. They are
imitations of revealing teenage
and designer clothes. Skirts
are shorter, tops are skimpier,
straps are thinner and dropping
oě shoulders. Then we talk of
paedophiles and leering satyrs.
The kids sing double entendre
and vulgar songs that have
lyrics way beyond their
ages and comprehension.
Young children are
being pushed into
adult concepts, feelings
and ambitions even
before they can stand
on their two feet. The
TRP hungry media
encourages children to
ape their parents and
sadly the parents feel
flaĴered!

The current mind set is

to talk about tomorrow
and ignore the present
forgeĴing that this
very moment is
the most valuable
moment of our life.
Let kids live their
dreams and lives
in the now. The
big, bad world
is awaiting them
anyway!

Padmini Natarajan

January 16-31, 2010

41
 Dandy De‘lights’
L ight can define space,
substance and style.
Lighting is an important part
of every home and you should
take utmost care that the lights
you arrange in your rooms are
appropriate and aesthetic at
the same time. Rooms must get
adequate light; else the house
would look dark and dingy.
Ever since power saving lights
have been introduced, people
don’t mind splurging on modern
lighting systems.
Lighting is as necessary as
anything which adds to home
42
décor. But we should be careful
while selecting lights in homes
as bright bulbs and other
unpleasant lights should not be
installed in areas of work. Other
rooms like living room, dining
room and bedroom should have
few dimmer lights and several
other common lights and tri-
light switches which will allow
you to adjust the lighting level to
match your needs.
Earlier, people made complete
use of natural lighting. But with
the emphasis on interior design,
artificial lighting is now the
order of the day. Gone are the
days when one would have tube-
lights in each room. False ceiling
seems to have caught people’s
fascination. Here, the rooms are
actually dark so they make the
most of artificial lighting. Lights
are implanted and an optical
sheet layer is placed which
diěuses the light. This is done
to reduce the intensity of light
but still give it a bright look.
The main motive is to show oě
your interiors in style. Another
way to have jazzy lighting is to
place lights on ledges on the four
corners of a room. This creates
January 16-31, 2010
an illusion that light is coming
from an unknown source.
Interior lighting design must
be approached diěerently for
the bedroom than for any other
room in your home. Because
you sleep in your bedroom, you
want lighting that sets the tone
for winding down and relaxing
aĞer a long, hard day, while
also providing well-lit areas
for reading and other common
boudoir tasks. Dimming is an
important option here, allowing
you to change the brightness to
suit your mood or activity level.
January 16-31, 2010
Ceiling light fixtures provide aesthetically appealing. Gone
good general illumination, oĞen are the days when practicality
referred to as ambient lighting. held the lighting throne. Now,
In essence, ambient lighting light is expected to be just as
provides a minimal amount of useful as a decorating accessory,
as it is for illumination.
brightness, enabling people to
move around and see each other
easier. A ceiling light fixture can
provide the finishing touch to
any room and can be used in
virtually any location from the
living room and bathroom to
the stairway and hall.
Today, lighting trends lead
consumers to fixtures that
are both functional and – Ashvin Chutkay
43
Director/Writer:
James Camaron
Executive Producer:
Colin Wilson
Actors:
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana,
Sigourney Weaver, Stephen
Lang, Michelle Rodriguez,
Giovanni Ribisi, Joel Moore
Cinematographers:
Mauro Fiore and Vince Pace
Music By:
James Horner
P andora, in spite of being the
most hostile planet known
to mankind, is a world so lush
that any human or creature that
steps onto it falls in love with
it. An environment so detailed
comprising of enormous plants,
trees, animals would make a
bulldozer look like an insect. It’s
an experience for people of all
ages. From the very first minute,
till the last, you will be expecting
some kind of action, and by
action I don’t mean the bang
boom; I mean the thrill.
The technology available today
has made the direction of Avatar
possible. The movie is 40% live
action and 60% photo-realistic
CGI. A lot of motion capture
technology was used for the
CGI scenes. The cast was made
to play the character in live
motion and this was captured
by the cameras and finally
transferred onto the computer-
generated characters.
44
The environment description
is what has made this movie a
treat to the eye. The forest filled
with plants that glow like giant
fireflies at night, the floating
mountains, the tree of Eywa
which is the root of all living
things, the banshees that soar
the skies and the Toruk Maktahu
which is the ruler of the skies,
takes the movie to a whole new
level.
The reason the humans
have setup camp on Pandora
is for the vast deposits of
Unobtanium, an ore. One kilo
of this rock sells for twenty
million a kilo. Parker Selfridge,
a corporate, is the man behind
the entire operation. The
natives of Pandora known as
the Na’vis, are a tribe of blue
skinned human-like structures
standing tall at about 12 to
15 feet. They call themselves
The People. They will strike
at every human they see. Jake
Sully, a paraplegic marine, is
sent into the forest as an Avatar again, he has to perform a feat
on a unique mission to negotiate that only five other Na’vis have
with The People, but finds ever dared to do and succeed:
himself torn between following tame a Toruk Maktahu. When
his orders and protecting the he returns with the humongous
world he feels is his home. bird, they greet him with pride
and respect.
The People are in no terms of
negotiation with the humans, Under Jake’s strategies, all the
who aren’t ready to take the tribes of Pandora unite to fight
initiative of bulldozing the forest against the humans, whom they
and reducing it to dust. And so, call the ‘Sky People’. AĞer a
the operation begins. The Na’vis brief baĴle, they fail to defend
banish Jake from the tribe when their ground as they fight guns
they learn that he’s a human in and missiles with mere bows
an Avatar. To gain their trust and arrows with no other choice
January 16-31, 2010
Movie Review

but to retreat. When Eywa hears income. If I were to describe the

Jack’s prayers, she sends down movie in one word, I would say:
nature to stand by them and Awesome, and I would rate the
claim the land that’s theirs. The movie 4.5/5.
baĴle is won by the Na’vis and
the humans are forced to return
back to their own planet. Jake
decides to stay back and become
one of The People.

A movie like Avatar is the first of

its kind, a movie that will open
the doors to an entire new era of Rating
filmmaking. With a budget of $
280,000,000, it stands at No.1 as 4.5
5
the most expensive movie ever
made and is making its way
up the chart in terms of gross – VENKATA PRANAY
January 16-31, 2010
45
N obody is miserable because
of a disability. Suppose
you had only one hand, one
hand less wouldn’t make
you miserable. It is just that
everybody else has two hands;
you have only one; that makes
you miserable. One hand less,
does it cause misery? One hand
46
less or one eye less wouldn’t
cause misery. What causes
misery is: everybody else has
two, I have only one.
So a disease or a disability
fundamentally doesn’t cause
misery. It creates a certain
physical situation. Misery is
caused by you, only by you,
nobody else but you. Misery is
always self created. Situations
are happening, some situations
the way you like it, some
situations the way you don’t
like it, some situations you can
handle , some situations you
cannot handle ; this is how life
happens. But misery is caused
by you.
January 16-31, 2010
 He just doesn’t know what is
happening or generally he is
much happier than other people,
isn’t it? But it is your aĴitude
towards him, your constant
reminder that he is not normal,
which makes him unhappy,
which makes him miserable. It
is your constant deprivation
of many things that a human
being needs but you don’t think
he needs due to disability that
makes him miserable.

So misery is not caused by nature and if it is there, we have

any situation. Whenever you
encounter a situation you
cannot handle, if you want to
make yourself miserable, you
have a lot of opportunity to
do so. Disabled people are not
miserable by themselves. They
have no idea of what is what.
You are creating an opinion by
saying, “You are not OK!” That
may make them miserable.
Diěerences are a part of nature.
There are people with diěerent
intellectual levels, diěerent
physical aĴributes and abilities
or disabilities. It is all a part of
to contemplate what best we
can do with the constraints and
strengths. Then, there would be
no misery in disability. If you
allow your humanity to function
rather than your prejudice to
take over, then there would
be no misery in disability. So
misery is not in being disabled.
Misery is caused by you because
you’re unconscious of what
you’re doing. Because the basic
faculties in you, your mind and
body, are not in your control,
that’s why you’re causing misery
to yourself.

Disability can be physical or

mental. A mentally retarded
person never suěers; it is other
people’s aĴitude towards
him that makes him suěer.
By himself, he doesn’t suěer,
actually he is more joyful than
most other people, or he just
doesn’t know what’s happening.
January 16-31, 2010
S adhguru is a Realised Master, Yogi and profound Mystic of our
times. A visionary, Sadhguru asserts that peace and happiness are
not the ultimate goal of life, but the most basic needs in every human
being. He developed Isha Yoga as a powerful method for individual
transformation leading to human emancipation. A glimpse of his life
and work can be found in the books of Encounter the Enlightened and
Mystic’s Musings.
For more details
www.ishafoundation.org and chennai@ishafoundation.org
47
The New Indian Women Entrepreneur
Chartering New Vistas
R ajeswari Srinivas will take
you by surprise. Her soĞ
eyes and a warm, motherly
smile would never lead you to
guess that the lady is the M.D.
of an electronic components’
manufacturing company. Sinanics
Components Private Ltd., as
the name of the company goes
has three factories and she is as
matronly at oĜce as she is at
home.
Originally her husband’s venture,
who was a business man and an
electronics and communication
engineer from Trichi, she took
over the business when he passed
away eight years ago. Though
she is an economics graduate,
she found herself assisting her
husband in running the company
aĞer marriage. “AĞer the birth of
my children, I joined my husband
at the factory as the administrative
director. Then I became the
Managing Director aĞer his
demise,” says Mrs. Srinivas.
“I was completely new to the
business, and there were a
number of problems. However,
I was guided by the Chief
Coordinating OĜcer. I started
going out to meet diěerent kinds
of people involved in the business.
My father would accompany me
for all the important meetings,”
says Rajeswari. As a woman,
not many people had faith that
she could smoothen things out.
“I had to be strong and firm so
that I could take bold steps like
dismissing people who I felt were
not contributing to the company.
The morale was low but in time
the employees started believing in
me. At banks people did not take
48
me seriously,” she adds. Burdened
with a ton of debts, doubts in the
minds of employees made the
horizon quite bleak.
On asking how they made it
through, she says in a maĴer of
fact manner that it was a question
of survival. “Our three factories
provide with the bread and buĴer
for my family and the families
of the employees. The workers
had to be taken care of or they
would have had to go without with her family goes without
their income. One cannot wind saying. She loves to travel and
up work because of a tragedy,” feels that Germany is a great
she says with compassion. With place as the people are courteous.
problems mounting there was “The cities are very clean and the
a gut-feeling that she could pull people are very professional,” she
through them. “My staě and my adds. Having travelled all over the
mentor, the CCO were my driving world, she believes that in India
force. The CCO was my husband’s most businesses refuse to adopt
friend and my parents supported
international standards. “They
me by taking care of my son and
are run in an unprofessional,
daughter,” she says with a smile.
primitive manner. There is hardly
Spoken like a true leader.
any discipline and people tend
Was she not struck by the to take things very lightly. Work
technical aspect of the business? is not done quickly and in an
“At the time of my husband’s orderly manner,” she adds.
demise I had no idea what to do.
I had no technical knowledge, To step in to a man’s world and
but I never let on. A number of leading the companies to great
people were depending on me heights must have been quite a
and showing my fear or doubts task. Plus being a mum as well
to my employees would make as a father to her kids could
them trust me even lesser. As take a toll on any individual.
an entrepreneur, you have to
“Sometimes as women, we
be confident and always have
have to be stubborn so that we
a smile on your face no maĴer
are not taken for a ride. The
what the situation is. You have
to look impressive so that people workers in my factories are my
accept you without question,” she family. Communication with the
supplies without hesitation. Hear, employees and competence will
hear! take you far in this business,” she
sums up.
At home she is just herself by
reading books. Spending time Priyanka Sakhamuru
January 16-31, 2010