Around the world

Cricket’s millionaires

The auctioning of cricketing talent in India seems to have left some cricketers quite embarrassed. The wicket-keeper batsman of Australia, Adam Gilchrist, was heard saying the other day to the Indian press that he “felt like a cow” after he was auctioned at the Indian Premier League. Just in case his remark would be misunderstood he added that he does not mind being part of the “unique and interesting venture.”

However, it is not only the IPL auction that is rolling out the cash, but the advertising world in the Indian sub-continent and to some extent in Sri Lanka are also rolling out the golden carpets to the big names in cricket.

India’s wicket-keeper batsman, too, has been in the news, this time accused of not keeping to some contractual obligations with a firm selling what was once well known to us as the Mysore Sandalwood Soap, a one time favourite when Sri Lanka was Ceylon.

Dhoni denies any such break in his contract. Sandalwood Soap is now a state owned company whose product was popular for a long time only in the southern part of India.

But after Dhoni appeared in the Sandal soap ads, the soap became popular almost overnight. in the northern parts of India too. According to the company’s manager the association with Dhoni, as reported in The Statesman, “has been extremely productive with a large number of North Indians taking to the soap.

He said that ever since Dhoni had started appearing on its ads, the sales of Mysore Sandal Soap had added to a whopping Rs 10 crore ( Rs 100 million) rupees to the company’s coffers. And it can now be taken for granted that the controversy will now boost the sales further.”

Ban on use of bangle

Fourteen year old Sarika Singh, a Sikh girl attending school in Wales, has been stopped from attending school by the school authorities. The reason - she refused to conform to the school’s dress code by wearing an iron bangle known as the Kada, worn by Sikhs as part of a religious custom.

A school close by, however, coming under the same local authority has accommodated her until the case is heard and the school officials have said they are happy for her to wear the kada.

The case is awaiting hearing in a High Court in London supported by a Human Rights Group by the name of Liberty. Although the MP for the area has called upon the governors of the school that has banned the iron bangle not to waste public money in fighting a case they cannot win.

Such times as existed once when minority dress and manners were viewed with fear and suspicion by locals now seem to be showing signs of thinning out; occasional. flare-ups like this are bound to happen despite claims that Sarika will win her case. There are, however, legal precedents establishing a Sikh peoples’ right to wear those items that are essential to their religion..

The strange thing is that in countries classified as developing or former colonial countries incidents like the iron bangle seldom happen.

Here there was once no uniform style of dress or other habits or one particular style of dress and manners as being the acceptable. At Ananda College, Colombo, there were very visible fez caps, Khaddar clad chetty boys from Sea Street, the Kandyan sarees and the low country style of wearing them, all of which contributed to teach us in school that variety is the spice of life.

Doctor recommends biblical diet

A BBC Health Report, referring to a book written by Don Colbert, an American Doctor in Florida, prompts health conscious Americans to ask themselves, “What would Jesus eat?” to stay fit and slim. Dr Colbert has looked up the needed Biblical texts to find out what foods have been eaten and what were not in the times of Jesus Christ..

The first truth he came up with is that,”If you truly want to follow Jesus in every area of your life you cannot ignore your eating habits.”

And the present American eating habits have been called into question because of what is now known as the ‘obesity epidemic.’ “People eat.” the doctor goes on to say, “when they are stressed and eat on the run and everyone is super-sizing their meals.

“A lot of people have no desire to change their foods. Instead they just go on medication to control their symptoms of obesity-related diseases. But it shouldn’t be this way.”

The correct way that is recommended is to take a look at the diet laid before Jesus and his followers.

For instance at the Last Supper, Dr Colbert quotes Luke saying: 24: 42 “And they gave him {Jesus} a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb and he took it and did eat before them.” Dr Colbert says that Christ preferred to eat a lot of vegetables like beans ad lentils.

“He would have eaten wheat bread, a lot of fruit, drink a lot of water and also red wine. And he would eat meat only on special occasions, may be once a month, just like the parable of the prodigal son who ate the fatted calf.’

He is not too sure , though, whether most Americans today would take to the ‘biblical’ diet. For there has been permission granted according to Leviticus “Of them you may eat; the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind and the grasshopper according to its kind.”

And to make matters even more complicated for Americans contemplating going on a bibilical diet Luke quotes for them in 10.8 the following words,

“Whenever you enter a town and they receive you eat what is left before you,” or in modern English ‘Don’t fuss’.

- Roving Eye