A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, February 19, 2009

02 10
GOT PLANS? FAMILY AFFAIR
Spend time at these animal homes Pitt and Jolie at Oscars

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 32

A few places in
Chennai where
roadies can
shop for rider
gear

» Page 08

Enthiran
stills pop
up again
Is this a publicity stunt?
Flying for fun was the motto behind Madras
W hat’s up with the big budget Rajini-starrer
Enthiran? There is good eight months for
Flying Club’s inception. But with changing
director Shankar’s magnum opus movie to release times that has taken a backseat.
but every fortnight there are stills of the movie
being leaked on the net.
The latest set of five stills shows the Superstar on
» Page 03
the sets with stunt director Peter Hein and Shankar.
But, unlike the previous leaks, this one only raises
more doubts on what exactly is the actor’s role.
Rumours are rife that the Superstar plays a dual role
– one of a scientist and that of a robot. While the
initial set of pictures showed Rajini romancing Ash
in Machu Picchu, the current set has a more “rigid”
or the “Star Wars” looks, which only makes one
wonder about Enthiran’s storyline.
The initial leaks saw the director getting red and
suspending a few assistants. In fact, Shankar had
warned action on the “mischief-monger”. But, with
at least three sets of stills releasing so far, it makes
one wonder if it is a publicity stunt.
Ergo Correspondent
02 NAMMA CHENNAI
PHOTO: V. GANESAN
Brush
with fame
P ainting is a poetry that is seen rather
than felt, said legendary artist
Leonardo da Vinci once. So, here’s your
chance to see the paintings of children
who participated in The Hindu Young
World painting competition. The
competition, held last December as part
of The Hindu Newspaper in Education
Initiative, saw thousands of kids
participate with enthusiasm. Apart from
awarding the winners, the organisers
have decided to display the best
paintings done by the students, both
from the preliminary and final rounds,
at Apparao Galleries in Nungambakkam.
Around 45 works of art are on display.
The revenue generated from the sale
will be given to a charitable
organisation. The exhibition-cum-sale is
on till February 22.
ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009
SPB musical nite
Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School, as part of its
ongoing centenary celebrations, is organising a musical evening by
playback singer Dr. S.P. Balasubramanian on February 21. Tickets priced at
Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000, are available at the school office, Landmark, Fruit
Shop on Greams Road, Gangothri and Nilgiris outlet.
Got Plans?
SRIYA NARAYANAN
pets@goergo.in If you’re looking for a fun
way to spend your weekend,
T
he kittens like playing soccer
drop in at these four-legged
with ping-pong balls. The pup-
pies are happy to crowd around
you and give you celebrity treat-
ment. The adult dogs wag their tails cuties who just might
until you start to worry they might
not let you go
fall off. It’s an unconventional way to
entertain oneself over the weekend
PHOTOS: JOHN IMMANUAL
and bring in a whole lot of joy to
many eager animals that want noth-
ing more than a little human affec-
tion.
Your company is top priority of
course, but they won’t say no to a
pure vegetarian snack either. They
prefer very simple foods like bread,
milk and plain biscuits (chocolate is
poisonous to animals, so please be
careful about that and when in
doubt, settle for good old Marie bis-
cuits) and most of them can be hand
fed.
If you’re going as a group and food
quantities are large, it helps to in-
form the shelter in advance so they
can ensure that nothing is wasted. As
for toys, odds and ends like shoe lac-
es, a tiny ball of string, table tennis or
bouncing balls and frisbees are their
favourites. Steer clear of choking
hazards like marbles that are espe-
cially dangerous around kittens.
Please remember to take some
photographs, preferably with you in
the frame and send them to
pets@goergo.in. The pictures could
even be taken with a mobile phone
camera as long as they are of high
resolution (file size of 300 kb or
above). We’ll feature the best of them
with credit in next Thursday’s issue.
Have an awesome weekend!
Addresses
Animal Welfare and Protection
Trust (AWPT): #3/ 140, Kalaignar Ka-
runanidhi Street, Santhoshapuram,
Velachery - Tambaram Main Road.
For directions, please buzz Mrs. Pad-
mavathy at 22781381.
Blue Cross: Old no 72, Velachery
Road, Guindy, Chennai-32. If you’re
coming from Tata Concorde’s side,
keep going straight past the swim-
ming pool and Ashram School until
you see a bakery and Gulmohar Ave-
nue and take the right after that.
You’ll see their board too, right next
to the Madras Riding School and
bang opposite the forest department
nursery. Call 22300666 for more di-
rections. ■
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
Flights of fantasy!
It is one of the oldest flying institutes in India, but a number of
factors make it difficult for enthusiasts to take off
AYON SENGUPTA
ayon@goergo.in
T
he Chennai sky has no place for
amateurs. The founding members
of the Madras Flying Club, estab-
lished in 1930, will be horrified to
see the changed scenario.
“Back then there was a red-clay run-
way and flying was a weekend recre-
ation. Only because of this club the
Madras Airport was built here, we are
their forefathers. But now we have
been pushed to the farthest corner,”
says Captain Sebastian Joseph, honor-
ary secretary of the club.
Unlike those days, the club hardly
sees any amateurs flying or hobby fly-
ing by enthusiasts.
“The spiralling cost of flying and red
tapism make it difficult for flyers to take
off just for the fun of it,” says a veteran
and chief flying instructor N.K. Singh.
Flying high
Keeping with the changing times the
club has found itself a new job. Today,
it is the only recognised centre in Tamil
Nadu to train and certify budding pi-
lots. Armed with three Cessna-152, one
Cessna-172 and two Indian made Han-
sa III, the club is currently issuing
Commercial Pilot Licences to at least
Madras Flying Club students manoeuvre their aircrafts at the old
Madras Airport in Chennai. PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN.
60 students every year. Costing approx-
imately Rs. 12.5 lakh and running over
two and half years, the course is abso-
lutely must for anybody who wants to
get into the aviation sector as pilots.
But the whole thing though comes with
a catch.
“The boys are getting trained in two
or four-seater non-pressurised air-
crafts, but there are no jobs in the seg-
ment. As a transport or cargo pilot you
will be flying mostly Airbuses or Boe-
ing, but none of the flying schools in
India, including ours, have those facil-
ities,” explains Captain Joseph, who is
an Airbus instructor with state carrier
03
Indian. “Apart from Indian and Jet
none of the other carriers in India have
training facilities in the country. So the
students end up going abroad and
spending more to get some valuable
flight time on the two aircrafts.”
Ground rules
To get a commercial license from the
Director General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) a pilot needs to have minimum
200 hours of flight time and over 100
hours of solo including cross-country
and night flying experience.
“Cross country is a difficult proposi-
tion in Chennai due to the constant air
traffic pressure. So for the last few years
we have moved to Vellore and use the
airstrip there,” says N.K. Singh.
A Private Pilot Licence (PPL) can also
be acquired at the club after complet-
ing 50 hours of flying including 20
hours of solo, but there are not many
takers. Costing Rs. 5,000 per hour of
flying, the PPL will arm you with the
power to fly anywhere with anyone as
long as you have an airplane at your
disposal. Here also the club is ready to
come to your help and you can charter
a two-seater Cessna-152 for Rs. 6,000 or
a four-seater Cessna-172 for Rs.
8,000(per hour). ■
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

Hair today
An Indian grocer is aiming to get his
ear hair as long as possible. After years
of growing it, Radhakant Baijpai’s hair
now stands at 25 cm.

Jet cuts international routes, Who’s the

plans leasing aircraft dad?
Jet Airways has cut three of its biggest loss-making international The grandmother of a
routes and plans to lease four wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft, baby girl born last
besides phasing out three Boeing 737 planes. The carrier, which week to a 15-year-old
was taken last month by Kingfisher as the largest airline, mum and - reportedly -
discontinued the Amritsar-London-Amritsar route in December, a dad who is only 13,
Bombay-Shanghai-San Francisco and Bangalore-Brussels sectors in says she can’t wait for
January as part of its network rationalisation exercise. “These a DNA test to settle
were the highest loss-making routes. This will, therefore, help us the paternity.
reduce losses,” Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schaeur said. “Social services agreed
PTI to do it for the sake of
the children,” Penny,
mother of 15-year-old
Chantelle Steadman
Australian shark attack said after claims her
daughter slept with
diver to lose leg boys other than Alfie
An Australian navy diver who fought off a shark in a rare Patten, who at 13 has
attack in Sydney Harbour is due to undergo surgery on been reported as the
Wednesday to amputate his leg. second youngest dad
Able Seaman Paul de Gelder, 31, was taking part in a in Britain.
defence exercise near an upmarket residential area of the “The sooner it’s done the sooner Chantelle and Alfie can
harbour in Australia’s largest city when he was attacked get on with being parents,” she said insisting the test
last week, losing his would prove the baby-faced schoolboy is the father of
right hand. one-week-old Maisie Roxanne.
De Gelder thanked IANS
the three colleagues
who pulled him from
the jaws of the
three-metre bull
shark, and the Think twice before snapping
paramedics and
doctors who treated pics of British bobbies
him. Tourists better think twice now before snapping pictures of the
The attack took place iconic British bobby. A new British anti-terrorism law went into
near the Garden effect yesterday that could effectively bar photographers from
Island Naval Base in taking pictures of police or military personnel – a move that
Woolloomooloo Bay, prompted some 200 photographers to protest outside of Scotland
which is lined with Yard’s headquarters. Although the measure aims to prevent
seafood restaurants terrorists from taking reconnaissance shots, photographers say it
and celebrity could be misused at a whim to stop any pictures from being taken
apartments. – especially images involving police abuse and demonstrations.
AFP PTI

Death zone, not a matter for the trio

Nepalese brothers plan 24-hour ney on April 5. The main
season on Everest gets un-
stay on Everest summit der way in late April and
May when a small window
between the spring and

T hree Nepalese sherpa

brothers are preparing to
set a new world record by
spending 24 hours in the
“death zone’’ on the sum-
mit of Mount Everest.
Pemba Dorje Sherpa, 30,
and his two younger broth-
ers will spend one day and a
night hunkered down on
the world’s highest peak
during the coming spring
climbing season.
“We will stay awake for 24
hours and pray for world
peace at the top of the sum-
mit,’’ said Pemba, who cur-
rently holds the record for
the fastest ascent of Everest
at eight hours and 10 min-
utes. “It’s going to be tough.
We will need lots of power
and energy to adapt to the
harsh weather conditions
on top of the mountain,’’
Pemba told AFP in Kath-
mandu. The three brothers
will carry a gold-plated
Buddha statue, as well as
Christian, Hindu and Mus-
lim religious symbols, when
they start off on their jour-
summer monsoon offers
the best conditions for
making the 8,848-metre
(29,028-foot) ascent.
The current summit en-
durance record is held by
the late Nepalese moun-
taineer Babu Chhiri, who
spent 20 hours on top of
Everest in 1999 without
supplemental oxygen.
Chhiri died in 2001 when
he fell into a crevasse dur-
ing another Everest ascent.
■
IANS
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
‘Ghosts’ of Khmer Rouge
victims haunt Cambodia
A
s dusk falls on Cambodia’s
capital, security guards at
the Tuol Sleng genocide
museum huddle together
at the ticket office to protect
themselves from ghosts.
“At night, we can see a black
shadow walking,” says Kim Sok, a
25-year-old guard at the mu-
seum, which served as the main
prison for the 1975 to 1979 Khmer
Rouge regime. “We just stay close
together so we can take care of
each other.”
Here, at prison code-named
S-21 under the supervision of for-
mer mathematics teacher Kaing
Guek Eav, alias Duch, more than
15,000 prisoners were tortured
before being hauled to a killing
field on the outskirts of Phnom
Penh.
After the UN-backed Khmer
Rouge war crimes tribunal began
on Tuesday to try Duch for
crimes against humanity and war
crimes, nowhere seems as haunt-
ed as his notorious former prison.
Belief in spirits is widespread
throughout Cambodia and there
is particular fear of those who
died violently without a proper
Buddhist burial.
Consisting of four buildings
and a dusty field, Tuol Sleng was
a high school until the Khmer
Rouge made it the centre of a net-
work of 70 prisons throughout
the country.
Buy one, get 99 free!
A dress that can be worn in 100 different ways
A fashion designer has created a
unique dress, named ‘Zipper’,
which he claims can be worn in
100 different ways, an innovation
hailed as the “ultimate outfit” in
the wake of the global finan-
cial meltdown. In fact, the
handmade black and silver
dress is made of 120
separate zips that can be
added, removed or par-
tially undone to create
endless possibilities – it can
be adapted to create any-
thing from a belt to a full-
length evening outfit. The
neckline, dress length and
sleeve length are all easily ad-
justable.
And by removing zips from
the middle of the outfit it can
even become a two-piece mini-
skirt and crop-top, The Daily Tel-
egraph reported. The dress was
influenced by the constant chang-
es and demands that fashion es-
tablishes every season. The idea
05
Khmer Rouge (Red
Khmer): It is the communist
ruled political party of
Cambodia, which it renamed
the Democratic Kampuchea
from 1975 to 1979.
Why is it notorious: Up to
two million people died in
Cambodia under the regime
because of overwork,
starvation, execution and
torture.
Why it is in news: Three
decades after the fall of the
Khmer Rouge, the U.N.-
assisted tribunal has opened
a procedural session to lay
the groundwork for a full
trial. Duch, one of the five
defendants from the close-
knit ultra-communist regime,
is charged with crimes
against humanity.
Three decades after he sur-
vived electrical shocks and beat-
ings, former Tuol Sleng prisoner
A view of one of the mass graves at Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. (Inset) Duch. PHOTOS: AFP
Chum Mey said he still wakes up
sobbing every night.
Documents at Tuol Sleng re- cuffs and spools of string in the the regime’s leaders are “Sometimes, the spirits make
veal leaders ordered suspected house. I realised that they were punished. me dream about them and ask
enemies of the regime to be for torture,” says Sokha, a 55- Khmer Rouge “Brother Num- me for help,” says the 79-year-
tortured into signing statements year-old homemaker whose ber One” Pol Pot died in 1998, but old, who was allowed to live by
that they were agents of the CIA, home is next to Tuol Sleng. Duch and four other surviving the Marxist regime because he
KGB and of neighbouring Viet- Cambodians who work at the regime leaders are due to be tried was deemed a useful mechanic.
nam. “When I arrived here, I museum or live nearby say the for war crimes and crimes against ■
found lots of bloodstains, hand- place will remain haunted until humanity. AFP
Made in Brazil
쑸
Models show
underwear
designs
during the
was to create a single dress that could
easily be reconstructed over and over
again to comply with hundreds of
third edition
of the
Brazilian
variations.The Zipper dress can be Underwear
adapted from a full-length night Day on
dress, to a t-shirt, a miniskirt or February 17
even a belt. at Brasilia’s
Each one of them can be bus station.
either separated from the The
rest of the dress or open Underwear
to play and reveal layers or Day is a New
skin beneath. York City
“I believe the concept is par- creation to
ticularly poignant in the current develop the
economic crisis because you can Brazilian
buy one dress and get a hundred underwear
different fashion possibilities,” de- industry.
signer Sebastian Errazuriz was quot- AFP PHOTO
ed as saying.
The 31-year-old designer is current-
ly in talks with developers about put-
ting the dress into mass production
so it can be sold at a reasonable price.
He has held 40 exhibitions, including
shows in Tokyo, New York and Paris.
■
PTI
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

Madugalle to oversee Ind-NZ series

The ICC on Wednesday appointed Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle as match referee for the
two Twenty20 Internationals and the five-match One-Day International series between India
and New Zealand, starting next week. The Twenty20 matches would be officiated by local
umpires, while the one-day series will have elite panel’s Rudi Koertzon of South Africa
standing in with a local appointment.

Benaud announces
retirement
Legendary cricket commentator Richie
Benaud announced on Wednesday that he
will retire next year, ending nearly half-a-
century of broadcasting which made him an
icon in the
Miracle needed
India lags behind in CWG preparations
sport. “I’ll be
doing
Australian
cricket next
year, 2010, but
I don’t do any
television at all
anywhere else
now and when
I finish next
year, then I’ll
be doing other
things,”
Benaud, 78, told local radio. “That’ll be no
more television commentary.”
The former Australian captain has worked in
the commentary box since retiring from Test
cricket in 1964, appearing extensively on
Australian and British television. Famed for
his bowl haircut, beige jackets and engaging
commentary, Benaud hung up the
microphone for British television following
the 2005 Ashes. He received a standing
ovation by the crowd at Lord’s after
completing his final commentary stint there
that September. Benaud has been a
broadcaster so long that many are unaware
of his achievements as a cricketer. Benaud
was appointed captain of Australia in 1958,
and claimed 248 wickets in 63 Tests, while
hitting three centuries. A leg-spinning all-
rounder, he was the first man to complete
the Test double of 2,000 runs and 200
wickets. He remains one of only 10 Upgradation work in progress at the Indira Gandhi Indore Stadium in preparation for the
Australians to have scored more than 10,000 Commonwealth Games 2010, in New Delhi. PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT
runs and taken over 500 wickets in first-class
cricket. But he won greatest acclaim for his

bold captaincy, leading Australia to Ashes
series wins in 1958-59, 1961 and 1962-63 and
never losing a series as skipper.
AFP
Sania-Santangelo in Dubai
pre-quarters
Sania Mirza and her Italian partner Mara
Santangelo advanced to the doubles pre-
quarterfinals of the USD two million Dubai
Tennis Championships after
getting a walkover from Poland’s
Urszula Radwanska and Stefanie
Voegele of Switzerland in the first
round in Dubai. An injury to
Radwanska forced the Polish-
American pair to give away the
match to their opponents. Sania
and Sanatangelo now have a
tough job at hand as they face top
seeded pair of Zimbabwean Cara
Black and American Lizel Huber in
the second round. Sania’s singles
campaign had ended on Tuesday
after losing her second round match to Kaia
Kanepi of Estonia.
PTI
I
ndia is so behind schedule
that it will take a “miracle” for
New Delhi to host the Com-
monwealth Games in 2010.
Budgets are skyrocketing and the
infrastructure is coming up at a
snail’s pace for the four-yearly
Games to be held in the Indian
capital from October 3-14 next
year.
“What is actually needed for it
to materialise without us embar-
rassing ourselves, is a miracle.
And even more money,” a report
said. “What we face is a race
against time. The ambitious air-
port project is facing a cash
crunch. Roads and flyovers that
were to be completed by 2008
have hit a dead-end. The venues
are officially 40 percent com-
plete, but walk by them and all
you can see is a mess.”
The report added that a con-
tractor had yet to be found to
construct a flyover near the
Games village, and work on the
elevated corridor connecting the
village to the main stadium had
barely begun. “And even if it all
somehow works out, there’s that
other big question. How on earth
will we pay for the Games?” it
asked. Government figures esti-
mate an expenditure of US$ 1.5
billion, up from the original bud-
get of US$ 800 million, on spruc-
ing up New Delhi with new
infrastructure and stadia.
The report took a swipe at Indi-
an Olympic Association chief Su-
resh Kalmadi for suggesting that
money earned through such
means as sponsorship and TV
rights will be returned to the go-
vernment. “It’s a promise the go-
vernment might hold him to and
it’s also one he might find diffi-
cult to keep,” the report said.
“Even before the global economic
downturn happened, sponsors
were wary. Now, it’s much
worse.”
The economic slowdown has
already forced the Games Village
builder to ask for a bailout from
the government, the report stat-
ed. It is feared that New Delhi
may face the same fate as Mon-
treal, which passed on the expen-
diture incurred for the 1976
Olympics to the city’s tax-payers.
“At this point, in election year, no
government will talk of levying
any cess (extra tax) in future for
the Games,” it said. “But history
has shown us it is a very real pos-
sibility that we, the taxpayers,
might well foot the bill for India’s
biggest show.”
Kalmadi said last month he was
confident New Delhi would host
a successful Games which will
feature some 8,500 athletes from
71 nations drawn from the Com-
monwealth. “Most of the infras-
tructure would be ready by
December,” he said. “From
March 2010 onwards, we hope to
have test events.”
The Commonwealth Games
Federation (CGF) has raised con-
cern over the slow pace of work,
which has already forced the
world badminton championships
in August this year to be shifted to
Hyderabad. New Delhi is the sec-
ond Asian city to be awarded the
Commonwealth Games after the
Malaysian capital of Kuala Lum-
pur hosted the 1998 edition. Re-
ports from Australia last month
said Melbourne, hosts of the 2006
Games, were willing to step in if
New Delhi was unable to orga-
nise the Games. New Delhi has
hosted the Asian Games twice in
1951 and 1982. ■
AFP
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
07

‘‘Femme
I want to fully utilise this chance. Definitely I want
to be a part of Twenty20 World Cup team and this is
the chance to prove my mettle. I am confident to perform as
per team’s need.
Ravinder Jadeja

fatale
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in

I
f 2009 saw the U.S. get-
ting its first coloured
President then F1 can al-
so brace up to see its first female driver
during the next season. An American team
is at last taking the F1 plunge and will be
racing from next year, IndyCar driver and
Sports Illustrated cover girl Danica Patrick
is a candidate to fill one of the two driver
seats.
USF1, which will be officially unveiled on
February 24, will have a staff of around 100, a
budget of US$ 99 million and an aim to put
two American drivers on the starting grid. The
team is looking at testing a number of candi-
dates, including the 26-year-old Danica.
“She’s great. She gets a lot of press,” USF1
technical director Ken Anderson said. “I don’t
know if it’s something she wants to do. We’d cer-
tainly love to test her and go from there.”
The others in the fray include Nascar driver Scott
Speed, who raced 28 times for F1 team Toro Rosso
from 2006-07. The team will be based in Charlotte,
North Carolina, and is looking for a secondary base in
Europe, most likely sharing Epsilon Euskadi’s head-
quarters in northern Spain.
If Danica gets behind the F1 wheel it may
give the very-expensive motorsport a life-
line which has been reeling under reces-
sion with officials and teams taking Fast and
effective cost cutting measures.
Any layman can dictate that an vivacious
all-new American grand prix team
would go all out to have the 26-year- Danica
old’s name etched on their drivers
list for pure financial reasons. Dan- Patrick may
ica’s debut Indycar victory at Mote-
gi, Japan, in April last year broke the well be F1’s
great “fairer-sex” myth and gave
professional motorsport its first fe- answer to
male icon.
Formula One earlier had recession
tried a female competitor in
1992 but Giovanna Amati had
failed to qualify in three
attempts. Experts hope
Danica will have better
success rate. ■

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

08 ROADSTER ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

Tough Merc
Mercedes-Benz has launched an armour-plated version of the sleek new E-Class saloon
in Germany. Outwardly identical to the standard model, the beefed-up E-Guard
limousine features metal plates and aramide plastics in the bodywork which is tough
enough to withstand the blast of a hand grenade.

Buy safety
At a glance
- A number of leather dealers in
Periyamedu and St. Thomas Mount
customise riding jackets, gloves and even
full riding suits.
- Indian brand Cramster is available at
Dollars and Pounds in Adyar. (Exclusive
Cramster store is in Bangalore. Also visit
www.cramster.in to see the rider gear).
- Some motorcycle showrooms in city also
sell riding gear.
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
09
Mahindra on water
Mahindra Group, famous for its automobiles and farm equipment, is now foraying into wet
territory - manufacturing fiberglass powerboats and catamarans. It enters the high-potential,
exclusive leisure boating industry under the brand name of Mahindra Odyssea and initially plans
to offer state-of-the-art, custom-designed power boats ranging from 20-40 feet.

For avid bikers in Chennai who

prefer to shop for rider gear,
including jackets, gloves and
shoes, these are a few options

A
s a dress code is a must to school and weapons
mandatory to a war so are the safety gear for a
biker.
And if you are one of the serious bikers clock-
ing those kilometres and riding to challenging destina-
tions, a full biker safety gear is a must. These include a
rider jacket, gloves and shoes.
So, where does one shop? Avid bikers usually shop
online as there are a number of international and a
few Indian brands avilable. But for those denizens
who prefer to walk-in and shop in Chennai, Ergo offers
you some tips.
T.S. Rangarajan, an active member of Madras Bulls,
Chennai’s Royal Enfield motorcycle club, is a die-hard
biker who had even rode to Leh, not once but twice.
And when it comes to safety, Ranga makes no compro-
mise.
“Four years ago, I got my riding jacket (leather) cus-
tom-made from a dealer in Periyamedu for Rs. 2,600. It
has proved good during rough rides including nippy
Four years ago I got
weather,” avers the biker.
But Ranga says that the jacket doesn’t have ade-
quate padding to withstand a fall. “If you are looking
my leather riding
for thorough safety on road, one should make no com-
promise but must shell out those big bucks and get the jacket custom-made
branded riding gear that comes with good padding,”
adds the biker who bought his Fieldsheer riders pants
from the U.S.
from a dealer in
Shop here
An array of leather shops in Periyamedu, opposite
Periyamedu for Rs
Jawaharlal Nehru Football Stadium, deal with rider
jackets, pants and gloves. “Customers may not be able
to find readymade riding clothing, but full riding suits,
2,600. It has proved
padded jackets and gloves can be stitched according to
the client’s requirements upon prior order,” says Mo-
hammed Suhail, a leather dealer in Periamedu.
good during rough
Besides Periamedu, St. Thomas Mount is another
place where one can get some customised jackets. riding conditions
Those who prefer premium readymade riding gear can
try Indian brand Cramster, which is available at the
Dollars and Pounds store in Adyar. Cramster has an
including nippy
exclusive store in Cunningham Road, Bangalore.
One can also try their luck for riding gear at Kasi
Chetty Street in Sowcarpet.
weather
A few two-wheeler showrooms in the city also sell
rider jackets and gloves produced by the respective
brands they deal with.
10 FLICK ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

Jolie looks for house

Angelina Jolie is busy these days as she is looking
for an apartment in New York’s Upper West Side.
Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt already have a
mansion in Long Island but plan to make a move to
the New York city.

It’s a family affair B rad Pitt and Angelina

Jolie will join an exclu-
sive club when they
step out at the Oscars
on Sunday as only the sev-
enth couple ever to be nomi-
wife nominees Elsa Lanches-
ter and Charles Laughton,
given nods in 1958 for their
performances in Billy Wil-
der’s Witness for the Prosecu-
tion were both overlooked.

for Pitt and Jolie at Oscars nated for acting honours in

the same year.
But while the couple
should add a high-voltage jolt
of old-fashioned Hollywood
glamour to the Oscars red
carpet, history suggests that
the duo is likely to finish the
night empty-handed.
Pitt, 45, is nominated in the
best actor race for his perfor-
mance as a man who ages in
reverse in The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button.
Partner Jolie, 33, is nomi-
nated for her performance as
an anguished mother trying
to uncover the fate of her ab-
ducted child in period drama
Changeling.
It is believed to be the first
time in 42 years that a couple
have arrived at the Oscars in
the running for acting
awards: Richard Burton and
Elizabeth Taylor were the last
in 1966 for Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?
On that occasion, neither
Burton nor Taylor was suc-
cessful.
Three years earlier British
AFP PHOTO
One of the few acting cou-
ples to have tasted success on
Oscar night were Frank Sina-
tra and Ava Gardner. Sinatra
won a best supporting actor
statuette in 1954 for his per-
formance in From Here to
Eternity.
While Sinatra celebrated,
Gardner, nominated for Mo-
gambo, lost out to Audrey
Hepburn, winning her first
Oscar for Roman Holiday.
In 1940, Laurence Olivier
and soon-to-be second wife
Vivien Leigh arrived at the A-
cademy Awards just months
before tying the knot.
Leigh was riding high from
the success of Gone With the
Wind while Olivier had came
to the attention of US au-
diences with his performance
as the brooding Heathcliff in
Wuthering Heights.
Olivier would have to wait
for his first Academy Award
however, losing out to Robert
Donat for Goodbye Mr Chips.
Leigh meanwhile won for her
legendary performance as
Scarlett O’Hara.

duo Rex Harrison and his The first couple to be joint-

wife Rachel Roberts were
both nominated for their re-
spective performances in
Cleopatra and This Sporting
Life, yet just as for Burton and
It is believed to be the first time in 42 years that a couple Taylor, an Oscar remained
elusive.
have arrived at the Oscars in the running for acting awards Similarly, husband and
ly nominated for best actor
and actress Oscars were the
legendary Alfred Lunt and
Lynn Fontanne, who both
picked up nods for 1931 film
The Guardsman. Both came
away empty handed.
AFP

Salman drops his

I’m just a
bathroom singer
She plays an aspiring singer in
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s much-
awaited Delhi-6, but Sonam
Kapoor says that in real life she is
just good enough to sing in the
bathroom.
“I love music and I’m
passionate about it. But I’m just
a good bathroom singer, I’m not
at all a competent singer,”
Sonam told IANS. Sonam stars
opposite Abhishek Bachchan in
Delhi-6, which releases Friday.
IANS
shirt again
Taking forward his well-known
legacy of taking off his shirt,
Bollywood star Salman Khan has done
it again - this time on Zee TV’s reality
show “Lux Dance India Dance”.
When one of the contestants
requested Salman to take his shirt off,
he said: “Main har bar shirt utaarta
hoon. Abhi shirt utaarte utaarte main
thhak gaya hoon. Abhi main pant
utarta hoon. (I always take off my
shirt. I’m tired of doing it. Now I want
to take off my pants).”
However, Salman ultimately obliged
his fans and took off his shirt to show
off his well-toned body. He has been
working out aggressively for his
upcoming historical drama Veer.
IANS
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
11
Kate Moss slams TomKat
Supermodel Kate Moss has slammed celebrity couples
for misusing their stardom, after she saw Tom Cruise
and his wife Katie Holmes jump the queue using their
A-list status at a New York fashion event.

Oscar dreams Cine City

Kate Winslet’s elusive

Oscar finally within reach

W
in or lose at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony, British actress
Kate Winslet will enter Academy Award history.
Winslet, 33, will either walk past her chief rival, Meryl
Streep, to collect her first Oscar for her performance as a
woman with a secret Nazi past in The Reader, or share the du-
bious title of biggest loser for having been nominated for the
coveted honor, and lost, six times.
Menon’s choice
Though director Gautham Menon parted
The betting in Hollywood ahead of the Feb. 22 ceremony for
ways with composer Harris Jayaraj after
the world’s top film awards is that Winslet should be getting her
the release of his latest flick Vaaranam
acceptance speech ready.
Aayiram, it seems he is still holding on to
“I think it is her time. When Academy members are voting, they
the same lyricist. Poet Thamarai, who gave
are going to be thinking not just of The Reader but of Revolutionary
most of the stupendous lyrics for Menon’s
Road,” said Hollywood.com movie critic Pete Hammond, when
films, will be penning the lyrics for his
talking about the two movies starring Winslet that were re-
upcoming venture Vinnai Thaandi
leased within weeks of each other in 2008.
Varuvaya. The movie starring Silambarasan
“That is pretty daunting when you have two great
and Trisha is expected to see some mind-
performances like that back to back,” Hammond
blowing songs as the music is composed
said.
by none other than A.R.Rahman.
The three other best actress nominees
are Anne Hathaway as a resentful sister
in Rachel Getting Married, Melissa
Leo in border smuggling drama
Frozen River and Angelina Jolie
playing a mother searching
for her child in Changeling.
Winslet, who parlayed
art house success into
international star-
dom in Titanic in
1997, has already
picked up two
Golden Globes
for her role as
a German
woman with a
teenage lover and
a secret in The Reader
and as a frustrated 1950s
American housewife in Rev-
olutionary Road.
She has also won BAFTA and
Screen Actors Guild Awards, and in
emotional speeches, she has expressed
shock at her wins after smiling bravely from
her seat so often in the past.
“Kate is way overdue. One more loss and she will
be tied at six as Oscar’s biggest losing actress with Raavan team in Kolkata
Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter. And at the age We hear that the entire team of Raavan is
of 33, that would be terrible,” said Tom O’Neil of stationed in Kolkata to shoot the climax of
awards website TheEnvelope.com. the movie. The scenes would be mostly shot
“Kate has a solid lead. She is in a Holocaust on the streets and in a village on the
movie, speaking with a foreign accent, she ages outskirts of Kolkata. The entire unit is
dramatically and she looks great naked – all camping at the Rajarhat Resort in Kolkata
key elements for a win,” he said. till March 1, while Aishwarya and Abhishek
GETTY IMAGES

Reuters will stay at the Lakeside Villas.

12 ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

■ ’Love doves’
Wednesday’s Query:
Senthil,
Apart from Taj Mahal Wipro

what would you like ■ Ring - have a direct connection

with heart.
to choose as a Akil,
TCS
symbol of love?
■ For me it’s my home and I’m ■ The book "Who will cry when
proud of it. you die"
Dev, Shankar Ganesh, Priya,
TCS HCL

■ My sweet lover’s smile will ■ A single red rose.

always be the best symbol of Viji, Indu, Kani,
love. Vimal Vetriselvan,
Rajesh, Deena, (TCS),
Wipro Pandiyan, (CSS),
Anu, (Cognizant), Suba Rajaram from Cognizant has nominated her friends as
■ Each and every holy place is a Hashim, (Allsec), Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Chariot Resort.
symbol of love. Sonisha, (Wipro)
Sruthi,
Accenture ■ Ram Sena party’s office.
Elampooranan A,
■ Railway track because most of HCL
the love ends there.
Kuppusamy Nattudurai, ■ Marina beach.
CSS Corp Anand K,
(Infoview Technologies),
■ Heart, care, affection these Arun Kumar, Beny
things cannot be seen only felt. Raja, Jerome,
Anandkiran, (Allsec)
Cognizant
■ Nature.
■ The film ‘Roja’. Kanchana, Viji,
Anu, Pandyganesh, (Ford)
Accenture
■ Any place where we go with
■ Konark Sun Temple for its our beloved is a symbol of love.
ethnic architectural beauty and Shrimathi,
divinity perfectly symbolises love. TCS
Rekha, Uma,
Shiv, Sreenath, ■ A single drop of tear shed for
Madhavan, (Accenture) others is perfect symbol of love.
Sai, Anand Sundararajan from HCL Technologies has nominated his
■ It’s everyone’s mom. TCS colleagues as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Thrissur.
Mohan Kumar,
TCS ■ Teddy bear and black forest
cake with strawberry topping.
■ For me it’s my bike. Deepan,
Arun, TCS
CSS

■ Mobile phone, it connects me

with her.
Sham, (Infosys),
Lexsminarayanan,
Alamu, (TCS), Today’s Query:
Vinoj, Allsec,
Mahesh, (Birlasoft), What is the one
Basheer Ahamed,
(TCS-eserve) superstition or
■ A complete white crane. sentiment you always
Vishal Mishra, Jeen Edwin Raj from HCL Technologies has nominated his
CSS hold on to? colleagues as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at
Pondicherry.
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
13

■ Dear Suja,
I wish you many many
happy returns of the day.
May all your dreams come
true.
Regards,
Pradeep Sreedharan,
Balaji VG from AdventNet has been nominated as Office TCS
Angel by Manoj T.
Balaji is a sweet, kind, funny and helpful person. Everyone in ■ Hey Abi,
our team love him very much, he is a "Smile Icon". He always Wish you many more happy
has a pleasant smile on his face. returns of the day.
He is one of the best person I’ve ever met in life. It’s so good to know
someone special, who
shares,My secrets, my
laughter, my dreams and
my cares,Someone through
good times and bad, when
there’s tears,It’s so good to
know you my friend
through the years.
With Love,
Ramya

■ Dear Anu,
Best wishes as you tie the
wedding knot,
A little poem I read,
dedicated to you,
Love one another and you
will be happy.
It’s as simple... and as
difficult as that.
Side by side, Rarely apart,
Hand in hand, Heart to
heart…
Art featured in this Regards,
column will receive Amritha
gift coupons from
Fruit Shop on ■ Hey Arjun,
Greams Road. Send Many more happy returns
in your addresses so of the day. May all your
that we can post the dreams come true this year.
coupons. Have a rocking and a fun
filled birthday.
With Regards,
Vikas

Ramkumar K from Changepond Technologies Ltd doodled this. Belated Wishes

■ Dear Anuja,
May your path be strewn
with flowers,
Memories, friends and
happy hours.
May Blessings come from
heaven above,
And fill your life with Peace
and LOVE.
Happy birthday.
With Luv,
Anitha & Susi.

■ Hi Karthick,
1) Running racela kaal evalavu vegama odinaalum, ! Price kaikuthaan kedaikkum!! Wish you many more happy
returns of the day, may all
2) Kaakaa kaa ..kaa nu katharadhala adha kaakaa-nu kupidarom.. Aana maadu maa .. maaa nu katharadhala adha your dreams come true, i
mama-nu kupidamudiuma. wish you all success in your
life, love you so much.
3) Engineering Collegela padichu Engineer aagalaam ...... Presidency Collegela padichu president aaga mudiyu- With love,
maa?? Sri
Jabaraj J, Ramco Systems,
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009

Man’s not-so-best friend

Italian police were called to catch a poodle that
had bitten off the nose of its female owner
before running into the garden.

sudoku

Kannan Raja of CSS

Corp clicked this
picture at a garden
in Karumandurai,
Salem.
Hobbies:
Photography and
driving bikes

Thanks to the
stupenduous response
to its promotion,
Kantilal Diamonds has
decided to extend its
gift vouchers for the
column for two more
weeks. From now,
winners are requested
to collect their gift
vouchers directly from
Ergo office on Sunday
afternoons between 2
p.m. and 5 p.m.
KAKURO
So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never
really had the platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it
in this space, with credit. E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

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the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Thursday, February 19, 2009
15
Word’s worth
“Langsuir” (lang-soo-er) a female vampire that preys on newborn children. The langsuir (a Malayan monster)
wears a green robe, has long black hair that covers the hole on the back of her neck (through which she
sucks the blood of children), emits a whinnying cry, and can take the shape of an owl. All in all, a terrifying creature.
Another Malay vampire is the penanggalan, which also preys on newborns but has the form of a human head with a
stomach sac attached.

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Ganesha finds you under some sort of tension
related to work, which may keep you a little low.
On the personal front, your relations with beloved
may remain bit stretched but there is always
solution to the problem.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Health may be the cause of concern today however,
luck is supporting you at work. You may not be in
a very good mood and it is not even advisable to
push yourself hard for the work todayLovers are
likely to remain in good mood.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

It is time to expect rewards of past efforts. Work
BORN LOSER may become bit demanding causing anxiety but as
the rewards will be satisfactory, you may wear smile
on the face. In relationship matters, you could be
more forgiving and easygoing.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Ganesha finds you much more concerned about
your public image. At a smaller scale, you can be
worried about how others will look at your actions
and reactions. At home, if you have the partner
waiting, they will play the role of ’stress reliever’.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may have a tight schedule today but being
methodical, you may be able to handle the day
well. Love relationships may require more efforts
and misunderstandings must be avoided, advises
Ganesha.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Luckily you are likely to learn new things concerning
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT your work. You will be happier to develop new
skills. If you propose someone, answers could be
positive. If already in love or if married, you may be
enjoying the fragrance of love today.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Ganesha finds you thinking seriously about domestic
matters. At the same time, you may be slightly
’least bothered’ about work and related matters. On
the personal front, you may demand attention from
the beloved one or life partner.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Meetings arranged today may go well so if you
have not planned one, go ahead and do it. You
may be active physically and mentally. On the
personal front, you may remain expressive and share
your views or ideas with your beloved one.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
At the beginning of the day, you may not feel
energetic but as the day progresses, you may target
incomplete tasks and work very hard to finish them.
Ganesha feels that you may be favoured by your life
partner/beloved one.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Today, you may feel very energetic. New creative
ideas may be shimmering on the back of your mind.
Ganesha feels that you may keep your personal life
aside or may ignore domestic needs. Emotional
attachment with your beloved may remain stable.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You may try to read something new to develop
more insight on the subjects of your liking. You may
ISSUE’S prefer isolation at work or at office. You do not
seem to be much interested in ’emotional
SOLUTIONS interactions’ with your beloved one.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Ganesha finds you becoming surprisingly practical
today. You will be attentive enough at work place
and may not miss out on opportunities. Ganesha
finds you much involved in the relationship but you
may need to put in more efforts to woo your beau.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ERGO Thursday, February 19, 2009