Unique Times-August 2012 by Unique Times

RNI Reg. No: KERENG/2011/42633

Cover Model: Leena Vishwakarma Photo: A. Rrajani

Editorial

Vol 2 Issue No.10 August 2012

TIMES Managing Editor Ajit Ravi Editor Jebitha Ajit Associate Editor Bejoy George Legal Advisor Adv. Sreelatha Parameswaran Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Tressa Varghese Denisha Sahadevan Sheela Abraham Sreerekha R. Nair Meera Nair Creative Design Ashique K, Pigment Creatives Gilsha Bindosh Marketing Pramod Ullas - In and Out Media 9061497624 Photographers Aneesh Seny P. Vipin Jinish, Photogenic

We have received a good response for our July edition, and we owe the success to our readers. Some selected letters are published in this edition. Thank you readers for the good support you have given to our magazine. We wish to continue this spirited journey with all the commitment to quality journalism and excellence. Unique Times is a business lifestyle magazine, and we perhaps, a few magazines operate in this genre in India. Globally so many coveted magazines operate in this genre. The beginning of the third quarter, proofed to be rather good for our magazine, our magazines were flying off the shelves in the Cochin International Airport. We had to replenish our stocks every weekend. Unique Face of the month is an online contest we have started to identify young talents in modeling. Our July edition of the contest was a big success. We have featured the contestants who have got the maximum number of votes in the contest. In this edition we also has, an interview with Parvathy Omanakuttan, actress and model and an interview with Satheesh Pottekkat, the managing director of RMCO Group. We certainly believe that Unique Times will certainly be a good reading experience for you. Happy reading

AJIT RAVI Managing Editor

Printed and Published by Ajit Ravi Pegasus L5-106 Changampuzha Nagar Kalamasserry, Kochi-33 Printed at S T Reddiar P.B. No: 3627 Veekshanam Road, Cochin Contact Ph: 0484 3242220, 3292223, 3046432 Mob: +91 98460 50283, 94470 50283 editor@uniquetimes.org

Auto Review

Interview

Reverse Mortgage

Auto world ...................... 26 Travel & Tourism ........... 28 Dubai- oppurtunities .. 32 Books ................................ 34 Book Review.................... 36 Technology ..................... 38 Ayurveda ......................... 40 Ask the Smile Expert ..... 44

Vp-Nandakumar

Gold & Gold Loans

Ask the Beauty Expert ... 46 Life Management ........... 48

Books

Book Review

Interview

PARVATHY Omanakkuttan

Movie review .................... 55

Gadjets

UFM .................................... 59 Wats going on ................. 62

Letters

Sir I have been a regular reader of Unique Times, since January this year. I have noticed that Unique Times is unique magazine, so true to its name. The continuing series on Ayurveda is a great as I am particularly interested in Ayurveda from my younger days. My best wishes for you magazine Thomas Chako Thiruvalla

Hi I picked your magazine from Kochi Airport. The magazine has some good articles, especially the one on Travel. I am an avid traveler, Please include articles on International destinations. Akhila Nath New York, USA

Dear Ajit, I am regularly receiving you magazine by courier. I want to convey my best wishes. The look, feel and quality are improving every month. All the best in your future endeavors also. Jacob Philip Kochi

The Auto review of Audi Q3 was interesting; please do a review on the new BMV 3 series and the Renault Duster also. I also liked your review on Vespa scooter, that came last month. Nitin Sarat Abu Dhabi-UAE

Please send your letters to editor@uniquetimes.org, or Unique Times, Pegasus L5-106, Kochi India, 682030

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Unique Diary

Windfall T

he ubiquitous and humble guar bean, which is grown primarily in India, has seen an unexpected demand from oil drilling companies. The guar is a crucial ingredient in the fracking fluid mixture used by these oil majors. The fracking process is used to blast natural gas and oil out of shale rock. The companies and dependent on the guar gum and they are worried about the rising prices of guar. The prices of the guar rallied to a record US $168O per quintal. The shale gas producers are anticipating a decline in their profit as the guar price rocketed, but back in the guar farms of India, its happy news.

M.A. Yusuf Ali

rominent Malayalee businessman M.A. Yusuf Ali has resigned as member of Air India’s Board of Directors. He announced his decision to resign from the board of directors of the national carrier. He decision came after Air India frequently cancelled operations to the gulf sector, in the peak season. He said in a press conference that. “I have been trying to do my best for Malayalee’s living in Gulf over the last two years, but I have not been able to show any results”. Air India is grappling with many problems including debt, strikes and flight cancellations.

Scooters S

cooters have made a big comeback to the Indian Two wheeler market. Honda, Suzuki and Hero rule of the scooter market in India. But see who is lagging behind, Bajaj Motors was once the ruler of Indian Scooter market is now focusing on Motorcycles. Recently Vespa launched its scooters in India and met with big success. Yamaha Motor, better known for the fast and stylish bikes is now launching a scooter in India. The stylish scooter is focused on young women rider market, a place now dominated by TVS Scooty, Hero Pleasure and the Honda Activa. Why should boys have all the fun?

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Duster

enault have launched its compact sports Utility vehicle Duster in Indian markets and met with immediate success. This success will shake up other major car manufactures, to see the hidden opportunity in this segment. The sub 10 lakhs SUV space was rather left unattended as the SUV was full with heavy weights like the Ford Endeavor, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Chevrolet. Ford is slated to drive in the Ecosport next year, which would be available in both petrol and diesel variants, in queue are concept products from Maruti Suzuki and South Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor India Limited (HND-7).

Tiger or Tourism

upreme Court has today ordered that tourism be banned in core areas of all tiger reserves in the country. The ban comes after petition filed by Bhopalbased environment protection NGO Prayatna. Tiger reserves are one of the most sensitive eco zones in the country. The NGO is demanding a ban on tourism in 'core areas' of tiger reserves while it can continue in the 'buffer areas' of tiger reserves. Tigers are endangered and was in the verge of extinction until strict norms were put to save tigers.

Dara Singh D

ara Singh has passed away, but not his memories. People remember how the crowd cheered when Dara Singh pinned down American wrestler King Kong at the famous Chitnis Park, hub of all exciting activities during the 60s. The crowd of thousands was there to watch the match between Dara Singh and King Kong. The entire arena was packed with people, reminisces Kohale. "His wrestling was called freestyle and it was more akin to what we see in WWF competitions," he says. Dara Singh was in the city for two days and had put up at the MLA Hostel, where his breakfast comprised mostly of eggs and milk. "He was a very gentle and friendly human being, and very much at home with the Nagpur crowd." Such was the popularity of this wrestler and actor that tickets to his events were always sold at a premium.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 09

Unique Diary

Olympic Village T

he Commonwealth Games were held in New Delhi in 2010 and every measure was put into place to ensure that the athletes were provided with world class facilities. Although some defects were highlighted, athletes from India and elsewhere had largely appreciated the effort. "Interacted w/athletes & coaches at London Olympic Village. Surprisingly everyone rated Delhi CWG Games village better than London!!!" is what Maken had to share with his followers on the micro-blogging site. The London Games Village is located in the Olympic Park and is walking distance from some of the competition venues.

Dr. Manmohan Singh

bout two weeks after US-based Time Magazine called Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh an "underachiever", a leading Indian current affairs magazine 'Outlook India' has now labeled President Barack Obama with the same tag. The cover page of the latest issue of the Outlook magazine, which is due to be released on July 30, will have President Obama’s image with the caption - "THE UNDERACHIEVER". "America needed a reboot-he promised hope and change. Four years on, President Barack Obama's sheen is gone. Can his lofty rhetoric carry him home again?" the magazine’s cover page reads. Outlook magazine’s reply to the Time Magazine comes days after it dubbed Dr Manmohan Singh as an "underachiever" and a "man in shadow".

Pranab Mukherjee

ranab Mukherjee embarked on a new and momentous journey as the country's 13th President putting behind political affiliations and who could play a crucial role in the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2014. Reaching the pinnacle of his career and away from the hurly-burly of politics, the 76-year-old Congressman from West Bengal, often dubbed a 'man for all seasons", is variously described as a walking encyclopedia, chronicler of Congress history, expert in matters of the Constitution and governance and a stickler for rules in Parliament. Renowned for his negotiation skills, the UPA's little big man was till recently the troubleshooter of the ruling alliance, a task Mukherjee handled for the last eight years.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Captain Lakshmi Segal C

aptain Lakshmi Sehgal noted freedom fighter passed away. She will remember for her courage and social commitment. She was drawn to the freedom struggle when she was still a student. ; as the leader of the all-woman Rani of Jhansi regiment of the Indian National Army; as a doctor, immediately after Independence, who restarted her medical practice in Kanpur amongst refugees and the most marginalized sections of society; and finally, in post-Independence India, her life as a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Democratic Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association (AIDWA), years that saw her in campaigns for political, economic and social justice.

Higgs I

s it true that someone wants to prevent us from attaining the ultimate knowledge. The invisible barrier that keeps us from knowing the truth is called the Higgs field. The particle not known by human scientific advance is called Higgs boson . The boson is so central to the state of physics today, so crucial to our final understanding of the structure of matter, yet so elusive, that I have given it a nickname: the God Particle. Leon Lederman, 1993, "The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answerâ&#x20AC;? The Higgs is an invisible field that fills the universe and gives elementary particles their size and mass.

Brett Lee A

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has retired from international cricket. Lee had earlier retired from Test cricket in February 2010 and exits the one-day format with 380 wickets , just one behind Glenn McGrath's Australia record. Lee made his debut for Australia against India in 1999 and his one-day bow the following year. He said he will continue to play Australian domestic Twenty20 cricket and in the Indian Premier League. He was hoping to play in the World 20-20 later this year. "You get to the point in life where you say enough is enough," he said

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 11

Business Diary

lobal auto major Toyota regained its No: 1 position from General Motors, a title it lost after the tsunami and safety recalls. Toyota sold about 4.97 million vehicles globally in the first six month, about 300,000 more cars than General Motors. Toyota has recovered from the time of dismal sales, production loss and call backs. The tsunami in Japan devastated its production hubs and the misery was deepened with floods in Thailand.

ubai International Airport recorded the most hectic first half in its history with 27.9 million passengers passing through its three terminals between January and June this year, According to the traffic report issued by Dubai Airports, the traffic reached 27,931,639 passengers in the first HALF OF 2012 13.7 per cent from 24,567,818 in the year-ago period.

lobal banking major HSBC may sell stakes in two Indian banks, Karnataka Bank and Federal Bank to free up capital to meet the stringent Basel III norms. The two banks have very strong presence in their home states, Karnataka and Kerala Respectively. HSBC, which owns 4.98% in Federal Bank and 4.46% in Karnataka Bank, is in talks with investors to sell stakes in both the banks.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

he Indian Oil Corporation will all set to start its first refinery outside India with an investment of up to Rs 200 billion in Sri Lanka. IOC operates 10 refineries in India and the capacity of its Sri Lankan refinery is expected to be 5-9 million tons per annum. The talks are in progress. Indian Oil Corporation has a subsidiary company named Lanka IOC operating in Sri Lanka.

aster blaster Sachin Tendulkar unveiled the all-new BMW 3 series sedan by German luxury car maker BMW. The car comes in both petrol and diesel variants priced between Rs 28.90 lakhs and Rs 37.90 lakhs (All India ex-showroom). The allnew BMW 3 Series is available in two exclusive design schemesÂż Sport Line and Luxury Line.

eliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is expected to venture into aerospace industry. It is said that they will invest close to $1biliion over the next few years in the new venture and hire 1500 employees. Mukesh Ambaniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company applied for an for an industrial license with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to "design, develop, manufacture, equipment and components, including airframe, engine, radars, avionics and accessories for military and civilian aircraft, helicopters, unmanned airborne vehicles and aerostats"

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 13

V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Banking

A Mainstream Economist Speaks Out for

Gold & Gold Loans 14

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

India’s failure to build trustworthy paper money as another important factor which pushes households towards gold

la Patnaik is one of the well-known economists in India. She’s currently a professor at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Delhi. On March 27 of this year, the Indian Express newspaper carried an opinion article by her entitled “The Gold Tax” that offered a welcome new perspective on India’s high consumption of gold in the backdrop of recent economic developments. The article was focused mainly on the distortions likely to arise from the recent move to double the custom duty on imports of gold. But, in getting to her point, Prof. Patnaik also takes the trouble to go into the wider historical and cultural context to our longstanding fascination for gold. In the process, she offers vital insight into the critical role played by gold as a financial asset. Prof. Patnaik begins with the categorical assertion that the recent increase in custom duty on the import of gold and RBI’s move to reduce the loanto-value ratio of gold loans given by NBFCs will hurt the poor. And she cites many reasons in support of this statement. For instance, a simple truth often ignored is that gold is not merely a consumption good but also a financial asset, especially to the poor who are excluded from mainstream finance. What’s more, gold is particularly important in shifting power within poor families to women who get ownership of a financial asset that is liquid, and also doubles up as an excellent collateral when taking a loan. Seen from this angle, gold is about women’s empowerment by stealth. Prof. Patnaik then examines the question why gold continues to attract high demand in India. Her analysis has a broad sweep. Firstly, she links it to our failure in pursuing financial reforms and achieving financial inclusion. Consequently, a very large proportion of households in India are unable to save money in banks, either because there are no accessible bank branches, or because the amounts involved are too meagre to be of interest to the banks. In these circumstances, gold ends up playing a crucial part in financial transactions. And, so long as we do not achieve significant financial inclusion, we have no real option but to respect the role that gold plays for the poor. Secondly, she points to India’s failure to build trustworthy paper money as another important factor which pushes households towards gold. In an environment of persistent inflation, the public loses faith in cash, and gold is seen as a natural hedge against inflation. In fact, even for those who have access to banks, the real rate of return on their savings is negative after

accounting for inflation. In contrast, savings in the form of gold carries the hope that the gold price will keep up with inflation, and the family will get a loan against gold in a time of need. According to Prof. Patnaik, there are many districts where up to 90% of the population does not have access to organised credit. In these areas, the best way to borrow is by mortgaging gold. In earlier days, this was done at a local moneylender but these days, she notes, it’s more likely to be a gold loan company where interest rates are lower. She’s of the opinion that the recent RBI stipulation on increasing the LTV will reduce the usefulness of gold as a financial asset that can be used in times of need. She is categorical that this will hurt the poor who will now be driven back to informal loans from moneylenders or goldsmiths on more adverse terms. Prof. Patnaik counsels the RBI to recognise the fundamental problems in banking, and focus on building a banking system that offers positive real rates of interest. If higher imports of gold are becoming unsustainable, she asserts that the problem has to be solved by increasing financial inclusion and by keeping inflation low and stable. The importance of gold, she reiterates, cannot be curbed simply by having the taxman knock on our doors or by making it harder for NBFCs to give gold loans. In many ways, this article by Prof. Ila Patnaik constitutes a landmark. Perhaps for the first time ever, a mainstream economist has recognised the importance of gold in the Indian economic environment and chosen to speak out in favour of gold loans. So far, gold loans have fallen under the radar of India’s mainstream economists. The reasons are not hard to figure out. For long, gold was thought of as an unproductive asset and hence savings in the form of gold were considered a loss to the productive economy. Much of the trade in gold takes place in cash and accurate data is hard to come by. Economists who love to swear by data were consequently happy to ignore the subject altogether. Besides, the importance given to gold in the Indian social and cultural context has no parallel anywhere else in the world. And so, in the matter of scholarly research into gold and gold loans, there are no readymade templates to fall back on, nor has anyone stepped forward so far to don the mantle of a pioneer in researching this field. In that sense, Prof. Ila Patnaik has broken the mould. She deserves our appreciation.

References: “The Gold Tax” by Ila Patnaik, Indian Express, March 27, 2012, available online at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-gold-tax/928704/0

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 15

Jiz P Kottukappally

Banking

Supplementing your old age income through

Reverse

MORTGAGE 16

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

The owner should pay all taxes relating to the house and maintain the property as his primary residence The author is working as Asst General Manager , Catholic Syrian Bank and the views expressed are the personal opinion of the author. Author can be reached at jizpauls@gmail.com

wo predominant risks associated with human life are dying young and living long. To cover the risk of dying young you have life insurance products and to cover the risk of living long you have pension / annuity products. But in the current times where future is not just an extension of the past , price hikes have been so frequent and steep and yesterdays necessities are being todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessities, living long can be very challenging , if there is no financial support from outside. Due to price escalations , the annuities purchased during the earning years might not be sufficient to maintain the living standards. Added to this the unfortunate hospitalizations requiring huge lump sum amounts makes the old age living more challenging. But thanks to the reverse mortgage products introduced by banks and housing finance institutions , you can still live the old age with pride and self esteem. The reverse mortgage scheme originated in the US has recently started gaining popularity in India. A reverse mortgage (or lifetime mortgage) is a facility available to senior citizens , wherein the bank or the financial institution gives you a series of future cash-flows for a fixed tenure against mortgage of the residential property owned. You are entitled to collect the future cash flows in one shot or in monthly, quarterly, half yearly or yearly intervals , as per your cash flow requirements. If a huge amount is required in lumpsum ( eg hospital emergency ) you can opt for the lumpsum payment. For supplementing your regular cash flows you can opt for the monthly payment basis. The facility is available to homeowner who is above 60 years of age , Married couples will be eligible as joint borrowers for financial assistance provided the property is not already offered as security for any other loan and no charge exists on the property. The residual life of the property should be at least 20 years. The owner should pay all taxes relating to the

house and maintain the property as his primary residence The amount that can be availed by way of reverse mortgage depends on several factors like borrowerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age, value of the property, current interest rates and the benefit payment plan chosen. Generally speaking, the higher the age, higher the value of the property , higher the money available. Banks maintain a margin on the property value and the balance amount will be paid to the owners over a maximum period of 20 years. The property will be revalued every 5 years and the banks have the option to revise the periodic / lump sum amount based on revaluation of property. Where the borrower lives longer than 20 years, periodic payments will not be made by lender beyond 20 years. However, the borrower can continue to occupy. The loan shall become due and payable only when the last surviving borrower dies or would like to sell the home, or permanently moves out. In other words even if one of the spouse dies the other can still continue living in the house. On death of both the borrowers, the legal heirs have the choice of keeping or selling the house. If they decide to sell the house, the proceeds of the sale would be used to repay the mortgage, and the balance amount can be retained by them. Repayments need not be made during the life time of the borrower(s) and thus the loan balance rises over time. But generally when appreciation in land prices are good the value of the home grows at a much faster rate than the loan balance. Thus the borrower(s) stand to gain by retaining the property and not selling it off for raising funds. They also have the comfort of staying in their own home till death. Moreover the amount received through reverse mortgage is considered as loan and not income and thus the same will not attract any income tax or capital gains tax.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 17

Auto Review

The new

Chevrolet

CRUZE 18

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

driveability refinement & fuel efficiency T

he Cruze is perhaps the most beautiful car in the segment. Of course beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. But it was certainly a big success in India as well in other major markets. After almost 4 years since its launch Chevrolet has given Cruze, a refresh. One cannot call it a facelift, because it is not just a usual mid lifecycle facelift. A lot of surprise comes inside the hood. The car has been given a more powerful motor which can produce a massive164 bhp and proportional amount of torque also. The result, improved drivability and fuel economy. The powerful motor is attached to a six speed manual gear transmission unit. Technically inside the engine there are a lot of changes. The capacity remains the same 2.0 litre, but the engine has been modified

to accommodate the extra power and torque. A chain driven DOHC Valve â&#x20AC;&#x201C;train is incorporated. The common rail system has also some modification; a more efficient air intake system has been developed to reduce the turbo lag. The new Cruze has got a dual-mass flywheel to reduce engine vibrations. The new model reached the 100 kmph mark in 10.22 seconds, but some data shows that Old Cruze is still faster than the new Cruze, but it does not matter as long as you are driving on Indian Roads and not at Silverstone. The engine is more responsive even at low revs and you do not feel that turbo lag. With a softer clutch system, the new Cruze is more city friendly. The good amount of torque makes sure that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to shift gears frequently.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 19

The Cruze is superstar on highway, and cruises easily above the 100 km mark. Long distance drive is a breeze with Cruze. The automatic gearbox which is also available is in sync with the engine. The acceleration is easy and up shifts is faster. Perhaps it is the best auto transmission available in the class. The gearshifts are programmed to move up faster in order to avail maximum fuel efficiency. So some the car tend to up shift even if the driver does not want them. But you have that Tripronic option to manage your gearshift. The automatic Cruze is best suited city conditions. The Cruze remains rather unchanged apart from the change in inside. The American car can boast of all the features its German rivals has. The manual Cruze returned a decent 10.8kpl in the city and 15.7kpl on the highway as compared to the 10.3kpl and 14.8kpl for the old car. The automatic Cruze returned 9.8kpl and 15.3kpl for city and highway cycles respectively.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Interview

RMCO: Building Homes, Fulfilling Dreams 22

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

RMCO PROVIDES VALUABLE GUIDANCE TO THE INVESTOR A

house of one’s own is a dream of every man. With the real estate prices and building costs spiraling, the middle class is affected the most. In a place like Kerala, the where land price is zooming and is out of reach for many. RMCO is unique company providing land at very affordable cost. More than that RMCO provides valuable guidance to the investor and provides all facilities to make an investment. RMCO, an established real estate company from Thrissur has got answers for the difficult questions that an investor has in the mind on investing. The company provides all consultation, professional advice, financial services to the investor to own his dream house. For an investor the company also provides buy back and resale facilities. Investing in Land

Lakhs rupees. The concept of satisfied gated community is RMCO’s strong hold. Economy flats Large plots and big housed which was a common sight in Kerala’s landscape is gradually vanishing. With the explosion in the numbers of nuclear family and land price zooming up small plots are the only rescue for middle class families. RMCO is facilitating the middleclass to full their dreams. One of RMCO’s revolutionary projects is Economy flats. RMCO FITNESS RMCO reached out to the wellness and f i t n e s s i n d u s t r y a s p a r t of t h e diversification process. RMCO fitness academy is a ray of

Land seems the only investing opportunity which is not showing any down trend. Investing in land is a wise option. The world economy is in the downtrend and major nations feeling the pinch, popular investment options like shares, gold, bank deposit are showing lackluster returns. Land seems the only major option, with adequate demand and short of supply.

hope to the Malayalee people who are mostly below standards when it comes to fitness. RMCO Fitness Academy has the most modern fitness equipments imported from world over. Trainers are equipped with knowledge to guide members to attain good physical fitness. Currently the group operates fitness academies in Thrissur and nearby town. The group plans to open 10 fitness academies in different towns of Kerala before end of 2015.

Satisfied Gated Community

Ahmed Hamuda

RMCO is one of the biggest real estate company in Kerala and one may be the company with most number of satisfied customers. RMCO gives land to build a house at the most affordable cost. It is the only company in Kerala which can provide its customers with 5 cents of land at 2.5

World body building champion Mr. Ahmed Hamuda is the brand ambassador and chief consultant of RMCO Fitness centre. By having Ahmed Hamuda as the brand ambassdor, RMCO is reiterating its commitment to bring international quality fitness training to Kerala.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 23

T H G BROU E M O S Y R A N O I T U L O V RE S T P E C N O C With professional guidance, like what our company is providing, one can enjoy good returns by investing in land.

Satheesh Pottekkat is at the helm of affairs at RMCO. He made his company from the humble beginnings. A visionary in business he found the need -supply gap in real estate options for the middle class and built a company around the idea. He is a philanthropist with varied efforts in education, health care to help the needy. A charitable trust is proposed to bring all his social responsibility efforts under one umbrella. A sports enthusiast and fitness apostle, his efforts to start the fitness academy and bring Ahmed Hamuda as the brand ambassador got much appreciation. How do you see land as an investment option in current financial scenario? Real estate is one of the few options which are left in demand when to investing. Land is in perpetually short of supply and that is the one factor which makes it an attractive option. The other investment options are risk prone and their movements are tied various global factors. Investing in land does not have such major risk. With professional guidance, like what our company is providing, one can enjoy good returns by investing in land. Also from our analysis we expect the land prices zoom by the middle of 2013. What is RMCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty? The experience that RMCO has in real estate industry is very important. We have identified and developed many projects. We have brought some revolutionary concepts like satisfied gated community and economy flats to Kerala. More over we are a

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

company which is having a large number of customers and customer satisfaction is all important to us. Most of our sales happen through customer referral that it is a mark of our good reputation What is the secret behind your success? Customer satisfaction is all important; we make sure that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any customer problems. We make sure that there is no communication gap and every process is transparent. I think for any company satisfied customers are the success secret. About the developing infrastructure in Kerala. We have heard a lot about the dismal infrastructure in Kerala. But now situation is improving, our cities are getting mass rapid transport options like Metro and Mono rail. A high speed rail corridor project will reduce the distance between our cities. International will become smoother with Kannur Airport taking wings. With Vallarpdaom shipping industry has got major boost. All over its good news. About venturing into fitness industry I used to be active in sports in my younger days and still I am a sports enthusiast, even though Kerala has produced many good quality athletes and sportspersons, the fitness awareness among common people is very low. But now situation is changing and I think there is a big change happening. So venturing into fitness field is at once a business and social responsibility for me. And we have Mr. Ahmad Hamuda as our brand ambassador; he reflects our commitment to stand for quality.

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Auto World Renault

Duster 110 PS RxZ Diesel Engine Type/Model: 1.5 dCi K9K THP Displacement cc: 1461 Power (PS@rpm): 110PS @3900rpm Torque (Nm@rpm): 248Nm @2250rpm Seating Capacity (person): 5 Transmission Type: Manual Gears / Speeds 6 Gears Price Starting from(APPROX): Rs. 11,13,509/- EX showroom

Maruti Suzuki

Ertiga ZDI Engine Type/Model: DDiS Diesel Engine Displacement cc: 1248 Power (PS@rpm): 90PS @4000rpm Torque (Nm@rpm):200Nm @1750rpm Seating Capacity (person): 7 Transmission Type: Manual Gears/Speeds: 5Gears Price Starting from(APPROX): Rs. 8, 70,000/- EX showroom

Premier Rio Lx

Engine Type/Model: Diesel Displacement cc: 1489 Power (PS@rpm): 65PS @4000rpm Torque (Nm@rpm): 152Nm @2250rpm Transmission Type: Manual Gears/Speeds: 5Gears Seating Capacity (person): 5 Price Starting from(APPROX) Price: Rs. 6,16,510/- EX showroom

26 UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Toyota

Etios VX-D Engine Type/Model: 1 ND-TV, Diesel 4-Cylinder, 8V SOHC, D-4D Displacement cc: 1364 Power (PS@rpm): 68PS @3800rpm Torque (Nm@rpm): 170Nm @1800rpm Seating Capacity (person): 5 Transmission Type: Manual Gears/Speeds: 5Gears Price Starting from(APPROX) Rs. 8,30,860/- EX showroom

Nissan

Sunny XV Diesel Engine Type/Model: SOHC 8 Valves, 4 Cylinder Displacement cc: 1461 Power (PS@rpm): 86PS @3750rpm Torque (Nm@rpm): 200Nm @2000rpm Seating Capacity (person): 5 Transmission Type: Manual Gears/Speeds: 5Gears price Starting from(APPROX) Price: Rs.9,00,605/- EX showroom

Hyundai

Verna Fluidic 1.6 CRDI SX Engine Type/Model: Common rail direct injection Displacement cc: 1582 Power (PS@rpm): 128PS @4000rpm Torque (Nm@rpm): 260Nm @1900rpm Seating Capacity (person): 5 Transmission Type: Manual Gears/Speeds: 6Gears Price Starting from(APPROX) Price: Rs. 9,92,601/- EX showroom

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 27

Travel & Tourism

Sreerekha Ranjith Nair sreerekha.ranjith@gmail.com

Monsoon Tourism

In India M

onsoon the word itself makes one happy. The intoxicating smell of the dry Earth getting drenched, the splashing waters and the tiny paper boats sailing on the clogged water make monsoons the favourite season in India. After the long summer months when the heat and the dust ruled the roost, the monsoons are a welcome change. The farmers rejoice in the showers that promise to bring them prosperity. The monsoon season make the peacock dance with joy and the mango flowers bloom. Monsoons the season of rainbows and

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

raindrops is certainly not to be wasted indoors. The very special season of the year, Monsoon brings everything to you fresh. The washed streets and the fresh leaves seem to smile with you. Monsoons is certainly not getting all packed in rain coats, Monsoons are fun time. Getting wet, splashing and swimming or wading through knee deep waters, sailing paper boats are some little deeds you may indulge in. You may try out an Ayurveda vacation in the monsoons too. The best way to rejuvenate your soul and replenish your body, Ayurvedic is a great option for monsoons.

Ladakh

Top Monsoon Travel Destinations of India

n the furthest far flung corner of northern India, in Ladakh near the Indus Valley, lies the town of Leh at 3,505 meters (11,500 feet) above sea level. This remote place has become a popular tourist destination since Ladakh was opened to foreigners in 1974. It's the most beautiful and most common entry point to the Ladakh region.Bounded by two of the world's largest mountain ranges and surrounded by alpine desert, Leh's dry barren landscape full of historic Buddhist monasteries makes it an incredible sight to behold. This Leh travel guide will help you plan your trip. Getting to Leh: Flights to Leh operate regularly from Delhi. Flights are also available to Leh from Srinagar and Jammu. Alternatively, the roads to Leh are open for a few months of the year, when the snow has melted. The Manali Leh Highway is open from around June to October each year, and the road from Srinagar to Leh is open from June to November. Bus, jeep, and taxi services are all available. The trip takes around 2 days because of the difficult nature of the terrain. If you have the time and are in good health, do travel by road as the scenery is amazing. When to Visit Leh: The best time to visit Leh is between May and September, when the weather is the warmest. Ladakh doesn't experience rain like elsewhere in India, so the monsoon season is the perfect time to travel to Leh.

The Valley of Flowers National Park

he stunning landscape of The Valley of Flowers, in northern India's state of Uttarakhand (previously known as Uttaranchal), comes alive with the monsoon rain. This high-altitude Himalayan valley has around 300 different varieties of flowers, which appear as a bright carpet of color against a mountainous snow capped background. The Valley of Flowers is only open from April to October as it's covered in snow the rest of the year. It's the perfect destination for those that love hiking and exploring nature, as it requires a 15 kilometer (9 mile) trek up a steep mountain trail to get there. The incredible beauty waiting at the end is well worth the effort though. The stunning landscape of The Valley of Flowers National Park in northern India's state of Uttarakhand, bordered by Nepal and Tibet, comes alive with the monsoon rain. The park is spread over 87.5 square kilometers (55 miles), and was declared a national park in 1982. The Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Chamoli Garhwal, close to Nanda Devi National Park. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about 595 kilometers (370 miles) from Delhi, and has an altitude that varies from 10,500 feet to 21,900 feet above sea level. Getting to The Valley of Flowers: The nearest airport is in Dehradun, 295 kilometers (183 miles) away, and the nearest railway station is in Rishikesh, 276 kilometers (170 miles) away. The closest you August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 29

can get to The Valley of Flowers by road is Govind Ghat. This requires around a 10 hour drive to Joshimath, then another one hour to Govind Ghat. From Govind Ghat it’s a 13 kilometer (8 mile) trek along a steep, narrow, but well defined mountain trail to base camp at Ghangaria. This will take between 4 to 8 hours, depending on your fitness! The start of the main valley, where all the flowers are, is a further 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Ghangaria.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit it during the Amarnath in July/August. The capital of Jammu and Kashmir,Srinagar is famous for its lakes and numerous house boats that dot them.It is known as Paradise on Earth. Srinagar Is also known for its traditional handicrafts and dry fruits.

Goa

When to visit the valley of flowers The Valley of Flowers is only open from the beginning of June until the end of September as it's covered in snow the rest of the year. The best time to visit is from mid July to mid August, when the flowers are in full bloom after the first monsoon rain. If you go before July, you’ll find hardly any flowers at all. However, you will be able to see melting glaciers. After mid August, the color of the Valley changes quite dramatically from greenish to yellowish, and the flowers slowly die.

Amarnath

marnath cave is a famous shrine in Hinduism and is dedicted to Lord Shiva.It is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Snowy mountains surround the cave. The cave itself is covered with snow most time of the year except for a short period of time in summer when it is open for pilgrims..Inside the 130 feet high Amarnath cave that faces south,is the Shiva Linga,which waxes during may to September and gradually wanes after.Two other ice formations are there to represent Parvathy and Shiva’s son Ganesha. . 30

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oa is India's smallest and most liberated state. It was actually a colony of Portugal up until 1961, and a strong Portuguese influence still remains. Goa's coastline stretches for around 100 kilometers (62 miles) and become extremely popular tourist destinations.However, Goa has much more to offer than just the beach! It’s especially beautiful during monsoon time from June to September, when nature flourishes, the rain brings refreshment and romance, and Goa takes on a more traditional flavor. Travel to Goa during the monsoon and you'll be able to experience it the local Goan way. Goa's picturesque wildlife sanctuaries are open all year round. The major ones are Mollem National Park and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. They are harder to reach than Bondla, the smallest and most accessible sanctuary in Goa, though. As well as nature trails, Bondla has a mini zoo and deer safari park, which is great for kids. The imposing Dudhsagar Falls, located on the fringe of the Mollem National Park, is at its best during the monsoon as the water rages down from a huge height. Another great place to visit during the monsoon in Goa is acclaimed spice plantation in Savoi,reached by an enchanting drive through dense jungles and

hills from Ponda. An evening boat cruise up the Mandovi River from Panaji is enjoyable, and Goa’s historic character-filled buildings provide much interest. Fishing in any of Goa’s rivers is also fun! Getting to Goa: Goa is well connected to the rest of India by air, bus and train. However, the bus can be slow and uncomfortable so try to take the train where possible. Trains on the Konkan Railway can cover the distance from Mumbai to Goa in less than 10 hours, with the best train being theKonkankanya Express. Most trains will stop at Margao (Madgaon), which is Goa's main train station. Some, such as the Konkankanya Express, will stop at other stations as well.

Periyar National Park, Kerala

eriyar extends around the banks of a huge artificial lake that was created by the damming of the Periyar River in 1895. It has 780 square kilometers (485 square miles) of dense hilly forest, with 350 square kilometers (220 square miles) of this being core park land. Periyar is one of the most popular national parks in southern India, but these days this is more for its tranquil feel than sightings of wildlife, which many people complain can be few and far between at times. The park is known for its elephants, and 30 minute elephant rides through the jungle are offered. Periyar is located in Thekkady,

around 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Kumili in the Idukki district of central Kerala.

Shillong

How to Get to Periyar: The closest airports are at Maduri in Tamil Nadu (130 kilometers or 80 miles away) and Kochi in Kerala (190 kilometers or 118 miles away). The nearest railways station is at Kottayam, 114 kilometers (70 miles) away. The scenery on the way to Periyar is beautiful, and includes tea estates and spice gardens. Unlike many national parks in India, Periyar stays open all year round. The most popular time to visit is during the cooler, drier months from October to February. However the aroma of the moist vegetation in the monsoon also gives it special appeal. The best time for viewing elephants is during the hotter months of March and April, when they spend the most time in the water. Don’t expect to see a lot of wildlife during the monsoon season because there’s no need for them to come out in search of water. Periyar is also best avoided on weekends due to crowds of day tourists. Safaris are only carried out by boat, making Periyar a peaceful place to be. The lake is particularly captivating at sunset. However, the best way to explore Periyar and see the wildlife is to participate in one of the many ecotourism activities that are on offer. These include hikes through the forest with reformed poachers as guides, bamboo rafting, night time jungle patrols, trips to local villages on bullock carts, and tribal heritage visits. Periyar National Park is one of the few national parks in India to remain open during the monsoon. Most of the activities in Periyar are still weather dependent, but boat trips operate throughout the monsoon season. If you do visit Periyar during monsoon time and go trekking, keep in mind that leeches also come with the rains so make sure you wear the leech proof socks that are available at the park.

he other famous destination for monsoon vacation in India is Shillong which is popularly known as the Scotland of East.Shillong has its own unique nature beauty.During monsoon,lakes and waterfalls plays rhythmical music and wind whispers through dense forests. Shillong was a popular hill station during colonial times, with leftover features being a championship golf course and polo ground, Victorian bungalows, and churches.The main attractions of this beautiful place is Elephant falls,Ward lakes etc. There are several special monsoon tours that the tourists avail to relish the rains in India. You may take your pick from the specially designed, attractively priced Monsoon Holiday tours.

o get ready for some Monsoon Masti in India. During the monsoons, holiday packages are available at an all time low. After the summer heat the tourists desert the hill resorts and the beaches. Monsoon sees empty accommodations. Without reservations too you may plan and enjoy a holiday in monsoons. All overall expenditure goes low in the monsoons and attracts the budget tourists out of the house. Monsoon tourism in India has seen a big boom in the recent past owing to the price lashes in the holidays. With no teeming tourists around monsoons allow you to enjoy your holiday to its fullest. So this monsoon, pack your bags and get going to the destination of your choice and hear the raindrops make music in your heart and have a memorable monsoon…

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Cities

Dubai OPPORTUNITIES 32 UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Dubai offers immense opportunity to the traveler & business people Dubai is unique City. It has attracted travelers from time and beyond. It is one most dynamic commercial business centre in the world. It is also a major tourist and shopping destination. Dubai offers much to the traveler, the sandy deserts, the beached, the city, the shopping centers, the hotels. The small nation is filled with amazing views and experiences for the traveler.

The city is a shopping paradise. Dubai is ranked the second worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular destination for shopping after the United States and ahead of popular shopping destinations like Singapore, France, UK, and Hong Kong among others. From souk to shopping mall, Dubai has it all - duty free, gold, electronics, textiles, cars - and is a true shopperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise.

Dubai houses the most premium hotels in the world. The worlds only seven star hotel is in Dubai. Not the just the premium hotels, Dubai also has very affordable. There are also resorts available where one can enjoy the silence and peace of the desert.

The nights in Dubai are very active. Hotels specialize in serving food and beverages, to suit the palate of international travelers. There are music bands which make the nights fill with music. Dubai is quite like another western metropolis

Dubai is interestingly situvated close to major cities of world. Almost all major cities are under 8 hours of flying time from Dubai. There are direct flights to all major cities in the world. Dubai is well connected and travelling is not an issue when Dubai is your destination.

Dubai offers immense opportunity to the traveler and business people. With a very dynamic and proactive government Dubai is full of opportunities. Infrastructure available is the best in the world. If you have not visited Dubai yet make sure you do.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 33

Books Marketing Warfare (Paperback) by Al Ries, Jack Trout Publisher: Tata McGraw-Hill (2012) Price: Rs. 325/-

In 1986, Marketing Warfare propelled the industry into a new, modern sensibility and a world of unprecedented profit. Now, two decades later, this Annotated Edition provides the latest, most powerful tactics that have become synonymous with the names Ries and Trout. New content includes in-depth analyses of some of the biggest marketing successes and blunders of the past two decades including Volkswagen, Sony, Coca Cola, Budweiser, IBM, and McDonalds along with annotated reproductions of winning and losing ads.

Jack Trout on Strategy (Hardcover) by Jack Trout, Trout Jack Publisher: Mcgraw-hill Price: Rs. 1,177/-

If You Don't Have the Right Strategy, You're Toast. And when you really need that perfect strategy there's only one place to turnmarketing strategy guru and bestselling author Jack Trout. For over twenty years, Trout's trailblazing insights have helped business people around the globe capture mindshare, conquer markets, and become market leaders. His bestselling books like Positioning, The New Positioning, Marketing Warfare and the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing have solidified his reputation and in a business market where only the strong survive.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing Exposed and Explained by the World's Two (Paperback) by Al Ries, Jack Trout Publisher: Harperbusiness (1994) Price: Rs. 590/-

As Al Ries and Jack Trout--the world-renowned marketing consultants and bestselling authors of "Positioning"--note, you can build an impressive airplane, but it will never leave the ground if you ignore the laws of physics, especially gravity. Why then, they ask, shouldn't there also be laws of marketing that must be followed to launch and maintain winning brands? In "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing," Ries and Trout offer a compendium of twenty-two innovative rules for understanding and succeeding in the international marketplace.

34 UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Principles Of Marketing A South Asian Perspective (Paperback) by Philip Kotler, Prafulla Y Agnihotri, Ehsan Ul Haque Publisher: Pearson (2010) Price: Rs. 595/-

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing challenge is creating vibrant, interactive communities of consumers who make products and brands a part of their daily lives. The changing nature of consumer expectations means that marketers must learn how to build communities in addition to brand loyalty. With its interactive design and in-depth, real-world examples and cases, the South Asian edition of Principles of Marketing helps students learn how to create customer value, target the correct market, and build customer relationships.

Social Media Marketing (Hardcover) An

Hour A Day

by Dave Evans Publisher: Wiley India Pvt Ltd (2009) Price: Rs. 508/-

Dave Evans is a leading expert in social media marketing whose passion is tapping the power of connected social networks through word-of-mouth and consumer-generated media. Digital Voodoo, the marketing technology consultancy Dave founded, has worked with Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Intelliquest (now Millward-Brown), and Dave has also developed integrated communication strategies for such clients as Southwest Airlines, AARP, Wal-Mart, Dial, the PGA Tour, and Chili's.

The Social Media Handbook (Hardcover) by Nancy Flynn Publisher: Wiley India Pvt Ltd Price: Rs. 499/-

The Social Media Handbook is a comprehensive risk and compliance management toolkit that walks employers step-by-step through the process of developing and implementing effective social media policy and compliance management programs that are designed to minimizeand in some cases prevent-social networking and web 2.0 risks and other electronic disasters.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 35

Book Review

Al Ries and Jack Trout

Marketing

Warfare B

ooks written by the Al Ries, Jack Trout team are quite famous. There style is simple, easy to read and accessible. People eagerly wait for the books to arrive. The book “Marketing Warfare” is no exception. The book makes a comparison of modern day marketing with military warfare. The book is a breeze to read. Those who cannot read Sun Tzu’s Art of the war or Kautilya Arthasathra can opt for this book. Critics have got varied argument relating the seriousness of the book, for some it very simple. The difference is not that not every one that looks for a marketing book is willing to go through a very theoretical exposure, nor will they manage to link the experiences from Sun Szu, Clausewitz or Napoleon to today’s marketing. Moreover, repeating ideas often happens to be more efficient especially since most readers today decrease in concentration capacity.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

The book was published in 1986 for the first time in the United States. The fact that it is still read today, 2005, is rather a sign of quality and success. Marketing Warfare can teach some Marketing Warfare can teach you certain ideas, let alone as a proof on the importance of perception and the battle ground inside the head of the customer. Marketing Warfare takes the reader to the battleground of marketing. Indeed, rules of the number, the strength and the competition are all different key elements are being derived from war strategies. When applied in marketing, they come to define the key elements for each market player. A reader should not expect to find a full roll out for its own marketing strategy. Identifying its current positioning based on the examples will help the reader to see what possible moves he can make and which may be bound to fail. Where school books for marketing students only enter into theoretical possibilities, the Marketing Warfare provides more lively situations, focusing on the real situation and “teaches” by means of examples that speak out for themselves. Situations are often explained as being obvious, but once again, the style of Al Trout and Jack Ries is the modern American style. In marketing it is about selling and perception, and so is their book. Making things too complicated will sell less and this is not the aim in marketing, so neither in Marketing Warfare.

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King

Technology

ver ybody has now realized the importance of Web marketing and Search Engine Optimization. More and more business are becoming interested in spending in web marketing efforts and obviously they are getting results. Search Engine optimization is the most favorite and reliable method to drive more visitors to the websites. The most important thing in an SEO process is content. Paid links are not making much effect in these days. In the earlier days of SEO, content was just content and the quality of content was not a considered. Contents were developed by outsourcing teams who were paid on the word count. Obviously the focus was on word count and billing and not on quality of information. As a result you can see the internet is flooded with articles which are just re written article or insignificant ones. Good content should provide original information, original reporting, research and analysis. The difference between original and duplicate is very thin when it comes to content. If you get some original content you can drive more

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

traffic to your computers. The more original content you more people will be interested in you. Contents should be quality controlled. From basic factors like spelling and grammar to proper references and structure mark the quality of the content. The reader will be naturally interested in quality content and as he makes more references of the article more people will know about it. Content should not be half boiled; it should provide a complete understanding of the topic. It should be complete in itself for a basic understanding. It may also have leads to more information and where it is available. The content should be something interesting that it something you wish to share it your friend, content can made interesting with the help of graphics and charts. Search Engines are now considering inputs from social network sites to rank the sites. Google Knowledge graph is step towards this. The bottom line is simple, if you have genuine content which can make readers interested you are bound to have traffic to your websites.

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Ayurveda

IMPORTANCE OF

DasapushpaKarkkidaka & Adorning Dasapushpa

ON HAIR (Kerala style) 40

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Karkkidaka

he traditional custom of wearing a flower bunch consisting of 10 exotic flowers of medicinal value during the Karkkidaka month has been popular with the women of Kerala. This is based on the concept that these 10 flowers represent 10 different Godesses. Besides, it also gives many medicinal benefits. The belief is that each flower when worn, brings different blessings to the person. Most of the time, it is such science that turn-out to be customs, that last for generations. Even wearing of flowers on hair is based on a clear-cut health science principle that has been passed-on from generation to generation. The transit of the Earth around the sun creates changes and influences in the atmosphere and the health and well-being of all life forms on this planet. The sun slowly shifts its path from south to north, and this season is called ‘Utharayana season’. Likewise, the path from north to south forms a season called ‘Dhakshinayam’. JanuaryFebruary to June-July is ‘Uthrayana’ season, and from July-August to December-January is ‘Dhakshinayana’ season.

Utharayana season which starts in winter and ends in summer. It has adverse effects on the strength and immunity of the human body. This season is also called ‘Aadhana season’. During the season from the rainy season to winter time, the strength and immunity of the human body will increase. That is why this season is called ’Visarga’ season; as it suggests the restoring of health. The beginning and end of each season makes the body weaker due to the energy expended by the body to cope with the extreme variations in the nature of the climate. This is why and how the Ayurveda rejuvenation treatments and the ‘Dasapushpa’ wearing during the monsoon season gets its relevance. Take 60 grams of ‘ Dasapushpa cluster, mix them in 600 ml water and boil raw rice for one person to make a rice gruel. When the rice gruel is cooked and ready, put a few fenugreek seeds, a pinch of cumin seeds, milk squeezed from half a coconut, bring to a boil, turn off the flame, cool down. Add rock salt to taste and ‘moong dal thoran’ as a side dish. Your target is your health safety for the next season. Poovankurundhila, Muyalchevy, thathra dhurva, Kayoonniyum panayumadharavodu Vishnu, Nalpullathali Cheruvoolayuzhinjakutti pushpangal Pathumiva Koodumithi Kramena. [Sarvaroga chikitsa ratnam]

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 41

Poovangurunnila [ Lakshmi Devi]

Poovangurunnila- [ Lakshmi Devi] Scientific name: Vernonia Cineria

Benefits: Reduces body heat. Purifies blood. Improves immunity. If Sirovasthi is done with juice extract of this flower, it will cure the fever and bronchial congestion of children. Other actions: For conjunctivitis, grind and extract the juice of poovankurunnila, mix it in pure sterile cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk and use it as eye drops.

Muyalchevi [ Shiva]

Scientific Name: Emilia sonchifolia This is called so, because the leaf looks similar to the ears of a rabbit. This is excellent to fight tonsillitis. Also good for eye diseases. Besides, it gives cooling to the eye. Directions: Wash the Muyalcheviyan leaves, dry, add rock salt and grind. Squeeze the juice out and apply it on the outside of the tonsils area to get relief from throat pain. It also gives good results when these leaves are chewed along with scallion onions.

Karuka [Surya Bhagavan]

Scientific name: Cynodon dactylon Benefits: Reduces phlegm and congestion. Reduces bleeding. Remember, an overdose can cause loose motion. Direction for preparation: For bleeding associated with piles, mix Karuka in milk, bring to a boil, cool down.

Kayoonyam [Varunan]

Scientific name: Eclipta Alba. Benefits: This is excellent for a thick hair growth. That is why it has become an active ingredient in all effective hair fortifying oils. It also improves the functions of the liver. Direction for preparation: Grind and squeeze the juice out of the Kayyunyam including its roots. Take 2 teaspoons daily with honey or sugar 3 times a day for 7-11 days. This will protect the liver.

Nilappana [ Kamadevan]

Scientific name: Curculigo Orchioides Benefits: Normally known as Musli; this is a potent natural remedy to improve sexual health. Also ideal to treat diseases of the urinary system and vaginal infections. Other benefits: Grind the Musli roots in Goat milk to use as a face application. It improves the complexion upon regular use.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Vishnu Kranthi [ Mahavishnu]

Scientific name: Evolvulus Alsinoides Benefits: Improves memory. Increases hair growth. It can also increase the fertility. Preparation: Grind vishnukanthi including roots, squeeze the juice out. Take 5-10 ml juice along with ghee 2 times daily, regularly to increase the memory power.

Thiruthali [ Moon] Scientific Name: Ipomoea Sepiaria Benefits: Regulates Menstruation. Protects pregnancy. Directions: Grind Thiruthali in milk and take daily.

Cheroola [yaman ]

Scientific name: Aerva Lanata Benefits: Increases kidney function. Melts kidney stone. Stops bleeding during pregnancy. Can improve the health of a kidney. Preparation: Make Kashayam out of the entire plant including roots. Take 30 ml in the morning and at night for urinary diseases. Relieves general kidney ailments.

Uzhinja [Indran ]

Scientific Name: Cardiospermum Helicabum. Benefits: Works as a shampoo for hair, while it also helps hair growth. Relieves constipation. Directions: Grind the leaves, make a paste and apply on the hair. Leave for a few minutes, and wash off. Also use in oil for a thick hair growth.

Muckootty [Sreeparvathy]

Scientific name: Biophytum sensitivum Benefits: This is a great remedy for loose motion, fever, prostate enlargement and urine blockage. Excellent for healing wounds and improving immunity. Other benefits: Take Muckootty leaves and white raw rice and make a soup. Give to mothers after the 15th day of delivery for 3 consecutive days to restore health and wellness. This Karkkidaka month is the most ideal for a variety of rejuvenation treatments. Get your body ready for the season ahead. Please stay healthy!

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 43

Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Nechupadam Dental

Ask The Smile Expert Q: My wisdom tooth on the right lower jaw is not yet fully erupted. There is frequent pain in the lower jaw and the right side of my face which spreads into my ears and sometime cause head aches. Do i need to remove the tooth or is there treatments that can save the tooth? Some friends say that there is a chance for nerve damage if wisdom teeth are removed. Is it so?

A:Your teeth need not be removed if it has erupted in the proper direction we can do a procedure known as operculectomy to uncover the gum above the tooth to expose it. This will reduce the infection and soreness in that region. However if the tooth has erupted in a direction that it will not erupt fully or is blocked from erupting by opposing or neighbouring teeth you may need to remove wisdom tooth. The surgical removal of wisdom tooth can be done without any chances of nerve damage unless the tooth impinges on the specific nerve. So cast your worries off and smile without pain.

Q: I have white patches on my teeth and some times these patches become brown and pitted. Why is it happening and how can I correct my smile?

You can smile CONFIDENTLY Q. I am a 22 year old woman I have a tooth in the front lower jaw that gets discoloured within a month of professional cleaning. This tooth is placed a bit backward than the other teeth and is difficult to brush. Can you suggest a remedy?

Nechupadam Dental GCDA Complex, Marine Drive, Kohci - 682 031 Cont: 93872 77213 www.smiledotcom.com 44

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

A. The best way to treat this problem is by treating the cause- the irregularly placed teeth with orthodontic treatment so that the teeth could be properly brushed. if orthodontic treatment is not preferred you may go for veneering to correct the irregularity of teeth.

A:These are developmental enamel problems that may be related to some disease in the early childhood. These may also occur in some people due enamel decalcification to poor oral hygiene maintenance or excessive use of acidic drinks. You can either do a dental veneer which need minimal tooth preparation or do a nano ceramic filling to mask the white patches. Q: My teeth was capped an year ago as it was broken. I am a professional dancer and when I am under stage lights my capped teeth looks dark in videos and pictures and i am not able to smile on stage why is it so. The teeth looks fine when in normal situations?

A: The problem is with the material by which the crown is made the translucency of the crown is not matching the natural tooth as it might have a metal reinforcing inside which looks dark when in high intensity lights like flashes or laser beams. so please change your crowns to all ceramic Lava Emax or Cercon crowns so that the translucency problem is solved and You can smile confidently.

Sheela Abraham Director, Phoebe International

Life Skills

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. Bill Cosby

Have Enough Desire to

Reap Success 14

UNIQUE TIMES September 2012

Learn everything about your goal D

esire is the burning internal quality that pushes you and produces restlessness with things as they are. Desire empowers you to meet the challenges of life and compels you to fulfill a purpose larger than yourself. Your desire is the planting of your seed. Like need is the mother of invention, intensity of desire determines the success or failure of a person. Only desire can make anyone focused in what he or she intends to accomplish. A person with a strong desire will not budge out from his work when he is discouraged by persons whom he work with or not so encouraging situations he may come across. Instead he would draw more courage and enthusiasm from all the negatives he faces and move forward with more vigor and strength. One would realize his dreams only if there is a strong desire in him or her .Otherwise, they may have to face failures.

Rewards you can earn would stimulate your desire and makes you to put more effort and work harder to achieve them

Having a desire determines the right attitude in a person. If the desire is just right, the person is inspired to put more effort to make his dream come true. In fact, the intensity of the desire determines one’s attitude to try and try till he or she succeeds. That is; a strong desire instills more confidence in the self to move forward with courage. . The result – to become successful in any work he or she does. Also, there are no ’cannot’ and” may not’s in their life making everything possible in their life. Increase Your Desire to Succeed. The story of any achiever is the story of an accomplished 'Desire'. Any success, anyl achievement that is meaningful, begin with desire. Desire grips people with an insatiable appetite for action. If you have sufficient desire to succeed, nothing can stop you from becoming a winner, a leader, or a high performer. How to increase the ‘Desire’ to be successful? • Anticipate the Rewards It is good to be aware of the sacrifices and the hardships involved in becoming a successful personality, but your focus must be on the on the rewards that follow the success. Knowing what rewards you can earn would stimulate your desire and makes you to put more effort and work harder to achieve them.

Learn everything about your goal. Enhance your information and knowledge by doing research and talk in to every expert you know on the subject. Read magazines and articles on the same topic that is published in the newspapers and knowing w current events pertaining to the same and interacting with those who are with same interest like yours’. The more you understand about your chosen area, the greater your interest will be. The more interest you have, the greater your desire to succeed. Observe how professionals perform. Take advantage of every chance you have to see and hear the outstanding individuals in your area of interest. The more you study successful people in action, the more familiar you will become with what it takes to succeed. Try to Identify and Select an achiever in your area of interest and study the progression of and reasons for that person's success. Constantly remind yourself of your Desire. Kindle the flames of desire and light the fires of enthusiasm by reminding yourself daily of your dreams. Imagine the heights you can scale, the rewards you can reap, and the peak of happiness you can enjoy. Strive continually to activate, nurture, and maintain the kind of desire that will make you a winner. For successful people, intense, burning desire is a habit, a way of life, and a deliberate course of action. In any worthwhile endeavor, ultimate victory goes to the individual with the most desire! However, there are occasions where desire is not the only factor to decide success. Sometimes things may go out of human control or certain things happen beyond a man’s imagination. This is very rare and when we go to the root causes, we can understand that the less desires in a person make his work a failure. Your desire for success must be so strong within you that it’s the very breath of your life. It must be your first thought when you wake in the morning, and your last thought when you go to bed at night. Remember Desire is the first ingredient of Success. September 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 14

Tressa Varghese Director, Phoebe International

Ask The Beauty Expert

Smooth lines and decrease puffiness with the help of polymers 46

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Do eye creams really reduce wrinkles and puffiness?

Well, yes and no. These creams are essentially moisturizers that have been modified for use on the thin skin around the eyes. While they can't work miracles, they do often contain ingredients that may offer some temporary benefits. They can smooth lines and decrease puffiness with the help of polymers that form a skin-tightening film as they dry. Is it safe to apply lip balm on your lips?

Yes. When your lips start to feel dry or get flaky, they send a signal to a deeper layer of skin (called the basal layer) to produce fresh, plump skin cells. But when you put on lip balm, you slow down the signal because you're creating a barrier layer that prevents the evaporation of more moisture, so the basal layer never gets the signal to produce new cells.

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Sheela Abraham

Life Skills

Director, Phoebe International

Life is beautiful

if you simplify it 48

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

he tendency of life in our society, 'business life' in particular has become more complicated: Internet, television, s h o ppi n g, wo rk , f am i l y co m m i tm ents, possessions, eating, debt … these things pile on top of each other endlessly. This is a rather bad formula, as our days have a limited capacity, and so do we as humans. We can only do so much, only handle so many tasks and possessions and social commitments, and filling ourselves to those limits means we stress our breaking points. It takes a bit of conscious effort to simplify, but it’s one of the greatest things that anyone should master to enjoy 'life'. Simplify everything. That might sound hard, but with practice it’s actually fairly easy, and leads to a quiet, content, lovely life full of space for so many things you can do and live to the hilt.

‘In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.’ Henry David Thoreau.

So how do you simplify your life? Here are a few ways: Get rid off dis connected time.

Get outdoors once a day

The Internet and cell phones are amazing, but always being connected means you’re always pulled in a thousand directions at once. It’s hard to focus, hard to connect with others, hard to get out into nature and be active. So schedule some time every day for disconnection: maybe a block in the morning where you get your best work done, and a block in the afternoon when you get out and active, or connect with friends or family.

Too often we are stuck at a desk or on the couch. Get outside, take a walk, enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Play some sports.. These simple activities will change your life.

Be free from unnecessary commitments.

List your commitments, and pick one to eliminate today. It’s a simple matter of making a call or sending an email explaining that you can’t do the commitment. Trust me, they’ll find a way to live without you. You’ll start to free up time for what’s more important to you. Start to share possessions.

Include leafy vegetables in your diet

These simple plants will make you strong and beautiful. Drink plenty of water This keeps you fresh , healthy and calm. One must take minimum 8 glasses of water daily. Smile Be pleasant. It is true to enjoy life, one has to be approachable and amiable . Life is said to be journey. It has to be fun filled to be fulfilled. So, make it simple to experience a wonderful journey.

Every day, find 5 things to donate or give to friends. Or clear an entire shelf or countertop, leaving only the things you actually use, getting rid of the rest. Slowly your possessions will be simplified to just the essentials. Ban unnecessary shopping. . You can do this. Don’t buy anything except the essential. If you think you really need it, put it on a list to be evaluated after a few days. Pause before moving to the next. When you’re done with anything, get in the habit of pausing before moving onto the next thing, For example, Put your clothes where they belong. Put your keys in one spot. Clean the sink before you leave it. This simple habit will keep you organized and systematic. Effective time management

What’s most important to you? Your spouse or kids? Reading novels? Cooking, gardening, crafts, carpentry? Make the time for it.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 49

Gadjets Nikon Coolpix AW100 Point & Shoot (Camouflage) 16.0 Megapixels Optical Zoom: 5x CMOS Image Sensor with 3 inch LCD with 2 year Nikon India Warranty Price (Approx): Rs. 16,950/-

Lenovo Ideapad U Series U410(59-332849) Intel Core i5 (3rd Generation) 4 GB DDR3 RAM 14.0 Inch Screen Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit) with 1 Year Onsite Warranty Price (Approx): Rs. 55,493/-

BlackBerry Bold 9900 BlackBerry 7 OS 2.8-inch Touchscreen 5 MP Primary Camera 1.2 GHz Processor with 1.5 year manufacturer warranty Price (Approx): Rs. 33360

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Panasonic TH-P65VT30D Television 16.0 Megapixels Optical Zoom: 5x CMOS Image Sensor with 3 inch LCD with 2 year Nikon India Warranty Price (Approx): Rs. 16,950/-

Nintendo Wii with New Super Mario Bros. Wii Model ID: Wii Variant: with New Super Mario Bros. Wii RAM: 512 MB Video Encoding: NTSC Motion Gaming Controllers: Wii Remote Plus controller ( x 1), Nunchuk controller ( x 1) Price (Approx): 15,490/-

Philips MCD388 Micro Hi-Fi System CD, DVD Player, Radio and USB Display Support 100 W Total Speaker Power Output (RMS) Sleep Timer Clock and Alarm Price (Approx): 16,999/August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 51

Gadjets Samsung Galaxy S III Android v 4. OS 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED (1280x720) display 8 MP Primary Camera 1.2 GHz Processor 16/ 32GB User memory, MicroSD slot (up to 64GB). Galaxy S 3 has a Li-Ion 2100 mAh Price: Rs. 38,000/-

iPAD 3 Retina HD Display A5X Is the Key | Quad-Core GPU Upto 10 hrs of battery back up Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound feature iOS 5.1 Price: 16 GB: Rs. 37,900/32 GB: Rs. 43,900/64 GB: Rs. 49,900/-

Macbook pro Retina display 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor 720p FaceTime HD camera Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology Stereo speakers Up to 7 hours wireless web 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory, 256 GB (Flash) Price: Rs. 1,45,000/Available at Oxygen Digital Shop Mobile: 97470 20822, 98477 27036 52

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Interview By, Denisha Sahadevan

From Model to Actress

Parvathy

OMANAKUTTAN 54

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

My priority now is Movies, and that is my first preference now P

arvathy Omanakuttan a native of Changanacherry, former Miss. India of 2008, and 1st runner up for Miss. World 2008 has made her way from the world of modeling into the Film Industry. Last year she debuted in her first film United Six, with the role of Shaina, and now she has taken up the role of Jasmine in the new release Billa 2 with Ajith Kumar. So what lays in the future for this model/actress, and where is she headed with her career?

Can you please share with us about your experience in working with Mr. Ajith Sir in the movie Billa 2?

Ajith Sir's a Wonderful co-star, and an even more wonderful person. His humility and positivity left me spellbound. His fans don’t just love him for his movies but also for his genuineness. It was Great working with him in Billa 2. I hope I can be part of more films with him.

What made you take an interest in acting?

I have always enjoyed watching movies, and I loved the idea of being a part of it. Do you have a preference more towards acting or modeling?

My priority now is Movies, and that is my first preference now. Who would you like to work with in the future in the Indian Film Industry?

What drew you into taking on the role of Jasmine?

The list is too long.

Unlike the glamorous roles that I was being offered, Jasmine's character was something i instantly wanted to be. Her naivety attracted me.

In my free time I like watching movies, listening to music, reading, and travelling.

What is your favorite song in the movie?

My favorite song is Idhayam Intha Idhayam. Your first movie was United Six playing the role of Shaina in Hindi, now you’ve taken on a major role as Jasmine in a Tamil movie, can we hope to see you doing any Malayalam movies sometime in the future?

What do you love doing in your downtime?

You’ve traveled to numerous places, what places do you enjoy the most?

My favorite places of travel are France, New York, Mauritius. What are some of the charitable programs in which you are involved in?

I am the Goodwill Ambassador for Genesis Foundation in Delhi, and Sadhana School in Mumbai.

I would like to be part of good cinema, I would love to do a Malayalam film. Do you have any other ongoing projects?

I am in talks with a few projects. I will close in something real soon.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 55

takes India

Overseas

With over 1000 shows across the globe, Papa CJ is widely recognized as the global face of cutting-edge Indian stand-up comedy. In 2008, he represented India in NBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TV Show Last Comic Standing, where from amongst the thousands of global contestants he was recognized as one of the top ten comedians in the world. His international TV credits include shows on NBC, Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, Paramount (UK), The Comedy Channel (Australia), BBC, ITV (UK), Omni (Canada). He has been an invited guest on radio shows including NPR in the US, BBC in the UK, ABC in Australia and Radio Netherlands Worldwide. After numerous prestigious shows, Papa CJ will now be performing for the elite Light of India Awards at New York on the 1st of June 2012.The Light of India Awards recognize excellence of Indians Abroad across different fields. It emphasizes the critical role that this community has played in terms of its contribution, both to India and the world. The awardswill be given to achievers in the field of Corporate, Business, Science Technology & Medicine, Literature & Journalism, Ar ts & Enter tainment, Education and Academics. The jury comprises famous names like Mira Nair, Suhel Seth and Shashi Tharoor, who called him "The funniest stand-up

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

c o m e d i a n i n I n d i a a n d p ro ba b l y beyond!"Along with Papa CJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set, the ceremony will be awarding personalities like Meera Sayal, M.Night Shyamalan, Padma Lakshmi and Sanjeev Bhaskar. Following his performance at the Light of India Awards, Papa CJ will then share the stage with another famous comedian, Aasif Mandvi of The Daily Show at the famous Broadway Comedy Club on June 3rd2012. I n D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 1 , To a s t m a s t e r International magazine called him one of the most influential comedians around the world, while The Times of India recently called him the #1 stand-up comedian in India. A performer with a conscience, Papa CJ runs a charity for underprivileged children in India that is funded by his comedy. He also has an MBA from the University of Oxford and as an executive coach and motivational speaker he has worked with over 50 blue chip companies all over the world. With shows scheduled in Canada, Singapore and Zimbabwe already; it is safe to say that as far as Indian Stand-Up Comedians go, Papa CJ is a name to reckon with and is the most well-known comedian from India. With numerous international performances and tours under his belt, he is set to take the Indian Stand-Up Comedy industry to great heights.

The

Movie Review

Dark Knight M

ovie goes from around the world have wondered whether or not The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film, was really, in its essence, a superhero film. The key ingredients were all there on a superficial level the costume, the techno toys, the cackling baddie bent on citywide destruction but Nolan had stirred and synthesized them in new ways to craft a lucid, sinewy crime epic closer to anything Marvel Studios has yet produced. Dir: Christopher Nolan; Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine. 12A cert, 164 min

The Dark Knight Rises, the third and emphatically final film in his Batman trilogy, goes even further: for the most part, this is a superhero film without a superhero. Batman here is less a character than a symbol, then a cipher, and later an icon, and swathes of the film pass without its notional hero appearing on screen in full, Caped Crusading regalia. (With a running time of two and three quarter hours, it’s fair to say

The Dark Knight Rises is a film that can be divided into swathes.) Eight years have passed since the events of The Dark Knight, and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is living a Howard Hugheslike existence in his Manor, “holed up with eight-inch nails and peeing into jars,” as a Gotham congressman indelicately puts it. Thanks to draconian laws passed in the wake of the Joker’s spree, the city’s streets have been cleaned up, and the need for a costumed crimefighter is no longer too pressing. In fact, Bruce is only spurred back into action when a cat burglar called Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) infiltrates Wayne Manor and swipes his late mother’s necklace (Nolan’s script, co-authored with his brother Jonathan, never lowers itself to using the C-word: Catwoman). Watch it for the sheer love for batman and other super hero movies.

August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 57

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nique Times in association with Asia Vogue is conducts this exciting contest for models and aspiring models. Unique Face of the Month gives the contestants a chance to be featured in Unique Times; Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premium business lifestyle Magazine. The magazine has got world class contents and readership from around the world. Asia Vogue is fashion agency promoted by Pegasus group. Asia Vogue is a platform for all fashion enthusiasts to come together and network. Pegasus is a preeminent event management company who conducts super pageants like Miss South India and Miss Queen of India. Pegasus is also the force behind MBA Award and Minnalai film award. The July edition of Unique Face of the Month was a big success. 16 participants from India and abroad participated. Binish Benny, a software professional from Singapore and Nanditha, model and actress from Bangalore India garnered the most number of votes and declared the Unique Face of the Month-July.

Entry is open to the August edition of the contest, for more details visit www.uniquetimes.org

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UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Binish Benny Singapore

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Nandhita Bengaluru

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August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 61

Ranbir B

ollywood often looks back in time for inspiration, in a new Ranbir Kapoor starrer film, he and Deepika Padukone will be recreating the magic of the super-hit track Jumma Chumma De De from Mukul Anand's 1991 hit Hum. The original number was composed by LaxmikantPyarelal, was sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and Sudesh Bhosle. Hum was one of all time mega grosser movie at the box office and the hit number Jumma Chumma De De is still very popular.

Anne Hathaway A

nne Hathaway, who got engaged to Adam Schulman late in 2011, has said that she has been too tied up working on 'The Dark Knight Rises' and 'Les Miserables' to be ready for her marriage. Though she has ruled out nuptials this year because of her film commitments, she certainly hopes it will happen sometime next year.

Great Grandad B

ecoming a father is an important occasion in a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. A man from Don Caster, South Yorkshire has become a dad, a granddad and a great-granddad within the space of just three months, af ter his wife, daughter and granddaughter all gave birth to boys.

UNIQUE TIMES August 2012

Kyaa Kool Hain Hum

yaa Kool Hain Hum had a great run at the box office when it released seven years ago. Despite being rubbished by cynics and hard-nosed critics. Tusshar Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh have emerged as fine actors in the comedy genre, with films like Golmaal and Housefull. No wonder then that the makers of their upcoming sequel, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum (KSKHH) are quite optimistic.

ompetition is good; it creates excellence out of the ordinary. It creates dilemma also. Noted choreographer Ganesh Acharya had to encounter one of those situations. Madhur Bhandarkar and Kareena Kapoor have asked him to make the song Halkat Jawani better than Katrina Kaif's Chikni Chameli.

Ganesh Acharya August 2012 UNIQUE TIMES 63