Wild careers with crazy pays

Bartending and hairstyling are no longer careers that fall in the 'out of the box' careers list. From tattoo artist, potter, to deep sea diver, Priti Salian has put together a list of five out-of-the ordinary careers that can actually help you earn a living

1. Pottery
Do you like the idea of playing with clay and creating unique stuff? Try your hand at wheel pottery and convert traditional art into your signature creation. New-age pottery is all about breaking boundaries and creating wares and artefacts that go beyond just cooking and serving ware. Bonsai pots, table lamps, bathroom accessories, coasters, and funky artefacts, you can use the wheel to mould just about anything you fancy. The good part is that it can actually help you earn a good load. You can hold exhibitions or operate through the online space and word of mouth to bag commissioned work, in turn getting your objet d'art to become a style statement for hotels, malls and homes. "To earn a good buck, you could also run classes at schools or hold private sessions," says Mr. Vinod Dubey, a well-known potter who runs a pottery studio called Mitty in Mumbai. Think innovative and you'll go places.

2. Deep sea diving
Explore ship wrecks, inspect a ship or give first aid to a patient under water. You could do all this and more as a deep sea diver. Undeniably one of the most paying professions, deep sea diving can help you earn a crore per annum once you are experienced. Depending on the nature of your job you could also earn anywhere between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 40,000 in a day. But the profession is not risk-free. Staying deep inside water can cause problems in your ear and vocal chords and a single mistake can cost you your life. Go for it only if you are lionhearted!

3. Tea/Coffee appreciation
Assist those who feel strongly about their morning cuppa, by being a tea/coffee connoisseur, and you could easily earn at least 40,000-50,000 per month for consultancy. "A tea/coffee connoisseur educates people about the various types and brands available and helps them make changes in the way they drink their beverage," says Nikhil Agarwal, Director, All Things Nice. You talk to groups of people and teach them different styles of preparation, showing them how to derive maximum pleasure from their drink. You could either work with coffee and tea producers, food and beverage professionals or quality oriented hotels and restaurants for training their staff.

4. Tattoo designing
If you are passionate about sketching and love dabbling in crazy designs, you could be a tattoo artist. From teenagers to grandfathers, people of all ages are falling for the tattoo fad today. For professional training, you will either have to go to the UK, US or Thailand or work with an established artist in India or abroad for a couple of years. Once you have adequate practice, couple it with communication skills and loads of patience for a better understanding of what your client desires. You are now good enough to open your own tattoo parlour or work in partnership with someone. Established tattoo artists are known to make Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000 per hour. Just remember, hard and innovative work pays here!

5. Ethical hacking
With cyber-crime on an all-time high, organizations like airlines, hotels, banks, telecom companies, police departments and many others are looking for ethical hackers to check breach of cyber security, find its origin and prevent it. So, if you have an analytical mind and a responsible attitude get trained as a professional ethical hacker. "As an independent freelance consultant, an ethical hacker can earn up to 6-7 lakhs per month," says Ankit Fadia, Ethical Hacker and Cyber Security Expert. "When working with an organization, somebody with 3-4 years' experience can earn around 1.5 - 2 lakhs per month," he adds.

Language Laboratory

A specially equipped school or library room for teaching foreign languages. Often designed with a teacher’s console at one end, the laboratories are made up of rows of contiguous study CARRELS, each equipped with any of a wide variety of audiovisual equipment to facilitate teaching and learning. Students at each carrel use headsets and keyboards or a computer “mouse” to listen and/or watch recorded lessons, to which they are expected to respond and then hear and compare their responses with correct versions. From the console, teachers can monitor and, when necessary, intervene in each student’s lesson.

Aversive Stimuli

Aversive stimuli can be defined as any cues or events that produce negative emotional feelings or a negative outcome. Any stimulus can potentially be considered aversive, because it is the production of the undesirable feeling associated with the stimulus that determines whether it is aversive or not. In general terms, the aversive stimulus most often attenuates or eliminates behavior that is paired with that aversive stimulus. As such, aversive stimuli are importantly related to various principles of learning and have major implications for a number of basic and applied research and therapeutic settings.

Aversive stimuli are a key element to escape learning (i.e., the type of learning that is based on negative reinforcement). For instance, animals can learn to escape electric footshock by pressing a bar or moving to a different part of their environment. Aversive experiences are also very important for human learning. The human nervous system has evolved so that even newborns are prepared to find certain types of sensory experiences aversive, so that those aversive stimuli will be avoided thereafter. A wealth of research data indicate that any number of additional stimuli that precede the aversive stimulus can, themselves, become conditioned aversive stimuli. The presentation of the conditioned aversive stimulus can cause a number of behavioral responses that reflect avoidance of, or escape from, the conditioned stimulus. A response that prevents the occurrence of an aversive stimulus, because of the presence of a conditioned aversive stimulus, is called avoidance conditioning. Avoidance learning generally occurs after escape learning has occurred, such that the response is eventually made before the aversive stimulus is encountered, so that the aversive stimulus will be entirely avoided. The relationship between escape and avoidance learning is highlighted in the two-stage theory of learning: The first stage involves classical conditioning of fear, and the second stage involves operant conditioning and the reduction of fear by avoidance responding. The negative emotional reaction to aversive stimuli is caused by the activation of parts of the limbic system of the brain, including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex. In many instances, an aversive stimulus is the same as a punishing stimulus. Indeed, the use of an aversive stimulus is, in many instances, synonymous with punishment. Unlike positive and negative reinforcement, which act to increase the likelihood of a response, punishment acts to reduce the likelihood of a response, or behavior, occurring again. In other words, punishment produces the opposite outcome to reinforcement. In both experiments and applied settings, punishment may well suppress unwanted behavior—but usually only temporarily and only in situations or circumstances in which the punishment seems unavoidable. Punishment can also lead to additional behavioral issues, such as increased aggressiveness or other exaggerated emotional behavior.

Aversive stimuli potentiate certain types of learning in virtually all animals, as demonstrated by the unique ability of noxious (aversive) sensations to cause longlasting and often permanent avoidance of the related stimuli. The Garcia Effect is the avoidance of a novel food item that has been associated with illness after only a single exposure. This type of one-trial learning enables the organism to learn the consequences of consuming that food and thus avoid poisonous food sources in the future. In recent years researchers have probed the central nervous system mechanisms that produce the aversiveness of noxious stimuli. Use of the escape/ avoidance methodology uniquely facilitates an assessment of the aversive nature of noxious sensory events. Damage to limbic system structures, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, has thus been shown behaviorally to decrease the noxiousness of aversive stimuli. Aversive stimuli are used clinically in a type of behavioral therapy called aversion therapy. This approach is based on classical (or Pavlovian) conditioning, so that the undesirable behaviors are paired with stimuli that produce undesirable feelings or outcomes. The goal is to attenuate or eliminate undesirable behavior. For instance, in the treatment of alcoholism, the undesirable behavior of alcohol consumption can be paired with a drug called Antabuse, also known by the generic name disulfiram. Disulfiram in the presence of alcohol produces a number of aversive physical sensations, including flushing, sweating, soreness in the head and neck, nausea, and vomiting. Theoretically, the repeated pairing of alcohol consumption with these aversive sensations will decrease alcohol consumption. However, the use of this and other types of pharmacological aversive stimuli that cause uncomfortable consequences are typically associated with poor compliance. It should be noted that behavioral modification techniques utilizing aversive stimuli are often misunderstood. For instance, many times the same aversive stimulus is associated with either negative reinforcement or punishment. In negative reinforcement, the aversive stimulus precedes the undesirable behavior, whereas in punishment, the aversive stimulus follows the undesirable behavior. In combination with adequate cognitive-behavioral therapy, the use of aversive stimuli to treat substance abuse and other disorders may have utility, but there remains controversy as to the ultimate effectiveness of such an approach.

Celebs not willing to mingle!

Finding celebs in Bollywood who aren't rumoured to have any link-ups before or after marriage is like finding a needle in the haystack. But we've managed to scrape through and found a few celebs who have got the clean chit from us. Check out our 'clean' list of young actors. By Trupti

The King Khan has only one queen
Shah Rukh Khan is not called the King of Romance for nothing. In spite of being paired with gorgeous female actors who're all gaga over him, he's had a clean slate when it comes to affairs or link-ups. The only woman he seems to be besotted with is his wife Gauri which was quite obvious when he was hosting the popular TV show, 'Kaun Banega Crore Pati'. Fondly, he ended every episode with her mention. Aww...Any surprises why the viewership increased?

Imran loves his love story
As soon as he forayed into films, Imran Khan admitted his commitment to his long-time girlfriend Avantika Mallik, giving due respect to their relationship. He recently even tied the knot with her, proclaiming he is a one woman man and will always be. Now that's a man, every woman's lusts after.

No extra-marital sin for Konkana
Though Konkana's recent film Mirch talks about polygamy, in real life, she's far from it. The only man she's ever been linked to was her then boyfriend and now husband Ranvir Shorey. She dated him for five years, lived in for three years and just recently married him. They're now blessed with a baby boy. Now that's a picture perfect fairy-tale that we can't stop obsessing over.

Neil Nitin Mukesh: Not keeping the rumour mills running
He has bowled everybody over with his histrionics but he hasn't provided any fodder to keep the rumour mills rolling. In spite of breaking up with his childhood sweetheart Priyanka recently, he hasn't yet been linked with anybody. With chocolate boy looks and talent like that, it's truly hard to believe.

Mallika votes for monogamy
With an obsession for courting controversies coupled with a body like that, you would expect Mallika Sherawat to have a beeline of linkups. But since she has forayed into films, to our surprise there is not even a single one. A believer of monogamy, she's tweeted that she leads a virginal life. Surprises indeed never cease to exist!

The real ‘Rags to Riches’ stories!

On International Women's' Day, Asawari chats with three women who tell us their 'rags to riches' story and how their single-mindedness to chase their dreams and determination to achieve them, helped them arrive in life

“Keep faith and let your work promote itself”
Maushmi Dhawan did just this. No wonder the 35-year old, who successfully runs a salon and spa, ‘Beautiful Secrets’, has now carved a niche for herself in bridal makeup.

“I came from an affluent family until fate decided to turn tables and I lost everything. But instead of looking out for help I decided to bring some blush back in my life by doing something on my own. It just took a 175 sq. feet room, some basic infrastructure and most importantly sheer zest to start my small parlour. There was fear but parallel to it was belief.”

“I never compromised on hard work and never ever failed any commitments, thanks to my family’s undying support. I then moved to a 500 sq feet salon and now own a sprawling 5000 sq feet space extending our services to a spa as well. I ventured into personality grooming and my forte became bridal makeup. In fact, I’ve travelled all over the world to dress up high-profile Indian brides. My name is now synonymous to bridal makeup and I know I have completely earned it.”

“I just wanted to live my life with complete freedom”
Admits the pretty Lorraine More, the founder and owner of the world-famous ‘Japalouppe Equestrian Centre Private Limited’ at Talegaon.

“I always wanted economical independence and start my own business. To earn some capital for my venture I started modelling. But this did not go down too well with my conservative husband and his family, so we started living separately. But after 8 months he called me back to join him in his family business of stud farms and I agreed.”

“At first I contemplated whether to start a green house or an equestrian school, but then I chose the latter. Not only because I had experience working at my friend’s equestrian centre in Canada but also because I met a Dutch couple who had the expertise and the equipment for the initial start-up. We were doing really well but with the success, the couple started mishandling the funds. None of my horse-shoes were favouring me as with this started a series of unpleasant events like police cases, mental stress, monetary loss, wrong allegations and other litigations. I was completely shattered as I was left with nothing. But I didn’t give up! With the same passion and commitment, I rose like a phoenix from the ashes and today I am proud that I am riding high with success.”

“My riding school is touted to teach novices in the most friendly but yet professional way. It is also renowned for kids’ camps, corporate training programs, hosting of equestrian competitions, wedding and bachelor parties. Maddox, Brangelina’s son had his first horse riding lesson here. Media is covering us, people are recommending us and we are only galloping ahead!”

“If you want to get to something desperately, you will”
Says the 30 year old, Puja Madan, a social Media Consultant who independently manages the new and famous Sulmoz.

“After doing my MBA from a reputed organisation, I started working at different places but always felt that my creative potential was never tapped to the fullest. I felt that I should do something on my own where I can unleash my creativity.”

“So when social networking was at a nascent stage I had some ideas in my head that I wanted to explore. I knew my family would always support me but I also knew that this was something I needed to do from the ground up myself. So after downloading all my savings and uploading loads of perseverance and devotion I started what is now ‘Sulmoz’, a sought-after consulting agency that offers organisations innovative ways to create the necessary online presence. My efforts have been paid off as I now handle the best clients in the business.”

“A word of advice to all women out there, whatever you face, optimism will pull you out of it for sure! I know it helped me.”

Get art smart!

Looking at owning art that will lend your home that classic touch and work as smart investment as well? We tell you how to go about knowing and then buying your art - from scouring through various talents to budgets. Check out our recommendations! By Smita Singh

Art and You
If you have been keeping yourself away from indulging in art because you don’t fancy yourself as a connoisseur, it’s time to bring home your first treasure. No expert can tell you which piece of beauty will be a joy forever, it’s what you feel when you look at a painting that will help you make the right choice. Here, we take you through the amazing process of seeking and finding what you respond to the most.

Where to go?
There are several prestigious galleries in most major cities and also exhibitions in smaller ones - keep your sight on announcements for these, subscribe to art magazines, make contact with private curators and visit the many websites that list new artists, fresh styles and reviews. Some of the most prestigious galleries in the country are in Mumbai - the topmost being the Pandol Art Gallery where even an unknown artist is catapulted to a great future if featured. Chemould Art Gallery in Mumbai is worth a mention too. In Delhi you have the Delhi Art Gallery with a great website - http://www.delhiartgallery.com. Other impressive art galleries in Delhi are -Vadehra Art Gallery and Dhoomimal Gallery. Also in Delhi the Bose Pacia Art Gallery from New York partners with Nature Morte Art Gallery focusing on contemporary art in India. In fact Art Alive Gallery that has curated shows and catalogues has a great website that aids your choice - www.artalivegallery.com. You can also visit the online gallery http://www.indianartcollectors.com/ as well as http://www.affordindianart.com for a great display of a variety of work.

How to make the decision
Owning a fabulous painting is a joy in itself, but plenty of galleries and curators today suggest that it’s also an investment- a collection that will give you delight for many years and great returns on your investment when you are ready to pass it on. We are aware that a celebrated M F Hussain painting will cost you millions, but there are plenty of artists within reach whose imagination, craft and journey you can follow even though they may not be as recognised now. So start with exploring art at a gallery near you, follow exhibitions and auctions, meet artists and spend time learning what you like- the colours, the themes, the brush strokes before narrowing down on the artist. Once you know what you respond to, take time to seek information about the popularity, scope and potential of that artist’s work, as well as hot sales and styles to help you decide if this is a valuable investment for you.

Picture Perfect - Affordable Art
If you are just starting out, and want to collect pieces without spending too much in the beginning, you could start with buying bigger works of lesser known artists or on the other hand, you could go for the established artists but buy limited editions rather than unlimited since the price gets more competitive for the former. A good thing for beginners would be to go for artists who are backed by galleries and always demand for a document of authenticity while making the purchase. Here are the various brackets and artists whose work you can take a look at -

Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000 - Mohan Malviya, Apurva Desai, Manish Modi, Mithu Sen, TM Aziz
Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 100,000 - Partha Shaw, Ravikumar Kashi, Viraj Naik, Nupur Kundu
Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 200,000 - Akhitam Narayanan, Harshvardhana, Shuvaprasanna, Vaikuntam, Sujata Bajaj, Veer Munshi
Rs. 200,000 onwards - Anjolie Ela Menon, Laxman Goud, Paritosh Sen, K G Subramanyam, Yusuf Arakkal, Lalu Prasad Shaw, Sakti Burman

If you are not looking for investment but would like to light up your space within a budget, you could go for signed prints of established artists like Anjolie Ela Menon, Laxma Goud, Vaikuntam, and Yusuf Arakkal that cost anywhere between 2,500 to 5000 Rupees.

Your wish is their command

On the next wedding, anniversary or birthday that you attend, be rest assured that you are carrying the ideal gift. Chandana Banerjee discovers the latest trend to hit the markets, that of the gift registry and helps you pick up that oh-so-perfect gift

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Make a wish!
“Gift registries or ‘wishlists’ are a simple, fun, and informal way of communicating what one really wants for any big occasion, be it a wedding, baby shower, birthday, house warming or rakhi,” explains Priyanka Agarwal, Director, Wishberry.in, a premium online wishlist & gift registry service.

“Gift givers are now rest assured that they have given the perfect gift for the occasion when they select the gift from the wishlist. It also saves them lot of time, money and energy by keeping the guesswork out of gift giving,” quips Trusha Shah, who launched ShareUrJoy.com in June 2010.

The foundation of gift registries is built on the concept of ‘informed gifting’. “Gift givers know exactly what they want to gift and wishlist makers know exactly what they have wished for and what they are going to receive,” elucidates Trusha, who realised the need for a gift registry service in India during her own wedding.

Just the right thing
The wishlist maker logs on to a gift registry portal, creates a whishlist by choosing the event for which they want the gifts, browses through and adds a range of products, and then shares the list via Facebook, Twitter, email or SMS. The maker also has the option of printing the URL on their invitation cards. The gift givers, on the other hand, can click on the link of the wishlist, select a gift that suits their taste and budget, and pay for it online or offline.

The prices of the gift items can range between Rs. 100 to Rs. 1 lac and above. You can even chip in for a present along with a group of friends instead of buying a single item all on your own. And that’s not all. Apart from material goods, you can also gift ideological gifts like a great vacation, a course or a new hobby to your loved one.

Practical, convenient…and catching on!
Though this concept is very popular in other countries, gift registries are relatively new in India and as life becomes more and more hectic, they are catching up among the younger generation. “People don’t the time to think of the gifts to buy nor to shop for them,” Trusha chips in. Also, with the popularity of social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, people are more comfortable sharing their likes and dislikes, which makes working a wishlist easy, convenient and practical.

“The pioneering consumers of the gift registry concept in India are and will be students who have studied or worked abroad and hence have been exposed to the concept. However, this population is India is still very small. Furthermore, the current generation of Indian parents disapproves of the ‘asking for gifts’ character of gift registries,” observes Priyanka.

Anurag and Abhilasha Juneja, founders of Indiagiftregistry.com agree with Priyanka. “Introducing anything new to any market has its own challenges. One of the biggest challenges which we have faced is the cultural aspect of receiving gifts. Even though everyone gives and accepts gifts, creating a gift registry would mean asking for gifts. That is something which is not culturally accepted in India.” They add that things have evolved over the past few years and now, the concept of gift registries is picking up in the country.

We say, make your own wishlist. This simple and practical service ensures that you’ll receive exactly what you’ve been wishing for and not five sets of glasses, gaudy cushion covers and ten photo frames that you will never, ever use!

5 steps to a ruined career

Often, it's that one small mistake that ruins a perfectly good situation. And your actions go on and make it worse. Smita Singh lists out 5 professional mistakes that are sure to lead to a ruined career and are best not committed

1. Compromising integrity
From planting fake stories as a journalist to leaking details of your clients and company data, losing integrity is professional suicide. Even if you feel pressure from the top or from within to compromise in order to rise faster, throwing your code of honour to the winds will only speed you out of your current job with zero references and a lot of muck on your resume. You may never recover since news spreads fast and bad news faster. Go slow, steady, and strong on principles and you’ll have a long, fruitful career ahead of you. Keep it clean and ensure you have a great reputation built before that bank balance!

2. Being miss goody two shoes
Remember, the not-so-meek will get promoted. If you don’t rise to the occasion, take the credit, show your efforts, and celebrate your achievements, people will think you suffer from low self-esteem. And no one is going to promote someone with low self esteem, how will she lead a team? Humility is great, but you needn’t overkill it. In today’s competitive world, you need to work hard and make sure that those who matter know that you do. So don’t let that pushy colleague or that selfish boss hog the limelight. Step up and acknowledge your contribution and don’t be afraid to demand what is justly yours.

3. It’s office, not home
Surely you would like to carry a little bit of yourself to your work place, but if you move bag and loads of baggage to the office, it will reduce your concentration and hamper your productivity. Also, shrieking and screaming at people like you did at home when your kids overturned that table is a sure shot way of losing respect. Your boss will doubt your confidence if you well up with emotion every time she points out mistakes.

So keep your Kleenex handy, go to the washroom or hammer the wall, but come out composed and try to keep the lid on, most times. Furious, jumpy, miserable, and hypersensitive are definitely not the kind of people one wants to work with. There is a code of conduct at the work place that you are expected to follow and no matter who you are and where you are coming from, don’t carry your emotional baggage around - its heavy and you’ll be the only one holding it.

4. Taking on more than you can chew
Unintentional blunders can be forgiven but a reputation of being someone who bites off more than she can chew without delivering can quickly send you packing. Believing in your ability to achieve the impossible is great, especially when you are pushed to the wall, but risking your employer’s reputation, your company’s resources, and your own career to get that high is not worth it. More CEOs are fired for doing more than expected than doing less. So take that initiative, tackle that challenge, but don’t forget you are paid to do a job, not exercise your dare devilry at the cost of others.

5. Staying put
Yup! They can build a monument where you sat and sloughed for ages before they had to carry you out, but you won’t be seeing it in your professional life since it’ll be over before they build it! It’s one thing to be loyal to your company and sticking it out, but being afraid to venture out and try your fortune and skills in a more challenging and rewarding environment will not keep you stable, it will make you stale. So get up before you get fossilised and look for more challenging opportunities! Go on, live your best life!

Rocking at 30

Is thirty that magical age when you're most comfortable with yourself and are raring to go? Sheetal Anand chats with 3 women achievers who've embraced the thirties with panache. Read on to find out how rocking their thirties are

‘Just as I turned thirty, I bagged the Commonwealth Games 2010!’
Meet Nivedita Saboo, gold medalist from NIFT, New Delhi, whose designs have been showcased at the Hong Kong and Pune Fashion Week. She designs for the likes of Kareena Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Diana Hayden and for Femina Miss India and Grasim Mr India contestants. Nivedita was recently awarded the prestigious assignment of designing the entire apparel for the CWG Delhi 2010.

Her motto in life is simple. She says, “Believe in yourself. And success will follow! That’s the mantra I’ve been following ever since I began with a single machine 8 years ago. My design unit today employs over 90 skilled craftsmen. “

“But success does not come easy. The initial struggle was overcome with determination and thorough understanding of the trade. Today, as I have turned thirty, I feel very self-assured and confident to face challenges in the future.”

“I’m definitely not slowing down with age. Just recently, I finished shooting for an Amol Palekar film in Sikkim and am truly overwhelmed by the experience. Doing something different, even if not related to my profession, is what I think enhances the richness of life. What’s age got to do with it?”

‘At thirty, I found my purpose on earth’

Khushmita Sanghvi quit her corporate career last year to become a full time yoga instructor. This year, she turned thirty. That’s when she also completed a course in Laughter Yoga. She is living up to her name in doing her generous bit of spreading joy and happiness!

Khushmita says, “Suddenly, at thirty, everything fell in place. I knew I had to make that paradigm shift in my career. I knew I had to spread laughter and joy.”

“I started my own Laughter Club which was initially ridiculed and is now attracting larger participation with every passing week. I feel so blessed when people from all walks of life, executives, students, patients, the elderly, and the disabled tell me how their lives have been transformed. All I want to do now is infuse lives with positivity, energy and health.”

Looking forward to all these endeavours, she is confident of success. And what’s the secret? She says, “It is happiness at thirty where I found my true purpose of life. I am completely in tune with my inner self. I believe what’s inside reflects on the outside.”

‘At thirty, I feel like a bird out of a cage’

Meet Avanthi Hiremath, founder of www.ajency.in, a digital agency offering online solutions. Says Avanthi, “I experienced an early mid-life crisis in my twenties. A degree in microbiology, an MBA, and job stints at various organisations did not inspire me. I had to deal with disillusionment and disgust. I couldn’t see myself doing something that did not give me contentment or peace of mind.”

“Now that I have touched thirty, I am really happy about the way life is shaping up for me. On the personal front, I have found the best husband ever. And together, we are helping people with their digital needs. So, whether it’s an orthopaedic surgeon in Mumbai, an avid traveller in Florida, a consultant in Dublin or a financial group in Canberra, we have solutions for all.”

“I am enjoying every moment of being thirty. It is that age when you can listen to your inner voice even if it means having to defy conventional wisdom…and I just love it!”

Femina makes the big 30 more exciting by associating with the film “Turning 30”. For more dope on turning 30, visit our facebook and twitter pages.

Get dirty before 30

Nervous about hitting your thirties soon? Why not make a bucket list instead, of living life to the tee while you are still in your Tweeny Twenties? Here are 10 things we urge you to tick off before you turn 3 decades old.

1) Travel on two wheels: Travel, for one, is on top of the list, but taking a mundane package tour is so not on. Instead, we urge you to learn how to ride a bike, or better still, tame a Harley Davidson and take a trip up North. Plan it out with your girl pals and traverse the serene peaks of the Himalayas or soak in the sun as you ride along in the Swiss gullies.

2) Get art smart: Owning a genuine masterpiece and flaunting it on the hall wall is quite a thing to do. Moreover, it’s the most beautiful investment there is and if you manage to pull it off before you are 30, you deserve to feel proud of yourself. If you can’t afford a top artist, go for a not-so-expensive but a promising one and you will not be disappointed. Talk to art dealers to get started.

3) Doll-phins: Dolls like to swim with the dolphins. They probably are the only guys who are known to be the most obedient and friendly, so a trip to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Orlando or Western Australia to swim with the dolphins is something you really must make.

4) Do the Coyote Ugly: The women-run NYC saloon wants some crazy cats for comic yelling, bartending, playing the bouncer at the entry and cocktail waitressing. If you think you fit the bill for any, apply right away at http://www.coyoteuglysaloon.com/jobs.html or just book yourself there for enjoying the experience this hugely popular saloon extends.

5) Strip tease: Visiting a male strip tease bar and whistling away at the muscle display might not be a bad thing to do after all. And if it is, at least you will know how bad it is. Bangkok has some nice joints including the Gogo Bar. Las Vegas, Budapest, Paris have these too. Alternatively, you could hire a male stripper for your friend’s hen party and go full Monty right here in your own city!

6) Sail in the skies: A maiden hot air balloon ride in the pristine blue skies would be just the thing to do while your spirit of adventure and romance is soaring. Though it might cost a third of your pay, it will be a memory you will hold on to forever. Take the ride from Skywaltz Balloon Safaris in Rajasthan and choose your dream sky safari.

7) Challenge gravity: Want to fall like Newton’s Apple from the highest bungee site in the world? The Macau Tower in Hong Kong will get your screaming your lungs out. If not Hong Kong, find the next best bungee around town and take the plunge. Literally. But remember, this isn’t for the faint-hearted.

8) De-tox: After all that sinful stuff, you might want to take a breather and detox yourself mentally and spiritually. Take a ten-day Vipassana meditation course, one of the most ancient meditation techniques of India. Rediscover and concentrate on your inner-self. Set aside this time to focus, think and plan your life ahead. Visit http://www.dhamma.org/ for more details.

9) Rock it till you die: At least once in a lifetime, you must splurge on getting good tickets for attending your favourite rock band’s performance. Travel across seven seas for it if you have to, groove, go wild in the mosh pit and scream along as much as you like while your ear drums can still take it.

10) Ride a ship or pilot a plane: Speaking of woman power, how about taking a flying course at the Indian Aviation Institute, or learning to ride a cruise ship? Maybe you could qualify to ride the Gondola as well and sail the quiet waters of Venice by yourself.

Hot, hot yoga

It makes you grateful for the fresh, chilly air of a winter morning. It's proven to shrink those body sizes and blast toxins and stress right out. But it's not as pleasant or easy as a Suryanamaskar. Baisakhi Roy sweats it out in a gruelling class of hot yoga

No sweat
Quite the opposite is true for this form of yoga which is fast becoming a hot trend for women who want the pounds to melt away. Indeed, it is a very effective way to lose weight. “The room is set at 35-40 degrees, which is ideal. The heat warms up the muscles and joints. Then we proceed to twists, stretches, compression and pranayama (deep breathing). It’s a complete workout,” says Isabel Lambert, Director and teacher at Tula Yoga Spa in downtown Toronto. Hot yoga teachers insist that this form of exercise requires consistency; it is not a weight loss pill. A person has to practice hot yoga with regularity to achieve visible results.

Complete detox
The main focus in regular yoga is breathing. The emphasis here is on detoxification, with the heat pushing your body to the limit. The exercises tone and sculpt the body, the heart and lungs receive a work out, and the digestive system gets cleansed. There is deep purification throughout the body, including most of the internal organs. The lymphatic system is massaged and stimulated. The result is a more toned body with increased flexibility!

Heat it up!
The first hurdle that a hot yoga newbie faces is getting through the heat factor. 15-20 minutes into a session and your body begins to get used to the discomfort. Some newcomers may feel nauseous but that passes too, if you take it easy. Lots of breaks when you can simply lie down and breathe, along with sips of water, are recommended. Pregnant women and people with heart conditions are required to consult a doctor before attempting hot yoga because of the heat and the elevation of the heart rate. The humidity levels could go up to 60% in a hot yoga session.

The perfect wellness experience
With the purification and cleansing of the digestive and respiratory systems comes good internal organ health. Hot yoga is the ultimate relaxation technique. The detoxification results in stress release, good hormonal balance, and rejuvenation of all internal organs. A calmer mind and increased energy leads to more awareness and feelings of contentment and well being. This often translates into an immediate improvement in your skin’s appearance. Who needs a spa anymore?

Take your pick
There is a choice between a slower, more structured class and a vigorous, power yoga class. Relaxed and serene or nimble and stretched, whatever be your preference, you can alter a hot yoga session to suit you. Both ways, there is intense sweating and the heart rate lunges. Couple that with the internalisation of the breathing process and you have a great package for the mind, body, and soul!

Be warned
Keep yourself hydrated
Bring towels; the sweat could make your yoga mat slippery
Avoid hot yoga if you are pregnant or have a heart condition
Consult your doctor
Learn from a certified practitioner

Young, but not restless

As we celebrate National Youth Day, Asawari chats with 3 young women entrepreneurs and finds out how they have redefined youth with their passion, innovation, creativity, and dedication towards their work

‘At 24, it’s great to be your own boss!’
Says Shaheen Peerbhai who successfully runs a food blog purplefoodie.com, and a catering business in Mumbai with a huge fan following.

“My dad always told me that whatever I do when I grow up, I should ultimately only work for myself. That stuck in my head forever. Although I started my blog just to pamper my creative juices, I soon took it up as a full-time job of making customised cakes and savouries on order.”

“I believe that innovation is integral these days and the youth of today are really passionate and hungry to express themselves differently, which works well even for me. What set purplefoodie.com apart is that not only is it just a click away but that it offers innovative recipes like chocolate cinnamon babka or the Nutella pinwheel cookies that one has never heard of. “

“And the best part is I’m receiving tremendous response…that’s probably why I foresee myself opening my own dessert café someday! But the key to making it all possible is to dream and make sure you make it happen.”

‘Go out and do all that you think you can. Age is not an excuse.’
Vriti Jatia did just that. She is a 23 year old fashion designer who owns a youth brand called ‘Vriti’.

“I cater to the age group of 25-40 and my designs are an exact impression of my thinking. Although during my start-up days I had to face many loose threads, but risk is something one has to take anywhere…then why not take it in something you are really passionate about? I didn’t even hesitate to take the support of my family and friends and well, it worked.”

“After all, everyone welcomes new things in life. And youngsters now have the personalities and sheer determination to deliver. That’s probably why even I ensure that my work interweaves a lot of creativity and novelty…that is sure to make my creations showstoppers!”

“India is changing and the youth is its tomorrow. There is nothing like the old and young and that’s why my message to all the youngsters is ‘Go achieve it!’”

‘Youth is the power of today.’
Meet another young woman entrepreneur, Komal Lath, all of 24 years of age. She manages ‘Tute Consult’, a communications consultancy for lifestyle and entertainment clients.

“The name is aptly taken from that of an Egyptian ruler ‘Tutankhamen’ who was young, rich, and restless. It is the same mantra that drives my company as well! The services my company offers are not what you would find on any other shelf because we offer our clients a package of total integrated communication. Although many clients still expect a conference room with PowerPoint presentations and jacketed MBAs, they are open to listening to the new ideas of the youth.”

“I too am in the youth brigade and being my own boss is what will make me grow. What worked for me and what might work for other youngsters is that when you are doing what you like, you love burning the midnight oil! Success is then inevitable.”