LEISURE

I come from a family that can only be described as bonkers. Come April, amma would ask (I wish I could capture the exact tone of the original Tamizh in English; alas, it’s not to be!), “All right. When does your drama start?” Fact was that come May, I would suddenly, without any preamble or warning, fall ill with high temperature – ague, the works. Standard Operating Procedures would kick in with clockwork precision. I would gather up all the blankets and rugs I could find, make a multi-layered protective covering with them, and go to bed, shivering. I would…

Very early every morning, from the west, I would hear Sri Thirumale’s voice. He would have washed some clothes and would be putting these up to dry on the bamboo poles hung horizontally from the ceiling. All the while, he would be reciting something. One day, while I was in class 2, I found myself sitting in front of Aththi as she taught me the first shloka of the Sri Venkatesha Suprabhaatam (or just ‘Suprabhaatam’ as it is even now known). How this came about, I don’t remember. This is what Sri Thirumale used to recite every morning. After some…

The high decibel sound emanating from the fighter planes, the stunning aerial displays and the ballet of the moving aircrafts —all these have brightened up the Bengaluru skies, as the 10th edition of Aero India has entered its fourth day at Air Force Station in Yelahanka. After the successful completion of the previous nine editions, Asia’s premier air show Aero India-2015 has been organised in Bengaluru yet again. Scheduled from February 18th to 22nd, Aero India, which includes the aircraft show and an exhibition, has everything to offer for aviation enthusiasts. Demonstrations and mind blowing stunts by civil and military…

Anand Sankar, who transported his two cats from Bangalore to Delhi by air, writes:  Just thought I should share my experience of transporting my cats by air (domestic, within India), could be useful for anyone! From a cursory reading online and through forums, I found that budget airlines don't have much interest in transporting pet animals. And I wouldn't trust a budget airline with my pets. The choice boiled down to Air India or Jet Airways. -- Air India has a strange policy of not allowing pets in cargo holds. They have to be carried in the cabin, but only…

Come February 22nd, the Whitefield community will come together to celebrate green living at the 9th edition of the Green Bazaar in Bengaluru. Called ‘Eco Habba’, the event will be a commemoration of all that is ‘green’ about Whitefield. Date: February 22nd Time: 7 am to 7 pm Venue: Herbs & Spices Restaurant, Opp. Vijaya Bank, Whitefield Click here for event details. A press note from The Alternative says water warriors, kitchen gardeners, voluntary traffic wardens, tree huggers, compost conquerors, spot-fixers, lake-savers - all these local heroes will get together to inspire those people who are looking to be inspired. Considering the many…

Bengaluru's Big Banyan Tree, or Dodda Alada Mara. Pic: Vivek M After the construction of the new airport, Bangalore is fiercely expanding towards the north consuming more and more rural areas like these. This big banyan, located in Avalahalli just off the Doddaballapur Road, is now in the company of many apartment complexes and even an international school. It remains to be seen what happens to it in the next couple of years. Related Articles During the festival... A bull that never stopped growing Old house and the bull at the Pete

“Pussaaaaa! Vaammaa, paal kukkeyn!” (“Come here, drink some milk!”), aththi called out gently and sweetly. Ms Feline Attitude (FA) gave her a disdainful look, tossed her head as only the callously cold of her species could and would, flicked the tip of her tail, and walked away in what Wodehouse would have called 'a marked manner'. But let me rewind a bit. On the west of our house, with a stone slab compound wall separating the property from ours, was the home of Sri Thirumale. With his family lived an elderly lady (his mother, if I recall rightly), whom we all called aththi. Aththi was a very…

I feel rather insulted when people say Indira Nagar or Koramangala is ‘…such a happening place!!!’ or some such silly thing. I mean, Malleshwaram is as happening a place as either of them. What could possibly make news in Indira Nagar? Another P3 type PYT strutting about with a barely there LBD? Another Italian ‘ristorante’ making its debut on 100 feet road? Pshaw!! In Malleshwaram, what makes news is not the debut, but the death of a ‘ristorante’, especially if it had the effrontery to spell its name in that manner. When a naïve Johnny-come-lately troops in with a fancy…

Go! Make a Difference (GO!MAD) is a four day fun and fundraising cycle trip from Bengaluru to Gudalur in the Nilgiris, kick starting on February 19th 2015. All one needs is a cycle, the ability to pedal 80 km every day and a big heart! The idea is not to win any race, but to enjoy the experience, soak up the local culture and raise much needed funds. All facilities from accommodation, food, support vehicles and medical help will be taken care of by the Gudalur family. While the tour promises to be physically challenging, it will also offer participants a…

Prema, a resident Richmond town, who feeds street dogs everyday. Pic : Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran Murderers, rapists, racists, eve-teasers, corrupt traffic police, misbehaving auto-drivers and obnoxious bus-conductors of Bengaluru are all well-documented by the media. Media chooses to chase only a few faces of the society, leaving people in a crisis of faith about the humanity and hospitality left in the city. However there are hundred unseen faces in the society which need exposure. Working as a Senior Engineering manager in a multinational company during weekdays, 34-year-old Albert Arul Prakash Rajendran is a passionate photographer, roaming the city streets…