The Government Civil Defense department (the dept. which runs the area Surakasha Mita scheme) has requested our support for a tree-planting drive set-to kick off this month.

The group Hasiru Usiru is set to help them in their ambitious plan to plant 50,000 saplings. The planting will happen in the next couple of weeks since the roots of tree saplings register MAXIMUM growth during end June to mid September.

We need volunteers to help in this drive. If you are interested, please contact Sheshadri – 98455 68182, prepress555@rediffmail.com or Santosh Min – 99860 37010 , santhosh_b_min@yahoo.com

The area wise planting has been planned as follows –

1. Bangalore University. 20,000 saplings
Each and every one of them are endemic like terminalia arjuna, mitragyna parviflora, Hebbiduru ,thespesia populnea etc for lakesides. albizzia procera , Gmelina arborea, putranjeeva for plains.Ficus racemosa (atti mara) and pride of india for valleys, also fancy species like saraca ashoka and of course honge jackfruit nerle etc…

2.Arekere. 10,000 saplings including bamboos and pride of india for lakeside for below areas we had to include exotics like tabebuia,mahogany, jacaranda coz no choice.

3. Rajarajeshwarinagar . 10,000 saplings

4. Jayanagar 2000 saplings.

5. KPTCL Layout, Sarjapur road , 2000 saplings

6. D J Halli 6000 and Ulsoor lake and the homeguards campus.
approx figures.

If you live around or close by, do contact the numbers mentioned!

You love traveling, you like to write.
Combine both to create a niche paying hobby.

The Travel Writing Workshop
With a hands on session on Travel Photography

- Classroom sessions on April 18th, 19th and 26th (9:30 AM to 5 PM)
- Local destination assignments (to be done at your leisure) from 20th to 25th .
- Venue: iReboot, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Since enrollment in the workshops is limited, please register early.
To reserve your space in a workshop, a full
payment is required at the time of registration.

To register online, please download the registration form from here :
http://www.ireboot.in/index.php?page=contact

To register in person, please call 9886295353

Testimonials from the previous workshop by iReboot

“This workshop provided the much needed perspective about what
travel writing really is. It is a tough job to say the least and there are
rules to be followed. The course content was very pertinent and the
assignments ensured that due diligence be put in to finish the same.
Needless to mention that it was a means to meet talented people,
both experienced and amateur, in this field.”
— Gaurav Srivastava, Technologist at Oracle

“Focused and engaging interactive sessions Well planned and
executed down to the last detail Enthusiastic instructor with an
infectious spirit!”
– Rahul Warrier, Program Manager at Four Interactive Pvt Ltd.

“For a newbie like me who was clueless about how to even start
working towards a hobby like Travel Writing, this workshop came
as a savior.”
– Jyothi Shyamsunder, IT Presales Analyst at Satyam

Help is at hand with training programs devised by Dr Rajat Chauhan of Back2Fitness and Santhosh P.

Details of the running programs are here.

This initiative was started to fill the vacuum of holistic running training programs for all, from beginners to very elite. Their goal is to provide you professional and expert help in getting you to the finish line injury free and help you reach your potential. While providing this to you within the bigger Runner’s High community, they make sure that personal attention to your well being is not lost.

The team has a vast experience in
1. Running
2. Coaching
3. Sports & Exercise Medicine (injury prevention & management)
4. Fitness for running

Dr Rajat Chauhan is an MBBS, MSc Sports & Exercise Medicine and one of the very few Musculo-Skeletal Medicine specialists in India. He also has about 24 years of running experience. Santhosh is a part of Team Asha in Bangalore and an avid runner, his longest distance being 160 kms at the Bangalore Ultra in 2008. You can find out more about him here.

Many runners have already benifited from the program with personal best timings at the Mumbai and the Auroville marathons.

For more details you can get in touch with drrajatchauhan at gmail.com or visit this link.

As anybody and everybody is welcome here (and that’s the beauty of this place) for relaxation, unwinding. Also for the health concious, fitness freaks who do not enjoy the ambience in a gym, don’t worry Cubbon Park is the best place to walk, jog or even do your yoga / general exercises. The kids love this place due to bal bahvan and the mini train…

If you thought this is only for the old or the kids, think again! There are many groups involving youngsters who hit this place to maintain themselves and connect with the environment. Now when Cubbon Park has so much to offer, this place needs to be maintained well. The government authorities do take care of the basic requirements in this place but seems they do need a helping hand. That’s when a voulntary organization called the Cubbon Park Mitra Sanga has stepped in. It is a group of caring citizens who have come forward to maintain this place. They play the role of the catalysts who remind the Government to do their job also take charge of few things when they fail to get a response. And this group works solely on the interest and efforts from the Bangaloreans.

Cubbon Park Mithra Sangha is small group of environment conscious people formed by Mr. Narendranath an architect three years ago. It has started the task of spreading awareness among the users by picking up garbage over week ends. It also periodically interacts with the officials of Government horticultural department and brings home issues like, fencing, protecting the flowerbeds and lawns, repairs and improvements. It also invites volunteers from various organisations to participate in litter picking and spread awareness.

It has chosen the children park (bal bhavan) to focus area for demonstrating the entire sequence of collection of litter, sorting out into biodegradable and non biodegradable, carting it out to towns outskirts, handing over convertible part to conversion agents and compost makers and disposing the rest scientifically in sanitary fills. This it does in association with SAAHAS which is in the area of waste disposal since 1901. SAAHAS is registered as a society in 2001. They are based in Bangalore and committed to find solution to problems related to solid waste. They believe in providing suitable guide lines for solid waste management

Objectives of SAAHAS..

SAAHAS is working towards
• Implementation of Solid waste management rules
• Encouraging waste segregation at source and retrieval of recyclable items
• Introducing regulations in the use and disposal of plastic and other household hazardous waste like batteries, light bulbs and electronic waste
• Encouraging the composting of organic waste at local level
• Strengthening recycling sector

The aim of the Cubbon Park Mithra Sangha is to catch the young visitors to Balbhavan and inculcate them the need for control in generating garbage and its proper collection, segregation and handing over to Corporation garbage collection system in a proper manner. They need volunteers like you and me to carry out activities which would retain a balance in this place. They have many successful activities to their credit and they are still looking forward to have enthusiastic individuals who can contribute with their presence for their activities or just being a well wisher.

If you wish to volunteer for their activities, please mention your name, email id and phone number and send it to this email CPMS_Bangalore@yahoogroups.com. ( Read more here) Once registered to this yahoo group you will get advanced notifications of programs calling volenteers and can help you join the cause…

Together let’s make a difference in a small way so that this makes a great path for the rest to follow !!

The place to reach for all these activities is: St. Charles High School, St. Thomas Town, Near Frazer Town, Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Please come, along with your friends, family and colleagues, and pass on the message to all.
This google map link will provide you directions. Contact Janet at 9845449703, if you need any more information.

CREATIVE WRITING

CALL FOR ENTRIES

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites entries for its fourth annual TOTO awards for Indian creative writers in English. Two cash awards of Rs. 25,000 each will be given in January, 2009.

BUT: Entries are only invited from young people — over the age of 18, and who have not celebrated their 30th birthday before January 1, 2009.

ALSO: The spirit of the Toto Awards is to identify promise and encourage young talent. Therefore, do not submit an entry if you are already an established writer.

TFA is looking for entries in three genres –– short plays, short stories and poetry.

The submissions should not exceed 7,500 words. You can submit any combination of your writing in the above genres, as long as the entire submission is within the stipulated word limit.

Entries should reach TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) by 4 October, 2008 at the latest. There will be no extension of the submission date.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens, 8th Block, 47th Cross, Jayanagar, Bangalore 560 082

Phone: 080-26990549

Entries should be sent in soft e-mail copy to totofundsthearts@yahoo.com as well in hard copy form to the above address. Please address queries to the same e-mail ID.

THE FINE PRINT:

Entries must be accompanied by a signed statement confirming the applicant’s date of birth, whether the applicant’s work has been published in print (give details), and also affirming that the submitted work is original. Please ensure that the hard copy does not carry your name on it. Submitted entries will be given code numbers to protect applicants’ identities from the jury during the judging process.

Submitted material will not be returned.

The decision of the TFA jury is final and cannot be contested in any forum.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) is a not-for-profit public trust set up in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films.

The International Jawa CZ Yezdi Day is an annual celebration of those 250 cc Jawa & Yezdi bikes that were sold in India from 1960 to 1997. They are popular for their reliability and low maintenance costs. They were manufactured at the Ideal Jawa factory in Mysore.

To commemorate the 6th International Jawa-Yezdi Day, the Jawa – Yezdi Club of Bangalore is organizing a rally. The following is the route: Cubbon Park – MG Rd – Brigade Rd – Richmond Circle – Lalbagh – Corporation Circle – Mysore Rd – Chennapattana Coffee Day and back

Get-together at 7.00am
Flag Off at 8.00am (Sharp)

For more info, pls contact: Lokesh-9880033994; Sam-99451 44774; Brian-9886101005

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA), Bangalore, is holding a 3-day creative writing workshop from
July 25 to 27 (Friday to Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm). Renowned poet, playwright and publisher Keki Daruwalla from New Delhi and poet and novelist Anjum Hasan from Bangalore will conduct the workshop. Those under 35 but over 18 may apply by sending in a maximum of three poems and/or a short story of no more than 3,500 words. Please note that the workshop will cover both poetry and fiction. The last date for submissions is July 15.

The workshop will include discussions on the two genres, discussion of work submitted, as well as on-the-spot assignments.

Venue:  Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, 466, 9^th Cross, Jayanagar  1st Block, Bangalore 560011

Dates and Timing: 25–27 July, 10 am to 5 pm

Fee: Rs 1,400, inclusive of lunch, tea and snacks

Note:  All submissions will be screened by the facilitators before acceptance. A maximum of 10–12 participants will be chosen. Outstation applicants will have to make their own travel and lodging arrangements. For further information please write to tfaindia@yahoo.com or call 09880623357 between 10 am and 5 pm, Monday to Saturday.

Anyway, though Bharat Thakur doesn’t personally come and teach you (sadly :-) the instructors are pretty good. Right now, JP Nagar, Koramangala and Indiranagar are some of the areas where the classes are being held.

If you want to come for a trial class, the timings are:
Morning: 6.00-7.00, 7.00 to 8.00
Evening: 6.00-7.00, 7.00 to 8.00

These are the batches at Koramangala. The other venues might have different timings.

You can also get one trial class, but do be prepared to sweat it out because the exercises are slightly improvised and are faster paced than the other yoga schools. So you might find the class slightly more strenous, but in the long run it’s a good way to burn your calories and get fit!

To come in for a trial class and for the current fee structure, call Ramshad: 9480336648.