Congrats ! Sania Mirza !!

Sania Mirza's message for youngsters
Melbourne, Jan 23: Sania Mirza hopes
that her performance at the Australian Open will inspire other women in India to
greater heights in the game

"This is the way I look at it: if I can do it, anyone can do
it, and I've had most of my training in India," said Mirza, who has become the
first woman tennis player from India to reach the third round of a Grand Slam
tournament.

Six-time Grand Slam winner and sixth-seed Serena Williams
beat Mirza 6-1, 6-4 in a keenly watched match at the third round of the
tournament last week.

India is yet to produce a world-class woman tennis player,
but that might be about to change with the emergence of 18-year-old Mirza.

Having broken into the world's top 200 women players in 2004,
Mirza hopes the impact of her performance at Melbourne Park will inspire girls
from all over India to strive for excellence on the tennis court.

"I'm sure and I hope that a lot of girls in India can get
motivated by this and now we do have a lot of talent coming up in India so I'm
sure it's going to help a lot of people," she told the tournament's official
website.

Asked about her experience at the Australian Open, she
replied laughing: "It hasn't been what I expected because I didn't expect to get
to the third round, so it's not really what I expected, it's been an
overwhelming experience."

"When I got here I just wanted to have a good draw, which I
did get. I got a wildcard in the first-round and I couldn't expect anything more
than that."

"Even though I was nervous and I got through that (first)
match against Cindy Watson of Australia, the second match I played a really good
match. She (Petra Mandula of Hungary) used to be top 30. I just had to go out
there and play my game, that's what I did."

"I mean, third round, obviously no-one expected me to win the
match; it's been a great experience and, for the first Grand Slam, I'm loving
it," said Mirza, who won the 2003 Wimbledon Junior Girls' doubles title.

"I was very happy with the crowd support; I didn't expect so
much actually. I saw a lot of Indians there, and it was packed. I didn't expect
that. I totally enjoyed every bit of the match and it really (was) a learning
experience for me," she explained.

Exactly how much of an impact Mirza's success at Melbourne
Park will have on tennis in India and around Asia probably won't be known for
some time. But the way she played, it is unlikely that she will need to rely on
wildcards much longer, the website said.

Observing how my world really is, from a new perspective.

The Beautiful Wor(l)d Of Lavanya -

Observing how my world really is, from a new perspective.

Desires are running
In my viens again
My mind dreaming
And fantasizing again
Of an Utopian world
And me free again
Heart wishing to belong
There once again
Go back to the same place
The same land
The same old faces
And the same smell
Once again
Will i be able to move myself
Once again
Move these feet and
My created world
And redefine?

--------- ***** ----------

Putting China in Touch with the Wider World

Using technology to become more nimble and agile is important for all companies today. But it is especially important for firms in China as they strive to establish stronger ties with business partners in the west and Asia

After giving presentations on service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web Services to companies at CeBIT Asia 2004, which took place at the end of April at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Mark Glikson, Strategic Architect, Asia Pacific & Greater China Regions for Microsoft, said he was impressed by the sophistication of the Chinese. “They realise that SOA is important, that you can’t build buildings without planning them properly,” he added. Even before Glikson made his presentations, an experienced Chinese professor spoke in English about many of the issues the Microsoft strategic architect was later to raise in his presentations, particularly the relevance of SOA. Glikson spoke at the CeBIT Asia 2004 Software Development and Architecture Conference. The conference, organised by Masoud Kamali of Germany’s Herausberger dot.net magazine, also attracted speakers from SAP and Borland. The room was packed for both of Glikson’s presentations. The audience consisted mostly of system integrators (SIs), executives from MNCs and project managers. “Of course, we have our own Microsoft-organised events where we speak to people that we know already,” said Glikson, explaining why Microsoft participated in the event. “But there are many people that we don’t ordinarily touch base with. An industry event with multiple vendors is good to attend because we don’t want to just preach to the converted.” Glikson admits that he met a couple of SIs who initially were “very anti-Microsoft”. He sat down with them over dinner and discussed their problems. “They had developed a perception about what Microsoft is without actually researching this in a deeper way, which we find is quite a common and regular occurrence,” said Glikson. “By the end of the dinner, I think I had changed their perceptions.” Asked why he had decided to organise the Software Development and Architecture Conference at CeBIT Asia, Kamali said: “I have read somewhere that Shanghai alone needs 100,000 more software developers by the end of 2005. It is important for the world to find out what Chinese software developers are up to, and to put China in touch with the wider world.” He went on: “It was crucial to have Microsoft’s involvement because it is one of the most important software companies that set and push standards in the software industry. Every serious software architect should know about Microsoft’s road map for the future.” For Microsoft, the shift to services-based computing and SOA is the next major transition in enterprise computing after the move from the mainframe model to client-server computing, and then to the browser-based architectures of the Internet.

Kadhal

With a story that is as old as Tamil cinema itself if director Balaji sakthivel has impressed the audience and critics together, it is because of his innovative visualization, a totally non-filmy cast and capturing the nativity of the locations with minute detail.

Kathal as the title suggests is an ordinary love story where a school going young girl Iswarya the only heir of a local uppercaste arrack baron falls in love with a dirty and poor mechanic Murugan. Iswarya�s family fixes up her marriage with somebody from their own caste. Iswarya convinces a frightened Murugan that they should elope and they end up doing that. Only to be hunted back by Iswarya�s family. What happens to the young couple after this is the climax, which in spite of being the regular climax to such love affairs in real life in rural sides where caste and class differences between lovers are never tolerated. Nevertheless it is certainly a refreshingly new end to a Tamil film.

In the directorial side the film stands out for a totally new cast. Other than hero Bharath and his friend Sukumar everybody else is a new face, which gives the film a realistic feel. Many artistes like the woman who acts as Iswarya�s mother and her grandmother look like people drawn from a real household in Madurai where the film happens in the first half. The mechanic shed aide who is a small kid is another unforgettable portrayal, which from being a funny character elevates himself to an emotional plane when the hero decides to leave.

Kathal is a beautiful cinema thanks to Vijay Milton�s path breaking cinematography. While producing visuals of impeccable quality he elevates the whole visual language of Kathal to another level. The ambience shots and cut aways led so much authenticity to the happenings.

Music is done by newcomer Joshua Sridhar, the title song by Hariharan and �Unakena Iruppen� are good. The editor who is also a new comer has again done a commendable job. In all the director, cinematographer, editor trio have rendered a rustic conventional story full of emotions in the most modern narrative and visual language and mount without disturbing the authenticity of the story.

Bharath as Murugan is good and he probably is the only Tamil hero after Chappani in �16 Vayadinile� to appear as dirtily as possible. Sandya as Iswarya is poignant. While her ordinary looks are an asset to the film she amazes in the climax with a high voltage performance.

The only criticism on Kathal can be on the idiotic way Iswarya falls in love with Murugan. She attains puberty on the day when Murugan comes and scolds her. There is a line in a song that comes after this �event� �Nee Parthavudan Nan Poothu vitten�.

New Year

Happy Wishes to All

An Action Report

Heartful Thanks To Kiruba shankar, his family and friends . appreciating your timely efforts taken ' .- Srithar KT .