Literature/ Art/Music/Education - Best Places of Interest

February 12, 2018 Literature/ Art/Music/Education

Not a bad way to spend a Friday at the Knowledge Factory

Splendid lobby inside Taj, Santacruz, Knowledge Factory

Last week, I received an invite for an event called Knowledge Factory from Blogadda. It was a great opportunity for networking with celebrities like Riccha Chadda, Sona Mohapatra, Chairman of 5F World, were some of the speakers for the event. The event included activities like Quiz, Networking Lunch etc.

What is Knowledge Factory?

Knowledge Factory is a platform for young professionals to meet over a meaningful experience. It is an avenue for knowledge exchange through a fun and interesting way. The tagline Mind. Mischief. More is about serious fun. It leaves a lot to the imagination because the Factory is an open canvas. Much of what happens on the day is open to interpretation.

When was the event?
9 February 2017

Where?
Taj Santacruz

Arrival at the venue- Arrived at the venue as per the scheduled time.

Greenery at Taj, Santacruz- Knowledge Factory

Entrance of Taj for Knowledge Factory

The presenter for the event was Rini Simon Khanna who introduced us to the speakers and the sessions for the events. In her words, ‘what is Knowledge Factory’?

To summarize, Rini Simon Khanna, in short

Knowledge factory-fun way to learn #KF2018 @knowfactind

Who is Rini Simon Khanna?

Rini Simon Khanna is a noted Indian television news anchor, who worked with state-run Doordarshan (1985 – 2001) which made her a “household name”, and later started a career as voiceover professional and anchor person for various events. She started her career as a newscaster with All India Radio in 1982.

In addition to presenting news, Rini is an experienced Voice talent, rendering commentary and voiceovers for documentaries, advt films and feature-films. She also anchors international and national conferences, cultural shows and seminars for prestigious organisations, UN agencies, corporate groups and Government agencies. She has also given the female voice over for the Delhi Metro along with male voice over of Shammi Narang.

About the event–

Knowledge Factory- A day long festival of knowledge, insights, and trivia. It was not a bad way to spend a Friday! #KF2018 @knowfactind

Not a bad way to spend a Friday! #kf2018 @KnowFactInd pic.twitter.com/5fGpUtm8X3
— Tricia Silveira (@Triciasilveira6) February 9, 2018

Knowledge Factory event started with the 1st session ‘The Leadership Dilemma: Is authority an outmoded word?’ The speakers for the event were Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom 18 and Madhavan Narayan-Senior Journalist.

Kicking off the first session at #KF2018 – the Leadership Dilemma with Madhavan Narayanan and Raj Nayak in conversation. pic.twitter.com/OWPjvozJOt
— Amith P (@amithpr) February 9, 2018

Raj Nayak, COO, Viacom 18 stated that ‘Leadership does not come with title or experience. Integrity and trust are 2 most important traits of leaders.’ Success does not come at the cost of others. We can all grow together. You have to be a good human being to be a good leader. Every human being as a good and bad quality. Everyone works for respect and recognition. Respect, recognition and reward are the three things that make the younger generation empowered.

@rajcheerfull of @Viacom sharing some gems on leadership with @madversity at #KF2018 @RepTodayMag
1. People misconstrue leadership for titles
2. Leader has to be first among equals
3. Engagement remains the key pic.twitter.com/26QGI3KHsO
— S A N I L (@SaNiLNoTSuNiL) February 9, 2018

The 2nd session was “Future of travel-What possibilities does travel hold in the age of online everything?” It was a panel discussion between Malini Gowrishankar, Founder CEO F5Escapes, Rajnish Kumar, CTO and Co-Founder of Ixigo and Meena Vaidyanathan, Founder director of Nitti Consulting.

• Rajnish states that the travel agent of the future will not be a human.
• Chat bots, AR and not VR are the future of travel. Voice activated Tara from Ixigo is impressive. Alexa needs to watch out this competition if there is no collaboration.
• VR is not picked up because of lack of content and also is costly.
• A travel agency that thinks about improving your travel experience as personal choices will be a game changer.
• Content is a game changer.
• Tara is the new travel assistant for your travel needs.
• A story pops up on your handset based on GPS- how tech can aid tourism.
• Lots more stuff to elevate travel say panelists enabled by technology as a Bolton.
• AR will emerge as quality of content improves.
• No substitute for infrastructure. Infrastructure is not letting tourism bloom in India.
Rajnish states – “Imagine moving from one point on the planet to another in 2 hours. Rocket science, meet sustainable hotels.”

Networking at Tea

Networking at tea, knowledge factory

Tea time, Knowledge factory

The 3rd session was “The Chef’s way to a healthier life: Balancing the way and the palate’

This panel included Vikas Seth- Culinary Directory, Embassy India, Gresham Fernandes- Corporate Chief, Impressario Group and Madulika Dash- Food and culture columnist.

Vikas Seth said ‘Millets are healthy as quinoa, less expensive. We can make millets interesting. Even make nachos. Millets require minimum water, less pesticides are used.”

Millets to be added to breakfast will keep you full #KF2018 @v_seth add it to Roti, Dosa #foodtrick #foodtip #eathealthy pic.twitter.com/fp9g9PFmPF
— Moksh Juneja (@mokshjuneja) February 9, 2018

Gresham Fernandes- “Fresh is good” “Make your own food. You want apple pie? Get your apples, knead the dough, bake it yourself. That is healthy.” “Eat what your ancestors ate, what your grandmother cooked. That’s how you will be healthy.
Vikas Seth- “Too much demand for fish has caused overfishing and this affects production. You should eat everything. Fish is healthy and light but everyone need to eat everything.
Gresham Fernandes’s health tip- “Seasonal eating in restraint’’
Madulika Dash- “Mushrooms won’t be around in a decade because it is difficult to grow.”
Dessert will vanish post meals by 2040.
Eat local, consume what you have been eating at home…Mindful eating is the key.
A health tip-“Start with dessert before you have a meal.”
Sodium in packaged food needs to be curtailed for health.

4th session “Environment and US- Quest of our young and the restless for a green, fair life” -Richa Chaddha, actor

@RichaChadha at Knowledge Factory 😃 #KF2018 pic.twitter.com/960DObO7do
— Daksh Juneja (@dakshjuneja) February 9, 2018

Climate change is a serious matter.
Food choices, are also impacting climate change and a simple switch, individual decision can make a bigger impact.
Eat organic and local food produce.
The problem is not in food production but the food distribution.
We laughed at bottled water some year back, not far away, kids will be using bottled air.
Don’t confuse consumerism with development. Be mindful of the interrelatedness and consequences of nature and environment.
Technology is supposed to assist us and not make us its slave.

The 5th session was about “Gender Pay Gap: Exploring work and fair play for millions of women.”

The panel consisted of Sona Mohpatra- singer, lyricist and composer, Ganesh Natarajan, Chairman, 5F World (formerly with Nasscom) and Senthil Chengalvarayan, Former President, CNBC-TV18

We are truly regressing as we are progressing when it comes to gender equality! Sadly there are less of females given chance to go everywhere.
Women need to be part of decision-making process- Sonam Mohpatra
To highlight gender gap-a Canadian magazine publishes two issues-one for women and other priced 26% higher for men.
Ganesh Natarajan- “My belief is women have all the skills of a man and more.
Women need to support women. Women must be competitive and not put each other down.

Because inequality in decision-making is the biggest hurdle in empowerment & merely changing policies without the will to implement, visit & revisit informal cultural norms & start & sustain a dialogue is not sufficient to transform deeply imbedded power structures. #KF2018 https://t.co/TLnTGR4Yg1
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) February 9, 2018

Lunch time at knowledge factory

Lunch time, knowledge factory

6th session after lunch- Terrorism through other prisms: Unravelling the individual and social
The panelists were Brahmachari Jamal Spiritual teacher, Ananda Sangha, Prof. Anil Sawarikar- Head of Psychology Department, Fergusson College, Shreya Narayan Actor, writer, Chakra Healing Follower.

“Terrorists are not usually a psychopath” – Anil Sawarkar #KF2018 pic.twitter.com/u3v4743M4Q
— Knowledge Factory (@KnowFactInd) February 9, 2018

• Human beings are inherently violent ~Freud
• Prof. Anil Sawarkar comes up with insight on how mass violence can be induced by manipulating psychology: an experiment backed this up.
• Energy within us defines us in terms of feeling hopelessness or positively.
• “Politicians love separating people. We are living in a dangerous age” as stated by Brahmachari Jemal. How terrorism gets mass justification.
• A terrorist is low on self-esteem
• According to Prof. Anil Sawarkar, suicide bombers have low self-esteem manipulated by terrorist leadership to extreme acts personality disorders and terrorism.

If you have critical thinking, you cannot be turned into a terrorist- Prof Anil Sawarkar on how kids need to be taught to face failure and made psychologically strong.
A measured mindful look at how terrorism can be overcome through active thinking and psychology. Intriguing though no solutions found.!

The 7^th session – Theatre in the digital age with Sanjana Kapoor, Prithvi Theatre, Deepa Gehlot of NCPA and Subodh Maskara, Producer, actor, entrepreneur, Cineplay, Hotstar

Great to see @sanjnawithjunoo at #KF2018 discussing #theatre in the digital age with @deepagahlot and @subodhmaskara pic.twitter.com/A4KpByvgnv
— Madhavan Narayanan (@madversity) February 9, 2018

• Theatre is an art form which has been dying since many years but still continues to thrive.

Next stop – theatre in digital age #KF2018 pic.twitter.com/kDUoYkCAtK
— Daksh Juneja (@dakshjuneja) February 9, 2018

Cineplay blends stage with cinema to shoot in a studio for a hybrid to take it to larger audience.
Nothing can replace the magic of a live engagement says Sanjana Kapoor on theatre. Says technology enhances but does not replace it.
Technology helps archive theatre.
In a play, the viewer, uses their imagination and captures it, unlike in cinema.
Theatre stories are politically and socially charged.
Technology, library like @LetsCinePlay will help bring in monetary benefit to plays.

Tea break and then there was the Hindi Cinema Nostalgia Quiz.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Friday at the Knowledge Factory and getting goodies to take home.

Love the goodies in the big bag of ideas #kf2018 pic.twitter.com/Y9h5SFBO49
— Moksh Juneja (@mokshjuneja) February 9, 2018

Thank you, Blogadda

December 1, 2017 Literature/ Art/Music/Education

What can international schooling do for your children?

International schooling

With global competition for an opportunity of all kinds continuing to heat up, the pressure to make the right choices for your child’s future is high. One of the biggest choices you have to make is regarding education. Public, private, or independent? In what location? In which languages? Which curriculum? What advantages will it offer your child?

International schooling can provide answers to many of those questions. Available in many locations around the world, international schools typically offer many benefits, such as:

World-recognized curricula including the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP)
“Portable education” – consistent, high-quality instruction that’s recognized and transferable to other schools around the world that prepares students to achieve entry to world-class universities
Instruction in the English Language, often with support for first-language speakers, softens the challenges of living in a location where another language is used and sets children up for future international business success
Higher average GPA than most public schools
Diverse, international and generally well-traveled student body
Easier to integrate into than many homogeneous public schools, where differences can be cause for harassment
Social connections with a diverse community around the world
Greater understanding of other people and places due to exposure to a diverse student body
Focus on quality added-value and extra-curricular programming
Superior “soft-skills” development such as critical thinking and social interaction
Quality facilities and amenities such as healthier meal plans and activity programs
Opportunities for connection and support for the whole family

If you place a high priority on academic achievement, diverse programming and exposure to a well-traveled, well-educated world community, international schooling could be an excellent way to set your child up for the future. The quality of education, with programs such as the IB or AP curricula, accommodates moves during the school years and sets your child up to enter top universities around the world.

International schooling — Image credit- Depositphotos

Building relationships with people from a variety of backgrounds are not only great for social development and critical thinking skills, it can lead to a deep network of connections and opportunities around the world in the future. The ability to make new friends, adjust to social situations, and maintain relationships across traditional boundaries can set children up for future success in a globalized economy. Comfort with travel and change are also essential skills in the evolving world.

Choosing the right international school for your child will depend on location, program, and other desired benefits. IB schools in Singapore or Hong Kong offer internationally recognized superior curriculum in world-class cities where English is widely understood and much of the Asia-Pacific region is within easy reach. Or perhaps an AP school in London or New York is a better fit, with strong academic programs and some of the best universities in the world just a short distance away.

Equip your child for the future with a world-class education at an international school. Education that not only gives children the knowledge they need to succeed but the connections, confidence and social comfort to build a happy, accomplished future.

David J Goldstein is an educational journalist with over 35 years of writing experience, and is currently researching different education methods from around the world.

November 29, 2017 Book reviews, Promotional

At the book launch of ‘Buried Seeds’ by Chef Vikas Khanna

I love watching Masterchef India so could not resist this invitation

Chef Vikas Khanna is an award-winning Michelin Starred Indian Chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, filmmaker, humanitarian and judge of Master Chef India. Buried Seeds is a timeless story of struggle, passion, willpower, failure, and rise. It recreates his childhood, finding comfort in his grandmother’s kitchen and follows the journey of an immigrant enduring overwhelming obstacle and pain in achieving his dreams.

Prof. Dr. Y. G. Tharakan, First Guru of Chef Vikas Khanna & Current Dean, (Le Cordon Bleu School of Hospitality, GD Goenka University said, “A recipe has no soul, you must bring the soul to the recipe, Chef Vikas Khanna has strived hard to learn this art of giving soul to his recipes.”

Chef Vikas Khanna with a fan at the book launch — Chef Vikas Khanna at the book launch

Chef Vikas Khanna launched his biography “Buried Seeds” at GD Goenka University
“The book is all about my journey from Punjab where I grew up, my years in Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal University, where I studied to become a Chef, and thereafter, all ups and downs, I have been through to become what I’m today. My life has been like a seed which had to be buried to grow in to a tree” and so the title of the book.” said Vikas.

You may like to watch this video

Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony

In order to commemorate the visit of Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna, Le Cordon Bleu School of Hospitality GD Goenka University organized a Christmas cake mixing ceremony. An interesting array of fruits, nuts, and spices with bottles of Wine, Rum, Whisky, and Brandy were arranged in the pattern of the university emblem. The Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, and Deans along with Chef Vikas Khanna initiated the ritualistic process of mixing fruits in festivities style followed world over as a harbinger of good tidings and happiness.

Vikas Khanna with the dean

June 28, 2017 Literature/ Art/Music/Education

Classics its Classy!- A Children’s Concert

Classics its classy! a children's concert

At all Classics-it’s classy concerts, you are welcome to move and to dance, to sing along when suggested by the conductor, and to answer questions. And don’t forget to listen and watch carefully, so you don’t miss something interesting!

“When I was little, I sometimes went to “children’s concerts and almost suffered greatly! Suffered because it was always long and tediously, and most importantly, because the musicians usually played listlessly and uninterestingly. And so, when I grew up, I wanted to present for you such concerts to which you yourself would be interested in coming again and again. Because I’m sure if you like music as a child, then later in your life, you will not want to part with it.” ~ Evgeny Buskkov

So, I was at yet another performance at the NCPA. The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI), based at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai is India’s first and only professional orchestra. Evgeny Bushkov serves as the Resident Conductor, taking up the role in January 2017. He is also an animateur.

Read more here –Solo artists- Music by children

About the performances

The Strange Fairy Tale for chamber orchestra, soloists, and narrator was written in 2011. Efrem Podgaits simultaneously wrote both the music and the literary text of the tale. This composition continues the line started in his symphonic tale ‘Voyage to Orchestraland’ that became very popular and was performed in different cities of Russia. The emergence of this work was partially due to requests of chamber orchestra conductors, who didn’t have an opportunity to perform a large symphonic score.

Thus, at 3.00am on January 1, 2011, Efrem Podgaits seemed to hear the disturbing sounds of strings…Cellos were trembling in fear…Violas howled like the wind…Yes, this story happened in the Empire of strings and bows. The story is about two sisters, Princess Violin and Princess Cello, about Prince Viola and King Double Bass, about their hopes, sorrows, desperation, and love. This musical tale is interesting for children and adults, performers as well as listeners.

The Conductor with his orchestra

Conductor with his orchestra at Ncpa

Efrem Podgaits is a Russian composer who was born in 1949. He has written 3 symphonies, 13 operas, and 26 concerti, and his music has been performed all across Russia and around the world, and he was named ‘Composer of the Year’ in 2002 by the Russian Magazine The Musical Review.

Children’s Corner

5 pieces for listeners and chamber orchestra by Mikhail Bronner

About the piece

In the performance of Mikhail Bronner’s Children’s Corner, the listeners had to be as involved as the orchestra, as the composer takes us on a trip to a fairy-tale land. The listeners got a rare opportunity to fool around during the performance, and the most courageous even got to perform a solo in the orchestra. The rest did not have an easy task they became the chorus. The listeners had to speak words, make a variety of sounds, and sometimes even stamp their feet. The beast that the author wants to portray with the help of the listeners have purely human character traits, and they were heard by the orchestra.

The piece had five movements:

Frog and sparrow
The cuckoo
Waltz of a sad little donkey
Song of an elderly goat

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. Truly, Classics, it’s Classy!

Classics its classy! a children's concert

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Solo Artists- Music by Children

You may like to read Solo artists -Music by children