A BYTE OF LIFE Thursday, June 11, 2009

03
A HELPING HAND
Alcatel-Lucent donates Rs.5 lakhs to
Aruwe

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 3 No. 108

The forever man is here!

Director Selvaraghavan’s magnum opus ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ is finally gearing up for an August release. The
young director talks about his dream project, the supposed rift with Yuvan Shankar Raja and more …

» PAGE 11
 02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

Take me home
Max is a four-year-old black, male labrador, neutered. He’s healthy,
friendly and playful. He needs a home that preferably has a large
garden. Email maisie4829@yahoo.co.in for adoption.

Participants at a Tree Walk

in Guindy National Park.
PHOTO: M. KARUNAKARAN

Lets go eco-shopping
this month
J une is environment month, at least for some
organisations keen on celebrating the day for
more than a day. The Madras Terrace House, this
time, is playing host to a eco expo. ‘Eco Fest’ will
see eco-stalls, eco-fashion, trash brands, photo
exhibitions, organic counter and film screening.
The fest starts from June 12 and will continue till
June 30. Keeping with the eco-friendly theme,
each of the items on sale will stand for that. Like,
Udbhava will be showcasing table mats, trays,
boxes made out of banana fibre and other agro
waste. Organic store Restore will sell organic food
grains, Conserve India will display bags and
footwear made from recycled plastic bags, Lets is
into selling laptop sleeves which are recycled
from vinyl hoardings and Street Trust will sell its
recycled plastic baskets, to name a few.
For film buffs there is screening of Crocodile
Blues – a
documentary on the
Gharials, followed by
a discussion with
wildlife
photographer
Saravanakumar. On
June 19,
environmentalist
Naina Shah will hold
a talk on ‘Waste

A walk amongst the trees

management in your
home’. There are
many other events
planned, so keep
dropping in at
Madras Terrace
House, No 15
Sripuram, II Street,
An eco-friendly footwear Royapettah.
SHOBHA MENON wash its leaves, give it a drink, and see if it
and earrings made from Ergo Correspondent
waste cloth needs any special care. Then take on an-

O
ur first Tree Walk was held in Besant
Nagar. Led by Dr. Narayanaswamy,
a retired professor of Botany, a mot-
ley group of 30 tree enthusiasts went
along observing and learning about trees
by the roadside.
While learning about the trees, walkers
learnt about issues that trees in urban ar-
eas face – abuse, nailing, and suffocation
by indiscriminate paving. People don’t re-
alise the long-term effects of a tree that is
cut and not replaced. In one act of destruc-
tion, a vital eco-system that provided a
Shobha Menon
haven for many birds, squirrels and insects
is removed. So, the damage goes on until
worrying stories about global warming (for
many individuals, this too seems to have
no effect) make you think you’d better do
something. There are several things we can
Learn about
do to create a greener Chennai.
• Being aware of the correct procedure
issues trees
for planting and caring for a sapling is very
important. Also, choose species that help
in urban
regenerate local biodiversity.
• Begin to notice the trees around you –
pockets face
the beautiful shapes, colours, flowers and
fruits. Also notice the insensitive pruning,
on a walk
stakes that need removal, tree guards that
can harm, and trees dying from wounds,
with Nizhal
drought and pollution and do everything
you can for them.
• Become a tree guardian. Begin by
adopting one tree in your own street, then
other and another. Check up on them ev-
ery once in a while to see how they’re
doing.
Nizhal invites corporate organisations to
be part of our movement for sensitive
greening. One could take part in tree sur-
veys, awareness campaigns, and most im-
portantly, to dispel the myth that
‘greening’ is only about ‘planting saplings’.
To be a responsible tree planter is most
important, and this means taking care to
monitor the growth of the saplings planted
(it should never be about the number of
saplings planted), and to help regenerate
biodiversity of flora and fauna with a care-
ful choice of species and a focus on bring-
ing back indigenous species that are fast
vanishing.
Often, in the course of my work, I re-
member the concluding line from Late
Sundara Ramasami’s poem, Vriksha Ma-
nidhargal – Manithargal marangal pol vaz-
hum kalaam varum (There will come a
time when men will live like trees!). Nizhal
hopes so too. ■
The author is one of the five founder
trustees of Nizhal (‘Shade’ in Tamil), a
Chennai-based NGO that promotes tree
culture in urban landscapes. Reach them at
nizhal.shade@gmail.com or call 044-
42045137. More information on Nizhal and
its activities can be found at
www.nizhaltn.org
Thursday, June 11, 2009
03

A home
for elders
A ruwe, a social welfare organisation,
founded in 1993 is run by Aspy Joy-
son and Rachel Victor, both alumni of
Social Work Department of Stella Maris
College. Inspired by the field work they
did among the fishermen community
in Kanyakumari and at Otteri Slum
with YWCA during their college days,
they set out to help destitute elders.
Since Aspy was from Aynavaram, she
decided to help the elders in the slums
near her house.
Aruwe, started as a day care home
for elders now also works for the reha-

A helping hand
bilitation of children in slums. Aspy
and Rachel visited the slum and invited
the elders to their one room office lo-
cated on the terrace of Apsy’s maternal
house. Now the office has turned into a
home for more than 30 destitute elders
out of them 15 reside there, while the
rest go home after dinner and returns
in the morning.
The CSR wing of Alcatel- Lucent, a global telecommunications corporation,
“We never thought that it will turn
into a complete destitute home. Now
donated Rs. 5 lakhs to Aruwe, a social service organisation which
the problem we face is space con- takes care of destitute elders and deprived children
straint. It is difficult to accommodate
so many people in one room. And also V.HARIPRIYA bu Karangal and Gnana Deepam. Apart from the fund provided by
the elders find it difficult to climb the haripriya@goergo.in Recently the WELCOM group the corporate, the Pay Roll Giving
stairs. We are looking for sponsors who bagged the CSR Champions Award (PRG) Scheme of the WELCOM

T
can provide us with a piece of land. The he 30-odd elders of Aruwee, a 2008 and a cash award of US $ group is also a constant source of
money we got from Alactel –Lucent will day care home for destitute el- 10,000 by competing with the 130 finance from the employees to-
be used for the building,” says Aspy, ders and deprived children, are centres of Alcatel Lucent spread wards various welfare activities. He-
who has a team of seven, to look after breathing a sigh of relief. For across the world. ma Mohandas, DGM, HR, Alctael-
the elders plus the 80 children of the the Rs 5 lakh donated by the CSR B.V.S. Krishnamoorthy, Director Lucent, who heads the CSR wing in
slums who they provide with dinner wing of Alcatel- Lucent would surely (R&D) Alcatel- Lucent, who gave Chennai, says that they are also
and supplementary education. help them shift to a much larger away the cheque to Aspy Joyson, planning to provide old PCs to
“Children in slums also have dreams. place than the asbestos topped founder trustee of Aruwe, said that NGOs which take care of children.
One such boy who fulfilled his dream is small rented room on a terrace, in the WELCOM group is working with “Alcatel Lucent, not only aims for
now placed in a famous IT company in which they are staying with much Aruwe for the past eight years and the welfare of its own employees
Chennai. “He lost his father at a young difficulty now. they found them doing true service. but also to improve the society in
age and his mother is mentally retard- The WELCOM (welfare commit- “The sustained effort of the volun- which they are living,” Hema adds.
ed. He asked us for help and we found tee), is a voluntary corporate social teers has helped them win the ■
sponsors for him. After finishing his responsibility group started within award. There are 10 core members
engineering degree from Anna Univer- Alcatel Lucent, Chennai, which in the group supported by 350
sity, he was placed in a software firm. serves many orphans, disabled chil- volunteers. Supported by the HR B.V.S. Krishnamoorthy, Director
Now he is in U.K.” dren and destitute elders joining and communications wing of the (R&D) Alcatel- Lucent (third from
“Last academic dear, one of our stu- hands with various NGOs. The firm, the volunteers are involved in left) presents the cheque to
dents got more than 400 marks in the group has been working closely with long-term social responsibility ac- Aspy Joyson (third from right),
SSLC examination,” says Aspy adding NGOs Good life Centre, Aruwe, An- tivities,” Krishnamoorthy said. founder trustee of Aruwe.
that it is difficult to make people un-
derstand the importance of education.
“But there are really bright students
whose lives are spoilt by their very own
parents. One thing I ask educated peo-
ple is not to give alms to kids who beg
on roads especially near traffic signals.
Because the more money you give, in
future there will be more on the
streets.”
Aruwe’s next project is to find spon-
sors for the 38 children of Tirunelveli
district. “The children need Rs. 600
each per year for their studies. We have
to find sponsors for them. Though we
are struggling here to run this home,
we cannot ignore these children who
have come to us for help. God will
show us some way,” says Aspy while
sorting out the application of the chil-
dren class wise.
To know more about Aruwe call
23745960 or visit www.aruwe.org
04 VILLAGE ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

Dog and bomb

A dog playing fetch in Germany delivered back something unexpected to its
owner - a live hand grenade from World War II.

Amy to take up nursing Chimp bites

Troubled Brit singer Amy Winehouse is said to be
interested in taking up nursing while in St Lucia, and off zoo
in devoting her time to sick children and maternity
clinics. director’s
Winehouse, 25, will be working as a volunteer on
the Caribbean island in a bid to control her own finger
demons and comfort the seriously ill, and she will be The director of the
delivering medicine and preparing meals for the sick. Berlin Zoo made
“Amy is keen to look after children on the island famous by the polar
through these community projects,” the Daily Star bear cub Knut has had
quoted Amy’s spokesman as saying. his finger bitten off by
ANI a chimpanzee called
Pedro.
Bernhard Blaszkiewitz,
51, was feeding Pedro
Rudd’s wife to climb Mt. walnuts as he showed
a visitor round the zoo when the ape grabbed his hand
Kilimanjaro and bit off his right index finger.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s wife, Therese Rein, “Pedro is the boss of the group so he has to demonstrate
is preparing for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro later this year. a certain dominance in it to prove himself,” zoo
Revealing this, Rudd said his wife was “one tough lady” spokesman Andre Schuele said. “Under normal
and that she had been in training all year to take part on circumstances, a chimp would never have the chance to
the expedition with their son Nicholas. reach a keeper or our director.”
Rein has been training at a Brisbane gym for the journey. Doctors sewed Blaszkiewitz’s finger back on but said it
Asked if he thought it was an invasion of his wife’s privacy, was not clear if the operation would be successful.
Rudd said: “If magazines choose to photograph people Schuele said the incident would have no repercussions for
training at the gym through their cameras without their the 28-year-old Pedro.
consent well, I presume, it’s Reuters
a matter for those
magazines.”
“I think people will form
their own judgment about BA CEO forgot to tell wife
that,” Rudd told Radio 4BC.
Asked if the magazine about pay cut
should be boycotted, he British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh is showing
repeated his view that solidarity with his staff in planning to work without pay next
people would form their month as part of cost cuts, but the move may not have gone
own opinions. down so well with his wife.
Rudd said he was “fair “She read about it in the papers,” a grinning Walsh said at a
game” because he was the lunch for airline executives gathering in the Malaysian capital.
one in the family who’d Walsh, whose normal salary is 735,000 pounds a year, will
chosen to go into public work for nothing in July as part of a cost-cutting drive under
life. which 2,500 staff have left the airline in the past year.
ANI Reuters

What’s common between

Aamir and Federer?
R
oger Federer’s historic
French Open win has gone
down so well among the
sport’s enthusiasts that
even Bollywood superstar Aamir
Khan couldn’t stop drawing par-
allel between himself and the
Swiss.
The 27-year-old is infamous for
shedding tears after winning a
trophy and Aamir thinks even he
does the same after his films do
well at the box office.
“Federer finally wins the
French Open. I’m so happy for
him... But he is certainly the only
one to cry like a baby each time
he wins a final! That’s one thing I
share in common with him. I cry
like hell each time any of my films
does well, but I also cry when
they don’t,” Aamir posted on his
blog.
Federer created tennis history
when he defeated Robin Soder-
ling 6-1, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 and won
the French Open title to become
the sixth man in tennis history to
win all four majors.
Federer also joined Pete Sam-
pras as the biggest winner ever in
the sport and the latter even went
on record to say that the former
went on to earn the title of “best
tennis player in history”, even be-
fore winning the Roland Garros.
Aamir, however, is against such
titles.
“Sampras says he (Federer) is
the best ever tennis player in his-
tory. I’m not sure if there is such a
thing. Quite frankly each of the
leading players of their time were
equally difficult to beat. (Bjorn)
Borg, Sampras himself, not to
mention (Rod) Laver,” Aamir fur-
ther wrote. ■
IANS
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
05
Websites of the day Clever girl
All the information you need on the beautiful fish the stingray. http://
A two year old girl has an IQ of 160 -
www.barrierreefaustralia.com/text-only/sting-rays_text_only.htm
four points higher than British maths
How to win at poker www.playwinningpoker.com/articles/how-to-play-
genius Carol Vorderman.
poker

Web 2.0
crowned
one millionth
English word
Other linguists, however, denounced the list Global Language Monitor, victory or accomplishment, and
brushed off the criticism, saying “slumdog,” a term that became
as pure publicity and unscientific, saying it his method was technically popular with the Oscar-winning
sound. movie Slumdog Millionaire.
was impossible to count English words in

A
U.S.-based language mon-
itoring group crowned Web
2.0 as the one millionth
word or phrase in the En-
glish language on Wednesday, al-
though other linguists slammed it
as nonsense and a stunt.
The Global Language Monitor,
which uses a math formula to
track the frequency of words and
phrases in print and electronic
media, said Web 2.0 appeared
over 25,000 times in searches and
was widely accepted, making it
the legitimate, one millionth wor-
d.It said Web 2.0 started out as a
technical term meaning the next
“If you want to count the stars The list also included “cloud
use or to agree on how many times a word in the sky, you have to define
what a star is first and then count.
computing,” meaning services
delivered via the cloud or Inter-
must be used before it is officially accepted Our criteria is quite plain and if net, “carbon neutral,” a widely
you follow those criteria you can used term in the climate change
count words. Most academics say debate, and “N00b,” a derogatory
what we are doing is very valua- term from the gaming commu-
ble,” said Payack. nity for a newcomer.
generation of World Wide Web plicated by the number of com- He has calculated that about “Some 400 years after the death
products and services but had pound words, verbs and obsolete 14.7 new English words or phras- of the Bard, the words and phras-
crossed into far wider circulation terms. es are generated daily and said es were coined far from Stratford-
in the last six months. “I think it’s pure fraud ... It’s the five words leading up to the Upon-Avon, emerging instead
There are no set rules for such a not bad science. It’s nonsense,” millionth highlighted how En- from Silicon Valley, India, China,
count as there is no certified arbi- Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguistics glish was changing along with and Poland, as well as Australia,
ter of what constitutes a legiti- professor at the University of Cal- current social trends. Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.,”
mate English word and ifornia at Berkeley, told reporters. This list included “Jai Ho!” an said Texas-based Payack. ■
classifying the language is com- Paul JJ Payack, president of the Indian exclamation signifying Reuters

Usher to dedicate It’s play time

a song to Mallika
B ollywood actress Mallika Sherawat has taken Los Angeles’ par-
ty circuit by storm and now R&B superstar Usher has decided
to dedicate one of his songs to the glamorous actress.
Sherawat who is in Los Angeles working on her first Hollywood
venture Hisss met the Grammy winning singer at a local eatery
and found him very handsome.
“Met Usher at LA’s Best
Brunch! He’s very handsome. Oh
My God! Usher’s promised to
dedicate a song to me,” wrote the
Murder star on her Twitter web
page.The actress was also excited
about her next film which will al-
so be shot in the city though she
did not reveal any further details.
“Sitting in LA and getting excit-
ed about my next movie, which
will be filmed here in the city!
More information to come,”
wrote Sherawat.
A Los Angeles restaurant had
earlier named one of it’s milksh-
akes after the curvaceous actress. 쒀 A child juggles with a ball at Dilworth College in Auckland, New Zealand as part
■ of their preparation for a Test match against the All Blacks. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE
PTI
06 SPORT ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

Saina squeezes into second round

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal survived some anxious moments before getting past qualifier
Maja Tvrdy of Slovenia in a thrilling three-game opening tie at the Singapore Open Super
Series in Singapore City on Wednesday. Sixth seed Saina came from behind to beat Maja
18-21, 21-11, 21-16 in a 50-minute gruelling battle in their women’s singles match.

Final
‘India’s got talent’
India-American Olympic bronze medallist
gymnast Raj Bhavsar is planning to use cricket
platform for conducting shows across India for
popularising gymnastics. The Indian youth is
Tamil Nadu’s best
talented but they need to be encouraged and
motivated for
Santosh Trophy
excelling in
gymnastics.
performance was a
Conducting
shows across the
runners-up position
in the 1972-73

PUSH
country will help
them in opting
for career as
gymnast, he said.
championship. A
“I am a
professional
win today against
gymnast and
concentrating on
Goa will take them
winning a gold
medal at 2012
a step closer to go
Olympics,” the
28-year-old said.
one better
Bhavsar,
accompanied by his mother Surekha, is on a
short visit to Vadodara to meet his grandfather Partners in
Bhanubhai, grandmother Saritaben, uncle crime: Tamil Nadu
Sharadbhai and other family members. forwards Muthu
Bhavsar’s father, Jyotindra, was born and (right) and P.C.
brought up in the city and shifted to US after Riju share a light
obtaining engineering degree from the moment during
Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1970s. Born in the team’s practice
Houston, Bhavsar has a bachelor’s degree in session at the
marketing from an American university. The SDAT Stadium in
Olympic bronze medallist said he plans to Poonamallee High
organise gymnastics shows during cricket Road. PHOTOS: R. RAGU
matches in India to popularise the sport which
requires physical and mental agility. “It was my
dream to be a gymnast when I was six-year-old
and started concentrating on it without
neglecting my studies,” he said.
PTI

Archery short-list announced

The Archery Association of India (AAI) has
short-listed 24 archers in the junior (under-18)
and cadet (under-16) categories for the World
Youth Championship to be held from July
12-19 at Ogden (Utah), USA. The provisional
lists of archers were prepared following a
three-day trial held at the SAI Eastern Centre
in Kolkata from June 2, AAI secretary general
P N Mukherjee said.

Short-listed archers
Junior (U-18): Recurve (Boys): Atanu Das and
Pawan Xalxo (both Steel Plant) and Hemanta
Basumatary (Assam). (Girls): Seema Verma and
Sumita Kumari (both Steel Plant) and Balmai
Hansda (Jharkhand). Compound (Boys): Ksh
Nikhon Singh (Manipur), Arjun Rao and Sanjay
Swansi (both Jharkhand).(Girls): Asrita
Kerketta, Priyanshu Kachap and Kiran Majhi
(all Jharkhand). Cadet (U-16): Recurve (Boys):
Sanjay Boro, Prashant Nath (both Assam) and AYON SENGUPTA nai on Thursday. ing nothing short of that elusive
Mangal Ho (Jharkhand). (Girls): Deepika ayon@goergo.in The hosts, baring a small two- title. Tamil Nadu’s best finish was
Kumari, V Sharada and Padya Singh Sardar (all game patch, have been prolific a runners-up medal in 1972-73.

A
Steel Plant).Compound (Boys): Abhyudaya final berth is all that hosts
Srinet, Sudhakar Paswan (both Jharkhand) and Tamil Nadu are gunning
Ritul Chatterjee (Andhra Pradesh). (Girls): S for as they take on four-
Jayalakshmi (Maharashtra), Prerna Bhagat and time champions Goa in the
Neelam Kumari (both Jharkhand). second semi-finals of the 63rd
PTI Santosh Trophy for the national
football championships at the Ja-
waharlal Nehru Stadium in Chen-
with their scoring, knocking 30
gaols in the initial group stage. A
brief lull later they were back
again with striker Muthu netting
a hattrick in the do-or-die clash
against Manipur.
Exuding confidence the local
boys are all pumped and are aim-
Skipper Kalia Kulothungan, an
I-League veteran, has been a
mascot in the midfield, essaying
his role as the fulcrum of every
attack. “It’s now or never for us.
Home turf, small but vociferous
supporters – what else can we
want?” he asks. “All of us are
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
‘‘
Not being fit for the Ashes is not an option. I am bang up to where I want
to be at this stage and I have had no ill reaction. So far so good.
ready to run that extra mile to
win this trophy. We have played
well and are high on confidence
and need to capitalise on that.
It’s a god mix of youth and expe-
rience as we have seven I-League
players and also some good
players from the local League.”
The I-League cronies of Kulu,
keeper V.P. Satish and Mohun
Bagan defenders Ravanan and
Mohanraj have looked com-
pletely at ease and have been in-
strumental in guiding their team
to the last-four stage. Not to be
outdone, the local League strik-
ers P.C. Riju and Muthu, too,
have forged a deadly combina-
tion and have troubled very de-
fender with their pace and knack
of finding the net. “It’s an op-
portunity for the local lads to
show their mettle. Already the
I-League clubs are queuing up to
sign them. That itself speaks for
our performance,” coach P. Thu-
lasi says. “Goa is a tough side
with a host of Indian interna-
tionals but we are not concerned
about them. We just need to
play to our potential.”
Goa, though, are a better ped-
igreed side and will no doubt
fancy their chances. “We are get-
ting better with each passing
day. It’s the determination of the
boys to win and when everybody
is focussed the task gets easier.
But it’s also important to main-
tain our concentration,” coach
Mariano Dias says. “We’ve
played with a certain rhythm
and, more importantly, we have
scored heavily too.” Goa played
well throughout tournament
07
Andrew Flintoff
Big bosses giving Santosh
Trophy a miss?
National football coach Bob Houghton has decided
to give the Santosh Trophy a miss. The British coach
for the Indian national team will instead attend a
conditioning camp for the national under-16 and
under-19 boys in Goa.
With a settled pool of players for national duty,
Houghton, it is believed, is not too keen on adding
up the numbers unless an injury forces him to do so.
All-India Football Federation (AIFF) acting president
and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and
other top officials have also not confirmed their
presence for the final slated this Sunday.
Meanwhile, the national preparatory camp for the
Nehru Cup may now be held in Dubai in place of
Delhi. AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco said it
was not possible to hold the camp in Delhi as the
pitch at the Ambedkar Stadium had to be renovated
for the Nehru Cup in August.
Ergo Correspondent
Words of wisdom: Tamil Nadu skipper Kalia Kulothuhgan (left)
and coach P. Thulasi (second from left) egg their players on at
SDAT Stadium on Wednesday.
CATCH THE MATCH
Tamil Nadu will play
and have showed their Goa in the second semi-
class in the quarter-fi- finals of the Santosh
nals group stage, a 5-0 Trophy football
hammering of Maha- tournament at the
rashtra in their last Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
game standing out in Periamet near Moore
as one of the most Market on Thursday at
dominant performances even 5.30 p.m. Entry is free.
in this high-scoring tourna-
ment so far.
In Marcus Mascarenhas
(the hattrick man from the
Maharashtra mauling) they
have a certain starter upfront
and coach Dias is spoiled for op-
tions with regard to his partner.
Both Dempo’s Joaquim Abranch-
es and Freddy Marcarenhas are a
handful and no team will dare to
take them lightly.
The experienced pairing of na-
tional team regular Mahesh
Gawli and Covan Lawrence form
the central defensive pair with
skipper Felix D’Souza guarding
the goal. A clean sheet can well
be expected from the trio and
the likes of Muthu and Riju will
have to labour extra hard to
snoop behind this formidable
fortress.
India coach Bob Houghton’s
favourite Climax Lawrence and
Bevan D’Mello, who had helped
himself to a brace against Mah-
arashtra, will shepherd the mid-
field with Wilton Gomes and
Nicholas Rodrigues adding their
weight behind the strikers.
An intriguing contest is in the
offing but the city stars can for
once hope their fans are paro-
chial and fill the near-empty sta-
dium and shout them to greater Goal-machine: Marcus Mascarenhas (No. 9) of Goa has been prolific in finding the
glory. ■ net. PHOTO: M. MOORTHY
08 ROADSTER ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pedal through the

Queen of Hills

T
M
t
i
t

e
e
k
r
l
a
Cycle to Nilgiris i
The Mettupalayam to J
Kothagiri to-and-fro o
weekend bicycling trip of a k
total of 66 kms, organised c
by Chennai Bikers, will t
begin in the third week of t
June from Mettupalayam. t
Those interested can w
participate with any bicycle, o
preferably with gears. l
Head gear and knee and t
elbow guards are a must. 6
Cycles will be transported l
from Chennai to
Mettupalayam by the club. f
A nominal fee for a
miscellaneous expenses will t
be collected.
h
For more details and
registration call Vibhaker at t
98410 40000. p
Also write in to chennai- “
bikers@googlegroups.com t

Chennai Bikers, the city’s cycling club, is organising a trip from Mettupalayam to Kotagi
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
09
Music to ears: Jazz
comes to India
Jazz marks Honda Siel Cars India’s entry into the
country’s small-car segment

from Chennai to Mettupalayam.

From there the group will set
out on the trip,” adds Vibhaker.
The backup team with a cycle
mechanic will follow the bikers
throughout the trip in case of
technical emergencies enroute.
A nominal fee will be charged

T
he Nilgiri Ghat roads are for miscellaneous expenses in-
among the steepest and cluding cycle transportation
toughest terrains in the charges from Chennai, food and
country. And the road from accommodation and toll charg-
Mettupalayam to Kotagiri is said es, if any, informs Vibhaker.
to be the road to ride, thanks to The 93-member Chennai Bik-
its steep climbs and scenic beau- ers club has put up posters
ty. throughout the city and is in the Masahiro Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. (right)
Chennai Bikers, formed in process of sending email invit- and Fumihiko Ike, COO, Honda Asia Oceania Operations, launching the Jazz in
early 2008 by a bunch of cycling ing applications for participation New Delhi on Wednesday. PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT.
enthusiasts here, is all set to in the weekend ride.
kick-off its biggest ever bicycle Participants can have any bicy-
ride – from Mettupa- cle, preferably

J
layam to Kotagiri with gears, so that apanese car giant Honda, on the company has put on hold the con-
and back. To be held We will arrange it would help them Wednesday, launched its much- struction work indefinitely due to slow-
in the third week of climb the Nilgiri awaited hatchback Jazz in India, down in demand.
June according to its a tempo to roads with ease. priced between Rs. 6.98 lakh and Rs.
organisers, the 66- transport the Headgear and 7.33 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 5-star safety rating
km (to and fro) bicy- knee pads are The launch of Jazz, with a 1.2 litre petrol The compact Audi Sports Utility Vehicle,
cle trip could turn out
participants’ mandatory and engine, in the country marks Honda Siel the Q5, the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai
to be an experience cycles from participants must Cars India’s – the joint venture between i20 received a top five-star rating in the
to cherish for adven- Chennai to be reasonably fit Honda Motor Corp and Siel Group – entry latest EuroNCAP crash test, while the Su-
ture seekers as one and have no health into the most competitive and volume- zuki Alto failed the safety test. Other top
would be cycling to Mettupalayam. complications. driven small-car segment in India. five-star ratings were given to the Kia
one of the oldest and From there the Senthil Kumar, “The Honda Jazz is a segment-defining Soul and the Peugeot 3008, according to
largest hill stations in an active member car and is loaded with all the values that the report.
the Nilgiris, standing
group will set of the club, feels are associated with Honda. The car will Suzuki reacted to the crash test findings
6511 feet above sea out on the trip that the weekend cater to the unique group of the people by offering ESP (Electronic Stability Pro-
level. ride to Kotagiri who want the latest and most stylish gramme) as an option for the latest mod-
Vibhaker T.K., a should be interest- models with the best technology,” Honda el. The testers especially criticised the
former state cyclist and technical ing not only for regular cycling Siel Cars India (HSCI) President and CEO injury risk to the legs and knees in an acci-
advisor of Chennai Bikers, says enthusiasts but also for begin- Masahiro Takedagawa told reporters. dent as well as the risk to the upper body
the cycling trip scheduled to be ners. A ‘Tour de Nilgiris’ towards The company said Jazz, with a Euro-IV in a side impact. The Audi Q5, the Hyundai
held over the weekend is open the end of 2009 is also in the pi- compatible engine, would give a mileage i20 and the Kia Soul all received top rank-
to anyone with an interest in peline, where bicycle clubs from of 16.1 km per litre as per ARAI standards. ing on adult protection, while the testers
pedalling up the hills and down. all across the country, including Jazz would initially be produced at especially praised the pedestrian protec-
“We will arrange a tempo to the metros, will be participating, HSCI’s Greater Noida facility and the com- tion offered by the Honda Jazz and the
transport the participants’ cycles Senthil adds. ■ pany had planned to shift it later to its Hyundai i20, which already complied with
under-construction plant at Tapukara in future EuroNCAP standards. The seating
Rajasthan. of the Kia Soul was also given good marks
The company had announced a Rs. for protection against whiplash in rear-
1,000-crore investment for constructing end collisions. ■
its second plant at Tapukara. However, Agencies
iri and back for anyone interested
10 FLICK
‘Playing myself in
tough’
I believe websites have
put out stories that I’m
doing an international
film called American real life. It’s tough because
Empire. I haven’t even you’re constantly trying to ‘act’
like yourself,” says John.
read the script.
utant director Deven Khote.
ports about him signing an inter-
national project. He wishes
people wouldn’t put out misin-
formation about him.
ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009
American Idol runner-up gay
American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert has told Rolling Stone
magazine he is gay, answering a question that followed the
singer for months since he gained millions of fans on the No.
1 U.S. TV talent show. “I don’t think it should be a surprise for
anyone to hear that I’m gay,” Lambert said.
Jacko’s strange demand for
child choir
M ichael Jackson is
making strange
requests for his
comeback concerts
starting Saturday – he
wants a children’s
choir that will have
“exactly equal”
numbers of black,
white, mixed-race
and Asian singers.
SUBHASH K. JHA According to
mirror.co.uk, Jackson
J
ohn Abraham is playing also wants every child
himself in Fillum City to know sign
and says it is tougher language and they
than doing other roles. are supposed to be in
“I’m playing John Abra- the age group of 5 to
ham. And believe me, it’s not 13 years. The weird
easy. I keep looking for my- request was sent to casting agents on behalf of
self in the character and find promoters AEG Live, who are organising his 50
there are so many things that I concerts at O2 Arena here.
want to keep for myself. I’m “Normally when we cast choirs for acts, it’s quite
trying to act and dress as I do in a laborious task. But in this case, it’s proving a near
impossibility. Jacko is a perfectionist and wants it
exactly right and that means every child being able
to do sign language. AEG are desperate to keep
The film is being made by deb- Jacko happy and so are pulling out all the stops to
make it happen. But it’s a race against time,” an
John is also not happy with re- insider said.
Jackson also wants that the six marching snare
drummers should be clean shaved. He instead
wants them to be “young adults, clean-cut and of
mixed ethnicity”. ■
“I believe websites have put IANS
out stories that I’m doing an
international film called
American Empire. I haven’t
even read the script. So
where’s the question of my
doing it? Doing international
Slumdog Millionaire child actor
films isn’t a burning ambition
for me,” he said.
gets new home
Slumdog Millionaire’s child actor Azharuddin
Though an enthusiastic vot-
Mohammed Ismail has finally got a permanent
er, John couldn’t be part of Ka-
home in Mumbai.
ran Johar’s short-film
The Jai Ho trust,
featuring most of Bolly-
supported by film
wood’s youth icons to pro-
director Danny Boyle
mote voting awareness. But
and producer
he is hoping to team up
Christian Colson, has
with the Karan and director
bought a 250sq ft
Tarun Mansukhani in the
apartment in Mumbai
second instalment of Dos-
for 10-year-old
tana.
Azharuddin.
“Would you believe I was
“We signed the
part of that project from the
papers on Monday.
start. I sat with the director
We have the keys and
Tarun Mansukhani and Ka-
we will hand them to
ran and we discussed the
the family,” A
idea. But on the day we
spokesman for the
were to shoot, I was down
trust said.
with a viral fever. I’d have
Azhar’s family had
loved to work with Tarun.
been living in a
He’s a wonderful boy.
makeshift construction of tarpaulin sheets after the
Hopefully, we’ll be doing
civic authorities demolished their house last month.
the Dostana sequel short-
The boy’s father, who had earlier refused to live
ly,” he says. ■
in an apartment bought in Azharuddin’s name, is
IANS
no longer complaining.
“He doesn’t seem to be worried now,” the
spokesman said.
The trust is still searching for a flat to house
Rubina Ali, another child star of the movie. ■
PTI
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
S. SREEJITH
sreejith@goergo.in
F
inally, Selvaraghavan has re-
vealed that his much-antici-
pated magnum opus,
Aayirathil Oruvan, starring
Karthi, Reema Sen, Andrea Jere-
miah and Parthipan, would hit the
screens soon – hopefully by August
first week.
Addressing a press meet on
Wednesday in the city he said:
“This is my dream venture and I
don’t believe in beating around
the bush, as I had already directed
movies based on existing themes.
So, I wanted to try something dif-
ferent in Kollywood. This is a fanta-
sy-cum-adventure film, in which
computer graphics has been widely
used. I’m confident that all my de-
dication and hard work will make
this movie set the box office on
fire.”
The audio of the movie, set to
score by G.V.Prakash Kumar, will
be released at a glittering event
later this week.
Aay i r a t h i l
O r u v a n ppeara
finally makes an a
Selva
denies any
rift with
Yuvan
Shankar
Raja
Selva dismissed the reports of rift
between him and music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja. “Yuvan was
busy with other projects, so I decid-
ed to rope in G.V.Prakash Kumar. It
doesn’t mean that we both are at
loggerheads. We have given some
excellent results in the past, and
this time Yuvan’s absence won’t
make any difference,” said the di-
rector, who has also penned the
lyrics for the movie.
For over 2 years, the film has
been extensively shot across many
cities, including, Chennai, Hydera-
bad, Mumbai, Jaisalmer and New
York. Most part of the movie has
been picturised inside dense rain-
forests, involving more than 2,000
artistes.
Actor Karthi, who shot to fame
post-Paruthiveeran, is back after a
long hiatus, is harping on the yet-
to-be released Kollywood potboil-
er. “Even though the film took 2
years to be completed, I think it’s
worth the wait. I was always ready
for hard work and don’t lament
over working on a single project
nce
11
for such a long time,” he added. He
also hailed cinematographer Ram-
ji, as the pillar of the film and com-
mended his camera-handling skills.
The young hero also ruled out that
he has not got any immediate plans
to work together with his brother
Suriya.
Music director G.V.Prakash Ku-
mar said he had confidence in Sel-
varaghavan and the music has
come out well. “I hope this film will
be a turning point in my career.
There are around 10 songs of dif-
ferent genres and for the first time
in modern Tamil film industry, I
have used many ancient musical in-
struments.” Veteran singer
P.B.Sreenivas has also crooned a
song. The main cast and crew of ‘Aayirathil
Glam doll Andrea, who plays the Oruvan’ on Wednesday met the press to
role of an archaeologist, said it was announce the audio launch and movie
a good experience for her. “I learnt release slated for August. PHOTOS: S.S. KUMAR
a lot on the sets and was awestruck
by the tireless contributions made
by the junior artistes. It’s a really
challenging role for me and I’m
lucky to be part of such a mega
project.” ■
12 ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

Wednesday’s Query:
Send your wish list to Mamata
Banerjee, as she gears up to
present the Railway Budget in the
first week of July

■ Make double track in all way, electric train throughout all regions
TSJ.Praveen, CTS
■ Remove the side-middle berth
R.Jayashree, TCS Rama Iyappan from UST-Global has nominated her
■ Avoid plastics and reimplement the mud pots renovation team members Munnar as Partners in crime.
Vasumathy, Cognizant This pic was clicked in Munnar.
■ Super fast bullet trains, so that I can travel to Bangalore in 1
hour
Priyesh, Patni Computers
■ Need a conscious attention towards containing unwarranted
entry and squatting in reserved coaches, besides enforcing
disciplined and ethical reservation system along with stepping up
passenger-friendly security cover throughout the ambience
Deepak Vasudevan, Verizon
■ May your railway budget show mercy on poor humanity in India
N.Deepan, TCS
■ Remove side middle berths from all the trains, More AC 3tier
coaches, Food to be as good as in all trains as served in Rajhadhani
express
Chandrasekar.SG, Cognizant
■ I wish her a great luck in introducing bullet trains very soon in
India that runs at 300 kmph. Expecting it soon
Deena, Wipro
■ Free trips for software engineers
Dhivya, Wipro
■ Free local train pass for students
Nikhil Joy, Allsec
■ Reduce the rates of 3rd AC tiers. Introduce more passenger trains
with economy fares Rokerz from Allsec Technologies have nominatted
Dhivahar, Wipro their friends as partners in crime. This pic was clicked
■ We need metro train in Chennai in Vandalur Zoo.
Sujithkumar Rangamani, HCL
■ Speed up double track work between Chennai-Nagercoil stretch.
Metro train for Chennai. Electric train in Madurai zone for south
Tamil Nadu

Jawahar, Verizon

Today’s Query:
Captain Cool Mahi has been losing
it of late at the official press
conferences. What should he do to
maintain his calm? Nanda Kumar has nominated his friends as Partners in
Crime. This pic was clicked in Pondicherry.
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
13

Varuni from Wipro Belated wishes

Technologies nom- To my dear Bhuvi,
inated as Office An- Side by side or miles apart
gel by Farmers True friends are always close to your heart
Automation Team Whether you’re turning five or fifty-three
Members You know that I’m a true friend because you’re here beside me
She is enthusiastic I’m here, right now, on your special day
and energitic and a So let’s give a cheer for you, hip, hip, hooray!
great team player “Many many happy returns of the day dear”
who can be Yours friends,
approached at any Jayanthi, Sangi, Poorna, Cicy, Nalani, Sri, Revathi, Saranvana, Jimsha, Salma and
time for any Sangeetha Priya.
issues.All her magic Congruent Solutions.
smile will solve half
of the problems and
rest would be her Engal Iniya Thozhi Anu’vukku…
efficient skills and Piranthanaal Nalvaazhthukkal !!!!
hard work.Wishing Wish you luck and happiness today and every day throughout the year.
you a rocking life Many More Happy Returns of the Day !!!!
and a great carrier Oru Seriya Kavithai Unakaga,
ahead Melum ithanai aandugalaga upayokathil illada
Moondru ezhuthu Arivai ,
Irandu Ezhuthu Moolayai ,
Inniyavadu upayokikka vendum endru kettukkolkiroam !!!
Ippadiku,
unnaal baathika patta
un nanbarkal !!!!
(Astathara)

Hi Surab
May this special day be filled with sweet memories and happy hours.
Wishing you all the fun and excitement that only birthdays can bring!
With Cheers,
Kevin Human Resources,
Arundale of Coastal Training Technologies India (P) Ltd
Pride
Technologies
doodled this.
June 11
Dear Shyam,
Having someone like you with us, means a lot. Here’s Wishing you
Wonderful Birthday.
With lots of love, this message comes 2 say u’re wished the joys u so
deserve especially today
& may the days that lie ahead be extra-nice one, filled with great
happiness and success..
"Happy birthday" !!!
Tesco Team,
Steria

Dear Roshanti,
Many Many Happy returns of the day,
Have a special day and a beautiful year ahead.
"Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of ’you’ to the
world."
Regards
Alfred Lord Tennyson

Hiii Revathy...
Wish u Many more advance happy returns of the day...
May God’s blessings be with you all through your life!!!
Wishing you all happiness and prosperity!!!
Parent: Sir enn payan maths la romba weak mutta( 0) vangitan sir From,
Teacher : appa antha muttai yeh poorichi kodunga strong HOV Services.,
aiyiduvan.....
Ganesh
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

A royal jam
British royal Prince Harry’s new
girlfriend reportedly refers to him by
the nickname of Jam.

sudoku

Aswin Kumar D.
of Vestas Wind
Technology
India Private
Limited shot this
picture in an
interior village
of Maharashtra.
Aswin says there
are lot of untold
stories behind
the young
smiling face.

So you think you would make a terrific photographer but never really had the KAKURO
platform? Mail us your best work and we’ll publish it in this space, with credit.
E-mail: clickpick@goergo.in

TEAM
Editor: Karthik Subramanian
karthik@goergo.in

Sr Dy Chief Designer: J.A. Prem Kumar

Dy Chief Designer: R. Ravi Kannan
Illustrator: R. Venugopal

Technical Support:
V.R. Vasudevan, K.G. Gurumurthy
N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES:
Contact: 2857 5757
E-mail: ads@goergo.in
Website: www.goergo.in

Head of Circulation:
M.G.M. Sharief
copies@goergo.in

SNAIL MAIL
859/860, Anna Salai,
Chennai - 600 002
mail your feedback to
feedback@goergo.in
FAX 2857 6691

Printed and Published by S. Karthik on behalf of

KASTURI & SONS LTD., at Plot B-6 & B-7,
CMDA Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar,
Chengleput Taluk, Kancheepuram Dist., Pin:
603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860,
Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act). RNI No. TNENG/2007/24553
 Thursday, June 11, 2009
Blinding error
A 50-year-old blind man was wrongly
targeted by police - who were set to
arrest him for a string of driving
offences.
15
Word’s worth
Retroition (ret-roh-i-shuhn) a rare word that means ‘the action of returning; re-entrance.’
Finally, a word for that embarrassing return to a party, after all goodbyes have been said,
to retrieve an essential item left behind (usually one’s keys, making the retroition
completely unavoidable).

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

The more questions you ask the less complicated
your life will be. Be on your guard against any
panic attacks. At the personal front, don’t let
differences create misunderstanding between you
and your partner.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

On the work front, you’ve got a good day ahead,
says Ganesha. You will perform routine tasks with
infinite ease. When you call it a day, you will find
no projects in the works. Recreate the magic of love
by being creative in your approach.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

If you want to beat others in the rat race, you must
BORN LOSER adopt a more savvy style of working. It’s the time
to plan your future. As playwright Bernard Shaw has
said, “We are made wise not by the recollection of
our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Trust your abilities and you will surely taste success.
Just completing your daily tasks isn’t enough; you
must also be aggressively proactive and try out
creative ways. Once you master your skills, there’ll
be no looking back.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
It may be an action-packed day for you in office. Do
some R&D activities to jazz up your analytical skills.
You will also attend some important meetings. All
in all, it’s all work and no play for you today, says
Ganesha.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Someone has rightly said, “If you fail to plan, you
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT plan to fail”. So, sit down with a planner and chart
out your weekly and daily schedule. Your interest in
art may urge you to pay a visit to a nearby art
gallery.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Allow your head to overrule your heart today. For,
today’s planetary matrix supports speedy completion
of projects. Your creative instincts will be straining
at the leash, demanding freedom of expression.
Looks like you’ll have a field day in office.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Today’s astral configuration emphasise on personal
development. Improving your know-how will be
topmost on your mind. But priority must be given to
fulfilling prime responsibilities. Go ahead and
impress your sweetheart with your wisdom.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
A chance meeting with an old friend or a previous
colleague will make your day. Barring a technical
error, work will proceed at a normal pace. Seeking
guidance from an elder will be of much help. Want
to spend a romantic evening with your sweetheart?
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Today’s one of those days when you feel that the
work you are doing is not rewarding enough, both
in terms of praise and raise. But don’t let this affect
you. Remember: trees of patience bear the sweetest
fruits.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS You’ll wake up shrouded in a pall of gloom. But as
the day proceeds, your energy levels will shoot up.
ISSUE’S Your friendly nature will make you popular among
your colleagues. In love life too, your partner will go
SOLUTIONS absolutely gaga over you.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
You will be neck-deep in technical and
administrative tasks in the first part of the day, but
personal issues will trouble you in the latter half.
Don’t arrive at hasty conclusions. To de-stress,
exchange mushy SMSes or emails with your lover.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Thursday, June 11, 2009

US Actress Michelle Stafford poses during a photocall

presenting the TV show The Young And The Restless at
the 49th Monte-Carlo Television Festival. PHOTO: AFP

ng the deck gun

shows a diver examini
This handout photo k du rin g Finland’s
e that was sun
of a Soviet submarin eck wa s dis cov ere d by divers
The wr
winter war in 1940. bo rde r of Finnish and
nds, close to the
near the Aaland isla
ters. PHOTO: AFP
Swedish territorial wa

Polish tourists play outdoor chess at water park Aquapark han at

d Aishwarya Rai Bachc
Tatralandia in central Slovak city of Liptovsky Mikulas. Abhishek Bachchan an g for IIFA . PHOTO: PTI
e leavin
PHOTO: AFP Mumbai airport befor