Insights Of An Introvert

Here's a success story. Not the rags-to-riches kinds, but of achieving the unthinkable. Neither their lack of years nor their address -- they belong to the slum areas -- has been able to stop them. This bunch of little angels from Janta Colony and Adarsh Nagar in Nayagaon, who're anywhere between nine and 14 years of age, has managed to improve the health status of other slum kids. And for all the hard work they put in since May, the youngsters have earned smart bicycles. They will be felicitated on Sunday, the birthday of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, who wanted to create responsible citizens out of children. And, here's a group he would've been proud of. Older children looking after the little ones' health might have sounded like an unachievable task but then Gurpreet Singh, assistant director of NGO Developing Indigenous Resources (DIR), came up with the novel idea two years ago. Today, it has turned out to be one of the most successful projects and the NGO's chief ...

Charu Rishi reports on charms of HP’s paragliding village — Bir Billing Welcome to Billing, standing at a height of 8,500 feet, nestled in the breathtaking Dhauladhar mountain range, as the gale gushes in, it is nothing but modified rapture. Barely 45 km from Palampur, the tea town of Kangra, this little village attracts adventure sport lovers from all over the world as every year Himachal Pradesh tourism department organizes pre-world cup paragliding competition during October-November here. Unlike these daredevils, you may not want to lose the ground beneath you feet, but still this place has enough charm to capture your soul. A glance from the 8,500-feet high cliffs of Billing is a breathtaking experience for anyone even if he is not so adventurous to take the air route to reach Bir. Far and high above the concrete jungle, these cliffs transport visitors to an altogether different place, where everyday problems look so trivial while standing amid the majestic mountains. But t...

Fiery 50s A truly black ‘n’ white era, the 1950s was a time of recovery. While the world was licking its WW-II wounds, India had just gotten used to the idea of freedom. As the Indian Constitution came into effect in January 1950, a wave of optimism swept the country. It was a simple life, peppered with fond viewing of cinema that was largely dominated by the likes of Suraiya, Madhubala, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. Nargis-starrer Mother India caught the imagination of the entire nation as it became the ultimate saga of sacrifice and a salute to womanhood. There were golden oldies like Awara, Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Shree 420 and Kagaz Ke Phool. Then came the watershed moment in Indian cinema; Satyajit Ray released Pather Panchali in ’55. And who can forget the charisma and magnetism of the undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, who continues to be worshipped by music lovers across the globe. The Italian beauty, Sophia Loren, became the ultimate diva for movie buffs, who w...

In the man’s world, as they call it, it’s a mad race. Once you’re off the bus, it’s tough to get back on it. But unlike her male counterpart, even the most fiercely competitive woman is a mother, a caregiver, first. Driven by this instinct, there are some happy mommies who have said glad goodbyes to full-time jobs so that they could be with their kids. ‘‘I want the best for my son and that includes ‘sanskar’, which only parents can inculcate. Being a perfectionist, I wanted to give 100% to both my family and work. But the two things don’t go together. So, I gave up my career altogether for my top priority, my 12-year-old son,’’ says Dr Anjali Kashyap, a radiologist. Searching for harmony, MBA Monica Shukla feels, ‘‘Balancing home and work is an art that decides our level of happiness. I think I have achieved it to some extent. The moment I first held my bundle of joy, my motherly instinct told me to give her the best. Thank God for a work-from-home opportunity that came my way. Now...