Articles by Maitri Vasudev

Schools have reopened and the market is flooded with ‘Back to School' offers. The Jayanagar 4th block shopping complex takes the cake for all copycat products. Apart from having a great variety they also are the cheapest. Big Bazaar comes in close at second as they have standard products at reasonable prices. Chain stores such as Landmark, Crossword and Staples sell branded and higher priced products. Spoilt for choices. Pic: Smit Zaveri School bags Jayanagar 4th block complex- Children's bags and Backpacks start from Rs 200 Big bazaar- canvas and polyester bags - Rs 349 to Rs 999. Staples -…

“Rajarajeshwari Nagar.”“100 rupees, medam.”“Yaake? It’s hardly seven kilometres from here. I’m not paying so much. I’ll take another auto.”“Illa medam, give me twenty rupees more than the metre. Okay, only ten rupees more. (Customer shakes her head) Sari medam, come. We just don’t get any customers from there, so asked you for more, that’s all.”After 12 years as an autorikshaw driver, Mahadev quit. He rented out his auto to another  driver and took up a job as a car driver. He has also started a real estate business with a friend.  Originally from a village in Mandya district, G N…

The inaugural match of the Indian Volley League (IVL) between Karnataka Bulls and Yanam Tigers took place at Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium on Sunday, May 29th at 6.30 pm. The publicity that the IVL took so much trouble for seemed to be of little use. The stadium, with a capacity of 4000, had about a 1000 odd people holding yellow balloons and waiting for the match to begin. In the meanwhile, dancers and musicians entertained the crowd with Bollywood numbers.After salutations to Karnataka Maate with 'Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate', sung by a group of young women in yellow and red…

Directed by Rishikesh Nadkarni, California Suite was performed to an appreciative audience, on Saturday and Sunday, May 7th and 8th, 2011. This bittersweet comedy written by playwright Neil Simon was presented by Barking Dog Productions with an all-youngster-cast and crew. The audience peeked into the lives of five couples that stay in a suite in The Beverly Hills Hotel in California. Clever dialogues about a divorced couple fighting for the custody of their daughter, a man trying to hide an unconscious prostitute he had just found in his bed, from his wife, two couples who end up fighting on a…

Swish! A tennis racket swings through the air and hits the ball with a thud. On the other side of the net, an 11-year-old retaliates with lightning speed. Shivani's smallness does not prepare you to expect the energy with which she strikes, which lands the ball at the edge of the field, escaping her opponent and bouncing hard against the fence. "Yes!" she says to herself. At the core of one's heart is the determination to win. Pic: Maitri Vasudev. The first week of May 2011 was an exciting one for young tennis champions in Bangalore. The All India Tennis…

A survey conducted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Government of India, Prayas and UNICEF shows that out of 12,447 children in, 53% reported sexual abuse and 21% reported severe sexual abuse in 2007. File Illustration: Neetu Shahi.   Contrary to popular belief, recent reports say that 52% of boys fall prey to ravishing sexual appetites, compared to 47% percentage of girls. Understanding CSA What is child sexual abuse? Touching the genitals Violating the child's privacy Exposing children to adult sexuality Behavior involving penetration and Exploitation One adult abuses several children. So it is essential to ensure…

Bangalore footballers are going to be a happy lot soon. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has honoured the Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) with an Astroturf. City's football stadium in Ashok Nagar, is only one of three cities in India with astroturf surfaces, the other two being Kolkata and Mumbai. Those surfaces were also funded by FIFA. "FIFA has recognised KSFA's contribution towards football," says Amjad Khan, Deputy General Secretary of the KSFA and a former coach at the international level. "We have to make good use of the Astroturf and maintain it well, now that we have…