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Jaipur Jewellery Show brings glittering glory to Pink City Jewelry, Pages 16-17
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Jolly old man who helps me get through Christmas Humor, Page 28
Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao speaking at CII session in Kochi. heading to countries like India. The bill, if passed, will also penalize US call centers to the tune of $10,000 per day for failing to report a relocation to an offshore location, within 60 days to the US Department of Labor.
Anna Hazare has trashed the tabled bill as weak. "The (Lokpal) bill proposes to establish autonomous and independent institutions," according to the proposed legislation. Continued on page 4
House Speaker John Boehner. faced the most flak for being rigid on the issue, announced the decision over the phone to members. He conceded to reporters that it might not have been politically the smartest thing in the world for House Republicans to put themselves between a tax cut and the Continued on page 4
President Zardari and Army Chief Kayani: matters coming to a head tary sources said. Tensions are rising between Pakistan's civilian leaders and its generals over what has been dubbed Memogate. Continued on page 4
(from right) Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba President Ravi Bhooplpaur, Chancellor Dr JG Bhat with faculty and students at the ceremony New York: The Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba (XUSOM) celebrated its 22nd White Coat Ceremony at St Francis Hospitals DeMetteis Center for Cardiac Research and Education in Greenvale, NY, Dec 15. In the annals of medical education the White Coat, the attire physicians have worn for hundreds of years, symbolizes a rite of passage from the pre-clinical sciences portion of a students education to the clinical sciences and patient interaction portion. Each student was called to the stage and was formally cloaked in a White Coat by former practicing physicians, Dr. Bryan W. Little, Chief Academic Officer, and Dr. Manuel Flores, Dean of Clinical Sciences at the school of medicine. Dr. J.G. Bhatt, Chancellor of Xavier University School of Medicine, and Mr. Ravishankar Bhooplapur, President, as well as the proud friends and families of the recipients were all in attendance. Paul Liu, M.D., J.D., Clinical Chair of Xavier University School of Medicine in Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology, graciously addressed the eager, young students on the symbolism of the White Coat and the fascinating discoveries each will make during their medical careers. Special recognition was given to valedictorian Mohammad A. Baqar for his outstanding performance during his pre-clinical work. The honored recipients were: Uzma Ahsanullah Aneesah Jaumally Zina Al-Sakini Yashika Jethmalani Julian Ang Keng Hao Maninder Kohli Sharyar Bangash Mohammad A. Baqar Maria Basilico Marina Cardinez Zeinab Choucair Varun Dobriya Marlow Easterling Natalia Ferrer Bravo Deepti Gooriah Ogechi Iwueke Llersania Lebron Ruiz Qurat-ul-Ain Mansoora Mark-Anthony John Sixto Medina Kishan patel Cristina Penon Ansari Rustam Ahmed Salem Justin Thomas Amanda Wolf Param Jaggi,
Maneet Ahuja
The White Coat Ceremony is celebrated following each 5th semester by XUSOM. The staff and faculty of Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba wishes this group all the best in their journey to become competent, compassionate physicians.
Washington: Ten Indian Americans, including a 17-year-old, rub shoulders with the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber in the Forbes list of "tomorrow's brightest stars". The business magazine's '30 under 30' list profiles about 360 young "ultra impressive up-and-comers" that the companies should either "hire today" or would be working for them in the future as they are the young people of today "who matter". Among the Indians on the list of people from 12 diverse fields, including energy, finance, media, law, entertainment, science, design and technology, who are "reinventing the world" is Kunal Shah, at 29, the youngest managing director at Goldman Sachs. Also on the list is Param Jaggi, 17, an "award-winning high schooler" at Austin College, who created an algae-filled device that fits over a car's tailpipe and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. Vivek Nair, 23, chief executive of Damascus Fortune, is developing a technology that transforms industrial carbon emissions into carbon nanotubes. Continued on page 4
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New York: TheETutor.com, an educational online tutoring company that teaches on a variety of academic levels as well as languages, was launched on Dec 15 at a glittering event in Long Island. It was launched by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano during the Leaders Appreciation Breakfast hosted at The Woodlands in Woodbury, NY. He applauded TheETutor.com for setting up business in Nassau County and awarded a citation to Harry Aurora, CEO, and Preeti Aurora, Managing Director. Mr. Aurora gave a video presentation of TheETutor.com illustrating the state-of-art online portal as a
Harry Aurora, CEO of TheE-Tutor.com speaking at the launch of his online tutoring company, accompanied by Preeti Aurora, Managing Director. Mr. Auroras motto: The future is here! signifies that TheETutor has the technological advancements
as army chief in 2007. Conspiracies are being hatched to oust the elected Pakistani government from power, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Thursday, insisting that "nobody is above the law" and all institutions in the country are "subservient to parliament". Payroll tax Story Continued from page 1 160 million American workers who would benefit from it, and to allow President Obama and Democrats to seize the momentum on the issue. The resolution ended the latest of the bitter struggles over fiscal policy involving House conservatives, the President and the Democratic-controlled Senate. Under the deal, the employees share of the Social Security payroll tax will stay at the current level, 4.2 percent of wages, through Feb. 29. In the absence of Congressional action, it would revert to the usual 6.2 percent next month. The government will also continue paying unemployment insurance benefits under current policy through February.
brain bringing unmatched focus for learning. What we offer will be most welcome in remote and far-flung areas where people would have only dreamt of tutoring for their children, Mr. Aurora adds, stating that the fees per tutoring session ranges from $35 to $89 depending on level, grade, subject or language. Mr. Aurora and his team are now preparing their promotional and advertising plans nationwide and later for the rest of the world. TheETutor.com cause has backing by many professionals like attorneys, doctors and professors. TheETutor.com, in turn, supports the National PTA and local PTAs.
room' kits using one million pounds of recycled coffee grounds and Maneet Ahuja, 27, a producer at CNBC and a hedge fund expert has been on Wall Street since she was 17. Kingfisher Story Continued from page 3 worlds leading quality airline alliance and the first carrier from the subcontinent to be accepted into any of the global airline groups. When Kingfisher Airlines joins, members of its King Club frequent flyer program will be able to earn and redeem mileage awards on all oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malv Hungarian Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines and almost 20 affiliated airlines. Since its launch in 2005, Kingfisher Airlines has established itself as Indias leading air carrier in terms of domestic passenger carried, daily flights (with more than 260 daily departures on average currently), customer service quality and innovation.
Lok pal bill Story Continued from page 1 These shall have powers to hold a preliminary inquiry, leading to investigation and prosecution of offences of complaints under any law for checking corruption. The prime minister will be under the purview of the nine-member Lokpal, but with riders. Hazare, whose campaign for an effective Lokpal since April has made him a household name, has been insisting on: bringing the PM, the CBI and all bureaucrats under the ombudsman, Citizens Charter in government offices, and Lokayuktas for all states. With the government not in agreement, and even a section of the political establishment having different views, it was clear Thursday that Team Anna was poised for a showdown with the authorities. Pak army Story Continued from page 1 General Ashfaq Kayani has, however, pledged to keep the military out of Pakistani politics since taking over
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Zinda Singh, President of the new chapter, with INOC (USA) President Dr Surinder Malhotra leader and philanthropist, Arvind Walia, Rajinder Singh, Amardeep Singh, Gurdev Singh, Gautam Goplani, Rohit Sharma, Jatender Ricky Advaney, Vidya Bhushan Sharma, Jessica Kalra, Thakur Rahul Singh and Avan Singh Panwar. All the team members pledged to work together to serve and honor the principles of secularism and equality as well as to bridge the gap between India and America, the core ideals of Congress party. The launch event was attended by the elite of Indian diaspora and the entertainment had a touch of both American and Indian cultures.
Amarinder Singh honoring Shudh Prakash Singh with a shawl hudh Prakash Singh was keynote speaker and he highlighted the problems being faced by the diaspora. During the function, Captain Amarinder Singh was presented with a prestigious citation on behalf of the New York State Legislative Assembly. Capt Amarinder Singh in his address thanked Shudh Prakash Singh for the honor brought to him from NYS assembly. Other INOC leaders Vikram Bajwa President of California Chapter, Bhupinder Sodhi President of Florida Chapter, Micky Kahlon President of Chicago Chapter, Sunny Door President of MIchigan Chapter, Micky Singh Ex President of New Jersey Chapter and Sunny Singh, ex President of Pennsylvania Chapter applauded Capt. Amarinder Singh for appointing Shudh Prakash Singh.
Rakesh Chawla
Bill de Blasio progress and safeguarding democratic institutions. Criticizing the current administration of New York City for neglecting small businesses, De Blasio pointed out that his first priority as the Mayor of NYC will be to support small businesses in the city. Small businesses are the engine of economic growth. We cant allow them to fail. He thanked the Indian American community for their generous support. He advocated better representation of Indian American community in the city administra-
Ujwala Dixit, president of a non-profit group SEWAA, which helps South Asian victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania seen with G. Michael Green, District Attorney of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ashok Ojha) that his office was aware of social being of the sufferers.Local law taboos involved in such cases, but enforcement agencies are well getting help from authorities can trained in providing shelter to vicensure physical safety and well tims of domestic abuse and can help
New York: Mohammad Faroqui, MD, Malak Designs, a New York based Web, Print and Graphic Design company, has been selected for Rising Star award. He will be honored at the Fourth Annual Rising Stars Awards & Networking Event Jan 26. The event is sponsored by the Queens Courier chain of newspapers, celebrating 26 years in business and the mailed business to business newspaper Queens Business. The Rising Star Awards & Networking Event honors young professionals who exemplify outstanding leadership skills, not only in their chosen fields, but also in their community. The
Mohammad Faroqui selected Indian American doctors arrested in illegal referral scheme for Rising Star award New Jersey: The owner of a diagnostic how many diagnostic tests including MRIs,
facility and six doctors of Indian origin are among the 14 New Jersey healthcare providers who have been arrested and charged in a cash-for tests referral scheme for allegedly taking illegal kickback payments to refer patients. The arrests were announced Dec 13, by New Jersey US Attorney Paul J. Fishman and US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHSOIG) Special Agent in Charge Tom ODonnell. On the morning of Dec 13, more than 65 federal and local agents and officers led by HHS-OIG arrested the 14 health care practitioners, to whom radiology and diagnostic facility Orange Community MRI (OCM) allegedly paid monthly cash kickback payments in exchange for their referral of Medicare and Medicaid patients to OCM for testing services. OCMs executive director, Chirag Patel, 36, of Warren, NJ, was arrested on Dec 8, in connection with the scheme. He appeared that day before Judge Arleo and was released on a $750,000 bond. According to the complaints filed in the related cases, OCM began making the illegal kickback payments as early as 2010. At the end of each calendar month, individuals at OCM printed patient reports that detailed ultrasounds, echocardiograms, CAT Scans, and dual-emission X-ray absorptiometries were referred by each of the accused doctors. These patient reports were used to calculate the payment owed to each defendant. According to each defendants agreement with OCM, the health care practitioners were paid kickbacks for each Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary diagnostic test referred to OCM. The defendants also were paid for referring some privately insured tests. During only a two-month period between early October and early December, there were 32 separate payments made to or by the 15 defendants currently charged in connection with the alleged scheme, with total cash kickbacks of $51,500. All of the health care providers charged practice in New Jersey and have offices in Newark, Orange, East Orange, West Orange or Irvington. The bribe amounts ranged from $200 to more than $5,000 per month. Other than Chirag Patel and Jose Castaneda, who is a nurse practitioner, all of the defendants are medical doctors. The other Indian origin physicians caught in this net are Shashi Agarwal, 59, of Edison; Ramesh Kania, 58, and Yash Khanna, 69, both of East Orange; Dinesh Patel, 57, and Padma Siripurapu, 44, both of Newark.
evening features networking with Queens top professionals, an expo with the areas leading businesses, and a charity raffle benefiting a not for profit organization.
Parents sign petition, ask for Diwali holiday in new school calendar
New Jersey: Parents and students from Bernards Township have asked for a Diwali day off in the school calendar under consideration for 2014-15. Monday night's Board of Education meeting was attended by dozens of residents from the Bernards Township's IndianAmerican community demanding the same. "Diwali is important to Indians, and all of the Indian community," said Deepak Kapadia, a parent who presented the school board with a petition asking that the district recognize Diwali on an upcoming school calendar for 2014-15, patch. com reported. Schools Superintendent Valerie Goger on Tuesday said the petition was received with 78 signatures.Kapadia said the Indian community in Basking Ridge reflects the diversity not only of the town, but of a group of Americans who are rapidly being assimilated into the "national tapestry." On a practical level, other parents and students said it was hard to enjoy the holiday when they must worry about preparing for tests the next day, or bringing students to school early to participate in other activities.
Will Nikki Haley pay for India-US relationship transformed backing Mitt Romney? beautifully: Rajiv Shah
New Delhi: The collaboration between the US and India in the past five decades has led to several meaningful partnerships, especially in agriculture, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said at a Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) function here Dec 20.The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with a budget of over USD 40 billion and nearly 2,000 employees, is an independent federal agency responsible for most US foreign aid. Since that first partnership over half a century ago, the relationship between our two nations has transformed beautifully, delivering meaningful results for both our people, he said.Speaking at the event
Nikki Haley with Mitt Romney Washington, DC: South Carolina states Indian American governor Nikki Haleys endorsement of front runner Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is threatening her own support at home. Former Massachusetts governor Romneys campaign is using Haleys endorsement to build his acceptance among the tea-party base thats never been comfortable with his candidacy, especially in a state where former House speaker Newt Gingrich has been running even stronger than elsewhere, the influential Washington newspaper Politico said. But the people in that base who propelled Haley to the governors mansion last year see the endorsement of the more moderate Romney as abandoning them and giving them another reason to turn away from a governor whose approval rating has dropped to 34.6 percent, the daily focusing on politics said. Immediately after Haley announced her support Friday morning on Fox and Friends, her Facebook page lit up with accusations that the first-term governor was selling out her principles, the newspaper said. Haley, at the age of 39 the youngest current governor in the US, though, insists shes not worried. Haley told Politico she believed the tea partiers now upset would eventually see the wisdom of her decision. I have a great respect for the members of the tea party and what I know is all South Carolinians make the decision thats best for them, the daughter of Sikh immigrant parents said. And so thats what I did today. By backing Romney, Haleys grabbed a chance to appeal to the more moderate, establishment Republicans who might be more inclined to his candidacy and could now give her a second look, Politico said.
Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator was on a two day trip to New Delhi to commemorate the long standing partnership between India and the US, Shah said that is has paid rich dividends not only to India but has led to several innovations, which have a potential to address development challenges globally. Noted farm scientist M S Swaminathan hoped that this partnership will be more fruitful in the future.
Mani Batchu The Republican of Springfield reported the 32-year-old man met the teenager online in 2009, lied about his name and age, and "groomed" her for sex by buying her gifts.
Ambassador Nirupama Rao with the Southern Baptist Church Choir which also performed at the event
Dr. Syed Taj (middle), running for US Congress from Michigan, making a point to fellow Democrat NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, while Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad, Edison Councilman (right), looks on. (Photo by Ashok Ojha) be known after the primary to be held in early 2012. District 11 was carved out during the recent redistricting exercise. The new district has been created as if to accommodate the growing population of Indian Americans numbering 10 percent, said a
Vivek Bavda (right) Bavda said. Bavda said he wants to work on creating more jobs and to improve education. If elected, he said that he would encourage legal immigration. "We need a bigger younger base to support our ageing community. I'm proud to be an Asian-American," he said. A lot of Indians come to me with the problem of visas and immigration reform. "Having me in Congress and raising support system will let more Indian-Americans get into Congress," he said. About 5,000 Indians live in the 10th district and Bavda said that it would be nice to get more help. Among other candidates is Krishnamoorthi, who is running for Congress from the 8th District in Illinois.
Fifth Annual MetLife study finds decline in financial optimism among South Asian Americans
Dhammika Dharmapala cy, public economy, and political economy. Dhammika Dharmapala joined the Illinois faculty in the fall of 2009 from the University of Connecticut Department of Economics. He is an authority in tax policy, public economics, law and economics, and political economics. He was recently named to the National Tax Association board of directors.
Times are tough, but people are adapting and pursuing their own version of the Dream, said Devang Patel, certified financial planner with Patel Financial Group, an office of MetLife. South Asians are having the most success achieving the American dream. Forty-one percent say they have achieved the dream, compared with just over a third (34%) of all Americans and among South Asian Americans who havent yet achieved the Dream, 8 in 10 think it is possible.
The study reveals that like most Americans, South Asians no longer place importance on many traditional elements of the dream: 67% and 66% respectively say marriage and children are not essential and 58% say you dont have to own a home to achieve the dream. However, while a majority of Americans (65%) say a college education is no longer important, only 47% of South Asian Americans agree. Education is still key in their version of the American Dream.
Prabhu Mohapatra containing the drug recipe to India. Company officials placed Mohapatra on administrative leave on Oct. 26. He agreed to meet with company officials and provided a handwritten note, which stated, "I admit my mistake and I am truly sorry," according to court documents. Mohapatra signed a nondisclosure agreement regarding company information, but revealed the information to his brother-in-law anyway, court documents state. Mohapatra faces three counts of felony theft of trade secrets and two counts of computer fraud. He may spend up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Mohapatra sent the emails to his brother-in-law for the "apparent purpose that the recipe be used by a chemical company for the benefit of that [overseas] company and its owners and employees, and to the economic detriment of [Frontier Scientific Inc.]," court documents state. He was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals while he awaits trial.
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US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
House Speaker John Boehner is facing the flak miracle of letting Mr. Obama position himself as an election-year tax cutter, although he's spent most of his Presidency promoting tax increases and he would hit the economy with one of the largest tax increases ever in 2013. This should be impossible. House Republicans have managed to look even more partisan on an issue where there really isn't all that much daylight between the two parties. The Journal's advice: Pass the tax cut and fast.
Times Square: crossroads of the world 40.1 million domestic visiyears ahead," he said. NYC & Company -- the tors by the end of the year. city's tourism agency -The figures also translate forecast that the city will into good business, with $32 attract 10.1 million interna- billion in tourist spending tional visitors, a four per- and $48 billion in economic cent increase over 2010, and impact by the start of 2012.
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Some parties are demanding a quota for minorities in the proposed anti-corruption body.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa with close aide Sasikala Natarajan.
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A courtroom sketch of Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley. The sanction of prosecution against the nine was accorded after a legal opinion of the Law Ministry was obtained. They will be named in the charge sheet for waging war against the country under the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA had registered a case
The petitioners have quoted newspaper reports that a ban has been sought on Gita in a Tomsk courtin Siberia dubbing it as a literature spreading social discord.
M I Sethna, counsel for the petitioners, however, said that the government is just monitoring and has asked Iskcon to defend the literature there. "It is a grave insult to our culture. Instead of asking Iskcon to defend, the government should defend the Gita," Sethna said. The PIL states that Gita is a sacred text and attempts to ban it would have far-reaching implications not only in India
but also internationally. It contends that the subject concerned not just the Indians in Russia, but had world-wide significance. Any failure on Indian government's part to intervene, supported by in-depth research, scholastic views and analysis, would cause irretrievable damage to the country's and rich culture and heritage, the petition contends.
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A still from Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu, Indias official entry for Foreign Language Oscar
with various travel firms before he could fund his dream project. He is now knocking on whichever door he can find, including that of the government, but the response has been lukewarm. Friends are pitching in again as is Oscar-winning sound engineer Resul Pookutty, who has done the film's sound re-design and re-mix free of cost. Ahmed recently met Hindi film actor Aamir Khan to seek his advice. Aamir's Lagaan was an official entry for Oscars in 2002. He gave me a few tips and wished all success, Ahmed said.
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Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Anti-graft bill:
wagon since he no longer regarded the politicians with contempt as when he had called them 'bikaau' or purchasable and shooed away those who tried to join him on the stage last summer. Only time will show how much it will gain from its proximity to Anna considering that the sight of Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Arun Jaitley of the BJP sitting on either side of the campaigner cannot but be embarrassing for these two parties from the opposite ends of the political spectrum. For Anna too, the interaction with the politicos did not go entirely in his favor since the Communist Party of India's (CPI) A.B. Bardhan reminded Team Anna that they were not the repositories of all wisdom. A member of the parliamentary standing committee on the Lokpal bill, Pinaki Mishra of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), also pointed out that the committee's report could not be written off. It is clear, therefore, that none of the three sides - the government, Team Anna and the opposition - has been able to outwit the other. Anna, therefore, may have no option but to go on a fast from Dec 27, as he has threatened. But a fast in
Mumbai will not have the same impact as one in Delhi. Besides, the fact that he had to run away from the cold is bound to expose him to ridicule. His halo has also dimmed a little. First, his overtures to politicians showed that his earlier diatribes against them were more for effect than a genuine expression of his feelings. The change of stance is not unlike his earlier backtracking from his praise of Narendra Modi. Secondly, some of the recent reports about his penchant for flogging habitual drinkers in his fiefdom of Ralegan Siddhi has earned him a note of dissent from Amartya Sen. Thirdly, the charges of less than honest conduct by some of his close associates like Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi have cast a shadow on Team Anna's reputation. To most people, therefore, the description of Anna as a wellmeaning but "slightly dumb" neighborhood elder by social commentator Ashis Nandy will ring true. If the government has been unable to take full advantage of these setbacks, the reason is that it remains mired in a myriad difficulties. For one, its intentions about the Lokpal bill are still in doubt. In fact, the reconvening of the stand-
Anna Hazare has succeeded in dictating the Lokpal agenda to a considerable extent, including the move to extend the parliamentary session. ing committee to make some lastminute changes has fuelled speculation that someone is pulling strings from behind. Hence, Anna's allegation that Rahul Gandhi is the backseat driver. For another, the government's failure to push through its decision on foreign investment in the retail sector has confirmed the impression of policy paralysis, which its latest initiative on the passage of the bills on citizen's charter, judicial accountability and whistle-blowers hasn't dispelled. On the other hand, the virtual shooting down of the much-hyped unique identification scheme by the standing committee on finance headed by the BJP's Yashwant Sinha has shown that the government continues to stumble along. Moreover, if and when it bestirs itself, the government lands in further trouble as when Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal suggested censoring the websites carrying offensive material. To make matters worse, one of its senior ministers, P. Chidambaram, has become involved in charges relating to the telecom scam not long after the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, had to intervene to make peace between him and another senior minister, Pranab Mukherjee, over the leakage of documents about the scam. Since the government still gives the being all at sea, Anna has succeeded in dictating the Lokpal agenda to a considerable extent, including the move to extent the parliamentary session. As for the opposition, the Left has a long way to go before it can recover from its recent setbacks while the BJP has not succeeded in either resolving its leadership tangles or imparting some clarity on its policies.
(PwC). The rupee depreciated sharply in the last two weeks mainly because of increased demand for the greenback from importers and investors, and outflow of capital from Indian equities market amid concerns about slowing growth, high inflation, widening deficit and inability of the government to push forward key reforms. Overseas investors are the net sellers in the Indian equities market this year. After pumping in almost $29 billion in 2010, foreign investors have cut holdings of Indian shares by $353 million so far in 2011. Top economic policy makers, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, have expressed concern over the rupee slide. "No finance minister will find it comfortable when rupee is declining," Mukherjee told lawmak-
ers last week. However, Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen does not share the pessimism. He said the depreciation in the value of the currency also benefited a section of the economy. So it should not be considered a disaster. "From the point of view of some people a lower value of currency is a loss, from the point of view of many other people it is not, so you have to judge it," Sen, a professor of economics at Harvard University, said. Sen pointed out that some countries like China were deliberately keeping their currencies undervalued to boost exports. After the central bank's move, the rupee rebounded almost two percent Friday, the last trading day of the week, from the record low of 54.30 hit in the previous day.
The partially convertible rupee got battered in the last one month, hitting a record low of 54.30 against a dollar on Dec 15. The depreciation in the value of currency should make imports costlier and boost exports. However, the exporters are not enthused by the slide in the value of the rupee. India is dependent on imports to meet its growing energy demands. The country's trade deficit is likely to rise above $150 billion in 2011-12 as compared to $94.6 billion in the previous year.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Fashion TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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reeti Shah, 31, is facing a sartorial situation with wedding season just round the corner. I have three Indian weddings to attend this month and will bump into the same set of people. On top of it Facebook uploads have made it difficult to repeat clothes, said Shah desperately looking for options. Not just celebrities, even people like you and me are increasingly becoming conscious about not being seen in the same outfit more than once. Shah is not the only one worried about making the faux pas of repeating an outfit her friends on Facebook must have already seen or liked. Many fashion conscious women can relate to the nothing to wear scenario even if they have a closet full of glamorous clothes. There are still days when it all feels repetitive, says Shah. This age-old wardrobe conundrum aggravated by the new wave of social media has inspired a handful of companies to deliver an innovative solution for the modern woman -- dress rentals. This relatively new concept helps fashionistas -- with designer tastes and budget more suited for conservative shopping-- to rent a designer dress at a fraction of its retail price, wear and return without the headache of stocking or cleaning. And just as this e-commerce model has become pass in USA for western dresses, Indian designers and fashionable women are not far behind. In the last six months two companies -- Luxemi and Devis Closet -- started their erentals, both inspired by the Indian American owners own wardrobe crisis. The genesis of Luxemi can be traced to our own wardrobes. We were invited to many different Indian weddings at the same time and met the same set of people, hence it was difficult to repeat dresses. Going back and forth to India and selecting clothes became an expensive affair too. A small survey in my own family and a
Meera Patel and Seeena Patel, co-founders of Devis Closet market study made us realize there are many Indian women facing a similar problem. Indian clothes are vibrant, unique and easy to recall. Especially with Facebook and Twitter, its difficult to repeat clothes, said Swapna Chandamuri, CEO and co-founder of Luxemi.com. Chandamuris story echoes in Meera Patels. Patel, co-founder of Devis Closet with Sheena Patel and Amy Heller, even admits that her business venture was inspired by rental sites like Rent the Runway, Wear Today Gone Tomorrow, and Girl Meets Dress some of the successful rental sites in USA. There is surely a shift in consumer behavior from old-fashioned shopping experience to online shopping primarily due to lack of time and money. Nowadays, access does not necessarily mean proximity to stores, it is also on variety and price. With the current economic slowdown, rental options offer a great value for your money, says Chandamuri. Heres how it works. One can sign up for a free membership, select the outfit and or accessories, enter the date of next event, size and zip code. The outfit will be shipped to your doorstep with a pre-paid, return envelope to send it back. Once returned, the outfit will be drycleaned and ready to be shipped out to the next customer. With a building up of inventory, both the e-commerce sites promise to give their members fresh stocks of dresses, accessories and handbags. Although retail shopping online
Luxemi promoting the renting fashion concept for Indian dresses is well estab- from Devis Closet. However, rentlished, the experience is still old- ing Indian clothes--that too online-fashioned, thats one of the reasons may not go well with the conservawe realized that if shopping for tive Indian audience. I regularly western outfits is so up to date why shop online for my western dresses, not make Indian shopping recent but I am not prepared yet for online and fresh, added Chandamuri. shopping for Indian dresses. And Thanks to Lakme Fashion Week renting a dress, if caught by friends, and Wills Lifestyle, designers like would be an embarrassing situaAnita Dongre, Manish Malhotra tion, worries Shah. and Satya Paul are increasingly Conversely, both Patel and becoming household names even in Chandamuri believe that times are the US. changing and fashion conscious South Asian women are also South Asians are opening up to the more stylish and designer-con- idea of renting clothes. Renting scious than ever before, says may still be considered as a taboo Patel, adding, With the rise in pop- by the older generation, but the ularity of Indias Lakme Fashion younger lot is fairly open to renting Week, designers like Ritu Kumar clothes online. The reason behind it and Amrita Singh have gone main- is the pressure of not repeating stream across North America. clothes. People are more practical Modern South Asian women recog- now. They well understand that nize the cache of these designer buying a dress that can be rented at labels, which will lead to brand loy- a fraction of its price is a wise alty. option. Indian designers are quickly realWhereas Luxemi is currently izing the importance of rental web- focusing only on Womens wear sites for building up brand loyalty, (both retail and rental), Devis furthering their chances to pene- Closet also showcases ethnic mens trate not just the Indian community wear. Both the sites offer designer living in the US but even collection from lehengas to salwarAmericans. suits to sarees with a range of sizes I think working through a rental at standard shipping rate throughplatform helps our customers out US. brand loyalty as it reaches out to In this age of mix and match, it them and makes the garments is not necessary to strictly follow available at an affordable price and the rules for dressing up. Our fashhelps them come back again and ion consultant and the blog provide again for more, adds Payal tips on how to dress up that sassy Singhal, CEO of Payal Singhal Inc. black dress with Indian accesA few of her dresses are available sories, says Chandamuri.
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Jewelry TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Prakash Bhandari/SATimes Jaipur: The Pink City is also a gem city. It is worlds foremost city where lapidary art has been a long tradition. Amazingly, Jaipur, despite having no source of gemstone mines developed itself as a center for cutting and polishing of gemstones and it has emerged as the worlds biggest centre for cutting and polishing of gemstones which caters to the entire world through its array of colored stones. Apart from lapidary, Jaipur, which was once a center for producing exquisite kundan meena, has now become a center for exquisite jewelry. The growth of the city in terms of infrastructure, influx of tourists, new hotels and restaurants, all indicate a city in the making of a metro. In 2003, a small step was confidently taken to give a further fillip to the city by launching the Jaipur Jewellery Show (JJS). The vision was clear: giving an impetus to the Gems and Jewelry trade; placing Jaipur on the world gem & jewelry map. The JJS is recognized and awarded as the epitome for excellent collection in its treasure. It has grown in reputation as the apex in the trade within a decade. The glittering show this December displays an infinite variety of high quality modern jewelry. The humble beginning with 67 stalls at Entertainment Paradise (EP) saw an encouraging response, interaction and zeal. Small wonder then that the 2004 JJS witnessed a quantum leap to 189 booths. There has been no looking back since then. In 2005, the venue was shifted to the Raj Mahal Palace, with as many as 276 stalls. This venue provided greater space and facilities to the exhibitors, other participants and visitors. This year, too, Raj Mahal Palace is the venue with as many as 451 booths, fully booked. Further, there is a waiting list for 62 booths for the show from December 23-26. What is particularly gratifying is that 85 percent of the exhibitors are repeat participants. It amply reflects that there has been a high degree of satisfaction for the exhibitors and participants. One advantage of Raj Mahal as venue is that it is located right in the heart of the city. The manner in which
Jaipur Jewellery Show's media chief Ajay Kala (left) co-convenor Dinesh Khatoria and Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council's chairman Rajeev Jain addressing the media.
The managing committee of the JJS pose for a group photograph. will be launched by the JJS. All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) Board of Directors have been invited by the JJS for the show. GJF is a national trade federation for the promotion and growth of the trade in gems and jewelry pan-India. As many as 70 top jewelry retailers of the country will attend the glittering event. Their presence will give an opportunity for expert interaction with the exhibitors on issues related to G&J sector. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will make a presentation on Colorstone Valuation and Prashant Bhojani of Rapaport will talk on Effective ways of making NET profit in diamonds.
Jewelry TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Kundan Konnections
Kundan Meena A Regal Heritage is the theme of the Jaipur Jewellery Show 2011.
By Dr Naval Agarwal
undan jewelry is the jewelry of the royals patronized and promoted by the Rajas, Maharajas, Nawabs and the Nizams. This classical jewelry apart from the royal households was the proud treasure of the fabulous riches of pre-Independent India, which is now becoming the most sought after ornaments by not only Indians, but also people from the Middle East countries, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even the US and Europe. Now as more and more people have become aware of the purest form of kundan meena and the precious stones used and the resale value that it commands, the attraction for this jewelry, which is pride of India, has resulted in its huge demand globally. Kundan meena jewelry that used to be once confined only to temples, has undergone a metamor-
Kundan jewelry maintains its lure eternally. Older the jewelry, more majestic is its look. Its value appreciates beyond the values of gold and it always ends up as family heirloom.
phosis and it was during the Mughal period that this art got a new look. The influence of Persian art incorporated colorful minakari, which included various floral and animal motifs. It was during this period that the royal houses protected and patronized this art. How is kundan different from gold jewelry? While other gold jewelry is made by a single craftsman, the making of Kundan jewelry involves the expertise of a number of highly skilled craftsmen of various disciplines. Kundan jewelry involves several processes: Making the base, and enameling (minakari), shaping and fixing of stones; making, filling and studding of kundan. The process begins with making of the base jewelry and is known as Ghaat making. The gold of high purity, generally 23 carat, is hammered and made into plates of 2025 gauge and then molded by hand into motifs which include patterns of Mango, handfan (pankhi), different floral designs, animals and bird motifs. They are then soldered with high purity gold solders or with Cadmium solders to give the jewelry shape, keeping the hollow cavity on the upper surface and flat plate on the lower surface. After proper filing, emerying and burnishing, the pieces of base jewelry are given to minakars for enameling. Traditionally, the minakari is done on both lower and upper surfaces of the jewelry piece. The minakars do the fine engraving minutely using a lot of manual precision while drawing and designing on the flat surfaces of the base. These engraved surfaces are then filled with mina of different colors and hues. The filling of mina is done by skilled craftsmen and only a handful of minakars are left now who could do this painstaking art on the metal surface. After filling mina, the jewelry is pushed into an oven at a temperature just below the melting point of gold. The temperature of the oven is also important. If the mina is heated more it may burn and become blackish. This makes the mina stick with the gold molecules and get a glazing on the surface. Better the purity of the base metal, better will be the sparkle, shine and sharpness of the mina colors. Such colors as red, green and blue with inlays of gold, cream and white are mainly used in minakari but sometime less fast colors such as pink, turquoise and black are also used. The experts consider the red mina of Jaipur as the most beautiful. After minakari, the jewelry pieces are polished and given for Jadai (setting). The setter, who is called jadia, sticks these pieces on suitable wooden frames called hundi with the help of sealing wax and also partly fill the cavities of the jewelry pieces with the wax or shellac. The stones, which generally include flat cut diamonds and colored gem stones, are selected according to the colur combination to be put into cavities. This is followed by the process of shaping the stone known as the Uttrai. Stone grinders finely grind the edges of each stone to the perfection of the cavities. The lower surface of the stones is then covered by a silver foil to provide it a reflecting surface when studded. This is called dank. These stones are placed in the cavities and the surrounding space filled with Kundan tightly in almost vacuum-like condition. Kundan is the purest form of gold made into foils of a few micron thickness made by precision hammering and heating. The gold of maximum purity (999 fineness) is only used for this purpose. After filling of the kundan, the excess kundan is scraped off by expert craftsmen to give the fine details to the motifs. The jewelry is then in its final phase of completion where it is assembled, and tied with pearls or with beads, manis, etc, of gem stones by another artisan called Patwa. The jewelry now becomes ready for sale. Making of Kundan jewelry is thus a work of art. The whole piece is covered with delightful minakari, or by sparkling gem stones or by noble metal of highest purity. Kundan jewelry maintains its lure eternally. Older the jewelry, more majestic is its look. Its value appreciates beyond the values of gold and it always ends up as family heirloom.
undan jewelry is one of the oldest and purest forms of jewelry made with 24 carat gold. Its also become the jewelry for the screen gods and goddesses. Kundan Meena reflects the fusion of ancient and modern India with inspiration drawn from royal heritage of Rajasthan. Kundan Meena not only underlines Mughal sensibility but also gives an European feel. The best part of kundan meena is that one can wear it with both sari and a western dress. Film star Preity Zinta has gracefully adorned kundan meena both with sari and dress. Bollywood has been a trend setter and taking the cue from Hollywood, it is inspiring design houses. Jewelry companies have produced special ranges for films. The trend was started by Jodha Akbar and the die was cast. Bollywood is a strong medium for setting trends in India and after clothes its jewelry, particularly kundan meena, that is helped by Bollywood and Jaipur is the gainer with its authentic designs, admitted Dr Nawal Agarwal, coordinator of kundan
Preity Zinta has showed that kundan meena jewelry can be worn with both sari and dress. meena promotions of JSS. Veteran actresses Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore and Rekha have been buying kundan jewelry from Jaipur for decades and they could be called the first trend setters in Bollywood for kundan meena. Rekha made kundan meena not only a party wear but also celebration jewelry. Kundan meena radiance was first displayed in the classic Mughal-e-Azam, then in Beena Rai-Pradeep Kumar starrer Taj Mahal and in Pakeezah and in recent times in Paheli and
The stunning jewelry adorning the Jodha Bai character of Aishwarya Rai was exquisite even by standards reserved for royalty. Devdas. People also discussed the stunning jewelry worn by Jodha Bai character of Aishwarya Rai in the epic movie, which was exquisite even by standards reserved for royalty. It is all set to fuel a trend for heavy, stone-studded queen necklaces and chunky earrings extending from the top of the ear till shoulder line. In Hollywood, Kundan meenas majestic feel has touched Goldie Hawn and Nicole Kidman. Thus, Kundan meena is not only investment buying for Bollywood, but also Hollywood.
Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister
Sonia Gandhi
Party President
Rahul Gandhi
Gen. Sec. INC
Executive Committee
Manoj Narang
Chairman
Ricky Advani
Gurdev Singh
Gautam Goplani
Jessica Kalra
Amardeep Singh
Rohit Sharma
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Seema Malhotra London: Britain's opposition Labor party candidate Seema Malhotra, daughter of Indian immigrants has won the bypoll to the Feltham and Heston constituency in London with an increased majority over the Conservatives. The byelection to the constituency, a stronghold of the Labor, was caused by the death of former party MP, Alan Keen.
Anand Bharadwaj low preps entertained by naming train stations in Melbourne sequentially.In his voluminous vocabulary, Douleia is his favorite word. It means worship of saints and angels. And it uses all the vowels, Bharadwaj said. Students at Newton Farm School in Harrow, northwest London achieved the best exam results in the country. London: A primary school in Britain where the majority of students are of Indian and Asian origin has achieved the best exam results in the country. Students at Newton Farm School in Harrow, northwest London, gained the highest average points score in their tests, The Sun reported. More than three-quarters of pupils are from "minority ethnic groups", mainly Indian and other Asian backgrounds, and speak a language other than English at home, including a large number of Tamil-speaking pupils. Over 90 percent of pupils in a class achieved a level above the standard in the age group in both Math and English. The school has 200 pupils aged four to 11. "The school provides a really well-rounded education while the foundations are absolutely rock solid. I believe our success is down to the rigor with which we look after our children," headteacher Rekha Bhakoo, herself of Indian origin, was quoted as saying.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) said President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing select Sri Lankan Editors at Temple Trees on Tuesday morning. Rajapaksa said that on the matter of accountability, a clear statement on how the government intended to act on LLRC recommendations was made by the Leader of the House when the report was tabled in Parliament. The President also said there was an unfair selectivity in dealing with Sri Lanka on this matter by referring only to the last phase of a conflict that went on for nearly 30 years. The President also observed that while raising issues of accountability
with Sri Lanka, the U.S. had recently brought provisions in law to detain persons for any length of time outside the normal law. Explaining the Sri Lankan position further, Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris reiterated that the Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva had clearly stated the manner in which the government would act on these matters. There was no question of the government trying to evade matters of accountability that had been mentioned in LLRC recommendations, as this matter had been clearly explained by the Leader of the House when tabling the report in Parliament, said Prof. Peiris.
Zardari had suddenly flown out of Pakistan on Dec 6 to Dubai where he was admitted in a hospital. officials as saying. Benazir Bhutto (19532007) was the first woman prime minister of Pakistan. She was twice the prime minister 1988-90 and 1993-96 - but could not complete any term. She was assassinated in December 2007, after a Pakistan Peoples Party rally in Rawalpindi, just two weeks before the scheduled parliamentary elections of 2008.
The opposition-called strike closed businesses across the country as protestors on major highways enforced a ban on road traffic by attacking cars and burning tyres. travel warning being reinstated. The UN's chief representative in Nepal, Robert Piper, tweeted Monday about what he described as "a coercive, enforced stoppage." "Using bandhs (strikes) to seek redress, & the trigger for this one -a murder in custody of an NC cadre -- more evidence of weak rule of law in Nepal," he wrote. Shiva Poudel, chairman of a party youth wing, was critically injured when a group of inmates attacked him in a prison in the southern district of Chitwan on December 6 and he died in Kathmandu on Saturday. He was on remand, having been accused of murdering a political rival. The NC demanded an investigation and called on the Maoist-led government to withdraw cases filed against Poudel, declare him a martyr and compensate his family. Hundreds of riot police brandishing wooden batons and shields patrolled the streets of Kathmandu. Nepal's civil war ended in 2006 after a decade of fighting that killed some 16,000 people, but the country has remained unstable due to political squabbling over the terms of the peace process. Political parties last month reached a breakthrough deal that allows for the reintegration of thousands of former Maoist rebel fighters as the parties work to complete a new constitution.
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Kim had taken power in 1994 following the death of his father, Kim Il-sung.
Death toll from Philippine Indian scripture faces ban in Russia of flash floods tops 1,000 Moscow: Bhagavad Gita, onefacthe holiest Hindu scriptures, is
ing a legal ban and the prospect of being branded as "an extremist" literature across Russia. A court in Siberia's Tomsk city is set to deliver its final verdict in a case filed by state prosecutors. The final pronouncement in the case will come two days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his Dec 15-17 official visit for a bilateral summit with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev consolidated bilateral trade and strategic ties and personal friendship. The case, which has been going on in Tomsk court since June, seeks ban on a Russian translation of "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It also wants the Hindu religious text banned in Russia and declared
The ISKCON followers in Russia have also written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi, as a literature spreading "social discord", its distribution on Russian soil rendered illegal. In view of the case, Indians settled in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of the ISKCON religious movement here have appealed to Manmohan Singh and his government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue in favor of the scripture, an important part of Indian epic Mahabharata written by sage Ved Vyas. The ISKCON followers in Russia have also written a letter to the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi, calling for immediate intervention, lest the religious freedom of Hindus living here be compromised.
The latest tally showed a total of 1,002 have been confirmed dead, including 650 in Cagayan de Oro and an additional 283 in nearby Iligan city. Iligan: The official death toll from last week's massive flash flooding in two southern Philippine cities topped 1,000 as authorities said they lost count of how many more were missing in one of the worst calamities to hit the coastal region. The latest tally showed a total of 1,002 have been confirmed dead, including 650 in Cagayan de Oro and an additional 283 in nearby Iligan city, said Benito Ramos, head of the Civil Defense Office. The rest came from several other southern and central provinces.A tropical storm swept through the area recently and unleashed flash floods in the middle of the night that caught most of the victims in their sleep. "There were many lessons learned by the people who did not listen to national and local governments, but this is not the time to put the blame on them," Ramos told The Associated Press, adding that warnings by weather forecasters of an approaching storm went unheeded. President Benigno Aquino III declared a state of national calamity during a visit to the region and promised the government "will do its best to prevent a repeat of this tragedy.""I do not accept that everything had been done. I know that we can do more. We must determine what really happened," Aquino said. "Must this end in tragedy? We knew that (storm) was coming. There should have been efforts to avoid the destruction." People wept during funeral rites at the Iligan city cemetery, where soldiers carried the caskets of at least 38 victims Tuesday. Many wore masks to try to block the stench of decomposing bodies. About 45,000 displaced were still crowded in evacuation centers as aid workers rushed in relief supplies. Lack of running water was a major concern.
US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Washington: The US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said that a nuclear Iran will not be accepted at any cost, while the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
the next 12 months look like another grinding year. Hewlett-Packard: With operations in many business and consumer markets, HP has numerous competitors that have been nibbling market share, leading to disappointing results likely to continue into 2012. Sears: The nation's fourth-largest retail
chain has been slashing costs and closing unprofitable stores, but analysts still expect a loss for 2012. Washington Post: The storied newspaper company has offset declines in its journalism revenue. Ad revenue from the company's print and online news operations has been fallingwith more competitors popping up all the time.
KFC has overtaken Pizza Hut as the largestselling fast food chain of Yum! Restaurants. New Delhi: KFC, which almost quit India due to protests from health and animal rights activists after its debut in 1995, has overtaken Pizza Hut as the largest-selling fast food chain of Yum! Restaurants, riding on the country's increasing appetite for chicken. World's largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain McDonald's, domestic fried chicken chain Bangs and T.G.I. Friday's restaurant chain too have reported a spike in chicken sales this year, confirming the widening appeal of the meat as eating out becomes a habit across the country. "KFC is growing faster than Pizza Hut," says Sandeep Kataria, chief marketing officer of Yum! Restaurants India, while McDonald's says the McSpicy chicken burger range is the fastest growing product across its 240 stores.
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Tasmanian seamer Ben Hilfenhaus and New South Wales-born batsman Ed Cowan. said a 13-man squad had to be named instead of the normal 12 owing to the uncertainty over the fitness of Marsh, who has been battling a bad back. Dumped after Australia's disastrous Ashes campaign last summer, Ben Hilfenhaus, 28, is back with some consistent performance in domestic cricket. Hilfenhaus could come in for left-armer Mitchell Starc in the eleven on the back of an impressive season in which he has gathered 22 first-class wickets at an average of 30. He was considered for the first Test against the Kiwis in Brisbane earlier this month after performing well for Australia A against New Zealand in the leadup. Marsh will have to prove his fitness in the Big Bash game for Perth Scorchers in the Twenty20 league Thursday night. Tasmania's Cowan, 29, has been rewarded for a superb run of four centuries in four matches, the latest effort being 109 for the Chairman's XI against India in Canberra against the Indians, and he should make his Test debut at the MCG. Khawaja finds himself out of Michael Clarke's side for the second time in his young career to make way for others, while opener Hughes, as expected, has been dropped after a disappointing series against New Zealand. "Ed Cowan has been in excellent form in recent weeks. His inclusion is in recognition of his consistently
Rahul Dravid. Melbourne: India's batting great Rahul Dravid insists that the visitors fear a comeback from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting who, he said, was surely not on his last legs as a Test batsman.
"I think he (Pointing) is still a great player. He showed in the couple of Test matches that he played against us in India that he is still I'd say he is still - the best Australian batsman," said Dravid. Dravid, who will turn 39 next month, will be India's mainstay in the batting in the four-match Test series starting with the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Dravid said Ponting's his aura hasn't faded despite his poor run in the Test series against South Africa and New Zealand. However, Ponting's most uccessful series in recent times
was against India in October last year, when he scored 224 runs at an average of 56 in a two-Test series. But the 37-year-old Tasmanian hasn't scored a Test century in 32 innings spanning almost two years. "From our perspective I hope he can start a golden run after our series. When you read his name on the sheet he is still one of the most feared, there is no doubt about it," said Dravid. Dravid, Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Jacques Kallis are the select group of players to score more than 12,000 Test runs.
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Delhi has adapted itself to the tastes and needs of various empires it housed over centuries. The diversity of Delhis architectural heritage appears to symbolize the citys rich and vibrant democratic ethos. buildings was the Viceroy House, placing the two secretariat build- princes along Kings Way (now centre of the old city. now known as Rashtrapati ings on the same elevated plat- Rajpath) such as Hyderabad The dramatic influx of refugees Bhawan. Some 29,000 workers form. Baker wanted to signal that House and Baroda House as well to Delhi was a major factor that worked on this prime project, and the administrative and executive as the National Archives building. decided the architectural course of tonnes of red and cream sandstone powers were united in their comAnother important figure who the city. Our main priority was to were brought from neighbouring mon purpose the governance of designed the greatest number of house people. There was no time Dholpur, Bharatpur and Agra for India. civic buildings in New Delhi was to think about planning monubuilding the seat of British imperiLutyens agreed to this, only to Robert Torr Russell. He designed ments! This explains, in a way, the al rule atop Raisina Hill. realize later that Bakers plan had the shopping mall of the time, austere architectural journey that The responsibility to build the ruined the very symmetry of his Connaught Circus, dubbed by followed post-independence. secretariat buildings (now North plan. This caused him much frus- many architects as the drawing Delhi has adapted itself to the Block and South Block, serving as tration which led them to part room of Delhi. Just like New tastes and needs of various offices of the central government) ways. He famously called this Delhi was built to define a new empires it housed over centuries. was handed out to Herbert Baker, episode as his Bakerloo. From power centre, away from The diversity of Delhis architecwho wanted to emphasize the then on, the responsibility of build- Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi, as tural heritage appears to symbolize humbleness of imperial rule. ing the colossal Parliament House they named it, Connaught Circus the citys rich and vibrant demoIt was suggested that while and staff bungalows was given to was intended to be the central cratic ethos. Whether greater Lutyens had envisaged the Viceroy Baker, while Lutyens designed the commercial hub of New Delhi, inclusivity and liveability will one House as the sole occupant on top All India War Memorial (now the providing a counterpart to Chandni day become part of the capitals of Raisina Hill, Baker suggested India Gate), the houses of the Chowk which was the commercial ethos is another question.
Delhi's first phone service started with the Central Telephone Exchange in the Coronation Durbar telegraph office. Likewise, the old Southern Punjab Railway line was doubled from Brewery Cabin to Shakurpur. A new terminal station Hamilton Road was also built to decongest the other main stations. Augmentation of electricity supply was another Durbar milestone. Until before the Durbar, the city was powered by a lone 2MW diesel generator installed at Lahori Gate. But the installed power capacity more than doubled when a coal-fired steam turbine became operational at the Central Power House on Alipur Road. The 3200-horse power turbine generated 2.4 MW of electricity, good enough to light up 72,000 bulbs. During the Durbar, 100 miles of road length was lit up using 10,000 poles and 900 miles of copper wire.
was once known as Roberts Road and the present day Rafi Marg was known during the British Raj as Old Mill Road. The original name of Tees January Marg, which got its name after Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948 at Gandhi Smriti, is Albukerd Marg. While the erstwhile Canning Road is now called Madhavrao Scindia Marg, after the Congress leader who died tragically in 2001, G B Road is known as Swami Shradhananda Road. However, the Connaught Place, the centre of the British capital, retains the original names of its roads, with Chelmsford Road, Minto Road, and Hailey Road yet to be renamed.
Books TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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his will be a season of celebration for the Pink City of Jaipur. After Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, DSC Jaipur Literature Festival, the "most fabulous literary love-fest on the planet", would enthrall literature enthusiasts again from January 20-24, 2012. As always, the annual festival will be held at the heritage property Diggi Palace. The Jaipur Literature Festival 2012 promises to live up to its claim of being a celebration of Indian and international writing , and encompassing a wide range of activities including debates, discussions, readings, music and workshops. The festival will play host to over 200 speakers from across the globe. Prominent authors who have confirmed their presence at the 5thDSC Jaipur Literature Festival include Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Amish Tripathi, Ben Okri, C.P. Deval, David Hare, David Remnick, Deepak Chopra, Fatima Bhutto, Gulzar, Hari Kunzru, Helen Fielding, Jamaica Kincaid, James Schapiro, Jason Burke, Javed Akhtar, Lakshmi Sharma, Mahesh Dattani, Michael Ondaatje, Mohamed Hanif, Pavan Varma, Piyush Daiya, Prasoon Joshi, Purushottam Agrawal, Rahul Bhattacharya, Rabi Thapa, Ranjit
Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple: writers and festival co-directors Hoskote, Shyam Jahangid, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Tahmima Anam, Thant Mynt-U, Tom Stoppard and Zoe Heller. This year the festival will focus on a variety of issues including Bhakti and Sufi traditions, Arab Spring, Gandhi, Ambedkar & Anna, Vegetarianism, Censorship, writing from conflict zones and theatre. Jaipurs has grown to become the biggest festival for promoting new books and publications. It has become a festival of lifestyle, glamour, products, fun and entertainment. Speaking about the literary extravaganza, festival co-director Namita Gokhale said, The Jaipur Literature Festival is now the Kumbh Mela of Indian and international writing. It nourishes narratives and nurtures a vibrant literary community. Once again, this coming January, our festival will generate and give voice to the marvelous and spontaneous energy that has become its hallmark. Festival co-director William Dalrymple said This is our best Jaipur line up ever. I am particularly proud this year to have brought Tom Stoppard and David
Hare, two of our greatest living playwrights, cutting edge writers of non-fiction like the Tiger Mother Amy Chua, Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker, great novelists such as Annie Proulx, Ben Okri, Jonathan Safran Foer and Michael Ondaatje, as well as the editor of the New Yorker, David Remnick besides frontline reports from the Arab Spring and the art of writing for stage and screen. We will also be analyzing the fascinatingly interwoven relationships of Tolstoy, Tagore and Gandhi. Sanjoy K Roy, Producer-DSC Jaipur Literature Festival and MD - Teamwork Productions, said, We are completely overwhelmed with the response the festival has received year after year. This is our fifth year at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival and going forward, our sincere efforts will be to ensure that the
Festival in 2012 fulfils the expectations of our audiences and continues to be a dream destination for book lovers from across the world. The festival as always is free for the general public to attend. In 2011, the five-day festival showcased 225 speakers with 140 sessions with approximately 60,000 visitors. The festival featured 20 concerts and live performances at the specially designed music stage. The 2012 program will showcase myriad music performances from across the world. Artists from India and abroad will enthrall the audience. Rajasthani musicians Chugge Khan & Nathoo Lal Solanki, Fire Eaters and Dancers, Parvathy Baul, Dub Colossus, DJ Cheb I Sabbah and Duncan Bridgeman from 1 Giant Leap will be the show stealers.
Writers Fatima Bhutto and Ben Okri, and The New Yorker editor David Remnick have confirmed their presence at the 5th Jaipur Literature Festival from January 20-24. 2012.
writer Atray, a journalist, who made the cut in 2010. "We are working with two more authors - Soma Narayanan and Poonam Dabas - the runners-up of last year's writing competition. "Narayanan's book will be in stores by February-March and Poonam's book will follow a couple of months later," Singh said. The Britain-based Mills & Boon, which was acquired by the Canadabased Harlequin Enterprises in 1971, currently has a database of
1,300 writers worldwide, he said. The publishing house was founded by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general fiction publisher which started with a romance. By 1930, the publishers realized that romances were doing well - and decided to concentrate on romances. It has a dozen imprints, including the modern, desire, historical, medical, special moments, intrigue and nocturn (paranormal) romances. Atray's book - which is redolent with the flavors of Bollywood - is set in Mumbai. "It is about a journalist - a rich man's daughter - in Mumbai who chooses to travel by train. The hero is a self-made millionaire in modern Mumbai who has lived in Dharavi as a child," Atray, who has lived in Mumbai for six years, said. The two, Amrita and Mehtab, enter into a marriage of convenience - but soon find themselves drawn to each other. "In our country, the Mills & Boon formula has been replicated in Bollywood movies forever. My hero is tall, dark and handsome and pretty flawed," the writer said. Atray, who entered the Passions
writing contest by submitting her 3,000-word story five years before deadline, had to expand her story to 40,000 words for a 192-page novel after winning the contest. Atray's sensibility is Indian. "I was inspired by my own marriage. My character, Amrita, (the lady light) in the book is a gorgeous curvy girl like any Indian woman who does not bother about weight. We are so obsessed with weight the fashion magazines talk about size zero. But I am a normal person and I wanted the character to be very Indian," Atray said. The writer said she has "tried to show a Mumbai that she sees every day - the normal people and their problems". "Writers don't write about you and me any more - they either write about slumdog India or NRI India. I wanted to write about the India which is now," Atray said. Structuring the book was painstaking. Atray spent months with her editors at Harlequin who told her to "sketch the characters in the first three chapters - their childhood, origins, their growing up years and how they would relate to their parents".
"Only then could we decide how the heroine would respond to the man. It was a crash course at writing," she said. Atray's book follows a pattern set by Vohra in whose book, "The Love Asana", the romance was themed around a trophy wedding between a fitness magnate and a yoga instructor. "I did not say no to sex in my book, it is natural even in the Indian context," Atray said. Mills & Boon, which has doubled its sales in India, is also branding itself in Bollywood by promoting movies like "I Hate Luv Storys" and "Jhootha Hi Sahi", its country manager said. Two surveys by the publishing house in India have helped it coin its motto - 'Friends for Life'. "Mills &Boon has been perceived as a woman's companion in various stages of life. But we are the most popular in the category of 21-32 years segment of single (professional) women readers in India," Manish Singh said. From the kiss-and-seal conventional British romances of the early 20th century, it has been a fruitful global odyssey for the popular fiction series, Singh said.
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isually, two things that instantly transcend the immediate boundaries of a viewer's intellect to land straight inside are sex and violence. Thus brands that can no longer appeal to your intellect, or are too lazy to try, resort to either or both. That brand can either be a product or a movie star. This is indeed a trend observed among male movie stars. Ageing stars, who no longer have the confidence of their youth, resort to movies that have an overdose of sex and violence. If you have followed Tom Cruise's selection of films lately, you would have observed an over-reliance on action at the cost of other factors. "Mission Impossible 4" is
REVIEW
no different. The story of "Ghost Protocol" is simpler than the elaborate charades you made up as kids. Smoked out of a Russian prison, Ethan Hunt and his renegade team, have to hunt down a Russian scientist with launch codes for nuclear warheads and save the world. After seeing "Ghost Protocol" as a discerning viewer, you'll realize that Tom Cruise has lost the plot, figuratively and literally. All his recent films have been shoddy excuses in the name of cinema, but had very good action. The Church of Scientology does not seem to be helping our star. He needs to enroll himself in the church of cinema.
After seeing "Ghost Protocol" as a discerning viewer, you'll realize that Tom Cruise has lost the plot, figuratively and literally.
The action scenes do not disappoint. They are elaborately conceptualized, beautifully shot and adeptly edited to make you sit at the edge of your seat. Tom Cruise might have forgotten other things, but he hasn't forgotten the art of choosing the best action team in the industry. If you want to watch the film for it being shot in India, and for Anil Kapoor, you'll be sorely disappointed. Only two minutes of actual India make it to the film. The other shots thought to be filmed in the country, have actually been shot in Indian localities of North America. Kapoor barely has a few minutes' role as a lecherous business tycoon. It's not enough either for his fans or his detractors.
'Pappu...' a case of Timberlake, West named 'Most Stylish Men of 2011' opposites attract
ustin Timberlake and Kanye West have been voted as the Most Stylish Men of 2011 in a recent poll. In the new poll conducted by InStyle Magazine, the singer turned actor and the rapper were named as this year's trendiest males among 20 other celebrities, Contactmusic reported. West has recently launched his own fashion line. Other stars who made the cut are Zac Efron, 'Twilight' hunk Robert Pattinson, soccer ace David Beckham, Jennifer Aniston's boyfriend Justin Theroux and actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
The first half of the film is snappy and moves with ease. The second half, slow yet lively with a predictable goal, gets a bit boring.
In a poll conducted by InStyle Magazine, the singer turned actor and the rapper were named as this year's trendiest males among 20 other celebrities.
ade on a shoe-string budget, this film is a roller-coaster ride about the life of two individuals who have come to Mumbai, the city of dreams and luxury. The title, "Pappu Can't Dance Saala" is misleading. The 'Pappu' is not the proverbial idiot. Nor is the movie about his dancing capabilities. Instead, "Pappu Can't Dance Saala" is a simple film that captures the essence of Mumbai and the struggle of outsiders who come here "to make it big in the city". A rom-com, the film is about an odd twosome who experience several odd situations that eventually get evened out and they discover they have fallen in love with each other. So sweetly predictable! In a government residential complex in Mumbai, Vidyadhar Acharya (Vinay Pathak), a simpleton from Benaras with humanitarian and middle class values is working as a medical rep. His neighbour Mehak (Neha Dhupia) is an overtly ambitious, brazen streetsmart dancer.
He is a conscientious and morally bound citizen. She is fun-loving, bohemian and an opportunist. They can't see eye-to-eye simply because of their conflicting lifestyles. Neha Dhupia's portrayal of Mehak is convincing and the highlight of the film. Her taut body and reflexive steps to match is a frontbencher's delight. Vinay Shukla is typecast and offers nothing extraordinary. She flaunts, he hums. The first half of the film is snappy and moves with ease. The second half, slow yet lively with a predictable goal, gets a bit boring. The dialogues are good, witty and above average. The storyline, simple and straight from the heart, is a bit of a setback coming from the brilliant writer director Saurabh Shukla. His third project as a director and his graph seems to stagnate. Overall, the film is of mediocre production value with several cinematic liberties and is made with a sincere effort. It is worth a watch if you are looking to learn life's lessons, simply.
Katrina Kaif in a still from the song chikni chameli. far. When asked about it, she compared herself with Aamir Khan, though in a light-hearted manner, and said: "Aamir and I are similar. Neither he gets awards, nor do I. But we have won the heart of India and we do not need an award." The loud-mouth actress, who has dabbled both in television and films, was last seen on the big screen in an item song in "Loot". On small screen, she hosted the reality talk-show "Ajab Desh Ki Ghazab Kahaaniyan".
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The duo will co-host an awards show apart from appearing together in multiple endorsements in the coming year.
hah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra are the most sought after pair these days. They have been approached to co-host a major awards show and both have agreed to do it. Apart from this, they've also been approached to do five endorsements together. So expect to see SRK and PC starring in a series of campaigns and commercials in 2012. Currently, they are in the midst of deciding which endorsements to give the nod to. A source who has made one such offer says, "They are definitely one of the hottest jodis in the market right now. Last year, PC and Shahid Kapoor were the hot pair and they
teamed up for a series of coffee advertisements. Now, Shah Rukh has replaced Kapoor. Also, Shah Rukh was seen in a series of print and television commercials for a home decor brand with his wife Gauri last year." Interestingly, the Don 2 pair has been offered ads together in the past but they've turned them down because they weren't interesting enough. Now, with the sudden interest taken in their pairing by the public, SRK and PC are getting offers they are excited about. While they've been on many public platforms together to promote their upcoming film, the pair is defi-
nitely most wanted for their chemistry. Which is perhaps why a last minute role was added for her in SRK's home production RA.One as well. So far, SRK has hosted awards shows with Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan. This is the first time he will be teaming up with one of his leading ladies. Says a source, "It was SRK's idea to get PC on board. A few years ago, she had hosted the same awards show and imitated Shah Rukh's character in My Name Is Khan. He was very impressed with her talent and thought they should host the show together in the future."
ctor Vidya Balan, at the success of party of her most recent hit, The Dirty Picture, seemed to enjoy all the attention and praise that was being bestowed upon her. It was told to her that Kareena Kapoor, her arch-rival, had seen The Dirty Picture and even applauded Vidya's bold act. However, she was also told that Bebo will have as hard-hitting a role in Heroine as she did in 'The Dirty Picture'. What did Vidya have to say that? "It can't get dirtier than 'The Dirty Picture'. They could make a 'Heroine' but no one will be
Vidya Balan and Kareena Kapoor had a fall-out ever since Vidya was linked with Shahid Kapoor shortly after Shahid and Bebo's break-up.
able to make 'The Dirty Picture'." Vidya Balan and Kareena Kapoor had a fallout ever since Vidya was linked with Shahid Kapoor shortly after Shahid and Bebo's break-up. Well, let's see if Vidya's taunt does get to Kareena, who is still basking in the glory of being the first to act with all three Khans reigning Bollywood today. At the same time, Vidya who is being given a pat on the back for her womancentric choice of movie was compared to the Khans of Bollywood, and Vidya said, "Instead of me adding Khan to my name, the Khans can add Balan to theirs."
ennifer Aniston and George Clooney are the celebrities people would most like to kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve, according to a poll. The poll undertaken by Yahoo!/OMG! is based on the vote of 1000 readers, who chose Aniston and Clooney over other celebrities with 22 percent and 28 percent of the vote respectively, Fox News reported. Aniston's arch-rival, Angelina Jolie, famous for her perfect pout, came only at number four among male respondents, with 13 percent of the vote, while Megan Fox came in fifth among male respondents, with 12 percent
The poll undertaken by Yahoo!/OMG! is based on the vote of 1000 readers, who chose Aniston and Clooney over other celebrities. of the vote. Meanwhile, Johnny Depp was able to impress about 27 percent of female voters.The two RyansGosling and Reynolds-both made the top five, however, 12 percent of women still pine for Brad Pitt.
If reports are to be believed, Neil is being considered by Abbas-Mustan for the role. he actor who's all set to sizzle the silver screen with Players might step into the shoes of SRK in Baazigar remake. If reports are to be believed, Neil is being considered by Abbas-Mustan for the role.Abbas-Mustan, after seeing Neils bad boy act in the rushes of their forthcoming film
have decided to cast him in their remake of Baazigar, Neil's friend told Mumbai Mirror."In fact, Neil and the directors have also worked out the details of how to shape the characters in the new Baazigar," added the friend.It is true Ive been signed by Abbas-Mustan. I hope its for Baazigar, Neil told the daily.
Vidya was supposed to play the superstars leading lady in the south Indian flick Rana. the actor. Ravikumar, on his part, contends that they were in talks with several female leads, and not just Vidya. Yes, Vidya was also contacted. But since our script wasnt ready by then, we couldnt hand it over to her. And by the time the story was locked, it had gone onto a completely different tangent. So, there was no point in sending the script to her, says Ravikumar.
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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
sliding down their chimney? Santa: No, they shot me while I was landing on their roof. Remind me never to deliver toys to anyone named Sasha and Malia. I would never think of shooting Santa, whatever race he happened to be. Santa is a great help to me. My kids are much nicer in the weeks before Christmas. And if they unwrap their gifts on Christmas morning and dont like what theyve received, all I have to do is shrug and say, Sorry, kids. The old man messed up again! Santa doesnt usually mess up, of course. Thats because the kids tell him exactly what they want, either by writing him a letter or saying it aloud. Rahul: I want Santa to bring me a gun.
Me: Santa doesnt believe in violence. I dont think hes going to bring you a gun. Rahul: Okay then, can Santa bring me a set of drums instead? Me: Santa doesnt believe in noise either. Rahul: What does Santa believe in, Daddy? Me: He believes in small toys that cost $10 or less. What Santa believes in isnt quite as important as what my children believe. And Im dreading the day that they stop believing in him. Theyve already started asking too many questions. Lekha: Daddy, where does Santa get all the toys from? Me: His elves make them in the North Pole. Lekha: Then how come this toy says Made in CHINA on it? Me: Thats not the country China, honey. Thats the acronym CHINA. It stands for Creative Households in Northern Arctic. Then theres the question about all the Santas who appear at the mall and other places in December. Divya: Is that the real Santa, Daddy? Shouldnt he be in the North Pole?
Me: No, honey, thats an imposter. Hes just pretending to be Santa. Divya: Oh, that explains it. Me: Explains what? Divya: Why he smells of beer. I dont think the real Santa would drink and glide. Then theres the question about
communicating with Santa. Lekha: Daddy, I dont feel like writing a letter this year. Does Santa have Twitter? Can I just tweet what I want for Christmas? Me: Sure, honey, you can tweet Santa. But dont be surprised, on Christmas morning, if you feel a little mis-tweeted.
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
by Mahendra Shah
Tech Life
Rebecca Black most watched on YouTube in 2011
New York: Rebecca Black's infamous "Friday" video has topped all other YouTube videos of 2011 with 180 million views. The Google Inc. videosharing site announced its most-viewed clips of the year Tuesday. The 14-year-old Black was turned into a viral video celebrity after her parents paid a production company to make the music video for her. "Friday" became an unlikely, off-key global hit. Because of a legal dispute with Ark Music Factory, the video has had two YouTube incarnations, both of which were tabulated in the yearend count. The second most popular video was "Ultimate Dog Tease," in which an owner taunts a dog with food and voices its reactions. Third was the "Saturday Night Live" digital short featuring Michael Bolton as a rabid "Pirates of the Caribbean" fan.
hand off the wheel to hold a phone to their ear. The agency based its recommendation on evidence from its investigation of numerous crashes in which electronic distraction was a major contributing factor. The agency's recommendation is nonbinding, meaning that states are not required to adopt such a ban.
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Focus The first quality we find in these Olympic heroes is that they focus one hundred percent on the goal. When the Olympic champions are interviewed we find that their entire life is based on the ruling passion of winning their goal. We have found that some children began at the age of three, four, or five years of age or older with every waking moment of their lives focused on winning the gold medal. They are not wishy-washy. They do not drift from one thing to another. They set a goal and they stick to it without wavering. They put all their attention into that one activity. They are focused on not just participation, but winning and being the best. For example, there is the humorous story of an athlete who came down with a fever. The doctor came to examine him and told him he had a high fever. The athlete asked the doctor, "How high is my fever?" The doctor said, "One hundred and one degrees." The athlete quickly replied, "Whats the world record?" Athletes are trained to only strive for the top scores, to break all records, and to be the best. For example, look at swimmers who broke records for gold medals. To get there, these swimmers focused their entire lives on swimming faster and faster. Think of how many times they had to go back and forth in the pool, timing themselves, and then speeding up again and again to break previous records. It takes total focus to train the body and mind to groove their muscles to perform accurately and quickly. The same commitment is required by divers. Think of how they have to perfect the art of jump-
The winners stay fixed on what they are doing and not what others are doing. In this way, they can give their best and not lose precious seconds looking at what others are doing..
turns, and rotations while suspended in the air requires an incredible degree of synchronization of the body and mind. The brain has to use the senses to judge where the body is in space and to be able to direct the muscles of the body to perform accurately with split second timing. For this to happen, messages sent from the brain cells to the muscles of the body have to be sent quickly and automatically. This takes training and repetition. It is not just doing it once or twice that makes someone perfect. They have to repeat this hundreds and thousands of times until the body and brain can do the extraordinary feats automatically. Olympic winners put in the maximum possible time to perfect their sport. They are the first ones at the gym to practice, and they are the last ones to leave. They may be seen practicing even in the middle of the night. They practice on weekends. They practice on their holidays. They are consumed by the many repetitive drills that are not as exciting as playing the game but are needed to hone their muscles and movements. Some sports require discipline when it comes to diet. Some sports require one to be light so these athletes have to eat fewer calories. Other sports require muscle bulk so those athletes have to eat certain foods, whether they like it or not. The stamina to run may require certain nutrients, which means the athlete also must watch his or her diet. It is not easy staying on any diet, whether it is to lose weight, gain weight, or watch ones blood sugar. It means that when that athlete goes out with his or her friends at a party, he or she may have to avoid certain foods. That takes tremendous discipline. Sports ban the use of certain substances, such as steroids or illegal drugs. Thus, some athletes who get caught are eliminated from the competition. It takes discipline for them to observe the restrictions on