Age On Sunday

INDIA WAKES UP TO ALTERNATIVE SPORTS

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:32:17 GMT

SHARDA WADHWA

Cricket remains a religion, hockey our national game and football is on the rise. But finally, India seems to be waking up to a whole host of alternative sports. These form the roads less travelled, but are increasingly being paved. A combination of factors has led to the rise of these disciplines - greater interest, better funding, the willingness to go professional and the growth of institutions devoted to grassroots development.

RUGBY

Getting the nod as an Olympic sport seems to have worked wonders for the sport. The buzz generated among casual fans around the country when the announcement was made, has led to a pique in interest.

Agha Hussain, vice-president of the Indian Rugby Football Union, said, "Rugby has evolved as a game in our nation. For a while there was a lull in terms of interest. Now since we have everything from foreign coaches to extensive camps, the sky is the limit."

The connotations of rugby in India are largely elitist, but the scenario is slowly changing. Amateur clubs in the country's big metros - particularly and surprisingly in space-crunched Mumbai - meet regularly for a bit of rough and tumble. The difference, now, is that many of these casual collections are getting organised and enrolling in competition.

At least twice a year, an all-India inter-school tournament is organised in the financial capital. The number and diversity of participating schools is an eye-opening indicator of the growing interest in rugby. Case in point - an all-girls team from ultra-conservative Jammu and Kashmir that participated in this year's tournament.

At the advanced level, the recently-concluded 76th All India and South Asia Division-I tournament was held in Mumbai. Despite major international representation from the likes of Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, the Indian teams were the ones that dominated.

In a recent interview, South Africans Norman Laker and Henry Marnitz who coach the national rugby side, told us they could not reiterate how rapidly the standards of Indian rugby were improving.

MALLAKHAMB

Possibly the biggest endorsement to the rise of the sport comes from the Oxford Dictionary's inclusion of its name. Dubbed the "fastest growing sport in the world", mallakhamb originated in Maharashtra as a means of exercise for wrestlers. It's only in the last two decades that the sport has secured its status as one among the post popular indigenous sporting disciplines.

Starting out with just four districts as members, the Maharashtra Amateur Mallakhamb Association (MAMA) now encompasses 35 districts. Around the country, 29 states and six union territories now have a mallakhamb association.

But perhaps the biggest push to the sport has come from its international popularity. Mexico, Singapore and Germany have taken to mallakhamb, extolled its virtues and led Indians back home to wake up to its benefits and potential for competition (while also acting as a symbol of our culture). Each year, the German Mallakhamb association invites Indian exponents to camps in Munich. This December, German amateurs will head the opposite direction to learn more about the sport.

"The biggest factor in its growth is the fact that it's so cost-effective. Mallakhamb is getting more and more popular and it's nice to see countries like Singapore, Germany and New Mexico taking interest in the sport and calling us to spread awareness. There are even three blind schools in Mumbai where this sport is taught. What makes it easier to keep the sport alive is that Mallakhamb performances are always a spectacle - they look good and people enjoy watching them," said Uday Deshpande, head coach at Mumbai's Shree Samartha Vyayam Mandir, which has conducted various mallakhamb events abroad.

BOXING

There's a simple reason for boxing's rapid growth and it stems from the rise of identifiable, successful figureheads in recent months. Vijender Singh's bronze at the Beijing Olympics is the biggest and most obvious example. Whatever one's opinion of the jat's elevation to starry status, it remains that prolonged exposure encourages children to aspire for similar things. "It motivates us to do better when we see Vijender doing well," said thrice consecutive Maharashtra boxing champion Vinit Kotian (20), "He has brought the sport into the limelight and this popularity helps us approach sponsors. At least they take a look at our achievements now unlike earlier, when we had to wait for days to meet them," he said.

The likes of Akhil Kumar and Khel Ratna awardee and four-time world champion M.C. Mary Kom have contributed to the effect too. All of a sudden, college and university level boxing is a far more serious affair. Sponsors are very interested too. Recently, the Sahara India Pariwaar adopted boxing as a sport they aim to promote.

BASKETBALL

When the National Basketball Association (better known as the NBA) is talking you up as a major destination on their agenda, it's got to mean something. Over the last few years the American association, organisers of the most-watched basketball league in the world, have followed up on their mission to promote the sport in India.

"Foreign coaching is helping us take basketball to the next level in India," said India international player Sambhaji Kadam, "Schools participating in tournaments year after year is a great example of growth. But the best part is the rise of crowd interest. At any major local tournament these days, you see people turn up to cheer in large numbers. It's a sign of growing awareness," he added.

The level of interest among youngsters can be judged by the numbers that have regularly showed up at the many NBA clinics and promotional events conducted all over the country. Former NBA stars, many now ambassadors, have visited India.

The result of all this buzz, quite simply, is an investment into facilities. Corporates and independent institutions keen to be associated with a sport that creates interest have been putting in the money for expensive courts and equipment. Recently, two courts in Mumbai were refurbished to meet international standards after the visit of former NBA star A.C. Green.

This, in turn, directly influences the growth of grassroots basketball. For example, two annual all-India tournaments are now held on the new Mumbai courts. In the Savio Cup, another national tournament, a junior, inter-school championship was introduced this year.

And the rise is not driven by men alone. Among the more prestigious to be held in India this year, the FIBA Asia Women's Championship was hosted by Chennai. Featuring the best players and top teams from across the continent, the tournament was a success.

India: A confluence of faiths

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:30:52 GMT

William Dalrymple

To start with, let’s get a few things right out of the way. For those of you under the impression that there were two sides to India — one being the spiritual and the other being the material, here’s a reality check — you’re wrong.

Modern-day India is suspended carefully between spiritual enlightenment and the pursuit of economic growth. It’s a land where a sadhu is as comfortable with a cellphone as he is with his rituals. And there are as many gods as there are people — enough to ensure a personal deity for each home across the length and breadth of the country.

In a broad sense, everyone is in pursuit of one or the other goal; doesn’t necessarily have to be the same thing. In the case of India, those pursuing one’s own self (or God, for that matter) choose to adopt a billion different ways to reach their destination. What unites them in their quest is the end result they expect — discovering themselves, the God inside them, spirituality and everything in between. And that is the beautiful dichotomy offered by India and her multi-faceted systems of faith.

Consider the aspect of religion in today’s India. Personally I find religion a great way of peering into someone’s soul or in this case, a nation’s. It’s an interesting entry point because it is similar to observing someone through multiple keyholes, windows or viewpoints. An individual’s religious beliefs are as beguiling as anything else that you might want to know about his or her life. And that’s because religion has a power to change life in itself and build new lives centred on it.

In present-day India, you have perspectives like Vedanta existing alongside Puranas, like it did a thousand years ago. It’s a country where a devadasi (a temple prostitute) finds her calling in the sacred by initiating her own daughters into a trade that she initially desists from entering. Ironically it’s also the country where renouncers like Mahaveer and Buddha set off on their own spiritual quests, opposing systems that promoted a life of banality, brutality and sensuality.

India has always been at one with its spiritual side. Compare this to Europe and America where there’s a revival of sorts being seen in the religious and spiritual contexts. But in India, it seems each generation reinvents these beliefs to serve its own needs, its own conveniences and its own lifestyles. Which is why faith and spirituality never really went out of style in India. Everyone is free to pursue their belief in whichever fashion they find most suitable. That aspect of India hasn’t changed since the time Alexander set foot on her, claiming his stake in the land of wisdom and spirituality.

As told to Bijoy Bharathan

The writer is a renowned historian and his latest work is Nine Lives In Search of the Sacred in Modern India

***

Bliss at the edge of silence

Sravana, manana, nidhidhyasana…

"Learning, enquiry, reflection…"

Atha sabdenavaa asabdam avishkriyate…

"From the sound, move into the soundless…"

Yad asyaagram, tad shantam, asabdam, ashokam, aanandam, triptam, sthiram, achalam, amritam, achyutam, dhruvam, Vishnu samjnitam, sarvaa paratavya tad eva upasite…

"At the edge of silence, there lies peace, fearlessness, absence of sorrow, bliss, contentment, steadfastness, stillness, deathlessness, a deep centering in yourself… in the midst of this, discover the final experience known as Vishnu."

-Maitri Upanishad, 6-22, 23

I won’t explain the last verse because I can’t. But do read it as many times as it takes for you to feel its truth and beauty. I will say this much — if you ever can, try and fall off the edge of silence. It’s as pure an experience as you can ever get — something so beautiful you will never be quite the same person again.

Welcome to the discipline of Vedanta. The hype stops here. This isn’t religion. If you want Gods, rituals, crowds, rules, evangelists, orators… this isn’t the place. The idea here is to have a simple direct experience of the unfathomable mystery that some call as divinity. The technique of the Maitri Upanishad is to flow with sound into a state of soundlessness, and then reach beyond.

The ‘sound’ is the syllable AUM. The soundlessness has no name. It’s pure experience. Here is the practice as followed from thirty five centuries. Find an agreeable place, choose an appropriate time. Keep your head erect, spine straight. Sit comfortably and focus on a silent chant of the sacred AUM. If your mind is getting distracted with thoughts, stop the meditation and focus on where the disturbances are coming from.

At the end of this search you will discover your many wounds — confront your many desperations, fears, angers, jealousies, your need for recognition, need for love, need for a square feet of sunshine on this planet darkened by the anxiety of the other 10 billion souls. If you can see yourself, thus, naked, disrobed of pretensions, unclothed of righteousness, unadorned of illusions, you have arrived at the first stage.

There is only one stage left. To accept yourself as you are, strike peace with your warring factions within. I am as I am, and wish to be no one else. I accept who I am, accept my flaws, my fissures, my age, my face, my failings, my imperfect life and my eventual death. I am at peace with myself and this world — now and for all time.

This process of manana —enquiry, and nidhi dhyasana —reflection, may take a few days or a few decades. Do it in earnest and you will be surprised how quickly the mind can heal its own wounds. Once done, you return to the seat where you left.

The meditation on AUM begins in earnest. You find the mind flowing into silence easily. You chant the AUM, knowing that the fourth syllable is the amatras or the syllable without a sound.

You quietly and sweetly discover that fourth syllable. You have arrived at the edge of silence. You have discovered tranquillity.

What you now experience is yours and yours alone. They called it Vishnu, knowing well that no words can describe it. You can call it anything — or nothing. No words are needed. You have left all verbal and communication tools behind a long while back. In the face of such experience, what words?

Ya evam Veda. This is the wisdom of the Veda.

The author is a filmmaker. Email him at mani2shankar@gmail.com

‘God is a friend who knows everything’

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:30:46 GMT

I believe it’s extremely important to have faith in a supreme power. I know that God is kind and that He’s always there for me, guiding me in all my actions and my decisions. I do ensure that I devote a few minutes every day remembering Him. On days when I am unable to go to the mosque, I say a prayer, no matter where I am or how busy I might be. I have made prayers a part of my routine.

For me, prayers are a great way to attain peace of mind. My conversations with God allow me to feel like a child once again, when I can open up to him about anything and everything under the sun.

It’s like talking to a friend you have known for years, who is aware of all your strengths, weaknesses and lets you introspect on your actions and outcomes.

While I do strongly believe in His power, I am also aware that you cannot expect God to come along and solve all your problems miraculously. He is there as a guiding beacon for you, but one has to find the road and go the distance all by oneself.

God has given us enough strength and resilience to pave our own ways to excellence in whatever we pursue. So one should not take anything in life for granted — everything must be earned.

I believe that being good begets goodness. And touch wood, I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed a good life with God’s blessings. I try my best to be a good person, not because I expect anything in return, but because it helps in spreading a feeling of warmth. People replicate acts of kindness once they see someone doing the same.

There have been many moments in life when I have felt that there was a leg-up provided to me by God which helped me do better in my line of work. For instance, on several occasions, while racing through the crucial legs of a championship, my car would be beset by a technical snag that threatened to jeopardise my victory. But somehow, things would fall into place and I would still make it to the top. Such little instances have reinforced my faith in the presence of a superior power who works in mysterious ways that we might not be able to understand.

Armaan is the only Formula 2 racer representing India

***

There’s no other way to live, but dangerously

The head has become so dominant that it does not allow any spontaneity. It has become dictatorial. It does not allow the heart even to utter a single word; it has forced the heart to be completely quiet. You will have to listen again to the heart. You will have to start dropping logic a little. You will have to take a few risks. You will have to live dangerously. People who are full of fear cannot move beyond the known. The known gives a kind of comfort, security, safety because it is known.You will have to move towards the unknown, and you will have to love persons and not things. You will have to be ready not to possess anybody, because the moment you possess the person is not there. Only a thing can be possessed.

Live dangerously

Friedrich Nietzsche is right: he says, "Live dangerously." In fact there is no other way to live; one can only live dangerously. The other way is of avoiding life, not of living. It is to accept the insecurity of life, it is to accept death, it is to accept that everything can disappear at any moment. Your love, your friendship, you, everything is only for the moment. The next moment the petals will wither away, all will be gone.

Insecurity is beautiful

Knowing this and yet rejoicing, knowing this and yet dancing, knowing this and yet having a song on your lips, knowing this and yet having joy in your eyes — that’s what meditation is all about. In fact, this insecurity is beautiful. This insecurity has a blessing in it, because if everything were secure there would be no life at all. If everything were secure there would be rocks and rocks — no flowers, no birds, no people. If everything were secure there might be notes, mathematics, science, but no poetry, no music, no dance. The world would be a dead world.

The real world has to be in constant danger

That danger adds to its beauty, that danger gives a depth, that danger makes it challenging. It is only through danger that life attains to maturity, growth. One needs to be an adventurer, always ready to risk the known for the unknown. That’s what sannyas is all about. But once one has tasted the joys of freedom and fearlessness, one never repents because then one knows what it means to live at the optimum. Then one knows what it means to burn your life’s torch from both ends together. And even a single moment of that intensity is more gratifying than the whole eternity of mediocre living.

Courtesy Osho International Foundation/www.osho.com

‘I’m a loner’

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:29:11 GMT

I never dreamt I would become the Chief Minister of this mighty state one day. I was happy with the finance ministry. Blame it on my background or attitude, but the truth is that I’m almost a loner in state politics. I don’t belong to any group in the party, nor am I in the camp of any particular leader. I don’t belong to a political family neither am I from a powerful caste or lobby.

Though I was active in student politics in both school and college, I always wanted to be a lawyer. politics happened by chance. after my graduation, it was on my guru N.G. Ranga’s insistence that I ventured into politics.

I never aspired for top posts, my only goal was to work with the top leaders of the country. And I’ve always been loyal to the Congress party and its leaders.

I have seen Mahatma Gandhiji and had the privilege of translating the speeches of Jawarhal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. I am an ardent follower and disciple of my guru, the late N.G. Ranga, who relentlessly fought for agrarian and peasant problems in the country. I have never faced any allegations of corruption or nepotism, and I believe it’s all thanks to the fact that I am from the pre-independence era. As children, we were taught a lot of good qualities that stayed with us.

I am 77 years old now and it’s been a long journey. looking back, I think I owe a lot to the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. I had known him for three decades and even canvassed for him in the late 70’s. He used to call me ‘anna’.

When I had to undergo a by-pass surgery last year, I was afraid. But Rajasekhara Reddy personally supervised the operation, arranged for good doctors and even called me several times when I was in hospital.

In fact, it was at his insistence that I agreed to become an MLC. he suggested that it’s not wise for me to take the risk of traveling to villages to ask for votes post surgery. He even got the cabinet resolution passed, which was necessary for me to become an MLC.

On September 2, the fateful day, I went to the secretariat as usual. Around 11 a.m. they told me that the helicopter he was travelling in had gone missing. I didn’t believe it initially. How can a helicopter miss its route? But then I rushed to the Chief Secretary’s office in the ‘C’ block and was busy all day trying to trace the helicopter and attending to calls from important leaders who were enquiring about the incident.

On the morning of September 3, I was in the Chief Secretary’s office when we were informed that the helicopter had been traced. it had crashed and all five bodies, including that of our chief minister, Rajasekhara Reddy had been found. I was shocked. My mind was blocked — my beloved brother had had an untimely death at such a young age!

Around 3 am that day, I announced his death officially. It was the saddest moment of my life. After this, I was told by Union Ministers, Veerappa Moily and Prithvi Raj Chowhan to take the oath as Chief Minister. I was stunned. Prithvi Raj asked me "Sir, what are you looking at?" They asked me to go home, have something to eat and return to Rajbhavan for the swearing-in. I remember being speechless. I also received a call from Mr Ahmed Patel, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary, who asked me to take the oath to fill the constitutional void created by the tragedy. Again, I couldn’t believe the message, but after some persuasion from Mr Ahmed Patel, I agreed.

It was not a moment of pride or joy. The body of Rajasekhara Reddy was yet to return to Hyderabad. The whole state was in deep shock.

With regards to Jaganmohan Reddy, I wish him good luck always. I am a little over twice his age. I hear he is quite hard-working. I will not hesitate to vacate the chair if the party high command decides in his favour. In politics, patience is paramount.

As told to

Ch V. M. Krishna Rao

Romance on the canal

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:29:04 GMT

Inder Raj Ahluwalia

We had risen at dawn and were on the highway that snaked out of Bangkok before the sun’s rays had actually lit the ground. Only the treetops were a pale gold, at ground level it was something between darkness and light.

"It lasts till midday, but is most beautiful early in the morning," says Lucy, our guide allowing herself a smile.

We were headed for Damnern Saduak, in Ratchaburi Province, some 80 km southeast of Bangkok. Its name may be hard to pronounce, but there’s nothing else complicated about Damnern Saduak. Thailand’s most colourful and vibrant floating market is actually meant for the hundreds of farmers who congregate each morning to sell fresh farm and orchard produce.

It didn’t take long for us to realise just how special this place is. Clinging to the past and showing a daily lifestyle without any frills, it retains all the flavours of the Thailand of yore. The bottomline is that it remains a practical and highly attractive activity for locals. And it continues to draw tourists, who get to savour a special experience unique to the country.

The scene that greeted us was an image straight out of romantic Siam. Jamming the klongs (canals), was what seemed to be half the country’s population. Everyone seemed to be around that morning and in the mood to talk. The babble could be heard everywhere. Hundreds of little boats sailed up and down the canals, steered calmly by Thai women wearing broad-brimmed lampshade hats and traditional navy blue tops, the men in brightly coloured shirts.

The little boats seemed to defy the laws of buoyancy by keeping afloat. Most were loaded to the brim with an assortment of merchandise. "As the day goes by, they’ll lighten their loads," Lucy told us.

And so they did. It was sale and transaction time. Goods and money changed hands all across the area in a well orchestrated sort of ritual. Thailand’s bounties of the fields, farms, orchards and rivers were on offer. Fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh noodles, Thai sweets, dried fish, rice and a profusion of flowers, all are sold to buyers. Some boats sell ready-to-eat foods, the inevitable noodles, fried bananas, fresh coconut milk, and little curdlike sweets wrapped in banana leaf. The market is particularly famous for its fresh fruits which come from surrounding orchards, especially large, succulent grapefruit-like pomelos called sam-o in Thai.

Twenty minutes on and I had a string of fresh orchids wrapped around my arm, a bunch of trinkets in my pockets, a silk scarf for ‘someone special’, and a large paper bag filled with something that was midway between doughnuts and biscuits.

The boats sail up and down stretches of the canals, lining up at the little quay and harbour after their goods are sold. We did the same, except that we alighted at the quay to have lunch. "Thai food is very, very hot," Lucy offered by way of simple explanation as we settled into our deck chairs at uncovered metal tables. If you find a Thai cook pondering over a simmering pot of gaeng pet (hot curry), chances are you’ll catch him resolutely adding another handful of tiny green chillies, called prick kee nu in Thai, a single one of which can blast the average firang out of his chair. But there is non-spicy fare too, like the native sweets, including delicate custards in ripe coconut and sugary confections wrapped in banana leaves as well as several moderately seasoned noodle dishes. But the fundamental fact remains that Thais like their food highly spiced, especially the curries. Some half dozen different kinds of chillies are used in abundance, the hottest of all being a deceptively pretty little orange one called prik nu luang.

After careful scrutiny of the makeshift menu where all the scrawled dishes seemed to be the same, I asked for, and got, garlic prawns in soya sauce and two side dishes of steamed rice and noodles. And I washed it down with a couple of chilled bottles of Singha beer in the land.

The boats had dispersed with just a handful left bobbing on the water. Now the scene had shifted to the quay where a sort of accounting was on. The klongs were now completely empty and still, a far cry from the bustle of an hour ago.

The writer is a travel expert

‘Cairo is not just about pyramids’

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:28:26 GMT

To be honest, I am not much of a travel person. I like my holidays and travel every year, but that’s about it. I don’t like travelling on work too. I’d rather be at home and laze around. I don’t have the burning desire to see everything from Alaska to Antarctica. But I did have a few places on my list that I wanted to visit once in my life and Cairo was on top of that list. And after my visit there, I knew I did the right thing.

Of course, everyone goes to Cairo to see the pyramids, and seeing them is a once in a lifetime experience. No video footage, pictures or movie scene can prepare you for what you are going to see when you first set your sight on the pyramids. But don’t just think that’s all there is to Cairo. It has so many gems to discover. I was told that most travellers go to Cairo for two-three days, see the pyramids, and get out of the city and move on to Israel, Jordan or other neighbouring countries. I’d suggest spending a week or so in Cairo, exploring the city slowly and surely, unravelling the mysteries of one of the most densely populated and cultured cities in the world. Being an Islamic country, which has strong values and respect for its traditions, there are certain dos and don’ts as one needs to respect the local culture.

But any hotel attendant or a local tour guide will give you a brief for that as soon as you arrive in the city. Make sure you follow them and not hurt any sentiments. Also, since Cairo is such a vast city, it’s advisable to hire a local tour guide rather than just relying on a guide book. They are usually reliable and I became good friends with mine.

Cairo is situated on the banks of the longest river in the world, the Nile. And we’ve all heard of that in our schoolbooks. So it was a big thing for me to see it, like I guess it’s with Westerners who come to see the Ganges. It was a great experience walking by the banks of the river for hours, especially at sunset.

The river runs across the length of the city, and you can stop at several spots, which have turned into food courts, and hookah places. You can sit at one of these joints in the trendy Midan Ramses area, where you see young artistes hanging out usually in the evenings. You’ve got to go to the Egyptian museum, the largest one in the world, in Cairo’s city centre. It has a vast collection of Egyptian artifacts. Cairo is also known for its ancient architecture, and you must visit the Citadel, the city castle. Not very far from Cairo is the Gezira Island and you can spend some time there too.

Walk up the Cairo tower and enjoy the panoramic view of the city on one side and the pyramids on the other. Besides the beautifully built city, it’s also known for its art, food and of course, the markets. Walk to Nassiri market on Tuesday and you might feel like the entire Cairo is bursting from its seams in the market.

Definitely try Falafel from the roadside joints or look out for the chain Falafel. Go to one of the theatres in the city centre, Egyptian centre of art was my favourite to enjoy a Sufi recital or dance programme.

In Cairo, try and stay in the city centre, small chain of hotels are decent and worth the price. Budget hotels can be a bit dodgy.

And since it’s a vast city, probably exploring it on feet is not the best option. Public transport can be tough, but hiring a car for a week might actually work out better.

there are car rental agencies that come with a tour guide, which could be an option you might want to try.

As told to Chhaya S.

Crafty planning for real estate victory

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:28:12 GMT

The creator of each Gigamic game, earns royalties on each game sold! The company urges we don’t hesitate to write them a game idea we come up with. Money and fame awaits! Neatly printed on the superbly finished ‘Skybridge’ box is the legend ‘based on a concept produced by Adam Ritchey’. Their games are consistently spectacular. The proud opportunity to be a Gigamic producer, is to be in an enviable assembly of creators who provide countless hours of intensely enjoyable game play to avid addicts across the world.

Skybridge is a 2-4 player game. The matt-black wooden board is breathtakingly elegant. 44 perfectly formed wooden play pieces. All the design sophistication I’ve come to expect from any Gigamic production! As realty stock is alternately buoyed and battered by fickle FIIs, a skeptical market, and markedly less liberal home loan lending policies, Skybridge is the answer to builders in search of geographic domination, without the attendant cash flow constraints, and irksome customers complaining about construction delays, and poor quality!

The winner is the player (builder) who owns the most stories in the city. Playing with individual sets of identical 11 pieces (2 and 3 storey blocks, bridges and roofs), each builder conceptualizes his high-rise empire, in 3D, while competing furiously for scarce ground space. two and three-storey blocks build towers. Bridges connect adjacent towers, and roofs determine possession of towers.

Like all Gigamic games, there are a few cunningly simple rules of play. After a typical session of Skybridge, builders huddle around the now built-up board, peering down at their creations, for elaborate end-of-game scoring. They’re points to be had for towers with your roofs on them. Double the points for towers you’ve capped and connected with your bridge. Bridges inevitably lead to multiple scoring for the same construction by more than one builder!

There’s a Petronas moment to be resisted, when you waver between capping a roof on a modest sized tower to stake your claim on it, and vainly building another few stories — only to lose ownership to another builder who waited silently, and moved in swiftly for the kill. Quickly place a roof on an opponent’s tower. Keep a careful track of the pieces in hand. No two pieces of the same colour can touch, so if you haven’t planned ahead, you could suddenly find yourself with pieces in hand, but nowhere to place them. Some reckless builders use up their roofs too soon, leaving them no way to claim their soaring towers.

In the two-player version, each builder fields pieces in two colours. In the 3-player version, select pieces from the fourth colour are used. It’s all magnificently thought-through. If it’s any consolation, no matter how badly you play, the final built-up board always manages to look wonderful. And the game always wraps up within 15-20 minutes. First rate quality. Tremendous experience. Terrific value. Clearly explained instructions. Timed to perfection. Maybe builders could learn a thing or two from Skybridge!

The author may be contacted at arup_kavan@yahoo.com

Good battery quality is a must

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:27:24 GMT

Battery trouble

In last week’s Unplugged, readers were informed of the large range of battery chargers in use and the need now to find a universal charger which can be used for batteries for any/all electronic gadgets. No matter how good your charger, if your battery is of a poor quality, then you are heading for real trouble. In fact batteries suddenly exploding inside portable gadgets often cause irreparable damage. Many a times a malfunction of the rechargeable battery in an electronic device carried by a passenger was the cause of fire in the aircraft. Both these problems occurred when the battery is leaking or when a cheaper less expensive battery is used instead of the exact replacement recommended.

Unplugged suggests the following:

1) Always use an original battery. 2) Make sure that the mains are off before you connect a charger to your device

3) Never use a cell phone while it is charging because a cheap or incompatible battery could just explode in your face and cause injury. In fact, even with an original battery, users sometimes experience a severe shock and in a couple of cases skin burn too. Hence care is recommended when batteries are being charged.

READERS WRITE

Based on your advise, I decided to go in for 32’ to 37’ branded LCD TV in the price range indicated by you i.e. Rs 25,000 to Rs 55, 000. Can you recommend the right brand with comparative details particularly between Sony and other brands? Depending on your advice, I can spend up to Rs, 55, 000 to buy a right brand LCD TV.

J. Subba Rao

If your budget is up to Rs 55,000 and you have a relatively large room size, then we suggest you go in for a 37’’ screen. The Sony 37S550A and the LG 37LH35FR are both good options that will fall within your budget.

Though Sony is priced a little higher than the LG model, it has more attractive features like a very good contrast ratio of 80000:1 and a brightness sensor. The LG model on the other hand claims higher resolution picture of 1920X1080 pixels as compared to 1366X768 of Sony and is a slimmer TV than the Sony model. The price difference is marginal as the most competitive offer price of Sony is Rs 50,000 as compared to Rs 47,000 for the LG model and both offer good value for money. However the best way to decide is to first visit one of the multi-brand stores closest and experience a live demo for yourself. See which colour hue/ picture quality/ sound quality you prefer. You will also be able to check how the controls operate; the physical dimensions of the two models; the overall aesthetics to make a final selection. Quality wise you can’t go wrong with either brand.

Readers are invited to email their queries/suggestions/ comments to

sadhwanis@vsnl.com

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Where ideas collate

TED has come to India, bringing along with it the magic of inspiration and innovation. But TED is about more than just the speakers, the parties, and the actual events. TED is the opportunity for creative people from all spaces and places to meet and to share their ideas and enthusiasm on an individual basis. It’s amazing how energising and inspiring it can be to meet someone who’s doing something amazing, however small. And what better place for all of these exchanges to happen than Bengaluru, where many of the TED attendees will be spending several days on their way back from the conference in Mysore.

And TED and Bengaluru share the same spirit of creativity, warmth, and a passion for life. We immediately started shooting out a series of email introductions and messages began flying back and forth between our friends in Bengaluru and those in Brooklyn and San Francisco. Our friends here were truly astounded by the open-arms with which they were immediately received.

Their Bengalurean counterparts were happy to share their city and open their homes to these creative visitors from the other end of the world. In fact, one of our friends will even be interacting with media and journalism students in the — it’s his dream to start fund raising campaigns for the careers of creative youth around the world, starting, of course, with our very own Bengaluru!

"Want to see me shave my head? Contribute $10." This is a message posted on the Facebook page of the head of a small New York NGO. But what does it mean? This is all part of a strategy for creative internet fund raising, the brainchild of Brooklyn-based Devin Balkind. These are the craziest campaigns we’ve come across. The idea is that individuals and small organisations tap into the potential of their friends and network groups in order to raise money. A friend or colleague might not even give a second glance to a plea for support for a cause, but would be eager to contribute money to see you do something wild or out of character, like shaving your head. The campaigns have been a raging success. A new post of Devin’s blog promises that his business partner will walk the entire length of the Great Wall of China as a part of yet another fund raising campaign.

The time after TED will be the time in which the attendees from elsewhere will be inspired by India and the positivity it has to offer. Although we can’t be there in person, we feel that we’re sharing in the experience through the interactions of our friends and the sparks that will hopefully fly when they meet.

Daastan-e-Babur

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:27:02 GMT

Shubha Singh

Babur was one of the exciting figures of history and Raiders From the North relates the life story of the Moghul king. Babur became King of Ferghana at the age of 12 years when he strapped on his father’s sword, Alamgir and wowed to carry forward the legacy of his great ancestor, Tamurlaine.

Three months later the boy king lost Ferghana to his step-brother while he was busy fulfilling his father’s dream of taking back Samarkhand, the seat of Tamurlaine’s empire.

Babur’s early life was spent fighting a series of battles against the wily chief of the Uzbek clans, Shaibani Khan, a sworn enemy of Tamur’s bloodline. After Babur lost and regained; won and lost again the fabled garden city of Samarkhand to the Uzbeks, he turned his sights to Kabul which he captured at the age of 21. He then went on to briefly take hold of Herat to the west.

By the time he was in his 40s, Babur was looking for more kingdoms to conquer; he was haunted by the dreams of his ancestor, Taimurlaine’s empire which stretched from the Mediterranean into India in the east. Babur’s warriors came down the Hindu Kush mountains on several occasions and finally crossed the Indus to fight an epic battle at Panipat. Using modern weapons, like cannons and muskets and superior strategy, Babur vanquished the overwhelming force of the elephant sena of the Lodhis. After defeating Ibrahim Lodhi and conquering Delhi, Babur moved to Agra to found his Moghul empire of Hindustan.

Raiders from the North is the first in the series of the quintet about Babur and his descendants and the empire he established in India. The other four novels, still in the making, will deal with Babur’s descendants and the rise and fall of the Moghul empire. Raiders from the North is not a historical tract and though it keeps track of the major events in Babur’s life, it is a richly imagined account of a dashing warrior and the battles he fought. Rutherford creates some interesting characters and draws the dominant female figures in Babur’s life — his maternal grandmother Esan Dawlat, mother Kutlugh Nigar, and older sister, Khanzada, who helped him ascend the throne of Ferghana as a young boy and advised and supported him through his life. His wives are mere shadows before these indomitable ladies, with the exception of Maham, mother of his much loved son, Humayun.

The story ends with Babur’s death and Humayun wowing to be a worthy successor to his father. The world will have cause to remember me, he says but that is material for the next book in the series. Rutherford had the advantage of Babur’s own memoirs in the Baburnama to help him along with authentic atmosphere and anecdotes. The characters do not always ring true, but the fictionalised historical novel is purely an adventure story. The swashbuckling battle scenes and the dramatic twists of Babur’s own life story make Raiders From the North a good read.

The writer is a political analyst

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Bizarre yet fascinating

After last week’s suspense of a deserted winter seaside resort comes another story from small town America: paranoia, disaffection, a stale, decaying, static community whose conscious efforts at ‘minding their own business’ always seem to build repressive pressure that eventually spirals downwards into an implosion of paranoia and the inevitable fallout of violence, usually mob violence.

Inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, the story begins in Large Mouth, (population 754) when a man named John Griffen walks into town asking for a hotel room. Bandaged from head to toe, wearing a hat, gloves and swimming goggles over his eyes, his arrival sends the town into a frenzy of speculation and rumour.

Bored out of her head, still healing from having had her mother leave her father and her for the city, "was she as restless after seeing the city as I am now" a 16-year-old girl decides to befriend the mysterious stranger.

Over the course of a few weeks, they form a sort of friendship, each never quite revealing to the other the dark mysteries that simmer under the surface, using each other as a mutual distraction. This continues until a few unrelated events begin to butterfly-effect that usual small town suspicion.

A woman disappears, a straggler who lives on the fringes of the town gets beaten to within an inch of his life and for the reader at least, a mystery is solved, but only leaving a bitter distrust of human nature in its wake.

Jeff Lemire has been nominated for the Eisner prize for earlier works and Vertigo in the preface of the book welcomes The Nobody to their band of ‘bandaged protagonists’. The art work is without fault: greys, blues, dark, dull — the book is instantly reminiscent of several films and graphic novels that are of this genre. The layout of the frames flows according to the pace and he doesn’t rely at all on commentary-tags. Where there is dialogue, it is easy and precise and apt.

Still, something is amiss. The Nobody doesn’t quite hit the spot. It’s obvious that Lemire is a talented writer and illustrator, but in a sea of graphic novels that each bring something unique, in the art, the story telling, the character development, The Nobody seems boringly generic, telling a tale that has already been told many times before and well while this one, like its protagonist, leaves no mark, turning invisible after the bandages of hype fall away.

‘I have never believed in the number game’

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:26:22 GMT

Katrina’s film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani may have released last Friday, but the actress can’t stop gushing about the film. "It is a fun-filled love story. The USP of the film is that an actor, playing a serious role in the film can also make audiences laugh. It is a love story but a family film nonetheless," says the actress, who has learnt the tricks of the trade and has mastered the art of filmy promotions now.

When Rajkumar Santoshi approached Katrina for the role, she said yes, despite the date issues. "I could not say no to a director of his calibre. During the shooting of the film, he told me that he wants me in a natural look. That is why I have shot some scenes in the film without any make-up at all."

Working with both, the acclaimed director and young turk Ranbir Kapoor, was fun and interesting for Katrina, "I had heard a lot about Santoshiji from my friends… about how strict and reserved he was. But I did not feel that at all. I always found him in a fun and lively mood on the sets. I learned a lot from him. And working with Ranbir was quite relaxing. That is why our onscreen chemistry is superb. This film was shot mostly at outdoor locations. After a shot got okayed, I used to prepare for the next scene. If I had the time, I used to chat with Ranbir."

As for the improvement in her Hindi language skills, Katrina puts it down to being in the industry for such a long time. "And no, I don’t have the time to take tuitions in Hindi," she quips.

Ask her about Blue’s failure to create a buzz at the box-office, and Katrina shrugs, "I was a guest artiste in the film with hardly an eight to 10 minute role in it. I worked in the film only because Akshay (Kumar) and Sanjay (Dutt) wanted me to and I could not say no to them."

It’s been said that her pairing with Akshay always seems to result in a hit and while "it definitely feels good," she still wants the audience to like every film she does.

"My previous film New York did not have Akshay, but the film was a hit. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Rajneeti too do not have Akshay in them. I hope these films too become successful."

And in case the audiences miss the magic pairing, they only have to wait till De Dana Dan hits the screens. "A film with Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal is sure to be high on entertainment. I’m crazy about this film because it’s the first time I’m doing comedy with this team. And whenever I am doing a film with Akshay, there are a lot of expectations from the film."

Katrina is not chuffed about being referred to as the Number 1 actress in Bollywood. "I have never believed in the number game. I just want my films to be a hit at the box-office. The producers of my films should make money and the audiences should be entertained. I don’t want anything more," she says.

She ends by clarifying rumours of her venturing into filmmaking, "I am not a regular producer. A French film has inspired me. That’s all."

***

Bold will work, boring will not

I was doing an interview with a film glossy for my film Shaapit and the conversation veered to the changing tastes of the audience. An audience that accepts a lot more than it did earlier was the question at hand.

Is the audience getting more mature and accepting to different kinds of films now? I was quick to give an off hand answer in the affirmative, but then after the interview, I sat back and wondered if it was just about a simple yes or no. Is the audience changing or are the filmmakers changing?

I am reminded of my film Kasoor. It was the first time that a story of lust was shown on screen and the male and female protagonists indulge in what we call pre-marital sex and that too without being under the influence of alcohol or any substance. They have sex because they want to and I remember that one of the distributors was too scared to pick up the film, fearing that the audience would completely give the film a miss for its immorality. The film went on to become a big hit later.

Is it possible that we have, through time, given the audience much less credit than they deserve? Do we anticipate the reaction of the audience to be regressive and that they won’t accept anything different?

The movie Salaam Namaste made a huge hue and cry about being a film based on live-in relationships, but the truth is that we have had live-in relationships long before that.

Shakti had Amitabh Bachchan and Smita Patil living together and then Deewar had Amitabh and Parveen Babi living in sin. Manisha Koirala and Ajay Devgun too live together in Company and the audience bought it. They did not mind as long as they knew what the story demanded.

I remember when I started out as an assistant, the writers in the story sessions would say that the man and woman in the film can be brother and sister or lovers but they could not just be friends, because the audience would never accept it. But then why did the audience accept Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Dil Toh Pagal Hai?

The problem lies with us and not the audience. The audience has seen it all, such things happens in their neighbourhood on a daily basis. When I look at the different people in my own building, I see people living-in, people divorced, young love, old love, people eloping, suicide attempts and domestic violence and anything else that could be deemed scandalous. It happens around us all the time.

I remember a time when actors and actresses would not get married for the fear that they would lose their fan base and yet today most of the top stars are married. Actresses like Aishwarya Rai and Kajol still rule the roost. Aamir, Hrithik, Ajay, Shah Rukh, Akshay, all are married, yet they have a fan base that is unmatched.

The audience has waited patiently for the filmmakers to change and we must thank them for that. Bold will work, the boring will not. Now that seems simple, doesn’t it? It was always.

Swarg, nark and a red couch

Asian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:25:49 GMT

Meri kitty main Mrs Iyer is always talking of current-current affairs. First toh I thought something bad had happened to her while she was drying her hair. But when she started telling us what one important news television person said and what the other less important person replied, I decided to check for myself.

My first encounter with the burning question of the day was On The Couch With Koel (Headlines Today). Little Koel took her Daddyji’s credit card, bought herself a Big Red Couch and now insists, like all Babyjis, that all her guests sit on it. The poor red thing seems to be reacting rather sharply to so many strange people lolling on it and is growing a furry white fungus in protest. But Babyji is not dissuaded. She gets Daddyji’s minions to lug it around. I caught up with Babyji and her troupe just when they had forced down M.F. Husain on it.

Babyji, wearing what looked like nuts and bolts from a car on her fingers and ears, was shouting questions at Husain saab — about his women, the raaz of his long healthy life, exile, Hindutva, why he didn’t paint icons of Islam... Maybe she thought that he’s 90-plus and, therefore, deaf. But then, at all his answers, Babyji also nodded heartily and made large gol-gol eyes. Maybe she thought further and deduced that deaf equals retarded.

But Babyji also asked Husain saab some deep-deep questions, like why he never paints eyes on women. Husain saab said that his mother passed away when he was one-and-a-half. Babyji, very shocked, said, "Haaaw! Haaaai! YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE FACE OF YOUR MOTHER!"

This and that and Babyji asked him, "How come you were not physically attracted to Madhuri Dixit? Even women are physically attracted to Madhuri Dixit." Hain? This was my cue to leave.

Next, I turned to Devil’s Advocate (CNN-IBN) where every week serious and stern Karan Thapar sets out to mince his guests. Karanji ko dekh ke lagta hai jaise Bhagwanji khud dharti par utar aaye hain, Swarg-Nark ke liye preliminary interviews karne.

Lalit Modi of IPL, who has made lots of money but seems to have lost his neck, literally, was Karanji’s victim. The gist of Karanji’s show was — IPL is spoiling cricket, begaaroing cricketers, it’s bad, why you doing this, don’t do this, stop it, stop it now.

Karanji’s questions arrived in a crescendo and every time Lalitji tried to answer, Karanji said, "And I quote…" And he quoted. "And here I rattle off allegations..." And there were many, many allegations. "And here I throw a barrage of questions at you..." And Karanji shattered the sound barrier. All this while Lalitji was trying to smile and say something, "No, no, no, no". Karanji: "But you, you, you". Lalitji: "No, no, no".

Then suddenly, Lalitji said, "This is out of context". Karanji: "Everything’s out of context?" I swear I am not lying, froth was forming at both ends of Karanji’s mouth by now. Lalitji: "No, no. But, no, no, but… BCCI is always a punching bag". Karanji, in his special conspiratorial whisper, "Are you a punching bag? Have you become a punching bag?" Arre, Karanji, aap Lalitji ko punch kar rahe ho, aur Lalitji bag jaise dikhte hain. Punching bag ho hi gaye na.

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Politically right moves

Riteish Deshmukh is a really nice guy — or at least politically correct most times. Recently his film Alladin’s posters defaced a wall in Mumbai which was painted by students and locals. As soon as Riteish heard of the protests by Mumbaikars, he promptly drove down the road, saw the damage done and immediately made amends for it.

He roped in director Sujoy Ghosh and co-star Jacqueline in this endeavor and together the three of them ensured that all the posters were removed, and they painted the wall to restore the art like before. Now everybody thinks Riteish is making ground to join his father and brother in active politics!