Goli gives a step by step guide for getting a driving license in Bangalore without giving a bribe. I hope this might have relevance for the rest of the India too. My own experience was anything but like this!
Archive for June, 2008
Jabberwock reacts to the controversy in Kerala over a textbook accused of “injecting atheist values” into the unsullied minds of school children.
The idea might instinctively make many people uncomfortable, but think about this: though most of us associate the term “child abuse” with sexual abuse or violence, it basically applies to any situation where [...]
Arjun wrote a long time back about his Roopkund trek. If I could drop everything and run I would do so after looking at the pictures.
It’s got everything going for it. Deep virgin forests, gurgling brooks, breath-taking campsites, miles of undulating meadows, snow and ice, and the taste of a great adventure as you climb [...]
Rada is musing about his decision to grow a beard when he reads that younger women today prefer a man without one!
The deception came later. Initially at least, the idea was to save valuable time in the morning. A habitual late riser, sharing as I did a 1 BHK apartment with one wash basin and [...]
Amidst all the din of discrimination against the girl child, sometimes it is so heartening to see the tides of change as well. Hop over to Pinku’s blog and hear her narrative about how supportive an environment she grew up in:
Throughout our childhood we were never told that we couldn’t do a thing because we [...]
Kalsoom Lakhani writes about Hijras, and provides a historical and social perspective of their lives in the subcontinent across cultures and national boundaries:
The traditional occupation for hijras consists of begging for alms when bestowing blessings on male babies and at weddings. They are notorious for knowing when a baby boy is born and arriving at [...]
Germany have made it through to the Euro 2008 finals, and will be playing Spain in a couple of days. Dushyant Wadivkar is lucky enough to actually be in Germany in the middle of all this excitement, and believes that watching the national team in the company of Germans is an experience not to be [...]
Amrit does not like what he sees in the newspapers, too much cricket and very little about Field Marshal Manekshaw.
What caught my attention was the way both the newspapers carried the news. In the Hindi newspaper scan you’ll notice that Sehwag (he’s a cricket player) gets more exposure due to his performance against some match [...]
In an experimental effort, Ajay Chandran wrote Urdu lyrics for a Malayalam movie song and Sindhuja sang and posted it in her music blog. What left for us is a beautiful musical experience!
BVN in a satirical post writes about the latest clash between the titans - Religious heads and Communists - about the 7th standard text book in Kerala.
The left front ought to be fought tooth and nail if religion is to survive in Gods Own Country. If the recent attacks by the left junta on Hindu [...]
Gayathri did not take too kindly to that comment from someone she met at the mall:
Do I take that as a compliment? That South Indians are usually dressed well ? South Indians are more prelavent in the US thanks to their sharper brains, they get opportunities to study and work? Or is it a very [...]
Chandni posted about how clothes make not just the woman, but her image as well:
And more often than not, they will give in, and dress to please others. Irrespective of what they like. Irrespective of where their comfort lies. Irrespective of how stifling it might be, to always adhere to rules made by others, just [...]
Priyank plays music on the bus and shares his experience with us. A post I really liked.
So we got into the streetcar, full of sweet party people. The guys couldn’t wait to see how a sitar looked and I showed them rightaway. I am always ready to play and so I did what they wanted [...]
Well, some go open schools! Maverick talks about the book Three Cups of Tea.
It’s about Greg Mortenson, a climber who after his failed K2 expedition went on to conquer even greater heights. He started on a mission to build schools in the most neglected areas of Pakistan and later Afganisthan, especially in the era of [...]
In a detailed post, Ritwik gives a first hand account of what he saw and what he lived through during the ongoing floods in West Bengal’s Midnapore:
Our Chief Minister informed us that the Army has been called in for both Purba and Paschim Medinipur, 150 local boats and 7 army speed boats have been pressed [...]
Jerusha fights eve-teasing with her own weapon - a camera.
And on what seemed like their 10th stop, asking us the same thing, I just lost my temper, I’d been taking pictures of random things on the street so I stopped and pointed the camera at them, and it was like a magic wand! They sped [...]
Soumya Sen asks why CPM keep winning in Bengal. And he concludes it with the reason as there is no good alternative.
In fact Calcutta went to become the first city to support a huge gay rally on the streets, effectively laughing in the face of the antiquated Indian Penal Code that describes same-sex relation as [...]
Kerala Tips has a detailed post (with route maps, travel instructions, photos etc) about Ramakalmedu in Idukki district, Kerala.
The name Ramakkalmedu is derived from Rama-kal-medu (Rama’s foot on the rock). According to the folklore, Hindu god Rama had set foot on this rock while searching for his wife Sita abducted by Ravanan. Any way if [...]
Ritu recently finished reading “The Silent Raga” by Ameen Merchant, and found it captivating:
Perhaps the most poignant parts of the book deal with the mental breakdown of the father that Mallika first blames on her sister’s departure. In reality though, the father, somewhere deep inside knows that he had deeply wronged his first born, a [...]
Ideasmith went to watch Sex and the City, and so did Hawkeye. This is what Hawkeye felt (who classified this as porn for women, btw):
While walking into the movie hall - I was more scared than I was in those good old ‘Raja theater’ days. I was hoping nobody would see me. I also [...]
India’s inflation hit 11.05% as of Friday 20th June.
It is a massive jolt to the ruling UPA Coalition - seemingly uncontrollable march towards double digit inflation. The Bombay Sensex lost over 500 points on Friday (3.42%). Interest rates are bound to rise in the coming weeks, making home purchases, durables, and cars that much more [...]
Suhit Anantula launches his own green drinks company in Adelaide:
I am pleased to announce the launch of Adelaide Green Drinks. This has solely come about from my interest to meet people in this field. Frustrated with not finding any networking event, I decided to start one.
It is so heartening to see Indian entrepreneurs around the [...]
Dev Amritesh visits Jim Corbett National Park along with his marketing team and finds his accomodation a little different-
It was so densely green that we felt that we are in the Jungle itself. Over an area of 13 acres, they have only 12 cottages, almost an acre per cottage! Since all of us in the [...]
eNidhi drives a rented Skoda Octavia from Chennai to Mysore and makes an interesting post-
The rent was supposed to be Rs 4500 per day plus tax, but Hertz gave me a discount and charged me Rs 13014 (or Rs 4340 per day approx-not sure why I was given a discount-I think it is a corporate [...]
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and Vinod Khanna’s Il Palazzo flat
Published by June 19th, 2008 in India. 3 CommentsStock market tycoon Rakesh Jhunjhunwala in conversation with Vinod Khanna over a planned movie.
Me: Hmmm, I have a story for you but I’ll give it to you only if you wear a chicken suit and say ‘Stock Portfolio’ 10,000 times.
Vinod: Sure, no problem. I’m shameless anyway.
Me: Good, then here it is. It’s a story [...]
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