LEISURE

I found these two Harley Davidson's at Cuppa cafe the other day....I've seen the Harley-Davidson communities in the US, looks as if we have an active community here, in Bangalore, too! ⊕

One of the unusual features of this year's Bird Race was the fact that seven teams out of 35 (that's one fifth!) wanted to go together, rathen than compete on their own. One team, Flamingo, had to drop out, and the other, Flowerpecker, started late..and went on to win the race. But here are teams...Black StorkFalconIbisRuffandSpotted Owletall together in the morning...We stayed together throughout the day, made sure as many of us as possible could see each bird.... had chai, breakfast, and lunch, enjoyed ourselves very much...and one of the teams still managed to get the third prize, and that's…

Some of the BULBs (Bangalore Urban Lady Birders) decided to meet up for lunch at Halli Mane on Sankranti Day:The decorations were beautiful...made of palm fibre:made of palm fronds: This is the menu, as displayed on the board:kharabUjatha rasa (Musk Melon juice)eLLu--bellA-kabbu (Sesame seeds-jagger-sugar cane)hesaru beLe pAyasA( Mung dal payasa)mAvina midi uppinkAyA (Maavadu, small mango pickle)chOLada kOsambari (Salad with corn and grated carrots)moLagekkALu, dAdimba kOsambari (Salad with sprouted green gram and pomegranate)Alu gaddE palyA (potato curry)dondekkAi, gOdambi palya (...... curry)mAvina kAyi chutney (mango chutney, not sweet)sihi pongal (sweet pongal)khArA pongal (savoury pongal)avarekkALu usli (preparation with winter beans)avarekkAlu bAth (rice with avarekkAlu…

Doosra's protagonist is the Game of Cricket itself. The changes in the game are depicted through the life of an ambitious and talented 20 year old Ganesh who gets to represent the country. Driven by power, politics, money and pressure, Ganesh's metamorphosis illustrates the changing phase of the game which, over the years has grown from a much loved sport to a commercial venture. The play offers the perspectives of a father who believes in the values of the game, an obsessed fan with a love and hate attitude, a victimized team captain, a bookie who represents the darker side of the…

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…

A few days ago, I jumped at the opportunity of 'converting' yet another fellow urbanite. My cousin wanted some help in planting pudina (mint) in his balcony and we soon got talking about various aspects of plant care. Watering can. Pic:Vinita It was then I realised that while watering appears to be a simple activity, it is in fact one of the most misinterpreted, often with disastrous consequences for the plant. When understood and carried out properly, it is capable of significantly influencing the relationship with the garden. So, let’s start at the very beginning. We don't water plants, we…

As urban gardeners, we have several simple organic options for ensuring adequate input of nutrients to the soil and plants. Panchagavya One of the most effective and common liquid nutrients for the garden is Panchagavya. It consists of five main ingredients from the cow (ghee, milk, curd, cow dung and cow urine) and serves not just as a growth promoting hormone and immunity booster but also as a pesticide. It is also a good source of micronutrients for plants and the soil. The usage is as simple as spraying a three percent solution on plants every 10-15 days. Seeds can…

"I took to street driving (just) a year ago, it was a moment of pride holding the trophy with my team" says an elated Rathiga B, winner of the ECO car category in the 6th Car Rally for the Blind 2012 held in June, in Bangalore. The rally is organised to foster friendship between visually challenged people and other citizens. Navigator Keshava Murthy all set with his Braille route to start off the Rally. Pic courtesy: S Srikarunya The organisers, 90 degree (an event management firm) and the National Association for the Blind, Karnataka teamed Rathiga with Keshava Murthy, an…

It was the Joy of Giving Festival Week from October 2nd to 8th all over the the country. Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA) volunteers from Bangalore South Zone felt it was a good idea to put up a sale and generate some funds for the activities of CMCA. Volunteer Chaya with customers. Pic courtesy: Ravikala Baliga Apart from the usual gift items, there were loads of hand painted diyas, dupattas, sarees, wonderful homemade eatables like chaklis, kadale puri, cakes, chocolates, etc. on sale. Needless to say, it all disappeared in a jiffy and there was a demand for more!!The…

If on a Sunday morning you want to spend your day with your dear ones away from the noisy city, do you have options other than Cubbon Park and Lalbagh?There are quite a few and not far from the city too.Shankaraa foundation on Kanakapura road is one such. It is an ideal get away if arts and culture excites you. Shankaraa foundation promotes intercultural interactions and provides platform and facilitates as a bridge between art and art lovers. It claims to be ‘a greenscape, dotted with timeless sculptures and an open- hearted space that promotes and propagates India's heritage.'There are…