Consumer Notes
Don't swallow tall claims
Several years ago, I questioned the ethics of the manufacturer of a popular brand of fruit juice. The company's ad on TV conveyed the impression that the product contained natural juice while it was not really so. In fact, the product contained only a ve
ry small percentage of natural fruit juice.
Corporate
Words and beyond
Before any communication between two or more people begins, there is an internal communication that takes place within each person. Being effective as a communicator, involves handling our own internal communiquis as carefully as we handle external commu
nication.
Health
Your stomach can get moody too!
Have acidity? Take care. The stomach is a mighty sensitive organism that reflects our moods accurately. Connected by the vagus nerve directly to the brain, it mirrors our anxiety or anger in its own unique way -- it secretes acids. Yes, on a tense day, a
cids flood our stomach. If we don't eat, they scorch the small intestine. Untended to, the burn perforates into an ulcer.
Miscellaneous
The twain do meet
The East and West may not have met, but Bharatanatyam and ballet seem to have had a unique meeting at Chennai. Arabesque et Mudras, a French dance company, has pioneered a unique Indo-European dance form that has brought together the two art forms.
It's Sony's day
Rekha Nigam, Sony's head of programming, is ecstatic. ``The TRPs have just come in,'' she smiles as I enter her room. ``Heena is 7.2, Kkusum is 6.4, Boogie Woogie is 6.9...'' And Jeeto Chappar Phaad Ke? ``That's 2.5, it's not bad,'' she says, looking sli
ghtly less happy for just a second.
States
A village in lacquer hue
There is much more to Andhra Pradesh than the Charminar. Many of the State's smaller towns and villages have rich cultural traditions and are home to some of the most exquisite handlooms and handicrafts produced in the country -- fine cotton weaves from
Ponduru and a variety of colourful dolls from Kondapalli are a few that immediately come to one's mind. Lately, one more handicraft product from rural Andhra Pradesh is getting noticed -- lacquer-ware from Etikoppaka.
Travel & Places
Simply South
Can anything equal the pure joy of an Indian discovering the wonder of his own land, its breathtaking historical and natural diversity?
The height of beauty
Though the Himalayan region is famous for its scenic hill-stations, the beauty of Garhwal is quite unparalleled. The lush green grazing grounds, snow-clad mountains and beautiful lakes of this region attract a large number of tourists. The majestic beaut
y of the mountain ranges here has found mention in the Skanda Purana.
If it's Sacher Torte, it must be Vienna
``Without even the trace of a bad conscience,'' said Greta Garbo in 1937, ``I have just eaten the most marvelous Sacher Torte.'' And when Vienna's legendary publisher Fritz Molden founded his company in 1965 he had several thousand Sacher Tortes distribu
ted at the Frankfurt Book Fair. ``You see, it's the best thing we (Viennese) can offer.''
Zurich, here I come
Capping the northern end of Lake Zurich, wooded hills providing a green rim, Switzerland's largest and richest city is a fine mix of the old and the new, the staid and the innovative.
Will Pulicat make it?
Pulicat, as we see it today, is an impoverished fishing village 60 kms north of Chennai. Visitors to Pulicat would find it difficult to believe that this village, on the shores of Pulicat Lake adjoining the Bay of Bengal, was once an important trading po
st of the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company).
