An ode to life and friendship…opening of my third-eye!

In the mist of strangers, I yet joined a new company for victuals and to maintain my existing class (whatever I had, wherever I fitted) and to dodge myself off from probable bleak future redundancy. The thought and reason for me joining there was however, a total emotional knot...with a hope to untie it easy in good times. But alas!

This is the chapter of my life that got me assembled to a large degree. For good or bad, the place taught me a lot…from handling mental push to refurnishing my ethical being, from avoiding head-pains to owing to some joyful souls. Life was there with me…with yet another face. It was striking and attractive yet lacked the depth and peace that soon created a vacuum of rationale and sound justification. I started to ignore what was around me, what affected me the most and what fetched me so-called happiness. I started to scale and measure every bit of ignorance and avoidance- what and who had the most. Everything in life turned out to a blanket of vague mysteries…unfolding and defraying every glimpse of moments lived. It was sure a journey…a learning curve!

Ignoring all my mass destructive experiences…this is an undemanding dedication to all my folks and friends of Hyderabad who made my existence a royal bliss. From curative conservations to gleeful acts, from prompt outings to mortifying parental combats (like the episode of Vista-Aunt-Lalita).

Som and Kavitha the ex-Gooleites with their ever Google(ing) nature reduced the atmospheric heat that normally encased me. Som being my lady and Kavitha our Godmother, only had a hut to be build for their tripled impish fun together…Living like We’re Dying.





Poker and Nchum, two superb innocent lads, always in an attempt to get off their naïve shells… sadly, too childlike by heart. Hope Nchum has set aside my brunt hair (sheltered it!!) for I have doomed it to haunt him in future. Poker my Mind-Guru…well words are boundless to share his side. Endless ‘hookah’ convos, ever-bestowing knowledge that never really got into my jiffy head, feral sight-seeing and momentary crushes. Sheer fun! I yet have more names to add on to my folks’ list…surely an enduring mix!













And, this is one kid who is adorably lovable…Topps, with a genuine heart for sonorous memories, who always had a nose to trouble me and have endangered my life if not having him invited for my wedding. Scary!! This write-up, also to be a reminder, in case.

Yea, now about my BYOM gang. Camped in Barkhatpura with five permanent members, where Jules normally shadowing the inebriated space, however, the clear night skies luckily have helped me retain those fond memories, totally unscratched and ever-joyous. Rich and Skinny (what an irony!)-both self-manufactured knew the world much more than their ages and were more a westerner than an Indian. (Intended: People can however connect to Skinny online for his ancestral or hereditary history…would make my dedication more worthy.)

The ‘lazy pilot’ is yet to land on my runway…so here he comes. The one who bothered least about the world (except few temperamental political opinion and observations) - where there was ease…there was Karthik, an absolute balm for solitude.

The pilot now accompanied by a wackiest friend Jules, has always been a pain in my spine for funny weird reason. A generous person with an annoying set of regular emotional outbreaks that made me feel utterly suicidal.His mulish and browbeating nature would piss me off to the core.

All their voices are echoing my space here now...making me reflect their images back on my hanged wall-mirror there.

And I see you all!!

Women Fight Back....

Tarot Guide…an Apostle of LOVE

Love is all that everyone looks for...so exchanging Love Rings would mean “I give myself to you”...this requires a whole huge heart of truth, trust, confidence, will power, honesty and life long commitment to the relationship. I’m sure all lovers, soon-to-be Brides and Grooms have several questions to ask…Is the person the right one? Will this relationship last? Are we lucky together? What risks might it curtail and so on…?

You can strengthen all these with the help of Tarot guide to love. Tarot card reading is an ancient method of foretelling events in one’s future. The reading however, is best to be left for the experts of this art of interpretation….unless, you’ve mastered it yourself! For wrong interpretation may also not be so worthy. This is not at all simple as it may sound, you need to know the card layouts and its meanings, requires immense deep psychic impressions, and never should it be interpreted to risk one’s soul. So please do keep it simple…

This can definitely help you reveal the truth within your lover’s heart…foresee where your relationship is really going ... explore if the person feel right about it all and if so to happen, the reading CAN get you all ready, set and finally head you to the ‘Knottin’ Ceremony’.

Few interpretations you may want to know:

The Lovers

This card purely interprets love echelon in one’s life…and it may also mean friends and family, depending on the situation and moment of its interpretation.

Its got an angel or a cupid, a man and a woman, two trees (Adam and Eve with one tree having a serpent and apples), in some decks one tree has flowerings, while the other has fruits, in some decks there is a man standing between two women too.

This card seemed to have been originally called just LOVE, following the sequence of tarot reading after the Emperor. This card helps you make the right decision and lends a hand to get things simpler.

Chetna Parekh, a veteran tarot interpreter from the City who used to write for Hyderabad Deccan Chronicle and Times of India says, “Tarot reading is all about questions of science.” This card may also sometime mean ‘perfect communication’, maybe about finding something your soul totally requires. So if you happen to choose this card, you will be told to trust you instincts, to choose the same career, challenge, person or thing you're strongly drawn to, no matter how scary, difficult, how irrational or troublesome – for its said to be worth a choice for your future.

Well, I’ve tried it…I did ask couple of questions of my love relationship and Chetna confirmed through the cards that I was already in a relationship…that I am! The guy is good…aahhh he is! Looks pretty stable in his career…pretty much! Marriage foreseen pretty soon…eeuuuuwww WOW! And seem to be the dominating one…ok actually, maybe?? And this is where I’ve cautioned myself! I can’t expect everything to be perfect but I definitely don’t want him to be dominating one either. So I’m working on to stand by my words and just be myself- nothing like it! To be dominated is anyway just allowing your partner to pull your strings…I could control that. Thanks Chetna!

You could go for it too! By the time I am ready to tie the knot myself…he would no longer be the dominating one. That’s what I was talking about…it helps you make the right move. This art is the art of helping you see your own reflections and of the world around you too. So go for it and have a healthy interpretation to it all, be it good or bad! For life is all about ‘pursuit of happiness’ but in a rational manner!!

What I heard from many:

* If you are now thinking of buying a set of tarot deck for yourself…NEVER! Always have it GIFTED…

* If you already own one, never share it with anyone…it so said to lose its spiritual vibrations and the individual power of connectivity that the cards hold with you.

Knottin’ Decor for a Visual Feast

Planning for a wedding celebration can be a really long-drawn course of action but its all about getting things right, where mostly the brides play a major role…from invitations to decoration, from food to favors, from which to what and where to how?

So are you planning your wedding on your own?

Well, this can be a mighty mission but sure a lot of fun. It will allow you to tailor and craft every tiny detail for that special day….now isn’t that exciting? So, one of the most difficult areas of planning a wedding is getting the wedding decoration done. And, if you are planning your wedding already then you are probably the do-it-myself types and will want to find ways to make your own wedding decorations economical but still don't want them to look crumby. So let’s have some professional ideas to help you clear your heads.

Sanjana and Minakshi from the Little Gestures (LGs) have their say on themes to pick. They say, the Jodha Akbar-a theme from ancient dynasties and the Moroccan themes are the two most-sorted wedding decor themes for many Hyderabadis. They suggest more- like the ‘color-based themes’ of Royal Blue, Crimson or Ivory… Retro Nights, Western theme of Alter n Isle, Chaparral and even two single-colored Fusion Themes have worked just the right way for all their clients. They say the pulse of Eco-friendly Themes have pumped up in the city for people being more conscious, environmentally! And this, definitely earns an applaud!

The Eco-friendly Theme has been one of their most appreciated works- this one, held at Taj Krishna where you see no backdrops unlike all usual ones- absolutely no foliage on the background. They’ve used only cherry blossoms and Japanese bamboos with no fabrics at all. The only so-to-be-seen fabric used for the occasion, was said to have been a table cloth covering the centre table. In one of some engagement parties, they used only bark of trees, twigs and leaves to give it a natural creative look, held outdoor in the lawn. LGs seem to believe in simplicity. And simplicity is bound to work on nominal costs- so think about it! Quite a clean, elegant and a creative presentation!

Arranging for a wedding, pulls along a whole range of important pointers to remember asides choosing a theme like opting for the right flash of lighting, sorted chair covers, apt centerpieces with a harmonizing head table decor that creates a focal point for attraction, suitable dinnerware, towering desirable mandaps and most importantly, coordinating with right caterers.

A choice of some tantalizing array of dazzling colors like aqua mist, lime, red, chocolate, silver, black, gold, ivory or white for the chair covers, would be perfect to complete the entire decoration…depending on, your picked-color-themes.

All-time choice of candles, flowers, balloons, tassels and ribbons works ‘fab’ too, probably with a slight tinge of some off-beat on-the-run creativity…however this assortment requires a bit more attention to the color coordination, like using single-based-color favors or maybe even two would be fine to keep it all neat…avoid any sudden sharp contrast of colors as it can break the style of your overall decorating theme.

Pick your flowers for more sophistication:

Rose, daisy, tulip, daffodil, orchid, sweet peas, magnolia, pansy, lilies or even lotus.

Nothing can’t be as simple and inexpensive as centre pieces with floating candles with rose petals, orchid and pebbles like these:

If you want it all traditional, Gautami Reddy from Splendor Wedding and Celebrations have lot more to share. She’s worked on temple designs, Rajasthani Themes and believes in highlighting the Bride and the Groom more. The backdrop height is suggested to be not more than 1/10^th of the Bride’s height, for too extended ones tends to be a downbeat for the entire decoration. She prefers the Fusion Theme of both western and traditional touch makes it a lot less costlier and adds, choosing the right color combination fixes it all.

Meher Aria, an Event Coordinator suggests themes like the Lotus, Tirupati and Chaitanya for traditional temple look and gives a practical budgetary option for selecting and enhancing the decorations of only certain sections rather than emphasizing the entire wedding venue, like maybe just the entrance and the stage or the centre area and the stage, anything preferred. She mentions of the courtyard or the Nizami theme being always on the run in the city with the English Garden and the Arabic Themes equally running high. So you can make your pick!

And importantly…don’t forget to pick the right set of rings to complete the celebration…and this would be with you, for life and forever!

These are just few tips that can help you add more sparkle and elegance to your wedding decorating ideas that you may well be considering. So the easiest way to choose decorations is to work with a theme of some sort, whether it’s just a nice color combination, the flowers you love, a favorite season of the year, or some specific theme based on a hobby or special interests. Themes will provide you with ample ideas for all sorts of wedding decor that you can use. Just use your imaginations and do not hesitate to experience and explore, it's the only way to create something unique for you and your groom-to-be.

Summer Dairy

Summer is all about fighting the heat and dehydration being the most trivial reason for body slow-down...so, clean-up your kitchen, stock up your refrigerators and pamper yourself with the recommended nutritional summer dietary picks.

Words by our Nutritionist Specialists:

Dr. Lata Sashi, a Consultant Nutritionist illuminating her expertise on summery diet precisely pointing out on the risk of getting dehydrated during the summers- a resultant of loss of fluid and electrolyte in the body. Drinking plain fresh water (at least 1 to 1.5 litres a day) is what she suggests to be ideal to balance our body fluid level, regardless of your activity intensities. Besides, fresh fruit juice with a concentration of 150ml servings, without added sugar is said to work fine too. Picking seasonal fruits like musk melon, watermelon, papaya, etc. are advised to be the best.

Opting vegetable soup is surely into our Summer Dairy too…however, a strict ‘no no ’is to ‘off-the-rack ones’, and also to the array of aerated and bottled drinks containing preservatives that flood the stores. Choose additional intakes of curd and buttermilk instead. While, fresh tender coconut water that contains high level of sodium and potassium is suggested to have the best electrolytic properties.

It’s how you prepare?

Avoiding fat-based and oily foods has always been a dart-mark for healthy living. So it’s all about what you cook and how you cook…including tea snacks like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajjis, etc. Fat has a very high thermal effect. Pick fresh vegetables, for Dr. Sashi explains there’s no stern restriction on choice of vegetables as such, however, kaddu and turoi are suggested for higher water content.

Shallow food frying or maybe sambar-like preparation is said to be ideal for the heat. Spacing out meals is advised to keep the body light than stuffing all in one or two large ones.

Dr. Praveen Kumar of the Heritage Food (India) Limited suggests to go for foods containing alkaline properties and, leafy vegetables are to have such high base with anti-oxidant properties that increases the alkaline and also the Ph Level.

Must-avoid list:

· Avoid drinks containing artificial sugars, preservatives, canned juices, caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic beverages that are highly acidic in nature and act as major diuretics.

· Avoid soft drinks, for they contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner lining of the digestive tract, also increasing the phosphorous levels in the blood. Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.

· Do not drink too chilled liquids, it’s quite hard to really gulp this but drinking too cold liquids may lead to constriction of the blood vessels and decrease heat loss meaning lesser perspiration.

Must-note list:

· Avoid excessive intake of proteins as it leads to the rise in body heat like milk, meat, egg, dried fruits, nuts and legumes.

· Trim down on heaty vegetables and fruits, like hot peppers, spinach, radish, garlic, onions, beetroot, grapefruit or even pineapples.

· Add sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks which has a natural cooling effect on the body.

· NO eating too hot, spicy or extremely salty foods, for the body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies while the inorganic salt is digested, this is why you need to drink a lot of water to clear it out from the body.

Most-preferred list:

· Include lots of fruits, sprouts and vegetables like fresh juices and salads, preferably without

· Drink thin buttermilk, lemon juice and tender coconut water to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.

· Excessive heat hampering the steady digestion process intake of toker daal (raw mangoes cooked with lentils) with boiled rice during lunch is suggested by all nutritionists.

· To keep away the germs, it is advised to eat a substantial amount of bitter dishes made of neem (full of medicinal qualities) and karela (bitter gourd), also helping to improve one’s appetite.

· Hang on to fine hygiene living.

A quick food guide for summers by an eminent nutritionist, Reshmi Roy Chowdhury

· 6.30 am: Green or herbal tea and two biscuits. · Breakfast: Seasonal fruits (250 gm) with an egg and curd (100 gm, made from skimmed or toned milk) or just with a cup of cereal and curd. · 10.30 am: Fruit juice or tender coconut water or chilled lassi. · Lunch: Rice (60 to 70 gm), daal (20 gm), vegetables (150 gm), fish or chicken 60 gm) (it is better to avoid red meat and prawns), curd (100) · 4.30 pm: Tea and biscuits. · 6.30 pm: Fruit salad or soaked chhole and curd. · Dinner: Roti or rice, vegetables (150 gm), fish (60 gm), I cup cold milk mixed with a little bit of honey. · Handy tip: To aid digestion, have one amla, slightly boiled, everyday.

Reality in Check

Documentary filmmaking being a medium of honest communication has the power to depict reality, foster imaginations, reveal unique perspectives and motivate changes…so Trendz choose to keep it rolling.

Man and nature battling…

Environmental depletion, global warming, continuous deforestation, declining animal numbers are sure a concern that equates to imbalance the ecosystem. Watch Earthlings directed by Shaun Monson that relates nature-animal-humankind and their interdependences, or Academy award winning An Inconvenient Truth a magnificent research alerting citizens to the terrestrial crisis of global warming, while Chernobyl Heart by DeLeo gives an inside story of the horrendous effect of Russia’s Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1984, showcasing human’s ignorance to nature’s destructive capacity. It’s all about how we take all for granted.

Also, Global Dimming filmed by BBC Horizon in 2005 gives an alarming conclusion that the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface has been gradually falling, meaning that the impact of global warming is far more worrisome than probably imagined. Home entirely produced with aerial shots of different parts of planet Earth intending to show the Earth’s diversity and also how we humans are damaging the ecological balance of our planet. This precisely focuses on the areas of human encroachment causing displacement of animals and loss of natural habitat.

The Cove a revelation of a covert operation of the international dolphin capture trade practiced in Taji, Japan is an astonishing piece of investigation of how human manhandles nature. Wildlife across India too faces a number of threats. An effort for a balanced solution to reduce elephant deaths the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) film – On the Right Track is not a miss either! It‘s a documentation of interventions that ensured zero elephant deaths in train accidents in Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand. At least 20 elephants were accounted to be killed in accidents in these railway tracks between 1987 and March 2002.

Vijay Bedi, the award-winning filmmaker of Cherub in the Mist, a film based on the life of two red pandas who were released into the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling District, India. It is said that even the slightest increase in temperature of 0.2 (degree Celsius) can kill animals like red panda that live in acute conditions.

Shores of Silence - Whale sharks in India by Mike Pandey is the first Indian film to spotlight the slaughter of whale sharks on the Indian coast. You can visit http://www.mikepandey.org/awards.htm for more of his environmental related documentaries.

What Man makes of Man?

To cover the genre of crime and human rights we surely can’t miss Conspiracy Of Silence - The Franklin Child Prostitution Ring filmed in 1993 by Yorkshire Television, a story of an alleged child sex circle serving high-level American politicians, most notably, Lawrence E. King, a prominent member of the Republican Party that hit the headlines in 1992 as the Franklin child abuse scandal..

Xavi-The Movie by Gregg Helvey is a narrative of an Indian boy who just wants to be a normal kid wanting to go to school, play cricket but is forced to work in a brick kiln showcasing child abuse and modern day slavery. Garbage Dreams another heart-drenching investigation by Mai Iskander focusing on life and future of Cairo children caused by intense globalization and how they pursue garbage collection as their no-option career.

The Quiet One of way back 1948 directed by Sidney Meyers is indeed a classic documentary of a ten year-old Harlem Negro boy- a child thirsty for love, discarding all social norms and a clear reflection of a child psychology, February 14, 1949whose childhood had been scratched by the cruel indifference of his parents and the repulsion of his grandmother with whom he lived. Mistreated and rejected, he has lost all heart and confidence and, in his lonesome agony, turns a loner.

Broken Child by Michael Mierendorf depicts the complexity and the cumulative effects of child abuse, neglect, and trauma leading to mental illness and violent anti-social behavior. When children become emotionally or psychologically damaged that the damage is quite hard to untie. It’s an expression for preventing and early intervention of probable threat to the society.

Deliver Us from Evil by Amy Berg is another devastating compilation of witnesses revealing the Catholic Church's shocking cover up of ongoing incidents of child abuse by members of the clergy in California. While Deepika Lal an Indian film maker who herself was a victim of child molestation expresses by documenting and directing Speak Up! It’s Not Your Fault.

For wider genre of Indian documentaries that are well-crafted, you could also visit www.ndtv.com