help is just a phone call away help is just a phone

extras 1
extras
NOW!
THE NOW! SPECIAL 8-PAGE PULL-OUT
HELP IS
JUST A
PHONE
CALL
AWAY
SamRai
Raiand
andhis
hisfour
four
Sam
friendsare
arenot
notin
in
friends
government service,
service,
government
but they
they are
are definitely
definitely
but
into public
public service...
service...
into
Yana ko
dekhne yahan
aana
THE
FACTOR
PROFILE
ON pg 3
THE MIRACLE MUSHROOM
CONGREGATE
LOAN EATERS
TURN TO pg 4 FOR DETAILS
MELA’S
LOST ALL
OM THE
ITS
SIKKIM JOINS HANDS TO MANTRA FOR
MAZAA BRING SUNSHINE TO THE
ON pg 3
AUTUMNAL YEARS
- TURN TO pg 4 FOR DETAILS -
WEEKEND
BLUES
LIVE IN CONCERT! 6 & 7 MAY 2003
ORGANISED BY THE
RANIPOOL YOUTH
7
extras 2
BAZAAR
Buzz
...
VOICE MAIL?
vidently this Bazaar ‘Booze’
(phonetic for Buzz)column
now seems kind of incomplete
without the mobile service running on 22 lakhs handsets in
India. Billing and charges for
FREE SMS aside, has anyone
used the VMS service promised
on the numerous hoardings
around town? A friend tried and
he’s still trying. Why won’t he
get the message that M is for
Mute NOT Mail in the VMS.
Information age indeed. How
about a night of heavy rain and
phone numbers get interchanged. A number in Nam
Nang rings at Kazi Road while
someone in Development Area
suddenly gets STD facility on
his phone, or is it NOT his
phone?
Color Lab
presents
GOOD AFTERNOON, GANGTOK
pic KARCHOONG DIYALI
extraneous
THE GANGTOK STATE OF MIND
Panorama
E
Service? Dhundte reh jaoge!! a NOW! pic.
expected over the coming
months, some guidelines have to
be set. A meeting has been called
for health workers and others on
the 1st May. Meanwhile the
Darjeeling District Health Authorities have decided to check tourists for SARS. Plans are afoot to
set up “checkpoints” at selective
areas in and
a r o u n d
Siliguri to
A WINDOW TOO MANY
ingle Window service has
long been in practice now.
And this one such service (refer to pic alongside) has long
been empty too. Or maybe the
ones supposed to provide
the service have lost their
backdoor keys and still not
managed to find it. Maybe
someone should introduce
the concept of Multiple Window Service now, at least
we’d have proxy service providers!
S
SARS
he SARS scare has begun
to be felt closer to home.
With West Bengal reporting 2
SARS cases, the state government here, has woken up to the
fact that with scores of tourists
T
minimize risks. The State government here needs to take
quick and preventive action before we face an epidemic we
are ill equipped to handle. A
SARS screening process at
Rangpo is the only possibility
but the mammoth nature of the
task is too huge too contemplate. Lets hope this does not
sound the death knell of the
tourism season this year.
GO GREEN
ourists may or may
not have heard of
how green we all are
in the state. But a recent incident has sent
a strong message to
some visitors in the
state. A lady throwing a
plastic packet out of a
bus window was made
to disembark and pick it
up. Followed by some
hard news on the state’s
effort to keep the environment clean. Very
good indeed. But maybe
some attention could also
be given to the local populace’s habit of throwing everything not needed into the
friendly neighbourhood jhora.
T
Hope Centre
sikkim
SNIPPETS
CONCERT FOR A CAUSE
Come May-August and
Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary , 26 kms away from
Gangtok on the Nathula
raod will put its best foot
forward with a profusion
of alpine blooms vying
with the fauna for attention.
What does Kyongnosla
mean, we all wondered?
The etymology of the word
is quite interesting.
Apparently it means ‘the
pass where the female
wild ass got scabies’.
‘Kyang’ - wild ass,
‘mo’ - female
‘gno’ - scabies and
‘la’ - pass
presents
from
DARKNESS to
LIGHT
n
o
i
t
a
l
e
Rev
featuring
SANGRAM BHAWAN; 4TH MAY, 2003;
4PM ONWARDS
tickets available at GLENARY’S, LITTLE ITALY, CAFE
TIBET, TIME OUT & SOUVENIR
Making hay while the sun shines? The Titanic Sleeper Class
PANORAMA COLOR LAB offers a panorama of photo
services: Mounting and Hard-board lamination, enlargements,
slide processing and framing in imported mould.
MG Marg, Gangtok, Sikkim - 737 101. ph: 225098 / 222488
WHAT’S UP, SIKKIM
CONTEST
Where in Sikkim did the Newars recently hold a
Maha Adhiveshan?
--------------------------------------------NAME: ............................................ Address.............................................
Last Week’s answer: Two Winner: Dinesh Subba, GOv.t Law College
WIN A FREE MEAL FOR
Migtin
HOTEL
Tibet Road, Gangtok. ph: 224101
2 AT
Italian, Mexican,
Chinese,
Indian and
Continental
cuisine
Midas Touch
Inc.
An Event Management Company
requires a Manager.
Graduates can walk in for an
interview on Saturday, 3 May 2003
between 11AM to 1 PM at
Midas Touch, White Hall Office.
for details contact:
Tashi Wangyal
220677 & 225521
EMPLOYMENT
8
No Mazaa in
this Loan
Mela
a NOW REPORT
T
he much advertised “Mazaa
Aa Gaya Loan Mela” has
come a cropper.
The agreement between
Agarwal Finance from Siliguri
and Sunil Lama, proprietor,
Internet Point went kaput the
moment the mela was over,
sealing an ignominious end.
Rumours of the business
duo having run away made the
rounds causing much anxiety
among those who had paid substantial amounts as security deposits. Sunil Lama, who was in
Siliguri “on a business trip” is
now back and very much available at Internet Point. Ask him
about reports of people looking
to beat him up and he laughs.
“Agarwal Finance backed out
of the deal at the last moment and
pulled out of the scheme. Now, I
am solely responsible for the
whole thing,” he clarifies. A fact
that is not likely to inspire trust
after what has happened.
The Loan Mela had sold
seven motorbikes and eleven
computers, with security deposits ranging from twenty thousand
to fifty thousand. Not a small
amount. So it is no wonder that
most people made a beeline for
him the moment the news spread
about the business falling apart.
“Most of the people who had
made bookings have come and
and I have refunded their deposits. Only three people are left. If
they want to cancel their bookings, I will give return their the
money too. Let one person come
and say that I have cheated him.
I am the only one who has lost in
all this,” adds Lama.
Be that as it may, it will be a
while before people here start
trusting private financiers promising easy instalment plans
again.
NOW!
CAN BE REACHED
AT 270949
rajdhani
extras 3
WHAT THE
CAPITAL’S
BEEN
UP TO
THE MANTRA FOR
WEEKEND BLUES
Y
ana Gupta gyrating to
‘Babuji jara dheere chalo’
at Om, the new disco in
town. Katrina Kaif minus Salman
Khan, nursing a drink at Blues, the
exclusive restaurant at Tibet Road.
Is this the wild fantasy of a
glamour crazed person or am I
just losing it?
Well, none of the above. For,
according to Tsering Wangdi, a
young entrepreneur that is exactly what is going to happen
here from later this month.
What! And how come?!
Well, that’s because DJ Raman is here, aka DJ Poison!!
That’s Raman Dadshichi from
Calcutta. DJ at Incognito, the
disco at Taj Bengal. Tashi and
Raman have teamed up to give
Gangtokians the ultimate nightclubbing experience. Sexy bartenders doing the Tom Cruise
act of Cocktail. Glamour babes
hitting town every other week to
give Om that extra edge. And
loads and loads of funky music.
According to DJ Raman, Hip
Hop, R&B, Trance and URO will
be the mainstay of the music
along with some special tribal
music. Basically, a happy kind of
mix which will appeal to everyone.
The plan is two fold. The
Blues will be a chill out zone with
pool tables, bar and restaurant.
Done up as the name suggests
in all shades of blue, it will be an
exclusive, intimate kind of place
mainly targeting the corporate
and government officers. The
members will have the privilege
of being called the Blue Members! Now don’t get ideas. Its
nothing like that. Membership
Tibet Road will
soon become
synonymous with
night-clubbing.
Don’t believe it?
Wait till you are
through with this
NOW! feature on
the latest attempt
at injecting some
post-8PM life into
the capital city...
fee will be Rs. 10,000 per annum
with various advantages offered
to members. From 50% discounts on food and drinks to free
guests on event nights and personalized services.
“I have invested nearly 15
lakhs in the business. Lights,
sound equipment and other things
are all coming from Singapore. I
hope people here will enjoy this
concept,” says Tashi anxiously.
So much for the Blues. But
its OM, the disco that promises
to keep the adrenaline moving
and how.
“The soul of a good disco is
the DJ. The more the people like
the music, the more they will
come to the place,” says Tashi.
And here they start off with a
clear advantage. DJ Raman is
well known in the Mumbai and
Delhi circles apart from the fact
that he’s the in house DJ at Taj
Bengal in Kolkata. His passion for
music and extensive personal
collection will surely make the
locals jive, salsa, tango whatever.
But it is Raman’s contacts
and networking which will ensure that celebrities make their
presence felt in OM.
With all that experience
what’s he doing in Gangtok of
all places? Hardly the most happening spot for DJ’s.
He says, “I am here for the
first three months after which I
leave for London. I needed a
break and so came here. It is
also very exciting to see your
vision concretise in front of you.
Very exciting to make things
happen in a place where no one
expects it too.”
While he is here, he is also
starting classes in choreography, modelling and grooming as
well as teaching the local youth
the tricks of the trade as far as
deejaying goes.
So what are the special
qualities that a DJ needs?
“Deejaying is not just about
mixing tracks. A DJ should know
what the people want to hear,
should be able to gauge the mood
of the evening and play music accordingly. Often you need the skill
of a psychologist to gauge the
evening and the people. A sound
technical knowledge is also essential,” he tells us.
With Yana and Katrina in
town, DJ Raman won’t need
much help with psychology
we’re sure!
a NOW! pic
THE TIBETAN PLIGHT DRAMATISED
a NOW REPORT
T
he Tibetan Youth Club organised the North East Regional Drama
Competition at Sangram Bhawan on the April 25, 2003 on the
occasion of celebrating the 14th Birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama,
Gundun Choekyi Nyima.
The drama competition was based on two themes, the abduction of the Panchen Lama in 1994 by the Chinese and the plight of
Political Prisoners in Tibet.
The drama competition had 3 groups participating, a group of
20 from Ravangla, a group of 16 from Gangtok and a group of 15
from Darjeeling. The Tibetan Welfare Officer, Nawang Norbu, presided over the function as the Chief Guest.
While speaking to NOW!, Zimba Phensok, President, TYC
Gangtok, said that the idea behind holding competition was that
such dramas could portray the reality of the lives of Tibetans in
Chinese Occupied Tibet more effectively than long speeches. “Tibetans in Tibet suffer atrocities of the Chinese Government on a
daily basis,” he said.
The winners of the competition in Gangtok will proceed to the
All India Competition scheduled for July 6 at Dharamsala to commemorate the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama.
9
extras 4
INTHECITY
rajdhani
Sikkim joins hands to bring sunshine
to the autumnal years
a NOW REPORT
pic courtesy IPR
T
LI
A
meeting was held at Hotel
Bayul on Sunday, April 27
for people who have been taking DXN – Ganoderma.
Mystified? So was I.
This is what it is. There are
around 30,000 varieties of
mushrooms in the world. Out of
these only 2,000 are edible and
200 out of these have medicinal
qualities. Of the 200 only 6 have
got therapeutic value. It has
taken the hard work of Dr. Lim
Siow Jin from Malaysia to identify these 6 varieties and genetically engineer them into 1, the
DXN – Ganoderma, also known
as the Miracle Mushroom.
Aparently, Ganoderma has
been considered a traditional
herbal remedy by the Chinese and
Japanese for thousands of years.
Ganoderma is basically a
booster for our immune system
and prepares the body to fight
back many kinds of ailments.
Various products containing
Ganoderma are now available in
Gangtok.
At the meeting many
Gangtokians who have been
taking Ganoderma regularly
voiced their concern about the
product having steroids in it. This
was vehemently denied by the
representaive of the company who said that there was
a difference between good
and bad steroids and
Ganoderma products had no
harmful anabolic steroids in
them.
The company is offering
incentives for home marketing and profit through distribution. Those interested can
call 223601
the confidence but will also restore dignity to their twilight years.
The Adopt-a-Gran project
will be implemented in the State
in collaboration with an NGO,
Uniproscuf. The CM handed
over a cheque of Rs. 1.20 lakhs
to Uniproscuf on behalf of
HelpAge India to kick-start the
project. Three beneficiaries of
the Adopt-a-Gran project were
also handed out provisions by
the Chief Minister.
Peggy Gurung, a student
of Tashi Namgyal Academy
and the youngest aid collector from Sikkim for HelpAge
India was also felicitated during the function. The Chief
Minister presented her with a
HelpAge pin. Peggy has collected a sum of Rs. 3,610,
mostly from Mangan.
IN
ER
T!
Venue: Sangram Hall
6 & 7 May 2003: Date
Time: 4 PM Onwards
presented by:
Future Generation
‘Looking beyond and now’
in association with:
Department of Health
Government of Sikkim
organised by: THE RANIPOOL YOUTH
Electra Cafe, Blue Sheep (Gangtok)
China Palate (Gangtok)
Beshal Hotel (Deorali)
Queenbridge Institute (Ranipool)
Time Out (Daragaon)
Little Italy (Deorali)
This one’s for the Bard
a NOW! pic
CM, while lauding the efforts of
HelpAge India towards “bringing
a little sunshine in the autumn of
the aged,” said that his government has been “striving hard” to
improve the lives of the elderly.
“We have increased old-age
pension by 100 percent and senior citizens are provided with
monthly ration and free transport
in state-run bus services. We
are also honouring senior citizens for their contributions to the
society,” he said. Mr. Chamling
assured state support towards
programmes of HelpAge India.
The CM also donated a sum of
Rs. 50,000 to HelpAge India on
the occasion.
HelpAge India also started its
Adopt-a-Gran project in the State
on the occasion. Under this programme, anyone can adopt an
elderly person by making a
monthly contribution of Rs. 400.
With this support, an elderly person can live a fairly independent
life which will not only give them
MIRACLE MUSHROOM
EATERS CONGERGATE
a NOW REPORT
VE
NC
CO
FOR AIDS AWARENESS
“You have just one chance,
play safe”
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
he Sikkim chapter of the
“Join Hands Campaign” was
launched here on April 24 with
the Chief Minister Pawan
Chamling starting the symbolic
“human chain” along with the
guests present for the inaugural
function which he presided over
as the Chief Guest.
HelpAge India, a leading registered NGO dedicated to the
cause of the elderly, has been
working in India for the past two
and a half decades. It has supported over 3,000 projects, which
have made an impact on the lives
of more than two million older
persons in the country.
The “Join Hands Campaign”
is a unique initiative aimed at involving the time, energy and resources of concerned citizens of
the society who want to contribute to the cause of the elderly.
Under this campaign, a person of any age group can donate
a nominal sum of Rs. 1,000 or
more and register as a Donor
Participant for a year. For a sum
of Rs. 10,000, a donor can become a life member. Donor Participants can not only participate
in the activities of HelpAge India
but can also avail discounts and
special services being provided
by hundreds of corporate supporters of the Campaign. In Gangtok,
there are already 12 business establishments that will provide special discounts to the Donor Participants of the Campaign.
Speaking on the occasion, the
Students of Tashi Namgyal Academy prepare for a theatrical experience of the Bard’s works to commemorate his birth anniversary at the school auditorium on April 23, 2003. The seniors studying Shakespeare in their syllabus put up short excerpts from his
plays. The emphasis was on imaginative interpretations of the
playwright’s works.
FLAT-FOR-SALE
FLAT-FOR-SALE
AT DEVELOPMENT AREA, GANGTOK.
PH: 223919 (R)
MOBILE: 98320 79313
FLAT-FOR-SALE
Counselling
on HIV
a NOW REPORT
T
hose wishing to know
more about HIV and all
those who are in need of
counselling can visit the Pathology Department of the STNM
Hospital where a voluntary counselling and testing centre on HIV
Sero status is presently going on.
This centre is equipped with
diagnostic facilities for HIV infection and provides counselling
services through trained counsellors in a confidential environment.
TYA gets new
body
T
adong Yargay Association
(TYA) held its general meeting held on April 12 at the Dabriwal
complex and elected KT Bhutia as
the President, ST Bhutia as the
General Secretery, and Pemba
Bhutia as the Treasurer.
Minister for Tourism and
Land Revenue, KT Gyalsten,
was also present on the occasion and released the TYA Souvenir 2003.
TYA also conducted its
Chirim Sansari Puja, which
lasted till April 14. Lachen
Gomchen Rimpoche blessed
the initiation of the Kawang.
10
LiTNOW
extras 5
BOOKAPPRECIATION
CATCHER IN
THE RYE
WHEN THE HILLS WRITE
A
s I raced down the pavement of Golders Green Road, London, one sunny morning, I noticed a very old lady tottering
out of the doctor’s clinic. She was leaning heavily on her cane
with one arm and the other raised above her head in a desperate
bid to seek help.
I looked around. The pavement was deserted. People whizzed
past in their cars with not a soul in sight except me. The old lady was
on the verge of falling so I reluctantly walked up to help her. As soon
as I reached her, she grabbed me with her free arm and leaned
heavily on me as if she was never going to let go.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked her curtly.
“Oh luv, please take me to Jethros the chemist, just down the
road. I have to get this prescription made up,” she answered
in a hoarse, panting whisper.
a single word in encouragement or response. Finally, I came to the
conclusion that these poor souls, deprived of company are very lonely.
Most of them live alone, having outlived their spouses. When I arrive to see them, all their pent up emotions come gushing out in a
seemingly endless torrent. Their well-guarded stiff exterior forgotten
at the sight of an ear.
I have often toyed with the idea of becoming a professional listener. Why not charge people by the hour just for listening. People
in America make their way to the shrink at the drop of a hat for
therapy. This gives them a chance to let down their defences and
talk incessantly, lying comfortably on a couch. Nobody has the time
to listen in this fast moving world. Humans are gregarious animals,
they can’t bottle up their emotions for too long, so an ear is
necessary.
I tightened my grip around the old lady and started to propel her forward with greater determination. The 100 yards
seemed unending.
“Oh dear, my legs are weary. Please slow down
luv. Now dear, since you live in India, will you please
send me a bright, beautiful picture postcard like the ones my
brother used to send me? I have
got them still, but they have faded
with age. I used to stick them all
over the dim attic so they shone
like little spots of the sun to
lighten up the little room. They
transport me into a bright, hot
sunshine of India when rain, wind
and sleet raged outside.”
“Yes, yes, I will if you give me your name and address,” I replied
impatiently.
“I live at 93, Golders Green Road and my name is Mary
Macdonald.”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Mary Macdonald! I breathed, completely taken aback. The only
Mary Macdonald I knew was in school with me at St. Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpong, many years ago. I had lost touch with her years
back. I peered closely at her cosmetic-masked face. No, impossible, this was not the Mary from Kalimpong.
Our Mary Macdonald was a very attractive young lady who turned
heads as she walked down Main Road in Kalimpong and left behind
a string of broken hearts in her wake. She even had her hair styled
like Audery Hepburn’s to look like her. And she did.
No, this old Mary Macdonald by my side was certainly not the
one I used to know. By no stretch of imagination could she have
resembled Audrey Hepburn ever! I was relieved.
At last, I deposited her to the chemists. She thanked me profusely and her parting words were, “Don’t forget to send me a picture postcard.”
A
picture
postcard
I had an appointment, therefore, was in a great hurry. I
hate being late for any appointment and to arrive late for an appointment in the West
tantamounts to mortal sin! I can’t
bear those smug, knowing looks
of people, I have a date with even
if I am a minute late. The looks
translated mean - Ah, you keep
Indian Standard Time. I always
avoid such humiliating situations
by being on time.
Now, I had no choice but to
take this frail, visibly ill, old lady
to the chemist. Jethros was just a hundred yards away. Surely I would
be able to deposit her there and still be in time for my appointment.
If I let go of her, she would surely fall so I walked her down the
pavement, bearing most of her weight as she clung to me and took
one unsteady step after another.
I tried to speed her up, but to no avail. She suddenly stopped.
Looked up at me with her faded, blue eyes and asked, “Where are
you from, my luv?”
“I am from India,” I answered tersely and dragged her on.
“India, how charming. My brother used to send picture postcards
during the War of the wonderful places he visited in India. Such
delightful placed, all bathed in gloriously hot sunshine. Oh, how I
envied him soaking in the sun while I shivered in cold Scotland. We
are from Scotland you know. I dislike this miserable, damp London
climate.”
I was not in the mood to get involved in any conversation so I
didn’t ask her from which part of Scotland she was from or in which
war her brother had served in India. Very likely, from the looks of
her, in First World War. Her heavy make up, her lipstick-smeared
thin lips applied with a gnarled, unsteady hand, two sets of ill-fitting
dentures threatening to fall off if she opened her mouth wider, all
proclaimed her age.
short fiction by MONILA DE
While the younger generation of British ladies use minimal makeup, the elderly, a maximum, helping to keep the cosmetic companies in business.
The more I tried to hurry her, the more she stopped to catch her
breath and talk.
“I live just down the road with my widowed sister in an attic. She
was a concert pianist once. A very good one. I never married,” she
ended sadly with a sigh.
I was getting very impatient and tired of listening to her life story.
Getting in time for my appointment was topmost in my mind. I soon
realised why she was slowing down and stopping so often. She had
found an Ear. It didn’t matter whether the ear was a willing or an
unwilling listener, so long as she could talk into it. This happens to
be a terrible weakness of the elderly British population.
The British are famous for their stiff upper lip, old indifferent exteriors. Poke-faced commuters, hiding behind newspapers to avoid
eye contact and conversation with fellow passengers is not a myth
but a reality. It is their national character that they have always maintained and are proud of. But when it comes to finding an ear on a
park bench or at home, the elderly British talk their heads off.
I have often been subjected to hours of rambling without uttering
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE?
why don’t you then throw those short-stories, poems, vignettes, essays in the
public domain and see whether they are appreciated or trashed...
THE BEST ENTRY EACH WEEK,
APART FROM SPACE iN litNOW! WILL ALSO WIN A
COFFEE-TABLE-BOOK from
RACHNA Books & Publications
send your creative writings to NOW! Gairi Gaon, Tadong, Gangtok
- Sikkim and see whether it makes it to the litNOW page
I came back to Kalimpong with every intention of sending the old
lady a picture postcard. The best of intentions, however, are bogged
down by mundane activities of daily life. Swift-footed time buries
them in some remote, uncharted territory of the brain only to surface
sometimes, with a feeling of guilt.
Next year, I was back in London. As I walked down Golders Green
Road, Mary Macdonald flashed through my mind. I started looking
carefully at every old lady I passed, checked all the roadside benches,
but there was no sign of Mary anywhere.
Eventually, I asked the old ladies sunning themselves on a bench
if they knew Miss Mary Macdonald and if so, her whereabouts. The
old ladies looked at me curiously. “Are you the Indian lady who promised to send her a picture postcard from India?”
“Yes, I did. Where is she now?” I asked with growing concern.
“She waited for that picture postcard everyday, but it never arrived. The poor dear couldn’t make it through the winter.”
I walked away with a heavy heart, full of regret and remorse. All
Mary had asked of me was a picture of an exotic, bright, sunny place
to liven up her dreary winter days and I had failed her miserably.
THIS ENTRY WINS THE COFFEE-TABLE-BOOK from RACHNA
BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS
Bookworm Asks CONTEST
The hero of which Kafka novle wakes up one morning
to discover that he has been turned into an insect?
the winner [decided by draw of lots from all correct entries] wins a discount
voucher worth Rs. 100 from Rachna Books and Publications
books
and
p u b l i c a t i o n s
last week’s answer:
LORD OF THE FLIES
Winner: ABHISHEK,
SICHEY
Near Community Hall Gangtok Sikkim
224336 [email protected]
- JD Salinger
olden Caulfield wanted to
be a ‘catcher in the rye’. He
got this idea: “If a body catch a
body coming through the rye,”
which was his preferred version
of Robert Burns’ poem that goes
“If a body meet a body coming
through the rye”. All that he
wanted to do was stand in a field
of rye near some ‘crazy’ cliff with
kids playing on it and catch them
if they fell over.
He admitted it was crazy but
that was all he wanted to do in life.
Sounds weird?
The Catcher In The Rye by JD
Salinger is easily the weirdest book
ever. Not ‘weird’ weird but ‘nice’
weird, if you know what I mean. It
is about three days in the life of 16
year-old, honest, un-corny, unphony, lost, fed up, freshly expelled
from Pencey Prep. Pennsylvania
- Holden Caulfield.
This book is absolutely abstract but goes so deep in this
guise that at some point or the
other you can actually relate to
Holden, however weird he may
be. The book is a narrative by
Holden and he says the most
obvious things - that are always
at the back of most of our minds
but we never really notice them.
That’s what makes it weird.
The book was controversial
when it was first published and
has now acquired a cult status.
Conspiracy theorists will have us
believe that the common factor
among all serial murders in recent times has been their weakness for Catcher in the Rye. Still
don’t want to read it?
H
fresh everyday
coffee
CONTEST
- QUESTION OF THE WEEK -
WHICH COFFEE IS
NAMED AFTER A
CHRISTIAN ORDER?
Capuchino
Espresso
Irish
NAME: .........................................
ADDRESS: ...................................
Last week’s answer: 50 Yrs. Winner:
Rashim Tamang, Bahai School
Tick the right answer and rush entries to NOW! office at Tadong to
WIN A COFFEE &
SNACKS COUPON
WORTH Rs. 100 AT
BAKER’S CAFE, MG
MARG, GANGTOK
11
extras 6
EXTRA SPACE FOR THE FAIRER SEX
WOMEN
NOW!
O
ur body is home to dif
ferent kind of memories.
These memories can
cause ‘Blocks’ in our energy system and these ‘Blocks’ cause hindrance to a person’s growth and
can also lead to disease. These
‘Blocks’ can be transformed with
energy. A gifted and trained person can remove emotional, mental and physical ‘Blocks’ and
optimize our energy system. Trying to create this integration between emotions and the intellect
in Sikkim are Helena Lund and
Karma Doma Gyatso.
Specially trained at the well
known Connemara Institute in
Sweden, the duo have started
Connemara Sikkim, a health
center that offers various therapy
and energy treatments. “Our basic philosophy is that when the
circumstances in people’s lives
comes into the right direction,
then the energy system will also
come in balance, finally coming
into the right flow of energy”, explains Helena. She should know.
Helena has been doing yoga and
meditation for the last 20 years
apart from training and working
at Connemara Sweden.
Considering that the institute
is unique to Sweden with no
branches franchised outside the
country how did Sikkim come into
the picture? “I came to Sikkim in
2000 and fell in love with this
most beautiful place in the world.
I went back to Sweden and
thought of something that I could
do for the state that will be good
for the locals as well as the visitors who come to this place. I met
Hasse and Maria Mayzola, the
brain behind Connemara Sweden. They came to Sikkim and
just loved this place”. That was
the beginning.
In January 2003 Karma Doma
left for a 3 month crash course.
“It was a wonderful learning experience for me. A total eye
opener. Also the first time that I
was going out of the country and
that too alone. Once there I lived
and trained at the Connemara
centre”, she remembers. At first
embarrassed about learning
massaging she soon came to
accept that a body is well, just a
body. “I received a gift from the
centre and that was the awakening of my capability to transform
energy. Through this I can look
for the root of suffering and help
in identifying and removing the
blockages in our bodies which
hamper our full growth”, Karma
says calmly. Calmness, serenity,
removal of stress and tension are
the catchwords which pepper the
conversation. Also nature. That
is perhaps why the duo chose a
unit of Shambhala Resorts at
Rumtek as a base for their healing therapies. They have converted and renovated an old family house near the resort. “It is
beautiful, you’re in the middle of
nature and can get great view
from the big balcony which is
around the house”, says Helena
‘TAKING CARE’
a NOW! pic
KARMA D. AND HELENA BRING THE CONNEMARA WAY TO GANGTOK
quite animated. The Connemara
Week which is on offer is a programme for personal development and will be specially designed to suit individual needs.
The 5 day course includes all
kinds of energy treatments,
Quigong, Aroma therapy, Acupuncture, Massage and Meditation and ofcourse long nature
walks.
“We promise that after the
Connemara week a person will
feel rejuvenated and full of life
energy. We believe that there
is a highest light to which each
one of us is directly connected.
We have the ability to transform
energy and help people connect with their highest light”, the
two explain. The Connemara
Week will cost Rs. 10,000
which is inclusive of food and
lodging at the Shambhala Resort. “It is a great concept and I
hope many people in Sikkim
come for it. We can help people with backache and gastric
problems apart from other benefits”, adds Helena. A person
can also opt for any single
therapy. In the beginning they
KNOW YOUR SOAP CONTEST!
WHICH IS THE SERIAL PREMIERING FROM 1 MAY ON
SONY?
ANSWER ______________________________________________
NAME
______________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________________________
SEND A CORRECT ANSWER AND WIN FREE MEAL
Last week’s Answer:
NO ENTRIES
Thali
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YAMA BUILDING, MG MARG, GANGTOK - 737101, Ph: 228587
plan to hold many single
therapy programmes in the
Rajdhani itself. They are offering Qigong classes from the
2nd of May. Qigong are ancient
health excercizes that optimize
the function of brain power, improves memory and brings us
back to nature.
But it is not only the locals that
they are targeting. ‘The Connemara Week in Sikkim’ is a concept that is being promoted internationally as an added incentive
for stressed out travelers to visit
the state. “We hope to get many
foreign tourists coming in for the
course. Later we will target domestic tourists too. This way we
can promote the beautiful culture
of the state”, says Helena.
A week of rejuvenating therapy
in the lap of nature. Who can
refuse such a combination. For
Helena Lund and Karma Doma
it is the beginning of a long journey of ‘Taking care of people’, as
they call it.
For further information call
Helena : 9434012239, Karma
Doma Gyatso: 223022.
FOR SOFTNESS THIS MONSOON
FOR SOFT ELBOWS AND KNEES
Massaging your elbows and knees with lemon peels is
helpful but often leads to dryness. Use 2tsp of
coconut oil, 1tsp sugar and half a lemon.
Scrub this on the area until all the lemon
juice is squeezed out and the sugar has
melted. Done daily this will help soften the
skin as well as make it soft and smooth.
FOR SOFT SILKY HAIR
Massage your hair with a quarter cup
of full cream mixed with 2tsp of
honey. Leave on for 20 minutes and
wash off.
Susong
SAYS
12
extras 7
FACTOR
PU
a NOW pic
NOW! EXTRA FOR THE YOUNG
HEL B L I C
SERPLINE
VIC
E
I Drove All Night
I had to escape The city was sticky and cruel
Maybe I should have called you first
But I was dying to get to you
I was dreaming while I drove
The long straight road ahead, uh, huh
Could taste your sweet kisses
Your arms open wide
This fever for you is just burning me up inside
Lack of opportunities can often drive the young to
despair. But there are some who don’t give up, who
just dig in their heels and keep trying till they find
something they really enjoy doing and through which they
can also make a living. Meet Sam Rai, all of 24 and working hard
to make his dreams come true. Sam, along with 4 unemployed friends runs Public Helpline Service, a company which mixes
public service with private enterprise. His company offers various services to the public. From paying electricity, telephone and
water bills to arranging efficient and skilled maintenance personnel and mechanics on demand. The company has a loose
arrangement with a network of technicians at their disposal. Plumbers, electricians carpenters and other repairmen. So if you
are running short of time and need something to be done in a hurry, all you have to do is contact PHS and have it done for you.
At a small fee. The membership fee is a one time payment of Rs. 250 and it is Rs. 100 per month after that. Considering one can
spend that much on a day of running around, it does not sound too much to pay to get all your small but essential work done
every month. But the services don’t stop at just bill collection. PHS also offers emergency services like doctors on call at night.
According to Sam, if you have a medical emergency he and his team will arrange vehicles and doctors for you, and also do the
running around for you. They are at call all night at their office. “We also have networking outside the state. So if anyone needs
to go for admission or medical check ups we can help them in running around for that too”, says Sam. PHS plans to add other
value additions as they go along. So how have people responded to this idea? “People are appreciating the effort but we’ll have
to wait and see. Maybe it will work, maybe not”, he says anxiously. Sam Rai and his boys. Working hard to make life just that little
bit easier. You can contact Public Helpline Service at 281891
movies
Which movie are these characters,
NEO and TRINITY, from ?
4 FREE
Answer: __________________
Name:
__________________
Address: __________________
ONE CORRECT ANSWER TO THE FILMI
QUESTION WINS 2 TICKETS TO
LAST WEEK’S ANSWER:
Die Hard. WINNER:
Bishal Chhetri, Remon’s Hostel
DENZONG
ONLY DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND - EX CINEMA HALL IN THE HIMALAYAS
THE
LITTLE
CROSSWORD
044
WINNER GETS FREE
DINNER FOR TWO
AT
SNOD Complex, Deorali,
Gangtok.Ph: 281980
italy
little
Solve the crossword correctly. Rush it to Oberois (MG Marg) or NOW!, on or before
Sunday and a lucky draw of all correct entries will decide who wins FREE DINNER FOR TWO at
LITTLE ITALY, DEORALI.SNACKS COUPONS TO BE COLLECTED FROM NOW! OFFICE
I drove all night to get to you Is that alright
I drove all night Crept in your room
Woke you from your sleep To make love to you
Is that alright I drove all night
What in this world Keep us from tearing apart
No matter where I go I hear
The beating of your heart
I think about you When the night is cold and dark
No one can move me The way that you do
Nothing erases the feeling
between me and you
Repeat
Could taste your sweet kisses Your arms open wide
This fever for you is just burning me up inside
Repeat
Sweet Nothings
MESSAGES FROM THE HEART
Hey Rajju
Dearest ‘Where To Go’
Birthday?
Take some time out to
Many Happy Returns!!
buzz with me while I got
Our part done, where do
the blues.
we come for the party
You get the point?
now? Have fun!
If you do One Finer, if you
Spike, Kim & Me
don’t Two Fingers!!
(on behalf on him)
u’r Pumpkin Belly!
ACROSS
1. Articles of glass
8. Snake
9. Sullen
10. Hurry
12. Paint unskilfully
14. Close
15. Jewish girl
17. Consisting of sand
18. Connected series of rooms
20. Person who is given to
pranks
DOWN
2. Male child
3. Thoroughfare
4. Cleanse
5. Free from confinement
6. Person who operates machinery
7. East Shetland village
11. Wrench
13. Stops
16. Song in praise of God
19. I have
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: ACROSS: 1. SAFER 3. STRAP
6. LOAN 7. CORDON 9. NIECHE 10. LESS 11. APE 13. FLAK
15. SLATE 18. HANDEL 19. TOOT 20 TONGS 21 QUEER
DOWN: 1. SALINE 2. FLAME 3.SPOTLESS 4.RIDES 5.PONG
8.WEAKNESS 12.PESTER 14.LINEN 16.AROSE 17.SHOT
WINNER: DEEPAK GURUNG, GANGTOK
13
NOW! 8
extras
extracurricular...
FACEoftheWEEK
a day
in the
life of
saddam
hussein!
IRAQI FREEDOM
“The military said we’ll be able to confirm
Saddam is dead with DNA testing. Apparently we have an sample of his DNA. So
Monica Lewinsky is working for the CIA?” Jay Leno
“We have defeated Saddam Hussein and
Iraq. The good news is Iraq is ours, and the
bad news is Iraq is ours.” - David Letterman
“There are reports that Saddam has been
spotted in central Baghdad. Parts of him
were also spotted in northern Baghdad,
eastern Baghdad and western Baghdad.” Jay Leno
“It does not look good for Saddam Hussein
and his sons. Yesterday we bombed the restaurant where they were eating and today I
went on the Internet and they were selling
pieces of Uday and Qusay on eBay.” - Jay
Leno
“The big debate right now is if Saddam is
alive or dead. He’s dead, then he’s alive,
ATTENTION SHOPKEEPERS: If you have a new product on your shelves which
you feel the readers of NOW! ought to know about, call us at 270949 with details.
then dead, then alive. It’s just confusing.
Today they showed videotape, and Saddam
was speaking at his own funeral.” - David
Letterman
“There are now reports that Saddam
Hussein was injured in the initial U.S. bombing and he’s now receiving medical care in
an underground bunker. In fact, he asked
his doctors if he was going to live and they
told him, “Oh yeah, absolutely, you’ll live –
until the Americans get here ... then you’re
screwed.” - Jay Leno
The SARS Update
With the outbreak of the SARS epidemic
Hong Kong’s Tourism Board is regretting a
new campaign advertising that the city will
“take your breath away.”
alphabets
A
OVIEREVIEWMOVIEREVIEW
TSHERING TSHOMU
Aspiring model .
the
FUTUREisNOW
ARIES: Happiness will prevail. Some may go on an overseas trip. You will enjoy
the support of your superiors at work. Your financial status will be very good.
Family life will be very comfortable. Court affairs will be postponed. A long trip is in
the offing. Cash flow will be good. Exports business will be very successful.
TAURUS: Some may look at buying a new car. Some may go on an overseas
trip. You will enjoy the support of your superiors at work. You enjoy a loving and
supportive relationship with your spouse. Peace and prosperity will be maintained.
GEMINI: Beware of a financial crisis. You will have tension due to misunderstandings with your Business partner. You will be popular among your friends.
Court affairs will be postponed. Don’t tread on the toes of your superiors at work..
CANCER: Some may start a new business activity. Business will be brisk and
busy. Cash flow will be very good. Your social status will be good. Political life will
be very comfortable. Some may hear wedding bell rings. Some may go on an
overseas trip. You will enjoy the support of your superiors at work.
LEO: Job seekers come across new opportunities. Some may get a transfer at
work. Your social status will be good. You will be popular among your friends.
Expenses will be reduced. Some may be able to encash their money bonds which
were previously tied up. Cash flow will be very good.
VIRGO: A long trip is in the offing. You enjoy a loving and supportive relationship with your spouse. Some have a financial crisis. Medical expenses will be
high. Some may start new business activities. Business will be brisk and busy.
Court affairs will be postponed. Political life will be very comfortable.
LIBRA: A good time to go on a picnic or a short excursion with your family. Your
social status will be good. You will be popular among your friends. Some may be
able to encash their money bonds which were previously tied up. your materials.
Some inherit ancestral property. Cash flow will be very good.
SCORPIO: Some may commence new business activities. Some may gain
income from speculation. Health will remain stable. Some may gain income from
speculation. Your social status will be good. You will be popular among your friends.
You will receive positive feedback in your mail. You will enjoy the support of your
superiors at work.
SAGITTARIUS: Some may look at buying a new car. A change of environment will be enjoyable. Cash flow will be very good. Export business will be fruitful. You will receive positive feedback in your mail. Court affairs will be postponed.
CAPRICORN: Some may be in a position to take a new decision on business
matters. Business will be brisk and busy. You enjoy a loving and supportive relationship with your spouse. Medical expenses will be high due to ill health of a
family elder.
AQUARIUS: All your plans go smoothly. Some may go on an overseas trip.
You will enjoy the support of your superiors at work Cash flow will be very good.
Expenses will be reduced. Political life will be very comfortable.
PISCES: Medical expenses are high due to some health problems in your family. Some may be blessed with a child. Court affairs will be postponed. Students
will improve in their studies. Your social status will be good. You will be popular
among your friends.
P
owerfully realized in the produc
tion design by Allan Starski
(Schindler’s List) and the location shooting in Poland, Roman
Polanski’s The Pianist puts you in the
Warsaw Ghetto. It’s a gray, cramped
slum packed with gray, emaciated
people wearing Star of David armbands, who barely notice a dead child
on the ground. In a particularly horrific scene, Nazi policemen entertain
themselves by forcing grotesquely
mismatched couples to dance to a
Jewish street band at a trolley crossing. As an old man with a cane falls
down, the Germans laugh and shout
“faster.”
While not as dramatically or aesthetically daring as Schindler’s List or Life
Is Beautiful, it is an important film, presenting this devastating moment in
history through an artist’s first-hand
account. Szpilman, who was one of
roughly 20 Jews left alive in Warsaw
by the end of the war, published his
memoir, Death of a City, in 1946. The
Pianist shares his detached, objective
tone, starting with period newsreels
of Warsaw. It proceeds chronologically at a measured pace, framed by
performances of Szpilman (Adrien
Brody) playing Chopin. The contrast
between the music, its delicacy, tenderness, artistry, and the decivilizing
brutality of the Nazis, reverberates
throughout the film.
Music, literally, saves Szpilman’s life.
Initially, his status as a renowned musician allows him, his parents, brother
and sisters to live in the smaller (relatively nicer) ghetto, and to work as a
piano player in a Jewish restaurant.
B O O K
S H O P
TOP 5 BESTSELLERS
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MANGOES
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JACK DAWS
KEN FOLLET
When he and his family are finally
forced to board the cattle cars that will
take them to the Treblinka death camp,
he is pulled aside by a Jewish collaborator/policeman who admires his music, and allowed to return to the Ghetto.
When he eventually escapes, he is hidden by a Polish musician he knew before the war, and her husband. And
most remarkably, in his final hiding
place in bombed-out Warsaw, he is
protected by a Nazi music lover, who
brings him food and a warm coat. But
equally important, music keeps his
spirit alive. Although he cannot risk
making a sound while hiding in a Warsaw apartment, he sits by its upright
piano and moves his fingers above the
keys, cherishing the silent music. After
the war, he returns to his professional
career, and lives to the age of 88.
Movies for review provided by TASHI MOVIE CLUB
An American flag, draped
over the head of a statue
of Saddam Hussein by
an American solider after
the fall of Baghdad, was
removed less than a
minute later over concern
of the type of message it
would send to Iraqis and the Arab world.
They were concerned it might detract from
the right message being sent by the massive fireballs over Baghdad.
DENZONG
TASHIMOVIE NOW SHOWING AT
CLUB
FROM FRIDAY
TOP5
THE PIANIST
PHONE BOOTH
THE RECRUIT
TEARS OF THE SUN
SNIPER 2
Oberoi’s
AUDIO ARRIVALS
5
.Come Away With Me - NORAH
JONES
.System Of A Down
.Christina Aguilera - DIRRRTY
.LET GO - Avril Lavigne
.OST - DUM
JAZ PANDAY & GURLINA CHOPRA
Indian
Babu
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14