Udaan India Foundation (UIF), a Powai based non profit organisation working towards educating less privileged children, presented their annual concert ” I have a Dream ” an evening of hopes and dreams on 7^th February, 2010 at the Gopal Sharma Memorial School (GSMS) Auditorium. The evening of dance and drama put together by the Udaan children and team was a musical extravaganza which left the audience asking for more.

The concert began with a welcome speech by Ms.Padma Vaswani, a renowned educationist, which beautifully captured the essence of the evening “The birth of a child fulfils the dream of many a parent. But a child takes life devoid of dreams.  Dreams of parents grow with each passing day… Colour, class and economic status make no distinction in the ability to dream.” This was followed by the auspicious lighting of the lamp by dignitaries from the corporate world- Paternoster , Nomura , Transocean  and Founder Chairperson of GSMS.

Dreams, some big, some small but each important to the child, were presented by children from kindergarten to grade 9. While the young ones danced to popular Bollywood numbers like Maine kaha phoolon se and Dil hai chota sa, grade 3 and 4 chilldren presented a very powerful musical drama titled ” I have a dream “. This showcased their simple individual dreams as well as dreams for their families and communities and how education was an important tool in changing lives. The 5^th and 6^th graders highlighted the dreams of the girl child and how one can conquer one’s dreams by having the right attitude and through sheer hardwork.

The children of grade 7 conveyed the message of world peace and called upon the audience to accept humanity as their religion, through their dance ballet “Gurus of Peace”. The street play put up by Grade 8 raised a strong voice against the discrimination faced by the girl child in Indian society and the need for equal rights and opportunities. The 9^th graders rekindled the spirit of patriotism in everyone when they presented their dream for a strong and united India in “Maa Tujhe Salaam”.

The outstanding students for the academic year 2009-10 were felicitated by guests for the evening. This was followed by the grand finale “We are the World” wherein the entire Udaan family came up on stage to express their gratitude to the audience for their encouragement and support to the cause . This soul stirring act left many in the audience emotional and was a perfect closure to a wonderful evening.

To know more about Udaan India Foundation , please visit their website www.udaanindiafoundation.org .

Miss Mumbai experience- The journey

It all started with reading the advertisement, “Kaun  Banegi Miss Mumbai 2009” in DNA newspaper .

Had about four auditions to reach the final 20 who would compete for the three main titles

1. Miss Mumbai

2. Miss covergirl

3. Miss hottie

The grooming sessions were filled with fun and enthusiasm , every day giving us a new challenge. Trust me I loved every bit of it. From the dancing to gyming , I enjoyed every bit of it. We got trained with basic make-up techniques, possing classes, a question answer session, dining etiquettes, ramp walk with gyming and dance rehearsals being almost regular. This event got delayed about four times in the whole with problems cropping up but finally it was held on 17^th October at Indian education society bandra.

Finals:

We had in overall four rounds:

1. Saree cum introduction round: The walk was on my favourite song,” afreen”. That song really gets me in the mood . The moment I slowly lowered the saree and showed my face, I could hear the cheers from the crowd. My heart almost skipped a beat as I walked the ramp in rhythm to the music. Saree is one of the most beautiful apparel a woman can wear and she looks most elegant and gorgeous .
2. Funky and indo- western round: This was one round which allowed the contestants to walk the ramp the way they wanted. This was all about playing on the stage.
3. Talent round(dance): This marked a start of power- packed performance which I could have only imagined to perform .Taking the center stage had always been my dream and there I saw it  turning into reality. I just loved it when I danced and I could hear the constant cheering from the crowd.
4. Question and answer round: This is one round that’s judges the personality of a person.

After these rounds I did get the first runner up award,” miss covergirl”

Final words:

From a game lost, it is the experience you win and I did win a lot of support, fame, recognition, experience and most of all I understood the trend of this industry. It was an amazing journey.
Don’t know the road ahead, but I am sure it is all for the best.

Reality check:

Four months have passed and I haven’t yet got my prize money of about 60,000 which would include cash and gift hampers. It thus becomes important in a local beauty paegeant to see who your organizers really are and see the credibility of the contest.

The lake-side was clogged with water hyacinth and rafts of it drifted gently further out in the lake. The rafts made good floating islands for the birds and straight away I could see communities on each one.

On the first, a Little Egret fished while a Bronze Jacana picked among the hyacinth.
Close in there were a few Indian Pond Herons and a couple of Pheasant-tailed Jacanas flushed further along the shore. {Click to read more}

This article was published by Red Gannet on his blog http://redgannet.blogspot.com/

The Lakers have donated 2 incubators (baby warmers) and a phototherapy unit to the maternity department of the Sarvoday Hospital (Sarvoday), being run by a private charitable trust, in Ghatkopar, Mumbai.

The unit was in inaugurated at 10am on the 28th November, ‘09, at the hands of DG TN Subramanian, in the august presence of first lady Vidhya, trustees and doctors from the Sarvodaya Hospital and a group of enthusiastic Lakers and their friends.

Sarvoday is strategically located on LBS Marg, within minutes of Ghatkopar Station and has a large catchment of very deserving patients, particularly from the nearby Parksite. Parksite, extending from Ghatkopar to Vikhroli, houses a large migrant, daily-wage, under-privileged and hence deserving population in Mumbai.

Sarvoday’s maternity ward had only one unfunctional incubator while it handles about 150 deliveries a month.

These baby-warmers are very essential in neonatal paediatric care, particularly in the case of pre-term, low weight babies. The photo-therapy unit was found to be much needed in cases of neonatal jaundice. One more such unit is being provided.

The incubators help in maintaining neonatal body temperature and hence in the prevention of other

complications, in cases of premature and complicated deliveries, thereby improving mortality rate.

The foll pix show the DG of RI Dist 3140, the Mg-Trustee &  Doctors of Sarvoday and Lakers assembled

on the occasion.

Peace – the most sought after yet the most elusive word. Across various cultures, spanning the generations, the idea of peace has always been there. Be it through Atharva Veda in ancient India, Greek philosophers, Buddha or great thinkers of modern world from Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi, Peace has always been an underlying theme. Yet, the reason it has been so elusive could be because of inability of people to unite. We always find a reason that can divide us – be it colour, caste, religion, profession or our strata in the society. While the need is to be compassionate towards our fellow human beings, time and again, human race has always failed in its efforts to do so, resulting in inequality and lack of unity.

This was the basic idea when Think Beyond team decided to bring together various communities living in Powai through Powai Peace Run. An idea, which would ensure a beginning of interaction among literates & lesser literates, privileged & not so privileged; an interaction that over the period can make an urban middle class impart better knowledge to children lacking proper education at this moment – in turn preparing them for being an ideal citizen of the country and the world; an interaction that can be a genesis for better understanding over a period and thus bringing in equality & harmony across the communities.
It was an idea which started with a handful of people and gathered momentum as more and more volunteers joined hands. Various NGOs, including Udaan, Vidya, Mobile Creche, MBA Foundation, Asha for Education and Young Environmentalists agreed to bring the children from their various programmes for the Peace Run. Meanwhile, the volunteers comprising of youngsters and elders were making an all out concerted effort to ensure that the Peace Run happens in the most efficient & economic manner. Rather than seeking a personal glorification for Think Beyond, or tom-tomming about the organisations involved, the efforts were only to express our gratitude for what we already have. While Hiranandani Group, Hiranandani Hospital, Haiko, Big Bazaar & Deloitte supported the event, the only banners & placards that could be seen prominently were peace messages prepared personally by some of the volunteers & participating children.
Flagged off by a few Mumbai Marathon runners, who changed their training schedule for the event, the Peace Run was soon a joyous & exuberant expression by children & elders alike, something that made the entire efforts of the volunteers of Think Beyond worthwhile. After all, Think Beyond wanted to make a statement about “Peace through Unity & Harmony” on the 1st anniversary of the day when last year our peacekeeping forces had overcome the terrorists.
The idea of Peace had fired the soul of Beatles when John Lenon sang one of his most famous solo – “Imagine”.

Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try,
No hell below us, above us only sky,
Imagine all the people, living for today.
Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too,
Imagine all the people, living life in peace.
Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,
I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one

The 1st Powai Peace Run was an effort towards making that imagination a reality one day. We know it is a small step, but all that we wanted to say was (using lines from another hit of Beatles)

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!

Article Source: http://letusthinkbeyond.blogspot.com/2009/11/we-thought-beyond.html

After a gestation of over 8 years, numerous edits and redrafts Powai based author Mathew Menacherry debut novel Arrack in the Afternoon published by leading publishing house HarperCollins.was launched at Crossword Powai at 5pm on Saturday the 28th of Nov, 2009.

This delightful first novel traces the changing ethos of Mumbai as seen through the eyes of the protogonist Verghese Konnikara. The story is of an alchoholic, a chronic depressive, who decides one day to end it all by jumping under a truck on the highway. He survives, however, and following a strange turn of events, is transformed into a godman of sorts.
The tale weaves through the debris and chaos that is modern day Mumbai and also explores the phenomenon of instant stardom, which is now such an intrinsic part of our celebrity culture.

Grandson of scholar and literary critic the late M.P. Paul, Mathew says his style of writing is not influenced by that of his grandfather. “To be honest I haven’t read any of my grandfather’s works as I can’t read Malayalam. I haven’t read any of my aunt Rosy Paul’s (Malayalam author) works either,” says Mathew who was raised in Mumbai.

But being raised in a family that respects literature did have an influence on him, he says. “It was a treasure trove of books, some even rare copies, that greeted us whenever we came down for holidays to Puthenpally. My grandfather was a bibliophile and an avid book collector. A trip to Puthenpally was eagerly awaited as we could plunge ourselves into the world of words and prose.”

Mathew’s own plunge into the world of words and prose began when he started penning down his thoughts into poems. “They are nothing great, although my mother, Annie Paul, likes them.”

The author is in fact planning to turn his collection of poems into a book. “It will tentatively be called ‘Blurred’ and hopefully be in the form of a coffee table book,” says Mathew, whose day job is Director of Business Development, Anthea Aromatics, a company that manufactures specialty chemicals for use in the fragrance and flavour industry in Mumbai.

“The company was started by my father, Dr. Vincent Paul, who was a scientist at Hindustan Lever. He left the company to start Anthea. As he was new to the field, he roped me in to help him. To be honest, I would rather be writing,” says Mathew who adds that his book Arrack… took eight years in the making – five years to write and three years to edit. “I was not a very disciplined writer. When I went back to my earlier chapters while editing, I realised the latter chapters were better written, so I had to rework them,” he smiles.

A movie buff, his list of favourite films includes Kireedom and Nadodikkaattuand Arabhi Katha.Mathew says he dreams of making a movie himself. “But only when I have the time to wholly devote myself to it.”

Picture Courtsey http://www.facebook.com/pages/BT-Clicks/187339713800

Brinker International launched the second Indian Chili’s Grill & Bar in Powai, making it the 201st restaurant outside of the United States.

The menu at the Chili’s is comprises the essence of Chili’s American-Southwest cuisine with a touch of familiar for the local consumer. More than 80 percent of the menu offerings are able to be prepared suitable for vegetarians. Though the menu will be different than other Chili’s restaurants, there are familiar flavors and a heat profile that the local guest will appreciate and enjoy.

The first Chili’s in India opened in Bangalore ad is developed by Jawad Business Group. This restaurant is part of a 15-restaurant, five-year agreement that will expand Brinker’s presence throughout India. Jawad Business Group is experienced developing other restaurant brands in India and has been a Brinker partner for several years, franchising Chili’s in Bahrain and Maggiano’s in Saudi Arabia.  

“Chili’s will offer its guests a unique dining experience with bold, kicked up flavors,” said Reale. “From flavors they enjoy such as Tandoori Chicken Sandwich and Paneer Bites to the Bombay Burger, guests will find local favorites with a Chili’s twist that stays true to its American-Southwest heritage.” Other specialties’ include like citrus fire chicken shrimp fajitas, quesadilla explosion salad to be topped of with molten chocolate cake. 

As part of the company’s goal to become the globally dominant casual dining portfolio company, Brinker International plans to have 500 restaurants open outside of the United States by 2014.  

The new Chili’s is at

• Ventury Bldg, Hiranandani Business Park, Central Avenue Road, Powai, Mumbai
• Landmark: Near SBI

The restaurant will be open 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily.

26^th November 2008 shall always go down in the history of India as the day when a peaceful nation was jolted out of its reverie by a handful of terrorists.

29^th November 2008 was the day that our peacekeepers overcame the terrorist & freed the prominent landmarks of the city.

“Think Beyond” – a motley group of conscientious citizens are organizing “A Peace Run” for the children associated with the NGOs in and around Powai, with an objective of bringing communities in the area together.

Cause              UNITY & PEACE

Occasion         To celebrate Victory of Peace over Evil

Date                29^th November 2009

Time               Start    8 AM

Finish  10 AM

Venue             Start & Finish at Go-Kart, Hiranandani, Powai

Distance          Approx 2 Km. within Hiranandani Complex, Powai

We request you to actively participate in the entire event as a volunteer. After all, S_CCESS is complete only with U.

For further details, please contact:

Minoo                         Manoj

9820060599                9892334681

Or write to:

letusthinkbeyond@gmail.com

Biryani is one of the oldest foods made in India by the Moghuls and has come to Indian from persia Biryani originated in Persia and might have taken couple of different routes to arrive in India
Biryani is derived from the Farsi word ‘Birian’. Based on the name, and cooking style (Dum), one can conclude that the dish originated in

Persia and/or Arabia. It could have come from Persia via Afghanistan to North India. It could have also been brought by the Arab traders via Arabian sea to Calicut. Besides the historical facts, the story gets little fuzzy with legends.
One legend has it that Timor, the lame brought it down from Kazakhstan via Afghanistan to Northern India. According to another legend, Mumtaz Mahal (the beauty who sleeps in Taj Mahal) concocted this dish as a “complete meal” to feed the army. Yet, some say the dish really originated in West Asia. The Nomads would bury an earthen pot full of meat, rice and spices in a pit, eventually the pot was dug up and there was the Biryani.
What is Biryani?
Biryani is derived from the Persian word ‘Birian’. In Farsi, Birian means ‘Fried before Cooking’. In the olden days, rice was fried (without washing) in Ghee (Clarified butter). It

did two things: 1. It gave the rice a nutty flavor 2. It burned the outside starch layer gelatinizing it. After the rice is stir-fried, it was boiled in water with spices till half cooked.
Started in chembur & then in Powai by Mrs.Vimi Anand she got this idea do something different, she wanted to provide some really traditional food to everyone’s homes. Indian people are tired eating pizzas and other fast foods delivered at home, she believed. Lets provide them with authentic and also healthy a traditional food which is not easily available at their homes.
The concept has picked up from its inception and it has been much appreciated by one an all who have tasted it. The quality is top notch, all materials are the best quality and there is no compromise anywhere she says.
Even the packaging is unlike anything available by any other caterer, all packing material is also reusable and can be used time and aging by the customer. Thus increasing the value addition of the parcels.