Articles by Deepa Mohan

We are talking a lot about banning plastic bags now, and in BTM Layout, I came across this sign (at Disney Bakery):This (apart from the multi-spelling of "environment") set me thinking. There seems to be a lot of greenwash going around. How, if plastic is banned, are we willing to sell it? Is this not just one more way of making money? I think it's time to BAN plastic bags, not just SELL them. ⊕

Disney Bakery in BTM Layout is one of the many immensely popular "Bun" joints...where one can get an inexpensive bun with a variety of stuffings, along with coffee or tea, for a filling and quite wholesome meal-on-the-go.Here's one of the staff, giving me a friendly wave:Here are the two parts of the eatery: the beverages part:and the edibles part:Here's their most popular bun...bun-butter-congress (peanuts are called congress here!), along with a lemon tea and a chai:Masala sandwiches and other items are brought in by vans:Rules about smoking and disposal of waste are clearly posted...Instead of the old, slowly-burning coir rope,…

Clickhere for the FB group.Here's my report on a monthly quiz group that I joined in 1992, and which is still going strong....Hi Everyone!I must say, the one word that is most misused in QuizFamilies (afterthe word "Basically", which we use while we grope for answers thatmay, by some random chance, be correct) is..."sitter".When any quizmaster, mistress, King, Queen or Knave tells you, "Thisis a sitter" ...whether he or she is talking about the question or thequiz....DO NOT believe the words. It takes quite a while for the reallollipops to start appearing, and then, ofkose, they always go toOther Teams…

Playwright: Mahesh DattaniDirector: Lillete DubeyActors: Lillete Dubey (old Nazia), Soni Razdan (Zarine and Ruby), Neha Dubey (Young Nazia, Shakuntala, and Nikhat), Sid Makkar ( King Dushyant, Suhel, and Vinay), and Priyanka Karunakaran (an aspiring stage actress)Pic: DMWell, those facts start off my review of the play; the rest of the unit...the all-important crew....their names were announced rapidly at the beginning of the play, and I could not take them down in the dark; nor was any brochure given, where I could refer to the names...an oversight I hope will be rectified in further productions of the play.Pic: DMThe play opened…

I watched when this palatial house in BTM Layout was coming up. and some friends exclaimed at the lavishness of the construction.But then, I saw that several Honge (Pongaemia) saplings had been planted in front of the house. This must have been five or six years ago, I think.Today I was walking by...and those trees provide welcome shade to cars and pedestrians. I know some home owners who have cut down trees during the construction of their houses; so it is a welcome change to see a scene like this. ⊕

The residents of Casa Ansal, J P Nagar 3rd Phase, Bannerghatta Road, have resorted to many steps to remove the illegal waste-dumping at their compound wall.The Corporator came and met them and promised action.But today, the refuse heap is as bad as ever (though the BBMP does clear it daily)..and now, cownferences are happening...Residents have taken to referring to their building as "kasa (garbage) Ansal" in frustration.When will the Corporator actually do something for this unfortunate building, which is well-maintained inside?  ⊕

We've all read the "Utterly butterly delicious" slogan of Amul butter; now it seems to be "udderly butterly delicious, as cows line up for bun-butter-jam at Sri Manjunatha Condiments, Jayanagar, Bangalore...The shop specializes in buns, spread with butter and all kinds of fillings. A quick, filling, and tasty lunch for a lot of office-goers in the area. Even the cattle love it! ⊕

We may be in the twenty-first century, indeed, in the second decade of it...but we still cling to the past in many ways.In a bustling city, this is a common sight...It may be a cheap and eco-friendly form of transportation...if only it didn't choke up traffic!⊕

We build ourselves many different types of houses, but Nature provides a great variety of housing for Her creatures, too! Let's look at some of the smaller beings...Here's a Weaver Ants' nest; the ants "weave" together the leaves with a paste that they generate, and make a water-proof home. Pic: Deepa MohanHere are two Paper Wasps, beginning the construction of their nest (yes, it is a kind of papery material, hence their name. Pic: Deepa Mohan When they finish, the wasps' nest looks like this... such a beautiful globe, with its crescent-shaped patterns. However, do not approach too close, for…

Mahesh Shantaram writes on his Facebook wall:On October 2nd, my mobile phone was stolen. The thief was caught on October 25th. Of the more than 40 phones he had stolen, he made the mistake of keeping mine for himself. My thoughts:1. I had to get a court order for the police to legally release the phone from their custody. This picture goes to the court as 'proof' that the transaction is complete. The System exists, and the System works, but I am amazed and amused by how the System sees photography as a tool for evidence gathering and documentation.2. Amongst…