Aquarium in San Thome open to public

Reported by Praveshika kumar

This summer you may want to check out the aquarium at the Zoological Survey of India campus at San Thome High Road.
This place displays a variety of fish found along the coast of India and some got from the coast off Rameswaram.

Staffer Govindarajan said that they have sea life exhbited here under categories like fish crustaceans and reptiles.

Govindarajan also told me that this centre has been here for the past 20 years.

The fish in the aquarium are fed with live fish from time to time.
 
The rare aquatic life that I found here were the ocean eel and the sea cucumber which is supposed to be an  Echinoderms or boneless fishes.

This place is open from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm on all days. This place is at No 130, San Thome High Road, Foreshore Estate, Chennai - 600028.
Phone - 24643255 or 24643378

Centre for art, cookery courses

Reported by Praveshika Kumar

Shrishti the School of Culinary Arts and Crafts which is owned by Latha Mani Rajkumar teaches arts and crafts for both children and adults.
She has been awarded the Mother Teresa Excellence Award 2010 and Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal Award 2011.
She told me that she always liked to draw and did so from her second standard.
Latha did a diploma in arts and later studied catering. She has specialized in Tanjore painting. She said that she wanted to teach art because she was inspired by her teachers.
In her institute, she takes children who are 3/12 years and above to seniors.
She teaches basic drawing and the different styles of painting like glass painting, mural art and Tanjore painting, etc.
She said that even doctors learn from her as art is a stress buster for people who really enjoy doing it.

Latha also teaches cake making, cosmetology and tailoring.

The centre is open from 9:00 am till 7:00 pm
At New no 17, Second Link street C.I.T Colony, Mylapore. Contact – 044-24992586 /             +91-9884415279    

Janaki runs a library in Mandaveli that is 27 years old

Reported by Praveshika kumar

Leo Library is run by a senior lady called Janaki Neelamani. It is a lending library in Mandaveli and it has been there for the past 27 years but the library is very small.

Janaki Neelamani is an author for more than 20 Tamil books. In the library they have old Tamil novels and childrens comics too.
Though small, this place have over 2000 members.

The membership fee is rupees 100 to register and. the fee to lend each book is starts from rupees two and goes up to 10. The lending period for each book is 10 days and extension is also available accordingly.

She told me that the former chief minister M. Karunanidi has awarded her and given her 5 lakhs.

This library is located at 37, Mandaveli Street, Chennai 600028.
Contact: Jananki Neelamani-             +91-9444542733    

Skating Classes in Mandaveli

Reported by Praveshika Kumar

Skating classes are held at V-Excel, a special school in Mandaveli.

They teach skating for children as well as for autistic children.

These classes have been on for the past 6 years.

Children who are 31/2 years and above can sign up and the monthly fee is Rs.1000. Classes are held thrice a week.
Vijay is the instructor here.
This school is located at: # 1, Norton 2nd Street, Mandaveli.
Contact: 24956373 / 24620243 / 24613525

New grocery store in Mandavelipakkam

Reported by Praveshika K

The six month old second branch of Rahman Grocery Store in Mandavelipakkam offers groceries and provisions.

The owner of the shop is Abdul Rahman. He already owns a store in Atanjan Street, Mandavelli which has been there for the past 30 years.

He said sales at the new store have been good.

You can also shop for dairy products here. It also offers home delivery for free.

One minus point here is that the aisles are too narrow to drag the carts around.

The store timings – from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on all 7 days.

Address -  new no 121, 2nd Trust Main Road, Mandavellipakkam Chennai 600028.

Contact = 044- 42329016

IBACO—The icecream parlour in Beasant Nagar

The Arun ice creams have changed their name to ibaco. But what does ibaco mean??

Ibaco is one of the many styles of scooping the ice cream. The ibaco outlets are part

Of the HATSUN group of which companies like AROKYA and ARUN are a part.

But the packing is done by Arun ice creams.They have 17 outlets in Chennai.

 Ibaco has 36 flavours. Their specialities are Unique flavours like Macedemia,

 Maha Raj Bhog , California pista,etc.

Their official address is:- 5A,Vijayaraghava Road

                                        T.Nagar,Chennai-17.

Manager- Mr. Nickson

Phone number- 9840946266.

Web address:- www.hatsun.com  

Vivek and Venkateswaran: create application which helps us select videos, games online

Vivek Vaidyanathan who has just graduated from grade 12 in P. S Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, along with his partner, Venkateswaran Vaidyanathan, are innovative software engineering youth. 


The two have ceated 'The Media Place', an innovative Java application which allows its users to search for, select and buy music and games with an instant, 'click'. 


In a school-level competition on Java application held at the end of the 12th grade, The Media Place team bagged the first place and won a prize of Rs.2000. 


The application has since gained significant attention and could prove that two young programmers are on their way to becoming tomorrow's top developers. 


Vivek says the application enables the user to search, select and buy music, movies and games instead of pouring over shelves of the same, thereby saving time and energy of the buyer and the seller. 


He says that the user also has the previlege to take a sneak peak at the music, the movies and the games they are about to buy.


"It also notifies the buyer as soon as a transaction is triggered by the user. The notification takes palce through email, " says Vivek. 


Vivek adds that he and Venkateswaran enjoy challenges,  "this project was an opportunity for us to learn more about the ways we can improve as programmers and see for ourselves how we can use our talent in a real time application that could be commercialised."


Vivek feels that Java is THE most prominent programming language and the platform for client server applications run across the globe on a massive scale.


"Java apps are also used in our everyday life in simple instruments such as stereos, radios, cars and so much more. Java has a versatile approach and is user friendly in all respects, " he adds.




Vivek says his love for games tickled his curiousity and incited his thinking. I used to ask myself -"How is it that at the exact moment when the bullet hits the plane, there is an explosion? What commands this order of events?"  It was then that i learnt about programming codes, which are nothing but a set of logical codes in the language of the computer, which tell the computer what to do and when to do it. 


Vivek cites a particular incident that took place on his first day of schooling  in Chennai, at P S Senior School.


"I stumbled over Basic, which was a language taught to us in that class. I found the programming interesting and delved into it. The next day, having gone over the entire language in a single day, i finished a programming assignment the fastest in the class, " he adds.




Vivek credits P. S. Senior for his academic interest and excellence. "The teachers of my school were always there for us, helping and guiding us. "


On the duo's plans ahead, Vivek says they are now looking towards upgrading the project to make it more commercial.

Vivek lives in Mylapore  and Venkateswaran lives in .Valasarvaakam You can reach Vivek at 9094852738 

Let's audit local civic projects

You have cribbed about the garbage piles outside your apartment block.
You have cribbed about the potholed street that you negotiate to and from work.

You are now cribbing about the unfinished drains in your colony.

There is a bit that you can do to bring some sense to all that your civic body, the Corporation of Chennai promises to do for you.

Make some simple suggestions for your area's projects. Take a good look at what is proposed. Do a simple survey of the works which have been executed.

At our newspapers, we have made an earnest attempt to get our reportage closer to our local Wards, our elected councillors and MLAs and our local state bodies.

Years ago, when we sought to be at the monthly meetings of the councillors and local officials at the zone level, we were told we did not have permission to do this.

So we hung outside, coaxed a friendly councillor to give us a copy of the proposals, chatted with others and reported key issues that affect you and me.

In time, officers and the elected gave us some space and respect. We were now alerted to these meets so we could cover them a tad closely.

For some time now, we have been publishing the key issues and projects that are proposed and debated at hall meetings.

This is not a mere typist-kind of job. Terms have to be understood, projects have to be explained and often, we have to read between the lines.

We have gone one step up - we try to take up some issues/projects and report on them. Why does one councillor have to allocate funds for a gym that has been closed most times? Why is July the season for building bus shelters? What kind of street board designs does the civic body have in mind for neighbourhoods?

More  importantly, these projects need to be audited. Lakhs of rupees are allocated for parks, street boards, drains and street lights. Are they spent on what was listed? Was the project delivered? What did not work?

This is where citizens of each Ward, made up of 3 or 4 nagars can do that extra bit to be auditors of public, local projects. Collate data, make them public, engage with the elected, the officials and the civic body.

Perhaps, there will be a change for the better?

An interview with budding singer Sathya Parthassarati

Reported by Monika.S

Sathya Parthassarati is a budding singer and an artist. Sathya is a 2nd year B.Com student of Holy Cross College, Trichy.  This is an interview with the eighteen year old.

Q : Tell us a little about yourself.  

Sathya: I’m an alumni of St.Joseph’s  Convent and currently doing my B.Com in Holy Cross College, Trichy. I want to pursue my MBA and become an entrepreneur  in an innovative  field  and excel in my singing career as well.

Q: When did you start singing?

Sathya: I started attending music classes  when I was six years old and was trained by Mrs. Muthu Lakshmi, a senior Carnatic singer and a trainer. I initially started singing in school from my 4th Class and later participated in inter school competitions and cultural events. I got the opportunity to sing on air in the All India Radio and it was a driving force for my singing career.

Q : How has your singing progressed ?

Sathya: I have learnt Carnatic music and I also got acquainted with film songs singing and have taken part in solo and group performances as well. But since entering college I have not had many competitions to take part in.

Q: What else keeps you busy?

I have compered many events and programmes on local TV channels. I’m also the President of the Rotaract Club of my college.
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Sathya Parthassarati

                                           Skrat, the band is back

                                                                - Reported by Anita Rajan

SKRAT is a four member rock band based in Chennai.

With Sriram as the lead vocalist, Tapass as the drummer, Abhinav as the guitarist and Satish on the bass, this band was formed on July 15, 2006 and they played their first concert on July 21 at the Unwind Center, Adyar opening for another band, Nervewrek

Skrat has had an eventful life and recently ( May 3) it was back at the Unwind Center to play a gig after a break.

The band spoke to me, telling me how they got this name - "at one point we were unable to decide the name of the band, and while watching ice age, we decided to name the band after the squirrel in the movie."

Skrat has started playing in 2012 after a break of almost two years. 

They said, "We were searching for a new direction and  a meaning for our sound and music. And we found it - Rock meets a fun, quirky side, clearly illustrated by our songs."

The band has released a new album titled “Design” in March, which features 8 songs. 

Skrat’s major influences are some of the greatest rock bands, including The Vines, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.