PERIYAR’S WILD SIDE
In God’s own country, the artist splashed a hundred shades of green onto the palette. And, among the precipitous altitudes of the Western Ghats, he created an undulating setting draped in dense deciduous forests. Man intervened and dammed the river within to create a spectacle of wondrous blue at the heart of it all. Today we know it as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 777 kms, of which nearly 350 kms of core area is protected as the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve.
MAMMOTH FUN
Nestled among the wooded hills and the green foliage, the Periyar Lake within the sanctuary, makes for an excellent gambolling hotspot for wild elephants. There lies the charm of this place, watching entire families of wild elephants blissfully at play, as you gain an entirely new perspective to the ritual of morning ablutions.
LAKE CRUISE
Another remarkable experience is the lazy cruise along the meandering Periyar Lake, watching the forest glide by. If you are fortunate, besides elephants, others too may saunter down to the shores to watch. Try and get onto the upper deck of the boat and better your chances of sightings with an early morning cruise. Instead of boats, you may also opt for indigenous bamboo rafts secured with coir ropes.
JUNGLE PATROL
For those interested in serious adventure, summon your courage and be intrepid enough to join a band of poachers-turnedprotectors for a thrilling trudge through the forest after midnight. The chances of accosting a tiger are minimal but the anticipation of it all is sure to keep the adrenalin barometer at a constant high. You could also choose to keep your feet off the ground by spending a night in the Watch Tower, a machaan-like structure that provides another unique option for a night out.
If you find such adventures foolhardy, you can settle for a daytime rendezvous with the forest folk with a morning or afternoon four-hour-trek under the auspices of a trained guide. The trek, especially in the summer months, will soon find you a bit hot under the collar, but the jungle folk do play their part in making it memorable.
The elusive tigers do not fancy a human acquaintance. Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Blackwinged Kites, Blue-winged Parakeets, Great Indian Hornbills, White-bellied Tree Pies, Laughing Thrushes, Fly Catchers, Darters, Cormorants, Barbets and Plovers, however, will turn out in their finery and regale you with their acoustic skills. If you do encounter the occasional sambar, gaur, boar, the rare lion tailed macaque or the rampant Nilgiri langurs, rest assured that they display impeccable decorum. You could trudge to the old Mangala Devi Stone Temple within the sanctuary, whose charm has not yielded to the state of dilapidation it is in.
ELEPHANT RIDE
If you want to give those tiring limbs some respite, you can turn to the obliging elephant for a languorous ride, a perch from which you may view the tiger with suitable disdain if you encounter one.
USEFUL INFORMATION
There are several options to accommodate your bags, your taste buds and the depth of your pockets. Some are located within the core area of the forest while others are on the periphery.
The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm.
You have ample opportunity for wildlife photography. The entry charges to the park are nominal, but you will have to pay extra for your cameras.
Besides a good camera, it is recommended that you carry a torch and an excellent pair of binoculars.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
October to June. It is rather hot during summer but the sightings are excellent at this time.
Getting There
Air: Kochi (200 Kms.), Madurai (140 kms.) Rail: Kottayam (114 kms.) Road: Kumily, 4 kms from Periyar, is well connected by both state and private buses from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
(Source: The Times of India)
Pollutants are making men effeminate
Common Chemicals Are Damaging Genitals And The Ability To Father Offspring, Says Research
Those identified as gender-benders as they interfere with hormones in males include phthalates, used widely in food wrapping, cosmetics and baby powders among other applications; flame retardants in household furniture and electrical goods; and many pesticides.
Researchers have based their study on an analysis of over 250 scientific researches worldwide.
It also follows hard on the heels of new American research which shows that baby boys born to women exposed to widespread chemicals in pregnancy are born with smaller penises and feminised genitals.
The report is published by the charity CHEMTrust and drawing on more than 250 scientific studies from around the world.
Two-thirds of male Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska have been found to have undescended testes and deformed antler growth, and roughly the same proportion of white-tailed deer in Montana were discovered to have genital abnormalities.
In South Africa, eland have been revealed to have damaged testicles while being contaminated by high levels of gender-bender chemicals, and striped mice from one polluted nature reserved were discovered to be producing no sperm at all. AGENCIES
(Source: The Times of India)
The Round Table of Andher Nagari
Not all employees want to be treated as equals within their team, rather, be recognised for their individual skill and contribution
JACOB WAS VERY UPSET.
Two months after the appraisal bonus was announced, his best draftsmen, Kevin, put his papers and moved on. He was furious with Kevin. He tried to reason with him, but Kevin had made up his mind. Kevin wanted a higher raise and it had not been given to him. He had got what everyone else had received. Earlier in the year, he had requested for a particular corner in the workshop which had better lighting but it was refused. Jacob’s reason: “We are a team. You must sit with the other draftsmen.”
The reason for not giving more to him in the bonus was, “I don’t want others to feel that I am favouring you.” “But I am your best draftsmen,” argued Kevin. “You are good,” said Jacob, “But don’t let it get to your head. The others work so hard.
They spend hours and hours….” “Doing mediocre stuff,” snapped Kevin, “Just because they work long hours you cannot equate them with me.” Kevin had no doubts about his calibre and he refused to be humble about it. “I want you to be mature about this,” reasoned Jacob, “I have to run a team. I cannot play favourites. Besides, your benchmark is different from theirs. They are meeting their benchmark — you can be so much better. I want you to be a team player but you refuse rise up to that challenge.”
Kevin was furious. Everyone acknowledged that he was a better draftsman than the rest. He also knew that he was rude and obnoxious. “Why should my personality matter to Jacob?” Kevin wondered, “My work is great. It gets the business. Is that not what he wants? Jacob cannot link my personality development to my bonus.” The problem here lies in the different worldviews inhabited by Jacob and Kevin.
Jacob is trying to be king Arthur of Camelot. He wants to create a round table of knights where everyone is equal and he is the first amongst equals. Some are appreciated for their personality, some for their skill, some for their knowledge, and some, their hard work. Each one is equally good. No one is better than the other. And so, Kevin, one of the knights, the best draftsmen in the team, gets the same bonus as the rest. Jacob is trying to be the fair king. And he expects his team to understand. Isn’t this the noble thing to do?
Unfortunately Jacob’s concept of nobility is exactly that – Jacob’s concept. It has no takers in the rest of the teams. The rest of the team want differential treatment. Some want a higher bonus, some, more attention, and some, the best corner in the office space. Jacob argues, “If I create differentiation, then someone will be at the bottom of the pile. In a pyramid, there are always few who benefit and many who don’t. That’s not fair.” No pyramid for Jacob, a round table it must be. The result, Kevin leaves. Jacob’s beliefs do not give him the desired outcome. His idea of perfection remains on the design board — in reality it leads to the collapse of Camelot. And he blames Kevin for it. For not aligning for what he believes is a nobler (and the correct) worldview.
Jacob’s friend then told him a folktale from India based on a famous verse: Andher Nagari Chaupat Raja, takey ser bhaji, takey ser khaja, which loosely translated means ‘In the dark kingdom of a flat king, you can get a measure of vegetables for a rupee and the same measure of sweets for a rupee.’ Is that good or bad?
One young man thought this was a very good thing. “Let us stay here,” he told his guru when they were passing through this kingdom. “No matter what you buy here, it costs a rupee per measure. A measure of gold costs the same as a measure of rice as a measure of cloth as a measure of hay. It is wonderful! Paradise indeed!” As soon as he said this, the guru said, “Lets get out of here immediately. Run!” The student did not understand. He felt this was the best place on earth. Everyone, even the poorest man here, can live like a king. He fought with his guru. In the end, he refused to leave the dark kingdom of the flat king and the guru proceeded without him.
Life for the student was good. Despite earning a very low salary, he could afford all the luxuries of life. All for a rupee per measure. He could not understand his guru’s behaviour. Months passed. Then one day a murder took place in the kingdom. After an intense search, the murderer was caught. The king ruled that the murderer must be hung by the neck from a tree till he was dead. The whole kingdom gathered to witness the punishment. Unfortunately, the rope for the noose turned out to be too short. “Get a longer rope,” said the king. The whole kingdom was searched. But a longer rope could not be formed. Everyone turned to the king for a solution. The king said, “Simple, get a taller man.” Scouts were sent out and they brought the student before the king. “Sir,” said the soldiers, “He is tall enough.” “Hang him for the murder,” said the king. The student protested, “How can you do that? I did not commit the crime.” The king replied, “A crime has been committed. A punishment must be given. Since the murderer is too short, we must find a taller man.” “But he is the murderer, I am innocent,” shouted the student. “We know,” said the king sounding impatient, “But he is short and you are just the right height. Can’t you understand?”
As the student was being led to the gallows, he saw his guru in the crowd and the guru said, “If the king finds no difference in value between a measure of vegetables and the same measure of sweets, then he finds no difference in value between a murderer and an innocent man. Everything has the same value in the dark land of the flat king. That is why I asked you to run.”
Jacob wants to create a world of equals. A noble thought. But do the knights want to be equal? A Kevin does not. And there are many Kevin’s out there.
Points To Ponder -
. The notion of Camelot, where the king is first amongst equals, is imagined perfection.
. People want to be differentiated from others and differentiation invariably creates hierarchy.
. If one attempts to equalise unique features of team members, one ends up becoming Chaupat Raja of Andher Nagari.
(Source: The Economic Times)
IS ART LOSING ITS SHINE AS A VALUABLE ASSET?
IT IS IRONIC that we stand in front of Norbert Bisky’s canvas ‘Slump’, as Ranjana Steinruecke of Galerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke talks about the effects of a global art slump on the Indian market. Okay, so the artwork speaks more of the deterioration of the human condition, but given that it was painted at a time when banks and stock markets were going into freefall, the parallel is easily drawn. It is equally telling that for the up-and-coming star that Bisky is in Germany, his works — debuting in India at the Mumbai gallery — have found few takers. “Times were tough for art anyway and the recent terror attacks (terrorists struck Mumbai on the day the opening was scheduled) have dealt a double blow,” says Steinruecke (the gallery overlooks the beleaguered Taj Mahal hotel).
For Steinruecke, who prides herself on being a gallerist attempting to cut through the clutter of a crowded primary art market by populating her gallery program with international artists (American sculptor-printmaker Kiki Smith was a recent success) and new wave Indian artists, it couldn’t be a worse time to experiment. “The people who are buying want to hang onto a known name,” she says.
Indeed, as economies collapse and credit markets tighten, the global art market is taking a serious hit. Bellwether art auctions at New York, London and Hong Kong alike are seeing lackluster bidding and are falling short of pre-sales estimates leading to mounting debt for auction houses weighed down by the system of guarantees (some, reportedly, have since stopped offering further guarantees). Sales were down in October at London’s Frieze Art Fair and at the recently concluded Miami Basel where deals were slow to close. “Obviously the scrambling for art is over,” says Amin Jaffer, director of Asian Art at leading auction business Christie’s.
So what of it in India? Are the (S.H.) Razas and (Atul) Dodiyas immune? Certainly, it would be foolhardy to assume the Indian market would be unaffected and even stakeholders, until now loath to use the word ‘slump’, are finally giving up their vehement state of denial. Stories abound of prominent galleries in Mumbai and Delhi flooding clients with images of unsold works, offering generous buyers payment plans and discounts far exceeding the customary 10 per cent. Reena Lath of Calcutta’s Aakar Prakaar gallery says buyers are striking a hard bargain but she’d rather offer the large discounts than give in to sixmonth installments plans. “The buyer could go insolvent by then. I can’t take that chance,” she says with a wry laugh.
This comes after some six years of a bull run, where a similar kind of greed (albeit on a smaller scale) to that which plagued the financial services market drove gallerists, speculators and artists to push prices to dizzying heights. Today, everybody is suggesting that the bubble for contemporary art is about to pop and that artists like Subodh Gupta, christened Delhi’s Damien Hirst for his meteoric rise to millions could be the first to suffer. At the just-concluded Saffron Art Winter 2008 Auction, where more than one-third of the lots went unsold, one of Gupta’s feted works sold just above the lower estimate while the other fell below. As Neville Tuli of Osian’s says, “If you have the ability to enjoy and take advantage of the boom times you must equally accept the downturns”.
Still, it seems that some categories of art may be less elastic than others. At the same auction, modern masters like F.N. Souza, Ram Kumar and M.F. Hussain fared well. “Volatile times such as these actually give renewed credibility to historically significant art as a stable asset,” says Tuli. Jaffer agrees, saying that competition for quality works remains intense.
Non-glam artists who may have been earlier overlooked by the flashier names might also get a chance to be noticed. Lath points to a second coming for Bengal Art. Steinruecke says new-age artists like Abir Karmakar (priced in the Rs 15 lakhs range) still managed to find buyers, both at home, and through representation abroad. “We just have to find fresh avenues to reach out to demand,” says Steinruecke. She is hopeful of doing just that at the ARCO Madrid fair in February where 12 Indian galleries will represent 43 artists, with artist Bose Krishnamachari playing curator.
Krishnamachari is just back from London where Indian Highway — a travelling group exhibition of Indian artists across a range of media — opened at the Serpentine Gallery. “Indian art is still getting a lot of attention from gallerists and curators abroad,” he says, adding though that talk everywhere is gloomy. “Everyone’s talking about recession,” he says.
That kind of psychological meltdown can’t be good for Tuli who started the Osian’s Art Investment Fund two years ago when the surge in art investment was at its peak, and investors were assured an annual return of about 35 percent. He maintains that they started selling many months ago and are still outperforming other assets. “That is not to say we are not affected… for every one great painting that holds its value, 1000 will lose its value,” he concedes.
Some like Gaurav Assomull have used this time to spot a lacuna in the supply market. He’s just opened Marigold Fine Arts gallery in Delhi that sells only European art. The opening two weeks ago —that featured 30 works including Salvador Dali sculptures, Pablo Picasso lithographs, and works by David Kracov all priced between Rs 2-30 lakhs — was a sell-out in two hours. The 23-year old believes he’s onto a good thing. “Buyers today believe they have overpaid for Indian art. We are offering something affordable that will appreciate at a steady 6-8%,” he says. Still, he agrees the timing could be better and has decided not to invest in original Matisses or Miros that formed part of his plan. “But we can source these originals on commission,” he says.
That might have to wait. Indeed it isn’t supply that’s a constraint; at least in India, distressed sales might be a driving force. “People have been asking me to source old masters like Ganesh Haloi, Hussain and J Swaminathan — they were out of reach in the last five years but today collectors are offloading their assets and are ready to swallow cheaper prices,” says Lath, who just sourced a work, on commission, by Shyamal Dutta Ray that would’ve fetched Rs 18 lakhs last year, for 11 lakhs. “This is actually a great time for true collectors to take advantage of favourable pricing,” says Jaffer referring to the last few years when collectors were outdone by the cold hard cash of speculators.
All or none of these rules could apply in a market that has been gripped by what Tuli calls a “knee jerk paralysis”. Christie’s India representative Ganieve Grewal is still hopeful — “There have always been highs and lows in art — the stock market crash of 87, the Asian crisis of 97, the art market crisis of 2000. But while art may slow down, it always manages to avert a crash.” She denies rumours that Christies might have to resort to lay-offs (Competitor Sotheby’s
has announced workforce reduction) or shut down international operations. Jaffer says that Asia remains a bright spot for Christie’s. “No one knows how long this will last but we would be short-sighted to exit India or Asia,” he says.
Could there be good news in any of this? For one, say all, years of indiscriminate buying of mediocre work has stopped. “Buyers have started becoming selective about the quality of works; this is a sign of a maturing market,” says Grewal.
Krishnamachari suggests this is the perfect time for an overhaul of the system. He hasn’t produced much saleable work in the last two-and-a-half years but says some of his contemporaries will definitely take a hit. “Everybody, even the artists, could benefit from introspection,” he says.
(Source: The Economic Times)
3G versus WiMax
WITH CDMA taking the backseat, round one of the technology war in telecom has gone to the GSM platform. A second war for supremacy is brewing between the soon-to-be-launched 3G and WiMax technologies. Both are platforms for providing highspeed Internet on mobile, enabling video calls, movie downloads and other multimedia applications on mobiles.
The differences between the proponents of two technologies are heating up ahead of the spectrum auction next month. Ericsson – the biggest supporter and equipment vendor of 3G – is now laying claims even on 2.3 Ghz spectrum band, which is supposed to be used for WiMax in India. On the other hand, WiMax Forum, the international body supporting WiMax deployment, feels that it has products certified for use in that band, which is most spectral efficient for offering high-speed internet on mobile.
WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It can be used to provide voice services too and is considered a rival of 3G since both platforms are used for similar applications. 3G, however, is said to be voice-centric and is expected to be used for easing network congestion before high-end data services can be offered.
As per the Department of Telecom (DoT), spectrum in the 2.1Ghz band will be used for 3G while 2.3 GHz and 2.5Ghz have been earmarked for Broadband Wireless Access (BWA), which is considered synonymous with WiMax. However, Ericsson CTO Hakan Eriksson said BWA is a family of technologies, which include 3G, HSPA (high speed packet access), LTE (long term evolution) as well as WiMax. “There is nothing that specifies it is only for WiMax,” he told ET.
WiMax Forum, however, feels otherwise. “2.3 and 2.5 Ghz bands are globally harmonized bands as per International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)- 2000 standard. As a telecom professional, I have not seen a 3G network operational in these two bands anywhere in the world,” WiMax Forum India chapter chairman C S Rao said.
WiMAX, which can be fixed as well as mobile, mainly operates in the 2.3 – 2.7GHz range. Japan and the US are using both 2.3 and 2.5 for WiMax/OFDMA, said Mr Rao. Till now, several mobile WiMAX products operating between 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz have been certified by the WiMax Forum, allowing their commercial deployment, like by Sprint Nextel in the USA.
Ericsson, however, anticipates that by 2013, there will be two billion mobile broadband subscribers, with majority using 3G networks. “I don’t think WiMax will ever break the 10% market share,” said Mr Eriksson.
For BWA, the DoT auction will distribute two 20 MHz blocks in both the 2.3 and 2.5 GHz bands. In the 2.1 GHz 3G band, the auction will be for spectrum in blocks of 5 Mhz. The success of both 3G and WiMax will largely depend on the strength of ecosystem around them. The larger the number of equipment vendors, software suppliers and operators supporting a technology, the more widespread will be the usage. How each of them will span out in India will be visible only after the deployment of networks next year.
(Source: The Times Of India)
Real Estate Sector
Run A Realty Check
The real estate sector has been struggling since the past six months. But the govt’s stimulus package and RBI’s move allowing banks to provide special treatment to realty cos may provide a breather to the sector. Supriya Verma Mishra explores
“I would give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground.”
SO SAID Shakespeare, the great playwright, and that’s the attraction the real estate sector has for investors. Yet, things are not too rosy for this muchcoveted asset class. The real estate scenario has changed completely since the beginning of ’08. Investor sentiment has turned negative and even genuine buyers are holding on to their purchases. This is an offshoot of declining affordability levels. High home loan interest rates, coupled with reducing loan to value (LTV) ratio, have adversely impacted end users’ ability to fund their purchases. However, all’s not over yet for this sector.
INDUSTRY SCENARIO:
The government could not ignore the fact that the real estate sector is the second-largest employer in the country. As a result, the Union government’s recently announced stimulus package, coupled with Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) efforts, are expected to change the fortunes of the domestic real estate sector, which has been struggling to survive for the past six months.
The RBI’s move of allowing banks to provide special treatment to real estate companies is likely to result in long-term benefits. The proposed cut in interest rate on housing loans to 7% from 8% can trigger a strong uptrend in sales in the residential market, particularly in the mid-income housing segment. Measures such as according priority sector lending status to low-value loans, restructuring of loans taken for commercial property, and reduction in excise duty on input materials like steel and cement are all welcome steps. These come at a time when the industry is faced with a major liquidity crunch. They will certainly prove to be advantageous for companies facing working capital shortage.
THE STORY SO FAR:
In the race to amass huge land reserves, companies were outdoing each other by bidding for the costliest land parcels. Financing was done through internal accruals, private equity funding and large-scale borrowings — through banks, as well as against promoter shares. Hence, property prices started touching new highs virtually everyday. With interest rates hovering around 12-13%, home loan offtake was the first to bear the brunt of the stock market crash. Absence of demand led to a severe cash crunch. As a result, property prices took a sudden U-turn and started plunging.
The situation became unmanageable. Completion of under-construction projects became the first priority and since then, new launches have taken a backseat. This led companies to retrench their staff from projects whose launches were delayed. Financial services and IT — the biggest patrons of the real estate industry — are under immense pressure, though some companies have resorted to the softer option of cutting salaries by 20-25%. However, given the possibility of a moratorium, developers can now focus on finishing projects, rather than worrying about debt repayment. Moreover, demand in the affordable housing segment will also get a boost.
FUTURE PATH:
The future of the real estate sector lies in providing affordable housing. The focus has shifted from luxury or premium category apartments to smaller, no-frills affordable houses. Around 70% of the Indian population comes under this category of housing. Companies like Omaxe and Puravankara Projects formed subsidiaries to focus on this part of the business. An upsurge in demand is the only saving grace for these builders. This is what prompted the RBI to declare low-cost loans as priority lending. Developers with projects in Tier-II and Tier-III cities are expected to benefit from this move.
SCENARIO IN NORTH INDIA:
Companies like Ansal Properties & Infrastructure, DLF, Unitech, Parsvnath Developers and Omaxe have realised the growth potential in the mid-income housing segment — which ranges between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakh depending on location — and have forayed into affordable housing. Sonepat, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, some parts of Chandigarh, Agra, Lucknow and many more cities are driven by industrial demand. Hence, there is immense potential to be tapped in these regions. This can further help in creating central business districts within these regions, ultimately boosting the demand for low-cost housing.
SCENARIO IN WEST & SOUTH INDIA:
Mumbai’s real estate market is a different ball game compared to the rest of India. Premium housing and slum rehabilitation are the two main categories where the majority of developers such as Orbit, HDIL and Akruti City operate. As of now, affordable housing is missing from the Mumbai market, since land prices in this region are among the highest in the country. Thus, it is difficult for this stimulus package to impact end customers in Mumbai. In other cities like Pune, Ahmedabad, Nasik and Surat, developers who have launched projects within Rs 15-25 lakh will benefit from the government’s package. Down South, property prices had started correcting earlier than in Mumbai. Developers were facing a major headwind in sales. However, some sanity prevailed and with reduced profit margins, property is now being sold at affordable levels. This shows that the scenario can improve significantly for developers like Puravankara Projects, as well as Sobha Developers, Brigade Enterprises and IVR Prime, to some extent.
FINANCIALS:
The overall demand in the real estate industry has come to a standstill. There was a time when newly launched projects were sold within a few days of being launched, but now, hardly one or two units are sold in a span of 7-8 months. There has been a 360-degree shift in the sector outlook. After witnessing an average 214% year-on-year growth in sales, the real estate sector posted a 4.7% decline in topline in the September ’08 quarter. Profitability has also taken a big hit. Companies which have more number of residential projects have fared better, as cash is received upfront for such projects, while in the case of commercial property, the rentals accrue every month. Within the residential segment too, companies like DLF, which have tweaked their projects from high-end to mid-income, have managed to perform better.
However, this does not mean that any company is insulated from this mayhem. Large-scale borrowings have landed companies in a soup. Stagnant sales forced developers to borrow at high costs to fund their working capital requirements. Interest costs — which accounted for 3% of the total sales of listed companies in the March ’06 quarter — rose to 15% of the topline in the September ’08 quarter.
Unitech and Sobha Developers have the highest debt-to-equity ratio ranging between 1.8 and 2.4. This raises a question regarding the companies’ potential to survive the current market conditions. Other companies like DLF, Puravankara Projects, HDIL and Orbit are also facing increasing debtors and inventory build-up, while salary and material costs have further dented their margins.
TO SUM UP:
There is still some time before we see a major shift in investor sentiment and actual buying takes places in the market. In fact, some developers feel that the real estate sector requires much more than what this stimulus package provides. It is the end consumers who are now leading the demand in the sector. Though it may still be too early to gauge the actual impact of the stimulus package on real estate companies, it will definitely provide a breather to the sector.
(Source: The Economic Times)
Winter Health
You begin to sneeze and sniffle from a runny nose as the temperature plummets in the early morning and night. Your skin turns flaky and dry, your lips have chapped and you are showing signs of depression. You have turned into a couch potato and you feel hungrier than ever; you tend to gorge on foods adding kilos. Yes, winter is truly here and you surely need some self-care to feel and look good this season.
Skin and hair woes
The dry winter air can make your skin dry, flaky and scratchy. Your lips chap, your soles crack. Soaps containing glycerine, vaseline, lanolin, vitamin E oil, milk or honey can help retain moisture in the skin. According to a research, putting baking soda in your bath water can help soothe the winter itch.
Drink plenty of water to get that shine back onto your skin. And do not forget to make use of sun screen 15 SPF or more to protect your skin from the UV rays, especially during the hot sunny day. Winter air can give you ‘bad’ hair days. The dull frizzy hair makes you look so unkempt! The dry skin on the scalp causes excessive flaking resulting in infection or dandruff. The hair tends to become brittle and keeps breaking off. Scratching can cause bruises on the scalp. Experts advice a hair wash twice in a week using a mild shampoo with lukewarm water. Eating foods rich in protein, vitamin A, B1 and B12 help in improving skin and hair health. An intake of foods full of antioxidants, help in building up the defence mechanism in your body and stall the ageing process.
Allergies and cold
The cold weather comes with all kinds of allergies that can trigger or worsen asthma and other respiratory illnesses such as cold, cough, bronchitis or those pesky irritants such as dust mites, pet dander, smoke, gas fumes and many more.
You tend to catch a cold, cough, sore throat and even mild fever. The cool winter air can give you headaches too. Painkillers help relieve pain. The best way to prevent winter headache, is to protect your head and ears from the cool air. The dry winter air can irritate your nasal passages and throat causing pharyngitis or sore throat. The dry scratchiness and painful swallowing in the throat makes you feel miserable. An unresolved common cold may even lead to sinusitis; inflammation and infection of the sinuses. Dry coughs and bronchitis are common during this season and can be irritating.
Colds are generally self-limiting. However, OTC nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications can help soothe muscle aches and pains. Antihistamines can help in allergic coughs. Cough syrups, decongestant nasal sprays, etc, help relieve the symptoms. Salt-water gargles, sucking on throat lozenges, drinking plain warm water or with honey and lemon, help.
Interestingly, certain foods may get you through the cold and cough with ease. Spicy foods may just be a remedy for a stuffy nose. Sipping on hot soups with pepper may clean your sinuses. Hot tea can even soothe a sore throat besides relieving a stuffy nose. Scientists have put chicken soup to test and they say that it does relieve cold and flu symptoms. The chicken broth does help relieve nasal congestion when you have the flu symptoms – cough, cold and fever.
Intake of vitamin C, an antioxidant in the form of citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, green peppers, cantaloupe, parsely, turnips, apples, guavas, potatoes, etc, help boost your immunity.
When you have cold, wash your hands often, cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Get plenty of rest for your own good and also to reduce the chances of infecting others.
The ‘blue’ moods
Winter depression medically termed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) can make you feel low, depressed and sleepy during the day. You turn into a loner and crave for starchy foods. Severe cases may need antidepressants, cognitive behavioural therapy and artificial light treatment. Indulging in a hobby, keeping busy and exercising can certainly help.
Winter health
Avoid fried foods, cakes, candies and sweets. Instead gorge on hot soups, veggies, fruits, nuts, protein-rich foods and plenty of fluids such as hot chocolate, herbal tea, green tea, broths, juices and smoothies not too cold.
Consume complex carbohydrates as in potatoes, pasta, brown rice, which help raise serotonin, a chemical neurotransmitter in the brain thus improving your mood. Get a good night’s sleep. Control your room temperature and make use of a humidifier. Do not be a couch potato. Aerobics, walking, jogging, yoga can put you in good shape Arthritis can flare up in the elderly. They need to remain bundled up in sweaters, shawls and woollen caps. Young children too need to be kept warm Try not to get stressed this winter as stress weakens the body’s immunity.
(Source: The Times Of India)
Saina Nehwal
Saina Nehwal, India’s newest wonderkid on the badminton block, has a few smart answers up her sleeve
She has kept pace with the fleet-footed Chinese badminton players and has emerged as the first Indian to win a major event since Pullela Gopichand’s All England title. And this is not the only ‘first’ preceding her name. Saina Nehwal is the first Indian woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships. She’s currently ranked number 10. And close on the heels of that, has been named The Most Promising Player in 2008 by the Badminton World Federation. Indian badminton has never had the spotlights focused on it for quite some time now, but this level headed and determined youngster is all set to change that. Saina gives us some straight answers to the few pechidaquestions we posed…
Have you ever felt the need for a foreign coach? No, never. Because I’m happy and lucky that I’ve got the best training from my Indian coach, Pullela Gopichand. Whatever I’m today is because of his support and guidance. I strongly feel that the level of training that I am getting from my Indian coach is much better that of what I’d get with a foreign one. There are a lot of advantages to getting trained by an Indian coach – they understand the players, also the way the coach uses his mind to train the players is totally different.
Has the current bullish attitude of Indian sports impacted your breaking into the top 10? After the Olympics, I can say that people are really recognising all sports. I feel that badminton needs more results at the moment. And if I can give my best, maybe in the future, badminton can become a much loved game in the country.
Are we, as a sporting nation, perceived any differently now from a few years ago, after repeated success abroad?
Not all sports in India have done well. There are sports like shooting, badminton and boxing, which have only recently got recognition – after the 2008 Olympic Games. Obviously, this shows that sports is slowly gaining more importance in India. I’m sure the way all sports are coming up, we can also be like China. The need of the hour is proper guidance of the players. We must encourage and support them. The major drawback is that we being a sporting nation are actually behind other nations and recognise only cricket as the main sport. We should also look forward to encouraging new sports in India. I’m not happy with the way cricket is grabbing all the attention in India, as compared to other sports. You need to realise that there are other sportsmen who are also working hard and are trying to get there.
Do you think individual sports in India, like badminton for instance, will ever make an impact globally, the way cricket has?
Badminton will definitely make an impact on the global front. Now after my performance, I think badminton is getting its due recognition. Slowly, we are improving and trying to win matches at international level. I have done it and I am sure other players can also do it one day.
Are sportspersons from individual sports doing better because there’s less pressure and attention?
It is so with all kinds of sports. Individuals cannot win all the time. Sometimes, when you lose a match, you are also criticised. So it’s not true that as an individual it’s easier to perform and there are no pressures. It is quite tough, in fact, and there is too much international competition. That is more scary than when playing in a team.
What do you think your Olympic stint and breaking into the top 10 will do for your sport and the perception of India as sporting nation globally?
The sports scenario is changing in India. I see many small town players participating in tournaments and also attending training classes. It is great to see young boys and girls showing interest towards badminton ever since my performance has been lauded. If we keep this impetus going strong, I see a bright future for badminton in India
(Source: The Times Of India)
The cueist’s clue
He’s just twenty-something. He’s also a world champ. There aren’t many who won’t bet their money on him when he leans over the green baize. Pankaj Advani, one of India’s few individual sports success stories, on how we can master that winning edge
He is one of the few ‘other than cricketers’ sporting success stories of India. The world first noticed him in 2003, when he won his first world championship title, the IBSF World Snooker Championship in China. And now, he’s become the champion, having, at 23, already won five world and two Asian billiards titles besides an Asian Games gold. So, what sort of an attitude does it take to be a world beater? “I maintain my cool, always. I am also determined and well focused,” says Advani. Do Indian sportspersons in general have that sort of attitude? “Each person has his own way of reacting to things,” he shrugs.
He’s played in enough tournaments abroad to be able to have a ‘world view’ of sorts when it comes to Indian sporting representation on a global level. So, does he agree that of late, Indians have been doing well globally in sports besides cricket? “Yes, people have now become aware and more interested in other sports as well. But this is only because they want to venture into something other than the usual – cricket, football and tennis,” opines Advani. But many of these sports – shooting, billiards, chess, badminton, boxing – are individual sports, in the sense that the sportsperson doesn’t compete as part of a team. Does he think such individual sports are consistently showing better results in the country than cricket, which gets more hype and publicity? “Football, cricket and tennis are more popular simply because they are very well packaged and marketed. Instead of whining about being neglected, we should learn from them. My big wins might hopefully increase the corporate funding for the game, but its achievement scores over popularity in sports,” says he, adding, “We have emerged as a far more stronger country when it comes to individual sports because of proper coaching and the dedication that the youngsters are showing these days. For me, it was because of my brother, Shree, who’s my motivator, my attitude coach. He understands the nuances of the game inside out.”
Ask Advani this next question and he comes up with a clue as to how we can turn
the situation to our advantage. Has cricket and IPL contributed to a change in perception with regards to Indian sportspersons? “Like I said before, IPL is more popular. It is so because the organisers wanted it so, and to that effect, they packaged it, and then put their marketing team on the job. And this mantra of marketing is something all of us, from other sporting fields, could do well to learn. If we take the IPL as an example, realise that each and every sport, when presented well has takers and can change the world’s attitude towards us, and then work towards that end, then we will see results. Players, state associations and federations should all get together to take their respective sport forward.”
That’s well said, but what does he think is needed to help Indian sportspersons do as well in all sports? What areas are our kamzor kadis, so to speak, that are holding us back? “In billiards, we have many talented youngsters like the Bhushan brothers from Bangalore, Shravan Mohta and Shahbaz Khan. With proper coaching and dedication, they can beat anyone. So, if we move ahead with the right spirit and dedication, I don’t think anything or anyone can stop us. And the state federations need to be a little more proactive. I get many letters from youngsters asking where they can play and who will coach them. They are interested, but don’t know where or how to begin.”
But Advani did, and what a beginning – he’s never looked back since! Do all these achievements in such a short span make his chest swell with pride? “Well, it does give me immense pride, it’s my accomplishment after all. But more than anything, I love the feeling of an Indian beating the rest of the world!”
(Source: The Times Of India)
Indian Chess
‘IT HAS BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR INDIAN CHESS ’
The fact that only cricket gets all the attention in India doesn’t frazzle him one bit. For, he’s content with doing what he’s been doing for years now – beating the best of players at their own game. For, that is what chess is all about, isn’t it? In real terms, his contribution to making India a force to reckon with on a global platform when it comes to chess has been more or less singular and consistent, but he’s not the one to talk about it…
In his case, of course, it’s all about the right moves. Vishwanathan Anand, the ‘undisputed world chess champion’, has quietly, unobtrusively, stayed right on top of his game, consistently, for years. The impact of this Indian on his sport is gigantic, and yet, Anand doesn’t believe in making a great deal of noise about it or calling attention to himself in any way. But it has been increasing, over the past few years, as his achievements have gotten bigger and bigger and the focus has moved from just cricket in India to other sports and games as well.
Not that Anand doesn’t like the attention. “Yes, the attention is good, as long as you don’t let it get to your head. It’s important to keep a balance between the sport and yourself. The sportsperson should remember that they have a job on the field,” he said to DT in an interview, right after he won against Kramnik earlier this year, clinching the title of the world champion. He is also known to painstakingly answer fan mail. “This is somehow very reassuring. It gives you the feeling that your work is really important. It is a very special feeling to be aware that your moves mean more than just mere results to many people,” he has said.
It means more, a great deal more. A blogger writes, “Chess has had its share of maverick stars – Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Victor Korchnoi, Vasily Ivanchuk and the likes have had their share of the spotlight and have been in the news for the right and wrong reasons. Indian legend Viswanathan Anand stands apart from the pack as the gentleman dignified champion who has taken victory and defeat with grace. The amiable wizard has assured himself of a place in the chess pantheon after winning the World title with an emphatic win over Russian Vladimir Kramnik at Bonn this week. With the title win, Anand has accomplished something which no other chess great, not even Garry Kasparov has done. He has asserted his supremacy in the world by winning every possible format on offer now, that is, knowckout, round-robin and matchplay formats. Renowned for his lightning speed on the chess board, Anand has stunned the best in the business with his play and several trophies have come his way in the course of his illustrious career.” Another says, “Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand is quite simply, the greatest sportsman India has.”
The man himself thinks international, but takes his achievements very lightly. “It (chess as a medal sport in Olympics) should become a reality in eight years time,” he said in an interview after he won the title of world champion again. “In the next four years, it should become a demonstration sport before it becomes a full-fledged medal sport in Olympics. I wish it becomes a reality in eight years’ time. 2008 has been a very good year for Indian chess. I hope this trend continues for some more time,” he added. “Indians had been consistently improved performance.”
Even Vadimir Kramnik, whom Anand beat, didn’t mind losing to a player like him. “He was very interesting all the way. When you are playing against a player like Vishy, you can lose,” he said.
His attitude, however, is clearly that of a world beater. “Winning is important,” he has said. “For the record books, it’s nice. But for me, it was just important to win the world championship. I understand (that) for some people, the match format is a very important format and this completes it for the history books – is nice.” On another occasion, he has said, “Confidence is very important – even pretending to be confident. If you make a mistake but do not let your opponent see what you are thinking then he may overlook the mistake.” As one blogger put it, “Viswanathan Anand remains ‘Viswanathan’ Anand.”
(Source: The Times Of India)
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