GENRE: Voices

“I always knew I would be a writer,” she says sipping her tea. She believes that writing keeps her alive and kicking. By the age of 36, Christina Daniels has authored books like ‘Ginger lemon soda pop’ and ‘I’ll do it my way’. She has worked in Print and Online media. A movie reviewer, and a corporate communicator by profession, she is currently working on a book dedicated to the city that she has seen grow, Bangalore. Christina Daniels holds a BA in communicative english from the Bangalore University and MSc in New Media from London School of Economics and…

On days such as these, when it rained through the night, our cab driver takes a alternative route. A route which traverses through the many hamlets of Bellandur and Doddanekundi villages. This route does not ensure a faster and quicker access to Marathahalli but atleast we get to escape the traffic jam at ORR signals. It really seems like a never ending journey sometimes. So while he drives through lanes and by-lanes for a good 30 minutes, we get to see the real Bangalore that resides behind the glitz and glamor of the shiny software parks. File pic: Vivek M.…

I am a mom. I don’t do me time. Except when I am reading Good Housekeeping or Femina  or one of those million women’s magazines that go blue in the face extolling the virtues of leaving the children behind in the able care of your husband/mother/mother in law/maid and snatching a cup of coffee in the cafe or a massage in the spa. It all sounds quite delicious, having the children out of your hair at least for a while and having some divine smelling promises-to-make-hair-great concoction in it instead.Sounds good? Certainly! Sounds doable? Well it depends on how well…

Good morning and welcome to the Mummy Pick Up & Drop Off service. I'm the chief operating officer cum chief pick up girl here. The job description fits me to the tee as I am always picking up things -- clothes from the laundry, toys from the floor, soap from the bathroom basin, child from swimming class, bus stop, playdate, skating class and so on. Mother and kid on bike. file pic: Raghavan Kandala We welcome all sorts of applicants as long as they have spawned at least one offspring, possess a reasonable ability to be on their toes for…

Conjunctivitis , is one of the most contagious eye infection. It spreads as an epidemic through schools, families and institutions. Suddenly you would see a large population wearing sunglasses. Sunglasses are no protection against conjunctivitis as is often believed. They only relieve symptoms of pain on exposure to light. Ironically, if proper precautions are not observed they by themselves help in spreading the disease. A meticulous attention to hygiene, hand washing, and treatment can mitigate the symptoms and control the spread of infection. Most cases of conjunctivitis are due to infection either viral or bacterial and allergy or exposure to…

Balaji Kutty, 39, a software engineer by profession, has decided to give something back to the society by volunteerting. He volunteers with Association for India's Development (AID), which deals with various issues like Education, Agriculture and Health for almost 10 years now. He believes that his efforts to make a difference in the lives of a few children gives him a kick of inspiration and keeps him going. Balaji Kutty - AID volunteer. Pic: Anisha Nair What do you do as an AID volunteer?I joined AID in 2002 as a part of ‘Joy of Learning' activity. It involves making science…

So we have a new Mayor now. Time for celebration - or introspection? You decide, after reading the backgrounder described here. Three weeks ago, a group of RWAs (residents' welfare associations) sounded jubilant that justice prevails, at least some of the time. Abhyudaya, a federation of RWAs of old ward no. 55 of the city, put out details of the six year long battle that they had been waging (since 2005) with the BBMP. The residents discovered that out of 11 CA sites meant for common use, as community parks or playgrounds, sanctioned by the BDA, seven had been illegally…

Anil Kumar, 63 is an RTI activist. A former employee of Indian Telephone Industries in the marketing department, Kumar, today cracks open the government red tape for a better society.Kumar moved to Ejipura in 1994 when it had no roads, no drains and no proper electricity. He filed RTIs to find the reasons behind these pending works. The RTIs of this nature often result in work being completed, because officials were wary of explaining the reasons behind the delay. Anil Kumar, the RTI activist. Pic: Abhishek Angad Kumar believes that the thrust on Sec 4(1)(b) of the act i.e voluntary…

A lot has already been written about the virtues of barefoot running and with each passing day, more are being added. The sales of minimalist running shoes world over, had increased by more than 283% in the first half of 2011, the New York Times has reported. In the month of December 2011 alone, sales grew by 658%, a report by Leisure Trends Group, a speciality retail market intelligence provider. I see more and more people taking to barefoot running or with minimalist footwear with each passing race these days. In absolute numbers though, they are yet negligible compared to…

It was one question by a 65-year-old village woman that got Harish Hande to do what he does now. She asked him if he would be able to provide her light before she died?. He lights the bulbs of rural Karnataka and Gujarat. He has achieved great heights in his career in the field of solar energy.He graduated in Energy Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. Then he went to the U.S. to do his Master's and PhD in Energy Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Harish Hande, 45, co-founded SELCO India, a solar energy company, in 1995 and moved to…