Blogs

"Mamma, why is India like this? No other country we've been to is like this." And he's been to Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Australia and Egypt.This was my 11-year old lamenting as we walked on the footpath on one of our Bangalore roads. We encountered numerous obstacles on the way - mounds of mud and rubble, poo, burnt leaves, a broken commode, packets of old clothes, stinking garbage, fighting dogs, a pani-puri cart and its customers, an old man stretching his hands out for alms, a man relieving himself at the 'footpath urinal'. Some places had gaping holes filled with…

 My friend Amitabha Saha Roy writes:We had a pleasant expereince at the sub-registrar office when we went to register a trust that we are forming for restoring Arekere lake. Spending a Saturday in the Govt sub-registrar office is not exactly how anyone would look forward to spending a weekend. When we think of a government office, the most common things that come to our mind are corruption, inefficiency and bureaucracy. But, our experience at the Begur Sub-registrar office proved to be exactly the opposite and made it a weekend to remember. We are a team of volunteers working on an…

To the casual observer, it may appear that Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the city often work in silos; they are not often effective and find it tough to tackle larger issues. This may even be true. However, over the past decade, Bangalore has been seeing more residents’ activism. Together, they tell a story of change. For instance, more RWAs are now teaming up to form federations. The newest kid on the block is Bannerghatta Road Neighbourhoods Association or BANA. Emerging networks In the newer gated communities and apartments, the owners associations are networked well and reach out to their…

Nishka recently turned six and to celebrate her birthday, she and her dozen friends, spent the evening at Puttenahalli Lake. Yes! It was an excited all-girls group, accompanied by Nishka's parents. The lake tour was a part of the birthday party schedule and the little girls were thrilled at being outdoors during a party.When asked why she decided to take the children to the lake, Nishka's mom, Nupur said that she wanted to do something different. "In the house we entertain them with art and craft or a video. Nishka's friends had not been to the lake and I felt the…

With the delay in onset of Monsoon in the city, you have got more time to fill up your wardrobe with monsoon gear. So what’s on the list? Umbrellas, raincoats, jackets, caps and the list is on. So let’s begin. Fancy umbrella. Pic: Padmalatha Ravi Those plain, monotonous, black coloured umbrellas are a passe. The bright reds, purple, blue and pink umbrellas with prints are the in thing. A plethora of designs and colours are available in the market to choose from. Polka dotted umbrellas have become a huge hit after the movie ‘3 idiots’. Who says umbrellas are used…

Craving for authentic Italian cuisine today? A date, family gathering, friends outing or a formal office meet, Chianti in Koramangala, caters to every kind of foodie that you are. Enter and you are greeted by a waiter who will assist you throughout your journey from the Zuppa (soup) to the Dolci (dessert). A very classic and elegant ambience with brick red walls and beautiful lamps hanging from above. A bar on one side and cozy seating arrangement, with soft music in the background. The attention you will get from the waiters will definitely make you feel special. 10 points for…

Vegetarian delights! Eurasia Pasta and Barbeque in Jayanagar would be one of the best choice if you want a variety, the vegetarian way.Rooftop, balcony or a cozy indoor seat? Choose your table according to your mood. The ambience is quite commendable. The place is surrounded by trees and plants to give a fresh feel and calm environment. The waiters are always around your table and ready to assist you with whatever you want. Tortilla chips with salsa, cheese corn balls, Crostini Vesuvio, Hummus and Mutabal with Pita bread, garlic bread. Pic: Anisha Nair A plethora of starters to choose from.…

 If you have rescued an animal or bird and do not know what to do with it: There is a wild life rehabilitation centre close to Bannerghata Nationalpark.Bannerghatta Rehabilitation CentreSurvey No. 129, Jigni Hobli, Anekal Taluk, BannerghattaBangalore, Karnataka 560083ph: 91 80 22947307alt: 91 80 22947300You can get in touch with them and hopefully they should be able to guide you appropriately. Sorry, I still don't seem to have any mobile nos. for them.  ⊕

Try this – Close your eyes and describe the image that comes to mind on hearing the word 'garden'. I tried this with my family while writing this piece and was surprised to hear the different responses that emerged. For my 6-year-old it was all about brightly coloured flowers and toys, her father spoke of cobbled pathways, birds chirping and greenery all around. For me, the word 'garden' always brings to mind an image of butterflies flitting around lots of plants in bright sunshine! Caterpillar basking in the sun. Pic: Vinita Squirrel scrambles up the nearest tree. Pic: Vinita ant…

I got introduced to Rohan Chakravarty some time ago, when he moved from Nagpur to Bangalore. He was also with us in this year's Bangalore Bird Race (an involved debate about some waterfowl made their tally about 50 species less than ours, though we were mostly going around together!)I don't know him very well yet. We've met for a couple of cartoon exhibitions, and I asked him to contribute a cartoon for the write-up I did for the Bird Race website In person, he comes across as rather quiet, and I suspect this is because I do not know him…