Society

I went to M G Road on work for Clean and Green today, and decided to visit India Coffee House as well....This part of Bangalore heritage seems doomed to go into the history pages soon. Here's a waiter in the familiar uniform, that I have seen in both Kolkata and here:Several of the waiters have been working in this co-operative for many years, and the chances of their finding another job seem bleak. Bangalore will be the poorer for losing out such parts of what it has been, in the name of commercial development. I still see the demolished top…

While most of us voice visible concern when trees are cut indiscriminately, what are we doing about trees crying out for help, as a result of sheer neglect and apathy ? Just look at these pictures*. The next time we have strong winds in the city or heavy rains, some of these trees will just snap horizontal and keel over. So let's not go overboard only about trees being cut. Let's look around for trees that have their days numbered. I don't know if official machinery can kick in here, but I'm sure we can look around in our own…

While most of us voice visible concern when trees are cut indiscriminately, what are we doing about trees crying out for help, as a result of sheer neglect and apathy ? Just look at these pictures*. The next time we have strong winds in the city or heavy rains, some of these trees will just snap horizontal and keel over. So let's not go overboard only about trees being cut. Let's look around for trees that have their days numbered. I don't know if official machinery can kick in here, but I'm sure we can look around in our own…

We were participating the Bangalore Bird Race, and had gone to Madivala Lake right at the end to see what water birds we could spot; but a "kite" (not a Black or Brahminy Kite!) caught my eye....The backlit kite, soaring above everyday cares, while yet tethered to the ground, against the liquid gold of the evening sky, seemed a metaphor for all of us in this city...we are tied down to our commitments and our various problems, but once in a while, we can fly above them and enjoy our place in the sun....And it was lovely to see that…

We were participating the Bangalore Bird Race, and had gone to Madivala Lake right at the end to see what water birds we could spot; but a "kite" (not a Black or Brahminy Kite!) caught my eye....The backlit kite, soaring above everyday cares, while yet tethered to the ground, against the liquid gold of the evening sky, seemed a metaphor for all of us in this city...we are tied down to our commitments and our various problems, but once in a while, we can fly above them and enjoy our place in the sun....And it was lovely to see that…

A friend of mine called up this morning and said that as he was passing Tilak Nagar, he saw a sign which said, "Tipu's Secular Army". That tickled me as much as it did him! Is this new secular army a new political party? Or are we finding secularism in unexpected places now? Can anyone shed any light on this army? ⊕

You would have loved to grow up in the pleasant, perfect, considerably privileged locality of I Block, Jayanagar. The streets were clean, sidewalks smooth, roads neatly planned and regularly tarred: Not a single game of badminton on the streets was ever interrupted by an infrastructural glitch. The children who lived here attended "good schools", spoke purr-fect English and by age 8 could carry off a full fledged shouting-match over games of I-Spy in The Queen's very language. After all, we'd grow up to be independent people, leading awesome lives. Not the least like those children, who came to be recognized…

A friend of mine called up this morning and said that as he was passing Tilak Nagar, he saw a sign which said, "Tipu's Secular Army". That tickled me as much as it did him! Is this new secular army a new political party? Or are we finding secularism in unexpected places now? Can anyone shed any light on this army? ⊕

You would have loved to grow up in the pleasant, perfect, considerably privileged locality of I Block, Jayanagar. The streets were clean, sidewalks smooth, roads neatly planned and regularly tarred: Not a single game of badminton on the streets was ever interrupted by an infrastructural glitch. The children who lived here attended "good schools", spoke purr-fect English and by age 8 could carry off a full fledged shouting-match over games of I-Spy in The Queen's very language. After all, we'd grow up to be independent people, leading awesome lives. Not the least like those children, who came to be recognized…

Here's the first beauty which you can spot, if you are lucky, just inside the West Gate of Lalbagh:That's the Asian Paradise Flycatcher, one of the more spectacular birds to be found in the city! You can see the wiki entry about it here .The other beauty is something that is blooming right now near the Bandstand, near the Deputy Directorate of Horticulture building. It is the Philippine Jade Vine:That is the true, and unusually beautiful, colour of the flowers!Here's the board giving the scientific name:Do try and catch them now! ⊕