Month: February 2014

Categories
Beauty

Oats for beauty

Oats are healthy both for the heart and your skin. Here’s presenting some simple oatmeal therapies for beautiful, stunning skin.
by Deepa Mistry

Whenever you jumpstart your day with a warm bowl of oats on a winter morning (though some of you might not be fond of the bland porridge which your doctor asked you to eat daily), bear in mind that oatmeal is a healthy alternative not just for a healthy heart but for beautiful, younger looking skin as well.

oatsOatmeal has inflammatory properties. It helps relieve itching and soothes and softens the skin. Since oats are a little rough, they are great exfoliates and make skin super soft. The amino acid present in them has the best balance of all cereals and is a great water-binding agent. This might sound surprising, but oats are also used to soothe burns, itchiness, mosquito bites and even chicken pox (does not cure, only gives relief from pain).  Oats have been clinically proven to help dry, itchy skin. You will find a variety of brands and these days, oats are available in various flavours and some quick to cook ones as well. But don’t buy those.

If you want oats to give you beautiful skin, try these tips:

– Face wash: Mix a handful of oats with a little warm water and mix till it looks little soapy. Massage on your face and leave it for 2 to 5 minutes and wash off. Do this every morning or night.

– Moisturiser and mask for wrinkles reduction: Mix equal amounts (approx 1 tsp) of oats, honey, olive oil and yogurt and apply on a clean face. Leave it for 20 to 30 minutes and wash off with cool water.

– Face scrub: Mix 1 tsp oats, 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp honey. Scrub your face with this mix for 2 to 3 minutes and wash off with warm water.

– Oat bath: Place ½ cup rolled oats, ¼ cup powdered milk and 2 tsp honey in a tiny bag (preferably of muslin cloth). Hang the bag under the tap as you fill your bath tub or if you’re having a bucket bath hang it on the inside of the bucket, so running water disperses the goodness throughout your bath. This is the best way to rejuvenate skin.

– Banana bread mask: Whip together ½ really ripe mashed banana, 2 tsp ground oats, milk or cream, a pinch of nutmeg and 2 tsp whole wheat flour to get a smooth, paste-like mixture. Spread on clean face and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

– Stress relieving mask: Oats are used for relieving stress and exhaustion. All you need to do is have an oat bath or just mix a spoonful of oats, warm water, 1 tsp honey and 1 egg oatmeal face maskwhite to relax yourself.

– General skin problems: Oats can also be used to treat general skin problems like acne, dryness etc. Blend 2 tbsp oats, 1 tsp baking powder and just enough water to make a thick paste. Apply on a regular basis to avoid skin troubles.

We recommend you do a skin test before using certain ingredients on your skin, like baking soda, as it can have chemical reactions. Rest of the ingredients are safe to use as these are natural. Simple kitchen ingredients are just another to step to beautiful, glowing skin.

(Pictures courtesy beautyhealthtips.in, babyboomeradvisorclub.com, health.howstuffworks.com)

Categories
Event

38 students and a mega project

Students of city-based college have put together video documentaries, a magazine and photo show to be exhibited over four days.
by Sophia Institute of Social Communications Media

Video documentaries, social awareness campaigns, a magazine and a photography exhibit – all of these have been put together by a group of 38 young people, all students, in the space of a year. Their project will be exhibited over four days from today, February 20 to Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the Sophia Institute of Social Communications Media on the Sophia campus from 11.30 am to 7.30 pm.

The documentaries feature stories from the many lives that unfold each day in Mumbai. As the working day ends, Basheera Inamdar, Priya Posture and Sitaram Paswan head to school – N se School documents the struggles adults face while attempting to complete their education. Breathe My Space (in pic below) follows Jigna Chanpura training for a marathon, Varsha Bhoweer taking tuitions and Meghna Kotecha Kamath going about her daily chores, valiantly taking on the debilitating effects of Multiple Sclerosis.

Group 4 Breathe My Space Milind Soman gives Jigna Chanpura marathon tipsThe advertising campaigns urges people to save caracals, combat homophobia, seek help for emotional distress and donate sanitary napkins.

Marginalia, the institute’s student magazine, follows the lives of those who ostensibly live on the margins of society but are nevertheless an indispensable part of the fabric of Mumbai—bar dancers, idli sellers, railway gangmen and transgenders. Last year’s edition won three awards – the  Silver Award for the Best Overall Magazine, the Award for the Most Creative Name and the First Runner Up for the most imperative content, at the ICE Awards 2013.

In November, the institute’s students travelled to Bundelkhand and followed the women journalists of Khabar Lahariya into the villages where they observed flawed policies such as laptops being distributed in places that did not have electricity, the acute disparity in the status of women as compared to men, the daily injustice of caste-based discrimination and so on. Their experiences are documented in the broadcast news features and photography exhibit.

(Pictures courtesy Sophia Institute of Social Communications Media)

Categories
Whatay!

10 things to do when stuck in traffic at Andheri

Why waste the ample time an Andheri traffic jam provides? Here are 10 ways to divert yourself as you wait.
by Andy Reghu | @thereghu on Twitter

Andheri station. The words spell ‘doom’ for anyone who drives a car. Some staunch defenders of Andheri may even eulogise about it and speak of it as if it is a stairway to heaven. For the rest of us who are not on heroin, however, Andheri is the ultimate traffic nightmare. There is no other place that makes time stand still (as still as your car and other vehicles, that is), makes your temper rise for no reason at all, and takes away hours, days and weeks from your life as you simply wait to move.

But why while away the time this wonderful place and its incessant traffic jams afford you? There are some fun things to do while you’re stuck in traffic. Like these:

1. Take a power nap for 30 minutes.

Rest assured you can take a longer nap as well, since the car in front of you would have moved exactly five inches in 30 minutes. Wake up, move five inches forward, close your eyes, repeat.

Take a nap

 

 

 

 

 

2. Leave your car in the traffic and walk to Andheri station.

There are some evil characters there who sell karela juice. Have a quick glassful, then walk back and find your car in exactly the same spot. The taste of karela juice will make you forget your traffic woes.

Have karela juice

 

 

 

 

 

3. Keep a Chetan Bhagat book handy for days when traffic moves faster than usual.

Any C-Bag book will induce a soporific effect that should hold you in good stead for at least 15 minutes. Caution: Reading more than 10 pages will give you a coma – not recommended for light traffic zones.

reading chetan bhagat

 

 

 

 

 

4. Watch all the seasons of Two And A Half Men.

Or catch up on Mowgli or your favourite Salman Khan film.

two and a half men

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Cuss steadily and increasingly at everybody you hate.

The wait will fuel your fury and there is a chance you may come up with a new cuss word that you can share on Facebook.

cuss at everybody

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Finally catch up on some ‘me’ time.

Talk to yourself, have a conversation involving three people, file your nails, pick your nose, cut vegetables. The options are endless.

talk to yourself

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Meditate.

Start by staring at the traffic lights. Then stare at something else. Now smile like a maniac, make eye-contact with the next car’s driver. Repeat. I call this ‘light meditation’.

meditation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Talk to your ex.

This is the best time to fight because you are all charged up and wanting to sock people on the jaw.

scream at your ex

 

 

 

 

 

9. Make reservations at your favourite fine dining restaurant.

Leave your car in traffic, have a three-course meal and head back. This way you get free valet parking, and you can come back and click selfies in the car.

have a meal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Prepare for next day.

You’re just wasting time in traffic. Why not get ready for the next day? Floss your teeth, get off and take a dump, shave your face, tweeze your eyebrows…whatever works.

Get ready

 

 

 

 

I also do aerobics and yoga in traffic, but I reserve these for special occasions, like a public holiday or a festival. What do you do when stuck in traffic at Andheri?

Andy Reghu claims to be a writer, a standup comic, a professor and a nuclear biologist. 

(Featured image courtesy allthingscruise.com)

Categories
Event

Exhibition: Prakash Ghadge showcases Mumbai

Renowned pen and ink artist’s solo show opens today at Nehru Centre Art Gallery; presents Mumbai in all its splendour.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In the rush to run our daily lives, and in the midst of increasing traffic, commuter chaos and crime, we often forget one simple fact: Mumbai is gorgeous.

Renowned Pen & Ink Artist Prakash GhadgeHowever, noted pen and ink artist Prakash Ghadge (in pic on left) hasn’t forgotten the city of his birth. In a solo showing starting today, February 18 to 24, 2014 at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Prakash will exhibit a series of his works capturing the small, hidden beauties of Mumbai.

Prakash says, “I aim to gather all the small beauties of our own city and put them down in my paintings. I am excited to showcase my exhibition with a specific aim to let people know the beauty of their own city. I have travelled across the world, yet I always question myself, ‘Why do Indians plan their sightseeing outside India?’ As soon as I returned from my world art tour, I began drawing my own city. That’s when I decided to do a series on each city with its course of nature, too.”

He adds, “What gives my work its originality is my use of the Rotring pen, that helps emphasise light and shadows. First and foremost, nature is the inspiration of my work. Drawing and sketching have always been a part of my life. Wherever I go, my camera or sketch book are always with me so that I can capture all sorts of subjects that I would like to sketch. I have also exhibited my favourite subject related to water, like the Ghats, boats, reflections.”

In the exhibition, you can see the few Benares Ghat drawings (in pic below) Prakash has added. “I have always wanted to share that emotion, Benaras Ghat_Pen & Ink Drawing_Upcoming solo Exhibition_Nehru Centre _18th to 24th February, 13which often exists for only a moment,” he explains.

 

Head to Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Worli, from today up to February 24, 2014. 

(Pictures courtesy Prakash Ghadge)

Categories
Tech

We recommend: The best camera phones in the market today

Our tech writer lists the five best camera phones you can buy in India, and what makes them so great.
by Manik Kakra

Cameras on phones have come a long way. From using them once in a while upon finding something interesting, to using them pretty much every hour to click a thing, ourselves (selfies, yeah), or anything we find amusing or worth sharing. The technology used on cameras on our phones has evolved by leaps and bounds – camera phones today have better and bigger sensors, improved performance under low-light conditions, they are faster, come with accessories, and more.

Here’s my list of the best camera phones available in the market today:

Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Samsung’s Note series has done a great job of proving that many people do want bigger screens on their phones, and has been consistent about improving cameras used on these devices. The Note 3 has a 13 MP (AF) camera that can shoot 1080p videos at 60 FPS. Its camera can take some seriously detailed images, and videos look very nice (and heavy sized). You’re pretty much sure with a Note 3 that its camera performance is going to be good most of the times, and plenty of editing options are in place in case you require any.

Sony Xperia Z1: Sony’s past efforts with cameras on its flagship handsets haven’t been very impressive, but with the Xperia Z1, especcialy after its latest update, the company has a really good camera performer. Its 20.7 MP camera can take some detailed and sharp images, and the camera app provides loads of shooting and editing options for later. The camera is quite smooth, takes less noisy images after the last update, and provides good video recording quality, too.

Nokia Lumia 1020: Bet you saw this one coming as soon as you read the headline. The Nokia Lumia 1020, with its huge 41 MP sensor, is pretty much the king of camera phones today. Whatever you want from a camera phone – daylight shots, low-light shows, change focus of an image after clicking it, settings not found on any other company’s phone camera (focus, ISO, etc. Xenon + LED flash, RAW [DNG support]), this Lumia is a one-fit-for-all photography enthusiasts.

LG G2: The G2 has probably the fastest camera of all these. Its camera takes an image the fastest, but without compromising on quality. The 13 MP shooter on its back can take some rich, sharp images, and can also shoot high quality full HD videos with decent audio in place. And thanks to its OIS feature, you need not worry much about getting blurry images due to your hands shaking while taking a photo.

Nokia PureView 808: This is, in my opinion, the best camera performer of the lot. It’s hard to find this Symbian phone today, but it definitely deserves to be named here. The 41 MP, with loads of settings in its camera app, fantastic image quality, great video quality, is really Nokia’s answer if anybody asks about their imaging technology in place. Last officially available for under Rs. 20,000, you could buy one as the last legacy Symbian device that’s equipped with a stunning camera.

Other than these, there are a few that need to be mentioned: Samsung’s Galaxy S IV’s camera is pretty much the same as the Note 3’s. HTC’s One, with its 4 MP ‘Ultrapixel’ can also not be ignored because of its impressive low-light performance and making the OIS feature more common in smartphone cameras today. Also, Apple’s iPhone 5s can take some seriously good photos, videos, is fast in snapping photos and has some decent editing options.

Categories
Deal with it

Mumbai kickstarts India’s first senior citizens helpline

Silver Innings starts a referral helpline portal to provide information on all things that matter to senior citizens in Maharashtra.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It is fast becoming a cause of concern – a burgeoning elderly population in India and very little senior citizen-centric infrastructure. But there is hope yet, as senior citizens can now get access to a host of services through a unique helpline.

SI helplineLaunched in Mumbai on February 16, 2014, www.silverinningshelpline.com will provide comprehensive information to senior citizens and their family members. “It’s our way of creating a ‘super market website’ where elders can get information and get themselves connected to everything they need to lead a happy and contented life in their silver years,” says Sailesh Mishra, President of Silver Innings, which is working in the field of elder care since 2008.

Launched with information primarily aimed at Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune, the helpline will carry contact information for emergency numbers, medical and fitness help, legal and financial assistance, special needs (such as support group bureaus) and social needs (such as clubs, tour operators, etc.)

The helpline is a joint effort between Sailesh, Ramaa Subramaniam, co-founder of Silver Innings and Dhanalaxmi Rao, Project Manager and experienced gerontologist. “We call upon elder products manufacturers and distributors, as also service providers to register with us to reach a target audience of 50+ years,” says Sailesh.

Email info@silverinningshelpline.com/ silverinningshelpline@gmail.com for details.

(Picture courtesy Sailesh Mishra, reecetenderheart.com)

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