ISSUE 05 VOL 01 MARCH 2012 ` 50
www.fwdlife.in
EXCLUSIVE
FWD
SURVEY
How safe are Women in Our Cities
Golden nightingale Special
WOMEN'S DAY
The
Annie Ouseph Anitha Nair Sreelekha IPS Sheela Kochouseph Elizabeth Antony Parveen Hafeez
SPA @ RAVIZ | SULA WINE FEST | SMARTPHONES
Triton, 38/580A, S.A Road, (Opp Malayala Manorama Junction) Panampilly Nagar, Ernakulam - 682036 Tel- +91 484 4019010/20 www.ritukumar.com
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A R Rahman AT OsCaRs
aGain 4 Boeings on the floor; Indian composer A.R. Rahman performed at the 84th Academy Awards as part of the Oscar band in his third performance at the prestigious award ceremony.
I
ndian composer A.R. Rahman performed at the 84th Academy Awards as part of the Oscar band in his third performance at the prestigious award ceremony. “Oscar sangamam – if you are watching the Oscars live, catch our Oscar super band headed by Hans Zimmer perform tonight,” Rahman posted on his Facebook page for his fans. He even posted a picture with all members of the band, which performed throughout the night’s ceremony. Last year Rahman had sung his tracks from “127 Hours” at the Oscar ceremony.
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soon to be 1000
Four different models of the 777 are currently being built inside the Boeing factory in Everett. The first time this happened was in 2009.
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his indeed would be an exciting time for the 777 team. On March 22, the Boeing Company has a big celebration coming in. An event to mark the 1,000th Boeing 777, which is going to Emirates. The Boeing 777, manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". And, here’s something
you don’t see every day. In fact, for only the sixth time in history, four different models of the 777 are currently being built inside the Boeing factory in Everett. The first time this happened was in 2009. The last time this happened was in 2010. The flexible production system in the factory makes it possible to work on all four of the models at the same time. A 777-300ER for Air France
Want a palindrome child ! It is again once in a life time affair after all. Do you want a big magic date for your child’s birthday party? Those who want their child’s birth to fall on 12-12-12, this is the last week to make your efforts.
and a 777-200LR for Air Austral are in systems installation. In final body join there is a 777-200ER for ANA. And in final assembly there’s a 777 Freighter for Qatar as well as another 777-300ER for Cathay Pacific.
gozzips lifestyle travel leisure entertainment lounge
A pregnant Bagchi is Vidya’s new
S
Vidya Balan will be sporting a faux baby bump for promotions of the film. So, If you spot Vidya Balan with a baby bump at any market or local place, don't be surprised by the sudden change.
Thumbs Up, Dulquer!
ujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani seems to be giving Vidya Balan, a capricious chair in the Indian film industry. After the stunning victory of the item girl in Dirty Picture, Vidya is now Vidya Bagchi in kahaani, a pregnant girl desperately in search of her missing husband. The heroine centric character promises another versatile performance from the lucky star. The pictures coming out from the film photo shoot shows an alienated pregnant woman in distress, running around the streets. The snaps have already put the actress in a totally vivid mould who was lately too shelled in the silk caterpillar. The promotions of the film also got so viral that the social networking sites have different game shows for the film followers. Vidya Balan will be sporting a faux baby bump for promotions of the film. So, If you spot Vidya Balan with a baby bump at any market or local place, don't be surprised by the sudden change. The actress is sporting this new look for the promotions. Kahaani will be released post Women’s day on March 9.
Dulquer’s matured performance has been getting rave reviews from every quarter and he is being compared to Prithviraj, who made a good start with Stop Violence at the beginning of his career. His role as a local goonda in ‘Second Show’ has been well appreciated. But the plum doubt is why the ‘youngstar’ vilified a much earlier offer from director A.K Sajan, who had actually found out the talents of the then teenage Prithviraj and cast him in ‘Stop Violence’. Any ways, the distributors are promoting the mega star’s son film Second Show which is being compared with 1975 blockbuster Sholay. Hey Samba, c’mone, hang on.
Asif Ali’s fall from grace
Y
es he is the favorite whipping boy of the town. Guess he’s on his way of being another “Man we love to Hate”. Remember it was not so long ago that Prithviraj was receiving all the brickbats, from virtually all. Jagathy Sreekumar’s remarks about his poor acting talent in Asuravithu raises questions on his credibility as a solo hero too. But the latest controversy that popped up was his refusal to play for the Kerala Strikers team in the Celebrity Cricket League. Complaints against him are that he is at a one arm distance from his cell phone Yet does
not answer calls, but the actor argues that he is too dedicated about his job and that it’s a little tough for him to be present to the every tring tring he gets. Fwdlife also came across a similar experience for a photo shoot scheduled with him but phew!!When Calls of MohanLal were not answered how could a lifestyle magazine could be so lucky! Heard that actors association AMMA is planning to take actions against Asif’s unprofessional behavior. All we can say is good luck Asif!!! 2012 MARCH
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I will earn my sweat today
summer wear PRODUCTS
Cotten Red Check Shirt
Imported Multi-utility bag
Branded Yellow flip flops
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Blue, Striped shirt Linen full sleeved shirt
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Sunny Day out Branded brown cotton shirt
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Purple Linen half sleeved shirt
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Funky Cotton Supermen T-Shirt Branded V neck red T-Shirt
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Cotton checkered Shorts
Cotton Boxer Shorts
Price `390
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Stye Quotient G214, K.C Joseph Road, Panampilly Nagar , Ph: 0484 3935099 2012 MARCH
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PRODUCTS cocktail dresses Black one sleeve dress with side ruffle.
Price `1999
Tube dress draped to the side with zircon stones. ColourSatin Black.
Price `1499
Lace mini dress. Featuring 3/4 sleeves, a fitted bodice with satin lining. Colour Black, Cream Silk Cocktail one shoulder dress. Detailed with a bow on the shoulder and flattering gathers down the front. Colour Red.
Price `1999
Price `2499 Red Cotton pencil dress. Featuring cut piece with cowl neck and wooden ring on shoulder.
Price `1499
Black and White geometric print dress. Material Lycra and rayon mix.
Price `3199 14
Life
MARCH 2012
Satin black halter neck blouse with pleated frill.
Price `1349
White dress rouged on the sides and black beads on the shoulder. Colour White.
Price `1499
Pearl Bracelet.
Price `699
Chiffon dress, elasticised at the waist w/ lace on top & cap lace sleeve. Colour Peach.
Price `1999
Check Out the Fabulous range of cocktail dresses, to pep up your evenings
Step out in Style Tube dress draped to the side with zircon stones. ColourSatin Black.
Price `1499
Lace mini dress. Featuring 3/4 sleeves, a fitted bodice with satin lining. Colour Cream.
Price `2499
Mother of Pearl Bracelet.
Price `799
2012 MARCH
Life
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Life
Life
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Life
MARCH 2012
KOCHI It’s very sad that we claim to have developed but still the attitude towards women in the society remains bad.Double standards prevail when it comes to men and women way of life. It’s when we start giving mutual respect to each other that we can claim to be developed.
Mrs. Jyotsana Radhakrishnan
Playback singer
KOCHI I would definitely not dare to step out of my home after 6pm.Its not because I fear what the people are going to tag me if I do so but I’d rather want to be on the safer side. The city may be developed but it’s not yet seeped into the minds of the people. It’s when the young men in the society start acting like the moral police and realise and respect a women’s opinion, her ideas and her liberty on what to wear, when to come and how to live her life like men that we can claim we are developed.
Mrs. Preeti Sreenivasan
30% of the women polled in Delhi thought it be ok to walk alone while the over whelming 70 thought it insane to walk or even in a group in Delhi after 6 p.m.
Faculty -St.Teresas College, Ernakulum
DELHI We decided to take a cycle rickshaw back home. A few minutes later we observed a SUV following us. Keeping a distance from the rickshaw, it made no attempts to overtake and drive off. Since the house was very close to the destination we reached fast and on seeing us stop the car drove off”
Prema Sankar
Marketing Professional
2012 MARCH
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SURVEY men's thoughts
This time around we are going against the grain and publishing a Men’s Survey for the women’s issue. In the growing demand for gender parity, the survey threw up some very surprising answers but also unchanged assumption of what men think about and interact with women. Those who took part in the survey were in the 22-45 age groups, single, engaged, married and divorced men. You would consider a woman a potential “relationship possibility” based on which of her personality trait?
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Have you ever insincerely told a woman you love her in order to get sex?
A sense of loyalty
35%
No, and I never would.
60%
A sense of humor
20%
No, but I would consider it
20%
A sense of caring/nurturing
23%
Yes, but I would not do it again
12%
Intelligence
22%
Yes, and I would continue to do so
08%
Life
MARCH 2012
If there were no chance of your partner finding out, how likely would you be to cheat?
Have you ever read your partner's correspondence?
Not at all likely. I might be tempted, but cheating violates my morals.
35%
No, I respect her privacy
36%
Not very likely. I might be tempted, but I love and respect her too much
36%
Yes, but only with her knowledge
31%
Somewhat likely. But I would feel guilty, nonetheless
19%
No, but I would if I suspected she was up to something
12%
Very likely. She can't be hurt if she doesn't know about it
07%
Yes, but only because it was open on her desktop
15%
I already cheat on her
03%
Yes, I broke into her email or messaging account
06%
would u be comfortable with a partner being “friends� with an ex on a social network site No
24%
Yes
33%
Yes, but only if I have met him before
43%
Would you be in a relationship with a woman who has a higher income than you?
If a male birth-control pill were available, would you take it? Yes
60%
No
40%
Would you ever date someone in your office? Never. It's a terrible idea.
23%
Yes, but only if she was in a lowerlevel position than I am
45%
Yes, it wouldn't bother me
23%
I have, and we're still friends
17%
I already am
17%
I have, and it ended badly
11%
No, I wouldn't be comfortable
60%
I still am
04% 2012 MARCH
Life
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Life
the Golden nightingale
F
or those who have been flaunting their fake accents and those who have seeped and turned a little too addicted to their celeb status– Shreya shows off how to put in that extra effort to connect with her audience and how the melody of a song is more important than the lyrics and the language in which one sings. Hailing from a family so rich in education she followed her passion rather than a path that could have been more convenient for her. Her journey of music that started at the age of four. Ever since her first performance on stage in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa little stars she’s managed to be “an apple of the eye” of everyone .The second season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa brought to stage an even sweeter Shreya.Getting her first break into Bollywood with Bairi Piya at the age of 18 and bagging best playback singer was not a small shot. What followed was an array of National awards one after the other that led her way to being a perfect artist. Captivating everyone in the town with her music, she is more like a Mousai or a Benzaiten. The kick start of her musical
career in 1998 could not have been better. Having sung in almost all languages she feels privileged and proud enough for the same. “Of all the languages sung so far Malayalam has been the most tongue twisting” says Shreya. Apart from an onscreen appearance in the movie Saya, she has never stepped into the world of “lights camera action” .The year 2012 however had brought a big surprise for all Shreya Fans. Shreya made her first onscreen appearance to endorse Joy Alukkas Jewellery. “My passion for Jewels and the creative musical concept behind this has lead me to this commitment “said Shreya. Her down to earth attitude and lively performances got the crowd all charged. Also song dedications made by her for her special fans got the audience to cheer more. Be it Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Bengali any other language she has fully done justice to the tracks she’s sung proving there are no language barriers when it comes to music as. “I believe it’s the melody of expression that takes the priority than the lyrics” Her first ever experience to cut the ribbon, inaugurate
a showroom, and execute a musical concept that highlights in their ad the purity of gold with her plain voice and no other musical instrument. The song for the ad says it all. Being endorsed in 5 different languages the journey and experience had been a wonderful one.
Beauty with brains we all have loved But it’s her music that’s got her beloved
2012 MARCH
Life
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shreya ghoshal
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
for many other music directors have sung 2-3 songs for sure. It would be around 15 as of now in Malayalam. Which is the song you have loved singing the most? Recording for the song “Khalbilethi” in Anwar with Mr. Gopi Sunder was a fabulous experience. The song made me just flow away and it made me end with not even a single reason to say no to the song. Post Anvar I am looking ahead for many more innovative tracks like the same and hope to sing more in Malayalam very soon. What kind of songs do you like? Melodies! Fast tracks or some other genre? I like and prefer melodies more than any other genre.
Here’s a preview for her beloved fans How’s life been after the huge hit of Devdas? I’d say work wise it’s been a good progression for me. Lots of challenges, really good support that has let me do a lot of work and of course the applause and awards are just the result of the love from my audiences Are you comfortable with singing Malayalam songs? Do you have to do your own study before getting in touch with Malayalam words? Yes now I have got the hang of it now and I owe my thanks to my composers, lyricists, composer and directors who guide me well when I make mistakes. But it’s a tough language or to be precise enough one of the toughest I have sung so far. How do you manage to organize the lyrics of different languages when you sing with all the intonation variations? Hindi Devanagri script is the perfect phonetical script to write the lyrics when it comes to me and I have my own writing style, marks and notes to get things rights. How many songs have you sung so far in Malayalam? I have sung around 8-9 Malayalam songs for M. Jayachandran sir itself and
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And what’s your opinion on Kolaveri? Would you like to sing one of those kinds in Malayalam? People might have some objections for some kind of tracks but I think if it has got something unique that will probably catch up and that’s what really counts. Yes I would like to definitely. As the clock ticked five the crowd flowed in and what was next was a spectacular musical concert with songs and performances that enthralled the audience. With slow, romantic and fast tracks like Chikni Chameli to Khalbilethi there was a little bit for everyone to hop on and it seemed to be a show that could go on and on. A musical extravaganza in its truest forms and a performance that is likely to remain young in the heart of Cochiites surely an expression of love…
With slow, romantic and fast tracks like Chikni Chameli to Khalbilethi there was a little bit for everyone to hop on and it seemed to be a show that could go on and on
Collage oF Colours The Collage Store opening in Cochin aspires to recreate and capture a part of the essence and imagination it holds in the stores of Chennai and Bangalore.
C
ollage was started by siblings Lata Madhu & Priya Vasudevan. It was visualized and opened up as a meeting juncture of many ideas & thoughts. ‘Something that resembled a kaleidoscope of colors & textures under beautiful surroundings' says Ms.Lata Madhu one of its founders. Both Lata Madhu and Priya Vasudevan have had no experience in retail or fashion. Ms.Lata Madhu however believes that her contribution to this is to spot the creative design and add the final finish to it. To check in for that designer who thought out of the box and be permeable through those cases and spot the person who comes up with the stunning line'. ‘When asked about how the idea of collage spurred up in Priya’s mind she revealed her
passion for good clothes & accessories. Traveling, going to interesting stores and checking out styles have contributed immensely to what was needed and what was not for Collage’ says Priya. Bringing in multitude of designs, allowing the client to indulge and linger on is what collages forte is. Apart from this space forms yet another huge challenging factor. Garments can be best enjoyed if they are allotted, racked and displayed beautifully. Collage was conceptualized as a meeting place of color, design, texture, craft and ideas. Choosing names and brands that stand forth and at the same time stand apart in style with finish is what’s collage’s forte. Collage is a venture that works with a host of designers across the country. It offers options like Western, Indian
and fusion wear, that are picked from fashion weeks that are held each season. Collage lets its clients experience a sense of quiet classy designs and also embrace the edgy and quirky designs available. Cochin can definitely look forth for some of our best and well known designers like Rajesh Pratap, Priyadarshini Rao, Rahul Mishra, Virtues, Payal Pratap and many more.
Cochin can definitely look forth for well known designers like Rajesh Pratap, Priyadarshini Rao, Rahul Mishra, Virtues, Payal Pratap and many more.
2012 MARCH
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elizabeth antony
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
Life
Navoothan Charitable Trust is a woman empowerment based organization with founding principles of ‘prosperity through charity, service and love’
Musings from the periphery
S
he is busy painting white water lilies on canvass. There were another two sets of pink and violet water lilies, smiling from the corner getting dried up for the pack. This time, The Leela group of hotels wanted a set of water lilies for their Delhi hotel lobby and Lakshmi Nair, daughter-in-law of Capt Krishnan Nair wanted her artist friend to paint them. Now, if you ask the artist, a retired bank official, like many others, could have spent her rest of life meeting up with friends or retreating to her the shell. But, Elizabeth Antony, wife of defence minister A.K Antony, decided to paint. An artist since school, Mrs. Antony had to keep aside her painting talents living through the business of home making and banking. Now, when she started to paint, all her paintings have been picked up. Yes, all for real good money. But the money she earns through art is not to buy glossy lipsticks or a Satyapaul fabric. She does all these for an NGO, for which she is the founder and president. Wife of the country’s most honest politician, Mrs. Antony had a vision. A vision to achieve
a prosperous nation by empowering individuals to become economically independent and improve their quality of life and make a prosperous family, thereby a prosperous society and in turn the prosperous India. She lit the light to Navoothan Charitable Trust two years ago and now, the trust is operating out of her Delhi residence with a sub office in Thiruvananthapuram catering to the needs of cancer patients in the country. Mrs. Antony, who lost her mother with brain cancer, says, to wipe out this hard truth of cruelty, we need to prevent it. To prevent cancer, an awareness programme is the need of the hour and detection camps are the best of it. She says a routine checkup at least once a year would slow down the deaths caused by this malignant disease. ‘An early detection can help medicines remove the traits’, says Elizabeth, who has presently interviewed a dozen cancer survivors towards imprinting on the 2012 souvenir of the trust. According to her, every family should go in for a medical checkup once a year and she is upset that although Navoothan offered free check up in Delhi, the turn up was very low.
‘Diagnosing Cancer is what people are all afraid of, and I don’t know why?’ and Elizabeth site the example of Yuvraj Singh; ‘ because he has fitness tests running daily that Yuvraj was detected with cancer at an early stage and that was why he got cured.’ Regarding women empowerment, she says, educating a woman in a family is equal to educating the whole family. An ardent fan of Mother Teresa, Elizabeth works hard to empower women in cancer affected families by equipping them with vocational skills. Elizabeth and her friends in the trust have decided to spend this year’s international women’s day with the cancer patients of the mental hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. She sympathises with their fate and says, since they are mentally retarded, nobody takes pain in giving them the required check up and treatment. ‘Eradicating corruption is not my choice. My job is eradicating cancer’, smiles the zeitgeist who believes that God gave her the talent to paint, to raise money for the cancer destitute. She firmly believes that woman is the pillar of the family. Many women will be pil-
lars of society. And such pillars will make a good nation. As we walk out of the defence minister’s residence in Delhi, mother of Ajith and Anil, the real artist, leans back on the couch next to her husband’s chair writing scriptures for the poor with her innovative brush. And we, with a strong urge to kill the lousy memory to remember to take the cancer test tomorrow.
2012 MARCH
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anita nair
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
Magical
coup
of the
better man
T
he conflict in an Indian women’s mind could be a stormy love triangle or an issue that divides her between duty and personal goals, tradition and progress. Be it life or art, the pitfalls are the same, the triumphs and sorrows alike. She never wrote a book, based merely on assumption. Or made it like a polemic on artistic destiny. She explored the premise of artistic success and juxtaposed it against life's success.
More than just a beautiful book, ‘The Mistress’ was perceived like a manifesto for women trapped in dull marriages because of tradition, convention and family rules
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Bangalore based author Anita Nair coffee hooked with ‘fwd life’ amidst her busy story hunt. Excerpts from the chat
How has your journey been thus far in the writers' world? It has been a very exciting journey of discovery. I began writing at a very young age. However it was while working at an advertising agency that I decided to become a full time writer. While there was a serious desire to publish, it was the writing process that drew me. I felt a great compulsion, an inner calling. My forays into writing began with short stories, and slowly I moved on to writing novels. Over the years, what I have discovered was that with each book, I feel the need to raise the bar and make sure that I don’t get struck in a comfort zone of writing. Hence, with each novel, I have sought new territories to locate it within. This also has made me work in different genres, from poetry to literary essays to plays and now even a screenplay. What do you think it takes for one to be amongst best-selling writers in the country? There is no real formula as to why one writer is read more than another. Especially if one writes literary fiction rather than commercial fiction. However, what does help is a freshness of style and accessibility. If the words leap off the page, one can almost be certain that it will find a place in the reader’s mind. What inspires you when it comes to stories and concepts? A story or novel is born out of an abstract thought; I haven’t been able to find an answer for. The novel or the story becomes my way of looking at it and grappling with the thought. I normally then
seek a metaphor that I can base the essence of the novel upon and use the metaphor to structure the novel and out of that is born the characters. What are the essentials of a writer, according to you? I think it is very essential for a writer to stay connected to her roots if her subject of writing is the human condition. A writer of fantasy or science fiction needn’t necessarily have to have a clear understanding of specific culture or living patterns. But it is crucial for a writer who writes about human drama to be knowledgeable about the settings the drama is to be laid out on. What are the challenges or obstacles you faced if at all any, while trying to establish you as a writer. I can’t think of any, except being able to find the time to devote myself to my writing because in the initial years I had a job as well as a small child and had to eke time out to be able to write.
on mothers-in-law, daughters-inlaw, husbands, servants. It was a combination of the confined space and assurance of anonymity as they were strangers to each other that turned the coupe into a confessional box. Their candour, their subversiveness, their subtle strength and courage inspired Ladies Coupé. Future plans? Next is a set of 3 plays titled ‘A Twist of Lime’ which will be performed as part of the Jagriti Season in March 2012 in Bangalore. Then, a literary crime novel which is scheduled to be published in mid 2012. Currently I am working on a historical novel set in medieval Kerala.
Though it blends a very captive image for an outside reader, Anita describe Kathakali, to illustrate the passion, lust, degradation and sadness in her novels out of protest to trivializing of the sacred art now by the mediocre public
A novel is born from an idea or a thought that tends to disturb the calm of any mind
Ladies Coupé is about women's conditions in a male dominated society, told with great insight. Any interesting anecdotes while writing the book that you could share with us? Twenty years ago, I climbed on to the top berth of a ladies compartment in a train from Bangalore to Madras and discovered an unexpected world. Once the door was closed and the blue night lamp switched on, the middle-aged women began a conversation that riveted me to my sleeping berth. It was a no-holds-barred conversation 2012 MARCH
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TRENDS power dressing
Power Dressing Sonia Gandhi
HINA RABBANI KHAR
IVANKA TRUMP
Michelle Obama
(Source :Little design book)
(Source: Hindustan times, )
(source: U.S weekly)
(source : about.com)
Sonia is fond of handloom saris, particularly traditional weaves. Sonia wears a men’s wrist watch with a broad brown strap. Her blouses are cut conservatively, with high necks and mid-arm sleeves. Sonia’s sarees are always in muted colours, pleated immaculately and pinned neatly in place. She favours Chanderis and Maheshwaris from Madhya Pradesh for official occasions; Khadi cottons from Ponduru, Andhra Pradesh, or Tant handlooms from Bengal and Assam for Parliament and other political appearances.
In the photograph: Pearls, Roberto Cavalli shades,a Birkin bag and Jimmy Choo heels. She dresses conservatively, conscious of the fact that she represents a Muslim state. Her brief to the designer is not to make body-hugging dresses. She has been spotted sporting bags from Louis Vuitton, Prada and Salvatore Ferragam although she mostly carries a Berkins!
Favorite designers: Alberto Ferretti, Jay Mendel, Dolce & Gabbana, Rachel Roy and Ports 1961. “While I tend to favor styles that are glamorous, old Hollywood by night and very sleek and tailored during the day, I’m mindful of the fact that I’m young and try not to make that feel dowdy or old,” she says.
Favourite Designers : Isabel Toledo, Jason Wu, Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Maria Pinto, Tracy Feith. Michelle Obama's main style advisor is Isreali-born Ikram Goldman.
Kate Middleton (Source : whatkatewore)
Favourite Clothing Brands : Issa, Katherine Hooker, Alexander McQueen, Whistles, Reiss Favourite Footwear Brands : Aquatalia, French Sole, LK Bennett, Penelope Chilvers Favourite Bags Brands : Mulberry, Tod’s, Meli Melo
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Life
Life
Life
sreelekha ips
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
I’m only responsible for what I say not for what you understand 38
Life
MARCH 2012
By alienating the Indian shoe - tyre companies from the kerala market,R Sreelekha IPS, ADGP shot up the export of Rubber in 2003 and went on to winning the best exporter of rubber award from Thailand , when she was the MD, Rubber Marketing Federation of kerala. She also has the credit of uplifting a sunken Roads and Bridges Corporation of kerala to a stunning 7 crore annual profit yielding establishment in her 3 year tenure as the MD there
A different shade of Khakki
F
or her, the rainbow of life never stops at seven colours. There is always a pot of gold meant for the deserving people at one end, which she wish to deliver appropriately under her authority. A role model in many respects, R. Sreelekha IPS is one amongst the most admired women in Kerala. She joined the elite Indian Police Service in 1987, the first woman in Kerala to do so. Her accomplishments as Kerala’s highest ranking woman police officer and a women’s freedom activist have established her as one of the most respected public figures today. Her fearless and sociable approach has contributed greatly to innumerable innovative reforms in the state. She gave birth to the first community policing concept in Kerala by entrusting resident’s associations to interact with police in enforcing neighborhood watch in Kochi city. Sreelekha talks to criminals more, to delve into their psychological perspective. So encroached into prisons even as a probationer to know what they have to say, she visits women in jail and opine that if more care and attention is provided, it can build up enormous social change in our land.
According to her, victims are the most ill fated of all. There is lack of victim support system in our country. Victim compensation act is not enacted in Kerala. She had sent in a detail proposal to the Government to invoke the same. The writer ‘madam’ of the Kerala cavalry, who likes to go partying fashionably outside office, talks why she likes the poet in Shakespeare. Reshma Nair from fwdlife spoke to Sreelekha about how the women policing matters her. How have women changed the face of police work? Women police have helped change the rude behavior of the erstwhile police. Earlier, men in uniform used to play cards and consume alcohol inside the Station premises. Now, since women constables are there in all the Police stations, the men are forced to maintain a minimum discipline at office. The usage of abusive words also stopped gradually; thereby the common public can expect a certain guaranteed decency from every cop. What are some of the challenges women police officers have to overcome? The challenges are all gender related. The women constables
are not allocated with a dropback-home vehicle after their night duty. This often creates trouble within the group and their families as odd hour public commuting is still a hurdle in our state. Sanitary requirements are another major issue. Lack of clean and proper toilets for women is an unsolved disaster in police force. The monthly period cycle is a trouble to a larger extent. Many of them, even at the time of cycle are forced to attend duties on foot for a long time. Even at the time of our training at the National Police Academy, during periods, no girls said ‘sorry, we can’t do it’ at the swimming or riding classes since we were sure to draw interested glances from the boys! What can the future lady cops learn from you? Visible results shall yield credits. I have always given proper leadership and protected my subordinates in critical conditions. I want them to learn integrity, dedication and sincerity from me. I also want them to take it easy and find time for hobbies and families too, which I do! What do you most respect about your colleagues? Of course, the sincerity of my
The report on women trafficking, submitted by R Sreelekha IPS was approved as the draft protocol for UN resolution to prevent human trafficking colleagues and especially, the integrity of the lady officers. How personal is your fashion life? I am not a fashion freak. But, I do love dressing up in style and colour once out of uniform. Though my official timing is round the clock, I try and be with my family whenever possible and go out in my jeans, salwars or cotton sarees. Usually, I colour my lips with Loreal and wash hair with Garnier shampoo. The Hidesign bag I carry hold a miniature Ganapathy, cleenex, credit card, compact powder, lipstick, money and my cell phone. I had an FB account, which I deactivated as the frequency of friend requests increased in bounds and precious time and my privacy had to be forsaken. Otherwise, I’m all busy guarding you people for another ten more years till I retire!
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sheela kochouseph
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
A familiar face for most Malayalees, Sheela Kochouseph’s name comes up whenever women entrepreneurs are mentioned. The brain behind ‘V-Star’ an harbinger of many new fashion trends in Kerala.
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The Textile Star
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n the tastefully decorated house, with memorabilia of various leisure trips Mrs Sheela Kochouesph is in her element, part host, fully the business magnet. Mrs.Kochouseph chats with Fwd Life.
Inspiration My Father used to have a tailoring shop along with his jewellery shop. I used to spend a lot of time there. My siblings and I were given the freedom to explore our interests. I chose Home science for a Degree. This gave me an introduction to cutting and crafting clothes, also a course at Vimalalayam helped me a lot. I spent 2 years at V-Guard but realized it was not my cup of tea. I started the first boutique called Cat Walk at Kaloor.
Challenges When we started the concepts of churidars in Kerala, most of the materials were purchased from Bombay (Mumbai), the samples are sent out, then the order placed, all together this use to take 3 months to get a dress ready to wear. By then the style would have changed. At the manufacturing level, fashion designing or dress making was not seen as a career as it is now. Once we opened our stores outside the state, realized that tastes vary a lot across the buyers, this meant that we had to go back to the drawing board come
up with a product that would appeal to the pan Indian buyer. The inner wear segments Valero and Vanesa was the result of this rethinking.
might be a lesson in the difficulty of earning an income, the stress and strain behind it. Being independent always brings out the better person inside you.
The work style has never been hectic, having wonderfully efficient people to work with helps, I get time to maintain my other major interest which is gardening.
Changes A successful career has been a major confidence booster. Before I never knew what to speak to people. Be it meeting someone from V-Guard or a dignitary during a public function. Moreover having something to do of my own certainly keep me occupied. The work style has never been hectic, having wonderfully efficient people to work with helps, I get time to maintain my other major interest which is gardening.
Advice There are many talented women in our society who limit themselves to homemaking, looking after the kids, shopping etc. Most of it just becomes a routine to waste time. There was never a need, either at home or after marriage for an extra income, yet it was the guilt of wasting that made me try out new things. Generally there is a misunderstanding that once the women become successful they have no time for the family. This mentality has to change among both the sexes, a mutually helping hand will go a long way in accepting each other. For women it also 2012 MARCH
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parveen hafeez
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
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Parveen Hafeez , the driving force behind Sunrise Hospitals spells success. Managing 5 different companies including 6 hospitals, she still juggles her professional and personal life with equal ĂŠlan and puts anyone at ease with her vibrant persona, wit and passion.
Voice of Passion
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t is said that “a journey of thousand miles begin with a single step.” May be that single step she took forward as early as a college student, has brought her where she is now. Parveen and her husband Dr Hafeez Rehman, the chairman of Sunrise Hospitals, work together but don different roles. Parveen heads the administration and finance department; her personal touches and warmth are well known for the staff as well as the patients.
Tracing Career Journey Her involvement inbusiness started 17 years back. “Even during college days I used to work just for experience and it has helped a lot” says Parveen. She started with medical and housekeeping equipment supply business in 1996. Sunrise hospitals started 7 years back. “We had decided that we would be having a chain of 20 hospitals in a span of 20 years. Now we have 6 hospitals including Dubai. Projects at Delhi, Alapuzha and the 4th in Bombay are getting completed”. Iware Solutions at Inforpark is another concern owned by her providing total solutions for hospital management and printing management for clients in India and abroad. “All these years we have gone through a lot, and only sheer hard work, commitment and honesty has kept us going
strong still” beams Parveen.
Challenges Parveen firmly asserts that being a women has always made her see life and work with immense passion. “Hardships and challenges, immensely changes your outlook towards life and makes you more daring in business, which is a must.”
Balancing Work & Family She have got strong systems to run the whole show, be it home or work. And at both places a special touch from her heart. “Whatever I do, I enjoy it thoroughly” as she says. For Parveen, being busy or extensive travelling is not an excuse to shirk familial responsibilities. She ensures that she spends quality time with her daughters Sonia, Ayesha and Mariam. “They are the biggest blessing God Almighty has showered on me. The moment I am done with my work, my life totally revolves around my family, she affirms.” The proud mother says: “I ensure that I am with them for all little joys and set backs. Ofcourse they have become independent. I tell them to treat others with respect and to remain focused on their goals. I am proud to say that they know their household chores and are down to earth in attitude to life and with immense gratitute to
God for all the good things they have in life”. And ofcourse, for all these one need a fantastic partner who understands and feels the importance of women. “Dr Hafeez stands by me and supports me mentally in all my ups and down”. And need to mention, her culinary skills are well known, not only her family, but all people who knows her.
“All these years we have gone through a lot, and only sheer hard work, commitment and honesty has kept us going strong still”
To the women in Kerala Parveen speaks from her own experience that “there is much more in life than what we see”. Each individual is blessed with immense potential which has to be utilised in a very productive way. For her the women of Kerala, are truely blessed as many are well qualified and is held with respect and dignity. “So what’s holding us back from doing what we want?” she asks. “Fear, stress, failures, all these are just situations in our lives and rather than seeing it a problem, try and handle situation in a sensible and calculated way. And you will be able to do so only when you have the experience and will power. And for gaining experience, you have to start. There is no job which we cannot take up; only that we need the initial mental strength and in due course gain professionalism in your arena”. 2012 MARCH
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MADE IN HEAVEN wedding trends sheeja mathews
Special
WOMEN'S DAY
Old
school
styling
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If you have a list of museums you want to visit before you die, make sure the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee is on it
S
eeing the fighter jets groan at the Bangalore Air Force station, the school girl Sheeja Mathews never dreamnt of any aeroplanes to play with. While growing up, Sheeja wanted to do things differently and that was when she chose to go to College in her father’s Rajdoot bike, a motorcycle ride daily to college and back, which girls in 1990’s never thought of. Hailing from the district of Kollam, her father was then an officer in the Air Force station at Bangalore. Even after getting married to Sanjay Joseph, Sheeja still went to office in her Yamaha 350 till a year ago. Now, both her Yamaha and Rajdoot are not seen by bangaloreans. You cannot think, the fair beauty is annoyed with global warming and drives in her Chevrolet Cruise or Tata Safari now to office to save her skin from tanning. She now rides the real macho, a Harley Davidson. The 35 years old HR professional became the first Indian woman to buy Harley Davidson, Iron 883. The single seated valor often envies the biker husband, who often chases her in long rides in his
Kawasaki 1000. But, their 8 year son Roy is all happy when at times, his iron mom drops him to School once in a while. ‘We are planning a trip to Kollam from Bangalore riding on our HD; but lack of time has kept our village adventure on hold for the time being’, says an excited Sheeja while her drag racer husband smiles ad rem. Sheeja, who was active in sports from School days, wanting to live life to the fullest, credits her passion to learn and do things differently and the support of her family to the success of her fulfilling of dreams. Her next dream is the Harley Davidson FatBoy. It is 1550 CC and almost double the power of Iron 883. While proudly say that she has celebrated every day of her life fully, she urges her colleagues who want to build up a passion to ride super power motor bikes to be confident and to wear proper gear and obey traffic rules for a safe trip around. Although the on-road price tag of Rs 8 lakh is a bit too steep by any standards, Sheeja is sure more women would follow her soon in owning the darling Harley.
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2012 FEBRUARY
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HIDE OUT the raviz, kollam
Culture, history, tradition and genuine elegance infused with the most modern amenities to provide its visitors the most of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ feel is been their motto since this ventures inception.
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T
his is what being at ‘heaven’ in Gods own country can do to people at times. This is what you feel when you’re at The Raviz-Kollam. A nook where poetry begets poetry. Culture, history, tradition and genuine elegance infused with the most modern amenities to provide its visitors the most of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ feel is been their motto since this ventures inception. The Raviz is a premium property owned by Mr. Ravi Pillai who also went on initiating this project to bring up Kollam in Kerala’s tourist destination charts. Holding a glorious history of being the trade centre of the erstwhile Travancore, Kollam is now booming more as a tourist destination. Lying in the lap of Ashtamudi Lake (where in 8 lakes merge
together) the destination offers its discerning travelers with the beauty and tranquility that’s priceless and is indeed an exhilarating experience. The exquisite wood theme in the architecture and the deep rooted cultural continuity blends the historical threads with modern luxuries. The geographical mark of the resort too is linked to the coastal heritage of Travancore lakes. With a rich flora that ranges from a variety of herbs, shrubs to mangroves and that on the contrary supports the fauna and balances the ecological systems within the piece of land. The fort like giant architecture with the two palatial buildings -The Heritage and Tower building instills in a larger than life appeal to the onlookers. One of the captivating features in the architecture
Silky ripples of the
Backwaters Explore the luxuries of The Raviz, the Seven Star Hotel in the laps of Asthamudi Lake Text Ashwathy S. Photos Jinson Abraham
of the resort lies in its roof that has the Chandravamada and Thirukazukol (radiating rafters) architectural tone which has now completely distinguished. Prof. Eugene N. Pandala is the urban designer for the property and the piece of land after the quest of 12 long years by its owner and the workers surely transmits a quick transition into the traces of lifestyle influences by different kingdoms like The Veenad, Portugese and the Dutch, English and the Travancore kingdoms who had strong settlement and trade port presence in the ancient city of Quillon. Laterite stones have been used in the very best of its way to set up boulders and hide outs to improve the breeding of the fishes and the crabs. As soon as one enters the piazza the Travancore style of architecture in the ceiling and the snake boat filled with spices catches the
Prof. Eugene N. Pandala is the urban designer for the property and the piece of land after the quest of 12 long years by its owner and the workers surely transmits a quick transition into the traces of lifestyle influences by different kingdoms like The Veenad, Portugese and the Dutch, English and the Travancore kingdoms who had strong settlement and trade port presence in the ancient city of Quillon.
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HIDE OUT the raviz, kollam
DistanCe ChaRt
74 kms from Trivandrum International Airport. 4 kms from Kollam Railway station. 150 kms Cochin 80kms Alleppy
What not to miss
• Sunset cruise in the backwaters • Floating restaurant cuisines • Kollam fish curry
NeaRby PLaCes to visit
• Krishnapuram place and museum • Alumkadav (the hub of kettuvalam building industry)
CONTACT The Raviz Thevally, Mathilil PO, Kollam, Kerala, India Pin 691601 T: +91 474 2751111 F: +91 474 2741111 E: reservations@theraviz.com W: www.theraviz.com
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eye. The traditional fans supported with mechanized rollers and the soft classical notes of music in the background add to the whole ambience. From Deluxe to Lake View Heritage, Lake View Tower, Private pool villas, Traditional Kerala Cottages executive suites and Royal Raviz Presidential Suites, all the rooms are decorated with state of the art facilities. Luxury and bliss overwhelming is how one would probably describe the stay. The stay is inclusive of a sunset cruise, an in house health club with indoor games, buffet breakfasts, round the clock room service, WiFi, LED television with satellite channels and much more. The dining options in Raviz gets you to experience Raanthal the floating restaurant, Zircon the lounge and Pergola the riverside restaurant where one will surely fall in love at first bite with the sea food delicacies served here. Yet another breath holding feature of the resort is the three hundred year old timber house that has been transported from Anchal and is a perfect specimen of the South Travancore architecture. Another timber house that’s equally rich in the grandeur is a two hundred year old one that’s been transplanted from Muvatupuzha that highlights the central Travancore style of edifice.Naalu kettu, Aras, Chaarupady, Poomukham,Kalavara and Macchu are some of
‘Veda’ the ayurvedic spa in Raviz is a bliss for those seeking authentic treatments for rejuvenating ones senses. Cleansing massages, slimming therapy massages, stress management massage packages are some of the available options in the lot. the inevitable styles preserved within these villas. The resort also offers one an abra- ca -dabra feel with the infinity pool in where the water level appears to be same as the backwaters. ‘Veda’ the ayurvedic spa in Raviz is a bliss for those seeking authentic treatments for rejuvenating ones senses. Cleansing massages, slimming therapy massages, stress management massage packages are some of the available options in the lot. The aroma of the herbal oils with the spa candles all around will get you dissolved in the experience. The Raviz thus gets you a stay in the lap of Ashtamudi that you'd always yearn for. So enjoy every bit of the moment.
private jet LUXURY
Kalyan Jewellers acquires Private Jet
K
alyan Jewellers is all set to cross the milestone turnover of 8500 Crores this financial year emerging as the single larget Jewellery group in the country in terms of the retail turnover, surpassing Tanishq and Gitangali who were leading in this front in the earlier years. The group with 30 retail stores also has the maximum number of directly owned retail outlets in this format in the country. “The purchase of an aircraft for the company is also an innovation” said Sri T.S. Kalyanaraman, CMD of Kalyan Jewellers. Presently most of the towns where we have showrooms and in places where we are planning to open stores don’t have direct flights and lot of time is wasted on transit.
Also even if there are flights the timings are sometimes unsuitable to match appointments. We feel that our top level management and directors travel reach is expanded and this will help us achieve our growth plans and ensure effective monitoring of showrooms. The aircraft is not a luxury and it is a necessity since it helps save valuable time which in fact is money. Manufactured by Emberar Company in Brazil, the Phenom 100 aircraft is a 7 seater ( including 2 pilots) Jet which can fly 3.50 hours continuously without refueling. The cost of the aircraft is around 30 Crores and the approximate fixed yearly cost would be around is 2.5 Crores annually. This includes insurance, AMC, Pilot expenses and office expenses.
It would also have a variable expenses of Rs.50000/- per hour of flying. The aircraft can go up to 41 thousand feet in 25 minutes. This aircraft needs only 4000 feet runway for take off and landing. The interiors of the air craft is done by the BMW. The aircraft was taken delivery from the Company factory in Brazil on December 22nd and it flew over 10 countries for 40 hours to reach Delhi. After all formalities , the aircraft is supposed to land at Nedumbassery on 13th February at 10.35 am The Captian of the aircraft is Mr. Pradeep Menon from Palakkad and the Co pilot is Mr. Sojan Soman from thrissur .Both were given special training to fly this engine by the Embraer at US and UK.
The cost of the Phenom 100 aircraft is around 30 Crores and the approximate fixed yearly cost would be around is 2.5 Crores annually
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LITERATURE banned books
The Banned Books! For every book, there’s someone who thinks it shouldn’t be read. By that, I don’t mean that they think it’s not worth reading; rather that it should not be accessible because of “obscene” or “dangerous” content. There’s a long list of books that have been banned at some point – including some surprising contenders. The 10 main banned books are …
LOLITA
Lolita is probably one of the two most famous banned books. In the book, the title character was only 12 years old, which is probably why it was banned in the prudish Britain of the 1950s.
LADY CHATTERLEY´S LOVER
Lady Chatterley´s Lover´ is the other book best known for being banned – and for being the subject of an obscenity trial. It was banned in several countries for its explicit sexual content ,especially shocking in the UK, as Lady Chatterley was sleeping with a social inferior!. which is probably why it was banned in the prudish Britain of the 1950s.
AMERICAN PSYCHO
People may be more familiar with the film version of the book, which describes gruesome murders committed by an apparently charming Wall Street banker. The book can only be sold shrink-wrapped in Australia, but is actually banned in the state of Queensland.
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Many would have read most of these books, and with the exception of The Da Vinci Code, it´s difficult to see with a modern eye why they were ever banned. Of course, in the case of the older books, it´s due to the fact that attitudes were different when they were published.
THE DAVINCI CODE
Having bravely worked my way through this book, I would happily have banned it for being tedious and overhyped. You might have expected that the Vatican would have banned it, but it was only banned in Lebanon, after upsetting Catholic leaders there. No such luck anywhere else.
THE BIBLE
In the 15th century, copies in English were banned in England for being heretical. Today, it is apparently banned in some non-Christian countries.
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PLAT(E)ONIC nimi sunilKumar
Nimi cooks Kerala I really enjoyed the cooking here.I’ve learned lots of new things and really good tastes.Nimi is an excellent teacher for how to cook!
Margeta Brane Supkova from International Urban Food Network (IUFN) talks about her experience with Nimi Sunilkumar
W
orking on food security of urban areas (IUFN), my trip to India was a medley of both leisure and work. It was simply awesome to discover a beautiful and colorful country with very kind people and a great cuisine. It was on my trip to the tourist office that I came to know of a traditional kerala cooking workshop that was going on in Munnar. Being passionate about food, I enrolled in the class to meet a fresh face in culinary arts. Yes, I was here to meet a very much talented and versatile housewife who has written and published a book on God’s own country’s
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authentic mouthwatering recipes. My lookout for the author of one of the most sought out culinary book ‘Lip Smacking Dishes of Kerala’ bumped me into Nimi Sunilkumar. She started her class with the basics and a review of all the ingredients that are used in preparing kerala dishes. Sitting with them, I was offered a cup of piping hot masala tea. My eyes were on the bubbly housewife running around explaining about the spices used in Kerala cooking. She took care that every student who attended her class had a clear picture of the ABC’S of our cuisine .We were her sous chefs, learning to cook with confidence and the joy to be served the food
that was made in the class is really tantalizing. She sticks on to the motto, “Join, taste and learn” on her cook outs. “I really enjoyed the cooking here.I’ve learned lots of new things and really good tastes.Nimi is an excellent teacher for how to cook!”, says Liron Rosen an Israelite who had come to Nimi’s home to learn cooking. During her workshop I got to know much more on her through our chit chat cum cooking session . I have always looked on to my parents for their love in food and when I was married into a family of food lovers ,with a husband who goes heart in heart with cooking ,it was a total gooey icing that I had
on my cake”. She’s had her ups and downs in cooking .But with every flaw there was a new lesson to learn. She quotes, “No one is a born cook. It’s their instinct to cook that ignites the flame of sumptuous meal”. On her venture into Food writing Nimi says “It’s the pursuit to play, with tastes that drives me into my kitchen laboratory’. I love to fumble around with the ingredients till I get a delectable output.” She has got a good collection of recipes in her book that brings out the authentic taste of Kerala cuisine. Be it friends, family members or neighbors’ she’s always on the lookout for antique recipes.
Recipe of Thulasi wine
By Nimi SunilKumar
Ingredients • • • •
2 cups of thulasi leaves detwiged Sugar Water 1 tsp yeast
Method Wash the thulasi leaves well and put them into a bowl.Pour water into the bowl till you find the leaves floating . Note the level of water in the bowl as that will be the measurement for sugar. Pour the thulasi leaves with water into a saucepan and let it boil well till the water changes colour. Now let it cool down completely.Take a dry clean porcelain jar or bharani and measure in the sugar.When the thulasi concoction is well cooled
pour it into the bharani and stir with a ladle so that the sugar a thulasi gets mixed. Now add in a teaspoon of yeast to this and close the bharani tightly with a lid and store it in a dark place. The wine will be fermented within 7 days.Please make sure to stir the thulasi mix once everyday in clockwise direction with a ladle .On the 7 th day seive out the thulasi wine through a muslin cloth.Store the wine in glass bottles. NB: The wine will be sweeter than the other wines because if you cut down the sweetness the wine might slightly numb your tongue.
All that is fresh
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or Chef Ajeeth, the simple secret behind every food is the same: freshness. He ensures that the fish that on your plate has been offloaded from the nets the very same morning, the spices that seasoned it were freshly purchased from Jew street and that the crabs are alive when they buy it.
Have you ever had to change the recipes to fit the taste buds of Indians. While serving a certain palette I introduce some changes without moving away from the authentic recipe. Today people are broad minded and willing to understand and accept other cultures and food. People demand authentic food these days.
What is your signature dish? Crab Soup. We get very good mud crabs from Vypeen mangroves. The entire crab is boiled with vegetables and Star Anise for three hours. Add some herbs and put in a little bit of cream. The taste is really good. The peculiarity is that one can have only a small portion and it is sufficient as an appetizer.
The greatest challenge you faced? To keep the authenticity and freshness of every dish that goes to every guest and ensures that every time the team pays the exact amount of attention. What is your favorite dish? My mom’s fish curry. She uses a mud pot that my grandma used to make
fish curry and when it is kept overnight and served it for breakfast, it tastes out of this world.
Ajeeth Janardanan, Executive chef, CGH Earth Brunton boatyard
Your favorite restaurant in Kochi? Grand hotel, M.G Road, Kochi, Mr.Ramesh Menon’s Dal Roti at Fort Kochi, Pai brothers, Ernakulam Who cooks at home? Hahaha… I don’t take work home. My wife cooks at home but at times I lend a helping hand. The cook book you follow Larousse Gastronomique by Georges Auguste Escoffier. In search of total perfection by Heston Blumenthal, The French Laundary Cookbook by Chef Thomas Keller.
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GRO
MING
What does youR Lip CoLoR say about you?
L You cannot keep changing men so you settle for changing your lipstick...
ip colors reveal a lot about a woman’s mood and personality. Be it an official meeting, a lunch date, a sport day out or even an evening party lipsticks are always lucky enough to be on her lips. For some it’s to boost their confidence, for others- a quintessential part of their makeover and for the rest the most priceless accessory in their vanity case. It turns out to be the most vivid symbol for detecting the mood and the personality of a woman. Sexy, Sensuous, Satisfied, Happy, Dull or full of confidence they can say it all. Go in for a lip color that matches your skin tone and suits your personality. Playing with colors is a lot fun for sure but try not messing up the whole look with heavy lip colors that goes out of the way and send wrong signals getting you unwanted attention.
Pink Nouveau-Mac, Chatterbox-Mac (a shade that gives your lips more of the peach and soft mauve hue), Smashbox Be legendary lipsticks are some options to go pinkier this season.
The Lighter shades to get you brighter Berry Stained Lips for some perfect looks: For a seductive super dark vamp lip look or a color for your super pale skin tone berry lip shades are the perfect pick. A natural berry stained lip gets you a poised look and a deeper darker cherry shade with a paler skin is surely the secret tip for blowing the sexy siren. A shade like Raspberry lip color will compliment your skin tone and add in the glimmer to your overall appeal. Shades that are most in within this range are Rosy Tan, Joradana Berry Colada, Plum Rum, Wet and Wild Dark Wine, Mink Brown, Nika K Cameo etc.
Bold and Bright gets it all right: Tangerine Tango, Bright Orange, Cherry Red and Matte Red These are the shades that form the scarlet of the moment. All bright and shiny the color goes best for the medium and dark toned women. Bright shades are in this season as it gets you the dramatic and bold look with an extra tinge of sex appeal added to it. So be bold enough to wear the color of love and get those heads and eyes rolling. Next to Red Hot lips are the Pink Hot lips : A color full of grace, elegance and love it’s a shade that’s more on the sweeter side of Red. Pink lips turn out to be a perfect spring and summer substitute for the bold bright red lips. Breaking the barriers of skin tones, hair colors and ages, shades of pink are at ones rescue. Pinks as- Please Me by Mac (a subtle pink with a matte texture), Pale Pink, 60
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Nude Lip Stains to keep it Plain: Perfect choice if you wish to highlight those smoky eyes or your hair do. As you pick a nude lip color for yourself don’t forget to check if it compliments your skin tone. Do not dab too much of these lip colors thinking its nude as it could result in giving you a muddy lip stained look. If applied with a little care it can give one an ultimate sexy and magnetic look or else gift you with an insipid look. Light Creme beige is however the color that goes with every skin tone. Options like Bobby brown, BB Brownie, Mac lipstick in Velvet Teddy, Mac lipstick in Half n Half suits best on Tanned skin, Golden Brown, Heather mauve are some other options available to try a hand when it comes to play with these nude shades. With all these secrets unveiled choose the color that blends in with your pout personality.
AUTO STORY Renault Koleos
Renault KoLeos
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interior
K
Meter Console
oleos, a seemingly full-grown SUV is a blend of power delivery, driving pleasure and style. Its relentless 4x4 capabilities are able to take on any terrain. Stunning exteriors and inspiringly comfortable and exceptionally silent interiors is what Renault Koleos promises.
Aut
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BYTE smartphones
With the vast number of smartphones available in the market, choosing a smartphone has increasingly becoming a difficult task for the ordinary folks!
Select your right
Smartphone
W
hilst the internet, in particular the all powerful Google search engine, sourcing information on smartphones have never been easier..and confusing to those not familiar with IT jargon or technical terms. Check out your simple guidelines to select a smart phone below.
List out your priorities List the qualities that are important to you in a Smartphone. Forget about all of the smart phones out there for a minute and think about what you want to accomplish while on the road. Consider how much you are willing to spend on phone and 64
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more importantly, the phone plan!. For example, do you use the smartphone more so as a phone for calling or texting messages or as a mobile PC, allowing you to send surf the internet, pay bills online, read news?
Operatig Systems? You’ll also want to be thinking about software. Apple iOS, Google Android, Windows Phone 7, webOS, BlackBerry OS. Those are the 5 most popular mobile operating systems out there and while they might seem the same, they are very, very different. For Eg. If you want a ton of options when it comes to software on your smartphone, Apple’s App Store Android Markets are the
best choice. None of the others are close. In Apps if you look for Free first, then Android market is the best option while App Store comes with many classy Apps. If you are big into customizing your phone, Android is definitely the top dog in that department.
Shortlist phones Create a shortlist of smartphones that best meet your criteria list and then reduce this shortlist further by comparing reliability with friends, online reviews etc (any widespread negative reviews and feedback on this smartphone?), supportability (ie,is there local support in your area for this brand of smartphone?) and warranty.
Once you have thought of the above, you should compare the different options which match your criteria, read user reviews, feedback and compare pricings.
Wrapping Up What’s left should hopefully be your ideal choice. If more than 1 exists, then it’ll be down to personal preference..which one appeals to you asthetically All of this may seem like overkill because let’s face it, it’s not a car it’s a smartphone, but because we are living in an age where mobile devices are connected to not only our social lives but to the workplace, it’s worth your time to make a smart choice
Life
SULA wine fest
With the grape crushing season underway, a delectable read on the wining at Sula Fest 2012
Fine Win(e)ing Sula for the last 4 years have been organizing a carnivalesque amidst a picturesque vineyard.
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C
ome this time of the year, for those who are wondering which time, its grape stomping time in Sula Vineyards near Nasik Mumbai. For those who know their wine and Hollywood movies, I am talking about a scene right out of the Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón from the 1995 Hollywood movie “A walk in the Clouds”. Sula for the last 4 years have been organizing a carnivalesque amidst a picturesque vineyard. This time around it got bigger and better with a Woodstock like ( sorry only tobacco was officially available) ambience and some really good music.The food wasn’t bad either Well imagine my surprise seeing a bunch of Harley Davidson riders ( ya you read it right Harley
Davidson and no, they were not here to bully the wine drinkers. ) who rode in from mumbai to flag off a ride. Apparently there is logic behind this, if you think carefully, there are a lot a similarities between wines and Harley Davidsons. ( Once you finish laughing, read on )Both are new and trying to find place in the Indian mindset. Harley Davidson, which aims to pioneer the rise of a strong leisure riding culture in India, was launched at the Auto Expo held in Delhi in January. So there! you know why they were here. The other notable mention would be Nikhil Advani, who directed Kal Ho Na Ho and Chandni Chowk to China, was seen capturing the vibe of the festival with a camera in an attempt to make a Woodstock-esque documentary of the fest.
The Music
More music followed on the second day by Ankur
Now this is my favorite part ( gasp! I mean other than
and the Ghalat Family and Soulmate. Taal INC’s Drum
all the drinking that was done here). Come Sula festival
Circle worked up the crowds by inviting a select group to
you know there will be some good music to be listened.
jam with them. DJ Sasha performed some upbeat mixes
Played in a Greek-style amphitheatre, the line-up set up
while Dualist Inquiry led by Sahej Bakshi performed the
by blueFROG, the Mumbai club which features live music
final jig of Sulafest.Apart from music, there was also
performances, included Blackstratblues featuring Nikhil
some B-boying on display for the crowd by Ayush
D’souza, Reggae Rajahs and Etienne Mbappe & Su La
Shrestha, famous as a singer and a songwriter.But then
Take. Papon & the East India Company performed on
have to admit the best thing to do there is to jump into a
their interesting rendition of ‘Dumadum Mast Kalandar’
grape filled barrel feet first and stomp the pulp
which had the crowd grooving.
‘out of them’ grapes
Must watCh wine movies
What is Sula Fest ? An event organised by Sula Winery in the month of February, 2 days long, in Nasik. This feb saw the 5th edition. Lot of wine food music and shopping. A day pass is 1000/- 2 days pass, 1800, should be above 18 to take apart.
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heaLth Weight Loss
Loose youR WeiGht NatuRaLLy You need to be more alert when picking up packaged food items. Remember that non-saturated fats and essential fatty acids are the good kind of fats that your body needs for its basic functions
M
ost of the contemporary solutions border on providing unrealistic weight loss solutions or are too time-consuming. Drastic dieting is never recommended since it can leave you malnourished and damage your body in an unredeemable manner. In order to lose weight naturally, i.e. without using any magic pill or gymming like a maniac, use the following tips:
Consider Whole Grains As Your Friends Try to eat a larger concentration of foods made from whole grains (rotis, whole wheat breads, cookies and oatmeal) rather than refined or processed foods. Whole grains are more complex for the body to metabolize, taking a longer digestion route. This keeps the body busy for a longer period, ensuring that energy is released throughout the day. This helps to decrease the frequency and intensity of hunger pangs, particularly the sugar cravings.
for a bit piece of creamy cake or a cheeseloaded pizza.
Know Your Food You need to be more alert when picking up packaged food items. Remember that non-saturated fats and essential fatty acids are the good kind of fats that your body needs for its basic functions. Food items bearing labels of low-fat or low-sugar might not necessarily contain lesser calories. Instead, try to make smarter substitutions. For instance, you can choose eggless baked items and juices without sugar.
Use Water As A Weight Loss Tool Try to drink water every time you get hungry or you are about to have a meal, i.e. just before a major meal like a lunch or dinner. This is a simple and effective way of instantly quenching your hunger to a certain extent. More water also raises the metabolic rate or the rate at which the body uses calories, meaning you are losing more calories per hour.
Psychological Preparedness Don’t be shy about your weight loss goals. In fact, use the people around you to your advantage. Announce it amongst your friends and family that they should thwart you every time you are headed 70
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Manipulate Yourself To Reduce Food Intake Try to eat slowly, breaking your food into more bites. This will ensure that you derive more pleasure out of each bite, allowing each morsel to provide
more satiety, ensuring your calorie intake at the dining table remain limited. Rather than taking single, big servings, try to take numerous small servings. This helps to establish the perception that you have been serving yourself repeatedly and also makes you more conscious about the amount of food you are about to consume.
Use Fiber To Your Advantage Try to include more fiber in your diet. This should include soluble and insoluble fiber for ensuring that the digested food in your intestines absorbs more water. This in turn ensures that the feeling of being full is achieved quicker. Insoluble fiber is found in leafy salads that also help you limit your food intake naturally. This is because the raw state of most salad ingredients means that you need to chew a lot more. The extra chewing and salivating that accompanies it helps to control the hunger pangs for a few hours.
or hot herbal teas prepared with minimal amount of sugar throughout the day. These are low cal aids that help to establish the feeling of feeding yourself without consuming too many calories, preventing the urge to snack.
Keep Away From Salt Salt is responsible for retention of water within the large intestine. Further, salt tends to keep our blood pressure high, making us more prone to sweating. These factors raise our thirst and the tendency to consume beverages, including teas and colas, which contain sugar.
Diet Chart
Burn Your Sugars If you cannot do without your daily intake of sweet or sugar-concentrated items, try to snack upon them during the morning hours. This ensures that the body will be using the calories extracted from your favorite milkshake throughout the day, reducing the number of calories stored as fat.
Overcome Your Snacking Habits Snacking is perhaps the biggest sin a dieter can commit. To ensure that you stay away from the urge to bite into a chocolate or cookie, keep your mouth busy with sugar-free chewing gum. Try to sip iced
my Health
Dr.Jaison Paulson
Lifestyle management Guru, Jaisons fitness centre
Expert Advice Exercise & Weight Loss
How does exercise figure into weight loss? I keep hearing that it does but at the end of the day isn't calories in vs calories out? So why do you need exercise to loose weight.? - Deepak Prakash Exercise is important to lose weight because it affects the way you body functions apart from the fact the it burns calories. It is mostly and absolutely for everybody and definitely not the tool to get rid of the abs and flabs It’s more of something that keeps our heart healthy and it’s the secret for the perfect and healthy heart that lets you live a healthy life. Exercise is more for functional fitness and has nothing serious to do with the calories. Workouts should be like a strict plan because there are a lot of people for whom the workouts do not really work out. So as per a person his/her workouts could be varied and burning off calories definitely is the secondary part of it. What one should look and care for more is their blood Ph and heart than their calories.
SeCRets Rajiv Pillai
How does your day begin? My day begins as every other persons day usually does. I take a shower and start off with my daily activities as soon as I am done with my breakfast. How often do you work out? I prefer working out in the evenings. It’s usually a 45 minutes workout session that I go for at least 4 times a week. Are you a foodie? What does your food chart consist of? No I am not, I am very strict when it comes to my diet .I make sure my intake has sufficient veggies, fruits, egg white, water and least of carbohydrates. Your mantra for a good health? Follow a diet plan and stick on to it .Avoid oily food and carbohydrates and do not laze on your work out sessions. Drink plenty of water so as to remain healthy and it helps you get rid of te toxins in your body.
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Life
THERE’S MORE TO MEDIA THAN,
GOVERNMENT MALFUNCTIONS AND WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS
THINK FWD Follow us on: www.fb.com/fwdmagazine
Life
ReLationships Co-Worker
To Date oR not to Date a Co-woRkeR Think twice before flirting with colleagues and passing cheesy comments. Do you really want that extra dash of fun at the risk of losing your job? The romantic in us can conjure up images of Cupid, at his prankster best, shooting little love darts at unsuspecting colleagues and gleefully watching the fun and confusion that ensues.
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O
ffice romances have become increasingly common; not just between ‘alpha’ personalities – circumstances have made it anyone’s game to play. The romantic in us can conjure up images of Cupid, at his prankster best, shooting little love darts at unsuspecting colleagues and gleefully watching the fun and confusion that ensues. But it’s impossible to ignore the reality of long working hours that keep you in the company of your colleagues for the better part of the day, and away from the outside world! If it is Cupid’s game, he doesn’t really care about work pressure or office ‘dating’ policies! You, on the other hand, will find yourself bound by rules, policies and the fine line between casual flirting and sexual harassment. Recently, a sexual harassment charge against a CEO of a leading software company in an IT Park in Kerala led to his resignation, and has made everyone sit up and take notice. The one question buzzing in official
corridors is ‘what can be read between the lines of officially ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’ behavior’? “Agreed! We spend 40 to 60 per cent of our life in office. Work place dating and romance has become more or less a universal phenomenon,” says HR professional Anusree Menon. “But the catch is that sexual harassment rules and regulations of many organisations are so subtlety stated that everyone’s job is at risk,” he adds. You could be just a harmless flirt trying to liven up your work environment with casual jokes and light-hearted teasing. But if your co-workers don’t take it in the right spirit, you could very well be blind-sided with a sexual harassment charge. “Be alert when spotting signals of a strong attraction,” warns Atul Raj, a software professional. The key is not to assume anything. Unless you’re genuinely convinced that your co-worker is interested you, do not make a move that is considered ‘too forward’. Overcoming the initial barrier is the first step. You may be two consenting colleagues
“Agreed! We spend 40 to 60 per cent of our life in office. Work place dating and romance has become more or less a universal phenomenon,” willing to play the ‘dating’ game, but you have to brace yourself against the odds of a successful personal relationship in a work environment. You should also be prepared to maintain a certain level of decorum and professionalism should the relationship fizzle out, in order to keep your rapport at work intact. “It is advisable to be ready in order to fight the odds – such as office gossip, fear of blackmail and other general tempests of an official affair,” says Dr Karthik Krishnan, a Clinical Psychologist Consultant. “Just maintain maturity and collar up your self confidence for that completely professional workplace affair,” exclaims Dr Karthik.
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ETS
Yamaha YASYAS 101101 Yamaha The YAS 101 is a sound bar device that is compact and slim, which has excellent psuedo-surround capabilities. With some smart behind the scenes magic, this device lets you do away with all the extra speakers and wires; and still provide you a full 7.1 like surround sound setup. The device can decode fully digital Dolby and DTS.
Features
Full digital Dolby & DTS Compact (35x3.5x4.5) Univolume autosound leveler
Price - $300 (approx ` 15,000)
Yamaha YAS 101
Sony Bloggie 3D The Sony Bloggie 3D is a pocket sized video camera which supports 3D video recording and photo capture. It is possibly the cheapest 3D video camera in the market. The device has twin cameras - one for 3D video and the other for normal photography. The device comes with lenticular display which can show 3D videos without the need for glasses. Sony Bloggie is definitely a good toy to have if you have a 3D TV at home.
Features Fixed zoom lens (with 4x digital zoom) 2.4 inch 3D LCD display HD Recording USB & HDMI ports
Price - $270 (approx `13,000)
Griffin Beacon The Grffin Beacon is an IR transmitter than can turn any smartphone device into a universal remote controller. The device comes with a companion app (dijit) that supports both iOS and Android. Once the app is installed on your smartphone the Beacon can be programmed to match the operations for any device that has an IR sensor. The product looks very well designed and the pebble shaped device does look like a classy add to your desktop!
Features
Supports more than 200,000 devices Social network integration Supports iPhone and Android
Price - $90 (approx ` 4,500) 78
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MARCH 2012
Yamaha YAS 101
Motorola Motoactv The Motorla Motoactv is a sports tracking device that runs on Android packed with loads of innovative features. The device comes with an MP3 player, GPS tracker and pedometer. It also comes with a broad range of connectivity options including a headphone jack, ANT+ and Bluetooth to connect to devices like heart rate monitors, foot pods and cadence sensors. The killer feature is the smart MP3 player which autolearns how you perform during each track you play and autosuggests the right music for you during your workout plan!
Features
MP3 player, GPS, pedometer Android 2.3 ANT+, Bluetooth Workout monitoring and presets
Price ` 6,500 (approx.)
Samsung Series 8 60" LED Fleshing out 400k for a TV might not sound like an exceptional idea at first; but if you do have money to spare this package is definitely worth the cost. The premium mammoth 60 inch display provides exceptional quality and an immersive 3D experience. It also comes with internet connectivity with a QWERTY remote keypad and all the internet apps you could ask for inluding - Movie recommendations, Skype, web browser, games and a multitude of other apps from Samsung.
Features 60" screen 1080p Full HD with digital noise filter Streaming TV content, Skype integration, web browser 2D to 3D convertor 3D sound, MicroDimming
Price ` 4,00,000 (approx.)
Yamaha YAS 101
Plantronics Voyager HD Pro Carry around two phones in your pocket? Plantronics Voyager HD Pro is a bluetooth headset that can pair with 2 devices at once. It also supports voice dialling; so you never need to touch your phone to search for your contacts. If you have an iPhone 4S, this device directly integrates into Siri. The sound quality is pretty good too!
Features Voice dialling - iPhone, Android and Windows Phone HD Streaming audio Android & iOS companion app Twin device connection Wind protection
Price - $90 (approx ` 4,500) 2012 MARCH
Life
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FREE GIFT
One of India’s largest township projects is set to redefine urban living with its extravagant spread of futuristic apartments, hi-tech office spaces, sprawling shopping mall, business hotel and much more! Upon completion, HiLITE’s biggest and most brilliant infrastructural project will unveil the most spectacular world ever seen.