::: BEAUTY LIVE IN THE WORLD :::

I remember Mother Teresa telling me on her return from the West — “It’s easy to deal with the poverty of the East.

Feed a person and you give them some happiness, but the poverty of the West, which is loneliness and an inability to communicate, I don’t know how to cope with that.” At the core, Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is lonely and his inability to reach out to others makes him angry and unbearable to the people he’s trying to come to terms with.

Noah Baumbach, who makes formidable films like The Squid and the Whale about a family torn apart by a divorce with no one, not even their children to help them, is an authority on the Western mode of loneliness, isolation, anger and all the other symptoms of being alone.

Says my guru Roger Ebert, “When you’re angry with the world and yourself to the same degree, you’re running in place. It takes a great deal of energy. You lash out at people. It all takes place in your head. After a time, people give up on you.

“That’s Roger Greenberg. I never knew who Stiller was born to play, but now I do. I don’t mean he is Greenberg, but that he makes him a convincing person and not a caricature. Greenberg was once, years ago, part of a rock band on the brink of a breakthrough. He walked away from it, stranding his bandmates, and never explained why. He fled Los Angeles and became a carpenter in New York.

“He’s been struggling. There has been some sort of vague period in an institution. Now he’s returned to LA to house-sit his brother’s big home and look after the dog. He can live alone no more successfully than with others. He calls Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s family assistant, who knows where everything is and how everything works.

And the dog knows her.

“Florence is someone we know. A bright, pleasant recent college grad uate for whom the job market has no use. We see her interacting with the family of Greenberg's brother; she does all the planning for them she should be doing for herself. In a more conventional movie, Florence would be the love interest, and Greenberg would be fated to marry her. But Florence isn’t looking for a man. She just broke up. ‘I don’t want to go from just having sex to sex to sex,’ she says. ‘Who’s the third ‘sex’?’ asks Greenberg. ‘You.’ Greenberg treats her badly. When they end up having sex, and they do, it’s like their right hands don’t know what heir left hands are doing. “He has a reunion with a former bandmate, Ivan (Rhys Ifans), a calm Brit, troubled by a trial separation, happy enough to see Greenberg and help him if he can.

But Ivan is worried that Greenberg still doesn’t understand how he crushed the dreams of his bandmates. Then there’s Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who Greenberg once loved and was loved by. She has moved on in her life. She has a family.

“The important relationship is the one between Greenberg and Florence. She’s happy when she has a purpose. She wishes she had a direction in life but can be happy enough in the moment. It’s as if when Greenberg moves a little in the direction of happiness, he gets jealous because that draws attention away from his miserable uniqueness. People driven to be constantly unique can be a real pain in the ass.

“We can’t stand Greenberg. But we begin to care about him.” That’s how good Ben Stiller is.

"By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus." CENTENARY BIRTH

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICON OF PEACE, LOVE AND HUMANITY

A woman of small built with rock like faith and insurmountable com passion became the only hope for the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for. The mother of the poor is known all over the world as Mother Teresa. She started each day in communion with Jesus in the Eucharist and then went out, rosary in her hand, to serve those who needed love the most.

Through her life and labour, Mother Teresa showed the world the joy of loving, the greatness and dignity of every human, the value of little things done faithfully with love, and the surpassing worth of friendship with God. Early realisation This God’s gift to humanity was born on August 26, 1910, in Albania as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu — the youngest child of Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. At 12, she felt strongly the call of God. Agnes decided to become a Catholic nun to spread the message of love and compassion in the world.

In 1928, she became a Catholic nun and changed her name to Teresa. She later joined the Irish order ‘The Sisters of Loretto’. She was sent to Calcutta in 1929 to carry out missionary work. She was appointed a teacher at St Mary’s High School. Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa on May 24, 1937, when she made final Profession of Vows to become the ‘Spouse of Jesus for Eternity’. In 1944, she was became the Principal of the school.

Epitome of selfless service The condition of poor people outside the convent made a deep impact on her and she decided to serve the destitute. On August 17, 1948, she dressed for the first time in her trademark white, blue-bordered sari and passed through the gates of Loreto convent to enter the world of the poor. She was granted permission from her superiors to serve the poor slum dwellers. Although she had no funds, it was her determination that kept her going. With strong faith on Divine Providence, she started an open-air school for slum children. She was joined by volunteers. Financial assistance started pouring in.

Mother Teresa’s work was not limited to teaching the poor children; she also educated the adults. In the slums of Calcutta, she noticed a lack of basic facilities, such as hospitals and clinics. After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, Mother Teresa returned to Calcutta and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. On December 21, she went for the first time to the slums. She visited families, washed the sores of children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger and TB. Growing recognition On October 7, 1950, she re ceived permission from the Holy See to start her own order, `The Missionaries of Charity', whose primary task was to love and care for people nobody was ready to look after. In 1965 the Society be came an International Religiou Family by decree of Pope Paul VI.

The group soon started a facility where people, who were dying on the streets, were brought and taken care of. The service inspired people to join the noble cause and donate funds. Mother Teresa used the donations and thousands of missionaries who had joined her, for the establishment of several centres for needy people of the world. By the early 1960s, Mother Teresa began to send her Sisters to other parts of India.

The Decree of Praise granted to the Congregation by Pope Paul VI in February 1965 encouraged her to open a house in Venezuela. It was soon followed by foundations in Rome and Tanzania and, eventually, on every continent. Her inspiration was not limited to those with religious vocations. She formed the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa and the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, people of many faiths and nationalities with whom she shared her spirit of prayer, sacrifice and her apostolate of humble works of love. In 1980, she started Homes for people suffering from various incurable diseases, prostitutes, drug addicts and orphans. One of  her most significant works was the establishment of centre for AIDS patients in 1985.

The Missionaries of Charity was officially recognised as an International Association on March 29, 1969. Last years During the last years of her life, despite facing several health problems, Mother Teresa continued to serve the poor and needy and work for her Society and Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly 4,000, working in about 610 foundations in 123 countries across the world. Her newly-elected successor was appointed the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity in March 1997. After meeting Pope John Paul II, she returned to Calcutta, where she spent her last weeks receiving visitors and giving instructions to her Sisters.

She departed from this world on September 5, 1997, at the age of 87. On October 19, 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa. The beatification, which took place in Rome, marked the first step of her sainthood.

In September 1997, supermodel Naomi Campbell was woken up by few men at Nelson Mandela's house in Cape Town and presented with a pouch which in Campbell's word consisted of few "very small, dirty looking stones".

These very dirty stones have become fundamental evidence at the war crimes trial of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor at Hague.

Taylor is alleged to have been rewarded with conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone in return for helping the rebel forces there. What is conflict diamond?

The United Nations (UN) defines conflict diamonds as "...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognised governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

Rough diamonds produced in such areas are sold by the rebel forces to purchase arms or to fund their military action. The problem is most severe in Africa.

Many people are killed in the pursuit of conflict diamonds, including mine workers who are forced to smuggle diamonds out to support growing families or pay off individuals who have threatened them. These are often produced through the forced labour of men, women and children. Billions of dollars have been gained from the sale of these war diamonds, leading to death tolls which are estimated to be in the millions.

They are also stolen during shipment or seized by attacking the mining operations of legitimate producers.

These attacks are of large military operation. The stones are then smuggled into the international di amond trade and sold as legitimate gems. Arms merchants, smugglers and dishonest diamond traders often enable these rebels' actions. Enormous amounts of money are at stake and bribes, threats, torture, and murder are modes of operation. This is why the term `blood diamonds' is used. Coming to light Blood diamonds captured the world's attention during the extremely brutal conflict in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s. During this time, conflict diamonds represented approximately 4 per cent of the world's diamond production. Illicit rough diamonds have also been used by rebels in other African countries.

The diamond lure Diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda to finance their activities and for money-laundering purposes. For terrorist organisations, diamonds are viewed as an ideal currency.

The difficulty in tracking and monitoring diamonds makes it very easy to slip a blood diamond into legiti mate diamonds. Some times a blood diamond may be traded directly for weapons, to reduce the traceability of the transac tion. In other cases, the dia monds may be exchanged for currency of various na tions, often deposited into bank accounts outside the nation of origin.

The global resolution In May 2000 major dia mond trading and produc ing countries, representa tives of the diamond indus try, and NGOs met in Kimberley, South Africa, to establish an international diamond certification scheme known as the Kimberley Process.

Under the scheme all diamonds traded by member countries are certified so that buyers can be sure they are conflict-free.

In December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) came into existence in November 2002. The KPCS imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as `conflict-free' and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.

The KPCS entered into force in 2003, when participating countries started to implement its rules.

As of November 2008, there were 49 members, representing 75 countries, with the European Community and its Member States counting as an individual participant. KP members account for approximately 99.8 per cent of the global production of rough diamonds.

Under the terms of the KPCS, participating states must meet `minimum requirements' and must put in place national legislation and institutions; export, import and internal controls; and also commit to transparency and the exchange of statistical data. Participants can only legally trade with other participants and international shipments of rough diamonds must be accompanied by a KP certificate guaranteeing that they are conflict-free.

There are two different worlds. When one ceases the next starts, when one closes its eyes, the other opens up. The landscape changes, everything appears to be monochromatic. Some hazy images revolve around your mind and you keep deciphering them involuntarily. Disconnection becomes so very relevant. The world of subconscious is different. It’s strange but you never realize its weirdness till you jump back to the other world - the four dimensional landscape.

Things are different after you close your eyes. Every night someone tries to narrate a disjointed tale. Every night you become a passive observer. You see known faces, you see people whom you must have encountered or seen for a brief time. Your closed eyes makes you see those faces that you forget to see in your reality. The world after you sleep is so surreal. You see graffiti, you fly, you fall from a tall cliff, and you try to run from gun shots, you fall, you struggle to move, and you freeze. The sepia-coloured imageries speak something to you but you struggle to interpret the hidden sense.

You keep walking through a never ending aisle. Sometimes the scenes changes drastically. You see people swimming inside an aquarium; you fight and scream and you see flashing faces. Nothing is constant in that world, nothing is even. The detachment and absurdity evolves, the surrealism settles down. The colour of your dreams are sometimes blue, sometimes it’s grey. Sometimes you just get into it. You start participating with those floating images, you never realise that it was a dream till you open your eyes. Sometimes you feel glad to wake up after a nightmare and sometimes you feel cursed to face the reality. You see 1000 faces, you travel through unknown places, and you meet lost friends. You cry in your dreams, you smile, you scream, you try to do everything inside a dream.

Recollecting your dreams makes you crazy while some lingers through out your life and you never realize their meaning.

The maze keeps annoying you. The hazy ideas and half told tales inside your dream-scape stimulate your mind to think about things that you seldom remember. There’s a hangover every dawn, sometimes they make you imagine and sometimes they just makes you spellbound. The floating imagery, those faces, those fleeting shadows make you speculate about the beauty and ugliness concealed inside a dream...

Love, respect and trust lay the foundation of a relationship, and when any of these is shaken, it leaves life in the pangs of pain and disappointment. To break up isn't so easy as it sounds because when you decide to call it quits there is so much at stake that was once so special to the two of you. There are dreams of the future and memories of the past.

There is time, energy and emotions of years; there are smiles and tears. All this go in vain and lose their meaning.

Life suddenly seems go get entangled in a feeling that is hollow and dead.

But what is there is an instinct, a gut feeling, that forces you to get back to the same person despite all ifs and buts. What if, despite all the odds, you are keen to forget and forgive? Is it really possible to revive a broken relationship? Will the relationship be the same again; will you be able to build the same trust? The simple answer is: it is easier said than done.

Many say that no one ever died of a broken heart but when you are suffering from one, it sure doesn't feel that way.

Before you decide to nurse your ailing heart by going back to your beloved, it's imperative to analyze the reasons for the tiff. It may be breach of trust, mismatch of future dreams, clash of personality traits, and unreasonableness in possessive behavior of complete neglect or in many cases, due to societal pressure.

The most difficult to deal with is when you lose trust. When breach of trust is accompanied by an uncertain future of the relationship, when a clash of interests and dream is accompanied by parental disagreement, when overpossessiveness takes the form of diseased state, in all such circumstance, it's better to bear the burnt of a broken heart rather then compromise.

To go back to a sour relationship or to shun your one-time lover is completely your call. It is for you to decide which road to take. But in all circumstance one thing is sure: that it will take time for a relationship to prosper and get its original sheen back and to build that trust.

If you have enough patience and love for that someone special, then go and embrace your beloved before if gets too late. For other, if you are not sure then just ask yourself one question: do you really want to look back on a life of an unfulfilling and half-trusted relationship?

SAM HAD SOMETHING I HADN'T SEEN BEFORE IN A GUY THAT AGE. THE VOICE, THE DEMEANOUR. BUT THE STUDIO WAS NERVOUS -- JAMES CAMERON ON WORTHINGTON I ALSO CARE THAT THE PUBLIC ARE GETTING THEIR $12 WORTH WHEN THEY GO TO A MOVIE, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING OUT NOT WANTING TO EVER SEE A MOVIE WITH ME IN IT AGAIN. I DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF ME AS A PERSON, BUT I DO CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF MY WORK, AND WHETHER I'M INVESTING ENOUGH INTO IT (EMPIRE MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2006)

I didn't set out to be famous, if I'd wanted that, I would have gon on Big Brother orn on August 2, 1976 in Godalming, Surrey England, Samuel Shane Worthington moved to Perth, Australia when he was two months old.

Though it’s now hard to imagine him as anything other than a successful actor, Sam Worthington didn’t embrace the idea of pursuing a career in this particular field of arts until he was well into his twenties.

Having dropped out of school at 17, Worthington had been biding his time working a series of odd jobs. His path changed dramatically after he agreed to accompany a girlfriend to her audition for Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). While there, Worthington’s impulsive decision to audition proved successful as he found himself accepted to the prestigious school with a scholarship (his girlfriend, however, was denied entrance).

After learning the ins and outs of the acting craft during his stint at NIDA, he emerged hungry for work and subsequently began auditioning for roles with gusto. He spent the first few months of his fledgling career appearing in local stage productions, with his on-screen debut coming in 2000 with a small part in an episode of JAG. For the next several years, Worthington appeared in a variety of television shows and movies, including the 2002 Bruce Willis action Hart’s War and the 2002 Toni Collette/John Goodman comedy Dirty Deeds.

Worthington’s days of toiling in lowbudget Australian cinema are clearly over, given that he has clearly come a long way since making his cinematic debut with a role in 2000’s forgettable Aussie comedy Bootmen. It’s worth noting, however, that he has always been choosy in terms of deciding which roles to accept and which to turn down, as evidenced by a filmography that’s primarily dominated by a whole host of artistically challenging efforts — including 2004’s award-winning Somersault and the 2005 James Franco war flick The Great Raid.

He won AFI Award Best Actor in a leading role for Somersault.

His undeniable on-screen charisma and natural acting abilities have proved instrumental in his ascent to the top of Hollywood’s list of promising up-andcomers.

The year 2006 proved to be a particularly lucrative for this rising star as he took on the title role in a modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and landed a starring gig opposite Radha Mitchell  and Michael Vartan in the 2007 horror flick Rogue. His reputation as one of Holly wood's most promising up-and-coming performers brought him to the attention of several high-profile directors, though it was James Cameron who ultimately cast him in his biggest production to date Avatar.

Cameron was so impressed with Wor thington's work that he suggested him to director McG for a role in Terminator Sal vation, and he soon found himself worke ing side-by-side with Christian Bale.

After almost a decade of roles in Aus tralian TV shows and films, Worthington gained Hollywood's attention by playing the role of Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation, the lead role as Jake Sully in the James Cameron directed mega block buster Avatar and Perseus in Clash of the Titans. Given that he's also at work on a drama co-starring Keira Knightley and Eva Mendes entitled Last Night, Worthington has clearly established himself as one of his generation's most prolific and flat-out talented performers.

The gamble paid When Worthington was around 30, he sold most of his possessions and ended up with around $2,000 to his name. He then purchased a car and lived in it for a period of time.

Before Avatar, the actor admits he was living in his car. He subsequently got a place to live following his successful audition and signing to the Avatar film project.

He has said that he will go wherever the work takes him and would "like to go on `Dancing with the Stars'." -Compiled by Supriya Rai • He won a scholarship to the John Curtin School of Performing Arts in Fremantle, WA • He was a finalist to play James Bond in Casino Royale before Daniel Craig was selected.

• He worked as a bricklayer before becoming an actor.

• He has blurred vision but he does not wear glasses.

• Aside from acting, the actor is a keen surfer.

• His favourite artists include Xavier Rudd and Bernard Fanning.

• Worthington was cast in Avatar after Jake Gyllenhaal and Matt Damon turned down the role.

• In 2009 he got his first Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Movie Fresh Face Male in Terminator Salvation.

• He was once described as one of Australia’s most likable young leading men by efilmcritic.com • Won the ‘GQ Man of the Year’ award in Australia in 2009, over Eric Bana and Russell Crowe.

The Kali Gandaki river flows south from the Ti betan Plateau, cutting through the Himalayan range, flowing through the world's deepest gorge, flanked on either side by mountain massifs rising up several thousand metres. The gorge functions as a wind tunnel and the barren cliffs are eroded by the strong winds.

The settlements of Upper Mustang have to withstand harsh climates, intense solar radiation and a large fluctuation in temperature.

This region north of the Himalayas, lies in the rain shadow of the summer Monsoons. Settlements depend on water, which is scarce and when sources dry up, the settlements are moved to a more advantageous location. The eroded remains of the earthen walls of old settlements can be seen throughout Upper Mustang, blending in with the wind-beaten cliffs.

The mud structures are constantly subjected to the weather.

The sun and wind work their way into the surfaces and break them down into their natural forms.

Humans struggle against the persisting forces. Shelters are moulded out of the ochre -grey earth. Houses, fortresses and cities take on forms created as the fruits of civilisation, a cultural environment containing human activities. The balance between the wind and the mud walls exists so long as the human hand keeps up the modelling.

In a system of continually changing states, the only constant is the play of forces, the humans in close contact with the natural environment. What is the essence of the place? What is left when one takes away all the crumbling mud walls? What is it that gives the city its identity? Is it the city wall that one should try to preserve, or is it the Gompas, the Chhortens and the Palace that give the city its intrinsic aura? The city mirrors the state of the inhabitant’s mind. The structure of the dwelling fabric reflects the social structures. The position of the religious and political institutes corresponds to the centres of power and their relationship to the people. The edge of the city, the wall, shows us how this community interacts with its surroundings. Each part was created in response to natural, social, economic or political influences.

Today, this balance has shifted and change has washed away all those sensitive responses. The forces playing on the city and the values which formed the basis for planning decisions, both have undergone a major break from their original state — all the more reasons for the need to conserve these transitional cities. 

The trend of rural Nepalis opening their doors to travellers passing by their villages has been inculcat ed in our traditions and customs since time immemorial.

However, providing bed and breakfast or home stay for monetary gains is a fairly new concept in the country.

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) endeavours to make this hospitality trait an economically beneficial opportunity for Nepalis.

Home stay is a system where the local people accommodate tourists in their houses, with tourists paying for the services rendered. People living in any region, rural or urban, can offer home stay. Nonetheless, NTB has set certain criteria and standards to ensure quality for the guests. These include factors like a house should not have more than four rooms, with maximum two beds of standardised size of 6.5 feet x 3 feet in each room. A room should not accommodate more than two guests. The rooms should not be damp or have leaking roofs. The rooms should have cross ventilations, but should be far from cowsheds, especially in rural areas. The people offering home stay also need to have a first aid box handy.

Furthermore, one has to register their houses with the government authority and each community or district should have at least five houses registered to benefit from this programme. Those offering home stay should own the houses being offered for the service and one has to obtain a recommendation letter from the village development committee or the municipality to be eligible.

Keshab Man Amatya, president of Society of Consulting Architectural and Engineering Firms, Nepal opines, "Bathroom facilities are a sensitive issue. Foreigners are not familiar with Indian pans and will have difficulty using it. A commode is a fundamental necessity for them." Replacing an Indian pan with a com mode is fairly easy, as much renovation is not required. A basic white commode can be purchased for Rs 10,000 and can be replaced at minimum costs by plumbers.

Devendra Nath Gongal, architect and director of Multi Disciplinary Consultants also stresses on the requisite of high level of sanitation for people interested to offer home stay.

"We only have to maintain the standards on hygiene. Other changes are actually secondary and not really necessary, since home stays are cultural exchanges between the host and the guests," says Gongal.

In order to increase awareness about this campaign at rural areas, NTB has dispatched field experts, who not only orient locals about home stay possibilities but also provide technical courses and capacity building training to equip them to meet the basic standards required.

"The crash course lays emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, as toilet system and facilities are the major problems in rural villages," explains Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive officer at NTB.

A NTB study conducted in 2010 revealed that there are 66,603 tourist beds available in 15 selected tourist sites in Nepal. Some major destinations incorporated in the study were Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini. This study also illustrated that there were 236 units of home stay houses available in the selected tourist destinations. "With the initiation of new services, we hope to increase the number to 1000 units by the end of Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011," says Shrestha. The aim of this campaign is to actively interlink local people with the tourism sector and provide a viable economic alternative for local people. It is an employment generator with the least investment of money and time. It has been promoted as one of the best means to experience the culture and customs of Nepal, which boasts of 103 ethnic compositions.

The prices for home stays are purely based on market forces -demand and supply. There is no intervention by other organisations. "Home stay is basically a relationship between hosts and guests," says Shrestha.

Sirubari, a Gurung village in Syangja district near Pokhara has adopted the home stay system. The village has now developed as a growing tourist destination, thereby increasing the living standards of the people and the village itself. "We are using Sirubari as an example and we hope to see similar progress in other villages as well," opines Shrestha.

NTB is marketing the concept in collaboration with the Tara Village Development Committee. Various promotional means like brochures, posters, media, travel agencies and websites have been utilised to promote the home stay campaign.

While my guru Roger Ebert calls The ATeam an incomprehensible mess with the 1980s TV show embedded inside, and then uses examples, “I found my attention wandering to the subject of physics. The ATeam has an action scene that admirably demonstrates Newton’s Third Law, which instructs us that for every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.

The movie illustrates this as the heroes fall from an exploding airplane while inside an armoured tank. As the tank hurtles to the ground (cf. Newton’s Law of Gravity), the team leader, Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), looks out an opening and barks out commands for the tank’s gun. I am paraphrasing: ‘Turn 45 degrees to the left! Fire! Twenty-five degrees to the right! Fire!’ In this way, he is able to direct the fall of the tank and save their lives. This is very funny."

But Brian Salisbury says, "Instead of assaulting us with non-stop action and then having the audacity to mask itself as being high art, The A-Team embraces just how ludicrous the action sequences are and makes absolutely no apologies for it.

That's not to say, though, the movie has nothing to offer beyond the explosions and mid-air collisions. In fact, what makes The A-Team such a damn good film is the clever underscore that complements every moment of mesmerising destruction.

Joe Carnahan, along with the other writers, gives us moments that subtly poke fun at the outlandishness of what we are seeing.

Carnahan recognised that, given the tone of both the series and his last film (Smokin' Aces), the action scenes needed to flow uninterrupted, and here it's very streamlined, only pausing briefly to give us hilarious interactions between the larger-than-life characters before diving head-first back into the explosive fray.

Until the very end of the film, each plan is carried out before our eyes as it is being hashed out to neutralise any lacking in the pace. It would be easy to then accuse The A-Team of being frontloaded, given the slow build to the final sequence, but I would argue that is merely a nod to the evolution of Face's character as a leader and that it never really loses steam.

What really sells this film, however, is its cast. Like the original quartet of chaos, each actor brings something fantastic to the table.

Bradley Cooper, as Face, has that inescapably charming swagger and confidence we have come to expect from him; Neeson, unsurprisingly, is the perfect blend of inthe-trenches badass and cool-as-ice leader. Even Rampage Jackson, in the role made famous by a guy donning the entire payload of Ft Knox around his neck (that’d be Mr T), turns in a respectably tough performance with a few moments of decent hubris. But it’s Sharlto Copley who really steals the show as Howlin’ Mad Murdock. True to his character’s moniker, Copley cranks up the lunacy and plays Murdock with a hilariously reckless abandon that mirrors the tone of the entire film.” My own opinion and, I am allowed one, is that The ATeam was written by one of my favourite thriller authors, Stephen Cannell whom I dote on who despite dyslexia not only has written hit after hit TV shows but hit after hit books. You are advised not to smoke Hannibal Smith’s cigars or go over the top like Copley or wear a Mohawk like Jackson otherwise have a ball even if you don’t understand what’s going on which I didn’t, sticking to the basic principle of, it moves fast, it’s in colour and lots of thing go boom.

A hug is a silent acknowledgment of your appreciation and understanding of your partner. A hug can communicate a thousand words, when words would otherwise fail. When you couple this with the added well-known benefits of physical touch, it is easy to see why the underrated hug can do wonders for any couple. Make it a point to include hugging in your everyday life; by doing so, you will show your partner that you value their intimacy as well as their companionship. Below you will find 20 ways to get you started!

The Best Hug-Filled Opportunities

■ In the bath together.

■ On a blanket while watching the stars.

■ In bed, before you get up for the day.

■ While waiting in line together.

■ When you greet or say goodbye to each other.

■ In the shower together.

■ On the spur of the moment just because you love them.

■ While reading a book together.

■ Unexpectedly, when your partner is on the phone.

■ In the back of the car at a drive-in movie.

■ After your partner has done something you appreciate.

■ During a romantic picnic.

■ When your partner is upset about something.

■ While watching a movie.

■ In a cozy booth at an intimate restaurant.

■ When your partner gets out of the bath or shower.

■After a play wrestling match.

■On a cold winter's night in bed or in front of the fire.

■Before giving them a token of your love such as a flower, love poem, etc.

On Hugging...

■"Hugging is the ideal gift. Great for any occasion, fun to give and receive, shows you care, comes with its own wrapping and, of course, is fully returnable. Hugging is practically perfect. No batteries to wear out, inflation-proof, nonfattening, no monthly payments, theft-proof and nontaxable." --Source Unknown

■"A hug overcomes all boundaries. It speaks words within the mind that cannot be spoken."--Submitted by Buzz

■"A silent hug means a thousands words to the unhappy heart."--Source Unknown

■"My favorite place to be is inside of your hugs where it's warm and loving."--Submitted by Haslinda Haniff

“No.” She shook her head slightly as she glared at him with eyes that accused him of an uncommitted crime. “No, it won’t fade, it will never fade…this won’t go away, Michael, no matter how much you will it to. You did this to me, don’t you understand that? After everything I said to you, after everything…all the tears, all the arguments…you went and did it anyway. And I hate you for that, I hate you for ignoring me and for not loving me enough to stay…but most of all I hate you because…because I can’t help but forgive you.” Her tears were uncontrollable now, streaming down her face, blurring her vision, cracking her voice- but now she didn’t care. Now all that mattered were the words she’d finally thrown into the air between them, breaking the window that had separated them for so long.

He stared at her for a few moments, seemingly unaffected by her outburst. “You know why I did what I did. Lily, you should know why I went, why I had to go. But you should also know that every step that I took away from you was like a dagger through my heart. I didn’t go because I didn’t love you enough, baby, I love you more than you could ever imagine…but that” he gestured to the chain in her hand “was a part of my life, just as much as you were. It was something I had to do.”

They lapsed back into silence for a few moments, their gaze still as one. It was almost as though nothing had changed, as though they were together again. But it wasn’t. Everything wasn't as it once was. Everything hadn't returned to those perfect days when they'd watched the sky together and talked until there was nothing left to say. In place of the openness they'd once shared had grown a haze- an unforgiving distance that lingered between them and refused to lift.

“I’m going to go. And so are you. And I’m not going to see you here again, right?” He looked at her as he stood up, raising his eyebrows.

“It’s not that easy. I can’t even look at the sky without remembering you.”

“Who said there was anything wrong with remembering? I want you to remember me, Lily…I just don’t want you to build your life around those memories.” He crouched down in front of her, looking at her with that stare that she could never avoid. “The sky can be our place. The place we watched when we spent our lives together…and the place I’ll be watching you from for the rest of your life. Like a guardian angel.” He grinned at her, reminding her of that conversation they’d had before he’d proposed.

A solitary new tear escaped her eye as she smiled back at him.

“So you won’t be back?”

She shook her head.

“Good.” He stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” She started to laugh through her tears, and then in a blink he had vanished.

The familiar stab of anguish spread through her chest as she found herself alone again, and remembered that none of it was real. She stood up, kissing her fingers and pressing them against the headstone.

“Goodbye, Michael.”

She opened her fist slowly, staring at the numbers engraved on the tags that she’d memorised over the years. Rubbing her thumb across the metal, she felt that stupid little pinch of anger grab her once more at the idea of a man that meant so much being identified in such an impersonal way, and then she lay the chain down in front of the stone. As she turned to walk away she realised that the loneliness and sadness that had followed her for so long had finally disappeared. She wasn't alone. He was with her. He would always be with her. Her husband, her soulmate and her guardian angel. He was watching her from the clouds.

She sat alone in the field, the colours of the misplaced and mismatched flowers the only comfort she was offered in such a lonely, lifeless place. She lay her head back against the grass and let the sunlight dance on her lids, much as she had done every since the summer had fought its way through the rainy spring.

As her eyes eased open she began to watch the clouds floating by, trying desperately to see the beauty in them that she used to, searching for the figures amongst them that used to materialise so easily. But they didn’t come- they never did, not without him.

“Eiffel tower…haven’t seen one of those in a while.”

The voice, though sudden, didn’t startle her, and she propped herself up on her elbows to see a man staring up at a familiarly shaped cloud.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.” She smiled as he sat down, cross-legged as a child, in front of her and began pulling at the grass.

“I wish I could say that.” He looked at her sincerely as her smile wavered slightly.

She forced her own eyes away from his, feeling a colour rise to her cheeks as she transfixed them on her feet stretched out in front of her.

“You’re alone again, then?” He looked at the grass. “Not that I’m surprised…it has been three years.”

She remained silent, resenting what she knew he would say next.

“When are you going to move on from this, Lily? It’s been so long and it’s just…not healthy.” His voice was soft, but she knew without looking that his expression was serious and staid.

“I…I was clearing up the other day…trying to…erase some old memories and I found…” Her false cheery voice faded away, leaving her unable to name the item in question. Instead, she pulled it out from under the collar of her dress, lifting it over her neck and holding it out to him.

He stared blankly down at the metal chain in her hand, his expression unreadable.

“It’s yours.”

“I know.”

They both stared at the item that neither of them wanted; curious as to how something so small and insignificant could cause such a torrent of pain to whoever possessed it. Slowly she closed her fingers around it and brought her hand back down to the grass beside her.

“Do you…want to talk about it?” He tried

She began to laugh.

“What?”

“This is ridiculous…it’s so…so ridiculous I can’t help laughing…I mean, if I don’t laugh I know I’ll only end up crying or... or screaming…” gradually her laughter disappeared, and her eyes locked into his, making it impossible for the tears pricking at her eyes to stay where she wanted them to.

“Please, don’t cry.” He sat forward slightly, his arm lifting as though in reflex to wipe away her tears, but falling down again as he realised once more that things weren’t how they used to be- he couldn’t touch her like used to- he couldn't comfort her or even hold her. Everything was different…painful and different.

She brushed furiously at her tears, angry at herself for being weak. “You wouldn’t think that after four years I’d still well up like a baby at one wrong word.”

“It will fade.” He said confidently.

We often travel in the hope of reaching a destination or a summit and are ready to go miles before sleeping in course of time, in the words of Robert Frost. And, this is our destiny. Most of us are bound to face our fortune to cross several hurdles while travelling the new road. This might be our challenge, a serpentine and rough terrain, and this might be our kismet, a never ending journey of the pilgrim ordinary citizen aspiring to reach the final destination, to bathe in the holy water, to purify sins, stubbornness and shamelessness. Nevertheless, this might not be the case in contemporary Nepal, a country which could have been a paradise, but it is no better than a converted playground for sinners. Nepal has become a country of repulsive forces since a few years in the name of the so-called democratic exercise. This is not the democratic practice at all if I am not wrong in understanding democracy. To some extent, democratic exercise in substance is what is required for the overall development of the country where every citizen is granted the rights that matter. However, over a period of time democratic exercises not in substance only in form staged in the different forms of melodrama in the different segments has proved a curse for the country trying to march towards lasting peace and progress, an ordinary citizen’s destination.

Plots are being hatched by some in the name of drafting a new constitution, prime ministerial election and bringing the derailed development process into the right track. Framing a new constitution could have been done within the stipulated time, with the resolution of several contentious issues. Ambiguity prevails as to whether the ordinary citizen will have the new constitution within the revised schedule of the Constituent Assembly.

My realization is the outcome of facts. The aim is for happiness and prosperity. But, no one should be interested in the kind of happiness generated by earning through bribery, by hurting others, by making merry with the money of their corrupt father, by marrying for wealth only or by getting unfair success.

My idea of lasting happiness is confined to simple living and high thinking. The development model may vary even for that one goal.