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Pics/Crossing lines

On a fine April morning, when Mumbai-based slackliner Samar Farooqui drove into Settlement Number 63 in Chtaura, a town wedged between Beirut and Damascus, all he could see was a sea of white tents glistening in the sun. Under the plastic tarps lived thousands of displaced Syrians who had fled to the Bekaa Valley, the largest affected area and temporary home to over 3,00,000 Syrian refugees, when a brutal civil war broke out in 2011. Lugging the nylon webbings, carbiners and other slacklining equipment, Farooqui and 14 other volunteers, stationed themselves at the nearby parking lot waiting for the refugee children.

This was to be their playground for the next two weeks. Life on the line Slacklining is the art of balancing along a narrow, flexible piece of portable fabric which is usually anchored between two points, mostly trees. "Apart from being a fun fitness activity, it has an incredible ability to connect people, start conversations and change lives," says 27- year old Farooqui. It's the reason he booked a flight to Beirut and signed up for the Crossing Lines Project, an initiative launched in 2013 by Sonya Iverson, a scientist from San Francisco, who uses slacklining to change the way we see and talk about refugees. "I had met Sonya several times at different events. The last time we interacted was at the Move Copengagen festival in Denmark, when she mentioned her plan to introduce slacklining to Syrian refugees and organise a highline festival in Lebanon. It was just the kind of inspiration I was looking for," says the Neral resident who made a career out of slacklining when he founded Slacklife Inc. — a sport and recreation company — in 2014. A level playing field At the Chtaura parking lot, the lines are hooked to the cars in the absence of trees. It's one of the things the sport has taught him — to make the best use of whatever is available at hand. "In Mumbai, I've slacklined in building compounds, garden and promenades. In fact, I was even been arrested for slacklining at Marine Drive," he laughs. Once the line was set up at the camp, Farooqui says the excitement among kids was palpable.

"Children everywhere are the same. You don't have to be concerned about the language or the way you look. I didn't speak Arabic but we managed to communicate fairly well through non-verbal cues in those two weeks. With hand gestures, I would tell them to slow down or stop or move ahead," he says. It was through two local volunteer-based NGOs Salaam and Sonbola that provides education and recreational facilities to those living in the camps in the Bekaa Valley, that the team got access to the children. Forging a personal rapport with each child — there were nearly 400 of them — was difficult for the volunteers who hailed from Iran, America and the UK.

"On the face of it, you couldn't tell that the children had gone through so much trauma. There were some who were more reserved and took time to open up," he says. Periodically, the team would sit down and discuss the day's progress. "If one of students perhaps struggled through the slacklining experience and we noticed it, we discussed it and psycho-analysed it till we came up with a solution to make sure that we didn't leave with someone feeling demoralised," he says. In the two weeks, Farooqui picked up a couple of Arabic words from them, and in turn taught them English. What was most interesting, though was how the sport changed the dynamics among the children themselves. "When you are standing on the rope, wobbling and holding the hand of the person standing on ground, you are opening up to them. So the bullies in the group ended up bonding with the rest. Everybody was on the level playing field," he says.

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Photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav started the Indian Memory Project, an online, visual, narrative-based archive in 2010, to trace the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters. Pic/Ashish Raje

EarLier this week, artist and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra, 28, travelled nearly 240 km to Chandigarh from Delhi, to meet a nonagenarian, who had lived through the Partition of 1947. As she speaks about it now, there's a lump in her throat. "I couldn't sleep that entire night," Malhotra confesses. "Even 70 years on, the woman is so afraid to talk about it. It had everything, from gun fire, to fleeing from her home in Pakistan, to her brother and mother being taken as prisoners, and to giving birth in a forest on her way to India. When she first delivered the baby, her immediate response was to throw it away. You can imagine what trauma she was experiencing." What surprised Malhotra most was when the 90-year-old asked her what she would do with her story. "I said that I wanted to publish it. The woman's immediate response was, 'who will read this?'. They really think that nobody cares. But, this is the story that has shaped the future of contemporary India."

The jewellery Aanchal Malhotra is wearing, was made in the North-West Frontier Province and was given to her great-grandmother, Lajvanti Gulyani, by her in-laws on her wedding to Hari Chand Gulyani in the year 1919. But it could have been in the Gulyani family before that as well. Since she became a widow quite young and was a single mother at the time of Partition, it was carried by her to India in 1947 because she thought she would be able to sell it and earn money to put her children through school. She then gave it to Malhotra’s grandmother, who has now given it to her. Pic/Nishad Alam

Malhotra is the author of Remnants of Separation (HarperCollins India), a book that revisited the Partition through objects carried across the border, and the co-founder — along with Navdha Malhotra — of The Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, tracing family histories and ethnography through heirlooms and objects of antiquity. Since the launch of the archive last year, the founders have put together over 35 heartwarming object stories. Closer home, photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav's Indian Memory Project — an online, visual, narrative-based archive, founded in 2010, which traces the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters — has helped us see history in another light. There is also Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan, whose recently-published book, Pukka Indian: 100 objects that Define India (Roli Books), documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing our culture, by tracing its origin and significance in our lives. All three projects while different in essence and form, have one common intent — to record untold stories from our history and preserve them for posterity. But, as Malhotra's subject asked her, why should anyone be curious?

The chakla and belan originated in 7,500 – 6,000 BCE in Punjab. At the time, this region was cultivating wheat and barley extensively. Rather than using the flatness of the chakla and the pressure of the belan to what we might expect to be used around the country to make flatbread, whatever the ingredient might be, it is only in this region of north India that the chakla and belan were used simply because wheat and barley lend themselves to kneading. What must have been perceived as a high-technology kitchen tool then, the chakla and belan soon spread to other parts of the country. Text courtesy/Pukka India by Jahnvi Lakhota Nanda, Roli books; Pic/Shivani Gupta

Celebrating the mundane
Nandan, an alumnus of the School of Art and Design at Tsukuba University, Japan, admits that her project stemmed out of her curiosity to find out about the designs that define us an Indian. "Design is a mirror of our attitudes and habits. Through the course of writing this book on Indian design, I found that uniquely Indian gestures like churning, combing and calculating were reflected in it," she writes in the book. From the dabba, agarbatti, and kulhad, to Babuline gripe water, most of the objects Nandan chose for the book, have "either been made or originated in India, or have an element that is very Indian, or are being used in a very Indian context".

This picture is of Purvi Sanghvi’s grandfather Dwarkadas Jivanlal Sanghvi (extreme right in a black coat) and his brother Vallabhdas Jivanlal Sanghvi with their business partners at a Pen Exhibition in Bombay around 1951. The family ran Wilson Pens that quickly rose to huge fame and became a preferred choice of pens across the country. All government offices, law court, used the Wilson pens. The Wilson Pen Family made the orange, thick-nibbed pen that wrote the most fundamental document that defines the state of India: The Constitution of India written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Pic, Text Courtesy/Indian Memory Project/Contributed by Purvi Sanghvi, Mumbai

It's while working on the book that Nandan realised how "our own homes are a repository of history". Here, she relays an incident when Shivani Gupta, the photographer for Pukka Indian, had been anxious about finding a mandira — a butter churner — that Nandan had mentioned in the book. "She went home, and realised that she had five of them in her kitchen. She didn't even know she was sitting on so much wealth." Nandan adds, "We don't tend to celebrate the mundane. What we celebrate are things that have obvious value, like jewellery, the beautification of the body or the exotic."

Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan's recent book, Pukka Indian, documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing Indian culture, by tracing its origin and significance in the lives of its users. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Object as a catalyst
Malhotra's interest in people's histories began while working on Remnants of Separation, which was an extension of her Master of Fine Arts thesis project for Concordia University, Canada. Malhotra's research began after she came across a gaz (a measuring device) and ghara (a pot), which belonged to her nana's family, and had crossed the border. "Sometimes the Partition is too traumatic to speak about. When I started my research, I didn't know where to begin or what I could ask, without sounding frivolous. The object became a catalyst to enter into that conversation. So, rather than me saying 'Oh! You lived through the Partition, that must be awful,' I was now asking relevant questions, like 'why did you choose to take this gold bangle with you?'. The object then, didn't become something that recessed into the background, but something around which the entire background was arranged."

That's when she and Navdha decided to start The Museum of Material Memory. The duo encourages everyone to contribute, provided the object is from or before the 1970s. The archive comprises everything from a 5-inch-long, mottled sewing needle to a chaddar with traditional baagh and phulkari embroidery and a former Class II Income-Tax officer's diary filled up with the repeated words 'Sri Rama Jayam', meaning Jai Sri Ram. Each post is accompanied with the story behind the object. "Material ethnography is so vastly explored in the West, especially when it comes to events of trauma and crisis. What we are recording here, will never be found in any textbook. We need active memoralisation, not just of traumatic events, but of our tradition and culture, which is primarily oral."

Not just for nostalgia's sake
The indianmemoryproject.com, says Yadav, started off as a book idea, where she wanted to collect old, wedding photographs. "I wanted to document the idea of weddings in different cultures, and explore the entire phenomena behind the crew that makes it possible," she says. "While the book didn't happen, the pictures stayed with me." That's how, her archive, a first-of-its-kind in India, took off. "If you are fascinated with history, you will know that India really is a melting pot. Every civilisation has passed through it. And so we have all kinds of DNA in us. And considering photography was discovered two centuries ago, we did have a lot of content to discuss," says Yadav.

She admits that it wasn't as easy to get people to share their photographs or talk about their stories. "But, there needs to be integrity, transparency and you need to earn the trust of your subject. When you have these value systems in place, people are more open. I always thought of the archive as an institution." Funding for the project has been tough, says the archivist. "When I began, I was very clear that I didn't want to become a trust. Unfortunately, that's the channel through which most of the money comes from. But, there's a server and maintenance cost and the site constantly needs to be upgraded. Now, I have started putting in requests for honorariums. The only way I will get money is through a private funder, who is fascinated with the idea, and wants to back it as well. Sometimes, when a good sum comes from my own work as a photographer, part of the profits go to it. At the end of the day, it is an unofficial record of history, and I'm doing my best to sustain it."

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Kareena Kapoor Khan. Pic/Rane Ashish

In the last few months, we have been a bit awestruck by how hot Kareena Kapoor Khan has been looking — be in stills and videos from her new movie, Veere Di Wedding, which releases in June, or in behind-the-scenes-clips, or basically all her public appearances. The hip and sexy styling, the lustrous hair, the impeccable make-up, and the undeniable, and oh-so-Bebo swag, has helped us see the new mother in a new light, yet again. When we meet her at a suburban hotel, wearing an off-white pant suit, her hair pulled back, and her green eyes set on us with a smile, we are slightly flustered. And we ask, how are you giving 30 somethings, even the one with kids, such hotness #goals.

"No please! Honestly, I have always been very fitness conscious. Everyone is saying I have lost weight so fast, but I have taken a year and a half. It has happened over time. It's not for the movies, but just for me. Like I always say, feed me karela for lunch and dinner and I am happy," she tells us nonchalantly. There is no blueprint plan for the evolution in her style as well, says the 37-year-old. Instead, she says that the movie, where she has been styled differently from previous avatars is responsible for turning up the heat. "That's one of the reasons I did the movie. It's young and fresh. I could have come back in an author-backed role, playing a titular character. But I chose not to. I just had a baby, and I wanted to do something that's young and the language for which is different," she says. She laughs when she recalls Veere Di Wedding producer Rhea Kapoor being wary of bringing the movie to her, because she is a mainstream actress who has been a part of the Khan movies, making Rs 100 crores and more.

A still from Veere Di Wedding

"There is no hero. I have never worked with four girls. No one expected me to do this. When I read the film, I wanted to do it. A mainstream actress would ask 'but what am I doing?' But with Veere, it's about the language of the film that's about four friends. No one has the bigger part." This is where she says, that it's her choices that have always set her apart. And we agree. "I did Chameli when I was 21. I also did Ki & Ka, even though Arjun is younger to me. I did Udta Punjab, even though mine is just a parallel track," she says, and when we point out that she dies in the middle of the movie, she says "Ya! I had to make sure something happened with my character so that people remembered me. I needed that moment. I want to do something different. My attitude towards movies has changed — I may say no to a big-budget films. My headspace is not that." We steer things back to her drop-dead vibe these days. We all can diet and work out, but what is she doing every day that makes her glow?

And the answer is simple. "Happiness," she smiles, "You have to make yourself happy. You have to find joy in smaller things in life, not just success. I am happiest when I am having coffee or a glass of wine with a friend and chatting. Or when I am reading a book, not a script, trying to prove that I have 30 scripts lined up." When we ask her what is she reading these days, we find common ground. "I love reading crime thrillers, especially Jo Nesbo and Agatha Christie. I keep watching the Poirot series again as well. Saif and I are hooked." Seeing her love for Christie, we recommend Japanese author Keigo Higashino to her, and she says, "Please write down the name for me!" We come back to us telling her how we have all been obsessing over her swag on social media, even though she doesn't have an account. "I may not be there but I am there na! And my friends and family keep putting stuff up. I am very much there. Anyway, I don't think anyone wants to hear my opinions — there are so many opinions out there. Wasn't it better that you and I had a chat instead of you already knowing everything about my life?"

Also Read: Kareena, Sonam, Swara And Shikha Had 10 Stylist For Veere Di Wedding

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At the heart of No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is the belief that everyone can dance. This free-form workout in the dark was thought up by Australian dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett in 2009 in Melbourne as a means to truly let go and express oneself.Creative freelancer and the woman behind the Mumbai chapter, Yooti Bhansali, says, "You can dance like nobody's watching, because nobody can see you and also, they're busy enjoying their new-found freedom. From a small room full of nutty dancers in Melbourne, this community has spread to major cities in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, and is now Mumbai."

Bhansali heard about NLNL from an Australian friend. Is Mumbai ready for such a thing, we ask. "We've seen music gigs in art galleries, movies in bars and quizzes in microbreweries. So, getting people in a dark room to dance doesn't seem much of a stretch," she says Bhansali has got several queries from people across age groups, who are excited about the prospect of a physical activity that's fun. "It's not a party. It's a place where you dance freely. Of course, you could just dance in the dark in the privacy of your home, but let's be honest — would that be as much fun?"

When: 8am, May 23
Where: The Bandra Base, Baitush Saraf Bldg, TPS III, 29th Off Waterfield Rd, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 399, cash only. Get a friend for free

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Eat with your hands, please," Lloyd Braganza who runs one of Goa's most popular restaurants, tells us, rolling up the sleeves of his floral shirt, revealing a koi fish tattoo. We are at Copper Leaf, one of the best fish thali destinations at Porvorim, and for company we have chef and restauranteur Braganza, his wife Nerissa and their seven-year-old son Naethan. Llyod stops talking when the thali arrives. A mound of rice and a crispy fillet of matzo are skirted by coconut curry, clams masala, kismuri (dried fish and coconut salad), bhindi fry, gulab jamun, sol kadi and banana.

"This is Goa's most authentic thali, and locals as well as tourists come here for their fill," Marissa tells us. The fish has a sweet freshness, and the curry is hearty. The meal switches on our sussegad mood. But, there's more to this stop than indulging in gluttony. Six years after enticing Goans with delicious meals at his eatery, House of Lloyd, the family is set to open shop in Mumbai and ahead of its launch, the Braganzas are happy to give us a tour of their Goa-inspired menu.

The pork chops

Fish Market: The next stop is the Malim jetty where most of the fresh catch of the day coming in from along the coast is sold. Scenes of women haggling over prices, to fishermen unloading their catch and slicing the guts, greet us. We see ribbon fish, ponies and sole fish drying in the sun, apart from mud crabs piled in open crates.

Yeast Ecpected, Poie: We are at a nameless bakery. We enter a small room that opens into a dungeon-like opening with a woodfire oven burning a crimson orange. In a corner, a mixer is folding dough. One of the bakers, Gajanand Naik, shows off a basket full of poie. "At midnight, we start making poie. The dough is mixed for 30
minutes and left to rest for three hours," says Naik. Made from husk and wheat, the art of poie has lost a prominent ingredient — the toddy. When the Portuguese introduced the bread in Goa, they replaced yeast with locally available toddy.

Plum and white chocolate with vodka

Rassa Omelette: Our next stop is, again, an unnamed snack stall. "You are known by your product. There's no need for a name," Braganza laughs. A server puts a fat chunk of omelette on a plate and drowns it in rassa. We tear a piece of poie, that soaks up the gravy. The fluffy omelette and poie do little to douse the spice notes from the Kashmiri chillies and garam masala giving the curry its kick.

Fruit Cocktails Pork chops and Serradura: Our final stop is at House of Llyod, situated on the veranda of his 150-year-old ancestral home. Braganza has thrown over a chef's coat over his shorts and is busy behind the bar. Christmas seems to have come early as we alternate between a green jalepeno-passion fruit cocktail and a vodka-spiked plum and white chocolate. No sugar, juice or additives, the cocktails are blitzed on order. Braganza's food sings a melodious tune, one whose lyrics have been written over years oscillating between struggle and success. In 1996, his first venture was Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant at Baga, which put him on the Goa culinary map. "I had no culinary degree and brought on board a chef from Royal China in Mumbai, to help. By 25, I had money and luxury cars. Then, I had to shut shop because of losses, " says Braganza. He began at the lowest rung, again, as waiter. In 2003, he opened Lloyds, a five-table Goan and barbeque restaurant in Calangute. Partners drove his business to closure in 2011. "Nerissa coaxed me to give it one more try. It would be my last one, I told her," Braganza recalls. The same year, together they rebuilt the restaurant on the current premise — a tile-roof open-air tent that gives the feel of a garden setting overlooking the heritage property. She took charge of the front of the house, and he revisited his childhood to master family recipes with his mother.

The Juhu outpost. Pic/Ashish Raje

Soul Food: Goan food, says Branganza, is meant to be consumed two days after it has been cooked. The gravies thicken from concentration of flavours. We understand this when we dip a garlic poie into a bowl of bloody red sorpotel. The spares have merged with the spices and transformed the curry with meaty flavour. This dish is one of the most tedious to make, Braganza says. "First, you boil the meat, dice it, and fry the parts separately. After frying the onions, you add the meat that will hold the masala," says Braganza. While it is best served three days later, chef has a serving reserved for himself that is two years old. For the Mumbai outlet, all the house curries and sauces, along with poie, will come from Goa. The most awaited dish — the barbeque grilled pork chops — makes an entry. "This takes me back to my heydays. At Lloyd's, when I fired the grill, people would follow the aromas to order the dish that was smelling so delicious," says Braganza, falling silent when the dish arrives. The meal ends with Marissa's serradura, a classic cream and biscuit pudding. The dry powder is soothed by the creamy condensed milk mush and we lick our spoons clean. We can't wait to have the next serving back home. Mr and Mrs Braganza, welcome to Mumbai.

Chef Lloyd Braganza with wife Nerissa and son Naethan

Also read - Mumbai Food: Chef Raji Gupta's pop up offers flavours from Kerala to Goa

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When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.

The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.

Bhave in a still from the film

A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.

Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.

Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99

There is nothing like a blind tasting to make you realise how your senses need an overhaul. But when there is chocolate involved, then it's a worthwhile endeavour. Especially when the chocolate-maker that invites you is the 140-year old Du Rhone Chocolatier from Geneva, which is a Swiss handmade chocolate brand. After I tasted a few chocolates at the new Du Rhone Chocolatier store that opened this week at Peddar Road (our favourite was the Coline which is a dark ganache with 70 per cent cocoa beans from Brazil and Papua New Guinea), we were treated to a fun game of blind chocolate tasting. We liked what CEO and owner Frederico Marangoni had to say, when he said he never wants Du Rhone to be a mass produced chocolate. "It's as old school as it gets. Every flavour is taken directly from the root. When you taste raspberry, that's real raspberry jelly," said Marangoni, and we have to agree, especially after tasting the richness of the chocolates.

The game was simple — smell a flavour, taste a chocolate and then write down what we experienced. The first one was our lucky one, as it's the only one we got right. We took in a whiff of orange, and bit into a delicate slab of chocolate. And then what Marangoni said suddenly made sense to us. "Most factory made chocolates have thick outer crusts and barely any chocolate inside. Here, the exterior is thin and fine, and full of rich chocolate inside. You can't have more than two at a time." And he was right.

Pic/Sneha Kharabe

I then tasted lemon (which I identified as peppermint), raspberry (which I called strawberry) and passionfruit (which I felt was kiwi). If you are dying to eye roll right about now, know that I am already doing it. The best part of this experiment was that I got to try these ultra fine, luxurious chocolates that made me feel like we were getting a taste of Swiss tradition. It also made me sure of the fact that we would be visiting the store again soon, to try out the Mocca Glacé, whose ingredients are a well-kept secret. But when you make chocolate as good as Du Rhone, it makes sense to guard with your life.

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KC Shankar, Shashwita Sharma and Vicky Ahuja

It was in 2014, when several theatre and screen artistes came together in the hope of bringing the works of renowned, as well as lesser known, Hindustani writers to life. Three years on, that dream is taking shape one storytelling session at a time. Jashn-E-Qalam, a collective of storytellers, comprising actors KC Shankar, Shashwita Sharma, Vicky Ahuja and Madhurjeet Sarghi among others, will celebrate the brilliance of Hindustani literature with solo performances of short stories, over the next three weekends in the city. On the menu this Sunday is Chashm-e-Baddoor, which will showcase satirical texts from Hindustani literature — Harishankar Parsai's Inspector Matadin Chand Par, Ismat Chughtai's Chuimui and Patras Bokhari's Marhoom Ki Yaad Mein. Over the following weekends, the artistes will present Ek Baar Ki Baat Hain at Yoga 101 and Harkat Studios in Andheri. The show will combine an interesting mix of genres.

Literature, says Shankar, "mirrors society and great writers allow the individual and the collective to reflect on their humanity and sometimes the absence of it. This experience can teach, inspire, make us laugh, or horrify us". Shankar says that "Hindustani literature, particularly makes this connection even more personal. The stories, milieu, characters and voices; their concerns and challenges are very relatable". He explains, "Also, as an audience, most of us have grown up on the visual medium, and theatre of a similar, imitative kind. So, you have an audience that comes prepared to watch rather than listen. But, by performing these short stories without any sets, props or costume, the solo storyteller impels the audience to visualise what they are listening to. Thus, opening up their imagination and transporting them to another world." It is this magical experience that the artistes hope to re-create. "Here, even the audience becomes a co-conspirator in the story," says Shankar.

When: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning, Above Kitab Khana, Fort
Entry: Rs 200 – Rs 400
To book: in.bookmyshow.com

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Watch a Panchatantra tale
4 PM: Take your kid for a play, based on a story from the Panchatantra. Written by Vishnu Sharma, Hil Mil Kar, is about how a crow, rat, tortoise and a deer become really good friends and stick together against all problems. This play employs both traditional and modern musical instruments to tell the story.
WHERE: Harkat Studio, Bungalow No. 75,
JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
ENTRY: Rs 200
TO BOOK: insider.in

Dig into nihari gosht
12 PM – 3 PM: Transport yourself to the Royal Era of the Nawabs, with The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar's all-new Dawat-e-Khaas thali, which will allow guests to experience the aromas and taste of Awadhi cuisine. The delicacies include tunday kebab and dum biryanis.
WHERE: The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar, Level 9M, The St. Regis, Lower Parel
PRICE: Non-veg: Rs 3,500; veg: Rs 2,500
FOR RESERVATION: 8291926985

Catch a nature exhibition
11 AM – 7 PM: See how fashion photographer Sunder Ramu romances with nature in one-of-a-kind exhibition, The Last Dance of the Leaves. The series of prints of pictures of dry leaves showcases a world that's both real and surreal. At the core of this exhibition lies the simple belief that we must live like a leaf and to remember that if the leaves go extinct, so will we.
WHERE: Tao Art Gallery, 165, The View, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli
CALL: 24918585

Go shopping for your dream wedding
10 AM – 10 PM: Have a dream wedding in mind, but need help? The Wedding Story might just be what you're looking for. In its very first edition, the pop-up marketplace will offer a unique shopping experience with the most renowned names in the wedding industry under one roof. There will be a wide range of apparel, beauty and grooming, trousseau essentials, lifestyle products to choose from.
WHERE: 18.99 Latitude, 4th Floor, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
CALL: 9967130313

Discover Bandra of yore
May 27, 8 AM: Witness how the neighbourhood of Bandra is preserving its rich culture at a heritage walk, Bandra's Past and Present. The walk explores the unique physical spaces, character and cultures of contemporary Bandra; it spotlights the neighbourhood's particular history and legacies, and attempts by its communities to preserve the same.
MEETING POINT: Bandra Fort
ENTRY: Rs 850
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com

Enjoy a fruity sangria
7 AM – 1 AM: Sip on some refreshing sangrias at Smoke House Deli and deter away from the sweltering heat. One can choose from three uplifting options such as the rosso, melon and bianco. The sangrias come infused with tropical fruits like apples and pomegranate.
WHERE: Smoke House Deli, 33rd Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
PRICE: Rs 699
CALL: 65287800

Draw a flamenco dancer on canvas
4 PM: Explore your creativity, by painting a flamenco dancer. This will be a guided session, shedding light on the strokes, sketches and techniques to help you paint better.
WHERE: SodaBottleOpenerWala, Sentinel, Powai
ENTRY: Rs 1,850
TO BOOK: insider.in

Paint a mug
1 PM – 4 PM: Beer and coffee lovers, this one is for you. At a fun workshop, you will learn how to paint your beer/coffee mug in five easy steps. You will first pick your mug, after which you'll choose a design or create your own, colour it and give it a name. You will get to take it back home after seven days.
WHERE: Doolally Taproom, 1st Floor,
135 Kwality House, Kemps Corner
ENTRY: R1,500
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com

Order of the day
Set the tone for the week
8 pm onwards: There's no rule that says you must let the Monday morning blues carry on till way after sundown. How about starting the week on a musical note then? Gather your gang and head to this karaoke night, where you can unleash your inner Madonna or Enrique or whoever is your crooning idol.
21 Monday
Where: Tipsy Gypsy, Level 1, Fun Republic,
Link Road, Andheri West
Call: 7021857037

Listen to acoustic fusion
7.30 pm: Bhrigu Sahni is a singer-songwriter known for his acoustic compositions. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sahni is a graduate from Berklee College of Music. He uses altered tunings and flamenco techniques on the acoustic guitar to create a very different kind of soundscape. Give him a listen.
22 Tuesday
Where: The Cuckoo Club, Pali Hill, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 350
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

Get your mid-week break
8 pm onwards: If the words "unlimited sangria" is music to your ears, you would not want to give this a miss. Forget about the long work day and unwind with your poison, along with a buffet. What's more, you can actually dive into this DIY sangria and stir up a fancy concoction according to your taste.
23 Wednesday
Where: BKC Dive, Pinnacle Corporate Part, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
Entry: Rs 299 onwards
Call: 8655077330

Watch them fight it out
7.30 pm to 9.30 pm: Burqa Boxers is a documentary about Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. These youngsters who face the grim reality of abuse and rape daily, dream of a better future by learning boxing from Razia Shabnam, one of India's first female boxing coaches.
24 Thursday
Where: The Bagel Shop, Anand Vila,
Pali Mala Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 250
Log on to: www.instamojo.com

Attend a pro talk
4 pm to 6 pm: Get your dose of wisdom this week from global icon Niladri Kumar, who is a fifth-generation sitar player, and inventor of the zitar. Hear Kumar speak of his musical journey, his understanding of genres and the challenges he managed to conquer.
25 Friday
Where: Soundideaz Academy, Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri West
FREE entry
Call: 7045781807

Dance with your child
11 am to 12.30 pm: This one's for the mothers in the house. If you've wanted your little one to learn how to dance, here's a novel way of getting them started. Instead of sending them to a school, which could be a long-term option, you can actually match your own steps with them.
26 Saturday
Where: Impulse Studio, Tej Gaurav House, Matunga East
Entry: Rs 500
Call: 9987157242

Sample prints from Bengal
Prints from Bengal is an exhibition that features works that date back to the early 20th century by artists of Bengal, who lived through tumultuous periods in history. Think Partition of Bengal, Swadeshi movement, and the subsequent reunion of the state in 1911. The artists whose works will be featured are Gaganendranath Tagore, Mukul Dey, Ramendra Nath Chakraborty, Ramkinkar Baij and Rani Chanda. The prints range from lino-cuts to lithographs that reflect the history of the print-making process, while focusing on forms, structure, texture and use of negative and positive space. Interestingly, many of the works exhibited in Mumbai for the first time, recall the history of the venue of Project 88 that was once a century-old metal printing press.
When: 11 am to 7 pm,
till June 16
Where: Project 88, Colaba
Call: 22810066

Bite into cherry blossom specials
If Japan seems too far at the moment, this could be a close second, at least, food wise. Partake in a sushi-sake festival wherein the menu includes popular Japanese delicacies like a vegetarian miso soup, a sashimi sampler with varieties of salmon, tuna, scallops and hamachi paired with the Hakushika Honjozo Namachozo sake. You can also savour modern spin-offs like sushi burgers. The sake serving is of 60ml per course.
When: 12 pm to 1 am
Where: Pa Pa Ya, all outlets
Entry: Rs 2,199 for veg and Rs 2,999 for non-veg

Get started on Haiku
You've heard and read about haiku, and perhaps have been contemplating trying it out too. This workshop, conducted by Neha Bahuguna is good to get you started. Bahuguna, who is a NID graduate, has a multi-disciplinary approach and has, over the years, worked as a lyricist, writer and conducted storytelling and poetry workshops.
When: 3 pm, May 25
Where: ARTISANS' Gallery, Kala Ghoda
Entry: Rs 1,500
Log on to: insider.in

Watch a film on Pushkar
In Pushkar Puran, filmmaker Kamal Swarup explores the ancient myths and politicking of Indian gods, as the water in the Pushkar lake turns holy. The director has captured the exuberant goings on of this quaint lake town during the Pushkar Mela, revisiting its sacred stories and myths. The film has been beautifully shot by Ashok Meena and Kumar Avyaya.
When: 8.30 to 10.30 pm,
May 26
Where: Harkat Studios, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 349
Log on to: insider.in

Hear music from the roots
Catch the duo Maati Baani, comprising vocalist Nirali Kartik and composer Kartik Shah. They are known for creating music rooted in traditions but set in a contemporary sound.
When: 8.30 pm, May 24
Where: Sharyans Audeus, Andheri West
Entry: R1,000
call: 26735115

Sign up for this app
Shilpa is an attractive, interactive, user-friendly phone app, touted to be the most popular app of 2018. It can sing, dance, and follow all your commands.
C Sharp B Blunt is a solo performance by Pallavi Arun, that takes a satirical look at the extent to which the female form is objectified. The app, Shilpa, ticks all the boxes in how women should behave with men. Until, of course, the next update is due.
When: 9 pm, May 24 to May 25
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Log on to: www.bookmyshow.com

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Vikhroli resident Dr Suvajeet Duttagupta loves cooking his meals. But, the 31-year-old cinematographer admits that some days are long and tiring and the only option is to order in. Yet, this comes with its share of heartaches. "The worst bit about ordering out is the amount of plastic that they use to package the food. While I make it a point to ask the restaurants not to send any plastic cutlery, there's only so much one can do." But, Duttagupta isn't the only Mumbaikar who wishes ordering in was more environment-friendly. With the plastic ban coming into full effect on June 23, Mumbai establishments have little more than a month to find alternatives. While some places now pack their containers in cloth bags, the containers themselves remain plastic, thus almost negating the good work done. But, there are a few who have switched to eco-friendly alternatives:

The New York Burrito Company

This brand new Mexican quick service restaurant has a takeout menu that includes Mexican bowl, burrito, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, chips with guacamole and more. They use recyclable bagasse trays and kraft bags (made from recycled paper). They also add wooden spoons and forks to their takeout bags. Senil Shah, partner, says,
"As our packaging is eco-friendly and fresh, we don't fear food getting bad. Costs have risen, but we see it as an investment for our future generation's betterment."

Senil Shah, partner, The New York Burrito Company

Where: Chowpatty
Timings: 11 am – 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 600
Call: 8999347000

29 – Twenty Nine

This pan-Indian restaurant which opened in 2016, is much loved by the patrons for the range of regional dishes (29 states) available under one roof. "We have been experimenting with various packaging material at our Kemps Corner outlet, long before the plastic ban. The packaging material we have found best for our use is made of paper and cornstarch with an eco-friendly dissolvable lamination. This was then applied to all other 29 outlets," says owner Nishek Jain. The initial sourcing of the products came from an exhibition called PackPlus hosted in New Delhi. Certain items, like rabadi with jalebi all come in a kulhad. They pack the curries in an eco-friendly thick-bond-with-lamination pack.

Nishek Jain, owner, 29 - Twenty Nine. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Where: Kemps Corner
Timings: 11 am – 3.30 pm and 7 pm – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: R1,000
Call: 7208022929

O Pedro

This Goan eatery became an instant talk-of-the-town thanks to its mix of flavours soaked in the coastal calm. From healthy options such as corn falafel lettuce wrap to good ol' chorizo chili fry poie, their menu has something for everyone. Before starting their takeaway services, O Pedro's tried and tested their delivery menu so that they knew that the food ordered for delivery would travel well. All these dishes are packed in products made of sugarcane, sorghum and wheat that are sourced locally from Pappco Greenware. "Working without plastic has its own challenges as one is not able to secure or seal in liquids completely, but we seal our boxes with paper tape to reduce chances of spillage," says Yash Bhanage, Partner at O Pedro. He adds, "The quality and the experience of eating the meal is most important for us. Therefore, we are only looking at delivering within a limited radius where we know the food would reach our guests quickly and in the way it was intended to."

30-60
No. of days in which sugarcane bagasse decomposes

Where: Bandra Kurla Complex
Timings: Noon to 1 am
Meal for two: R1,200
Call: 26534700

Mandala

This delivery kitchen offers a wide range of salads, sandwiches and soups. Sticking to their organic living philosophy, they also ensure that their food reaches their patrons in bio-degradable containers made of sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue. They source these products from a company that buys the packaging raw material from the UK and then processes it to create biodegradable bowls. The company also provides data on how many carbon credits they save by using their boxes. "We don't add any items on our menu that don't withstand our rigorous testing. This means that we let our food sit out at room temperature for up to an hour to see if it retains its flavour and freshness," says Sarvangi Shah, director of marketing.

Where: Kemps Corner and Prabhadevi
Timings: 11 am-midnight
Meal for two: Rs 700
Call: 8291817376

The Pantry

Tucked in the bylanes of the city's art district, this artsy café is a perfect hideout. The Pantry was established six years ago with principles of using fresh, local produce. This even translates in their packaging where they use food containers made of cornstarch while their straws, sleeves, boxes are all made of paper. Soup containers are made of bagasse. "Liquid foods like soups are the trickiest to pack but as we use bagasse container for the same and they are with an airtight lid which holds liquids safely, it makes it easy to travel," says Sumit Gambhir, the partner at The Pantry. In order to avoid spoilage due to temperature, they ensure that they maintain the delivery timings.

Address: Kala Ghoda, Fort
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Call: 22678901

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Representational picture

If your pets are following to every nook and cranny of your house and especially when you decide to have some lone time in the bathroom, blame it to their 'pack behaviour'. According to the recent studies, dogs have evolved to be pack animals with strong bonds to those around them, and in their domesticated state, the instinct to physically stick with the members of the pack transfers to their humans.

Reports say that if a pet follows you everywhere he might start suffering from anxiety and separation issues whenever the pet owner leaves the dog on its own. But on the flip side cats are not known to be as pack animals. They are in a constant search of warmth and thus are often seen cuddling up in towels or pillows. For cats their own privacy is paramount.

The cats would also follow you to your loo trips but not cause of their concern of separation from you but as they are insecure and want to check if there is nothing untoward going inside the house which could be threatening to them.

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Monday
Soak in some art
Attend an exhibition where artist Kanu Patel will showcase his paintings. His works are influenced by the religion, history, literature and arts of India.
Time 11 am to 7 pm
At Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda.
Call 9825041289
Free

Get a kick
Taekwondo is a semi-contact martial arts form that originated in Korea. Enrol for a summer camp where you can
learn the different techniques that it involves.
Time 9 am
At Natraj Hall, Link Road, Andheri West.
Log on to eventshigh.com
Entry Rs 1,800

Do something to dye for
Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique that is popular in many Southeast Asian countries. Learn how it’s done in Malaysia, where there are no restrictions on the colours you use On the fabric of your choice.
Time 12 noon
At Iteeha Studio, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
Log on to insider.in
Cost Rs 2,300

Tuesday
Deal with it
 An affordable watering hole is celebrating its first anniversary. And it’s offering an unbelievable deal to mark the occasion — get 36 unlimited drinks for just '365. If that doesn’t sound like a deal, we don’t know what will.
Time 9 pm onwards
At BKC Dive, Pinnacle Corporate Park, Bandra Kurla Complex.
Call 8655077330

Mark their words
Poetry is one form of the arts that can truly encapsulate the complexity of the human condition. Attend an open-mic event where new and established talent will read out their verses.
Time 8.30 pm
At Hive at Gostana, Parbhat Kunj, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Call 64533359
Cost Rs 250 (including Rs 100 as cover)

Get a high
Aeromodelling is an excellent way of learning basic science and engineering principles. Sign your child up for a course that teaches them how to build and fly model planes.
Time 11 am
At Quistic Learning Centre, Oshiwara, Andheri West.
Log on to eventshigh.com
Cost Rs 2,500

Wednesday
Eat like a local
Sample some authentic Maharashtrian fare at an eatery on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Tuck into delicacies like aamras puri, katachi amti, dalimbi wal and vangiyacha bhari.
Time 12 pm and 7 pm
At The Bombay Havelli, Maharshi Karve Road, Opera House, Girgaum.
Call 33126813
Cost Rs 1,200

Learn about wine
If you are a wine enthusiast, attend the informative Taste and Learn Series being held at the restaurant of a BKC hotel. A sommelier will teach how to distinguish between different makes of the drink, which will be paired with a curated menu of small bites.
Time 7 pm
At Artisan, Sofitel Hotel, BKC.
Call 8268152599
Cost Rs 3,097

Move your body
Attend a physical movements course that focuses on khel kalari, a body-mind training system comprising kalaripayattu, yoga, mobility and locomotion, breathwork, and voice and chanting exercises.
Time 9.30 am to 11 am, and 4.30 pm to 6 pm
At Hybrid Fitness, Bungalow 34, Janaki Devi School Road, Andheri West.
Call 9967535562
Cost Rs 3,000 for each phase

Thursday
Manage money
Attend a workshop on managing your finances if you’re the sort who regularly find yourself asking, “Where did my all money disappear to?” Learn how to choose the right investment options and define your financial goals.
Time 10 am
At Verbena Brewpub, Lower Parel.
Call 39971886
Cost Rs 2,500

Tell tales
Have a story to tell? Attend a session where audience members are invited to take the stage and narrate interesting anecdotes from their life, be it a hair-raising tale or an incident that makes people laugh out loud.
On 8 pm
At The School Of Thought, Laxmi Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri West.
Call 9819546349
Cost Rs 249

Go back in time
Catch Blackstratblues play a gig that rolls back time to the analogue era. The band is fronted by Warren Mendonsa (second from right in pic), a virtuoso guitarist, considered to be one of India’s best.
Time 9 pm
At Todi Mill Social, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
Call 7506394240
Entry Rs 600

Hear new jokes
The stand-up circuit in Mumbai is choc-a-bloc with a host of established comics and upcoming artistes. Many of them draw their inspiration from life in the Maximum City, meaning their routines are replete with jokes based on, say, Dadar station or vada pav. But if you are looking for something different, attend a gig that features only outstation artistes, who have their own flavour of comedy.
Time 8.30 pm
At The Cuckoo Club, 5AA Pali Hill Road, next to Candies, Bandra West.
Call 9619962969
Entry Rs 250

Catch a play
How does a husband’s quest to get his beloved wife’s sight restored create a stir in the life of an internationally renowned eye surgeon, who has given up his practice? And how does this interesting intersection of three lives play out? Find out at the staging of Molly Sweeney, a play directed by Rehaan Engineer.
Till April 22, 8 pm
At G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, Mahalaxmi.
Log on to bookmyshow.com
Entry Rs 750

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Representational picture

While you are upgrading your wardrobe with Summer staples like floral dresses, shorts and tank tops, don’t forget to amp up your style with the perfect handbag. From carry-it-all oversized tote bags to stylish circular bags that are the rage, refresh your wardrobe with the top handbags for the season with tips from Narendra Kumar, Creative Director, Amazon Fashion!

Fringed and tasseled
Fringes and tassels are one of the key trends this season. A leather sling back with flirty fringes makes for the perfect daytime bag but be sure to incorporate just the right amount. For a bohemian look carry a fringe bag with a floral dress. Balance it out by keeping the rest of your outfit simple and straight with basic accessories.

Bucket bags
The bucket bag is an absolute must have in your wardrobe. While the structure is more casual, with minimalist designs and neutral hues, these look sophisticated and chic. Open bucket bags have a thick strap on top whereas closed bucket bags have drawstrings around the top.

Circular bags
Here is a refreshing new trend for Spring-Summer. These circular shaped bags will add a fun and distinctive touch to your whole look. Go for sleek, elegant designs in solid colors. If you are looking for something more casual, get a textured leather bag or denim with patchwork. These are quite small but come in a huge variety of styles.

Oversized tote and hobo
Oversized totes and hobos are the best bags to carry it all! These can easily transition from your work wear to a casual everyday bag. While neutrals work best with formals, a bright oversized bag is all you need for a day at the beach. However, since oversized bags tend to look bulky or slouchy, get a structured one.

Mini bags
Along with oversized bags, mini bags have also become a popular choice. Although these are very small, it can be a statement piece. Mini bags come with cute detailing like bows or buckles in boxy shapes. Pick a pastel colored mini bag with a top handle to carry your basic essentials.

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Dario Brandt

The frenetic pace of life in Mumbai is such that it can sometimes suck you in like the last bit of water disappearing down the sinkhole of a swimming pool that's being emptied out. And before you know it, you become enmeshed in the social fabric of the city, riding a see-saw that oscillates between chasing dreams and paying absurd rent for a matchbox house. Yet, we trudge on, like troopers who feel most at home in a battleground. For, despite an inevitable sense of ruthlessness, there is also the milk of human kindness that nourishes this city's soul. And everyone's thus welcome to ride that see-saw. But sometimes, it's best to take a step back, pause, reflect and then start hurtling once again towards your goal.

Lydia Hendrikje Hornung. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

That, in a nutshell, is the message in Bombay Aaram Se, a new song that encapsulates what living in this city is all about. And what sets it apart from other musical tributes to Mumbai, such as the folksy 1969 classic Bombay Meri Hai, is that the two people who have composed it - Lydia Hendrikje Hornung and Dario Brandt - are both German. They landed in the city a few years ago to teach at The True School of Music in Lower Parel, and started sharing a flat in the process. Then, at some point, Hornung floated the idea to Brandt that they use the medium of music to give concrete shape to what their experience of living in the city has been like.

A still from the Bombay Aaram Se video

Brandt tells us, "Lydia is the one who came up with the chorus, and it felt perfect because going 'aaram se' is exactly how we were both feeling about being here. I then added some beats to it and she came up with the hook lines, and we had time to work on it since we were living together. So, we would just knock on each other's doors and say, 'Hey, what do you think about this input, or that one?'"

The product they eventually came up with is a catchy, EDM-inflected number with a modern, hip-hop vibe. The track starts with a 1970s-like Bollywood song sample, before it takes an edgy turn five seconds in. The lyrics capture the intrinsic tumult of the Maximum City, with lines like "I'm hailing kaali-peeli cabs/ I'm waking up in Bombay flats" interspersed with "Let me cough up rickshaw fumes/ Don't care what time we do". And the accompanying video feels as if the two of them are on a drive around town, stopping at quintessential Bambaiyya locations such as the Gateway of India, an Irani café, Land's End in Bandra and Marine Drive.

So all in all, it seems as if both Hornung and Brandt have internalised Mumbai to the extent that they, too, are riding the see-saw that life here can be about. Brandt says, "I find that despite it being such a welcoming place, it's also easy to disappear in this city. I mean, I step out of my house and I feel as if I have vanished sometimes," while Hornung adds, "Moving here was a completely life-changing matter for me. I got the feeling of, 'This is going to be my new home for a while.' And that made me find my peace with some of the things that annoy me, like traffic for instance. And eventually that's what also led me to think, 'Bombay, aaram se.' I mean, just chill, right?"

Log on to: YouTube and type "Bombay Aaram Se" to listen to the track

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Shades of red, bordeaux, pink and yellow are the key emanating colours this summer. Along with these colours, core summer essentials like white and blue also build foundations of the wardrobe. Prernaa Lohiya, Marketing Manager, French Connection, and Samantha Chilton, Head of Design KOOVS, have listed seven best summer fashion trends you must look out for. 

1. Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts: Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts that speak your mind, some core checkered shirts and athleisure inspired look for men are big this season. For women, soft florals and fashion infused athleisure is here to stay.

2. Side-striped bottoms and popper pants: Some of the other trends this season include side striped bottoms and popper pants.

3. Summer dresses in pastel shades: For a more ethereal look, you can choose pretty summer dresses in pastel hues as well.

4. Florals, solids, and patterns in green: The new hot colour for the summer is green and this can be seen in the form of florals, solids and patterns.

5. Bohemian grunge: It is also that time of the season when Bohemian grunge and festival dressing is popular including details like studding, lace inserts and broderie.

6. Neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts for men: Men can add an element of exploration, with utility and military accents. Also this season it's all about the prints; from contrasting resort florals to neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts.

7. Embroidered denim jacket: For layering, denim works wonders in summer and one can pick an embroidered denim jacket to layer a look with clean slip ons.

This summer, let your clothes speak your mind and add bright hues to your wardrobe to make a fashionable statement, say experts.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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The romanticising of vinyls is not without reason - the gritty, warm sound, the bout of nostalgia and the act of listening may all be cliches, but they also hold true. And today being World Record Store Day, there is perhaps no better way of spending it than actually being in one. So here are a few that can satiate everyone from the grandpa obsessed with Madhubala to the hipster who wears socks from different pairs. Take your pick.

The Revolver Club
Jude D'Souza (seated in pic), CeO at The Revolver Club, says, "I once got a call about someone wanting to purchase weapons and another one asking how they could join this club." He explains that the name is a play on the revolving aspect of vinyls and also an ode to a Beatles album. D'Souza set up the store with co-founder Shalom Benjamin about three years ago, and it has now become a go-to hub for record junkies.
At: LJ Road, Mahim West.
Call: 9833182255
Cost: Rs 100 to Rs 25,000

Royal Music Collection
Known simply as Abdul Razaak's store to those in the trade, this shop tucked away in Fort has been around since 1982. Featuring an array of languages and genres, the stock is a treasure trove of collectors' records. "Most of my customers are regulars and now that record players are back, I get some new ones too. Much what I have comes from old collections, so it's cheap and exquisite," says Razaak, the owner.
At: Kitab Mahal, Dr DN Road.
Call: 98209 33365
Cost: Rs 250 to Rs 2,000.

Music Circle
Pilak Bhatt, owner of Music Centre, which has been around for five years, says he has been collecting records for the last 40 years. At his store you can find both pre-owned records and new ones. "Because of my passion and love for music, I want this format to stay alive. Analogue sound is natural and warm and records have lovely artwork. Plus, there's ample information about the artistes. The sound of Mp3s isn't great, and people are realising that, which is why this revival has come about," Bhatt says.
At: V Mall, Kandivali east
Call: 9833062221
Cost: Rs 300 to Rs 2,000

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Accepting the futility of genres, of boxing songs into different compartments like stacked products in supermarket shelves, seems to be at the forefront of Rafiq Bhatia's musical endeavour. The 30-year-old American of Indian descent is the guitarist for a New York-based indie outfit called Son Lux. But it's his recent solo album, Breaking English, which makes the listener really question the need for musical boundaries, of sticking labels to a composition as if it's packaged meat.

The title track of the album, for instance, is not jazz, is not electronica, is not lounge, but all of these generic classifications rolled into one lush sound with a coherent narrative, where Bhatia's melancholic guitar plays the role of the protagonist. Each sonic detail in the track is well-defined, to the point where even though fellow Son Lux member Ian Chang's drum beats seem dissonant, they fit like a glove into the overall musical fabric. Bhatia describes this sensibility when he tells us over the phone from Berlin, where he's on tour, "Ryan (Lott, the vocalist for Son Lux) would say that instead of building a house, designing a room and then placing a chair in it, why don't we start with the chair first, and then design the room around it before building the house. There is a theory in poetry called organicism, where the poet lets each individual verse define the form that the poem will take. That is kind of similar to what I'm trying to do with my music."

He further explains his musical process when he narrates a story about one of his influences, Sam Rivers, the late American jazz great. "I've read that he would attend the concerts of all his peers, and purposely study their music to understand what they were trying to do. But this wasn't to replicate what they were playing. Instead, it was to consciously avoid it. Similarly, John Coltrane took the music of his predecessors and retooled the entire musical vocabulary keeping a similar underlying foundation, but with new pathways built on top of it," he says, giving us an indication of how he doesn't hesitate to flush rule books down the toilet.

Hybridity, in fact, lies at the core of Bhatia's creative evolution. The basis for this, he says, might well be his mixed identity. Born in North Carolina, he has never really fit in to any particular community. For, even though his parents are of Gujarati origin, they grew up in Tanzania, before moving to London and then finally to the US. So, while his brown skin stood out among the white kids in his school, he didn't feel completely at home among the Indian community either. "Everybody thinks that I am something else. So, my music is a result of a need to express my identity. It's a form of therapy at some level, because it's also a way of accepting who I am," he says.

He adds that this therapy started early. When he was about eight or nine, the older desi kids in Bhatia's neighbourhood would pick him up in a car and stop at a parking lot, listening to the hip-hop albums that became one of his earliest influences. Was he drawn to them because of the political overtones that such songs often embody? "Not really," he answers, adding, "I was only in the third grade at the time, and I couldn't even understand the words. So it was the musicality that I fell for. But the deeper question is, why were a bunch of brown kids sitting in a car in a parking lot and empathising with hip-hop music? What is it that was drawing them to the words? So you see, it's difficult to disentangle the politics from the music."

It follows thus that an intertwining of politics and music sometimes features in his own compositions. For example, Hoods Up, a complex instrumental piece, drew its inspiration from Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was cruelly shot down because of a case of mistaken identity. The guitarist says, "I feel some amount of compulsion to express my [political] ideas. But sometimes, it's easy to get carried away with being overtly political because there is so much to be angry about, and often the responsibility falls on artistes to emphasise it. So I would say that politics is a general part of what inspires my music, because there are so many other facets of my personality that also make their way in."

Essentially, then, what Bhatia wants to keep doing is create genre-defying tracks where attention to detail is of paramount importance. "When you take the details and all the generalities of music for granted, that's when your songs start sounding more like other people's music. That doesn't mean you can't make great tracks. It's just that the less you consider those things, the less is the chance that you will make music that departs from convention. The flip side is that when you think actively about each decision, and each one comes from a place of individuality, it becomes hard to find a coherent logic that ties all those things together. And that ends up being the riddle that I am constantly trying to solve with my music."

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Representational picture

Using warm water and shaving slowly can help you keep razor bumps at bay, say experts. Preeti Seth, Cosmetologist, Pachouli Wellness Clinic, and Prabhu Mishra, Senior Cosmetologist from SCI International Hospital, list some tips to keep in mind while shaving.

• Firstly hydrate to minimise the nicks, cuts and irritation -- Hydrating softens your hair allowing the razor to glide more easily.
• Take a steamy shower. Warm water softens both your hair and skin, reducing tension as your razor blade cuts your scruff.
• Use old method of shaving through brush and making lather instead of foam for few days as bristles of brush will help in scrubbing the pores.
• Use a face wash or scrub to remove oil, dirt and dead skin.
• One must moisturise the skin after shaving as dryness leads to split heads and itching.
• Another reason of razor burn is dull blades. Replace your razor, if you feel any tugging while shaving, ditch your razor and swap it for a new one.
• Cucumber has anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties, plus it is high in vitamin K and C both of which are best known for their healing properties. Cut a few slices of cucumber and place them in the refrigerator for half an hour. Take out the slices from the refrigerated cucumber and rub on the affected skin for 10 minutes.
• Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in making the skin smooth. Simply mix one tablespoon of olive oil and five drops of tea tree oil in a bowl. Apply on the affected area using a cotton ball. Keep it on for 15 minutes and then rinse off with lukewarm water.
• Yogurt also has antibacterial properties that can help in reducing inflammation and swelling. Simply, mix one tablespoon of plain yogurt with one and a half teaspoon of honey and apply on the affected area. Keep it on for 15 minutes and then wash the mixture off with warm water.

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As the summer season calls for travel, invest in the right kind of bags before you set out for a trip. While women have a lot of options, so do men as they can invest in smart duffle or crossbody city bags, experts suggest. Tabby Bhatia, Director at Voganow.com, and Salesh Grover, Business Head, OSL Luxury Collections Pvt Ltd, Corneliani, have listed different styles of bags that men can use:

1. Crossbody city bags for business jet-setters: Available in different textures, these bags come with adequate space to store your notes, electric gadgets and clothes making them an ideal pick for every business outing.

2. Leather strolley bags: This bag comes in different types of leather and adequately sized pouches that not only help in segregating your luggage but also give a classy appeal to your travel ensemble. Always keep in mind to pick a strolley with high quality leather as it extends the durability and helps in withstanding rigors travel easily.

3. Duffle bags: This is the most ideal option for those who believe in luxury travelling. Stylish yet comfortable, these bags come in a versatile range and are a worthwhile choice when it comes to carrying a lot of stuff without making a mess. Be it a weekend escape or an adventurous trip to the mountains, duffle bags are always a go to option for any traveller planning a vacation.

4. Briefcase: One of the oldest and classic bags in the category is a briefcase. Carrying it simply adds to the sartorial elegance in your professional look. For the fashion aficionados, especially when it comes to that business meeting, a leather briefcase will boast of the formal status that one carries. Also, known as folio cases, this is definitely a must have to keep all your important documents at one place.

5. Backpacks: Well, whether you're a student or a professional or a wanderer, a staple accessory that can carry all your stuff and gives a cool vibe is a backpack. Always look for a superior quality backpack that is spacious, prior straps check should be made for a hassle free journey. Try choosing leather backpacks that last long and are durable.

50,000
The approximate books in the library of what used to be Mahatma Gandhi's Bombay headquarters during the freedom struggle

360
Books read by Gandhi that are housed in the museum

45
Books written by Gandhi that are part of the collection log on to gandhi-manibhavan.org

Six
The number of double decker tram models in the collection, which ran in the city from 1920 to 1964. Two of them are still functional

One
A trolley bus model that ran on an electric route between Gowalia Tank and Mazgaon from 1962 to 1971

Five
The total types of ticket-issuing machines in the museum log on to bestundertaking.com

82,795
Total documents (the oldest being from 1830s; with papers revealing the genesis of the company, and architectural and technical drawings including those of typewriter keyboards in regional languages)

52,006
Photographs (oldest being from 1880s with some taken by well-known industrial photographer Mitter Bedi in 1970s) in the archives

1,266
Memorabilia (including the ballot box made for the first election of independent India, along with models of typewriters, that of a refrigerator from 1958, steel cupboard from 1930s, safes, etc.)
Log on to: archives.godrej.com

780
Clay models in the collection of the oldest museum in the city

92
Miniature paintings

230
Total metal objects including artefacts in brass, bronze, copper, bell metal, koftagiri, bidri and photographs on metal
Log on to: bdlmuseum.org

60,000
Total exhibits, which include paintings, sculptures and numismatic

5,000
Natural history specimens in the collection of which 430 are currently on display

2,000
Chinese and Japanese art exhibits in the collection of which 1,100 are on display

4,000
Indian and non-Indian paintings and prints
Log on to: csmvs.in

10,000
Total exhibits of Indian coinage, paper currency, financial instruments and monetary curiosities

1,500
Exhibits that provide a ringside view of the birth of currencies
Log on to: rbi.org.in

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New York: Let your child be curious for learning new things as it may help him or her to grasp basic math and improve reading skills from an early age, a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher suggests. Curiosity in young children was defined as a trait for the joy of discovery, and the motivation to seek answers to the unknown.

But, the current early learning interventions just focus on improving a child's effortful control which includes their ability to concentrate or control impulses, the researchers rued.

The findings, published in the journal Pediatric Research, suggest that even if a child manifests low effort control, high curiosity can lead to higher academic achievement.

This is why children who have developed a wide range of socio-emotional skills such as invention, imagination, persistence, attentiveness to tasks, as well as the ability to form relationships and manage feelings, are generally more successful when they start school, the researchers said.

"Our results suggest that while higher curiosity is associated with higher academic achievement in all children, the association of curiosity with academic achievement is greater in children with low-socioeconomic status," said lead author Prachi Shah, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

For children from poorer communities, curiosity is even more important for higher academic achievement, because it can help them close the achievement gap associated with poverty, the researchers added.

For the study, the reading and math skills and behaviour of 6,200 children in kindergarten were measured.

Their parents were interviewed during home visits and the children were assessed when they were nine-months and two-years-old, and again when they entered pre-school and kindergarten.

"Our results suggest that after controlling for other factors associated with higher achievement, curiosity continues to make a small but meaningful contribution to academic achievement," Shah explained.

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The opening scene of Aladdin

We are caught in this familiar tussle between a perfect past and a future of possibilities as the curtains for the Disney Broadway-style musical Aladdin open. As 90s kids, for some of us who just adored Aladdin and his entourage, there was trepidation in our hearts last week — will this musical live up to the 1992 animation film?

As the first scene unfolds on stage, we were not disappointed, not in the least bit. A resplendent multi-level market scene in Agrabah, reminiscent of souks that spell 'Middle Eastern' with projected skies overheard, becomes the playground for a chase during which our daring street rat, Aladdin, enters. Directed by Shruti Sharma, who had formerly assisted in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the re-imagined production with an all-Indian cast begins on a power-packed note, which is sustained through the course of the evening. Watch out for scenes in The Cave of Wonders and the flying carpet. Simply magical.

Mantra excels as Genie

Aladdin, played by Taaruk Raina in the production we saw, ably captures the complex range of human emotions scripted for the part, from flirtatious lover to contrite prisoner. His triad of friends, especially Keith Sequeira as Kassim, is an energetic foil to the character. And, the role of Iago, villain Jafar's sidekick, brings in the much-needed cheekiness and irreverence to this romance. But, the character that will truly steal your hearts is, as always, Genie, played by Puranjit Dasgupta, who goes by the name Mantra. Through him, the musical conveys a local flavour in an international production, the spicy tang of bhel puri amidst clean hummus and pita. It may seem more Bollywood than Broadway at times, also thanks to a heavy dose of melodrama, but, it got the security guards breaking into chuckles as much as the kids in the front row, so that can only be a good thing.

So, what of Jasmine, played by the beautiful Kira Narayanan? The musical does its best to push gender norms, and its stress on themes of personal freedom, especially through this character and Genie, come as gentle reminders to the audiences. Despite this, Aladdin doesn't pass the Bechdel test, and we wish Jasmine and her friends had half as much fun as Aladdin and his bawdy bunch. Jasmine's character is poorly scripted, and it doesn't match up to the original film's feisty, smouldering princess.

It's impossible not to comment on the songs, for this is a musical after all. Some are entertaining, while some, occasionally moving — Aladdin's got the right mix. What may happen for the adults, if not with the kids, is that you may be left wanting a quiet moment in between songs, for there is just far too much excitement on stage. You need to cool off from all that Genie energy.

Aladdin verges on PG at times, though it says suitable for 4+, with lip-locks and some spirited filmi jhatkas. Nothing that should stop your kid, niece or nephew from watching, but we are just putting it out there. Oh, and did we mention that the actors wear shiny sneakers? The kids will want those for school, and that's a conversation you will need to have with them.

WHERE: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
WHEN: Till May 13. 7.30 PM
ENTRY: Rs 1,250 - Rs 8,250
CALL: 66223737

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Illustration/Uday Mohite

Several years ago, when Dr Karanvir Singh was pursuing his doctorate in the field of applied psychology, he stumbled upon an interesting find. The focus of his PhD was relationships. What he surmised from those years of research and interviews was that "if people enjoyed good relationships with their partner, it also positively influenced and affected other areas of their lives too." But Singh, who now works as a relationship empowerment coach, believes that romantic utopia isn't possible, until one develops a perfect relationship with themselves.

Karanvir Singh

Having conducted over 55 workshops on relationship management across the globe, Singh is conducting a session for singles - My Perfect Welationship - that will equip participants with the right tools to create their happily ever after. The two-hour-long session, which will involve games apart from examination of case studies, will walk you through three main topics.

"First, it's important to define what is a right relationship," says Singh. While there is no ideal relationship, having false notions about love can be detrimental, he adds. Singh will also reflect on the need for "creating an inventory" of the kind of behaviour one is looking for, from their potential partners. "Top on this list is the non-negotiable ones," he says, adding that he will also discuss ways where one can spot the red flag in romance. Lastly, he will suggest ways of breaking the communication barrier. "When communication between two people is more aligned, half the conflicts can be gotten rid of," he says.

WHERE: Ninos Nook, Bhulabhai Desai Marg, Breach Candy
ENTRY: Rs 2,000
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

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Louiz Banks

I must first establish that jazz is not solely American music. It was born there, no doubt, but gradually it has become a universal musical language, seamlessly integrating with other cultures around the world driven by gifted musicians with an open mind. Thereby becoming a well-loved genre of music. There's a bunch of young and talented musicians in Mumbai and India who are getting into jazz in a serious manner despite the fact that they also play other genres of popular music.

Rhys Sebastian D'Souza

They are versatile, but jazz is their focus, which is great. Because of their commitment, supported by application and daily practice, they are bringing freshness and vitality to the growth and popularity of jazz.

Rhythm Shaw

I am happy about this because it's my dream to bring jazz to the intelligent masses. Among the youngsters who are the driving forces in this amazing movement are Gino Banks, Sheldon D'Silva, Mohini Dey, Anurag Naidu, Andrew Kanga, Rhythm Shaw, Abhinav Khokhar, Rahul Wadhwani, Vasundhara Vee, Sonia Saigal, Isheeta Chakravarty, Harmeet Manseta, Tarun Balani, Ron Cha, Sharik Hassan, Shirish Malhotra and Rhys Sebastian D'Souza, among other talented musicians.

Isheeta Chakravarty

Each of them is bringing his/her own perception and unique individuality to the understanding and 'live' performance of jazz. These artistes are taking the jazz movement forward into the now and beyond. God bless their zeal and may their tribe increase manifold. My dream is becoming a reality.

As told to Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari

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Smeetha Bhaumik

The poet-artist, for whom this is the second Glo/NaPoWriMo attempt, says, "Platforms like these are precious to a poet, because of the sense of community and writing in unison that they offer. Writing to new prompts every day is a challenge in itself, and an exciting one; I say this because I have seen unexpected beautiful verses emerge out of my pen [or mouse]." For Bhoumik, it's tough to pinpoint where her tryst with poetry began, "I have grown up with poetry as a background motif in an environment of science and engineering that dominated my Bengali household. So, its aesthetics have been with me all along. Though I took up writing much later, it was as if I had written it all my life. It just flowed," she says.

Moonlit haibun writes itself,
silver crescents that speak to silence
often.
On the walls trellises of poetry,
On the night:
Shadows
Of poems
To come

Ritu Poddar

A NaPoWriMo novice, Poddar says for her, the takeaways are many. "This has been the most productive and creative month of my life so far. I learnt that passion alone cannot take you anywhere but, passion combined with discipline can," she shares. Speaking of the challenges she faced, Poddar says, "There were days when I would easily find inspiration or an idea to write about. But on others, even the prompts could not help. I have stayed up all night to ensure I don't break the chain of writing continuously."

Collecting from every corner of my body
Debris of past heartbreaks,
Stench of hoarded guilt,
Leftovers of repeated mistakes,
Scraps of untreated anguish
Digging hard to pull out weeds of hurt
Rooted deep into the memory bed.
Cutting cobwebs of relations I weaved,
Which had turned into fetters.

When Washington-based poet and publisher, Maureen Thorson began the National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) in 2003, little did she realise that it was going to turn April into the busiest month for poets across the world? The objective is to pen down 30 poems in 30 days — spurred on by prompts (available on the official NaPoWriMo blog) and a general camaraderie that allows you to find the much sought-after inspiration writers are constantly pining for. Today, this has become a global community, with most preferring to call it Glo/NaPoWriMo. It has found its way into the lives of many Indian poets.  We speak to four of them as the month comes to an end.

Rakhee Panth

Panth quit her job as a school teacher to pursue writing full time. This was her first NaPoWriMo attempt and she says the experience was exhilarating. She began writing when she was 11 and published her first short story at 14 in Children's World Magazine. "Writing is a lonely profession. This forum encourages writers across the world to stay inspired and motivated as a community [albeit virtual]. It is believed that creativity often follows its own graph but NaPoWriMo pushes you to harness your creative energy every day and expand your horizon in a guided manner — something that many writers are hungry for in our country. It helps inculcate discipline and is a creative and fun alternative to structure your writing process," she says.

When rain finally falls
And takes with it
The earth's sorrow,
Winnows its way
Into her heart
And stays,
I will call to you then

When eternity stops
And time stands still
I shall have dissolved you in me

Aashish Vaidya

The blog, which is maintained by Thorson features a participant every day. Aashish Vaidya was one of the few Indians to be named. Originally from Vadodara, Gujarat, Vaidya says that his foray into poetry was encouraged by his grandfather, and began with their affinity for Hindi ghazals. "Ghazal singing is that beautiful confluence of good poetry, good singing and good music. I wrote poems and articles sporadically in high school, and in college, for newsletters and community magazines. But, I can relate to Picasso's quote 'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.' So for many years, the desire to write lay dormant, as the proverbial life happened," he says. Vaidya, who is participating in the challenge for the fourth time, believes its significance is manifold. "It provides this huge nudge to write. And if you tap into the NaPoWriMo blog community, you can also find other individuals around the globe, who are writing. And in many cases, they are struggling to write, like you, at this maddening pace." he says.

But, talking anything rational with them is more
Like 'burning daylight,' or 'whistling up the wind.'
I mean it takes a special someone with,
'Too many cobwebs in the attic,' to believe someone who is
'Slicker than a slop jar or a boiled onion.'
I mean, come on y'all, howdayya believe someone who,
'Knows more ways to take your money than a roomful of lawyers.'

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Give your mother a break from routine, pamper her with a breakfast in bed or a spa hamper for Mother's Day, which falls on May 13 this year. Mikita Laad Gupta, Senior Designer at Bonito Designs and Abraham Santhosh, Head Designer of Elegancia, have shared ways which can help you bring a smile on your mother's face:

1. A day free from the 'Mom routine': Mothers never get a day off from their daily routine and they never complain too. Every mother always has a list of things she needs to do, so why not do it for her? Let her relax at home while you do the grocery shopping, run to the post office, pick up dry-cleaning or whatever else Mom needs you to do. She will definitely appreciate the gesture!

2. Breakfast in bed: The first part of Mother's Day should be her breakfast. A meal ordered from her favourite restaurant. Let her relax and not think about breakfast for everyone at home, because you have already taken care of it.

3. Sparkle up the home for her: Cleaning the house is a huge task for every mother. On this day, help her out by cleaning it before she starts her day. Fix those things that she always wanted to be repaired and make her day.

4. Home decor makeover: Mothers always want to make a change in their house, but they never really get the time for it due to their daily chores and work. This Mother's Day, make her dream come true by doing what she has always wanted to - could be a vegetable garden, or a mini library or a music library or even revamp the sitting room.

5. Pamper her with a spa hamper: Everyone loves a massage, some of them crave for a fresh manicure and pedicure. Some of them have not had a good haircut and colour since a long time. So here's a chance to pamper your mother with a spa hamper and let her have a relaxing day and look pretty as she always should.

6. A photo family tree: Everyone loves to see their old photos. It brings back memories and family tree of photos is the best way to see everyone you love right there. Create a family tree of photos on a wall at home as a surprise for her as she has always wanted to do it but never had the time.

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Mothers seem to be almost supernaturally gifted with the ability to instantly lift spirits and make us feel loved and cared for. As International Mothers Day draws closer, let us celebrate their wonderful presence in our lives by making them feel extra special. Satish Kannan, Co-founder and CEO of DocsApp and Ankit Garg, Co-founder and CEO of Wakefit.co give away some solutions that can make your mother happy:

1. Gift her a healthy life: Let her know how much you appreciate her selfless care by gifting her on-demand medical assistance and access to quality medical consultation.

2. Gift her blissful sleep: After a hectic day at work and home, the least your mother deserves is a good night's sleep so she can be fully rejuvenated to face the next day with abundant energy. Help her sleep healthier with a high quality and comfortable mattress that makes her feel more rested in a shorter period of time.

3. Gift her career growth: It is not unlikely that your mother took a professional break to raise you and your siblings. Now that you're all grown up and independent, encourage her to kick-start her career once again.

Here are some more interesting ways to thank your mom:

4. Plant flowers for her: It is time to make the most of the summer season. Buy flowers like lilies, zinnia, marigold and plan them for your mom.

5. Cook her favourite dish: Your mom must be cooking for you on each and every day of the year. But, on Mother's Day, let her take a break from routine kitchen activities and you cook her favouriet dish. Bring all ingredients in advance, make the dish and let her relax and enjoy a delicious meal.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Kylie Jenner on vacation with her daughter Stormi. pic courtesy/ instagram.com/kylie jenner

Last month, social media star Kylie Jenner was severely mom-shamed by keyboard warriors for heading to a music festival without her infant daughter, Stormi. While Internet trolls are no experts, what exactly does it take to form a bond with your baby?

“Fundamental human nature includes adapting to changes. For a woman to transition into motherhood is common, nevertheless, it’s not a cakewalk. Many women experience post-partum blues for about two weeks after delivery. Should it extend beyond this period, it could be a sign of a post-partum disorder. Therefore, we need to build a society that accepts and understands the plethora of emotions that a new mother experiences,” says Maithili Thanawala Kanabar, counselling psychologist.

Dr. Bindu KS

Here’s our primer on how to face up to it, and move on.

1. Return to working out
“The body needs six weeks to heal — whether it’s a natural birth, caesarean or an episiotomy [which involves a vaginal cut]. The body’s physiology gets back to normal in six weeks, the uterus comes back to shape and body fluids return to normalcy. Whether a housewife or a working woman, it is advisable that she resumes her fitness regime in six weeks,” says Dr Ranjana Dhanu, consultant, gynaecology and obstetrics, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical. But if you have been regular with your fitness routine before and during your pregnancy, you can even go back to working out within a week if you have had a normal delivery. “Start with light exercises such as stretches and walks,” says Dr Bindhu KS, consultant, gynaecology, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. The body, especially the spine, kidneys, heart and lungs and not just the reproductive organs, undergo changes, says Dr Bindhu.

2. Get back to the office
Kanabar explains that there is no “mother manual” that defines the best time for a new mother to dive into a competitive workspace. “Try being around the baby for the first few months. Talk to your baby about beginning work and scaffold it for him/her. If your baby is used to co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and you are finding it difficult to wean him/her off, they may take some time to get used to your absence,” says Kanabar. Unfortunately, not many companies in India have a full-time crèche facility. “Indian companies must make it mandatory to have a full-time crèche at the workplace. This will increase the overall efficiency of working women, especially when it comes to the corporate workplace,”
believes Dr Dhanu.

Dr Ranjana Dhanu

“Almost all companies have a six-month maternity leave policy. The key is to strike a balance between motherhood and work,” says Dr Bindhu. If it gets overwhelming, Kanabar suggests reaching out to your support system. However, she warns that it is imperative for mothers to remember to not board the overcompensating train, which might drive one to overdo things and become more lenient.

3. Take a break
“Any wound takes six weeks to heal and it heals well in this period for any kind of birth. Hardcore physical or adventure activities are absolutely safe after six weeks. All the medical textbooks say that the body needs to resume some kind of exercise or physical activity post six weeks of delivery. If you can afford it, take a nanny along,” suggests Dr Dhanu.

4. Slip into a chic mode
Be it exercising or getting your glam on, pursuing something that makes you look and feel good is a good way to boost your morale. “Me-time is viewed as a selfish concept while in reality, it is a safe space that every human needs to visit to rejuvenate,” says Kanabar. It is the quality of time spent with the baby that matters.
Dr Bindhu adds that people also spend only two to three hours with their child but that does not mean there is no bonding.

Maithili Thanawala Kanabar

Mother, baby and attachment

Some studies suggest that the first three months are the most crucial. Infants develop representations of attachments based on the bond with the primary caregiver. Pioneering British psychiatrist John Bowlby suggested that this attachment acts as a prototype for their future relationships and psychological health.

An infant communicates in rudimental ways and attending to those needs reinforces the infant’s sense of security. It is essential that the mother is attentive and spends quality time with the infant, but there is no need to spend every breathing moment with them. Comforting, breastfeeding on time (or feeding the baby yourself), and communicating with the baby leads to a secure attachment.

Usually, securely attached babies cry when the mother leaves and allow the mother to comfort them when she returns. Every baby responds differently. Remain receptive to the baby’s needs and spend quality time without distractions.

Watch for signs like how the baby responds when you return after a brief absence. Most would allow you to comfort them and look at you when they are inching towards exploring something new. And lastly, mum knows best. So look out for every sign.

Mandira Bedi with her son Veer, who is six today. pic courtesy/jitu savlani

I was fit when I was pregnant. After birth, I had to wait for 40 days before I could exercise again. On the 41st day, I stepped out for my first walk. It was pouring at the time but I had decided that come rain or storm, I will go for it. Later, I started jogging, moved to gymming and lifting weights. I had gained 22kg and was able to return to my pre-pregnancy weight in six months. I had serious post-partum depression that lasted for those 40 days. My depression disappeared after I started exercising. I had a baby pretty late in my life [at 39]. I didn’t fall in love with him at first sight. I wondered, ‘This is the end of my freedom. Will I get work after this?’. It was overwhelming. It’s important to be aware that what’s going on with you is normal and okay. But in that period of 40 days I eventually fell in love with him. Giving birth to him is the best thing I have done. But motherhood is not the only thing that defines me. I am hands-on, but I think you can be a better mother if you are not thinking about it 24/7. That little time for you is crucial. The rule in our house is either parent has to be there at home, always. Working out has less to do for me physically than what it does for me mentally.

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"
The cast and crew of Malgudi Revisited

Malgudi - the famous fictitious place that RK Narayan created - has a certain sense of innocence that seems incongruous with the fast pace of life in a city like Mumbai. It offered the characters a chance to enjoy the simpler pleasures of life, be it a young boy following the journey of a paper boat down a nullah or chucking pebbles into a lake. But now, people here can also get a chance to spend a day in the laidback town, as Tantra Theatre Group brings it to life in a series of short plays called Malgudi Revisited.

In it, a narrator will take the audience around different locations, making them meet the locals who populated Narayan's much-loved book. The day begins early, at 8 am, with a visit to the school where Swami - one of Narayan's most iconic characters - studied with his friends. Their exploits were of an everyday nature. And yet, there were lessons embedded in the story that are relevant even today, such as how a wall of conflict can be broken down with just a bit of empathy and understanding.

The short play featuring the astrologer

Then, around noon, the audience will be taken to a chowk where they will meet "the talkative man", who narrates a story called Old Man of the Temple. It deals with how the talkative man had once encountered a ghost while driving by a roadside temple, who possessed the spirit of the young man at the wheel. Krishna Battar, the ghost, was the one who had built the temple. But his spirit refused to leave the area even after his death, since there was no one else to take care of the holy place. Eventually, the talkative man convinces Battar that it is important to let go of the past, no matter how tough that is. And in the end, it seems that Battar has understood this point, because the next time the man comes around to that temple, the ghost is nowhere to be seen.

Later in the afternoon, the scene shifts to a bank, where a watchman is sitting outside the gate. This watchman tells the audience about how, after retiring from his job, he had discovered a talent for making paper dolls. He had received a lot of love for the same, but one day, he got a registered letter from a bank whose manager had been one of the recipients of his dolls. Now, back at that time, receiving a registered letter invariably spelt financial doom for a person. So, the watchman cursed himself for giving the manager his gift, and the insane fear he felt about opening the letter finally made him lose his mind. The irony, though, is that the envelope had contained a sum of `100, which the manager had sent the watchman, elated with his gift.

Soumitra Acharya

After that, in the evening, the audience is taken around to a marketplace, where they meet an astrologer whose quick thinking saves him from being pummelled by a man he had once tried to kill in his village. And finally, the narrator notices that a light is still switched on in the bank, so he goes to find out if someone is still working there. In the process, the audience comes across the character who was the protagonist of a story called Forty Rupees a Month. This man had decided to quit his soul-crushing job to spend more time with his family. The sum of Rs 40 was not completely peanuts back then. But it still didn't allow him to take his wife and children out for movies, for instance, and so he decided to hang up his boots. But at the last moment before submitting his resignation letter, he found out that he had got a pay hike of `5, and that made him change his mind about packing up his working life and calling it a day.

Soumitra Acharya, who directed and wrote the short plays, and also essays the role of the narrator, reveals this plot structure to us. He also points out how relevant Narayan's stories continue to be. "For instance, the main character in Forty Rupees a Month might well be me, where instead of taking my family out for a movie, my ambition could be to take my parents on a foreign trip. So, like him, even I am stuck in my comfort zone, and refuse to get out of that rut come what may," he says, pointing out how some issues remain constant through the years, and some places like Malgudi - fictitious as it may be - have a sense of timelessness that persists through the ages.

ON: May 13, 7.30 pm
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ENTRY: Rs 350

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London: While scientists agree that the Sun will die in approximately 10 billion years, they were not sure what would happen next, until now. A new study now says that it will turn into a massive ring of bright, interstellar gas and dust, known as a planetary nebula.

"This is a nice result... We even have found out what the Sun will do when it dies!" said one of the researchers Albert Zijlstra, Professor at the University of Manchester in Britain.

A planetary nebula marks the end of 90 per cent of all stars active lives and traces the star's transition from a red giant to a degenerate white dwarf.

But, for years, scientists were not sure if the Sun in our galaxy would follow the same fate as it was thought to have too low a mass to create a visible planetary nebula.

To find out, the team developed a new stellar, data-model that predicts the lifecycle of stars.

The model, detailed in the journal Nature Astronomy, was used to predict the brightness (or luminosity) of the ejected envelope, for stars of different masses and ages.

"When a star dies it ejects a mass of gas and dust - known as its envelope - into space. The envelope can be as much as half the star's mass. This reveals the star's core, which by this point in the star's life is running out of fuel, eventually turning off before finally dying," Zijslra explained.

The new models show that after the ejection of the envelope, the stars heat up three times faster than found in older models.

This makes it much easier for a low mass star, such as the Sun, to form a bright planetary nebula. The team found that in the new models, the Sun is almost exactly the lowest mass star that still produces a visible, though faint, planetary nebula.

"It is only then the hot core makes the ejected envelope shine brightly for around 10,000 years - a brief period in astronomy. This is what makes the planetary nebula visible," Zijslra said.

"Some are so bright that they can be seen from extremely large distances measuring tens of millions of light years, where the star itself would have been much too faint to see," Zijslra added.

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A frame from the series, Music for Everyone. Pic/Yuyang Liu

The town of Siem Reap in Cambodia is a fascinating blend of history, modernity and culture. While the magnificent temple complex of Angkor Wat is no more than 6 km away from the picturesque location, it is also home to artisan collectives and Cambodian Cultural Village that gives a glimpse of the country's diverse cultural heritage. Since 2005, the city has also been the venue for Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops (APFW), a non-profit cultural association founded by noted names in photography from across the world - including members of Magnum Photos - to nurture Asia's photographic community by providing an affordable and self-sustainable platform for professional training.

From the series, Two Eyes Good, Four Eyes Bad. Pic/Rebecca Chew

Over the years, emerging photographers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Japan and Cambodia among other Asian countries have attended tuition-free professional workshops, worked on a photo story inspired by their surroundings and showcased their project at the end of the festival. The APFW alumni community is a thriving one, where collaborations and creative exchange is common. Photographers from Mumbai, too, have participated in the festival, and to introduce emerging lensmen from the city to its upcoming edition in December, APFW alumni will conduct an interactive session this Saturday. The session, being held in Mumbai for the first time, is part the Angkor Hangover series of events organised across Asia.

From the series, Bokator, on young Cambodians trying to resurrect a traditional form of martial arts. Pic/Zishaan A Latif 

"The mentors are people whose work I admire. And when a group of 30 individuals with eclectic practices and realities specific to their countries come to learn from them, they also learn from each other," says freelance photographer and filmmaker Aishwarya Arumbakkam, who participated in the festival in 2016 and is one of the organisers of the Mumbai session. Multimedia projections by photographers from the 2016 batch are also a part of the evening.

From the series, Ahp. Pic/Aishwarya Arumbakkam

While applications are shortlisted on the basis of merit, freelance photographer and alumna Karen Dias explains that to keep the programme accessible and inclusive, there is no upper age limit for applicants. Fellow alumnus of the 2009 batch, Zishaan Akbar Latif, recalls, "As a budding photographer, you are terrified of showing your work, but you realise that others are in the same boat, too. Being in that quaint part of the world at a workshop that's different from its uptight counterparts helps you loosen up," he shares.

APFW organising committee member Andrea Fernandes, who has been associated with the festival for five years, sums up its nature, "This event is initiated by alumni and this is the direction we want the festival to go in - where every person associated can have a space to speak about their work and collaborations."

ON: May 12, 5 pm to 7 pm
AT: Trilogy by the Eternal Library, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
CALL: 8080590590

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Are you someone that likes living life on the edge, from salary to salary, buying something as and when you set eyes on it, without worrying about your savings, and a "dekha jayega" attitude? That may seem cool -- but it's also a short cut to financial disaster. Walnut App CEO and Co-Founder Patanjali Somayaji lists five ways to ensure you don't go broke. Ever.

Download a money management app to track your expenses
If you have never been the type to track your expenses, now is a good time to start. You can download an app that tracks your spends and set a budget, keep a watch on your upcoming credit card and utility bill payments, as well as see how much you owe or have to get from others. This is the first step to getting your finances streamlined.

Make a plan and set goals for yourself
Set short-term (a few months ahead) and long-term (a year and beyond) goals. It could be anything from taking up a new hobby like learning the guitar, to buying a new phone/laptop/camera, getting married, buying a new house or being debt-free by a certain date, and so on. Based on the plan, break it down into quarterly and monthly goals so you know how much to save, how much is safe to spend and so on. Having a plan will give you an overview and much better control of your finances.

Set up an emergency fund
Once you're tracking your spends and have set goals, you know how much money you need to allocate to each of them. You would also get an estimate of your spending pattern and expenses for each month. Based on this, have an emergency fund in place that will take care of at least 6-8 months' worth of living expenses so that in case of a mishap or a loss of job, you don't go broke, and have something to fall back on. You can set it up so that a certain percentage of your salary/income each month is automatically transferred to this fund. It could be in a different bank account, a fixed deposit, or even a liquid fund -- and most importantly, it should be accessible easily and quickly when needed urgently.

Set limits for your spend categories
Take a look at your spends in greater detail to understand where the money goes each month. Assign limits to each of these categories for the month and see how you're doing at the end of the month. This will give you an idea of your lifestyle and if you're spending more than you earn, as well as where you can cut down on unnecessary spends.

Stay debt-free
Credit cards can be extremely useful -- for regular spends as well as during emergencies, and over time, with a good payment history, can boost your credit score too. However, if you're the type of person who cannot pay off credit card bills in full each month or who just pays the minimum amount due, stick to using your debit card or cash, or even a Line of Credit, which has a lower interest rate. Revolving credit on a credit card can be dangerous for your finances, and it can take you several years to repay the entire outstanding amount.

There will always be changes in situations, your current needs and requirements as well as your cash flow, so every 3-6 months, you should re-look at your plan and goals, and modify as needed to stay on top of your finances.

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Dress up in light and bright outfits for a summer wedding. At the same time, do not forget to play with appropriate fabrics. To look bright and beautiful, experts suggest minimalistic embellishments and soft Maheshwari and Chanderi fabric for your attires. Designer Sweety Arora, and Renu Rana, Founder at Sihali Jageer, have listed what to wear under the sun, literally.

1. During summer, go with cool fabrics suited to a sizzling day. Think feather-light hand woven silks, fluid modal and cottons. A flowy dress from the traditional Maheshwari cottons and matching Coimbatore cotton silks with Chinese collar will add the extra glam to your look. You can also try Tangail fabrics beautiful cape tops with ikkat pants that look extremely trendy.

2. Colours like pink, blue, and yellow exude charm and tenderness. So, go for delicate pastels, soft maheshwari and Chanderi with a hint of metal, with gold and silver jamdani hand embroidery and booties. It is a perfect synthesis of traditional fabrics for contemporary needs and style.

3. To create an ethnic look, pair chanderi kurta and silver pajama with heavy Dhakai jamdani dupatta. You can also add an angrakha jamdani wraparound kurta over it for a dramatic twist.

4. For a beautiful fusion of traditional and contemporary look, the clothes must blend different styles from various parts of the country, from Rajput to Afghani traditions to our own Indian heritage, thus creating looks which are classy, glamorous and reflect one's signature style and love of colour. This mixture of different influences only helps in creating unique designs, clean cuts and modern style.

5. Rely on breezy prints with minimalistic embellishment.

6. Go for silhouettes that don't bog you down. Go for sheer skirts and wrap tops, cowl dresses, draped saris, light lehengas and anarkalis.

7. Keep your footwear as quirky and off-beat as the rest of your ensemble. Go for customised jutis, or blingy canvas shoes.

8. Invest in nice statement neckpieces and layered neckpieces as they look elegant, comfortable and unique. Try double rings with pearly strings, palm rings and pearl kadah.

9. Try to explore new designs and shapes in bags like bucket bag-inspired potlis, give an indo twist to messenger bags. You can also opt for customised miniature bag packs as those will make you stand out from the crowd.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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New Delhi: From decor options to the fabrics to colour code, tweaking your decor can help you keep your home feel cool in summer, say experts. Anuj Srivastava, co-founder and CEO of Livspace, and Adarsh Menon, Vice President and Head of Private Labels at Flipkart, share some tips to keep your home fresh and cool.

Decor options: Going Scandinavian is a summer-friendly choice to make. The emphasis is on creating a muted colour palette with clean lines, to allow the space to breathe and eliminate chaos. You can add plenty of greenery to the mileu that will help keep the temperatures from rising. Floating flower arrangements or installing a waterbody at home, along with muting the lighting to cooler options, will also help.

Keep it cool: Plenty of factors, apart from air conditioning, can aid in keeping your home cool. Replace the heavy rugs, blankets and drapes with lighter, eco-friendly materials in fresh colours like white, light blue, pink and green. If you do have an outdoor space, no matter how small, you should clean it up and set up seating options. If space permits, you can even set up a barbeque and move the party outdoors. As far as fabrics go, stick to cotton, linen and sheer materials to keep your home summer fresh. You can also opt for florals in cushions, accent pieces and paintings, or even get fresh cut flowers for the table to brighten up your living spaces.

Pastel palette: Doing up the home furniture in pastel shades adds a tinge of coolness to the eye that finds its way to the mind. Apart from making one feel cooler, pastel colours add that quirky look we so like. These colours can be incorporated in dining table chairs, bean bags, sofa sets, wardrobes and beds.

The forest look: One of the most refreshing looks for the summers is the forest look. Juxtapose the dark wood furniture with green plants. You can go for real or artificial plants and use them at the sides of your solid wood study table, dark wood TV units, bedsides, on top of dining table. For more adorned look, you could cover the flanks of your wardrobes, and even inside the bathrooms.

Cooling gel mattresses: They go a long way in making summers bearable. Gel memory foam mattresses do not trap heat like latex or ordinary foam mattresses. They are made using open cell technology which helps in air circulation resulting in a cool mattress for your comfort. Apart from giving a luxurious feeling, it also gives comfort.

Metallic accents and glass: Use of of luxe metallic touches in home decors is not new. The choice of metallic finish makes a huge difference. Think silver metallic finish with dark accents. It adds oomph and makes the area look neat and clutter-free.

Important tip for all: Invest in trendy, good quality, affordable furniture. When buying furniture, one major concern is durability. In a market that is largely unorganised the assurance of durability is hard to get.

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New Delhi: With the summer heat scorching and the mercury level soaring, comfort is a serious concern for many. In this scenario, selecting the right fabric is a necessity so opt for the right clothing that makes you feel fresh. Designers Prarena Grover and Dhruv Sehgal list some must haves fabrics and few avoidable ones.

Must have fabrics
Cotton: Beyond any doubt pick up that cotton dress or the cotton shirt from your wardrobe. It not only makes you look smart and elegant but also scores high on the comfort level.
Reason: During summer it is a general tendency to sweat a lot and in such a situation cotton is just the apt fabric that absorbs this sweat. This helps in giving the much required relief and helps in cooling down your body temperature. In addition, cotton fabric gives you a relief if you are prone to any allergic reaction. Thus, cotton is just too apt for your sensitive skin.

Linen: The pastel coloured linen wear is just so perfect for your summer days. Fret no more and choose the right linen wear for yourself.
Reason: Tired of threat of unnecessary sweat? Considering that linen is highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat it helps in keeping your body free of moisture. So, the linen dress or blouse not just feels good to touch but also quickly removes your perspiration during the summer days.

Khadi: Khadi saris to the dress to shirts, it is the perfect wear for your summer evening.
Reason: Khadi is that handloom fabric which uses no chemicals in manufacturing. This skin friendly hand oven, organic fabric is just too perfect for your summer days.

Sheer: This is the ideal fabric for humid days. It is the fall and the interesting cut of the fabric makes it a must-have in your summer days.
Reason: As a fabric usually meant for wedding gowns or floral costumes or stockings or lingerie sheer does very little in the way of warmth for the wearer. This is the reason why it is one of the favourite fabrics for summer wear.

Avoidable fabrics

• Denim: Denim is a strict no for your summer days. It hugs your body too much and creates unnecessary suffocation in summer.
• Synthetic wear: Never indulge in a mix fabric in summer. It creates discomfort and may sometimes cause skin infections in this regard.

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Beards are to men what make-up is to women, and a quick Internet search of actors in a pre- and post-beard phase will confirm this. Such has been the impact and acceptance of facial hair that they have gradually crossed the barriers of hipsterdom to find their way to boardrooms. But are corporate firms with a strict formal dress code open to men with beards?

"We have a strict dress code, where a shabby demeanour is unacceptable. We even keep daily checks; employees cannot walk into the office in jeans or sports shoes, especially when they have client interactions. But full beards are not a concern. We have employees with full beards and twirled moustaches," says Sudhir Dhar, CHRO – director HR, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Dr Sujaya Banerjee

Rohan Vaswani, CHRO, Nexus Malls, a fully owned subsidiary of investment firm Blackstone Group, shares a similar thought. The company follows a formal dress code from Monday to Thursday and smart casuals on Friday. "You can't walk into the office with your shirt not tucked in or in bright blue trousers. But beards, if they are well-kept, are fine," shares Vaswani.

Dress to impress
"The first impression is created by the physical appearance of a person; it's later that you have an interaction and people get influenced by your personality. So, if you seem shabby, you create a perception even before you talk," says Dhar.

He adds that as long as one is confident of carrying it off and not look out of place, a beard is acceptable.

Rohan Vaswani

"We conduct training on executive presence — how to look, behave and dress like a leader. These aspects are now becoming increasingly important as often, you find that people are competent but they don't make it beyond a point because they don't look like the part or someone who can represent the organisation before multiple stakeholders. It's not about good looks but about appearance. A haircut and a well-groomed beard are a part of this understanding. You can't have a two-day stubble where you look like you have just woken up and come to work. We actually check if there's a valid reason behind an unkempt stubble: Is the employee unwell? Or is he battling a low?" says Dr Sujaya Banerjee, CEO and founder of Capstone People Consulting.

Do you shave before an interview?
Most HR personnel we spoke to felt there's no middle ground; you either opt for the clean-shaven look or wear a groomed full beard. "It's better to shave off a two-day stubble and not go in between. It can be interpreted as a sign of laziness," warns Dhar.

"I am more interested in knowing if a person has the right competence and capability for the job. The older generation, however, associates beards with carelessness and mistrust. Traditionally, even in films, the bearded guy will always be the villain or from the underworld. If a full beard is groomed, it's fine. Long hair is not allowed. You are not an artist or performer, you are corporate. Hence, certain norms remain. We allow personal freedom as long as you stay well-groomed," adds Banerjee.

Make a bearded impact
"Some people look smarter with a beard," says Dhar. Vaswani feels that real estate companies are often promoter-driven, and the vision of the promoter and the top management often reflects on the staff where people would go the extra mile to keep with the image. "Those with gaunt features can look fuller with a beard. It also saves you the trouble of having to shave every day. A good beard can actually help you appear stronger. Also, today, people look for organisations where individuality is encouraged, where you can bring your authentic self to work. It's motivating to be in an organisation where you can express who you are, as long as it doesn't hamper business. So, if the beard is within acceptable parameters, all's well," says Banerjee.

Grooming tips
Keep it clean
Wash your beard three times a week to prevent the build-up of dead skin cells.
Keep it moisturised Oil your beard daily to keep it soft and moisturised.
Shape it up
Trim your beard when you see stray hair or as desired to maintain the shape. Repeat this once every two weeks when you want to maintain a consistent length.
Kaushal Pratab, founder, Shepherd For Men 

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The Louvre Museum

The Mona Lisa. Pic/AFP

The Louvre: Also known as the Louvre Museum and the Musée du Louvre in French, it is considered the the world's largest museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. Housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II, It is the world’s most-attended museum as of 2015. Opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property. Because of structural problems with the building, the Louvre was closed in 1796 until 1801. The Louvre's collections are divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings. Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is the Louvre's most popular attraction.

The main entrance of the British Museum in central London. AFP PHOTO

British Museum: Located in the Bloomsbury area of London, the British Museum is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence with a permanent collection of over 8 million works. Established in 1753, the museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759, in Montagu House in Bloomsbury. It was largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. Some objects in the British Museum's collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, have caused controversy and calls for restitution to their countries of origin. The museum's expansion over the following two and a half centuries has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) in South Kensington in 1881. The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2001 to become the Great Court, surrounding the original Reading Room. The Rosetta Stone and the Sumerian Queen's Lyre are popular exhibits.
The British Museum houses the world's largest[h] and most comprehensive collection of Egyptian antiquities (with over 100,000[58] pieces) outside the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Grounds and entrance to the Smithsonian Institute Castle, Washington D.C.

Smithsonian Institution: Termed "the nation's attic" for its holding of 138 million items, the Smithsonian Institution chiefly located in Washington D.C. is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The Institution has nineteen museums, nine research centers, and a zoo including historical and architectural landmarks, mostly in the District of Columbia. Additional facilities are located in Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York City, Virginia, and Panama. A further 170 museums are Smithsonian Affiliates. The museum has over 30 million visitors annually, who are admitted without charge. The Wright brothers' 1903 Flyer, the original Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History; the Gem Hall (including the Hope Diamond) at the National Museum of Natural History, and the Apollo 11 command module at the National Air and Space Museum are some of its main attractions.

The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece

Acropolis Museum: The museum, which was founded in 2003 in Athens, Greece was opened to the public on 20 June 2009. The Organization of the Museum was established in 2008. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited at the Acropolis Museum over an area of 14,000 square metres. It is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens and was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. The museum also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. The Acropolis Museum has received numerous awards and accolades over the years. During the August full moon nights, the museum remains open until late at night and welcomes visitors for free. Also the same night concerts take place on the museum's courtyard. Excavation below ground level continues. The site and process are visible through the ground level glass flooring. The site will be available for visitation once the excavation is complete. The Silver Cup designed by Michel Bréal and awarded to the Marathon Winner Spyros Louis at the first Modern Olympic Games (1896), is displayed at the Acropolis Museum and will remain to the Acropolis Museum until the completion of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, where it will be permanently exhibited.

The Rijksmuseum

Rijksmuseum: Also known as the Imperial Museum, the Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam and has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million objects from the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. The museum also has a small Asian collection which is on display in the Asian pavilion. It is also the largest art museum in the country and was the most visited museum in the Netherlands with record numbers of 2.2 million and 2.45 million visitors in 2013 and 2014. The Rijksmuseum is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw. The museum was founded in The Hague in 1800 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace and later in the Trippenhuis. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened its doors in 1885. On 13 April 2013, after a ten-year renovation which cost € 375 million, the main building was reopened by Queen Beatrix. Frans Hals' Portrait of a Young Couple (1622), Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck's Girl in a Blue Dress (1641) are some of its popular exhibits.

The Winter Palace during the day

The Double Triumphal Arch, the General Staff Building

Hermitage Museum: One of the world's largest and oldest museums, the Hermitage Museum was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852. It is located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Also called the State Hermitage, its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items including the largest collection of paintings in the world, which occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors. Of six buildings of the main museum complex, five, named the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage and Hermitage Theatre, are open to the public. Entrance is free of charge the first Thursday of every month for all visitors, and free daily for students and children. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The Museo Nacional Del Prado in Spain

Museo Nacional Del Prado: Alternatively known as the Museo del Prado, it is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid, Spain and features one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of Spanish art. Established in 1819, El Prado is one of the most visited sites in the world with over 2.8 million visitors in 2012 and is the largest in Spain. It is considered one the greatest museums of art in the world. The numerous works by Francisco de Goya, the single most extensively represented artist, as well as by Diego Velázquez, El Greco, Titian, Peter Paul Rubens and Hieronymus Bosch are some of the highlights of the collection. The collection currently comprises around 7,600 paintings, 1,000 sculptures, 4,800 prints and 8,200 drawings among others out of which 1,300 works were displayed in the main buildings by 2012, while around 3,100 works are on temporary loan to various museums and official institutions. The Museo del Prado authorities are planning a 16% extension in the nearby Salón de Reinos, to be opened in 2019.

Exhibits at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Pic/Sameer Markande

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya: Formerly known as Prince of Wales Museum of Western India it is Mumbai's main museum and was founded on 10 January 1922 by prominent citizens with the aid of the government to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales. Located in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India, the museum was renamed in the 1990s or early 2000s after Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire. The CSMVS houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. Indus Valley Civilization artefacts, and other relics from ancient India from the time of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakuta are also housed there. In its recent modernization programme (2008), the Museum created 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) space for installation of five new galleries, a conservation studio, a visiting exhibition gallery and a seminar room, in the East Wing of the Museum and it also houses a library. a host of activities have been planned at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. The events have been designed keeping this year's theme, Museums and Cultural Landscape in mind. Start the day with a guided walk through Fort and listen to stories about its history. (Read more)

Guggenheim-Bilbao

The Guggenheim Bilbao located in Basque Country, Spain, and was constructed in 1997 by Frank Gehry.
It overlooks the Nervión River, and it was created from glass, limestone, and Titanium. Meant to look like a bunch of flowers growing by the river. It is also known to have started what is poppularly known as the “Bilbao Effect”, an effect that is now used to describe the phenomenon of comissioning 'starchitects' to design structures in the city.

Jewish Museum in Berlin

The Jewish Museum in Berlin located at Lindenstrasse in Berlin was constructed in 2001 by Daniel Libeskind. The new building (pictured above) is meant to look like a zigzag pattern and feature sharp angles, dark and narrow paths, interior walls of bare concrete, as well as a titanium-zinc facade with minimal openings. It is meant to document the history of the Jews of Germany and commemorate the Holocaust

Louvre Abu Dhabi

Louvre-Abu Dhabi is located in Abu Dhabi and is a dome shaped structure overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Inspired by Al Ain, which is an oasis emirate, and Islamic and Arabic architecture, this structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Jean Nouvel

Museo-Soumaya

The Museo Soumaya, located in Mexico City, Mexico, was constructed in 1994. It was funded by
Carlos Slim and cost 47 million Euros to build. The avant-garde structure with a reflective outer wall brings to mind the sculptures of Auguste Rodin is constructed with an exterior wall of 16,000 polygonal Aluminium panels. It houses various types of art pieces from Europe and Mexico.

Museum of Islamic Art

The Museum of Islamic Art is located in Doha, Qatar and was constructed by I.M.Pei in 2008. Inspired by the mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt and Islamic architecture, the museum overlooks the the Arabian Gulf, is composed of a 5-floor building that is linked to an education center by a vast courtyard.

Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum

The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, located in Niteroi, Brazil was built in the year 1996. A result of the collaboration between prominent architect Oscar Niemeyerand structural engineer Bruno Contarini, the museum was based on the futuristic design resembling an alien spaces ship. The Museum is encircled by a reflecting pool and has a very striking red ramp

The Louis Vuitton Foundation

The Louis Vuitton Foundation is located in Paris, France and was constructed by Frank Gehry in 2014.
The 143 dollar cultural center is not only a museum but is also a cultural centre that enourages the growth of contemporary art. The musum was designed so it looked as if it were floating against gravity.

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The world wishes to investigate the role of a seemingly compliant WHO and allegations that insufficient or inaccurate data originating from China failed to alert the world on the intensity of the dangers from COVID-19.... [Read More]

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An EU-funded project has driven collaboration on renewable energy between businesses and researchers in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova with counterparts from EU countries. The links are boosting innovation - helping the participating countries make the transition to more sustainable energy sources.

Stretching from the imposing skyrises of Colaba and Malabar Hill to the fishermen's colonies in Worli, the prestigious VVIP Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency is the richest in the country making it a high-stakes affair for the two main contestants - Shiv Sena sitting MP Arvind G. Sawant and rival Milind M. Deora of the Congress.

Despite being wealthy, the constituency is barely 'generous' in exercising its franchise - it was way back in 1967, when George Fernandes won on a single point agenda of providing sufficient water supply to all, that 67.42 per cent electorate voted.

Again in 1991, the voting percentage plummeted to an abysmal 38.65, giving credence to the belief that people in high-rises remain indifferent to the political process. But in 2014 the percentage went up to a modest 52.48.

The population of Mumbai South is approximately 20 lakh and the voter strength is 14,85,846 including 15 per cent of some of the country's richest, a large 70 per cent dollop of middle-class and a sprinkling of 15 per cent eking out an existence in slums in what is one of the few fully urbanized constituencies of India.

Unconcerned by the turnout figures, Shiv Sena's Sawant exudes is optimistic of winning again.

"I am the voice of the masses and the classes. I have been present whenever and wherever I was needed in the past five years," Sawant told IANS.

On his rival Deora, he shot back: "Where was he for the past four years and nine months? This is what commoners and business community ask me. It is my work for all sections and my contacts with the masses that will decide the election."

Though incommunicado despite repeated attempts by IANS, the former Union Minister Deora has remained unflustered by the opposition barbs.

After all, in a political-corporate coup of sorts, last fortnight, he secured the open support of key players from India Inc, sending panic waves in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena combine.

Ranked as one of the most cosmopolitan constituencies, Mumbai South is beset with many problems that have remained unresolved over the years.

"There are hundreds of old buildings, ancient sewage lines, house gullies, traffic congestion and slum pockets in Darukhana, BPT, Colaba and Worli which are of great concern," Waris Pathan, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's sole Mumbai MLA, told IANS.

Though there is the ambitious Coastal Road project coming up, Patyan says "a lot will depend on its implementation, or it will be disastrous for the entire city".

Besides, there is the gnawing problem of security in the region which has witnessed two of the worst terror strikes in the country - the 1993 serial bomb blasts and the 2008 terror strikes.

Not surprising, since this constituency is home to the country's most affluent business districts which contribute hugely to the national exchequer, some of the poshest residential complexes, Indian and foreign banks, and national and international firms are headquartered here.

There are also offices of global corporates, airlines, embassies, luxury hotels, swanky restaurants and pubs, global tourist attractions, open shopping plazas, malls and multiplexes, reputed schools, colleges, an array of heritage buildings, the official residences of Maharashtra Governor, Chief Minister, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and other judges, the Legislature and the Mantralaya.

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Bringing out the BEST

BEST Stories Collective is an Instagram account co-founded by photographers Aslam Saiyad and Gopal MS. It documents nuggets of everyday life and history around the BEST buses in the city. In light of the general elections, Saiyad along with photographer Fahim Sayed have started a campaign on the page where they lay out placards encouraging people to vote to save BEST, the Aarey forest or even the Mumbai coastline.

Talking about how the idea was conceptualised, Saiyad told this diarist, "All the politicians are talking about national or global issues but nobody is talking about the issues of Mumbai, like the future of the Aarey colony, BEST or the Kolis. I wanted to grab the attention of the people, especially in the last days of the elections. Even after voting is over, we will continue to highlight these problems maybe in a different visual format."

From a son to his father

As you read these words with your morning cup of chai, a 100 musicians from the classical, folk and jazz traditions would already be performing at the NCPA as part of a day-long tribute to Ustad Allarakha on his birth centenary, beginning at 6.30 am until 10 at night. But before the live performance came a tribute from the legendary tabla player's son and noted percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, which was released recently.

An archival picture of Ustad Allarakha

The seven-minute long video, Alla ne Rakha, has been composed by Qureshi with lyrics by Rachna Dixit. And in the spirit of today's performance, the video features several well-known names including Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Shankar Mahadevan, Ajay Gogavale, Salim Merchant and Neeti Mohan.

When Sabya endorsed Sabya

Things came full circle when renowned fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee recently embraced a page named after him. An export of an international account called Diet Prada, Diet Sabya was started in 2018 and weeds out copies and plagiarists from the industry, and may we add, rather humorously.

So when Mukherjee said, "Well done, whoever you are," giving a thumbs up to the faceless folks behind DS, when he spoke to an entertainment website, it reiterated the caption that accompanied the video shared by DS, "That's all."

Austrian moves

After creating a full-length contemporary ballet piece with the Ballet Chemnitz in Germany in 2017, and a collaboration with Polish dance company Zawirowania Dance Theatre last year, Ashley Lobo has now become the first Indian to be invited to choreograph a piece for The Landestheater Linz, the state theatre for Linz in Austria.

Titled Yama, the performance is a full-length 55-minute contemporary ballet piece. "This is a huge opportunity and reassurance for me. Dance for me is about emotion and personal expression, and I look forward to extending that to the Austrians," the choreographer told this diarist.

Danes to the rescue

Even as news comes in of pilots of the grounded Jet Airways being humiliated by a senior official of Spicejet during a recruitment drive, when he called the act a "charity", another heartwarming development assured us that all's not lost in this cut-throat competitive world. The Indian operations of a Denmark-based apparel giant recently posted on social media a campaign titled Join the Family.

Pic/PTI

"Customer centricity is at the core of both retail and aviation industries. With several employees of Jet Airways having been affected due to the recent shut down of the airlines, we... are willing to extend opportunities to them, if you know anyone who would consider an industry change." If you, too, would like to spread the word, career.india@bestseller.com is where CVs can be emailed.

A look called love

Madhuri Dixit Nene looks fondly at husband Sriram during a day out at the movies. Pic/Satej Shinde

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Voting day is here, but not all of us remember how exactly to go about it. Don't worry, mid-day's refresher has it all covered. Among the most important things to remember is to not forget to carry any one of the 11 accepted identity proof documents (see: Valid proof of identity) and to not use your mobile phone in and around the polling booth. Voting begins at 7 am sharp and will last until 6 pm.

While some of us may have got the voting slips, those who haven't got theirs need not panic. All you need to do is go up to one of the helpdesks set up at street corners and look for your name. If your name is on the list, the corresponding voting booth number and other details will be mentioned there. You can also look for your name online before leaving the house on https://electoralsearch.in. If your name is not on this list, you cannot vote. No argument. Do remember to register yourself on https://www.nvsp.in before the assembly elections.

Police officers being briefed about bandobast duty a day before voting day in the city. Pic/Sameer Marakande

No mobile phones

Mobile phones cannot be used within 100 metres of the polling booth, but for the working population of the city, who either votes on its way to or from work, you may carry your phone with you but must remember to either switch it off or keep it on silent mode. Cars and bikes, too, will have to be parked 100 metres away from polling booths. Only designated vehicles carrying people with disabilities will be allowed close to polling booths.

Only 11 valid ID documents

Please remember that the voter slip is not proof of identity. You have to also carry any one of the 11 identity cards. If you have none of them, once again, you cannot vote.

Please do not argue with the election duty staff, they have no role to play in this.

Shivaji Jondhale, Mumbai City Collector, said, "If there is no name on the electoral list, then people cannot vote. It is very important to be a registered voter. Further, if there is no voting slip but your name is on the electoral list of the Election Commission and you have a valid ID card, then by checking with the help desk you can find out the polling station and can exercise your right to vote."

Wait for the beep

The confusion about the long press while registering your vote on the electronic voting machine was cleared by Collector officials. They said your vote is considered registered once the long beep is heard. Do keep your finger pressed on the button until you hear it or your vote will not be registered.

Live Blog: Elections 2019 Phase 4 Live Updates: Anil Ambani, Rekha cast their vote

Come out and vote!

The Election Commission has taken various measures to ensure citizens come out and vote. The total number of voters in the city, is 96.39 lakh. The EC and Collector offices of the city are aiming at a voting percentage of at least 61% this time from 41% in 2009 and 51% in 2014.

Citizens, too, have come forward to help increase voter turnout. An ALM from Juhu has organised a pick-up for senior citizens to the polling booths. The EC, too, has organised help for people with disabilities. Further, in order to ensure proper transport system during the voting process, the Collector offices have organised 2,985 vehicles in Mumbai suburban district and 1,769 vehicles in Mumbai Island City.

There is a staff of 15,000 working in the island city and over 60,000 in the suburbs on election duty. There are 2,601 polling stations in the island city which has two constituencies, and 7,472 polling stations in the suburbs that have four constituencies, said officials.

Also read: Elections 2019: Mumbai Police to deploy 40,000 cops on election duty; issue guidelines

Students, take that selfie!

This year, the EC and government officials have been explaining the electoral process to young students in the hope that it reaches their parents at home. One of the initiatives is the 'selfie' movement, where students have been urged to take their parents to polling booths and put up selfies on social media with their parents after voting.

96.39l
No. of voters in Mumbai

61
Voting percentage that the Election Commission is expecting in Mumbai

Also read: Elections 2019: 422 polling stations in Mumbai declared 'critical'

Valid proof of identity

• Passport
• Driving licence
• Identity card issued by the Election Commission/Central and state government/ Public Enterprises / Local Body Institutes
• Bank passbook with photograph
• PAN card from the Income Tax Department
• ID card given by the Census Commissioner
• Job Card under Employment Guarantee Scheme
• Health card from the labour ministry
• Pension passbook or pension payment order with photograph of the retired employee
• ID card of MLA/MP
• Aadhaar card, too, will be considered as identity proof

Also read: Elections 2019: Popular politicians and key battles in Mumbai

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I have a crush on a girl who is also a close friend. We have been in the same class at college for two years and spend as much time together as possible. The whole class thinks we are in a relationship, but we are not. I want to though, because I really like her. I think she has a soft corner for me, too. What should I do? Should I propose to her? If I do and she rejects me, I am afraid of losing my friendship, too.
— Abesh K
If you have known this girl for two years and call her a close friend, it's safe to assume she wants to be your friend too. Jeopardizing it by telling her how you feel doesn't seem likely. I don't know if 'propose' is the word I would use though, because it makes sense to simply have a conversation and get a sense of how she looks at you. If the two of you can have a mature discussion and evaluate whether or not there is potential for a relationship, there should be no danger to your friendship provided you are open to the possibility that she may not feel the same way about you.

I have wanted to be with this guy for the longest time, but he doesn't want to commit. We date often, but I know he is also seeing other women. Should we get into an open relationship? It will hurt me, but it may be the only way for us to be together.
If the idea of an open relationship hurts you, and you want to consider it just because you want to be with someone, aren't you setting yourself up for disappointment right at the start? Wanting to be with someone is great, but the chances of that working out are higher only when it is based on mutual respect and acceptance, so I suggest you think carefully about how you will be able to come to terms with an open relationship.

The inbox is now open to take your most carnal and amorous queries. Send your questions on email to lovedoc@mid-day.com

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Cricket can seem like a tedious game. You don't just play it for days. You play it for seasons. Winter in India. Summer in England. "But it's also a multi-dimensional profession, like all other sports," sports and performance psychologist Shree Advani tells us, explaining that it takes a lot out of a person at a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. Many of the lessons that players pick up on the way, however, can also apply to individuals in other careers. Those insights are now in the public domain in the form of The Barefoot Coach (Westland), a book that Paddy Upton — mental conditioning coach of India's World Cup winning national team of 2011, and head coach of Rajasthan Royals — has written. We pick five of his key revelations from the title so that you, too, can gain from his experience, no matter what field of work you belong to.

1. Keep your ego in check
Upton comes clean about the biggest professional mistake in his life to illustrate how a person's ego sits like a monkey on his shoulder. He had let the comparatively greater media attention that head coach and fellow South African Gary Kirsten had been receiving, get to him, after the Indian team started performing better and better around 2009. So, "to set the record straight" as he says, he leaked a certain document that he had prepared for the Indian team to a journalist he trusted, hoping to get some positive press for himself. What happened instead is that this scribe misconstrued Upton's advice to the team about the importance of having a healthy sex life, and attributed it all to Kirsten, bringing him disrepute since the article was painted in a negative light. Upton writes, "I had acted out of self-interest, out of ego, in order to get recognition for myself. What I had succeeded in doing was to hurt one of the persons in this world whom I least wanted to hurt."

Paddy Upton and Gary Kirsten. Pics courtesy/Paddy Upton

2. Start from scratch
It can be easy to get caught up in the warm glow of success after a high in your career. Instead, it's a better idea to start from scratch straight away and focus on the next goal. Upton talks about tennis champion Rafael Nadal's concept of "getting back to zero". The idea is to treat winning a tournament as plus-five, and losing in the first round as minus-three. Either way, you have to get back to zero and reset the mind and body for whatever the next challenge might be. The Indian national cricket team, for instance, failed to do that after the incredible rush of winning the World Cup in 2011. They spent too long on the top of the mountain, metaphorically speaking, and thus tumbled soon after to suffer a string of defeats.

The Indian team after winning the 2011 World Cup, a success in which they basked for too long

3. Be the right alpha leader
Most leaders by nature are alpha persons. They have a sense of dynamism that puts them at the head of the herd. But this strong personality can assert itself in a negative manner sometimes. In the corporate world, that would be the definition of a bad boss. This person would treat his employees merely as resources who help him achieve his own selfish ends. As a result, his subordinates would go into survival mode and fail to work as a unit, which — in cricket — would translate into a batsman looking to stay at the crease at the cost of sacrificing his wicket for the greater good of the team. Healthy alpha leaders, on the other hand, would place high demands on juniors, but the latter would experience that as being fair. That's because this leader also embodies the crucial quality of empathy, since he is willing to listen to others and is sensitive to what they might be going through. Upton cites Graeme Smith as an example, under whose exemplary captaincy the South African side was a happy cricket team.

(From left) A happy frame of Indian cricket greats Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman

4. Let the feeling of failure go
It might seem like a clichéd phrase, but "this too shall pass" is an effective way of dealing with failure. Upton writes about a certain chat that he'd had with Kyle Mills, after the New Zealand cricket team had suffered a string of seven consecutive defeats, four of which were against cricketing minnows Bangladesh. The fast bowler's energy had been so morbid when he had been shaking hands with Upton at the end of their latest defeat, against India, that the Indian mental conditioning coach felt compelled to have a quick chat with him later on, even though he came from the opposing team. Upton told Mills that cricket is just a game, and for that matter, so is life. He told him, "Take yourself one year ahead of today, and tell me what you would say about this experience." Mills initially looked confused as "he tried to extract himself from the moment and project into the future". But after a few moments, he realised that the losses wouldn't feel as bad later on, and that he might even gain some valuable lessons from the experience. "This too shall pass," Mills understood.

Quick singles with the barefoot coach
How best can a person in a high-profile job put blinkers on to ward off the constant attention they have to deal with?
It's difficult for high-profile celebrities to separate their three lives — personal, public and professional. Some get too caught up in the public lives, basking in the glory of the limelight. These individuals run the risk of compromising their professional life, and if they fall into the easy trap of merging their personal and public lives, it could leave them vulnerable to post-career difficulties and even depression. Those who do best place their personal and professional lives as the priority, and avoid all the traps and attractions of living the public life as a celebrity. In this way, they maintain their professional processes of training, preparation and sleep. Players like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are excellent examples of this.

How would you say that the impact of playing a sport like cricket professionally affects the way a teenager evolves into a person in his mid-thirties?
An athlete who goes into professional sports at a young age, and remains there for say two decades, will have varying degrees of ease or difficulty when exiting the career and returning to 'normal' life. This will be dependent on the degree to which they remain with their feet on the ground versus adopting the values and expectations that fans and the society places on them. The ideal way is for them to work on advancing their professional life as much as they work on being a good human being, of sound personal values. They should ideally not attach their personal identity to the talent they have, and the results that flow from it.

What are some ways for players to deal with the separation anxiety of being away from their families on lengthy tours?
Being on tour looks amazing from the outside, but from personal experience, living for long periods in a hotel room can be very lonely, even for the most celebrated public figures. What's important is that players have a strong connection to something important in their personal lives, and away from the game. It's probably best to have good friends and family relationships [or hobbies], where cricket is not the main focus of conversation or attention. Many players spend their hours on PlayStation or on social media. This temporarily hides the experience of loneliness, but does very little to overcome it when they walk away from that temporary distraction.

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With the city going to the polls today, a total of 422 polling stations has been declared 'critical', which includes 65 from Mumbai suburban and 357 from the Island City. As part of the special arrangements made at polling stations, live web-casting and video-recording will be done. The procedures will be monitored closely and immediate action would be taken in case of any suspicious activities.

As per the instructions given by the Election Commission (EC), the booths that polled more than 75 per cent votes in the last elections or where the same candidate got 75 per cent votes have been marked as 'critical'. Even the law and order situation of the last election has been taken into consideration before deciding on this.

According to sources, live web-casting will be done at more than 10 per cent (763) of the total 7,472 polling stations in suburban Mumbai. The procedure will be carried out based on the terms of the 65 'critical' polling stations out of the 763. Whereas, in proper Mumbai, of the 357 polling stations declared critical, web-casting will be conducted at 260. As part of the security arrangements, additional force, including teams of the Central Industrial Security Force, will be deployed within a 100-metre radius of polling centres.

Live Blog: Elections 2019 Phase 4 Live Updates: Anil Ambani, Rekha cast their vote

Speaking to mid-day, a senior official said, "No polling station has been found to be sensitive even after a detailed study, but even the critical ones will be monitored closely by us. The live web-casting will be continuously monitored by the EC-appointed observers."

Also read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Everything you need to know before you vote

763
No. of polling stations in suburban Mumbai where web-casting will be done

260
No. of polling stations in Mumbai where web-casting will be done

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Tipsy tables
Put an end to your dry day blues at a five-star hotel that is offering buy-one-get-one deals on select alcoholic beverages till midnight. Also enjoy a flat 50 per cent off for items on buffet and set menus.
On April 29 (Open 24 hours)
At Hotel Sahara Star, opposite Domestic Airport, Vile Parle East.
Call 39895000

Chicken feast
Get 17 per cent off on the entire menu including chicken bhangra cocktail, pok pok chicken wings, and a new fruit cocktail at this Italian and fast food joint. Don’t forget to try your hand at the toys and games while you wait for your food.
On April 29, 11 am to 1 am
At D:OH all Day Dining, Viviana Mall, Thane West.
Call 61701415

A shortcut to Asia
This restaurant serving Chinese and Thai cuisine in Goregaon isn’t new to offering discounts during elections. After a good response for this idea in 2014, the eatery is now offering a 20 per cent discount on food for one person per table.
On April 29, 12 pm to 12.45 am
At The Tatu’s Nook, near Prabodhan Stadium, Goregaon West.
Call 28750930

Some vitamin sea
Seafood lovers enjoy three times the usual perks of being responsible citizens at this restaurant that offers 15 per cent off for voters until May 1. The offer is valid at both their outlets.
On April 29 to May 1, 11 am to 3.30 pm; 7 pm to 12 am
At Ferry Wharf, ONGC Colony, Bandra West; Evershine Nagar, Malad West.
Call 9920027272

Dine in numbers
The more, the merrier is the name of the game at this Asian restaurant known for its Chinese, Thai and Burmese fare. Get a discount of 20 to 25 per cent based on how many members on the table display their inked fingers.
On April 29 to May 1, 12 pm to 12 am
At Tao 9 - Asian Kitchen, shop number 4, Matru Chhaya, Link Road, Anand Nagar, Andheri West.
Call 49723921

A range of flavours
In the mood for some Continental, Italian or Mediterranean delights? Have a hearty, full meal for half the price at this restaurant in Borivali that is offering a flat 50 per cent off on all dishes and desserts.
On April 29 and 30, 12 pm to 1 am
At Bombay Eatery, 4th Floor, Thakkar Shopping Center, Borivali West.
Call 8928229314

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

An auto driver has been arrested by the Mumbai police for looting a senior citizen in Chembur last month. According to the police, the arrested accused has been identified as Subedar Bind, 34. An officer said that on March 23, 72-year-old Kalawati Pednekar was looted by Bind and a friend. Pednekar told the police that on that day she had visited Chembur Gymkhana to attend a wedding.

However, owing to her advanced age, she had become tired and left the reception around 9pm. Outside, she found Bind's auto and got in. On the way to Pednekar's residence in Kalina, the driver stopped his auto near Kurla, where his friend, whose name is not known, got into the auto. Bind told Pednekar that the friend wanted to be dropped off at Kalina.

On the way, he stopped the auto and told Pednekar that because he had some work, the friend would drop her home. Bind's friend drove the auto for a few kilometers when he stopped the auto and told her that the fuel was over and hence he could not drive any further. Pednekar paid him and took another auto home. Once she reached home, she found all her valuables missing from her bag.

She approached the Chembur police and lodged an FIR against the auto driver. An officer said, "We scanned CCTV footage and spotted the accused. On April 26, we arrested him from Uttar Pradesh. We are looking for the other accused." During investigation, the police came to know that Bind had arrived in Mumbai one month ago and had been driving the auto of one of his friends.

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A habitual wife-beater has landed behind bars for trying to burn down his neighbour's house when the latter tried to rescue the woman during a fight. After the secretary of Shivswaraj Society in Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar filed a complaint against the accused Alok Verma, 35, the local cops arrested him.

According to the police, Verma used to often fight with his wife and beat her up while drunk. Speaking to mid-day, secretary Rajgopal Nadar said, "On April 26, Verma reached home inebriated and started fighting with his wife. He even threw the food outside the house and vandalised the utensils inside. Soon after, his son came to my house and begged me to save his mother."

Also read: Couple who are having a baby ask neighbours to cook, do housework for them

Nadar went to their house and tried to stop Verma. "When I was trying to talk to him, he suddenly pinned his wife to the floor and started punching her. I immediately pulled him up and shouted at him, asking him to leave or else I would call the cops," Nadar said.

According to the complainant, Verma felt insulted at being yelled at and in turn threatened Nadar with harm. However, Nadar took his words lightly as he was drunk. Around midnight, the accused returned with petrol and set the door to Nadar's home on fire.

When one of the residents smelled something burning, he went out to check and saw flames had engulfed Nadar's door and window curtains. However, the neighbours rushed to the house with water and managed to douse the fire.

"Initially, we were not aware of how this happened. But later when I checked the CCTV footage from the cameras outside my door, I saw who the culprit was. After that I approached the Pant Nagar police and filed a complaint against Verma," said Nadar.

When contacted, Rohini Kale, senior police inspector of Panth Nagar police station, said, "The accused has been arrested under various sections of the IPC. The matter is being investigated."

Also read: Ex-IAF wing commander's wife found dead at her house in Dwarka

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