Articles by Christopher Martin Lopaze

One of the origami cranes with the message of acceptance on the bottom of the wings is shown above. Credit: Shivani Pal Shivani Pal, a fan of Origami, residing in Bangalore, firmly believes she can overturn the societal conviction where inter-caste marriage is treated as a “crime.” Shivani is working on a project to promote acceptance of inter-caste marriage as part of her education at the Landmark Worldwide group. The project is two-fold: Her and a close group of family and friends make origami cranes with a message about “A Community of Love: Look beyond caste, creed and religion” with…

Residents at the Nightingales Centre for Ageing and Alzheimer's gather around on the lawn for a support session, in their Bangalore Centre. File pic. The first time Divya Sreedharan's father wandered off was when he and her mother were travelling on a train going back to Kerala from Bangalore. He simply got off the train unnoticed by his wife. The family already knew he had dementia-related symptoms at that time. The police were called, and Divya’s husband set off to search for him. "The worst thing was wondering if we would ever find him," Divya says. "The worry of never…

Today, I’m writing about the vitally important topic of whether Indian cinemas should have intermissions just for the sake of tradition. (Spoiler alert: I don’t think they should.) I watched my first movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, in Bengaluru at Forum Mall about two months ago. As an American, everything has been new in India, but this cinematic experience felt familiar as I sat in a comfortable chair absorbed by the on-screen action. Then the lights turned on abruptly. The screen image flickered and froze before turning green. I thought the projector had broken. But it was only…

  Museum Cross Road, a residential street at the heart of Bengaluru, used to be a road like many others in the neighbourhood. The maintenance was neglected. The old pavement was uneven, and tree roots were breaking through, cracking the pavement and creating bumps. It was an eyesore. Worse than that, it posed a danger to the residents. There weren’t even street lights to illuminate the road at night. This was the fate, until residents of the street, which is colloquially known as Museum Cross Road because it is located just off of Museum Road, decided enough was enough. The…

Some autos charge extra for each ride, while there are a few of them who go by the meter. Pic: Christopher Martin Lopaze Their rounded, carapace-like forms, yellow hoods, and green or black bodies are familiar to anyone living in Bengaluru, as the road is usually congested with them. Yes, we are talking about autos in Bengaluru. Would it surprise you to learn there are more than 1,30,000 legally registered autorickshaws in Bangalore? Those figures, of course, do not account for the autorickshaws that operate illegally without a license. Most put the “rick” into “rickety.” They also happen to be…

The recent cleanup of the pedestrian subways near Cubbon Park and K R Circle at the heart of the city of Bengaluru allowed citizens to enjoy what the city’s music and art scene had to offer at a new public venue. The Bangalore Underground Festival conducted on August 17, 2014, ushered in a new trend of  public spaces being maintained by the public, for the public. The festival also brought to light an obvious, yet neglected, hence not used, pedestrian pathway around K R Circle. Art and photo exhibition was held in one of the subways, while another subway hosted…

Take time to smell the roses this week. Visit the flower show to admire the spectacular recreation of the Mysore Palace, and marvel at the many beautiful flowers on display. Independence Day Flower Show in Lalbagh Botanical Garden has begun on Friday, August 8, 2014, and will continue until Sunday, August 17. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the flower show at the gardens. Click on the slideshow to see photos of this year’s show. The oddly-shaped cockscomb flower with its velvet-like texture. Pic: Christopher LopazeThe walkway from the West Gate entrance toward the Glass House. Pic: Christopher Lopaze…

Panelists debating during 7th Media Watch held at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore - Ammu Joseph, Ravi Hegde, Shaibya Saldanha, Ashok GV, Madhuraveena (From left to right). Pic: Shree D N The auditorium in Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, was full of young and energetic, enthusiastic audience. The seventh ‘Media Watch’ event organised by Oorvani Foundation, Avadhi Magazine and Network of Women in Media, was hosted by the Journalism Department of Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. The event, a panel discussion on ‘Naming and Shaming: Sexual Violence and the Media’, had experts from media, law, enforcement and medical fields.The panel discussed the complex…

A distant view of Biligudda (white hill) across a river. Behind white hill is Karigudda (black hill). Pic:Christopher Martin Lopaze The day after my one-day guided bike tour to rural Bengaluru, my forearms were slightly sunburned, my palms were tender—my fingers were spared fortunately—and my legs and behind were sore; temporary souvenirs I’ve now lost. But the experience is one I shall not forget. I booked a guided bike tour because I wanted to leave the city behind, and see the countryside. Only one other rider, Ray, was on the tour. The total trip distance was about 35 km.  A…

My memory of arriving in Bengaluru is as fresh in my mind as the sweat on my brow was as I exited my plane at the Bangalore Airport about 1 am on July 1st. The weather was warm and humid as I expected, but I was taken aback by its intensity; the atmosphere was oppressive. I’m used to the cooler climate of Seattle. In my hometown of Yakima, a medium-sized town in Eastern Washington, where I spend my summer vacations, the temperature could climb upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was dry instead of humid. As I know now,…