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EDITORIAL INDIAN LINK

Do what you love, love what you do

PUBLISHER ~a-Yan Luthra· EDITOR f?ajni An_arid Lu~bra

' ASSISTANT EDITOR L~~~ Peac~ck · Sheryl DiJ<it

.MELBOURNE COORDINATOR · Preeti Jabbal CQ_NTRIBU'fOR.~ .

Jyoti Shankar, Saroja Srinivasan, Danielle Mathias, Noel G De SoJ:za, Sitara Ramakrishnan, Mohan Dhall, Farzana Ahmad, Kashif H~rris~n.

Petra O'Neill, Nancy Jade Althea, LP. Ayer ADVERTISING MANAGER Vivek Trivedi ,02 9262 1766

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Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published i in English. No material, including advertisements ::designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in '.I part or in whole without the written consent of the 1 editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of :,the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian .. Lifl~--All c<>r.respo,n~_E!ri~e_sh.ould ~~.ad_~r~sse~.to

Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000·:, or GPO Box 108, Sydney.2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004 l=ax: _02 9;7~:iooi; Ern.iil: __irifo@indi~nff~k:com.au_, .--

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twas the usual .Saturday n. ight din ner with Indian Australian friends w hen the discussion tllrned to the recently released HSC results and theATAR scores. Of the 20 people gath ered, a quick whip around found tli at only four could accuaUy rem ember their Ind ian HSC results and whether it was selective amnesia or embarrassmen t, it seemed chat 25 years on, chose results made little d ifference to their lives.

It was however, agreed that in their experience, while tl1e HSC allowed some an en try inco their preferred options, ochers found their personal future in tlieir own warThe local Ind ian Australian community values good educa tion. \Xiith the 2013 H SC results anno unced in mid-D ecember, there is a scramble for uuiversi ty places, as families push for higher ed ucatio n for their child ren.

Around dinner cables, an analysis of courses and universities and higher education options are being explored by stud ents and tl1eir paren ts. \Vhile selection of the appropriate course is im po rtan t, it is also i mportant co nore

that future h appiness is not decided by wha t your ATA R scores allow you to access.

The cha.Uenge for yow1gsters and dieir parents is to fi nd om what they enjoy and then do it Admittedly, at times i t may be difficult to get t his right in die first go, bur over time one hopes that there wiUbe a grad ual shift to align personal passion witl1 p rofessional endeavours.

AustraLia does offer die opportunity to learn from life experien ces as perhaps compared to India. In India, wi tli constan t population pressures on the job market, along with social expectations, the ab ility to line tune one's life journey is more restricted.

Society and otli er pressu.res make i t diflicult to leave a stud y course midterm, wh ereas in Ausrrali.'l m e ability to line ru ne is m ore acceptable.

It is com monp lace for young people co rake a g ap year and enhance tlieir p ersonal perspectives before embar king on a tmiversicy course, wh ereas in l ndia, ro take tim e off after school to go travelliog is un heard off. Often long term profession al happiness is sacrificed as the pathways for advancem ents are restricted .

For parents of youn g Indian Australians, the reaLisation that di e social system s are d ifferent between tlie two countries may help diem in guiding tl1eir children as to tlieir options

as they go forward. For the parents helping meir children to chart out die rest of their lives based on tl1cir ATAR sco res, they need to ta ke into account what their children enjoy d oing, as well as balancing mcir O'\v11 Life experiences with the social options in meir country o f adoption.

They m ay well be advised to use the following w·ords o f wisdom from tl1e famous $Leve Jobs Stan ford speech, 'Tm convinced that the o nly thing that kept me going was char I loved what I did. You've go t to find what you love.

An d that is as true for your wor k as it is for you r lovers. Your work is ~oing to fill a large part of your life, an d the o nly way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And t he only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found ir yet, keep looking. D o n't settle. As with all matters of the heart, yo u'll know when you find it. A n d, like any great relationship, ic just gets better and better as the years roil on. So keep looking u ntil you find it. D o n't settle".

And ped rnps parents might also want ro review their own life choices.

Would they have done dungs differen tly i f they had m ore flexibility with meir op tion s?

Pawan Luthra i s the 2012 Parliament of NSW Multicultural Journalist of the Year.

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• Indian Link LINKING INDIA WITH AUSTRALIA

SPECIAL FEATURES INDIA DIARY Teaching tolerance: Defending gay rights

HSC Indian studen ts discu ss HSC 2013 INDIAN CALENDAR 2014 All of the not to be missed dates for 2014 on the Aussie an d In dian calendar

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SCHOOL ATAR: The n umbers game

33 COMPETITION Indian Linlc's 2013 Selfie of the Year is announced!

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• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• We highly appreciate that the care, praise and sincere advice you showed us last year. We, Edu-Kingdom College will promise the best education with students, parents and everybody helping us and we will try our best for students education and safety. We wish you have great love and peace at your home and family and also wish that there are only glad and happy in full in 2011.

We, Edu-Kingdom College, promise that we will proceed steadily and develop continuously in the future.

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JANUARY (1) 2014 7

WHA.T'SON AUSTRALIA DAY, INDIA DAY andPONGAL Sun 26 Jan 10am-1 pm RAIN celebrates Australia and India's national day alongside Pon gal, southern India's harvest festival, at 501 Forest Road, Penshurst. Features include friendship corners, garden talk and Indian vegetarian lunch.

Details: Sudha Natarajan 0420 271 570.

FUNDRAISER GHARA Valentine Dinner Dance Sat 22 Feb 7pm GHARA's fundraising dinner will raise money for some of the poorest areas of India. Includes great food, music and of course, dancing. Limited tickets available.

Our Lady of Czestochowa Hall, The Polish Church, 116-132 Quaker Road, Marayong.

Details and RSVP to: Kylee on 0410 657 896 or help@ghara.org by Feb 8.

HELP 3-YEAR- OLD KAMAL WALK Melbourne's Samyuktha and Ashok Pothireddy are parents of twins Kamal and Nayan who turned three on Christmas Day. They are reaching out to the

Indian community to help their son Kamal learn to walk. He has cerebral palsy. The twins were born at 23 weeks making them possibly the youngest premature twins to survive in Australia. They were only 524 grams and 554 grams respectively at birth. They spent 131 days in hospital and had numerous operations. But Kamal was not reaching the milestones that Nayan was doing with ease.

He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Kamal still can't crawl or sit up. He is undergoing numerous therapies but stem cell treatment in the US could possibly help.

The Reddys are looking to raise $40,000 for this.

Details: yukthareddy@gmail.com or Ashok.pothi@gmail.com or call Samyuktha on +61 0469 109 308 or facebook.com/Helpkamalwalk

Library Lawn. Registration for both events before Jan 20 is essential. Remembrance Ceremony: University of New South Wales Library Lawn, UNSW Kensingt on campus.

Gandhi Oration: Leighton Hall, The John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW Kensington campus.

Details: www.alumni.unsw.edu.au/ gandhi CONFERENCE 3 rd Australian National Hindu Conference Sat & Sun 26-27 April 8.30am-5.30pm Workshops, networking and discussions. Organised by Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia Inc. Both days registration fee: $50.

Details: www.vhp.org.au or email conference@vhp.org.au

Cover photos Priyanka Das and Tejas Shah on their wedding day {Southern Light Photography) Murugan Temple, Mays Hill Manjit Singh of Manjit's Balmain

Addendum The photos that appeared with the feat ure on t he Special Olympics in our December (2), were taken by Katy Fitzgerald

LECTURE Annual Gandhi Oration Remembrance Ceremony Thur 30 Jan 5.30pm start Mr Thomas Keneally AO, the internationally acclaimed Australian author will present the Gandhi Oration will be preceded by a Remembrance Ceremony at the Gandhi bust on the UNSW

For full calendar of What's On listings (nation-wide) check out:

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The first check list for submission that was customized for my professional background & situation) that Ramneek provided served as the ultimate guide in assembling the application. All my queries were answered in less than 24 hours. Such professionalism & efficiency made my visa process a b reeze... highly recommended for anyone serious about his/her immigration plans. - V. Srivastava, Melbourne, VIC • If you want excellent customer service & prompt responses to any of your questions, then TGLT is your stop. Highly professional & friendly m igration agent!!

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JANUARY (1) 2014 9

INDIADIARY

to erance

eac

The gay rights debate continues in India after a devastating reversal by the Supreme Court

Gay rights parades have become annual events in India's major cities

twas a Facebook spat between t\vo young people I know, living in different parts of the world, that set me thinking. Do we have a riglu to judge what we don't understand and what is beyond our sense of normalcy? D o we bave to be intolerant? Do we have to voice our opinions and prejudices in social media? This wbole business of likes and dislikes? Are we so i.mo ourselves that we have stopped caring about things that real!)' matter?

The topic was homose:,,.,ialit:y. ·'Hats off to The f-lono mable Supreme CoLrrt of India.

Homosexuality is illegal and a crime i.n India. I mean homosexuality is observed in 400 animal species but stilJ it is not a namral way of sexualJy exploring yourself. Our ancient \Ted Puraoas also don't alJow this. \X!e are proud o f our own rules and cultme," said a friend in India. ''Are you seriously pro ud of this? was the reply from Australia. "ls it a personal injury oi: insult to you if a man and a man or a woman and a woman \Vant to be together? As citizens of India, these people have the same rights as you. \Vho are

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10 JANUARY (1) 2014

you to cal.I these people criminals?"

The argument continued, ''Thanks for your opinion . .. it is not my verdict but the verdict of Honourable Supreme Court Of India . .. those are far more intelligent people than you and me who lay the rules for the whole country. 1,000 years ago irwas we who taught the world to be civilised and laid our own culnue.

Indian culmre does not allow us to be homosexual. It is now vice versa we are now forgetting mu· own tradition and quickly adopting these ·westet:n Aaws."

De friending ended this argument but it set me chinking. How many of os th.ink a.long these lines?

U nder section 377 of the Indian Penal Code 1860, it is an offence for a person to voluntarily have "carnal intercourse against rhe order of nature". It wasn't Ullti.l 2009, in the Naz Foundation case that Delhi High Court found Section 377 and other legal prohibitions against private, adult, consensual, and non-com1nercial same-sex conduct to be i.n direct violation of fundamental eights provided by the Indian Constitution . This decision was welcomed by people a11 over the world.

Though hardly 200 people have been convicted under this law in over 150 years, homosexuals in India, and there are an estimated 50 million, are often ha.rassed on this basis. On 11 December 2013, the

High Court decision was set aside by the Supreme Come of India. \Xlhile many in India welcomed this, like the first young person in my story, on the basis that it upheld "Indian cuJrme," many have been saddened by this retrograde seep.

Gay right activists believe chat this will lead to further alienation of LGBT pet:Sons (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and cause a setback to AIDS prevention efforts. Naz Foundation who started the case d1at led tO the De.ll1i ruling, will be filing a petition for review of the SC decision.

Seeing one of my favourite authors, Vikram Seth, so incensed with the judgement that he consented to appear on the cover of Tndio Tod,!)' looking dishevel.led and angry and holding a chalkboard that reads,"• OT A CRIMINAL. To not be able ro love d1e one you love is tO have your life wrenched away" is sad.

Seth is a master of words and the heart-wrenching words in his essay on gay rights move.

"Of al1 the cruel ties d1at we as human beings can v isit on one another, one o f d1e most cruel is to say: You may say you love each othet, but I do n or care," says Vikram Seth. "No, you have nor harmed me, but I will harm you. l will disown you, I will treat you with contempt, 1 will make you an o u teas re or a criminal, I \viii lock you up. l will break your legs, l will Ai.ng acid in your face, I wiU hang

you from a crane, I will srone you to death. If the mob helps me, so

much the better. If the law helps me, so much the better. If I can wrap myself in a Aag, so much the better. If I can drape religion around myself, so much die better. .. \X'.1hac makes li.fe bearable is love - to love, to be loved, and even after death or parting - co know that you have loved and been loved. To not be able co love the one you love is co have your life wrenched away. To do d1is to someone else is to murder thei.r soul ... " Can anyone who has loved and been loved, be so cruel as ro deny another human being their basic right co love? What harm does chis cause you, other than a perceived sense of damage to your so calJed morals? \Xlhe.n will society wake up w cbe bigger problems of life?

It is absolutely wrong for a person co sexualJy abuse a child, domestic violence is wrong, the rape of our environment to enrich private coffers is wrong, mistreating d10se who wot:k for you is wrong. Lee us make some noise about these wrongs. There can be no way tO justify these kind of wrongs but homose}.,1ality is no one's business. If you are born inclined in this way, who am l to chalJenge yorrr fee.lings?

Wake up people, open your mind and your hearts. r o one deserves co be trea red this way.

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COVERSTORY

Indian Link's guide to Sydney's Indian restaurants, grocery stores, places of worship, charity organisations and events

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BY RAJNI ANAND

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LUTH RA

d~c~:rt:1: drivers, gas station attendants, IT guys, international students, Parramatta residents ... and the nerdy kid s at you r chi.ldren's school who manage to do well at sport as well as public speaking. jt1i Hos. But, how well do you know Sydney's Indian commmlity? lo rrus feature we introduce aspects of the Indian community to our non-Indian readers and Indians new to Sydney, hoping to answer simple questions that we are often asked at the Indian Link office, such as where can I buy a parricu.lar spice in Syd ney, or w here can I book a Bollywood act for my upc01ning event.

Restaurants ·'So wluch are your to p five lndiau restaurants in Sydney?" Mose Indian readers have probably been asked this question a few hundred rimes. Here's a list o f eateries that are popular with the Indian community.

The stalwarts for some years have been regular culprits Abbi's at Concord, Manjit's at BaLmtin, Ni1giri's at St Leonard's, Maya at Surry Hills ,md Zaaffraan at Darling Harbour. But iu the last two years, new kid o n the block U rban Tadka at Terrey Hills has splashed on to the scene with a bang, witming not o nly fans witlun the Indian community bur

12 JANUARY (1) 2014

also iudustry awards. j\[eanwbile, Thousand Spices at Homebush, Bijolias at Seaforth and Mantra and Dragon House lndoChinese at Ryde continue o n steadily with their band of regi.1lars.

In specific pockets of the community, .Maharaja's Raveli at Quakers Hill, Castle Taj in Castle Hill aod Indian Fusion at Pennant Hills are popular wirh locals.

In tl1e Parramatta area, Ki ngs Indian and the new Anjappar Cherti1iad are doing well. For Hartis Park, try Hyderabad House, Billu's and Taj, and the new Durga Paan and Falooda H o use for its Indian style ice creams.

Many of these restamants have function rooms if you want co o rganise an even t o r party. Some venues such as Nilgiris or Urban Tadka will organise high-class corporate or private events with aJ1 the trimmings, but for the Indian community, Manjit's Concord Function Centre is the go-to place for Iarge-scale evems such as weddings.

Indian grocery stores Well worth a visit i f you haven't ventured into one of Sydney's many 'spice shops'. \':'hat could you buy? Try the Basrnati rice: heaps cheaper, and much better quality, than your usual

superm arket variety. Tbe wide range of Indian breads in the freezer sections could be interestiug. Give pa11eer a tr)~ Indian cottage cheese, which you could pm in your salads, pan fry like haloumi o r cook into a curry.

Pappadums are a great snack if you are gluten-sensitive: give them a whirl in the nlicrowave, or better still, roast with tongs over an opeo Aame. If you've cooked Indian before, you will love the variety in lentils on offer, and you could pick up a bunch of fresh curry leaves for a tentl1 of the p rice at Hards Farm. How about som e 111itht1i (desserts?) Try the Nanak or Haldi Ram brand mJmtilt,i from

Uzma Beg presents her morning show on Indian Link Radio

www.indianlink.com.au

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the freezer section - finger-licking good. A nd on your ·way out, don't forget to pick up a free copy of d1e latest Tudian Link issue.

Places of worship A number of Hindu temples dot the city of Syd ney, all built strictly to architectural guidelines listed in the ancient Hindu scriptures.

Sri Mandir (286 Cumberland Rd, Aubutn) is Australia's oldest Hindu temple, built in 1977. It caters to the spiriruaJ needs of Hindus from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Completed in 1985, the Sri Venkateswara Temple (Temple Rd, Helensburgh) is dedicated to Lord

Venkateswara, one of the forms of Lord Vishnu (the Preserver of the Universe).

The Murugan Temple at 217 Great Western Hig hway, Mays Hill, is dedicated to Lord Mmugan, the Hindu God of war and victory popular with the Tamils.

The Mukti Gupteshwar Temple at 203 Eagleview Rel, Minto, is dedicated co Lord Shiva (the Destroyer of the Universe).

Built cave-style, it was consecrated on 14 Feb 1999 when certain planets aligned in a fashion described in the epic Rt1tJJ'!}a11t1, an arrangement that reportedly occurs once every hundred years.

rf n L f\\ NATIONAL EDITION

JANUARY (1) 2014 13

COVERSTORY

14 JANUARY (1) 2014

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The temple houses an auspicious symbol relating co Lord Shiva, warer from the five oceans and from 8 1 rivers from across the world, and two million handw1:itte n notes from devotees.

Righr next door at 201 Eagleview Rd, is another temple worth v isiti ng, the Shri Shiv Mandir.

The BA PS Swaminarayan Temple (40 Ebu1or St, Rosehill) and ISKCON Temple (180 Falcon St, No.rtb Sydney) are two ocher popular temples.

Sydney's Sik.h community worships at Sikh temples known as Gurudwaras (literally, 'gateway to the guru'). The temp les house the holy book of the Sikhs, the Gum Gm11th Snbib, and large dining halls where de,7 otees ear Langor, the food of the Lord.

The Gurudwaras in Sydney are at Revesby (14-22 The River Rd), Turramtu:ta (81 Kissing Point Rd), Glenwood (8 Meurants Lane) and Penrith (15-27 Blaikie Rd, Jamiesoncown).

Charity organisations A number of not-for-profit organisations both within the lndian community and in the wider mainstream are working hard to raise funds for charitable purposes in India. Check o ut rhe ,vork of 1-India A Ltstralia (ww\\d-indiaprojecr.org.au), who save d estitute children from the streets of Rajasthan and provide and care for them, helping chem to break out of the poverty cycle through education and vocational training at the Jhag Children's Village, located about 45 minutes south-west of Jaipur.

The Ekal movement (ww\"ekal.org.au) raises funds for and trains primary school teachers wbo are sent out to remote and tribal regions of India. In single-

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teacher schools, these professionals teach 30-40 children i n the agegroup 5-14. The free ~chooling is centred not only around basic alphabetic and numeric knowledge, but also bealch and hygiene, and ethical values. Ekal Australia is currently sponsoring 350 such schools, ever since its inception in 2004.

Equally laudable are tl1e efforts of V isio n2020 (www.vision2020. org.au) and tbe 40K Foundation (www.40k.com.au), to help the needy in India.

Cultural/Social So you wam co book a Bollywood ace for yotu: next fund-raiser. Try Ramona Lobo's Sirens Dance Group (www.siren sdance.com. au) who will enlighten rour guests about the not-so-subtle nuances of Bollywood dancing and have them screwing in that Light-bulb like experts.

Fo r a touch of authentic bhangra, you can't go past Platimun Inclian E ntertainment (www: platinurnindianen certa.inmenc.com. au). Their drums will continue to reverberate inside your rib cage lo ng after the e~1em is over.

One of Bollywood's leading choreographers, Shiamak Davar has chapters of his dance company in major cities of the world. Shiamak Dava.r Sydney (W\V\\,shiamakdavar.com.au) may have opened only recen tly, but they've already won the heart of the city's lndian community.

And if you want to understand che lyrics o f that Bollywood number, or just wan t to learn how to say Hello in our language, or what Jui Ho! really means, you'll want Hindi lessons. Give Mala l'vfehta a call at tl1e lndo-Australian Bal Bharatiya School (www:iabbvhindiscbool.com). Hello Namaste!

She'll have you nodding your bead

sideways in no time.

Speaki ng of Bollywood, we know you've seen Bride and Ptefudice, Bend It Uk.e Bcrkha1J1, Nlonsoon IPedding and Slumdog l\,/illionnaire. But Sydney's very own Bollywood expen Anupam Sharm a will tell you, these are not really BolJywood films, they are merely posi11g as Bollywood films!

Bollywood films are those that are made in Bollywood, er, Mumbai, and have an impossibl)' impossible srory that will make you laugh aild cry and despair and feel hopeful all in one hour, do that very same circle again in the second hour, and again in the final. tlurd! Get out there tight now and see Dhoo111 3 at your closest Hoyts cinema or better still, on IMAX - tl1e latest BoJJywood thriller might still be on as we go co print, inching closer to that record Rs 600 crore mark (A$ 108,480,000) in o ne montlL Afrer Dhoo111 3 (starting no less than three of Bollywood's biggest stars, move over Brad Pitt), you could probably settle down in your living room and see your very own city Sydney as it appears in Bollywood. Grab copies of the made-in-Sydney Bollywood films Cbak De lndia and Di/ Chahta Hai. ( [here are plemy of others, but mos t of them tanked at tl1e box office so we won't bother listing them here). Di! Chahta H"i (T'hc Hem'/ Desires) ,vas made in 2001 : reports are tl1ar the film made Sydney look so cool and sexy tliat the student community began arriving here in d1·oves soon after.

BoUywood music, anyone? Tty Indian Llnk Radio, Australia's o nly 24-7 Hindi radio station easily accessible on the ner at WW\v.indianlink.com.au or d ownloadable as an app for your sma rtphone.

Worth waiting for in 2014 Whether you're an lndophile or not, you'll find something of interest in this list of events from the Indian community's annual social calendar. Come join us as we talk about Gandhi, or smear coloured powder on each other, or Jig ht a Iamp to mark our new year. .. and try out your light-bulb moves on the dance floor.

GANDHI ORATION THUR30JAN The Gandhi Oration is delivered each year by a person whose life's work exemplifies the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. Previous speakers have included Patrick Dodson and Michael Kirby. The 2014Oration will be delivered

by Mr Thomas Keneally AO, the internationally acclaimed Australian author, at the Leighton Hall, (John Niland Scientia Building), UNSW Kensington campus, at 5.30pm.Details www.alumni.unsw.edu.au/gandhi

fans. Organised by the Swaralaya Fine Arts Society, the 3-day event features vocal as well instrumental presentations.

SYDNEY SAKHI SANGAM JUNE, DATE TBA Some 900 women, dressed to the nines, kick up their beautiful heels at this annual women-only event Organised by socialites Nandini Thadani and Sushma Ahluwalia, Sakhi Sangam (Hindi for'Girlfriends Gather'), is a 'mustdo-at-least- once' kind of event , if you're a woman in Sydney's Indian community! Today it attracts women of all backgrounds who beg, borrow or buy those OTT Indian outfits and accessories for this day-long do.

AUSTRALIA INDIA FRIENDSHIP FAIR DATETBA Held annually in August to mark India's Independence Day, this day-long fair at the Sydney Olympic Park feat ures cultural performances and multiple food stalls. Organised by United Indian Associations (Inc.), the event also attracts many federal and state level politicians who come out to greet t he Indian community.

HOU MAHOTSAV FRI-SUN 21 -23 MARCH Holi is India's spring festival of colours, otherwise known as the annual 'muck-up day' fur Hindus.

Revellers smear coloured powder on each other's faces, or throw them at each other in gay abandon. DEEPAVALI FAIR DATE TBA This feel good fest ival, a mega party in which the main element Another annual event that sees is to have fun, is a celebration of the gathering of'the clan: this equality, a celebration of life itself. day-long event marks the fest ival The Sydney-based Bharatiya ofDeepavali or Diwali, the Hindu Vidya Bhavan organises this fest ival Festival of Lights. Organised by the annually at Darling Harbour, Hindu Council of Australia in Octmarking 11 years in 2014.

Nov, t he event features cultural performances, food stalls and a WEEKEND OF CARNATIC MUSIC fireworks display at dusk.

QUEEN 'S BIRT HDAY Diwali is also celebrated at WEEKEND, JUNE Martin Place in the CBD, and The best-known names in t he the exterior of the NSW thriving classical music circuit In Parliament House is decorated in lights to mark Hinduism's southern India travel to Sydney In most significant festival.

June each year to entertain local

JANUARY (1) 2014 15

MUSIC

•

us1c o our ears Chennai explodes with Carnatic music in December providing the perfect opportunity to reflect on the power of these beautiful sounds

Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashree

usic has been a part of life since lnuuans arrived on earth. Life wid1out music is almost unimaginable. Indian mythology is fiUed with stories of music and rhythm as art forms as ancienr as d1e primordial sound, Lord Shiva's cosmic dance and d1e Vedas.

Staying in South Lidia, especially at Chen.nai, in December, you cannot escape from being surrounded by classical music. During this rime the rainy season has come to an end. People u1 Chennai begin to ta.LI{ about 'tl1e season'. \'qhac they mean of course is the music season.

The Madras Music Academy, along ,vith other major sabhas, the major associarions dedicated to music and dance, becomes the centre for aU music lovers. I c is as much a social gad1ering as a concert attendance. Over the years it bas taken on a global feel co it by including music and musicians of various genres from within India and overseas.

Chennai has a tradirion of celebraring the music season when the weather is. at its mildest. From December 1 rill mid-January the

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16 JANUARY (1) 2014

city is buzzing with well-known artists, both vocal and instrumental, performing at various venues. Music is certainly in the air in Chennai. This rradirion started in che late 1920s by the then stalwarts of Carnacic music and continues to get better by tl1e yeaL The roots of Carnatic mus.ic are in singing tbe praise of divinity and d1e manifestations o f creation around us. Steeped in the spit:itual tradition, the composers evoke tl1e highest emotion in d1e singers and listeners. Extemporising within the parameters of tl1e Rar(goS, melodies, and the prescribed rhydrn1s, the Taalas, allows the singers to exhibit their prowess.

This is such a feature of d1e concerts, that no one concert is ever the same as another.

One of the weU-known Carnacic singers in. che yollnger age g roup now is T. M. Krishna.

His book A S 011/hcm Music- the Komatic sto,y published by HarperCollins has drawn much attention chis month. ln an interview, Krishna highlighted the reasons for wriring about music. This search into the history of music, he says, led him to question more about d1e philosophy of music,

think about himsel f and his place in society. Nor being a musician, it led me to reflect on the place of music in our lives.

Power of music It is a well-accepted fact that music has a central place in almost everyone's life, whatever the genre, classical, pop, rock or 6.1m rnusic.

Many popular sayings uphold the importance of music in our lives.

"Music is the universal language of mankind," "music soothes d1e savage heart," " where words fail, music begins/ speaks". "Music expresses chat which cannot remain silent''. Metaphorica.Uy, we say, ''it was music to my ears" or "hear d,e music behind d1e words".

Simple everyday experiences validate the power and value of music. From the chirping of birds, the luUabies Sllng by mod1ers to pacif)• babies, to famous writers describing music as d1e energy that inspires from within and sustains chem, it has held a special place in civilised society.

Khalil G ibran, the famous Persian poet wrote "Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife". Li the

turbulence of everyday world, music has tl1e power to allow one to find tl1e peace we seek within.

Value of music Music is an experience. I t defies desnibing in words. Yet, evidence is now emerging from various areas about irs tberapeucic value.

We have much anecdotal e,Tidence. AU over the world, from devotional music .in Hindu temples and homes, the Gregorian chanting in churches co Su6 music, every major religion bas assigned a special place for the musical rendering o f prayers and ways a devotee can express meir devotion. Hindu mythology abounds in stories of babies in the womb being lulled by tl1e music a mother hears during her pregnancy; Modern birthing units play class.ical music ro ease the labour of childbirth.

The tberapeuric value of music is now weU researched and recorded, wim neuroplasricity, the capacity o f the brain to adapt and forge new neuronal pamways as the simation demands, providing new evidence. Music therapy as an adjunct to physical or psychological therapy is now an accepted profession. lt is now weU recorded chat music has d1e power to reduce high blood pressure, treat migraines and act as a

power ful de-stressing agent. .Music as a core fi.rncrion of tl1e brain is shown in babies' responses to lullabies. Ir uses shared neural circuits with speech. A well-known example of this is how we learm our ABCs. The majority of any music is structured, predictable and organised, and the brain responds to chis. Stroke patients have been taught to walk and patients in comas bave shown reacrions to musfr. Ln psychochetap), music helps to tap into emoti<;ms difficult to verbalise. In p;itients with dementia, p laying music from their earlier age helps in c0t=unicating with them.

Friedrich Nietzsche, sums it up die most accurately when he says, "without music, l ife would be a mistake".

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JANUARY (1) 20 14 19

HSC

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HSC finishers dissect the final year ofschool and offer advice for prospective students

fter an incense year of hard wot:k and preparation, the results have finally come out for the Higher Sd1ool Certificate (HSC) graduates of 2013. Tndin11 Link spoke to a fe,v local students abom their HSC experience, how they maintained a healthy balance between work and p lay and their plans for the future.

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What was your studying technique? Did you have any added support from a tutor orat home?

Rizul Makkar: My mum is a chemistry teacher. I only did a little bit of tutoring in English every two to thr ee weeks, but other than that it was really just time management. I knew what I needed to do and I d idn't study too much but I knew tliat what I needed to study was right.

Nakita Dass: The key to studying for me was to find a way to 1t11dersta11d and rn/ate to the content of each subject. lf )'OU ask questions, participate actively in class and really engage with what you are learning, it is much easier to recall information in an exam situation. l learn best visually, so watching YouTube videos and downloading apps related to topics 1 was struggling witb really cement concepts for me, made them easy to remember and was a welcome change from my t~xtbook!

I didn't have a tutor for any of m y subjects, but all my teachers were extremely supportive, if 1 needed help tl1ey were always willing to give their time. My parents were i ncredible. They bot.11 made sacrifices tl1roughouc the year and were a source of constant inspiration and encouragement. They understood when I locked myself in the darkness of my bedt'oom for da)'S, only coming out for food, and

20 JANUARY (1) 2014

they sac and helped me go through my study notes at all hours of the day and night. There were tears and rimes I felt burnt out, but my dad always managed co make me laugh, my m Lm1 constantly reassuring.

Harsharndeep Singh Kahlon: 1 had a couple of rucors and I went to Jvfatrix Education for tutoi:ing. Mostly it was about being organised, having a fixed timetable and sticking to it. I was tutored in physics and 4 unit maths.

Aayush Jain: I had a rucor for 4 unit maths and English, which was my weak subject. T tl1oug ht it was a good idea to get nuoring for an extension subject. My parents helped me out with anything I needed in terms of textbooks and general s n:Lff. Vikram Kumar: I had a tumr for physics and for mad1s. My studying technique was basically just revisiJ1g the topics and content of the course and going over it moroughly at school and home and asking questions where I didn't understand the content.

Aparna B alaJ...-i1mar: I was a pretty visual learner so wou.lcl stick. m y English quotes all m1er my room, and history timelines of key dates up on my ceiling.

For more content heavy subjects like Business Studies I made 13ash cards, and in tl1e lead up co exams had my brother read om questions while 1 tried co recall tbe con tent.

1 also had a giant w hiteboard in my room where I would map out responses to practice essay questions for my humanities subjects, linking different ideas wid1 different coloured markers.

It's all about being creative! My motto was tl1at there was no poim malJng a htmdred pages of meticulous notes unless 1 was going to be bothered to read diem (and 1 knew I wouldn't be). j\,( y home support was really great. In the lead up to exams it was often my parents who told me m take a break from stud ying to cake my nlind off the work.load. I live in a large household (seven people), so it's not easy to keep the noise levels low, but they all tried really hard to make my studying environment comfortable. I really appreciated

that the whole family never acted differently towards me, forced me to study, or stopped me from going to parties just because it was an important year. They understood that l would do what needed to be done, w hen ir needed to he done by, and trusted me to have the ability to say no to comnlitmencs if I felt 1 needed co.

Amy Shah: Yeah I did go to tutoring, set time to revise a lot.

My family was really supportive and they knew that I would do well Tanveer Singh Mok.ha: Stud)dng technique was mostly keeping yourself organised and always planning how to study for each subject, co know how much time each subject needs, that way you're not losing our o n any effort needed to put into other subjects. I did tutoring at Talent l 00 and got help Erom my sister and family.

Ridclhi Joshi: Yeah l did cucoring. I tried co study 2-3 hours consistently every night, including homework, assignments, and extra work. Home support was definitely very positive, my family smck with me d1rough everything, all the ups and the clowns. J don't think I would've been able to achieve what 1 achieved without them.

How did you decide what subjects to pick and why did you like them?

Rizul Makkar: le was set up in junior school. I was always interested in maths and sciences, as I got the chemistry background from my mum. Most of d1e subjects I did were subjects I was interested in.

Nakita Dass: When I iilitially chose my subjects at the start of Year 11 l rook into account my interests, strengd1s and also potential future career prospects.

I was one of the only ones at my school who didn't cake maths, but after struggling so much with it, it was a real relief to be able co focus on the subjects l understood and loved. I was confident when l made the decision chat all my remaining subject.~ played to my strengths, knowiJ1g diat I would

need as much time as possible co really give my Extension 2 E nglish and Visual Arts projects my all. I was also taking Spanish d1rough distance education al The Open High SdJoo~ which was brilliant, bm required a lot o f time, hard work and self -discipline. I have always been a creative person by nature and die visual arts course gave me space to breathe. The art room was my refuge d1roughouc the F-ISC and it was a subject, like Extension 2, that gave me a lot of joy and fulfilment. Business Smdies grounded me and kept my rational mind sharp. Business is definitely one of the more useful and applicable subjects to rake. :My choice to learn Spanish was slightly eccentric, however, it was a good 6t for me as I have al\vays enjoyed learning languages (having taken French and Hindi fo the past).

Harsharndeep Singh Kah.Ion: From d1e beginning I always had a passion for mams and I wanted to make sure I did the highest level. It was recommended to me d1at I should also do physics.

Sofrware had a little bit o f maths, so I chose it. I also liked essay writing so chose English extension.

Aayush Jain: I did well in School Certificate science as I really enjoyed science back d1en and I d10ughc tlrnt doing tl1ree science subjects would be a good idea. I also really enjoyed Legal Studies, which I picked because I enjoyed legal studies within commerce, but it didn't count in my ATAR. Vikram Kumar: From year 7- 10 you develop an understanding of what you like and don't like and at the end of year 10 you realise what you wam to do.

Aparna Balakumar: I always loved spending hours researching and editing an essay, and simultaneous.I)' struggled tl1rough 10 mi.rmces of maths homework.

Whilst I enjoyed aspects of the sciences, I was not a 'namral' at them, and always fotmd more ii1terest in learning about societies both past and present. My marks also reflected d1e larger aptitude I had for social sciences. That's why when it came to subject selection, my family and I made the decision

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"I learn best visually, so watching YouTube videos and downloading apps related to topics I was struggling with really cement concepts for me, made them easy to remember and was a welcome change from my textbook!"

Nakita Dass

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"I think having a balance is the most important thing, if you don't have balance you'll never succeed" Rizul Makkar

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Nakita Dass Girraween High School ATAR 97.80

Riddhi Joshi Penrith High School ATAR 99.3

Rizul Makkar Girraween High School ATAR 99.00

Tanveer Singh Mokha Sydney Grammar School ATAR 99.75

Vikram Kumar Girraween High School ATAR 92.90

Aayush Jain Girraween High School ATAR 97.15

Amy Shah Baulkham Hills ATAR 99.7

Harsharndeep Singh Kahlon Homebush Boys High School, ATAR 98.00

Aparna Balakumar Hornsby Girls High School ATAR 99.3

NATIONAL EDITION

JANUARY (1) 2014 21

HSC

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"Probably the most important thing is to pace yourself out, don't overkill in the beginning, but build yourself up towards trials and the end of the year" Tanveer Singh Mokha

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to forget about 'scaling' o.r 'weighting' and just rake subjects I would enjoy and was thus likely to excel at. Two years is a long time to sit in a class you don't have an interest iu! Wr iting my 6000 word major project ou voluntou.rism was something T found incredibly fascinating rather than a chore, and similarly learning all about the V ietnam War came in handy when I recently visited rhe region and viewed the historical sires firsthand. l loved that tl1e things 1 was learning about in the classroom were things I could see tl1e effects of and apply to my e\Teryday world.

Amy Shah : I always W<ed science, so l picked chemistry and physics.

Maths was always challenging but i11teresting at the same time. I learnt my strengths and weaknesses before scarring year 11.

Tanveer Singh Mokha: Always thought my strengths were towards sciences and maths. l always enjoyed doing them and was good at them. I decided ro do economics becaL1se my sister did ecouorn.ics and it looked interesting as it is about what's happening in curren t world, 1 enjoyed it.

Riddhi Joshi: I definitely liked maths, 1 always liked matl1s. 1 ,vanted to choose the greatest amount of maths possible. 1 also enjoyed science and was interested in general economics as an understanding o f the world because of dad, bur mostly because I en joyed the subjects.

How did you and your family celebrate your results?

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"Try to keep a balance between study and whatever you like to do and don't get too stressed, it's not the end of the world" Vikram Kumar

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Rizul Makkar: \Xle wen t om for dinner. Before doing the HSC, I was accepted for a cadership in invesrmenr banking with a company called UBS. The process of interviews and tests s carted in March and ended in August. So tl1e celebration was more for the cadership than the ATAR. Nakita Dass: They [my pa.rents) were absolutely ecstatic, especially as they knew tl1at I'd had tl1ree main goals throughour tl1e year, to becom e an all-rounder, recejve a nomination for the Extension 2 Showcase and au ATAR of over 95. I'd had these goals, but they had seemed more like unachievable dreams when 1 first formed them. It was surreal to achieve nor just one, bur all o f them. My parents are extremely proud, and I feel a buge sense of relief. They gave me the freedom to take the subjects I loved and to so many people, they were the 'non-i.meUectual' subjects, the \ mimportan t ones'. My parents have always taken tl1e seance that if you're not passionate about something, if it doesn't excite you and make you think, you should

be doing sometl1ing else tl1ar does. l e means a lot that l can thank my parents through showing them (and hopefully future students) tl1at it's not the subjects you cake that determine success, but tl1e effort and embusiasm you put imo tl1em. Ac the moment my family and I are travelling through Emope, another absolute dream come true! We are hoping co have a barbecue when we get back to Australia co celebrate with tl1e rest of my family!

Aayush Jain: My mum was still i n India. My dad congrarulated me.

I wasn't too happy with my mark, as it wasn't rl1e mark I wanted. 1 wanted a little bit better. Jv[y d ad got me through it.

Aparna Balakurnar: My family were so excited! I wo ke them all up in the morning just after I looked up my marks at 6am the day they were released. As 1 didn't come out of many of the HSC exams thinking l aced the paper, and never made an estimation about my marks, it was a huge relief. Coming first in the State for Society and Culrure was the largest shock, and I called my parents straight after the Board of Studies called me and told them "you're going to have to take Tuesday off work!" As a family, we all went out co rl1e temple and then clinner afterwards. \Xle were all just grateful thaL J received an ATAR likely ro get m e into the uni cottrse I wanted. The bonus was just knowing iliac the effort l put in throughout tl1e year was rewarded, and that 1 can .look back proud o f the marks I received .

Tanveer Singh Mokha: It was a positive smprised and 1 wasn't expecting it. I will probably celebrate with extended family and we'll be going to lnclia soon.

Riddhi Joshi: My parents were definitely happy with it. They would be happy witl1 whatever I got because 1 tried my best. We went out for dinner.

What do you do in your leisure time? What are your hobbies?

Nakita Dass: I tl1ink all the free tim e I've had over tl1e last year was spent sleeping, not something to be proud o f, haha! I love ro play the guitar and sing. I listen to all kinds of music and always have a book on the go. Travel is something I absolutely adore and I tl1.rive on the constant challenge presented by new languages.

Coming from a cross-cultural background, culmre is always something that has fascinated me. I write a lot, mostly poetry, and cook whenever I gee the chance. I Jove sport, I'm a b it of a foorbaU fanatic and can't wait to start playing again now that the HSC is over! I can't tl1ink of anywhere I'd ratl1er be than at tl1e beach, out at a resrauranr o r

the arr gallery wirh mace.5. I'm a pretty keen photographer too and am really interested in d esign and architecmre.

Amy Shah: I like reading and craft. 1 volunteered at a retirement care village throughout Year 12.

When I have too much rime, I procrastinate, so keeping busy helps me do becter.

Did you ensure you had a bala nee between study and play during the HSC? Rizul Makkar: I r was more about rime management and gerting on top of things, making sure thac things. never got out of hand and sticking to your plan. l think having a balance is rl1e most important thing, if you don't have balance you'll never succeed.

Nakita Dass: I really tried ro mai.nt..1.in a balance thro ughout the year and altl1ough my wellbeing suffered a couple of times here and there when things became a bit too overwhelming, 1 think l managed pretty well. Finding that equilibrium is viral if you want tc) succeed in life \vith anything! Go ou t and have a gteat rime wirl1 your fciends, exercise, eat well and don't stop doing what you love. l f anything, you'll be mo re productive if you can take efficient breaks, don't be too hard on you.rsdf.

That said, it's important to know w hen enough is enough. There were p lenty of rimes when I had to mm down a night our in order to get work done, it's just o ne of those things. Procrastination is ro be avoided at aU costs, however sometimes inspiration sparks most vivid ly when you are under p ressure. It's importaur to remember that your final year of high school is someLhing you'll never forget. l'vfake ir enjoyable!

The year passes so quickly and I know rl1e connection I shared with my grade and teachers will. be something I miss dearly over the years to come.

H arsharodeep Singh Kahlon: I didn't really ensure I had a balance.

I did used to watch TV bur tl1at's about it, I was mostly just smdying.

Once a month or so I'd go out and play cricket. I still think that ha\~ng a balance is extremely important and I th.ink tl1ac if I had a balance, I \vould've done even better.

Aayush Jain: Yeah I definitely tried to. I would go on the treadmill for half an hour everyday.

The only time I would be able ro do it was at 10pm at nig ht Qaughs).

I lost a bit of weigh t during the HSC. I wouldn't have been able to cope with the pressure without the half an hour break, you hit a wall and can't understand things anymore, so it's best co go away and come bacl<.

Vikram Kumar: Yeal1, l tried to keep a strong balance between tl1e two. I clunk it's extremely

important because if it's out of balance you tend to go cowards e."treme of either side, which hurts the other side of what you're doing.

Aparna B alak-umar: Definitely. I didn't pm things like watching my favourite TV shows or learning how to drive on hold for the year. Ultimatdy the study levels did increase during assessment periods, but l maintained balru1ce by wacclung a movie or interacting with my fru11ily fo!Jowing a past paper. I also studied at the library with friends ou a few days, so we could bow1ee ideas off each otl1er and eat our after our work was completed. I really think it's only a stre.5sful period if you give die HSC too much importance, and stop doiog tl1e other thi11gs that make you happy. Continuing driving my brod1er to cricket practice, or organising a con.cert with the school prefects were small tasks that really helped take my mind off formulas and guotes.

Keeping so busy outside of sn1dy helped give me mo re perspective d1at the HSC wasn't the be all and end all. This chen allowed me ro stay mucb calmer when exan1s rolled around, and also forced me to use the study rime I did have efficiently.

Amy Shah: Yeah at first it was hard, bu t it is important so 1 tried my hardest. l made sure I maintained my cime wisely. I prioritised.

Tanveer Singh Mokha: It .is definitely in1portant to keep a balance as you don't want to get bogged down in studies. You have to make sure you keep focused but also do other tl1iugs to keep your m ind fresh.

RiddhiJoshi: I tried to be as .involved as l could with d1e school community, charities, breakfast clubs, 40 hou r famine and Amnesty lnternational. I completed an mmigetmm in Indian dance as I found dance as a way to take my mind off srudies and used it as a way of relaxation. Dancing ensured 1 had a balance during HSC. T d1ink it's very irnportanc ro have a balru1ee, it will stimulate the mind and keep a positive artirude, which is very important.

What does the future hold foryou?What do you hope your next accomplishment will be?

Rizul Makkar: Getting through my cadetship and doi.n g really weU to hopefully working my way up inw investment banking. I also would like to study finance at UNSW Nakita D ass: Next year I'm hoping m study Englis h and Art H iscory at The University of Sydney with tl1c intention becoming a writer. l'm wary of saying that, it's an ambitious

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"I really appreciated that the whole family never acted differently towards me, forced meto study, or stopped me from going to parties just because it was an important year.

They understood that I would do what needed to be done, when it needed to be done by, and trusted me to have the ability to say noto commitments if I felt I needed to" Aparna Balakumar

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'' Aparna Balakumar with Adrian Piccoli Minister of Education

path and a long one too, but I am hopeful that things will work om. Ideally I would like co go on to do au houoLJrs year and potentially postg raduate studies, but we'll see how things shape Lip. It's a b it of a long shot, bur I'd love ro do well enough in my first year to become a faculty scholar. I'd also really like to keep writing and publishing work.

More than anything, I'm looking forward to meeting all kinds of new people and building up an arsenal of experiences with which to face the world. I think dJe next few years are going to be an advenmre to say the least and it would be foolish co predict where I'll end LIP, but d1e one thing I can say with certainty is iliac there will be plenty of stories to tell.

Harsharndeep Singh Kah.Ion: I've chosen actuarial studies at UNSW Australian School of Business and I am doing char

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combined with Bachelor of Economics. Hopefully I will become a certified actuary and work in risk assessment. I like it because it's mailis based and wil.l. have a high income.

Aayush Jain: I plan on studjfog law at Australian National Universicy and I want to end up being a lawyer. I'll probably have co move our ro Canberra.

Vikram Kumar: I hope the future nolds a good job, and an easygoing lifestyle. I haven't thought chat far ahead about my next accomplishment Qaughs) . .I would like to do media/ arcs at UNSW and 1 want to go into graphic de.sign.

Aparna Ba.lakumar: I have. no id ea. Bur chat's d1e most exciting part! At university I'll be studying Media and Communications, so hopefully somewhere d1at I can continue writing, researching, and exploring all the world has co offer.

Amy Shah: I want co study medicine at UNSW and become a doctor.

Tanveer Singh Mokha: Noc too sure yet, have to see till offers come our. I'm looking in the science field.

Riddhi Joshi: Definitely going to be doing physioilierapy at USYD. See where I'll go from there I guess.

What would your advice to future HSC students be?

Aayush Jain: I t would be to get help as soon as possible if you fi nd that you are not doing as well as you would like co be doing, especially if it is a compulsory subject such as English. Although teachers will always be d1ere to help, sometimes teachers alone cannot be enough.

Vikram Kumar: Try co keep a balance between study and whatever you like to do and don't

get coo stressed, it's not the end of the world.

Amy Shah: When revising stick co the syllabus and make sure your know Lhe doc points re.ally well for all your subjects.

Just keep going and be determined ro do well, and you need persistence!

Tanveer Singh Mokha: Probably most important thing is co pace yourself Ollt, don't overkill in che beginning, bm build yourself up towards trials and d1e end of the year. At the same time, make sure you don't procrastinate and leave the things you don't like towards the end. r did English first iJ1 my study as I wasn't mo happy co do it, but I got it out of ilie way to focus on other stuff. Just be happy wid1 doing your best.

Riddhi Joshi: My best advice ro give right now would be ro just try your best and not lee some small negative incident hold you back.

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"When revising stick to the syllabus and make sure your knowthedot points really well for all your subjects. Just keep going and be determined to do well, and you need persistence!"

AmyShah

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INDIAN NEWS

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A photo of Michelle Obama's Bolfywood moves during a Diwali bash has made it to one ofthe top White House photos for the year 2013. Taken by Chuck Kennedy, the 49-year-old First Lady is seen learning a Bolfywood dance in the State Dining Room along with choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan and students from a Bolfywood dance clinic at the White House on November 5

Over 2,000 dele~ates to attend annual diaspora meet Over 2,000 non-resident lndians (NRJs) and people of lnclian origin (PlOs) frorn all across the wor.ld attending the 12th eclition of die annual cliaspora meet currently on in New Delhi.

The focus of the three-day event this year is on engaging the youdi diaspora in clifferem sectors.

"The event is expected to open new horizons of a strong network of young overseas Incliaos tO contribute to Inclia's engagement with youth in all sectors," :rvHnister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said.

The event is organised every year Jan 7-9 by the ministry of overseas Indian affairs to mark the return of i'v1a.hacma Gandhi to Inclia from South Africa. This is an effort to connect with die nearly 25 million lnclian cliaspora living across d1e globe.

The 11 d1 edition of the annual convention was held in Kochi in partnership with the Kerala government.

Malaysian Minister of Natural Resource and Enviro(ll11ent Damk Seri G. Palanivel is the chief guest.

According to Ravi, the purpose of the annual event c.tlled "Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)" is co have a meaningful interaction with overseas Inclians in order to address their issues and concerns.

Several states as well as the central government depar□11ents also pitching for investments frorn lnclian d iaspora participating at the rneet.

26 JANUARY (1) 2014

Chief ministers of clifferent states including Gujarat Chief Minister Narenclra Mocli, Kerala Chief 1viin.ister Oommen Chandy, Harya.na Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hoocla, Goa Chief Minister Manohan Pa11:i.kar and Himacl,al Chief :Minister Virbhadra Singh are scheduled co address the meet and seek investments for their respective states.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry (FICCI) is coorclinating and managi ng the evenr, while the federal ministry of sports and youd1 affairs is the partner ministry.

There will be a concurrent exhibition with participation frorn the state governments, corporates, financial institutions and nongovernment o rganisations at rhe event.

AAP's anti-graft promise difficult goal to achieve: American scholar The AAP's promise to sweep away corruption from the Indian political system is a "difficult" goal to achieve, says American political scientist John EcheverriGem. F ighting corruption needs stronger legislative cools, and just by forming a government in Delhi, rbeAam Aadmi Party snot likely to reduce corruption, he said.

Echeverri-Gent, associate professor at University of Virginia, presented his views abom dose association of the economy, business and die lnclian political system during a session "The Economy, Business and India's 2014 Parliamentary Elections" i n New Delhi.

"Everyone has this question - will the broom of AAP sweep corrnption from di.is nation? In all likelihood, AAP, by forming a government, is not like.ly to reduce corruption," said d1ewelJ known public policy professor to a discerning auclience.

"They might do less d1ao what we are hoping. It is because until A.AP plays a big role in the (national) legislature, such goals are difficult to achieve," Echeverri-Gent added.

He was quick to clarify diat his statement was based on his observations till now.

"A.AP has surprised all of us by making a bacl,•door entry and heading straight to the front row. But how it performs in die general elections is something to watch out for. Though, I personally feel d1ey won't win more man 50 seats," he added.

Ecbeverci-Geut's expertise and understancling about India's fragmented politics comes from his well-researched books The State and the Poor: Pt1blic Polity a11d Pofitict1I Develop111ent in .India ,md the United States, and EconoJJ1ic Rifo,w in Three Giants: US Foreign Policy and the USSR, China ,md llldia, which he c.o-eclited.

His presentation was a gist of a new book, Polities of Markets: Political Econo1t{Y of fodia'.r F.inanciai Market De1;elop111e11t in Co111parative Persperti11e, he is currently working on.

Hearing bis observations was author and political commentator Surjit S. Bhalla, who has authored books like Devaluing to P,-osperi(-)1: Nfis"iig11ed Cflrremies ,md Their GrmJJth Comeq11e11ce.r and I!l1"gine There's ]Vo

Co1mhy: Poverty, Tneq11aliry and Growth in the Era of Globalis,1tion.

While Bhalla agreed with most of the visiting professor's argrnuents, be strongly felt the 2014 elections will be no less d1an a "mega election".

"The middJe class has become sizable in India and hence they would come out and vote for parties with good economic governance. lf you have observed, parties with good performance have been getting great response from people," said Bhalla.

"So, this will be an election fought on economic policies and not on social or political policies," he added, sa,ing parties doing much on di e economic front will win.

With the AAP annorn1cing it will contest the Lok Sabha polls from 20 states, these political scientists felt t he trend of "multiparty" and "fragmented system" will continue to cloud Indian politica.l scene. ''It is bard to believe the AAP will roll out ocher political parties in a day and take over," said Bhalla.

While Echeverri-Gent felt the media was too obsessed widi die AAP phenomena, he felt the trend of multi-fragmented-party system was here to stay in India for a longer □me.

Fighting cancer with plant molecules: Indian scientists show the way What do tea, turmeric and broccoli have in common? A lot, when it come~ to an arsenal of certain chemicals found in d1em, called phytocheniicals, that can be

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INDIAN NEWS harnessed to combat cancer therapy sideeffecrs in synergy with conventional anticancer drugs.

Chemotherapy is fraught with sideeffecrs. ow Indian sciemisrs have shown how certain namraliy-occmring plant chemicals when used in combination with routine cancer drugs ca□ actually lower the dosage of the medicatio n, thereby minimising the after-effects.

Moreover, phytocbemicals (plant chemicals) may increase the efficiency of the drugs, said l'vladhrnnita Roy, head of the Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicolog)' Deparm1ent at Chirtaranjan National Cancer lastimte (CNCl) in Kolkata, who led the smdy.

"Our data suggest that treatment of cells wid1 these ph)'tochemicals in conjunction witl1 chemod1erapemic drugs resulted in the same extent of cell killing at a much lower concentration of the drug," Roy told IANS. Some examples of the plane-derived chemicals include cw:cuJnin found in nu:meric, polyphenols found in tea - both !:,>reen and black - and isothiocyanates diar are common in cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli and brussels sprouts, among others.

These agencs, in tandem w id1 anti-cance.r drugs, Roy explained, reduce the levels of certain proteins (called mmour markers) wbich are elevated in cancer. This, in turn, sensitises die deacliy cancer cells to opt for suicide - a process called apoptosis.

Besides fighti ng cancer, there is another side to d1ese nanu:al molecules: Phytochemicals can also play a key role in cancer prevention.

Wirb arsenic in gronndwarer posing a " big problem'' in West Bengal, prolonged exposure to d1e toxic substance may lead to cancer by damaging the DNA hereditary molecule.

Curcrnnin has been shown to be particularly beneficial in this aspect.

"These phycochemicals showed their efficiency to counter D r A damage caused by arsenic. Tbis DNA damage initiates the process o f cancer development; therefore reduction of such damage may pa~re a way to cancer prevention. Apart from this, phycochemicals also play a role in repair of DNA damage. We conducted a field study where clltcumin has been found ro be of great value in combating d1e problem with arsenic ar d1e genetic level," said Roy. This forthers the fact tbar the traditional Indian diet, encompassing a wide range of vegetables, fruit and spices, scores over the Western approach co diet, said cancer scientist Sukta Das, member of the Cancer foundation of 1ndia.

Anod1er facet of these phytochemicals is that they are non- toxic to the human body, According co CNCI director Jaydip Biswas, since the treatment protocols for cancer are not only expensive bm also cause severe side-effects, "plant derived products with anti-cancer potential may come to the rescue. They may improve d1e efficacy of chemotherapy and radiod1erapy".

The next step of d1e preliminary study, said Biswas, would be to go for "furd1er clinical research" which is necessary to ''prove rhe role of phycochemicals. Once established it will open a new avenue (for cancer prevention and treatn1ent)n .

NATIONAL EDITION

A Sikh martial arts expert applies kohl to his eyes with a sword while participating in a religious procession in Amritsar India, 06 January 2014. The religious event was held to mark the 348th birth anniversary ofSikh leader

Guru Gobind Singh

Priyanka attends Congress meeting, triggers talk of bigger role Pciyanka Vadrn, sister of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, attended a meeting of senior parry leaders at his house in early January, triggering speculation of her greater involvement in the parry ahead of d1e general elections.

The meeting at Rahul Gandhi's 12 Tughlak Lane residence was held as the party is making preparations for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting later this month.

There is speculation tliat Rahul ~ndhi could be declared d1e party's prime ministerial candidate at the meeting.

Parry sources said several members o f the Congress election coordination committee, including parry president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Al1med Patel, union minister Jai.ram Ramesh, general secretaries Madhusudan Mistry and Janardan Dwivedi and media department incharge Ajay :M.aken, were also present at the meeting.

It was not clear if Rahul Gandhi was present.

Looking after the constituencies of her brother (Amed1i) and mother (Rae Bareli), Priyanka Vadra, who is considered charismatic by the parry rank and file, is a year younger to her brother and will turn 42 o nJan 12.

Her presence at d1e meeting created a buzz in party circles, wid1 many speculating whether she would take an active r<>le in the campaign for me Lok Sabha elections to be held in April-May. The parry, however, down-played Priyanka's presence at the meeting. Dwivedi told reporters that Priyan ka Vadra was a member of an important political fanuly.

"Even if she is nor seen taking part in active politics, she is an active member of the Indian National Congress," he said.

"She has her own views on political issues and tall{s to party workers from time to time. If on some issue, she has talked to some leaders, what is there to be surprised about? What is new in chis," he said. t~ Congress leader, nor wishing to be

identified, told JANS dm Priyanka joined d1e meeting towards the end.

He said d1e meeting v,,as called to discuss the tour pr<>grammes o f Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress, which suffered heavily in the recently-held assembly poUs, is facing a stiff challenge from die Bharatiya Janata Party, and the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party has added to the complications.

Revived Nalanda University to start functioning by February-end The revived Nalanda University, an international centre of learning coming up in Bihar, is taking a small but p ositive step towards law1ching operations from later this year.

The first batch of students, faculty and staff are to move by February-end to Rajgir, abom IOO km from Pama, adjacent to where the sprawling international nniversity is set to come up. ''By tbe end of Febrnary we are moving to Rajgii: We are taking hotels nearby, ei,."J)loring all options," an official source cold IANS. Nalancla University at present has 40 students or Nalanda fellows. Along with the faculty and staff, they would operate out of d1e temporary campus till the acmal structure comes up. " The Bihar govemmem has offered us use of its health deparrn1ent office. The Bihar chief minister (Ni tish Kumar) is personally monitoring d1e project;' the source added.

The university, an initiative of d1e lndian government and die 18 East Asia Sunmut (EAS) countries, is corning up around 12 km from d1e nuns of its ancient nam.esake thar was flocked by thousands of scholars and clunkers from across tbe world till the 12th centw.j. ] twas d1en destroyed by an invading Turkish army of Bakhtiyar Klulji, a general of Qutbuddin Aibak. ft was set on fire by d1e invaders and the blaze in d1e huge library is believed to have raged for several days.

An around eight-km boundary wall marks

the 446-acre campus where tl1e modern centre of exceUence is to come up.

The residential univetsiry, due to be completed by 2020, is to bave seven schools - all for postgraduate and doctorate smdents.

Tbe university, which bas Nobel lallteate A martya Sen as its chairperson, is to stare its first academic session from d1is year. The first batch of students would be enrolled for rwo postg.raduate programmes in history and ecology and environmental studies.

Last May, die Nalanda board had approved the architecnu:al plan of d1e proposed Ulliversity.

"The government is fast-tracking the university," said d1e sollfce. The Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced in die Rajya Sabba on Sep 5, 2013, by the external affairs ministr)' and wa,s referred to a parliamentary standing committee. The committee's report was cabled in die Rajya Sabha during the December winter session of parliament The deparm1ent of expenditure has cleared the Rs.2,700 crore cost for the L1niversity to be spent over 10 years. TI1e approval of the cabinet committee on economic affairs is now being sought.

The architectural design approved for the new university has proposed a massive lake at die centre of the campus. The library, a huge dome-shaped srrucrure, would come up in die middle of the lake and be half submerged.

China has already comnurted $1 m illion for tbe project, Singapore bas pledged $5-6 million and Australia about $1 million Australian dollars. Ali the funds bave been committed on a voluntary basis.

During !us trip to Brunei in October, Prime 1\iunister Manmohan Singh inked agreements witl1 seven RAS countries that have pledged their commitment co the Nalanda University project.

Tbe memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed wim Ausrralia, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Laos and Myanmar. India signed the Mou wid1 China during d1e prime minster's visit to Beijin g in ovember.

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OPINION

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the Congress party. Now Kejriwal's party, with the oms.idc support of the Congress Party, has formed the government and many within tbeAAP are in favour. \ BY Delhi is of6ciaUy called tl1e National NOEL G DE SOUZA Capital Territor)' of India. With a population of 22 million, ir includes several cities within any of the world's democracies its 1,484 square kilometres area, Alwar, are suffering from polarisation.

Baghpat, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Faridabad, This means tbar electoral support Ghaziabad, for the C\VO main contenders is about equal o ida and Greater o.ida. It is well and just a shift of o ne or .indusa:ialised and has the C\vo per cent can couJd result highest per capita income of any state in L1dia. in a change o f government.

However, there is often Delhi's election resuJts exemplifies tl1e two and three a third force and it is this trurd force that can hold the party resuJt that is to become This sort of political key co who forms the next tl1e norm in various couna:ies, power play is vividly government. If one of the such as the split vote between seen in the drama main contenders for power the H ouse of Representatives being enacted in lends support co the third and the Senate in Au stralia, a the Union Territory force, then the third force similar break-up in the USA and of Delhi also in Britain. by itself could form the government.

Kejriwal's Government in This sort of political Delhi will have to be cautious power p lay is vividly seen in as it is dependent o n Congress the drama being enacted in support. In 1996, neither the U nion Territory of D elhi Soon after the theBJP nor the Congress parties had inconclusive recent elections, Lr-Governor sufficient numbers to form a governmem i ajeeb Jung had to inform the President for the whole of India. It was then a du.rd of lndia that currently there was a political pa.rty, the Janata Dal Party, which formed the government with the support of the impasse but efforts to resolve the issue were in progress.

Congress. The man chosen for this cask was There are three major parties in tbe makethe almost unknown Deve Gowda. He was famous for sleeping during parliamentary up of the new Delhi legislature, the BJP, the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam sessions. There was no mention of any AcLni Party (tl1is can b e translated as " \'!le, medical reason for this habit. He lasted less The People's Party'' or "The Common than a year in the Prime Ministerial position.

He was succeeded by anotl1er member of Man's Part)''). The BJP won 28 seats and tl1erefore fell short of an absolute majority, the same Parry Inder Krnnar Gujral. the Congress Party won just eight seats with There ate .instances of parries having even jts leader, the forme r Chief Minister co me to power with. wafer-tlun majorities Sheela Dixit, losing ber seat and the A.AP which later became popu.lar. In New Soutb Wales, rhe Bob Cart Government winning a surprise 28 seats.

To add to the complicated political came to power in 1995 with just one seat picture, the Indian Lokpal (people's majority. He was ren1med at tbe next C\VO Ombudsman) bill came up before the elections with substantial majorities. He Indian Parliament. Its chief had run a cautiou s and centrist protagonist was the avowed government. That could be the Gandhian Anna Hazare who key to Kejriwal. continuing in led a big campaign for its office. passing. Kejriwal, a Hazare In the Ukraine ("Little There were supporter, was nor as keen Russia"), we are shown in news rumblings in the on tl1e content of the bill bulJecins very large gatl1erings BJP camp that and actually criticised ic. from the air. But on the grotu1d At the same time Kejriwal Kejriwal was tl1e story is different where considers himself to be a there are two opposing parties secretly negotiat ing at logger heads, one wishing m follower of the Gandhianwith the Cong ress Guru like figure of Hazare. join the Em:opean Union and party tl1e other wishing to realign.

K.ejriwal and Hazare worked together in their antithemselves with Russia. The corruption campaign which current president has decided to throw rus Jot with his former culminated in tl1e passing of tl1e Lokpal Bill by the Indian Soviet parmer Russia. Russia Parliament. \Vbile conrinuing to say d1at is going to lend t he Ukraine the equiv>1lenr Hazare is his Guru, who "lives in his heart," of nineteen billio n emos and bes.ides give a Kejriwal made the dubious assertion that concession (reportedly o f thirty percent) nlillions of rupees have been spent to drive for gas supplies. lt is too early to judge the AA P party a wedge beC\veen him and Hazare.

Kejriwal supposedly wanted the BJP to and the new government in Delhi because form the Delhi Government but, in turn, it will depend on how Kejriwal runs that tl1e BJP said that it was Kejriwal's parry government. H e has begun by givi ng which sbould form the Government. free water to every household up to a There were rumblings in tl1e BJP camp certain limit. However, Kejriwal's a:ials that Kejriwal was secretly negoriacing witl1 have just begun.

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EDUCATION

Up close and personal with the HSC 5/TARA RAMAKRISHNAN reminds us that life is about more than just ATARs

tis thac time of the year as anxious SW Year 12 students receive their 2013 HSC results and Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARs) administered by the Board of Studies and the University Admissions Centre.

For many srudent5, it marks an intense year's worth of dedication, perseverance and sacrifice moLLlded into a number.

As frustrating and demanding as the 1-ISC year can be, the only thing smdems can do is to try their absolute best. Of course, reaching academic goals wmtld be an incredible feeling knowing the work paid off and career paths are now set However, despi te hard work and commitment, sometin1es results don't always go to plan. tv[issing die cutoff for my dream course by 0.4 was definitely a good hard slap in d1e face. But at the encl of the day, the ATAR is merely die shorcesr pamway for students to reach their career goals.

The ATAR \Vill not srop students from pursuing and achieving their

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32 JANUARY (1) 2014

dream career paths if they are driven and committed to getting there through oilier pad1ways. Sure, it could simply mean a different university for stndy, or it could even take.a year or two longer, bur hey, how significant is that in terms of a Lifetime?

The HSC year for me was steered by a personal drive and a degree of pressure which felt heald1y, as it kept me pushing myself to work towards .m y personal goal even after a few occasions of disappoinmient.

Everyone bas a different ATAR aim wbetherjt's 99.95, 95, 85 or 75, and any of diese marks are a great achievement if you tried your hardest. ln just about all my subjects: English Advanced, English Extension 1 & 2, Chemistry, Biology and Ancient Histor)~ I would nevet have considered myself a 'fasdearner'. You know what type of learner you are and just how qwckly you can absorb information. So smdems, set ample time, consult with your teachers, practice and develop studying techniques that swt your own learning style whether it is writing,

lots of colour, diagrams, doc-points or preparing essay scaffolds!

All die above was a personal choice. l wanted to see what I could achieve when I tried my absolute best and put in the hours I did. I was extremely lucky to have such supportive parents who showed no hostility cowards my decision to drop madiematics altogether and put absolutely no pressure on me so I felt like I had no external expectations but co fulfil my own.

TbeATARis personal and that is bow it should be. The subject., you choose, die career padi you wish to pursue and die marks you receive should all come down to a personal choice.

Any external pressures can be emotionally draining and simultaneously impact on the quality of one's study and ruindset during an exam.

So a bumble note to parents, if you want your child to succeed, all you need to do is let them make d1e big decisions and just be there for them. Sure, Extension 2 Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and a career path of medicine may

seem like a fantastic choice for your child, but at the encl of day, your child is the one d1at must immerse themselves in substantial periods of rnese subjects and fields. So smdents, put aside all thls 'low scaling/high-scaling' business and do what yon End most imeresting and the marks and results will undoubtedly follow in die best way. \x;'hat I have learnt is mat success is not about pleasing or compacing yourself with others, it is not necessarily about receiving die highestATAR or making the most money eidier. Success is the result of passion. W/e can achieve die greatest of thln!;,>s when we find our place of passion in die long speccrwn of life's possibilities and can wake upin tbemorning, just feeling happy. That's all it really is and these days just abour any passion can result in a career.

Whether chat is through university, TAPE, medicine, arc, business, photography or music, go find it, work for it, grab onto it and never let anyone stop you from achieving trne happiness.

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SCHOOL

e num ers ame While achieving a high ATAR is considered essential, the true test ofstrength is in the struggle

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received a message just after the HSC resu lts were released. lt read in pan, as follows, "1 got 64 in English, 65 in Legal Stuclies, 68 in Business Studies, 7 3 in General Mathematics and 64 in Chemistry... that's what I got and I can't change it. .. I just need to continue to work hard to get somewhere".

1 also received three other messages, two from students who, against their expectations, got over 90 in Legal Studies. The third was about the studemwho came first with 100%, a student who sought my assistance when seeking to improve her responses.

The apologies, the relief, the joy from these different students was palpable. But none of them understand the meaninglessness of numbers, 100, 92, 90, 64! These numbers do not indicate the struggles each of these. students shared with me through the year.

The journey was individual for each one, and they faced their own specific clifficulties and successes.

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NATIONAL EDITION

'64' for example, had to face a realisation that academic success framed around competition and time trials was not a personal strength. With work experience, he saw a manager who worked alongsid e his employees. He found out that the manager was personally paying for the. medical care of a staff member suffering from cancer. He told me he wanted to be. tl1at kind of manager. DL1cing work experience, '64' made. an observation about tl1e supply chain that has since been adopted by the business, saving it time and money.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (AT AR) does not measure his observation or his insight. '92' at 17 years, has already had considerable sporting success, competing nationally as a state champion for many years.

A year younger than most, the HSC can be difficult when time and experience can affect tl1e quali ty of analysis and insight.

Nevertheless, after spending Year 11 struggling academically, '92' finally started to believe that she could do very well academically by applying the same discipline and sa:ucnLre to academic stuclies, as she did to her sporting success.

There were, of com·se, tears and frustration on the. way. She

sometimes stated aloud that she could never get over 12 marks in a section of the paper worth 15 marks. This did not stop her from sending draft responses again, and ag,iin, and again. She kept refining her answers and seeking her best form.

The J\TAR does not measure her growth in cliscipline o r humilit)' in accepting that she needed to keep trying.

'90' has an older sibling in whose shadow her academic returns have always been compared. In this context, sbe waited a very Jong time before committing herself ro crying her best. Fear of faihtre can paralyse.

'90' would never ask questions in class for fear of feeling exposed for 'not knowing'. When submitting draft responses, they would usually carry an apology.

A strategy was devised whereby she would create an outline ro a question first, and that would be marked prior to her writing a complete response. This, she. realised, reduced the tension around having to focus on achievement. Rather, focusing on tl1e Iittle steps helped manage her processes and anxiety. le also helped her to concentrate o n skillbuilding.

The ATAR does not measure

self-definition or the effect of the success of an older sibling on a yow1ger sibling's growth.

'100' worked consistently and quietly throughout the HSC year, displaying great cliscipline and tenacity. Howe,, er, she came second in the trial HSC, not first. This means that within the school cohor r she was not always the strongest candidate. The student who beaL her in tl1e trial exam worked extremely hard and born students clisplayed excellent organisation, tenacity and insight.

Both sought specific mentoring to eraclicate mistakes. '100' competed against herself, whereas me other student sometimes compered against others. In t!Jis regard '100' only wanted to do her best, whereas the other smdent wanted to d o her best and also beat everyone else.

The ATAR does not measure how a person achieves against his or her own best self.

Of all tl1ese muubers, in some. ways, '64' clisplayed some character traits that none o f the others clid. '64' captained a school team and would always help others. When asked to give a speech at a formal dinner, '64' found qualities to celebrate in every o ne of his teammates. He was nervous speaking in front

of a large, formal gathering, but '64' prepared his speech as a leader would do: around the success of each of the others.

During the year, '64' befriended tl1e most marginalised students and included tl1ern in the popular group. He also wore the putdowns from three teachers withom anger - though h is anger would have been justified. Veiled comments by tl1ese teachers implied that '64' was dumb and would never achieve. Tr is hard to assess what impact the low expectations of these teachers had on the academic success of '64'.

It is very important that teachers and parents do not define success in terms of numbers.

Numbers are inherently limiting and as shown, can be quite misleading.

JANUARY (1) 2014 33

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FESTIVAL

From eating 12 grapes to wearing polka dots, the special day has many different traditions across the globe, reports FARZANA AHMAD

oesn'tNew Year's Eve bear a comfortable familiarity? Every year, we all know pretty much what's in store.

People dress up in celebrarory outfits, children don wi ngs, halos and carry glow sticks. Everyone awaits the big moment when one year \Vill breathe its last and another will be born. Some stake our the best vanrage points from the moro.ing for the spectacular fireworks and the rowdy countdown to m idnight. There are l ew Year Eve's parties and picnics where people just let their hair down. That's how Australia celebrates cbe stare of the New Year, and that's bow it's clone all over the world, right? WRONG...

Some culm.res take their New Year celebrations much more seriously, in the belief that what you do o n the birch of a year will reAect on how your luck will play our throughout the year.

D

South America ln South American culmre something as simple as choosing die colour of your underwear on New Year's Eve can play a vital role on how your luck will pan our for the next 12 months. Ir is serious bu siness, so if you are looking for love you go for red, or if it is money you are after you dish out those bright yellow underpants.

Britain Here, die First Foot New Year

NATIONAL EDITION

custom is quite common. le is believed d1at the first things a per.son sees when the New Year arrives is indicative of the rest of the year. A male is usually chosen co enter the house at midnight bearing symbols of prosperity like alcohol, food, money etc.

Panama ]11 Panama the New Year

celebrations take on a macabre cwist. Here, highly detailed dolls called muiiecos are crafted of prominent celebrities and politicians and set alight on l ew Year.

Denmark

Ecuador

Two o ld New Year customs have survived in Denmark to this day.

Leaping o ff chairs at the stroke of midnight is believed to ward off evil spirits and th rowing crockery at friends' houses is a reminder of love and friendship. People score away their cracked plates and bowls ro throw at their frie nds' houses on New Year. The more broken crockery you have at your door the next da)' the luckier you are because it is indicative of how many friends you have.

A similar custom is also followed in Ecuador where people gather around in the neighbourhood and bu.rn pictures of things d1ey do not wan t in the New Year.

Puerto Rico Puerto Ricans clean and decorate their hou ses in preparation for the New Year. This is thought to cleanse the spirit and ward off bad luck. l tis also cusromary ro throw buckets of water out of windows to throw the o ld year out and make way for die new.

Spain Tr is a long standing tradition in Spain co eat 12 grapes between the first and the twelfth stroke of midnight on New Year. Jr is believed d1at if you finish 12 grapes by the last stroke you wiU have 12 mond1s of good luck.

The Philippines Filipinos focus on round things on New Year. Ir is strongly believed d1ac consuming round fruits and wearing clothes with circular panerns like polka dots ensures good luck for the rest of the year. It is associated with gaining weal ch in the coming year as coins are round.

Mexico Staying with the spirits, :Mexicans celebrate l ew Year's Eve trying to communicate with die dead in order ro seek guidance for the coming year. Short sessions of spiritualism, meditation and communication wirn the dead are offered at various places for a small price.

Chile Chileans like to include their deceased ancesrors in their ew Year celebrations as well The custo m here in some cities is to participate in mass on New

Year's Eve and then visit d1e graveyard to await the New Year with the dead.

Ireland In Ireland, single women place mistletoe leaves under their pillow on New Year's Eve in the hope of finding love and getting married in die corning year. The rnistleroe leaves are al~o believed to deAect bad luclc

Scotland The New Year celebration or die Hogmanay Festival is bigger than Christmas in Scotland. Oo New Year's Eve men parade the streets swinging huge balls of 6re attached to chains, over their heads. In tl1e Scottish cul tu.re, it is believed that the fire symbolises purity and is d1oughr to bring sunshine and hope. Ar the end of the ceremony the fire ball~ are thrown into the sea.

So the fact remains that clespi re all of our Iirtle differences, deep down we a1·e all quire similar in our belief that a new year symbolises hope and comes with a promise of new beginn ings. In all culmres it is considered a rime ro make resolutions to give up bad habits, adopt good changes and look forward to a better fon1te.

Here's to the new year.

JANUARY (1) 2014 3 5

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RADIO

James Galea reveals his first job as a magician was in an Indian restaurant, but he is still working on his Hindi

''

"I started off as a pianist. I really loved music, but my parents didn't want me to do, as that they wanted meto get a real job" James Galea

'' James Galea (extreme left) with his Band of Magicians

.

-" '

•

BY

""

KASHIF HARRISON

t's been quice a while since

I

I have spoken about magic,

apart from the magic of whac on air vibes can make you do and think of, but #ThrowbackThursday is all about going back and what better to do that than with the Sydney Festival show 13a11d of Magicirms. I was lucky enough co interview one of Sydney's own and best card trick magician James Galea on Indian Link Radio, and did it bring back some awesome magic vibes just in rime for New Year or what?

Galea was introduced tQ the arr of magic at the age of 14, used co smdy magic for eight houts a day, gave his first stage performance when he was 18, and is knm,vn as incroducing a fresh breath of life into tl1e world of magic.

Here are some shortened excerpts from che interview:

Kashif Harrison (KH): how did you become a magician?

James Galea GG): Firstly I started off as a pianist. l really loved music, but my parencs didn't want me to do, as th.at they wanced me to get a real job. So, I said ok,

NATIONAL EDITION

I want co be an actor, so cliat went on for a few years but then cl1ey said no, we want you to get a real job. Then I didn't give up so I cold them 1 wanted to be a magician aml chey choughr 1 was joking, but then I just did ic!

KH: You're an actor, a director and a producer, so Jee me jusc say wow to that! How do you manage ic all?

JG: Ahmmmm 1... don't sleep much, 1 do it by choice as I enjoy it. I enjoy planning che act and putting i c all together, so yes, i e's a lot of fun for me.

KH: Now ceU me, how did ,ou stare our?

JG: I did my first crick ac an Indian restaurant. There was an Indian restaurant in Eastwood. 1 remember A Jays I used to work there three 11.ight.~ a week doing magic and that's where I learnt my craft.

KH: Who inspired you?

JG: Well, there was che first magician I ever saw on television.

There was a show called the lf'/orld'r Grer1tesl Mt1gic and ic bad like 30 magicians on ic doing tricks. Being a kid, I recorded it on VHS and kepc on watching it over and over again.

KH: Tell us about Bt111d uf J\lfagicians?

JG: Well, it is the world's first magic super group and simply it's me and chree ocher very talented

magicians, Justin Willman, Nace Staniforth,Justin Flom, who are incredible magicians in their own right. And cl1ese guys are rea11)7 good friends of mine. I Jive in Los Angeles and l remember we we.re having dinner ac my place one night, and despite aU of LlS being from different pans of America, we all just happened co be in the right place at the same time. We were sharing some reaUy great stories abom magic, and it was like, you know, we should do this every night. What if there was a show we coLt!d do where we get to travel di e world, and we could do chis every 11.ight? And thac was kind of the origin of how ic came to be. I'm so excited chis is the 6rst time me guys will get to be in Australia. We're o o for 10 nights from the 9'h-l 9t11 of January, wit11 on.line at sydneyfestival.org.au/ magician.

KH: How much planning and rehearsals go into coming up witl1 an act?

JG: lt is differenr for every act.

With the Bond uf J\l!.agicirm.r, ic's probably che mo.st intense period anyof~hubeeoa~rto~and ic's different for every show: I mean, we kind of have the idea of what the show is going to be like and then the certain pieces witl1in the act and pitch in ...

KH: Om of the cwo, performing live in front of the audience, or

performing in front of a camera what's your pick?

JG: Oh definicely an audience. l mean chere is no better experience, especially for an audience member seeing magic live, which is a wonderful experience in itself!

KH: So would you be performing an)7 Bollywood cricks for us?

JG: Haha, you know what, I don't know whac a Bollywood trick is all about buc I'm up for it and I'm sL1re all the other guys are up for ic too. You can organise a Bo!J,wood show for Band of JVfogicions and we'll be chere how's thac ?!

KH: Do you remember a Hindi word someone ever cold you about and you still remember it maybe?

JG: I have been to a lot of Indian weddings, as I use to perform at most of them. I should know some, buc I don't yet. I'rn ready to come back and know more about ic though.

l chink 1 wiJJ always remember Ii.is Hindi debut on irying to say ]\lloi11 ]0111es Galea boon and v1ai11 !eke rir[Ja hm1jr1doo k(J show to Sydney!

Ic was indeed quice an experience and I would suggest you aU Google James Galea m see his awesome cricks.

1 know I am booking tickets for chis one, and ttusc me you shOLt!d too! About time we make 2014 a magical year ahead!

'' ''

"I did my first trick at an Indian restaurant" James Galea

JANUARY (1) 2014 37

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FESTIVAL

LENA PEACOCK picks the best of the free stuff at Sydney Festival (11.30pm) at Sydney Town Hall for all clmse night owls.

11l\

Ferrython Australia Day just isn't Ausu·alia Day without watching cl,e oh so very fast ferry races, complete with their over the top decorations, and honking. The race g9es from Circular Quay co Shark Island and back again. Sercle in with a picnic on the foreshore or watch from the bridge for tl,e best views.

Symphony in the Domain

Y

ou might be feeling a little bit casWess this time of year, after all of those holiday shenanigans, Christmas present buying, endless parties, New Year's Eve craziness, and just general over indulgence.

So how about taking on cl,nt ew Year's resolution co start saving money by checking out these events (which involve leaving cl,at couch):

Merchant's Store This one's ao art installation cl1at's iust travelled to Paris aod London, guaranteed to confuse your eyes.

The work makes it look like you're dangling out of windows or crawling over cl1e roof of a match:mt~ store in Darling Harbour 9am-9pm daily.

family. This should entertain for hours.

Summer Sounds in the Domain with Chaka Khan A night of Ch aka Khan magic in The D omain. Bring your dancing shoes.

Sacrilege A bouncy castle art\vork of Stone Henge in Hyde Parle lt's like a free amusement park for the whole

to you (or nQt), check om this band in The Spiegletent in Hyde Park at 11.30pm.

Boxwars This is one for kids of all ages. They get to make b9x armour at the Festival V illage (closed Mondays).

Donny Benet & the Donny Benet Showband

Paradiso Lates

lf ltalo funk disco means anything

Bands and DJs playing late

Bring a picnic blanket, your closest friends and family and settle inro the D o main for Sydney Symphony Orchestra's performance of Gustav H olst's The Planets and readings by J ohn Bell, of Bell Shakespeare theatre company. Music under the stars with fireworks to cop it all off.

For more details on any of the above, head to: sydneyfestival.org.au

Best stuff of the west (Parramatta) for Sydney Festival POP 2014: Parramatta Opening Party (also free) You can't get any bigger in Parrarnatta than chis. Food, music, street theatre, Boxwars, a street parade and more. This one's suitable for the whole family and ai.nis to turn Prince AJ fred Park inw party central after the sun secs.

NATIO NAL EDITION

Band of Magicians The 'boy band of tl1e magic scene,' these four young illusionists are going to wow you with their tricks. Check out our other article on these guys for more details.

Rubber Duck (also free) The duckie is back and will be cruising d own the Parramatta

River. Get set to take a selfie witl1 this guy.

Project 28: Roman Ondak (also free) This one's for all the arty types o ut there. Slovakian artist Roman Ondak has produced a work, Terrace, especially for the festival. It's all about merging arr with everyday experiences and wiJJ

be at Parramatra Town Hall.

Bombino, Amadou & Mariam, ChrisThile, John Murry and La Orquesta Ti pica Fernande At The Lennox (Riverside Theatres) there's going to be a stad: of musical offerings ranging from music from the

Sahara, USA, England and a 12 piece lively tango group from Argentina cl1ar sure you get you dancing.

For more details on any of the above, head to: sydneyfestival.org.au

JANUARY (1) 2014 39

TRAVEL

Leisurely exploration along the Mekong River in little-known Laos is a pleasant interlude from a busy life

ordered by golden temples, thatchroofed villages, fertile fields of rice and dense jungle, we cruised slowly downstream on the :tvfekong River in Laos, passing fishermen casting their nets and children waving from the shoreline, with no bridges, just the occasional barge crossing slowly from o ne bank to the other.

Here the river splits into several channels that wind their way around 4,000 islands, some large enough co be inhabited, others little rnore than clumps of trees.

Duri ng the monsoon season, the Mekong is known for expanding co 14 kilometres w ide.

I was in south ern Laos, tbe least developed nation in South East Asia, travelling on tbe most charming of wooden river boats. The Vat Pbott, spanning 34 merres long and 7.5 metres wide, origi.nally carried teakwood before being converted into a comfortable riverboat with 12 cabins and an expansive upper deck with rattan chairs and day beds for viewing the passing scenery.

Over a heady espresso at the Sisouk Cafe in Pakse, 1 met our guide Khan and the other guests, a couple from Finland and family of four from Switzerland. The laidback smal.l city of Pakse, capital of Cbampasak Province, sits at the conAuence of the Mekong and Don rivers. We departed by long tailboat for an exhilarating ride until we reached the Vat Phou boat.

After a delicious lunch of Laotian dishes followed by coconut pudding, we clambered on board a tuk tuk and were rransported along a m uddy road to the Vat Phou temple ruins constmcted between the 7"' and 12'h centuries, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shaped co express the relationship between nature and humanity using an axis from the mountain to the banks of the Mekong, a geomerric pattern of temples and shrines once extended over 10 kilometres.

Climbing up steep stairs lined

B

40 JANUARY (1) 20 14

with Aowering frangipani trees, a spectacular landscape unfolded benead1 us, of two large artificial lakes and the vast plain beyond where once stood the ancient city, founded by King lvlahendravarman who became ruler of the Khmer empire.

The Khm er empire once extended from Champasak to eastern Thailand, and south to the tem ples of Angkor in Cambodia.

The historical significance of Vat Phou lies in its role as an imperial centre and its Indian inAuence is evidem by signs of Hindu religious belief. The tem ples were built around a sacred spring piped into the temple's sa11ctw11 that bathed its lillga111, the emblem of the Hindu god Shiva. Other buildings were dedicated to Hindu deities, including Brahma and Vishnu. The complex later became a sanctuary for Theravada Buddhists. Ar the Angkor tem ples, throngs of tour groups surround you, but here there is almost no one co disturb quiet contemplation.

Next morning we moored near a smaU village known as Tomotha where life centres around rice cultivation and fishing, before venturing into the jungle to see the ruins of the mysterious Oum i\ifoung temple built from the 13'" to 14'" century, now consisting of piles of stones and fallen lintels. The cmious children who followed us were more interested in the large brightly coloured butterAies that hovered overhead.

Passing Don Daeng, one of islands in the middle of the l',1ekong where the river starts to widen, we saw several restaurants and upscale guesthouses, one of the few signs of change. Further on at Don Khon, we visited the o ld French railway opened in 1893 and the bridge linking d1e two islands. When che French sought to transport arms and supp lies on the Mekong to strengtl1e□ their control over Laos they came across an obstacle, a huge mass of water at the Pha Pheng waterfalls.

Undeterred, ther constructed a railway across the island to allow specially crafted boats co be d isassembled, transported, then reassem bled. The disused tracks

www.indianlink.com.au

ij

can scill be seen, together with the mscy remains of one of the steam locomorives and several crumbling Frend1 colonial buildings. These days it js a relaxing destination for backpackers crave.lling onwards ro Camborua, with rusric bungalows fitted with hammocks diat dot the shoreline.

Our linal excursion was to the Pha Pheng waterfalls, a semicircular line of rocks over whid1 dJe water tumbles down 30 metres wid1 a deafening roar.

On our final night as we rounded a wide sweeping river bend, the moo n began to rise above d1e jungle and the faraway tinkling of temple bells coming from a nearby village could be heard. I asked Khan what he loved most about life in Laos. He paused for a moment and d1en replied that

NATIONAL EDITION

it was his farm, his family and his water buffaloes.

J ust LO kilometres farther south was d,e border with Cambodia.

Next morning after watching a spectacular sunrise, I headed north to Pakse and Khan returned to his farm. The main reason I'd come to soutllern Laos was ro cruise on the Mekong, a river that I find captivating and return to year after yeat. Over the course o f three days I saw it in all its colours - dar k brown, grey and silvery blue, and l was able to observe life spent on the land. Laos has long been the small sleepy neighbour o f Thailand and V ietnam that is waiting to be discovered.

GETTING THERE Thereare several options ror arriving in Pakse.Thal Airways International and Air Asia fly from Australiato Bangkok with onward connections to Ubon Ratchathani, a three hour bus ride from Pakse. Several airlines fly to Vientiane, from where you can take an overnight VIPbus. Lao Airlines flies to Pakse from Ho Chi MinhCity, Bangkok and Siem Riep.

GETTING AROUND While the 4,000 islands can be accessed by road, amuch more pleasant way is by boat. Highly recommended isthe Vat Phou with 12 comrortablecabins with ensuite bathrooms. W: www.vatphou.com

WHERE TO STAY In Pakse, the centrally located P.esidence Sisouk is a charming, boutique hotel overlooking the Mekong. The breakfast with jams, freshly baked bread and strong locallygrown coffeewasa delight.

W: www.re~dence-sisouk.com E: hotel@residence-sisouk.com

INSIDER'S TIP The money-changer near the monument bookshop in Pakse has the best rate of exchange. Thai Bahtor US dollarsgive the best rate. Treat yourself to a pressul!' point massage at DokChampa Massage opposite the PakseHotel. Avisa is required br entry into Laos.W: www.laoembassy.net E: laoemb@bigpond.net.au. Carry afleece top as it gets cool onthe river.November to April is the best t ime ror aMekong cruise.

JANUARY (1) 2014 41

ADVERTISEMENT

NEWYEAR MESSAGE HIS HOLINESS SAINT RAJINDER SINGH JI MAHARAJ Saints and mystics throughout the ages have told us everything in this world is perishable. Only our soul is eternal. The contemporary saint, His Holiness Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, in his 2014 New Year's Message urges us to consider this when making our first-ofthe-year resolutions. He says: "At this time of year, most people have two major decisions to make. The first is what holiday gifts we want to receive. The second is what New Year's resolutions we want to make.

The question of holiday gifts often focuses on a material gift we want for ourselves or to give our loved ones. From childhood, many children are told to make a list of what they want as a holiday gift and most focus on toys and game.s. As adults, we focus on gadgets, necessities, or something fun and entertaining. Most involve items that are perishable, as they will either break, become lost, or we will lose interest in them. Few holiday gifts are lasting and meaningful.

New Year's resolutions usually do not focus on physical gifts, but on making new habits to improve our physical body and mind. For the body, some popular resolutions focus on our weight, fitness, health, appearance, or bodily goals. For the mind, we may want to improve our emotional wellness, our relationships, or our skills. We may want to take a course to improve our mind or develop a new ability. Often we want to eliminate habits that are not helpful to us.

body. What, then, are decisions we can make for holiday gifts and New Year's resolutions that are la.sting? Saints advise that the gifts that are lasting are those of a spiritual nature that benefit our soul.

Our soul is eternal and anything we receive to help our soul or any choices we make to improve our spiritual development will last beyond our physical life. Such spiritual gifts go with us beyond this life and stay with us for eternity.

The most lasting gift we can give ourselves and our loved ones is learning how to meditate on the inner light and Sound. Through meditation, we connect with an eternal source of all happiness, love, and light that does not perish. This inner connection fulfills us with more joy and bliss than any material gifts of this world. The best resolution we can make is to meditate daily and avail of the spiritual riches God wants to bestow on us- union with God. Of all the resolutions we can make for our body and mind, the one with the most lasting benefit is meditation as that enriches our soul. Fulfillment of our soul provides far greater joy and ecstasy than any gains for our body and mind.

This year, we can benefit the most by placing meditation on the inner light and Sound at the top of our gift wish list. If we a Iready know how to meditate, then let us pray for the regularity, devotion, commitment, and passion to keep it a priority in our life. For our New Year's resolution, by placing a minimum of two and a half hours daily meditation at the top of our list, we can enjoy a gift that never perishes and is always a source of joy, love, and bliss-union of our soul with God:'

Masters give a different perspective on life. They point out that any gifts or resolutions related to this physical world, our body, and our mind are not lasting.

They are perishable as anything made of matter will one day be destroyed. Material gifts we receive or give have a limited shelf life. Resolutions that affect our physical body and mind are also only going to last as long as we reside in this physical

H.H. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is head of Science of Spirituality, an international, multi-faith organization dedicated to personal transformation through meditation.

To learn more about Science of Spirituality and Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, visit: www.sos.org/aus/australia

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COMPETITION

WINNER! And the Indian Link2013 Selfie of the Year is ... Dharmica Mistry's wedding snap We had a hard time picking the winner for our Selfie of the Year. It seems like a lot of you had fun snapping silly, beautiful and bizarre pies of yourselves all over the world, but there can only be one winner and that is Dharmica Mistry's wedding day selfie.

Snapped on December 7, 2013, on her wedding day, this photo stood out from the rest because of its uniqueness. Half obscured by her hennaed hand, this cheeky photo with its unique composition, and striking use of colour wins the double pass to Sydney Festival's Band of Magicians.

Congratulations on the win and your beautiful wedding, Dharmica! All the best for 2014 and keep on taking those selfies.

Indian Link competitions Remember to head straight to our Facebook page to keep up-to-date with our latest competitions.

Visit www.facebook.com/lndianLinkAustralia and 'like' the page for your chance to win a range of fantastic prizes.

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Liverpoolcitycouncn UNUn,o, Oll flllurt to9f0..t

Mayor & Councillors· Message Phone 9821 9150 Fax 9821 9333 Email mayor@liverpool.nsw.gov.au

It was a pleasure to celebrate another fantastic New Year's Eve event at Chipping No rto n Lakes w ith so many of you.

Liverpool is an accessible connected city wit h plans t o deliver many exciting project s and programs for 2014 including w i-fi access in Liverpool as part of the recent CCTV rollout in t he city cent re which will promote a safer place for everyone.

Council w ill also deliver Night Markets in Macquarie Mall and execute major upgrades as part of an extensive City Cent re revitalisation project.

Please join us at Woodward Park for Australia Day celebrations on Sunday 26 January from 3pm to 9pm, There w ill be plenty of entertainment including performances from X-Factor's Third D3gree and st ar Johnny Ruffo, rides, fi reworks and m uch more.

O n behalf <;>f Council we want to thank you for supporting our work to help Liverpool reach it s full potential M ayor Ned Mannoun & your Councillors

For more information please visit www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 36 2170

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FOOD

If you like Pina Coladas Grab a few of those spiky, juicy fruits and get that BBQ, blender and oven ready, suggests LENA PEACOCK urely you've been to •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• a stack of parties by • • now, you've eaten Ro21st pork with down to 180 d egrees Celsius and • • • way too much food pineapple chilli salsa roast for a furd1er 30 mins or until • • • and you're srnrtmg .'ieme.r 4 skin is crisp and cracking (use this • • to worry abou t making your , ew • metl1od if the skin on option is • •• Year's resolutions, or even just Ingredients chosen).

••• • 1.5kg rolled pork roast fitting into your pants. So why 2. Mix aJJ the ingredients for d1e salsa in a bowl and leave in the nor buy some pineapples and ½ tbsp sea salt Aake.s •• • have a bit of fun with these prickly : I tbsp olive oil fridge for an hour for tl1e flavours • Salsa to develop. fruits?

• They're high in fibre, vitamin 3. Remove the pork from the ½ pineapple, diced into small • pieces C, fat free, and the best bit? oven, discard the fat layer and • They're packed full of bromelain, • 1 red chili, sliced finely (seeds slice the meat. an enzyme that breaks down • 4. Serve the meat topped with the optional) • proteins, meaning it's great for : Handful of fresh mint, finely pineapple sal.sa and serve w:itb boiled kipAer potatoes and a big digestion (yay!), and you can use it : chopped to tenderise meat. You just might ½ avocado, diced into small pieces green salaJ drizzled with exu·a • be able to fit back into your work • virgin olive oil and lemon juice Juice of a lime • wardrobe after all!

Pinch of sea salt dressing.

And here's a random pineapple • Cracked black pepper • fact for you to pw.l out at the next Note: If you eat the • • • Method cracklingyou are getting dinner parry, pineapple is not • • strictly speaking a fruit, rather it's • mo1'I!fat and energy, but 1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees • • Celsius. Rub salt and olive oil I00-200 fruitlets all fused together. • if you're trying to lose • • You don't have to "like getting • into skin and place in roasting weight, remove it •• •• caught in the rain" for these bef01'1! eating. tray. Roast for 30 mins, then turn • easy recipes.

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BBQ Pineapple Sen;es 4 Ingredients 1 pineapple 2 cups Greek style yoghurt 4 tbsp crushed macadamias

Method 1. Cut the pineapple lengcbways into eighths.

2. Grill on the BBQ for a few mins on each cue side of tbe fruit until you see nice caramelised grill marks.

3. Serve each quarter with a small bowl of Greek yoghurt topped

with tl1e crushed macadamias.

Note: No, don't peel it. It looks divine with the skin still 011. Afte,· cooking, just nm a knife between the skin andflesh and cut into segments, but serve this dish intact, on the skin.

.......... , •............••............•.............•.............•..

Pineapple green smoothie Se-n,es 2 Ingredients ½ pineapple, cut into chunks 1 /2 banana (65g) I cup coconut water, chilled Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh mine 20g (l cup) baby spinach leaves 1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Small Lebanese cucumber (70g) c ut in half Method 1. Put all ingredieots into a blender and blitz for a couple of mins.

2. Pour over ice cubes into two long glasses an d serve.

NATIO NAL EDITION

All recipes courtesy ofnutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan for Aitstralian Pineapples

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Seeking bride for 30-year-old Hindu Punjabi boy of S'S'; who has a 31 -year-old, 5'1'' Hindu Punjabi, Bachelor of Business in finance, and is Australian citizen. Living in Sydney, a resident of New Zealand. Working brought up in India, she is an easy with global FMGC in Auckland, earning going, decent, cultured, beautiful, 100k +NZD / annum, looking for very fair girl. Completed Masters in educated, outgoing, professional girl Accounting. Previous marriage annulled. in New Zealand or Australia. Contact Looking for same minded person. father on:jaipaldatta@gmail.com Please contact: marriagesydney@gmail. com or call 04-52 188 324.

Alliance invited for well educated, never-married, 5' 9': Sikh Khatri boy, Parents seeking match for fair, slim who was born in 1975. Looking for Hindu Sindhi girl who is 33 years, compatible Sikh girl from Australia.

156cm working as lecturer at a leading Early marriage. Phone: 04-15 079 724 university. Permanent resident of Australia or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com with dual degree M.Com (Accounts and Finance), fond of sports, travelling and Well established pharmacist Brahm in, 38 years old, owns two cooking. We are a tight knit, professional fami ly. Please mail proposal with education, large pharmacies in Perth and seeks very attractive, dynamic, caring, job details and recent photo to: mohril324@gmail.com or call confident and cultured girl under the age of 36. She should have family 0406 608 146. values and be well attuned to western conditions. Contact: 04-11 770 7 55 or email: chetanh@westnet.com.au

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Q TPR~DICTIONS !=OR ~__,,

By NANCY JADE ALTMEA

ARIES March 21 - April 19 2014 will be an interesting and eventful year for you. The cards indicate challenges in your relationship, continuing perhaps from last year. The middle of 2014 will see things ease up, though.

There may be health issues around your partner. Perhaps another relationship will exert stress in your relationship. Be careful of your urge to break away and remain distant. Work will be rewarding. Try meditation to bring in some calm.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

·,

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

A wonderful time for work: your hard work in the past is paying off. Grab all opportunities that come your way. This is a time for serious hard work and accomplishments. Tarot sees strong teamwork. Your work will take over your life. Personal life takes a backseat until the end of the year. Make plans to take breaks in between your busy work schedule: it will do you and your body a lot of good. Spend time with family.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

2014 will be a fantastic year for you, after much struggle last year. You are able to look forward to some fantastic times professionally. Be warned though as there could be some stress in your personal life due to unexpected financial pressures. Keep your expenses in control, and do not spend money you do not have. Be careful of taking rash decisions.

Your temperament needs to be checked too.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 You have many plans up your sleeve to make this an interesting year. You may be looking at settling in another country, as this has been a dream for a long time. Or you could add to yourfamily. Some of your more personal goals may take a while to achieve. You will lack in energy in the second half of the year. Your stamina is normally very high and it will be back on track. Enjoy the ride.

This is a great time for growth in professional life. You look and feel strong, with finances also a lot better later in the year. If looking for a stable relationship you may decide to tie the knot in the second half. You will feel at peace mentally and that your life is going according to your requirements. You will feel charged up and full of energy for most of the year. Do not allow anyone's negativity to affect your positive feelings.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19 This year you will be busy in every area of your life. You will find opportunities which will take you to new heights. You will be involved in social groups and discussions, or even public speaking. At home there is maintenance to carry out.

With personal ties you will need to put in adequate effort to maintain the bond. After a year of struggle your mind is made up that you will not allow the same situations to occur.

2014 will be a very fruitful year for you. You have many dreams and ideas and your motivation is on a high. Your personal connections are going to be valuable at the beginning of the year. Financially there will be highs and lows, and you must keep a constant eye on what is coming in. There will be some interest in arts and you may take on a short hobby course. A special person could enter your life in June/July.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22 This will be a fantastic year for work, with expansion and huge gains. Your confidence is on a high and you will focus on new projects. The second half of the year will be slower but things will still be on a level. You have dreamt of changes, now is the time to reap rewards. Travel is on the cards yet again. Your marriage will go through some stress. A person from the past might return and cause some excitement. Watch your health.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 This year offers growth and numerous gains at work.Your persistent hard work and new ideas will give you continuous motivation and energy. Personal life will be harmonious. Tarot foresees a lot of socialising and friends around you. Be careful offlirtations though, and keep that ego in check! You will want your partner to be more giving, and you need to be careful that you do not start becoming over demanding.

This year is all about communication. You wi II be inclined towards being friendly and also trying to better yourself as a person. Tarot foresees a lot of community work. You will spend time around nature and with people who have suffered trauma. You seem to be spending less time with your partner. If you are looking for a mate, you will find someone during a trip where there is greenery and water.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18 J

,

At work there are some changes coming up, with new roles and more responsibility. There will be some travel; you may also work in another city or state. You will plan to put in place some policies to protect your family. Spend time with family.

You may not have a fantastic relationship with your spouse but you will be able to sort things out. There may be some upsetting news at the end of the year.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20 This year you will be very busy and not only with work. You will be like a social butterfly, with some lovely people around you who are helpful and caring. Work will be a little boring so you will look for other opportunities, perhaps even set up on your own. You will be look at ways to increase your curiosity about spirituality. Taking time out will also do you good this year. This year will start off with an emotional high.

INTRIGUING BUT UNl=INISMED...

DHOOM3 STARRING: Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra DIRECTOR: Vijay Krishna Acharya

***0/''r

here is a secret that this intriguing film springs at us mid-point. Alas, the secret, if one may call it that, only contours the fi lm's most well-known fact: this is an Aamir Khan show all the way. And he gets to give his most overthe--top performance, some of which looks like a dig at Shah Rukh Khan's My Name Is Khan, since, hold your breath, Dharmesh Darshan's Mela.

Okay... let's say it out loud... there are two Aamir Khans in Dhoom 3. Twin brothers out to have some serious fun at the cost of the city of Chicago where the cops, we get to know, are so dumb they need help from their Indian counterparts.

Which is really ironical when considered in the context of present-day political relations between India and America.

But this, as we know, is Chicago as seen through the eyes ofthe architects of the Dhoom franchise. Director Vijay Krishna Acharya who helms this avatar of Dhoom furnishes a fabulous style to the proceedings. The frames are beautifully lit. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography knows, recognises, acknowledges and records beauty in every form, from the architecture to Katrina Kaif.

The preamble with Jackie Shroff playing a magician on the skids, is done up in shades of shimmering discontent suggesting a deep fracture in the plot separating the haves from the have-naughties.

A sense of twinkle-eyed mischief

never abandons the narrative.

And t hank God for a sense of humour to back up the boytoys t hat the grownups seem to be playing with. Gimmicky props are constantly brought up for consideration. Sleek motorcycles that t urn into motorboats in green-blue canals, magicians'tricks which show up at any given moment, twins who swap roles without warning...

There is a tremendous sense of fun and games in the goings-on. But there is also a deep sense of tragedy underlining the playfulness. Sombre ramifications accentuate the bevy of bacchanalia.

The finely framed-out film finally comes to a very sad conclusion where the theme of the twin is seen as a mirror-image that's wiped out under pressure.

Aamir holds the key to the film's efficacy. And how much you like this segment of the Dhoom franchise depends entirely on how well you accept Aamir's over-emphasised performance, ceaseless smirk, constantly arched eyebrows and al l. I was left with very mixed feelings about the performance.

Abhishek Bachchan as Jai, Aamir's lawenforcing adversary, tries to offset Aamir's double-edged swat with some straight faced acting. Uday Chopra as Abhishek's sidekick Ali is hopelessly uninteresting.

And the Jai-Ali nexus is celebrated in some really dumbed-down action borrowed from Prabhudheva's cinema.

Katrina Kaif has a series of breathtaking dances to perform.

She jumps, glides, somersaults and gambols until we flip for her graceful moves. She also has a very interesting date-sequence with the shy, stammering Aamir-avatar where she confidently ties his shoelaces for him quipping, "Nice excuse to bring a girl on her knees on the first date".

There is a bed-rock of warm humour underlining the p lot. The director knows how to juice the characters' emotions without spilling t he sentiments all across the frames. Messy, Dhoom 3 is not. It is a well-packaged enrapturing drama with beautifully designed sequences.

Technically Dhoom 3 is one-up on the first and second instalments of the series. There are beautifully layered frames, shots where the lighting creates the afterglow that fol lows moments of spiritual revelation.

Though that sort of depth is just an illusion and a mirage in this film, like the magician's trick which defines the film's plot.

Dhoom 3 is an intriguing piece of work: slender, supple, smart and subtle; and yet helmed by a central performance that screams for attention.

Such is the irony of life.

SUBHASH K. JHA

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111V

CLASSICS NEVER PALE SHOLAY3D STARRING: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan and Amjad Khan WRITERS: Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar DIRECTOR: Ramesh Sippy

*****

fas William Shakespeare told us, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, then Sholay in any format - 30, 40 or whatever, would remain just the same.

An inviolable classic, timeless, as it is timely. The new version, spruced up with flying bullets and thundering hoofs, comes to us at a time when Dhoom 3 is trending. So it's Sholay 30 weighed against Dhoom 3.

Undoubtedly, the current films that seem to make so much money seem to pale into flamboyant insignificance when weighed against the hefty impact of Sholay.

As many as 38 years have passed since Sholay and its astonishing lines (Salim-Javed at their pithiest) created immediate and enduring history. Yes, the film opened badly. But then Rome and Amitabh Bachchan's career weren't built in a day.

With each viewing of Sholay, I come away wiser and richer. Yes, this is what 'Bollywood' entertainment should always be but seldom is. Rich in drama, vivacious and vibrant in its characterisations, Sho/ay, about one

armless man's two-man army and their battle against a sadistic dacoit (Amjad Khan), spawns innumerable eras of cinematic experience.

It is the most well-assembled screenplay ever.

With the passage oftime, we can view the film in episodes - the stunning train robbery sequence at the start, the massacre of'Thakur' Sanjeev Kumar's family by Gabbar and his ragged henchmen, Dharmendra's'suicide' drama from atop a water tower, '.Jai' Amitabh Bachchan's marriage proposal on behalf of his buddy'Veeru' Dharmendra, 'Gabbar' Amjad Khan's Russian roulette in the ravines with his trio of petrified henchmen, 'Rahim Chacha' A.K. Hangal's son's poignant death scene, the widow 'Rad ha' Jaya Bhaduri's flashback into a colourful Hali when she accosts her future father-in-law with incessant chatter (Radha could have been Basanti), Jagdeep's Soorma Bhopali and Asrani's 'angrezon ke zamaanein ka jailor' episodes... each of these and many others, have a throbbing autonomous life of their own.

And yet, here lies the magic of a monumental classic - all the accentuated episodes come together in a compelling cohesive screenplay which blows your mind.

This is a revenge story with a supremely sustained momentum.

The characters show no sign of aging with time. Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan's Veeru and Jai are to this

day roguish mercenaries who seem to convey an endearing amorality in their conduct even as they emerge as unlikely heroes in the Thakur's fight against an oppressively cartoonish outlaw.

There are two romantic tracks navigated by two very contrasting female characters. While Basanti (Hema Malini) never stops chattering, Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) seldom speaks.

They are portraits in contrasts done up in colours that have acquired deeper shades and relevance with the passage of time.

Dissertations, theses, textbooks and essays have been written on the impact of Sholay on commercial Indian cinema. Does the narrative show any signs of wear and tear? Never! Except when monetary amounts meant to be astronomical in 1975 are mentioned.

Thakur Baldev Singh hires the services of Jai and Veeru for a princely sum of Rs.50,000. That in today's economic context would amount to close to Rs.10 crore. And if you have actors as exceptionally charismatic as Amitabh and Dharmendra playing Jai and Veeru, then the characters seem priceless.

Has there ever been a better celluloid illustration of male bonding than the Jai-Veeru jodi in Sholay? Amitabh and Dharmendra came together once

projection leave the epic undernourished and overemphasised.

The magic of animation cinema is to transport the audience into the world of make-believe, but in a way that we forget the characters are not real people. In other words, for animation to be effective, the narration must transcend the technique of animation.

Mahabharat, as told by director Amaan Khan, never goes beyond self-congratulation. The animation characters are so busy posturing they are never humanised. All we see are graphics, not the spectacular characters from the Mahabharat whom we've grown up with. We hear them. But they never attain credible shapes on screen.

To their credit, the superstars have lent their voices with great dignity and restraint. And I'd have been happy just hearing Mr Bachchan as Bheeshma Pitamah, Sunny Deal as Bheem, Vidya

BaIan as Draupadi... and what have you.

Incidentally Draupadi's vastrahan scene has to be seen for us to know how clumsily inadequate the animation and graphics are. The saree doesn't unfurl.

It ties itself up in knots, in a manner of speaking.

There is a laboured attempt here to prove that animation has come to

again as Ram and Bairam in Vijay Anand's film. But the same chemistry was missing.

No one can encore the magic of Ramesh Sippy in Sholay. Not even Sippy himself. And what a team oftechnicians Sippy had! Dwarka Divecha's cinematography, M.S. Shinde's editing and R.D. Burman's background music will never cease to take our breath away.

I always found R.D. Burman's songs in Sholayto be relatively weak. I still do. But that's a very small quibble in a film that defies all analyses.

So does the 3 D format affect Sholay?

I'd say Sholay in any format is... Sho/ay!

Incomparably gripping, flawlessly cast and impeccably mounted, this is the mother of all Bollywood classics.

Take a bow, Mr. Ramesh Sippy.

SUBHASH K. JHA

EPIC FAIL MAHABHARAT 3D VOICES OF: Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol, Vidya Balan, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha DIRECTOR: Amaan Khan

~ xx:.r

f you were hoping that animation films would come of age with this purported epic, you are in for a disappointment. Though the characters from Mahabharathave faces and voices ofthe biggest stars, the images do not add upto a compelling canvas. Not by a wide margin.

Or, perhaps, it's because those eminently known faces and voices assume the roles of the mythological characters that we are unable to connect, let alone empathise with the astonishing tale of valour, manipulation and war that we've grown up with. Folklore and mythology when done with excessive flamboyance loses its efficacy.

The presentation is epic in intent, yes. Alas, the execution, packaging and

NATIONAL EDITION

animated life in Indian cinema. Sadly it ends up proving only the opposite.

We've a long way to go. If you want to see a credible dramatically deft adaptation of the Mahabharat, check out B.R. Chopra's televised version.

As for animation, I suggest Indian cinema leave it alone.

SUBHASH K. JHA

JANUARY (1) 2014 49

Money cannot buy me: Aamir Khan One ofBollywood's favourite Khans, Aamir, claims to earn the "least compared to others': and says he "cannot compromise" with his emotions as "money cannot buy me''.

"Till today, I have not worked for money and that is one of my biggest strengths," says Aamir, who is currently on a rollercoaster thanks to the success of his latest release Dhoom 3.

He has experimented with films, roles and genres galore in his over 25-year movie career. From loverboy to teacher to villager and now a villain, he has done it all, but it's vital for Aamir to connect emotionally with a project before he gives it a thumbs up.

"It's not that I don't need money. All of us need money and, according to me, I earn the least amount of money compared to others and yet I am very happy because I do what my heart says''.

"I never work for money. Give me Rs.100 crore for a film and if I don't like it, I will not do it. I cannot compromise with my emotions, and money cannot buy me," added the 48-year-old actor.

No wonder this man has already become known as one of Bollywood's greats.

Tom Alter smitten by 'beauty of Urdu'

RIP FAROOQUE SI-IEIKI-I

M

ulti-faceted actor Farooque Sheikh's life came to an abrupt end on Dec 27 in Dubai following a cardiac arrest. He was 65.

The talent, who delivered impeccable performances in films as well as in TV shows and on stage, will be remembered by his colleagues and confidantes for his innocent charm, uninter rupted honesty to his craft and his unmatched humility, colleagues and friends in the industry said.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, with whom he was on a vacation in Dubai.

From his big screen debut with the widely acclaimed Garam Hawa in 1973 to films like Shatranj Ke Khilari, Bazaar, Umrao Jaan, Chash me Buddoor and Saath Saath; TV shows like Shrikant, Chamatkar, Ji Mantriji and Jeena lsi Ka Naam Hai; and a longrunning play like Tumhari Amrita - Farooque's body of work was creatively rich.

Born March 25, 1948 in Baroda, Sheikh started as a theatre actor and later went on to exhibit his natural flair for acting in both parallel and mainstream cinema. If he convincingly played a nawab in UmraoJaan, he essayed the role of a common man in ChashmeBuddoorwith equal aplomb.

He featured in just over 50 films, but it was enough for him to make an impact. He took the 2010 National Film Award for best supporting actor for the film Lahore.

Furthermore, his finesse at creating a balance between the two worlds continued till the end - he was seen in the box office blockbuster Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewanl and the critically acclaimed Club 60 and Us ten Amaya.

His last assignment was Youngistaan, scheduled for release later this year.

Although Farooque finished his work on the film a few weeks ago, the film wrapped up production on Dec 28, a day after his death.

ProducerVashu Bhagnani offered an unusual tribute. He orderedjalebis for the entire unit.

"In October, Farooque saab had personally got us jalebis from this particular shop in Indore and force fed all of us. I am not a jalebi guy. But I enjoyed Farooque saab's insistent warmth. On the last day of shooting, we celebrated his positive spirit by ordering his favourite jalebis''.

Farooque's last scene for Youngistaan was to include a guest appearance by bigwig Ajay Devgn. The late actor shot the scene without his co-star, who could not be available, because he wanted to finish off his commitment without inconveniencing anyone.

50 JANUARY (1) 2014

Thespian Tom Alter says that he learnt Urdu from his American Christian missionary father and read the Holy Bible in the language during his childhood days.

Alter recited five verses from the Bible in fluent Urdu in front of a huge and surprised audience, which roared in approval, at the inaugural ofthe All India Urdu Book Fair held as part ofthe 10--day Urdu Festival in Malegaon Maharashtra recently.

"How can Urdu belong to Muslims or any other particular religion when it described God's message with such beauty;' Alter said, dismissing wronglyheld contentions that the Urdu language belongs to the Muslim community.

In fact, the Mussoorie-born Alt er pointed out that Urdu was born, flourished and enriched in the subcontinent in the pre-Independence era.

Unfortunately, post-Partition in 1947, it faced discrimination in India with a section of people wrongly portraying it as a language of Muslims, Alter added. "! learnt Urdu from my priest father and there was always an Urdu Bible (translated) on his table. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the Bible in Urdu;' Alter said.

"Urdu has a special flavour and power which other languages seem to lack,"the Aashiqui actor said amid a huge round of applause.

Referring to fears expressed in some quarters that Urdu was on the decline and had no future, Alter said that on the

AAMIR KHAN contrary, Urdu doesn't need our help to survive. He added: "It is we who actually need this language."

During the Urdu Festival, Alter staged his famous 90--minute solo-play on the late Indian scholar and political leader Maulana Abut Kalam Azad. It revolves around the life and ideology of the great Muslim personality and portrays his clear opposition to the division of India and creation of a separate Pakistan.

Incidentally, since it has certain comments critical to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - another historical stalwart and colleague of Azad - the play written and directed by Saeed Alam has been banned in Gujarat.

Whatever Aamir can do.. .. . . . Salman can do better? Well, at least Salman seems to think so!

After successfully hosting four consecutive seasons of reality show Bigg Boss, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan will come on the small screen next year as the host of a new show based on social causes and says it will be different from Satyamev Jayate.

In 2012, his contemporary Aamir Khan launched the 14-episode talk show Satyamev Jayate, which highlighted issues like female foeticide, evils of dowry and malpractices in medicine.

"We are working on something which is different;' Salman said recently. "It is not along the lines of Satyamev Jayate.

We will have a lot more entertainment in it. But it wil also change a lot of things.

We will rock next year''.

Of course Salman is a known expert on certain social issues, in particular (ahem), domestic violence, drink driving and hunting of endangered animals.

Currently, Salman is gearing up for the release of Jai Ho!, an action film set for a Jan 24 release.

Got your hands on Dabboo Ratnani's 2014 calendar yet?

Ace photographer Dabboo Ratnani's

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SALMAN KHAN SHAHRUKH KHAN collector's item each year, was launched in Mumbai early in the new year.

The calendar features candid and interesting shots of personalities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh, Arjun Rampal, Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan, Vidya Balan and Bipasha.

Shah Rukh said of his pie in the collection, "This is the first time Dabboo has taken a picture of a man (me) in satin sheets. I was very tired as I came straight from work. So, Dabboo said 'It will be easy for you, just lie down, relax and I will take a picture of you"'.

Alia Bhatt features with a cat, and Sonakshi Sinha takes you by surprise in her punk avatar.

This is the 15th year ofRatnani's celebrity calendar. Others who feature this year include Parineeti Chopra, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Katrina Kaif.

Farhan was outstanding: Prasoon, Shabana react to Naseer's 'fake' comment Reacting to Naseeruddin Shah's criticism of Farhan Akhtar's performance in Bhaag Milk ha Bhaag (8MB) calling it "fake'; actress Shabana Azmi and Prasoon Joshi, writer of the film, said the veteran actor is entitled to his opinion but they feel that Farhan was outstanding in the biopic.

Shabana, who is Farhan's stepmother, has worked extensively with Naseer in some of the most influential films of Indian cinema such as Masoom.

She said: "Farhan was outstanding in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. His performance gave me goosebumps. He has raised the bar for what actors should demand from them while portraying real-life characters. Naseer is entitled to his opinion. But most Indians don't agree

. . . . . . .. .. . .. . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .

WI-IO WORE IT BETTER? • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Jacqueline Fernandes or Ashley Benson in Amit GT? Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianlinkAustralia

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TOM ALTER with him''.

While the film's director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan desisted from comment, Prasoon was forthright in expressing his feelings on the issue.

He said: "I respect Naseer saab and he's entitled to his opinion. But I don't agree with his opinion on 8M8. I've written the film. It has inspired and connected with people all across the world. It was not meant to be a documentary or a niche film:' 8MB chronicled the life of former athlete Milkha Singh and viewers enjoyed watching well-trained Farhan as the Flying Sikh on the big screen so much that it reaped gold at the box office and crossed the Rs.100 crore mark.

Commenting on Naseer's opinion that Farhan doesn't resemble Milkha, Prasoon said: "In my opinion, Farhan has done a great job in terms of the character that I wrote. I had deliberately incorporated tones of fact and fiction. He has shone in his interpretation of the character.

There are no false notes at all in his performance:' Pavan Malhotra, who plays Milkha's coach in the film, also stands by the film .

"You can't please everyone. I was and I am very happy to be part of BMB," he said.

When cross-checked, Naseer admitted he was not impressed by 8MB .

"But the makers are convinced they've made a masterpiece. Look, spare me, will you? No one involved with that film gives a damn about my opinion. And I am not really keen to hurt their feelings:' However, director Ajay Bahl said he didn't like the film, but appreciates Farhan's acting.

Bahl said: "I didn't like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at all. I found the film too long.

The script went all over the place and the direction was over-indulgent.

However, I think Farhan did a splendid job of recreating Milkha Singh's persona. The film just didn't match his performance:'

JANUARY (1) 2014 51

BACKCHAT

ueen-size resolutions The Queen, Julia Gillard and Miley Cyrus reminisce on the year thatwas and pen their hopes for the new year

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up a Little later than usual and srarted cleaning LIP the debris of the pre,r ious night's party on the rear deck of empty bottles, paper plates, left-over rubbles and other bits and pieces. 1 found an innocuous brown envelope near a pot plant. From ES. I have 11 0 Eartb Sbaket as a friend or foe. I'vfaybe some guest bad forgotten it?

Instead of ringing 50 odd people I decided co open it ro find its owner. I felt a lightning strike from above and the earth below me opening up at the same time.

Signed Edward Snowden. \Xlhy me of all the people, I wondered?

Since the ABC was snowed down by scatlung criticisrn for releasing his last leak on Australia spying Indonesian leaders, Snowden wanted some other 'reliable' source to do the job.

Knowing that I often write the Backchat page, be might have chosen me to tell the world, a wad of New Year's resolutions of some of the powerful persons on this planet, the real Queen and some reality queens. Having a cult follo\\>7ng for my Backchat, I am

5 2 JANUARY (1) 2014

duty bound to tell the I.Juk readers first.

The top sheet was a parchment paper with an embossed crest in gold. The Queen in her own hand,vriting had penned, "Like the Ashes, my recent Christmas message was a lose cause. My audience once stretched from Sydney to Saskatcliewan, but has now shrunk co the E nglish shores. Even Lady Gaga, who is no lady, has more Facebook followers than l. Even my tweets are not as well received as the budgies in Fergie's (Andy's ex) books. Otl1erwise 2013 bas been good to me. By George, my Royal brood has expanded, but my \Y./WW (\'\!orld's Wealthiest Women) ranking has gone one uocch below that woman, the uncrowned qneeo of my former colony considered a jewel in the

crown. Hope 2014 turns om better, only if my horses can win J\scot".

The second was from the queen behind the Delhi 'durbar'. "It has been a rewarding 20'13. 1 am now the 12"' richest woman eclipsing Elizabeth tbanks to the fair- minded Indian masses. They prefer to be ruled by anyone with a fair skin. Even m y mother-inlaw preferred me 0\7 er her native hahu. I wish the H11ffingto11 Post didn't publish that I'm worth two billion. 0 f course it is all huffing and puffing since they withdrew it. I am content \Vith my lot. But only o ne small wisl1 for 2014. Just that old chair once my husband, mother-in-law and her father occupied in the South Block.

If Rahul, with his popularity plummecing can't get it 1 wish Priyanka picks up that piece".

Julia GiUard's was next. "Lost the throne but made a fortune.

Got way over (nearly a nullion) for my Alcona cottage; taxpayers will fork our 200k a year co support me for the rest of my life and pocketed haJ f a million advan ce ro write a book. Now Living in my seaside mansion lam reminiscing how 2013 turned Out 't1t1111JS honibilis' w ith misogyruscs calling me names, co!Jeagues colluding co ditch me and worst of all Bill short-changed me hours after swearing loyalty and the front-line feminist Penny w(r) on g-footed me. There was no one around to crust. The only bloke who stood behind me was my hair stylist - nor for doing the hair though. Of course, my dog coo. I am spiJJi ng the beans in my book for the 2014 Xmas release a1Jd want it to be a b lockbuster. I need co hurry up before that crafty Kevin does bis book''.

Next one from another woman who reigned from behind tl1e scene. Therese's diary read, ·'If only chose millions of 'selfies' had mrned out co be votes, Kev would still be lung. Poor chap is busy writing lus story witb 'programmatic specilicity.'

UNdeterred he is flying aroLmd the globe lobbying for some UN job UNmindful of airlines' cold sandwiches. Hope 2014 UN folds a funtte that ,vill make the UNgrateful Aussies squirm for U, ceremoniously dump ing him.

For me, of course, 2014 holds a bright fmure wich Holden workers lining up at my recru.ianenc firms looking for jobs. With my assets now touclung 200 millions, mis Rein is well 011 the way to catch up wich that Rinehart". :Miley Crrus' list popped up ne.xt. \Xlhat else is left for this pop queen to reveal? My curiosity revved up ro see her stuff.

"What have you been doing in the deck so long?" my wife yelled ouc. Hurriedly stuffing the papers in to tl1e envelope, I sheepishly said, "Wond ering what New Year resolution should I cake?" " Don'c spend too much time writing silly articles. That should be resolution," was her fu·sc piece of advice for the New Year.

Happy ew Year e~reryone!

''

Therese's diary read, "If only those millions of selfies had turned out to be votes, Kev would still be king"

''

''

Now living in my seaside mansion lam reminiscing how 2013 turned out 'annus horribilis' with misogynists calling me names, colleagues colluding to ditch me and worst of all Bill short-changed me hours after swearing loyalty and the front-line feminist Penny w(r)ong-footed me

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