Z-Blogs

  "NAVILAADAVARU" A Kannada film realized by a small group of enthusiasts, produced with just Rs 35,000. After the screening there will be an interaction / discussion on the film.  www.samvaada.com hopes to develop meaningful discussion on this. Seminar Topic: "Navilaadavaru in the context of Endhiran" Date: Sunday 28th Nov 2010, 11am - 2pm @Surana College Auditorium, South End Main Road, Basavangudi, Bangalore. Speakers Include: U R AnanthaMurthy (Noted writer)G B Harish (Writer, Professor, Tumkur University)John Devaraj (Activist)Kesari Harvu (Film Maker, Bhumigita Fame, Theatre Person)David Bond (Film Enthusiast)Shekharpoorna (Film Critic, Editor, kannadasaahithya.com web journal) Special Guests: Lahari Velu (Proprietor, Lahari Audio)Narendra Babu (Film Maker, ‘kabbaddi' fame)  Media Partners TAURIANwww.kannadasaahitya.comLahari Music Contact…

   As playgrounds get taken over by encroachments and are sold of to make for a less fun city, this ring reminds me of a childhood which is different from what the current generation will experience. Pic by Ravi Kaushik

When we have a party at home, we take good care to clean up every trace of it afterwards, to return to a spic-and-span home...so why do we not take the same responsibility in our city?Here is a photo taken by Girish S V, in HSR Layout, of an open area, the day after Deepavali:We blithely assume that "someone" will come and clean up the mess that we've made, in the process of enjoying ourselves. All it would take is a little effort, to clean it up ourselves...but we seem to lack the civic sense, the sense of pride that…

  We got out of the train after a birdwatching trip to Dandeli, and as we were lugging our bags out, I looked up into the Eucalyptus tree in the City Station parking lot...and ....there were CHESTNUT-TAILED STARLINGS in the tree! (Click on the name for the Wiki entry.)Chestnut-tailed Starlings are local migrants and I usually enjoy seeing them feasting on the Silk-cotton flowers on that gigantic tree in Lalbagh.But who expected to see them at City Station? Not me!I promptly pulled out my MLC (Mary's Lamb Camera...my Canon SX10) and took two quick shots. Now that is a very satisfactory…

Hobitute Art Foundation is conducting a series of art workshops focusing ancient fine-art forms of India at its Center for Art Education, No. 109, 2nd Floor, ADA Rangamandira Building, JC Road, Opp. Ravindra Kalakshetra, Bangalore 560002.First in the workshop series is Madhubani Painting which is from 25th to 30th November 2010, excluding Sunday. This workshop should be attended by Interior designers, fine-art students, housewives with painting interests, and art lovers with some touch in painting or taken painting as hobby. For registration and details, pl call at 96631 03600 or 9611543543 or email at contactus@hobitute.comAlso, there will soon be weekend…

I had been to visit Kalanjali, a music school in J P Nagar, to talk to people for an article I am writing; and while I was there, I was privileged to see two ladies who are coming there for music lesssons: The lady on the left is Malathi, who is 76 years old; she comes to learn Carnatic music. Her husband brings her over, holding her carefully by the hand, and comes back to pick her up when the hour's class is over.The lady on the right is Sudha; she holds a doctorate in Physics, was working at IISc…

 We had taken some schoolchildren to Shivansamudra Falls, (about 120 km from Bangalore)  and were in a hired bus. At both the entrance from the main road, and at the Shivansamudra Police Station, we were asked to pay up money. When we refused to pay money without a receipt being issued for the amount, and we said that we were a school group, we were allowed to go without being charged. What a greasy culture we have! Tourists are always people to be fleeced as much as possible. I wonder how many people give in to the pressure and pay?⊕

Almost as if in response to rising Bangaloreans' concern against the BBMP and BDA's permissions for commercial buildings in residential areas and large format apartments on narrow roads, a zoning review committee of the state government had acted last month. On Oct 15th, the committee, headed by former chief secretary and ABIDe member Dr A Ravindra sent to the government a major set of revisions to the CDP's zoning rules. If the government accepts it, it will become harder for the most blatant of illegal buildings to crop up around the city, and easier for citizens to monitor. The redrafted…

  I answered the knock on my door and found two smiling ladies outside, who asked me if our names were already on the electoral rolls. "No," I said, explaining how we could not find our names either in our old locality or our present one. The ladies, Padma and Nagaratna, immediately gave me two forms to fill, and submit, along with passport photographs, for including our names in the electoral rolls.  It was good to see these ladies going to all the apartments and taking down details, meticulously. If only every government employee were as hard-working as this!  Three cheers for Padma and…

  Happy Deepavali! Pic by Ravi Kaushik ⊕