bangalore journal

It's been a month of my Saturday visits to the school but children across classes are unhappy that I don't go there every day. Most of them remember to confirm if I had lunch and ask if there is any chance of my being there during the week. I was glad to see that the knowledge hungry and uninhibited Divya, the mischievous and sharp Monika (both in class V) and inquisitive Dhanalakshmi (from class IV) who usually skip their Saturday meal were actually eating there.Sudharshan and Surya took the Young World editions from me while I went looking for Michael.…

It's been a month of my Saturday visits to the school but children across classes are unhappy that I don't go there every day. Most of them remember to confirm if I had lunch and ask if there is any chance of my being there during the week. I was glad to see that the knowledge hungry and uninhibited Divya, the mischievous and sharp Monika (both in class V) and inquisitive Dhanalakshmi (from class IV) who usually skip their Saturday meal were actually eating there.Sudharshan and Surya took the Young World editions from me while I went looking for Michael.…

Most of us agree that our tree cover is depleting alarmingly, and we cluck about it....but St Mark's School has done something...er...concrete, to choose an inappropriate word!They have planted 9 badam trees in front of their school in J P Nagar 3rd Phase.They had plenty of excuses NOT to plant trees. The Mini Forest, with lots of trees, is right opposite. There's hardly any footpath in front the school. But they went ahead and planted the trees anyway.And in a short time, the trees are providing shade on the hot street...Long live schools like St Mark's, which put their trees…

Most of us agree that our tree cover is depleting alarmingly, and we cluck about it....but St Mark's School has done something...er...concrete, to choose an inappropriate word!They have planted 9 badam trees in front of their school in J P Nagar 3rd Phase.They had plenty of excuses NOT to plant trees. The Mini Forest, with lots of trees, is right opposite. There's hardly any footpath in front the school. But they went ahead and planted the trees anyway.And in a short time, the trees are providing shade on the hot street...Long live schools like St Mark's, which put their trees…

There is something about the notion of composting that really excites me. Just think of it – with just a simple change of container (a composter/compost pit instead of dustbin), there's a whole new world that opens up! However I had always shied away from actually trying my hand at it – I imagined composting to be complicated and tedious, not to mention messy and unhygienic. I am embarrassed to say I was looking for a quick-fix solution, you see! Composting involves decomposing kitchen and garden waste and other bio degradable matter to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that…

There is something about the notion of composting that really excites me. Just think of it – with just a simple change of container (a composter/compost pit instead of dustbin), there's a whole new world that opens up! However I had always shied away from actually trying my hand at it – I imagined composting to be complicated and tedious, not to mention messy and unhygienic. I am embarrassed to say I was looking for a quick-fix solution, you see! Composting involves decomposing kitchen and garden waste and other bio degradable matter to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that…

On 31 January 2009, nine months after Oorvani Media launched citizenmatters.in, Bangalore’s first online community e-newsmagazine, we are committing the Citizen Matters print fortnightly magazine to you.This free, sleek, 16-page magazine is being launched in the south Bangalore localities of JP Nagar and BTM Layout II Stage.  We encourage you to send us your responses and feedback as we grow to cover other areas of the city. What is Citizen Matters and who are we? Citizen Matters is local-news-only product, with high quality reporting and commentary. It is published by Oorvani Media, a local media firm founded by Bangaloreans, Subramaniam…

On 31 January 2009, nine months after Oorvani Media launched citizenmatters.in, Bangalore’s first online community e-newsmagazine, we are committing the Citizen Matters print fortnightly magazine to you.This free, sleek, 16-page magazine is being launched in the south Bangalore localities of JP Nagar and BTM Layout II Stage.  We encourage you to send us your responses and feedback as we grow to cover other areas of the city. What is Citizen Matters and who are we? Citizen Matters is local-news-only product, with high quality reporting and commentary. It is published by Oorvani Media, a local media firm founded by Bangaloreans, Subramaniam…

As promised, I joined the Republic Day celebrations around 9.30 AM as one of the class X girls was reading out a Kannada speech on the significance of the day. A short talk in English (again read out by a class X girl) followed. Both were delighted when I praised their confident effort. And then a high school teacher and finally the principal addressed the students in Kannada. The last was significant as he reminded them that Republic Day isn't about hoisting the national flag, singing patriotic songs and eating sweets. He chided them for leaving/throwing plates in the neighbourhood…

As promised, I joined the Republic Day celebrations around 9.30 AM as one of the class X girls was reading out a Kannada speech on the significance of the day. A short talk in English (again read out by a class X girl) followed. Both were delighted when I praised their confident effort. And then a high school teacher and finally the principal addressed the students in Kannada. The last was significant as he reminded them that Republic Day isn't about hoisting the national flag, singing patriotic songs and eating sweets. He chided them for leaving/throwing plates in the neighbourhood…