Dashing through the streets

Happy New Year to everyone. I'll greet you with the same wishes in March-April (twice if you celebrate both Sankranthi & Vizhu/Baisakh in Bangalore). We have many new year days, dont worry. Somehow the charm of new year's arrival is lost on me. I'm not a cynic or philosophic, so please hear me out.In Western countries, which are predominantly christian, there's no confusion. The festival frenzy starts in mid-Nov (Thanksgiving), runs through entire December and early January. People plan their annual holiday around this time. There is festivities in the air the entire December which culminates with the new Year…

Happy New Year to everyone. I'll greet you with the same wishes in March-April (twice if you celebrate both Sankranthi & Vizhu/Baisakh in Bangalore). We have many new year days, dont worry. Somehow the charm of new year's arrival is lost on me. I'm not a cynic or philosophic, so please hear me out.In Western countries, which are predominantly christian, there's no confusion. The festival frenzy starts in mid-Nov (Thanksgiving), runs through entire December and early January. People plan their annual holiday around this time. There is festivities in the air the entire December which culminates with the new Year…

"The only difference is that there is a gate", declared my friend who resides in one such place. "We decided to come here only because of the security; now we know that it's just an eyewash", she added. That set me thinking. How different is the houses in gated communities to the others? Do the residents NRIs or foreigners want a home away from home? Expats in Bangalore take pride in stating that they don't live in Whitefield whereas we Indians still do. I have tried to highlight the similarities or differences under certain common headers. Note: These are just…

"The only difference is that there is a gate", declared my friend who resides in one such place. "We decided to come here only because of the security; now we know that it's just an eyewash", she added. That set me thinking. How different is the houses in gated communities to the others? Do the residents NRIs or foreigners want a home away from home? Expats in Bangalore take pride in stating that they don't live in Whitefield whereas we Indians still do. I have tried to highlight the similarities or differences under certain common headers. Note: These are just…

I read this blog by pure chance while weaving through the thick maze of the internet. It set me thinking in the same lines about our city. Sure, Bangalore has its share of problems - traffic, bad roads, water and power shortage - to name a few. "But it's still my city", says an irrational inner voice. What is it about Bangalore anyway? I can hear a thousand voices shout "weather". I have my doubts on that. Well, Bangaloreans, what makes you like this city? I'm very curious to read your answers⊕

I read this blog by pure chance while weaving through the thick maze of the internet. It set me thinking in the same lines about our city. Sure, Bangalore has its share of problems - traffic, bad roads, water and power shortage - to name a few. "But it's still my city", says an irrational inner voice. What is it about Bangalore anyway? I can hear a thousand voices shout "weather". I have my doubts on that. Well, Bangaloreans, what makes you like this city? I'm very curious to read your answers⊕

The ongoing siege of Mumbai's richest district is yet another terrorist attack to demoralise India and its people. This time the attacks have targeted the city's heritage buildings; including the CST railway terminal(also called VT by locals) which is a deemed World Heritage site by Unesco. The 1998 LTTE attack on Kandy's most revered Buddhist temple, the blowing up of the Bamiyan Buddhas by Taliban in March 2001 and the recent ongoing Mumbai terror are just a few examples of terrorism wiping out or atleast damaging history. Just why do terrorists attack heritage sites? There are several reasons. The Kandy…

The ongoing siege of Mumbai's richest district is yet another terrorist attack to demoralise India and its people. This time the attacks have targeted the city's heritage buildings; including the CST railway terminal(also called VT by locals) which is a deemed World Heritage site by Unesco. The 1998 LTTE attack on Kandy's most revered Buddhist temple, the blowing up of the Bamiyan Buddhas by Taliban in March 2001 and the recent ongoing Mumbai terror are just a few examples of terrorism wiping out or atleast damaging history. Just why do terrorists attack heritage sites? There are several reasons. The Kandy…

Five hours in the car. Five hours without food, water. Five hours of incessant horns, weak phone signals, frustrated commuters, wailing ambulances, and broken down trucks. And if you look out of your car window to see if the traffic inches forward, you are most likely to spot several posters with JDS leaders smiling(smirking?) at you. For the JDS Rally, it was a huge success. It showed its iron fist and strangled Bangalore. I happen to live in north Bangalore. For years I gloated over the fact that I'm far from the madding crowd who suffer traffic jams in BTM, Koramangala or Indiranagar. But in…

Five hours in the car. Five hours without food, water. Five hours of incessant horns, weak phone signals, frustrated commuters, wailing ambulances, and broken down trucks. And if you look out of your car window to see if the traffic inches forward, you are most likely to spot several posters with JDS leaders smiling(smirking?) at you. For the JDS Rally, it was a huge success. It showed its iron fist and strangled Bangalore. I happen to live in north Bangalore. For years I gloated over the fact that I'm far from the madding crowd who suffer traffic jams in BTM, Koramangala or Indiranagar. But in…