A BYTE OF LIFE Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Boxer
Venkatesh
Devarajan won
a medal at the
Boxing World
Cup in 1994.
Fifteen years
later, the likes
of Vijender
Kumar and
Akhil Kumar
FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 66 followed.

TO PACK A
MEAN PUNCH
» PAGE 08

03 GRAFFITI OUT, STICKERS IN 05 KUTCH ON BENGAL COTTON!

02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Writing on Water
Alliance Francaise will screen Writing on Water by B. Kailsam on
April 9 at 7.30 p.m. followed by a discussion.
The film documents the pan-Asian colloquium on “Rights to
Water: Challenges and Solutions”. For details call 28279803/
28271477.

What’s on
Easter Sunday
T he Lent season is coming to a close and
to celebrate Easter, Courtyard by
Cho chweet
Marriott is having a special brunch menu.
‘More’ is the theme this Easter, with over
Stuffed with jaggery, coconut and dollops of ghee, polis get
10 live counters and a choice of western
desserts to choose from.
even more tastier at Venkteshwara Boli Stall
The Easter brunch at Paprika and
Rhapsody promises to give families a
number of choices.
Easter chicken with apricots to fresh
oysters, cumin flavoured lamb with mint
and burghul are among the non-veg
spread. Besides, there are special games
for children including face painting,
balloon making, jumping the castle and
painting basket of eggs to keep everyone
entertained. The buffet is priced at Rs.
1245.
For reservations call 66764000.

K.R. Nagaraja, owner of Venkteshwara Boli Stall at his shop in West Mambalam.
PHOTOS : R. RAVINDRAN

V.HARIPRIYA wara’ with the alphabet ‘a’ mis-

haripriya@goergo.in sing.
The shop is also famous for

T
he aroma of dal, jaggery and
fried coconut, and the
thronging crowd are the
easiest ways to identify this
poli stall located in West Mamba-
lam. And even if you miss that,
the bright yellow name
board is hard to ignore.
For more than a dec-
ade now, Venkteshwa-
ra Boli Stall located on
Thambiah Reddy Road,
just opposite SRM Hos-
pital, has been serving
hot polis.
The stall was started
in 1995 by K.R. Nagara-
ja, with paruppu (dal)
poli and coconut poli being its
two main specialities.
The delicious paruppu poli is
stuffed with dal and jaggery and
pan fried with dollops of ghee.
While paruppu poli is priced at
Rs. 3, the coconut poli costs Rs. 4
per piece. In fact, the coconut po-
li with its juicy pooranam (stuff-
mouth-watering jangris. “We sell
around 3,000 pieces of polis and
300 kgs of jangris daily,” says
Nagaraja, adding that they don’t
have branches in Chennai.
Also available in the stall are
cashew pakkoda, keerai pakkoda,
murukku and other sweets. The
shop is open from 7.30 a.m. to 10
p.m.
(Too Good for Critics is a weekly
column to celebrate Namma
Chennai’s ‘Kaiyendi Bhavans’ and
small eateries. If you can think of a
similar place, mail us at
feedback@goergo.in)
How to get there:
ing) is the favourite of many. We Venkteshwara Boli Stall is
can vouch that the polis here are located just opposite SRM
much tastier and cheaper than Hospital near the Doraisamy
those in big banner shops. Subway in West Mambalam
If you are confused seeing sim- My favourite: Coconut
poli
ilarly named poli shops, which
Best time to go: After 5
actually are many in number, this
p.m.
one strikes a difference with its For orders call 2474 6555
spelling. Check out for ‘Venktesh-
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
03
Summer camp for passenger vehicles
Tata Motors is organising a free summer check-up campaign for its passenger cars and
utility vehicles till April 30 at all Tata Motors dealerships and select authorised service
centres. The summer check-up campaign will focus on checking vehicle parts that are
especially critical in summer – like the air conditioner, fuel system & electricals – and
ensure that they are functioning properly.

Sticker, sticker on wheels

With the EC ban
on poll graffiti,
political parties
have taken
recourse to a new
campaign tool –
vehicle stickers
PETLEE PETER
petleepeter@goergo.in

T
he Election Commission has
slapped a ban on political
graffiti on walls this elec-
tion, too. But the move
doesn’t seem to have bothered
political party members much as
some of them have moved on to
different pastures – stickers on
vehicles for campaigning.
The new and upcoming ‘mo-
bile campaigning’ trend is gain-
ing momentum as most political
parties have announced their
candidates for the Lok Sabha
elections and campaigning is on
in full swing. Therefore, sticker
shops in the city are busy, plas-
tering political stickers mainly on
cars, with autorickshaws and
two-wheelers coming next in
line. Car windshields, body, auto
covers and even motorcycle vi-
sors become the canvas for these
stickers.
Sticker shop Sri Moogambika
Sun Control Films at Thiruman- Stickering almost the
galam is gearing up for the elec- entire body of the car for
tion season with sticker stocks of
political leaders, party flags and election campaigns is like
symbols. According to sticker ar- a festival for our trade
tiste Seeni Mohammed at the and we make anything
store, election work has started to
come in and business is likely to from Rs. 2,000 to Rs.
thrive for the next 20 days. “Stick- 4,000 per job
ering almost the entire body of
the car for election campaigns is PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR
like a festival for our trade and we
make anything from Rs. 2,000 to
Rs. 4,000 per job, which may in-
clude a work time of up to 24 terraces and in multi-storeyed sticker design,” says Gopal of Sri be removed after the election this election season.
hours.” houses can get an aerial view of Lakshmi Stickers on Harris Road, campaigning is over,” informs However, not all sticker shops
Cars like HM Ambassador, Ma- the party symbol and candidate Pudupet. Balaji, a sticker artiste on G.P. look forward to elections and pol-
ruti Omni and Mahindra Scorpio name. There are usually two types of Road, Anna Salai. iticians. “Most politicians bargain
have started flaunting flam- “Stickers of politicians, party car body stickers – stickers with Apparently, there are also heavily for the sticker work and
boyant political stickers as part of symbols and flag designs are reflectors and those without it. sticker shops in the city that do sometimes even don’t pay for it.
the election fever. Some party- usually stored in the hard disks of “Stickers with reflectors are per- sticker art only for vehicles be- Therefore, we usually don’t take
men even opt for stickers of the computers in sticker shops that manent and can be removed only longing to members of certain up political jobs as though they
party symbol and candidate cater to politicians. A software if the paint from the vehicle is political parties. In fact, two well- might sound lucrative, in the end
name on the entire roof of veh- called Flexin is used to draw the scraped away. What the political known shops in Pudupet deal on- they are nothing but an unprofit-
icles like Toyota Qualis and Tem- required images and is later fed activists opt for are regular stick- ly in stickers of political rivals able proposition,” says a sticker
po Traveller, so that people on to a sticker cutter to obtain the ers, which are temporary and can DMK and AIADMK respectively shop owner from Chintadripet. ■
04 KALEIDOSCOPE
A trip through the city’s
HINTERLAND
MANUEL MEYER
T
hanks to the Copacabana,
carnival and Sugarloaf
Mountain, Rio de Janeiro
attracts millions of holi-
daymakers every year. But most
of them hardly ever venture be-
yond the outskirts of the city
even though the surrounding
area has plenty of picturesque
colonial towns, coffee planta-
tions, islands, national parks
and verdant jungle to offer.
Serra da Bocaina National
Park is just a few hours by car to
the south of Rio, but the atmo-
sphere is similar to the Amazon
with orchids and fern-bedecked
trees lining the stone path that
winds through the rainforest.
The air is humid and tropical
and the path is covered with
moss, making it advisable to
carefully consider every step. It
is hard to imagine how smug-
glers made their way 250 years
ago to the historic town of Parati
on the Atlantic coast. Even more
difficult to understand is how
thousands of slaves walked
through the dense forest along
that same path. Today, it is one
of the most attractive routes in
the park.
Waterfalls
Our trekking guide Luciano
Freie suddenly draws to a halt.
“Can you hear that? We’re al-
most there,” he says. At first, the
noise is swallowed up by the
bellowing of lemurs who live
high in the trees’ crowns. Then,
the dim sound of Veadeiros wa-
terfalls can be heard. The
ground becomes moister and
the roar of the water gets louder
until the falls can be seen. The
waterfalls are among the most
beautiful in Brazil with the wa-
ter falling 100 metres.
The next stage of the journey
Serra da Bocaina National Park is just a few hours by car to
the south of Rio de Janeiro, but the atmosphere is similar to
the Amazon with orchids and fern-bedecked trees
is 18 kilometres long. Along the
way you see cross mountain
streams, accompanied by the
calls of parrots and toucans. But
you can also marvel at apes, ta-
pirs, sloths and giant anteaters
in the park which lies between
the states of Rio de Janeiro and
Sao Paulo.
Paradise on earth
The Serra da Bocaina park
stretches as far as Parati which
lies on a fjord-like bay. “Oh God,
if there is a paradise on earth,
then it would look like this
place,” said the Italian explorer
Amerigo Vespucci after seeing
the small fishing village of the
indigenous Guaiana people. To-
day, the town is one of the best-
preserved, colonial settlements
in Brazil. In the 16th century,
Parati became a busy urban
centre at the end of the Camin-
ho do Ouro or Gold Trail. But as
the goldmines ran out, Parati
ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009
declined and not until the 1950s
was its historic character redis-
covered.
World Heritage site
The UNESCO has placed
Parati on its tentative list of
World Heritage Sites and cars
are banned from its cobbles-
tone alleys. Its white-tiled hous-
es are decorated with
colourfully painted window
frames and doors. From the
town’s port, you can take a boat
to one of the islands in the bay.
Ilha Grande is the largest of
the hundreds of islands south of
Rio.
The long beaches of Lopes
Mendes are among the most
beautiful in the world. Many ho-
lidaymakers are also attracted
to the small bays where pirates
used to hide in the past.
A rather more touristy spot
can be found in the north of the
state, the peninsula of Buzios.
With its nightclubs, restaurants
and up-market boutiques it has
been dubbed the St. Tropez of
Brazil.
If you want to experience
more Brazilian culture, you
would be advised to travel in-
land. Close to the small town of
Vassouras, you can visit the co-
lonial coffee bean estates where
the coffee is fit for a king.
Another royal theme can be
found 65 kilometres from Rio de
Janeiro in the town of Petropolis
where the Brazilian imperial
family lived in the summer
months. The royal palace was
built in the 1840s and is open to
the public.
Thanks to the town’s coloni-
al-style architecture and
French-Gothic cathedral, you
would hardly know you are in
South America. Visit www.bra-
ziltour.com to know more.
DPA
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Run of Kutch
At Fashion & Fusion, you’ll come across Bengal cotton, Chettinad,
Mangalgiri and Venkatgiri sarees sporting Kutch work!
F
ashion & Fusion on S.I.E.T
College Road would grab
any passer-by’s attention
with its row of painstakingly
embroidered sarees and match-
ing blouses neatly arranged at the
window.
The moment you enter the
store, you can’t help but notice
the framed photographs on the
walls. The ‘model’ common to all
of them, in pretty ethnic wear, is
Achira. Achira, by the way, is
Preeti Shah’s daughter. Preeti has
been running the store since the
past six years and has ensured
that Fashion & Fusion is different
from the countless ethnic-wear
stores one might come across.
As Preeti tells you, the USP of
the place is Kutch work – on sa-
rees, blouses, kurtas, kurits,
skirts, tops and ghaghra-cholis.
Besides, there is bandhini, zardo-
zi, kundan, block-print and kota
work, too. There’s a twist though.
Instead of using traditional em-
broidery on fabrics and pieces
they are traditionally associated
with, Preeti matches Kutch work
with sarees procured from differ-
ent parts of the country. So, don’t
be surprised if you come across
Chettinad, Mangalgiri, Venkatgiri
05
Address:
Fashion & Fusion,
No. 17, Kavignar Bharathidasan Road (S.I.E.T. College
Road),
Alwarpet,
Chennai – 600 018
Ph: 4211 1207
Store timings: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Closed on Sundays)
or Bengal cotton sarees sporting
the embroidery technique hailing
from the western part of the
country. The store has its own
embroidery and printing unit,
and designs are drawn from age-
old traditional patterns. The new-
est addition to the shelves are the
ghagra-cholis.
Another speciality of Fashion &
Fusion are the cotton bandhini
sarees and dupattas. “Even in
Bhuj, people have stopped doing
bandhini on cotton as it is expen-
sive and people aren’t willing to
spend so much on cotton. But
our cotton bandhini sarees have
many loyal customers,” says
Preeti. You won’t find anything in
silk here as this family of Jains is a
staunch believer in ahimsa. ■
PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN
06 VILLAGE ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Rabbit to rescue
A couple from Berkshire, England have thanked their pet rabbit for saving
their lives. Warren Taylor and Kacey Leathers were alerted to a potentially
deadly gas leak by their pet ’Bunny’ - who awoke them by scratching at
their bedroom door.

Reese Witherspoon hates gyms Obama,

Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon hates working out in
the gum but will reluctantly exercise if a film role requires it. superhero, to
“If I never had to see the inside of a gym again, I’d be a very
happy person. Even the idea of it, I hate. There are people who take on the
love it and it’s just their thing,” she said.
“I can do it, and I can do it for my job because I’m really lucky world
to get this job and have a job so I will do it. But it’s not my first Barack Obama’s never
choice of morning activity,” she added. had more foes - or less
Meanwhile, the mother of two recently also revealed that clothing -- than in two
whenever she feels down in the dumps she reaches for a bucket comics about to hit the
of fried chicken, reports the China Daily. stands.
ANI The real life US
President faces his share of challenges, but none that
compare to those troubling his muscle-bound alter ego in
The Righteous Retribution of Barack the Barbarian.
World’s oldest woman turns 115 Clad in a fur loincloth and armed with an axe, Obama is
Gertrude Baines, the oldest woman of the world celebrated ‘destined to save the great republic of America and
on Monday her 115th birthday at a hospital here with dethrone the overpaid despots,’ says Chicago-based
music, cake and a letter from President Barack Obama. publisher Devil’s Due on its website.
Baines received a proclamation from the Guinness Book of Teaser pictures from the comic book, due out in June,
World Records acknowledging her as the world’s oldest show the President confronting a near-naked, blonde
person after 115-year-old Portuguese woman Maria de female assailant.
Jesus died in January. He’s “a man the world never got to see achieve his true
In the letter, Obama wished her a happy birthday. Baines, greatness when a race from beyond the stars drafted our
who was born in 1894 in Shellman, Georgia, has said she planet into intergalactic war,” Devil’s Due says.
plans to vote for Obama again in 2012. And unlike the silver-tongued real President, this one “is
Baines was featured on local television newscasts in mute.”
November when she cast her ballot for Obama for AFP
President, saying she
backed him because
he’s for the coloured.
She said she never Brit couples have 156 arguments a year
thought she would live A new survey has revealed that Brit couples have, on average,
to see a black man 156 arguments a year.
become President. This means that they spend two full days fighting each other,
“Her only complaint to reports the Sun.
me, well there are two The survey led by a cash card firm showed that most of the
complaints, number couples fight over money, sex, kids, or not being listened to.
one, she doesn’t like The 156 fights last an average of 18 minutes each, according to
the bacon. It’s not crisp the survey.
enough,” her doctor, Other reasons are domestic chores, parenting style, spending too
Charles Witt Jr, told much money, nagging, mother-in-law, being ignored and who
local TV station KCAL9. does the most.
Xinhua ANI

Woman rescued 23 hours

E
after
xpert cavers rescued a woman
from the rubble of L’Aquila on
walls and concrete slab-by-slab
to get to Valente.

quake
Tuesday, 23 hours after an
earthquake devastated the his-
toric Italian town.
Rescuers said there were still
more people stuck under col-
lapsed buildings.
Marta Valente, a 24-year-old
student, was in good condition
despite her ordeal stuck under a
four-storey apartment block
that collapsed in the quake,
which killed at least 179 people.
Specialist potholers took part
in the operation to pull back
“It was a very, very delicate
rescue. There were beams that
were a danger and her legs were
trapped,” said Aldo, a caver,
who added that there were still
people under the debris.
Rescuers with sniffer dogs,
many pulling away concrete
slabs with their bare hands, led
the search for survivors from the
disaster which also left 1,500 in-
jured and tens of thousands
homeless. ■
AFP
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
“I am not a
hardcore
Poll fever grips
politician. I
know what not
to do in this
field so I won’t
give anybody a
chance to pull
BOLLYWOOD
Film stars are encouraging a 714-million
my leg” electorate to come out and vote
Shekar Suman
A
ttracting legendary actors
such as Dilip Kumar and
Amitabh Bachchan, poli-
tics has long been irresis-
36
tible to Bollywood stars, who
bring with them star quality -
and a touch of intrigue.
But Bollywood is also getting
involved in other ways, in par-
ticular by actor Aamir Khan who
has teamed up with Rakeysh
Mehra of Rang De Basanti fame
to make three one-minute tele-
vision films appealing to people
to “vote for integrity, vote for
good people”.
“The terror attack on Mumbai
has changed India,” said Khan.
“Indians have become more
sensitive and expect more from
politicians. So, I felt it is neces-
sary for voters to choose the
right kind of candidates.”
Khan, 44, said it was vital for
people to know who they were
voting for, as concern focuses on
serving lawmakers who face
criminal charges, including
murder and rape, and the role of
corruption at the heart of Indian
politics.
“I am not propagating for any
particular party or its ideology. I
just want people to select good
candidates,” he added.
Actor Ajay Devgan also said he
would be voting, urging India’s
politically apathetic middle and
upper classes to make their voic-
es heard.
“We should own up respon-
sibility when wrong leaders are
voted to power, because educat-
ed people like us who under-
stand things don’t venture out
to exercise our vote,” he told
Hindustan Times in a recent
interview.
Like Hollywood - where for-
mer matinee idol Ronald Re-
agan famously rose to become
US President - Bollywood has
seen some notable figures swap
the glamour of the silver screen
for the cut and thrust of politics.
Many other film stars includ-
ing Govinda, Dharmendra, Sha-
trughan Sinha, Hema Malini,
Poonam Dhillion and Vinod
Khanna have pursued political
careers with varying success.
But Dharmendra’s atten-
07
dance record was so bad that his
local newspaper once ran a
spoof advert headlined ‘Dhar-
mendra Wanted’ as he was rare-
ly there or in his constituency.
Govinda faced the same crit-
icisms. Congress denied him the
ticket to contest this year’s elec-
tions, although he said he with-
drew because of a busy film
schedule. Sinha, the first Bolly-
wood star to become a Cabinet
Minister, said that despite the
controversies, film actors could
still play an important part in In-
dian public life.
“Actors can attract crowds ini-
tially in politics and they are
popular too.
But if they have to be in poli-
tics for long they have to do
good work by staying among
people,” he said. ■
AFP
08 SPORT
Liverpool set for Chelsea
showdown
Fernando Torres believes his lethal
partnership with Steven Gerrard will help
Liverpool hand Chelsea another dose of
Champions League misery in Wednesday’s
quarter-final first leg.
After watching Robbie
Keane struggle to gel
with Torres earlier this
season, Liverpool
manager Rafa Benitez
decided to move
England midfielder
Gerrard into a move
advanced position just
behind Spain striker
Torres.
The switch has
transformed Liverpool
as an attacking force.
For much of Benitez’s
reign they have focused on a safety-first
philosophy that delivered results but few
thrills.
But with Gerrard in tandem with Torres,
Liverpool’s two best players have formed a
formidable double act, which has provided
the firepower to keep the Reds hot on
Manchester United’s heels in the Premier
League title race and set up yet another
European showdown with Chelsea.
“Stevie has been getting a lot of praise
from some of the best players in the
world,” Torres said.
“That is quite right because I think he is
the best in the world. He is a great team
player but he can also win a game on his
own when maybe we are not playing so
well.
“I cannot think of a player I would rather
be playing with. We know it is not going
to be easy against Chelsea but both Stevie
and I are happy with our form.”
For Chelsea, who sit four points behind
United with a game more played, Europe
represents their best chance of a
memorable campaign.
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who
scored in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at
Newcastle, is convinced his team are in the
right frame of mind to cope with the
sound and fury of a European night at
Anfield.
“We know how tough Liverpool is going
to be. It is going to be a very tight game,
both legs, and we are ready. We are in the
right mood for it,” Lampard said.
Chelsea’s hopes of taking a positive result
back to Stamford Bridge for next Tuesday’s
return would be improved if Didier
Drogba can recover from the ankle injury
that kept him out of the Newcastle match.
Drogba, who terrorised Liverpool in last
season’s semi-final second leg, has been in
fine form of late after an inconsistent
season and Blues boss Guus Hiddink was
relieved to see the Ivory Coast striker play
a full part in training on Monday.
“We’ve talked about the tragedy in
Abidjan with the whole squad," Hiddink
said. "Winning and losing are very
important but this showed there are other
things in life to put them into some kind
of perspective.”
AFP
ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Robinho off the hook
Brazil striker Robinho will not face charges following allegations of a serious sexual assault made in
January, police said. Robinho always denied any wrongdoing relating to an alleged incident at the Space
nightclub in Leeds. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire police said: “Following a report of a serious sexual
assault that occurred at a nightclub in Leeds on January 14, 2009, the matter was investigated and a man
was arrested and released on police bail.”
IIndia
ndia
Wins Test series in New Zea
I
ndia secured their first series
win in New Zealand since
1968 on Tuesday despite rain
cheating them of a huge victo-
ry in the third Test in Wellington.
The draw at the Basin Reserve
was all the tourists needed for a
1-0 series win, breaking the 41-
year gap since their last series vic-
tory in New Zealand.
Skipper Dhoni said the mood
in the dressing room after the
long awaited win was ‘fantastic’.
“We have achieved something
that is big, but the tough part is to
maintain it,” he said. “I think it
will be tougher for the next guys
who come here.”
As number three ranked team
in the world, the ever-improving
India were always expected to
overcome an inconsistent New
Zealand, ranked eighth.
India’s star-laden batting line-
up and more than competent
bowling attack proved too much
Mahendra Singh Dhoni poses with the National Bank Trophy
after winning the Test series 1-0 against New Zealand.
AFP PHOTO/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR
Venkatesh Devarajan won India a medal at t
Cup. Fifteen years later, he is happy to have
To
is reaping the benefits now and I
AYON SENGUPTA
ayon@goergo.in feel proud. It took almost 15 years
for another Indian to win a medal
V
enkatesh Devarajan has no at the World Cup after my tri-
pack
regrets in life. The World umph in 1994.”
Cup bronze medallist and Led by Akhil, three Indian box-
Arjuna Award winner may ers won medals at the last Boxing
have not got the attention and World Cup earlier this year.
adulation dolled out to Vijender Now a national coach, Devara-
Kumar, Akhil Kumar and the rest jan feels the current boxers,
a mean
but he is happy to have shown though talented, are taking things
the “junior boys” a path to follow. easy after their grand success and
“We had no support from the might fall flat if corrective reme-
federation or anybody when we dies are not sought soon. “Vijen-
were fighting. There was lack of der is phenomenal and was
proper facilities but my determi- always a quick learner. Even be-
nation and tenacity took me for- fore the Olympics, he called me
punch
ward. I was one of the first few to Patiala to spare time for him.
boxers from the country who But now after winning the bronze
stood up against the mighty Cu- he has stayed out of the ring, con-
bans,” he says, as he rectifies the centrating on other things. In a
upper hook of one of his young sport like boxing, it’s very difficult
trainees at the School of Boxing at to come back if you grow too ac-
Nehru Stadium. “The younger lot customed to the luxuries of life.”
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
‘‘
We just didn’t quite get our plans right in that later part (after India’s 200/6). We bowled too short
to the Indian tail and they got away from us. We didn’t take opportunities that were there, and
against good sides if we don’t do that you will struggle.
sscripts
cripts hhistory
istory
land after 41 years
for New Zealand, with a modest
bowling attack and brittle and in-
experienced batting line-up.
But New Zealand had the
weather to thank for not losing a
second Test in the series on Tues-
day, with the home side poised
on the brink of a humbling defeat
at 281 for eight when rain led to
the game being washed out early
in the afternoon.
With only two second innings
wickets remaining, New Zealand
remained 336 runs adrift of the
massive target of 617 set by India
when they declared at 434 for
seven early on Monday.
By then the series win was a
formality, with India needing on-
ly a draw after coming to Welling-
ton with a 1-0 lead after thrashing
the hosts by 10 wickets in the first
Test in Hamilton. The third Test
draw calls into question Dhoni’s
caution in deciding to bat on dur-
ing the early part of the fourth
the 1994 Boxing World
shown the way
Devarajan has gained in expe-
rience going the hard way and he
doesn’t want others to fall prey.
“During the 1996 Atlanta Games
qualifier, I was robbed of an
Olympic berth by just one point.
The AIBA chief was a Pakistani
and after the bout he said so-
mething derogatory to me. ‘Gan-
ga mein nahake aao’ he said and I
felt the whole world was against
me. I lost heart and left boxing,”
he recalls.
Looking for greener pastures,
Devarajan headed off to England
to turn professional to earn quick
bucks. But there too he failed to
live up to his early success.
Though he won his first two pro-
fessional bouts, his third was a di-
saster as he limped out of the ring
with a career-threatening knee
injury. “I later realised my game
was not suited for professional
day to extend India’s lead to 616,
although rain on Tuesday had
been forecast for several days.
The highest successful Test
fourth innings run chase was 418
scored by the West Indies against
Australia in 2003.
But Dhoni defended his deci-
sion, saying the extra buffer of
runs allowed his team to main-
tain an aggressive field through
New Zealand’s second innings.
“When you have that extra 80
runs on the board you can have
those extra catching fielders
hanging around for a lot longer,”
he said.
“I did not think that 450 to 500
would have been an ideal score to
declare.” India’s charge towards
victory was led by Harbhajan
Singh, who took the prize wicket
of Ross Taylor on his way to a
haul of four for 59.
Sachin Tendulkar took two for
45 with his tricky leg-spinners.
09
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand skipper
McIlroy leads
the pack
Briton Rory McIlroy leads
an infusion of young blood
into the season’s first major
championship as one of
three teenagers making
their U.S. Masters debuts
on Thursday.
The 19-year-old from
Northern Ireland is the
oldest of a teen trio
including 18-year-old U.S.
Taylor’s dismissal for 107 sig- Amateur champion Danny
nalled a mini-collapse that saw Lee of New Zealand and
New Zealand slump from 226 for 17-year-old Ryo Ishikawa
four to 253 for seven in the space from Japan.
of eight overs before lunch. “I think it’s great for the
With all-rounder James Fran- tournament and for golf in
klin, Taylor had provided a ray of general,” McIlroy said.
hope for the scattering of New “You look at Ryo Ishikawa,
Zealand fans who braved gale he’s won twice on the
force winds at the Basin Reserve Japan Tour, once as an
during the morning. amateur, and Danny Lee,
The pair had put on 142 runs won the U.S. Amateur last
for the fifth wicket after coming year and on the European
together on Monday afternoon, Tour this year, and myself.
when New Zealand were at risk of “It’s great for golf.
collapse at 84 for four. Hopefully it inspires people
Taylor’s defiant fourth Test that are not that much
century was brought to an end younger than us to take up
when he was bowled by a beauti- golf and try and one day
fully flighted straight ball from emulate what we have
Harbhajan. His 165 ball innings done.”
lasting 261 minutes included 16 McIlroy, a golf prodigy
boundaries, as he mixed watch- whose amateur successes at
fulness with a willingness to at- a young age drew
tack the loose ball. ■ comparisons with Woods,
AFP said he was thrilled to be
at Augusta but not
overwhelmed.
“It’s been a dream of mine
for a long time to be able
to play in the Masters and
for that dream to finally
come true is a pretty
special feeling,” he said.
boxing. I was a technical boxer,
not a go-getter. I felt homesick “I thought I would be
nervous hitting my first
and returned. Luckily, I still had
my job.” shot here. Maybe if I was a
Here too, he faced problems little younger...I would
and was denied promotion to the have been in awe of the
post of Assistant Sports Officer place.
and had a bitter fight with the au- “But having been on tour
thorities. He continues to remain now for a year and a half,
a head clerk in Southern Rail- I’m not really one to get
ways, while others with lesser ac- overwhelmed by much
complishments moved up the these days.”
ladder. Reuters
“My fighting instincts are still
alive and I will do everything to
address the injustice. I went
astray for a few years and did a lot
of things which I am not proud of.
But now I am ready for another
battle,” he says resolutely.
But, perhaps, Devarajan has
found his peace at last, training
young kids at the School of Box-
ing set up by the SDAT. “It’s my
way of giving something back to
PUGILIST VENKATESH boxing.
DEVARAJAN. I hope one more world cham-
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN pion comes from Tamil Nadu
soon,” he ends the interview. ■
10 FLICK
The name is Vinod,
Agent Vinod
SUBHASH K. JHA
K
areena Kapoor is finally go-
ing to play a full-fledged
role in Saif Ali Khan’s home
production, Agent Vinod.
She wants the spy drama to be
hot and says even the posters will
be designed to portray them as
Bollywood’s “coolest hot pair”.
It is being said that in the be-
ginning Kareena’s role in the
film was relatively less sub-
stantial than Saif’s.
When quizzed, Kareena
said: “Do you think I’d
agree to be part of the film
if my role was not as excit-
ing as Saif? I mean, can
you imagine what would
happen? Saif and I will be
smouldering hot in Agent
Vinod. Even the posters
will be designed to high-
light us as the coolest hot
pair.”
A source close to the
project added: “In fact Ka-
reena wasn’t sure she
wanted to do Agent Vinod
because the title clearly in-
dicated whom the film be-
longed to. But Saif convinced
Kareena that her role would be
at par with his. Then he con-
vinced Sriram (Raghavan), with
whom Saif has a deep rapport
since they did Ek Hasina Thi
(2004), to make sure Kareena’s
presence in the film is justified.”
And here is where the problem
creeps in. While Saif-Kareena are
looking to do a high-gloss big-
budget espionage thriller, direc-
tor Raghavan is looking at making
a gritty life-like spy drama.
Raghavan admits the film will
be more in the mood of Mani
Shankar’s Mukhbiir than director
Deepak Bahry’s 1977 movie Agent
Vinod. At the same time he says
the high budget of the new-age
Agent Vinod forbids any
over-experimentation.
“I grew up watching those real-
ly filmy spy films like Farz, Aank-
hen, Yakeen and, of course,
Rajshris’ Agent Vinod. I’ve been
fascinat-
ed by the
genre. Howev-
er, times have
changed and so have definitions
of espionage. My film will occupy
a more real space,” said
Raghavan.
“I’ve never worked on this kind
of budget before. And I can’t af-
ford to be experimental. The mar-
ket has to be kept in mind. So
there will be music and songs.
But no lip sync songs,” said Ragh-
avan. ■
IANS
ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Best Dressed Woman
Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole has beaten supermodel
Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham to be voted as the
best-dressed woman of the year and style icon of the
decade. The poll is conducted by the television
channel The Style Network.
Anne in, Posh out?
A nne Hathaway might replace Victoria Beckham
as Marc Jacobs’ fashion muse, after she
reportedly signed a deal with the famous
designer.
The Devil Wears Prada actress has struck a
friendship with Jacobs, who is believed to have
promised to dress the star for upcoming red
carpet events.
And if the partnership proves to be successful,
Hathaway could even replace Beckham, who
modelled for Jacobs’ campaigns last year.
“Marc and Anne have forged a fast but very
intense friendship and they’re going to start doing
public appearances together soon,” the Daily Star
quoted a source as telling the Mail.
The source added: “Anne hasn’t signed up to do
any advertising yet but, by dressing her, Marc can
infuse his line with a fresh but famous face and
Anne can revamp her image. If it works well,
Anne would be happy to model for some of
Marc’s campaigns.”
Last year, Hathaway became a brand ambassador
for cosmetics giants Lancome. ■
ANI
How
Natalie
Portman
can’t
escape
Star Wars
N atalie
Portman
cannot avoid
being reminded
of her role in Star Wars – even when she is
shopping.
The 27-year-old star was rudely interrupted while
shopping for groceries in LA, when a man shouted
after recognising her as the sci-fi trilogy star, but
Kareena-Saif to failed to remember her name.
“No one had noticed Natalie because she was
play Bollywood’s dressed in a hoodie and was wearing sunglasses,”
‘coolest hot pair’ the Daily Express quoted an eyewitness as saying.
“But that changed when this busker started
in remake of yelling, ‘It’s that girl from Star Wars. She played
Queen Amidala. What is her name?’”
1977 spy flick The witness added, “Natalie promptly grabbed
her radishes and scampered.” ■
ANI
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
11
Madonna’s adoption hopes boost
Pop diva Madonna’s hopes of adopting Malawian child Mercy James were
boosted when the girl’s family said they would support the star. Mercy’s uncle
Peter Baneti said he would fight custody attempts by James Kambewa, 24, who
claims to be the three-year-old’s dad, reported the sun.com.

Cine City

R
&B singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty here on
Monday to felony charges of allegedly attacking his
pop-star girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year.
Brown, 19, spoke in a barely audible whisper to
formally deny charges stemming from his alleged
assault of Barbados-born “Umbrella” singer Ri-
hanna following a pre-Grammy Award party on
February 8.
The incident shocked the music world and
left Rihanna nursing cuts and bruises to her
face, forcing her to cancel a scheduled per-
formance at the Grammys in Los Angeles
later that day.
Brown is charged with felony counts of
assault and making criminal threats. If
convicted on all counts, Brown could face a
sentence ranging from probation to four
years and eight months in state prison, offi-
cials have said.
The case was adjourned until a hearing on Simbudevan’s next
April 29. Rihanna’s lawyer Donald Etra said After Imsai Arasan 23-aam Pulikesi and Arai En
after the hearing the singer wanted the case to 305-il Kadavul, director Simbudevan is back with a
be concluded swiftly. cowboy movie set in 17th century. Titled
“My client would prefer this case be resolved Irumbukottai Murattu Singam, the movie has
quickly, and when this case is over going back to Raghava Lawrence, Padmapriya, Lakshmi Rai and
her life and career,” Etra said. Sandhya playing the lead roles. The other actors
Asked if Rihanna wanted a plea deal, he include Nasser, Manorama, Vaiyapuri, Ramesh
added: “It’s not up to her to decide Kanna, Mouli and Delhi Ganesh. Produced by
what kind of deal she wants. It’s up Kalpathi Agoram‘s AGS Entertainment, the music is
to the DA (district attorney.)” scored by G.V. Prakashkumar. The last cowboy
Brown issued an apology fol- movie in Kollywood was released in 1971, which
lowing the alleged attack, say- had actor Jai Shankar playing the lead role.
ing he was “sorry and
saddened” by the events and
that he was seeking the coun-
seling of his pastor, family
and friends.
Affidavits filed in the case
have said Brown allegedly Kishore turns hero
slammed Rihanna’s head Actor Kishore, who donned negative roles
against the window of a car in Dhanush-starrer Polladhavan and Vinay-
the couple were travelling in starrer Jayam Kondan will be debuting as
before repeatedly punching hero with Porkkalam. The film is directed
and biting her. ■ by Pandi Sarojkumar, a debutant, who
AFP learnt filmmaking from Bangkok. Touted
to be an action flick, the
movie has actors Tinu
Anand, Lal, Biju
Menon, Sampath,
Ponvannan,
Santhanabharathy
and Rajesh play

Singer Chris
prominent roles in
the film. The movie
produced by Barani
Minerals is planned to
be shot in Tamil Nadu

Brown denies
and Thailand. Music is
scored by Yuvan
Shankar Raja.

Rihanna assault
12 ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009

M
ano sir was the English teacher at a residential

The
school, which is far away from the suburbs. He
was staying in the school hostel as he was not
married. On Sundays, he used to go to the
nearest place to walk or to watch cinema, as Mano
wanted to be rid of the place.
Public buses do not operate in the night when he
returned. He used to take a shortcut via a bushy route.
That’s probably why he carries a torch all the time.
Around 10 p.m. on a weekend while he was returning
mystery boy
through the same route, he saw a boy with his uniform
on and sitting in a rock near his hostel and crying.
Nobody was supposed to come out of the hostel at that
time.
…
Mano Sir went near the boy.
“What are you doing here?” There was no answer.
The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Dinessh Kumar working with RBS has nominated his
wind. It looked as if the boy was crying. friends as Partners in Crime.
Mano Sir then went near him and asked, “Dear, I am
not going to do anything to you. Just tell me what
happened.”
The boy lifted his face. It wasn’t a face. It was plain.
There were no eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth. It was
just plain. Mano was struck with fear. He started run-
ning. His mouth went dry. He stumbled on something
and dropped his torch.
There was a light near the hostel. It must be the
watchman. He was not carrying a torch but a lantern.
“Sir! Why are you running this fast? What happened?”
“The boy!! The boy!! He didn’t have anything in his
face. It was plain.”
The watchman raised the lantern to his plain face
asking, “Did you see anything like this?”
A stone from somewhere came breaking the lantern,
putting everything in dark.
B. Bragadeesh Prasanna works with DATAMARK
Prodapt. He can be contacted at
bragadeesh.b@prodapt.com

An ode to the peacock High Five: Balaji, Venkat, Naveen, Chris and Dhivakar.
Balaji from First Source Solution,Tidel Park sent this
team outing picture to Ooty.

A poem from the book “Existential Relief

– poetry inspired by the philosophy of
existentialism,” written by Ajay Seshadri
Oh queen of birds your beauty is soft
All unpleasant sights go for a loft
Your feathers so lovely and so very green
Your soulful moments are all to be seen
The bliss of your presence makes me mild
Makes me veto all things wild
Your wings of prominence you spread across far
Such magnanimity makes you a star
The adulation you get from people around
Your simplicity remains technically sound
I wish to feel you oh queen of birds
A wish now fulfilled only in words

Ajay Seshadri is the son of Mr. P.K Seshadrinathan, principal

consultant of Tata Consultancy Services in Chennai. The collection Anand has nominated his team ’Appdev’ from Sify
of his poems inspired by the philosophy of existentialism has been Technologies as Partners in Crime. This picture was clicked
published by Poets International Books and is priced at Rs.100. in Kerala
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
13

■ Dear Pooja, year ahead

Wish you a very happy birthday. God Bless You !!
May God bless you. LUMSH ...
With love and Wishes, Priya, Polaris Software Lab,
Pradeep, Praveen, Prakash, Harshal
Team Americhoice and
■ Dear ’R’evi,,,,
friends from Cognizant
Wish U a Very Very HAPPY Belated greetings
have nominated Manoj
BIRTHDAY yaar..... ■ Surf....(Chinna Thala...)
Kumar as Office Angel
We wish all ur Dreams come true...... Many more happy returns of the day.
They say Manoj is jo-
Love VCA_DS May all happiness in your life be
vial and cheerful and
■ Hi Athi cherished non-stop...
admired by his team
Wish u many more happy returns of Regards, Siva C (Thala)
mates for his witty jokes
the day TCS e-Serve
May this day brings happiness to ■ Dear Dhanusha
you as well as to us. A birthday is just the first day of
Happy birthday da. another 365-day journey around the
With love & affection sun. Enjoy the trip. I hope all your
Azhagiri, Kamal, Sreenath, Mani, birthday dreams and wishes come
Srikanth, Venkat true.
& Whole GE WIND TEAM Wishing you another wonderful year
■ Dear Raja (Bitu), of happiness and joy. Happy Birthday
Wishing you a very happy birthday! Regards,
Have a wonderful and fun-filling VVS Team, Ramco Systems

Art featured in this co-

lumn will receive gift
coupons from Fruit
Shop on Greams Road.
Send in your addresses
so that we can post the
coupons.
wish 4 a long drive on car. So no
Tuesday’s query: better option 4 a cheap car
Subhransu, Hexaware
One good reason why ■Nano is small in size so we can park
in front of house it will not disturb
you will take home the others. Moreover it is so cheap and
mileage is about 25km
A sketch by Vaidhyanathan
Sivakumar of Sify
Nano! Saravanan, Technip, Sathish, Perot Systems
Technologies Limited ■It’s less expensive ■Nangalum car vachurukom nu
Padma Gopal Cognizant, Sridhar.R STG, sollipom la
Ramesh Technip, Rani TCS, Manikandan Prakash, Wipro
Perot Systems, Krishnaveni Accenture, ■It’s salary cuts and recession time,
Dandapani HCL so Nano is best choice
■Bcoz nainon (eyes) main hai sapna Shiva, PSBPS
car ka ■It looks small in all but has all in
Kapil Dhar, Cognizant small
■Very compact and friendly Archana, Wipro
Lexsminarayanan, TCS-eserve ■I don’t have a car - as simple as
■Two seats for my dad and mom. that
Driver seat for me. One will be free. Narendran, FBSC
They will realise and get me marry ■To teach my children N for Nano
soon with my girlfriend Dineshkuma,r RBS
Praveen, CTS ■Everywhere else they charge for
■To be very close with my sweet heart parking
■ Oru girl veettukku late aa vara. odane antha ponnoda appa Rajesh, Wipro Ashok, Wipro
"yen lattu" appadinraru. amma “why are you late?” apdinaanga. ■To attract my neighbours and friends
What can you infer from this.? Selvan, Ranganathan, TCS (PPS Team)
■The cost of Nano is equal to the
Today’s query:
Oru ponnu late a vanda 2 per 2 vidhama pesuvanga.
■Oru aalu oru kakaa valathaan,atha touch pannunaa romba bikes available in market In the year 2024 what
menmaiyaa irukum. Avan athuku enna peru vapaan. Think????? Ganesh, Vodafone
"MI-CRO-SOFT" ■Seen poda thaan kind of computer will
Saravanan V, HCL Anand.K, Infoview Technologies
■Recession time yarr, but gal friend’s you be using?
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Hen goes green

A Croatian poultry farmer is making a fortune over the Easter
period with his naturally-laid green-coloured eggs. Stipa
Gregacevic was astonished when his prize hen Fata began
laying coloured eggs at the family farm in Forkusevci.

sudoku

Entries to the column

will get gift vouchers
from Bubbles Spa
worth Rs.1,000.
Winners can come to
Ergo office on
weekends between 3
p.m. and 5 p.m. to
collect the vouchers.
Call 2857 6688.

Rajasekar Chelladurai
from iNautix
Technologies clicked
this quaint picture KAKURO
in Kabini.
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
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(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Man coughs up nail
A man has been left baffled after coughing up
an inch-long nail during a medical procedure.
Colorado resident Prax Sanchez says he has no
idea how the nail got into his body.
15
Word’s worth
Rawky (raw-kee) a rare adjective which means
‘foggy, damp, and cold,’ as in a rawky day or
rawky weather. It comes from roke, a dialect word
for mist, fog, or drizzly rain.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Ganesha finds you to be very practical, calculative
and analytical at work today. This will boost your
performance for your routine activities; hence feel
free to take up more responsibilities. Your energy
and enthusiasm might astonish your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

If you assess things in advance, you will find ease
in dealing with them. Overall, Ganesha finds you to
be very decisive and confident today. Try to be very
practical when you are handling issues related to
your love life.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Ganesha feels that your domestic life will require
BORN LOSER special attention today. Nevertheless, your practical
and logical abilities will help you balance office and
work simultaneously. Work at office will be very
smooth, feels Ganesha.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
You will remain active and focussed today. Hence
you might want to go into some research and
development activities regarding some issues. Due
to heavy research, you might come across a lot of
new information.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You are in a mood to talk a lot today, observes
Ganesha. Hence you might feel like giving
suggestions to everyone around you. But be careful
with your words as everyone might not be able to
welcome suggestions.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
You might not be able meet your deadlines today.
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT Ganesha feels it is high time you start managing
your time. At work, you will be judgemental about
things. See that you don’t form offence, says
Ganesha.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Being a true Libran, problem solving and justice
come naturally to you. Hence, you might end up
spending a lot of time in problem solving today.
Love life may take a back seat due to heavy work
load.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Work will be easier today as office might be nearly
empty today. Ganesha thinks that the day is
favourable for you, especially on the career front.
Superiors will appreciate your work and may
encourage you to take up more challenging tasks.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Even if the day beings very nicely, in second half of
the day you will be bothered due to some technical
issues related to work. Your mindset will require a
change and you will need to learn to forget and
forgive.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Attending a lot of meetings is on the cards today,
but fortunately, these meetings might offer you new
opportunities. Ganesha thinks you might depend a
lot on your luck today. A far as work is concerned,
you will be able to fix your deadlines.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You might have to focus a lot on pending work and
take care of social engagements. Ganesha thinks
ISSUE’S you will have to do a lot of communication with
your colleagues in order to sort out the pending
SOLUTIONS work.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Emotions might seem very important today. Since
you are feeling emotionally fragile, do not feel hurt
if someone tries to point out your mistakes, advises
Ganesha. Try to avoid any pressure or tension due
to this.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Cricketer Virendra Sehwag stands next

to spectators (back) resting during the
final day of the final Test match
between New Zealand and India at the
Basin Reserve stadium in Wellington on
Tuesday. AFP PHOTO/DIBYANGSHU SARKAR

A General Motors handout photo

available on Tuesday shows an electric
two-seat prototype vehicle with just two
wheels that General Motors and Segway
are developing, which could allow people
to travel around cities more quickly,
safely, quietly and cleanly, and at a lower
total cost. The collaboration, dubbed
Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility
and Accessibility) combines several
technologies that increase mobility
freedom with zero emissions, enhanced
safety, seamless connectivity and reduced
congestion in cities. The Project P.U.M.A.
prototype takes a test drive in
Manhattan, New York, on April 5. AFP
PHOTO/EMILE WAMSTEKER/GENERAL MOTORS

A model for Japan’s mobile

communication giant KDDI introduces
handbag-shaped cell phone (C-top),
another covered with polka dot (C-
bottom) and its dog-shaped holder
designed by Japanese artist Yayoi
Kusama during a press conference to
announce the new mobile brand ‘iida’ in
Tokyo on Tuesday. KDDI will put the iida
brand on the market from the end of
April. AFP PHOTO/TORU YAMANAKA