By Kumar Punithavel
[monsoonjournal.com]
In the modern world, every day we see some one comes out and proclaims them selves as a Guru. We see Karate Guru, Gym Guru, Dance Guru, Music Guru to name a few. If one knows the real meaning of Guru then it would be easy to weed away the false ones. Webster English dictionary gives the meaning of the word Guru as, ‘A Hindu spiritual teacher’. In general terms the word Guru in Sanskrit language means teacher. Hence any teacher may be called a Guru. In the original meaning in Sanskrit it was specifically used to denote a spiritual teacher.
In Sanskrit language the word ‘Gu’ stands for darkness, and ‘Ru” stands for light or dispel. Hence the word Guru means dispeller of darkness. An interesting verse in Advayataraka Upanishad states as follows;
The syllable gu means shadows
The syllable ru, he who disperses them,
Because of the power to disperse darkness
The guru is named thus. Verse 5; 14—18.
In the spiritual journey of a person these Guru’s played a very important role. One may ask whether it is important to have a Guru to achieve spiritual knowledge. Gaining spiritual knowledge is by proper discipline. This spiritual exertion towards an intended goal is called Sadhana. It is not about gaining knowledge, but about a way of living. What ever number of manuals one may read it is of no use unless some one teaches the practical aspect.
The analogy can be pursued further. If one wants to learn to drive a vehicle, he goes to a driving school. If the school just sold the person a driving manual, he certainly will feel short changed. Like wise, the practical nature of spirituality can perhaps only be learnt from a guru, a teacher who has himself acquired wisdom from study and practice at the feet of his own master.
These Gurus are one who gives the transcendental knowledge (Vidya) which is the goal of Hindu religion from which the Guru’s hail. In the great liturgical book Bgavat Geeta is a dialog between God who incarnate in the form of Lord Krishna and Arjuna a noble worrier. The discussion and the relationship between the two considered to be expression of the ideal Guru/disciple relationship. In Geeta itself, Lord Krishna speaks of the importance of finding a Guru to Arjuna;
‘Find a wise teacher, honour him,
Ask him your questions, serve him;
Some one who has seen the truth
Will guide you on the path of wisdom’ Ch4; Sl 34
Saint Manickavasagar hails Lord Shiva as his Guru. He sings on the third line of Sivapuranam;
‘Hail, foot of the Guru-pearl that rules Gogali’
Again in his Achopathgam psalm on verse three he sings
‘Me trusting every lie as truth,-plunged in desire of women’s charms,-
He guarded that I perished not with soul perturbed,-the Lord Supreme,
On whose side the Lady dwells! He brought me neigh His jewelled feet,-
‘Twas thus my Guru gave me grace: O rapture! Who so blest as I?’
A Hindu is expected to find a good Guru who will enlighten his path on transcendental knowledge. We see in the life of Lord Buddha the great rebellion of Hindu religion who roamed all over India to find a good Guru. He learned under many Gurus. Once, when he had learned all that could be taught by his Guru Alara, his Guru said to him “Well done Siddhartha, you have reached the same level of concentration that I too have reached. I have nothing more to teach you. You are my equal. Join me in instructing others here who are trying to reach the highest”. When Buddha refused the offer and asked permission to leave his reply was “Siddhartha, you were the best pupil I ever had. I am sorry to see you go. But this is all I can teach you. If you find something superior, please come back and instruct me. May you reach your goal without obstruction”. The above gives the need of a Guru in training a person in spiritual achievement. The spiritual learning is a journey on a lonely path. Guru helps the person with the orientation but it is the duty of that person to go on his journey.
There are also circumstances where the disciples had become the Guru. St. Arulnanthi was the Guru of St. Meykandar’s father. One day when St. Arulnanthi met his disciples’ son St. Meykandar expounding St. Arulnanthy system of philosophy, in his great vanity, asked him, “Define anava (ego). St. Meykandar without even parting his lips pointed his finger at St. Arulnanthi himself. The elder came to his senses immediately: he got over his false ego, and fell at the feet of St. Meykandar and there after became the disciple of his disciples’ son.
One could see it is the role of the Guru to teach transcendental knowledge to the disciples. They are venerated more than the God himself. St. Pathirakiriar the Hindu saint disciple of St. Patinathar attained beatitude before his Guru by worshiping his Guru and no other deity. This clearly shows the important role a Guru occupies in the journey of a seeker.
By virtue of the unique position and control a Guru has on his disciple one cannot over stress the need in selecting a good liberated person as the Guru. Frequently we find many unscrupulous persons making use of the title. Spiritual teachers should have high standards of moral conduct and that followers of Gurus should interpret the behavior of a spiritual teacher by using common sense, and, should not naively use mystical explanations unnecessarily to explain immoral behavior. Nothing should compromise morality. Another point to remember is that the bigger the claim a Guru make, such as the claim to be God, the bigger the chance is that the person is unreliable. Self-proclaimed Gurus are likely to be more unreliable than Gurus with a legitimate lineage.
There are two other categories of people we come across in ones religious aspiration. They are clergy and priests. People have a tendency to call them Guru. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term comes from Greek term meaning heritage. Clergy usually take care of the ritual aspects of the religious life to teach or otherwise help spreading the religion’s doctrine and practices. They often deal with life cycle with rituals like naming ceremony, wedding, death etc. They also found to do the temple worship and outside life cycle rituals.
The other one is the priest or priestess is a person having the authority to perform and administer religious rites. Priests are generally believed to have contact with the deities of the religion of their priesthood. This is the reason for the tendency of an average person to respect them. After all is said and done they too are humans and do have the tendency to exploit the situation. These priests were called panda in Indian dialect. After his visit to Kasi Visvanath temple Mahatma Gandhi observed in his auto biography I quote; ‘If any one doubts the infinite mercy of God, let him have a look at these sacred places. How much hypocrisy and irreligion does the Prince of Yogis suffer to be perpetrated in His holy name? He proclaimed long ago “Whatever a man sows, that shall he reap” There is thus hardly any need for God to interfere. He laid down the law and, as it were, retired’.
There was another great King of Yogi’s in the west. I refer to Lord Jesus. I quote from bible Matthew 23; “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Mosses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’. In the last two millenniums much hasn’t changed. We see men of religious order the same in every religion. They cannot be called Gurus.
There are many who do perform miracles. These men and women are also are frequently called Guru. When some one does something which does not fall into the normal intelligent comprehension we tend to call them either miracle or magic. If a divine connotation is given it is called miracle! I do not trivialise the great saints of the past and present. The greatness of these holy men is not the miracles but the guidance they gave to the world. The miracles they performed benefited those who were fortunate to come into contact with them. But their teachings are for ever. Take the case of Lord Jesus. If he made a lame to walk it is of no use for the rest of us. But the Sermon on the Mount has guided many generations and will continue to generations.
There is a tendency to make use of the awe of the devotees to propagate the religion, and trivialize the teachings. It was Lord Jesus who said in Mtt24: 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away”. One must also note true mystic person don’t go from one place to another blowing the trumpet. Only tricksters and magicians do so. Sathaka or spiritual students should go in search of a Guru and not the other way about. Please remember men flocked to see Lord Jesus and Lord Buddha not them went around looking for disciples. Another interesting fact to remember is that Lord Jesus again and again referred to him self as son of man for he was indeed great and need no authentication by divine linage.
So coming to the original question who is a Guru we may sum up as follows. He is the teacher who guides you in the journey of spirituality to attain transcended state of mind. He is a person to be venerated as much as the God himself. Calling other teachers as Guru is senseless. It is like when an adult male and female agrees to live together and raise a family we call the bond a marriage. But it is wrong to call a marriage when two persons of the same gender agree to live together. It is true in both cases it is joining together, but it will be a case of taking meaning of the word out of context. When two persons of same gender living together it is better to coin a new word so that one could understand the true meaning and differentiate the two situations. The teachers of various subjects’ like tap dancing and pole dancing may be called as achariyas if you must use an East Indian oriental name, certainly not Guru!
By: Anand. J [Cinema Correspondent]
DEEPAVALI
Director Ezhil might have planned to release his movie Deepavali during the festival time of Deepavali 2006 but fate had the movie release only by February 2007. February being a month of no festival saw 4 other competent releases in the form of Lee, Mozhi, Pachai Kili MuthuCharam and Paruthi Veeran made the month look like it was a festival month. Timing of release of this movie didn’t do any good to the Box office collections since it had to compete against four other good movies plus the title ‘Deepavali’ didn’t have any justification. Neither a character nor the story has any connection to the movie title ‘Deepavali’ and the viewers keep wondering why this title was selected in the first place.
Billu (Ravi) is a tough lovable young man, son of Mudaliar (Vijayakumar) who is a sort of kingmaker of Royapuram area in Chennai. Enter Susi (Bhavana) a down to earth rich girl who
comes to live as a guest in his neighbourhood. It is love at first sight for Billu as he picks her up from the railway station and on the way back she too falls flat for his brawns as he fights a dozen thugs single handedly. How can a love story be without a villain ? Once again it is the same old dad of the heroine who is the bad man. He is Chidambaram (Lal) a dreaded don in Bangalore who is a killing machine. Susi had a miserable childhood and her mother was killed in a car accident planned by Chidambaram’s enemies. Adding more woes to her life, she survives a head injury in that accident but suffers from “Post traumatic event amnesia”. Tamil cinema tradition has enlightened the viewers about the various unknown diseases in the medical world. What a selfless service to the film going public ???!!!
Susi forgets what happened in the last three years of her life and is literally scared of her dad. Now Chidambaram lands up in Chennai, beats up Billu to pulp (seeing the mayhem, Susi once again loses her memory) and now she forgets the Chennai episodes in her life including our poor Billu. At this juncture, even the film viewers go through a post traumatic event amnesia and are forced to forget what happened in the first half of the movie. Such is the confusion in the screenplay that it makes viewers wonder as to “What is it about memory ?”. Our Superhero wakes up in the hospital bed and straightaway heads to Bangalore to bring back Susi who is all set to marry another guy.
Billu has two tasks ahead of him. The first one is to bring back old memories in Susi’s mind and taking her back to Royapuram where an entire township is waiting for them.
Finally will Sushi recognize Billu and his deep love? All actors in Deepavali disappoint, and the blame should go to the ridiculous plot and the lifeless characters that they’ve been hired to play. Director Ezhil has not been able to establish the love between the lead pair convincingly and hence we are unable to empathize with the hero’s anguish and pain in the climax.
If you are looking to watch a film that’s worth a paisa vasool and entertaining, Deepavali, most clearly, is not for you. It is a poignant love story that showcases the myriad histrionic abilities of the lead pair, Jayam Ravi and Bhavana, in a storyline which could have been more beautiful and screenplay which could have been much better. The film definitely disappoints you since it doesn’t evince any interest with none of the characters portrayed making an impression.
Jayam Ravi’s career graph shows that he has donned varied roles and done them all with ease. For example, his debut Jayam showed him as a rustic lad, while his second film M Kumaran, Son of Mahalakshmi showed him as a fiery kick-boxer. Likewise, his earlier film Something Something Unakkum Enakkum showed him as a happy-go-lucky NRI and Deeppavali shows him, again, in a totally different light. That’s smart choice Ravi-way to go! Undoubtedly Ravi is a promising and rising young actor but the actor has to concentrate more on choosing his stories.
Heroine Bhavana has tried to act but still has a long way to go before she gets her expressions right for those important emotional scenes. Vijayakumar performs yet another loving father role with much ease. Lal, the villainous father does a perfect job. Raghuvaran has been wasted in a miniscule role. Yuvan Shankar Raja has come up with two hummable numbers in ‘Kannan Varum Velai’ and ‘Dole Baje’. A big sore point of the movie is that it has no comedy track. Picturisation of songs are good, thanks to Cinematographer Vijay Milton. Editing by Sasi Kumar and Sets by Selva Kumar are above average.
To sum up, Deepavali, disappoints with its weak storyline and screenplay. Better luck next time for the entire film crew.
Deepavali – pusssssssssssssssss pusvanam
EKLAVYA
Eklavya is a movie from Vidhu Vinod Chopra who gave us ‘1942 – A Love Story’, ‘Mission Kashmir’, ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Parineeta’ and ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’. The expectations are sky high when you start watching ‘Eklavya’ since it has come from a man who has delivered quality blockbusters. Does Eklavya live up to the hype ? Does Eklavya live up to the huge expectations ? Does Eklavya impress the viewers ? Is Eklavya a good film ? The answer to all the above questions is ‘NO’ but that doesn’t mean that the movie is bad. Eklavya as a movie crosses lots of barriers and reaches new heights in film making especially with its breathtaking cinematography and life like performances.
Eklavya starts off great in a huge candle lit palace where Rana Jayawardhan (Boman Irani) discovers at his wife Rani’s (Sharmila Tagore) deathbed that his twin children were not born to him but to his loyal guard Eklavya (Amithab Bachchan) after some ancient ritual to get an heir, when the king fails at the task. Eklavya, whose father had died saving the life of the Rana, believes in all sincerity, that any disloyalty to the royal clan will result in nine generations of his family going to hell. Intrigue builds up as Rani’s last wishes of seeing Eklavya are left unfulfilled by Rana who eventually ends killing Rani forcefully. Soon the viewers are introduced to a flurry of characters who are the members of Rana’s family Jyotiwardhan [Jackie Shroff] (Rana’s younger brother), Harshwardhan [Saif Ali Khan] (Rana’s son), Nandini [Raima Sen] (Rana’s daughter), Udaywardhan [Jimmy Shergill] (Jyoti’s son) and Rajjo [Vidya Balan] (Daughter of Rana’s chauffer (Parikshit Sahni) and Harsh’s childhood sweetheart).
The movie continues with the jealousy angle of Jyoti and Uday. A twist in the tale in the form of a murder will take the viewers by surprise just during the intermission point. A fantastically executed action scene where Tinu Verma excels in combining the fire of bullets with the running of camels in a desert with a running train behind. Harshwardhan discovers the truth about his parentage, when his mother breaks her promise and reveals it in a letter. The second half of the movie stagnates with Eklavya setting out on revenge against the killer of the King Rana and he is pitted against his own son thanks to another twist in the story. The climax is a huge let down and has a typical bollywood filmi ending which will draw more criticism from film critics.
Eklavya, a character straight from the epic Mahabharat, truly stands by dharma and ended up sacrificing his thumb as a gurudhakshina to his guru when he is asked for it. Eklavya would have been the best archer in the world had he not sacrificed his thumb. But he felt that he owes big time to his guru and he acts accordingly to dharma. This is Eklavya in Mahabharat. But the modern day Eklavya as depicted by Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya is more cinematic in characterization and leaves the viewers high and dry towards the climax.
Amithab Bachchan stands tall with his towering performance doing full justice to the role. His subtle expressions conveys a lot and he has done the role with a lot of conviction. Whether it is his best performance on screen till date will be a moot point. Nevertheless he has done a tremendous job. Saif Ali Khan as the son caught in between duty and responsibility does a good job. Vidya Balan has nothing much to do except to sob and play a part in the one and only song in the movie. Raima Sen as the twin sister of Saif has an insignificant role but she is better than Vidya Balan.
Boman Irani as King Rana with shades of gray in his character portrays his character well as usual. Jackie Shroff and Jimmy Shergill as father and son doesn’t have much to do. Another big let down is the character of Sanjay Dutt which evokes interest during introduction but fades away inconsequentially with out a trace.
Technically the film is brilliant with slick editing, beautiful sets, superb lighting, breathtaking cinematography, high quality action and sound. It’s a royal treat and experience to the eyes and ears of the viewers on the big screen. Pure technical highs cannot make this movie great since the story neither falls into a fantasy category nor a reality category. In other words its neither like a Dhoom II fantasy nor a Lage Raho Munnabhai reality to capture the viewers hearts.
On the positive side, the film boasts of short running time (120 minutes) which is a rarity these days especially when you have movies with 2 intervals.
To sum up, the movie would have been lapped up by masses if the climax was a tragedy but that is not the case. Box office might reject this movie not sustaining the huge hypes and promotions of this movie. Viewers will have to give another chance to Vidhu Vinod Chopra to come up with a better movie next time.
Eklavya – Avoidable!!!!
LEE
Actor Sathyaraj becomes a producer with this movie ‘Lee’ especially to make and market his son Sibiraj a saleable actor in Kollywood. Success has always eluded Sibiraj for a long time now since he has piggy banked with his actor dad Sathyaraj and was never able to stand alone and prove a worthy actor. Director Prabhu Solomon has come up with a convincing story line and has extracted good performances from his lead actors which makes ‘Lee’ worth watching. His earlier movie ‘Kokki’ was also an off-beat movie with a man being chased by unwanted elements from start to finish with an engrossing screenplay. Kudos to Director for selecting a story with Foot ball sport as the backdrop. Not many movies have been made with Sports as the background and what stands fresh in every filmgoer’s mind is Aamir Khan’s Cricket bonanza ‘Lagaan’. Being a cricket crazy nation, Lagaan was viewed and appreciated by one and all.
‘Lee’ opens with Leeladharan alias Lee (Sibiraj) and his group of friends living in a slum like area in Chennai. They work as pizza delivery boys, auto driver, newspaper boy etc but they pool together whatever money they make to fund their dream project. They want to buy a gun at any cost! In one of their outings they bump into Chellammal (Nila) lovingly called Chellam who works in the hospital for the mentally challenged. She joins them and soon develops a soft corner for Lee but he does not pay much attention to her (though both sing dream songs together!) Soon she witnesses a botched up assassination bid, when Lee tries to shoot a powerful politician and Central Minister Rangabhashayam (Zahir).
Post interval, in a flashback, Lee and his friends tell Chellam about their past and motive behind their failed assassination attempt. The flashback unfolds with all of them being aspiring and promising football players at college level coming from lower middle class families who had that fiery ambition to represent India and make Football a National game. Their moving spirit, mentor and coach was Buthiran (Prakash Raj). Rangabhashayam had put pressure on Buthiran to make his son (supposedly a drug addict) the captain of the football team which the coach politely refuses. A peeved Ranga shoots Buthiran and also wrecks the career of all the players and one of them even commits suicide! The rest of the film peters out into a revenge potboiler as Lee finally turns into a terminator and kills the baddies on the streets of Chennai. In the end, Lee does not just become another victim of a corrupt system or at the other extreme, a vigilante. He has after all committed crimes, necessary though they may have been, and so he serves his prison term and resumes his passion for football – he becomes a coach, just like his inspiration, Butthiran.
Lee is a different and sensible film. The topic of sports amongst our youth and opportunities for young sportsmen has not been dealt with before and is truly essential in this day and age. It is admirable that director Prabhu Solomon has conceptualized as well as implemented such a thoughtful story. But he should give more strength through the treatment. For Sibi, it is the most important film. He has done a commendable job. The young scion of the Sathyaraj family has been waiting for the right break in films for a while now, and with Lee, he has shown a quiet and yet, youthful intensity in his character. He also comes across well in the action scenes.
Prakashraj, of course, does not need any words to extol his acting skills – small films or big budget, this man is one of the most versatile actors in the South film industry. In Lee, he has done a great job as the inspiring and fiery Buthiran and keeps the tempo of the film in right time. There is nothing to say about Nila. She unnecessarily interrupts in the story and singing irrelevantly with shaking her lightly bulged belly. D.Imman’s music and re-recording keeps the phase well. The soundtrack moves with the moods in the film and really adds to the film’s quality. Rajesh Yadhav’s camera work is good. In stunt scenes, Anal Arasu really thrills the viewers. On commercial part, there may be a chance for some crisis, but the film serves the right message at right time to the society.
Lee – Not Silly
By: Tony Navaneelan
[monsoonJournal.com]
The Teaching Experience of a UFT Undergraduate in Vietnam
On board the twenty-one hour Viet Nam Airlines flight to Ha Noi, it is difficult not to notice with some confusion an Air France logo hidden under a thin wash of paint or still engraved on the back of one of the forks. Most of Viet Nam Airlines’ older jets were bought on discount from the French airliner after independence; a small compensation for the long colonial history between the two countries. On board, well-groomed attendants see little irony in handing out immigration forms to the ‘people’s socialist republic’ at the same time as glossy duty-free catalogues peddling imported luxury items. And despite the numerous non-smoking signs all over the aircraft, I keep finding a suspicious number of cigarette butts in my armchair ashtray.
[Me and my co-teacher Nancy Nguyen]
These contradictions – jarring and yet so commonplace in contemporary Vietnamese society – were still novel and disorienting for me as I flew towards Ha Noi. Most of what I knew of Viet Nam to that point came from a handful of American war movies and the Vietnamese phở restaurant near my university. In the seven days that past between when I was accepted for the job posting and when I actually stepped on the plane, there wasn’t much time to consider the experience ahead of me. But there I was, after flying across eleven time zones, stepping off the plane to spend half a year in one of the world’s last and most infamous Communist states.
* * *
[Class Picture]
I arrived in Viet Nam last February with a well-thumbed Lonely Planet Guide and a six month working visa from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). A few weeks earlier I had applied for a volunteer teaching position in the country over the internet – although the job positing was vague on the employer. It wasn’t until my employer called to offer me the job that she asked casually, “you know you’ll be working for the United Nations, right?” I had finished my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto the previous summer and this seemed like the ideal way to fill my year off. The phone still in my hand, I glanced at the world map to see where Viet Nam was exactly and then told her I’d take the job. When did you need me to be there, I asked? “How’s February 26?” I looked at the calendar. It was February 21.
We touch down in Ha Noi airport through a cloud of crisp fog. It is wintertime in the north and far from scenes of lush tropical rainforest, the city feels damp and there a lingering fragrance of mildew. The airport is not what is expected. The new building is sleek and modern, complete with polished black marble floors and an elderly lady doggedly sweeping away footprints as soon as they are deposited. The airport is intended as showcase of the new Viet Nam: prosperous, technological, modern. But the very cleanliness of the building, a sign of its under-use, belies that fact that new Viet Nam is still in its infancy. As I glanced at the Western products being sold in the gift stores, I was immediately regretted the ten tubes of toothpaste and deodorant sticks I had nervously packed for my half-year stay. And outside on the curb, under the portrait of Ho Chi Minh – the man who had orchestrated the US’ only military defeat in a foreign war – taxis from the Hilton and Sheraton now waited to whisk American tourists to the new glass-clad towers sticking into the Ha Noi skyline.
[Vehicle used to transport the women]
This is the not Viet Nam from American war movies. It is the Viet Nam that I and thousands of other foreigners had come here to experience following the country’s two decades of economic growth, second only to China’s in its voracious pace. But that is not to say the old Viet Nam is not still ever present. Once my taxi sped away from the airport the land opened up into a flat, green plateau of rice paddies full of women toiling away in the country’s iconic white cone-shaped hats. These women earn less than US$2 per day and they represent the vast majority of Vietnamese society still. They, like tens of millions of others, work not only in the shadow of the country’s modern airport, but in the shadow of the country’s economic miracle as a whole. As I would come to learn, Viet Nam is, if nothing else, a land of tenuously co-existing contradictions.
* * *
A few after arriving and I am on the back of a Honda motorcycle – ubiquitous in Viet Nam – heading into the countryside. Motorbikes are a cheap and efficient way of moving around which has made them extremely popular in Viet Nam since the 1990s. At every intersection in Ha Noi, hundreds of motorbikes will stream haphazardly into one another, oblivious to any concept of traffic laws or helmets. In Canada I do not even have my learner’s permit, so in Viet Nam I am confined to my bicycle. This means, like all other cyclists, I am relegated the very bottem of Vietnamese society along with recently arrived migrants and people who have sold their motobikes for drugs. But bicycling in Ha Noi rush hour traffic is difficult enough. I tend to hug the curb and hang out with the bicycling ladies who are carrying rice or vegetables on their head while they peddle. They give me the ‘thumbs up.’ In the countryside, however, we have escaped the traffic of Ha Noi and my driver and I are able to speed easily towards our destination: an all-female labour prison inside a national park.
[Women in the Program]
Most North Americans come to Asia to teach to middle-to-upper class students eager to study at universities abroad. My class was somewhat different. To begin with, they were all recovering drug addicts or sex-trade workers. Secondly, they were still in prison. I had been hired to work in a pilot UNDP project which was providing vocational training to soon-to-be-released inmates in these ‘special’ prisons. Viet Nam has an entirely separate prison system for individuals convicted of a special class of ‘social’ crimes: drug use, sex trade work, sexual indecency, homosexuality, etc. Typical of Communist governments’ fetish for strange rhetoric and even stranger institutions, these women are officially termed victims of ‘social evil’ and the facility they are housed in was operated by the Ha Noi Sub-Department for the Prevention of Social Evil.
[Women in the Program]
While the prison I worked in only housed drug users and sex workers, the government has also launched campaigns against such social evils as gambling and has even targeted karaoke bars and foreign-language signage as being counter-revolutionary. The prisons are officially known as rehabilitation centres which made me cringe at what the conditions in an actual Vietnamese prison must be like. Our ‘rehabilitation centre,’ like all others, was overcrowded and underfunded. The women sleep 35 to a room with only 20 beds. Most sleep on bamboo mats on the floor. They work in factories most days painting plastic toys. Everything smells of mildew. This was not the Betty Ford Clinic.
* * *
For too many North Americans, Viet Nam isn’t so much a country as it is a war. It is easy to lump this state alongside a few infamous others – Bosnia, Rwanda, Iraq – as places which have been flattened in our memories to a few newspaper photographs of a distant and violent conflict. Indeed, the word Viet Nam itself has become shorthand for military quagmire and terrible sacrifice. But with the exception of a US B-52 bomber wreckage that is still floating in the lake into which it crashed in Ha Noi, the country harbors almost no evidence of, and even less resentment over, the Viet Nam War – or the American War, as they refer to it. From the Vietnamese perspective, the country was essentially in a state of continuous war for independence and territorial unity from WWII until 1988; a small and poor country which successfully fought back invasions by the Japanese, the French, the Americans and the Chinese.
But what is done is done. Far from the venomous perceptions of Americans in Iran, Cuba and other places where US foreign policy has been defeated, Vietnamese have developed a very positive impression of the United States. Most Vietnamese in the cities express a desire to work and live in the US for some time and every tourist is inevitably approached by youth looking to practice their English. The people I spoke to seemed almost disappointed when they found out I was not American but Canadian. The land lady at the small apartment I rented in Ha Noi was certain I was mistaken and that “Canada is in America. No? America very rich. Don’t you want to be rich?” All of this is testimony to the new and dogmatic focus in Viet Nam since the onset of a period of relative peace since 1988. Far from dwelling on the lost decades behind them, Viet Nam has chosen to direct its attention squarely on a forward-facing obsession: economic development.
Like most people in Viet Nam, the lives of the 30 women I was soon to meet and teach mirrored the large social upheavals that have come along with Viet Nam’s drive towards development. After the drying up of subsidies from the USSR at the end of the Cold War, the Communist government in Viet Nam began a process of serious reform, opening up the country to trade and allowing private business. The hope was to mirror the successes of nearby China and Thailand in catapulting themselves away from decades of warfare and beyond the status of a low-income country. What followed was an economic boom that has seen the country grow at an annual rate of 8% for nearly twenty years, producing the fastest rate of poverty reduction in human history. In no other country have so many people escaped poverty so quickly than in Viet Nam between 1988 and the present. Just last year, the Viet Nam Stock Exchange increased by 150%. The sense of optimism in the country is almost palpable. Everyone is smiling.
[Women’s prison in Vietnam]
But along with imported Taiwanese DVD players and American cigarettes, the newly opened economy also generated an appetite for heroin and along with it, HIV. And so on my first day I entered a classroom of women who represented the physical cost Viet Nam was paying for its rapid growth – “the waste products,” I once heard someone distastefully say, of the country’s famed economic machine. Most were struggling with addictions, most commonly to heroin or for the more affluent, to ecstasy. Many concealed prized – yet banned – photographs in their jacket pockets of children living in Ha Noi. And one-third of them were battling HIV in perhaps the most unfavourable of circumstances: in a rural prison, in a poor country, and without any form of medication.
Over the next six months, myself and a team of six UN workers ran the vocational training program inside the women’s prison. The course work consisted mainly of computer training, English lessons and information sessions on drug counseling and social networks when they are released. Our ambitions were low. When we arrived, the prison we were working at had a return rate of over 90% — 9 out 10 women would relapse and be sent back for another 2-year stay. Just having 5 women in the program gain stable employment following release would be enough to declare success. Of course the women themselves had their own varying incentives for succeeding. Letters (opened by the prison of course) from boyfriends in their hometowns, visits from their children and parents on weekend, or rumors of a famous South Korean movie playing in Ha Noi would all bring them all pangs for home.
* * *
The problems of our project were frequent table conversation when our UN team would go out for dinner. This helped distract us, at times, from the food. The diet in Viet Nam is largely a function of the population. In a country of 88-million living in an area half the size of Saskatchewan, nothing can go to waste. Dog meat, pig stomach, cow cheek and insects have all staked out a place for themselves on the Vietnamese menu. Ordering snake at a restaurant in Ha Noi entails a live snake being brought to the table, killed on spot and its still-beating heart placed on a dish on the table. Then the oldest guest eats the pulsating heart while the others drink a shot of snake blood and vodka. For health and longevity, of course. Delicious. But when the meal is over, the discussions with my UN co-workers would inevitably turn into a verbal browbeating of the state over the conditions of the prisons. The prisons have been termed by many critics as forced labour centres or even concentration camps for people living with HIV/AIDS. And on days when my classes with the women are cancelled because they failed to meet their work quota for the previous day, I was tempted to agree.
But while the prisons may seem crude, they represent an honest (although futile) attempt to address an epidemic by a country which, until a few years ago, did not even have a word for HIV. Indeed, it is part of the promise but also the problem that such rapid poverty reduction has brought to Viet Nam. A society that twenty-five years ago was preoccupied with Chinese invasion and rice famines, is now trying to absorb Korean soap operas, Microsoft, admission to the WTO and HIV/AIDS simultaneously. The results are sometimes tragic, often comedic and never perfect – there is still an infuriating lack of social norms governing where and when cell phones can be used. But they represent the best attempt of a society to deal with a total economic and social upheaval the likes of which Canada has never experienced. To put the scale of growth in perspective, the total wealth of Viet Nam’s 88-million people doubles every nine years. Greater countries have come apart under lesser strain.
And even amongst those who have paid the highest price in the country’s race for modernization there exists no less enthusiasm for the project as a whole. I would have expected the women in the prison – most victims of the new imports of cheap Thai rice and Cambodian heroin, a lethal mixture for rural Viet Nam’s rice-based economies – to be the most critical of the new reforms in the country. Instead they seem to be completely enthralled by, and well adjusted to, it. As if we were at a café instead of a prison, the women feverishly inquire what foreigners think about Viet Nam, ask what Canadian girls wear dancing and if Canadian boys live with their parents, and are proud to pass on to me their new email addresses – even though many will not be able to check their inboxes until their release in two years. With few exceptions, the women in the prison know that even with a criminal record, the pace of growth means they will enjoy a quality of life greater than their parents and almost unimaginable to their grandparents. And perhaps most surprising of all is the constant requests for Bee Gees and Lionel Ritchie CDs. The Bee Gees and Lionel Ritchie, like most foreign music, are big in Viet Nam.
* * *
Packing up my apartment in Ha Noi at the end of six months was a bittersweet experience. I had become tired of making a fool of myself on a daily basis while trying to complete such basic tasks as grocery shopping or finding an internet café. The novelty of everyone staring at me as I drove by on my bicycle also became less enjoyable. And I longed for a conversation with friends that did not take place over email and across eleven time zones. The addition of Ha Noi summer heat – so humid it made the wallpaper in my apartment peel – did not add much incentive to stay. I was ready to go home. When our UNDP program finished in August, I booked a ticket for my long, twenty-one flight back to Canada. But this is a natural experience for people working in different cultures from their own. The daily frustrations of culture-clash and language barriers can be trying but they are passing. Those feelings quickly melt away once you get home, allowing you to appreciate the true value of the time you spent there.
In Viet Nam, the sense of optimism and renewal is almost tangible. The country is literally reinventing – remanufacturing – itself every few years. The experience of living inside such a society at this time was invaluable and the memories, one year later, are still fresh. And so is my affection for friendships I formed while I was there. The women who worked in our program, with the exception of a few, will all have been released by now – quietly and unceremoniously deposited outside the gate of the prison like many before them where they wait for a bus to take them to the nearby city. I rode that bus, stifling and crowded in the summer heat, every week coming back to Ha Noi which is a unique experience in itself. Some former inmates are greeted by friends and the hesitant smiles of family and some are stoic and simply stare out the window. They are like the country itself, with many bad memories behind and so much turbulent development left ahead. They have confidence in the tide of progress they have been swept up in and yet fear their inability to properly control the course it will take them on. But like Viet Nam as whole, I think most of those women seem sure they are at least heading in a direction better from where they came.
Anthony Navaneelan is a Canadian of Sri Lankan heritage who worked in Viet Nam from February to August 2006. He is currently studying for his law degree at the University of Toronto.
By Nate.V and Negin.S
[monsoonJournal.com]
The Persian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their regions. It includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelow kabab (barg, koobideh, joojeh, shishleek, soltani, chenjeh), khoresht (stew that is served with white Basmati or Persian rice: ghormeh sabzi, gheimeh, and others), aash (a thick soup), kookoo (meat and/or vegetable pies), polow (white rice alone or with addition of meat and/or vegetables and herbs, including loobia polow, albaloo polow, zereshk polow, and others), and a diverse variety of salads, pastries, and drinks specific to different parts of Iran. The list of Persian recipes, appetizers and desserts is extensive.
Persian food is not spicy. Herbs are used a lot, as is fruit from plums and pomegranates to quince, prunes, apricots, and raisins. The main Persian cuisines are combinations of rice with meat, chicken or fish and plenty of garlic, onion, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. To achieve a delicious taste and a balanced diet, unique Persian spices such as saffron, diced limes, cinnamon, and parsley are mixed delicately and used in some special dishes.
Persian cuisine, apart from its antiquity in the region, has also been a very influential and standard set of fare throughout neighboring countries. Afghanistan, the south-Central Asian states, and the cuisines of India and Pakistan derive heavily in part from the sumptious cuisine of Iran.
There are certain accompaniments (mokhalafat) which are essential to every Persian meal at lunch (nahar) and dinner (shahm), regardless of the region. These include, first and foremost, a plate of fresh herbs, called sabzi (basil, coriander, cilantro, tarragon, watercress), a variety of flat breads, called nan or noon (sangak, lavash, barbari), cheese (called panir, similar to feta), sliced and peeled cucumbers, sliced tomatoes and onions, yogurt, and lemon juice. Persian pickles (khiyarshur) and relishes (torshi) are also considered essential in most regions.
Tea (chai) is served at breakfast and immediately before and after each meal at lunch and dinner, and also many times throughout the rest of the day. The traditional methods of tea preparation and drinking differ between regions and peoples.
Persian climate favors the goat, which is known as the “poor mans cow”, but does not suit keeping fresh milk, so Iranians tend to eat a lot of dry cheeses and rich yogurt. Most families make their own yogurt, which can be used as an ingredient in many dishes or as a cool refreshing drink.
Persians pride themselves on their skill in preparation of rice, and there are a vast number of varieties of two common dishes, polo and chelo. Polo consists of vegetables or meat cooked and mixed with rice, whereas chelo is prepared over the course of many hours with crustier rice topped with sauces.
Some popular polos are polo chirin, which is made with saffron, raisins, almonds and orange; adas polo, made with lentils and meat; and shekar polo, a very sweet dish prepared with honey, sugar almonds and pistachio. Wheat bread is considered the poor mans alternative to rice, but still comes in many different varieties.
Lamb is Persian favorite meat, but kid, beef and chicken can also be found. Fish is common as well, with swordfish being a famous specialty of the areas near the Caspian Sea. Seafood is very rarely eaten, and pork, like alcohol, is forbidden.
Persians enjoy green salads with olive oil, and during the appropriate seasons, eat vast amounts of olives, grapes, pumpkins and all kinds of fruits – either eaten fresh or cooked with meat and rice. There are always plenty of dried fruits like figs, dates, apricots and peaches.
Dolmeh most commonly refers to vine leaves stuffed with a combination of meat and rice, but in fact can be any stuffed fruit or vegetable. Popular varieties include stuffed cabbage leaves, eggplant, tomato, spinach, pepper or apple.
The Persian sweet tooth must be seen to be believed. Rosewater and orange water are typically used as flavorings, as well as pistachio and honey. Ice cream is popular and there is also a type of candy floss that is very popular. Baklava and halva are commonly eaten on special occasions. Each area has its own method for the preparation of biscuits and candies.
Persians often drink cold water with meals, but tea is the true national drink. The most common method is to hold a sugar cube between the teeth so that it dissolves as the tea is drunk. A visit to a Persian teahouse is a great experience for any tourist. Herbal teas such as chamomile, ginger, saffron, rose, violet, and jasmine are often drunk for their medicinal properties.
Coffee is also a popular beverage, generally taken black and super-strong. In the summer you can find fruit or flower syrups, taken with plenty of ice. Doogh, a cold drink made from yogurt and mineral water, is also well worth trying.
Unfortunately for the short term tourist, restaurateurs in Iran often seem unaware of the amazing variety of food their culture has to offer, and often do little beyond kebabs and rice.
Most of Persian’s excellent food is confined to the kitchen of the family home. If you are lucky enough to be invited to an Iranian home for dinner, you should without doubt accept. The meal may well be set on the floor, sometimes without utensils.
This should not be interpreted as a lack of decorum. Most meals are eaten only with a spoon and fork. Here are a few very basic tips on mealtime etiquette:
• Check to see if the person answering the door is wearing shoes, if they aren’t then
you should remove yours.
• Don’t sit down until told where to sit by your host and don’t sit next to anyone of the
opposite sex.
• You will constantly be offered food and drink. Always refuse at least once before
accepting.
• Try a bit of all of the dishes available.
• Eat only with the right hand if there are no utensils provided.
• Leave a little food at on your plate when you finish eating. The host will consider it
his duty to provide more food than you can eat.
Nooshe Jan which means Enjoy your food is always mentioned while eating Iranian food.
So, NOOshe Jan
Contributed By Nate.V and Negin.S
Menu 1
Barberry Rice
Ingredients:
2 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp butter
1 cup barberry
1/2 tsp saffron
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp almonds
1 tbsp pistachios
Directions:
1. Soak rice in salt water the night before
2. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and drain salt water from rice and add rice to boiling water. Let cook for 10 minutes then drain
3. Soak barberry in water for 10 minutes before cooking
4. Add oil and rice to pot and let rice cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile drain barberry and add oil to pan and fry barberry for 3 minutes
5. Mix 1/2 cup of boiling water with saffron, lemon juice, and sugar, and add to barberry then add barberry mix to plain white rice
Menu 2
Lamb Kabab
1 pound lean lamb tenderloin, boned and cut into 2-inch cubes
4 large tomatoes, halved
FOR MARINADE
1 large onion, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon salt & black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon saffron , dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
FOR BASTING
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1. Pound the lamb pieces lightly with a heavy-bladed knife to tenderize, and make shallow incisions in them. Place the lamb in a large glass bowl.
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, and saffron water and mix well. Cover and marinate for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Turn the meat twice during this time.
3. Start a bed of charcoal at least 45 minutes before you want to cook and let it burn until the coals glow.
• 4. Lift meat from marinade and drain briefly (reserve marinade). Thread meat equally on about 6 sturdy metal skewers.
• 5. Place skewers on a lightly greased grill 4-6 inches above a solid bed of medium coals.
• 6. Cook, turning often and basting with marinade until meat is well browned outside, but pink in the center (cut test in 10-15 minutes).
8. Serve immediately with saffron steamed rice, NUSH-E JAN!
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent)
[monsoonjournal.com]
Slow 2007
If 2006 was the year of blockbusters, then 2007 might be the year of disappointments. Guru being the lone glowing exception, all other big budget, big banner films have fallen by the wayside in 2007. Some have managed to garner some respect while others have fallen flat on their face. The season of disappointments kicked off with Salaam-e-Ishq and has stretched along till Ekalavya. The jinx does not seem to be over as yet. Recent releases Nishabd and Nehle Pe Dehla have both got off to nearly disastrous starts at the box office. Never expected to take big openings during the inauspicious (for the box office) Holi weekend, no one expected the films with such star value to crawl at a 15-29% opening. And to make matters worse, the word of mouth has not been too good. Critics have found nothing other than Amitabh Bachchan and the cameraman to point out as positives in Nishabd. Nehle Pe Dehla is waiting to be reviewed, three days after its release. These are not things that normally happen to films starring the Big B, Saif Ali Khan and Sanjay Dutt. For Nishabd, the blame is being put on the theme which is being labeled as one with severe limitations. The treatment is sensitive they say, but there are not enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested. Things look bleak. So what happened after farewell was said to 2006. Is Bollywood yet to get over its hangover of the dream run or is it just the great cycle of fortune that is playing tricks. Whatever it may be, the truth is that the industry now needs a hit and there are quite a few candidates in the coming weeks. 1971, Sarhad Paar, Cheeni Kum among others. Let’s wait and watch.
Mercedes Salman
It seems to be the season of cars gifting. First it was Amitabh (or was it Amar Singh of Samajwadi party) to gift Abhishek Bachchan a car, then it was Vidhu Vinod Chopra who gifted Amitabh the Rolls Royce and now it is the turn of Salman Khan to show his love and gratitude to actor Govinda. Salman surprised Govinda with a Mercedes Benz when the latter was in shooting. Govinda’s market in Bollywood is down after getting into politics joining the Congress party. Govinda has done a dance number in the Tamil movie “Three Roses” along with Rambha. After long gap Govinda featured along with Akshay Kumar in the Priyadarshan directed “Bhaagam Bhaag” which did not do good business at the box office. It is said that Salman Khan was instrumental in Govinda’s come back. “I was in the midst of shooting when Salman asked me to come to the gate. I saw a brand new Mercedes there and knew he is up to some surprise. I was thrilled” said Govinda. Govinda is now all praise for his new found friend.
Hollywood Aishwarya
The most talked about and the most written about lady in the recent times could only be Aishwarya Rai who continues to remain in spot light for various reasons. Announcements have finally started pouring in about her impending wedding with Abhishek Bachchan. Now the next question on everybody’s lips is - will she continue to act in films after wedding? Despite society’s tall claims about the improvement in equality of gender, a lady artist in Indian films after her wedding receives a volte-face treatment. She is no longer considered fit enough to play somebody’s beloved or spouse. However the same cannot be said about the male artists. One cannot ask Abhishek Bachchan if he would continue to act in films after wedding. It would certainly be a ‘breaking’ or ‘flash news’. But as per the grapevine, former Miss World has decided to consider acting as any other profession and plans to shift only her workplace after her wedding. It would be more of Hollywood movies this time for this talented actress. Though her earlier films Provoked and Bride and prejudice were received with a lukewarm response, she continues to be flooded with Hollywood offers, says her international manager. After completing her domestic assignments, she would concentrate on her Hollywood projects as there is a steady market for her there. Good Luck Aishwarya.
Bollywood Cricket
The cricket fever will grip world over this March 2007. Cricket world cup is to start in West Indies on March 11th. The Indian team has reached the Caribbean islands on March 1st. A grand send off was organized in Mumbai for the Indian cricket team. Pepsi cola under the banner “Blue Billion” has organized such extravaganza with Shankar, Eshan and Loy performing for the cricket stars. How can Bollywood left behind in such functions. Priyanka Chopra too contributed her bit by singing along with Shankar Mahadevan. King Khan Sharukh was also seen cheering the Team with his wits and comments. Singer Adnan Sami too sang for the team. What is a cricket function without Mandira Bedi? She played her part as the hostess. The Indian cricketers were seen enjoying themselves and there were some bullying going on in the team and Dhoni, Sreeshanth and Yuvraj were the men behind. Sachin, Harbhajan, Munaf, Sehwag and Uthappa were also present. Later in the show Dhoni and Sharukh were seen pouring Pepsi over the media and visitors. If Indian team wins the World cup it will be after 24 years since they last won the World cup in the famous 1983 World cup.
International A R Rahman
Rahman is all set to rule the international music charts. With the release of his self-composed-and-sung English track titled ‘Pray For Me Brother’ produced by Universal Music, it could just be possible. However, notwithstanding the commercial reasons, Rahman has composed the number for a noble cause to support the vision of Millennium Development Goals.The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was formed from the pact that was signed in the year 2000 at the significant UN Millennium Summit held at New York by Prime Ministers, Presidents, and other noted leaders from 189 countries. Rahman is an ardent supporter of MDGs that functions with an aim to eradicate poverty, hunger, and disease in the world by 2015. ‘Pray For Me Brother’ will be made available on the Millennium campaign’s website www.millenniumcampaign.org, for free downloads according to Salil Shetty, director of the Millennium Campaign, New York. The song will also be used for the organization’s global campaign to propagate its goals around the world including Europe and the US. Rahman mentioned that this song would be India’s rendition to the world in achieving the cause of MDGs. “Hunger is the only common thing among people and it is only to survive that people beg. I hope that this song will inspire people to do something to eradicate those kind of social evils”, the maestro added. Not many people knew that Rahman has been appointed by the UN as Brand Ambassador to eradicate tuberculosis. “It was while planning to compose a song for the same that I started to think about the much bigger universal issue - poverty and hunger. I decided to shift the focus and with the help of my friend Blaaze came up with the song”, revealed Rahman.
By: Anand. J (Cinema Correspondent)
[monsoonJournal.com]Kollywood’s Leading Pairs
Vijay-Asin
The latest best star pair of today is undoubtedly the ‘POKKIRI’ pair Vijay and Asin. They had earlier paired in the Superhit ‘Sivakasi’. Vijay has acted with Simran, Devayani, Sneha, Suvalakshmi, Trisha, Rambha, Shalini, Kausalya and many others. His first on screen pair was Sanghavi and rumour mills heavily alleged that these two were involved in a love affair. But later it turned out to be just a sensational stir that was made up to create some publicity for Vijay. Now Vijay is happily married with 2 children and strives hard to stay out media controversies. As everyone agrees he is a strong contender for the Superstar throne, Vijay has openly admitted that he is no match for the one and only Superstar Rajinikanth. Vijay and Asin have both agreed that they have a very good on screen chemistry that works well for their movies. Vijay when answering to a question on ‘Who is his best pair Trisha or Asin ?’, silently to avoid controversies answered that they both are good in their own way. But the fans feel that Asin is more vibrant and suits Vijay’s image and characters.
Ajith-Nayanthara
Ultimate star Ajith kumar, another strong contender for the Superstar throne has paired with Meena, Devayani, Vasundhara Das, Rambha, Simran, Suvalakshmi among others. He was paired with Shalini in the superhit Amarkalam and during the shooting of this movie love blossomed between the lead pair. Ajith and Shalini later married and are a happy couple now. Ajith has not got a matching pair who can vibe well with him in his movies. He was last seen shaking legs with Asin in the movie Aalwar which proved to be a dud in the box office. His last successful pair was Simran with whom he delivered back to back hits ‘Vaali’ and ‘Aval Varuvaala’. But after Simran bid goodbye to films, Ajith never got a lucky pair on screen although his last blockbuster Varalaaru starred Asin and Kanika in lead roles. All eyes are now on the forthcoming movie of Ajith ‘Billa’ which will be a remake of Rajini’s blockbuster ‘Billa’. In Billa, Ajith is being paired with Nayanthara and Ajith’s fans are thrilled. Superstar Rajinikanth himself suggested Nayanthara for Ajith and he has supposedly given some interesting tips to Ajith to make his Billa a success. Remember Nayanthara was roped in for ‘Sivaji’ at the last minute by Rajini. Impressed by the young actress talent, Rajini has also recommended Nayanthara for Ajith’s Billa. Lets wait and watch whether Rajini’s prediction about this hit pair becomes true.
Surya-Jyothika
The best love birds of Kollywood Surya and Jyothika has starred together in over four films including Perazhagan, Kakka Kakka, Mayavi and Sillunu Oru Kadhal. They were looking good together in all the movies they paired. The onscreen Jodi became real life jodis as well late last year. They were in love for over 7 years and finally they married in a star studded wedding. Jyothika has decided to quit films and her last offering was ‘Mozhi’ which has been declared a runaway hit. Jyothika has been criticized for her negative role in ‘Pachai Kili Muthucharam’ but she feels that she decided to don the role because the character was interesting. Surya on the other hand has had a slump in his career after his marriage and he is looking forward to his forthcoming ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’ directed by Gautham Menon. He is being paired with a newcomer in this movie.
Vikram-Trisha
National Award winner Vikram has acted with Jyothika, Trisha, Asin, Sada, Priyanka Chopra, Sangeetha among others. Vikram is a hard worker and always strives for perfection. His hard work was well appreciated for his performance in ‘Pitha Magan’ which won him National Award and he is the only top actor other than Kamal Hassan to have earned the award for Tamil films. His pairing with Trisha in ‘Saami’ worked magically at the box office and it was one of the biggest hits of that year when Saami was released. Vikram and Trisha was liked by one and all in ‘Saami’ and they are getting together again in ‘Bheema’. It will be a treat to their fans to watch them on screen together and the movie supposedly has some intimate sensuous scenes between the lead pair. Trisha is believed to have shed all her inhibitions while paired with Vikram since she considers that Vikram is her best onscreen pair. Will Bheema recreate the Saami’s magic ?
Vishal-ReemaSen
Vishal, a strong contender to Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay, is a rage among the masses after his foursome hits ‘Chellame’, ‘Sandai Kozhi’, ‘Thimiru’ and ‘Thamirabharani’. His other movie Sivapadhikaram also fared well but was not declared a hit. He has not acted in a lot of movies to have a lucky pair. But he has paired with Reema sen already in two films Chellame and Thimiru. Chellame was Vishal’s debut film and Reema Sen’s first big movie as heroine. Rumour mills were busy churning out love stories between the two but Vishal and Reema Sen has maintained stoic silence. They were again paired in ‘Thimiru’ which turned out to be a super hit and going by their hit ratio Vishal and Reema Sen can be considered as a hit pair.
Vadivelu-Kovai Sarala-
The comedy star pair Vadivelu and Kovai Sarala has tickled our funny bones many a times with their fine performances in many movies. Incidentally it was Vadivelu who used to get beat up by Sarala instead of the traditional man beating woman. Vadivelu is supposedly charging a whopping amount as his salary if he has to act as a hero. He has not raised his salary for being a comedian. When quizzed about this, Vadivelu mentioned that he wants to maintain the standard and quality of his movies in which he features as hero. He wants to deliver only hits as a hero since he feels even one failure can take him to dumps. Although his hero salary might sound unreasonable to many but he sure has a point. Let us wait and watch whether his forthcoming ‘Indralogathil Naa Azhagappan’ will be smash hit like his earlier blockbuster ‘Imsai Arasan 23am Pulikesi’. Apparently Simran, Trisha, Nayanthara, Asin and Shilpa Shetty were approached for the lead role opposite Vadivelu and all of them except Simran turned down the offer. When Vadivelu came to know about this, he turned down Simran and is now looking for a fresh face.
Sathyaraj-Namitha
The lollu star of Kollywood Mr Sathyaraj has starred opposite Namitha in more than three films and they have all proven to be duds at the box office. Still Sathyaraj feels that his best on screen pair is Namitha taking into account the height and weight of her. Namitha is the tallest heroine available in Tamil filmdom and she has the rare distinction of pairing with both father and son as her onscreen pair. Namitha feels that she suits Sathyaraj more than his son Sibiraj since they have a good onscreen chemistry. Sibiraj feels that Namitha is his best pair since she matches his height and no other heroine does. There is an interesting tussle brewing between father and son as to who should pair with Namitha. But as before, Namitha continues her film service by acting opposite both Sathyaraj and Sibiraj with same ease and élan.
BY: S. Raymond Rajabalan
[monsoonJournal.com] Saint Patrick’s Day, is the feast day which annually celebrates Saint Patrick (386-493), the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17. It is the national holiday in the Republic of Ireland ; the overseas territory of Motserrat(a carribean island) and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Celebration overview
Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated worldwide by Irish people and increasingly by many of non-Irish descent. Celebrations are generally themed around all things green and Irish; both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food, imbibing Irish drink, and attending parades.
The St. Patrick’s day parade was first held in New York City on 17 March 1766 when Irish soldiers marched through the city. Ireland’s cities all hold their own parades and festivals. Other large parades include those held in a number of citities in America.In Canada a large and colurful parade is held annually in Toronto and Montreal. Large parades also take place throughout Europe the Americas , Australia and Asia.
As well as being a celebration of Irish culture, Saint Patrick’s Day is a Christian festival celebrated in the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland (among other churches in the Anglican Communion) and some other denominations.
History
The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn’t get the job of Bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.
At the age of 16, Patrick, who was still a pagan, was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders who raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God. He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for 12 years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.
His wishes were to return to Ireland and to convert the native pagans to Christianity. His superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius was transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.
Patrick was quite successful at winning converts, a fact that upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times but always escaped. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches that would aid him in his conversion of the Irish to Christianity. His mission in Ireland lasted 30 years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. The day has been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day ever since.
Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick’s Day. Not much of it is substantiated.
Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.
One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. This stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737: That year St. Patrick’s Day was publicly celebrated in Boston. Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick’s Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring.
It was only in the mid-1990s that the Irish government began a campaign to use Saint Patrick’s Day to showcase Ireland and its culture.
The first Saint Patrick’s Festival was held on March 17, 1996. In 1997, it became a three-day event, and by 2000 was a four-day event. By 2006, the festival was five days long.
The Flag of the Republic of Ireland
Shamrock (”three-leaf clover”)
Many Irish people still wear a bunch of shamrock on their lapels or caps on this day or green, white, and orange badges (after the colors of the Irish flag).
And although Saint Patrick’s Day has the colour green as their theme, one little known fact is that it was once blue that was the colour of this day.
The biggest celebrations on the island of Ireland outside Dublin are in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland , where Saint Patrick was buried following his death on March 17, 493. The day is celebrated by the Church of Ireland as a Christian festival.
Saint Patrick’s Day parades in Ireland date from the late 19th century, originating in the growing sense of Irish nationalism (The first parade did not begin in Ireland but in the United States )
In Canada
The longest-running Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Canada occurs each year in Montreal. The parades have been held in continuity since 1824; however, St. Patrick’s Day itself has been celebrated in Montreal as far back as 1759 by the Irish soldiers of the Montreal Garrison, following the British conquest of New France.