A BYTE OF LIFE Monday, July 7, 2008

10 05
KUNG FU KICHEE’S
PANDA CONCOCTION
Lights, camera, ACTION! Chocolates to die for

FREE CIRCULATION Vol. 2 No. 131

WINNERS TAKE IT ALL: The team

from Cognizant Technology
Solutions won the
Ergo Blitz ’Winning
Moves’ competition.
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

EUPHONICA
in euphoria
A grand celebration awaits Jothivalan and his 12-member team from
Cognizant Technology Solutions today as they walk into office as the
victors of ‘Winning Moves’ at Ergo Blitz. It is the first time that the CTS
team, Euphonica, participated in an inter-corporate event, and the fact
that they have won the most laurels will ensure that they keep grinning
for a while.
Beating 13 other teams, Euphonica kept their focus on just dance and
used minimal props in the final round. Besides, Vidhya Meenakshi from
the same team was chosen one of the two dancers who bagged a special
prize from judge John Britto, the other being Vinod from Satyam.
“The last four days have been really crazy,” explains Jothivalan. “After
office hours we stayed back to select songs, choreograph new steps….”
Venue was never a problem as the dance floor at CTS was thrown open
for practice.
As Ergo Blitz showed, it’s not all work behind the closed cubicles and
glass windows.
While HCL Technologies came in second, Citi Group Global and Tata
Consultancy Services stood a joint third.
Ergo Blitz was sponsored by Nippon Paints while Chennai Corporate Club
was the associate sponsor, Radio One and SS Music, the radio partner and
entertainment partner respectively. The Checkers Hotel was the food and
beverage partner. Winners got to take home exciting prize hampers from
Fa, Gothi’s Jewellery, Mahavir Optics, Fitness One, GRT Stylus and Hi-
Tours.
02 NAMMA CHENNAI ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Carnival of dance
From their well-coordinated
outfits to their vigorous moves,
Steria looked the part

Aaja
nachle!
’Winning Moves’ at Ergo
Blitz saw everything from
pole-dancing (see left) to
rustic folk moves (top).
Innovative use of props, a
judicious mix of styles and
attention to costume made
for a winning combination.

Prop it up
Citi Group was the most
creative with the usage
of properties including
poles, cardboard violins
and revolving screens

Funky folk
Amongst the few
groups that went folk,
First Source received a
special mention from
one of our judges,
Divya Darshini
 Monday, July 7, 2008
03

Earning
praise
Vinod from
Satyam succeeded
in catching the
judges’ attention
with his energy
and expression.
John Britto was
quite magnanimous
when he presented
him with a cash
prize as an
impromptu token
of appreciation

Resplendent in red
The team from HCL that placed
second in ‘Winning Moves’ combined
several styles in their performance
including salsa and merengue

Silver sparkle
Four boys, a girl and a dancing
stage. Sutherland’s team dazzled
the audience with its moves.
PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN AND S.S. KUMAR
04 KALEIDOSCOPE
쒀 US singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow
performs on the Auditorium Stravinski
stage during the 42nd edition of the
Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux on
Saturday night. The Montreux Jazz
Festival runs from July 4 to July 19.
AFP PHOTO
쒀 With the phone already in cir-
Chinese hostesses in ancient imperial
costumes attract tourists to a park in the
ancient city of Xian, northern China’s
Shaanxi province on Saturday. High hotel
prices and a spate of negative news which
include the massive winter storms, protests
against Chinese rule in Tibet as well as
overseas protests against the Beijing
Olympic torch relay, and then came the
massive May 12 earthquake in southwestern
China that killed more than 68,000 people
and flattened entire towns and villages
across an area the size of South Korea, may
be scaring away Olympic visitors. AFP PHOTO
ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008
‘‘
Appreciation is a wonderful thing.
It makes what is excellent in others
belong to us as well
Voltaire
When the going
gets tough
Apple’s iPhone could find Asia tough to crack
M
ancy Li wants to get her
hands on Apple’s newest
version of the iPhone,
but she won’t bother to
queue up in Hong Kong when it is
released in Asia this week. She’s
prepared to wait and see what
happens to the price of running
the new version of the phone,
which Apple hopes will become
as big a global hit as its iconic
iPod music player.
Twice as good?
The iPhone 3G, which Apple is
billing as twice as fast and half as
expensive as the debut model,
will roll out in cities from Tokyo
to Sydney on Friday – but it could
face challenges in Asia it will not
have elsewhere. The company is
betting the new phone’s third
generation (3G) capabilities, such
as faster Internet access and file
transfer, will make the phone a
hit. Like the first version, the new
model also has an iPod built in.
Many analysts are upbeat about
its prospects, seeing Apple as a
brand with a strong cachet in
tech-savvy Asia.
“Apple is a strong brand in Asia
and this is their maiden mobile
phone offering in Asia. Just the
Apple aura or the Apple halo
means that there will be non-Ap-
ple users who will look at the
product,” says Aloysius Choong,
of Singapore-based industry re-
search group IDC. But, in a region
where having the latest gadget is
almost an obsession; black mar- A woman holds up an iPhone handset along a street in Hong
ket debut-version iPhones are al- Kong. The updated and cheaper version of the iPhone is set to
ready widely available, serviced be released in cities from Tokyo to Sydney on July 11, 2008 but
by countless shops that “unlock” in Asia, where ownership of the latest brand is crucial social
the software to allow them to currency, the sleek original has already become the must-have
operate. accoutrement trendsetters. AFP PHOTO
culation, the novelty factor will of that. In Australia, Telstra says credit card – neither of which the
be less, which could emphasise customers who sign up for pack- Apple phone can do. “I can fore-
the importance of pricing for the ages around 30 dollars a month see the iPhone storming the rest
new model. And that could prove will be able to buy the cheapest of Asia but not Japan,” said Yu-
to be an obstacle. Like elsewhere, iPhone 3G for around 270 dollars. suke Tsunoda, a telecom analyst
Apple is only allowing the iPhone Pricing has not been announced at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre.
for sale through a limited number in New Zealand by Vodafone, the “Compared with Japanese cell-
of operators – whose pricing country’s largest mobile commu- phones, it is not technologically
plans are not always particularly nications carrier, but is likely to superior.”
inexpensive. Hong Kong users be crucial in deciding the Finally, some consumers could
could pay the equivalent of up to iPhone’s success. be turned off if the iPhone be-
65 US dollars a month under a The iPhone could also face an comes too much of a success –
two-year contract, a steep price uphill battle in Japan, where and loses its cachet as a status
in a market where monthly mo- handsets allow users to watch tel- symbol. ■
bile packages often cost one-fifth evision and pay for goods like a AFP
 Monday, July 7, 2008
Kichee
and her
chocolate
factory
RINI MUKKATH
rinimukkath@goergo.in
S
he is currently an MBA stu-
dent, but would rather
spend her time making
chocolates. Meet 22 year-
old Krishika Rajkumar, who has
learnt to make a living out of her
passion. She has what most kids
can only dream of – her very own
chocolate business.
Unlimited chocolates turning
her off? Not at all, says a smiling
Krishika, as she arranges neat-
ly-packed chocolates in a
tray. After having
completed her
studies in Hotel
Management,
she tried mak-
ing chocolates
for fun and her
hobby soon
became a full-
time venture un-
der the label Ki-
chee’s Chocolate.
From passion to
profession
Soon after she realised her pro-
fessional destiny lay with choco-
lates, she went to Switzerland to
study the art and theory behind
getting that perfect blend of co-
coa. Once back, she got herself a
melting machine and can now
make up to 5 kgs of chocolate at
one go. With an initial investment
of Rs. 15,000, she quickly broke
even and ended her first year of
business with a net profit of Rs. 1
lakh in a year. Not bad, consider-
ing that she is a one-woman ar-
my. She works from a spare room
in her home on G.N. Chetty Road
and has a few people to help pack
the chocolates. Her home enter-
prise is soon to hit the main-
stream market as she has signed a
deal with Spencer’s Daily outlets
in the city.
She has over 12 varieties of
chocolates under her label and
each is made from rich dark
chocolate imported from Belgi-
um. She manages to continue
studying for her MBA and run her
business with some time man-
agement and help from family
members. “My mom
takes care of the or-
ders when I am busy
with studies. Also, my
sister is involved in the
project and handles all
the art work,” says Krishika.
At your doorstep
If you order over a kilogram of
chocolate, Krishika’s team will
deliver it to your doorstep. They
even take up orders for special
occasions and offer personalised
packing. “We get many orders for
birthdays, weddings and corpo-
rate events, wherein they de-
mand that a specific packing is
Websites of the day
Find out how to know once and for all if your
partner is the right one for you:
http://www.callup.net/lovedetector.asp
A morbid reminder when your time is up:
http://www.deathclock.com/
done,” she
says.
They have little
boxes decorated
with laces, net packing
and also bouquet packing, where
one could get an assortment of
chocolates arranged like a flower
bouquet.
Most costumers appreciate the
personalised care that is taken for
each order and that drives them
to order again. “Since we are a
small enterprise, it is easy to take
special interest in each order and
we try and reduce the plastic arti-
ficial look that packed chocolates
have in the market. We use cloth,
net and hand-made boxes
instead.”
Moderation is the key
Dark and bitter, warm and
melted, fruity and crunchy, choc-
olate in all its form is loved by all.
But, it is also known to add to
those calories and sugar prob-
lems. Krishika believes that the
key to good health lies in eating
chocolates with some modera-
05
Krishika Rajkumar
with her
chocolates
PHOTO : R. RAVINDRAN
In a minute
Company: Kichee’s
Chocolates
Started: July 2007
Team: 5
For orders: 9884685634
tion. She says dark chocolate and
cocoa are good for the health
since they are high in polyphe-
nols, which have been associated
with health benefits such as re-
duction in blood pressure.
About future plans, she says
she wants to finish her degree
and start a chain of confectionary
stores, which would include eve-
rything from truffles to cakes. ■
(If you are an entrepreneur with
a successful business model or
know one, write to us at
firstinnings@goergo.in)
06 VILLAGE ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Nothing new
The Roman Emperor
Nero married his male
slave Scorus in a
public ceremony.

Kate Moss hair extension sells Prince Charles horrified over title
for 805 Euros on eBay announcement
A blonde hair extension that British supermodel Kate Prince Charles has
Moss reputedly lost in Berlin has been auctioned on revealed that he was
Bay for 805 euros, Bild newspaper said on Friday. ‘horrified and
Moss, 34, shed the hairpiece while trying to duck embarrassed’ when the
paparazzi as she returned to the plush Hotel Adlon Queen announced 50
after a night out in the German capital last month, years ago that he
according to press reports. The photographer who would be granted the
then posted it on eBay plans to donate the proceeds title. The Prince of
to a German anti-drugs charity, Bild said. Wales was at Cheam
AFP Preparatory School,
Berks, when he got to
know through
television that he
UK’s ultimate fantasy body would be the next
Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole’s stunning figure has been Prince. During a dinner
voted the UK’s ‘ultimate fantasy body’ in a new poll. The in Caerphilly Castle on
singer took top spot in the poll commissioned by slimming Saturday, to celebrate
aid Zotrim with 15 percent of the votes. Following close on his half-century as the
her heels in second place was X Factor judge Dannii Prince of Wales, he revealed he was in the headmaster’s
Minogue, who raked in 11 percent of the votes. Kylie’s sitting room watching television with his classmates when
little sis was tied at the Queen’s announcement was broadcast from Cardiff
second place with Arms Park in July 1958. “I remember how I was summoned
television chef Nigella with all the other boys at my school to the headmaster’s
Lawson, who also got 11 sitting room where we all had to sit on the floor and
per cent of the votes. watch television,” Telegraph quoted him as saying.
Spice Girl Mel B came in ANI
fourth place with nine
per cent of the votes in
the poll carried out by
YouGov, while music Roman era tombs unearthed
icon Madonna rounded Five intact tombs dating back to the Roman era
off the top five with have been unearthed in the town of Krinides in
fiver percent of the Macedonia. The town of Krinides (or Crenides) is a
votes. The UK’s town and ancient site that also includes the famed
’Ultimate Fantasy archaeological site of ancient Philippi in the Kavala
Bodies’ list as per prefecture in eastern Macedonia, and the seat of the
YouGov is: municipality of Philippi. According to a report by the
Cheryl Cole, Dannii Athens News Agency, the tombs were discovered by
Minogue, Nigella Philippi municipal water board workers while
Lawson, Mel B, digging for expansion of the local water supply and
Madonna, Lily Allen. drainage network in downtown Krinides
ANI ANI

No market for Indian mangoes

C
rude oil skyrocketed to 145
dollars a barrel and Amer-
icans are feeling the pinch
like never before.
Grocery shopping has under-
gone a rethink with buying in
bulk and buying sensibly topping
the list. So, if fruits have to be
bought, then why buy a dozen In-
dian mangoes for 30 dollars when
one can get 10-dollars-a-dozen
South American mangoes?
Sandeep Agarwal, the owner of
an Indian grocery store in a Ma-
ryland suburb, says “in every box
of Indian mangoes, one or two
are over ripe or rotten. So, buyers
get very angry when they pay so
much and get poor quality man-
goes. I believe early rains in India
are to blame. Indian mangoes
can’t compete with South Amer-
ican mangoes because the latter
are cheaper, good quality and
easily available.”
At his store, Dana Bazaar one
can find at least 50 varieties of
pickles but no Indian fruits. At
three times the price of south
American varieties, Indian man-
goes stand little chance of suc-
ceeding. Irradiation of mangoes
Americans feel the
pinch of recession
that they don’t
want to pay $30 for
Indian mangoes
before they reach American
shores add to the cost of the man-
goes.
Asit Tripathy, the Chairman of
the Agricultural and Processed
Food Export Development Au-
thority, is in New York these days
discussing with US regulators the
possibility of Indian mangoes be-
ing tested on arrival in the US or
else random checking instead of
each batch being certified sepa-
rately, as is being done these day.
Lifting the 18-year ban on Indi-
an mangoes hasn’t really had
much of an impact as volume of
sales remain low. Just a million
dollars worth of Indian mangoes
were exported to the US in the
past year. ■
ANI
 Monday, July 7, 2008
07
This day, that year House available with offer
It was on July 7, 1876 that the most A U.S. woman is selling her Florida home
notorious train robber of the with an odd extra - herself. The woman is
American West, Jesse James, held up looking for love and hopes to get married
the Missouri-Pacific train and robbed through the sale of her four-bedroom home.
about $15,000. She has yet to receive any serious responses.

Cricket in bread!
A restaurant in Canada adds bugs to the menu

T
he owners of Vij’s restaurant
in Canada knew they were
taking a huge gamble when
they decided to add bugs to
the menu of their upscale, inter-
nationally-known Vancouver ea-
terie. “Eating bugs is a foreign
concept in North America,” co-
owner Meeru Dhalwala told AFP.
But experts say insects are
more nutritious and better for the
environment to produce than
popular foods such as beef and
chicken. And so for mostly eco-
logical reasons, Dhalwala and her
husband Vikram Vij – who de-
scribe themselves as both envi-
ronmentalists and food experts –
decided to introduce crickets on
their new summer menu at the
restaurant, which specialises in
Punjab-influenced Indian food.
Apart from having to battle
public perception however, Vij’s
ran straight into another problem
– the American crickets they were
dishing up required an import li-
cense from Canadian authorities
for human consumption.
So the crickets are off the menu
again, although Vij’s owners are
hoping it’s only a temporary set-
back.
Insects are common fare in
many countries, especially in
Africa and Asia.
Historically, they were a staple
in the diet of native North Amer-
icans. But in Europe and North
America, a bug on a plate or in a
drink still shocks.
Yet with food prices soaring,
and the cost of producing meat a
hot topic of discussion, the po-
tential of insects as human food
has been raised at science confe-
rences and in magazine and new-
spaper articles.
Vij’s used crickets raised in
Washington State on organic ap-
ples and potatoes, which are sold
as human food in the United
States. But because the American
crickets lacked a Canadian im-
port permit as food fit for human
consumption, Vij’s was tempora-
rily forced to take them off the
menu.
The cricket dish has stirred
controversy in the local Indian
ethnic community.
A private-airport restaurant in
Experts say insects
are more nutritious
and better for the
environment to
produce than popular
foods such as beef
and chicken
Santa Monica, California has in-
sects on its menu, and a few res-
taurants are specialising in ethnic
Mexican fare, bug dishes are ex-
tremely rare in North American
restaurants.
Dhalwala said Vij’s may be one
of few North American eateries
that can afford to take such a risk.
The restaurant has been well
received in influential dailies
such as the New York Times, and
is so popular there is a 90-minute
wait for a table even on week
nights.
“We’ve been in business for 14
years, and we’ve built up the trust
of diners,” she said. “This is not a
gimmick. One thing we can do is
educate people about food. I’ve
got the pulpit from which to pro-
mote it.” ■
AFP

University offers counselling Halloween masks

for betrayed lovers
B angladesh’s biggest university
will appoint psychiatrists for
students to counter a growing
number of suicides by ‘betrayed’
lovers, its acting chief said on
Monday.
At least four female students
have taken their own lives in
Dhaka University dormitories in
recent months, prompting the
authorities to seek professional
help, vice-chancellor A.F.M Yusuf
Haider told AFP. ing authorities to appoint
“We will appoint psychiatrists psychiatrists for the first time in
for all 17 dormitories of the Dha- the university’s 88-year history.
ka University to counsel students “The number of students in
who are frustrated or be- university has increased
trayed in their relation- Increasing several times to over
ships. They will be 30,000 as of early this
appointed within weeks,” trend of year. Life has also
Haider said. suicides is changed. A lot of stu- 쒀 Anti-G8 activists from Oxfam wearing masks of G8 leaders perform a satirical
Haider said there has the reason dents now become frus-
been an increasing trend trated due to poor results
display depicting the leaders preparing to run away with a cheque during a
of suicides and attempts behind the and a host of other rea-
demonstration in Sapporo on Sunday as the G8 leaders started arriving in the
to take lives by jilted lov- move sons,” he said. ■
island for the Hokkaido Toyako G8 Summit 2008. AFP PHOTO
ers in the university, forc- AFP
08 SPORT ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Commonwealth Basketball Championship

India will host the inaugural Commonwealth Basketball Championship in
July 2010, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has announced.
Besides India, England, Nigeria, Canada and New Zealand, and eight Asian
countries, are the probable participants in the tournament to be held just
before the Delhi Commonwealth Games scheduled in October that year.

India win
India began their training-cum-exposure trip
of Portugal with a 2-0 victory over Gouveia
Select at the mountain
THE MAKING OF A
STAR
city of Gouveia. Bob
Houghton’s charges
scored once in each
half in their first
friendly match of the
12-day tour. India
dominated the first
half and opened
scoring in the 31st
minute through play-
maker Climax Lawrence
who had a brilliant
day. Striker Sunil Vidyut is
Chhetri also found the
net in the 42nd minute working hard
only to be ruled
offside by the referee. at becoming
Central defender
Mahesh Gawli was one of India’s
another fine performer
and he largely kept best batting
Gouveia’s star striker Joao Pereira quiet for
most part of the first half. Goalkeeper all-rounders
Subrata Pal was also in good touch and
made a couple of fine saves to keep the
scoreline 1-0 in favour of India till the half
time. In the second half, Gouveia regrouped
and pressed for an equaliser but Tarif
Ahmed’s 85th minute goal took the match
beyond the hosts’ reach. India will play their
next match on Wednesday while the last
friendly will be played on Sunday.
PTI

Warne to captain Australia

PHOTO: S. S. KUMAR

What cricket could not give Shane Warne,

finally poker has. The retired spin legend is
realising his long-cherished ambition of
captaining an Australian team in the World
Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The
flamboyant tweaker always wanted to
captain the Australian cricket team but his AYON SENGUPTA and prepares you for bigger bat- a very vital tournament for any
off-field misdemeanours meant that the ayon@goergo.in tles,” Vidyut says. upcoming cricketer and it’s no
dream remained unfulfilled. But the self- Taking his newly-acquired different for me. If you are consis-
confessed poker fan is finally fulfilling the

F
rom a left-arm spinner in his
ambition of leading under-19 days to a destruc-
an Aussie team. tive opener in the recently
And although it is concluded IPL, Vidyut Siva-
not a cricket side, ramakrishnan has come a long
the 38-year-old said way.
his cricket skills are
certainly coming in The first chapter
handy at the poker One of the star performers for
table. “Definitely. finalists Chennai Super Kings in
Both (cricket and the inaugural Indian Premier
poker) take a lot of League (IPL), Vidyut notched up
patience and it’s all two half centuries and cemented
about reading the himself as one of the few Twen-
player,” Warne ty20 specialists in the country.
said. “But I’m sure I “IPL was an excellent experiment.
won’t make the final table on my debut,” It gave fringe players like me a
he added. Warne has even found a poker chance to rub shoulders with the
mentor in Joe Hachem, the Aussie who won game’s greatest. Not even in my
the 2005 World Series, to hone his skills. wildest dreams did I imagine I
“He’s teaching me about bluffing and when would face a Makhaya Ntini or a
to fold or raise. He’s been almost like a Muttiah Muralitharan in the nets.
mentor,” Warne said. And then when you go to the
PTI ground, Glen McGrath is waiting
for you. It helps your confidence
fame in stride, the flashy left-han-
der seeks to raise his game further.
“I had a few good knocks in the
IPL. But, I failed to capitalise on
my starts and got a string of 20s
and 30s. That’s not good enough
at the highest level. I think by the
next time I will come with more
experience, will read the situation
much better and utilise the op-
portunities more judiciously.
Now I want to continue the good
work in the club circuit and also
do well for Tamil Nadu in the Ran-
ji Trophy,” he adds.
A continued innings
Vidyut has already notched two
centuries in the club circuit this
season and no doubt will be Tamil
Nadu’s batting mainstay for the
Ranji season along with S. Badri-
nath. “All of us got great exposure.
Now the onus is on us to do more.
All said and done, Ranji Trophy is
tent throughout the season, an In-
dia call is natural and I have to
work for that,” Vidyut says.
He was a part of the India un-
der-19 squad for the 2000 junior
World Cup in Sri Lanka and was
the wrecker-in-chief with his slow
left-arm spin during England’s
under-19 tour to India in 2000-01.
But, with his swashbuckling bat-
ting taking over the centre stage,
Vidyut has lost confidence as a
bowler. “For the last few years my
batting has improved immensely
and all my focus was on it. I have
neglected my bowling, but I am
sure with hard work I can reach a
level where people will be happy
to call me a batting all-rounder.
That will give me immense
satisfaction.”
With his sights set firmly ahead,
the 26-year-old is working hard to
knock on all doors that lead to the
Indian dressing room. ■
 Monday, July 7, 2008
09

‘‘Princess of Wimbledon
My first job is big sister, I take that very seriously. I was pretty excited
about that win because it was so close. I’m definitely more in tune with
my sister’s feelings because one of us has to win and one of us has to lose. The
celebration isn’t as exciting because my sister just lost.
Venus Williams

Robson gives Britain rare Wimbledon title

F
ourteen-year-old Laura ence,” she said moments after
Robson gave Britain a coming off court. “I didn’t feel
rare Wimbledon title on relaxed and I thought I was go-
Saturday and then insist- ing to be sick when I walked on
ed she’s a proud Brit and not court as there were so many
an Aussie, despite being born people watching. In the sec-
in Melbourne. Robson, the ond set I went a bit mad but I
youngest player in the tourna- got it back together and that is
ment, defeated Thailand’s how I won.”
Noppawan Lertcheewakarn
6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the girls’ final, No dream date
to become the first home win- Robson’s next engagement
ner of junior Wimbledon since is a trip to the Wimbledon
Annabel Croft in 1984. She Champions Ball on Sunday al-
then drew wild applause from though she won’t be accompa-
the British media when she re- nied by dream date Marat
buffed an Australian reporter’s Safin.
query as to whether or not she “Marat sent me a letter. He
felt Australian. “No, not real- said he was sorry he can’t go
ly,” said Robson who left Aus- the ball but wished me good
tralia at just 18 months when luck for the final. I don’t know
her father, a leading oil com- who I’ll take now he’s out of
pany executive, moved the the picture.” Robson said she
family to Singapore. The Rob- was stunned to find her pic-
sons then arrived in England ture plastered all over the front
when she was six. Robson, of Saturday’s newspapers, a
who lives around the corner sign of the desperation felt in
from the All England Club, was Britain at the country’s dis-
roared on by a 10,000-strong tinct lack of tennis stars.
crowd on Court One. “It’s nice to be thought of
being the new face of British
Great feeling tennis, but I try not to think
She swept through the first about it too much,” she said
set against the third seeded before reminding everyone
Noppawan and was a break that she is still a child who fits
ahead in the second set before in her schoolwork with tennis
nerves crept in. A double fault practice.
handed the 16-year-old Thai The moneymen are sure to
the break back before Noppa- come calling on the bright,
wan broke again to lead 5-3 on self-assured 14-year-old al-
her way to levelling the final. though, with a management
The players exchanged early company to rely on, she can
breaks in the decider before leave financial matters to oth-
Robson went on to claim four ers. Not that some ready cash
successive games to take the wouldn’t come in quite handy.
championship. “Unfortunately, I don’t get any
“If someone had told me be- pocket money.”
fore Wimbledon that I would Previous Wimbledon junior
win the title, I’d have said they winners have included Marti-
were stupid,” said the cham- na Hingis and Amelie Maures-
pion. mo, while Kim Clijsters, Maria
“It was very good as all the Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic
crowd were behind me and it are among recent finalists. ■
was an overwhelming experi- AFP

GETTY IMAGES
10 FLICK ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Famous four
All four members of ABBA appeared together
on Friday at the Swedish premiere of the film
Mamma Mia!, their first public showing for
years. Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-
Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Faltskog walked
the red carpet at a Stockholm movie theatre.

Animated action
SHALINI SHAH
The movie on the delightfully obese Panda
shalinishah@goergo.in

P
o (Jack Black) dreams of be-
coming the greatest Kung
Fu warrior there ever was.
Only, he happens to be a
big, fat panda and the son of a
noodle house owner.
Then, Master Oogway (the kung
fu master in tortoise shell) has a
premonition that Tai Lung, the
evil snow leopard, is about to
break out of prison and, hence,
the Dragon Warrior has to be cho-
sen to defeat him. While master
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) expects
one of his Furious Five – tigress
(Angelina Jolie), monkey (Jackie
Chan), viper (Lucy Liu), crane
(David Cross) and mantis (Seth
Rogen) – to be chosen, a twist of
fate points the finger to the giant
WHO SAYS ANIMATION
panda who, as one of Shifu’s stu-
MOVIES ARE ONLY
dents points out, can’t even see
ABOUT A GROUP OF
his toes, forget mastering a double
CUDDLY ANIMALS WITH
split. Of course, there’s also the Jackie Chan or Jet Li action film, times tend to forget that creatures and Tiger Kung Fu.
ONE ADVENTURE AND
gyan on self-belief. with every attention to technical that originated from a drawing The visual effects are
SOME CLEVER
Who says animation movies are detail. board are performing them. amusing and amazing, be
DIALOGUES TO MOUTH?
only about a group of cuddly ani- In one scene, Po applies to the The characterisation, too, is it Po’s jiggly-wiggly noisy
mals with one adventure and dragon scroll, iron woks and bam- based on logic. belly (from which you even
some clever dialogues to mouth? boo stilts what master Shifu The Furious Five are, in fact, hear the blob-blob), Shifu’s
This one is clever, yes. The ani- teaches him with dumplings, por- based on the five styles of Chinese care-worn face that matches his
mals are cuddly, too. But the film celain bowls and chopsticks. Like martial art – Fujian White Crane, dry humour or Tai Lung’s (Ian Mc
also captures in animation stuff this one, all action scenes are bril- Snake Kung Fu, Monkey Kung Fu, Shane)menacing presence.
that you can easily imagine in a liantly executed and you some- Northern Praying Mantis Boxing A must see for anyone. ■

Film: Kung Fu Panda Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson Voices: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogan, David Cross

Flashbulbs over autographs Britney under Madonna’s wing, again

E ven though most celebrities find
the paparazzi annoying, singer
Rihanna will choose them any day
M adonna has asked Britney Spears to join her on her
tour, and friends are hopeful that she will be a
guiding light for the young artiste.
over screaming fans. Madge is all set to record a video with Spears in
The decision to do so was New York, and the footage will be broadcasted on
brought about after she completed huge screens as part of Madge’s Sticky and Sweet tour,
a photo shoot at Highbar on West which kicks off on August 23.
48th Street. When she tried to Madonna has also invited Spears to appear in person
leave the rooftop, she was told that on some of the world tour dates.
the exit was impassable. “They are recording a video together on Sunday that
“The exit was mobbed with will provide the backdrop for part of Madonna’s
paparazzi,” the New York Post show,” the Sun quoted a source close to Spears as
quoted a source as saying. revealing. “And they are talking about Britney taking
So to avoid the paparazzi, staffers the stage on a few of the dates too.”
at the hotel tried to sneak her out “People will be hoping there’s a repeat of the
from the entrance below the bar. It kissing incident a few years ago,” a source said.
was even worse, “with a mob of The ‘Toxic’ singer and Madonna had stunned fans at
teens waiting for photos and the MTV Music Awards in 2003 by sharing a passionate
autographs.” kiss. Spears has always been a huge fan of Madge, and
After seeing the crowd of eager even converted to her Kabbalah religion. But it has
fans, she chose to take the been reported that their relationship cooled after
paparazzi route. ■ Britney lost interest in the faith. ■
ANI ANI
 Monday, July 7, 2008
We love to date
Kylie Minogue has topped a list of the women with
moolah whom British men would most love to date. The
sexy Aussie singer, worth a whopping 40 million pounds,
took 49 percent of the votes in a recent poll of 1,000
British singles by online dating firm PARSHIP.
“I want to get
out of the item Cine City
number trap”
SHOMA A. CHATTERJI
I
shaa Koppikar is finally
moving towards her dream-
prize – getting out of the
item girl trap “very soon,”
she adds with the bubbling en-
thusiasm that befits the high
energy levels of an item num-
ber in Ram Gopal Verma’s
Company.
We know you have a back-
ground in modelling. Then
how did films happen?
I got into modelling merely
for pocket money because no
one in my family has ever been
remotely linked either to mod-
eling or to films. My father is a
gynaecologist and my mother
used to work in a bank. My
grandmother was the first lady
graduate to come out of Mum-
bai’s R. R. Ruia College. I was a
state-level basketball player
and also trained in Kathak . I
have trained in Taekwondo
and Hapkido. Films just hap-
pened and my first break in a
Hindi film was Ek Tha Dil Ek
Thi Dharkan which got
shelved. In the meantime, I
graduated in Life Sciences be-
cause my father insisted that I
finish college. I won the Miss
Talent Crown in the Miss India
1995 contest. I began with the
Tamil film Kaadal Kavithai
(1998) opposite Prashanth that
11
Brain scan
Animal rights group PETA has offered Sharon
Stone a free brain scan,in an effort to see if
her lack of empathy is the result of a physical
defect in her brain. In other words, PETA wants
to search her brain to see if she has a heart.
fetched me the Filmfare Best
Female Debut Award. I also
acted opposite Arvind Swamy
in the Tamil film En Swaasa
Kaatre and a couple of Telugu
films. But after Company, there
has been no looking back.
What criteria do you use
while accepting a role?
Firstly, the presentation and
packaging of the final product
must be good. Secondly, the
script should excite my abso-
lutely. The banner should be
big enough to appeal to me.
Then my role in the film, who
Dhanush out of Jab We Met
my hero is going to be and of
course, the director.
remake
You are now doing very di- Dhanush, who was supposed to act in the remake of
verse roles in some really the Shahid Kapoor-Kareena starrer Jab We Met, has
meaty films, aren’t you? opted out since he could not complete his earlier
That’s right. I have been try- commitments. Following the success of Yaaradi Nee
ing to break out of the item-girl Mohini, the actor is currently working on
stereotype for some time now. Padikkadhavan, directed by Suraj. After this he will act
I played a paan-chewing cop in in Vetrimaran’s film. He will be paired with Shriya for
Kya Kool Hai Hum and since the second time in this film. Dhanush will also do a
then, some directors discov- film with Yaaradi Nee Mohini director Mitran Jawahar.
ered that I have a very good
flair for comedy. I would love
to get roles that need comedy
because the film industry in
Bollywood lacks a female co-
medienne today. I think I could
fill that niche. The films that
Busy bee
Director Vasantha
are now lined up for release are
Balan, who won rare
– Atul Agnihotri’s Hello based
laurels with his
on One Night @ the Call Cen-
debut directorial
ter, Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller,
Veyil, has been
Lalit Marathe’s Shabri, Jahnu
approached by the
Barua’s Harr Pal, Manoj Tiwa-
Mumbai-based
ri’s Hello Darling and Kaushik
production unit that
Ghatak’s Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi.
made Bandit Queen.
Each character is different
The English film,
from the next posing a chal-
titled Rough India,
lenge to my abilities as an ac-
will be launched
tress.
soon and Vasantha
Which among your films are
Balan has started
the milestones in your career
penning down the
of around 40 films?
script. At present, he
The Don Returns, Darna Ma-
is busy shooting for
na Hai, Qayamat – City Under
the film Angadi
Threat, Kya Kool Hai Hum and
Theru, featuring Akil
Salaam-e-Ishq.
and Kattradhu
Dream roles if any?
Tamizh fame Anjali
I’d love to do the characters
in the lead roles. The
Sridevi played in Chalbaaz and
film, produced by
Sadma. She is my favourite ac-
director Shankar
tress.
under the banner of
I am a determined person
S Pictures, is close on
and my biggest dream is to win
the heels of getting
the Oscar for India and that
completed.
too, very soon.
www.cinesnacks.com
Trans World Features
12 SCAN ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Hair-raising?
In mid February 2007, Britney made headlines
when she shaved off her hair. The hair was put on
sale on eBay for $1 million, by the salon where she
shaved her own head. The salon also put up a
Redbull and lighter that Britney left behind.

PICK OF THE DAY

HBO Discovery Sony Max Sun TV

You, me and Dupree – 9 p.m.
For newlyweds Carl and Molly
Peterson, life can’t get any sweeter.
But Carl is about to find out just
how much friendship means when
Dupree his pal, has been displaced
from his home and fired from his
job for attending their wedding.
Tiger Kill – 7 p.m.
Tiger Kill 50 kilos heavier
and a whole head longer
than a lion, the tiger is the
world’s uncontested super-
cat. And yet, there is one
event that has eluded
almost all of them.
Vishwatma – 8 p.m.
Inspector Prabhat Singh has been
assigned the task of apprehending
an elusive criminal don named
Azghar Jurhad. Azghar’s
whereabouts are unknown in India,
but after an investigation, he is
traced to Kenya.
Arasi – 9.30 p.m.
On one side is the daughter
whose life filled with struggles has
left her with nothing but wounds.
And on the other side is her
mother who is an administrative
icon looked upon by every official
and every citizen.

Retell redone
On the sets of Theatre Nisha’s popular play
THARINI VISWANATH makeup, making the best of the
stage lights. I alternately sat out-

S
how mornings are always
hectic. Everyone has so-
mething assigned to them,
especially in a group like
Theatre Nisha, where the cast is
in charge of its own props.
Dirtying my hands
My job was to transport the
sets from director Balakrishnan’s
house to the auditorium. From
there, I was to go to Kodambak-
kam to pick up a trolley and a
whip on rental. While I was gone,
the others set up the lights and
got started on their individual
run-throughs. Since the play con-
sisted of a collection of short sto-
ries, the actors would rehearse on
stage individually, or in groups of
two, depending on the story be-
ing performed.
Delayed at the rental place and
further by a traffic jam, I got back
to find everyone sitting in the
green room half-way through
lunch. People were passing
around packets of spicy chips, the
group’s staple food on show days.
Lunch over, the group dispersed
– a couple of them slept either in
the green room or in the auditori-
um while a few others concen-
trated on getting focussed before
the show began. I busied myself
taping all the curtains in the aud-
itorium to prevent any unwanted
‘Retell’ of Theatre Nisha, a narrative performance of six stories at Alliance Francaise in Chennai
PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN
sunlight from disturbing both the
actors and the audience during
the show.
In a day’s work
At two, one and a half hours
before the show began, the air
conditioner was switched on.
Though the day had been rela-
tively cloudy, the black painted
auditorium was still warm and
the cool air blast came as a relief.
At half past two, all the actors
were up and getting ready. Chaos
ensued as everyone ran around
getting their costumes and props
together. The green room in Alli-
ance Francaise is always dimly lit
because there is no door to the
stage forcing some actors even
used the stage to apply their
side at the ticket counter and ran
inside to pass on messages to the
group.
At sharp three, all doors were
locked and all actors met on stage
for what you may call a pep talk
(for lack of better word).
Sitting at the ticket office, my
watch in time with Divya’s at the
light pit and the director’s back-
stage, I opened the auditorium
doors at fifteen past and the show
began on time.
The untimely swap
‘Behind the Scenes’ does not
end here. Half an hour into the
show, one of the actors took a
swig of kerosene, which she mis-
took for water, exactly two min-
utes before she was supposed to
go on stage. Instructions were
given for the next story to go on
stage even as she spat into a dust-
bin and rinsed her mouth with
Bisleri since none of the green
room doors could be opened dur-
ing show time.
A silent scuffle ensued as props
were exchanged and two other
actors hurried on stage to take
the place of the ill-fated group.
Thankfully, the audience noticed
nothing and enjoyed themselves
thoroughly.
After all, all that begins well
ends well. ■
 Monday, July 7, 2008
13
Largest brain
The ant has the largest
brain in the animal
kingdom, in proportion
to its size.

Greetings
Go
Dear Nikhil,
Many more
Have a very
happy return
bright future
ys ahea d.
s of the day.
and Westside!
colourful da rtly wishes fro
Hea
m
Get set for a shopping mania this month!
& MOD Team Westside, the stylish store from the house of
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pute Services
r Tatas, announces its much-awaited Bi-An-
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nual Sale with discounts upto 50% across all
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Where:
Hi Archana & Krishna, Westside
For every yesterday you’ve shared, Spencer Plaza
you’re wished an even lovelier When:
tomorrow! Happy Anniversary! July 7 – July 27
Cheers,
Sunitha, Shoba, Mahendra
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Nature B
All ye ladies, Nature B, the For all the art lovers, Vinnyasa is conducting an exhibition of
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Dear Kanchana,
Wishing you a very joyful birthday
and have a wonderful year ahead with
lot of surprises.
Lots of Love,
YogaGayathri and Kousalya
HCL Technologies
TOP 5 HOMER SIMPSON QUOTES
1. Ah, beer. The cause of and the solution to all of life’s
problems
2. Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie, and one to listen.
Hi Santosh, appy
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We all wish a w on de rf ul city, keeping its SPEED over fifty, and if its SPEED dropped, it
ave
Birthday!! H h lot of would explode! I think it was called “The Bus That Couldn’t
it
year ahead w Slow Down.”
surpri se s.
go , our wishes 4. America’s health care system is second only to Japan,
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5. I think Mr. Smithers picked me for my motivational skills.
Everyone always says they have to work twice as hard when
I’m around!
14 TRAFFIC JAM ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

Smelly scare
A British Airways jet recently made an
emergency landing when passengers thought
they smelled poison. Later, it turned out that
the foul funk was actually curry and not a
terrorist gas attack.

sudoku

Krishnakumar
G of Infosys,
Mahindra City
clicked this
picture at
Hildesheim,
Germany – his
first
experience
with snow.
He used a
Canon
Powershot
A400 and
loves to travel.

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

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N. Ravichandran, E. Baskar

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603209 & at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860,
Anna Salai, Chennai-600002. Editor: S. Karthik
(Editor responsible for selection of news under
the PRB Act).
 Monday, July 7, 2008
Custard cream is the fav
Custard Cream treats are getting the recognition
they deserve after being voted peoples’ favourite
biscuit. The vanilla-filled cookie has also finally made
into the Oxford English Dictionary after 100 years.
15
Word’s worth
“Quangocrat” (kwang-go-krat) is a word found mostly
in British English for a petty bureaucrat who works at a
Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation (or,
acronymically, a quango).

B.C

ARIES MARCH 21 - APRIL 20

Ganesha foresees you as someone practical today.
This will help you in handling routine activities,
hence do not refrain from taking responsibilities.
Your practical self might appear in love life as well,
leaving your beloved astonished. Take a chill pill!

TAURUS APRIL 21 - MAY 20

Today you will be able to judge things in advance.
Overall, you will be very decisive and confident,
feels Ganesha. Matters related to the heart may
have to be treated with a practical perspective. But
the, be careful as your beloved may find you ‘dry’.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUNE 20

The day may require special attention on the
BORN LOSER domestic front. But your logical self will be easily
able to manage two things well. Ganesha foresees
you working smoothly at office. Also at work, do
not try to get into arguments with your superiors.
CANCER JUNE 21 - JULY 20
Ganesha finds your mind to be active today. Hence
you might be in a mood for research. Ganesha
suggests you to save the information. Work is heavy
so you might not be able to pay due attention to
your love life, resulting an upset mood for beloved.
LEO JULY 21 - AUG 20
You may be talkative today. Ganesha finds you in a
mood of giving suggestions. Nevertheless, be careful
that you are not hurt in case your suggestions are
given a deaf ear. Ganesha feels you will be alert for
your duties and may finish them off duly.
VIRGO AUG 21 - SEPT 20
Time management may bother you. You may wish
FREE RANGE WORKING IT OUT to establish a balanced schedule between work and
your personal life. At work, Ganesha finds you very
judgemental and precise. The grace of Ganesha will
create positive turning points in the lives of lovers.
LIBRA SEPT 21 - OCT 20
Being a Libran, problem solving comes naturally to
you. Ganesha finds you investing a lot of time for
problem solving. Office work may keep you too
occupied to keep your sweetheart happy. Try to
make all possible amendments.
SCORPIO OCT 21 - NOV 20
Your colleagues might be let off early today, but
that will prove favourable for you. The favourable
day continues as your superiors may encourage you
to finish off a long pending issue. Let your beloved
decide the events for the evening today.
SAGITTARIUS NOV 21 - DEC 20
Today you will be aware of pending activities.
Hence, you might be less enthusiastic and more
practical. Your love life may remain demanding, but
you might not be able to pay much attention to it.
Create a balance between work and personal life.
CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20
Ganesha finds doors of opportunities opening wide
for you. You will be in a mood to give due
importance to other people’s opinions. A favourable
day to fix deadlines. To the pleasure of your
beloved, you may devote due time to your love life.
AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 20
PREVIOUS A perfect day to get rid of pending files. At office,
interaction with colleagues is higher in order to
ISSUE’S solve pending issues. Keep a watch on people who
are jealous of you, as they might hinder your
SOLUTIONS progress. Add some spice to your love life.
PISCES FEB 21 - MARCH 20
Your emotions might take over your rational self.
Do not feel hurt if someone points out your
mistakes. Due to this, you may succumb to other
people’s thoughts and beliefs. On the love front, it’s
time to celebrate. Love life is smoother than ever.
Predictions by Bhavesh N. Pattni
16 ! ERGO Monday, July 7, 2008

On the sidelines
V for victory
Friends had a whale
of a time cheering
for their favourite
team

Boy wonder
This five-year-old
drummer kick-started
Sunday’s events

Whistling
win
"Machan, ithu
thaanda real
sound party,"
one of the
audience
remarked after
her deafening
blow

Judgement day
In true reality show style, judges (from left) Ramash, John Britto, Divya Master shots
Darshini (DD) and Deepak gave their inputs to each of the participants Who is making that noise?

PHOTOS: R. RAVINDRAN & S.S. KUMAR