A BYTE OF LIFE Friday, March 6, 2009

FREE CIRCULATION

Vol. 3 No. 43

08
THE PANTS
LOOK FUNNY
WHAT’S WITH THE NEW
KIND OF TROUSERS?

A 50-YEAR-OLD YOUNG LADY

Barbie turns 50 on March 9. Ergo looks back at those five decades. Plus,
Ergo readers share with us their fondest and earliest Barbie memories » PAGE 04
02
Namma Chennai
Sale
Go shopping
Shop till your heart’s content at the
mela organised by Pink. The fair has
jewels, clothes, cosmetics, mehendi,
food, face painting and still art.
When: March 6 and 7; 10.30 to 7.30
p.m.
Where: 37/1 College Road, Opposite
DPI, Nungambakkam
For details call 2825 0861
/18004258000
Food
Malayalees
gang up
As the Accord Metropolitan Hotel
has a Kerala food festival. ‘Kerala
Dinner Delights’ has Syrian
Christian, Coastal Malabar and
Palakkad cuisines on the menu.
Vattayappam, kozhimalli peralon,
chembu ularthiyathu...there is lot to
choose.
For reservation call 2816 1000
Music
Time to disco
It’s party time at Fort St. George
(FSG), Taj Coromandel as DJ Rishabh
is all set to rock the floor on March
7 from 8 p.m.
Rishhabh started his journey in 2003
as a regular DJ at a club. He
currently works as resident DJ at
Poison, owned by DJ Aqeel. At FSG,
he promises to rock partygoers with
his key abilities, which include remix
existing track to another genre,
specialising in genres such as hip-
hop, Bollywood remixes, U.K.
bhangra, tribal, progressive, etc.
For details call 6600 2827
ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009
Three cheers
To celebrate Women’s Day, Taj Coromandel is offering 25 per
cent discount at all F&B outlets for ladies for the entire week
i.e. from March 8 to March 14.
For further details call 6600 2827.
Movies
She...
If you haven’t chalked out any plan for
Women’s Day, UTV World Movies has a
line-up of award-winning movies to
entertain you.
Blue Swallow (12 p.m.) is the story of the
first Korean lady aircraft pilot. Watch her
journey from a cab driver to getting the
flight licence. The movie talks about her
life, adventure, romance and death.
Offside (2 p.m.) is the story about a group
of Iranian girls and their attempts to enter Tehran’s Azadi Stadium
as boys in order to watch a football match.
Identification of a Women (4 p.m.) centres on a Roman film director
who falls in love with a strange noble woman during his research for
a new film. She disappears, and he has an affair with an actress to
try taking his mind off her.
The Circle (6 p.m.) – A woman learns her daughter has just given
birth to a girl, she’s afraid her son-in-law’s family will abandon her
daughter. Twin Sisters (8.30 p.m.)
Music
East meets west
If you like music, irrespective of the
genre they are playing, treat
yourself to this Indo-Japanese
concert. Musician and scholar T.M.
Hoffman will perform Indian ragas
on classical Japanese instruments.
When: March 8; 6.30 p.m.
Where: Sri Mutha Venkatasubba
Rao Concert Hall.
It is a free concert.
Music
Rahman fans!
DJ Nabarun Ghosh will open the
party dedicated to A.R. Rahman at
Black and White, The Residency,
G.N.Chetty Road on March 7.
From Jai Ho to Khalbali, Ghosh will
be spinning some of Rahman’s best.
The evening will also see a quiz
dedicated to the musician with
prizes to be won.
For details call 2825 3434
 Friday, March 6, 2009
03
Poetry reading Big Blue
The Madras Terrace House is playing host to an evening of Wildlife enthusiasts and generally couch potatoes watching out
erotic poetry readings from ancient and medieval Indian for some different fare, don’t miss National Geographic’s first
literature (English translations). The session will feature poems underwater footage of an infant blue whale calf in its
by Kalidasa, Bhatrihari, Vijjaka, Amaruka and Bana. Drop in at documentary ‘Kingdom of the Blue Whale’ this Sunday, starting
No.16, Sri Puram, II Street, Royapettah. 8 p.m. as part of their new promotion ‘Brand New Sundays’.

Bus day ends in a clash

Students of Government
Arts College and
Pachaiyappas College
clash near Choolaimedu
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in

I n a case of celebration turning in-

to chaos, a Bus Day celebration
by a group of college students in
city ended in a clash. Two MTC
buses and a police jeep were dam-
aged in the melee.
Police said the incident occurred
on Thursday afternoon after the
students of Government Arts Col-
lege in Nandanam started out on
Bus Day celebrations. The group
occupied two buses, both route
number 41 D. Some students
mounted atop the bus, and were
led by a band in the front.
When the students’ party reac-
hed the Choolaimedu bridge, a
group of hostellers of Pachaiyappas
College situated on Poonamallee
High Road were engaged in a ver-
Presidency College students celebrate bus day.
FILE PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN
bal volley over some past animos-
ity between the students of the two
colleges. “The confrontation soon
escalated into a fight and the two
groups started pelting stones on
each other near the bridge,” said a
police constable on duty for the
bus day celebrations.
The spot turned a war zone for
over 15 minutes until more police
arrived and pacified the students.
Two buses the students were trav-
elling on and a police jeep attached
to the Aminjikarai police station
suffered damages as a result of the
clash.No one was injured in the in-
cident and police have registered a
case and are investigating.■
Man dies of electric shock
ERGO CORRESPONDENT
feedback@goergo.in
A painter working on a
building in Thirumullai-
voyal suffered an electric
shock when he came in con-
tact with live wires while at-
tempting to catch a bottle of
water thrown to him.
The accident occurred on
Wednesday evening when
the painter, identified as
Stanley (22) of Church
Street, Saraswati Nagar in
Thirumullaivoyal, was work-
ing on a building façade in
Ambedkar Nagar nearby.
Police said Stanley had
asked his co-worker below
for water and the latter had
thrown up a bottle. Stanley
tried to catch it and acciden-
tally brushed against the
electric wires behind him.
The impact threw him from
where he was seated and he
hit the ground.
His colleagues rushed him
to a hospital nearby but he
died on the way. Thirumul-
laivoyal police have regis-
tered a case and are
investigating. ■

Game of the week Music of the week DVD of the week

FEAR 2: Project Origin
www.fear2.com
Feeling romantic? Nothing says, “I love you”
like purchasing your significant other a
game in which you blow the guts out of
blood-spurting, paranormal beasts with
hideously peeled-off skin. In slow motion.
In this sequel to the 2005 original, ghostly
little girl Elma is back causing paranormal
chaos and as a tooled up, special forces
type, it’s up to you to clear up the mess. The
result involves more scares, more slow-mo
ultra-violence and very little else. While the
new cover system causes a few problems
and this is hardly ground-breaking – they’ve
given it a slightly more free-roaming feel
but that’s about it – FEAR 2 is still a
viscerally enjoyable first-person shooter.
LOVE Mature plot and fantastic, gore-filled
action, slow motion
adds to the already
ominous atmosphere
HATE Slight surfeit of
dark corridors, some
hackneyed monster-in-
the-closet scares
We say: Although this
game is far less
enthralling than the
first one, it’s still scary,
and a good ride
nonetheless
Tonight
Franz Ferdinand
This is an eccentric group that plays eccentric
music and it gets harder and harder to
shoehorn the band’s sound into a genre simply
because they don’t work that way. The lead
singer has a unique voice and the rest of the
band pulsates with strange energy. The
cohesion between the members of this band
creates quite a chain of weird and catchy riffs
and some memorable tracks. The latest album is
an interesting selection of influences blended
into the band’s distinct style, instead of a
pointless mishmash of African and Jamaican dub
along with tons of electronica mixed in.
Ulysses, Lucid Dreams, No You Girls, and the
excellent Can’t Stop Feeling are just too good to
be ignored.
Sound advice: Each and every one of these
tracks is so catchy you can just play them
anytime and feel high, no matter what.
What Just Happened?
Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis
Ever wondered what goes into the making of a film? Barry
Levinson’s satirical comedy What Just Happened? based on
the same-named novel by real-world film producer Art
Linson, will tell you all. Set in Hollywood, the film profiles
the life of a producer Ben (Robert De Niro). Ben’s having a
hard time in his life right now. He’s been through two
marriages, caught between the demands of his director and
studio executives over a film that’ll most likely bomb
anyway, and is likely to be sued by another studio unless, he
can get his lead actor in line. The film is realistic in its
portrayal and is an enlightening watch.
It is quite slow-paced though and some of the dialogues are
easy to miss out on, so make sure you’re paying close
attention and have the centre channel speaker loud and
clear. Cinematically, the film is exquisitely shot; many scenes
breach the one minute mark without a single cut! With an
all-star cast including De
Niro, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis,
and Catherine Keener, this
underrated film packs an
intelligently written script
with some killer acting, and
offers an insight into the big
bad movie-making business.
We say: Its slow pace may
not appeal to all, but the
in-depth and realistic
depiction of Tinseltown is a
fascinating watch for those
interested.
04
Big Story
The first Barbie that
appeared in 1959
PINK IN A GREY WORLD
BARBIE TURNS 50 ON MARCH 9. A RETROSPECTIVE
SHALINI SHAH
shalinishah@goergo.in
F
ifty 50 years ago, on March
9, 1959, there debuted a doll
in a black-and-white striped
bikini. With blond/brunette
hair, blue eyes, a Scarlett O’Hara-
esque waist and never-ending
legs (and clever marketing from
the makers), she didn’t take long
in registering on the wishlists of
millions of little girls worldwide.
While the need to maintain po-
litical correctness and a desire to
adhere to local tastes has trans-
formed her from blonde bomb-
shell to raven-haired Indian
beauty to kimono-wearing Japa-
nese, Barbie’s most memorable
image is that which she started
out with.
Barbie has been life’s first fash-
ion icon for all those who owned
one and is unrivalled in popular-
ity across the globe. She’s been
changing with times, too, as envi-
sioned by creator Ruth Handler.
From hairdresser and art teacher
to UNICEF summit diplomat to
American Idol winner, NASCAR
driver, McDonalds cashier and
celebrity TV chef, Barbie’s role of
a role model has been changing.
After being labelled as someone
whose only interests in life are
A Vera Wang Barbie
shopping, shopping and more
shopping, it has been a very con-
scious attempt to break the
mould.
The Barbie franchise, with its
range of children’s clothing, ac-
cessories, makeup and direct-to-
DVD movies, has been growing
steadily, too.
In commemoration of 50 years
of Barbie, a collector’s range has
been specifically made to show-
case the changing looks of Barbie
across the years. Also, a 50th An-
niversary limited-edition golden
doll has been designed by Robert
Best.
Moreover, recent collabora-
Barbie My House
tions with designers like Vera
Wang, John Galliano, Cartier,
Gucci and Versace have given her
an enviable wardrobe. (A Vera
Wang Barbie costs $159.99, by the
way). Barbie’s Indian line, called
‘Barbie in India’, comes draped in
sarees designed by Shahzad Ka-
lim, winner of reality show Lakme
Fashion House on Star One. ‘Ex-
pressions of India’ is Barbie’s bri-
dal avatar. Barbie has also
entered into tie-ups with Shia-
mak Davar’s Institute for the Per-
forming Arts and hairstylist
Jawed Habib.
Not all has been as pink and
rosy. The doll has had her days of
ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009
turmoil. She’s been banned in
countries for violating local mo-
res of dress and culture, hated by
parents for giving their children
an “unrealistic” definition of
‘beautiful’, parodied on television
(read The Tonight Show and Sat-
urday Night Live) and faced with
competition from new, bolder
dolls like Bratz, and a recession
era that has seen declining sales
for every commodity.
As Barbie moves into her 51st
year this Monday, anyone who’s
had a childhood association with
her would only wish many more
birthdays for the lady who stub-
bornly declines to age. ■
 Friday, March 6, 2009
05
MY FIRST BARBIE
When you want something, yell!
I probably saw her in a friend’s place. I was totally mesmerised and wanted to have her with me,
like all other kids. If my memory is good, I was about six years old then. But my dad had his own
reasons for not getting me one. I was so desperate to have her and didn’t give up. Eventually, I
created a ruckus to get what I wanted. The first Barbie I got was a Birthday Barbie. She looked
gorgeous in a pink gown with a birthday cake in hand. She has such an adorable, mesmerising
face that all girly kids fall in love with her at first sight (just as I did). I am 22 now and still in love
with this enticing lady. Thanks to Ruth Handler, for she knew what girls like even at a young age.
Preethi K.
Ergo readers share with us
their fondest and earliest
Barbie memories
Better now then never
I was probably 10 years old when my fascination for Barbie started. Since then, for almost five
years, I had been craving for at least one. I always wanted a Barbie that wore a miniskirt with
long blond hair and came with a couple of dresses and shoes. But then I don’t think we had so
many stores to showcase kids’ stuffs. Moreover, even the normal Barbie was not affordable. So
it was always a dream that never got fulfilled. Owning a Barbie was also a status symbol
during my school days. Now, I can own a dozen of them but my priorities in life have changed.
At least, in this 50th year of Barbie, she could be made affordable to even the less-privileged
gals. I wish Barbie a happy birthday and I will defiantly go and get a Barbie now to at least
acknowledge how a doll can make such a difference in a gal’s childhood for about 50 years.
Sreelekha Santhanam, Cognizant Technology Solutions

Igloo Barbie
To start with, Barbie is the most gorgeous doll I have ever seen since my childhood.
It may be the reason usually everyone likes it on first sight. I saw it for the first
time when I was in class IV and got very much attracted to it .Even on cartoon
channels they telecast many Barbie tales, which I don’t miss even now. Whenever I
see this doll, I am reminded of Aishwarya Roy, because the doll has been designed
so beautifully that it has the perfect figure of a gorgeous lady. But, unfortunately, I
could not own it. I don’t have a reason for it. Maybe in the 50th year of Barbie, I
will try to buy one. After all, Women’s Day is nearing!! My suggestions for
upcoming Barbie models would be Igloo Barbie and Mermaid Barbie.
Rose, Wipro Technologies

Gift from a six-year-old

It was my brother who gifted me a Barbie on my 11th birthday. (He was
six years old then.) It was a day before my birthday. My brother borrowed
money from my parents, went to the gift shop on his own and got this
special Barbie for my birthday. I was not much passionate about Barbies
during my childhood days and I never bugged my parents for one. So
that’s my only Barbie. I named her Manju Barbie (no logic behind that; I
had named all my childhood dolls Manju J.) He also gave me a lovely
birthday card (he himself painted and decorated it). I still treasure that
card and my one and only Manju Barbie preciously.
Indu, Accenture

First and second

My dad presented me a Barbie when I was in Class I. I used to do all
kinds of makeup for her with sketch pens and water-paint. I would
teach her my school lessons and beat her with the ruler, as I was a
strict teacher.
Within a year, the cute and beautiful doll turned into an ugly witch-
like doll. After a year or two, my dad bought me another Barbie,
which I preserve till now like a diamond.
Abinaya, HCL Technologies
06 ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009

Sport
Players recover in hospital
Two Sri Lankan cricketers injured during a gun and grenade attack in Pakistan have undergone
surgery and are recovering in hospital, a doctor said today. Tharanga Paranavitana, who had a bullet
lodged in his chest and Thilan Samaraweera, who had shrapnel in his right leg, underwent surgery
at a private hospital in Colombo hours after they returned on Wednesday.

Final battle
India have edge over Chinese Taipei

Slain driver’s family demand
recognition not
compensation
Sisters Saadia and Sumera do not want
financial compensation from Pakistan Cricket
Board or the government to recover from the
loss of their father Zafar Khan, who was killed
in the terror attack aimed at Sri Lankan team
on that fateful day in Lahore. Zafar, who was
driving his coach just behind the Sri Lankan
team bus, died instantly when one of the
terrorist fired directly at him as he tried to
take the match refree and umpires to safety.
His colleague Meher Khalil, who was driving
the team bus, somehow managed to escape
the volley of bullets and took the players to
safety and since he has been showered with
praise, rewards and hailed as a national hero.
Sumera and Saadia wonder when their father
would also be hailed as a hero.
“Our father also lost his life in the line of duty
yet no one speaks about him or the sacrifice
he made. Everyone talks about the other
driver or the police officers killed in the
incident but no one is saying our father also
died serving the country,” 18-year-old Sumera
complained. The sisters’ complaint is
understandable since no one has mentioned
about him after the terrorist attack even as
civil rights groups, NGOs, the Board and
Government officials have been visiting the
S
omdev Devvarman will
spearhead India’s singles’
challenge in the Davis Cup
Group-I second round tie
against Chinese Taipei when the
two teams clash for the first time
in the tournament at Yang-Ming
Tennis Center in Kaohsiung from
Friday. For India, once again bid-
ding for a place in World Group
play-offs, the biggest hurdle is to
tame Yen-Hsun Lu, world num-
ber 59 and the number one player
of the host nation.
Lu missed Taipei’s first round
tie against Kazakhstan and his re-
turn has made the team more
confident. However, with Som-
dev and Rohan Bopanna in good
form, India have the edge against
the hosts, who will heavily rely on
Lu. Bopanna, who along with
Jarrko Niemenin recently beat
number one doubles pair of Bob
and Mike Byran, has defeated Lu
in the past and Somdev has
shown the world his class at
Chennai Open where he beat
top-25 players.
Plan in place
India would also look to target
Ti Chen, world number 365, as
winning singles and reverse sin-
gles against him would put the
visitors in an advantageous posi-
tion. Leander Paes and Mahesh
Bhupathi make a formidable
team and are unlikely to be trou-
bled by the Taipei players. Tsung-
Hua Yang (498) and Chu-Huan Yi
(700) did well against Kazakhstan
in the last tie, winning the dou-
PHOTO: R. RAGU

Liberty chowk to pay respects to those killed
in the attack.
PTI
Constantini to asses
paddlers
Before devising a strategy for the 2010
Commonwealth Games, new national table
tennis coach Massimo Constantini wants to
asses the country’s paddlers during the
upcoming Pro Tour Indian Open in Indore. The
Italian, who played for his country between
70s and 80s and has also worked as a high-
performance coach and coach education course
conductor of the International Table Tennis
Federation, has been handed responsibility of
grooming 40 core probables elected for the
2010 Games to be held in the national capital.
PTI
bles rubber for them, but playing
against Lee-Hesh will be a differ-
ent challenge altogether.
India’s non-playing captain
S.P. Misra also exuded confidence
of India’s good show. “The team
is in a very positive frame of mind.
Of course Lu is good player but
Bopanna has defeated him be-
fore. Somdev also has a fair
chance (against Lu). He has bea-
ten even top-20 players. The only
disadvantage is that we are not
playing at home,” Misra said.
No problem of acclimatisation
Misra also said that Acrylic
courts to be used for the tie, cou-
pled with the home advantage
would benefit Taipei. “Acrylic
courts are faster. Our players are
good on hard courts where the
ball comes fast but on these court
ball comes more fast. But they are
playing at home and the pitch
would suit them more. So it will
be a good tie,” he said. “Davis Cup
is a different ball game. When it’s
country versus country, players
want to give their best and we are
a very good nation at this tourna-
ment,” he added.
The winners of the tie will ad-
vance to the third round. If India
makes it, they will take on the
winners of the tie between Aus-
tralia and Thailand to qualify for
the World Group II play-offs. In-
dia had lost to Romania in the
play-offs last year to come back to
Asia/Oceania Group.
Teams
India: Leander Paes, Mahesh
Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Som-
dev Devvarman. Captain: Shiv
Prakash Misra Chinese Taipei:
Yen-Hsun Lu, Ti Chen, Tsung-
Hua Yang, Chu-Huan Yi. Captain:
Yu-Hui Lien. ■
PTI
 Friday, March 6, 2009
‘‘Early warning
If the security had been inadequate then six policemen would not
have died in the unfortunate incident. I will be talking to the ICC and
Broad about his comments on the security arrangements made in Pakistan.
Sehwag ready for New Zealand bowlers
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left) and Virender Sehwag chat during
a training session in Wellington. PHOTO: AFP
I
ndia’s aggressive opening batsman Virender
Sehwag has warned New Zealand’s bowlers to
expect more fireworks in Friday’s second One-
Day International. The strike power of Seh-
wag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina
against a sometimes wayward New Zealand at-
tack took India to a 53-run win in the rain-marred
opening game of the five-match series on Tues-
day.
“If we are careful at the beginning, we are confi-
dent of scoring 300 every time,” Sehwag told re-
porters. When India last visited New Zealand in
2002-03 they lost the one-day series 5-2 after be-
ing confronted by green, seaming wickets. This
year, the pitches do not harbour the same dan-
gers. “This time the ball is coming on to the bat
nicely, flat and hard. The last time we didn’t get
this kind of wicket,” said Sehwag, who struck 77
off 56 balls in the first one-dayer in Napier.
Looking to regroup
In contrast, New Zealand’s batting line-up faces
the possible loss of batting strike weapon Bren-
don McCullum, who aggravated an old injury
when he was struck on the right thumb while
wicketkeeping in Napier. He has already been
ruled out from keeping on Friday and a decision
will be made before the game on whether he will
be able to play as a batsman only. Wicketkeeper
Peter McGlashan is in line to make his ODI debut,
with middle-order batsman Neil Broom likely to
miss out.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is hopeful
McCullum will bat on Friday. “It’s funny with
07
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt
Brendon, he seems to have a lot of fitness tests
and he seems to come through them all, so he’s a
pretty belligerent guy and he wants to play every
game possible,” he said. “I would err on the side
of optimism,” he added, while admitting the
side’s balance would be undermined by having to
bring in another keeper.
All-round
Bowling woes
Another worry for Vettori is the ease with which excellence
India dispatched New Zealand’s bowlers in the Mitchell Johnson,
opening match, hitting 273 for four off 38 overs. the senior-most al-
He said the performance was disappointing after beit young Austra-
the bowlers toiled well against Australia and the lian fast-bowler
West Indies in earlier series this year. “We’re try- in a relatively in-
ing to find that balance between being tough on experienced at-
them and also realising they’ve done a pretty tack, showed how to
good job for a while now,” Vettori said. “They lead from the front
understand where they went wrong and how to following the footsteps
rectify it. We’re hoping Napier is a bit of an of once-in-a-lifetime
aberration.” bowlers like Glenn McGrath and
New Zealand also have plenty to ponder Shane Warne. Johnson snapped four wickets apiece
against India’s bowling attack, led by pacemen in both innings and an icing-on-the-cake 96 not out
Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma and off-spinning with the bat in the first innings, to fashion his team to a
star Harbhajan Singh. After the rain disruptions, win. His heroics helped Australia to a 1-0 lead in the
New Zealand needed 216 from 28 overs in Napier back-to-back series against South Africa, now at the
and at the end they were stranded well short at Proteas’ den. The double show also immediately im-
162 for nine. “We’re trying not to take too many pressed ex-greats to make comparisons with all-round-
risks to their quality bowlers, but at some stage ing superstars of the past, Ian Botham and Kapil Dev.
we’re going to have to step up and try and turn Making Australia sit comfortably, at their now-under-
over one of those three (bowlers) for 50 or 60 out threat No.1 throne, and for raising hopes of an Austra-
of their 10. If you let three guys bowl 10 overs for lian place at the top, Johnson is Ergo’s player of the
30 you start to get in trouble.” ■ week.
AFP (Each week we feature a player who has defied odds and
come out as winner during the past week. If you have a
choice for next week send it to us at feedback@goergo.in.)
08 ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009

Honey, I shrunk the pants,

A new breed of cropped trousers, somewhere in
capri and full-length trousers, are making headl

K
eira Knightley woke up
to some rather mixed re-
views, most of them un-
pleasant, when she
turned up at the premiere of
Cheri at the 59th Berlin Film
Festival dressed in a Chloe
pantsuit. Blogs and fan sites
are still buzzing over how the
trousers looked like they be-
longed to someone a half-
foot shorter.
No, they weren’t capris,
where the entire silhouette is Calvin Klein Antonio Marras Luella
different and where the hem
of the pants falling just below
the knees looks natural. What
Knightley wore was like the
regular full-length trousers,
just a little shorter, somewhere
in-between – more hand-me-
down than made-for-me. Im-
politely, almost funny in
length.
Cropped tapered pants, that
look chopped off rather
abruptly, are a new trend and
not always a magnet of criti-
cism as Knightley’s outfit. For
example, Heidi Klum at the
Project Runway show at New
York Fashion Week looked as
well-dressed as she usually

Heidi Klum
at the
Project
Runway
show at New
York Fashion
Week

Naomi Watts at the ’Extreme Diesel Solid Gold Etro

Beauty in Vogue’ show
 Friday, March 6, 2009
09
Portfolio
BULLETIN
, but just a little World’s best
dressed man
Prince Charles has
been voted the
n-between the ‘world’s best dressed
man’ in a new
survey headed by
lines fashion bible
Esquire.
The 60-year-old beat
comic Ronnie
Corbett to second place followed by actor
Bill Nighy, while US President Barack
Obama grabbed the fourth spot.
The Prince of Wales was hailed for his sense
of style depicted from his double breasted
suits, by Saville Row tailors Gieves and
Hawkes, to his accessories such as a pocket
handkerchief, silk tie and John Lobb shoes.
“He is perfectly turned out in a double-
does, in her hot pink, raw breasted suit,” News.com.au quoted the
silk pantsuit. While the magazine judges as saying.
cropped pants did look a “Admirably, the Prince keeps his wardrobe
tad unnatural, the overall in appropriate style; we’re told he has a
look was a hit. Similarly, room laid out like a tailor’s shop,” the
Naomi Watts looked more judges added.
laidback and casual than The British heir to the throne also left
dowdy in her D&G cropped behind tennis ace Roger Federer, actor
pants on the red carpet at Adrien Brody and Kuwaiti royal Sheikh
the recent ‘Extreme Beauty Majed al-Sabah to grab the honour.
in Vogue’ party. Esquire editor Jeremy Langmead said: “It’s
Diesel’s Black Gold collec- the men who dress like grown-ups who
tion that showcased at New really caught the judge’s eyes this year; as
York Fashion Week consists well as those who have developed their
of an entire range of own distinctive style and stuck with it. I
cropped pants that look like love the fact that we have such a diverse
they’ll disappear the mo- list; from artists to royals, to one of the
ment they reach store Two Ronnies.” ■
shelves. ANI
Other labels that fea-
Dolce & Gabbana tured the new breed of
trousers were Marc by Marc
Jacobs, Diane von Fursten-
Miller to face
berg, Lacoste, Calvin Klein,
Luella, Betty Jackson, Clips,
probe over
Krizia, D&G, Marni, Etro, An-
tonio Marras, DSquared2,
fashion show
Aquilano de Rimondi and Sienna Miller might
Salvatore Ferragamo. face a probe over her
Phew! fashion label’s recent
The look was Goth at show in London, after
Diesel, street chic at Marc complaints by local residents.
Jacobs, Lacoste and The British actress runs clothing label
DSquared2, smart busi- Twenty8Twelve with her sister, Savannah.
ness at Antonio Marras And the company previewed its new
and Calvin Klein, ele- Autumn/Winter collection with a catwalk
gant at Clips and arty at show at a converted dairy company in the
D&G, with cropped city’s trendy Camden on February 22.
pants being the com- However, the local people were enraged
mon denominator. ■ seeing the road being blocked by large vans
With inputs from Agencies carrying equipment, and rowdy spectators
spilling out on the street. And now that the
complaints have been taken to the local
Camden Council, the star might just find
herself at the centre of an investigation and
could even be fined over the incident.
Keira Knightley dressed in “It seems the developer or the owner (of
Chloe at the premiere of Cheri the venue) is trying to make a fast buck. I
hope Camden Council takes strong action
against them,” contactmusic quoted
Camden Council member Jonathan Simpson
Etro as saying. ■
ANI
10 ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009

Aniston’s ‘jealous of Jolie’

Flick
Jennifer Aniston has seemingly confessed that she is jealous of former
hubby’s partner Angelina Jolie - professionally. The former ‘Friends’
star, who ended her marriage with Brad Pitt in 2004, revealed she
would love to swap her comic roles with some action ones, like those in
the career platter of Jolie.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s

suite to open doors Beatles fans can visit the suite
from March 21 to 29 when a
number of events will be taking
place including a photo exhibition
about the “Bed-In for Peace”.

U
ntil now only well-off
Beatles fans could afford
to spend a night in the ho-
tel suite used by John Len-
non and Yoko Ono during their
honeymoon. But management at
the Amsterdam Hilton are to al-
low members of the public to
catch a glimpse of the famous
suite where the newly-wed cou-
ple spent a week 40 years ago.
Beatles fans can visit the suite
from March 21 to 29 when a num-
ber of events will be taking place
including a photo exhibition
about the “Bed-In for Peace”.
“During the opening, we have
decided to waiver any income
from the suite,” says the hotel’s
director, Roberto Payer. “We be-
lieve we owe that to the memory
of John and Yoko’s peace ac-
tion.” Together with The Nether-
lands Beatles Fan Club, the hotel
is supporting a number of events
associated with the bed-in. Len-
non and Ono began the so-called
“bed-in” in Amsterdam March
25, 1969 shortly after their
wedding.
The suite bore the number 902
at the time, but after renovation,
it became 702 and the hotel mar-
kets it as the “John and Yoko
Honeymoon Suite”.
Couples can also wed there in a
civil ceremony. The suite has
been decorated by designers in
the style typical of the 1960s. The
room has its own logo which is
based on a drawing by Lennon
showing him embracing Ono.
The walls and windows are
decorated with slogans the pair
used during the bed-in as well as
black and white photos taken by
the press at the time. The suite’s
sound system is packed full of
Lennon’s songs from Imagine to
Give Peace a Chance.
However, the bed is not the
original. It has been replaced
with a replica that conforms to
“modern comfort demands”, as
the hotel’s director puts it.
The John and Yoko Honey-
moon Suite has been occupied
over 4,000 times since the bed-in
costs $1,600 a night. ■
DPA

Ritchie moving on after DiCaprio lined up for

split with Madonna
British director Guy Ritchie is moving
on from his split with pop star Madonna
by partying all night and buying a new
home. Ritchie made the peace sign for
photographers as he left the pub he
owns here at 4 a.m. recently. He was
also joined by a mystery woman as his
furniture was being delivered to his new
house nearby, reports thesun.co.uk.
The 40-year-old Ritchie reached a
divorce settlement with Madonna in
November last year. A sources said he
will soon confirm the legal papers for his
new home for a long time rental. “It
looked like a lot of bedding went inside.
It was all new and shrink-wrapped,” the
source added.
IANS
science fiction thriller
Leonardo DiCaprio is to star in a
new science-fiction film being shot by
The Dark Knight director Christopher
Nolan, entertainment industry reports
said Wednesday. DiCaprio, 34, who’s
most recent film was the drama
Revolutionary Road, is in final
negotiations for the film, titled Inception,
Daily Variety reported. Details of the film’s
plot have been kept tightly under wraps
but reports described the film as a
contemporary science-fiction movie set
within the architecture of the mind.
DiCaprio will next be seen in the
thriller Shutter Island, his fourth
collaboration with director Martin
Scorsese.
AFP
 Friday, March 6, 2009
I always knew I
will marry Tom:
Katie Holmes
A
ctress Katie Holmes says
she always knew that she
would marry superstar
Tom Cruise one day.
“When Top Gun came out, my
sisters were like, ‘Oh, my God,
Top Gun! Tom Cruise!’ And I very
confidently said, ‘I’m going to
marry him one day’,” 30-year-old
told Glamour magazine.
“It wasn’t like, How do I get to
Tom Cruise? It was just: I think
I’m going to marry him. Why
not? He’ll like me. I’m fun,”
said Holmes about Cruise,
who is 16-year older to her.
“I did everything I could
to get here, and when I
I love baking
Pop star Lily Allen is just not worried as to what she would do if
her music career does not last long, for she already has an
appealing option. The 23-year-old daughter of actor Keith Allen
has revealed that she might become a baker if ever her pop career
fails in future.
met Tom, I knew in an instant
that we were going to be together,
that we were going to get mar-
ried,” she said.
Holmes, who has three-year-
old daughter Suri with the actor,
admitted that she was not a cook
in the family.
“I don’t really cook that much. I
do make cupcakes. And (Tom)
Cine City
makes his pasta carbonara for
me,” she said. “He knows exactly
how to do it, a pinch of this, a
pinch of that. He has a recipe, but
he also kind of (improvises) by
himself. You have to do the egg at
a certain time. He did it once
when we were camping.”
Holmes also dismissed reports
that she was pregnant, the Daily
Mail reported.
The speculations about
Holmes pregnancy
spread after she
snubbed the Oscars last
month to stay at home.
Some reports also stated
that she was on a special
diet to conceive. ■
PTI
11
Ilayaraja, Gulzar team up again
Music maestro Ilayaraja and noted lyricist Gulzar are
joining hands once again. The veterans, who created
magic in Kamal Hassan-Sridevi starrer Sadma, would be
working together in King Khan’s upcoming movie. With
Gulzar’s ‘Jai Ho’ winning the Oscar, eager fans are
expecting more super hit songs from him.
Namitha debuts in
Malayalam
Actor Namitha is making her debut in
Malayalam film industry with Black Stallion.
The movie, to be directed by Pramod and
Pappan, has Kalabhavan Mani playing the lead
role. If sources are to be believed, Namitha has
been paid Rs. 25 lakhs as
remuneration. Apparently,
Namitha has a serious
role in the movie.
Something the ’vamp
queen’ of
Kollywood
badly needs.
12 ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009

Thursday’s Query:
Wish J.K. Ritheesh of Nayagan fame
on his birthday
■ Wish u a very happy birthday, all the best for a bright
future
Gifthiya, Siva Kumar (Allsec), Prasanna Chakravarthi, Bala (Wipro),
Philip Dayananth (RR Donnelley), Dhilip RR (Cognizant), Vimal,
Pranesh, Muneer (TCS), Manjari, Arjunsingh (TCS-eServe), A.J.Karthik
(CSPL)
■ You’ve to do a project with Ajith, because you two are the
pillars of Tamil cinema
Kuppusamy
Nattudurai (CSS)
■ Hi, action king. Let your athletic actions not just stop on
screen, but also continue in the assembly and let your b’day
lay a foundation for that. I’m ready to put 50 votes for you
in next election. Happy birthday
Mukund S
CB Scope International Justin GA from Sify Technologies has nominated his friends as Partners in
■ Hundred years Crime. The pic was clicked at the pine forests in Kodaikanal.
Sofiya Ambrose (Wipro),
JB. Gem (HCL)
■ Hearty wishes to JKR. Neenga futurla periya Hollywood
hero vaaga enathu manamaarntha vaalthukal
Lexsminarayanan
(TCS-eServe)
■ ‘Do it or die trying’ you did it. Long live the running dark
horse
Senthil
(Wipro)
■ We expect a lot of comedy movies from you, like Nayagan.
Happy birthday and wish you beat Vadivelu soon in comedy.
Jagadesh (Sutherland),
Yacub (Patni Computers)
■ Nayagan nayaganuku engal anbaranda piranda nal
vazthukal! Nayagan mudhal paadal pola, ungalai pala
vedathil paarka aavalaka kaathirikum ungal rasigan
Farook, Sathish, Siva,
Srithar, Dinesh (TCS)
■ May God bless you and may you act in more films
Krishna
(HCL)
■ I wish veera thalapathi J.K. Ritheesh to act in more Guravneet Singh from Cognizant Technology Solutions has nomintated his team
commercial movies and replace Ilayathalapathi Vijay to get mates as Partners in Crime. This pic was clicked at Nyingmapa Monastery in
his position Coorg.
Sebanto
(Cognizant)
■ I beg the almighty to bless him on his b’day and his
upcoming movie Vettaipuli may win an Oscar
Radhan
(ER&CM team Wipro)
■ My little prayer for you dear lord help J.K. Ritheesh
abundantly this year to act in good movies and please grant
us the strength to see it amen!
Priya
(Wipro)
■ Indha varusamavadhu neengha nijamave nalla nadikka
(konjam kastam dhan) andha aandavanai vendikiren
Krishnakumar (Wipro)

Today’s Query:
If you stand for the upcoming
election, what would be your election
promises? Thareeque Ahmed from Infosys has nominated his office team as Partners In
Crime. This pic was clicked at Kodaikanal.
 Friday, March 6, 2009
13

■ Dear Clayton,
Let God’s blessings be manifold,
Saritha from Infosys has been nominated as Office
And may it shower on you joys untold!
Angel by Meenakumari Jagadeesh.
With the unfolding of a year brand new,
Let all your special dreams come true!
Sarita is our Office Angel, as she motivates and
Wish you a memorable and Happy
encourages us a lot. In any situation she won’t get
Birthday!!
annoyed.
Lots of Luv,
Julie
Barry Wehmiller International Resources

■ Anbu thozhli Sharanya...

(Planning commission Thaalaivi)
Indru unn pirantha naal..
Aam nangal makizhnthu kondada indru
oru nannaal
yengal Anbu thozhiku PIRANTHA NAAL
vazhthukal...
solla yenkaluku VAYATHU illai
VANANGUKIROM????
Ippadiku
Ungalaiyum urupinara koonda
BOONGU TEAM makkal
TCS

■ Dear Thiru,
Wishing u a Very Advance Happy
Birthday!
You are very special and you deserve the
best.
I wish you a wonderful life filled with
love and happiness.
I hope others bring you joy, just as you’ve
brought joy to me, then you can weather
any storm and be all you want to be.
Loving Wishes,
Art featured in this column will COAF LS Team,
receive gift coupons from Fruit Wipro Technologies.
Shop on Greams Road. Send in
your addresses so that we can ■ Hi Wiproites
post the coupons. Happy Women’s Day.
Lukeson
Wipro

U.Urmila from Wipro Technologies doodled this.
■ Hey Anu,
So.. Wat’s Special..?? It’s your Birthday
Man… Happy Birthday Pats...!!!
My Special prayers to God to bestow all
his blessings and love over you and all
your coming years be filled with Joyous,
Prosperity, Success and you be happy
henceforth. Have a Beautiful Year ahead..
And.. I Loveeeeee Kichadi… ;) :D
Loadsa’ Love,
Soup

■ Hi UK,
Many more happy returns of the day. May
god be with you through your life.
You are very special and you deserve the
best.
I wish you a wonderful life filled with
love and happiness.
I hope others bring you joy, just as you’ve
brought joy to me, then you can weather
1) 7 Paramparaikkku ukkanthu saapida paisa irunthalum... fast food kadaile ninnukittu dhaan saapidanum! any storm
2) Naaikku naalu kaal irukkalaam. Aana adhala LOCAL call, STD call, ISD call, even MISSED call kooda and be all you want to be... Happy
panna mudiyathu! Arun Kumar, Nittany-Indus Birthday Dear...
Patient : Indha hospital-la ulla doctor poliyo... Hearty Wishes from,
Compounder: Niruthuya, Avar unmayana doctor-dhan... Kalai (BT)....
Patient : Sorry, naan kaettadhu, avar kuzhandhaigalukku polio sottu marundhu poduvaarannu... Wipro
Mohamed Yusufdeen J,HCL Technologies Ltd
14 ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009

Traffic Jam
Shot in the foot
A youngster from Florida attempted to prove
guns were safe by firing at himself - and
ended up shooting a bullet through his foot.

sudoku

It’s sunset at
Jampore Beach,
Daman.
Srinivasan of TCS
sent us this
picture.
Hobbies: Playing
and watching
cricket

There are more prizes

awaiting all you
shutterbugs from the
coming issue. We
decided to give
preference to
photographs that talk
about ‘happiness’.
Please do not repeat
any of your previous
pictures and also
make sure that the
photograph is
people-oriented.
Happiness is not
always a smile, so put
on your thinking caps KAKURO
and keep clicking!
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

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
 Friday, March 6, 2009
Smoking gun
Police in a Chinese city sent out six patrol cars
following reports of a man walking around
with a hunting rifle - but it turned out to be a
giant cigarette lighter.
15
Word’s worth
“Ugsomeness” (us-suhm-nuhs) a word meaning ‘loathing’,
which at one time also meant ugliness or ‘the quality of
being ugsome’ or horrible. Uglyography is an invented word
meaning ‘bad handwriting or uncouth spelling.’

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Put on your ‘work-hard-today’ clothes and get to
work. You will be determined to get your work
done in time and hence not a single moment will
be wasted. In the later part of the day you will
have a mushy conversation with your beloved.

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

A perfect day for starting new projects and for old
projects, you will be able to decide the plan of
action. The day will favour meetings related to
money matters. Love life will blossom into new
colours.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

You might not realise that your efforts are going in
BORN LOSER vain or that you are working in the wrong direction.
Your hard work doesn’t go waste today. Time spent
with your beloved will be interesting and refreshing,
Ganesha says.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Your work at office will be appreciated. Your
creative talents may come out today and do some
‘value add’ to your routine work. You may spend a
pleasant evening in the company of your
sweetheart.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
Pleasant day at work today. You complete focus will
be on work as your career might experience
encouraging moves. In spite of consistent efforts,
your beloved might not feel you are focusing on
love life much.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Rub the magic lamp harder, will you? Ganesha
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT thinks you will be dependent on luck today. If you
want to achieve goals, do not deviate from the
right path. You might feel like gifting something
precious to your beloved.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Not much of a technical day for you, but creativity
might work wonders for you. In fact, if you are
designing a software, a few random changes might
jazz up the entire thing! Love life might be very
special as you beloved finds you in a sensual mood.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
The meetings at office will go well by the grace of
Ganesha but you might have to agree to colleagues’
point of views. Following which you will need to
remain alert to maintain your self respect. Love life
should be smooth today.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Ganesha foresees a busy day for you today. Even if
your colleagues are whiling away time, you might
be slogging at work. A minor warning for your love
life – balance your professional and personal life so
well that neither of them feel ignored.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Ganesha suggests you to handle official meetings
judiciously. You may develop new professional skills
which inspire you to start an ambitious project.
Lovers will find the intensity of love at the peak,
smiles Ganesha.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS ‘Problem shooting’ and handling issues might be
two major hassles at work today. In addition to
ISSUE’S this, Ganesha feels you will not be the decision
maker today. You will spend quality time with your
SOLUTIONS family members or your sweetheart, smiles Ganesha.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
All the confusions related to work will be cleared
out; hence you will feel confident about yourself.
You meet all deadlines despite of hurdles. Ganesha
feels you will have intellectual discussions with your
beloved.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16
! A desperate bridegroom staged four
For my true love,
WITH LOVE
‘Be your Woman’s Chef’ was a
memorable day for all those who
got to taste their beloved’s cooking
DEEPA VENKATRAMAN
I
f one has to touch the heart of
their beloved, the route is
through the culinary talents. In
any household, the ladies satisfy
their loved one with delicious food.
But on Wednesday night, it was a
reverse role at ‘Be your Woman’s
Chef’, held to celebrate Woman’s
Day at Rhapsody in Courtyard by
Marriott. Clad in aprons, chef hat
with their names inscribed in green
crayon, actor Abbas Ali, VJs Cary,
Craig and Gibran and TV anchor
Yugendran made pastas for their
beloveds Erum Ali, VJs Paloma,
Pooja, Uttara and TV anchor Mali-
ni.
The right mix
Executive chef Suresh guided all
the participants for the right mea-
sure of ingredients and prepara-
tion. VJ Cary, who was at ease and
confident about his cooking, was
first in the race to make the pasta,
closely followed by Abbas and Ka-
ran Berry in the first batch.
“Paloma loves my simple pasta
with olives, onions, mushrooms
made in olive oil as toppings and
hence I made it for her. She is defi-
nitely lucky. Except for cooking, she
has it all. I make her a complete
woman because I rule when it
comes to the kitchen area,” chor-
tled Cary.
It was a dream come true for
Erum Ali who tasted Abbas’s cook-
ing for the first time in her eight
years of marriage. “I prefer Chinese
cuisine when compared to Italian,
but I really enjoyed his prawn-
based spaghetti pasta. The amount
of salt he put in my pasta was just
perfect. I should try my luck in
pushing him into the kitchen at
ERGO Friday, March 6, 2009
Wedding woes
bank robberies after his wife-to-be’s
plans for a huge white wedding got
out of hand.
home,” she smiled.
VJ-duo Craig and Gibran made
their presence felt with their non-
stop entertainment. They set the
house on fire with their melodra-
matic preparation of pastas and
joked at their attempt. Gibran made
some sweet and sour spiral pasta
for his best friend Uttara.
One more time
On his fiancé Pooja’s request, VJ
Craig took off the male chauvinist
hat and obediently made for the
second time, special pasta with
chicken. “She liked the earlier one
but I realised that I missed out the
chicken and hence, I went again to
make it. The fire alarm rang during
the cooking show and Gibran, with
a wink, immediately shouted out
saying, “I have nothing to do with
it.””
The couple in black, Yugendran
and Malini, came a bit late. Yugen-
dran made his wife’s favourite to-
mato-based pasta pomodoro with
mushrooms. Malini, who was en-
joying a silent dinner at a corner
table, recalled, “I can’t forget the
candle-light dinner my husband
prepared after coming home after a
hectic schedule. Surprisingly, I
liked his pastas this time, too.”
Ask Yugendran what makes his
wife a complete woman and, he
says, “She is a good wife, mother
and daughter-in-law.”
For Karan Berry, general manager
of Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai,
who also tried his hand at making
pastas, it was a day to show his grat-
itude to his wife Shivali. He says,
“We wanted to make this a unique
event where we could show our ap-
preciation to our beloved for all ef-
forts they have put forth. Every
woman truly deserves this stature Women’s Day Out at Courtyard by Marriott. PHOTOS: V. GANESAN
in her life.” ■