2014-01 Sydney (1)

NEW TERM STARTING DATES

18th January 2014 for Year 12s

25th January 2014 for Year 11s

CO URSES OF FERED: Chemistry Maths Ext. I Physics Maths Ext. II

• Biology • UMAT teaching and mock exams + New English Course beginning in 2014!

74% OF OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVED ABOVE 99.00 ATAR

96% OF OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVED THE TOP BAND IN CHEMISTRY

87% OF OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVED THE TOP BAND IN PHYSICS

FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF

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 _, .-www.indianlink.com.au

Do what you love, love what you do

that fu ture h appiness is n ot de cided by wha t your AT A R scores allow you to access.

Itwas the usual Saturday n ight di n ner with India n Australian friends w h e n the discussion tllrned to th e rece ntly released HSC res ults and theATAR sc ores. Of t h e 20 people gath e red, a q uick whi p aroun d found tli at only four co uld accua Uy rem ember their Ind ian HSC result s a n d whether it was selecti ve amnesia or emba rrassmen t , it seemed ch at 25 years o n , chose resul t s m ade little d iffere nc e to their lives

It was however, agreed that in their experience, w hile tl1e H SC allowed some an e n try inco th eir prefer red options, oche r s fo und t he ir per sonal fut ure in tlieir ow n war-

Th e lo cal Ind ian Aus tralian commu ni ty values good educa tio n \Xii th the 2013 H SC results anno unced in m id-D ecember, there is a scramb le for uuiversi ty places, as families push for higher ed ucatio n for th e ir child re n Around dinn e r cables, an analysi s of cou rses and universities a n d high er educa tio n optio n s ar e b eing ex plored b y stud ents and tl1e ir p aren ts \Vhile se lectio n of the app rop riate course is im p o rtan t, it is also i mpo rtan t co nore

The c h a.Uenge for yow1gste rs an d dieir par ents is to fi nd om what th ey e n joy an d th e n do it A dmi ttedly, a t times i t may be diffic ult to get t his rig h t in die first go, bur over time o n e hopes that th ere wi Ube a grad ual s h ift to align p e rso n al passion witl1 p ro fessio n al e ndeavours.

Au straLi a d oes offe r die opportunity t o l earn from life expe r ien ces as perhaps c o m par ed to India. In Indi a, wi tli co n sta n t popula tio n press u res o n the jo b mar ket, al o n g w ith social expec tatio n s, t he ab ility to line tu ne o n e's life journ ey is m o r e restric t ed Society a n d otli er pressu.res make i t difli cu l t to leave a stud y course midte rm, wh e reas in Ausrrali.'l m e a b ility to li n e ru ne is m ore ac ceptable. It i s com monp lace for young peo ple co rake a g ap year and enhan ce tlieir p e r sonal p erspectives before embar king o n a tmivers icy course, w h ereas in l ndia, ro ta ke tim e off after s chool to go travelliog i s un heard off. Often lo ng t erm professi on al h appiness is s acri fi c ed as the p athways for ad vanc em e n ts are restricted

Fo r par ents of youn g Indian Australians, t he reaLisation t hat di e social system s are d iffe re nt between tlie two countries may help di em in guiding tl1eir children as to tlieir options

as t he y go forward For the pa re nts h elp ing meir child ren to chart out d ie rest of their lives based o n tl1cir ATAR sco res, th ey need to ta ke into account wh at their children en joy d oing , as well as b al an cing mcir O'\v11 Life experi ences with the social optio n s in meir countr y o f ad option

They m ay well be ad vi sed to use the following w·ord s o f wi sdom from tl1e famous $Leve J obs Stan for d speech , 'Tm co nvin ced that the o nl y thing that kept m e going was cha r I loved what I did. You've go t to find what you love An d th at is as true for your wor k as it is for you r lovers. Your work i s ~oing t o fill a large part of your life, an d the o nly way to be truly satisfi ed is to do what yo u believe is great work. And t he onl y way to do great work is to love wha t yo u do If you h aven 't fo un d ir yet, keep looki ng D o n 't settle As with all ma tters o f the h eart, yo u 'll know when you find it. A n d , like a n y grea t re latio n shi p, ic just gets better a nd b etter as the years ro il o n. So keep looking u n til you find it. D o n 't set tle"

A nd ped rnps pa rents mig ht also want ro r eview their own life choic es. Wo u ld th ey h ave done dungs differe n tl y i f they h ad m ore flexibility with meir o p tio n s?

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

We promise to Students, Parents!

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.

Edu-Kingdom College

AUSTRALIA DAY, INDIA DAY andPONGAL

Sun 2 6 Jan 10am-1 pm

RAIN celebrates Austra l ia and Indi a's national day alongside Pon gal, southern Indi a's harvest festiva l , at 501 Forest Road, Penshurst Features include friendship corners, garden talk a n d Indian vegetarian lunch

Detail s: Sudha Natar ajan 0420 27 1 570

FUNDRAI SER

GHARA Valentine Dinner Dance

Sat 22 Feb 7pm

GHARA's fundraising dinner will ra i se money for some of the poorest areas of India Includes great food, musi c and of course, dancing. Limited t i ckets available

Our Lady of Czestochowa Hall, The Pol ish Church, 116-132 Quaker Road, Marayong

Detail s and RSVP to: Kylee on 0410 657 896 or hel p@ghara org by Feb 8

HELP 3 -Y EAR- 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

WHA.T'SON

Indian community to help their son Kamal l earn 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 i s 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@gma i l.com or Ashok pothi@gmail com or call Samyuktha on +61 0469 109 308 or facebook com/Helpkamalwalk

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 Orati on will be preceded by a Remembrance Ceremony at the Gandhi bust on the UNSW

Library Lawn. Registration for bot h events before Jan 20 is essential. Remembrance Ceremony: University of New South Wa les Library Lawn, UNSW Kensing t on campus.

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

Detail s: www al umni.unsw.edu.au/ gandhi

CONFERENCE

3 rd Australian National Hindu Confer ence Sat & Sun 26-27 April

8.30am-5 30pm

Workshops, networking and discussions Organ i sed by Vishva H indu Par ishad of Austra lia Inc. Both days r egistration fee: $50 Details: www vhp.org au or email conference@vhp.org au

Cover photos

Priyanka Da s and Teja s Shah on their wedding day {Southern Light Photogra phy)

Murugan Temple, Mays Hill

Manjit Singh of Manjit's Balmain

Adde ndum

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

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eac to erance

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

you to cal.I these people criminals?"

Itwas 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? D o 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 a nd a woman \Vant to be together? As citizens of India, these people have the same rights as you. \Vho are

10 JANUARY (1) 2014

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 vo luntarily 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 t he world.

Though hardly 200 people have been convicted unde r 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 t he first young person in my story, on the basis that it upheld "Indian cuJrme," man y 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 cove r of Tndio Tod,!)' looking dishevel.led and angry and ho lding a chalkboard that reads,"• OT A CRIMINAL. To n ot be able ro love d1e one you love is tO have your life wrenched away" is sad. Seth is a master of words a nd the heart-wrenching words in his essay on g ay rights move.

"Of al1 the cruelties d1at we a s human beings can v isit on one another, o ne 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, b u t 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 aroun d m yse lf, so much die better. \X'.1hac makes li.fe bearable is love - to love, to be loved, and even after death o r 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 bee n 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 li fe?

It is abso lutely wrong for a person co sexualJy abuse a child, domestic v iolence is w rong, 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 n o way tO justify these kind of wrongs but ho mose}.,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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Date : 31st January, 1st & 2nd February 2014

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

I~---BY • ~I RAJNI ANAND

LUTH RA

d~c~:rt:1: drivers, gas station attendants, IT guys, international students, Parramat ta res idents 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 commmli ty? lo rrus feature we introduce aspects of the Indian community to our non- Indian read ers and Indians new to Sydney, hoping to answer sim ple questions that we are often as ked at the Indian Link office, such as wh e re can I b uy a parricu.lar spice in Syd ney, o r w here can I book a Bollywood act for my upc01ning event.

Restaurants

'So w luch are your to p five lndiau restaurants in Sydney?" Mose Indian readers have pro bably been asked th is q u estion a few hundred rimes Here's a list o f eateri es that are popular w ith the Indian community.

The stalwarts for so me years have been regular culprits A bbi'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 yea r s, new k id o n the block U rban Tadka at Terrey Hills has splashed o n to the scene with a ba ng, witmi ng not o n ly 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 lndoChi n ese at Ryde continu e o n steadil y with their band of regi.1lars. In specific pockets of the communi ty, .Maharaja's Raveli at Quakers Hill, Castle T aj in Castle Hill a od Ind ian Fusion at Pennant Hills are popular wirh locals

In tl1e Parramatta area, Ki ngs Indian and the new Anj appar Cherti1iad are d oing we ll. Fo r Hartis Park, try H yderabad House, Billu's and Taj, and the new Durga Paan and Falooda H o use for its Indian style ic e creams

Many of these restamants have function rooms if yo u want co o rganise an even t o r party. Some venues su ch as Nilgiris o r U rban Tadka will orga nise high -class corporate o r private events with aJ1 the trimmings, bu t for the I ndi an community, Man jit's Co ncord Function Ce ntre is t he go- to place for Iarge -scale evems such as weddings

Indian grocery stores

Well worth a v isit i f you haven't ventured i n to one of Syd ney's man y 'spice s hops' \':'hat could you bu y? Tr y t he Basrnati rice: heaps ch eape r, and much better quality, than yo ur usual

supe rm arket v ariety. Tbe wide range of Indian breads in the freezer sectio ns could be interestiug Give pa11eer a tr)~ Indian cottage cheese, which you could pm in your salads, pan fry like haloum i o r cook into a curry. Pappadums are a g reat snack if you are gluten- sensitive: give t hem a whirl in the nlicrowave, or better still, roas t wi th to ngs over an opeo Aa m e. If you've cooked Indian before, yo u will love the variety in lentils on offer, and yo u could p ick up a bu nch of fresh curry leaves for a tentl1 of the p rice at Hards Farm. How abou t som e 111itht1i (desse rts?) Try the Nanak or Haldi Ram brand mJmtilt,i from

Uzma Beg presents her morning show on Indian Link Radio

the freezer section - finger-licking good. A nd on yo ur ·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 ne y, all built strictly to architectural guidelines listed in the ancient Hindu scriptures.

Sri Mandir (286 Cumberland Rd, Aubutn) is Australia's oldest Hindu temple, b u ilt 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 vic to r y popular with the Tamil s.

The Mukti Gupteshwar Temple at 203 Eagleview Rel, Minto, is dedicated co Lord Shiva (the Destroyer of the U niverse). Built cave-style, it was consecrated on 1 4 Feb 1999 when certain planets aligned in a fashion described in the epic Rt1tJJ'!}a11t1 a n arrangement that reportedl y occurs once every hundred years

The temple houses an auspicious symbol relating co Lord Shiva, warer from the five ocean s and from 8 1 rivers from across the wor ld, and two million handw1:itte n notes from devotees Rig hr next door at 201 Eagleview R d, is another templ e worth v isi ti ng, th e Sh ri Shiv Mandir.

The BAPS 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 hol y book of the Sikhs, the Gum Gm11th Snbib, and large dining h alls where de,7 otees ear Langor, the food of the Lord.

The Gurudwaras in Sydn ey are at Revesby (14-22 The Ri ver 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 organisation s both w ithi n the lndian community and in the wider mainstream are working h ard to raise funds for charitable purp oses in India Check o ut rh e ,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 min utes south -west of Jaipur.

The Ekal movement (ww\"ekal.org.au) r aises funds fo r and trains primary school teachers wbo are sent out to remote and tribal regions of India. In sin gle-

teacher schools, these professionals teach 30-40 children i n the agegroup 5-14. The free ~chooling is centred not only around basi c alphabetic and numeric know ledge, but also bealch and hygiene, a n d ethical v alues Ekal Australia is cur ren tl y spo n so ri ng 350 such schools, ever since its inception in 2004.

Equally laudable are tl1e efforts of V is io n2020 (www.visio n 2020. 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: n ext fund -raiser. Try Ramona Lobo's Sirens Dance Group (www.siren sdance com. au) who will enligh t en ro ur guests about the not-so-subtle nuances of Bollywood da nc ing and h ave them screwin g in that Light- bul b like experts.

Fo r a touch of authe n tic bhangra, you can't go past Platimun Inclian E ntertainment (www: platinurn indianen certa.in menc.com. au). Their dr ums will continue to reve rberate 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 c ities of the world Shiamak Dava.r Sydney (W\V\\,s hiamakdavar.com au) may have opened only recen tly, but th ey've already wo n the heart of the city's lndian c ommun ity.

And i f you want to understand che lyr ics o f that Bollywood number, or just wan t to learn how to say Hello in our language, or what Jui Ho! really me ans, you'll want Hindi lesso n s. Give Mala l'vfehta a call at tl1e lndo -Australia n Bal Bharatiya School (www:iabbvh indiscbool.com). Hello Na mas te!

She'll have you nodding your bead

sideways in n o 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 exp en Anupam Sharm a will tell yo u, these are not really BolJywood films, they are merely posi11g as Bollywood films!

B ollywood films are those that are made in Bollywood, er, Mu mbai, and have an impossibl)' impossible srory th at will make you laugh aild cry and despair an d feel hopeful all in one hour, do that very sam e circle again in the second hour, a n d again in the final. tlurd! Get out there tight n ow and see Dhoo111 3 at your closest Hoyts cinema o r better still, on IMAX - tl1e lat est 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 n e montlL

Afrer Dhoo111 3 (starting n o less than three of Bollywood's biggest stars, m ove over Brad Pitt), yo u 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 B ollywood films Cbak De lndia an d Di/ Chahta Hai. ( [here a re 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 fil m made Sydn ey look so coo l and sexy tliat the student c ommunity began ar riving here in d1·oves soon after.

BoUywood music, anyo n e? Tty Indian Llnk Radio, Australia's o nly 24-7 Hindi radio station easily accessible on the n er at WW\v.indianlink com.au or d ownloadable as an app for your s ma rtph one

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 Buildin g), UNSW Kensington campus at 5.30pm.Details www.a l umni.unsw.edu.au/gandhi

HOU MAHOTSAV

FR I - SUN 21 - 23 MARCH

Holi is India's spring festival of colours otherwise known as the annual 'muck- up day ' fur Hi ndus. Revellers smear coloured powder on each other s faces, or throw them at each other in gay abandon. This feel good fest ival, a mega party in which the main element is to have fun is a celebration of equality, a celebration of life itself.

The Sydney- based Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan organises this fest ival annually at Darling Harbour, marking 11 years in 2014.

W EEKEND OF CARNATIC MU SI C

QUEE N 'S BI RT HDAY

WEEKEND, JUNE

The best- known names in t he thriving classical music circuit In southern India travel to Sydney In June each year to entertain local

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 th i s annual women-only event Organised by socialites Nandini Thadani and Sushma Ah l uwalia, 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.

I A

AUSTRALIA IND

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 st alls. Organised by Unit ed Indian Associations (Inc.), the event also attracts many federal and state level politicians who come out t o greet t he Indian commun i ty.

DEEPAVALI FAIR

DAT E T BA

Another annual event that sees the gathering of'the clan : this day- long event marks the fest ival ofDeepavali or Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Organised by the Hindu Council of Australia in OctNov, t he event features cultural performances, food stalls and a fireworks display at dusk.

Diwali is also celebrated at Martin Place in the CBD, and the exterior of the NSW Parliament House is decorated in lights to mark Hinduism's most sign ificant festiva l.

us1c o our ears

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

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

Staying in South Lidia, especi ally at Chen.nai, in December, you cannot escape from being surrounded by classical music. During this rime the rain y season has come to an end. People u1 Chennai begin to ta.LI{ about 'tl1e seaso n'. \'qhac the y 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 l overs. I c is as much a social gad1ering as a concert attendance. Over the ye ars it bas taken o n a global feel co it b y 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-Januar y the

16 JANUARY (1) 2014

city is buzzing with well- known artis ts, 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 roo ts of Carnatic mus.ic are in singing tbe praise of divini ty and d1e manifestations o f creatio n around us. Steeped in the spit:itual tradition, the composers evoke tl1e hig hest emotion in d1e si ngers and listeners. Extempo r ising 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 r oup 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 p lace 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, c lassical, 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 s avage heart," " where words fail, music begins / speaks". "Music expresses cha t which cannot remain silent''. Metaphorica.Uy, we say, ' 'it was music to m y 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 m od1ers 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 majo r religion bas assigned a special place for the m u sical rendering o f prayers and ways a devotee can express meir devotio n. Hindu m ythology ab ounds 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 val ue of m u sic 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 profes sion. 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 lullab ies. Ir uses shared neural circuits with speech. A well- known example of this is how we learm our ABCs. The maj ority 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 s hown 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".

Ca rnati c vocalist Bombay Jayashree

SHIVA KALI ASTROLOGER Pandit: Srinivas

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

After 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 heal t hy balance between work and p lay and their plans for the future.

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 onl y 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 s ubject 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 watch ing YouTube videos and downloading apps related to topics 1 was struggling wi tb reall y cement concepts for me, made them easy to remember and was a welcome change from m y t~xtbook!

I didn't have a tutor for any of m y subjects, but all m y 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 l ocked myself in the darkness of m y bedt'oom for da)'S, only coming out for food, and

they sac and helped me go through m y study notes at all hours of the day and night. There we re 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 timetab le and sticking to it. I was tutored in physics and 4 u n it 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 any thing I needed in term s of textbooks and general s n:Lff.

Vikram Kumar: I had a tumr for physics and for mad1s. My studying techniq u e 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 m y room, and history timelines of key dates up on my ceiling For more content heavy s u bjects 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 h iteboard in m y room where I would map out responses to practice essay questions for my humanities subjects, linking different ideas wid1 different col oured 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 (a nd 1 knew I wouldn't be) j\,( y home s upport was really great. In the lead up to exams it was often my pa rents who told me m take a break from stud ying to cake m y nlind off the work.load. I live in a large household (seven people) , so it's not easy to keep the n oise levels low, but they all tried really hard to make m y 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 d o what needed to be done, w hen ir needed to he done by, and trusted me to have the ab ility 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 reall y supportive and they knew that I woul d do well

Tanveer Singh Mok.ha: Stud)dng technique was mostl y keeping yourself organised an d always p lanni ng 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 eve ry night, including homework, assignments, and extra work. Home support was definitely very positive, my family smck w ith 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 t he chemistry background from m y mum. Most of d1e subjects I did were subjects I was interested in Nakita Dass: When I iilitially chose m y 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 ab le co focus on the s ubjects l understood and loved. I was confident when l made the decision chat all m y remaining subject.~ played to m y strengths, knowiJ1g diat I would

need as much time as possible co really g ive m y Extension 2 E nglish and V isual Arts projects m y all. I was al so taking Spanish d1rou gh distance education al The Open H igh SdJoo~ which was brilliant, bm required a lot o f time, h ard work and self -disc ipline. 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 i t was a subject, like Extension 2, that gave me a l ot 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, howeve r, 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 fo r mams and I wanted to make sure I did the highes t level. It was recommended to me d1at I should also do ph ysics 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 l egal studies within commerce, but it didn't count in my ATAR.

Vikram Kumar: From year 7- 10 you develop an u nderstanding 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 resear ching and editing an essay, and simultaneous.I)' struggled tl1rough 10 mi.rmces of maths homework Whilst I enjoyed aspects of the scie n ces, I was not a 'namral' at them, and always fotmd more ii1terest in learning about soc ieties both past and present. My marks also reflected d1e larger aptitude I had for social sciences That's why whe n it came to subject selection, my family and I made the decision

"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

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

Rizul Makkar

Nakita Dass Girraween High School ATAR 97.80

Tanveer Singh Mokha Sydney Grammar School ATAR 99.75

Amy Shah Baulkham Hills ATAR 99.7

Riddhi Joshi Penrith High School ATAR 99.3

Vikram Kumar Girraween High School ATAR 92.90

Harsharndeep Singh Kahlon Homebush Boys High School, ATAR 98.00

Rizul Makkar Girraween High School ATAR 99.00

Aayush Jain Girraween High School ATAR 97.15

Aparna Balakumar Hornsby Girls High School ATAR 99.3

to fo rget about 'scaling' o r 'weighting' and just rake subjects I would enjoy and was th u s li kely to excel at Two years is a long time to si t in a class you don't have an interest iu! Wr iting my 6000 word major project ou vo lun tou.rism was something T found incredibly fascinating rather than a chore, and similarly l earning all about the V ietnam War came in handy when I recently visited rh e region and viewed the historical sires firsthand. l loved t hat tl1e things

1 was learning about in the class room were thi n gs I could see tl1e effects of and apply to my e\Teryday world

Amy Shah : I a lways W<ed science, so l picked chemistry and physics

Maths was always challenging b u t i11teresting at the same tim e. I learnt my stren gths a nd weakn esses before scarring yea r 11.

Tanvee r Singh Mokha: Always thought m y strengths were towards sciences a nd maths. l always en joyed d oing them and was good at them. I decided ro do econ omics becaL1se my sister did ecouorn.ics and it looked inter esting as it is about what's happening in curren t world, 1 enjoyed it.

Rid d hi Jos hi: I definitely liked maths, 1 always liked matl1s. 1 ,vanted to choose the greatest amount of maths possible 1 also en joyed science and was inter ested in general economics as an understan ding o f the world becau se of dad, bur mostly because I en joyed the subjects.

How did you and your family celeb rate your results?

Rizul Makkar: \Xle wen t om for dinner. Before doing the HSC, I was accepted for a cadership in invesrmenr banking w ith a company called UBS. The p roc ess of interviews and tests s carted in Ma rch and ended in August. So tl1e celebration was more for the cadership th an th e 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 a n all - rounder, recejve a n omination for the Extension 2 Showcase and au ATAR of over 95. I'd h ad these goals, b ut they had seemed more like unachievab le dreams when 1 first for m ed 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' subj ects, the \ mimportan t ones' My parents have always take n tl1e seance th at if yo u're not passionate about somethin g, 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 s howing them (and hopefully future students) tl1at it's not the subjects you cake that determine success, but tl1e effo r t and embusiasm you put imo tl1em. Ac the moment my family and I are travelling t hrough Emope, another absol ute dream come true! We are hoping co have a barbecue when we get back to A u stralia co celebrate with tl1e rest of m y family!

Aayu sh Jain : My mum was still i n India My dad congrarulated me. I wasn't too happy with my mark, as it was n 't rl1e mark I wanted. 1 wanted a little bit better. Jv[y d ad got me thro ugh it

Aparna Balakurnar: My family were so excited! I wo ke them all up in the morning just after I loo ked up my marks at 6am the day they were released. As 1 did n 't come out of many of the HSC exams thinking l aced the paper, and n eve r made an estimation about my marks, it was a huge r elief Coming first in the State fo r Society and Culrure was the largest shock, and I called my pa re n ts straight after the Board of Studies called me and told them "you're going t o have to take T uesday off work!" As a family, we all went out co rl1e te mpl e an d then clinner afterwards \Xle were all just grateful th aL 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, a nd that 1 can .look back proud o f the m arks I received Tan veer 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 we re definitely happy with it. They would be happy witl1 w h atever I got because 1 tried my best. We we n t out for dinner.

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

Nakita Dass : I tl1ink all the free ti m e I've had over tl1e last year was spent sleeping, not something to be proud o f, haha! I love ro p lay the guitar an d sing. I l isten to all kinds of music and always have a book on the go. Travel is something I ab solutely ador e and I tl1.rive on the constant challenge presented by new lan guages. Coming from a cross -cultural background, culmre is always something tha t has fascinated me I write a lot, mostly poetry, and cook when ever I gee the chance. I Jove sport, I'm a b i t of a foorb aU fa natic 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 photographe r too a nd am really in terested 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 h elps me do becter.

Did yo u ensure you had a bala nee between study and play during the HSC?

Rizul Makkar: I r was more about rime management a nd gerting on top of things, m aking sure thac things n ever got out of hand and sticking to your plan l think having a balance is rl1e m ost important thing, if you don't have balance you'll never succeed.

Nakita Dass : I really tried ro m ai.nt..1.i n a balance thro ughout the year and altl1ough my wellbeing suffered a couple of times here and there whe n things became a bi t too overwhelming, 1 think l m anaged pretty well. Finding that equilibrium is viral i f you w ant tc) succeed in life \vi th anything! Go ou t and h ave a gteat rime w irl1 your fciends, exercise, eat well and don't stop doing what you love l f anything, you'll be m o re productive if you can take efficient breaks, don't be too hard o n you.rsdf. That said, it's important to know w hen eno ugh 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 n e of those things. Procrastination is ro be avoided at aU costs, however sometimes in spira tion 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 forge t. l'vfake i r enjoyable! The year passes so quickly and I know rl1e connection I s h ared with my grade and teachers will. be som ething I miss dearly over the years to come.

H arsharo d eep Singh Kahlon : I didn't really e n su re I had a balance. I did used to watch TV bur tl1at's about it, I was mostly just smd ying Once a month or so I'd go out an d p lay cricket. I still think that ha\~ng a balanc e is extremely important an d I th.ink tl1ac if I had a balance, I \vould've done even better.

Aayush Jain: Yeah I definitely tr ied to. I wo uld go on the treadmill for half an hour everyday. The only time I would be able ro do it was at 10pm at nig h t Qaughs) I lost a bit of weigh t during the HSC. I wouldn't have been able to cope w ith the pressure without the half an hour break, you hi t 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

im portant because if it's out of balance you tend to go cowards e."treme of either sid e, w hich 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 learni ng how to drive on hold for the year. Ultimatdy the study levels did increase during assessment p eriods, 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 afte r our work was completed I really think i t's only a stre.5sful period if you give die HSC too much importance, and stop doiog tl1e other thi11gs that make yo u happy. Continuing driving my brod1er to cricket p ractice, or organising a con.cert with t he school prefects were small tasks that really helped take my mind off formulas and guotes. Keeping so busy outside of sn1dy helped give m e mo re perspective d1at the HSC wasn't the be all and en d all. This chen allowed me ro stay mucb calmer when exan1s rolled around, and a lso forced me to use the study rime I did have efficiently

Amy Shah: Yeah at first it was hard, bu t it i s important so 1 tr ied my hardest. l made sure I maintained m y cime wisely I prioritised.

Tanveer Singh Mokha: It .is definitely in1portant to keep a balance as you d on't wa nt 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, chari ties, breakfast clubs, 40 hou r fami n e an d Am n esty lnternational. I completed an mmigetmm in Indian dance as I fou nd dance as a way to take my m ind off srudies and used it as a way of relaxation. Dancing ensured 1 had a bala nce during HSC. T d1ink it's very irnpo r tanc ro have a balru1ee, it will stimulate th e mind an d keep a positive artirude, whic h is very important.

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

Rizul Makkar : Getting through m y cadetship and doi ng r eally 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 w ith tl1c intention becoming a writer. l'm wa r y of saying that, it's an ambi tious

''

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

Tanveer Singh

Mokha

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

Vikram Kumar

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 i t of a long shot, bur I'd love ro do well enough in my first year to become a faculty scholar. I'd also reall y like to keep writing and publishing work More than anything, I'm looking fo rward 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 LI P, but d1e one thing I can say with certain ty is iliac there will be plen ty of stories to tell.

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

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 w il.l. have a high income.

Aayush Jain : I p lan on studjfog law at Australia n National Universicy and I want to end up being a lawyer I'll probabl y have co move our ro Canberra.

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

Aparna Ba.lakumar: I have. no id ea. Bur chat's d1e most exciting part! At univer sity 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 stud y 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 hel p as soon as possible i f yo u 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 teacher s will always be d1ere to help, sometimes teachers alone cannot be enough.

Vikram Kumar: Tr y co keep a bal ance between study and whatever you like to do and don't

get coo stressed, it's not the en d of the world

Amy Shah : When rev ising stick co the syllabus and make sure your know Lhe doc points re.ally well for all yo ur subjects Just keep going and be determined ro do well, and you need persistence!

Tanveer Singh Mokha: Probabl y 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 t he 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 o n 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 so me small negative incident hold you back.

"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

"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!

Aparna Balakumar with Adrian Piccoli Minister of Education

Attention International Students

AAMS

With

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 ac ross the wor.ld attending the 12th eclition of di e 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 ove rseas 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 affa irs 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 g lobe.

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 Palan ivel is the chief guest.

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

Several states as well as the central government also p itching for investments frorn lnclian d iaspora participating at the rneet. 26

Chief ministers of clifferent states incl uding Gujarat Chief Minister Narenclra Mocli, Kerala Chief 1viin.ister Oommen Chandy, Harya.na Chi ef Minister Bhupinder Singh Hoocla, Goa Chief Minister Manohan Pa11:i.kar and Himacl,al Chief :Minister Virbhadra Sing h 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 ma nagi ng the evenr, while the federal ministry of sports and youd1 affairs i s 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 goa l to achieve:

American schola r

The AAP's promise to sweep away corruption from the Indian political system is a "difficul t" goal to achieve, says American political scientist John EcheverriGem. F ighting corruption needs stronger legislative cools, and just b y forming a government in Delhi, rbeAam Aadmi Party snot likely to reduce corruption, he said. Echeverri-Gent, associate professor at University of Virg in ia, presented his v iews 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 corrnp tio n 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 i s something to watch out for. Though, I personally feel d1ey won't win more man 50 seats," he added.

Ecbeverci- Geut's expertise and understanclin g 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 obse r vations was author and political commentator Surjit S. Bhalla, who has authored books like Devaluing to P,-osperi(-)1 : Nfis"iig11ed Cflrremies ,md Th eir 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 vis i ting professor's argrnuents, be strongly felt the 2014 elections will be no less d1an a "mega election".

"The middJe class has become sizabl e in India and hence they would come out and vote fo r parties w ith good economic governance. lf you have observed, parties with good performance have been getting great respon se from people," said Bhalla.

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

With the AAP annorn1cing it will c o n test 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 i s bard to believe the AAP will roll out ocher poli tical parties in a day and take over," said Bhalla.

While Echev erri- 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

Fighting cancer with plant molecules : Indian scientists

show the way

What do tea, turmeric and broccoli have in comm on? A lot, when it come~ to a n arsenal of certain chemicals found in d1em, called phytocheniicals, that can be

A pho to of Michelle Obama's Bolfywood moves during a Diwali bash has made it to one of the 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

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

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

Moreover, phytocbemicals (plant chem icals) may increase the efficiency of the drugs, s aid 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 resul ted 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, polyphenol s 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 suic ide - a process called apoptosis.

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

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

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

" These phycochemi cals 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 p lay a role in repair of DNA damage. We conducted a fie ld 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 w ide 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 tha t they are non- toxic to the human body,

According co CNCI director Jaydip Biswas, since the treatment proto cols 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 c linical research" which is necessary to ''prove rhe role of phycochemicals. Once established it will o pen a new avenue (for cancer preventio n and treatn1ent)n

Priyanka attends Congress meeting, triggers talk of bigge r role

Pciyanka Vadrn, sister of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, attended a meeting of senior parry leaders at his house in early Januar y, 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 (A ICC) 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 seve ral 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 Rahu l 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 you nger 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 e lections to be held in April-May.

The parry, however, down - pl ayed Priyan ka's presence at the meeting. Dwivedi told reporters that Pri yan ka Vadra was a member of an important political fanul y

"Even if she is nor seen taking part in active politics, she is an active member o f 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 s urprised about? What is new in chis," he said. t~ Co n gress leader, nor wishing to be

identified, told JANS dm Priyanka joi ned 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 recentl y-held assembly poUs, is facing a stiff challenge from die Bharatiya Janata Par ty, 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 Unive rsi ty at present has 40 students or Nalanda fellows. Along w ith 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 namesake thar was fl o cked 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 Univers ity (Amendment) Bill 2013 was introduced in die Raj ya Sabba on Sep 5, 2013, b y the external affairs ministr)' and wa,s referred to a parliamentary standing committee. The committee's r eport was cabled in die Raj ya Sabha during the December winter session of parliament

The deparm1ent of expenditure has cleared the Rs.2,7 00 crore cost for the L1niversity to be spent over 10 years. TI1e approval of the cabinet committee on economic affairs is n ow being sought.

The architectural desig n 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 o f 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 seve n 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.

JANS

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 of Sikh leader Guru Gobind Singh

2 Gandhi Ja anti

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Polarisation se ems to be trending in modern democraci es

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\ BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

Many of the world's democracies are suffering from polarisation.

This means tba r electoral support for the C\VO main contenders is about equal and just a shift of o ne or C\vo per cent can couJd res ult in a change o f government Howeve r, there is often

the Congress party. Now Kejriwal's party, w ith the oms.idc support of the Congress Party, has formed the gove rnment and many within tbeAAP are in favour.

De lhi is of6ciaUy called tl1e National Capital Territor)' of India With a population of 22 million, ir in cludes several cities within its 1,484 square kilometres area, Alwar, Baghpat, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Faridabad, Ghazi abad, o ida and Greater o .ida It i s well .indusa:ialised and has the highest per capita income of any state in L1dia.

Dr.Navdeep Dhillon

37, Grose Street Parramatta, NSW 2150

0286042399

Parkmg Is FREE nd Easyl

Delhi's election resuJts a third fo rce and it is th is trurd force tha t can hold the ke y co who forms t he next gover nm ent. If one of the main contenders for power l ends support co the third force, then the third force by itsel f could form the

exemplifies tl1e two and three party resuJt t hat is to become tl1e norm in various couna:ies, suc h as the split vote between the H ouse of Represe ntatives and the Senate in Au stralia, a similar break-up in the USA and also in Britai n. government.

This sort of political power p lay is viv idly seen in the dram a being enacted in

''This sort of pol itical power play is viv idly see n i n the dra ma being enacted in the Union Territory of Delhi

the U n ion Territory of D elhi Soon afte r the inconclusive recent elections, Lr-Governor i ajeeb Jung had to inform the President of lndia that currentl y there was a political impasse but efforts to resolve the issue were in progress

There are three majo r parties in tbe makeup of the new Delhi legislature, th e BJP, the Con gress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam AcLni Party (tl1 is can b e translated as " \ '!le, The People's Party'' or "The Common Man's Part)''). The BJP won 28 seats and tl1erefore fell short of an absolute majori ty, the Co ngress Par ty won just eight seats with even jts leader, the forme r Chief Minister Sheela Dixit, losing ber seat a n d the A.AP winning a surprise 28 seats.

To add to the complicated political picture, the Indian Lokpal (people's Ombudsman) b ill came up before the

Indian Parliament. Its chief protagonist was the avowed Gandhian Anna Hazare who l ed a big campaign for its passing Kejriwal, a Hazare supp orte r, was nor as keen on tl1e content of the bill and actually criticised ic.

At the sa me time Kejriwal considers himself to be a follower of the GandhianGuru like figure of Hazare. K.ejriwal and Hazare worked together in their anticorruptio n campaign which culminated in tl1e passing of tl1e Lokpal Bill by the Indian

Kejriwal's Government in Delhi will have to be cautious as it is dependent o n Congress sup por t. In 1996, neithe r theBJP nor the Congress parties had sufficient numbers to form a gove rnmem for the whole of India It was then a du.rd pa.rty, t he Janata Dal Party, which formed the government with the support of the Congress. The man chosen for this cask was the almost unknown Deve Gowda. He was famous for sleeping during parliamentary sessions There was n o mention of any medical reason for thi s habit. He lasted less than a year in the Prime Ministerial position. He was succeeded by anotl1e r member of the same Parry Inder Krnnar Gujral. There ate .instances of parries havi ng co me to p ower with wafer- tlun majorities which later became p opu.lar. In New Soutb Wales, rhe Bob Cart Government came to power in 1995 with just one seat majority. He was ren1med at tbe next C\VO elections w it h substantial majorities. H e had run a cautiou s and centrist government. That could be the key to Kejriwal. c o ntinuing in office.

Th ere w ere ru mb lings in the BJP camp that Kejriwal was secretly negotiat ing wit h the Cong ress party

Parliament. \Vbile conrinuing to say d1at Hazare is his Guru, who "lives in his heart," Kejriwal made the dubious assertion that nlillio ns of rupees have been spent to drive a wedge beC\veen him and Hazare.

Kejriwal supposedly wanted the BJP to form the Delhi Government but, in turn, tl1e BJP said that it was Kejriwal's parry which sbould form the Government. There were rumblings in tl1e BJP camp that Kejriwal was secretl y negoriacing w itl1

In the Ukr aine ("Little Russ ia"), we are shown in news bulJecins very large g atl1erings from the air. But on the grotu1d tl1e sto ry is d ifferent where there are two op posi ng parties at logger heads, one wishing m join the Em:opean Union and tl1e other wishing to realign. themselves with Rus sia. The

current president has decided to throw rus Jot with his former Soviet parmer Russia. Russia is going to lend t he Ukraine the equiv>1lenr of ninetee n billio n emos a nd bes.ides give a c o ncession (reportedly o f thirty percent) for gas supplies.

lt is too earl y to judge the AA P party and the new government in Delhi because it will depend on how Kejriwal runs that government. H e has begun by givi ng free water to every household up to a certain limit. However, Kejriwal's a:ials have just begun.

BOS, MPH (Syd)

Up close and personal with the HSC

5/TARA RAMAKRISHNAN reminds us that life is about more than just ATARs

Itis thac time of the year as anxious SW Year 12 students receive their 2013 HSC res ults and Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARs) administered by the Board of Studies and the Univers ity Admissions Centre. For many srudent5, it marks an intense ye ar's worth of dedication, perseverance and sac r ifice mo LLlded into a number.

As frustrating and demandi ng as the 1-ISC year can be, the only thing smdems can do is to try the ir absolute best. Of course, reaching academic goals wmtld be an incredible feeling knowing the wo r k 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 m y 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

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 heald1 y, 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 m y 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 wr iting,

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 ho urs I did. I was extremely lucky to h ave 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 pe rso nal 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 simultan eously 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 le t them make d1e big decisions and just be there for them Sure, Extension 2 Mathematics, Phys ics, 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 substa n tial periods of rnese subjects and fields. So smdents, put as ide all thls ' low scaling/high-scaling' b u siness and do what yon End most imeresting and the marks and resul ts will undoubtedly follow in die best way.

\x;'hat I have learnt is mat success is not about p leasing or compacing yourself with others, it is not necessarily about receiving die highestATAR or making the most money eidier. Success i s the result of passion. W/e can achieve die greatest of thln!;,>s when we find o ur place of passion in die long speccrwn of li fe'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.

e num ers ame

While achieving a high ATAR is considered essential, the true test of strength is in the struggle

Ireceived 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 ove r 90 in Legal Studies. The third was about the studemwho came first with 100%, a student who sought m y assistance when seeking to improve her responses.

The apo logies, the relie f, the joy from these different students was palpable. But none of them unde rstand t he 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 clifficul ties and successes

'64' for example, had to face a realisation that academic success framed around competition a nd time tria ls was not a personal strength. With wo rk 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 ad o pted b y 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 nationall y 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.

Neve rtheless, after spending Year 11 struggling academically, '92' finally started to believe that she could do very well academically by app lying the same discipline and sa:ucnLre to academic stuclies, as s he did to her sporting success. There were, of com·se, tears and frustration o n the. way. She

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

The J\TAR does not measure her growth in cliscipline o r humilit)' in accepting tha t s he needed to keep trying.

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

'90' woul d 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 t hat would be marked prior to her writing a complete response. This, she. realised, reduced the tension around havi n g to focus on achievement. Rather, focusing on tl1e Iittle steps helped manage her processes and anxiety. le also hel ped her to concentrate o n skillbuilding.

The ATAR does not measure

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

'100' worked consistently and quietl y throughout the HSC year, displaying great cliscipline and tenacity. Howe,, e r, she came seco nd in the trial HSC, not first. This means that within the school coho r r she was n ot always the stro ngest candidate. The student who beaL her in tl1e trial exam worked extremely hard and born students clisplayed excellent organisation, tenacity a nd insight Both sought specific mentoring to eraclicate mistakes. '100' competed against herself, whereas me other student so metimes 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 n ot measure how a person achieves against his o r her own best self.

Of all tl1ese muubers, in som e. 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, forma l gatherin g, but '64' prepared his speech as a leader would do: around the success of each of the others

During the yea r, '64 ' befriended tl1e most marginalised students and included tl1ern in the popular group. He also wore the putdowns from three teach ers w ithom 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 mis leading.

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

AHMAD

Doesn'tNew Year's Eve bear a comfortable familiarity? Every year, we all know pretty much what's in store. People dre ss up in celebrarory outfits, children don wi ngs, halos and carr y gl ow sticks. Everyone awaits the b ig moment when o n e 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 i t's clone all over the wo rld, r ight? WRONG

Some cul m.res take their New Year celebrations much more se r iously, in the belief that what you do o n the birch of a year will reAect on how yo ur luck will pl ay o ur throughout the year

South America

ln South American culmre something as simple as choosing die colour of yo ur underwear on New Year's Eve can p lay a vital ro le on how your luck will pan o ur 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 mone y you are a fter you dish out those bright yellow underpants.

Britain

He re, die First Foo t New Year

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

Denmark

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 spiri ts and th rowing crocker y at friends' houses is a rem inde r 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 yo u have at your door the n ext da)' the l uckier you are because it is indicative of how many frien ds you have.

Spain

Tr i s a long stand ing tradition in Spain co eat 12 grapes between the first and the twelfth stroke of m idnight on New Yea r. 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 cloth es with circular panerns like polka dots ensures good luck for the rest of the year. It is associated with gaining wealch in the coming year as coins are rou nd

Panama

]11 Panama the New Year celebratio ns take on a macabre cwist. Here, highly detailed dolls called muiiecos are crafted of prominent celebrities and politicians and se t alight on l ew Year.

Ecuador

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

Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans clean a nd decorate the ir hou ses in preparation for the New Year This is thought to cleanse the spirit a nd ward off bad luck. l tis also cu sromary ro throw buckets of water out of wind ows to throw the o ld year out and make way for di e new.

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 w irn 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 graveya rd 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 i n die corning year The rnistleroe leaves are al~o believed to deAect bad luclc

Scotland

The New Yea r c elebration or di e 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, i t is believed t hat the fire symbolises puri ty and is d1 ough r to bring sunshine and hope Ar the end of the c eremony the fire ball~ are thrown into the sea

So the fact remains that clespire all of our Ii rtle differences, deep down we a1·e all quire similar in our belief that a new ye ar symbolises hope an d comes with a promise of new beginn in gs In all culmres it is considered a rime ro make resolutions to g ive up bad hab its, adopt good changes and look forward to a better fon1te. Here's to the new year.

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 rea ll y loved m usic, but m y parent s d id n't wa nt me to do, as that they wa nted meto get a rea l job"

'

• BY " KASH IF H ARRI SON

It's been quice a while s ince 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 li fe 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,

I want co be an actor, so cliat went on for a few years but then cl1ey said no, we want yo u to get a real job. Then I didn't give up so I cold t hem 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 yo u manage ic all?

JG : Ahmmmm 1... don't sleep much, 1 do it b y 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 yo u?

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 s uper 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 fr iends of mine I Jive in Los Angeles and l remember we we re having dinner ac m y p lace o ne night, and desp ite 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. W h at 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 origi n 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 p lanning and rehearsals go into coming up w itl1 an act?

JG : lt is differenr fo r every act. With the Bond uf J\l!.agicirm.r, ic's probably che mo.st intense period anyo f~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 t hen the certain p ieces 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 definicel y an audience l mean chere is no better experience, especially for an audience member seeing magic live, w hich is a wonderful experience in itself!

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

JG : Haha, yo u know what, I don't know whac a Bollywo od tr ick is all about buc I'm up for i t and I'm sL1re all the other guys are up for ic too You can organise a Bo !J,wood show fo r Band of JVfogicio ns and we'll be chere how's thac ?!

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

JG : I have bee n 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 J ames Galea m see his awesome cricks.

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

James Galea (ext reme left) with his Band of Magicians

James Galea

"I did my first tr ick at an Indian restau rant

"

James Galea

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LENA PEACOCK picks the best of the free stuff at Sydney Fest ival 11l\

(11.30pm) at Sydney Town Hall for all clmse night owls.

Ferrython

Australia Day just isn't Ausu·alia Day without watching cl,e oh so ver y fast ferr y races, c omplete with their over the top decorations, and honking. The race g9es from Circular Quay co Shark Island and back again. Sercle in with a picni c on the foresh ore or watch from the bridge for tl,e best v iews

Symphony in the Domain

You might be feeling a li ttle 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 dangli ng out of windows o r crawling over cl1e r oof of a match:mt~ store in Darling Harbour 9am- 9pm daily

Sacrilege

A bouncy castle art\vork of Stone Henge in H yde Parle lt's like a free amusement par k for the whole

family This should entertain for hours.

Summer Sounds in the Domain with Chaka Khan

A night of Ch aka Khan magic i n The D o main. Bring your dan cing shoes.

Donny Benet & the Donny Benet Showband

lf ltalo funk disco means anything

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

Boxwars

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

Paradiso Lates

Bands and DJs playing late

Bring a picnic blanket, yo ur closest friends and family and settle inro the D o main for Sydney Symphony Orchestra's performance of Gustav H olst's Th e Planets and readings b y J o hn 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 cen tral after the sun secs.

Band of Magicians

The 'boy band of tl1e magic scene,' these four young ill usi onists are go ing to wow you with their tricks Check out our other article o n these guys for more details.

Rubber Duck (a lso free)

The duckie is back and will be cruisi ng d own the Parramatta

Rive r. 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. Slovaki an a r tist Roman Ondak has produced a work, Terrace, especially for the fe stival. It's all about m e rging arr with everyday experiences and w iJJ

be at Parramatra T own Hall.

Bombino, Amadou & Mariam, Chri sThile, John Murry and La Orquesta Ti pica

Fernande

At The Lennox (Ri verside Theatres) there's going to be a s tad: of musical offerings ranging from music from the

Sahara, USA, England and a 12 piece lively tango group from Argentina cl1a r sure you get you dancing.

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

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

Bordered by golden temples, thatchroofed villages, fe r tile 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, so m e large enough co be inhabited, others little rnore than clumps of trees Du ri 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 m erres long a nd 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 sce nery.

Over a h eady 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 boa rd a tuk tuk an d were rransported along a m u ddy road to t he 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 ban ks of the Mekong, a geomerric pattern of temples and shrines once extended over 10 kilometres. Climbing up steep stairs lined 40

w i th Aowering frangipani trees, a spectacular landscape unfo lded benead1 us, of two large artificial lakes and the vast p lain beyond where once stood the ancient city, founded b y King lvlahendravarman who became ruler of the Khmer empire.

The Khm er empire once extended fro m Champasak to eastern Thailand, and south to the tem p les 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 p les were built around a sacred spring pi ped 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 becam e a sanctuar y for Theravada Buddhists. Ar the Angkor tem p les, throngs of tour groups surrou nd you, but here there is almost no one co disturb quiet contem p lation.

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 their control over Laos they came across an obstacle, a huge mass of water at t he 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

can scill be seen, together with the ms cy 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 w ith hammocks diat dot the shoreline.

Our linal excur sion was to the Pha Pheng waterfalls, a semicircul ar line of rocks over whid1 dJe water tumbles down 30 metres wi d1 a deafening roar.

On our final night as we ro unded a wide sweeping river bend, the mo o n began to rise above d1e jungle and the faraway tinkli ng of temp le bells coming from a nearby village could be heard. I asked Khan what he l oved most about life in Laos. He paused for a moment and d1en replied that NATIONAL EDITION

it was his farm, his family and h is water buffal oes.

J ust LO kilometres farth er 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 reaso n I'd come to soutllern Laos was ro cruise on the Mekong, a river that I find captivating an d r eturn to year after yea t. Over the course o f

three days I saw it i n all its colours

dar k brown, grey and silvery blue, and l was able to observe life spent on the land. Laos h as long been the small sleepy neighbour o f Thailand and V ietnam that is waiting to be discov ered

GETTING THERE

Thereare severa l options ror arriving in Pakse Th al Airways International and Air Asia fly from Austra l iato Bangkok with onward co nnections to Ubon Ratchathani, a th ree hour bus ride from Pakse Several airlines fly to Vientiane, from where you can ta ke an overn ight VIPbus Lao Airli nes flies to Pakse from Ho Chi MinhCity, Bangkok and Siem Riep.

GETT ING AROUND

Wh ile the 4,000 islands can be accessed by road, a much more pleasant way is by boat. Highly recommended ist he Vat Phou with 12 comrortablecabins with ensu ite bath rooms. W: www.vatphou.com

WHERE TO STAY

In Pakse the cent rall y located P.esidence Sisouk is a charming, bout ique hotel overlooki ng the Mekong. The breakfast with jams fresh ly baked bread and strong loca llygrown coffeewasa deli ght W : www. re~dence-sisouk.com E: hotel@res idence-sisou k.com

INSIDER 'S TIP

The money-changer near the monument bookshop in Pakse has the best rate of exchange. Thai Ba htor US do ll arsgive the best rate. Treat yourself to a pressul!' point massage at Do kChampa Massage oppos ite t he Pa kseHotel. 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 a Mekong cruise.

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 games. 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.

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

11 th Jan 2014

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body. What, then, are decisions we can make for holiday gifts and New Year's resolutions that are lasting? 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 meditatio n, 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 u s 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:'

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

Yoga

Hath

"<Your

":M..a/ijng a <Difference in <Peopfe 's £-ives"

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

If you like Pina Coladas

Grab a few of those sp iky, juicy fru i ts and get that BBQ, blender and oven ready, suggests LENA PEACOCK

Surely you've been to a stack of parties by n ow, you've ea ten way too much food and you're srnrtmg to worry abou t making yo ur , ew Year's resolutions, or even just fitting into your pants. So why nor buy some pineapples and

have a bit of fun with these prickly : fruits?

They're high in fibre, vitamin C, fat free, and the best bi t?

They 're packed full of bromelain, an enzyme that b reaks down

proteins, meaning it's great for : digestion (yay!), an d you can use it : to tenderise meat. You just might .

be abl e to fit back into your work

. wardrobe after all!

And here s a random pineapple

fact for you to pw.l out at the next

dinner parry, pineapple is not

strictly speaking a fruit, rather it's

I00-200 fruitlets all fused together.

You don't have to "like getting

caugh t in the rain" for these

easy recipes.

Ro21st pork with pineapple chilli salsa

.'ieme.r 4

I ngredi ents

1 5kg rolled pork roast

½ tbsp sea salt Aake.s

I tbsp olive oil

Salsa

½ pineapple, diced into small pieces

1 red chili, sliced finely (seeds optional)

Handful of fresh mint, finely chopped

½ avocado, diced into small pieces

Juice of a lime

Pinch of sea salt

Cracked b lack pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees

Celsius Rub salt and olive oil into skin and p lace in roasting tray. Roast for 30 mins, then turn

down to 180 d egrees Celsius an d roast for a furd1er 30 mins or until skin is crisp and cracking (use t h is metl1od if the skin on optio n is chosen).

2. Mix aJJ the ingredients for d1e salsa in a bowl and leave in the fridge for an hour for tl1e flavours to develop

3. Remove the pork from the oven, discard the fat layer and slice the meat.

4. Serve the meat topped with the pineapple sal.sa and serve w:itb boiled kipAer potatoes and a big green salaJ drizzled with exu·a virgin olive oil and lemon juice dressing

Note: If you eat the cracklingyou are getting mo1'I!fat and energy, but ifyou'r e trying to lose weight, remov e it bef01'1! eating.

BBQ Pineapple

Sen;es 4

Ing re dients

1 pineapple

2 cups Greek style yoghurt

4 tbsp cr u shed 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 quarte r 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

In gre die nts

½ pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 banana (65g)

I cu p coconut water, chilled Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh mine 20g (l cup) baby spinach leaves

1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon jui ce 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.

All recipes courtesy ofnutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan for Aitstralian Pineapples

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TA n QTPR~DICTIONS !=OR ~__,, K

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

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 wi ll 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

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

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 n o t start becoming over demanding.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

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.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

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.

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.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

At work there are some changes coming up, with new roles and more responsibility. There will be some travel; you may J 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...

DH OO M3

STARRING: Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra

DIRECTOR: Vijay Krishna Acharya *** 0/''r

here is a secret that th i s intriguing film springs at us mid -point. Alas, the secret, if one may ca ll 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 l oud 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 Wh i ch is really ironica l when considered in the context of present-d ay politica l relations between India and America

But this, as we k now, is Chicago as seen through the eyes ofthe architects of the Dhoom fran chise 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 preambl e with Jackie Shroff p l aying a magician on the skids, is done up in shades of shimmering discontent suggesting a deep fracture in the p l ot separating the haves from the have-naughties.

A sense of twin kle-eyed mischief

never abandons the narrative

And t h ank God for a sense of humour to back up the boytoys t h at the grownups seem to be playing with. Gimmicky props are constantly brought up for consideration. Sleek motorcycles that t urn into moto rboats in green - blue cana l s, magicians'tricks which show up at any given moment, twins who swap ro l es without warning

There is a tremendous sense of fun and games in the goings- on But there is al so a deep sense of tragedy underlining the playfu l ness Sombre ramifications accentu ate the bevy of bacchanalia.

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

Aamir hol ds the key to the film's efficacy. And how much you like th is segment of the Dhoom franchise depends enti rely on how well you accept Aamir's over-emphasised performan ce, ceaseless smi rk, constantly arch ed eyebrows and al l. I was left w ith 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 uni nteresting And the Jai-Ali nexus is celebrated in some reall y dumbed - down action borrowed from Prabhudheva's cinema

Katrina Kaif has a ser i es of breathtaking dances to perform She jumps, glides, somersau lts and gambols until we fl i p for her graceful moves She al so has a very interesting date- sequence with the shy, stammering Aam i r-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 underlini ng the p lot. The director knows how to juice the characters' emotions without spi ll ing t h e sentiments all across the frames. Messy, Dhoom 3 is not It i s a well-packaged enrapturing drama with beautiful ly designed seq u ences

Technical l y Dhoom 3 is one-up on the first and second instal ments of the series There are beautifull y layered frames, shots where the lighti ng creates the afterglow that fol l ows m o ments of spi r itua l revelation Though that sort of depth is just an illusion and a mirage in this film, like the magici an's trick which defines the film's plot.

Dhoom 3 is an i ntri guing piece of work : sl ender, suppl e, sma rt and subt l e; and yet helmed by a central performance that screams for attention.

Such is the irony of li fe.

SUBHASH K JHA

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 l ines (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

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

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 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

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 Ma lini) 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

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

No one can encore the magic of Ramesh Si ppy 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

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

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 ci nema leave it alone.

SUBHASH K. JHA

RIP FAROOQUE SI-IEIKI-I

Multi-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 i n films as well as in TV shows and on stage, will be remembered by his co ll eagues 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 para ll el 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 b l ockbuster 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 particu l ar 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

Money cannot buy me: Aamir Khan

One ofBollywood's favour ite Khans , Aamir, cl aims 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 ro ll ercoaster 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 Aam ir to connect emotionally with a project before he gives it a thumbs up

"It's not that I don't need money Al l 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 al ready become known as one of Bol l ywood's greats

Tom Alter smitten by 'beauty of Urdu'

Thespian Tom Alter says that he learnt Urdu from his American Christian missionary father and read the Holy Bibl e in the l anguage during his chi l dhood days

Alter recited five verses from the Bi b l e in fluent Urdu in front of a huge and surprised audience, which roared in approva l, at the inaugural ofthe All India Urdu Book Fair held as part ofthe 10--day Urdu Festival in Mal egaon Maharashtra recently

"How can Urdu belong to Muslims or any other particular re l igion when it descr ibed God's message w ith such beauty;' Alter said, dismissing wronglyhel d contentions that the Urdu l anguage 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

Unfortunatel y, post-Partiti on 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 al ways an Urdu Bible (tran slated) 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 h elp to survive He added : "It is we who actua ll y need this language "

During the Urdu Festival, Alter staged his famous 90--minute so lo-p lay on the late Indian scholar and politica l leader Maul ana Abu t Kalam Azad It revolves around the l ife and ideology of the great Muslim persona l ity and portrays h i s clear opposition to the division of India and creation of a separate Pakistan

Incidentally, since it has certain comments critica l to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - another h i storical stalwart and colleague of Azad - the play written and d irected 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, Boll ywood superstar Sa lman Khan will come on the sma ll screen next year as the host of a new show based on social causes and says it will be differ ent from Satyamev Jayate.

In 2012, his contemporary Aamir Khan launched the 14- episode ta l k show Satyamev Jayate, which highli ghted issues like fema le foeti ci de, evils of dowry and malpractices in medicine.

"We are working on something which is different;' Sal man said recently "It i s not along the lines of Satyamev Jayate We will have a lot more entertainment in it But it w il also change a lot of things. We will rock next year ''.

Of course Salman is a known expert on ce rtain social issues, in parti cular (ahem), domestic violence, drink driv i ng and hunting of endange red animals.

Current ly, Salman is gearing up for the release of Jai Ho! an action film set for a Jan 24 rel ease

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

Ace photographer Dabboo Ratnan i 's

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 wil l 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?

with him''.

While the film's director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Farhan desisted from comment, Prasoon was forthright in expressing his feel ings 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 Mi l kha 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 w ith 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.

Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianlinkAustralia

Bahl said: "I didn't like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at al l. I found the film too long. The script went all over the place and the direction was over- indulgent. However, I thi n k Farhan did a splendid job of recreating Milkha Singh's persona. The film just didn't match his performance:'

SALMAN KHAN

SHAHRUKH KHAN

Jacqueline Fernandes or Ashley Benson in Amit GT?

TOM ALTER

ueen-size resolutions

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

Got way over (nearly a nullion) for m y 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 writ e a book. Now Living in m y seaside mansion lam reminiscing how 2013 turned Out 't1t1111JS honibilis' w ith misogyruscs calling me n ames, co!Jeagues colluding co ditch me and wor st of all Bill short-changed me hours afte r 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 bean s 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 d oes bis book''

''

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

' : BY Z:,. LP AY ER

~,Ot

up a Little later than usual and srarted cleaning LIP the debris of the pre,rious night's party on the rear deck of empty b ottles, paper p lates, left-over rubb les 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 so me 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 wonde red?

Since the ABC was snowed down by scatlung cri ticisrn for releas ing his last leak on Australia spyi ng Indonesian leaders, Sn owden wanted some other 'reliable' source to do the job. Knowing that I often write t he Backchat page, be mig ht have chosen me to tell the world, a wad of New Year's reso lutions of some of t he powerful persons on this planet, the real Queen and some reality queens. Having a cult fo llo\\>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 Lad y Gaga, who is no l ady, has more Facebook followers than l. Even m y tweets are not as well received as the b udgies in Fergie's (Andy's ex) books Otl1erwise 2013 bas b een good to m e B y George, m y Royal brood has expanded, but m y \Y./WW (\'\!orld's Wealthiest Women) ranking has gone one uocch below that woman, the uncrowned qneeo of m y former colony considered a jewel in the

crown. Hope 2014 turns o m better, only i f 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 anyo ne w ith 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 n e s m all 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 p lummecing can't get it 1 wish Priyanka picks up that piece".

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

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

UNdeterred he is fl ying aroLmd the g lobe lobbying for some UN job UN mindful of airlines' cold sandwiches Hope 2014 UN folds a funtte that ,vill m ake the UNgrateful Aussi es squirm for U, ceremoniously du mp ing him. For me, of course, 2014 holds a bright fmure wich Holde n workers lining up at m y recru.ianenc firms looking for jobs With my assets now to uclung 200 millions, mi s Rein is well 011 the way to catch up w ich that Rinehart". :Mil ey Crrus' list popped up ne.xt. \Xlh at else is left for th is pop queen to reveal? My curiosity revved up ro see her stuff.

"What have you been doing in the deck so long?" my wife ye lled ouc. Hurriedl y 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!

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