Kids and teens

Everybody scream!

Asian — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:53:08 GMT

Age Correspondent

Teenage girls and Twilight is a deadly combination. Nobody really knows why the two together stir up extreme emotions like hysterical screaming, sudden outburst of tears and a hypnotic-like state that is reminiscent of the boy band craze the 90s was known for. As Twilight gets set to release in India on November 20, followed by New Moon on December 4, anticipation is at giddy heights.

First things first: What's the big deal? While the book spoke about the vegetarian vampire-human (Edward Cullen-Bella Swan) romance, it was the first movie Twilight, which released last year that gave a face to the characters. There was no turning back from there. New Moon is next in line and members of the cast are still trying to understand how they do the things they do to fans. "Robert Pattinson (who plays Ed Cullen) is so so so so cute. I can't begin to describe how amazing he is. I never really liked vampire stories before but the Twilight book was so good and I'm in love with both Edward Cullen and Bella (played by Kristen Stewart)," says Dayana Coutinho, 15.

Another important aspect of the book is the buff werewolf Jacob Black, played by 17-year-old Taylor Lautner. The young actor worked out especially hard to look older just so he could be a part of the second movie. Jacob's growing closeness to Bella in Edward's absence is a cause for the fan following to be split into two - Team Edward and Team Jacob. "I would take Jacob over Edward any day. I saw the preview of him changing into a werewolf and it looks so much more powerful than the vampire. Of course I want him to get the girl in the end," says Spurthi Patil, 18.

As things are about to get to a deafening pitch for the leading men, lets not forget the pretty Bella, who's just as endearing to those teenage fans who understand her. "She's just like any other girl going through heartbreak and making choices that are really difficult at such an age. She's lucky though! Who wouldn't be grateful to choose from those two gorgeous men?" says Tripti Talesara, 17.

But there are those who choose to go the extreme other way when it comes to Twilight. "No Twilight for me. I've not read the books and I don't plan on watching the movie. It's something that will fade away eventually," says Kailash Soni, 19.

The rest of the excited female teenage population will not be holding their breath until that happens.

Let us play some games

Asian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:47:53 GMT

Niveditha Rao
The Asian Age

We bring you the top five word games available online:

Bookworm:
The classic bookworm word game is still a top favourite with youngsters and old folk alike. The friendly bookworm guides you when you make words by linking letters on the board and he even gives you the meaning of the words as you create them. He gobbles up the letters of the approved words and lets out a happy burp too. But be careful, if you don’t make words fast, the burning letter tiled will scorch your entire library.

Hangaroo:
This popular version of hangman is cute and witty and absolutely adorable. Here, you have to save the kangaroo from hanging and have to guess or complete the mystery phrase or word before getting three strikes. Whenever you make a mistake, you get a witty and sarcastic remark from the kangaroo and that’s the most entertaining part of the game.

Text twist:
This simple game is highly addictive. All you have to do is rearrange the letters to make as many words as possible. From the 3-letter words to the more difficult categories, you have to try and finish them all or make as many words as possible to get a high score.

Scrabble:
This popular board game has an e-version too that will keep you glued to the computer for hours. Here, you can choose to play against the computer and can choose from eight computer ‘opponents’. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can play with your friends too with four different game modes.

Hollywood jumble:
This is a word game with a twist. With fun facts and puzzles to solve, you need to use your general knowledge along with your vocabulary. For instance, one of the clues read: Hugh Grant’s birth city and the jumble reads: ONDLNO. The right answer is London and with the clock ticking, you need to solve 6 such puzzles as soon as you can.

Fun online groups a hit

Asian — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:46:30 GMT

RHIK KUNDU
The Asian Age

Honestly, I write “lol” and I’m not even laughing, No, I don’t care If I die at 12 am, I refuse to pass on your chain letter, I love bunking class, Sleeping in class is awesome, Advanced procrastination — Well, these are not some scribbles from a mad man’s diary, but popular communities and groups on networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and Hi5 which have hundreds of teenagers on their fan list.
Youngsters have found a release for their thoughts in these ‘offbeat’ and hilarious communities.
Barsha Krishnamoorthy, a fashion designing student from Mumbai is a part of groups like No I don’t want to be the next president of USA and many more. Her motto in life is to be happy. She says, “You can’t always be serious in life. When you have communities catering to the lighter aspects of life, why not join them?”
The 19-year-old also frequently participates in debates and discussions organised by the members of these communities. “The discussions are equally funny as these group names. It’s fun to be part of such groups,” she adds.
Many join these communities for sheer fun. Eighteen-year-old Abhinav Yogesh from Bengaluru likes to bunk classes and also sleep in class. So, when he saw groups on ‘bunking classes’ and ‘sleeping in class’, he couldn’t resist registering with these communities.
“As long as it is fun, I see no reason not to be a part of these groups,” says the first year BBM student. He further adds with a smile, “There is also an opportunity to meet like minded people in these groups.”
But not everybody joins these communities purely for fun. Many can actually relate to these groups. “Sometimes the information you get from these groups turns out to be relevant to your life. I personally like these communities though, at the back of my head, I know it’s all just for fun,” says Gazenia Andreson, a student of Christ University, Bengaluru.
Everyday hundreds of youngsters are joining these communities.
Ritu Priya, a second year Dental student from Guru Nanak University, Sodhpur, Kolkata is not a member of any of these communities. But most of her friends are. So she plans to sign up for them, but only groups she can relate to like — 30 things to do in an exam when you know you are going to fail it anyways.
“Maybe other members will be able to advice me as to how to do better in my exams,” says the 19-year-old.

‘I was a party animal in college’

Asian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:57:39 GMT

Bobby Grover

Fashion Designer

I did my graduation in Economics from Elphinstone College, Mumbai in 1983. Fashion designing happened later. But when I was in college, fashion had just picked up in India and I was quite interested in it. NIFT came up around the same time in 1987 and I took the opportunity to sit for the entrance examination and got selected. Coming back to my graduation days, the experience was great. My college was near the Jehangir Art Gallery, which was my favourite hangout zone. Other places where I used to go was Regal cinema and a coffee house known as Shamiana.

I was a party animal in college so I never got time to participate in extra-curricular activities. I loved to socialise and hang out with friends, so I used to bunk a lot. However, when I moved to NIFT in Delhi, the situation was different. Though I socialised, I also had to be careful about my attendance, as we had to be present in 95 per cent of the classes. Once I was caught by my teacher hanging out in Connaught Place during a class. But I cherish the NIFT experience in Delhi because it gave me an insight into a different world.

Quick to take starry cues

Asian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:54:53 GMT

Saumya Bhatia

The Asian Age

Celebrities are role models for teens. Be it the way they carry themselves, the way they talk, their attitude, mannerisms, or the way they look. But at times, youngsters emulate them in an incorrect way. Take for example, 14-year-old Yash, who is in his school basketball team. One day, he innocently asked his mother if it hurts while waxing. Shocked at first, his mother asked him why. Yash replied that senior boys in the team get a wax to look cool while playing, and he was wondering if he should do it too.

While we may be salivating at a celebrity’s waxed clean chest, he may be unknowingly sending out a message to young boys that it is not okay to be hairy. Like Kareena Kapoor’s size zero look for her role in Tashan, inspired a craze among girls wanting to be like her. It is still very much in the news because Kareena is now the ambassador of Sony Vaio X size zero laptops, promoting, what else, the ultra slim look.

Dr Geetanjali Kumar, psychologist and an in-house counsellor for a public school affirms, "It is not an uncommon thing for youngsters to be inspired by celebrities. For the boy who asked his mother if it pains while waxing may have thought that it is not okay to be hairy. Celebrities unknowingly send out the wrong message, but what can they do, they too are under pressure to look different from the crowd."

Dr Kumar cites the case of a 17-year-old student who came to her for guidance recently. "This girl has to attend her farewell party, and was on a severe crash diet to fit into a black dress which she especially bought for the party. She revealed that she was surviving on two glasses of juice and four biscuits a day. She also said that boys like slimmer girls and she even cut her wrist in desperation for not being able to do what she wanted. After Saif Ali Khan got the name of Kareena tattooed on his arm, girls have started demanding the same from their beaus."

Nineteen-year-old Nasreen Ghani, third year student of Kamala Nehru College, shared that many of her guy friends hit the gym to become toned and fit seeing the bodies of 40-plus actors like Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan. "For them, it was just not acceptable to show flab. Another guy friend experimented with waxing, but regretted it later," she adds.

Neha Kundra, student, said, "Today’s youngsters are quite practical in their approach and prefer their individuality, but there is a definite section of youth that always, one way or the other, gets inspired by celebs. Katrina Kaif’s look in New York was aped by girls on the campus." Dr Kumar stressed that parents must engage in a dialogue with their children. "Create a comfort level at home, where your child can share his inhibitions, confusions with the parent and parents must explain them in a polite way," she said.

Dreamboats who rock the canoe

Asian — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:50:58 GMT

These are yummy men who make you smile, laugh and also cry. Teens just love the way these protagonists give their best to make their girl smile with their cute looks and romantic talk. Here are five Hollywood actors who still rule the silver screen and hearts.

Hugh grant: He is looked upon by most teens as one of the best romantic comedy actors ever. Some aptly describe him as cute and cuddly rather than elegantly handsome. His romantic presence in Notting Hill left many asking for more.

Tom Cruise: He first appeared in Endless Love with Brooke Shields in 1981. Since then, most girls love him not just for his "lovable boy" looks, but also for the romantic characters he plays. Most teens like him for being a perfect action and romantic hero.

Leonardo Di Caprio: This Titanic boy, whose big break came in 1991 with the movie Growing Pains, made women around the world swoon with his romantic performance in the film. Even with his brief romantic sequence in Blood Diamond, the actor won over many hearts.

GeraRd Butler: P.S I Love you still rules the rank for one of the best romantic flicks ever. Butler’s romantic letters left many young girls craving for a partner like him. His comeback in The Ugly Truth was much awaited and romance-hungry teens are asking for more of Butler in movies.

Richard Gere: The drop-dead handsome, Richard Gere was one of the most romantic symbols of the 80s and early 90s. This versatile actor has proven himself to be a multi-talented actor since his very first project. Over the years, Richard continues to lure the audience by lending himself brilliantly to the roles of a romantic hero.

Gen N plays ‘MPD’ online

Asian — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:58:26 GMT

Age Correspondent

Multiple personalities were for long considered a clinical disorder.

Not any more. With several young people creating more than one profile online to display multiple facets of themselves, multiple personalities online seem to be less a disorder and more a ‘cool’ factor.

Whether on blogs, social networking sites, video sharing or news-boards, many teens are creating more than one account. One of the main reasons is to ensure that people from different parts of their life don’t overlap.

Explains Parvathi V., an engineering student from Chennai, "I have an Orkut account for my cousins and other family members who are always on the Internet; besides that I also have a Facebook account for my friends. My friends put up a lot of photos of all of us on Facebook, and that’s not something I want my relatives to see. Also, the way I behave with my cousins is very different from the way I am with my friends — and I’d like to keep it that way."

Being different with different people is one reason for multiple personalities in one person sprouting on the Internet. Another is segregation of ideas. Vineeth Krishnan, a mass communication student from Manipal Institute of Communication, confesses, "I have two personal blogs — one where I put up posts about everyday things like my college, friends etc, and the other one where I write about sports and current affairs. I feel these are two completely different areas and have a different set of readers, and that’s why I’ve split it up."

Vineeth is also a part of college group blogs. "Many of our alumni are also part of this group, so I write about what’s happening in college in that blog — and that part of me is the responsible junior," he laughs.

For some, the Internet is the perfect medium for showing their ‘true selves’, albeit under an anonymous tag. Aditi M, an arts student from Delhi says, "Like everyone else in my friend’s group, I have a profile on social networking sites. And I also have a blog profile under a pseudonym, which I use for putting up some of my poems and writings, which I’m not confident enough to show my friends directly."

Of course, the thrill of being more than one person is the biggest kick for several teens. Nina Chengappa, a sociology student from Bengaluru, says she knows many people, especially boys, who create three to four profiles under different names to woo people on networking sites. "The whole ‘will you do frensheep with me?’ phase has died, thankfully, and boys are now much smarter; I know a guy who created a second profile and added his ‘original profile’ to the friend’s list. After that, he added the girl he had a crush on, pretending to be his own old friend! And as someone the girl didn’t directly know, he now flirts with her without fear of his real relationship being affected in the bargain," she says.

"It is a little crazy, but then he’s not acting too weird, so I won’t reveal his secret," adds Nina.

Sneaking in extra outfits for after-school hours

Asian — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:50:28 GMT

Age Correspondent

Planning to catch a movie with your friends after school, and don’t want to wear that oh-so-boring uniform to the multiplex? Several youngsters are now carrying an extra outfit in their school bags, and they change into them before they step out. Not only does this ensure that they look ‘older’ and more cool, they also don’t get into trouble with school authorities in case someone decides to complain.

Radhika K from Bengaluru says that it’s extremely easy to cover your tracks when you’re not in uniform. "When we’re out in a big gang at a restaurant or mall, we tend to be quite noisy. And as our luck would have it, some old aunty or uncle will come and ask which school we’re from. As none of us wear uniforms, we just give them the rival school’s name — and they have no option but to believe us," she grins.

Deflecting apart, carrying an extra outfit is also convenient, as they don’t have to go back home before coming out again. Says Tejal Shah, a Class 12 student from Chennai, "I normally carry an extra outfit, just in case we make plans during classes. And then we go to the house of whoever stays closest to school, change quickly and off we go."

And with tuitions right after school, many youngsters don’t want to miss out on looking cool in front of peers from other institutes. Raj Sharma, a Class 11 student from Delhi says, "The girls from my school are used to seeing me in my dreary uniform for years now, so a new outfit would not help with them at all. Girls from other schools, on the other hand, need to have a better impression of me. That’s why I always wear a cool T-shirt under my school shirt, and always carry a pair of jeans or cut-offs which I change into once the last class gets over."

Young and made up ‘love’

Asian — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:43:39 GMT

Whenever I hear the word "prank" it reminds me of my first day of engineering college four years ago. A group of my seniors were ragging a cute first-year girl near the lawn outside our classroom. I was passing by and one of the seniors caught me and took me to where the rest of the group was.

As I reached there, I became the centre of attention. Soon, the seniors started taking digs at me. Suddenly one of my seniors asked me if I’ve ever asked a girl out in my life. I said no and then he told me that he would give me a chance to propose to this cute girl. I turned around and the girl standing next to me looked really cute. I was so happy that I would at least be able to express my feelings. Then the seniors showed me another girl and she happened to be very fat. I protested but they gave me a flower to give to her and I went ahead.

I told her that I really liked her and wanted to be her boyfriend. I gave her the flower and asked her to accept my proposal. Instead of being happy, she abused me and said she was going to speak to the principal. All my seniors were watching this drama from afar and laughing too. Soon the seniors came to my rescue. Later I got to know that this incident was pre-planned but it was fun anyway. After this incident, my seniors and I became very good friends and I miss those days.

— Prince Pranay Tiwari

got his Engineering degree from Vidya Vikas Institute of Technology and is currently working in an NGO

If you have a similar story, email us at feedback.age@gmail.com or write to us at: Prank Fest, 145 Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel, Mumbai- 400013

So who’s a ‘real’ friend?

Asian — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:43:06 GMT

Age Correspondent

A relationship can be touchy and no, we’re not talking about the one between a boy and a girl. The one shared between two friends has just as many complicated moments along with the fun. Friends for life or not, the big question is: Would you point out your best friend’s flaws at the risk of hurting his/ her feelings?

It’s a mental conflict many teens encounter at some point or the other and it’s one that has no right answer to. However, more teens say such experiences have made their friendships stronger when handled with tact. "I had a close friend who would never chip in when we went out to eat or took a cab somewhere. She wouldn’t order food for herself and instead, she would eat a bit of everybody else’s meals. It got too embarrassing after a point so I went out to lunch with her one day and I explained what the others were saying about her behind her back. She denied her problem at first but later she felt bad and thanked me for speaking to her about it," says Gaelyn Martins, 19.

Smooth sailing is not always how it goes as not every person has the ability to accept his/ her flaws. "My best friend of two years never kept in touch with me after she left town and every time I wrote to her or texted her, I would never get a reply. I was getting frustrated because I did value our friendship. One fine day, I just told her that she had really changed and that if she was not going to keep in touch, then I wasn’t going to bother either. She got really angry and blamed me for not understanding her demanding schedule. I know it sounds like a couple’s fight but since that revelation, we haven’t spoken to each other," says Smita Kumar, 18.

Nineteen-year-old Stanford D’Souza feels that this whole problem is one that is unique to the female sex. "Only girls go for the round-about way of expressing their feelings to friends. A slap on the back, a funny comment, an exchange of words and we boys are done. There are no hang-ups at all," he says.

So is there a right answer? Apparently not. But if you can’t do it with tact, maybe you need to save your opinion for a rainy day.