Prime-minister in the making Rahul Gandhi loves living on the edge -- drag racing and paragliding! Here’s more you didn’t know...
Rahul Gandhi studied at St. Columba’s in Delhi. But after his grandmother Indira’s assasination, he attended classes at Convent of Jesus and Mary, where elder sister Priyanka studied. They both attended school after regular classes got over. Then principal, Sister Stella chatted with him and made sure he felt comfortable. And the girls made sure they stayed back after school!
- He likes to live a normal life, trying not to cause an uproar wherever he goes. You can even spot him sipping cappucino at the Khan Market Barista!
- While travelling, Rahul likes to munch on knick
-knacks every now and then. He offers chocolates and chips to everyone who travels with him.
- The young turk used to enjoy his game of badminton and would beat anyone at it!
- When he’s chilling out, he likes to wear black T-shirt and jeans.
- Rahul's got a sweet-tooth. He loves Gelato and After 8 ice-creams.
- This calorie-conscious Gandhi only has diet coke and calorie-free drinks! He also eats healthy small meals at regular intervals to cope with an action-packed day.
- The place where Junior G likes to de-stress in the evening is the Oberoi’s 360°. He almost always ends up ordering chicken consomme!
- Rahul starts his day by hitting the treadmill in the morning. He also takes a brisk walk around the lawns of 12, Tughlak Lane.
- Life on the fast track attracts Rahul. He loves his car racing sessions with close friends and some young politicos who dare themselves with high speed and fast cars near Gurgaon.
- He’s a fan of Lucknawi cuisine (after all he travels to UP regularly). He just can’t resist kebabs and biryani ! When in Delhi, Thai food is one of his favourite cuisines. He loves non-vegetarian delicacies.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Unplugged: Mukesh Ambani
You may just bump into the Reliance head honcho at Mumbai’s Mysore Cafe or Swati Snacks one Sunday morning! Mukesh Ambani is full of surprises...
- Mukesh Ambani likes very basic food – dal chawal, roti, sabzi , etc. Will eat anywhere, roadside or fancy restaurant,as long as it’s tasty. He is a vegetarian. His favourite places are Mysore Café in Matunga. Part of their menu is also on his private planes. Loves paanki at Swati Snacks and will ask anyone heading there to parcel him some.
- Loves chaat at Taj Colaba.
- When guests are home, he enquires what they want to eat and asks for it to be prepared. Will always serve a special dish with his own hands to his guests.
- Nita Ambani practises her classical dance everyday and Mukesh can’t resist watching her dance!
- Must have his father’s photo or the family photo with his parents and siblings in every room of the house.
- The richest Indian spends Sundays with his mother and children and catches up on movies. He loves Hindi movies and doesn’t miss a single one. Will also watch all the latest Hollywood releases. His friends swear by his verdict on a film (whether it’ll be a hit or flop), and they claim he is rarely off the mark.
- Has never celebrated a birthday except his 50th one at the Jamnagar plant with his employees. Yet, he spends three months planning wife Nita’s birthday bashes and presents! Believes that the best celebrations are with family.
- Never leaves home without praying.
- Colleagues claim they have never known him to shout or lose his temper. - He is a very late riser... gets up at 10:30 in the morning!
- Loves eating roasted groundnuts.
- When on vacation with kids, makes sure it’s a twothree weeks’ long trip. - Favorite heroes are SRK, Hrithik and Aamir Khan.
- The business honcho reaches office at noon and works till midnight.
- Makes it a point to shake hands with each of his sons’ friends whenever they come home.
- Loves to catch up. He can chat with people for an hour or more.
- Ambani senior is never seen wearing brown shoes.
- Mukesh’s best friends from the industry are Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej and Anand Jain, who was his schoolmate.
- Follows the handshakehug- shrug approach when greeting someone – always shakes the hand, then wraps his arm around the person in a semi hug.
- Loves old Hindi songs, and spends Sundays listening to them.
- Nickname is Muku; sisters and brothers-inlaw call him Muks!
- Loves expensive British cars. Always owned executive cars – Mercedes, Bentley and Maybach. - Ardent reader of management books. Will read them and implement the lessons learned in his business. And also gives lectures on it whenever required.
- Wears clothes similar to his dad; white shirt and dark-coloured trousers. Has no knowledge of brands. If asked, he shrugs, “I wear anything that fits me.” Buys Provogue shirts often, so the company makes shirts in his size in various colours. Will wear a tie, whether Satya Paul or Zodiac, if he likes the colour.
- Mukesh loves long walks. He often takes a colleague along and then begin the brainstorming sessions.
- Mukesh Ambani likes very basic food – dal chawal, roti, sabzi , etc. Will eat anywhere, roadside or fancy restaurant,as long as it’s tasty. He is a vegetarian. His favourite places are Mysore Café in Matunga. Part of their menu is also on his private planes. Loves paanki at Swati Snacks and will ask anyone heading there to parcel him some.
- Loves chaat at Taj Colaba.
- When guests are home, he enquires what they want to eat and asks for it to be prepared. Will always serve a special dish with his own hands to his guests.
- Nita Ambani practises her classical dance everyday and Mukesh can’t resist watching her dance!
- Must have his father’s photo or the family photo with his parents and siblings in every room of the house.
- The richest Indian spends Sundays with his mother and children and catches up on movies. He loves Hindi movies and doesn’t miss a single one. Will also watch all the latest Hollywood releases. His friends swear by his verdict on a film (whether it’ll be a hit or flop), and they claim he is rarely off the mark.
- Has never celebrated a birthday except his 50th one at the Jamnagar plant with his employees. Yet, he spends three months planning wife Nita’s birthday bashes and presents! Believes that the best celebrations are with family.
- Never leaves home without praying.
- Colleagues claim they have never known him to shout or lose his temper. - He is a very late riser... gets up at 10:30 in the morning!
- Loves eating roasted groundnuts.
- When on vacation with kids, makes sure it’s a twothree weeks’ long trip. - Favorite heroes are SRK, Hrithik and Aamir Khan.
- The business honcho reaches office at noon and works till midnight.
- Makes it a point to shake hands with each of his sons’ friends whenever they come home.
- Loves to catch up. He can chat with people for an hour or more.
- Ambani senior is never seen wearing brown shoes.
- Mukesh’s best friends from the industry are Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej and Anand Jain, who was his schoolmate.
- Follows the handshakehug- shrug approach when greeting someone – always shakes the hand, then wraps his arm around the person in a semi hug.
- Loves old Hindi songs, and spends Sundays listening to them.
- Nickname is Muku; sisters and brothers-inlaw call him Muks!
- Loves expensive British cars. Always owned executive cars – Mercedes, Bentley and Maybach. - Ardent reader of management books. Will read them and implement the lessons learned in his business. And also gives lectures on it whenever required.
- Wears clothes similar to his dad; white shirt and dark-coloured trousers. Has no knowledge of brands. If asked, he shrugs, “I wear anything that fits me.” Buys Provogue shirts often, so the company makes shirts in his size in various colours. Will wear a tie, whether Satya Paul or Zodiac, if he likes the colour.
- Mukesh loves long walks. He often takes a colleague along and then begin the brainstorming sessions.
Unplugged: Vijay Mallya
His first Ferrari was at four, and they are still coming, and every aircraft he buys circumambulates Tirupati first. Here are some lesser known
- His passion for cars started real early. The owner of the Formula 1 team ‘Force India,' got his first Ferrari at age 4 from his father. Of course, it was a child's version. - Dhaneshwar Bahera, a household help has been with the Mallya family for forty years. He's served Mallya's father the late Vittal Mallya and now takes care of Mallya's kids too.
- For all the partying image, Mallya's a very religious man. He goes on the Sabarimala pilgrimage every year and on the last stretch walks barefoot like a normal, ordinary devotee.
- The King of Good Times makes sure that every aircraft he buys, first goes to Tirupati and circumambulates the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara before being pressed into service.
- Favourite haunt in India with close friends is Mandwa where he keeps his fabulous collection of cars. He had a famous re-union party for old friends and family there a few years ago.
- The Bangalore-boy was raised in Kolkota – went to Le Martinere – where he almost bagged the best student award, which eventually went to Rafiq Zakaria.
- Mallya loves jewellery. He sports a huge, diamond studded ‘VJM,' bracelet on his right hand, a huge diamond, ruby and emerald pendant of Lord Venkateshwara. On his ears are eye popping solitaires that belonged to his grand mother.
- His favourite aunt was the late Prema Mallya. She lived in a house in the Mallya compound off the posh Grant Road (now renamed the Vittal Mallya road after his late father).
- Loves the turf. His jockeys turn out in his colours of black and white. Owns a stud farm near Bangalore.
- Is a linguist. Speaks fluent Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Gujarati and of course English. He's also learnt French.
- Loves coastal food. Favourite being Mangalorean specialities like ‘Kane rava,' (Kane fish in rava batter), ‘Kori gasi,"( Chicken curry), appams and sannas.
- Some of his other favourite food includes MTR Masala Dosa and Crab in south Indian gassi from Trishna in Mumbai. - His favourite sweet include mishti doi and chocolates
- His favourite wine is Ferrari Carano
- His favourite cigar is café crème blue
- For any important event, personal or professional, he makes it a point to go by auspicious time. - He loves listening to English retro music of the sixties and seventies...yes the songs he has grown up with.
- When he is in office, loves to go for light lunch - kebabs, kati rolls, veg sandwich etc. - He loves his Bentley.
- He loves to wear designer clothes. His preferred names include Armani, Valentino, Manoviraj Khosla and Roberto Cavalli
- His favourite colour is red. Wherever he is, home, office, car...will see specs of red either in his apparel or in the ambience.
- He has never taken a day off. Whether at office or at party, he is forever working.
- He is very tech savvy, Blackberry is his constant companion.
- He is the king of good times. Whatever he buys - shirt, watch, car or a yatch, he invests lot of time, energy and enthusiasm in it. He has a deep knowledge of whatever he is buying.
- He is not particularly a brand conscious person. Whatever he likes, he buys it. It could be anything from flea market to fashion stores in Paris.
- He has a son named Sidhartha from his first wife Samira. He gifted Kingfisher on Sidhartha's eighteenth birthday in May 7, 2005. Mallya apparently has a great "relationship" with the London-based Samira.
- He has two daughters from second wife Rekha. Leana and Tanya are teenagers now. The daughters stay in San Francisco with their mother. The reclusive Rekha, who hails from Coorg, hates parties.
- Vijay Mallya makes it a point to celebrate every family members birthday by being personally present at wherever they might be located. When it comes to his own birthday, he gets the entire family beside him.
- His passion for cars started real early. The owner of the Formula 1 team ‘Force India,' got his first Ferrari at age 4 from his father. Of course, it was a child's version. - Dhaneshwar Bahera, a household help has been with the Mallya family for forty years. He's served Mallya's father the late Vittal Mallya and now takes care of Mallya's kids too.
- For all the partying image, Mallya's a very religious man. He goes on the Sabarimala pilgrimage every year and on the last stretch walks barefoot like a normal, ordinary devotee.
- The King of Good Times makes sure that every aircraft he buys, first goes to Tirupati and circumambulates the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara before being pressed into service.
- Favourite haunt in India with close friends is Mandwa where he keeps his fabulous collection of cars. He had a famous re-union party for old friends and family there a few years ago.
- The Bangalore-boy was raised in Kolkota – went to Le Martinere – where he almost bagged the best student award, which eventually went to Rafiq Zakaria.
- Mallya loves jewellery. He sports a huge, diamond studded ‘VJM,' bracelet on his right hand, a huge diamond, ruby and emerald pendant of Lord Venkateshwara. On his ears are eye popping solitaires that belonged to his grand mother.
- His favourite aunt was the late Prema Mallya. She lived in a house in the Mallya compound off the posh Grant Road (now renamed the Vittal Mallya road after his late father).
- Loves the turf. His jockeys turn out in his colours of black and white. Owns a stud farm near Bangalore.
- Is a linguist. Speaks fluent Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Gujarati and of course English. He's also learnt French.
- Loves coastal food. Favourite being Mangalorean specialities like ‘Kane rava,' (Kane fish in rava batter), ‘Kori gasi,"( Chicken curry), appams and sannas.
- Some of his other favourite food includes MTR Masala Dosa and Crab in south Indian gassi from Trishna in Mumbai. - His favourite sweet include mishti doi and chocolates
- His favourite wine is Ferrari Carano
- His favourite cigar is café crème blue
- For any important event, personal or professional, he makes it a point to go by auspicious time. - He loves listening to English retro music of the sixties and seventies...yes the songs he has grown up with.
- When he is in office, loves to go for light lunch - kebabs, kati rolls, veg sandwich etc. - He loves his Bentley.
- He loves to wear designer clothes. His preferred names include Armani, Valentino, Manoviraj Khosla and Roberto Cavalli
- His favourite colour is red. Wherever he is, home, office, car...will see specs of red either in his apparel or in the ambience.
- He has never taken a day off. Whether at office or at party, he is forever working.
- He is very tech savvy, Blackberry is his constant companion.
- He is the king of good times. Whatever he buys - shirt, watch, car or a yatch, he invests lot of time, energy and enthusiasm in it. He has a deep knowledge of whatever he is buying.
- He is not particularly a brand conscious person. Whatever he likes, he buys it. It could be anything from flea market to fashion stores in Paris.
- He has a son named Sidhartha from his first wife Samira. He gifted Kingfisher on Sidhartha's eighteenth birthday in May 7, 2005. Mallya apparently has a great "relationship" with the London-based Samira.
- He has two daughters from second wife Rekha. Leana and Tanya are teenagers now. The daughters stay in San Francisco with their mother. The reclusive Rekha, who hails from Coorg, hates parties.
- Vijay Mallya makes it a point to celebrate every family members birthday by being personally present at wherever they might be located. When it comes to his own birthday, he gets the entire family beside him.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Worst environmental disasters
Baia Mare cyanide disaster: On January 30th 2000, the dam containing toxic waste material from the Baia Mare Aurul gold mine in Romania collapsed and released 100,000 cubic meters of water with very high cyanide concentrations into the river Tisza, one of the biggest rivers in Hungary. Cyanide is highly toxic, and is lethal to humans and other species even in very small doses. However, the waste water did not only contain cyanide, but also heavy metals such as copper, zinc and lead. 
Gulf War oil spill: It was January 21, 1991; when the occupying Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island Oil Terminal in Kuwait, several million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Persian Gulf. This is regarded as one of the worst oil spills in the history of mankind. It caused great damage to the flora and fauna in the Persian Gulf and its surrounding areas. The spill was originally aimed at foiling any potential landing by US Marines. 
Chernobyl nuclear disaster: On 26 April 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded. The explosion resulted in the release of highly radioactive matter in the atmosphere. The effect of the contamination, which displaced over 336,000 people, was visible in entire Europe. The accident, considered to be the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history, was attributed to flawed reactor design, inadequate trained personnel and lack of proper safeguards.
Gulf War oil spill: It was January 21, 1991; when the occupying Iraqi forces opened valves at the Sea Island Oil Terminal in Kuwait, several million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Persian Gulf. This is regarded as one of the worst oil spills in the history of mankind. It caused great damage to the flora and fauna in the Persian Gulf and its surrounding areas. The spill was originally aimed at foiling any potential landing by US Marines. Chernobyl nuclear disaster: On 26 April 1986, a reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded. The explosion resulted in the release of highly radioactive matter in the atmosphere. The effect of the contamination, which displaced over 336,000 people, was visible in entire Europe. The accident, considered to be the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history, was attributed to flawed reactor design, inadequate trained personnel and lack of proper safeguards.
Bhopal Gas tragedy: Tragedy struck Bhopal on December 3, 1984; when thousands of people died from the effects of toxic gases which leaked from an American-owned Union Carbide Pesticide Plant in Bhopal. This disaster is regarded as the worst industrial disaster in the world. On the fateful day, the plant released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, exposing more than 500,000 people to toxic gases. According to an unofficial estimate nearly 25,000 people died in the mishap.
Seveso dioxin disaster: On July 10, 1976 an explosion occurred in a trichlorophenol reactor in the Industrie Chimiche Meda Societa factory in Meda, Italy. Toxic chemicals contaminated the atmosphere and polluted a densely populated area and instantly killing many animals. The disaster was named after Seveso, a small town with the population of 17,000 in 1976. This catastrophe had the most severe effect on the inhabitants of Seveso.
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