Have a one night stand!

By Rinky Kumar

It's Saturday night. After slogging endlessly for a week, it's time to let your hair down and have some much-needed fun. How about shedding your inhibitions and having a one night stand?
Stop, before your dirty mind starts working overtime, it's not what you think. It's an evening for "pubgoing, loose and forward women" organised by Village Idiot Ventures, a Goa-based events and travel services company. "One night stand", the event, marks the protest against Sri Ram Sene's moral policing in Mangalore on January 29 when hordes of women were brutally thrashed by Ram Sainiks.

Gig rig

The brainchild of Luke Sequeira, founder of Village Idiots, One night stand will kick off a series of 20 gigs across the country including Mumbai, Goa, Baroda, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata in mid-June.

The objective of the event is "to pull together everyone, including, and specifically, the 'loose, forward and pub-going women', to head to one (or more) parties as well as to highlight the fact that, the darker connotation of a 'One Night Stand' is a personal choice, that both men and women are entitled to make."

Sequiera decided to come up with a shocking name to generate a lot of buzz and awareness around the event. And it worked!

Two genders, one species

Sudeip V Nair, one of the directors of Bombay Elektrik Projekt, a forum that provides a platform to aspiring musicians, deejays and artists to perform and the organiser of the Mumbai event says, "Going to pubs and enjoying ourselves is a personal choice without any kind of political interference. This is our way of asserting that we are two genders but one species. So only one set of rules must apply."

The organisers started off the whole movement by setting up a group in social networking site Facebook. "We asked our women friends to join the group, who in turn asked their friends to join One night stand. Today we have around 3,000 members. The whole idea is to ask women to come out and go for gigs."

The 20 gigs across 12 cities, which will kick off in mid-June, shall see a veritable exchange of artists like deejays, performers and musicians in different cities.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, shed your inhibitions and have a one night stand!

Host your own IPL bash

By Rinky Kumar

Cricket is back with a bang. Thanks to Indian Premier League aka IPL, the gentleman's game will invade our lives and throw the nation into a tizzy for almost a month starting this Saturday.
So, how about cheering for your favourite team with your friends, gulping downs cool shots and digging into some yummy food - all this in the confines of your home?
Here's how you can be the envy of your friends! Throw an IPL bash with these simple, but cool tips to celebrate cricket in style:

Dress code

We are sure by now you must have already chosen your favourite team. Now all you have to do is buy the team jersey or (recessionista tip!) sport the colour of your team with any t-shirts you own. So, if you are cheering for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Dare Devils, Rajasthan Royals or Kolkata Knight Riders, you can pick from blue, red or black tees.

Better yet, buy some fabric paints and paint the name of your team along with their logo on the t-shirt or maybe even on your face (ditch the fabric paint though!).

Snack time

The cheering, screaming and swearing is sure to drain you out. You and your pals would sure want to tuck into some delicious food that can be rustled up in a jiffy! But theme the food as per your team. So if Mumbai Indians is your favourite team, you can opt for vada pav, pav bhaji and dabeli.

Take your pick from gol gappas, samosas, rosagullas or bhujia, boondis and nimkis if you are cheering for Kolkata Knight Riders or Rajasthan Royals. Choose from an array of idlis, dosas and appams if you are an avid supporter of Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers or Bangalore Royal Challengers. And if you are a Delhi Dare Devil or Kings XI Punjab fan, then it's time to dig into samosa, jalebis, aloo chaat and chole bhature.

Down the drinks

Swig some drinks while hooting for those fours and sixes. Tap into your creative side and concoct some heady drinks like tequila panipuri, white rum gola and jaljeera vodka. Pour out these drinks into funky glasses and decorate them with cherries, blue umbrellas or mint leaves, depending on the colour of your team. Down these drinks and get heady.

Let's play it loud

It's time to get high on some music. So go ahead and play latest chartbusters and get in sync with your team. Play rocking remixes of Jai Ho, O Saaya, Jee Karda, Appadi Pode, Aa Dekhen Zara, Chandni Chowk to China every time your favourite player hits a four or a six or grabs a wicket.

Cheer it on

Poms poms and cheerleaders are so passé. It's time you jumped into action to cheer your team. So get into the bhangra mood if you are a Delhi Dare Devil or Kings XI Punjab fan. Bring out the lejhims if you are a Mumbai Indian fan. You can arrange for Bhangra or lejhim players from your local mandals. They can break into a gig every time you have something to cheer for.

You can also buy drums and bugles and blow your own trumpet when your team is on the winning spree. Go ahead. Have a blast!

A gourmet's delight

By Rinky Kumar

Head chef of Sitaaray and head chef and manager of Chor Bizarre restaurant, London, Manpreet Ahuja shares his culinary secrets with us.

When did you start cooking?

I started cooking towards the last couple of years of my schooling. My mother had a transferable job and she was posted in our hometown after a very long time. But since it wasn't advisable for me to shift school at a senior level, I stayed back and learnt to prepare my own meals.

Where did you do your training?

I graduated from the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Mumbai in 1995. During this tenure, I underwent my industrial training at the Oberoi Hotels and Towers, Mumbai. I joined Old World Hospitality Private Limited, New Delhi's leading restaurant group, straight after college and underwent further training not only in the kitchen but also in all other departments.

Was your family supportive about your decision?

When I got selected in IHM Mumbai, I was thrilled. My mother was happy and supportive but my father and my grandfather were not sure as to why would I want to choose a career where I would become a 'cook' or a 'waiter'? Later, I entered the industry as a Chef which raised many eyebrows. It was only as the years passed by that I was able to demonstrate that one could make it big as a 'cook' or a 'waiter' too! The image of the professionals within the hospitality industry is very different now as it was earlier. I am glad I took up this career.

Tell us a little about your funniest kitchen experience?

In one of the cooking competitions, we were given a surprise basket of ingredients and we were to make a three-course meal out of it. One chef was attempting to make a cake and took a rather long time trying to make royal icing. On careful inspection, I saw that he was attempting in vain because what he needed was icing sugar and he had corn flour in his bowl.

What would you say is the criteria for being a good chef?

It's not one but a combination of the following that, in my opinion, every good chef must have. " A clear and refined palate. " Sharp senses " An eye for appreciating anything good, fingers that can feel and touch the food. " Ability to visualise the end product without having to cook it and the ability to conceptualise. " Most importantly, a good chef will always cook from the heart.

Do you see any visible differences in the work culture in India and abroad?

Most people abroad consider their work as a means to earn money, so a job is not a religion for them. They are also able to strike a work life balance which a lot of people in India are unable to. Also over there, people work have a greater commitment towards their jobs.

Any advice for budding chefs out there?

Never consider any job to be below your dignity and be considerate towards others who are working with you. Don't worry if your bakery skills are not as good as your ice sculpting skills. Concentrate on your core strengths and remember Sachin Tendulkar will always be known as a specialist batsman, although we know that he can also bowl extremely well, if required.

Any tips for individuals who cook at home?

Cook with your heart. It's difficult to get fancy ingredients for garnishing or presentation when we cook at home, but it's the cake that we want to eat and not necessarily the garnish. Please don't get swayed by fancy TV presentations, howsoever easy it may look to prepare - it takes a million onions and multiple cuts on the fingers before a professional chef can flaunt his skills of chopping onions superfine at the lightning speed.

Rapid fire:

Favourite spice: Coriander

Haven for food: An empty stomach

Favourite gadget in the kitchen: A stick blender

She needs your help

By Rinky Kumar

It was just another day for Sabira Khan as she was returning to her Dockyard Road residence in BPT Colony, Wadala, after taking private tuitions. But destiny had something else in store for her. All of a sudden, a blast ripped through a taxi that was parked next to where she was standing. It was the ill-fated night of 26 November 2008 when 10 terrorists stormed Mumbai and wrecked havoc.

Four women who were travelling in the cab died immediately while Sabira was flung 20 feet away from the taxi. Her son, Abdul Amid Khan who was accompanying her, started bleeding after a splinter brushed past his right eye. Sabira too was bleeding profusely since her limbs were damaged. Her son, who was badly injured himself, rushed her to JJ hospital at Byculla but she was admitted almost after an hour.

Abdul alleged, "My mother stayed at JJ for almost one and a half month but the doctors never treated her. They didn't dress her wounds properly and just meted out initial treatment to her." After Abdul complained to the dean about the neglect at the part of the doctor's concerned, his mother was discharged the next day.

Abdul then admitted Sabira to Saifee hospital where he was helped out by social workers, Gulzar Ayub and Farid. They arranged Rs 1.5 lakhs for Sabira's operation. But the doctors soon detected that during a blood transfusion at JJ hospital, harmful bacteria-causing jaundice was transferred into her body.

"The operation got stalled. The doctors said that my mom had to be cured for jaundice. We ran out of cash, so we shifted her to Mumbai Port Trust hospital at Wadala since my father is a BPT employee."

In the last five months, after losing his job at a cloth shop in Mumbra, Abdul had to pawn his flat in Govandi. Moreover, he had to run from pillar to post to organise money for his mother's treatment.

"We are very worried. I have six siblings, since I'm the eldest, I have to shoulder the responsibility. My mother's three nerves in her left leg are completely damaged. If they are not operated upon and repaired, then her leg will have to be amputated. The operation cannot be done till the money is organised."

But the BPT doctors allege that Sabira's nerve is already damaged. According to the chief medical officer AV Pawaskar, BPT hospital, "Sabira has suffered a great shock. The nerves in her leg are beyond repair. We cannot do anything but her family refuses to understand."

In the fight between a patient's life and the dire struggle for money, it's sad that bureaucracy has seeped in and usurped the lives of a family.

If you would like to lend a helping hand to Sabira's family and contribute towards her treatment, please send in your cheques or demand drafts to: Abdul Amid Khan Room no 22, Bldg no 1, BPT colony, Wadi Bunder Dockyard Road, Mumbai.

Editor's note: Due to security reasons we won't be able to share the bank account number belonging to Sabira Khan's family on the site. But those wanting to help, can call on Abdul Amid Khan's no: 9930065936 and extend their help in any way possible.