Not a bad sort

11th September

2009-04-26T23:47:00.004+05:30

M sent me this link to Vivekananda's 'Brothers and sisters of america..." speech on Youtube.It is an impressive speech. A passionate call for secularism and world peace.Vivekananda ends with "... I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable

This is Earth. You know that, right?

2008-11-21T19:39:00.003+05:30

Its bad enough if you tell me that you know of nothing else to see in Paris except the Eiffel.Then you go on to insult years of education you received at the hands of, hopefully, competent teachers by claiming to have never heard of the French revolution, or Marie Antoinette.You haven't heard of the Louvre. The lesser said of Orsay or Georges Pompidou or Orangerie, the better.And need I even

The countdown is on...

2008-11-18T16:49:00.001+05:30

Ticket's been booked.Leaving for India early next month, and will stay for quite a bit.Now I get to repeat last September's experience. Too much to do here too... too much that needs to be experienced... or experienced again... Rome once more, perhaps?.... Cram in some more travelling?.... Pizza at Andrea's.... Finish all the food in the house.... Shop (for gifts, this time round, luckily)...

When you find yourself...

2008-11-15T19:50:00.000+05:30

... dreaming of people you last saw a decade ago.... forgetting the name of the Bandra pizza place you used to order from everyday.... looking at buildings in Valletta and being reminded of Baroda.Its time to go home.

Malta

2008-11-14T16:18:00.000+05:30

I loved the island.Despite the fact that my wallet got lost/stolen there.It is 19 miles by 6, has shops with boards that belong to another century perhaps (oh the joy of seeing haberdashers, ironmongers and greengrocers, in this age of Carrefour and Walmart). Plenty of sunshine (In november, mind you), lovely sea, and very friendly people.It even has temples that look like Stonehenge, but are

Two Indias?

2008-10-22T16:12:00.004+05:30

I'm remembering the Amitabh Bachchan ToI ad today.Far be it from me to echo jingoist statements -- particularly any endorsed by ToI -- but as I read the news coming out of India in the past few days, I can't help but say I agree.One set of headlines says 'Riots in Bombay'. Another says, 'India sends craft to Moon'.I can spin the contrast out to kingdom come, but hopefully you can do that yourself.

Frankfurt...

2008-10-21T16:12:00.000+05:30

... was awesome.My legs hurt, with all the walking. And my hands hurt because of all the books I've been lugging around.But it was worth it.As a reader, this is one side of books you never see. And it is a complex, many-sided business with a million things happening every moment, all thanks to the Net.A much-needed eye-opener.Not to mention, much needed books :). and pre-release ones at that.So

Basta!

2008-10-10T17:41:00.003+05:30

Some friends (Indian) tried making spaghetti last night. God alone knows what they ended up making, but it was different enough for their Italian roomies to say "Dont KILL Italian food!".Reminds me of a pasta-making experiment from the Gurgaon days, when I happily added some indian spice (chaat masala probably) to standard arrabiata sauce. After eating which, J commented "This is not pasta, it's

Art?

2008-09-18T18:04:00.005+05:30

An artist in New York is having an exhibition of photos that'd remind us all of bio lab in school. Its called "Product Dissections", and is basically photos of toothpaste tubes cut up, and pinned...The logic behind it? According to the artist, "Toothpaste lent itself to be a perfect starting point, because the extremity of its marketing these days has gone into bizarre realms of colors and

Khuda Jaane...

2008-09-14T04:45:00.003+05:30

... ke yeh locations kahaan hain!Saw a Hindi film, Bachna Ae Haseeno.Film borders on the bearable. But mainly because of the excellent locations. All I wanted to know at the end was the list of locations. Especially ones within Italy, and therefore a 4-8 hour train ride from me :), where the songs were shot.Switzerland's GoldenPass Panoramic train, I've been on. Rome (the entire Pantheon, Piazza

Question

2008-09-06T23:57:00.002+05:30

Q: What connects a person from coastal Karnataka (India) and a person from Haute-Savoie (France)?A: The way they say 'Yes'. Vay Vay*:)----* Oui is almost pronounced as 'Vay' , or 'why' up in the Alps :)

A year ago...

2008-09-03T22:44:00.005+05:30

... (by the Hindu calendar) on this day, Ganesh Chaturthi, I was in Bombay. Like every year, last year too, I visited different relatives who had installed a Ganpati in their houses. But unlike any other year, I was hurrying from place to place. Because my bags were packed for my first ever step out of India.As a pukka Bombaywalla, I probably love Ganpati more than any other festival... probably

Chamonix, and the UTMB

2008-09-03T21:15:00.008+05:30

Just got back from Chamonix last evening.On a single trip lasting 4 days, I:Volunteered at Europe's toughest marathon -- 2300 people running a 166 kms, with over 9000 mtrs of elevation changes ! The line between dedication and madness is certainly thin :)Saw this unique corner of the world where people of three nationalities (Italian, French, Swiss) share the same mountains. -- A 'Frenchman' from

Europe on a shoestring? Try dental floss!

2008-09-03T20:42:00.007+05:30

Last week, as I was packing bags for Chamonix, my classmates decided to head to Switzerland on an impulse (my wicked influence at work???). Which is all very good, except that Switzerland is expensive to begin with, and last minute bookings = no savings.A ticket for a 3 hour train journey from Milan to Geneva (19 EUR each way if you book a couple of weeks in advance) costs 45 EUR if you book a

Am I still a vegetarian?

2008-09-02T23:21:00.004+05:30

Serves me right for not reading ingredient lists more closely.Today, I just felt like having a Piadina Romagnola ( a roti-like bread from the Emilia Romagna region in Italy), so I went off to the supermarket to buy some.I've never bought any in the past, though I certainly have eaten the odd piadina at friends' homes (my friends eat these every day -- simpler than making rotis, certainly). Anyway

Chrome

2008-09-02T16:29:00.000+05:30

Just got back from Mont Blanc, to some rather unexpected news. Google launched a browser called Chrome. (Thanks for the update, U).Well, till they don't release an Ubuntu version, that's the last you'll hear about it from me!(Seriously G, what's with releasing only Windows versions of everything at first?)

Rats!

2008-08-19T20:25:00.007+05:30

You have to hand it to GMail's Webclips.Just today, it came up with, a story about famous Beverly Hills cupcake bar Sprinkles (who one hadn't heard of till that point) suing another cupcake bar (they're apparently all the rage in the U.S. now) for copying something in the icing design.Intrigued by the existance of multiple cupcakes-only places (and famous ones at that), one looked up Sprinkles'

Gender-selection online ads in India. Issue or non-issue?

2008-08-16T02:30:00.009+05:30

One just read about this piece of litigation. The Supreme Court of India issued notices to Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google for violating a law that prohibits the sale or promotion of gender-selection kits in the country.Now, one is fundamentally against gender selection, and believes any reasonable human being would be against gender-selection, female feoticide, and female infanticide.However, one

Off to Chamonix!

2008-08-13T15:03:00.000+05:30

The Internet is a wonderful place.Just this morning, random surfing led one to read about the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc (or UTMB) -- supposedly Europe's toughest marathon, with people running over a 120+ kms of trails circling the Mont Blanc* Massif. Its 2008 edition is happening in a few weeks."It'd be interesting to see", one thought. A bit more surfing, and one was deep within their site,

Holy Ganga beds!

2008-07-04T17:43:00.009+05:30

One recieved a 'patriotic' forward a while ago - an article from yesterday's Indian Express about an IIM-A* grad who chose to go back to hometown Patna, and sell vegetables. We are so cool/ different/ great now. Unusual choice of careers. Think big. Give something back. Nice.Not! One doesn't know who's weirder here - the writer or the subject, but they're both trying really hard...Some gems:'We

I'm sari... what?

2008-07-03T22:33:00.005+05:30

U sent me a link about this Satya Paul creation called the Ooogle sari.Purely one's personal opinion here, but would anyone in their right mind actually buy this? Especially given that, at Rs. 11,000 (US$299), it is the most.ridiculously.overpriced., not to mention tacky, bit of pseudo-Google-advertising* one has ever seen.Only Aditi Govitrikar could get away with wearing that, and not look

Anything rotten in the state of Denmark?

2008-07-02T16:56:00.009+05:30

One is bored with the surge of 'Top countries for blah' lists in the news these days... (nothing actually newsworthy happening lately?)What's singularly interesting in all these weird lists however, is the repeated occurence of (surprise! surprise!!) Denmark at the number one spot.Lets see... in just this last week, it has been judged: the best country for doing business in (Forbes survey), one

Eurailing

2008-06-05T19:12:00.004+05:30

Just spent a wonderful 16 days Eurailing with the family in Italy, Switzerland, and bits of France and Monaco.Wonderful experience, really, with last minute impulses taking us to such unlikely destinations as Palermo, Sicily (*beautiful*) and Mount Rigi, Switzerland (*cold*).Totally recommended!The pictures -- especially in Suisse -- look like a million bucks, and are up here. (Warning: 1000

Bad grammar in an Economist ad!

2008-05-08T02:03:00.003+05:30

What is the world coming to?When one of the world's most renowned publications (and personally, one's favourite for their sheer command of the written word) gets shoddy creative out the door, one can't help but wonder.One used to collect their ads because of the beauty of the wordplay used therein... and now this!Try spotting their mistake(The ad is (c) The Economist , of course! )

What is the opposite of Calligraphy?

2008-05-07T20:41:00.002+05:30

Cacography. Or so says Wordnet!

AOL top ad network in US?

2008-04-26T22:00:00.003+05:30

Reaching over 90% of all US internet users?This, we have serious trouble believing.

Omphaloskepsis

2008-04-26T21:30:00.001+05:30

Came across the word while whiling time at FreeRice.Know what it means?Clue: One of the tags of this post :)

Buon 25 Aprile!

2008-04-25T14:13:00.000+05:30

Italy celebrates its 63rd anniversary of liberation from fascist rule today.And one got a good history lesson in that regard.Q: What liberation?A: From the Germans, naturally!Q: The Germans occupied Italy? I thought Hitler and Mussolini were pals!A: Of course they were, but Mussolini was thrown out in 1943, remember?Q: Mussolini was thrown out? And it took 2 years after that to end fascist rule?A

Textbooks online

2008-04-17T18:58:00.006+05:30

Somewhat old news, which one heard only today.The Tamil Nadu state School Education Department has a website where it's put up all school textbooks (classes 1 to 12) ... http://www.textbooksonline.tn.nic.in/Some digging led to the discovery that other states have textbooks online as well, but one found nothing as comprehensive as TN.States that have books /chapters online (not just syllabii,

Deewane-e-Aam

2008-04-14T15:48:00.003+05:30

April - May is one's favourite time of the year, largely for a single reason: Mangoes -- specifially alphonso mangoes ( Bombay roots showing, obviously!).As far as one is concerned, a mango is more than just a fruit. It symbolises carefree summer vacations, fun with cousins, and a million happy memories of occasions spent devouring it in all possible forms. Seriously...if sunshine had a taste,

India Day in Pisa

2008-04-11T06:32:00.002+05:30

One is singing, along with K:1) Colonial Cousins' Krishna2) Mile Sur Mera Tumhara (cliched, but.... perfect answer to everyone who's ever asked me 'So, what language do you speak in India?')

Lost in translation

2008-04-10T21:18:00.000+05:30

Claudio, telling someone (who had problems with their gas bill)... "Call up the Enel company, and ask them about your consummation".Makes me wonder... How many such blunders have I made in the past months with my Italian?I know what word I am taking to my next word-exchange session with him, certainly!

Agile Theatre

2008-04-08T06:32:00.001+05:30

If you've encountered any kind of description of Agile methods, Extreme programming, etc., you know how much they emphasise good communication -- from communication between .My software engg prof, John Favaro, and his wife Patrizia Falcone have a cool idea on how to improve communication -- theatre.Right from trying to 'be' the elements ('OK Hanisha, now try being Fire'), to being a mirror, to

Why do people marry?

2008-04-05T19:04:00.008+05:30

As G reminded me just the other day, I have on occasion claimed that '...marriage is for mad people'. So obviously, this has been a question I have asked enough people at enough times...I found a somewhat-decent answer in the most unexpected place..."Because we need a witness to our lives.There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life really mean?But in a marriage,

Google farming out Performics

2008-04-04T21:42:00.004+05:30

When Google announced its acquisition of ad technology major DoubleClick, one of our thoughts concerned a relatively small entity in the DoubleClick stable -- their performance-based ad agency, Performics.You *are* the medium, and then you run an agency helping people exploit it? Not goody-two-shoes-Google's style, one thought.And true to expectation, Google's taken the controversy-free way out,

Twittering

2008-04-02T20:15:00.005+05:30

What's all the fuss about, you ask?Well, I don't know about you, but I *loved* the way it allows me to dash off little thoughtlets on the spur of the moment...Perfect for people with low attention spans :)

Back from the land of the dead...

2008-04-02T19:41:00.004+05:30

... or so it'd seem, given that one is posting here after ages.Will write with some regularity this time around, hopefully!And also liberate some older posts from Draft-folder imprisonment. Watch this space.

Please vote for a good cause

2008-03-28T02:43:00.004+05:30

This blog isn't intended for calls-to-action, but one is making an exception for a good cause that one personally believes in (and hopes that any reasonable individual believes in too).Of course, this is valid only if you're in India.----A friend, Kamayani, has been been invited on Star One's reality show ' Kisko Milega Cash', for an episode dedicated to law. Her dream project is the

Word Exchange

2008-02-05T05:22:00.000+05:30

Claudio, my ever smiling tutor, has decided to begin this word-exchange programme with me. Basically, once every few days, we will teach each other one new word ... his forte is Italian, and mine is English, of course...Good fun... considering today's impromptu session clearly didn't stop at dictionary-like explanations...Given that our past chats have been known to morph into long discussions

Saat rupaiyya, baraah aana

2008-01-28T21:40:00.003+05:30

*Not* the Kishore Kumar song, but something far more substantial.CNBC TV-18 reported today, that each school-going child in Pondicherry gets 35g of biscuits and 150 ml. of milk for breakfast each day. Trivial move, but it's led to better attendance, and better attentiveness in the classroom -- Pondicherry reportedly has 100% attendance upto Class 12.And it costs them Rs. 7.75 per child per meal

Stuff I'd never have known without seeing ads on TV

2008-01-23T01:43:00.004+05:30

1) There is an actual Hicksville ... somewhere on Long Island, of all places.2) So you've wrecked your body eating waaaay more than you ideally should. No worries! Buy a diet plan / stepper / vaccum cellulite deleter thingamajig (preferably all of the above) to go from hippo to hip in one month. Seriously!3) One bartender can crush 3 mint leaves in a mojito glass for so long that the world has

The meter is ticking...

2007-01-15T04:06:00.000+05:30

... and its never just one meter.The Time Meter ... The omigosh-where-*did*-the-last-five-years-go! one.The Money Meter ..... The how-much-am-I-spending-just-to-exist-this-second one. A.k.a Sindhi Hell.The Success Meter ... The how-the-hell-did-that-nut-get-ahead-of-me one.The Guilt Meter ... The how many people could have been fed for months with the kind of cash I just blew at Basilico

Print debut

2006-10-29T00:10:00.002+05:30

One was found ranting about Google's custom search engine today in the pink pages.Enjaay!

Hyderahhhhh!bad

2006-08-02T22:38:00.002+05:30

The weekend saw me doing one of those weekend trips that life has lately seen very few of.The agenda: ACE2006 at the ISB.One more city, right? Not.Hyderabad 'Dakhkhan' as my grandparents would have called it, is cool. The cantonments remind me of the more innocent Bangalore of just four years ago, the roads are blissfully flat, and 'Gachi Bowely' is all wide open spaces and breezy campuses (

Overdoing?

2006-04-27T10:54:00.002+05:30

For a change, I read a book BEFORE everyone's hearing of it.The book in question? 'Opal Mehta'.Not having read the book which the author has supposedly plagiarised from, I still think far too much is being made of the whole issue.If you think she's copied, don't buy her book.. Your dollars won't be added to her burgeoning millions.But, should Harvard even be thinking of ticking her off for this?

Landmark Day!

2006-04-26T21:02:00.001+05:30

Landmark's first Bombay branch opens today.And it is half a kilometre away from my house. Which means 2 things:1) I will now be found residing there almost permanently2) Landmark Quiz in Bombay soon!!! (Dare I hope for one next year?)Great books and great quizzing :)

Life!

2005-10-30T00:24:00.001+05:30

Its funny how your wishes are granted in the craziest of ways.Like when your parents hear of 'that nice MS boy from Amreeka' who is in town. And he's gone back by the time the parental units get around to calling his parents :)Or when mithai is delivered to office the day you've got a sweet craving.Or when you blog about the absence of Heinleins in the city, and suddenly you then find them

Of Books and Bombay

2005-05-11T10:43:00.001+05:30

I'm Bombay born, Bombay bred, not to mention Bombay addicted. I've lived here for five-sixths of my life. Why then am I pining for Gurgaon which has been no more than the quintessential 'rainbasera'?It's just that I have almost run through the cache of books bought in Delhi aeons ago. Reading them ever so infrequently, to make them 'last longer', hasn't helped.Which made me realise that a fair

Finally

2005-05-10T17:19:00.000+05:30

After years of 'go get a blog', I finally did.Some people will be happy :)