Mar - Apr 2014
Vol 01 : Issue 03
Tha LIFESTYLE
www.Tha-lifestyle.com
Tamil New Year
“Jaya Varusham” is born!
Story of real life
An account of Tamil-Filipino first generation kid
Tamil lifestyle magazine from Great Britain
City University Students reveal their
ULTIMATE WISH
Tamil Wedding Special Experts Tips !
Parent’s guide to
11+
Examinations! ISSN 2054-3514
Also in this issue.......
Recipe
Mango rice & Milk Toffee
* Let’s Be safe in Cyberspace * Travel tips for your summer holidays * What happens in an eye test - an Optometrist explains * The league of Extraordinanary Gentlemen
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content 17 quick guide to bharatha natiyam
01
News highlights
02
Happy tamil new year ‘Jeya Varusham’ 5116
Latest highlights of British Tamil related news.
Article coincides with the birth of Tamil New year on last April 14th.
04
let’s be safe on cyber space
06
An account of a tamilfilipino first generation kid
08
Rachael rajan : aspiring british tamil songstress
13
top travel tips for you summer holidays
14
The league of extra ordinary gentlemen
15
what happenes in an eye test
05
if world ends tomorrow, what would you do?
16
clicked !
28 29
events gallery: mega malai xiv
17
quick guide to bharatha natiyam
One page guide to traditional Tamil Dance.
31 32 33 35
Tamil students City University of London share their wish if world ends tomorrow
Canadian children of mixed race family expresses her view and lifestyle.
Ashanti Omkar’s exclusive interview of young Tamil songstress.
events gallery: face off 2014 events gallery: southern hospitality , a gun & a ring primier & tamil short films events gallery: uktsu charity run & calendar of upcoming events speakers corner
20 21
The pictures of our readers across the society.
cooking time Recipes of Tamil food.
22
planning your wedding
24
a parents guide to coping with 11+ entry examinations
Free place to share own opnions & views
tha readers page
Hindu marriage ceremony
An informative article from ‘The Tamil Weddings’ founders.
An informative article from ‘Tamil Hindu Weddings’ founders.
| EDITORIAL
Editor’s wall
tha lifestyle
Yes! We have begun to move on with a Social Smile! “Are you the editor? Can we invite you as guest to our event? “ I presumed they had called the wrong number when I heard these questions from the other end of the line! but in fact that was a call made to me. I began to see my social life is transforming and realised that I now bear some responsibility to society through my magazine. As a man who lived a rather reserved and simple personal life, I did not believe that I will be recognised and valued enough to speak in front of crowd. I must thank you Harrow Tamil School for such an opportunity which has given me great confidence in this voluntary journey. This is an evidence of a milestone of my magazine and its team, since it just started with me. I am sure now ‘Tha Team’, authors, and individuals who appear on this magazine will also begin to see that society is look upon them. They will be recognised by a wider crowd. They will gain wide social exposure beyond their personal lives thus far. This is a pioneer journey to showcase the British Tamil world. In this edition we wish to bring the past events page with pictures of events which took place during the last two months. We have also stepped up our Facebook page with more interesting posts. Also bringing an e-book linked website , first in such kind as far as we know. As the magazine has grown from a ‘responsive smile’ to a ‘social smile’, we now begin to smile at new people. We have started meeting like minded people and made them friends and have begun interacting with them. This is exactly what a baby would do at this stage. She will learn that she can get a reaction from you by smiling. Our Baby, ‘Tha Lifestyle’ will smile at you, will say ‘hello’ to you and will do all it can to get your attention. We might look like strangers initially but I am sure when you join our family you will feel right at home. See you again Sujay Sujatharan
featured author ashanti omkar
content reviewer rob dow Twa Kamalarajah
cover page Sujay Sujatharan
Tha Editor
editor@tha-lifestyle.com facebook.com/ThaSujay
Satheesan Thanabalasundaram
Tha Marketting Manager
contact@tha-lifestyle.com
Bala Thavapalan
Tha IT Manager
info@tha-lifestyle.com
rachael Rajan velevet photography vithya make-up artist
Specialist writers
IT Specialist Balendra Elangco | Optometrist Maulia Selvarajah | Professional Tutor Mani Ganesh
Tha contributors of this edition Maulia Selvarajah Mani Ganesh Soozana Puvanendran Vani Thavapalan Jananni Balaskandan (TSU) Gogulan Nithiyabhaskaran Priya Amaranath Vinny Flora
Kaarthi Chandrasegaram Merlyn Ganeshamoorthy Daniella Debbie SRaja Koby Yogaretnam Balendra Elangco Jance Manivasagan Harish Ketheeswaran Sasi Krishna
Jeenaka Manokaran Shanelle Kandiah Prapalani Jenna Shan Gobi Maha Niraapha Sivakumaran Raffael Ranjan Sophie Kathir Navi Ananth
tha LIFEstyle
| NEWS
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Professor Nishan Canagarajah’s appointment as
Pro-Vice Chancellor of Bristol University The University of Bristol recently announced that Professor Nishan Canagarajah, a British Tamil originally from Jaffna , Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, is to become one of the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellors. Canagarajah received his BA and PhD at the University of Cambridge and has published two books as well as a plethora of articles mainly focusing on image segmentation and medical imaging. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Sir Eric Thomas, said: “Nishan has an outstanding track record both in his academic discipline, and as Dean of Engineering. I have no doubt he will build on Guy Orpen’s tremendous success in the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor.”
Professor Nishan Canagarajah is an Old boy of Jaffna St.John’s College who studied in the 1985 Advanced Level batch. He received his BA (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cambridge, UK in 1989 and 1993 respectively. In 1993 he joined the University of Bristol as a Research Assistant where he worked on the design of flexible mobile communication systems. In 1994 he was appointed as a Lecturer within the same Department where he was promoted to a Senior Lecturer in 1999, a Reader in 2001, and became a Professor in 2004.
Dr Sithamparanathan Sabesan receives a RAE’s
Enterprise Fellowship
Dr. Sabesan worked with an i-Team in 2009, looking at possible applications for his long-range RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. Since then the technology has been further developed and trialled with customers to create a new goods and luggage tagging and tracking system that can pinpoint items with near 100% accuracy and over a much greater distance than existing technology. The PervasID system has the potential to save airlines millions of pounds annually through allowing frequent flyers access to fully automated self-check-in, and to enable high-value goods retailers to benefit from secure self-service checkouts. The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellows receive up to £85,000 of funding to spend during 12 months exclusively developing a spin-out business based on their technologies. Dr Sithamparanathan Sabesan, is an old boy of Jaffna Hindu College (passed out with the year 2003 Advanced Level batch) in Northern Srilanka, and a researcher in the Cambridge University Engineering Department, who bagged two awards for his ground breaking finding the Real Time Location System (RTLS).
Lebara foundation opens
LEbara Library in Kilinochchi Last month, British Tamil owned virtual mobile giant Lebara, opened a new public library in the Northern town of Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka. Lebara says the children from the land severely affected by long civil war do not have proper schooling. Thus they stepped up to this project at a cost of nearly £200,000 funded by their own charity arm ‘Lebara Foundation’. The Lebara Foundation recognizes that young people
are the future of Sri Lanka, but that many lack the skills and knowledge needed by modern society. The state-of-the-art library will provide students with a comprehensive selection of electronic and printed texts in both Tamil and English, as well as a fully equipped multimedia classroom, two lecture halls, a language lab and media and IT facilities such as PCs, printers and copiers.
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| Language & culture
tamil Puthu varusham begins on
april 14th
happy Tamil New year ‘Jeya VaruSham’ 5116
The month of Chithirai (April - May) embarks the time of festivities in South Asian regions. Tamil’s New Year Day called Puthandu or Puthu Varusham (New Year in Tamil), is celebrated on the 13th or 14th of April every year (according to the Gregorian Calendar). The Tamil Calendar follows a 60 year cycle and each year has a name. According to the cycle the new year in April will be called ‘Jeya Varusham’ of 1936 which is the 28th year in the cycle. People greet each other by saying “Puthandu Valthukal” which means Happy New Year. This auspicious day is also popular as Varusha Pirappu.
Year of victory and accomplishment is born! Vernal equinox is the day when daytime and night are of approximately the equal duration. According to Tamil literature, the year is divided into six seasons where “Chithirai” (equivalent to the Month of April) marks the start of the “Ilavenil” (Spring) season or summer. New Year Rituals
Tamil people follow some strict rituals in a belief to ensure well-being and prosperity of their families. Some of the rituals are forgotten The Tamil New Year follows the “Nirayanam”, as Tamils continue to immigrate to various vernal equinox and countries , therefore generally falls on How do you wish Happy new year in Tamil ? we wish to bring you the 13th or 14th of the original rituals April thus marking You can simply say ‘Puthandu Valthukkal’ or ‘Puthu which are followed the first day of the Varusha Valthukkal’ means ‘Happy New Year’. Also in the South Asian you can return the wish by traditional Tamil ‘Unkalukkum Valthukkal’ meaning ‘Wishes to you too ‘. region. calendar. Tropical vernal equinox falls The traditional around 22nd March and adding 23 degrees practices begin with a bath. Each member of trepidation due to Earth’s inclination, it falls of the family is anointed with Maruthu Neer on 13 or 14th of April in South Asian countries. before the bath. Maruthu neer prepared Page 2
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by priests is a concoction of medicinal herbs, leaves, flowers, and saffron available only at the temples. The mother of a family specially prepares the threshold of the house for God Ganesha. Before sunrise she applies a layer of fresh cowdung in thick swirls on this spot and then draws the traditional Kolam- a design drawn with rice flour. Next the woman of the house places the poorna kumbam. This consists of a silver or brass pot of water on which is placed a coconut fringed with five to seven mango leaves. The poorna kumbam is placed on a bed of rice grains which are strewn on a banana leaf. Next the brass lamps are placed on either side of the kumbam along with small brass or silver containers with holy ash and kumkumam. A tray of betel leaves arranged in a circular pattern and shavings of Areca nut are also placed on this bed of
Kai Vishsham is a vital ritual on Tamil New Year Day where a first financial transaction from the elders gift money to the unmarried youngsters, as a token of good luck.
Controversy: Which Is the Tamil New Year? We also would like to highlight the controversy over the historical celebration of Tamil new year to provide the other side argument. There is a controversy as to whether the Tamil New Year falls around the 14th of April or on the 14th of January. For several years Tamils have followed the tradition of celebrating it on the first of the Tamil month of Chithirai. Now it is claimed that the day of Thai Pongal should be the Tamil New Year. They say that the 14th of April is the Hindu New Year which is due to historical confusion. South Indian Government after debates agreed that January 14th should be the new year, They also said that Thiruvalluvar was born thirty one (31) years before Lord Jesus Christ. Hence it was decided to add 31 years to the English year and adopt that as the Tamil year called Thiruvalluvar Aandu. Still Tamils continue their known new year with April 14th
| Language & culture
leaves. Also Tamils observe the traditional new year in April with the first financial transaction known as the ‘Kai-vishesham’ where elders gift money to the unmarried young, particularly children as a token of good luck. The event is also observed with the ‘arpudu’ or the first ploughing of the ground to prepare for the new agricultural cycle. The ‘punya-kaalam’ or auspicious time when the sun reportedly shifts from Meena raasi to Mesha raasi is considered ideal to commence new activities on a favourable note. The game of ‘por-thenkai’ or coconut wars between youth is played in villages through the Tamil north and east of the island while cart races are also held. The festive Puthandu season in April is a time for family visits and the renewal of filial bonds. Many people get their houses painted to mark the renewal of life.
Why a 60 year calendar?
While the Earth revolves the Sun in one year, Jupiter revolves around the Sun in 12 years and Saturn revolves around the Sun in 20 years. The lowest common denominator, i.e. the earliest time when both Jupiter and Saturn can meet at the same position, with respect to the Sun, Moon and Earth, is 60 years. Hence this 60 year cycle. The sixty year calendar cycle repeats itself and each of these years has a name, which is said to denote some qualitative aspect of the year. Page 3
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| internet & technology
Let’s be safe in cyberspace Balendra Elangco is a senior security manager at BT and a governor of Surrey Tamil School. elangco@gmail.com
W
e have come to rely on the internet for a multitude of things. We email our friends and family almost every day. We do our online shopping, read the news, conduct our financial activities via online banking, socialise with our friends on Facebook, speak to our loved ones back home on Skype, our children do their homework
on schools’ websites…, the list is endless. In fact we don’t know how we survived without the internet before it arrived! Lately we have been hearing more and more about the dangers surrounding our online activities. Some of us have been affected by them. The virus that affects our PC, phishing email that looks like it came from a legitimate source,
the botnet that uses our computer for malicious activity and the cybercriminal who steals our credit card information or even worse, steals our identity: there is much danger in cyberspace. There are certain precautions we can take that will go a long way to help protect us from the dangers of cyberspace. We explore some of them here.
Passwords
Passwords are the primary means through which we access various online services. A weak password can be cracked in a very short period with modern computing power or by other means. There are number of ways the criminal will attempt to steal our passwords: Social Engineering Dictionary Attacks Brute Force Attacks Shoulder Surfing You mentioning Every word in the Using high computing People look at what you your passwords to dictionary is used power to try a are typing over your somebody pretends against your account combination of shoulders. to be a bank or other until a successful login is characters to crack a services asking for your achieved. password. sensitive information.
Main issues with passwords rise from the fact that many of us use weak passwords such as words on dictionary, our children’s names, places we remember and so on. To compound the problem we use the same password for multiple websites. There are some steps we can take to minimise the exposure of our passwords: Construct strong passwords – the length of the password should be at least 8 characters long and use a combination of mixed case letters, numbers and symbols (%*£!’~]$/). Avoid using the same password on multiple sites. In the Yahoo! example above, criminals attempted the passwords obtained from another 3rd party site to attack Yahoo! mail accounts.
Never reveal your passwords to anyone including your family. The banks, retail sites and other websites will never ask for your full passwords when you contact them. Where possible, change your passwords frequently to avoid being cracked. You can test your password strength at https:// howsecureismypassword.net
The biggest issue we have is that we have to create and remember a number of passwords with various accounts on the web. Password storage software such as Key Pass 2 (among others) would help in this situation. But remember to keep a hardcopy backup of your passwords to protect yourself against a computer failure.
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| internet & technology
Phishing
Phishing involves cyber criminals creating fake websites that look like real ones and luring users into entering their login details, and sometimes personal and financial information. Phishing-based key loggers have tracking components which attempt to monitor specific actions (and specific organisations such as financial institutions, online retailers and ecommerce merchants) in order to obtain sensitive information such as account numbers, user IDs and passwords. Phishing emails appear to come from your bank or financial institution, a company you regularly do business with, such as Microsoft or from your social networking site. They might even appear to come from people in your address book. They often include official looking logos and other identifying information taken from legitimate sites.To avoid being scammed here is a simple guideline: •If you are unsure, don’t click on the link. •Look for tell-tale signs such as wrong spelling and bad grammar. •Hover over the link with your mouse to verify where the link is:
•Check for extended validation certificates for URLs (where available). This will be indicated by a green address bar, https:// and a padlock icon:
•No bank or institution will send you an impersonal email starting with “Dear Customer” or “Dear Applicant”. It is very unlikely HMRC will send you an email to offer you a tax refund, especially when you never told them your email address!
Antivirus/Antimalware and Software Updates
We receive malware via various means. They include accidental downloads, propagated from other computers on the network, through infected USB drives and received via email attachments. Many of the systems at home are affected due to lack of antivirus software. People are still affected from viruses that have been around for over 4 years that could have been avoided with decent antivirus software. It is important to install antivirus software and keep it updated. It is well worth the investment of around £40/year. You can also find free antivirus software with limited functionality. It is well known that hackers use vulnerabilities found in software for exploiting and attacking computer systems. Vulnerabilities are regularly identified in widely used software such as Windows, Adobe and Java. In order to mitigate these vulnerabilities, software vendors release updates to their software. It is important to install these updates so that the software running on your system is not vulnerable.
Email Email has become a vital tool for all of us and we can take some precautions while using it. • Never send any credit card information in an email. • Avoid sending date of birth and your address in the same email. • If you are unsure of the attachments, neither click on them nor download them. • Don’t be fooled by emails purporting from a king or general in Africa who has inherited large sums of money and would like to share it with you. They are scams.
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| Language & culture
T
hroughout my life, every time I have come to meet someone for the first time, I seem to always be asked about my ethnicity. Over the course of a conversation with someone, I can even anticipate the exact point that this question will be asked. The curious yet reluctant segway of “so…what’s your background?” or “where are your parents
seemed like everyone they had ever met in their lives. People of all shapes and sizes – not only Tamils and Filipinos, but Anglos, East Asians, and other mixed families – would always manage to seep into my house where they would be welcomed with open arms. Our food at these events was often a mix of Sri Lankan
Republished from Canadian Online Tamil Lifestyle Magazine
cashier would look at us and ask if we were in line together. This may seem like an otherwise trivial concern to most observers. But as a kid, this question would really get to me. They were my parents! Of course we were together! Why would they even ask such a ridiculous question? The fact that I looked different from my parents was not something that I had ever registered before. But as these awkward instances began to mount, I
Visit Tamilculture.ca for more articles
An Account of a Tamil-Filipino First Generation Kid
from?” gives it all away. While these questions may be perceived as bothersome to other mixed kids, I cannot say that it ever really bothered me. I have always taken a strange sort of pride in describing my family. Having been raised by a Sri Lankan Tamil father and a Filipino mother, I have never seen my life as anything short of amazing. Growing up exposed to two rich cultures from two loving parents is something that is pretty difficult to fault. Reflecting back on my childhood, there are certain memories that stand out as reflective of how unique my family may be perceived to the outside world. For instance, there were times growing up where my parents would host birthday parties for my brother and me, and would invite what
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catering with overwhelming amounts of pittu, hoppers and varying curries, alongside Filipino takeout trays of lumpia, chicken adobo and pansit. When coupled with the Tamil movie scores and Western music playing in the background, I would agree with outsiders who have deemed my family as not quite run of the mill. Even now, it seems overwhelming that so much cultural transactions occurred at these gatherings. Looking back, these times actually gave me some of my best childhood memories. This is not to suggest that growing up mixed was always cheery. There were times when being a mixed kid had its own dilemmas. Nothing illustrates this more than the instances where I would be at a store with my mum or dad waiting in line to pay for something, and the
realized that perhaps my family was different, and that maybe I was different too.. As a mixed kid, one question that I commonly get asked is whether I consider myself more Tamil or Filipino. I always found this a strange question as I have been equally aware and exposed to both sides of my family. But I will admit that I have always felt a particular interest in my Tamil identity. This is not to put down my Filipino blood at all, as I would align myself with many of the common Filipino stereotypes of loving karaoke and supporting Manny Pacquiao (even though I am completely ignorant to the sport of boxing)! However, my Tamil identity has perhaps captured me with greater intensity, as I have grown up without a lot of what some would consider to be common Tamil markers of identity.
tha LIFEstyle
I have always been lucky to have a great chunk of my mother’s side of the family living in Canada to connect me to my Filipino roots. They have always been there to tell me stories of what it was like growing up in the Philippines, and have acted as direct bridges for me to relate to my mother’s heritage. However, given that my father’s family is scattered around the globe, I have gone without Tamil familial influences that many other first generation Tamils living in Canada may have had. I never had an aunt or grandmother around to teach me how to wear a saree for instance, and at most Tamil family functions I rather embarrassingly have always been dressed in Western clothes. I was also never pressed by my parents to learn Tamil, as the language of my household
my Tamil identity. As I am currently a Master’s student, my classmates will be the first to attest that I constantly try to link class topics to Sri Lankan Tamil issues, even when they may have nothing to do with the subject at hand. I am even writing my Master’s research project on the Sri Lankan civil war. However, even though all the evidence points to a hidden insecurity I may be carrying that has found its way into what I have chosen to study academically, I now believe that perhaps identity is ultimately constructed, and subjective depending on what one makes it out to be. So when asked again whether I consider myself to be more Tamil or Filipino, I would say that it does not really matter
| Language & culture
different ethnic backgrounds has thus never made me confused or conflicted about my identity, like some critics of mixed race children may suggest. Rather, I would say that my experiences of coming from two cultures has enriched my world views and elicited my interest to learn more about them. As I am now a fullfledged adult living in Canada, I am even starting to notice children of Tamil immigrants in relationships with other races. I must say that it brings a slight smile to my face when I see this as it reminds me of my own parents. Thus, what I ultimately want people to take from my story is the message that what really matters in life – irrespective
Philippines
The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia More than 7,000 islands make up the Philippines, but the bulk of its fast-growing population lives on just 11 of them. Capital: Manila Population: 96.71 million Official languages: English Language, Filipino language
Chicken adobo was English. Given that my dad’s family did not live in Canada, the demand was never there for me to learn the language as a means to communicate with them. Consequently, these missing pieces of my life (which may have been present in other Tamil homes) have allowed me to realize why I am presently so fascinated with being Tamil, which I will admit may be tied to some feelings of being insecure with
in the grand scheme of things. Sure, I could say that I am more drawn to what defines me as Tamil. But how would this make me more Tamil than Filipino? My blood is still 50/50 after all. You could even ask the deeper questions of what makes a person Tamil to begin with? Or Filipino? Being raised by two parents who happen to come from two
of where your ethnic roots trace to – is having love and family (as cliche as it may sound). I am lucky to have been blessed with both, stemming from an amazing decision that was made years and years ago, when a beautiful Filipino woman said yes to marrying a handsome Tamil man. Thank you mum and dad. I think you raised an alright kid.
Author Shanelle Kandiah
A graduate from the University of Toronto, Shanelle is currently a Political Science Master’s student at Wilfrid Laurier University where she is writing her Master’s Research Project on the state of Sri Lanka’s democracy. Born to a Sri Lankan Tamil father and a Filipino mother, Shanelle has always been eager to learn more about her cultures and to find opportunities that will allow her to give back to her community. Page 7
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| Cover story
Aspiring British Tamil songstress
Rachael Rajan speaks to
Ashanti Omkar
about her life, family, and musical ambitions.
Please share your cultural background and heritage, and tell us where you grew up. I am Sri-Lankan Tamil, born in the UK. Both my parents come from Erlalai village in Jaffna, in fact they were next-door neighbours (chuckles). I live and grew up in Harrow and studied at Northwood College, where I really became a musician in my own right. When I first attended they had just finished building a new state-of-the-art music department. I studied music and music technology (sound engineering) for A-levels, which gave me the musical feet I needed for university, at The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM). Seems like music is your full time profession? For a long time, music has been my full-time focus. I started studying music at an academic level from GCSE and since graduating at ACM it has been full-time profession.
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What type of music study has allowed you become the singer you are today? I first studied Eastern Classical music because my parents suggested it and I enjoyed singing. Apart from my mother, I do not have a musical family, but they all love to sing, even my dad. We would sing a lot of Christian music and the Carnatic Classical “sangeetham” songs. Your first performance was at the age of 12 share your memories with us. Yes, I do remember (laughs). It was for my aunt’s 50th wedding anniversary. I agreed to sing but I don’t think I actually had any idea what I was agreeing to. The song was the “Lord’s prayer”, by Cliff Richard, which was a hit at the time. It was my first time performing in front of a couple hundred people and I was super nervous, but as soon as I started singing I felt calm and serene. Almost like being at peace.
tha LIFEstyle
Share your experiences learning music and then applying it to your performances. Studying Piano from 12 years old, and singing since I can remember, really helped me when I began studying music academically. Everything starts from the piano. It’s how I write my music so it’s fundamental. Especially at university, it really pushed me to improve both crafts greatly. I enjoyed learning new things techniques, genres and then putting them into music. Also, writing music for different instruments was always challenging for me. That’s why I put bands together for shows and write the musical parts for each one. It’s important to regularly challenge yourself. Putting classical music into popular music is not that easy, but maybe it’s a direction I will explore. How much practice do you do a day, and what does your music practice involve? My current goal is to practice 5 hours a day, but at the moment it’s about 3 hours a day. I think it’s hugely important to dedicate yourself to whatever you are truly passionate about, so that you can reach or unlock your potential. I set daily, monthly and longterm goals so I always know I am working towards something. Listening to new music and watching live performances is paramount for me. To stay inspired is important for artist development. I am pretty ambitious and have a lot of dreams I want to achieve, and hardwork and dedication is the way to get there. Writing your own lyrics is a big part of being a songstress - tell us more about this process for you. Lyrics are always a personal thing, even if it’s not drawn from my own experiences. Sometimes, it will be an experience of someone close to me, which has moved me in some way. Lyrics are a way to talk about what you want to and what is important to you.
| Cover story
When it comes to covers, there are so many to choose from - how do you select and which is your favourite? I don’t ever pick covers just because they are popular. I choose covers that mean something to me and have moved me in a specific way or helped me through a hard time.
Which artistes inspire you? An artiste is everything that they say about themselves with their music, their live performances, their persona and they way they live their lives. I think as a whole I am definitely drawn to female artists, because I can relate. I love Beyonce, who doesn’t? And I am a longtime fan of Celine Dion. They are both very “real”, as people. An Eastern artist I love is Susheela Raman. She is absolutely mesmerising and I haven’t had the chance to see her live, but I would love to. I feel like she creates another world with her music. Like an alternate plain which you get drawn into. People who love her music will get what I’m saying (laughs). I have so much respect for Carnatic artists. It’s such an unbelievable skill to be able to deliver with conviction. I have to say my favourite artist has to be my mother, although it’s been a long time since she has performed on stage, her passion for it is still very much alive and it enlivens me. You’re a trained Classical dancer, of South Indian Classical dance Bharathanatyam? My interest for dance came from my Mother. She was always passionate about dance and completed her diploma in India under Guru Valavhoor Ramiyapillai. She started teaching in the UK and took me along to her classes when I was very young and I would watch the movements and listen to the sounds. At a certain age, she tried to teach me, but I was a really naughty child and never listened to her. Looking back I probably gave her such a hard time. I started to learn Bharathanatyam from Nanthini Suthahar, who is the daughter of Thirupurasundari Yoganantham, another guru who taught my Mum. We formed a close bond and I continued to my arangetram (debut performance), in 2011.
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| Cover story
Family means a lot to you - do tell us about yours.
Philanthropy seems to run in your veins - do share your experiences with us.
My parents are two very exceptional people. All the thanks I could ever give, couldn’t make up for the things they have done in my life. They have always been very supportive, but also never We always try to visit given me anything for free. I had to work for the Jaffna when we go to things that I wanted, which I didn’t understand Sri Lanka, and literally at the time. Looking back now, now that down the road, there is a I am beginning to forge my career small pre-school. I went and being a woman in the music to teach a couple of days. industry, I see how invaluable it Funnily enough, I actually was. My father taught me the sang to them in English, to importance work ethic, what it help them learn the alphabet means to work hard to and other things. It was such a reach your goals. Things humbling experience and I didn’t that you achieve want to leave. I think I got a bit with your own emotional on the last day. hard work are more rewarding Being British and Tamil than anything is an interesting place to anyone could be - what do you think makes give you. My mother you unique when it comes to your taught me to put passion and love culture and “Tamilness”? And is there such a thing into everything I pursue. My extended family as as Tamilness, in your opinion? a whole; are very supportive of my career and have helped me wherever they can. I am very I am definitely Tamil and I am also definitely British. blessed to have them, I know a lot of people don’t They can be very different things. It leaks over into necessarily have the same support, and I never my life and I am influenced by everything around take it for granted! me when it comes to music, but what makes me unique is that I am me, as simple as it sounds. Isn’t that what makes most people unique? For me British Tamils have yet to find their identity, and don’t fit any specific stereotype. Personally, I love this, as it allows everyone to be who they really are and the world doesn’t expect you to be something stereotypical. That’s a type of freedom, which I think should be taken advantage of, and explored! You’ve been collecting awards and your path to music shines - tell us about these and how they encourage you to do more. I always took part in shows and competitions throughout school, It was something I loved. I had some great musicians around me that were much more accomplished than me (who happened to be my best friends) that allowed me to become competitive in a healthy way. My most memorable award was in year 11 when I won ‘outstanding musician of the year award.’ I remember being so shocked that I didn’t really take it in and started clapping with the rest of the school! I was really happy because I had been trying to win that award for a while. Winning is a very humbling experience and motivates me to work harder and push further.
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tha LIFEstyle
| Cover story
What are your musical aims in 2014 and beyond? For 2014 I will be releasing my debut EP. There is also a charity project that I have wanted to start for a while. Let’s see if I can make it a reality! What obstacles do musicians face and is a record label the end goal for you? As expected, there are a lot of obstacles and a lot of skills that need to be learnt. A musician isn’t just a musician anymore; they are a promoter, manager, booking agent, networker, publisher, and practically their own record label. There are certain things I want to do and if a record label will aid me, then maybe that’s a potential path. Do you feel that live music is getting enough of a push in the UK and how do you see your part in this process? I think with Asian artists there aren’t enough live shows or platforms for fans to come and see up-coming artists. This has lead to artists that don’t think of performance as a different skill and the ‘entertainment’ side gets lost. People sound like CDs but to me, performance is important. What matters is how my audience is entertained, and that they leave with a good feeling inside them. That’s the feeling I get addicted to, when I see a really good live show.
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| Cover story
You have beautiful fashion - what do you love wearing, who do you love wearing and what inspires your style? Thank you. I love wearing whatever makes me feel good - that’s what fashion should do. Whatever my mood is that day, is what I will wear. I’m not sure if my fashion is that good, as I don’t really dress that ostentatiously, but it’s my way of expressing what I’m feeling, and in performances, the way the music makes me feel. I organised a photo-shoot in Sri Lanka last year, and got the chance to work with some amazing photographers and fashion designers. I was lucky enough to design my own clothes, for the shoot. That was a very nervy experience for me, as I had never done it before. But I think I pulled it off. You can be the judge (laughs). What would be your message for other aspiring musicians? I’m not sure If I can really give advice as I am an aspiring musician myself. But what I would say is to make sure you never lose passion and love for what you do, no matter how busy or crazy things get.
The voluntary team behind the cover story Velvet Dreams Photography is about femininity, expressing poetry and art through photography. We are both from Scandinavia and while growing up there we spent countless of hours on painting and throwing our dreams and passion on canvas. The passion for our developed our unique style of photography. We took courses in photography held privately by top photographers in Scandinavia.This allowed us to learn the technical part of photography and through art we developed our own style. Ever since we started our photography journey we made one mutual rule that we should dedicate and give Ashanti Omkar is ourselves to this creative process so we can Vithya is a Hair and Make an award winning London style the shoots and catch all the wonderful Up artist, who specialises based multi-media persona, divine moments in people’s lives which they in Asian bridal work. She whose work in the can keep forever and cherish. qualified at the London publishing, TV and radio facebook.com/ College of Fashion, worked world has gained her a huge VelvetDreamsPhotography for M.A.C cosmetics for fan base the world over. She is the Bollywood and nearly 3 years, and has Indian cinema editor for been self-employed for UK’s leading cinema chain, over a year. Her work Cineworld cinemas and is includes Bridal, Editorial, Bollywood expert for BBC TV, and Fashion. London and BBC West With over 5 years Midlands, while also being an experience in the Beauty ethnic culture commentator industry, Vithya is already at the prestigious Monocle a very well respected and Magazine Radio.
facebook.com/ omkariconsultancy
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professional artist within the Tamil community. facebook.com/vithyamakeup
tha LIFEstyle
Top Travel Tips
| travel & leisure
for your Summer Holidays Holidays are full of pitfalls. One wrong step and your vacation could be ruined by a seedy hotel room, an overpriced restaurant or flight, a wasted afternoon at a tourist-trap attraction or an overnight flight crammed in the middle seat also facing a huge mobile bill on roaming charges when you return home. So we gather few tips for you to ensure your summer holiday is happy holidays! Use the right cheap flight-finding site or apps
www.skyscanner.net Apps Available too. Tip: Try open searches like “From: London (All Airports) To: Italy (All Airports)” and check for ‘Whole Month or week’
Read Traveller Reviews
www.kayak.co.uk
Apps Available too. Tip: Try multi city trip tool which might reveal a value for money or try early morning flights or late evening flights
Scan all documents and E-tickets as pdf
Book Hotels in advance and to suit your budget & location
www.booking.com
www.trivago.co.uk
Apps Available too. Tip: Credit cards are taken by this site only for guaranty only. Feel free to cancel the hotel at no charge , 24 hrs prior to booking day.
Apps Available too. Tip: Booking your hotel early would make it cheaper. Check for deals on the web and try ‘Trivago Social’ to find any friends on stay.
Offiline guides from Arrival guides for tablets/printed
Update your Social media status ,for tips from friends
www.arrivalguides.com tripadvisor.co.uk Read the real reviews from other travellers for local tips and their past experiences. This will save lots of money
Always scan your passport, driving licence and visa pages and save them on tablets or smart phones. Also save the booking confirmations as PDF.
Download the travel guides as offline PDF on tablet/smart phones. If you comfortable then print them. Prior to travel, Google about ‘Things to do’ in your destination city.
Travel Gadgets
Travel Cameras
Ensure that your mobile devices never run out of battery while travelling. Look for good protable rechargeable batteries for your mobile devices. Note that high mAh charges needed for tablets. Search on Amazon for Mophie Juice Pack or similar.
DSLR cameras have become a basic camera to keep the travel memories. Based on your budget buy a decent DSLR for your travel life. Selection of lens is crucial to. Buy a lense with reasonable range of focal length to avoid changing lens while on move.
Latest trend of Social media updates on Facebook , Twitter…etc has brought a complete new way of sharing tips on travel. Also it helps others friends to plan their holidays.
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| Sports
The League of
An Extraordinary Gentleman
By Gobi Maha
Sports Columnist
While we all aspire to do what we love, most measure happiness based on success or failure. It is not enough to do what you love but today success is measured on fame, recognition and money. The time when sticking to your principles and doing what you love regardless of the outcome is slowly fading, but there are some who still follow these ideals. After a 1000 games in charge of Arsenal, he approaches every game in the usual manner. Most teams will go with a game plan to change the way they play to gain a tactical advantage,this is one aspect Wenger has never compromised on. He has one philosophy, its something he’s admired for and yet sometimes something frustrated by to. He believes in playing open attractive football, based on skill and technique, players who keep the ball and maintain a high passing rate. A philosophy based on promoting young players and creating stars as he once referred “We do not buy superstars. We make them”. Giving them the chance to shine on the biggest stages in the world, even if it means forfeiting experience and tactics early on but in the long term creating a team that not only wins but wins the right way. He took over a team with a defensive attitude and made them an offensive side, a proactive side playing to win instead of trying not to lose. If he was a councillor or a psychiatrist his values would still be valuable not just as a football coach. His principles and values can be followed by anyone in life and can be applied for anything specially those aspiring for better things but in the modern world where everything is based on success, it takes even greater conviction to follow them even when things aren’t going your way. Its been 8 years since Arsenal last won a trophy, 9 if they don’t win anything this season but with an outside chance in the league and favourites for the FA Cup they have an opportunity of ending they’re drought. As big players leave season after season and a team in constant transition, he has managed to keep Arsenal in the champions league every year which though at the time doesn’t seem a big achievement, you only have to see the struggles of David Moyes and Manchester United to see how quickly things can change. He has taken the club through a stadium change and all the financial implications that have restricted his ability to compete with his rivals in the transfer market. Though yesterday he warned “Today we can fight with the top clubs financially again”. Now Arsenal fans should not be happy about not winning a trophy for nearly a decade but they should be comforted by the fact that as a club with the FFP now in place, they are setting the model for the future. In the last 8 year’s of his tenure at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger spent just £6.16m in transfers and did so while his competitors (Chelsea, City, United, Liverpool, and Tottenham) have combined to spend £1.52 billion. That’s £252m for every million pounds Arsene Wenger spent in the market. While these teams aren’t concerned about Financial Fair Play or that it has played any part in their transfer dealings, Arsenal have spent £19m in the last three years while Chelsea have spent £191.4, City £164.8, United £158.5, and Liverpool £110m. You can sort of understand his frustration “I went for a challenge that I knew would be difficult because we had to fight with clubs who lose £150 million per year and we had to make £30 million. On top of that we had to stand up with people telling us we had to beat them.” The difference in spend has made a difference in team performance as Arsenal fans are well aware. Points are often the measure of how strong a team is but it is possible for a team to win the League and not really be the best team. “The ambition of every great club must be to win and to win with style, and to think of the people who pay a lot of money to come to watch the matches,” he reflected. “You always have to have it in your mind that people wake up in the morning with a love of going to the stadium and for them to go home having enjoyed themselves. The real goal of professional football entails not just winning but also enabling people to discover the pleasure of watching something beautiful. “I run on the idea of making the players perfect, having the perfect game. I run after that happiness week after week. Sometimes you touch it but it goes and you fight to get it again. Every defeat is a scar in your heart that you never forget. There is a lot of suffering as well in 1,000 games and what is for sure is what you want is the next moment of happiness.” All sorts of accolades are being bestowed on Wenger, who received a model of a golden cannon from Arsenal and a glass bowl from the LMA. Most pleasing are the paeans from his managerialpeers, particularly from Sir Alex Ferguson. “I always enjoy watching Arsene’s sides Arsenal play the right way,”. He was labelled a “specialist in failure” but for all the trophies and the success that have come and gone, there are some people who are destined for greater things beyond winning and losing. They are remembered for being the innovator, the first of their kind, someone who revolutionised the system that set us for what we are witnessing today. There are winners who will be forgotten tomorrow but a few will be eternally remembered for the legacy they have left behind and that is where Wenger is truly special.
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Maulia Selvarajah
Optometrist at Specsavers, Bedford
The eye is a very interesting and unique organ in the human body. Eye tests are necessary to ensure this organ functions well throughout our lifetime. Did you know 80% of our memories are made up of visual images gathered by the eye? According to RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blindness) 50% of sight loss in the UK is a result of treatable or preventable causes. An eye examination is performed by an optometrist in an optician such as Boots opticians or Specsavers. It can also be done in an eye hospital. The hospital optometrist usually attends to a person if they have a specific eye condition or have been sent by their GP. The eye tests are now more complex than simply reading letters of a chart. It can be a daunting experience for a first time visit. The beginning of the test consists of the optometrist asking a series of questions about a person’s general health, past eye health and family health. They will take note of any problems you may have felt recently, such as headaches or difficulty seeing. Anything that is said inside the test room is kept in confidentiality. Tests with various equipment are carried out to investigate further any symptoms that may have been mentioned and as part of a’ general check up’. This will mean tests will be done on the eye muscles, pupils and the optometrist will look into the back of the eyes. Checking eye muscles is important in very young children. It can detect signs of a weak muscle which can cause a turn in the eye as the child
| health & well being
grows up. You may have seen a child or even an adult who have one eye looking in a different direction to the other eye; this is a lazy eye and cannot be treated unless it is noticed at childhood. Retinal cameras have become a common tool amongst opticians. As the name suggests it is a camera that takes pictures of the retina. The retina is one of many layers at the back of the eye. It consists of blood vessels and the optic nerve all of which are vitally important to remain healthy for good eyesight and good health. By looking at the retina the optometrist can monitor any possible changes in the eyes over time, or can detect any abnormalities. It is also an amazing photograph which is always nice to look at! How often do you get to see the back of your eye? If there were any problems regarding eye health, the photos can be sent to the hospital for further checks. It can pick up problems with the health of the body as well as eye conditions that a person may
chart positioned three meters away. Glasses are prescribed depending on how well the letters are read. If you are longsighted (Hyperopia) you will see well in the far distances such as when driving or watching television, however reading the words in a book is more difficult. If you are short-sighted (Myopia) the opposite is true; the far distances are more blurred compared to anything held close.
not have known about; such as diabetes, glaucoma and high blood pressure are to name a few. Another part of the eye test is visual screening. This is the test that is most commonly remembered. Whilst seat the person is asked to read an assortment of letters from a
So it can be noted that an eye examination is more than just glasses. It is an invaluable way of checking your eye health and general health as well. It is recommended to have an eye test every two years unless stated otherwise by the optometrist. So when was you last eye test?
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| Photography
CLiCKeD!
In memorial of Ayesha Bhangra © Soozana Puvan FB/SoozanaPvanPhotographyForgetMeNot Canon EOS 60D • 1/800s • f/5,6 • ISO 100
Snowdonia reflections © Sujay Explorer FB/Sujay Exlorer
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Origin of the name ‘Bharatha’ The origin of the name ‘Bharatha’ refers to a ancient dance script written by the sage Bharatha Muni who was the author of Natiya Sasthiram, sometime between the 2nd century B.C and 2nd century A.D. English translation of Natiya Sasthiram can be accessed via links below Tinyurl.com/Thalink5 Tinyurl.com/Thalink6
Explanation of the name ‘Bharatha’ : ‘Bha’ comes from Bhavam, which means expression. ‘Ra’ comes from Ragam, which means melody. ‘Tha’ comes from Thalam, which means rhythm. Natyam means dance.
Typical duration of full dance : Approximately 2 hours
Music : Traditional South Indian Carnatic music singing with common instruments violin ,miruthangam and flute.
Kind of dance : Bharatha Natyam dance is a story telling act which incorporates an enchanting musical composition corresponding to the moods of the story, glamorous costumes to suit the characters of the story, and elaborate make-up and ornaments to mesmerise the audience
| language and culture
Learning of Bharatha Natyam First, students learn the different hand gestures (Muthirai), dance steps (Adavu), and elaborate eye, neck and head movements (Bheda). Gradually, students learn expression of emotions (Bhavam), musical mood (Ragam), and rhythm (Thalam).
Aspects of Bharatha Natyam Nirutham : Rhythmical and repetitive elements. Natiyam: Dramatic art, and is a language of gestures, poses and mime or Abhinaya Niruthiyam: Combination of Nirutham and Natyam
Bharatanatyam Recital Pushpanjali : Floral worship Allaripu : Introductory sequence Jathiswaram: Melody and rhythm combination Sabdam: conveyinf the lyrics through facial expressions Varnam: Central position of the concert where dancer taked to the limit Padam: Aspect sof love, relationship and devotion Keerthanam: A pure Abhinaya item in medium tempo Thillana: Quick and fast sequence of movements Virutham: Performance to devotional songs Mangalam: Closing ritual with thanks giving to audience
Quick Guide to Bharatha Natiyam Page 17
tha LIFEstyle
| Uni life
IF THE WORLD ENDS TOMORROW,
City University Tamil Students reveal their funny side with their ultimate wishes ! Seeing as I’m still a university student and I haven’t had a chance to live the high life. I’d want to go steal an Audi R8 and couple of thousands, go around London in my new car. I’m hoping that I can convince my friends to do same but with different cars. Then I’d want to go and get drunk, spend all my money and just enjoy the night with my friends. Hopefully going to sleep with a smile on my face. – Kaarthi Chandrasegaram If the world was to end tomorrow, being a huge fan of Arsenal FC and yet to see them play, I will be on the front row at the Emirates Stadium to watch them play! And after all that excitement, I would invite everyone around who’s ever meant anything to me for a big farewell. Have the champagne ready on ice, pull out all my favourite CDs and reminisce. We will party the night away. Jeenaka Manokaran If the world was ending tomorrow then I think I would probably just visit all my favourite restaurants and do my favourite activities with my close friends and families. Maybe look through albums and home videos from when I was younger too. Finally I’d probably want to spend the evening with my family and close friends at my house just having a chilled out social gathering. – Gogulan Nithiyabhaskaran
If the world were to end tomorrow I would learn how to cook a meal specific to every country and serve it my loved ones. Good food and good company are the two best things in life. Jance Manivasagan
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If the world ended tomorrow, as clichéd as it sounds the most important thing would be to spend it with the ones that matter the most. Yet I’d also like the world to end with an achievement such as facing a fear so I’d want to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time – the UK three peaks challenge and climb the three tallest mountains in the UK within 24 hours! Oh and I’d have a massive meal right after! Priya Amaranath
tha LIFEstyle
| Uni life
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? If the world ended tomorrow, I would want to spend my last day with those who mean the most to me. Firstly, I would want to go on an amazing drive in a Lamborghini Aventador, through some of the world’s most amazing roads. I would then want to spend my last few hours with my loved ones by throwing a massive party on the rooftop on a skyscraper, so that we could look over the City as we party the night away. All in all, I would simply want to spend my last day with my loved ones, doing the things that I love most. Harish Ketheeswaran
If the world ended tomorrow I would spend the last day doing what I love the most. I would steal a McLaren P1 and take the drive of my life. Then spend the evening with my family and friends and throw a massive barbecue and have the best party ever. Raffael Ranjan
If the world ends tomorrow, I would do everything I could possibly do in that time that I have never had the time or opportunity to do. I’d go bungee jumping, parachute out of a plane, spend all the money I have and eat as many cars as I possibly can. I would also mend broken friendships and tell people how I really feel about them, but it would kind of go wrong if the world didn’t actually end. Merlyn Ganeshamoorthy
If the world were to end tomorrow I would go bungee jumping, as it is something that I have always wanted to do. Then I would meet up with friends and family and spend time with them. Niraapha Sivakumaran
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C
| language & culture
ongratulations on your decision to get married. Having your marriage take place by the Hindu marriage ceremony is one of the most sacred life events you will experience. You will be pledging to live both your lives entwined together in the presence of God, your family and friends. As such you will be receiving many blessings for which there are various rituals put together forming the marriage ceremony. Firstly, now that you have decided to get married, it is very important to fix the marriage date and this is through your family priest (Iyer). The Iyer will look at both horoscopes and compare them before looking for a nuptial date (muhurtha naal). This is very important because in Hinduism it is believed that the changes in the lineup of planets, moon and sun can either bless the couple if auspicious or be a bad omen if they are not in the correct alignment. Next, it is important for the groom’s family to
make the marriage chain (thaali). It is a common practice to call the goldsmith to the groom’s house where prayers are held and the gold coins that will be used to make the thaali be melted. Again this takes place on an auspicious day but the thaali can be finished back at the goldsmith’s shop in time for the wedding. The integration of modern cultures has also bought about a mehndi night. This is when all the females gather at the bride’s home and have mehndi artists who come to adorn their hands in gorgeous mehndi designs. For the bride the both her hands and feet will be designed with intricate bridal designs. In some cultures it is considered that the darker the colour of the mehndi, the greater the love between the couple. In recent times it has also been popular to hide the groom’s name in the design and this will be used for the post-marriage games. Navi Ananth Founderdings.com
Hindu Marriage
Ceremony
On the morning of the wedding day one of the bride’s brothers will need to go to the groom’s house where he will be the “best man”. He will be the groom’s companion and therefore accompany the groom to the venue. The groom will either be dressed in the traditional Vershti Saalvai (white shirt and white sarong style cloth) or a sherwani (traditional male wear of north Indian culture). Most importantly he will wear a white headdress indicating he is the groom. Before setting off to the venue the groom and his family will pray to the Gods then he will seek his parents and other elder members of the family their blessings. At the doorway two married women show the aarti (religious flame) to ward off evil eyes and bless them with a red tika (kunguma pottu). At the bride’s house she is adorned in her first saree given by her parents as well as jewellery and flowers in her hair. It is also a belief that the bride’s face should not be seen by anyone but the groom when he ties the knot. Therefore she Photographer: Soozana Puvanenthiran www.facebook.com/SoozanaPvanPhotographyForgetMeNot wears a veil placed by her parents. She too will pray to the Gods and follow the rituals before www.soozanapphotography.com Make Up Artist: Shindy MUA departing. www.facebook.com/shindy.makeupartist The groom is greeted by the bride’s family with Model: Yasodara P a flower garland and rituals are conducted
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Now the groom’s family has to give the bride her wedding saree (normally a rich shade of red) and accessories. This would have been blessed by the guests. The bride with her entourage will go to change into her bridal outfit. Whilst walking down the aisle she will carry a flower garland that she puts around him before sitting down in front of the priest. Both parents will anoint each other and the bride’s parents are asked by the priest to formally give their daughter away. At last, we come to the most important part of the ritual. The priest hands over the thaali to the groom. In the presence of God and guests the groom lifts the bride’s veil and “ties” the thaali around her neck. This is followed by placing the kungumum on her forehead and thaali. For a Hindu woman this is a symbol that she is married. Garlands are exchanged which is always a playful part of the ceremony as the groom tries to dodge when the bride is placing it over him. Another fun event is when the bride and groom search for the ring in a pot. Next the groom places the toe ring (another symbol of a married woman) on the bride’s second toe. Finally we have reached on of the last stages in the ceremony. This is when the couple take the three rounds around the holy fire (acting as God’s witness to the marriage). The groom leads the bride linking the smallest fingers together and the bridesmaid accompanies them.. A wedding is only complete when the couple seek the blessings of the parents and the finally sit with the bride on the grooms left (on the side of his heart). Guests come to bless the couple by sprinkling yellow rice (an auspicious marital item). The ceremony ends with the guests eating a meal with couple and their family.
Mango Rice Ingredients: »» Fresh Cooked Rice »» Red chillies »» Grated Raw Mango »» Channa Dal »» Green Chillies »» Oil /ghee »» Turmeric »» Mustard seeds »» Cumin seeds »» Salt »» Coriander Leaves »» Cashew nuts »» Peanuts »» Curry leave »» Chopped Ginger Optional
Cooking Time
by the priest in front of the holy fire. On completion the groom sits to one side whilst the bride with her bridesmaid (normally the groom’s sister), parents and other women accompany her down the aisle to the manavarey (stage where the marriage will take place). Once the rituals are completed by the priest the groom joins her with the bride sitting on the right and the groom on the left.
| language & culture
3 cups 3 pieces 1 number 1 Teaspoon 5 numbers 4 teaspoons 1 Pinch 1 Pinch 1 Pinch To Taste 1 Bunch 50g 25g 1 number
Method:
»» Heat oil/ ghee in a pan; add red chillies whole, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and crackle then add Channa Dal. »» Fry crushed cashew nuts, peanuts and sauté, green chillies with curry leaves. »» Add chopped ginger, turmeric and then add grated mango. »» Cook till mango is tender, add boiled rice and mix well. »» Serve hot, enjoy. »» dissolved in quarter cup of water. »» Add chopped coriander, squeeze lemon juice. »» Serve hot
Vani Bala Vani is passionate about food processing and homemade recipes, Nature Lover, Philosopher by qualification.
Milk Toffee Ingredients: »» Condensed Milk 1 can »» Sugar 250g »» Butter 75g »» Vanilla Essence 1 teaspoon »» Water 50ml »» Cardamoms 2 »» Cashew nuts 50g Method: »» Roast Cashew until get the golden brown colour in a pan. »» Once cashew nut gets cooled down, crush into pieces and set aside. »» Finely grind cardamom seeds and set aside. »» Apply a thin layer of butter to a flat dish. »» On a fairly deep non-stick pan dissolve sugar with water. »» Slowly heat the pan and add condensed milk and stir continuously for 15 minutes »» Add 1 tsp of Vanilla and Cardamom stir well. »» When the mixture starts to crystallize (mixture should be in a nice golden colour) add chopped cashew and then add butter. »» Pour the mixture into the dish and flatten with a spoon. »» Leave it for some time and cut into the shapes you want.
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| language & culture
Brides across many communities and cultures don’t know where to star when they plan their wedding so they approach booking their wedding suppliers randomly and struggle establishing a firm budget. I have heard of couples losing money on deposits and spending more than they really need to. Approaching your wedding planning high on emotion or in an impulsive way is a bad idea. Below is a guide for booking wedding suppliers for one of the biggest days of your lives. Firstly, as silly as it sounds – you should announce to your family and friends you’re engaged before you book or do anything! Why? More than likely your family and friends will be able to help you and recommend suppliers to you they have used themselves. They can give you a credible assessment on prices and who was pleasant and professional to work with.
for those last minute expenditures. Putting all your funds available to you into one account that is for wedding expenditure only is a very helpful way of keeping a tally on your spending. Having your funds under your own control is a must, this way when you find the right supplier you can go ahead and book them and not have to wait to get a cheque from your parents and risk losing your first choice supplier to another more organised couple. There are many free wedding sites with budget calculators that can help you achieve a good financial wedding plan.
your regular email account. Nearly every bride’s first instinct is to start looking for her outfits, but the first thing you should be looking into are your ceremony and reception locations. You want to make sure these two are 100% confirmed before any other suppliers because you may find the venues you love are booked and you have to change your dates. The last thing you want to do is change a date and your photographer you have already booked is not available for your new date and you may end up losing your deposit. This is a common occurrence in the
Koby Yogaretnam Business Consultant & Founder of TamilHinduWeddings.com
Planning your Wedding
Impressions by Annuj www.impressionsbyannuj.com Before you start shopping, make sure you and your partner’s budget and any contributions by your own families are set out and clear. Creating a small contingency fund aka ‘Rainy Day Fund’ is also a good idea because more than likely even with careful planning you will need to dig up some extra cash
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Now the fun part, you are ready to start booking your suppliers! Ask your friends, go online, visit bridal shows to discover the right suppliers for you. You may want to open an email account just for the wedding so you can close it after your big day and not have all the wedding junk mail afterwards in
wedding industry. Secure your ceremony and reception venue first so this doesn’t happen to you. Once your have contracts and deposits paid on you venue/s, you can start looking at what I call your secondary suppliers. They are photographers, Cakes, Caterers, Wedding outfits, DJs, wedding
tha LIFEstyle
| language & culture
“Wedding” By Flora Vinay
Wedding is the most beautiful thing that can happen to a person. It’s a blessing, a treasure and a gift from god.
DivineMethod Photography www.divinemethod.net transportation, etc. Make a list of order of importance of your suppliers and start organising meetings with them. If great entertainment is number one on your list, then schedule meetings with DJs first while your money supply is healthy. As your wedding bank balance lessens, you can cut back on the suppliers at the bottom of your list that is least important to you. Book meeting with the same type of suppliers at the same time. For example, book consultations with all the Wedding cake caterers you’re interested in the same week so that it is easier to remember information and compare. You’ll be able to make a decision on whom to book more quickly as well. If you meet with one videographer, then a few weeks later you meet with another, and you decide you liked the first one better. The first videographer may have been booked by another couple for your date you could possibly stuck with the one you didn’t like as much or was too expensive. Booking your suppliers early will lift a big weight of your shoulders and will give you time to concentrate on other important things. You can also negotiate prices much better with suppliers if you book in advance. Suppliers prefer their
Follow this plan and your wedding will turn out the way you envisioned it and you may even stay within the budget you established at the beginning of all your planning! When to book your Suppliers time line? Wedding venue/s: 12months Wedding planner: 11-12months Wedding Caterer: 10 Months Wedding Photographer: 12 months Wedding DJ: 8-10 months Wedding Videographer: 10 months Wedding Florist: 6-9 Months Makeup Artist: 6-9 months Wedding Cake Baker: 7-8 Months Wedding Invitations: 6 Months Wedding Transportation: 5 months diary to be full of bookings instead of taking the risk waiting around for an expensive booking. If you are also concerned about money, book early – pay early and spread all your supplier payments across a wider range of time.
Wedding is the day that all girls wait for, in fact it a dream come true. It sometimes, takes ages to find the one, but when you do, it’s a wonderful feeling. To fall in love with the one and to marry the one you love is a great honour. As wedding should always happen in the right way at the right time. It’s always beneficial to wait and never rush. When you hurry and make decisions, things always turn wrong and your future gets spoiled. Nowadays, parents allow their children to make their own choices. However, it is crucial to ask their opinions. They know us better and know what’s best for us. A wedding is a special day, a memory that will last forever. It’s when a man and a woman commit their lives together for a eternal life time. In other words, a bond is created to live on for generations and generations. Once united, we should live an example life for others and specially be role models to our future children. Always choose the one that will remain with you forever. The one that will take you to his parents first is the real one. A wedding planning takes a very long time and a lot of effort, so always start at a very early stage. Never leave it to the last minute. Hence, wedding comes one in a lifetime and is a magical feeling. You only live once!!! So do it the proper way!!!
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tha LIFEstyle |family & pets
W
hen your child is approaching the 11+ entry examinations, as a parent you will probably find the process very stressful. In some areas across England, you may feel the alternative to grammar or private schools can be less appealing for your child’s education and the levels of parental stress tend to be accordingly higher. Whichever situation that you may encounter as a family, there
•First point of call Parents must contact the local council (E.g. County Hall) and speak with the secondary school transfer department and find out when the exams take place, how to apply, what the procedure is and they should provide all details •Contact your preferred schools and make yourself familiar with the admission rules. Places are allocated in various methods, 11+ score, by distance from the school, religious commitments,
The best age to start extra tuition for the preparation for the 11+ entry examinations is when your child is in Grade 3. When they enter into year 3, your child should start to learn the basics of all mathematics concepts. By the end of year 4, they should have covered the entire syllabus for their 11+ entry examinations and be ready to complete a sample examination paper. At the same age, Public Schools do not usually teach these
A parent’s Guide to Coping with
11+ Entry Examinations
are some very important points that can help you and more importantly your child, survive the 11+ process with as little stress as possible. Before you read the following, the best advice I can give is for parents to speak to their child on a constant basis. Communication is important and will be highly valued for the future of your relationship over the stressful time leading up to the 11+ examinations. Staying Constantly Informed It is important that you are clear about how the admissions process for grammar and private schools work in your area. Information really is powerful during this entry process, and the following steps will help you to stay fully informed and prepared:
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siblings priority or feeder schools. •Make yourself familiar with the testing process in your preferred schools, what the examinations consist of and when they take place. Be careful regarding changes to the tests, as content can change considerably for topics such as English and Verbal Reasoning. •From year to year, admission rules can change and before your child is due to take the test it would be wrong to assume the same rules are in place when it is your child’s turn to sit examinations. When you child enters into Grade 5, you should start the procedures mentioned above. The Best Age to Provide Further Tuition
By Mani Ganesh Founder and Head Tutor Oxford Study Circle, Watford, Hertfordshireh www.oxfordstudycircle.co.uk concepts. They only prepare your child for Key Stage 2 and SAT exams which are taken place after 11+ exams. There is no point forcing your child to constantly complete past papers every day, because a subject such as mathematics cannot be memorised and understanding the logic is really important. I would like to stress that, there is no point in a child completing 10 past papers a week if they do not understand the logic of the mathematics. I would prefer to see a child complete 2 papers a week thoroughly and understand the whole paper instead. Having 10 different tutors will not help; one good tutor is enough and will be the most important one. Do make sure your child enjoys education
tha LIFEstyle |family & pets
and learning with the limited time they have. The strongest of students, are enthusiastic about education and have a very good mix of education and play. Managing Your Stress Levels The inability to manage your own stress levels as a parent can have a massive bearing on your child’s performance during the preparation and undertaking of the 11+ entry examinations.
enjoy education in their future years. Compared with the blessings of good health, financial security and a roof over your heads, the outcome of the 11+ is relatively low on the scale of family crisis. Try to retain a sense of perspective at all times. Managing Your Child’s Stress Levels During the 11+ process, children will experience stress. Despite having the most laid back of
school, but convince them you must! Every school has some strong points and you will need to research those thoroughly, even if your heart is not in it. Your child must feel that their parent is in control of the situation and the child’s future is securely mapped out for them. I cannot stress the following, enough; every child undertaking the 11+ needs to believe that they will not have ‘failed’ if they
Both parent and child may feel their future schooling is at best uncertain and at worst dependent on a lottery! The child and parent must be prepared to face all outcomes with as much calm as you can both muster. It may help to put the testing process in context within your family. In the worst case scenario, your child does not gain entry into their desired school, this is not end of the world. PLEASE support your child and remind them of their hard work and effort was fantastic otherwise this can result in a loss of appetite to
parents, a child could feel the pressure; their friends maybe expressing their anxieties to your child about their future schooling. As a parent, you should not assume that by simply staying calm your child feels the same way. The best way to manage your child’s stress is to reassure them of their future, regardless of the outcomes of the 11+ examinations. As a parent, you need your child to understand that your failing catchment school will be a good alternative to your/their preferred grammar/private
are unsuccessful. As parents you should be proud of your child’s hard work at school, for their work in preparing for the examinations and for their courage in taking it. Sample and Past 11+ Exam Papers A number of grammar schools and particularly independent schools around the country publish “sample papers” that are helpful in seeing the standard required for the 11+. In some cases they provide valuable free practice material. For example
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tha LIFEstyle |family & pets
•Haberdasher’s Askes School publishes three full past papers of one hour each for English and maths for the 11+ , and also for entry at 7+ and 13+ in a number of curriculum topics. •Dulwich College publishes sample papers of one hour’s duration for English & Maths, and also papers for several curriculum subjects in Languages and Humanities that may be of interest to parents looking at scholarship exams. More free 11 plus papers from various reputable publishers are available and can be bought online at www.bond11plus.co.uk, www.learningtogether. co.uk. Marking of these sample and past papers should be importantly completed by an able parent or by a private tutor. Focusing and analysing on your child’s mistakes should be the task of a private tutor and will iron out any issues your child may have in areas that they are not confident in. Good communication between your private tutor, your child and you as a parent is very important so all three can be clear of the expectations and progression.
24 Hours Before the Test •Keep your child off “high carbohydrates” such as pasta or rice for the last few days before the tests. Foods such as pasta and rice are good for physical energy, but it can have the opposite effect on mental energy. •Provide healthy food for your child – lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and oily fish, and make sure they drink plenty of water. Dehydration literally shrinks the brain. •If your child is the sort who thrives on routine and responds badly to change, ensure that everything possible continues as normal in the household, from meal times to bath times. •Make sure that your child has an analogue watch, or if they have a digital watch make sure they turn off any alarms before they go in for the test. •Make sure that your child can calculate the finish time of the test themselves, based on any start time – five past, ten past, etc. Tests do not always start on the hour.
Editor’s suggestion: Use online interactive tools for 11+ Apps are fun modern tool
Wider availability of Apps will allow your kids to spend some learning through tablets and smart phones. Search for Eleven+ apps on iTunes , Google Play or Widows store.
Free online tools for learning and practising
Plenty of websites are providing tools to learn , advice for parents, educational games and online model papers to practice.
Free videos to watch and learn on You tube
Many tutors and teachers have prepared you tube videos to help the kids learning by watching. This is very effective method for kids to remember the techniques.
bond11plus.co.uk iTunes
hpsinfosys.com
iTunes
11plusapps.co.uk
11plus-papers.com
Google Play
elevenplusexams.co.uk
Google Play
projectelevenplus.co.uk
ww.ksol.co.uk 11plusglos.co.uk elevenplusmaths.co.uk gl-assessment.co.uk officialelevenplus.co.uk bofa11plus.com learningtogether.co.uk
For Parents
carrottsolutions. blogspot.co.uk
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s6tutoringacademy.co.uk
11plusforparents.co.uk elevenplusexams.co.uk elevenplusadvice.co.uk
Chukra Tutorials tinyurl.com/Thalink1 11PlusDIY tinyurl.com/Thalink2 11plustests series tinyurl.com/Thalink3
For Parents tinyurl.com/Thalink4
tha LIFEstyle |family & pets
On the Day of the Test
11+ General Tips
•Make sure your child has their admissions ticket or entry reference number. •Do not talk with your child about the examinations at least 24 hours before the exam. Let your child relax by watching television or playing. •Leave plenty of time for the journey to school or to the test venue. If you are travelling a long distance, check the traffic reports before you set out. •Make sure that your child has a good breakfast. On the way to school give them a banana or other healthy snack to eat. This will keep their blood sugar up and aid concentration. •Make sure that your child has their watch on – your child might not be able to see the clock in the exam room from where they are sitting. Schools vary in how they tell the children how many minutes are left. Your child must take responsibility for timing the test as well. •Make sure that your child has anything they usually rely upon, such as glasses or an inhaler. •Tell your child that they must not allow themselves to be distracted by anything that happens in the exam room. Things do go wrong during the test – fire alarms and car alarms go off by mistake, children are taken ill, invigilators come and go, etc. Unless and until they are told to stop working they must continue as if nothing is happening around them. •The advice in every area is the same – do not allow your child to take the test if they are unwell. If you would not normally have sent your child in to school with the same symptoms, do not take the risk of doing so on such an important day. In some areas the advice given is to obtain a letter from your GP to state that your child was unwell and therefore was unable to take the test.
Listed below are some revision tips for parents and students obtained from those who have been through the ‘process’ •Do not overload your child! Allow them plenty of breaks, even if they’re only 5 or 10 minutes long. This helps them to take it all in. •Bear in mind that typically a child’s attention span ranges between 30 minutes to 50 minutes. Part of the build-up process is to increase the attention span gradually. •Create a fridge list of the topics within each subject you need to cover. •If the exam is in the morning then in the run up to the exams do all the practice papers around the same time as the exam so that your child mentally adjusts to perform at peak at that time. •Visual aids such a mind maps (spider diagrams) showing all the different parts of a topic that needs to be learnt. This could be useful to summarise a subject, link information in different ways and mark progress giving your child a sense of achievement. •When doing practice 11+ papers, mirror the style that will be in the next test, it could be either the standard (no choice of answers), format or the multiple choice format. Most grammar schools now use multiple choice style exam papers, and usually most independent schools use standard, but it’s still worth a check. •Doing 11+ papers under exam conditions shows if the student needs to work on the speed by which he/she answers as every mark counts. •Use the answer book to go through a test paper to catch even the silliest mistake as everybody can make errors under timed conditions. •Focus your energy on the process of studying rather than your eventual goal and ultimate result. •Plenty of exercise and nutritious food is a must to keep their brains in good working order – in terms of treats stay away from sugary rewards! •Do not ban the child from fun activities because you do not want your child to rebel days prior to the exam. •f your child starts to panic, stop them from thinking self–defeating thoughts. Tell them that whatever the outcome, as parents you both are proud of the effort they have made. All they need to do is to work calmly through the paper and do the best they can.
After the Test
•If there was disruption in the exam room, verify your child’s report with other parents if you can. Call the school or the admissions department to discuss it. In most areas the invigilator is required to submit a report that shows any problems that occurred, and the report is then filed with the Admissions Authority. •Reassure your child that, however the test went, you are still proud of them and that you know they will do well at whichever school they attend. Take them out for a small celebration if you can to reward the effort.
“Don’t worry about the destination and concentrate on the journey.” Page 27
tha LIFEstyle
| events
Mega Maalai XIV
09th Feb at Indigo O2 by International Tamil Society (Imperial College)
Once again , it was one of the evenings London’s O2 Indigo must be amazed to see the Talents of Tamil community. The show with varieties of performances kept the audience entertained whole evening. We congratulate the strong team working of committee of Imperial’s International Tamil Society which we have witnessed. Organising such a event with keeping the smooth flow on time very precisely done. Good luck to those artists and performers and host, Also we wish to thank Ag Photography, Thamarai , Bee Sounds and Eternal memories for great photos.
“Varieties , Well Organised, Impressive”
Photo by Curtsey of Bee-Sounds.com ( FB/ beesounds4u)
Photos by Cur tsey of AG Pho tography (FB/a and Thamarai runnphoto) .com (FB/ tham araiconnect)
Photos by Curtsey of Eternal Memories ( FB/ EternalMemoriesEM)
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tha LIFEstyle
Face Off 2014
| events
22nd Mar at Hackney Empire by Super Nova Entertainments
Face Off once again proved the heat battle between highly talented University student groups both in Music acts and Dance acts. The event Continue to keep pressure on participating groups to reach a high quality, creative performances with multi cultural performers. This is one of that notable reality talent show in city and unique to University students. The performers did their best in the show, and it was hard predict the winner until judges announced it.
Impressive , powerful and shower of talents!
Photos by Cur tsey of One O ne 7 Resonare (FB/ 117resonar e)
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tha LIFEstyle
| events
BLAS Elegance 2014
11th Mar at Barbican Centre by Barts & London Asian Society
Photos by Curtsey of First Time Productions ( FB/FirstTimeProduction)
Photos by Curtsey of Riverside Photography ( FB/Riversidephotography8)
Harrow Thamil Vizha
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11th Mar at Watersmeet Theatre Centre by Harrow Tamil School
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Southern Hospitality
| events
14th Mar at Club 10, St.Pauls by Captive UK (FB/ captivateuk)
A Gun & A Ring - Primier
22nd Feb at Wembley Cineworld
by Echo8 Productions (FB/ echo8productions)
Photos by Curtsey of Soozana Pvan( FB/SoozanaPvanPhotographyForgetMeNot)
World Tamil Short Film Festival
29th Mar at Zoroastrian Hall by Lebara Mobile
Photos by Curtsey of Soozana Pvan( FB/SoozanaPvanPhotographyForgetMeNot)
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tha LIFEstyle
| events
‘5k Challenge’ Sponsored charity run
29th Mar at Greenwich Park by UK Tamil Student Union (www.uktsu.org)
Are you representing any organisation which hosts events? Past events or upcoming events can get published here. Contact us via our email submit@tha-lifestyle.com with details.
Tha Calendar
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Apr 2014
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Apr 2014
26
Apr 2014
08
Jun 2014
Southern Hospitality: New Year and Easter Special
Raise the Roof for Our Little Gems
TheTamilWedding Exhibition 2014
hARROW tAMIL SUMMER FETE
Venue Chingford Assembly Hall
Venue Nakshatra Wedding Hall
Venue Club TEN, Grange Hotel, St Pauls
Time 7.00 p.m. Onwards
Time 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. DETAILS- First ever Tamil Wedding Fair in the UK TICKETS Free Contact thetamilwedding@gmail. com NOTE: A full day of live entertainment, good food and music. Come glammed up to take your very own exclusive photoshoot.
Venue South Ruislip Community Association Time 12.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. DETAILS- Traditional games for adults! Kids’ activities TICKETS Free Contact Harrow Tamil School NOTE: Address: Deane Park Hall, Long Drive, South Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 0HS
Time 8.30 p.m. Onwards DETAILS- Celebrate the New Year & start the Easter Bank Holiday weekend with 4 awesome Tamil artists including Arjun TICKETS £10 before 11pm, £15 thereafter Contact sinfo@ captivateuk.com 07939 418 764
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DETAILS- Entertainment Evening with Special Performance by ‘Gaana Rajas’ TICKETS Single £10 or £25 Family Contact shobitha_k@ hotmail.com DONATION: justgiving.com/ raisetheroofforourlittlegems
tha LIFEstyle
| Speakers corner
SPEAKERS CORNER - Your Space to raise your voice !
“Learn your lesson”
When young, we promise ourselves that when we become parents, we won’t do certain things our parents did to us when we were kids! But fast forward 20-30yrs, are you really taking up to your own advice or do you see mirroring all your parent’s actions that you loathed when you were a kid? Parenting is no easy task and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. We know our kids best and know what they want/need, how to encourage them and guide them in their lives. Right?! Well... to some extent! When we become parents we magically forget how we felt about certain things that our parents did when we were kids ourselves! For example, when I was a kid and still now, being married and a mum of 2, I hate it when people compare me to someone else! I don’t care if it was for my best intentions, to encourage me and be proactive if they really knew me and knew I had my own special skills and talents and that I will do my things in my own way!! And that was one valuable lesson I learned from my parents! I don’t compare my kids to anyone else even when it is putting my child into the favourable light. I know how it feels when you think your parents don’t trust that you’ll do will do it and still now, I suffer from confidence and self-esteem from time to time! I cannot bear to put my 2 beautiful kids through that! My kids are different and every kid is different! And this is what parents need to know and understand! Another thing that I always hated was competition. So and so is doing this, so you have to do it too! My opinion never mattered! They thought they knew best! For me it was keyboard classes and tuition! Just because
some of my mom’s friends, friends, cousin’s aunts daughter kids did it (ok I’m exaggerating here but you get my point) me and my brothers were put through that torture too! However, my parents got the point that keyboard wasn’t working because I never did improve on it or played keyboard in my spare time! And for tuition, they actually listened when I said I will go to it if I really needed help (but then they probably agreed because tutoring 3 kids was just too expensive)! Why couldn’t they have asked my opinion before enrolling me and wasting all that money on things that were of no interest to me?! So once my daughter was old enough to start classes, I always asked her opinions! And she was 2 when she started her classes! Yes! I wanted her to try everything and took to so many trial classes but I knew my limit was just the trial classes! I can’t give my child something she doesn’t like! For example, I am an avid swimmer and at first, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed it! But then she seemed to loose interest and told me she didn’t want to do it anymore, for certain reasons! And with a heavy heart, I did stop her! Of course when we are parents we want to give our children all the opportunities there is in the world but there’s a limit and that limit only your child knows! Like you learn from your parents mistakes, you can learn from their success! Despite a few hiccups as mentioned above, my parents truly were the best parents a child can have! They didn’t have much but as a child I never knew that because whatever I wanted to do or have (with a limit of course) I had! For instance, I love swings! And I remember my
dad and my uncle building me swing, out of scratch from whatever that lay around. To some spoilt kid,that would have looked like rubbish but to me, it was the best present anyone can offer! And wherever we settled , there was always a swing awaiting me! Many memories of my dad playing with us even when he returned home exhausted, trips everywhere, always took pride in everything I did even when I didn’t fare well in some competitions. But most importantly, no matter how much they were crumbling on the inside, their faces was nothing but smiley and full of love! These are some of the many positive things that my parents taught me! A parent is the child’s first teacher! In education and in life! But of course there’s no perfect teacher! So whatever positive things we can learn, we need to implement it! Whatever negative things there has been, we need to discard that so that our children do not go through what we went through! But most importantly, every parent should know that very child is an individual with its own skills, personality, talents and ability! And no matter what age they are, we need to respect them and their decisions! These were my lessons from my parents! What were your lesson(s) from your parents? Sophie Kathir
Mum of two amazing kids, I wanted to share how challenging bringing up children in this day and age is.
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tha LIFEstyle
| Speakers corner HARROW COUNCILLOR Sasi Suresh
“A PROUD TAMIL AND PROUD COUNCILLOR “ As a Harrow Resident, it is a privilege that for the last 7 1/2 years I am a Labour Councillor at the Harrow Council representing the ward of Headstone South. As a Sri Lankan Tamil I am proud that there is a sizeable Sri Lankan community in Harrow, in particular living in the southern part of Harrow and that I represent a very diverse community in Harrow. The Sri Lankan community has made Harrow its home and in most High Streets one finds Sri Lankan shops and businesses ranging from restaurants to travel agents and news agents etc. It is important to know what the role of Council is and also what is the role of a Councillor like myself. Harrow Council is one of the 33 Borough Councils in London and one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse Borough’s in the country.
SPEAKERS CORNER Very briefly it is responsible for services such as rubbish collection & recycling; planning and housing; leisure and amenities (like library services), environmental services including management of local road and pavements, parking; housing needs; planning; economic regeneration, adult and children services, social care (public health) and advice on benefits (housing benefits and welfare reforms) etc. Councillors like me (and the 63 others in Harrow) are elected for a four year term. The prime responsibility of an elected Councillor is to serve the people in the area where he/ she is elected by helping out on local issues – for example my local casework varies from issues related local planning application; condition of roads and pavements; rubbish collection and parking. A Councillor’s duties also involve serving on the Council’s committees, cabinet and panels. For example I’m a member of Grants Advisory Panel and Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, Reserve member of Harrow Business Consultative Panel, Licensing and General Purposes committee & Call-in-Sub-Committee (Education). Outside the Council I regularly attend
meetings such as Safer Neighbourhood Team, North Harrow Partnership, and Public meetings related to local issues. The Labour Party was the biggest party in Harrow at the last election in 2010 and I’m a proud member of it. The Labour Party has protected the quality of life of Harrow’s residents in spite of the reckless 25% cuts imposed by the Tory Government. Labour’s pledge was for a fair future for all and that is what we’ve delivered. We’ve kept Council Tax below the rate of inflation and preserved frontline services; supported Harrow’s residents and businesses during the austerity; worked with police to make Harrow safer; protected Harrow from over development and kept Harrow clean and green; maintained services to a high standard for children & adults and provided advice to our communities affected by ill-conceived welfare reforms and housing benefits introduced by the uncaring Tory Government. As a Labour Councillor I am committed to working hard for the residents of Headstone South and working hard with my fellow Labour Councillors from the Tory Government’s attack on the people of Harrow. I’m proud of Harrow’s community cohesion and am proud of my Sri Lankan roots.
THA READERS PAGE Aron Fisahaye (Young Docs Music) YOufacebook.com/YDMonline
Vithya Make Up Artist facebook.com/vithyamakeup
Murali, Sothi,Rajan & Keerthi Ray of Hope Charity Volunteers www.theroh.org
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Stuart Taylor (Joy Wheel) Thanks to Dena (Civil Engineer)
tha LIFEstyle
| readers page
Business Intelligence Consultants, Cheshire
Twa & Prav (Building Blocks Charity) www.buildingblocksuk.org
Soozana Puvan facebook.com/ SoozanaPvanPhotographyForgetMeNot
Ranjith & Gaji (GJ Arts) facebook.com/g jarts
Southall Tamil School
Hillingdon Tamil School
Dany Evan (Construction Worker) Thanks to Dena (Civil Engineer)
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