BE N N E T T, C OL E M A N & C O. LT D. | E S TA BLI S H E D 183 8 | T IM E S OF IN DI A .

C OM | N E W DE L HI

➤ Having a pen pal can

STUDENT EDITION
➤ Why ‘Shadow and ➤ A close look into
improve language skills Bone’ is a must-watch the the ancient Indian
TODAY’S ➤ Benefits of learning ➤ Professional pursuits sport of Kabbadi
SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021
Newspaper in
Education

EDITION new languages of magical people LATEST BUZZWORDS EXPLAINED

PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4
VACCINE
CLICK HERE: PAGE 1 AND 2 HUNTER
T
hanks to the Covid-19 vaccine
Pics: Istock drives in various countries, the
curious being of ‘vaccine hunter’
came into existence. A vaccine
Supriya.Sharma2@timesgroup.com

The mind needs Nature is the theme for Mental Health stargaze from your
rooftop since the skies
hunter not only looks for and
organises vaccination appointments on

GREEN
NATURE & LACK OF IT Awareness Week 2021 are clearer these days behalf of other people but also keep
Nature-deficit disorder is the idea that During the pandemic, millions of or even pitch a tent in the vaccine wastage in check.
human beings, especially children, are us turned to nature. Research your backyard to pre- Basically, when a distribution site
spending less time outdoors, and the on the mental health impacts of the pan- tend camping,” says Dr defrosts a tray with 100s of vials,
belief that this change results in a wide demic showed going for walks Bangar. they must use all the doses
range of behavioural problems. Now with outside was one of between 5 and 24 hours – before,
Covid-19 stay-at-home diktat, the problem our top coping strate- according to their protocol, the
has only got worse. “In lockdown, people gies. In this second wave, we must FOREST CURE remaining doses must be thrown
are glued to gadgets. Their lives revolve
around the internet, smartphones,
The green ribbon is the international symbol for once again look at nature’s
unique ability to not only
Professional forest
bathing guide Dipika
out. When there are no shows at
the end of the day, some providers
bring consolation in
videogames, and television. This is alien-
ating them from nature,” points out Dr mental health awareness. And green has been proven stressful times, but also in-
Sharma founded
Forest Therapy India a
will start letting anyone they
can find through the door for
Santosh Bangar, psychiatrist Global crease our creativity, em- few years ago to take their first shot. Vaccine
Hospital, Mumbai, adding that it is the to be vital for good mental health. Here’s why… pathy and a sense of people back to the hunters are the ones
parents responsibility to educate their wonder. woods. While she con- who want to bring
child about nature, help them plant trees, ducts garden walks in method to this
or opt for gardening. Like Richard Louv, the sounds of nature. Scientists from Delhi too, her favourite haunt for work- madness. They use
author of “Last Child in the Woods” says, Brighton and Sussex Medical School in shops are the jungles of Pangot in tech and social
“Parents, educators, and urban planners the UK found birdsong, wind in Uttarakhand. “We spend two hours media to help people
can help kids reconnect with nature – the trees, or a burbling brook in the forest of Kilbury where the get their jabs. To
before it’s too late. There will always be — sounds readily available to participants are asked to put vaccine hunt is to
conservationists and environmentalists, stream online — help their gadgets on silent mode devote hours,
but if we don’t do something, they’ll us relax as well. Add a as we want them to be com- possibly days, of your
increasingly carry nature in their briefcas- nature focus to your pletely present in the moment. life waiting for a dose
es, not in their hearts.” home learning We work on concepts of of a vaccine.
experience – go Grounding, Mindfulness and Qi

WINDOW TO THE WORLD

searching for
mini-beasts or
gong (meditation in movement),” tells
Dipika. “The pandemic has influenced
GOOD TO KNOW
If you can’t go out, let your eyes travel far hold a scav- many to go within and self reflect and
and capture every movement of nature
and ears tune into the slightest of sounds.
Observe birds and their flight patterns or
enger hunt.
“Watch nature
documentaries, use
find nature connections as a meaningful
way to relax. I have used this time to
spread awareness about the healing
BEWARE OF
behaviour; take time to appreciate the
changing formations of clouds; tune into
binoculars to bird
watch from home,
nature of forests through webinars and
will continue to do so,” says Dipika. THE IDES
OF MARCH
Quick ways to cal converted to sero-
tonin in the brain to lift
mood and increase
euphoria – and theo-
Bake a cake
Baking soothes the soul.
Many bakers report feel-
ing immense degrees of
Scream
Letting off steam can help you
release that pent-up tension.
Pat a pooch
Petting animals has been
shown to release oxytocin,
which boosts a feeling of joy
there’s something about con-
tact with soft things that make
us feel better. March 15 is the proverbial
Ides of March that became

IMPROVE
bromine, a stimulant
that peps you up.
satisfaction upon baking.
There are times when you feel while decreasing levels of
everything has come to a head the stress hormone cortisol. DID YOU KNOW? popular thanks to the Julius
and you are overwhelmed. You  Poor mental health
can either do some vigorous
exercise, punch a pillow, or
the helper’s high – a release
of feel-good endorphins trig-
increases the risk for long-
lasting (chronic) physical
Caesar. Here’s some trivia

your mood around this date

Walk barefoot
The earth has a slightly nega-
tive charge so, when barefoot,
we receive a surge of electrons
from the ground. It’s called the
grounding effect.
scream into the washing
machine (so you don’t scare
anyone away).
Turn up the volume
doors you get fresh air and Psychologists at McGill
vitamin D that helps boost University in Canada have
your mood. found that the neurochemical
benefits of music can boost the
Eat chocolate body’s immune system, reduce
Chocolate boosts anxiety, and help regulate
mood and can also mood. Play a favourite track
reduce the symptoms and sing along to it.
gered by altruism.
Read a good book
Make sure it’s a mood-boost-
ing book that actually helps
you beat the blues. There are
many such feel-good book rec-
ommendation available online.
Call a friend
Research shows that social
connections can help with all
kinds of ills. Pick that phone
conditions like heart
disease, stroke and
even cancer
 About half of mental
disorders begin before the
age of 14
 The global economy
loses about US$ 1 trillion
per year in productivity due
to depression and anxiety
 Mental, neurological and
substance use disorders
make up 10% of the global
burden of disease and 30%
1
The Ides is not always on the 15th of
the month. In the Roman calendar,
there were three component parts of
every month: the Kalendae or Kalends was
the first of the month, the Nonae which
came nine days before the Ides and the Idus.
The Ides of March, May, July and October
fall on the 15th, and on every other month
they were on the 13th. Romans counted
inclusively, so the Nones could be on the 7th
or the 5th. They didn’t mark each day.

Exercise
A 20-minute exercise can help
you release some much-need-
ed mood-lifting endorphins.
And when you exercise out-
2
of depression. That’s and call or just write a letter. The Ides of March was known in the
because chocolate Declutter of non-fatal disease burden Roman calendar as a day of religious
increases levels of sever- Clearing cupboards clears Snuggle up  Anxiety disorders are observances, festivals dedicated to
al brain chemicals, your mind. And if you find A few minutes under a soft among the most common Mars (the God of War) and the deadline for
including trypto- enough things to pass on to blanket can make us more of childhood disorders Romans to settle their debts.
phan – a chemi- charity you even experience relaxed. Researchers found

3
If you’re familiar with Shakespeare’s
play, Julius Caesar, you may remember
#GOALS SELF-CARE a soothsayer, someone who could

Ride the STRESS PROOF

pimple,” says Kapoor.
predict the future,
saying to Caesar

HOBBY HORSE
Curia Pompeia – where
Caesar was killed “Beware the Ides
FIGHT of March”.
SCREEN Caesar was

CELEBRITIES AND THEIR INTERESTING HOBBIES AND WHY YOU SHOULD GET ONE
BRAD PITT & LEONARDO DICAPRIO
POTTERY
way to build focus and escape from the humdrum
of daily life. You get to connect with other collec-
YOUR SKIN
Is the stress around us taking a toll on your skin?
STRESS
The more the
screen time the
more we are
damaging our
skin, as the blue
assassinated on
the Ides of
March in 44 BC.
This incident is
true, according
to a Roman
biographer,
During the shoot of “Once Upon a Time in Mexi- tors, nurture your inner curiosity and when Give it some care and relief with these expert tips rays coming out
who even
co” Pitt and Dicaprio bonded over a mutual love you end up scoring something worthwhile it of these gadgets
Pallavi.Shankar@timesgroup.com QUICK FACTS named the
for pottery. Apparently both are avid potters gives you a sense of accomplishment. it in warm summer months is a good can lead to
soothsayer.
and would have late-night sessions at Pitt’s idea. Exfoliate once a week using blemishes and  The word “Ides”

B 4
house. Pitt even has his own sculpting studio TAYLOR SWIFT eing fearful, sad and kitchen ingredients like turmeric and tired skin. To tackle these problems comes from the Latin Julius Caesar
in his house. MAKING SNOWGLOBES stressed has become a besan as they are natural products Kochhar recommends wearing word meaning “to divide” was not
How pottery helps? In an interview to “Seventeen”, Swift regular state of mind for that are gentle on delicate skin. sunscreen when you are at home as  March was named stabbed in the
Pottery enables for improvements in flow shared that she picked up the DIY everyone. This is also it blocks the rays coming from the for the Roman main Roman Senate
and spontaneity, provides an outlet for grief, hobby of making snowglobes from leading to more screens and reduces risk of spots and House in the forum.
and helps you with self-identification and Pinterest. The singer uses mason people facing breakouts
FOR ACNE pigmentation. For fatigued eyes,
god “Mars”
This event actually
self-expression. It improves focus and jars, antiques and glitter to fashion on their skin, dark DIY anti-acne MANAGEMENT gently dab a cotton pad of absorbent happened in a small area
reduces stress. the gifts, and shared that putting circles under the face mask Tweenage and cotton soaked in warm tea around near the Circus Flaminius and the Tiber
them together makes her feel like a eyes, etc. Wellness Add 2 pods of crushed garlic and 1 teenage is that stage the eye. called the Curia Pompeia, within the Theater
WILL SMITH kid again. expert Blossom teaspoon of calamine to 2 teaspoons of life when oil of Pompey’s complex. Meetings of the
FENCING How crafting helps? Kochhar explains, of egg white. Leave this on your face glands are senate were not always held in the main
Smith is a fencing enthusiast Working on DIY projects in- “Stress, anxiety for 20 minutes and rinse off. This is overactive leading Follow this routine senate house in the forum. The legal and
and has managed to rope in pals creases happiness and re- and sadness are to acne and any  Sleep eight hours a day religious stipulation was simply that the
especially effective in reducing the
Tom Cruise and David Beckham, laxation, mindfulness and the root cause for a kind of stress  Eat nutritious food including senate meet in a consecrated space and
inflammation of acne that pops up
too. In an interview to “Daly leads to improved eye-hand lot of our digestive, aggravates this skin vitamin C and other antioxidants thus there were a number of curiae within
overnight and is painful and red.
Mail” Smith said, “Tom coordination and dexterity. health, mental health, condition. To fight  Interact with friends and family the city of Rome. Caesar was stabbed 23
— Blossom Kochhar
[Cruise] has a room for train- skin and hair problems. acne, “Use anti- regularly online. Try to talk times by about 60 conspirators.
RYAN GOSLING about happy things

5
ing. We don’t get enough time When we are stressed, we acne treatment Caesar was assassinated because of a
for hanging out, just us three KNITTING either don’t eat at all or we binge in your night  Exfoliate your face
and body once a week growing fear that he was becoming a
guys...It’s a lot of fun.” In an interview with “GQ eat, which is not at all healthy for our routine: salicylic acid- dictator. This incident also marked the
How fencing helps? Australia”, Gosling shared gut, and leads to digestive problems based face washes  Wear sunscreen
indoors too beginning of the end for the Roman Republic
As a hobby, fencing is a that he learned how to releasing gastric juices that ultimately and topical creams and triggered civil war that resulted in the
great physical sport. It’s knit on the set of reflects on our face and hair.” and tea tree oil  Practice
meditation and rule of Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, who
athletic yet artistic. But “Lars and the Real products are was just 18 at that time. He changed his
you’d need proper Girl” and kept up the effective for breathing
equipment and training hobby. The actor
FOLLOW THE BASICS OF clearing exercises daily name to Augustus and ruled with an iron
 Exercise. It hand. On the fourth anniversary of Caesar’s
facility for this. even admitted, “If I SKIN HEALTH breakouts. Do death, Octavian executed 300 senators and
had to design my Invest some time on skin health by keep in mind opens pores
and helps the knights who had challenged him.
QUENTIN perfect day, [knit- doing the basics. “The current stay-at- that acne

6
skin breathe. The place
TARANTINO ting] would be it.” home time should be used by parents treatment
 Cleanse where
COLLECTING VIN- How knitting helps? to push their kids towards conscious needs to be
and Caesar was
TAGE BORAD GAMES Besides improving skincare,” says dermatologist Dr applied to
moisturise stabbed is now a
The famous director hand-eye coordination, Rinky Kapoor. Time spent on building the whole
everyday cat sanctuary. It’s
loves to collect vintage it keeps your brain a good habit is also a good face and
— Dr Rinky home to around
board games. He partic- sharp. A neuropsychiatry distraction. What you can do? Cleanse not just on
Kapoor 150 cats
ularly loves those study found that engag- your skin twice a day with appropriate the
have made
games that are linked ing in activities such as cleansers. If your skin is oily, use a
it their
to old TV shows. knitting could reduce mild gel-based moisturiser and do not
home. You
How collecting the chance of develop- forget to wear sunscreen even when
can even
helps? ing mild cognitive im- you are indoors. Toning is not a must
“adopt”
Starting a collection of pairment by 30-50% for for young skin but using some rose
them.
anything is a great seniors. water on face and neck to refresh
 02 “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two
languages open every door along the way.” — Frank Smith LANGUAGE LAB SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021

PICS: ISTOCK

Funny ENGLISH
IDIOMS About
HOW TO WRITE ANIMALS
TO A PEN PAL
1. Cold turkey
People often use the
idiom quitting cold
turkey when they
decide to abruptly
stop doing something
that is considered bad for
Hi friends, we are Hopper and Crocky. Making connections in them, such as smoking.
MEANING: To quit some-
today’s estranged world is very important. Today we will tell you thing (like an addiction)
abruptly and without
how to find and keep a pen pal to practice your language skills fanfare
USAGE: To cure his addiction to
video games, he decided to go
cold turkey and gave his entire collec-
tion away.

2. Hold your horses

The phrase is historically related
to horse riding or travelling by horse, or driving a
horse-drawn vehicle.
MEANING: It’s a way of telling someone to stop or slow down
USAGE: Hold your horses, kids! The show will be starting in
five minutes.

The 3 portunities 3. Get someone’s goat

en pals are long-distance friend-
Different
Types of Pen Pal
Technology has created lots of options for pen
pals to connect with each other. So you can
customise the type of pen pal you want to be
based on how you like to write to people:
Snail Mail: This is the traditional type of
pen pal. You send proper letters to fixed
much easier. But the desire to connect with addresses in different countries. If you
to travel to This expression comes from a tradition in horse racing.
countries and expe- Thought to have a calming effect on high-strung thorough-
rience life there as a local. breds, a goat was placed in the horse’s stall on the night
before the race.
MEANING: To upset, irritate or anger someone
The first letter USAGE: “The way she corrects everything really gets my goat!
 Introduction: Say a little about who Thank you very much, Miss Know-it-all!”
you are, where you’re from, and why
you want a pen pal. 4. Earworm
 Talk about your shared interests: The term earworm derives from a literal translation of the
Mention some of the shared interests

P
ships you maintain by writing let-
ters to each other. The best pen
pals are usually those who have
an interest in learning about dif-
ferent people, cultures and languages. They
want to connect with the world outside their
borders, but on a more personal level.
Power of the written word
Finding a pen pal is a great way to connect
with people from other parts of the world,
to learn a foreign language, and to open your-
self up to a new culture. Of course, these
days we have Skype and email, which make
connecting with others around the world
people in different countries has been like the way receiving a
around far longer than the Internet. handwritten letter makes you
feel, this type is for you.
Email: Many people
Practising your prefer email to snail mail
language skills these days because it’s
free, quick and easy.
Being a pen pal is a less intimi- Digital: These are pen
dating way of connecting with pals you connect with via
someone while practicing your instant messaging. Here
writing skills in your target lan- you can have daily or
guage. Crafting a letter to send to ongoing conversations with a
someone can help you learn new vo- pen pal through your mobile
cabulary, practice talking about specific phone. If you prefer a fast-paced
themes, and improve your grammar. Devel- digital world, there are lots of options here.
oping these friendships can also create op-
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
German word Ohrwurm, which has been used to describe such
that made you want to write to them. ‘cognitively infectious’ pieces of music.
What did you feel you could bond over MEANING: A catchy song or tune that you can’t seem to get
and why? out of your head
 Ask some questions about their USAGE: “Ariana’s new song has been stuck in my head for a
life: What information do you want to week. I’d do absolutely anything to get rid of this earworm!”
learn about them?
 Mention what you’ll be doing be- 5. The
tween now and their next letter: This
will give them something to write to you elephant in
about. For example, if you’re going to a
the room
concert that could prompt a question in
It is based on the
their next letter.
idea/thought that
 Sign off: Thank them for reading your
something as conspic-
letter, let them know where to contact
uous as an elephant
you, and let them know you’re looking
can appear to be over-
forward to their response.
looked in codified
social interactions.
MEANING: A huge and
obvious problem that
everyone avoids talk-

5 NEW ENGLISH
ing about
USAGE: Avoiding the
topic is like draping a
tablecloth over the ele-

WORDS FOR 2021 phant in the room.

6. Have (or get) your ducks in a row

Real ducklings, of course, walk in a line behind their parent,
and the expression ducks in a row certainly brings that image
1. AWE WALK to mind.
Taking a walk outside and making an effort to look at the MEANING: Get everything organised, straightened up and
things around you accounted for before embarking on an activity or project
“Awe walk” hasn’t been added to the Cambridge Dictionary yet USAGE: I’ll get my ducks in a row before going on vacation. I
– but they have noticed it’s been used quite a bit. The word don’t want my officemates thinking I’m lousy at my job.
“awe” means a feeling of respect mixed with fear or wonder.
So when someone says they will take an awe walk, it means
they’ll notice — and feel grateful for — all the small things
7. Eager beaver
The phrase is relatively new, it was first used in the early 1900s
around them. The word was actually coined by the authors of to describe the very eager recruits who were willing to do any-
a recent psychological study, which found older people who thing to impress their commanding officers during the war.
took awe walks felt more positive and less stressed over time. Beavers are large rodents that are well known for their skill of
building dams that are very large compared to their size.
2. TRUTHINESS MEANING: An overly enthusiastic person; someone who is
Something that seems true but isn’t backed up by evidence overzealous and excited about doing a job
The word “truthiness” became popular after American come- USAGE: Martha is such an eager beaver, always volunteering
dian Stephen Colbert talked about it on his show “The Colbert on new projects.
Report” back in 2005. It was meant to be a joke, but many dic-
tionaries have now included the word – including Merriam- 8. Running around like a
Webster. With so much disinformation going around right now,
we think it’s a great word for 2021.
headless chicken
This idiom originates from as early as the 14th century in
England when chickens were popularly killed by chopping off
3. UNCONSCIOUS BIAS their heads with an axe. Some of the chickens ran around in a
Unconscious prejudice against people of a certain race,
gender, or group
“Unconscious bias” is a
negative term, which
COGNITIVE BENEFITS OF panic, crashing into objects after their heads have been
chopped off, just before they dropped dead.
MEANING: To run around doing a lot of things in a disorgan-
ised, ineffective manner
was added to the
Oxford English
Dictionary last year.
Everyone has uncon-
scious beliefs about
LEARNING NEW LANGUAGES
YOU’LL BE YOU SLOW DOWN THE rules, which makes your brain-
USAGE: He ran around like a headless chicken after he missed
his flight to the US.

9. The tail wagging the dog

other groups, and
these beliefs can cause SMARTER
them to discriminate The brain is challenged to
against others. There is recognise, communicate
also conscious bias. and negotiate meanings in
When people are con- a different language. This
sciously biased, their boosts a person’s capabili-
discrimination is ty to negotiate meanings in
intentional. other tasks that involve problem
solving. Learners of foreign lan-
4. DOGFOODING guages are better at standard-
ised tests than their monolingual
The use of a company’s product or service by
the company’s employees, as a means of testing
student counterparts, especially
in reading, vocabulary and math.
it before it is made available to customers.
YOU DEVELOP SKILLS
5. NET ZERO
Environmental concerns are on everyone’s minds, with cli- IN MULTITASKING
mate issues becoming ever more urgent. While we all strive Because you are able to switch
to do more to lessen our carbon footprint, businesses and from one language to another,
governments are also making commitments. One such which involves two systems of
promise is to reach net zero carbon emissions, and govern- structure, writing and speech,
ments are setting targets to work towards it. Net zero means you develop multitasking
achieving a balance between emissions that are produced skills. Even when performing
and those that are removed from the atmosphere. two tasks, a multilingual per-
son is not easily distracted.
This expression comes from a popular phrase that says: “a dog
work harder. The process is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then the
6 WORDS OR ONSET OF DEMENTIA improves your memory. tail would wag the dog”.
GREETINGS YOU AND ALZHEIMER’S Multilingual speakers are better MEANING: A situation wherein a smaller or less important
at remembering sequences and group appears to control a larger or more important
MUST KNOW IN Several studies showed consis-
lists, too. person or organisation
tency in proving that the onset of USAGE: John was just hired yesterday, and today
FRENCH dementia is earlier on monolin- he’s bossing everyone around. It’s a case of the
 Bonjour!: Good morning
or Hello
gual adults than in multilingual YOU’LL BE MORE PER- tail wagging the dog.
adults. Speaking two or more
 Bienvenue: Welcome languages is helpful in staving CEPTIVE 10. Monkey
 Madame/Monsieur Multilingual persons are good
off dementia and Alzheimer’s.
/Mademoiselle: Mrs./
Mr./Miss
at erasing irrelevant information
and retaining those that are rele-
business
This idiom is based
 Pardon, excusez-moi: YOU IMPROVE vant. They observe their sur- on the playfulness of
Pardon, excuse me roundings better and at identify-
 Parlez-vous anglais?: Do
YOUR MEMORY ing misleading information.
monkeys.
Your brain MEANING:
you Shenanigans; activi-
functions
speak
better when YOU’LL ENHANCE ties that could be con-
English?
it is exer- sidered mischievous,
 Je ne
cised. YOUR DECISION- questionable or even
parle illegal; antics that are
pas
While MAKING SKILLS generally disapproved of
learning a Making rational decisions is a
français: USAGE: Those three
language, strong trait of all multilinguals.
I do not boys are cooped up inside
you mem- They tend to think things over
speak the room. I wonder what
orise in their second or third lan-
French monkey business they’re
vocabu- guage to gauge whether their
planning this time?
lary and first conclusion remains valid.

Queries relating to language skills True or False Answers:

Do you find grammar confusing? Do you get stuck with words when
writing a letter, an essay or a blog? Do you have a fear of public
speaking? Or do you simply want to improve your communication
skills? Times NIE is here to help you to master the intricacies of the
English language. Just shoot us your queries on toinie175 @gmail.com
1. More than half of the world’s languages have no written form.
2. Most people in the world are monolingual; that is, they only
know how to speak one language.
3. There is a dictionary of every language in the world.
4. You can translate information from any language to any other
language and have the translation mean exactly the same
thing as the original.
5. Most people who speak more than one language learn their
second and third languages in school.
1. True. Probably fewer than a quarter of the world’s languages (only around 1,700)
have written forms.
2. False. Most people throughout the world speak more than one language.
3. False. Fewer than a quarter of the world’s languages have a written form, a neces-
sary step towards having a dictionary.
4. False. Translations lose important cultural context and layers of meaning.
5. False. Many people in the world grow up speaking different languages in different
contexts during daily life — for example, one language within the family, another with-
in the village, and another for official business — all learned without formal classes.
 CLICK HERE: PAGE 3 AND 4
FILMS.BOOKS.MUSIC
SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021
“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but
as the opportunity to do what is right.”
Peter Marshall 03 Pics: Istock

Bingeworthy MAGIC
Adapted from the Grisha novel trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, an
Israeli-American young adult and fantasy author, ‘Shadow and
Bone’ is captivating the world. Here’s what you need to know...
 The show is based on the massively popular
Grisha trilogy and ‘Six of Crows’ books by
Leigh Bardugo, who built a sprawling second-
world fantasy with political and cultural
underpinnings, drawing influences from real-
life people and places.
 While most of the series takes place in
Ravka, home to Alina Starkov – the
protagonist, the story also touches upon
other countries on the map and features
characters from several in-world cultures.
 While ‘Shadow and Bone’ is a complete
fantasy book, Bardugo, who was born in
Jerusalem and grew up in Los Angeles, drew
inspiration from some real-life people and
cultures in building her fictional world – to be
more specific, Tsarist Russia is the basis for
Ravka, Scandinavia as a loose inspiration for
Fjerda, and China and Mongolia are
inspirations for Shu Han.
 Grisha powers aren’t really “magic” but
more a mastery of or “manipulating matter at
its most fundamental levels”. Grisha are born
connected to elements in the air or sun or
earth or the human body and can manipulate
these elements. They can raise the ocean, set
things on fire with a swipe of their hand, or
make someone’s heart explode – if required.
Typically, Grisha are born with just one type of
power and live longer lives than non-Grisha,
especially the more powerful ones.
 To find out if someone is Grisha or not, all
Ravkan children are visited by Grisha
examiners at a very young age to see if they
possess abilities. If they do, these children are
sent to a special school in Os Alta, called the
Little Palace, where their skills are honed.
Then they join the Second Army or work
exclusively for the Darkling or the King.
Although relations between Grisha and non-
Grisha Ravkans aren’t great, it’s much better
than in Fjerda or Shu Han, where Grisha are
hunted down, killed, experimented on, or sold
into slavery.
 There are various types of Grisha, and
there’s a hierarchy. At the top sits the
Corporalki, or the Order of the Living and the
Dead, which contains Grisha known as
Heartrenders, who have the ability to control
things like a person’s pulse, heart, and other
organs of the body. Under Corporalki are
Etherealki, also known as the Order of
Summoners. This where the real magic lies.
So, it's better if you discover about this group
yourself. The final group within Grisha are
called Materialki, or the Order of Fabrikators.
Fabrikators are split into Durasts (Grisha with
the ability to manipulate materials like metals
and textiles), and Alkemi (who deal more with
chemicals).

Lessons for
PROFESSIONAL
PIG-BORING GWINIFER

FUTURE
BLACKCAP
In author’s Terry Pratchett’s
‘Discworld’ series, witch magic is
very different from wizard magic.

FEMALE PURSUITS OF
One of the characters in this hilari-
ous world,
is Gwinifer
‘Old

tech-preneurs
Mother’
Blackcap is

If you’re a woman considering getting into
the tech field, you might benefit from the
insights of the women who’ve done it before
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
In 2010, [Sandberg] gave an electrifying TED
talk in which she described how women
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Women in Tech by Tarah
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Geared towards women who are consid-
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Dot Complicated by Randi
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Zuckerberg has been on the frontline of
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Magical People
a witch sta-
tioned in
Sidling
Without.
She is good
with pigs,
especially
The wizarding world maybe full of sorcery, Pig Boring
—a
spells and cauldrons, but a few wizards also found humane
form of slaughter in which the ani-
professional satisfaction with some added jobs – mal is talked to death; and Cow
Shouting and Horse Whispering.
academicians, soldiers and pig borers. Wait, what? Her apprentice is Petulia Gristle, an
all-round veterinary witch to whom
she taught many of her skills.
Magizoologist Newton ‘Newt’ Commodore Holly Short
Nitya.Shukla@timesgroup.com Scamander In universe of the ‘Artemis Fowl’ series,
Holly Short, an elf with pointy ears is a
Dragonologist Charlie In author J K Rowling’s universe of
‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’,
commodore in LEPrecon. She was the first Hotel owner Jupiter
and only female to become the captain of
Weasley the study of magical creatures is known as
LEPrecon, the reconnaissance division of the North
A magizoologist who specialises in the study Magizoology. A person who studies One of the main charac-
Lower Elements Police. This depart-
of dragons is called a dragonologist. Such a magizoology is a magizoologist, or a ters of the Jessica
ment, part of the underground
professional may find employment in magical wizarding naturalist. According to our Townsend’s ‘Nevermoor’
world of the People, tracks
wildlife reserves, such as dragon reserves, like research, one may not need to have series, Captain Jupiter
down fairies ensuring that
the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. For example graduated from a wizarding school to
they don’t wander away Amantius North, is a hotel
Harry Potter series’ Charles Weasley (Ron become one but ought to have stud- owner. In fact, his full title is
from the secret fairy
Weseley’s brother) worked at a dragon sanctu- ied Care of Magical Creatures, ‘Captain Jupiter North of the
civilization of Haven
ary in Romania. We’re not sure where one Ghoul Studies, Defense Against the Wundrous Society, the League of
and onto the sur-
could get trained to be one, but if you aspire to Dark Arts, Herbology and Potions. Explorers, and the Federation of
face of the Earth.
be an amateur dragonologist, try reading the The profession is not limited to Nevermoorian Hoteliers’. Although
Short enlisted in the
book ‘Dragonology: The Complete Book of only studying or caring for it is not quite clear in the series
LEP forces shortly
Dragons’. Yes, we are serious. This book exists! magical creatures. A magi- when he started it, this prominent
after the death of her
This work of fiction, published in 2003, is based zoologist may also be member of the Wundrous Society
mother from
on a fictional premise that it is a reproduction responsible for sanc- runs Hotel Deucalion, the most
radioactivity poisoning
of a lost work printed in 1895, authored by Dr tioned breeding, track- famous hotel in Nevermoor. His spe-
while on a LEPmarine
Ernest Drake, a famous dragonologist. ing and rescuing of rare cial power is being a Witness, mean-
mission. Short started
magical creatures from ing he can see the truth and past in all
traffickers. One of our
out in LEPtraffic
objects, something which he sees in
and moved up
favourite magizoologist is his prodigy Morrigan. He is also an
the ladder after
British wizard Newton ‘Newt’ adventurer who was the first to climb
getting success on a
Scamander, an employee of the Ministry Mount Ridiculous; and became secre-
few critical missions.
of Magic who would would go on to tary of the Wunimal Rights
An impressive
author ‘Hogwarts School of Witchcraft Commission and the chairman of the
achievement consid-
and Wizardry standard textbook Charitable Trust for Decommissioned
ering her her great-
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’. Robot Butlers.
grandfather is Cupid.

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From one of Time Magazine’s ‘Forty
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5 FILMS THAT CAN PULL YOU OUT OF ANY LO W
Clueless
Peter Tavers wrote of the film in 'Rolling
Stone', saying: “… there’s wicked good
fun to be had. Silverstone is a winner.
And so is the movie... Go ahead, laugh.
(Amy) Heckerling (the director) wants us
in on the joke.
Story: Loosely based on Jane Austen’s
1815 novel ‘Emma’, with a modern-day
setting of Beverly Hills, the plot centres
on Cher Horowitz, a beautiful, popular
and rich high school student who
befriends a new student named Tai
Frasier and decides to give her a
makeover.
The Princess Bride
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert wrote
of the film: “”The Princess Bride’ reveals
itself as a sly parody of sword and sor-
cery movies, a film that somehow man-
ages to exist on two levels at once:
While younger viewers will sit spell- Jack Black remains true to his irasci- 1980s.
bound at the thrilling events on the ble character all the way Story: A boy growing up in Dublin during
screen, adults, I think, will be laughing a through.” the 1980s escapes his strained family life
lot.” Story: Struggling rock by starting a band to impress the myste-
Story: The movie, adapted from William guitarist Dewey Finn rious girl he likes.
Goldman’s 1973 novel, tells the story is kicked out of his
of a farmhand named Westley, band and subsequently Love Actually
Ebert wrote of the film: “‘Love Actually’ is
accompanied by companions disguises himself as a substi-
a belly-flop into the sea of romantic com-
befriended along the way, tute teacher at a prestigious prep
edy. It contains about a dozen couples
who must rescue his true love, school. After witnessing the musical
who are in love; that’s an approximate
Princess Buttercup, from the odi- talent of his students, Dewey forms
figure because some of them fall out of
ous Prince Humperdinck. a band of fifth-graders to attempt
love and others double up or change part-
to win the upcoming Battle of the
School of Rock Bands. ners. There’s also one hopeful soloist who
Wrote Ebert in his blog: “‘School of believes that if he flies to Milwaukee and
Rock’ is as serious as it can be about Sing Street walks into a bar he’ll find a friendly
its comic subject, and never conde- The tagline for ‘Sing Street’ read: Wisconsin girl who thinks his British
scends to its characters or its audi- “Boy meets girl, girl unimpressed, accent is so cute she’ll want to be with
ence. The kids aren’t turned into cloy- boy starts band”. That’s the best him. This turns out to be true.” And that’s
ing little clones, but remain stubborn, one-line description one could pro- all you need to watch this movie as many
uncertain, insecure and kidlike. And vide for the movie. ‘Sing Street’ times as you can.
Dewey Finn doesn’t start as a disrep- exists in a comfortable fantasy- Story: Nine intertwined stories examine
utable character and then turn gooey. tinged reality that approximates the the complexities of the one emotion: love.
 04
DECODING KABADDI
Kabaddi, the ancient Indian sport, requires
as much skill as strategising, tactical nous
and fitness. Here's a close look into the
nitty-gritties of India's beloved game
HISTORY
The origin of Kabaddi can
be traced to ancient India.
In its account of the leg-
endary battles of Kuruk-
shetra, the epic ‘Mahab-
harata’ has mention of a
military operation by Ar-
juna’s son Abhimanyu,
who launches a doomed
raid on an enemy camp.
Kabaddi has a noted re-
semblance to this raid.
The basic rules of kabad-
di were formalised in In-
dia in the early 20th cen-
tury and published in
1923. The game received
international exposure
when it was demonstrat-
ed by an Amravati-based
sports organisation at the
1936 Olympic Games in
Berlin.
BASICS OF THE GAME
Kabaddi is a contact team
sport played between two
teams of seven players
each. Individual players
take turns crossing into the
other team’s side with the
intention of tagging one or
many of the opponents.
The player, or raider, must
all along keep mouthing the
words “kabaddi, kabaddi”
(or an alternate chant). Any
If a raider fails to chant "kabaddi" repeatedly, he is declared out and the opponent is awarded one point and given the chance to raid. The raider must start his chant before he touches
the opponent's side of the court. If he starts the chant late, he can be declared out by the umpire or referee and the opponent will be awarded one point and the chance to raid.
The Kabaddi Federation
of India, formed in 1950,
organised national cham-
pionships for men, be-
ginning in 1952, and for
women, beginning in
1955. With the establish-
ment of the Asian Ama-
teur Kabaddi Federation
in 1978, a regional cham-
pionship was organised,
and national kabaddi
teams began to compete
in the Asian Games in
1990. Women’s kabaddi
was introduced in the
2010 Asian Games in
Guangzhou. India won
the gold medal in all the
editions and several
kabaddi players were
awarded with the presti-
gious Arjuna award.
player that the raider tags
is out of the playing seven.
The raider must return to
home territory without be-
ing caught or taking a
breath. The objective is to
score more points than the
opposition within the al-
lotted time frame. Each
team must attempt to
outscore the other by both
attacking and defending.
“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t,
pretend that you do and, and some point, you will.”
Venus Williams, tennis player
RULES
Matches are played in two ses-
sions of 20 minutes each with
a 5-minute break in between.
Each team takes turns in raid-
ing the opponent’s court, in an
effort to put opposition team
members out of the game.
Raiders can put opponents out
by touching members. The def-
ending team can put the raider
out by not allowing the player
to return to the own half.
Only one raider can enter the
opponent’s court at a time. If
more than one enters, the
opposing team gets a technical
point and a chance to raid.
If a raider fails to score during
a raid, it becomes an ‘empty raid’.
Three consecutive ‘empty raids’
result in a point for the opponents
and revival of one player.
If there is a tie, two extra
periods of five minutes are
granted. The game in the
extra periods will continue
with the same number of
players as there were at the end
of the second half.
Each raid is restricted to 30
seconds.
Six officials, comprising a
referee, scorer, two assistant
scorers and two umpires
officiate the game.
SCORING
Teams score one point for each opponent
that they put out of the game.
Raiders can earn extra points by touching
the bonus line in the opposition’s half.
The opposing team earns a point for stop-
ping the raider.
A team earns three bonus points when their
opponents are all declared out.
After a raider reaches his court, the oppo-
nents must send their raider within 5 sec-
onds. If they fail to do this, then they lose the
changed to raid and the other team wins a
technical point.
A point is scored if any part of an opposing
team member’s body goes outside of the
boundary.
Two extra points are granted for a ‘lona’,
which is when a team manages to put out
the entire opposition team and none of the
opponent members are entitled to be revived.
In case of a tie, the team which scores
the first leading point shall be declared the
winner.
The side that scores the highest number of
points when the play ends is declared the
winning team.
When only one or two players of a team are
left during the game and the captain of the
team declares them out in order to bring in
the full team, the opponents shall score as
many points as there were players just be-
fore declaring, as well as two points for ‘lona’.
SIMPLY SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021
VIOLATIONS AND FOULS KEY TOURNAMENTS
Players may be given green, yellow or red cards for Pro Kabaddi
transgression of rules or offences that include vio-
lent tackling, taking more than 5 seconds to start National Kabaddi Championship
the raid, coaching from outside playing area, etc.
A green card is an initial warning, yellow leads to Federation Cup
two minutes suspension and a technical point to the
opponents. Red means suspension of the offender Beach National Kabaddi Championship
and a technical point to the opponent.
Departmental Ntl Kabaddi Championship
TERMINOLOGY
TOP INDIAN PLAYERS
Hand touch: Hand touches are one of the pri-
mary skills for any raiders. This easy skill re- Manjeet Chillar, Anup Kumar,
quires proper practice and good reflexes on the Kashiling Adake,
part of the raider. There are five types of Hand
touch: running hand touch, stooping hand touch, Rohit Kumar, Pawan Kumar,
Turning hand touch, hopping hand touch and
feint and touch. Maninder Singh,
Toe touch: Raiders use this method to avoid go- Ajay Thakur, Deepak Niwas Hooda,
ing near the defenders. From a safe distance, they Rahul Choudhary, Pardeep Narwal,
touch the defender with their feet. For a successful
raid, one needs a flexible body to execute the long
stretch of legs combined with timing. Mamta Poojari, Sakshi Kumari,
Abhilasha Mhatre, Kishori Shinde
Dubki: When a raider manages to get a point by
bowing below the arm span of a host of defend-
ers and effectively escaping from their clutches.
Squat thrust: When a raider goes into squatting TOP INTERNATIONAL
position and thrusts the leg towards the oppo-
nent. This thrust needs high ability to react and PLAYERS
good agility.
Fazel Attrachali, Abozar Mohajermighani,
Kicking: Raiders use a backkick, sidekick and
curve to maintain distance, and trying to confuse Jang Kun Lee, Ziaur Rahman,
the defence. This is a good skill to be used when
defence players are less in number. Farhad Rahimi Milaghardan
Photos: TOI