LUCKNOW, SATURDAYJUNE 5, 2021

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very great dream be-gins with a dreamer. Mona Gautam being one of them, her confi-dence and the way she embraces her natural looks has helped so-

lidify her as a role model for girls and young women. When asked about her journey, she said, “It all began in 2017 after graduating senior high school, I applied for a few pageants, which in turn helped me boost my confidence and thus, one of

the reputed pageants provided me with a platform to showcase the best of me.” She further added, “Being a Senior high graduate, I was a sweet summer child, with zero ideas of the world outside as well as the beauty and fashion industry. So, figuring things out and identifying real and authentic people was a difficult task. Ini-tially, I was let down by the in-dustry, since as per beauty standards, I was not groomed. Therefore, I worked on myself and became physically fit and groomed enough to get a kick-start in the industry.”

When asked about her inspi-ration, Mona said, “Every single day, I’m the person that moti-vates me to be a better version

than I was yesterday. Looking at myself, growing and ageing like a fine wine give enormous moti-vation.” The hardworking mod-el also paid gratitude to her fam-ily for their constant support ever since her journey started.

When asked what advice would she give someone start-ing, the alluring beauty replied, “The new generation needs to be the perfect blend of aware-ness, smartness and simply wear the confidence beautiful-ly. They needn’t worry about the features or complexion or even height.” Well, Mona was very fortunate to have learned so much at a young age and she’s now using those experi-ences as a platform to speak truth to others.

E

MONA GAUTAM, A TRAILBLAZING MODEL WHO WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN BECAME ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING FACES TO WATCH FROM THE MODELLING INDUSTRY. CITY FIRST CAUGHT UP WITH

THIS YOUNG TALENT TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER JOURNEY SO FAR!

MITALI DUSADmitalidusad01@gmail.com

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FIERCE MIND, BRAVE SPIRIT

10ETC

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FACE

OF TH

E DAY

DEEPTI SAINI, Mrs India International

ARIESMAR 21 - APR 20

Something included in your diet is likely to have a positive effect on your overall health. A glib talker may try to confuse you so be aware.

Disturbances at home will need to be curtailed to retain a peaceful environment. You will get the motivation to push yourself on the academic front.

LIBRA SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22

A lot of activity is foreseen on the work front and you will be right in the midst of it. Some issues that seem unlikely to get resolved on the family front will begin to

move towards a solution. Good options will be found by those searching for property that fi ts their pocket.

TAURUSAPR 21 - MAY 20

You will need to keep your priorities right on the professional front. Joining health conscious people in daily workouts is likely to keep you fi t and energetic.

Someone on the home front can irritate you. You may become instrumental in getting a property issue settled.

SCORPIOOCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22

It is best to take the opinion of others before you put in your money. A house-hold remedy may come in handy for those suffer-ing from body aches and pains.

Something that you wanted to get done on the home front is likely to be initiated now.

GEMINIMAY 21 - JUNE 21

You are likely to swim with the tide on the professional or academic front. Indulging in ex-cesses may prove bad for health. Issue regard-ing an ancestral

property is likely to be settled amicably. Those trying to study will get the right environment at home.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 22

Keeping a close tab on spending will leave you with much to splurge later. You may take some time in bouncing back on the work front. No problems are foreseen on health

and fi nancial fronts. You manage to play your cards well and avoid getting involved in a contentious issue at home.

CANCERJUNE 22 - JULY 23

Changes happen-ing on the profes-sional front can have you worried, but will turn out favourable. More interest is required on the health front. Fam-ily life will cruise

along smoothly as you resolve to remain positive under all circumstances. Take steps on the property front.

CAPRICORNDEC 23 - JAN 20

Something important may be entrusted to you at work today. You may take up some activity or sport just to keep trim and slim. Good news may greet you on the

family front as a suitable match is found for the eligible. Those wanting to buy real estate will fi nd their wish being fulfi lled.

LEOJULY 24 - AUGUST 23

You will manage to pick up the threads from where you left on the professional front. Much happiness is foreseen on the home front. A trip in future

with friends will not only be exciting, but refreshing too. This is a good time to fi nalise property.

AQUARIUSJAN 21 - FEB 19

You may spend on something not previously catered for. You can struggle to keep pace on the work front. Condition of those ailing is set to improve

by leaps and bounds and get them fi rmly on the road to good health. A suitable matrimonial match is expected.

VIRGOAUG 24 - SEP 23

You will need to follow the direc-tions in letter and spirit in dis-charging a task. Some of you can face a medical problem on the health front, but it will be nothing

serious. Family will prove to be a pillar of support for those facing something im-portant. You may feel fi nancially secure.

PISCESFEB20 - MARCH 20

Financially you may need to be more secure than you are now. There is a need to come up with something original, if you are in a creative fi eld. You will be

motivated to get back into shape and may even join a gym. Those thinking of selling a property will be able to get buyers.

YOUR DAY

Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva

Painted House’ is the kind of book you read slowly because you don’t want it to end” and at the same time is so captivat-

ing that it is a challenge to put the book down till you have finished reading it. The best kind of book. “By the time you turn the last page, you are so involved with the charac-ters, you want to know what happened to them after-wards”.

A Painted House’ is not a typical John Grisham legal thriller. It’s a work of fiction, inspired by the author’s child-hood in rural Arkansas. The narrator is a farm boy, Luke Chandler, aged seven. He lives on cotton fields with his par-ents and grandparents, in a little house that’s never been painted, a constant reminder of their low. socio-economic status. The year is 1952. The Chandler’s work on 80 acres of land, which they do not own, but take on rent. When the cotton is ready, they hire a truckload of Mexicans, and a family from the Ozarks, Spruill’s, to help harvest it.

A certain camaraderie per-vades this bucolic dream team. But, the work is back-breaking. For six weeks they pick cotton, battling the scorching heat, drenching rain, fatigue, and often each other. The three generations of the Chandler family treat their workers more kindly than most farmers do, includ-ing engaging them in the local obsession of playing baseball together, sharing their vegeta-bles and food, attending to the sick but serious trouble arises among the harvesters none-theless. Most of it centres around Hank Spruill, a giant hillbilly with an equally mas-sive temper. One night in town, he beats three boys of the notorious Sisco family so brutally, that one of them suc-cumbs to his injuries. The lo-cal sheriff- Stick Powers- comes for investigations. Luke is so fearful of Hank that he is forced to state his defence. Things get murkier when Luke sees Cowboy, (one of the Mexicans, with his leg-endary knife), attack and murder Hank and then throw his body off the bridge into the river. As Luke quietly tries to reach the safety of his house, Cowboy spots him and threatens to kill his mother, if he dares to speak a word about the incident. One night, the Cowboy and Tally (Hank’s

17-year-old beautiful sister, on whom Luke has a huge crush) elope together and are never seen by anyone again. Luke is heartbroken! He also learns that his much-admired Uncle Ricky, fighting in the Korean War, might have fathered an illegitimate child with Libby Letcher, daughter of their poverty-stricken sharecrop-ping neighbours. These events cause Luke to keep many secrets- which weigh heavy on his conscience. This loss of innocence is a catalyst for much of his character growth.

Grisham. punctuates these social tensions and tragedies with vivid imagery of rural Arkansas’s exciting events-- the town’s yearly picnic, the gala Carnival, the lively town, Black Oak, where everybody knows everyone else. Luke is treated to a movie every week-end, along with ice cream, Coca-Cola and his coveted Tootsie Rolls. Each morning Luke’s mother cooks a lavish, healthy breakfast. He is even allowed a mug of coffee. In the

evenings, the family relax to-gether on their porch and lis-ten to Harry Caray’s baseball commentary on the radio. Passionate about baseball, Luke intends to save his hard-

earned money to buy an ath-letic jacket, which he saw his favourite team- ‘The Cardi-nals’- wearing in a Sears cata-logue. Once he was lucky enough to see a match on the television- for the very first time.

Luke notices that the clap-boards on his family’s old house are progressively being painted- a glimmering white, by some ‘Good Samaritan’. He helps by paying and painting the house himself. Paint be-comes a symbol of Hope.

‘A Painted House’ ends with an unfortunate flood that de-stroys the family’s crop be-fore the harvest can be com-pleted. Luke’s family, devas-tated by this loss, their piling-up debts, decides to move to the city to work in the auto-mobile industry and start a new life. The novel character-izes mid-20th-century rural life, commenting on the pre-carity of human communi-ties concerning their propen-sity for chaos and the unpre-dictable world of nature, as well as the adolescent loss of innocence. Most captivating ‘must-read’ book.

DEEPAKdeepaklifemusings@gmail.com

‘A

A PAINTED HOUSE

DEEPAK’S CORNER

John Grisham

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11

he economies of coun-tries dependent on tourism are clearly hurting, with visitor numbers plummeting as a result of the pan-demic. In Thailand

alone, a country where tourism accounts for 11%-12% of the GDP, the number of interna-tional tourists dropped by 83% in 2020. During December 2020 – typically a peak tourism month – the country received just over 6,000 foreign tourists – a 99.8% drop from December 2019, when there were nearly 4 million foreign tourists.

The Thai government esti-mates a loss of 100 billion Thai baht (over US$3 billion) in the first quarter of 2020 and a loss of about 1.45 million jobs as a result of this slump in tourism.

However, the actual loss can-not be captured in these num-bers alone. Many cross-cultural exchange opportunities have been lost as well.

I spent much of the previous decade living in Chiang Mai, a medium-sized city in northern Thailand, which relies heavily on tourism. As a scholar who was studying the relationship between tourism and Buddhist temples in the region before the pandemic started, I am able to assess the impact of COVID-19 on these sites of religious im-portance.

Some Buddhist temples that relied heavily on donations from foreign tourists are now struggling to outlast the pan-demic. Additionally, small busi-nesses around temples have been badly hurt, as is the knowl-edge exchange with interna-tional visitors.

TEMPLES AND TOURISMBefore the pandemic, Wat Phra Chetuphon, known more com-monly as Wat Pho and one of the most-visited temples in Bangkok, would receive about 6,000-10,000 tourists per day. For-eign tourists pay an entry fee of 200 baht, or $6.40, while Thai people enter free of charge.

In an interview in January 2021 with Thai news outlet Prachachat, the assistant abbot of Wat Pho stated that the tem-ple can weather this period without tourists for now, but not for much longer. With dona-tions from Thai people, they were able to pay basic expenses of water and electricity and employ cleaning and se-curity staff. But without

the foreign tourist fees, it would become difficult to meet the monthly budget of about $96,000.

Foreign visitor numbers are also scarce in the most famous temple in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew, or the Temple of the Em-erald Buddha. This temple is part of the Grand Palace, the Thai royal family’s for-mer residence. In 2016, the Grand Palace was named one of the world’s 50 most-visited tour-ist attractions in the world by Trav-el + Leisure maga-zine, with over 8 million visitors per year.

Typically, the high tourist sea-son would see a long line for entry and crowds of people inside, with foreigners paying $16 for entrance to the temple and the Grand Palace. Again,

there is no en-trance fee for Thai citizens.

L o s s e s have been significant, for mem-bers of the m o n a s t i c community and small

businesses that thrive n e a r

these fa-mous tem-ple com-p l e x e s . Many ven-dors who sell wa-ter, street food and

souvenirs around the temple have lost their in-c o m e s . Many of

t h e s e

people work within Thailand’s informal economy. A 2018 sur-vey found 55.3% of Thailand’s total population found employ-ment through this informal economy.

CULTURAL EXCHANGEMuch of the loss of the engage-ment between foreign tourists and the monastic community cannot be measured in mone-tary terms. My recent book highlights the energy and effort student monks put into creating programs for foreign tourists to learn about their religion, many aimed at travellers or stu-dent groups on college or gap-year programs. In my research, I have found these cultural ex-change programs to be benefi-cial for tourists and the goals of Buddhist monasticism. Several visitors volunteer while travel-ling in developing or underde-veloped nations to provide sup-port to those in need. At the same time, these volunteer tourists immerse themselves in different cultures, religions and ways of life.

In Thailand, volunteer tour-ists typically teach English

and could also live in a tem-ple for several months. In

my interviews, these tourists said that the

experience enabled them to learn about themselves, reflect on their own values and consider new ideas for how to

live a happy life.Buddhist

monks see it as their duty to

spread

their teachings to all who are curious. One program, called Monk Chat, which is hosted by the Buddhist temple Wat Suan Dok and the MahaChulalong-korn Buddhist University, fa-cilitates one-on-one and small group conversations between monks and foreign travellers in English.

Monks who participate in these programs say that they often develop new ways of thinking based on their discus-sions with foreigners – from becoming more accepting of cultural differences to being pushed to think deeply about the monastic lifestyle.

For example, when I asked, “How have you changed as a re-sult of meeting foreign tour-ists?” One monk replied that he used to just accept the monastic rules and practices without con-sidering their purpose. Howev-er, after tourists asked why he shaved his head and wore yel-low robes, he considered the ways that his lack of hair and uniform were part of a simple lifestyle. He understood more deeply that monks must give up such expressions of individual-ity as hairstyle and fashion preferences.

Because of the pandemic, Monk Chat has switched to an online outreach. Since April 2020, MonkChat Live is streamed almost every week via Facebook, where various guests, usually monks, prepare some reflections on a specific topic related to Buddhism in the modern world, such as life les-sons from COVID-19.

Facebook Live is a good al-ternative for now, but it does not have the same impact as talking directly with foreign-ers. The format is more formal, with little chance for personal sharing or observing the play-ful ways monks interact with one another.

It is difficult to measure these losses, but undoubtedly they

will leave a deep impact for some time to come.

Buddham Buddham Sharnam Sharnam GacchhamiGacchhami

THE PANDEMIC HAS SLOWED TOURISM TO THAILAND’S BUDDHIST TEMPLES, BUT THE IMPACT IS MORE THAN ECONOMIC. CITY FIRST BRINGS YOU AN INSIGHT!

T

Source: https://theconversation.com/us

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CITY BUZZGET VACCINATED

STAY MASKED

As we celebrate World Environ-ment Day today, let us pledge that

we shall guide our steps towards a better tomor-row and save our environ-ment from being degrad-ed. Behind the lens, is Sumit Kumar who has captured the best phases of nature in and around Uttar Pradesh, reminding us once again of what a happier and healthy world looks like.

REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE.REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE.

itness is a pro-cess filled with d e d i c a t i o n , m o t i v a t i o n and a vision to be fit physical-

ly and mentally. This process got the long-awaited recognition when the world got hit with the pandemic and, health became a prior-ity. The pandemic, though a pes-

tilence, came with some perks like having enough time to focus on taking care of your health. While the gym-nasiums and outdoor exercising arenas are locked down, home workouts are the new way to stay fit. City First talked to some fit-ness professionals and brought their insight-ful tips for its readers to stay fit and healthy during the pandemic.

Miten Kakaiya, a Fit-ness Coach and the founder of MitenSays-Fitness.com (MSF) said, “Staying fit is

very important in times of a pandemic. Regu-lar exercise

helps to ele-vate your mood and s t r e n g t h e n your muscles

as well as your cardiovascular sys-tem.”

Unnati Bisht, a fitness enthusi-ast, said, “If you want to start a fun workout, start with Zumba

or some-thing as simple as 20 mins

walk while talking to a friend over a call.’’

While Lakshit Yadav, an ardent follower of home workouts, said, “3 things that I urge people to follow- Eat sufficient protein, sleep at least 7 hours per day, and perform any physical activity even if it’s just walk-ing!”

But the road to fit-ness is a bumpy one and, a little motivation goes a long way. Simran Taneja, a fitness and lifestyle influencer, said, “I try to talk a lot about being fit on my social media and keep interacting with my followers. I focus on fol-lowing a healthy diet and reminding my fol-lowers to follow one too. My mode to moti-vate people has been

my Insta-gram. I

go live almost every week

an d

keep them updated through my stories.”

Meanwhile, Mayank Mishra, weightlifter, NCSF Certified trainer and owner of Vyayam-shala gym, shared, “In my point of view, im-munity can be devel-oped, with a mix of physical exercises and a nutritious diet. When at home, focus on build-ing a routine like skip-ping and easy exercis-

es.”

HAPPY B’DAY!

The birthday of (clockwise) IAS P Guruprasad, IAS Madhusudhan Nagaraj Hulgi, IAS Sanjay Kumar Meena and IPS Charu Nigam was on Friday, June 4. We wish them all the best!

While the gymnasiums and

outdoor exercising arenas are locked

down, home workouts are the

new way to stay fit!

MONICA PRABHAKARcityfirst@firstindia.co.in

F

TOWARDS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

PLANTATION DRIVE!

CYCLING!

EACH ONE PLANT ONE!

In a bid to provide better health for human beings, Udaan Mother’s Organisation organised a plantation drive in the parks of Indira Nagar and Faridi Nagar on the eve of World Environment Day. Udaan Mother’s founder Sarita Singh along with members of the organisation planted 151 medicinal plants and pledged to protect the environment.

On the occasion of World Bicycle Day, Dhirendra Singh Sachan, Chairman, UP, Cycling Federation of India, shared a picture of himself sporting a bicycle. He shared the picture to motivate others to take up cycling as a fun activity to stay fit.

The members of Pragati Paryavaran Sanrakshan Trust Samiti Day gathered to plant saplings at Gautam Budh Upvan Park in LDA Colony to mark the occasion of World Environment Day. The members also distributed saplings in their colonies and encouraged people to introduce house gardening.

Mayank Mishra Simran Taneja

Unnati Bisht

Lakshit Yadav

Miten Kakaiya

Chuka Beach

Dudhwa National Park

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary Lohia Park