Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Ananya Cultural Academy celebrates its silver jubilee

May 28, 2020Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, Alladmin

Founder RV Raghavendra speaks of the exhaustive library, the 2,500 programmes in the last 25 years and the help extended to musicians during the lockdown

RV Raghavendra, founder of the Ananya Cultural Academy, which turns 25 today, (May 27) was disturbed by the plight of musicians and performers who had no means of earning a livelihood during the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Raghavendra organized financial assistance to deserving artists helping nearly 105 artistes throughout Karnataka. “We will be disbursing around ₹12 lakh to people connected with music, dance, folk arts and light music. We have distributed ₹7 lakh from March.”

The monetary help was possible through donations from Raghavendra, Ananya’s Arogyadhara Medical Help Scheme and through donations. “Just one announcement on Facebook garnered an unprecedented response from the music-loving public.”

Ananya is a self-funded, non-profit cultural organization. It was established in 1995 to propagate and nurture different art forms. Jnanpith Awardee Dr. UR Ananthamurthy was its founder-chairman. Since its inception, Ananya has been working in the fields of music, dance, literature and painting.

“Our activities are multi-dimensional. We organise music, dance and visual art (Ananya Drishya) shows. We have individual performances, festivals, lec-dems, workshops, thematic programmes and interactive sessions. We have a well-defined space for young and upcoming artistes. With artist SG Vasudev as the present chairman, we look back at over 2,500 programmes in the last 25 years.”

After a Masters in Geology from University of Mysore in 1973, Raghavendra obtained PhD in Geo-Chemistry from IISC in Bengaluru. He established Geological and Metallurgical Laboratories (GML), an industrial test house for various industrial materials, in 1980. “The profits from the business helped me run Ananya all these years.”

Born in 1952 in Chitradurga to RN Viprakallachar and Susheela Bai, Raghavendra says though he does not come from a musical background, his mother’s informal renderings of devotional songs at home did have a strong bearing on his personality. “After moving to Mysore for my Post Graduation, I started attending concerts. Coming to Bangalore only increased my craving for all genres of music and dance. I soon became a member of every possible music club in the city.”

Ananya has been publishing Ananya Kalasinchana, a music magazine in English for 23 years. The magazine is now available for free online. “My wife, Pramila Bai, a former professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at IISc, helps me run the magazine. We have articles on music, dance, literature and interviews. We have a 7,000-strong subscription base.”

Raghavendra has over the years collected books, audio-clips and photos of classical musicians. To make the collection accessible to the public he started Ananya Sangraha, a reference library, in West Park Road, Malleswaram. “People who attended our concerts at Ananya auditorium in Malleswaram were encouraged to make use of the material at Ananya Sangraha.”

The collection includes nearly 15,000 hours of live programmes and rare recordings by yesteryear and present day artistes. “I started collecting music three decades ago. Audio recordings such as composer Mysore Vasudevachar’s vocal rendering of kritis, Mysore composers’ Javalis, pieces by Mallikarjun Mansur, Violin Chowdiah, Veena Doreswamy Iyengar, Rudrapatnam RK Srikantan, Alathur Brothers, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Lalgudi and MSG amongst others are part of the collection. We have digitised almost 6,000 hours of music as of now. Music from South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal in several dialects are part of the collection, which has music in nearly 25 languages.”

Ananya Sangraha also has a vast collection of books — nearly 10,000 titles including rare ones such as a Kannada translation of Subbarama Dikshitar’s Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarshini by Anandarama Udupa and edited by SK Ramachandra Rao. “This is one of Dikshitar’s greatest works. Practicing musicians, theorists, editors and publishers have continuously drawn inspiration from it. We are lucky to have this monumental work in translation.” Ananya also has the work of nearly 50 composers, books on instrument playing techniques and sahitya (lyrics) ideologies.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Art / by Ranjani Govind / May 27th, 2020

Bengaluru-based gardener’s idea makes way to France

May 24, 2020Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinionadmin

Deepthi Chandra B made two visits to France in January and February to carry out the execution of her design, which is now open to public till November 1 this year.

Garden designed by Deepthi Chandra BGarden designed by Deepthi Chandra B. (Photo| EPS)

Bengaluru :

Deepthi Chandra B’s fairytale moment came complete with a castle. The city-based landscape architect was among the 20 winners at an international garden festival, which takes place in the castle of Chaumont sur Loire, Blois, near Paris.

“There were 400 entries from across the globe and this is the first time an Indian team won in 28 years,” says Chandra, who adds that other winners this year belonged to Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and USA. She made two visits to France in January and February to carry out the execution of her design, which is now open to public till November 1 this year.

The theme for the 2020 edition of the festival was Return to Mother Earth. For her submission of the design, which Chandra called Dharitri: The Garden of Mother Earth, she decided to rely on something that would represent Indian culture, borrowing ideas from the harvest festival. The entrance to the 2,000 sq ft space begins with a walkway of bamboo and flowers one would normally use for worship, like rose and jasmine.

“These are also flowers that are used extensively by the French perfume industry,” explains the 30-year-old. As the view opens up, the visitor notices a circular water body, which was inspired by the Rig Veda’s concept of “Father sky and mother earth being complementary,” says Chandra, adding, “This way, one can see the reflection of the sky in the water.” The small pond is surrounded by step terraces that double as benches for visitors to take in the view. This part of the design was inspired by Indian paddy fields.

“If you climb them you can get a top view of the garden. The pathway finally leads to the exit point thereby completing the Pradakshina path as seen in Indian temples, thereby paying tribute to the sacredness of Mother Earth,” she says.

Chandra’s first visit to France in January involved a meeting with the local contractors. During her second trip, her architect friend Chandrakanth GM, accompanied her to execute the design. Besides a slight language barrier, the duo also had to brave temperatures as low as 7 degrees Celsius while constructing the garden.

“But we also got to see the transition to spring, which came with beautiful views of cherry blossoms,” says Chandra, adding that all the teams getting together for meals was a good cultural experience. “The culture there was different. They construct everything themselves. It was nice to see the other winners coming in with their friends, family and neighbours to build the garden together.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / May 24th, 2020

Varsity develops bio-safety devices to combat COVID-19

May 9, 2020Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

Mysuru-based JSSAHER has come up with ICU on-wheels, low-cost ventilator, DentiSafe, multimode air sanitizer and hand-held UV surface sanitizer

The research team of the Mysuru-based JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), the health sciences-focussed deemed university, has developed new bio-safety technologies in support of the global initiatives for research to prevent the spread and impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

The university said it has developed five technologies/products including ICU on-wheels; low-cost ventilator; DentiSafe; multimode air sanitizer; and hand-held UV surface sanitizer.

The new safety devices were launched here on Friday in the presence of Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt, Minister in-charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar, Minister for Large and Medium Industries Jagadish Shettar and Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj.

The ICU on-wheels ensure the isolation and ICU facility in remote sites of disaster and supports the golden hour of treatment – be it pandemics or disasters. The facility can be made available at home. The approximate cost of this set-up at the present development stage is about ₹4 lakh and the cost will get reduced in large-scale manufacture, a press release from the university said.

The low-cost ventilator is a portable device with adjustable tidal volume and provides positive-end expiratory pressure (PEEP) “which is not apparently found in other low-cost ventilators”. The cost of this ventilator is ₹30,000 and can be reduced further, according to the research team.

DentiSafe is an application to ensure the practice of dentistry safe for both patients and dentists. The application is a mobile device developed to sterilise dental chairs and treatment areas in less than 20 minutes using a non-chemical intervention and relies on the specific wavelength of UV light for safety. The approximate cost of the device is ₹30,000 and can be reduced in large-scale manufacture, the release stated.

“The multimode air sanitizer has a three-step sanitisation process – UV treatment at a specific wavelength to kill the virus; ionisation that kills all microbes, including virus; and lastly a HEPA filter that reduces the particulate matter in the air. The cost of the device is ₹4,500 which can be reduced further if produced in bulk,” the release said.

The University Registrar said lithium-ion battery-operated hand-held UV surface sanitizer device uses UV radiation for sanitising small surfaces frequently used by others such as lift buttons, keyboards etc. This sanitizer can be carried by individuals in their pockets. The cost of the device is ₹1,250 and can be reduced further on bulk production.

The release said JSSAHER will continue to work on these technologies and make them more cost-effective, robust, and highly efficient.

The JSSAHER has thanked Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami for his support to develop the technologies besides C.G. Betsurmath, Executive Secretary; B. Suresh, Pro-Chancellor; and Surinder Singh, Vice-Chancellor. The research team is led by S. Balasubramanian, Director-Research.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – May 08th, 2020

International powerlifter from Udupi digs well for water needs

May 3, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports, World Opinionadmin

Akshatha’s brothers Arun, Ashok and Aravind started digging the well. Akshatha’s job was to remove the soil from the pit.

Akshatha Poojary hard at work digging a well in Karkala taluk | Express

Udupi :

She isn’t well-versed in it: of digging a well. But this 33-year-old achiever dug a 25-foot deep well along with her brothers and nephews and ensured that there will be no scarcity of water during this summer for her family.

For international powerlifter Akshatha Poojary Bola in Karkala taluk, who has won several gold medals in international championships, the lockdown turned into an occasion to work out to maintain her fitness.
Akshatha used to trek for about 10 minutes to bring water from a nearby site during the peak summer months.

Akshatha Poojary (not in pic) was helped by her brothers and nephews to dig the well in Udupi

Her nephew Sumith, who is in 9th standard, triggered the project to dig a well near their house by drawing a circle and motivated the family to take up the task. Akshatha’s brothers Arun, Ashok and Aravind started digging the well. Akshatha’s job was to remove the soil from the pit. This work began on April 18 and the water sprung in the well on April 24 evening.

We dug for 10 hrs every day: Udupi’s powerlifter

As Akshatha Poojary could not continue her practice at Veeramaruthi Vyayama Shaale, Kinnigoli, due to lockdown, this work involving manual labour made her happy. Akshatha told TNIE that they engaged in digging the well from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm with half an hour lunch break. ‘’There was a tree which gave us some shade, so we did not get too tired. My nephew, 20-year-old Sushanth, also joined our venture and finally we have a well of our own now,’’ she said.

After completing her post-graduation in Human Resource Development (MHRD) from Alva’s College, Moodbidri, in 2010, her dream of getting a job in Indian Railways (under sports quota) did not materialise. However, she managed to get a job as a data entry operator (on contract basis) at NMPT, Mangaluru.
Akshatha said that the well will be dug a little deeper next week as soft mud has collapsed a bit.

“We have decided to contract the job of placing pre-cast concrete rings in the well to an outsider, so that this well will continue to help us in the future,’’ she said. Akshatha, has been investing all her time in powerlifting since 2008, is waiting to participate in the state-level powerlifting championship scheduled to be held in August.

GOLDEN GIRL

Ekalavya award in 2014
8 gold medals at London Commonwealth Games in 2011
2 gold medals in International Open Power Lifting Championship in the US in 2014
2 gold medals in the Asian Bench Press Championships in Dubai in 2018

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / by Prakash Samaga / Express News Service / May 02nd, 2020

KSRTC honours Tulsi Gowda

April 30, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, Alladmin

The KSRTC felicitated environmentalist Tulsi Gowda, who was recently honoured with the Padma Shri award.

Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who holds the transport portfolio, felicitated the ‘Encyclopedia of Forest’.

The award includes Rs 25,000 in cash and a lifetime free bus pass.

Savadi also honoured 47 women employees from the KSRTC’s 17 divisions for their work.

The corporation said it had taken up women-friendly initiatives such as installing sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators at 10 bus stations.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City> Life in Bengaluru / by DHNS, Bengaluru / March 11th, 2020

Dose of duty

April 29, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technologyadmin

Donning Personal Protective Equipment, a typical day lasted from 9am to 5pm with a lunch break nearly towards the close of his duty.

Bengaluru :

When Dr Ishan Capoor signed up for an MD in respiratory medicine, he couldn’t have imagined that he would be one of the medical professionals at the frontline when the world is confronted with a pandemic. “I wanted to be part of this and help in whatever small way,” says the 32-year-old consultant pulmonologist with Narayana Health, who is now in quarantine. Over the last week, Capoor was stationed at the OPD, screening 20-25 patients daily, with some showing COVID-19 symptoms. “The process was streamlined and based on the symptoms, doctors took a call on the next course of action,” he says.

Donning Personal Protective Equipment, a typical day lasted from 9am to 5pm with a lunch break nearly towards the close of his duty. With the PPE come a host of challenges, including going long hours without a restroom break. But those were not concerns for Capoor, who was prepared mentally. His parents were supportive too. “I discussed it with them, and they stood by my decision,” he says.

With the virus being asymptomatic, Capoor says you never know what’s coming your way. “But that doesn’t mean that I was really worried at any point. It’s important to stay engaged mentally,” says the doctor who has been staying at the hospital since he started screening patients. He will do so for the next two weeks when his self-quarantine concludes.

Now, Capoor has one piece of advice to stay calm: Switch off, and don’t overthink.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Vidya Iyengar / Express News Service / April 29th, 2020

COVID-19 app by Mysuru man wins laurels in US

April 27, 2020Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

Apollo, an iPhone app for COVID-19 testing and research, has been developed by a company headed by a native of Mysuru, Siddarth Satish.

CEO of Gauss Surgical, Siddarth Satish, is the grandson of Mysuru-based industrialist and art patron K V Murthy. He is the son of Padma (second daughter of Murthy) and M N Satish, who have settled in the USA. Siddarth resides in California.

Dr Prathibha Pereira, his aunt, said that Siddarth studied up to second standard at St Joseph’s School in Jayalakshmipuram. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley (BS in Chemical Engineering); the University of California, San Francisco (MS in Bioengineering); and Stanford University (SIMDesign Fellow).

Siddarth founded Gauss Surgical in 2011 and served as CTO and chairman initially. He then served as an Entrepreneur In Residence at StartX, Stanford’s Startup Accelerator, and as a SIMdesign Fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has over 50 issued or pending patents on medical technologies and has raised $50 million in venture capital funding.

As leaders in the healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) space, Siddarth and his team wanted to help during the COVID-19 crisis and quickly began collaborating with researchers at Stanford and observing COVID-19 testing facilities in the Bay Area.

After spending time embedded at a testing facility, Siddarth said, he found the current testing process to be heavily paper-based and observed that it exposed testers to potential risks as they interacted closely with patients.

“An iPhone-based testing solution could reduce the exposure to risk at testing centers and make the overall process much faster. The app optimises the existing testing procedures by eliminating paperwork, reducing the need for direct contact between patients and staff. This also helps to reduce the use of precious PPE resources,” he said.

Design Award

Gauss Surgical’s life-saving Triton App, which monitors surgical bleeding using iPhones, had earlier won the Apple Design Award, which reflects the best in design, innovation, and technology on Apple platforms.

“We embarked on Apollo, as we felt that our expertise in clinical-grade digital decision-support tools enables us to build a tool for screening and triage of Covid-19. We teamed up with Evive Care, a national database of COVID-19 test centers to develop the app, which includes Stanford Medicine’s Apollo Covid-19 Screening Survey (Apollo Study),” said Siddarth.

Gauss is among a large group of Stanford alumni, scientists, and physicians participating in the StartX Med COVID-19 Task Force.

Apollo integrates tools that work across the current testing process. It is designed so that a person can analyse one’s symptoms and if necessary, drive to the closest testing centre. A tool locates one’s closest available testing centre on a map. It has tools for communication between the tester and tested.

The self-diagnostic checks whether the potential patient has already transacted and then send the report via the app to the testing agent, reducing duplication of the same process. The data is available in the form of a QR code (the ‘Apollo Pass’) on the screen of the patient’s iPhone, which is read by the equivalent app on the tester’s smartphone. The patients can share their information while the car windows remain shut, minimising contact time with the tester.

Once the patient sample is collected, the tester adds the kit to Apollo and sends the sample to test. Results can be quickly shared, once the procedure is completed. Apollo COVID-19 is available in 10 languages, most commonly spoken in the United States. The app can be downloaded for free on the Apple App Store or at https://covid19.gauss.com.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mysuru / by T R Satish Kumar, DHNS, Mysuru / April 27th, 2020

Naguvanahalli GP wins national award for rural development

April 27, 2020Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Records, Alladmin

Members of the Naguvanahalli Gram Panchayat in Srirangapatna taluk firmly believe that representatives of panchayat raj institutions should not work for the sake of awards. If they discharge their roles and responsibilities with dedication, their hard work will be honoured suitably.

The 19-member gram panchayat, half of them women, in Mandya district has been chosen for the Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award (GPDPA), a national award, for its immense contribution towards rural development in its region.

The annual awards being given by the Panchayat Raj Ministry, for the season 2018-19, were announced in Delhi on Wednesday.

Several hundreds of panchayats had competed for the GPDPA and of them 24 from various States and Union Territories have been selected. Sanjeeb Patjoshi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India, announced the list.

Aggressiveness

The members and staffs at the panchayat are known for their aggressiveness in implementing government-sponsored schemes. They regularly conduct meetings to discuss the issues for the development of villages as well to monitor the progress/process of implementation of government schemes.

The panchayat has procured its own vehicle to collect solid waste, distributed separate bins to every household in its limits for segregating dry and wet waste, installed solar-powered street lights and low power-consuming high mast street lamp posts, and set up a digital library, H.G. Yogesh, visually impaired Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), at the GP, told The Hindu.

Educating the representatives through a projector, discussing widely about the plans and programmes with the members before the implementation, maintaining cleanliness by using weed cutter and other equipment, recording the development programmes/execution of plans through handycam, imposition of blanket ban on the use of plastic bags, and effectively implementing the development schemes are some of the proactive measures being implemented by the GP for rural development.

Questionnaire

The Ministry had assessed the achievements of the panchayat by seeking details with 100 questions. A team from the ministry had also visited Naguvanahalli and other places in February this year.

Naguvanahalli, Naguvanahalli Colony, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Chandagalu, Belawadi, Brahmapura and Bommuru Agrahara fall under this panchayat. The total population is 7,029.

President B.R. Nandakumar, computer operator P. Manjula, panchayat secretary S. Shivalingaiah, bill collector M.P. Lakshman, and every member and staff are striving for the development of the villages, the PDO said.

Speaking to The Hindu here, Mandya Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K. Yalakki Gowda lauded the staff of the Naguvanahalli Grama Panchayat for their contribution.

The award distribution programme is expected to be held after the withdrawal of COVID-19 lockdown.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by M.T. Shiva Kumar / Mandya, April 24th, 2020

Social entrepreneurs help people with disabilities

April 24, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, Alladmin

Social entrepreneurs Vishnu and Vishal Soman started a volunteer helpline ‘Volunteers vs Covid 19’ to help people with disabilities in Bengaluru during the lockdown. “Accessibility is an issue for this community even without the lockdown. So, we wanted to help them with their basic necessities,” says Vishnu.

They created a system that allowed them to help, while complying with the lockdown rules. “We created a virtual volunteer network. We use existing services such as Dunzo, Swiggy Go and Lalamove India to deliver essentials,” says Abhishek S, a volunteer.

There are 58 volunteers involved, spread across Attibelle to Yelahanka and Nagasandra to KR Puram.

Who gets help?

“A mom in Nagasandra wanted medicines to be delivered to her son with autism at Jayanagar. These are the problems we aim to tackle,” explains Abhishek.

The group focuses on delivering cooked food and groceries in addition to medicines. They also try to provide items free of cost, for those with financial difficulties.

They have a vetting process to ensure that nobody tries to take advantage. “It usually happens on the same day. If the delivery is not urgent, we ask them to wait up to two days,” Vishnu says.

As of April 22, they have helped 2,674 people, with an average of 10-15 deliveries a day. “We have also had transpeople and daily wage earners reach out,” he shares.

The virtual setup is not without its pitfalls. “Coordinating can be challenging, and time-consuming. There have been instances where able-bodied people have tried to use our service. We have minimised this to a large extent,” says Abhishek.

Varalakshmi, a resident of Dasarahalli, used the helpline to avail groceries. The lockdown has been stressful for her family as both, she and her husband, are unemployed currently.

A group that understands

Sashikala, a visually-impaired woman who resides in a PG at Chamrajpet, says she found out about the helpline through WhatsApp. “I needed groceries, a pressure cooker, and an induction stove — it was all delivered the same day,” she says.

Madhumitha Venkataraman, founder of Diversity Dialogues, was already familiar with Vishnu. “While there are many groups working towards helping people, none of them catered to this particular population. There was a need for one that had been created by people who understand disability and is adept at its nuances,” she says.

Knowing sign language, or the importance of medicines makes them more suited to address specific needs. “Many people with disabilities reach out to me for help. So far, whoever I have directed to the group, has received the help they needed,” she adds.

Reach them on their helpline number 90196 63172

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Special Features / by Krupa Joseph / April 23rd, 2020

Mysuru-Origin US Doctor Gets A Brilliant 100-Car Salute

April 22, 2020Amazing Feats, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinionadmin

Mysore/Mysuru:

It was a proud moment for Mysuru as a city-based doctor living in the United States received a unique ‘Drive of Honour’, a heart-warming gesture to appreciate her efforts in fighting the global Coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘Drive of Honour’ was performed in front of the house of Dr. Uma Madhusudan, a Mysuru-based doctor who is treating COVID-19 patients in South Windsor Hospital in the USA.

The local neighbourhood in the USA honoured her and the video of the ‘Drive of Honour’ has gone viral. In the video, several Police vehicles, fire brigade trucks and private vehicles can be seen going past through her house with sirens and honks blowing. A convoy of at least 100 vehicles drove past Dr. Madhusudan’s house stopping by for a few seconds and thanking her.

As the global coronavirus crisis deepens, doctors across the world are being hailed as heroes and saviours, putting their own lives at risk to protect that of others. Dr. Uma Madhusudan is a 1990 batch graduate from JSS Medical College, a constituent college of JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru. Dr. Uma works at South Windsor Hospital.

The ‘Drive of Honour’ video has been shared by Karnataka Medical education Minister Dr. Sudhakar on Twitter. The video shows Dr. Uma standing at her lawn while a string of vehicles pass her by with the drivers waving at her, honking and cheering.

“Happy to share a video of Uma Madhusudhan, Mysuru origin Doctor in US being honoured in front of her house by grateful patients,” Sudhakar wrote. “It’s a beautiful sight of cars, police vehicles, and fire trucks lining up in gratitude, waving and honking to say Thank you Dr. Uma!”

The tweet has since been going viral and even the teachers and friends from JSS Medical College have sent their greetings and appreciation.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Covid 19 News / April 21st, 2020

Bangalore First

a Celebration. Positive News, Facts & Achievements about Bengaluru, Kannadigas and all the People of Karnataka – here at Home and Overseas